What to Wear, Fourth of July

  The Fourth of July is fast approaching, what are you going to wear? Here is some inspiration:
     1.) I love this dress, it subtle incorporates red, white and blue.
     2.) The "Girls with Glasses" is an awesome blog/channel. I love how glasses make any outfit look classy. I'd love to wear glasses but I think i'd seem pretty ridiculous wearing only frames.
     3.) This outfit is a nautical take on the flag.
     4.) Good rompers are hard to find, but this one is fabulous.
     5.) I have no idea where to find a flag chambray like this, but if you do, run with it.
     6.) This outfit is perfect for a relaxed backyard BBQ.
     7.) I'm crazy about this daring blue pants and white lace shirt outfit.
   

What to wear to a Garden Party

I love the idea of a romantic garden party with scrumptious pastries and croquet, thats what I designed this outfit for. But because people don't generally go to garden parties anymore you can also wear it to a wedding or a fancy outdoor event. Here is what i'd wear to a garden party:

Dress: small red polka dots add some color to this blue and white floral dress.

Earrings: these 8 millimeter freshwater pearl earrings from Tiffany & CO. are classics.

Hat: keep the sun off your face with this oversized sun hat.

Shoes: these high heels have the cutest polka dot lining. 

Purse: the hardware on this purse helps the outfit from being to goody goody.

Washi Tape Coasters

You can do almost anything with washi tape. It's a patterned tape made of paper, that feels like masking tape. If you don't own any you can find it at a craft store or Target. 

For this project you will need:

-white tiles

-felt pads

-washi tape (in complementary colors)

It's very simple. All you have to do is cover the coaster using tape in your desired pattern remember to leave extra hanging off the sides. It helps to use  a credit card to smooth down the tape.

Once you've covered the whole thing fold the tape over the edges. Cut the extra to be the same length and then fold the extras under. 

Put felt pads on the bottom and violà!

Flower Faces

I was so inspired by Justina Blakeney's "face the foliage" that I decided to try creating my own plant made faces. Obviously her's are much more unique and creative but I still had fun making them.

    

Chocolate Mouse

In France I became addicted to Chocolate Mouse. It was so easy to find and delicious. I ate it every night for dessert which is probably not the healthiest thing. 

So I figured that I'd make some today seeing as how it is incredibly hot out and this is a no bake dessert that you actually refrigerate. 

I used the recipe from the "Joy of Cooking". If you don't own the book here is Julia Child's recipe. The result was fantastic. Its even better served with homemade whipped cream and strawberries. 

Bon Appétit!

Constellation Decor

Ever since I made these zodiac shoes I've been hooked on anything to do with stars. I've compiled a list  of my favorite constellation decor:

1.) Zodiac constellation necklace.

2.) Constellation shower curtain.

3.) Celestial clock.

4.) The makeup bag of the stars.

5.) Ethereal hurricane lights.

6.) Terrestrial tapestry.

What to Wear, Sunday Bike Ride

I love biking. The rush of air makes me fell like I'm flying. I liked riding fast but i've never been one for    

spandex shorts. Here is my outfit for a nice relaxing sunday bike:

Romper: their better for biking than a dress but you only need to throw on one piece. The one above is from here, and you can really transform it with a few simple pieces.

Helmet: a must have when riding, here is a great article on how to avoid helmet hair. This one is a nice neutral cream that pairs with any outfit.

Necklace: this ruby one adds some color to the romper.

Nail polish: I'm simply mad about butler please, by essie.

Flats: these "hello sunshine" shoes are so cute and a great way to brighten up any outfit.

When it Rains it Pours Garland

I went to paper source this weekend to stock up on paper and stamps. Hanging in their window was a darling paper clouds. So today, seeing as how its rainy I decided to make my version of their cloud garland.

Materials needed:

-paper (card stock, colored paper and old book pages)

-scissors

  -glue

-bakers twine

Make a template out of card stock. Trace it on to grey paper and cut out.

Glue bakers twine on the back of the cloud. Then glue a second one over it sandwiching the twine between them. 

Do the same thing with the rain drops, leaving about 4" between the drops. 

Let glue dry, then hang.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story (by Ned Vizzini) is a book about a a ambitious teenager, Craig Gilner who suffers from depresion due to the stress of his school (Executive Pre-Profesional High School). He stops eating, sleeping and one night he attempts suicide. This gets him checked into a mental hospital. And like any good mental hospital it has its characters, some of them outgoing others more reclusive. The hospital offers Craig a place to confront and fix his problems.

Some people who had read this book said it was dull, yet truthful. I personally liked it. I found it to be an engaging story. It was a nice journey to watch Craig grow and change as a person. The begging where he is explaining how he got to where he is is a bit tedious but it is necessary. It was a nice book to listen to while I cleaned and gardened.  I'd recommend it to anyone who has ever had depression or just has some extra time on hand.

Sushi

The first time I had sushi, I thought it was gross. I hated the taste of raw fish and wasabi. I since have avoided sushi, until last week when I gave some vegetable sushi at a dinner party a try. It was delicious. So I decided to try making sushi. Vegetable sushi is safer than the raw fish type and super easy to make.

Supplies:

4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)

                                                                   4 cups sushi rice
                                                                       1 cucumber
                                                                 Soy sauce, to serve

                                                                        sushi mat

First prepare rice based on packaging instructions. In the meantime peel the cucumber and slice into sticks.

Once everything is ready lay the nori out on a sushi mat (it helps keep them from sticking if you put plastic wrap between them).

Spread 1/2 cup of rice over the nori. It helps to have a small bowl of water nearby for washing your hands off.

lay the cucumbers down. Roll the sushi. Here is a great video on how to roll sushi. Cut in to bite sized pieces and serve with the soy sauce.

Beach Essentials

  Warm weather is finally upon us so you know what that means, beach time! Here are some beach essentials:
 1.) Beach cover up's protect your skin from harmful UV rays and keep you warm when the sun starts to go down. I really like this one.
 2.) Sunglasses are a necessity on a sunny summer day. Also they look super cool. These are very inexpensive.
 3.) Did you know your lips can get sunburned? Try a lip balm with SPF, like "sun bum"'s grapefruit.
 4.) By far the most important beach must have is sun screen. The one above is "Aveeno Protect and Hydrate SPF 50 Lotion".
 5.) Everyone needs a good beach read, I love Franny & Zooey by J.D.Salinger. 
 6.) This, towel perfectly defines the beach for me. It's important to have an expressive or interesting towel. 
 7.) Of course you need a swim suit if your going to the beach. I love the cut and pattern on this one.
 8.) A floppy beach hat shades your face and gives you a je ne sais quoi. This one is very nautical.

Watercolor Bookmarks

I've been feeling in a rut with books lately. I like reading and I have plenty of good books to read but I just can't get motivated so I thought these water color bookmarks might help. 

I started by cutting out a 2x4 rectangles. Then I painted them with watercolors, let them dry and used washi tape to make a pattern on them. I wen't over them in another coat of the same color. Then I pulled of the tape and, voila! It was incredibly easy.

(P.S They would make a great fathers day present, made a set to give my dad)

Summer Goals

Goals are important to me. They give me a destination, something to work towards. That's why I like to have goals even for fun relaxing things like summer. That's why I love this "how to summer list". It separates your summer goals into four categorize "go, make, do and eat"so you can appropriately organize you summer plans. Here are some ideas:

Go:-farmers market

-drive in movie

-drive in diner

-stargazing

-outdoor movie

-baseball game

Make:-ice cream

-dress (or any garment you aim to sew)

-heb garden

-outdoor fort

Do:-picnic

-backpacking trip

-BBQ

-block party

Eat:-malt

-root bear float

-watermelon

-s'mores

-veggie hot dogs

Kimono

This past weekend I wen't out shopping for summer clothes, one thing on my list was a kimono. I really wanted one because of their unique shape and style. I looked all around and didn't find any until I reached H&M. I grabbed the first one I saw and headed for the changing room. It was made of this oversized lace fabric, needless to say it looked like a bathrobe. 

Discouraged I was about to leave when my friend (who was shopping with me) pointed out the one i'm wearing in the photos. I slipped it on and fell in love with it immediately. The black and white pattern is chic and goes with anything and the light weight fabric makes it wearable during the summer. I've gotten so many compliments on it.

Single Serve Flapjacks

               
 My friend, sent me the recipe. She said "I made it twice in 12 hours and would rate 8/10 would make again". So today I tried making them.

It makes a enough for one (hence the name) and is pretty good. I had to add more flour because it was a bit watery. Make it if you have a craving for pancakes.