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I remember a family friend making cheesecloth ghosts when I was a child. Although I loved them at the time, I never made them myself until I was a mom with kids and wanted more "homemade" Halloween decor. These ghosts are simple but make a big impact and are seriously so cute! The ones I remember from childhood were simple, but I added matching buntings to my ghosts to match my DIY Happy Halloween Bunting . Supplies: Cheesecloth Liquid starch Balloons or Christmas ornaments Jars, glasses, or vases Pipe cleaners , any colors Pans (to set ghosts in while they dry) Bowl (to soak cheesecloth) DIY Cheesecloth Ghost Directions Step 1: Create the shape for your ghosts by setting a blown-up balloon in a vase or jar. I used a pipe cleaner under the balloon to create arm shapes. Play around with different sizes of ghosts to see what you like best. I used pieces of tape to secure my balloons to the jars before I began adding my cheesecloth. This will give your ghost a head and arm shape. *Note: Be sure to put your ghost shapes on a clean tray to keep the mess contained once you add the liquid starch. Step 2: Measure and precut your cheesecloth to fit your ghosts. I discovered I liked 3-4 layers of cheesecloth to achieve the transparency I desired. Make sure to leave enough cheesecloth at the bottom of each ghost to puddle and create a base for the ghosts to stand up. Step 3: Pour some liquid starch into a bowl and wet your cheesecloth. Be careful your layers don’t get too bunched up. When your cheesecloth is completely wet, sloth off some of the excess and arrange it on your ghost mold, draping from front to back. You have time to arrange it how you like making sure you leave a puddle of cheesecloth around the front and back for your ghost base. Once you are satisfied with your ghosts, let them dry overnight. Step 4: While you wait for your ghosts to dry you can create their banners. I wanted my ghosts to be holding bunting that matched my DIY Happy Halloween Bunting. I used a few extra pieces of the black burlap bunting and cut mini buntings to match for my ghosts. Step 5: Cut rectangles the size you need and then snip out a triangle shape from the bottom going from each corner at an angle to the middle of your rectangle to creating a bunting shape. Using white paint, create your letters. I made my buntings say “boo” for the big ghost and “trick” “or” “treat” buntings for the 3 smaller ghosts. Step 6: Gently remove the ghosts from their mold. I popped my balloons and just loosed the ghosts from the ornament molds. They look awesome don’t they! Step 7: Now you can attach your buntings. Thread your bunting letters onto twine and attach them through each of the ghost’s hands. Tie a knot on the underside of the ghost hand to keep the bunting attached. These DIY Cheesecloth Ghosts make a great centerpiece for a Halloween party or just use them to decorate around your house. Make large ghosts and place battery-operated tea lights under them to line your steps or walkway outside! They just make me so happy! Shop this project: More Halloween Fun: 13 Witchy Books for Fall Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

I'm a sucker for holiday-themed and cute food. To celebrate Halloween, here are 7 fun Halloween foods I enjoy serving my kids during the Halloween season. These ideas are sure to make this last week festive and fun! 7 Fun and Easy Halloween Foods Yes, I have served all of these fun foods to my kids either this Halloween or last Halloween. They love themed food and I’m totally that mom who loves making it! I might as well enjoy it while they’re young and still think my quirkiness is cool. Check out some of my favorite Halloween foods for kids. 1. Green Eyeball Pasta I love making this for Harry Potter movie night as well as Halloween. We call it Mad Eye Moody Meatballs if we are serving it for Harry Potter. You can also dye spaghetti green for a brighter pasta which I have done here to make it more spooky. Full recipe here . 2. Pumpkin Face Pancakes and Boo-nanas Create pumpkin pancakes and then cut them out with pumpkin-shaped cookie cutters . Give the kids candy corn and chocolate sauce to make faces (or make it for them). Add chocolate sauce to half a banana for boo-annas! 3. Mummy Pizza and Spider Eggs On half of an English Muffin make a cheese mummy pizza using strips of mozzarella cheese and olives for eyes. Serve grapes (spider eggs) on the side with a plastic spider ring on top for them to wear during their meal! 4. Mac and Cheese Jack-o-lanterns Jazz up some basic stovetop Mac and cheese for Halloween. I added about 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, extra cheddar, and served them in orange bell peppers that I carved to look like mini jack-o-lanterns. 5. Candy Corn Waffles I made a batch of Pumpkin Spice waffles . Before cooking them in my waffle maker , I separated the batter into 2 bowls and added orange and yellow food coloring. Pour the orange batter in the middle and some yellow around the outside. Once they are cooked, separate the triangles and dip them in a simple milk, vanilla and powdered sugar glaze to create the white tip. Yum! 6. Zombie Brains These sushi zombie brains are super creepy but fun for sushi-loving kiddos. I didn’t want to make a whole batch of sticky rice, so I used Annie Chun’s white sticky rice and it worked perfectly! Check out the video on our TikTok to see how easily these come together. Full recipe here . 7. Jack-o-lantern Quesadillas We made jack-o-lantern quesadillas to eat for our pumpkin carving night. I just cut pumpkin shapes (or have older kids make their own pumpkin faces) out of one tortilla and then line up two tortillas to cut the pumpkin stem at the top. Fill with cheese, spray the outside with cooking spray, and bake in a 400-degree oven for 8-10 minutes until melted. Make these Halloween treats even more festive by serving them on Halloween plates ! Which one looks the most fun to make? Let me know in the comments. Shop Halloween Deals

We're in the mood for all things Halloween and that includes our TBR pile! Our witchy booklist is full of magic, mystery, romance, found family, revenge, and more! Check out these 13 witchy books to read this fall! The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna - An orphan witch is taught to hide her magic away until one day she gets a message to come to a house where they teach young witches how to control their magic. She becomes part of this secret society. When danger comes knocking, the real fun begins. In Charm's Way by Lana Harper - Explore the effects of trauma and rage with a witch who has memory loss and performs a powerful spell to gain back her lost memories. It works, but she becomes a beacon for all things supernatural. This book is part of the Witches of Thistle Grove series but can also be read as a stand-alone novel. The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry - The story of a young woman named Biddy who washed up on an island as a baby and is taken care of by the magician. She learns to love and protect magic as if it was her own even though she can't do magic of her own. When the magic begins to dry up, the magician leaves to make sure the magic is evenly distributed. But, he's been keeping secrets and Biddy starts to question everything, Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck - The second book in the Witchlore series. When Rebekkah was 18 she was stripped of her powers and banished from her town. Now, 10 years later, she's back with the coven that presides over the magical world, but her return becomes sinister when they think she's a threat to witchkind. A witchy journey of self-discovery and healing Now she is Witch by Kirsty Logan - A lyrically written book about witchcraft, wise women, and folklore. Else discovers rumors of witches in the north are running rampant, her mother was accused of witchcraft, and now a stranger appears with a wolf in tow. Not tied to a specific time or place, it feels very much like a story told over time and has the feeling of being historical and modern at the same time. Weyward by Emilia Hart - Three separate stories that span generations of a family and we follow three women who are connected in many ways. Each woman has to deal with the expectations that society places on women in their own times and men who try to control them. We follow the women as they find their own strength and power with a hint of magic weaved in. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs - When two estranged sisters are given the task of guarding the family's library of magical books, they work together and unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their family. Loyalty, betrayal, and the pursuit of magical power. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman - Their family has been cursed since the 1600s when an ancestor was charged with witchery. Now, generations later, three unique children have rules like no walking in the moonlight, no cats, no candles and most importantly never fall in love. As the uncover their family history, they discover who they are, and are determined to escape the family curse. Two of the children in the family grow up to be the beautiful aunts in Practical Magic. The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre - Iris, who is terrible with money and who everyone calls the "chaos bunny" suddenly inherits a house from her great aunt. She turns the house into a B&B and it ends up attracting all kinds of misfit boarders who are of the paranormal type. This is part of the Fix-it Witch series but can also be read as a stand-alone book. The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy - Gracelynn lives with her grandmother on Tin Mountain in the Ozarks helping her with herbal remedies. We get steeped in old folk magic following two viewpoints as a man moves to town and something seems off with him. Danger is closer than it seems. Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland - Each witchy sister in this family has her own magical gifts. Sage's gift is that of botany and that causes her to have to work closely with someone in her past who broke her heart. It's a book of complex sisterly bonds, second-chance romance, a little bit of plants, and a lot of magic! What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher - Aline is a witch who can talk to ghosts. She uses her powers in secret to help lost souls find their way home. Along the way, she sets off on a quest to find a town that doesn't exist, or does it? Full of magic and Alice in Wonderland vibes. Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn - When two sisters inherit a house they begin to have haunting experiences. They discover their families is that of witches and someone doesn't want them to have the house. They come face to face with an enemy that has been stalking their shadows for years and they discover the awful truth about what happened to their mother. Do they have the power within them to survive Bone Hill?

Fall is just around the corner and we’ve been struggling to hold off on our love of all things pumpkin, Halloween, and Autumn! One of our favorite ways to incorporate pumpkin into our baking is these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. The kids eat them up. I pack one in with lunch or for a snack with a big glass of milk after school. These cookies are so moist, soft, and chewy! Just how a good chocolate chip cookie should be. The pumpkin and spices pair nicely with the chocolate chips for a hit of savory and sweet. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 stick butter, softened 1/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup light brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoons salt 1 cup milk chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Beat together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Mix in the eggs and add vanilla and pumpkin and mix until combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices (nutmeg, cloves, and ginger). Slowly add in the flour into the pumpkin mixture until mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand Using a tablespoon, scoop onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes until slightly browned around the edges. Cool cookies on a wire rack and enjoy. I enjoy eating these cookies with coffee, cause why not. This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. They usually don’t last long with my kids though! Shop this recipe

Carving a pumpkin is a traditional Halloween experience. But a no-carve pumpkin craft can be lots of fun too and honestly a lot less messy! These DIY Glowing Sugar Skull Pumpkins are fun to make for kids, teens, or adults! With young kids, carving pumpkins with sharp knives, slimy gooey insides, and tough-to-cut pumpkin rinds, can be stressful for me. I still like letting the kids get involved and doing Halloween crafts and no-carve pumpkins are great for kids. When I saw this glow in the dark paint on Amazon, I knew it would make a fun Halloween craft. Living in Tucson, we often see a lot of sugar skulls around because of the local Hispanic culture. Over the past few years, I’ve started incorporating sugar skulls into my Halloween/Autumn decor. Hence, how this DIY Glowing Sugar Skull Pumpkin was born! DIY Glowing Sugar Skull Pumpkin Pumpkin - white or orange (we did both) Tulip Glow in the Dark paint blacklight (get whatever fits your space) pencils (to sketch your design beforehand) This DIY Glowing Sugar Skull Pumpkin isn’t too complicated, but does take a steady hand and some creativity creating a design. I traced out my design with a pencil on your pumpkin beforehand. This will help you not make mistakes when you start with the paint. Pull up different sugar skull pictures and let kids pick and choose what sugar skull features they like and want on the pumpkin. Flower eyes are a must! Using a steady hand, trace your designs with the glow in the dark paint. The glow in the dark paint looks really good in the dark or with the blacklight glow on it!

This Lavender Lemonade is light and refreshing, with a light floral flavor. It is perfect for Spring and Summer celebrations, or just for fun! Serve this pretty lavender lemonade at brunch, tea parties, baby or wedding showers, or any event you want to feel fancy. It's just so pretty to sip on! It has a subtle lavender flavor. You can make it stronger if you steep your lavender flowers for longer in the recipe below. Lavender Lemonade Ingredients: 1/2 - 3/4 cup of sugar, depending on how sweet you like your lemonade 1/4 cup honey 6 cups of water, divided into 2 and 4 cups 3 tablespoons dried edible lavender flowers (also found in some spice aisles) juice of 12 lemons, about 2 cups purple gel food coloring lemon slices for garnish Note: This makes about 2 quarts of lemonade. Store covered, in the refrigerator for about a week. Directions: In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the sugar and honey until dissolved and remove from heat. Add in your lavender flowers and let steep for about 1 hour, like tea. Juice your lemons and set the juice in the fridge to start chilling. Note: This juicer is the fastest, most efficient way to juice your lemons. And it comes in a few cute colors so you can coordinate with your kitchen if you want to. After your hour has passed, strain your lavender water into a bowl or pitcher and discard the lavender flowers. In a large pitcher, add your lemon juice, lavender juice, and the other 4 cups of water. To make it more of the typical lavender color, add a few drops of purple food coloring. I added 4 drops to mine to get this soft purple color. Serve over ice and garnish the glasses with lemon wedges and faux purple flowers if desired. Give this lavender lemonade a try and let us know if you liked it! If you're in a Lavender Haze mood, check out our popular Lover/Folklore House Friendship Bracelet DIY , get crafty with our Eras Tour Confetti Shadow Box or mix things up with our Lavender Haze Cocktail ! For more Taylor Swift! Serve this lemonade at your very own Taylor Swift Party ! Check out our party inspiration post.

If you follow my blog or know me in real life, then you know I attended The Eras Tour and got to see Taylor Swift for the first time in person! I took my daughter on a little girls' road trip and we got dressed up like the Swifties we are and had THE BEST NIGHT together singing, dancing, and trading bracelets. It was seriously so much fun! We were lucky enough to score some floor seats and when Taylor sang All Too Well, the most magical "snow" fell all over us. It went perfectly with the line in verse 6 that goes, "I still remember the first fall of snow, And how it glistened as it fell, I remember it all too well". Here are some screenshots from my videos of that night! I'll save you from hearing us screaming at the top of our lungs, ha! My daughter and I collected a few handfuls of the confetti, but when we got home we didn't know what to do with it. We finally decided to create this The Eras Tour Confetti DIY Shadow Box to showcase our confetti and a photo of us to remember the night. The Eras Tour Confetti DIY Shadow Box Supplies: Shadow Box Paper ( glitter blue ) Cricut (I have a Cricut Joy ) Removable vinyl ( blue and silver and transfer tape ) Tools like weeder, scraper , and glue to attach your photo. Directions: Using Cricut design space, create your text for the frame of your shadow box. I chose to put the words, "The Eras Tour" on top and the date we attended, and Swift City (that was the name Glendale, AZ changed to for the weekend Taylor Swift played there) on the bottom. Make sure to measure your frame and size your words so that your words fit on your frame. Next, choose a lyric that you feel suits the vibe or song you are capturing. Honestly, there are so many good lyrics you can choose. Maybe you even want to put your "surprise songs" names on yours. Feel free to make it your own! Obviously, mine are from All Too Well 10 minute version. Create the lyrics mentioned above in Cricut design space and cut them out with your cricut. Carefully attach them to your glass in the frame. Make sure it doesn't go too far to the edge and gets covered when you put the glass back in the frame. Also keep in mind the color of the confetti that will be behind your lyrics so you can make sure it stands out. Print your favorite picture (or pictures) from the night! I printed one that I had cropped to be square on a 4x6 photo paper and cut it to look like a Polaroid photo in our frame. A nod to 1989 if you will. Measure and cut your background paper to fit the back of your frame. We were going for a blue and silver vibe so we did blue paper to highlight the white confetti but if you have the Eras-colored confetti or the leaf confetti, you may want a different vibe all together. Lastly, put your confetti in the open shadow box and close it all up. It's fun to display and give a shake every now and then like a snow globe! Here were my paper choices. I'm glad I went with the glittery blue! This project was so off and on for me. You would think it would come together in an afternoon but with work and issues with vinyl, it just didn't happen as quickly as I would have liked. I mainly had issues with the permanent vinyl I tried to use on the project first. We absolutely love how it turned out though! If you make a confetti shadow box like ours, please tag us on social media so we can see it! For more Taylor Swift-inspired fun, check out our Lover/Folklore Friendship Bracelet House , Lavender Haze Cocktail , and Lavender Lemonade . Check out my recent post on how to throw a Taylor Swift Party

We are less than 1 month away from getting Taylor's Version of 1989 and I'm here for it. You know I'm a swiftie and if you haven't seen our Friendship Bracelet Lover House , Lavender Haze Cocktail , or Concert Confetti Shadow Box , go check them out. If you have seen them, let's add something new to our Taylor Swift content - Taylor Swift's Chai Cookies! During her original launch of 1989, Taylor hosted Secret Sessions, where she invited fans to a secret album listening events and she made these Chai Cookies to bring to them. Yes, Taylor bakes! You can check out her 2014 Tumblr post where she shares her cookie recipe. These cookies would be a great addition to an album-listening Taylor Swift party ! Taylor Swift's Chai Cookies Cookie Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola or sunflower oil. 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 or 2 chai bags, cut open Icing ingredients: 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon 3 tablespoons milk or eggnog (Taylor called them TAYblespoons and it's so frickin cute!) Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray. 2. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter in a large bowl on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the vegetable oil. It may not fully incorporate with the butter, but that’s okay. Add the granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla, beating on medium speed until each ingredient is completely incorporated. 3. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut open and add 1 or 2 chai bags. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture, until a soft dough forms. 5. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes just so it’s easier to handle. 6. For large cookies, dollop 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. For smaller cookies use 1 Tablespoon for each cookie. Press the dough evenly with your fingers or palm to 1/4-inch thickness. 7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes for larger cookies or 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely. For the icing: 1. Mix together your ingredients for the icing and drizzle on top of your cookies. Adjust the milk and powdered sugar as needed to get the consistency you like the best. 2. Drizzle or spread on your cookies. I sprinkled mine with a little bit of cinnamon to finish them off. The cookies will keep for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container. As Taylor would say, " bakers gonna bake bake bake bake bake." Happy almost 1989 Taylor's Version!

Swiftmas is right around the corner and let's face it, you probably have a Swiftie in your life! We're sharing some of our favorite gift ideas for Swifties. Some are more Taylor-themed, while others are a more subtle nod to Taylor. We have small items that would be fun for friends or stockings and bigger items for the favorite Taylor lover in your life! Gifts for Swifties Watch Band - at only $12.99, this Eras Tour Apple watch band makes a great Secret Santa, stocking, or bestie gift without breaking your budget. Taylor Swift and The Clothes She Wears - It's a beautiful picture book chock full of stunning photos of Taylor Swift's most beloved fits. In My 2025 Era Calendar - A wall calendar with artistic scenes from the eras tour each month. Light Up Ivy - Know an Evermore girlie? These light-up Ivy lights might be right up her alley! Fujifilm Instax Square Camera - It's the modern-day Polaroid and we know Taylor loves Polaroid photos! Be creative and take your own instant photos with this pretty camera. Album as Books Shirt - This is such a cute fan-made sweatshirt from OceanBlueClothingUS Etsy shop! Perfect for the bookworm Swiftie. Pat McGrath Lipstick - Taylor is known for her "red lip classic thing" and has been confirmed to use Pat McGrath lipsticks! This red lip is great for many skin tones and stays for hours! Moon and Saturn Necklace - Some swifties like subtle nods to song lyrics. This GoldThreadCandleCo Estys shop moon/Saturn necklace combo fits the Folklore girlies who love the lyrics and pretty jewelry! "Love you to the moon and to Saturn" 1989 Vinyl - Get the latest re-release from Taylor (1989 Taylor's Version) in this tangerine orange color! Record Player - This Audio Technica turntable is of great quality. I prefer the brown front for a vintage feel. Paired with these bookshelf speakers it makes a great "big gift" that will elevate their music listening sessions to the next level. Midnight Slippers - Meet me at midnight in your comfy clothes for a TS dance party in these fuzzy slippers! Loop Earbuds - Protect your hearing with these highly popular concert earbuds. These noise-filtering buds allow you to vibe at concerts or other loud environments without harming your hearing. Patriarchy Keychain - We remember it all too well. This would pair nicely with the Taylor Swift Advent Calendar for the car we shared! Car Air Freshener - This mini turn table is the cutest car air freshener we've ever seen! Blind Date with a Book (Taylor's Version) - Take Me To The Lakes Co Etsy shop allows you to choose your favorite Taylor album (or song) and get a book that fits that vibe. How cute is this idea! You can tell the shop owner hand wraps and decorates each book so cute! I got the Christmas Tree Farm version and it was so cute I didn't want to open it right away and just admired the cute packaging. What is your favorite gift for your swiftie this holiday season? Check out our 10 books for the 10 Taylor Swift Eras ! For more Taylor Swift fun check out Taylor Swift's Chai Cookies Recipe , Taylor Swift Party , Lavender Haze Cocktail , DIY Friendship Bracelet House , Lavender Lemonade , and DIY Concert Confetti Shadow Box .

Hello, fellow Swiftie bookworms! I'm here today with some book recommendations for you! Taylor is a beautiful storyteller so it only makes sense that many of us Swifties would be book lovers as well. The US leg of the Eras tour may be over but our addiction to all things Taylor hasn't. Since one of my goals for this year was to read more books, I thought it would be fun to curate some Taylor Swift Eras Inspired Books. This list contains one book that I feel fits the overarching theme of each album. I had waaaay too much fun creating this post and can't wait to dive into these Eras-inspired books. Taylor Swift Books for Each Era Let's start at the beginning with Taylor Swift aka "Debut" For Taylor Swift , we are recommending My Life As A Country Album by EJ Evans Now, I'll be honest, I know this album the least, but regardless, my overall views of it are that it's young and fresh, and you still have a wide-eyed view of the world. You yearn to be more grown-up than you are. My Life as a Country Album is about Cam, a small-town girl experiencing her first love with the boy next door. It's told in a diary-esque way and is sweet like sweet tea y'all. With first love comes a little bit of heartbreak, and you can just picture Cam signing "Teardrops on My Guitar" as you read it. Fun fact, the author stated the book was inspired by Taylor's song "Begin Again", but we still think it is a perfect "Debut" inspired read. Our Fearless TV -inspired book recommendation is Stargirl By Jerry Spinelli . Fearless is a little more about figuring things out, finding friendships, and life from a high school girl's perspective. Stargirl is about a free-spirited high school girl. She was previously homeschooled and now she's going to a public high school where she's the "quirky outcast". People call her different from them and maybe even a little weird. Stargirl however is a genuinely kind person and embraces her individuality, even when the other kids are making fun of her. We love this brave story about nonconformity! Taylor Swift has even said that Stargirl inspired her ! If you like Speak Now TV , we recommend you check out When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill . Speak Now is feminine and a bit fairytale-esque with a current of trauma that runs beneath the surface. When Women Were Dragons is a tale about the changes we go through to become ourselves. It talks about the 1955 Mass Dragoning event where thousands of women turned into dragons - growing scales, sprouting wings, and taking to the skies leaving a trail of fiery destruction in their wake. The story follows a young girl as she unravels this forbidden story. Why did some women turn into dragons while others did not? This book is all about a world that wants to keep women small, and how they rise up and take up the space they deserve. Our Red TV -inspired book recommendation is My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell . To me, the theme of Red is turbulent relationships and the rollercoaster of emotions that come with them. "All Too Well 10-minute version" is a hit that stands out from this album and we think My Dark Vanessa is a good read that feels inspired by All Too Well. This book explores the tumultuous relationship between a teenage girl and her teacher, who professes to love her. But, when rumors of him abusing another student start to surface, Vanessa begins to see how much he manipulates her. How their relationship wasn't really what she thought it was. Maybe she's not unique, and maybe he's a predator. It screams "You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath". Whew, that last one cut deep. Let's lighten the mood with 1989 TV! Our 1989 TV - inspired book is French Kissing in New York by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau . 1989 is very much all about big city lights, late nights on the town, rooftop bars, being young and having fun dating. French Kissing in New York is a romance novel about a young woman who moves to New York City, bustling with energy. We follow Margot on her journey to find her place as a chef in the restaurant scene. She can't stop thinking about a guy she met last year in Europe and hopes she can find him. Anything is possible in the big city! Full of food, friendship, and fate. If you like Reputation , you may enjoy Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard . Reputation is giving anger, vengeance, and betrayal...and we all know the story behind "Look What You Made Me Do". The book Red Queen is set in a dystopian world of betrayal and lies, where royals have superpowers, and the world is divided by red and silver-blooded people. We follow Mare, who has been raised in poverty by the Reds. When she discovers she has powers, the Silvers want to cover this up. In this tale of treachery, she is forced to play the political game that the Silvers play. Power is a dangerous game and the only certainty is betrayal. Our Lover -inspired book recommendation is Autoboyography by Christina Lauren . The Lover Era is purple-pink clouds, fun-loving, and a bit of whimsy. Autoboyography feels like it's written perfectly for this album. Even the cover is Lover coded in my opinion. We get to know Tanner, a bisexual teen, and Sebastian a gay boy, in this touching love story. While one boy has the support of his family, society pretends they don't exist. This story is all about coming out, embracing yourself, and living your most authentic life. Everyone in this town just needs to "Calm Down". For related reads, check out our LGBTQA+ Books for Kids and Teens . Our Folklore book recommendation is Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler . Folklore is full of romanticism, exploring yourself, and finding peace within. Adelaide, is a story about Adelaide, an American living in London who falls in love with a charming Englishman. Is he "The One? As she pours herself into their relationship, she begins to lose herself a little, as he doesn't quite reciprocate the love she's giving him. He's a good guy, but does he really love her for her? She starts to get a bit desperate for his love and it starts to become a little self-destructive. This book feels very "This is Me Trying", "Mirrorball" "August", "Exile" and "The One" all rolled into a book that takes on mental and emotional health while being highly functional. For the Evermore girlies, we think you should check out Weyward by Emilia Hart . Evermore has witchy vibes of connecting with nature in an ivy-covered cottage. In Weyward, we follow three powerful women at different points in history, as they discover the gifts that bind them and set them apart. They each battle the patriarchy and the expectations that society has put on them, and as women as a whole. They find their inner power through their connection with nature. While there are no spells, there is magic weaved into the pages of this story. It's been on my TBR list since fall when I featured it in 13 Witchy Books for Fall . I'm hoping I can get it read soon! Our Midnights -inspired book recommendation is The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark . Midnights is the album about 13 sleepless nights, but as Taylor mentions, it's also about the "floors we pace and the demons we face". The Lies I Tell is a story of two women who are seeking justice for their pasts and hope to rewrite their futures. It's a bit of "Vigilante Shit" and "Karma", as one woman is a con artist who can change who she needs to be to get the job done and the other is out for revenge. This book is a quick-paced thriller with strong protagonist female characters. Our TTPD- inspired book recommendation is Florida by Lauren Groff . The Tortured Poets Department is a dramatic, intimate, and eclectic ablum. Florence Welch posted on her IG that when asked to feature on TTPD she immediately thought of this collection of short stories featuring ghosts, swamps, and storms. I think it's only fitting that TTPD be paired with this collection of 11 stories since TTPD is her 11th album. The stories are all centered around wonderfully flawed women who are often suffering in their own skin. Full of dark humor, Lauren crafts poetic sentences just as Taylor crafts poetic lyrics, full of cynicism and sarcasm, ghosts, anger, vulnerability, motherhood, and acceptance. We are fully aware that at the time of this post update, The Life Of A Showgirl has not yet been released. However, we are hoping it's about her and Travis' love story and while we wait, we are reading this book with showgirl vibes! Our The Life Of A Showgirl album inspired book recommendation is A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love by Alice Murphy. While we don't know yet the full theme of Taylor's newest album, we did enjoy reading this new book. It's a dual timeline "romance" novel. You switch from modern day historian Phoebe, telling the story, to the 1800's where a plus sized showgirl named Evelyn becomes the start in a new Vaudeville show and starts to fall in love with a businessman named Thomas. It's a bit of an unconventional love story and as Pheobe tells the story, she too is falling in love and comparing her story to Evelyn and Thomas. We're taken on a journey of self-love. I put "romance" in quotes at the beginning because it also feels very historical, however there are some sexual tension scenes and a few more graphic scenes. Overall, it's a story about a bold woman, body positivity, being true to yourself, but also has some heartbreak as well, I won't tell you who or how. But a good read while we wait for October 3rd! If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out our Taylor Swift page where we share all our Taylor inspired food, crafts, and more!

Taylor Swift announced her new album The Life of a Showgirl , recently on the New Heights podcast. We know that the album will be "orange" themed and more of a pop vibe. During the podcast with Travis and Jason, she also talked about how much she loved to bake, both sourdough and pop tarts. During that conversation about pop tarts, we were inspired to bake our own orange pop tarts. Orange Poptarts Ingredients Crust and filling 2 pre-made rolled pie crusts star cookie cutter 1 cup orange marmalade 1 egg 1 tablespoon of milk Icing 1.5 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 2 tablespoons milk Sprinkles *optional (but not really optional) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unroll your pie crust. This is easier if you leave it out at room temperature for about 15 minutes beforehand to help soften it so it doesn't crack. Cut out stars with your cookie cutter. You can also make regular-sized pop tarts using an index card as a guide. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the orange marmalade in the center of your star and cover with another star. Use a fork to crimp the edges. I do both sides of mine to keep it sealed. Once you've made all your stars, in a small bowl, add the egg and milk to make an egg wash and brush on the stars. Bake for 10-13 minutes (If you want rectangles, bake for a minute or two longer) Cool completely on a cooling rack. In a small bowl, mix together your icing ingredients, adding more milk or powdered sugar until it's a thick but slightly drizzly texture. You want it to pour off the spoon, creating ribbons for a few seconds before combining back with the rest of the icing. Adorn with sprinkles and let the icing harden before storing in an airtight container for a few days. This makes about 12 star poptarts. No more, no less, like The Life of a Showgirl, right?! If you want some more Taylor Swift-inspired baking, check out her Chai Cookies recipe that we love to bake in the Fall!

I've seen several versions of this one-pan dumpling bake floating around on Tik Tok and then Instagram. I finally cracked and decided to make my own version and try it out. These baked dumplings are an easy "dump and go" dinner. Perfect for those busy nights, if you want to take something to a friend or neighbor or just don't feel like "cooking". They only take a few minutes to put together and are ready to go in as soon as your oven is preheated but they take a bit of time to actually bake. Worth it though! I've heard some conversations lately about what is cooking and what is "not cooking" and I have to say it doesn't really matter. Whether it's semi-homemade as I like to call it or you're going all out and making your own fresh pasta , it's all cooking, nourishing your body, sometimes even feeding your soul, which is what these dumplings feel like they do! One-Pan Dumpling Bake *serves 4 Ingredients 24 frozen dumplings (I use chicken and vegetable potstickers) 1 can coconut milk 2 tablespoons gochujang 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I've used both depending on what I have) 1/2 tablespoon honey 6 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce 3 heads baby Bok choy, greens and some white parts roughly chopped Optional sesame seeds chili crisp oil green onions Preheat your oven to 375 and in large baking dish, mix together the gochujang, coconut milk, honey, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce. Whisk together until combined. Arranged your frozen dumplings in the sauce, coating them in the sauce as you add them. Top with your chopped Bok choy. Cover with aluminum foil and baked for 40 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through and sauce is bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top with the optional toppings - chili crisp oil, green onions, sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy! This dish is a very comforting and easy baked dumplings dish. This is what your dumpling bake looks like before you bake it (above) and after it's baked (below)