Car Show Weekend

This weekend my Dad was in a car show in Seal Beach, CA. Those are his Volkswagens pictured above. The red one is a 1962 Karmann Ghia and the blue one is a 1961 Transporter.  Pretty cool huh? Here are a few more photos from the show...

Weekly Wrap-Up

Notice anything different about the blog?! The lovely and extremely talented Laura Caldentey was nice enough to create the awesome illustration in my new header. I was SO excited when I saw it. I think Laura pretty much made my week. I absolutely love it!

Now, since it's Friday, I'll be leaving you with a few of my favorites...

Skunkboy Creatures also recently got a little makeover and I just love the design. Katie discusses the evolution of her logo in this post.  

One of the cutest DIYs I saw this week was definitely this drive-in movie plush set via A Beautiful Mess.

The ladies over at Oh So Lovely posted a little retro trailer round-up this week. I can't get over this photo of a pastel trailer park... so pretty!

My friend Ashleigh sent me the link to these incredible cast iron skillets yesterday. I would love to have one of these babies hanging on my wall because, after all, they're basically works of art. Oh, California... why must you be so expensive?!

I watched the first episode of Veep this week (twice) and I'm officially hooked. Julia Louis-Dreyfus will always be Elaine to me... and that's why I love her.

Alright, friends. That just about wraps it up. I have a very busy weekend ahead of me. See you Monday!

Homemade Flavored Butter

You might recall almost two weeks ago when I mentioned how inspired I was by Kate of Longest Acres to make my own butter. Well, I finally did it! I bought some heavy cream and made my own butter! I can't even describe how proud I was of myself at that very moment when the whipped cream became butter. I decided to add some flavor to my homemade butter too. Read on to learn how to make your own...

What you'll need:

• heavy cream
• salt
• immersion hand blender
• bowl
• your choice of ingredients for flavoring (optional)

Using my hand blender, I whipped the cream until it turned to whipped cream. After about 15-20 minutes, the whipped cream "broke" into butter. I could tell this had happened because all of a sudden the smooth whipped cream formed two substances: the chunky butter and the buttermilk. You can see this in the photo below...

If you've never made butter before, I strongly urge you to read Kate's post about this process as well. She's definitely more skilled than I am and shares a lot of helpful tips.

I then drained the buttermilk from the butter. I tried to squeeze as much of the buttermilk out as possible. 

At this point, I added a little salt because I prefer my butter salted. I then got my flavoring ingredients ready. I chopped strawberries and sun dried tomatoes and I zested an orange.

I divided my butter into 3 parts and added the ingredients. I have no specific measurements for this because I just added them until I liked the taste. I found that the strawberry was difficult to mix and didn't have a especially strong taste. The orange was good but my favorite was definitely the sun dried tomato.

I wrapped a little of each flavor in parchment paper for my Mom to try. Don't you think these would make perfect little gifts?

April Sponsor Spotlight

Alright, everyone... it's time for the first official group sponsor spotlight!
I have some fantastic ladies to introduce you to today!

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Use code 500SALES to receive 15% off in Lauren's shop!

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Use code NEWDAYCOMING to receive 50% off in Gaby's shop!

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Use code PLEASENOTE20 to receive 20% off in Elizabeth's shop!

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An Ode to Pete

Exactly a year ago we lost Pete. Pete wasn't just a family pet, she was a beloved family member. She was 16 when she died. I never talked about it here on the blog because, well, I didn't want to. I remember the day she died vividly. When we got home from the vet, I fell asleep in a chair in the living room. I woke up about an hour later and looked around. At that moment, when I realized she wasn't there anymore, my heart literally hurt. I'd never felt a pain quite like that before. Slowly but surely, we've all started to come to terms with the fact that she is gone and now we can look back fondly at the years we were lucky enough to spend with her. 

Pete was definitely one of a kind. During the week she would go to work with my Dad every day. His customers looked forward to seeing her each time he went to their homes to do their plumbing. She was quite the little sidekick, sitting next to him in his truck, even crawling under houses with him. Nobody had ever met a dog quite like Pete, and I don't think anyone ever will again.

Although a year has passed, it's still hard to look through these old photos and talk about her, but I guess that's normal. I look back now and I'm happy that I was lucky enough to spend 16 years of my life with her. I'm pretty sure she was happy to spend those 16 years with us too because we spoiled her rotten, but after all, she deserved it. 

Weekend Finds #3

My estate sale search this weekend proved very successful! On Saturday I came across an awesome sale where I found that green suitcase as well as those glasses. I also picked up those vintage bbq plates at a garage sale. My friend Stephanie gave me the little lady you see above. Guess what she is? A lipstick holder! How cool is that?

The inside of the suitcase is absolutely perfect, which is lucky for me because I completely forgot to open it at the estate sale. I was in such a frenzy because everything was so cheap! The suitcase was ONE dollar! I scored all four of those plates for just a dollar too! It doesn't get any better than that.

Weekly Wrap-Up

I'm not going to lie, it's been a pretty rough week... but that cupcake definitely helped. My friend Jessica made my day on Wednesday when she gave me two of these babies after our walk to the local farmer's market. We used to work at Frosted Cupcakery together and I still crave these like crazy. That buttercream frosting is the best. 

Anyway, since it's Friday, I'll leave you with a few of my weekly favorites...

I just discovered Phil Jones and I love his work. Do yourself a favor and take a minute to browse through his website. You won't be sorry.

This post from Food Loves Writing has inspired me to pick up some citrus fruit on my next trip to the farmer's market. Some fresh squeezed juice sounds too good. 

These horse throw pillows from A Beautiful Mess are calling my name. Maybe I could try making one with a deer silhouette? I haven't used my deer stencil enough lately! HA!

I'm really intrigued by this DIY mail basket via Design Sponge. The possibilities are endless.

Last but not least, this upcycled t-shirt tote bag DIY from Lauren of A Wild Tonic has my name all over it. I have a ridiculous amount of t-shirts that I don't wear but can't seem to get rid of. I'll definitely be giving this a try.

Here's to a (hopefully) relaxing weekend!

Sponsor Please Note in May!

It's that time again! May is fast approaching and I'm currently accepting sponsors. I've updated the sponsor info page and 3 month ad packages are now available for a 20% discount!

If you're interested, head on over to the sponsor info page and take a look. 

I'd love to spend May with you!

DIY: Mason Jar Vases

Over the weekend I decided to spruce up some old mason jars. I first saw these on Pinterest and then discovered this DIY and basically fell in love with the idea. Who knew that with a little spray paint you could give an old jar a completely new look? Here's how to make your own...

What you'll need:

• 16 oz. mason jars
• 8 oz. mason jars
• fern green spray paint
• summer squash spray paint
• shipping labels
• x-acto knife
• fresh flowers

Use your shipping label paper to print your silhouette of choice. I know, I'm on a deer kick right now. Cut out your silhouette and stick it to the jar.

Spray paint your jars. If your jars do not have a silhouette sticker, you can paint both the inside and the outside. If your jars do have a silhouette sticker, flip them over and only paint the outside.

Once your jars are completely dry, remove the sticker.

Add some fresh flowers and you're all set!

Let's Talk Beauty Products

I know that I rarely discuss fashion or beauty here on the blog, and frankly, that's because I'm just not that into it. I'm a jeans, t-shirt, and Converse kind of person... but even a jeans and t-shirt girl has her favorite beauty products, right?

So, today I thought I would go ahead and share 10 of my favorite products. I'm not sure how many of these are actually considered "beauty" products, but you get the idea...

1.) Pureology - I'm not going to lie. This stuff is expensive, but since I color my hair, I think it's important to take care of it. I also often blow dry it, straighten it, curl it... you know, all the usual torture that makes your hair scream for moisture. This stuff really helps keep it hydrated and it keeps the color from fading.

2.) Agadir Argan Oil - Ugh. Ok, this stuff is expensive too, but I love it so much. Again, this stuff adds a ridiculous amount of moisture and I would hate to be without it. My hair can get really dry and this oil helps a lot.

3.) Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious - On those days when I feel like giving my hair a break (aka I'm lazy) I use this cream when my hair is damp and then just let it do what it wants.

4.) Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture - This face lotion comes with or without SPF. I use it at night before bed so I buy the kind without.

5.) Dermasil - I actually buy this lotion at the dollar store and I love it! You can't beat the price.

6.) Deep Clean Cream Cleanser - The only reason that I have the name brand of this facial cleanser right now is because I couldn't find the generic brand during my last trip to Target. I've found that the Target brand works just as well.

7.) Sonia Kashuk Brow Kit - This brow kit is my favorite way to fill in/darken my brows. It comes complete with four colors so I can keep using it as I darken and lighten my hair.

8.) MAC Eyeshadow - I have a few of these eyeshadows that I make last as long as possible since they aren't cheap. My two favorite colors are Pink Venus and Print. I use Print to buff out my eye liner sometimes for a smoky look.

9.) MAC Fluidline (Black Track) - This is my absolute favorite eyeliner. I use a really thin brush to apply it and I've found that it's the easiest to use.

10.) Cover Girl Volume Exact Mascara - I'm not too picky about mascara and I've found this one works just fine for me. I usually pick one of these up when I see them on sale at Target. 

So, there's my top ten! What are some of your favorite products?

Roasted Beets

Let me preface this post by saying that this was my first time cooking fresh beets. My friend Sarah brought us these huge beautiful beets from her garden so I figured it was the perfect time to learn how to cook them. I read a few recipes online and decided to roast them.

Ingredients:

• fresh beets
• olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• orange zest

I peeled the beets, cut them into smaller chunks, added a little olive oil and roasted them for about an hour and a half at 400 degrees.

While waiting for the beets to cook, I made a balsamic glaze (recipe found here). I added about 2 teaspoons of sugar to 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and heated it on the stove. I also zested an orange.

I checked the beets periodically and let them cook until I could pierce them easily with a fork.

They were pretty good with just the glaze and a little orange zest on top, but they would probably be even better in a salad or maybe a sandwich with some goat cheese.

Weekend Finds #2

On Saturday morning I had a bit of good luck when I happened upon a new (to me) thrift store. The best part? Everything was 50% off! I bought myself a pink Pyrex dish, a flower wall hanging, a train postcard wall hanging, a retro bbq fork, and a pretty awesome blanket.

My grand total was $16. Now, I just need to figure out how to get the prices written in permanent marker off of these items. Argh!