Weekend wrap up.

Once again, pardon my lack of writing. 
Julio has been sick. So, while nursing him back to health we decided to start watching Downton Abbey care of my dear mother in law. We can’t seem to pinpoint what it is about this show, and truly- it’s hard to explain- but it’s incredible.
Well, good thing she gave us both seasons 1 & 2. We’ve burned through them over the past week and can’t wait till season 3 comes out on DVD! 
My hope is to start posting a weekend wrap-up post on mondays. Well, clearly it’s not monday (thanks to Downton)  So here’s a few favorites from  this past St. Patty’s weekend. 
My attempt at green shamrock pancakes!

I also made some delicious Irish Soda Bread that we’ve been enjoying all week. To be honest, it’s gotten better each day as it softens a bit. This recipe made one giant loaf. It’d be great to accompany a hearty soup or stew, but was lovely alongside our corned beef. 

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons softened butter    (+ 1-2 tablespoons melted)
1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Add the soft butter and work in with your fingers. Add the buttermilk and work together with a fork just until barely mixed. Shape together by pressing into a ball (barely formed). It was very sticky for me. 

Coat a cast iron skillet with butter (I used my Le Cruset dutch oven, in green nonetheless!) and bake in a 400 degree over for 40 minutes in the top 1/3 of the oven (too low and the bottom crust will be burnt). 


Remove from the over and brush with 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter with a pastry brush to soften the crust.  (it can be stored in a ziploc on the counter for a few days



 Enjoy!



Geometric nail art.

I.am.loving these things.
This little beauty is from Essie’s nail sticker collection. I don’t think I have ever been complimented on something more in my life. When headed to MIA, i was left with no time for a mani/pedi, and while picking up some last minute essentials at Walgreens, these beauties caught my eye. I had been intrigued by the sticker nail polish thing, but always thought the prints were tacky. 
These have not dissappointed. 
Some tips for your tips:
1. clean up your cuticle and shape your nails first.
2. clean your nails with alcohol then wash hands and thoroughly dry.
3. file off the tips from up to down direction- otherwise the edges lift.
Been on for a week now and only the tips have chipped/peeled off. I fully approve.
Bummer that the gold is sold out online! I hope they get em back. 

Longing for spring

Hello, blog-land.


Sorry for my absence. The past few weeks have been packed full of sparkling goodness and stressful evenings that have left me zero time for self-expression beyond piecing myself together on the daily.

We enjoyed a beautiful week in Florida with family, some dear friends, and celebrated two amazing couples who were getting married.

Though soFla was a little bit colder then we had hoped for this time of year (that water was cold and the air was a chilly 68 degrees!), being down south has definitely left me longing for warmer temperatures and spring wardrobes!

I’ve noticed mint/aqua remains a staple, as well as a much welcomed pop of lavender!  Color continues to be the big thing this spring. lots. of. color. I can’t wait to start mixing it up and transitioning my fall neutrals with pops of candy-colored-springy goodness. Don’t worry about “matching”, but do limit yourself to 2-3 colors max in one ensemble. You don’t want to look like you fell out of an Easter basket…
  

NYFW: beauty

So I’m not much of a runway watcher when it comes to fashion. I love flipping through magazines to see what’s hot for the upcoming season, and seeing the images from various shows. I’m sure if i was invited to go see a runway show in person i wouldn’t think twice, but for now- my Marie Claire and Allure will suffice.
What I do like to look up however are the make-up trends that are being recycled! [because let’s be honest- its all been done]. A few things I’ve noticed from this season’s faces from NYFW are:

Under eye shadow.

Rodarte
 
Jason Wu

 I love the Jason Wu use of purple and the Rodarte smokey bronze under-eye. In re-creating this look though go light on the smudge. The Rodarte model looks great walking down the catwalk- but if you walk out of the house like that people are definitely going to think you’re having a bad day or all your mirrors broke…

Bright naked eyes with a bold lip. 

DVF
Vera Wang

This is much easier to pull off if you’re just not scared! Just remember your lip prep and it will all be okay.

Lip prep

Happy Valentine’s Day!
One of my favorite parts of V-day… sweet kisses. Whether it’s your first kiss or 10,000th, soft kissable and moisturized lips are a must.
Lush lip exfoliator.
If you don’t want to purchase a lip exfoliator like above, a rough mixture of sugar and coconut oil would work just as well. Rub all over your lips for about a minute to remove excess skin. This is a must if you’re going with a bright lipstick. [However, beware. not everyone is willing to risk getting lipstick all over themselves post-make-out.]

I chose to go with a universally flattering light pink shade- Revlon Primrose.
To make it last through a light make-out sesh, apply one light coat and lightly brush/dab over with a translucent powder, and then add another layer of lipstick. My fav is Laura Mercier pictured below.
annnnd bam. V-day kissable lips.
I hope you have a love-filled day!

Presentation.

I’m a believer that presentation sets the mood. For example, dinner might taste better if it’s on a pretty plate with candles lit on the table. You may sleep better if your bed is crisply made with just the corner turned down, inviting you in. And a gift may be just a little more awesome when it’s beautifully wrapped.  
This was for a dear little munchkin’s 4th birthday party. My go-to store for wrapping materials is my local World Market. There’s no beating their unique selection of gift wrap and bags. I picked up the gift wrap and matching clips there. Spools of tool can be picked up at your local craft store (Michael’s or Joanne’s). Here’s a hint- it’s not in the fabric section. Strangely enough, it’s in the cake decorating/packaging aisle in colors for all occasions.  (which is very necessary for cuteness- way better then ribbon and great for making bows!)



great little matching clips- perfect for clipping a card/tag onto your masterpiece.



Take your time, and trim trim trim. Excess wrapping on the ends makes for bulky packages. I also like to use two sided tape on edges so you don’t see the tape.  
Whimsy in wrapping just takes a great gift to the next level!

Gilded tips

I’ve been really into yellow gold lately. It seems this metallic tone is once again back in full force in the jewelry world, and taking front and center.
I had shellac on my nails for a few weeks now, and after a soak off and regular mani last week, my nails have felt brittle.  I decided to trim them down and apply my favorite nail strengthener  [I love it because it has s light sheen to it and dries superfast].  After one coat I thought my natural tips needed a little boost- so I opted for a pop of gold!
I cut arc shapes out of scotch tape strips and placed them over my dried-strengthener coated nails just leaving a thin exposed tip. I applied 3 coats of OPI “Glitzerland” polish waiting about 45 seconds in between coats, then removed the tape strips before the polish dried.  Top with another coat of strengthener and voila!

21.

Every human year is equivalent to 7 years in dog life…
 
This means my little man is all grown up!
 
thanks to J’s sense of humor…
 
Zuko turned 3 on February 2nd = 21 pup years old.
 
all grown up!
baby Z.

He’s brought us so much joy and love over the past 3 years, and I just can’t imagine our life without him. Well, that’s a lie.. it’d probably include laying in bed later, a new handbag versus a $300 emergency vet trip because he ate a damn chicken bone, and being able to cuddle with my husband more rather than having this little munchkin curl up in between us… But, all in all- Zuko makes us, “our little family” and I wouldn’t trade that for anything
 
 
 
 
 
  


Pep talk.

Happy Monday! 
I’m going to say right off the bat that I have a list of blog entries I’ve been hoping to post and have yet found made the time to write them. My goal here was to post daily, and yet day by day time passes me by. I am hoping i find the motivation to sleep less be lazy less and do something about this relatively soon. I haven’t shared this little gem with friends really yet- like FB- no thanks, mostly because i’m not groovin here like i’d like to be! This lifestyle blog thus far reflects lack of life and lack of style. time for a change.
With that said, we all need to have little self-pep-talks sometimes. I wake up cranky for no reason a good 1 day/week. Honestly, this morning was one of those days until i came across this little beauty…
So, remember- you’re gooder than that. We can make every day better for each other.
and
It’s everybody’s duty to give the world a reason to dance
so, dance today. 

o.BAM.a

In honor of the inauguration on Monday, I thought I’d do a shout out to the classic first lady, Mrs. Obama. This miss not only has a slammin’ bod, but she also takes risks in her style choices. For the first time since the days of Jackie O. we have a first lady who goes for more then the pant suit, or a color to send the message of some political position. She simply has fun with her clothes and appearance. Also, these two lovebirds always look so happy in each others arms- it makes my heart melt. They’re not afraid to show affection!
Inaugural Ball 2009, Dress by Jason Wu
For the inauguration, Mrs.O rocked a patterned coat and Jcrew gloves and belt. The best part about this I feel is that she’s sending the message that her style is accessible. I mean i can go to JCrew and get those gloves, right?
I also wanted to share this great blog I found dedicated to this style maven herself.
I also recently attended a discussion by Kate Betts here in town. She’s written the book,
Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style. I’m in the processes of reading my signed copy and can’t wait to share more about it.