Real life.

On Tuesday I blogged about something real that was happening in my life and shared more emotions than normal. In the wake of the tornado that ravaged through my state, I felt compelled to take a break from my normal posts about make-up, clothes, or food. Not that I don't love writing about and sharing fun things on this blog, but sometimes, especially this week, the need to be a little more real just feels right.

When people ask me about my blog, I quickly assure them that it isn't a personal blog where I write about my feelings or what happened to me that day (that was what my Xanga was for). I have never felt comfortable sharing too much about my personal life on this blog. While you might get glimpses here and there, for the most part, I stay hidden. But recently I have been wanting to share more and just give you all a quick update on me and what has been going on in my twenty-three year old life.

I thought I had it all figured out. Seriously, I thought I knew exactly what I would be doing after college graduation. There had never been a doubt in my mind (since age six) that I would be an elementary school teacher. All I talked about was being a teacher, did everything I could growing up to help that dream come true, and then went to school to study how to be just that. Well gosh, what a surprise one year ago (almost to the date) when I realized that at some point I had started lying when people asked me if I was excited to finally be a real teacher. I wasn't excited anymore and I started dabbling in the idea of doing something entirely different with my life. What caused this huge change in heart is probably a combination of things, but I think mostly it's because I grew up and as you grow up, you change your mind and I am just finally beginning to realize that it's okay to change your mind. I have come to realize that it is probably healthy to change your mind and not want exactly what you wanted when you were six years old. 

Let's fast forward to five months after college graduation and still with no real job. I thought that I would have no trouble finding a great job and yet I was still spending too much time on my couch watching the food network, gaining weight from all the food I was making from the recipes I saw on the food network. After graduation I realized that I was back at square one; I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do and that makes it quite difficult to find a job. I could go on and on about all the job interviews I have had in the last five months, about all the "Now Hiring" signs I have seriously thought about inquiring about (Sonic, Lowe's, Whole Foods), and about all the times I have broken down in tears, feeling like a lazy failure and disappointment. Had I really just gone to college for 4 1/2 years for a wasted degree?

Through a crazy series of events, I realized my time in college wasn't wasted, in fact my degree was actually going to come in handy. Making this story as short as possible, I began teaching fitness classes...pause for shock/hysterical laughter. Me, teaching fitness classes? The girl who cries at the thought of going to the gym and considers walking up the flight of stairs with groceries her workout for the week is teaching fitness classes? Well it happened, like a said through a crazy series of events and I couldn't be happier that those events happened because through those events, one great mentor, lots of encouragement, and kick-butt training I am teaching at Barre 3 and loving every minute of it. I am using my love of dance plus my passion for people plus that expensive teaching degree and trying to be the best instructor possible. 

On top of teaching at Barre 3, I accepted my first big-girl, full time job last week! I won't go in to the job description and details now, but I can tell you that I am so excited. Excited about the company, the people, and the chance to learn while doing something so different than I ever imagined. It has been a long process and the five months after college graduation were entirely different than I ever imagined them to be. In those five months I did a lot of deep cleaning, too many craft projects, tried out countless new recipes, was a runway model for a day, a dog-sitter, had numerous lunch dates with my mom, numerous "serious talks about my future" with my dad, and numerous soul-searching sessions with myself. So what I have learned in the last five months would take up an entire other blog post and that is almost getting too personal; bring over a bottle of wine and I will tell you all about it. The biggest thing I have learned is that it is okay to change your mind. I am glad that I did because I am getting to do things that I never would have if I hadn't changed my mind. 

So forgive me for the long post and thank you for bearing with me during this unusual spill about my life. Like I always say, some things in life are too sweet not to be shared, and right now I feel like my life is pretty sweet. 

I love sharing with you.  

beauty diaries

Let's jump right in to this. We all know where this post is going. It is probably my 225th post about my monthly Birchbox, but I love sharing my beauty treasures and finds. 

{1. amika: Nourishing Mask I used this product immediately after receiving my box. My hair has been frighteningly dry with all the crazy weather ups and downs and my breakage is becoming painfully evident. I used this mask after my normal conditioner and my hair feels so soft and smooth, even the next morning. I am a fan!}

{2. COOLA: Classic Face SPF 30 I have been frequenting the pool every week since the weather has warmed up and I have been using all my Birchbox sunscreen samples. As long as I don't get burnt and peel then it is good in my book.}

{3. Marvis: Toothpaste There is nothing like a fresh tube of toothpaste. You have to put in so little effort to get the paste on to your brush, and that is a lazy girls dream.}

{4. Sumitra: Color Contrast Eyeliner This is my FAVORITE from this box. It is a classic eyeliner pencil but I have never had one go on so easy and smooth. It lasts for hours and withstood my makeup remover, which means that it will be great for hot, summer days!}

{5. Isaac Mizrahi: FABULOUS eau de Parfum Okay, I actually love this perfume sample. It smells great, but not too heavy, and doesn't give me a headache. And what a great coincidence that my current favorite shoes are Isaac Mizrahi, so I can coordinate.} 

Birchbox also sent me a fantastic pen, by Pilot, that writes easy and smooth and happens to be purple. I feel like putting hearts over all my i's today. 

Just 30 more days until the next box!

Home.

I am devastated by what happened to my state yesterday. I have lived in tornado alley my whole life but nothing can prepare you for the images of destruction  and stories of loss that a massive tornado can cause. 

When hearing that the weather was beginning to turn ugly on Monday afternoon, my co-workers and I decided to leave work to seek shelter at home. I frantically drove through heavy rain and hail north of Oklahoma City to my parents house. Even though my apartment and friend's homes were much closer, there is nowhere that I feel safer than the home that I grew up in. As soon as I arrived home, my mom and I began to see the coverage of the live tornado ripping through Moore, an all too familiar image. I vividly remember the May 3, 1999 tornado that hit this same area and the feelings of fear and sadness rushed over me again. After the tornado passed through, the aftermath began to show up on the TV screen. My mom and I were about to leave for the grocery store when the images of the flattened neighborhoods and demolished schools were shown. Overcome with grief, we sat, and from then on we were glued to the couch with tears in our eyes for the remainder of the evening. 

It wasn't until later in the evening, when we couldn't watch anymore of the news, that my parents and I drove to News Channel 9 to drop off a few donations. The scene when we arrived was like that at the end of the movie Field of Dreams. Cars were lined up through the station driveway, down the street, and around the corners of all surrounding streets. All you could see was a long line of headlights in the dark. A long line of heartbroken, compassionate, and giving Oklahomans, waiting patiently to respond the only way we know how when adversity hits our state. We band together, we rush to give and help, pray, and then actively seek out more ways to give and help. I love this place. I love this state. I pray for Moore. 

Pray. Pray. And pray some more.

Things I Love

It's Things I Love Thursday and goodness, I love so much. It is one of those times when I love everything that I see in stores, online, and on blogs. This always happens when a new season comes along because the colors and styles are new and different. I am officially ready to swap out all my jeans for shorts and my leggings for dresses. I am ready to retire my dark bags for bright and cheery totes and all of my red and purple nail polishes have been replaced with pastels and neon hues. Summer is here and I am loving it all! 

1. Reebok Yoga Tank
2. Kate Spade Bourbon Street Bag
3. Joie Perfume
4. Rosarita Maxi Dress
5. C Wonder Tortoise Aviators
6. Kenneth Jay Lane Turquoise & Crystal Necklace
7. Essie "Lights"
8. J Crew Neon V-Neck Sweater

This is the beginning of my birthday wish list. 

Vanilla Lavender Granola

I don't think that there has ever been a recipe that I have made as much as the granola from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. After making it for the first time I knew that it was something special and I would probably never purchase store-bought granola again. Not only did I love having it on hand for myself and my yogurt but everyone I shared it with loved it and I loved sharing it. 

I had been experimenting by switching out some of the ingredients in the traditional recipe, like pecans and almonds rather than walnuts and various dried fruits. When making the granola this week I wanted to try something new so I threw some fresh lavender and a heaping tablespoon of vanilla extract. I love the taste that the lavender adds to the granola and the vanilla adds the perfect yet subtle touch of sweetness. 

What You Need

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant!)

1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (or any type of nut)

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup maple syrup (or more if you prefer a sweeter granola)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg white

2 tablespoons lavender, finely diced

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients but the egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat evenly.

3. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. 

4. Stir into the granola mixture.

5. Spread it in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. About halfway through, gently stir the granola, carefully turning the granola, breaking it as little as possible. 

7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and onto a cooling rack until cooled.

8. Break up into whatever size clusters you would like and enjoy!

Many more variations to come!

Homemade Nutter Butters

When I first saw Emily's recipe post for homemade Nutter Butters I knew that I would be making them that same day. I freely admit that I love peanut butter and I will eat it in almost any context. For breakfast, on my waffles and even in my smoothies, for lunch, in a classic peanut butter and honey sandwich, and it makes the perfect snack with sliced apples. Did I mention that I also love peanut butter in my desserts? I love it in cookies and pie and more cookies, so it was only right to test out another peanut butter cookie recipe to hopefully add to my long list of favorites. 

This cookie definitely made it's way to my long list of favorites. This cookie is completely sinful with an irresistible peanut butter cream wedged between two soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. These cookies are so rich that I (yes I, the girl who never met a dessert she didn't like) could only eat half a cookie at one time. Don't worry, I found plenty of people to share my cookies with and within two days all the cookies had disappeared.

I cannot wait to make these cookies again, they are so cute and delicious, but I would definitely make my cookies smaller next time. There is so much going on that you can afford to downsize the cookies!

Emily can do no wrong. 

My Morning Greens

smoothie photo

Some mornings I have no problem jumping out of bed and getting my day started. Others I can't seem to peel myself out of my bed, whether it be 5:00 AM or 9:00 AM. No matter what time or my level of tiredness, I don't like to start my mornings without a green smoothie or my Simple Revitalizing Eye Roll-On (unless the other option for breakfast is donuts). My smoothie recipes vary everyday depending on what I have on hand, but never lacking almond milk and spinach. 

As for my other morning green, you might remember that I received this eye-roller in my last Birchbox. There has not been a day since opening that box that I have not used this little life-saver. Not only does it provide important vitamins for my skin and eyes but the cool gel does wonders in the morning. One roll under each eye and not only am I feeling more awake from the cooling effect on my skin but any puffiness or dark bags disappear within seconds making me look like I have been up and at 'em for hours! 

So my advice if you have trouble waking up, or just want a great start to your days-- buy this Eye Revitalizer and use it each morning, it will help you pop up so you can go straight to the kitchen to throw together this smoothie.

Grapefruit and Mango Green Smoothie 

1/2 frozen banana

a large handful of spinach

1/2 mango

1/2 grapefruit

1/4 avocado

1/2 cup almond milk

a squeeze of agave nectar (to taste)

a couple of ice cubes

You can add any of your normal supplements to this, but you will have a great tasting, perfect for summer, smoothie to start your day!

Green goddess. 

Let's Go to the Beach

I know that I am counting down the days until my beach vacation. Sea Side, Florida is just a few weeks away and not just is it the beach but a beach wedding! To prepare, I ordered some bathing suits (20% off on Shopbop today, swooning over this one), I have been slowly working on my tan, and now am in search of the perfect beach tote. The thing about beach bags is that they should be waterproof and big enough to carry all the essentials. iPod, book, sunglasses, water bottle, lots of SPF, towel, and snacks. Snacks are optional if you happen to have a personal waiter who brings umbrella drinks and fruit kabobs at your beck and call. 

1//2//3//4//5//6//7//8

Now hiring: a personal beach snack waiter. 

I Wish I Could Have Been At...

What I would have given to be in New York yesterday for all the events. 

I have already shared with you about Target's new home line Threshold, and yesterday they made sure everyone traveling through one of Grande Central's terminal knew about it too.  This life-size, two-story dollhouse featured fully decorated rooms with items all from Threshold. Who hasn't ever wanted to be in a life-size dollhouse? See more pictures here. 

The Met Gala always offers some of the best fashion of the year on our favorite celebrities. This year's theme, "Punk: Chaos to Couture" was bound to feature some interesting outfits and even hair. I shared some of my favorite looks above (of course I am dying over Diane Kruger's pink tips!) but you can see all the fashion here.

Take me to NYC. 

Jewelry Round- Up

It is a new month and that means it is time to refresh our jewelry boxes. It is time to bust out those neons, big, colorful earrings, and other statement pieces. I know that all of my sundresses need necklaces to add some flair and new bracelets to accompany my everyday pieces. I love the update that C. Wonder has given the friendship bracelet and gold never goes out of style as seen by Gorjana's exquisite collections. ASOS offers trends at great prices (both pieces are under $20!) and Shopbop always delivers greatness.

ASOS

Spike Drop Earring

Beaded Collar Necklace

Gorjana

Ring Set

Rectangular Hoops

Shopbop

Turquoise Stick Necklace

Sparkling Sea Cuff

C. Wonder

Pyramid Stud Friendship Bracelet

Hearts Aflutter Cuff

Frost yourselves. 

Wedding Watching

Who doesn't love a great chick flick, especially one that features over-the-top, but beautiful weddings. This week I have been thinking about my favorite wedding movies because my own best friend is tying the knot this weekend. 

My group of best friends got together last weekend for our last single girl sleepover and of course we had to watch one of these great movies. We popped in My Best Friend's Wedding and laughed while Julia Roberts plotted to break up her best friend's wedding while eating a sinfully-good dessert. I love all of the above movies, but none can compare to my all-time favorite, Father of the Bride. There is nothing like watching a dad fret and stress about his little girl growing up. It also might be an accurate picture of how my own dad will act upon hearing that one of his little girls are getting married. 

I'll be watching one of these every night until Saturday!

Friday Fails and Finds

Let's start off with some fails.

1. The amount that I blogged this week is a big, fat fail. I thought about it. I had some ideas. I even sat down and worked on a collage for a "Things I Love" post. Then it just didn't happen. Fail.

2. My plans to stick to my pre-best-friends-wedding diet ended up being a fail this week. I ate a whole bag of chef-mix for lunch yesterday, ate my weight in chips and queso TWO nights in a row, and had fried chicken with red beans and rice for dinner on Tuesday at the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts. Diet fail.

3. My attempt to cook a "simple" dinner last night was a huge fail! I was cooking at my boyfriends house which happens to have a stove that was installed in the 1760's. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but it was definitely installed in the 1960's and we don't have a very good relationship. After crisping the roasted potatoes to crunchy chips (fail), I set the smoke alarm off while making salad dressing. Yes, you read that right. Salad dressing! Fail. I actually salvaged the meal and I really liked the chicken salad  and will definitely make it again, but there was lots of smoke and a few tears during the process. Not to mention a stray cat that snuck in while the doors were open in an attempt to air out the whole house. FAIL.

source

Let's turn all these fails around and just make cupcakes, because somehow cupcakes make everything better.

Let's talk about some finds.

1. A new favorite DIY blog that I found one night when I couldn't sleep. I looked at every single DIY she had posted and their were 60+ pages of posts. Some seem a little over my head (any project that involves a sewing machine is over my head and beyond my skill level) but others looked pretty simple.

2. Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler at JC Penney! I am so excited about this find where it is possible for me to buy JA at a lower price point. 

3. The Spring 2013 To and From Gift Guide came out a couple of weeks ago. Check it out for ideas for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Graduation gifts!

4. Fashion find, a fun bag for the warm weather months. 

5. My favorite nail color for summer, Essie's lilacism.

6. And lastly, one of my favorite weekly features from The Glitter Guide, 5 Things to Try This Weekend

source

It's the weekend, eat whatever you want!

Whole Lemon Bars

I think I would trust Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen) with my life. Well I at least trust her with my cooking and baking life and that is big.

I have never had any problems with any recipes from her cookbook or blog, and many have become my favorites, like granola and homemade oreos. I don't even get nervous when trying one for the first time, even when the recipe is for an important event, like your best friend's bridal shower. 

I think that lemon bars are perfect for an afternoon, spring event and they are one of my favorite desserts. I had never tried making them before but I knew to go to my Smitten Kitchen cookbook for the best recipe. I was surprised upon reading the recipe that Deb's lemon squares call for a whole lemon; skin and all. I trusted her and went ahead and threw the whole, sliced lemon in the food processor and was quite proud of the results. 

You begin my baking the crust and then top it with the yummy lemon filling. The greatest part about this recipe? That you make the entire thing in the food processor!

Topping lemon bars with loads of powdered sugar is a must. Even with all the sugar on top, lemon bars are still an acceptable breakfast, so enjoy!

I absolutely loved these lemon squares and received lots of compliments throughout the day. I know that I will be making this recipe again very soon, but maybe after the wedding I have in two weeks. 

Still smitten with Smitten Kitchen. 

Tiny Tweaks, Big Results

My April Birchbox finally arrived! I used to receive my box during the first week of each month and now I am getting it so much later, which I am sure is due to the fact that Birchbox is growing like crazy and can hardly keep up with the high demand. 

This month Birchbox teamed up with Women's Health Magazine, who I am especially loving this month with Katharine McPhee on the cover!

{1. J.R. Watkins Peppermint Foot Repair Salve}

Confession. I really do love putting lotions and salves on my feet, then pulling on thick soaks and just relaxing. I too often forget to do this, except when I get the treat of a pedicure, and this new salve gives me the perfect excuse to prop my feet up for a little and relax and repair.

{2. Caudalie Divine Oil}

Put the word 'divine' in anything and I will probably use it because it sounds luxurious and relaxing. This oil is for skin, hair, and your nails, which is perfect because the other beauty oils I have usually end up all over anyway. And not just my skin, hair, and nails, but also my laptop keyboard and phone.  

{3. Supergoop Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream}

Yay SPF! This girl loves anything with SPF because I love sunscreen! If you ever try to leisurely lay out with me I will bug you every hour to reapply sunscreen, and you better believe it is at least 35 SPF.

{4. Nexxus Hydra-Light Leave-In Conditioning Foam}

When I picked this month's box for the first time, I thought that Birchbox had sent me rocks. It was so heavy and I realized that this conditioner was the reason why. The bottle is huge and definitely doesn't look like a tester to me. Jackpot!

{5. Simple Eye Roller}

Like the name states, this is simple. Roll under your eyes to appear less tired.

Goodness, I am going to need that in a few hours when I go to six A.M yoga.

Where's the salve that makes my voice like Katharine McPhee?

Our Beauty

Unfortunately, as women, we too often get caught up in our personal appearance. I know that I catch myself staring in the mirror, wishing that I looked different or that certain things looked "better". We all have those body parts that we hate, whether that be our thighs, our arms, our hair, or are nose, the list can unfortunately go on forever. Everyone sees herself in a certain way, and that image we see in our heads (and that we think we see in the mirror) isn't always pretty. 

When I first saw this Dove Real Beauty Campaign video, I cried. I cried when I watched it again because I was so moved by the reality that it portrays.

This video proves that the way that we view our facial features and our bodies is harsh and almost always a false opinion masquerading as a fact. As the women in this video described themselves, they degraded their features and highlighted their "fat" and "protruding" characteristics. It was heart breaking because I know that it is probably similar to the way that I would speak of certain parts on my body. But what a beautiful thing to hear as mere strangers spoke of their natural loveliness to provide a more accurate description for the artist. Today I challenge you (and myself) to stop spending so much time in the mirror, criticizing the little things that no one else sees. Allow your true beauty to come out, smile, and laugh so that the people around you can enjoy the loveliness that was naturally given to you. Also, mention to a family member, friend, or stranger something that you find in them that is beautiful and allow them to hold on to that comment for even just a moment and see how it brightens their day. 

"We spend a lot of time as women trying to fix the things that aren't quite right, and we should spend more time appreciating the things we do like."

Your beauty is beautiful. 

Macarons (First Attempt)

I have been wanting to try to make French macarons for months. Not only are they a tasty treat (especially with coffee) but they are so cute, almost too cute to eat!

Just almost to good to eat!

I can't say that my cookies were even near as cute as these but I wasn't too disappointed by my first attempt. The recipe wasn't even as hard as I was expecting. I followed this recipe for a basic almond macaron and this recipe for a chocolate ganache filling. As much as I love chocolate, I found that this ganache was too over powering for this little cookie. I think that a buttercream would be much more suited! I used violet food coloring gel to give my cookies a slight purple tint but can't wait to add actual flavor.

I plan on testing out other recipes throughout this week, until I find the recipe that I think is perfect, or close to perfect! I would love to have a go-to recipe for these treats and after buying a tiny but expensive bag of almond flour I am determined to put it all to good use!

Many macarons to come!

Check Her Out

Today is a huge and exciting day! My little sister is debuting her new blog and embarking on this crazy adventure that we call blogging. 

Annie has been reading blogs for as long as I have and has also been a huge driving force behind my blog. She is constantly sending me ideas and putting pressure on me to get a blog post up when I am being lazy. So when she called me last week to discuss her plans to start a blog I wasn't surprised at all, even though it was the first time she had ever mentioned it. 

I couldn't be more proud of her for finally doing what she should have done a long time ago. I knew that she would start a blog and I have never had a doubt in my mind that it wouldn't be incredible. Because that is what my sister is, incredible. (They both are) Annie is incredible, smart, witty, beautiful, creative, funny, adorable, and has been keeping my whole family in line since she was little. Lately I have been thinking of her as my life coach, seeing as that I can hardly accomplish anything without her approval. I want to buy a new purse? I ask her what she thinks first. What to wear to my first job interview? Send pictures of multiple outfit options to her. I want to try out a new and different recipe? Invite her over to cook it with me. 

I guess a better description than life coach for her is my best friend. 

Not to be corny, but I have loved getting to watch her grow up and become the person she is today. We have been lucky to have so many common interests and therefore have shared so many memories throughout our lives and one of those most recent things that we have in common is our love of blogs. The majority of our conversations start with, "Oh, I saw this on [insert blog title here]...". When it comes to fashion, food, and all the other beautiful things that life has to offer, we always turn to blogs (and each other) for inspiration. 

I think we start our mornings exactly the same. Waking up early to enjoy our favorite blogs with a cup (or two) of hot coffee and now that will transition in to us waking up early to write our own blog posts. We are similar in so many ways that I know that you will see those similarities throughout our posts. I wouldn't be surprised if one day we unknowingly blog about the same things. It's not unusual that we are thinking the same thing at the exact same time. 

With all this being said, read her blog! I know that it will make you smile, laugh, and if you make all the food she posts then it will probably also make you fat. Soak up the joy that she will share through her posts and help me encourage her as she starts this journey that she will undoubtably dominate in, just like everything else she has attempted. I cannot wait to learn from her, be inspired by her, and collaborate with her to make both of our blogs as good as they can be. 

Sis Boom Blog.

Caramel Flan

It was obvious that I was feeling ambitious and brave earlier this week when I decided to make two dishes that were completely foreign to me. Tuesday I attempted to make two Spanish traditional dishes, paella and flan... And I kind of nailed it. Granted, my paella was very americanized and turned out to be more like a rice casserole, but it didn't stop my boyfriend (who ate paella often while living in Spain) from going back for thirds. While eating dinner I hadn't told him about the flan I had made for dessert; I wanted it to be a surprise and I was scared that it was going to be awful. He was shocked when I dramatically pulled the dish towel off to reveal the mini flans and I was shocked when I realized that they actual looked and tasted good!

I had only tried this Spanish custard dish once before, but after tasting my own version, I have to admit that it tastes exactly the same. I learned that there are so many variations to this recipe, but after buying Eagle Brand condensed milk, I thought it would be safe to use their recipe. 

Everything was fairly easy, except coating the bottom of my ramekins with caramel. It didn't turn out quite as evenly as I had hoped, but I found that if you do one at a time while you continue to let the remaining caramel heat in the pan then you will have more luck.

My only other issue came with the cook time. The recipe said to cook these flans for just 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Well at 25 minutes they were not even close and I had to end up cooking these for 50 minutes until they reached a custard consistency. They eventually got there and all four ramekin dishes were quickly scraped clean.

What Spanish dish can I try next?