Sweet Spring Sundays

I don't know about other places, but in California, it's warm and dry. It's also been warm and dry for the last two years but that's besides the point.  Since it was the first weekend of spring, we decided to have an impromptu barbecue this weekend.  I took no pictures. I had no decorations.  I wish I did so I'm going to show you what I wish my barbecue looked like (and tasted like).

(All pictures are linked to original source)

 

 

We made homemade burgers with bacon cooked into them.  Bacon.

Here is a list of 15 bacon burger recipes, my favorite is the buffalo burgers with bacon and blue cheese. I just died:

 

I love, love, loveeeeee these party lights:

 

 

I've really been digging brighter colors. You know, skipping the Easter pastels and jumping straight to summer. I love these for any party:

 

 

 

Here's some random party things I love:

Love the Hello pillow. It's just perfect.

 

In case you were wondering how to make a nice cheese plate...I love cheese.
 

I mean really? How cute are these? The picture links the 50 things you can put in a jar. love it.

 

 

 

Here's my PINTEREST board and ETSY board for all things party.

 

Have a great week everyone and don't forget to smile :)

Friday, Friday, Friday!!!

Since I have officially FINISHED the lecture portion of nursing school (praise The Lord!!), I will now have time to start blogging again. I am oh so excited.  As a nurse, Fridays generally won't have a meaning, since scheduling is so crazy.  I may be interning today at 3 or I may not.  The crappy thing is they won't know until 1, so I won't know until 1...it blows.  BUT I AM SO EXCITED to get started with the real world. 

 

Anyways......

 

A new regular blog feature is set on Fridays...Fridays Favorites!!

 

Todays Fridays Favorites is about scarves.  I have sick, sick, obsession with scarves.  Infinite scarves, sweater scarves, regular scarves, ruffled scarves, white scarves, black scarves, long scarves, and short scarves! I love them all. They are also great for every season, except the 100+ temps.  They are good for cold weather, windy weather, and really sunny days.  Here's a few of my favorites (all are from Etsy since supporting small business is important):

scarfstore2012

ThreeBirdNest

SenasShop

If you can crochet you can make this from ElevenHandmade

Love the color and the chunky-ness from PIYOYO

This closet staple is available in multiple colors from TextileMonster



aCutee
 

My Etsy favorites folder for scarves has about 30 so far, here's the link for that if you would like to take a look :)

There is no way I'm the only scarf addict around here, so go check it out.  I also have a very large (ahem...excessive) pinterest board featuring outfits I love HERE so you can check that out as well.  Don't be afraid of wearing a scarf, they add so much class and style to any outfit, I promise you will get compliments if you wear one. 

 

Have a good day everyone!  Go make a difference and don't forget to be kind.



Welcome 2014!!

2013 was one of the most amazing, emotional, and life changing years so far.  I got to marry the love of my life with a beautiful dream wedding that I never knew I wanted, we bought a house, we adopted a crazy Siberian husky who already has a huge place in our hearts, we moved from the town we grew up in and I completed two more semesters of nursing school.

I am SO excited for what 2014 has in store for us a couple and for us both as individuals as we grow up and into a new chapter of our lives.

This year I will graduate college and become an RN.

This year I will become more healthy and fit and work on improving habits that I created last year.

This year I will take more pictures.
This year I will get more organized.

This year I will work on my relationship with Christ.

This year I will slow down, enjoy my marriage, enjoy my family, enjoy my health, and enjoy the life me and my husband work hard for every day.

My Beauty and Style Wish List

At this point in my life, I have no extra money to shop.
Maybe a few dollars here and there, but my style and beauty supplies have definitely taken a turn for the cheap.  In one way, it's awful since I really enjoy shopping!!
On the another hand, it's great because I get to use what I have and be creative. 
BUT, that's not what this is about. This is my current wish list (Christmas ideas anyone?).  I know they're expensive, hence why they're on my which list.

One/Two/Three/Four/Five/Six

I already know I love philosophy products, but one reason why I stopped using them was I felt it didn't scrub enough.  So the idea of adding a clarisonic sounds amazing! I love the Minnetonka boots and have wanted a pair of Hunters for as long as I can remember.  And of course the aztek-y style sweaters and chunky infinity scarves are my FAVORITE and are always a staple in my closet. 

I follow lots of amazing people on youtube, blogger, and instagram and I would love to share.  Some beauty, some fitness, style, and just mommy blogs (even though I'm not a mom).  It took me a while to find ones I really liked so I would love to eventually do a post and share them. 

I am SO looking forward to finishing school having more time to blog and create things I love :)

Have a good Sunday night

XOXOXO


Crafting

I've been crafting, crocheting, and pinning.

 (announcement at the bottom)

I decided I had enough pinned on my board "things to make" and decided I should start making some of them...

 

On my list were:

 

Yarn Poms

Glitter State Outline- I didn't take a pic of this, but used this for inspiration

and Watercolor art

 

I also crocheted a mason jar cozy for my homemade mason jar tumblers that I love besides the fact that they condensate everywhere.  Problem solved.  I made my mason jar tumblers with the smaller quilted jars and they are so cute.

 

 

I love, love, LOVE my watercolor and the yarn poms are super cute and not finished but I have pictures anyways.  The glitter state thing...pinterest fail, but mostly due to me having lost my modpodge and trying to do it on computer paper.

 

I plan on adding a stem of some sort to the yarm poms and making a center piece arrangement for my coffee table.  I found this great three piece jar set at a thrift store and used it at my wedding, its amazing and I'll post a picture soon.  I used this tutorial to make the yarn poms. Well it's not really a tutorial, just a picture.  My first few poms were sad and small, then they got fluffy and pretty.

 

 

This is my water color.  I didn't have a white crayon, only a white colored pencil, so the words aren't as vibrant as I would like.  But I still plan on framing it and putting it somewhere in my house.  I want to make one about food and put it in the dining room.  I'm all about being happy with life and knowing that everything is all a part of God's plan, so this little saying really helps me remember that during times when stress is super high.  (Nursing school...remember?)

 

 

 

So, I am SO excited to share some of my life with you.  Including my hair styles (I'm a beauty school drop out who decided to go to nursing school instead.  Totally related career fields right?), food, and craftiness.  So, for the next 7 days, I'm going to show you my hair and what I wore :) Also, later tonight I'll have my entire day in pictures (I have lots planned for today).

 

You can find my pinterest HERE for other things to make and hair ideas.

 

I have so many amazing posts planned and I can't wait to share :)

 

xoxo

em

 

 

 

Pinterest: Cleaning and Nail Polish

So, two new things I have checked off my Pinterest to-do list:

 

1. Using Pam to dry nail polish

 

2. Removing hard water stains with lemon and salt

 

Both of them are GOLD.  My life will never be the same.

 

No. Joke.

 

I actually died a little bit inside.

 

1. Dry nail polish with pam

I've tried the cold water trick, I've tried the quick dry top coats...I've tried everything. So, I looked up the Pam trick and it had so many mixed reviews.  But I was in a hurry and of course I was willing to try anything (I was attending a wedding).  I painted two coats of glitter nail polish and had very little drying time between them.  I did let it dry for about 5 minutes and then I sprayed the pam on.  I let it sit for a couple minutes then I got in the shower.  No dents, no chips, no nothing.

Life. Changing

 

2. Hard water stains with lemon

Let me start by saying a few things.  I don't know "the rules of cleaning", but I do know that my new house is extremely hard to keep clean like I said in my last post. The previous owners of our home (who owned it since it was built in 1969) were not the cleanest people.  It was very dirty and there was years of grime and build up on nearly every surface.  The showers were remodeled recently however and still managed to have hard water and mineral build up ALL OVER. I had tried every possible cleaning trick on the planet including industrial strength cleaners and all natural...and NOTHING WORKED.  I heated up a lemon, poured some salt on it, and what do you know. Gone. Only thing that worked and I didn't even have to break a sweat. Thank you God for your all natural gifts.

 

I am so excited to keep posting about my Pinterest trials and errors...I have so many errors it's not even funny.

 

I also have a few DIY posts in the next few days.

 

Have a great day!!

 

XOXO,
Em

Pinterest: Snickerdoodle muffins

I love to bake. It's a huge hobby of mine and being a gluten free eater has not tamed the addiction.  Although, since I did weight watchers and lost 20 pounds (I HIGHLEY recommend weight watchers for anyone looking for a diet plan), my baking has slowed a bit. I baked these about 3 months ago but they are so good they deserve a review...

 

You can find my "Baking" board here, and the recipe from yourcupofcake here.

 

I followed the muffin recipe exactly as is except I don't sift anything. Ever. For the frosting I just kind of wing it with every cupcake. I make a basic buttercream and add flavors that I see fit for whatever the cake is...So I just added cinnamon and vanilla.

 

DON'T SKIP the cinnamon sugar butter dip thing, SO good.

Since I have been eating gluten free for so long, I get asked a lot of questions about which flours are my favorites and which ones work the best. Pamelas does have a flour which is supposed to replace regular flour in any recipe. It is not my favorite, actually, none of her mixes are really my favorite. I LOVE "better batter". I think it has no difference in taste and only a slight difference in texture which is incredible for a gluten free flour.  You can buy that here from amazon.  I have not tried King Arthur...I have heard that is one of the best.

 

I have no pictures...so go make them yourself and enjoy them...I brought mine to a BBQ and I still managed to eat 3 of them..oops.