Turquoise Fever with Stella & Dot

When I saw these stacked bangles by Stella & Dot, my heart leaped! My mind instantly starting picturing all the fun summer dresses I could pair them with! Perfect for a beachy maxi dress and even an elegant outfit for a night out on the town! Oh the possibilities!  I know it's only February, but out here in Cali it seriously feels like summer! And these bangles just got me thinking of the warm summer sun beaming down on my pale wintery skin!

The bangles are sold separately, but I love how they all look together. From top to bottom: Paige Enamel Bangle, Sloane Enamel Bangle and Sunset bangle. I don't think I could choose just one!

Tis the Season for: Painting

{via}

... walls that is! Oh the excitement of being a homeowner! This weekend was filled with choosing what grey shade would be painted in the kitchen, sitting room and hallways. Do you have a favorite paint brand you use? I've used Vaslpar in the past, so I decided to use them once again. What color did I decide on? Polished Silver and Almost Charcoal! Can't wait to share the before and afters with you!

Weekend Recap

It's hard to believe that weekend has come and gone, and it is once again Monday. This weekend was far from glamourous, but there are a couple of fun highlights (and some not so much).

... Fun furniture moving Friday...

... Pizza Night & S'mores ...

... Sliding down the banister ...

... First night in new house ...

... Unpacking & Cleaning..

... Paint color decision making ...

... Introducing Mr. 20K ...

.... Celebration dinner at the Parental's...

... LOTS of drinks had by all...

... Real Steel...

... Errands, errands, and errands ...

... Dropping lots of bills ...

... Savings Ninja...

... GG visits...

... Fam Bam Chili Night ...

This weekend made a big dent towards getting settled in the new house. Everything is officially there and mostly unpacked! Fridge and pantry and stocked with the very basics. Paint colors have been chosen and purchased! Got lots of stuff on my plate, and I can not wait to see how this house transforms!

Spell it out with CATBIRD Alphabet Rings

These stackable rings from Catbird let you spell it out with these clever stackable rings. Whether it be your initials, your loved ones or even a cute M & T, these rings are perfect for spelling whatever it is out. 

These rings are available in both gold and silver. Besides letters, they also have a heart, star, and ampersand.

I'd love to stack together a cute "MMW" or even an "M & T."

What would you stack together?

 

Home Sweet Home!

After 5 months of waiting and dealing with the bank and several counter offers later... 

I'M A HOMEOWNER!

What does this mean? 

There will be lots of home decor, DIY and Before & After posts coming your way! 

Can't wait to start my decorating and make this baby my own.. stay posted!

Follow Up: As a Graphic Designer...

Let's just say that 2012 has started off as the year to totally procrastinate. I barely got these Happy New Year Cards out before the 1st of the year... and here I'm 25 days later finally blogging about it. Woopsies.

Of course any card from me is bound to have some glitter and sparkle to it! You can check out my inspiration here! I just wanted to send out a simple lil something to let all my friends know I was thinking about them, so this postcard style note was my way of saying hello!

As far as assembly of these cards, it was pretty simple. Just design, print and crop. The finishing touches of glitter were applied using the end of a pencil (eraser) dipped in glue (perfect size for the circles I created) and then sprinkling glitter on top. Let dry and you have a fabulous sparkly card to send out!

Feeling FIERCE...

I don't ever wear red lipstick unless its part of a costume fo some sort (Flapper, Devil, you get the idea).

However, today I was feeling a lil fierce and wild after being inspired by my lil sis to rock some bright, sexy, red lips.

Thanks for the inspiration sissy! And who knew I could pull off this color! Got lots of compliments thrown my way down in the Cafe today! (that kinda rhymes lol)

The color I'm rocking here is Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Love that Red (which is exactly what I was told today "I love that Red lipstick, you can totally pull that off.) I paired it with my Jessica Simpson Juicy lipgloss from her Dessert line. I'm probably aging myself when I mention this- I've had this stuff forever and never used it. Pros is that is tastes delicious and plumps your lips!

Just goes to show, it's worth it to try something new.

Weekend Recap

.....Friday night date night....

....Tommy the "Boss"....

....Sports bar and a house party....

....WAR....

....Rain rain go away....

....Moving everything out of storage...

.... My 7 man motley crew....

....Much needed Mani and Pedi....

...Entourage marathon...

....Early risers....

....Starbucks, Ted's breakfast burritos...

....Romatical breakfast with a view....

....Lifeguard tower chillin....

....The Birds....

....Laughter, lots of laughter....

....IKEA shopping....

....Surprise Sunday Date Day....

.... Miniature golfing x3....

....Go carts....

....Lazer tag....

...Yard House....

As you can see, this weekend was an EPIC one. Filled to the brim with things to do, and lots of fun times. I have to say I'm so blessed to have such an amazing family and boyfriend. This weekend marked the 3rd time I have moved in less then 12 months. Yes, I've been a little bit of a nomad since my move from Laguna Beach; spending time in Lake Forest and San Juan Capistrano, but now finding my permanent home in Laguna Niguel.

Goal #6: Carve my name on a tree

There is nothing better than a spontaneous day filled with random adventures and drinks with good friends. Let's just say that the completion of this goal was fueled by several margaritas, the cool ocean air, and carpe diem, "sieze the day."

It went something like this...

After enjoying our meal and liters of Margaritas at our favorite Mexican spot in Laguna Beach, I was left with my butter knife starring me in the face after the table was cleared. I also so happend to be sitting next to this beautiful tree- when I say sitting, I was sitting on a bench that had begun to be over taken by this massive overgrown tree.

Knife + Tree = Goal #6 just asking to be completed.

And so, on this beautifully (and oddly warm) winter night, I carved my initials "MMW" into a tree.  I couldn't have asked for a more memorable way to complete this goal. Now, whenever we indulge in some Margs and chips and salsa at our favorite spot, we will have out signature spot.

Adventures in the Kitchen: Hazelnut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

With all the hustle and bussle of the holiday season, I almost forgot to share with you one of my newest recipes! These is the second cookie recipe I brought with me to Miss Erin DeHart of  The Lime & The Coconut's 2nd annual cookie exchange party. 

Hazelnut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen
(found using Pinterest)
Yields: 2 dozen
(I ended up with a little under 24 cookies)

Ingredients

1 almost-full cup (4 ounces) hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and cooled (Suggest cutting this down to 1/2 or 3/4 cup, otherwise hazelnut taste is a bit overwhelming, and I love hazelnuts)
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate (First pass I used chocolate baking discs; 2nd time I used a Hershey's Kiss in the middle- I would recommend this one since they melt nicer and there is more chocolate to cut the hazelnut flavor.)

Preparation

Pulse hazelnuts, flour, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. (Be careful not to grind to a paste.) Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter, egg, and extract until combined well. Chill dough, covered, until firm, about 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Drop level tablespoons of dough 1 inch apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets. Roll dough into balls (I just used a cookie scoop or melon ball scoop for this step). Chill until slightly firm, about 10 minutes.

Press one piece of chocolate firmly into the top of each ball of cookie dough and bake, 1 sheet at a time, until tops are pale golden and undersides are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Trust me, these go from "oh they could use another minute" or "crap, overdone." Transfer cookies to a rack and cool completely.

These cookies are delicious! I'm a huge fan of hazelnut! Only thing is that they are somewhat involved to make and are rather time consuming to prepare. If you are a hazelnut lover like me, I definitely recommend trying this recipe!