In honor of the beautiful spring weather (almost summer weather, actually), I, as a shopping addict, have been on the lookout for what I deem to be the cutest trends in this season’s wardrobes. Naturally, it’s time to bring out the lighter colors. Here are my favorites:
{$49 via Urban Outfitters}
{$50 via Converse}
{$33 via ShopSosie}
{$154 via ShopBop}
{$12 via Pitaya}
{$39 via Urban Outfitters}
Happy Spring!
In case you haven’t noticed, all the photos on my blog are courtesy of my handy-dandy iPhone and edited in my super hip Instagram app. You see, I’ve never owned my own digital camera and am therefore inept when it comes to that technology. The camera on my iPhone 4 takes quality pictures (despite the infamous raccoon eyes caused by the surprisingly intense flash), so I’ve never really had the need for a real camera, but have always envied their high resolution photos.
So when I found out via Mashable that there are technologies that allow you to turn your Instagram photos into almost anything you can dream up, including printing them on huge canvases, I was obviously thrilled. (And secretly giving a big ol’ “HA” to all those people who carry around their big hipster cameras and think they’re all artsy and cooler than me with all their one-of-a-kind blown up and framed high resolution photos… But I digress.)
Here are 10 things you can do with your Instagram photos:
1. Create your own mosaic poster! $39
{via Firebox}
2. Print your photos on canvas! $39.95
{via CanvasPop}
3. Create a postcard to send to your friends and family! $0.99
{via Postagram}
4. Create magnets for your fridge! $14.99 for pack of 9
{via StickyGram}
5. Create a full size poster for your dorm! $25
{via Printstagram}
6. Print them on cardstock to hand out to your friends! $12 for 48
{via Printstagram}
7. Make stickers to decorate your computer, car, anything! $10 for 252
{via Printstagram}
8. Create a minibook to spark conversation! $12 for 2 books/50 photos
{via Printstagram}
9. Create a tinybook… for the cute factor. $10 for 3 books/24 photos
{via Printstagram}
10. Create a case for your iPhone! $34.95
{via Casetagram}
I’m obsessed with salads. But the reason for my obsession is because I’m obsessed with dressing. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? Here I am thinking I’m being all healthy and skinny, and then I drown my poor veggies in a sea of fatty dressing.
When I found these recipes to make your own salad dressings, I knew I’d been saved. They’re natural, without preservatives or chemicals, and they look delicious (and not too bad for you… in moderation).
There are three recipes: ranch, cilantro lime vinaigrette, and honey mustard.
RANCH
3/4 cup mayo, 3/4 cup greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup buttermilk, a handful of chopped green onions or chives, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. When I make this, I’m going with light mayo (ya know, cuz I’m so health conscious and everything…).
CILANTRO LIME VINAIGRETTE
6 ounces olive oil, 3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, juice of 1 lime. I’d cut down the olive oil and add a little rice vinegar myself.
HONEY MUSTARD
3/4 cup honey, 1/2 cup dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar.
These all look like they’re to die for. Easy, delicious, and natural. Credit goes to Emma & Elsie at A Beautiful Mess for the recipes!
I’m sure most people have already seen this by now, considering it’s been blowing up all my social media forums for the past three days, but today was the first day I had 30 minutes to spare to watch this video and it was well worth it.
Jason Russell is the cofounder of Invisible Children and the visionary behind this “touching,” “awe-inspiring,” and “beautiful” film (all descriptors taken from my social media feeds as I, personally, cannot find words to describe how extraordinary this video is).
The project began in 2003 when Russell and two friends traveled to Africa in search of a story they could bring back. They didn’t expect their path to lead them into the heart of Africa’s longest, yet widely unknown, war. A war in which children are abducted and used as weapons by guerilla groups led by a man named Joseph Kony.
The video goes into detail about the story of Invisible Children. The description states: “KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.”
It’s worth the watch.
If you’d like to sign the pledge, donate, or buy merchandise visit www.kony2012.com. The bracelet costs only $10, and an Action Kit, which comes with posters for you to “cover the night” on April 20th, a t-shirt, two bracelets, stickers, and buttons only costs $30.
So, I have a story for you that just screams college.
First, let me preface this by explaining that I have ten lovely man-friends who live together in a house… no, I’m sorry, they call it a club. They’re eccentric to say the least and they love 2 party. (College, right?)
Last semester, they came up with the idea for a “Ladies Night.” The objective was to invite as many girls as they could fit in their house to get dolled up and serve them hors d’oeuvres and wine then crown one lucky lady “Lady of the Night.” (Originally they planned on serving chicken kabobs, cheese and Ritz crackers and Andre. Classy men, I’m telling you.)
Just when I expected this idea to fizzle and die like every other idea they’ve had this semester, they created a Facebook event a week in advance, descriptions included “a night of pure elegance” and “join the classy club members.” Now, the event promised “top shelf” booze, wine, hors d’oeuvres, decorations, etc. I mean, they really built it up… and they had a $200 budget.
The event was scheduled for last Friday, and on Thursday night I received a text from man-friend 1 telling me they had bought everything for the elegant affair!— six handles of Siberian Ice vodka, 22 bottles of $5 wine, and a huge bag of trail mix… Then they hit their budget. That’s elegance college.
So, my desire to be in the running for “Lady of the Night” got me thinking. What could I do to boost the class factor of this promising night?
When I was growing up, my parents would always serve spiced parmesan crisps at their dinner parties. It was perfect. They’re impressive, cheap, and easy.
It takes 15 minutes and all you need is…
-Wonton wrappers (I found them near the produce section of my grocery store)
-2 large egg whites, lightly beaten with a fork
-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 tsp dried basil flakes
-1 tsp red pepper flakes
First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. The wonton wrappers will be in squares, slice them in half once diagonally so they’re triangles, then arrange them on the baking sheet.
Lightly brush the egg whites over the wrappers. Then, combine cheese and remaining ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over each wedge.
Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool and serve.
You’ll be disappointed to hear, this did not win me Lady of the Night. Actually, I think they gave it to one of the guys living in the house. Jerks. But it definitely did class up Ladies Night. (Kind of. I mean, aren’t you getting it by now? It’s COLLEGE.) Everyone raved about them. Not much competition next to the trail mix… but it’s all about the little victories, right?
I’ll be honest, I’m not artistic. I’ve tried, and I enjoy making crafts and artwork, but usually it comes out looking like something you would make in preschool. However, there’s something so much more special about hanging up artwork in your home when you’ve made it yourself. So I’ve begun compiling a number of easy art ideas that look original and creative.
Recently, I found a craft store in Madison called the Artist and Craftsman Supply Store. It has everything. I mean, really, everything you could want, and for less than the list price. Today, I went in and bought
-A 16×16 stretched canvas ($18)
-Super glue ($4.39)
-Black acrylic paint ($4.59)
-Three 64-packs of Crayola crayons (3 @ $9)
-Pack of 3 paint brushes ($2.15)
To start, I picked out all the blue/turquoise/silver/grey/white/black crayons, because I wanted them to look like rain. I then sketched out an umbrella on the middle of the canvas, and painted over it with the black acrylic paint. I thought about trying to paint the silhouettes of two people under the umbrella, but decided not to rock the boat for fear of making this artwork look even more kindergarten-esque.
After letting the umbrella dry briefly (only about ten minutes) I superglued the crayons along the top of the canvas, letting the superglue dry for about ten minutes more. Then came the fun part.
Tilting the canvas at about a 45 degree angle, I began blow drying the crayons on high heat. They begin melting almost immediately, and you can move the stream of the blow dryer however you want to control the stream of the melting crayons. Be sure to put some newspaper down to catch any dripping wax.
That’s all it takes! It didn’t turn out quite as I’d hoped, but now that I know what I’m doing, I’ll probably use an even bigger canvas next time. You’d be surprised how impressed people are by something so easy!
For the holidays, my parents gave me an iPod nano, which I specifically requested for working out. Running with my iPhone was too bulky and always in the way. I liked that the nano was so small and conveniently clipped wherever I wanted it to.
To my surprise, the nano has a number of features for working out that I was completely unaware of, and they have quickly given me a brand new motivation for being active. Not 
only is the nano small and easy to run with, it acts as a pedometer and a GPS. I’ve become addicted to tracking the steps I take in a day. It records all your workouts and your “personal bests,” and even tracks how many calories you burn in each workout.
In the fitness app, there are three categories: walk, run, and history. If you enter the “walk” feature, the device will record your steps, distance, duration, and calories burned. You can even set a daily goal for yourself once you know how many steps you generally take in a day.
The “run” feature gives you four options for tracking your run: basic, time, distance, and calorie. Time, distance, and calorie allow you to set a goal for yourself. As in, “I want to run for 30 minutes,” or “I want to run 3 miles,” or “I want to burn 400 calories.” It’s awesome.
The “history” feature records your personal bests and your workout totals.
My friends and I recently booked our spring break trip to Panama City Beach (so college, I know), and I’m in spring break fitness mode. The nano is the perfect motivator.
If the nano doesn’t do it for you, I recently read about a new iPhone app coming out next week via TIME Healthland called “Zombies, Run!” It gives a new adrenaline pumping twist to working out. Might have to give it a try.
Now don’t be fooled by the name, because this dish is not at all oriental. It is, however, a staple in my family. Growing up, my parents would make it about once a week, and I’ve recently mastered the recipe myself. It’s cheap, quick, and not bad for you.
What you need:
-2 lbs chicken (thighs and legs)
-1/2 cup butter (I reduce it to 1/4 cup and it’s just as tasty, but is much less caloric.)
-1/2 cup water
-3 T soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
-3 T lemon juice (pre-squeezed is fine, but I prefer it freshly squeezed)
-1 T red pepper flakes (you may choose more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
-Paprika
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a small/medium sauce pan, melt butter, then add water, soy sauce, lemon juice and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce to medium and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Arrange chicken in a shallow baking dish. After the sauce has simmered, pour it over the chicken, then sprinkle each piece with a little paprika. Bake 40 minutes.
I’ve tried this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, baking it for only 25-30 minutes, but it was not nearly as good. In this case, I really urge using fresh, bone-in chicken pieces… it’s MUCH better.
Serve with the veggie and grain of your choice. My parents always served it with brown rice and peas. I’ve found I prefer whole wheat cous cous and asparagus, mostly because it takes much less time. I prepared this asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil, some garlic salt, and a sprinkle of parmesan, then baked it at 400 degrees for 10 minutes while the chicken cooled.
This is my favorite family recipe, and it never fails to impress. (It’s also great as leftovers… so don’t fret about making too much!) Enjoy!
Maybe one day I’ll be able to do this…
I’ve formed a recent obsession with Chan Luu wrap bracelets. I can’t explain it, because they’re not all that special, but they’re trendy and fun and add something to any outfit. I’m not sure what that something is, maybe pizzazz, maybe an air of nonchalance, but whatever it is I like it. A lot.
Unfortunately, I cannot afford them. This particular Chan Luu available at Bloomingdales has stolen my heart. However, it’s a whopping $245. No can do, Chan Luu.
Luckily, yesterday I came upon these instructions for a beaded wrap bracelet from Henry Happened, based off the exact Chan Luu bracelets I’ve been lusting after.
Although my own bracelet doesn’t look quite as much as a Chan Luu as I’d hoped, it’s very cute and only took about 20 minutes to make. Also, it only cost about $6!
What you need:
-3 yards string/ribbon of your choice ($3)
-About 30 beads of your choice (More or less depending on the size of the bead and how many times you want the bracelet to wrap. I used 33 medium beads and my bracelet wraps twice around my size 7 wrist.) (50 beads = $2.50)
-2 ribbon fasteners ($0.30)
-1 clasp (optional) ($0.25)
I found all of this at Tropic Jewel on State Street. I’d never been before, but I will certainly be going back.
First, braid about 4 inches of your ribbon, anchoring it with something heavy (I used my Bose speakers). Then begin adding your beads to the middle string, braiding around it so your beads are secure.
Continue adding the beads until you near your desired length, then braid another few inches at the end. Put the ribbon fasteners down wherever you want your bracelet to clasp, and use some clear nail polish to secure them. If you don’t want to use ribbon fasteners and a clasp, you can choose to tie your bracelet. I felt the clasp made it look more professional. Some of the beads were slipping around, so I chose to put a dab of clear nail polish between each of the beads, and it’s much more secure now.
And that’s it!
Next time, I think I’ll use smaller beads with a waxed ribbon, and about 5 yards instead so it will wrap around my wrist more. I think that will give it more of a Chan Luu look.
Enjoy!
