Marion Berry Style Challenge: Pattern Mixing

I have definitely been more adventurous with my outfit choices since exploring Pinterest.  You've already seen some inspiration from J's Everyday Fashion in my Movie Date Makeover and I've Been Thinking About You, Blog posts.  But the other day, I discovered another awesome fashion blog: Marion Berry Style.

In addition to some great outfit ideas, she hosts a monthly "trend" challenge.  This month? Pattern Mixing.  Whoooaaaaaa boy.... did I come in on a toughy! I mean, last month's trend was yellow.... I could rock that with my eyes closed.  But pattern mixing?  Its something I've always admired but rarely had the courage to try.

I decided, however, in the name of experimentation (and if nothing else, good blogging) to try my hand at the trend.

After about 30 minutes in my closet, here's what I came up with:

Floral.... on stripes, on stripes! This was huge for me! But I think it works! (I HOPE it works.... because I wore it to a work training today!)

Here's the goods:
Blazer: Charlotte Russe $36
Tee: American Eagle $10
Scarf: Candies by Kohls $15
Jeans: Kohls $20

So, I am dying for your thoughts.... would you mix patterns like this?

Be sure to check out the Marion Berry Style page tomorrow for other bloggers who took the trend of the month challenge!

My Clemson Wreath "Oops"

With football season just days away (Thank God!!!), I thought it was about time for a little Clemson Tiger decor.  In a Pinterest search I found this amazingly cute wreath from Etsy.

However, for $25 plus shipping, I thought for sure I could make one of my own for less.  So, I headed to Michaels.  I bought a styrofoam wreath, 2 spools of Clemson-y ribbon, and some wooden letters to add my initials.  Total cost for me was about $13.50 - because the ribbon was on sale for 50% off... score! Note: I already had a glue gun and glue sticks, but if this is your first craft, you may be looking at another $10 or so....

I began by securing one end of the first ribbon with a spot of glue and wrapping it around, every 7 or 8 times around I'd secure with another glue spot and begin the next color ribbon.

To my dismay, about 3/4 of the way around the wreath... my ribbon ran out.  DOH!

So, it looks like I'll have to make another trip to Michaels, hope for another ribbon sale, and continue my project another day... I guess its a good thing I started my project with a few weeks to spare!

Just for giggles... here's what the project looks like with the letters.... I think it has potential!

Look for a future post with an update on this pin project!

Olympics Opening Ceremony Party!

One of my favorite boards to pin to is my Party Time board.  I have always loved hosting dinners and theme parties, and Pinterest has just given me so many amazing ideas.  Most recently, this pin, which was actually just to a picture of a cocktail (with no recipe... bummer), inspired me to have an Olympics themed party this year.

I, personally, always "watch" the Opening Ceremony.  By "watch," I mean put them on my tv and neglect to pay attention.  I thought that having our party on this night would be the perfect opportunity to "watch" the Ceremony with a few friends.... while drinking.... and wearing togas.

The evening was perfect, aside from a momentary lapse in cable coverage of the Ceremony (thanks, Dish.)  We had some of our own Olympic events, namely beer pong and flip cup, and the food and drinks were great.  Here are a few highlights.

So, in the name of sharing, here's how I made my Olympics food stuffs:

The Olympic Rings Martini:

I fashioned this drink off a martini called a white gummy bear, named, appropriately so, because it tastes like a white gummy bear.

1 part Peach Schnapps
1 part Raspberry vodka
2 parts Sour mix
2 parts Sprite

Then, I took the traditional 5 flavor Lifesavers and put a red, yellow, green, and purple lifesaver in each martini.

These were a huge hit, and I will likely make them again with gummy bears at the bottom, or any other sweet candy.... maybe a jolly rancher?

The Red, White, and Blue Martini:

I actually found this recipe on Pinterest, here.

I am not a huge Hypnotic fan, but lets be honest, there aren't that many blue liquors that layer well.

1/2 Hypnotic
1/2 Sprite
a splash of Grenadine

Here's the trick... you MUST mix the Hypnotic/Sprite and pour it into your martini glass before you add the splash of Grenadine.  Otherwise, the drink doesn't layer and it turns purple.

I didn't love this martini.... too sweet....but a few others at the party thought it was good... and they got gobbled up quick.  If nothing else, they were great for the tablescape!

Olympic Rings Cake:

OK, I cheated.  I bought a blank ice cream cake from Food Lion.... so great that they have plain white ones, as most places seem to only have partially decorated cakes available.  The cake, which fed us all, plus some... was only $25.

I saw tons and tons of pins for Olympic cupcakes as cakes, made with a variety of ingredients, and mostly icing rings.  I, however, found multicolored Sixlets at Party City, and thought they'd work well... I think they did!

In order to make perfect rings, I pressed an upside down drinking glass onto the cake and made 5 nice rings.  Then, I just set the Sixlets right on top of my "trace"-lines.  The divet also kept the Sixlets from rolling around.

I think the party was a huge success.... and just think, you have 2 weeks still to throw one of your own!!!

I was thinking about you, Blog.

Though I didn't embark on any new recipes or crafts during my Disney vaca.... I did borrow some more inspiration from my favorite Pinterest find, thus far: J's Everyday Fashion Blog.  I spotted this pin before my trip, and immediately headed to Old Navy to pick up these super-cute polka dot shorts.  I didn't mix prints.... maybe I'll try that out another day... but I did rock the dots in Disney!

Here's a family pic, plus Mickey, with my purchase.  Thanks J!

The MOST Amazing Soup!

I apologize for my week long hiatus, but I was in Disney World on vacation with my family.  However, I PROMISE this recipe will make up for the wait!

This amazing soup, which we simply call "Tortellini Soup," was adapted from a Taste of Home recipe a few years back, titled "Holiday Tortellini Soup."  The original combined my two favorite things: Bacon and cheese tortellini.  I understand why they titled it Holiday Tortellini Soup.... because this soup is a major crowd pleaser, and I have made it for many holiday celebrations.  However, my healthy adaptations over the years, in my opinion, have made this easy crowd-pleaser into a regular in the Lopez household.... and hopefully yours, too.

Ingredients: (MY version)
1 tbsp olive oil
6 strips turkey bacon
1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large can (49 1/2 oz.) of chicken broth
2 tsp. italian seasoning
1 package whole wheat cheese tortellini (Bertolli makes the BEST)
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomato sauce
2 to 3 heaping handfuls of fresh baby spinach (about 1/2 a standard pre-packed bag)
salt & pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella cheese (for garnish)

(Note: If you prefer the fatty version - also amazing - use real bacon and flour tortellini..... just be sure to drain the bacon before adding in the onions, etc. in the steps below)

Begin by heating the olive oil to medium in a large pot.  Chop your bacon as it heats.

Add the bacon to the pot and allow it to crisp (about 3-4 minutes).  Add your diced onion; cook 3-4 minutes, or until soft.  Then add garlic and cook one more minute. (Already the aroma of this soup will have you drooling)

Add the chicken broth and italian seasoning; bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions.  Then, drain.

Add the cooked tortellini, petite diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the soup mixture.  Stir together and simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Is the color and smell of this soup not knocking you out right now?????

Next, add the spinach and cook just until wilted.  Season with salt & pepper.

Serve topped with shredded mozzarella..... gorgeous, tasty, and HEALTHY!!!!!!!!!

One of those finds...

I am just devastated that I did not discover this website before I planned my wedding.  It is one of "those finds" that you know will change your decor shopping agenda forever. (Kind of like.... Pinterest!!!!)

SaveOnCrafts boasts 20-50% off amazingly beautiful items ranging from garden stones, bird cages, candleholders, crystal edging, galvanized tubs (gee, wouldn't this site have come in handy for my container garden project!?!?).  The possibilities are endless with this site.

Here are a few of my favorite items:

Drinks for Everyone!

Thank you, Pinterest, for informing me that Starbucks was giving away FREE tall Refreshers today from 12-3pm.  Not because the Refreshers were, well, refreshing, but rather because I would have been pissed if I spent $4.00 on something that legit tasted like a Yankee Candle.  The whole group gave the new Refreshers (we tried both flavors: Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus) two thumbs DOWN.

So, defeated, we returned to my house for our Friday Girls Day and I decided to try this Cloud Nine Martini, instead.

I admittedly followed the recipe for the first batch, carefully measuring the Pinnacle Whipped (1 part) and Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur (3 parts).  It was amazing.  But, honestly, I made it a bunch more times afterwards just eyeballing the liquors.  Every time.... amazing.  In fact, the three of us went through the entire $26 bottle of Godiva Liqueur in about an hour.

Our verdict: Two thumbs UP!!!

Overall: I'll take the expensive martini over the free Starbucks Refresher any day!

Very Jane Giveaway!

Many of the pins on my style board feature this J. Crew bubble necklace, which I ordered today from VeryJane.com, a website that has daily specials for fashion items and accessories (think Groupon for a gal like me...).  Today, they have a giveaway for $50s worth of American Express gift cards to be used on their website. Click the link below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Movie Date Makeover

I am what some may call a shop-a-holic.... a fashion fanatic of sorts... and though I spend hours trolling the web doing "pre-shopping" research and outfit planning, I constantly find myself falling back on the same boring combinations of clothing, and then whining about my lack of options.  How can someone have SO. MUCH. CLOTHING. and constantly feel like I've got nothing to wear? Perhaps I am just not as creative as I'd hope.  Until, of course, I stumbled upon a new style icon: J.

I know, sounds like a Men in Black agent.  But J's Everyday Fashion, a blog I found on, you guessed it, Pinterest, may just have changed my outlook on closet options.  She finds inspiration on websites, catalogs, runways, etc., and "remakes" them from clothing in her seemingly infinite closet.  While obsessing over her site today, I read some great advice: Don't try to copy it exactly.  Rather, let the outfit (style, color, etc) inspire you.  So when my good friend Amanda asked me to join her on a movie date, I began searching my "My Style" Pinterest board for some pinspiration.  I decided upon this:

The link to this outfit was broken, so I had to settle for a cell phone pic, hence the poor quality.  However, you get the picture.  

Now, I am one of those cold blooded individuals who finds a 75 degree day "freezing."  Add to that a movie theater climate, which to me feels practically subarctic.  So I knew from square one I would wear my distressed American Eagle jeggings in place of cut off shorts.  I then examined he top half of this outfit: ivory lace, ivory blazer, waterfall necklace.  None of these I own.  But, I remembered J's advice: be inspired.  I figured the style could be summed up as follows: ultra femme tank, summery blazer, statement necklace.  So I headed to my "boring closet" to see what I could find.

I began by pulling some ideas that fit the bill, and came up with a few options:

I was already surprised by the combinations I created, as I never paired these tanks/blazers together before.  I loved the look of the mint and ivory, so I went with that.  I changed the accessories a bit and here is what I came up with:

Tank: Express

Blazer: Charlotte Russe

Necklace: Arden B. circa 2008

Jeans: American Eagle

Heels: Kenzie (Dillards) circa 2010

Bracelet: Etsy; see this post

What do you think???

My Attempt at a T-shirt Scarf

After seeing all the amazing scarves Julie made (see previous post), I thought I'd try my hand.  Here's the scarf I wanted to make:

Cute... right? The instructions came from this site.

It seemed easy enough: 1) cut shirt into 11 strips, 2) stretch strips, 3) braid, 4) secure braid, and 5) tie or glue together.  It was pretty easy, but for some reason my scarf looks a lot more like a necklace than the picture above.

***Let me preface this picture by saying that I must apologize for the creepy smile, but I felt stupid enough snapping shots of myself in my mirror a la "16-year-olds-on-facebook," so I vowed to take one and be done!!! haha!

If I attempt this again, I think I will use one of Tony's t-shirts so that my strips are longer.  I will also probably increase the number of strips I use to 14 (or maybe even 17...) so it looks fuller.  Anyway, for now, I think I'll stick with admiring Julie's scarves!!!!

Guest Blogger: Julie!!!

My friend Julie Brunner is amazingly crafty, especially when it comes to creating super-cute scarves out of old t-shirts.  A craft I have also attempted, and failed BTW (as a future post will detail).  So, I asked her to guest blog for the site, and here's what she's shared!

Pinterest Chain Scarf from http://shwinandshwin.blogspot.com/2010/09/recycled-tee-scarf.html

Materials: T-shirt (XL adult)

                Scissors

Step 1: Cut the bottom off of the t-shirt where the seam is.

Step 2: Begin cutting strips of the t-shirt until you get to the sleeves.. I cut a total of 16 strips. (the entire t-shirt)

Step 3: Wrap each ring three times.

Step 4: Your long t-shirt strips should now look like this!

Step 5: Take one of your rings and cut it into pieces. Tie the remaining rings together to create a chain feel.

Step 6: Your scarf is done! It should look something like this, depending on how many rings you have.

Step 7: Voila! Wear it and flaunt it!

And here's another chain scarf she made. (Perfect for Steeler Games!!!!!!)

Julie has made a ton of other cute scarves, too, which you can view (and buy!) at her etsy shop!

Thanks Julie!!!!!

Fabulous Felt Owls

I'm not sure why I have recently fallen in love with all things owl, but when I saw this pin, I knew I had to try this with Madison.  After doing some pre-planning, however, I realized there was a ton of cutting involved, and should most likely pre-cut the pieces to make it easier on her.  I'm glad I did, because it probably took me a solid two hours before I had cut all the pieces out.  Here are the materials I used:

For two owls:
-one sheet of brown felt (for the ears/beak)
-6 other colors, one sheet each.
-glue gun & glue sticks
-4, 25mm google eyes
-2 4 inch styrofoam balls

The template for owl two (printable here) and instructions did not actually tell me how many felt feathers to cut of each color, but I used about 20 feathers for the "belly" and about 35 feathers for the "back" of the owls.  After I cut everything up, I put them into ziploc bags and labeled them for easy preparation the next day.

So today, we began our adventure.  I "followed" the somewhat vague instructions on the DIY site, but found myself winging it at times.  Each owl only took about 30 minutes to make, and that was with a 5 year old helper, and 2 burnt fingers from the hot glue gun.  (I found this project to more of a pain in the butt than originally anticipated) Though Madison loved her owl, it really isn't a project meant for kids, and I probably wouldn't do it again with her.  However, if you are looking for some easy DIY decor for an owl themed room or party, they definitely turned out cute!

 Total cost for 2 owls: $12, 2 burnt fingers, and 3 hours of labor....

"Roasted" Chicken Drumsticks

Honestly.... I had no intentions of blogging about this recipe.  It was one of those "Oh crap... what can I do with these drumsticks I thawed for dinner...? let's consult Pinterest" kind of nights.  When I came across this recipe, I decided I'd try it simply because I had all (well, actually most...) of the ingredients, and it seemed easy.  Boy am I glad I tried it! It was delicious!

Ingredients:
-1 package chicken drumsticks (I left the skin on)
-4 tbs butter
-1 tbs olive oil
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-parsley (the recipe calls for fresh, but I used dried)
-1 tbs lemon juice
-S&P

Thats it! Stuff everyone has, right!?

Start by liberally salting and peppering the drumsticks.  I'd say use slightly more than what you think.... and heating the olive oil and half the butter in a sauté pan.  Once the butter starts to foam, add the chicken and lightly brown on all sides.

Once its lightly browned, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes, turning occasionally.  The chicken will take on a nice caramel brown color.

After 25 minutes, add remaining ingredients, including other half of the butter.  Let butter melt and remove from heat.  Allow the pan to sit for about 5 minutes, letting the garlic and parsley flavors infuse, and continue to turn the chicken a few times to coat it fully.

I served it with a sweet potato and some green peas.  The chicken tasted like it had roasted in the oven all day.  This is definitely a keeper recipe!

Anchors Aweigh!

After seeing tons and tons of pins of adorable nautical themed jewelry, I decided to buy myself a new bracelet from this etsy shop.  Though its a little big for my tiny wrists, and it took 6 weeks to ship, I adore it... so I thought I'd continue browsing anchor bracelets on Pinterest while I admire my new bling! Cost of mine: $8.50 (plus shipping).

Angry Birds Pizza

If there is one thing my Maddie-Cakes loves... its PIZZA.  She is just like her Daddy.  Whats even better? Her favorite kind of pizza happens to be pepperoni and black olive (strange for a 5 year old, I know...) So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled across this pin.

Though the pin led to a dead end.... the picture provided enough pinspiration for my next pin project: Angry Birds Pizza.

Ingredients:
-1 Pillsbury pizza dough (found by the crescent rolls)
-1/2 jar Prego Pizza Sauce
-lots of shredded mozzarella cheese (I use fat free)
-1 slice of mozzarella cheese
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-about 5 black olives, sliced (I used about 1/2 of a small can)
-1 package pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)

Step one: press pizza dough into circle, reserving two small pieces for "head feathers."  Add the "feathers" once your circle is the size/shape you like.

Step Two: Spread the sauce over the whole pizza.

Step Three: Cover with shredded mozzarella.

Use pepperoni to create the top half of your Angry Bird, as seen below.  Cover thickly so he looks red.

I used the round edge of my pillsbury pizza dough container as a cookie cutter to create two round eyes from the sliced mozzarella.  Then, add black olive eyeballs and eyebrows as seen below.  Finish by placing the cheddar cheese in the shape of a beak.  *Note, in original picture, it appears the pizza maker used sliced cheddar cut into the shape of the beak.  I, however, didn't have any sliced cheddar, and found the shredded cheddar to work just fine.

Bake for 14 minutes at 400 degrees.  Turn oven light on, as your child will probably do as Maddie did and watch every moment of her bird transformation!

The result: an angry bird masterpiece! And yummy, too!  I'll definitely be doing this one again!