With sadness and excitement, I say, goodbye California (at least for now). Three years ago, we arrived in Irvine, California, knowing nothing about Orange County, other than what I’d seen on that Housewives show. I expected to find droves of women with pronounced plastic surgery, caked on makeup, fake lashes and expensive (slightly tacky) clothing. I…
Besides mascara, blush is my other beauty must-have. Even if I don’t have time to do my 5 minute face, I always find time to throw on some mascara and a quick swipe of blush. Blush is a must because it instantly brightens your face. For many years, I’ve been using the same Estée Lauder…
Last week, I found my freezer chock-full of frozen blueberries. The only problem was, we were moving in a few days (more on that later) and I didn’t want them to go to waste. I looked up numerous dessert recipes trying to find one that would use the most berries–since I had four pounds to…
As a kid, I always dreaded the end of summer break, but there was one thing I looked forward to—back to school shopping. School shopping was an event. I loved picking out a brand new trapper keeper, backpack and lunch box for the year. I even loved choosing pencils and markers and all the other little…
By far, my favorite fashion accessory is a crystal statement necklace. Awhile back, I talked about statement necklaces and why they are so versatile. A chunky or shiny or truly eye-catching necklace is still my go-to accessory because it instantly changes the whole vibe of my outfit. I might wear the same black dress every couple…
I’ve mentioned my obsession with all things lemon before. During both of my pregnancies, I craved lemonade, which is odd since it’s not a drink I usually choose. Sure, it’s yummy, but I would almost always order an ice tea or diet coke over a lemonade. But while I was pregnant, I drooled over that…
Metallics were everywhere on the spring/summer 2014 runways, such as Saint Laurent. Earlier this spring, I shared a gorgeous Saint Laurent gold metallic futuristic dresses in my Oscars fashion post that I would love to own. But if all-over metallic is too much for you, don’t lose hope. If you don’t want to wear the metallic trend in your…
I don’t like giving up my bread and baked goods, but I’ve found a low-carb diet is the most effective way for me to lose my baby weight. When you think low-carb, what comes to mind? Eating triple cheeseburgers with piles of bacon in a lettuce cup. No, I’m not eating that. I’m usually eating lean…
When I saw this look, I fell for the classic black and white floral print dress. Black and white is timeless, and as long as the floral print is fairly simple, this dress style could last for years. Both black and white and floral prints are very popular this year, but I like that both…
Rocco is at an age where he is constantly trying to assert his independence. Jade and I nurture his independence through free-play and letting him explore as much as we can. Despite our best attempts, there is at least one daily battle, usually more, because we won’t let him get his way. The primary tantrum-inducing…
About four months ago, I got my hair cut and colored by the best stylist I’ve found in Orange County so far. And as the adage goes, you get what you pay for. It was a great haircut and hair color job that I really loved. But here’s the thing – I just can’t stomach the cost…
In honor of today, National Milk Chocolate Day, I started searching Pinterest for interesting milk chocolate recipes. Surprisingly, a lot of recipes don’t specify milk chocolate in their titles. It seems a lot more recipes use bittersweet or baker’s chocolate. I did find a lot of s’mores recipes that use milk chocolate. But for this…
For one of my first fashion posts, I used flowers as inspiration to create a fashion collage (part 1, part 2). Even after a year of posting, we liked the idea so much, we wanted to repeat it again this summer. Yesterday, I featured some of my favorite Southern California flowers. With these flowers in mind, I created three…
There are a lot of things I love about Southern California — access to gorgeous beaches, great shopping, the most amazing farmer’s markets and fresh produce. But the thing I’m reminded of most often is how gorgeous the flora is here. I officially love Southern California flowers. If you follow me on Instagram, you know…
My favorite summer fruit is watermelon, no contest. I remember being a kid and getting so excited when my mom would cut up slices of watermelon for a snack on those hot and humid Wisconsin summer days. While perusing Yummly the other day, I happened upon a cantaloupe salad served in it’s own rind bowl. “What a cute idea,…