Fair Food

The Texas State Fair is in some ways, just like any other state fair. There are rides, games, exhibits, museums, car shows, vendor booths...The thing that sets this particular state fair apart from the others? The fried food. It is well known for having the craziest fried food. Every year they even have awards handed out for the most creative and best tasting.
Chuck and I spent a weekend in Dallas and headed out on the fairs opening weekend. There was so much to choose from!! What would we want to try a sample of? The award winning fried bubblegum?(Most creative, though others have said it was terrible tasting.) Last years fried beer? Fried chicken skin? Fried salsa? The list goes on...

The first thing we went for won the Best Taste this year. Fried buffalo chicken flapjack. A piece of chicken that was shoved on a stick, and battered in a jalapeno buffalo pancake batter. Maple Syrup on the side for dipping.
Amazing.

We also grabbed up some fried ribs, and a Koolaid pickle.  Fried ribs were an epic fail.  They were pretty terrible. The fries were horrible as well.
The pickle on the other hand was pretty good. I may try to make up a batch myself!

We also had to have a funnel cake. I would show it to you but, well...

 

Pumpkin Painting

Halloween is getting closer!

I've got a small arsenal of tiny pumpkins sitting in a bowl on my kitchen table, waiting to be decorated.

There's also a selection on my front porch that are currently

stacked into totem poles on either side of the walkway.
I'm planning on painting the small ones this coming weekend I hope!

I'm just not sure what type of paint job I want. Any ideas?

(click through photos for link credits)

Ombre Dyeing

Have you seen one of the latest trends to hit the runway? 

Ombre

Many designers are incorporating this into recent designs.

(Designers featured, upper left and clockwise; Alexander McQueen, ADAM, Diane Von Furstenberg, Matthew Williamson, Diane Von Furstenberg, Badgeley Mischka) 

Interested in trying this out for yourself? It's a pretty simple DIY!

The Ritdye website 

actually has a tutorial for this. 

You only need one color dye, 

and you get the transition

by leaving certain parts in the dye longer than others. 

Use a dowel rod to hold your fabric. It makes it easier to raise and lower into the dye. 

Plan on using a lot of dye? 

Invite over a group of friends to help use up the rest!

Make some drinks and 

have everyone bring an item to dye.

You can also use multiple colors to get the look. Over at

I Spy DIY, 

they used two different shades of blue.

It was perfect for obtaining this dip dyed denim look 

Kanye wore at the VMAs this year!

Get creative. 

This isn't limited to just tops and dresses. 

You can dip dye the ends of a scarf.

or he bottom of a pair of jeans.

Want to pull off this look without having to get out the buckets and alter your clothing? 

Get out the paints and grab some big bangle bracelets. 

You can pull this off with one color, mixing with white for a lighter look and black for a darker look.

Or, try it on your nails

Washed Up

What are you doing about the issue of plastic and metal pollution? Do you walk down the beach with a trash bag picking up bottles to throw away? Or do you ignore it and let the ocean take care of it.

Have you wondered where many of these items have ended up?

Sian Ka'an is Mexico's largest federally protected reserve.

Never heard of it?

There's more then twenty pre-Colombian archaeological sites there. It's also the world's second largest coastal barrier reef. Sadly, due to the currents in the ocean, it is also a location where you'll find the worlds pollution dumping ground.

Artist, Alejandro Duran has been to this wasteland.

A bit of arranging to the pieces found washed up along the shoreline, and this photographer has been able to capture what much of the world hasn't seen.

Would you believe he's identified products from forty-two nations that have landed here?

This project was meant to raise awareness.

Step over to his website at http://www.washed-up-project.com/ and take a look at what he's discovered.

Will you do your part?

Help stop this gorgeous undeveloped land from becoming our dumping ground.

Credits: http://www.washed-up-project.com/