Five Favorites for the In-tro-VERT. Or whoever has good taste. Whatevs.

Joining Hallie's Five Favorites link-up. :)

I have a  relentless craving for simply staying home which Houston's recent weather has recently enabled to be somewhat satisfied to a somewhat satisfying degree. So to all of you who complained about the weather: please complain only in whispers, because it was God's gift to me. Seriously. I love staying home to read, or "make things," or go for walks in the freezing rain, or whatever. Staying home is pretty much my favorite. It's like I'm an introvert or something. Weird.

So now to five of my favorite things to do when I do my faaavorite thing (staying home, remember?):

1. Read "The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning"



If this hilariously awesome (and accurate) cover doesn't make you want to read this book, I feel there must probably be something wrong with you. And you can totes judge this book by it's cover since the interior is as hilariously awesome (and accurate) as the exterior. I am enjoying it no end and you should read it. But here, let the authoress convince you.

2. Listen to Never Stop (the wedding version) by SafetySuit

This is pretty much my new favorite-est song evah, peeps. Credit for introducing me to this gem goes to my sweet friend Allison, and credit for making me love it because it sounds like stuff he says goes to my sweet sweetheart Alexander The Great. Listen and be prepared to fall in major like with it.

3. TinySaints. Because, Tiny. Also, Saints.

You guys. These are a big stinking deal. In the cutest, smallest way you can imagine. Look look look:



You guys. Again. I...just can't. Resist, that is. Oh, em, gee, they are so so so cute. Clearly, since I cannot stop saying things three times, as if I were Eloise's Nanny or something. I heard of these, and just as I was beginning to realize my Catholic life was not complete without one, my sweet friend Allison (the bringer of good music aforementioned) surprised me with my very own tinysaint Pier Giorgio. See see see:



You guys. Again again. I still can't. You need one too, trust me. Or two. Or three. I haven't decided yet. Hey, don't judge. They're saints, for cryin' out loud. And I may or may not have gotten a little carried away when I went to go pick out a few for gifts (okay, mostly for gifts) the other day. And you can too. Get carried away. There is even the super-cutest little St. Valentine there and you know you prolly need to get him as a present for that day that's blippin' away on the female radar there. The website is super hard to remember but I'll do you a favor and give it to you nice and easy: www.shoptinysaints.org. Just do it. Shop the TinySaints.

4. Make Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies. Duh.

This is kinda a big project, so the first ingredient necessary is basically time. But worth it. Here is the recipe to your future fame at every party you go to ever after today (if you, ya know, take the cookies):

Also, here are my own personal tips which I do not expressly recall seeing mentioned in this otherwise admittedly genius recipe. Possibly you do not need these tips, but I did, and since it is possible you know as little about basic baking skills as me (not probable, but I suppose possible), I will just mention them as if I knew what I were talking about. *ahem*

a) When you chill the dough, cover it. Like, with plastic wrap. So it doesn't dry out. You're welcome.
b) If you need to chill the dough between stuff/shaping them and baking them, they need to come back to room temperature before the baking bit. Unless you like them crunchy. Which would be weird because, who stuffs cookies with Nutella and wants them to crunch? But whatever. It's your cookie. I'm just saying if you like soft, wait for room temperature.

5. Do this super fun DIY from the brilliant ladies at Verily

Photo-to-canvas (or wood) prints. It is as cool as it sounds.

I did this the first time without messing up. Then I messed up the second one. Awesomely enough, even when you mess it up, it still looks cool. So, this is a wonderful DIY for people like me. Probably this means pretty much anyone else no matter how craft-challenged they normally find themselves to be can find success at this too, but we don't need to talk too much about that.

Personally, I like using matte ModPodge for sticking the paper on and gloss ModPodge to finish it. But both works for both. I mean...I mean you know what I mean and probably this means I should not be the one to write DIY instructions for anything maybe ever. Good thing Verily ladies wrote this one so you can have cool wall art like I do and all my friends do who've had birthdays or gotten married since I discovered this.