semi-homemade.....

Yesterday was the hubby's birthday, which meant... CAKE!!

Birthday cake. A tradition that we've all had since childhood, and who said it shouldn't be continued on in our lives no matter how old we are?!  Since he's not a big fan of sweets, I decided to go with vanilla cake and chocolate frosting.  I made cupcakes from scratch once and the cake turned out dry.  I didn't want to experiment on his birthday cake, so I went ahead and used Betty Crocker Vanilla cake mix, buuuut.... I made the frosting from scratch.  I don't really like to use the already made frosting in a can... why you ask? Well it comes in a plastic container, it is processed and really, really sweet!! Like too sweet!! I used the chocolate frosting recipe I found here from the wonderful Barefoot Contessa aka Ina Garten.  The recipe calls for semisweet chocolate, but I used a mix of milk and bittersweet chocolate, which was the perfect balance.

 Vanilla cake cooling

The chocolate I chopped up ~ used Ghirardelli milk and bittersweet.

 

The chopped chocolate after....
now melted. So creamy and divine.

The butter ~ light yellow and fluffy

The vanilla cake being frosted

Accent Chair Makeover.... Do I DARE??

I found these step by step instructions here on apartment therapy and knew I had to share.  I was so inspired after reading this, as well as seeing so many people out there take an old, yucky, worn out chair and reviving it to their own style.  I was ecstatic when I found these instructions, it really doesn't seem as hard as it looks... or am I kidding myself?
Ever since I saw this, I've been hitting up craigslist to see if there's a chair out there I can tackle. I want to find something that already has charming woodwork, but needs a revamp. I plan on doing this... really, I do....
I'll let you know how it goes along the way, but first I need to find "the" chair.
What about you, is this something you'll challenge yourself doing? 

The Chair Before...

The Chair After!!!

Let me introduce you to.....

This is Rhasta. She is my min pin. We got her while living in Hawaii, so I guess that makes her a "local" no matter where she is living. She is five years old (not sure how old that is in doggy years?) and is the cutest little girl ever!

This is Mike. Yes, he's the Spuds MacKenzie dog, the "Target" dog, oh... and is a bull terrier.  Mike is two years old and LOVES anything and everything.  He is the friendliest dog you'll ever meet; he even loves other dogs that don't like him. Ha!





Rhasta and Mike are a huge part of the hubs and I lives. Because of them we have become the ultimate dog lovers. One thing I love to do is make them home made treats from scratch. I bake with organic ingredients, they only deserve the best! I'll have a tutorial in an upcoming post, but in the meantime here's a pic.

Here comes the sun.... (part II)

As I stated in my last post, it's so important to wear sunscreen.  It should be worn daily under your makeup and one should lather up the entire body when heading out to the beach or pool.  Even though my foundation has an spf already in it, I still use a facial moisturizer that has sfp, as well as an spf face sunscreen.  I guess I may sound a tad spf crazy, but I want to protect my face from sun spots and wrinkles.
There are a wide variety of products out there, so go out and protect your skin.  Here are a few that I've used, had friends use or would love to try.

{PeterThomasRoth ~ Instant Mineral Powder SPF 45}

{Clinique ~ Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 40} 

{PeterThomasRoth ~ Uber-Dry Sunscreen SPF 30}

{Supergoop! ~ SPF 30 Sunscreen Swipes with Zinc for Sensitive Skin}

Here comes the sun....

Depending on where you live, spring break may be coming up in a week or in a few weeks; and summer is not too far along.  I am an avid beach-go-er during the months of sunshine, so I thought I'd showcase cute bathing suits, cover-up's, and accessories. Just remember, it is always essential to wear the spf and don't forget to moisturize your skin after you spend the day in the rays.  Hope these inspire you to get ready for the sun, the sand and the bronzed skin!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am not one to wear a one-piece, but saw these 

and considered changing my mind

 {La Blanca Ruffled One Piece}

I LOVE the bandeau style top, it is my go to piece. 

Even though you have to buy the top and bottom separately, they are usually in the same print. I am not one to match the top to the bottom, I like to mix things up. I'll buy a top or bottom piece and pair it with something else, most likely a solid, like you see here.

{Rhinestone Heart Bandeau Top}

A cover-up is an essential piece to have and wear with your bathing suit. Whether you are walking to claim your spot at the beach or pool, it is better to wear a simple and sheer piece than something bulky. I love the lace detail of this cover-up, so feminine and beautiful.

{Joie A La Plage "Balton" Lace Cover-up}

A floppy hat is a great accessory. It not only protects your face and scalp from the sun, but it is adorable. I just purchased this hat below in brown and can't wait to wear it.

{Lacy Edge Floppy Straw Hat}

Don't forget about the beach bag. 

It's your go-to item to hold your towel, wallet, sunscreen, sunglasses, favorite book, phone, keys... you get the idea. 

 {Stripe Farmer's Market Tote}

 

BRIGHT, but delicate

After viewing these 20 electric spring picks, all the pieces screamed out bright, bold, and fun!! Personally, I don't mind wearing something bright, but it has to be toned down... mixed or paired with something softer.  There should be a balance, you don't want to look like a colorful mess when you leave your home. I love how each piece below has a punch of brightness, but toned down with a lighter color.

Two-Tone Top

 {Zara}

Dress With Flared Skirt

{Zara} 

Tory Burch Rattan Flap Clutch

{Nordstrom}

Wizard Green Suede Wedges

{Topshop}

the office i want, and will hopefully have...

Every home needs a calm and relaxing home office. It's your place to get things done, pay the bills and surf the internet.  My next project that I'd like to start on is my office.  I'm wanting furniture pieces that are crisp and white, while using accent colors of red, purple and a striking yellow.  My heart is set on the infamous parsons desk - I love the clean dimensions the desk acquires. I am also in need of some storage space and found this piece, that I adore. It has the drawers for storage and the shelves to hold decor. We already own a red love seat, which screams boldness; I'd love to accent this piece with yellow chevron pillows.
It will be a work in progress, but one I can't wait to start.

Fun pieces that every office needs...

{trash bucket}

{colorful pencils}

{notecards}

{chevron pillows}

stylish home bar

It is always essential to have a stocked home bar for those who like to entertain family and friends. Not only is it important to have smooth liquors available, but one needs the bar accessories to accompany them.  Here are a few stylish bar must haves for your entertaining self. 

 {bar set}

{wine cooler} 

{purple glassware}

{cocktail book}

Who wouldn't love Stripes & Chevron

I am always redecorating my home. Whether it be to switch pieces around or by purchasing items here and there. Wherever you look these days, your eye will always spot the stripes, chevron and ikat pieces.  They literally are EVERYWHERE!! I found some cute pieces that I love, and maybe you will too.

{striped stacking mugs}

{chevron rug}

 {salad servers}

Homemade Candy Bars!!

I love to cook and bake, but I have never tried to make homemade candy bars.  I came across these fun and adventurous recipes here. Each candy bar looks delicious and will probably taste much better than the real thing, since they are made from scratch. I'll let you know if I attempt to bake one of these recipes. The "pb cups" (their version of the infamous Reese's) and the "twixt" (their version of the twix) look so tasty, and would be my top choices to make.

 {Photos courtesy of chow.com}

'Army for Japan' T-shirt

For those of you who'd like to contribute or have contributed to the relief efforts in Japan, THANK YOU.
Joshua Smith from ( Hydro74 ) has designed a shirt to help raise funding and awareness for those affected by the disaster. The Japanese Kanji on the shirt translates to "Save World Army."
Please go to this website, if you'd like to contribute and purchase the shirt. I pre-ordered one today for my husband.

100% of the proceeds of the sales of this shirt will go toward The Salvation Army's relief efforts in Japan.

Where's the Easter Bunny?

Wow, I can't believe Easter is next month... it just felt like New Year's! Easter is on April 24th this year, so let's get inspired and be festive. To help spark some ideas, I found very cute cupcake and egg decorating kits from Williams-Sonoma. The kits provide everything you will need, except the cupcakes and eggs (of course). 

French Connection = Spring

Yes, French Connection is widely known for their use of black, ivory, white and gray color scheme, but with Spring in season, they have a few colorful pieces in their collection.  I was drawn to the bright colors of orange and red, and the beautiful floral prints. I can just smell the flowers when looking at some of these pieces.

{visit French Connection here}

i only have eyes for you

With the sun being out nearly everyday since it's the spring season, who wouldn't want a pair of new sunnies.  I came across some beautiful pieces by Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, and Marc Jacobs while browsing through nordstrom's website. They have some many different styles and price points to fit anyone's budget. Which sunnies are on your wish list?

sucre

I just got back from a long weekend trip in the French Quarter.  I do have the opportunity to visit the Quarters often because of having family there, and am able to discover something new every time we visit.  I wanted to visit sucre, a dessert boutique located on Magazine Street, but did not have the opportunity. Lucky for us, you can order their lovely macaroons from their website and have them delivered to your front door.

{click here to visit sucre}