bedside

day 4

neighborhood

day 3

High Five For Friday 3.2.12

It's that time again! Boy this week just flew by! Here's a few things I'm high-fivin' about on this lovely Friday:

1. Planning our Christmas vacation with my all of my in-laws. We only get to see them once a year so we're super excited!

2.  Cuptakes! Their app for iphones has so many cute backgrounds to pick from. I love the beginning of the month when they release the latest designs!  They also have a store where you can purchase some cute cases as well.

3. Chicken wings! This is what we went out for on Valentine's day this year. I'm thinking another outing is in order!

4. Painting and decorating our downstairs. Hopefully we will be able to knock this off my 30 before 30 list before summer starts!

5. I am loving all the new candles at Bath and Body Works. The tropical ones are my favorite!

Happy Friday! Be sure to link up!

fruit

day 2

never in a million years

Have I seen something with my name on it. Low and behold today I checked out my march showroom on shoedazzle and there she was - Mirella*. Don't know if I can pull off walking in 5" heels but I feel obligated to honor these shoes with my name and purchase them.

*when I was born, my parents originally spelled my name Mirella but with the confusion of the double "l" and some people not knowing in Spanish that it makes a "y" sound, they eventually changed it to how it's spelled now.

(wake) up

day 1

#Marchphotoaday

Earlier this month, I stumbled upon the blog, fat mum slim, who was hosting a photo a day challenge for the entire month of February. Since I was already behind I didn't participate but was thrilled to read she'd be hosting another challenge for the month of March. 

Here's how to play from fat mum slim:

♥ Starting on March 1st take a photo each day with inspiration from the prompt. For example prompt 1 is 'up', so take a photo looking up. Or of the word 'up'. Or something that lifts your mood 'up'. It it totally up to you how you want to interpret it.

♥ Once you've taken your photo you can share it on Instagram, Facebook {on your own profile or business page}, Twitter, Flickr, your blog, Pinterest, Tumblr or even just keep them in a folder on your desktop. If you're sharing on Twitter or Instagram add the hashtag #Marchphotoaday so others can find your photos too.

Will you join in on this fun challenge?

Wordless Wednesday

Glitter Heels

I have a pair of black heels that are my go-to shoes whenever going out or attending fancy work functions. I've had these a little over four years. When I first got them, our dog Riley, was just a puppy and decided to chew one of the heels. I was able to cover up the damage with electrical tape (hey I work in construction, that stuff is readily available!) and it has lasted up until recently when the glue started wearing off.

After a little bit of browsing, I found this tutorial on how to cover up the damage with glitter.

This past Friday, we had a girl's crafting and chick flick evening, so I brought my supplies along to give it a try.  I'm really happy with how they turned out and with the little "face lift" they feel like a brand new pair of shoes!

Pinterest!

Are you on Pinterest? My friends and I are always pinning and referring to pins in everyday conversations.  Recently, my friend shared this list, which I just thought was hilarious. I can definitely relate to many of these!

20 Ways to Rationalize Your Pinterest Account

by Ilana Plen

1. Don’t worry. I’m sure no one else will have burlap table runners at their wedding.

2. Weight loss is 10 % working out and 90 % pinning new exercise circuits to try.

3. Look how great the house I don’t own is going to look after I’m done decorating it!

4. This photoshopped Maya Angelou quote is going to make me feel really good about myself one of these days.

5. This is an amazing recipe/idea/craft project. After I pin this, I’m never going to think about it again.

6. Who knew there were so many unorthodox ways to use a colander?

7. I don’t have a kid, but when I do, they’re going to have the prettiest nursery ever.

8. I wonder if people are jealous of how good my taste in vegan recipes is?

9. Look at this bag! Look at this bag! Can you tell that I want this bag? Someone buy me this bag!

10. That pile of crap could totally be a nightstand.

11. This is the hairstyle I will use for the wedding that I’m planning. No, I’m not engaged. Don’t worry about it.

12. Oh, so that’s how you fold a fitted sheet. This is actually useful information.

13. I wonder if mason jars are still hip? Yup. Yup, they totally are.

14. This is how much I like Audrey Hepburn. So much!

15. Animals wearing glasses. I’m so glad my friends have all validated me by repinning my pictures of animals wearing glasses.

16. This is a productive use of my time.

17. Finally. A convenient place to store all the time intensive recipes I will never try.

18. This vaguely romantic statement totally encapsulates the way I feel about my significant other.

19. Did you guys know that I care about fashion? Because I really care about fashion.

20. So you can really just spray paint anything, huh?

High Five for Friday 2.17.12

High Five it's Friday! So happy it's here. And to celebrate, here are five of my favorite things going on right now!

1. Cut my hair last weekend! I was a little nervous when my go-to stylist called in sick at the last minute and I was reassigned to another gal. But she turned out to be great and was super sweet too!

2. I made this Jcrew inspired sweater using this tutorial and wore it on Valentine's day.  The boys at work may have made fun of the black color of the heart but fear not I wore my DIY sweater proudly!

3. Weekend time to catch up on my favorite shows - Grey's, American Idol, Biggest Loser, Cupcake Wars!!

4. Lovin all the spring nail polish colors that are coming out! This one by Orly is at the top of my list!

5. Looking forward to this coat I recently ordered! Can't wait for it to get here!

 join the high five for friday fun and link up!

High Five for Friday

High Five for Friday! I'm loving all things deer these days!

1. Shiny deer earrings from Etsy!

deer earrings

2.  Oh My Deer Christmas Card

oh my deer Christmas card

3. Buck and Forth Ring from Modcloth

buck and forth ring

4. Deer gift tags!

deer gift tags

5.Cabin Girl cashmere button up sweater

deer sweater

 join the high five for friday fun and link up!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Here are a few things I'm loving this week!

The holidays! The day after Thanksgiving we usually get our tree and put all of our decorations out.

The Michael Buble Christmas CD, it's just wonderful! I have probably listened to it a couple dozen times this week!

Secret Wonderland scent from Bath and Body Works, I can't get enough of it! I think this may be my all time favorite they've ever sold!

This eggnog tres leches cake recipe....looks so good I'm excited to give it a try!

This reindeer snowflake Christmas sweater....can't wait to get it in the mail!

The Small Things Blog - I've been a follower for a while now.  Great site for fun hair tutorials and other cute things.  She is all over pinterest, and I always look forward to what she will be posting next!

photo from http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/

What are you loving today?

Be sure to link up!

crocheted quilt

After many, many hours spent watching Christmas movies and crocheting, I finally completed this granny square quilt for our niece's Christmas gift (Sis, please don't spill the beans!).

My auntie initially showed me how to crochet the granny square over last year's New Year's weekend, then after forgetting (ahem, procrastinating), I did a quick youtube search (videos below) over Thanksgiving weekend and have been diligently working away every since.

I've put so much love (and time!!) into making this, I hope she enjoys it for years to come.

And, bonus, I get to cross another item off my list!

How to crochet granny squares
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa7WjJKJjmg

How to attach granny squares
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUe7rGpHXhc

Christmas Meme

I aboslutely love the holidays and this year we have all of our Christmas shopping done already so we can sit back and enjoy the holiday season!  I saw this Christmas meme on my SIL's blog and in the spirit of the season I wanted to play along too.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Usually hot chocolate but every now and again I get a craving for egg nog.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
They are wrapped and don't usually come out until Christmas morning. 

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White lights on the tree.  I've never had lights outside, growing up or even now that we have our own house. I would absolutely LOVE to have them on the outside of the house one year. Slowly working on convinving my hubby to put some up someday.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? 

No I don't. I don't even know where I'd buy one to hang!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Unless we are out of town, we put them up the day after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
So many but I would say posole or tamales from either one of my grandmas.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? 

Helping put decorations up, particularly my mom's nativity set.  She bought me my very own for my birthday this year!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember, must've been around 1st or 2nd grade.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Definitely! If we are going to stay over at my parents we usually open up all our presents on Christmas Eve so we don't have to pack them also. This year, he combined my birthday and Christmas gift which I was totally peer-pressured into opening on my birthday! I can't complain, I love wearing my new pretty-shiny earrings!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

This year we cut our own tree down at a local farm and while they shaked, baled and loaded it for us we went in their cabin and warmed up with cider and cocoa. So much fun and definitely a tradition we will be doing in the years to come! As far as decorating, we have 2 sets of decorations we switch year to year. One is blue, silver, and white; the other is red, brown, and bronze.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? 

It looks pretty but I sure don't like driving or walking in it.

12. Can you ice skate?

That would be a negative.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

It was a scooby doo watch my parents got me when I was probably 4 or 5.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

Remembering in the midst of the holiday crazy what Christmas means to me.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Peppermint bark. LOVE.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Putting up Christmas decorations and listening to Christmas music.

17. What tops your tree?
Depending on which ornaments we put up, but we have 2 stars, one is glittery silver the other is a bronze metal trim with a pearly surface and has lights inside.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Absolutely hands down love giving.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? 
I like candy canes... broken up and made into peppermint bark!

20. Favorite Christmas show?
I don't really have one I'm more of a Christmas movie lover.

21. Saddest Christmas Song?
The Christmas Shoe song, usually makes me cry. 

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Way too many to list but I'd say O Holy Night.

SIL liked the idea of this meme having 25 questions, since Christmas is on the 25th, so she added three more questions:

23. Favorite Christmas movie?

Elf. "Why are you smiling like that?" "I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite."

24. Do you cook Christmas dinner or do you go to visit family/friends?

We usually go visit my parents on Christmas so I help my mom cook. We are hoping to save up to fly back east to spend Christmas with my in-laws next year. It's been too long!

25. Favorite holiday picture book?

It's all Christmas movies for me!

How to Knit Video

I'd been working on a project while visiting my auntie and her mother-in-law, but never learned to cast off before we had to head back home.  So after a little bit of searching, I found this super cute knitting tutorial on pinterest recently.

After watching it a few times, I was finally able to finish my scarf and made some matching fingerless cuffs!

To make the cuffs (the lion brand free pattern):

CUFF (make 2)
Cast on 15 stitches.
Work in Garter stitch (knit every stitch on every row) until piece measures about 8 1/2 in. (22 cm) from beginning.
Bind off, leaving a long yarn tail.

FINISHING
Fold knit piece in half. Thread yarn tail into blunt needle. Sew sides of Cuff together for about 2 in. (5 cm). Leave next 1 in. (2.5 cm) unsewn for thumb opening, then seam remainder of sides.
Weave yarn ends into inside (wrong side) of Cuff.

tea and scones just around the corner!

This past weekend was spent running lots of errands and working on to-do lists. I even started another sewing project, but more on that later. I was able to convince my husband I really do need my china out of storage and in our kitchen.  He wanted to wait until we had a hutch but I say they shouldn't sit in a box and collect dust.  So yesterday, we took them out of its careful packaging and cleaned them up.  I can't wait to be able to use them now (on special occasions!).  And maybe even cross off #28 from my list :)

strawberry cake

A while back, my hubby and I went to the local u-pick farm and picked 2 flats of strawberries! Lots of jam was made and this cake too with the leftover berries! So good, I couldn't help but go back to it for seconds :)

Strawberry Cake
from Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.
4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

grilled shrimp tacos

Now that summer is finally here, we try to avoid turning the AC on in order to avoid high energy bills. Which means grilling is in full force.  This was a recent meal we made on a lazy Saturday which came together really quickly. The crunch of the tacos and shrimp, combined with the coolness of the "crema" and heat from the tomatillo salsa make this one of my newest summer favorites.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos
from Real Simple, serves 4

1/2 c sour cream
3 tbs mayo
3 tbs milk
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled
3 tbs butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 limes, quartered
kosher salt
8 6-inch corn tortillas
2-3 c finely shredded green cabbage
bottled green tomatillo salsa

Directions
Heat grill to med-high.  In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayo, milk and cumin. Set aside.

Skewer the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the butter and garlic.  Brush the shrimp with the garlic butter.

Place shrimp on grill with the limes.  Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until the shrimp are opaque and limes are browned.

Remove from grill. Lightly salt shrimp.

Grill tortillas for 30 seconds on each side, then place inside a paper bag to keep warm.

Pull the shrimp off skewers; divide evenly among tortillas.  Top with cabbage, sour cream sauce, tomatillo salsa, and a squeeze of lime.

4th of july weekend madness

This 4th of July was so much fun! My childhood friend, who I call "Beebs" flew in for almost a week of girl time.

We started off with a night at Mark Broussard and met up with the newlyweds. I was quite bummed Mr. Broussard didn't sell hardly any tickets. Emily (who I call "Baybee"), her husband Pat scored us some awesome seats in the VIP area.

We spent several hours shopping, which I haven't done in a LONG time and ate some delicious Indian food.

We took lots of naps and spent some time out on the lake fishing. Well, hubby was fishing....

 Beebs and I were relaxing!!

We watched a lot of terrible reality tv and pampered ourselves with pedicures.

 

We got frozen yogurt (possibly more than once) and hit up the driving range.

We got dolled up and spent a night out on the town.

We walked around a beautiful local park.

And finished off the weekend with a bang (literally!) and watched a very fantastic firework show!

Such a great and memorable week I had with my Beebs and Baybee!!

Oops I did it again

Over 4th of July weekend (recap coming soon, hey better late than never!), I cut all my hair off again. I was starting to get headaches from the weight of it and was going through hair products like crazy so I decided I wasn't going to go through the entire summer being miserable. Besides, my husband likes short and sassy anyway!

Before....

After!!