WALKING TACOS WITH HAMBURGER HELPER (AND FREE FOOD)

we've all had those days when all we want is a nice meal, a couch, and a netflix full of shows ready to be watched. but you don't have a personal chef. so you end up ordering pizza instead. because americans are lazy and we don't like cooking ourselves dinner. don't get me wrong, i LOVE my pizza, but once in a while, it's nice to have something a little different. if only someone could help you with your dinner-making and turn it into something quick and easy, without skimping on quality. 

tada! hamburger helper at your service. to show you how easy it is to whip up a meal, i've partnered with hamburger helper to bring you some super easy walking tacos! if you're not familiar with hamburger helper or walking tacos, they are both pretty great. here is the history of a walking taco, and hamburger helper is a betty crocker based brand that come fully stocked with all you need to make dinner. it's like a meal-in-the-box. all you do is add beef! (PS: you can get your beef TOTALLY FREE when you buy three boxes of hamburger helper people! get on that!)

 to make the walking tacos, you'll need a box of hamburger helper crunchy taco, the ingredients listed on the box, 1 lb of lean ground beef, and some extra tortilla chips if desired!



by browning the beef and following the directions on the side of the box, your meal will be ready within a few minutes! it took me only ten to complete the whole meal! 



to hold your tacos, take a brown paper bag and two 5in wide sheets of wax paper, and line the paper bag. cut off the top, roll down, grab a fork, and dig in! 





now, thanks to hamburger helper, you're free to chill on the couch, watch netflix, get the money you spent on beef back (it's basically free food my friends. don't pass it up!), and enjoy an awesome meal made by you! woohoo for not ordering pizza! (pizza it's not you, it's me. i think we need some time apart.) -m





INSPIRATION TUESDAY: BIKE RIDE

clockwise from left: a beach cottage / public / lovely indeed
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with the temperatures rising and the buds slowly showing themselves, it finally feels like spring! and we're pretty much half-way through april! (the clock needs to stoppppp!) with this newfound ability to be outside without getting smacked in the face by a 30* wind, i have been itching to go on a bike ride - anywhere! the only problem is, i don't have a bike. the one from public (above) is currently on sale FOR $200 OFF! so it's a big contender. jump on that folks! and happy spring bike-riding! -m

WEEKEND LOVE

the bougainvillea in AZ was so pretty! ^^ i'll have the trip recap up soon!
the week after spring break is always the hardest. but it's finally the weekend! my sister and i are filming a little video tutorial for something yummy - so stay tuned close to the end of this month! i'm super excited! / here are the things that caught my eye this week. 
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i reallyreallyreally want to take this workshop!
this dress is super cute
THESE SANDALS! heart eye emoji x100
these gals are so cool! they've got a new video series airing every other thursday!
it's been raining a ton over here in chitown, and this is the cutest
happy saturday! -m

WHY I CRAFT

*in celebration of national craft month (which was actually march! opps!!) this post is in collaboration with patience brewster, a fellow crafter! she creates textiles, ornaments (her most famous items!), and the like from start to finish! see more of patience's crafting here!
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it was 2011. my mom had received a present from one of her crafty friends - a coffee sleeve. i thought to myself, "i love to craft and sew!" (i had just gotten my first sewing machine) and "i can totally make this!" so i did. and to my unassuming eye it was beautiful. (hahah GOOD ONE) then i heard of a place called pinterest where i could share my creation, and i was totally excited. buuuut no one repinned it. (WELL OBVIOUSLY! oh man, it was really a sight to see. terrible. if only i knew that then.) but i pushed on, and from there, i read my first DIY blog, started my own and posted the coffee sleeve (ouch), deleted it, started another blog with slightly better projects (still painful to look back on), then i started TLP, and the ball REALLY GOT ROLLIN'! i discovered an amazing community of people i would have never known existed if i hadn't made that horrid coffee sleeve. crafting has opened doors for me that wouldn't have been opened otherwise. i went from badly stitched coffee sleeves, to having joanns and elsie larson repin me! i sometimes wonder if crafting/blogging all the time is really worthwhile. i mean, i'm in high school, am i wasting my teen years? am i spending money for no profit? but the thing is, i can't see my life without crafting. i've brainstormed ways to keep my crafting career though college, with a job, because i can't see a life without it. that's why i craft. i'm stuck on crafting 'cause crafting's stuck on me. (insert bandaid and musical note emojis here.) that pretty much sums it up. -m

FAQ



what camera do you use? // i use the Nikon d3100, with an AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1.8F lens (almost                                                    always on my camera!) an AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm lens, + an AF-S                                                      Nikkor 55-200 (zoom) lens.

what do you use to edit your blog photos? // i use lightroom 5, plus the A Beautiful Mess Lightroom                                                                          Actions pack.

what do you use to color your hair? // nothing! it's naturally blond.

who are all these people i keep seeing in your blog posts? // a lot of times, you'll see my sisters claire                                                                                                  and caroline, brother sam, family friends                                                                                 (and triplets) the georgeloses, and best friend sarah.

where's Lauren? // Lauren and i decided to go our separate ways in the blogging world. we had                                          different visions and different vibes. don't get me wrong, we are still best friends.                                  you can find Lauren at her blog, Unique + Co.

 are you on social media? // yep! find me on instagram, twitter, bloglovin, and pinterest.

what iPhone editing apps do you use? // i love to edit my iPhone snaps with VSCO cam, A Beautiful                                                                  Mess camera app, Studio, and Litely.

can i feature you on my own blog?// sure! contact me through my email,                                                                                                           (thelollyprojectblog@gmail.com) and i'd love to chat! but...
"Let's talk about some serious stuff. First off, I am so glad you are here! But, I  believe in giving credit. All things posted here on tLp are created by or for  the tLp team. All photos, gifs, and/or designs are property of the LOLLY   project blog, unless otherwise noted. "

can we collaborate on something? // see answer above!

where else can i find you? // see the social media links below or up in the nav bar! i also blog at                                                         the charming. 
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still have questions? ok! hit me up my friends. 

SPONSORS/COLLABS


wanting to be a sponsor on TLP? email me (molly) at thelollyprojectblog@gmail.com for more info! rates start free with swaps! woohoo for tradeoffs, baby!
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do you have a really cool product that you want people to know about? TLP also does collaborations! email me (link above) for more info and i'll do everything in her power to get your brand out! i'll give stuff away! i'll post on instagram, twitter, and pinterest! i'll tell my friends! i'll ever shout it from the roofs of buildings! (ok maybe i won't go that far, but you get the point.) seriously, i really want to share your product with people, because i'm sure they'll love it!
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click here to see where TLP's been featured and who i've worked with!


GRAB MY BUTTON!
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INSPIRATION TUESDAY: BIG BLOOMS

clockwise from left to right: 100 layer cake / style me pretty / intimate weddings
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i've yet again changed up the "inspiration tuesday" look to something cleaner, with crisper lines and more of a focus on the images. i'm liking it so far! anyway, with spring in full bloom (sorry, had to!) i felt like a post with flowers was necessary.  i love the look of big, full blooms in a vase, styled for a shoot, but i've never thought of carrying one ingle bloom as a wedding bouquet! it's different - but definitely in a good way. for more floral inspiration, head over to my pinterest! happy tuesday! -m

MY HERO: GO PRO 3

**this post contains affiliate links that provide compensation. all opinions shared are my own. thanks a bunch for supporting the companies that keep TLP up and running!
 claire's underwater selfie



inspred by @denisebovee 's instagram

jump in
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the sun is shining here in arizona, the pool water is crystal clear, and i've got my favorite suit on. there is no shortage of pictures, and we've even got some underwater ones (see above) , thanks to the GO PRO HERO 3! a few weeks ago, my siblings and i piled our money together to buy a go pro. we chose the hero 3 because of it's beautiful image quality + it's wifi connectivity! you can send the pictures straight to your phone people! it's the greatest. we bought our from target, because we have a REDcard. not to mention, when you use your target REDcard, you get 5% off every purchase! that means our go pro was even cheaper! some more features of the REDcard are...
  • Free shipping at Target.com (no minimum purchase)
  • Extended returns -- 30 extra days
  • Up to 1% of purchases go to school of your choice
  • The online application process for debit and credit has immediate approval (except for some debit applications that require a few days to confirm a bank account)
  • REDcard holders can easily check their credit card account balance, make a payment, review past statements, check their debit card transaction history and manage their PIN. They also get to enjoy exclusive offers available only to REDcard holders.
you can sign up for a target REDcard right now by clicking this link here. the free shipping and 5% off totally add up, and i say it's for sure worth it! whether you're buying a go pro like me, or just buying groceries on a sunday night, the target REDcard can help you save on purchases big and small! do you have a REDcard? if so, i'd love to know what you think! -m

HOW NEAT

mug-gorgeous-2.jpg


pencils-2.jpg



one can never have too many coffee mugs. period. when ariel nathan of neatly noted reached out to me and wondered if i'd try out one of her new products - i totally said yes! then, a couple of weeks ago, i got the cutest package in the mail - with an even cuter coffee cup inside! you might have also seen me post the above picture on instagram a handful of days ago. (and while typing this i'm realizing that i'm wearing the same exact dress that i was in the picture!)  i love ariel's mission statement and goal - to help others organize in a chic and pretty cool way, leaving them more time to chase their dreams! her products are so great: coffee mugs (like mine^), sweet white + gold pencils, and organizing stationery to name a few! i think it's so neat (haha, sorry. i had to.) that companies like this are helping people achive their dreams and goals, while maintaining a simple and stylish lifestyle. to see more of neatly noted, head to ariel's website, instagram, or check out the hashtag #liveneatly -m

INSPIRATION TUESDAY: TRIANGLES

*while i'm off enjoying some much needed sun and warm weather, kate from clear the way has saved the day with your weekly dose of tuesday inspiration! give her a hand!*


clockwise from upper left: DIY bookshelves / forest art / manicure / storefront
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Hi there, readers of THE LOLLY PROJECT. I am so pleased Molly asked me to share a little of what has been inspiring me lately so I can pass some of my inspiration onto you. This Tuesday, let's talk about triangles! I love the simple, geometric shape and it fulfills so many purposes. This DIY triangle shelving unit from Whimsy Darling is perfect for a weekend project. Or why not treat yourself to a minimalist manicure? You know what I'm really thinking about, though? The food beyond that yellow door! This restaurant is Rayén Vegano, one of the Vegan restaurants I visited while in Madrid and home to some really delicious food.
What has been inspiring you lately?
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Kate is the creator of Clear the Way, a blog for fashion, furnishing, feminism, and fulfillment. You can find her on her: blog | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | google plus

DIY | INDIGO-DYED EGGS

the fact that easter is only 15 days gave me a little heart attack. i was just shooting poppers for new years last weekend! what happened? and the realization that egg diys were going to start invading the blogosphere also made me panic. but whew, i did it. i'm here. with some awesome indigo-dyed eggs comin' atcha!


 SUPPLIES
  • about 6 boiled eggs
  • indigo dye (or dark blue food coloring)
  • rubber bands
  • sticker (i also used loose leaf hole fixers)
  • small dish (or 2)
  • water






 step one: after hard-boiling your eggs, fill one of the dishes about 3/4 of the way, and add the dye. let sit.

step two: while your dye and water mixture sits, take your rubber bands and wrap around the eggs. i found that it helps to vary the size of the rubber bands for different looks.


step three: place the egg into the dye and let it soak in all the indigo goodness for 5 minutes. (or longer for a deeper color)

i ended up adding a metal tray to the mix to catch the drips and splashes. you can also use a cookie sheet to protect the surfaces you're working on. it's also good to have paper towels and rags that can get stained on hand to clean up any messes.

step four: after the egg has been dyed, soak up the extra dye with a paper towel, and remove the rubber bands. repeat steps 1-4 using stickers this time!












i was really happy with how all the eggs turned out ( though they definitely could've been darker ) and put all the eggs back into their original carton to display! it's almost too easy, people... almost. -m

THE WEEKEND

a few weekends ago my best friend lauren came to visit. if you've been reading for a while, you know what's up! lauren and i wrote this blog together (hence why it's called the lolly project. molly + lauren = lolly) until lauren started her own blog called unique & co! she specializes in card making. she's the bomb.com. anyway, we documented our little (and too short) weekend of popovers, hotels, and shopping with some photos and a little video. take a look below! -m








WEEKEND LOVE


it's finally starting to feel like spring!!!!!! excuse the excess exclamation points as it's the only way to express my true emotion. blogs need emojis. can we get on this please? anyway, here's whats been on my list this week.
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my jaw literally dropped to the floor when i saw this bathing suit. and then i cried because of the price, and then i found this one on charlotte russe 10 minutes later. (!)
i've been watching alison's "how to be awesome" series. it's killer.
my faves emma and elsie had their first livestream this week! 
donut donuts donuts. and really orange-y pictures. 
that's all for now folks. i'm heading out to lunch and to make use of this almost-spring day. -m

HOMEMADE DONUTS ARE GOOD


have you ever had those days where you crave something so badly and won't stop until you get it? i had one of those days. i needed a donut. and whyyyy would you go and buy one? no. too mainstream molly. you have to make your own. so i open up the cabinet where we keep all the cookie sheets, brownie/casserole dishes and the donut pan WASN'T THERE. ok, no big deal, but i was sightly angry. it's gotta be around here for sure. fast forward to 20 minutes of searching, i was starting to get hangry. and then, (cue angel chorus) i found it! in a box of random christmas decorations. don't ask people. my donut dreams could now be fulfilled.

my sister claire lent a hand and we filled the tins with a cake frosting tool to get the batter evenly distributed. we followed this recipe.





 frosting the donuts was easier than we expected. mix equal parts powdered sugar and milk and food coloring!














and to answer the question i know you've all been asking throughout this post is was my donut craving satisfied? the answer is yes. (but is it really though?) -m