{Fashion Friday}...Bohemian

I am so proud of myself. Usually I am scrambling last minute to get my pictures for Fashion Friday all ready and posted. This time however with my brand new tripod {thank you husband} I am now caught up for 3 weeks! That's right, so now I can get even more done. Maybe I will even start posting them more than once a week. What's your vote?

I feel like my style has transformed over and over again through the years. {Note to self must find some choice pics of my style back in the day to show you guys}. I went through the normal trends, I created my own. I took risks, I was cautious. Now I feel like everything is just out the window. I don't see myself as trendy exactly. I can look at the trends that are popular and decide what I like and what I hate. In fact I just watched 2013 fashion trends on E! and everything is recycled again. Stripes and black and white is in this year .. good I have an abundance of black and white and black and white stripes. I wear what I like, I wear what I'm comfortable in. I don't care if people don't like it or if I am made fun of. {**cough cough.. red pants} Somewhere out there there are people who do like my outfits anyway.

Headband: Wetseal, Cardigan: Closet Signature, Cami: Wetseal, Jeans: PacSun, Boots: Urban Outfitters

Style is more than a hobby for me. It's a passion .. I may have already said this but oh well I am saying it again. :) Maybe it's the part of being a girl and playing dress up since I was little that makes it fun now. 

{Miss Riley is 4!}

Ya know having a kid's birthday so soon after Christmas is pretty tough! It tricks us (the parents) into thinking we are spoiling our kid ... but reality is we really aren't.... I don't think. : /

 Riley did really well with Christmas, in my opinion. Some movies, princess and fairy stuff. I wanted to save the kitchen for her birthday since it was such a big gift and then just some leopard and zebra PJ's {of course}! I'm glad that worked out, she had been wanting a kitchen forever! 

Here's a fun fact about me I'm really big on birthdays. I don't think it stems from being spoiled, I don't think I was .. honestly! I just think that everyone should feel special and loved on their day! So nothing less for my baby girl! We made her special funfetti pancakes and took her off to the American Girl store to possibly pick out a doll. 

Just a heads up American Girl dolls are crazzzy expensive. It's like over $100 for one doll and those little girls just eat it up! That place was soo packed. Luckily they have little mini dolls so she got one of those. Then we took her over to the Cheesecake factory and let her pick whatever cheesecake she wanted. She saw that Oreo cheesecake in the menu and that was it she was in love! The staff came and sang Happy Birthday to her and it was so sweet she just loved it. The whole day she just kept hugging and kissing us. Saying Thank you for my kitchen, thank you for my birthday. A "spoiled" kid isn't that polite right? She has some really good manners. Props to that girls parents for sure! ;) I just love her to pieces and I am so happy and blessed that God thought I was good enough to be her mom. 

{Fashion Friday}....New Years resolutions

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and New Year. We had a great one and then great Birthdays for Evan and Riley. Now we can finally get back to normal. How long do you guys wait before you take your decorations down. I still got the tree up and I'm about to take it down and get everything put away. Usually I get it down by the 1st but now that that day is all about Riley I procrastinate even more. Ever notice how your house looks kind of boring after you take the decorations down too! Now I have to get used to the house again haha..

I didn't make any New Years Resolutions this year. Just some goals mainly.

1: Save for new camera
2: Finish Demo!!{This is a BIG one}
3: Finish New Brand for business
4: Save for trips
5: Keep a positive attitude
oooohh and 6: Gym ..eat healthy! Gotta work off this extra holiday weight  :)


I think that's a good start. How about you guys?


                                     Here's my outfit from Christmas this year :)

Top: Forever21, Necklace: Walmart, Shorts: Forever21, Boots: Forever21

{Pirates and Pixies} ... First blog post of the new year!

As it is now 2013 and My baby girl is officially 4 YEARS OLD now! I thought it was the perfect time to blog about her birthday party we had last month in California. Since we were going out there for vacation we decided to have an early birthday party for her since all her cousins are out there. All nine {soon to be 10} of them! I started planning this party since August or September. I wanted something that could be coed since she's got an even amount of girl/boy cousins. Since she's somewhat into Tinkerbell right now. I decided on a Pirate/Pixie party.. a little Fairy, a little Neverland Pirate-esque going on.

I made this Birthday sign from Martha Stewart :)

"Pixie Hollow"

Wings and Swords table after the kids got to it already

Purple Lemonade

The Spread yum

I got lot's of inspiration from Pinterest of course, a lot of great party blogs out there too. I just took my color scheme and went with it. I have to say though planning a party from another state is hard work and not everything turned out the way I had pictured in my mind unfortunately. I probably won't do that again haha! However, the kids had a blast and Riley loved it and that's all that matters right!?


Food: We got a couple of Riley's favorites. Pizza and french fries! I did individual servings of fries in cups with ketchup at the bottom that was a big hit. I wanted to have healthy foods besides the candy buffet and cupcakes. So we did a veggie platter, fruit and graham crackers with cookie dough dip and these super yummy skewers with tomato, mozzarella cheese. I wanted to make little candy acorns but we didn't have time so someone just put the little cookies out on a plate and we just had those.

Games: We had pin the treasure chest on the map that I got from the dollar tree. Thank you Dollar Tree!
As well as a treasure {scavenger hunt}
We had candy bars as the prizes.. {so much for the healthy part on that one...oops}
We also had face painting for the kids {some adults too}

I really wanted a mini candy buffet to go along with the wings and swords as favors. I got the candy from Ohnuts.com and they have really good prices for bulk candy.

 

That's it... Thanks to those who made it out we all had a blast with everyone! Hope you did too !

 

{Fashion Friday}...Peplum Power!

The holidays always make my concept of time kinda wonky! I have no idea what day it is anymore. Riley is out of school til after the new year. I got the hubby's birthday tomorrow then New years then Miss Riley's birthday. This time of year literally makes me soooo crazy. My brain is all out of sorts, running around without me attached.

Lists are my best friend! ......and I am in desperate need of some lists around here. Why is it when you get older there just isn't enough time in a day anymore? I can't be the only one who has noticed? Is it some sort of conspiracy maybe? I remember when I was little or even in High School...days would drag on forever. I would get so bored quite often. Now I'm lucky if I can get all the laundry done in one day! Isn't that a hilarious thought? I am cleaning, and doing laundry without my parents telling me too. Man-Oh-Man times have changed.

I can't wait til Riley can do chores then I can delegate lol....

Jacket: Wet Seal, Top: Wet Seal, Scarf: Closet Signature. Jeans: PacSun, Boots: Target

P.S I just ordered a new camera lens last night and I am super excited for the new awesome pictures I will be taking with it :)

{Awkward and Awesome Christmas}....yeah Santa's out of the bag

After a long vacation in California we actually liked being all alone on Christmas Eve.
Of course we were late to church so we had to go into another room and watch everything on a screen. But by the the time we got home I had some super tasty carnitas in the crock pot. That's right we had ourselves a little Mexican fiesta for Christmas Eve. That's how we roll! I've made one time before I got it off of Pinterest from Skinnytaste.com too so not too fattening. You can find the recipe here.

We did our one present then watched It's a wonderful life with some egg nog of course. I keep forgetting that it's like 3 hours long. I totally fell asleep during the main "Angel Clarence" part.

AWESOME: During the movie we get a call that we are going to have another niece/nephew getting us to double digits now. A total of 10 nieces and nephews.. AAHHHH I'm sure there will be more to come too!

 

AWKWARD:

Ok so I have to admit that I don't do Santa... there are so many reasons of why I don't but my sister and I never believed in Santa and we were fine with it.. so I just don't see the point in it. Well of course every single kids Christmas movie these days is about Santa.. so Miss Riley starts to catch on and what's to ask Santa for a present and what not. I just ignore it, because I don't want to encourage it. Well Christmas Day comes after all the presents are opened Riley says "where's my present from Santa?" .......Uhhh YIKES! Exactly what I wanted to avoid. I quickly just say uuhhh that zebra. Then Dad (the husband) swoops in to save the day. He goes "Riley... Santa's not real!" I wasn't going to tell her that just because I didn't want her to ruin if for other kids. She wasn't bummed or anything she was like oh ok! We told her it was a secret though she couldn't tell anyone. But of course shes a 3 year old and as soon as Grandma asks what did you get from Santa... (don't know why my mom asked because we don't do santa lol) Riley says "Grandma Santa's not real!" like she was silly for even asking. Ohhh this kid cracks me up! She's so resilient! Don't have to worry about that now.. except other kids in the future maybe. OOPS!

{Holiday Baking} .....yum

Merry Christmas All!! I hope you enjoy some of our favorite treats to make! 





Recipes:

Philadelphia sugar cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes plus refrigerating
Bake time: 15 minutes

1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
colored sugar, sprinkles and colored gels

BEAT cream cheese, butter, 2/3 cup sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Mix in flour. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

ROLL dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes; sprinkle with colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

BAKE at 350'F for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Decorate as desired with colored sugar, sprinkles and colored gels.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen

 



Philadelphia cheesecake brownies

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes

1 Package (19.8 ounces) brownie mix (do not use mix that includes syrup pouch)
1 package ( 8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARE  brownie mix as directed on package.
Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

BEAT cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Mix in sugar until blended. Add egg and vanilla; mix just until blended. Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter; cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.

BAKE at 350'F for 35 to 40 minutes or until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned. Cool. Cut into squares.

Makes 2 dozen

 


Double Delicious Cookie bars

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 25-30 minutes

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups (12 ounce)  semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (6 ounces) peanut butter-flavored chips

*Butterscotch-flavored chips or white chocolate chips can be substituted for the semi-sweet chocolate chips and/or peanut butter flavored chips.

1. Preheat oven to 350'F (325'F for glass dish). In 13x9-inch baking pan, melt butter in oven.

2. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter; pour Eagle Brand evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients; press down firmly.

3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature.  
Makes 2 to 3 dozen bars

They really do present quite nicely.. don't you agree :)