a grown up cupcake social

i secretly dream of the days when nick and i will have a kid and i can bake cupcakes for his/her elementary school birthday parties. how cute would the cupcakes be all dressed up in these liners by etsy seller cupcake social?? until then, i'll go ahead and make myself super cute fancy cupcakes for my adult birthday parties.

ps. i've decided there's an etsy shop for everything. i heart etsy.

below: gold arabisk cupcake liners, 45 count, $3.25

below: assorted animal print cupcake liners, 45 count, $3.25

below: assorted big polka dot cupcake liners, 40 count, $3.00

below: they even come in mini? sold. mini pretty pastel tulip cupcake liners, 45 count, $4.25

this pink wink won't work

ok so the pink wink dress from lulu's that i blogged about last monday just arrived and i thought i'd share pics of the fit. pros - i like the butt ruffle and the color is really great in person. cons - it's not lined, the hem is crooked and it's too tight around my thighs. long story short - it's going back. lulu's, you're like a box of chocolates. you never know what you're gonna get (/your clothes are made for girls with the body of a 10 year old boy).

romping around town this spring

remember my quest for the perfect romper last summer? well...it continues...and i think i've found it. i picked up this solid sleeveless romper yesterday at new york and company -- on sale for $29.99 (marked down from $42.95). i can't wait to rock it with my new fancy red cowgirl boots. yep, i got the red.

PS. this is my 250th post! woot!

bringing spring fashion trends to the kitchen

i'm sure you've all heard about the influx of floral prints in spring 2010 fashions. i absolutely adore the sweetness of the floral trend and i like the idea of applying it to my kitchenware too. we registered for a super basic everyday china pattern from crate and barrel when we got married and i love jazzing up our table with funkier pieces. these flowered enamel bowls from vivaterra are just right. get a set of four here for $39.

btw, you should shop around on vivaterra.com - some fun, clever, funky and just plain cool items for reasonable price points. plus i'm digging their philosophy of "living in harmony with nature - for a healthier life now and for future generations."

again with the old gringos

ok SO.

i'm still on the hunt for the ole' cowboy boots. i *think* i found the perfect pair (the monarca by old gringo - $450 for brown, $380 for black) and i decided to order them in both brown and black so i could try them on at home. either one will be a great staple boot, wearable with pretty much anything. according to my friend andrea, a native austinite, "after all, turquoise IS neutral in texas."





weeeellll i definitely like the brown ones better...but i can't stop thinking about the red ones (salome by old gringo, $430) from my last post. if turquoise is considered neutral, wouldn't red be too?


i am so torn! what to do what to do!

searching for chambray

on my wishlist right now is a fitted yet oversized chambray shirt. my favorite so far is this selvedge chambray shirt from j.crew...would look awes with white skinnies and a brown belt...but it's almost $100. do i want to spend that much? i don't think i do...have you seen a great chambray top on your shopping exploits for $50 or less? tell me, tell me!

there's nothing like a trip to houston rodeo on a sunday afternoon

sorry in advance that this post has absolutely nothing to do with living stylishly on a budget...

this past sunday i had the honor of going to the houston rodeo. my client at work is reliant energy so they gave us free tickets to the rodeo since it was held at reliant stadium in houston. let me tell you...it was AWESOME. not just because of the bull riding, carnival rides, yard margaritas or corn dogs. it was also because the musical acts after the bull riding was SELENA GOMEZ and JUSTIN BIEBER.

who, you ask? exactly.

apparently they're teeny bopper magnets. we were surrounded by six year old girls screaming at the top of their lungs wishing and hoping they were the future mrs. bieber.

thought you'd all appreciate some rodeo goodness:

below: the opening ceremony with indoor fireworks. i didn't get a photo of it but the a cowgirl had fireworks coming out of her american flag.

below: just bieber with his backup dancers.

below: kolache deliciousness. although when my friend ordered the "chocolate and cream cheese kolache" she didn't expect them to phone it in with a hershey bar stuck on top.

below: hot bull riding cowboys. so manly.

below: carriage racing. no words.

below: pink gorilla and banana on the romantic carnival skyride.

below: footlong bbq sausage. i still have heartburn.

dressing up for spring (+ 15% off!)

**update** lulu's sent an email after i wrote this post with a 15% coupon. promo code "surprise" ends today.

not only am i obsessed with shopping for spring, i'm also obsessed with dresses. i've always been such a summer person so i'm PUMPED that austin's summer is so much longer than it is back home in NY. i'm always drawn to girly dresses in lightweight fabrics...maybe it's because all of my pants are too tight and dresses are more forgiving for an expanding waistline? must.lay.off.the.cookies. anyway, here are my two latest purchases, both courtesy of lulu's...

below: pink wink dress, $37. i really like the butt ruffle and i'm hoping the quality is ok in person because it's a contender for a friend's upcoming/summer wedding.

below: little sparkler dress in red, $34. they also have it in green. super cute and comfy casual.

rounding out the week with a fun-filled weekend

it's been a long couple of weeks...super busy at work (my boss quit...gulp), attending SXSWi, dealing with an anxious poop-covered dog, missing nick while he's in vegas gambling on march madness, yadda yadda...so i'm super pumped for this weekend. i'll be hitting up some SXSW music events tonight and tomorrow, driving to houston sunday for a day trip to the houston rodeo (yeehaw!!), and painting my nails with my new OPI done out in deco nail polish (sorry Essie fans, but i hear their lilacism is super streaky).

thanks so so so much for your readership, guys! really means a lot to me...don't hate me if i'm not much of a blogger early next week - i'll catch up as soon as i can!

mini strawberry shortcakes

i found this recipe in an old martha stewart magazine and i couldn't wait to try it. it's not strawberry season just yet but i couldn't resist making them now...i'll definitely give it another go this summer with some local berries. here's the recipe, courtesy of good old martha stewart.


ingredients:

• 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4 inch dice (2 cups)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp course salt
• 3 oz (6 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• sanding sugar for sprinkling (i couldn't find it so i skipped this step)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. hull and dice the strawberries.


3. combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp granulated sugar.
4. whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl.
5. cut in the butter with a pastry cutter (or rub in with your fingers) until mixture resembles course crumbs.
6. stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

7. using a 1-1/2 inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart.
8. sprinkle with sanding sugar (i skipped this b/c i didn't have the sugar) and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes.

9. transfer to a wire rack and let cool.



cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. i recommend serving with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. delish!
photos

jamming out to the xx

i am by no means a music expert but i do know a fantastic album when i hear it. if you're not yet a fan, you probably unknowingly heard their intro track in the at&t commercial that was all over the olympics coverage. it's an awesome album to drive to with the windows rolled down and the volume cranked up...my fave track is called crystalised. download it now for $7.99.

think-ahead engagement or new baby gift

i'm always on the lookout for new ideas for engagement, shower, housewarming or baby gifts. these individual drop-cap prints by jessica hische were featured on design*sponge last week and i instantly added it to my list of standby gifts. prints are $30 each and are 8"x8" archival giclee prints on velvet fine art paper. the artist even mentions an inexpensive framing option..."ikea has a few 9"x9" frames in which the the prints can be mounted or matted."

prepster chic - lands end canvas collection

look at lands end reinventing itself!! recently launched, the canvas collection is "a new chapter in a storied brand" with functional clothing created from modern inspiration. the price points are awesome and it totally brings me back to my north shore of long island preppy roots. thanks to martha for turning me on to it. here are a few of my faves:

below: canvas cargo pants, $49.50

below: paisley bikini, $39.50 for top, $34.50 for bottom

below: chunky horn link necklace, $89.50

below: sailor buckle belt, $39.50

below: patterned cotton lawn skirt in gull gray circles, $59.50

below: gingham poplin shirt in green apple, $44.50

below: cotton lawn campshirt in aurora red floral, $39.50