Friday, February 28, 2014

Friday Five Fab Favorites


1. Did you know Kate Spade has their own lipstick collection? It's a small collection (here), but fabulous! 
2.Tulle pom-pom brooch (here)..so precious for a fun-flirty date-night outfit! 
3. A hot pink, monogrammed camera strap (here)..because even your camera strap has to be fabulous!!
4. Let's just start at the name, Cake for Breakfast shop (here)... just couldn't get any sweeter...there cute effortless tees can be paired with so many everyday outfit combinations!
5. Katie Bow Head, you make some adorable bracelets (here)...they really can compliment any outfit! 

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Something New.


I wanted to start something new on my blog, just to keep it fresh and interesting. I decided I would blog about my day/weekend trips with my boyfriend, Cali, family and friends, I'll call this my "lifestyle" tab.  I will make sure to point out cute boutiques I find traveling around, fun places to eat and of course the cupcake shops I come across (because I can scope one out everywhere I go, I pride myself on this ability). Today, our day trip is to Georgetown, a historic, quaint town on the outskirts of busy Washington, DC, full of unique shops, entertainment and restaurants. 





Sprinkles Cupcakes is by far my FAVORITE cupcake shop out of all 40 I've been to. Yes, I said it, 40 cupcake shops! I want to say my cupcake obsession started when I was in high school. My mom and I bonded through scoping out cupcake shops all over the place. Everytime we traveled, we would map out cupcake places near by (suprisingly we even found some in "sketchy" areas)....but that never stopped us from getting our cupcakes! I think it's safe to say were "cupcake connoisseurs" and it's some sort of sweet/sick obsession! 

Sprinkles Cupcakes are moist and dense. Sprinkles is defintely not skimpy about their icing and it's not overwhelmingly sweet (even though I'm all about that). The milk chocolate top with vanilla bottom and the classic red velvet are my favorite. If your a red velvet person, this is just about the best you'll get. The store itself is precious and the packaging is simple, but sweet. Sprinkles Cupcakes, I give you a 10! 

(PS. Did you know Sprinkles Cupcakes was the very first cupcake-only shop??) 



 DC Cupcakes, right in the town where it all started. I have to give it to DC Cupcakes for their simple logo, pink boxes and signature swirl. If you've watched the show, the signature swirl is not an easy skill to perfect, it takes just the right amount of pressure and swirl! The cupcake bottoms are moist but not as dense as Sprinkles Cupcakes and certainly not as heavy. Most of their cupcakes have a light, fluffy cream cheese buttercream on top, which is absolutely to die for. My two favorite cupcakes are the vanilla birthday and their most popular flavor, red velvet. DC Cupcakes, I give you an 8! 



Baked & Wired is around the corner from Sprinkles Cupcakes. This place is like the best-kept secret in Georgetown. I absolutely love how eccentric and unique this little coffee/bakery shop is. All of the signs are homemade, the cupcake names are made up and there's a wall full of napkins with doodles. You can grab a cupcake/baked item at the "baked bar" and then grab a popular chaider drink to go. The cupcakes are huge so it actually makes sense that each cupcake is $3.75. There are 20 different flavors, each are so different and available everyday...give it a try you won't be disappointed! Baked & Wired, I give you an 7!


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Bring it on spring.




Jean Jacket (here)  ||  Graphic Tee (similar here)  ||  Blush Maxi Skirt (similar here)  ||  Necklace (here)  ||  Watch (here)  ||  Flats (here

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Home Decor Part Two: My Mini Office

Well this isn't the first time I made a post about my desk and I'm sure it won't be my last. I just love to change things around and as trends fade in and out, I like to switch it up. Everything you see here is very affordable, easy to replicate and can be changed to your own personal style. My goal while doing these home decor posts is to try to stay as low-end as possible....I want you be able to recreate this look without breaking the bank. The desk, the chair, the file folders, the magazine holder and the gumball machine are all DIY projects that took a few cans of gold spray paint and a little patience. I also have a lot of thrifted items hanging around when it comes to home decor items. There are so many unique pieces you can find and so many ways you can refurbish them. Thrifting is my favorite place to start, but if I can't find exactly what I'm looking for, I'll move along to Ikea, Target, Home Goods, local boutiques or craft stores. 

All the details for this post are at the bottom :) 

 












Your holy grail for all of these DIY projects (below) is Rust-Oleum Metallic spray paint in Pure Gold:

The Desk: The desk is actually two separate pieces from Ikea, I found it was cheaper this way. Online (here), the table top and legs are shown as one unit, but in stores, they're two different pieces to pick up. The desk legs are the only part you'll need to spray paint.

The Chair: You guessed it, it's a cheap $17 chair from Ikea (here), I chose the swivel bottom and the white top. Online, the top and bottom are shown as one unit, but in stores, they're two difference pieces to pick up. The swivel bottom is the only part you'll need to spray paint.

The File Folders: I have a separate blog post (here) from a while back taking you step by step on how to recreate these.

The Magazine Holder: You can find this rack at any office supply store, I found mine at Staples. I could only find a black one so naturally I sprayed it gold.

The Gumball Machine: Amazon and Ebay are great places to search for vintage items. I found this vintage mini gumball machine on Ebay for $10! I took all the pieces apart and just made sure to lay them all in order so I knew how to put it back together....and again, spray. Need to find cheap mini gumballs to place inside? Wegmans has an amazing candy selection, I bought all of the gumballs shown for about $0.80!


Desk Accessories: 

Tape Dispenser (similar here and here)  ||  Thrifted Milk Glass (Take a look at thrift stores, ebay & amazon)  || Apothecary Jar (similar here)  ||  Business Card Holder (here)  ||  Candle (here)  ||  Picture Frame (here)  || Hustlin' Mug (here)  ||  Trashcan (Ikea in-stores)  ||  Hurricane Glass Jar (here)  ||  Fake Flowers (here)  ||  Initial Mug (here)  ||  Permanent Markers (here)  ||  Colorful Phrase Pencils (here)  ||  Mechanical Pencils and Pens (Target dollar section)  ||  Confetti Wall (here)

*Always have sweet treats standing by for those "freak-out" moments* 
*Fabulous desktop wallpaper by Aubrey Kinch, (here)



Monday, February 17, 2014

5 Things to try this spring.

It's always great to try different things, travel to new places and explore new hobbies. I've listed in 10 different things that I want to try this spring and I hope you'll find an interest in some of them. Leave a comment below telling me what your planning to try and if you have one of these, below, on your to-do list. 

Learn Calligraphy:
This is something I have always wanted to accomplish. The art of calligraphy is such a useful talent to have if you have that creative mind like myself. Calligraphy comes in handy for thank you cards, invitations and writing cute love notes for your loved ones to be left on the nightstand. 

Wine and Canvas: 
Have you heard of this? Learning to paint and drinking wine with friends while doing so? I can't wait to grab some friends, wine and learn how to paint a beautiful canvas for a print wall. The best part is you don't have to know how to paint at all, the instructors will teach you everything you need to know (while drinking).

Hip-Hop Class: 
Grab a girlfriend, your dancin' shoes and explore your dirty dancing side.

A New Meal: 
Try picking out a new meal to make for dinner....get away from the plain everyday meals, maybe try a roasted garlic chicken and herb pizza! (here)

Family Room Date Night: 
Turn your family room into a blanket fort, have chinese delivered, grab a bowl of popcorn and rent a movie you've been wanting to see....the perfect affordable date. 

Day Trip: 
Take a day trip somewhere, whether it's a beach, quaint town, winery, park, zoo, museum, skiing/snowboarding, wherever your little heart desires. 

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Royal Blue & Canary Yellow



H&M Blue Blazer (similar herehere)  ||  Jcrew Factory Necklace (similar herehere)  ||  Old Navy Tee (similar here)  ||  South Moon Under Pencil Skirt (similar here)  ||  Bip and Bop Tassel Bracelet (here)  ||  Aldo Pumps (herehere)

I've mentioned this before but I love brights for winter, it gives me hope that spring is around the corner! I know this outfit takes a little courage for some people, so if you want to tone it down a little bit slip a black blazer on instead. I also know some of you are thinking, "blue and black? no way!" but it's totally ok to do...so go for it girls! 

Friday, February 7, 2014

Lace & Leather








Forever21 Maroon Jacket (here)  ||  Free People Lace Top (here)  ||  Abercrombie Skinnies (here)  ||  Franco Sarto Booties (similar here)  ||  Maroon Floppy Hat (here)  ||  Alex and Ani Bangles (herehereherehere)  ||  Nashelle Necklace (here

I'm absolutely obsessed with everything Free People, I love the unique style of clothing for both winter and summer style. Recently, I was able to travel to a Free People store and spend my giftcards from Christmas. Let me just say, having gift cards to spend is like being 10 years old with money in a candy store. I had a handful of tops and dresses and spent AT LEAST a half hour in the dressing room. Unfortunately, Free People is not cheap, your lucky to get out spending less than $70 on one top. With that being said, I had enough to grab two tops with my giftcard and this top was my first pick. I could not leave this blouse, I love the delicateness of the top, the lace on the sleeves and the open back. If you do decide to invest in Free People clothing, you'll find that the pieces become the "centerpiece" of your outfit and you build the rest of your look around it.