Friday, May 29, 2009

{Happy Weekend}

I hope you all have a lovely, fun-filled weekend. Even though it's been a short week, I'm pretty excited for Friday. I made it through my first Statistics exam & managed to get sunburned by the pool today with SPF 55 on. Looks like Pale-Skinned-Pipes needs something higher!

{there's no room for food}
The freezer is massively stocked with cheap booze, so I've got a lot of work to do this weekend, ha! Honestly though, I don't know for sure where a lot of it came from....

Relax & Enjoy!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

{What's New?}

Spring is in the air. There are some new additions to the apartment...
{afternoon delight, kinda}
Cappuccino, fresh peaches, strawberries, & homemade whipped cream.
{white...}
Fresh peonies.

{...& pink, too!}
And a new chalkboard in the kitchen.
{Thanks for helping me hang it Mom!}

{dinner}
What's new in your home?

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

{Snack Time}

Did you know that summer is here? And that you are expected to wear thin, lightweight clothing, swimwear, & bare skin? If you are at all in a cooler climate, you probably packed on few pounds while hibernating this winter. Perfectly normal & understandable. Hell, I like Cheetos as much as the next person.

Here are a few healthy snacks to help curb the cravings & encourage bikini behavior.

Enjoy!
Tomatoes Caprese
{layer tomato slices, fresh mozzarella slices, & fresh basil...drizzle with balsamic vinegar & enjoy!}
Orange Julius
{8 ounces of fresh OJ, 1 scoop of vanilla Slim Fast powder, & a handful of ice mixed in a blender}

Shrimp Cocktail
{fresh, cooked shrimp, cocktail sauce - ketchup & horseradish mixed together}
Edamame
{frozen edamame, sea salt, & soy sauce - if you like}

Stovetop Popcorn
{3 tablespoons of oil, heated on high in pan with 2 kernels of popcorn. when they pop, add 1/3 cup of corn, shake with lid on until all popped & add salt}

These are a few of my faves. Very satisfying & good for you too! I'm never one to completely cut out fat or whatnot, as I'd just return to the kitchen later for a pantry raid.

Now it's your turn. What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Friday, May 22, 2009

{Holiday Weekend}


{Lizard & Fruit Stripe Gum Zebra chilling in the pool}
It's positively gorgeous here in Nebraska!
I hope that wherever you are, it is lovely as well.

{Attend your local parade to honor your vets!}
This weekend I plan on spending some time by the pool, grilling out with friends, & watching my dad walk in the Memorial Day parade in Shenandoah, Iowa.

Have a great holiday -
& remember why we celebrate Memorial Day.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

{Tracy Feith for Target}


{Tracy Feith for Target}

I finally saw it in person with my mama yesterday while shopping around town & must admit it's quite cute. While it wasn't quite for me, the rest of you cute little things absolutely must check it out. The colors are super bright, the patterns are fun, & the price is, of course, great!


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

{Flawless} Summer Makeup


{The look of Lilly}
When my new Lilly Pulitzer True Summer 2009 catalog arrived in the mail the other day, I was super impressed with the models' summery, fresh, simple makeup. Clean sunkissed skin, a touch of mascara & bright lips. So pretty.

I set out to recreate the look with some affordable options...

{CG mascara & Wet 'n' Wild cream liners}
Looking bright-eyed is what this look is all about, so a great mascara and a brightening eye highlighter is all you need. My choices: CoverGirl Lashblast mascara & Wet 'n' Wild IdolEyes cream eyeshadow in Pixie.
PS, I couldn't find a pic of the Pixie color, but it's a creamy beige.

{Jergens' buildable moisturizing tanners}
For the skin, natural is key. To achieve a lovely, just-got-off-the-boat tan, please don't crawl into a cancer box. Jergens Natural Glow moisturizers have definitely improved over time & are quite effective. Plus, you avoid that whole Cheeto-colored awkwardness.

{CG Outlast Lipstain}
And, the most important part of all - the lipcolor. Since it's summertime, a long lasting formula was my guideline...I went with Outlast Lipstain from CoverGirl in Wild Berry Wink & must admit it's pretty great. It has a nice raspberry scent & creates a bright, berry-stained look.

All that for under $30. Sounds like a pretty damn good deal to me.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

{DIY}

Or something like that. I'm honestly not really a do-it-yourself kind of girl, but it is summertime & I'm feeling crafty, or creative, or bored - I can't quite decide. Here are a few little projects to waste pass your time...

{egg plants!}
Grow a cute little window garden.
I'm not going to lie, mine did not turn out this well, & are therefore not for show. BUT, some started to germinate & were re-potted & are now doing quite well.
Here's how to do it!
{it's not rocket science}

{cheap, cheap aspirin!}
While you're on a roll, try an at-home beauty treatment.
Aspirin is great - it's a Sal-acid derivative, so is therefore a great exfoliator for your skin. Just put a few in your palm & dissolve with a couple drops of HOT water. Mash into a paste & add to a few tablespoons of your favorite "substance."

For dry skin - try plain yogurt, or aloe-gel.
For oilier skins - honey, water {use more aspirin for this option} or Cetaphil.

Smooth onto clean skin & let sit for however long it takes you to remember you have a face full of aspirin on. Exfoliate for about 30 seconds. Rinse & you're ready to go!
It's very deep cleaning & instantly improves your skin's texture. But, if you have an aspirin allergy, please don't do this. I would feel quite sad if your skin burned off.


Look at you! Going all green & DIY!
Now, have a bottle glass of champagne to celebrate.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

{New Jersey}


{The Jersey Housewives & an Italian dinner}

The highlight of the Summer television season is upon us: The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I am so excited to see some drama - did you see the preview? The part where "Crazy" flips over a table at some point in the season!? I cannot wait!

Tonight I am hosting a mini-premiere party for a few classy ladies, Jersey-style. We're talking Italian food, boxed wine, & gold nail polish. So make sure you watch tonight - I have a feeling it's gonna be hilarious.

Monday, May 11, 2009

{Summer Essentials}

My sister's swimming pool is getting filled tomorrow! I know some of you can't begin to comprehend what an exciting event this is, but for those of you that don't have 70 degree plus weather year 'round, you get me.

{Me! Ha, kidding. From the movie Swimming Pool, which is quite racy...}
In honor of this spectacular event, I thought I'd share some of my Summer Must-Haves for the season.
{Clinique Sun Care}
Sunblock! This is so essential, no matter how great your tan is. Unless you're chasing people with a chainsaw, having a leatherface is never acceptable. I actually used to work for Clinique & still agree that their suncare is superb. I like the new SPF 30 for face, SPF 50 for body {yes, you'll still tan!}, & the Targeted Protection Stick for lips & eyes.
{Hat from Nine West}
A wide-brim hat for protection and an added chic-factor. I got mine from Nine West. It comes in various colors & is on sale right now for $29.99! Let's bring back the hat, shall we?

{The old standby, Great Lash Waterproof Mascara by Maybelline}
Waterproof mascara. I will not go out in public without mascara. You do not want me to.

{Mandy Vintage Sunglasses}
Oversized sunnies. My faves come from 80s Purple.com. They have a great selection at an even greater price. And you thought nothing beat Target!

{Vintage One-piece from Target}
And you cannot forget a super-cute swimsuit! Vintage is the choice of 2009, which is great for curvy girls like me that would rather stick with the one-piece option.

{Summer Cocktails, mmm}
Finally, a tray full of cocktails! So refreshing....check out some of my faves by clicking HERE!

So, there you are, a quick little list.
Let me know if I am missing any essentials from your own Summer Must-Haves!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

{Candy} Sushi

I kinda forgot I made these & wanted to share them with you! That's right, YOU. Well, finals are finished, Conor is graduated, the Derby has come & gone. I am now fully prepared to reenter the world of the blog. So hold on, my friends.
{Swedish Fish Sushi!}
A few weeks back some friends held a fish fry at their home/art studio & invited us all to come eat, play lawn games, & drink cocktails. We were asked to bring a side dish, so I brought Fannie Farmer's Classic Baked Mac & Cheese {it was pretty much amazing} & made some candy sushi.
{"California" Rolls & a little "Sashimi" in the background}
For the rolls I made Rice Krispie Treats & flattened them out to make a few slabs of "rice." My fillings were Twizzlers, Gummi Worms, & Rips. I had to go the extra mile to find vegan candy because my sister does not eat "horse," aka Gelatin.

{Wrapped in Fruit Rollups}
Roll it all up & you've got yourself a prior-to-being-cut log o' sushi.

{Rolls + Sashimi}
I wrapped mine in Fruit Rollups before cutting for a little more color. Pretty.

For the sashimi I used Swedish Fish & more of the Rips, then wrapped little strips of Fruit Rollups around to hold it all together. Cute, right?
They were my fave & easiest to make.

{All packed up & ready to go!}
They were a huge hit & actually surprisingly tasty.
So no more complaints about not liking sushi, alright?

Sunday, May 3, 2009

{Derby}


We all made it. Now for the recovery & prep for finals this week!
Be back soon!