Populaire

 

  Populaire is french romantic comedy about a typist named Rose Pamphyle.  Rose starts out as a small town klutz living with her widowed father. But fed up with her small town life she decides to take a job as a receptionist for the owner of an insurance agency, Louis Échard. For the most part Rose is terrible at her job, accidentally shredding documents, and writing meetings on her boss's hand. But Rose has  hidden talent, typing. Louis recognizes this and decides to start training her for a speed typing competition. 
  The movie is in french but it has subtitles and is available on Netflix. It is great if you love 50's fashion. The movie isn't much different from any other rom com but it has great cinematography. The characters are also very interesting naive but willful Rose and competitive, closed off Louis. If you love rom coms, france and/or 50's style this movie is for you.  

Useful Links

1.)How to Tie a Scarf like French Girl

2.)68 MostlyFree Ways to Entertain Yourself at Home

3.)75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda

4.)The Book Bucket List of a Twenty-Something

Cherry Cupcakes

  I've been dying to make these black forest cupcakes. They are chocolate cupcakes with a cherry filing and a homemade whip cream frosting.

They are seriously delicious. The chocolate cake alone is a good recipe.

  I also finally got to try making whip cream, which is super easy and taste great (better than store stuff).

  Adding the chocolate sprinkles is not necessary but it does add that je ne sais quoi. Happy feasting!

Happy Summer

  While summer officially starts june 21 the unofficial start of summer is labor day. And boy does it feel like summer outside. Summer, the season of cookouts, pools, camping and air conditioning. Happy summer!

  Recently I've been trying to invest in basics for my wardrobe. Trends come and go but having some quality necessities helps to anchor a wardrobe. The perfect skinnies and a great LBD, along with some other items serve as the building blocks for a great wardrobe. Once you have those you can add on from there with trendy-er items. Aj wears has a great article about this called Closet Confessions .

(From AJ Wears)

Business Card Holder

  Upon first inspection you wouldn't even know these business card holders are DIY. They are incredibly easy to make, you only need five minuets, some leather and button studs. You can find the directions here.

These business card holders can be used as stocking stuffers or a stylish way to present a gift card. All you have to do is cut out the leather and punch the holes in it.

Nowadays it seems like making something that looks stylish and is functional requires artillery of weird crafting tools and hours of time. There is a sense of accomplishment in making something for and by oneself. This would make a great father's day present. 

Resolution #1

   Our modern lives are so chaotic. With daily responsibilities like work (or school), chores and social functions, we have little free time. And with the little free time we have we spend watching television or on social media. Every waking minuet of our lives is consumed by something, be it our responsibilities or technology. My new resolution is to take an hour a day to do something non electronic I enjoy doing. Activities such as taking a bike ride, drawing, or just sitting on the patio reflecting. My new motto is to:
 

Will you really remember that afternoon you sat watching television? Probably not, you're much more likely to remember that night you wen't stargazing. It's important to stand back and appreciate our lives. This is my first resolution on my quest to live life to the fullest and appreciate the small joys in life. 

(My boots covered in dew after a dawn walk)

             

Jasmine Scones

  These jasmine scones are great if you love the taste of jasmine. They aren't as sweet as some scones but still tasty. My father is mad about them. I used the recipe from here. They have stayed surprisingly moist even after four days. Would not recommend if you despise the taste of jasmine.

Make sure when you are forming them into a block not to mash the berries up to much or it will turn them a sort of purplish brown. The berries add a sweetness to them. Make sure to take into account when you make them the chilling time. 

Other than the chilling time they are really fast to make. Probably 20 minuets of hands on time. I used less berries than the recipe called for which I would not advise. Happy cooking.

Drawing

  I've never been an artist but i've always had a knack for following directions. I've found Christopher Hart has fantastic drawing videos. This one of how to draw a cute kitten is very easy.

       
              He has a wide range of videos ranging from how to draw an alligator running to a castle.

Above is my version of the cat from his video. Below is my drawing from his video of how to draw a smiling girl(I altered her hair a bit) .

Love Birds

  While thrift shopping (my main weekend activity) I came across this beautiful bird salt and pepper shaker set. I instantly feel in love with their detail and color. They add a dainty touch to any table.

  I thought they were the perfect way to bring my table into spring. Being both functional and beautiful makes them a must have home decor. 

They are so pretty I that I would have bought them even if they didn't have a purpose. I love elegant dainty pieces that are bit quirky. My one complaint is its hard to remember which on is salt and which is pepper.

If you like these you may also like these (mustache salt and pepper shakers)(egg salt and peper shakers, on sale for 1$) and (two peas in a pod salt and pepper shakers)

Have a Cute Day

  Here is a link to "AN INTERVIEW WITH BOO: THE WORLD’S CUTEST DOG".  If you never have seen a picture of Boo you must, he is so adorable. My pup Is starting to get suspicious of all the "he's so cute" noses i'm making at the computer.

(from here)

Frozen Yogurt Dots

Frozen Yogurt Dots are an easy healthy snack, and a great summer treat All you need is some yogurt, a pastry bag, a pan and a fridge. When choosing yogurt, look for something that doesn't have large fruit chunks, otherwise the yogurt will get clogged up and the bag will explode.

 

The first step is to transfer the yogurt into a pastry bag. Use a spatula to get the optimum amount of you yogurt. Remember to leave room at the top of the bag so you can twist it closed.

 

Pipe the yogurt in to small circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper . Then put in the freezer for 30 minuets to an hour.

When you take them out of the freezer , peel them of the parchment paper with a spatula. Place in a bowl and store in the freezer. Do not keep them out for long or they will melt. Happy eating!

                                   

Breakfast at Tiffany's

 Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my all time favorite movies. So this spring I threw a small soiree with the theme of the movie in mind. We watched the film and had breakfast for dinner. Here are some of my pictures:

                    The Dog dressed up in his old halloween costume. Isn't he so dapper.

Decorative paper pompoms. They also are great for home decor. 

Strings of pearls because "It's ...Not that I give a hoot about jewelry. Diamonds, yes. But it's tacky to wear diamonds before you're forty."-Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Printed pictures of scenes from the movie on tiered plater. 

                            Dried flowers in repurposed soda bottles. A nice break from the
                                                                          blue.

                                   Party favors made to look like the Tiffany's boxes.

Pan Am Bag

  I recently bought this Pan Am bag from Mod Cloth. It's great because it has a vintage feel and it holds so much. It makes even a trip to the library seem like an excellent adventure.
                                                 

  I love the little details on the zippers pulls. The interior lining pattern features silhouettes of passengers, flight attendants and air planes.

                                                
       
  Its the perfect over the shoulder bag. It pairs well with a vintage dress or a skinny jeans and a cute blouse. It spruces up even the dullest days

                                                 

Greek Lemon Soup

 Light airy foods have always been my favorites. And with spring upon us I thought I might share one of my all time favorite soup recipes. I use the recipe from the Joy of Cooking (if you do not own it than I highly recommend that you buy it, it has a recipe on almost everything).

The total cooking time was about a half an hour, only because you have to cook the rice for 20 minuets. To make it vegetarian I switched out the chicken broth for a vegetable alternative. Some people find that 1/4 cup of lemon juice makes it to sour but others think it is the perfect amount, so use at your own risk.

 It is delicious served with a light salad and french bread for dipping. It really is a very simple recipe so I recommend it to even the worst chefs.

Dancing Shoes

     I found these shoes at DSW the other day and I'm absolutely crazy about them. I love that they lace up, have eyelets and a peep toed front. They pare great with a swingy skirt of black jeans and a tank. They are the promise of warmer weather to come.

    You can wear them to the grocery store or to a spring/summer wedding. They are a great ways to add a little style to everyday life

You can buy them at DSW online store for $49.95. I am normally wear size 9 shoes but I found their size 8 to be the best fit for me.

   

  They have a nice 3/4" heel witch is great for tall gals, like me. They add a nice girly touch to every outfit.

                               

A Relaxing Bath

 While browsing Pinterest I found this recipe for a relaxing bath. You add a hand full of epsom salt, 10 drops of lavender essential oils, and 1/2 a cup of baking soda.  It is supposed to "draw out toxins, lower stress related hormones, and balance your pH level". Also it smells fantastic. Bath's are a great chance to unwind if you are really stressed out. Separate yourself from distracting things like your phone and just take some uninterrupted time to think.

A Laugh for your Monday

 Here is one of my new favorite videos. It is of a hamster eating a tiny burrito. Even the part where they're making the mini burrito is hilarious. I've probably watched it at least 100 times in the past few days. Hope you have a good week.

Happy Mother's Day!

  Our moms have done so much for us. For starters they carried us for nine months (I don't understand why anyone has kids). After we were born they cleaned our dirty diapers and taught us to speak. They made sure that we had morals and were responsible for our actions. They were a shoulder to cry on when we scraped our knee or the boy we liked asked another girl to homecoming. They were always there for us, through thick and thin. They still loved us when we screamed "I hate you" and slammed the door in their face. They worked non stop trying to balance their jobs, cooking, cleaning and us. Some of them might have had to give up their dreams for us. And sometimes we take all they do for granted. This is all we have known them to do, and all we assume them to do. So take some time today to tell your mother how much you love and appreciate her.

       

From Curated Quotes

Cute Ecard

I found this ecard while browsing Pinterest and I think it perfectly defines my relationship with some of my friends. It is a great way to say "hey,were both crazy and that's what makes us special".

Storium

 Storium is a new creative way to look at storytelling. It uses a format similar to a video game to create a multiplayer story. I have been using their beta site and absolutely love it. The final version will be coming out in the fall and there is only a limited time to sign up for the beta version.

You can create a new world or customize a pre existing one. Right now working on a occult pulp horror but there are other genres such as fantasy or steam punk. Here is a link to their kick starter page (which is the only way you can get the beta version).

Untranslatable Words

  Does the english language ever feel lacking for you? What word can you use to describe that feeling of being alone in the woods, or the after dinner chatter. I love this post on man.com about untranslatable words. I think I'm going to start using some of them in my everyday life. On of my favorite is Goya (urdu) or "the transporting suspension of disbelief that can occur i.e in good storytelling".