Friday, April 22, 2011

"Are you kidding me? I use my oven for storage." -Carrie, Sex and the City

Today, in honor of Easter, I am giving you ladies the cutest recipe there is: Baby Chick Cupcakes! I know what my friends are already thinking, "What? You HATE to cook. Don't you use your kitchen for storage?" Well, yes...and no. Yes, I used to hate cooking and no, I never used my kitchen to store things...but the thought has crossed my mind. I don't know what has come over me but in the past few months I have actually started to enjoy baking. Maybe it's because I enjoy licking the bowl clean of left over mix before I put it in the sink (Don't judge me). And I must say...my skills have come a long way since Christmas when I burnt my finger, started a fire, AND shattered a glass all in the span of about 10 minutes trying to make Holiday treats (again, don't judge me).

My skills have come so far in fact, that I was able to make these Baby Chick Cupcakes last night without any issues:


I know, they are totally adorable. And once I uploaded the pic to Facebook and got a lot of comments/likes on it, I decided to share the recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 box cake mix and what the back of the box calls for (eggs, water, vegetable oil, etc)
- 1 Container creamy vanilla frosting
- Shredded coconut
- Yellow liquid food color
- Brown M&M's or baking chips(the eyes)
- Orange gumdrops (the beaks)


Directions:
1. Bake cupcakes per box directions.

2. While cupcakes are in the oven, place the shredded coconut in a ziploc bag, add a few drops of the yellow food color, seal bag and shake to mix the coconut and food color until the coconut is yellow. Cut the orange gumdrops in the shape of a triangle to look like a beak.

3. Once cupcakes are done, let cool and apply vanilla frosting. Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the frosting, add two M&M's or baking chips as the eyes and one of the cut gumdrops as the beak.

XOXO.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

“Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.” -Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada

So here it is. It's been months after my New Years Resolution was to blog more and my friends have literally been clawing at my face telling me to BLOG. A New Year's Resolution hasn't failed if you still complete it sometime in that year, right? Well, that's what I'm hoping for......

Thankfully winter is at our backs and spring is out in full bloom. Literally. Have you seen the floral print vomit that is covering Target apparel? I work right next to a Target so I frequent it Mon-Fri for my fill of iced coffee or iced green tea at Starbucks. When I pass by the clothing I can't help but think...how many different variations of floral print on dresses and skirts can they come up with before it becomes over kill? I'll tell you they are already well on their way.....

So why all the Target talk? Well for 1. I really do love Target (although their spring wardrobe needs some spring cleaning) and 2. My dear friend Erin who lives literally in BFE (sorry Erin, but you do) emailed me today with a link to my blog telling me to blog because she needs my "cosmopolitan fabulousness," to inspire her out in the boondocks. And just to clarify- Erin moved for love, not because she was dying to live in the middle of nowhere. Anyways, theres no reason to not be fabulous out in the boondocks and I'm almost 99% positive she has a Target in somewhat close proximity of her boondock town, so here are a few of my fav items from the beauty aisles at Target- just for you, Erin...because the closest Sephora is like two states away. :)

1. Essie Nail Polish. LOVE LOVE LOVE these nail polishes. Try the color "Fifth Avenue" for a pretty red or "Mademoiselle" or "Sugar Daddy" for a girly pink. They also have some awesome shades of coral- perfect for spring and summer!

2. Cetaphil Face Cleanser and Daily Face Moisturizer. I think I have made it very clear in previous posts my obsession with Cetaphil. USE IT. DAILY. I promise you won't be disappointed.

3. Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream. I happened to buy this eye cream in a bind. I was out of my normal eye cream and I did not have time to make it to Sephora over the next few days (and I literally cannot go a day without eye cream), so I purchased this one. I didn't want to buy a more expensive one since my plan was to stop using it as soon as I could get to Sephora, but after the few days of using this one I stuck with it. It's awesome. And the price makes it even more awesome.

4. Got2b Glued: Styling Spiking Glue. Ok, now don't let the name fool you. I by no means spike my hair. But, my BF uses it for his hair and one day had really bad fly-aways I couldn't control. I tried just a tiny dab of it and it totally tamed my fly- aways. AND it lasts all day.

5. Clearasil Daily Pore Cleansing Pads. I recently went for a Bikini Wax and the woman told me to buy these and use daily on my bikini line to eliminate in-grown hairs. I asked her about the Bliss Ingrown Hair Eliminating Peeling Pads, but she said these do the same thing for a much cheaper price. And they do. I have not had one in-grown hair since using these. Of course, you can always use them on your face to help clean out your pores too ;)

6. E.L.F. Makeup. E.L.F. is a cheaper line, but has some fun stuff. Definitely try their Eyeshadow Duo's in fun, bright colors for spring/summer. ($ Save Tip: Splurge on classic eye shadow colors- browns, taupes, golds, greys, or darks since they are more practical for everyday wear and buy the cheaper brands -like E.L.F.- for the less practical fun bold, bright colors since you won't wear them as often).

7. Sally Hansen Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit. I have actually dedicated a previous blog entry on this that includes "How-To" directions and tips! I use this to up keep my eyebrows without having to get them professionally done every one-two months. It's great, cheap and easy! And while I'm talking about Sally Hansen products....

8. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish. I like these because they are perfect for doing your nails in a rush. They really are insta-dry and with most colors you only need one coat!

9. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Bronzer. I normally wear MAC bronzers, but I always have this one in my makeup bag as well. I use it as a highlighter on my cheekbones on top of my bronzer on the weekends (I know, bronzer on bronzer...that sounds so Snooki), and it adds great shimmer which really accent cheekbones. Just be careful and apply with a light hand- there IS such thing as TOO MUCH shimmer bronzer.

10. Maybelline Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara in Blackest Black. I love this mascara....maybe its because I love applying it since the wand vibrates during application (before I go any further about the vibration and start sounding X-Rated, I'll move on.... ). Use your day to day mascara first as a base and apply this one on top to add extra length and to help separate lashes.


XOXO.