Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Flirty Blue Eyeshadow & Eyeliner

Jessica Biel
Wearing Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner -Jade
peoplestylewatch.com
Spring is fresh & fun and so are the shades of blue eyeshadows and eyeliners! From sultry sapphires to bright teals, cobalts, and even the softer seafoam. 

The fun, bright eyeliners just make your eyes really dazzle, and works great on any eye color. This Spring the bright blues, like teal are worn on the bottom of your eyelashes only! The darker blue shades like Sapphire, can be substituted for black eyeliners, on top & bottom lashlines, says James Boehner, Nars director of global artistry.

Christian McCulloch, Dolce & Gabbana, make up artist says to apply light shades of blue, like sky blue on lids. Then to add some drama, put shadow on lower lashlines also, or you can use a deep blue shade like cobalt on outer corners of your eyes.

You can check out Sephora.com for Urban Decay-Glide on Eye Pencil-Deep End. Ulta.com or your local drugstores carry some inexpensive Blue eyeshadows & liners- 
Revlon's- Colorstay Shadow Links - Seafoam
Revlon also has a trio eyeshadow in the blues
Loreal- Infalliable Eye Shadow - Timeless Blue Spark
Wet & Wild- Cobalt Shadow @ Walgreens .99
All of these brands have some fantastic eyeliners in the blues & teals

Be Fun! Be Flirty! Be Daring- Wear the blues!

This chick loves the flirty blue eyeshadow & eyeliner!




Monday, February 24, 2014

Light & Easy Roasted Veggies

Roasted Green Beans


Roasting vegetables are so so easy peasy, delicious, and healthy! I used to drizzle my veggies with olive oil before roasting, but tried something different the other day. I sprayed my veggies with +PamOrganic Olive Oil instead of drizzling with olive oil! By spraying with the Pam Organic Olive Oil made the veggies really really light!
To Roast Vegetables:
Preheat oven 450  (i know alot of recipes use lower temp, but I like oven high & hot for roasting)
Put your veggies of choice on a large cookie sheet.
Spray with Pam Organic Olive Oil, just to coatl
Sprinkle with a little kosher salt or sea salt
Put in oven.
Roast 10 min, remove from oven, with a pair of tongs toss veggies to turn them, spray on a little more Organic Olive Oil, and put back in oven for 10-15 more min. depending on your veggie.
Remove from oven, sprinkle on a little more salt. Now enjoy & be Healthy!

*Depending on the vegetables you use, you can squeeze on a little lemon juice. after roasting. Also, you can be creative and sprinkle on any of your favorite herbs along with your salt. I sprinkle on a little oregano & garlic powder on my roasted zucchini. And sprinkle on a little cayenne pepper to my sweet potatoes!

Roasted Kale
You can roast just about any fresh vegetable. Just take a stroll through your fresh produce section of your grocery store. That was the first time roasting green beans, they really turned out yummy. I ate them by themselves also added them to my salad. We all know how healthy kale is, just trim the stock off bottom & they're ready to roast! To roast zucchini or yellow squash, slice them lengthwise bout 1/4 in thick, & follow recipe above. Broccoli & cauliflower, cut them in med size flowerets, takes a little more roasting because of thickness! Sweet Potatoes, cut in wedges, they take a little more time! Asparagus is wonderful, just roast, sometimes squeeze on lemon juice.
These roasted veggies are good to munch on, use as side dishes, or put in your salads. Know you'll love these delicious light veggies too!

This chick loves her light & easy roasted veggies!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Threads for Thought T-shirts


Valorie V-neck
Sadie Scoop Neck





















Threads 4 Thoughts t-shirts are wonderfully comfy t-shirts. I love them! So soft & do not shrink up. Bought my first one a couple of years ago, of all places, Whole Foods! I know sounds weird, in there shopping & saw a whole bin full of these Threads 4 Thoughts t's, so I bought the little Valorie v-neck! Loved it so much, found the cute Sadie scoop neck & bought it! They are so cheap, the little Valorie is 12 bucks & Sadie 15 bucks. As you can tell they are not tight baby doll fitting, they are just comfy fitting.


Threads 4 Thoughts has such a great story- the cute high school sweethearts decided their senior year of high school they wanted to make a positive difference in the world. They began creating graphic t-shirts that they were inspired by & issues they deeply care about. Now about 13 years later, here they still are making t's using sustainable materials.They work closely with 2 charities- International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Their basic t-shirts are 60% organic cotton & 40% Recycled polyester. When i first read that, I thought "what on earth is recycled polyester", did they somehow transform those old leisure suits and make t's out of them! But, it's amazing to me they take those tons of millions of plastic bottles, sort them by color, crush them, melt them down & turn it into yarn, then the yarn is knitted into a finished fabric! Amazing! These t's are so environmentally friendly!

Check out their t's on their website@threadsforthought.com, so many cute, cute colors to pick from. Threads for Thought t-shirts also can be found at Nordstroms, Macy's, Bloomingdales, several specialty boutiques, and yes you can still find them at Whole Foods! With the whole graphic t popularity, it would be fun to buy one of these Threads 4 Thought graphics. I know you will be loving on these comfy t's!

This chick loves Thread for Thought t-shirts!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

National Margarita Day & Margarita Recipes

Yes, seriously, there is a National Margarita Day, every year on Feb. 22! Wahoo a day to celebrate & drink one of my favorite cocktails, like I need an excuse to drink one! Those delicious margaritas are shaken up with so many different concoctions- Mango, jalapeno, strawberry, raspberry, watermelon-basil, and how bout those cornoritas, this is just a tiny list of those luscious cocktails! One main thing the best margaritas are made with fresh ingredients - no premix or that icky bottled margarita mixer & made with 100% agave blanco or reposado tequilla.
Lime Squeezer
If you don't have one, these lime squeezer are the best! Not just for margaritas, but anytime you need a lime squeezed or even small lemons. No seeds will get in.


Margaritas are so so easy to make - Here's a great recipe for your basic Lime Hand Shaken Margarita

2 oz.Blanco or Silver Tequilla (a good one)
1 oz. fresh squeezed lime, (usually that's about 1 whole lime)
1 oz. 100% Pure Blue Agave Nectar
Lime wedge, for rim rubbing
Kosher salt, for rim
Prep Glass; Whether you are using a traditional margarita glass or martini glass; take lime wedge & rub the rim of your glass. Put some kosher salt on a plate, & turn your glass upside down on it to coat.
Mix It:  Take a shaker, put in your tequilla, fresh lime juice & agave nectar. Fill shaker about half full of ice. Now shake it up about 15 sec. Strain into your prepped glass full of ice! Sometimes I put a little topper of seltzer on drink before serving.
Drink up! Sooo delicioso & fresh!  Makes 1 drink.
* Best ice to use is small or broken cubes (sorry pic above does not show that)
*To spice up your margarita, you can add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper to your salt for your rims!

Sure you guys know, there are so many wonderful margaritas out there, we all have our fave places to go to get your margarita fix! Chef Rick Bayless, owner of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, XOCO, Tortas Frontera &Frontera Fresco, also is the creator of Frontera gourmet foods & did I mention 8 cookbooks! Besides all this he makes a terrific margarita at his restaurants. This is Rick Bayless' table side margarita recipe

Rick Bayless' Topolo Margarita
3/4 c. fresh lime juice, about 3 large limes                          1c. plus 2 Tbsp. blanco tequilla
6 Tbsp. sugar                                                                    1/4 c. Gran Torres orange liqueur
1 c. water                                                                           Lime wedges & coarse salt
Make Limeade: Combine lime juice, sugar and water in a pitcher. Cover & refrigerate if not using right away (no longer than 24 hr)
To Serve: Add tequilla & orange liqueur to the pitcher of limeade. Rub rims of martini glasses with a lime wedge, dip in a dish of coarse salt. In a large shaker, combine half of the margarita mixture w/ half of ice , shake 15-20 sec. Strain into prepared glasses. Repeat w/ rest of ingredients.       Serves 6

Barbakoa House Margarita
This was a kick ass margarita served at Barbakoa Modern Latin Restaurantt, Downers Grove, Il. Instead of salt on the rim, they had one big swoop of salt on the side of the glass. Wasn't sure what you were suppose to do with it, so just went for it, did a big lick up the glass, and took a drink! Damn it was good! Barbakoa makes their House Margarita with hand squeezed lime, organic agave nectar, bourbon barrel aged 100% de Agave Tequilla D'Oro.

El Carmen Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA, have been serving up margaritas a long time. Pretty sure they know about margaritas; they offer over 420 kinds of tequilla! This one sounded really bueno - the Cilantro Ginger Margarita- shaken up with Tonala Reposado, Ginger Liqueur, Agave Syrup, Fresh Lime muddled
w/ Fresh Cilantro. Served on the rocks.

Pretty Petal Pusher
Think this is the prettiest margaritas I've ever seen! This is Colleen Mullaney's margarita recipe
Pretty Petal Pusher
4 oz tequilla                                                                     4 oz. pear nectar
4 oz Lanique rose petal liqueur                                         1 lime, squeezed
In a cocktail shaker filled w/ ice, pour all ingredients & shake well. Let stand to chill, up to 5 min. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with an edible flower, such as a pansy.


Saw this margarita recipe on a spirit website- looked too good not to share
Berry Delicious Margarita
Blend 8 oz. Silver Tequilla, 4 oz Chambord Liqueur, 4 oz. Limoncello, 1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice, 2 c. mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, & Strawberries) in a blender with 3 c. crushed ice. Pour into 4 margarita glasses rimmed with sugar.

Don Julio's Jalapeno Margarita
1 1/2 oz Don Julio Reposado Tequilla                                    1/2 oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur
1 oz. fresh lime juice                                                             Splash of agave nectar
1 jalapeno pepper, muddled                                                  1 Jalapeno pepper for garnish
In a shaker muddle the jalapeno. Add to shaker rest of ingredients with ice. Shake well. Strain into a highball glass over ice. Garnish with the jalapeno pepper.
*Depending who you are serving this to & if they can take the heat, you might consider taking out a few of the seeds from the jalapenos! 
Recipe didn't call for it, but for sure, this chick would add salt to the rim!

Lots of specials going on out there, Sat Feb 22, for National Margarita Day - On The Border Restaurant  is serving their 12 oz House Margarita for $1.00! Or you might head over to  Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville 3PM-4PM- having a complimentary margarita making class, then 5'o clock (somewhere) will have a toast to the official beverage of Margaritaville "The Margarita"!
So whether you like your margaritas on the rocks or frozen; go out & enjoy a margarita (or 2), or even stay home & shake up one of these fabuloso margaritas, Feb. 22 National Margarita Day!

This chick loves National Margarita Day & loves these margarita recipes!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

2014 Spring Shoes

Altuzarra Mules
Who said mules can't be sexy! This chick thinks these Altuzarra Spring mules are so sexy(not saying all mules are sexy, because there's alot of ugly ones out there, but these are vampish)! Mules or slides whatever you want to call them, they're back. Spring mules will be seen in all different styles - high heels, kitten heels, chunky heels, closed toes, open toes, pointy toes, boot like, & sandal like!

Jimmy Choo Spring
Jimmy Choo Spring
Pastels & florals, just like in the spring clothing,will be hot for Spring. Jimmy Choo has these beautiful pastel pointy toe heels and pastel strappy sandals. They are out in stores now, just saw these at Saks Fifth Ave.
Kitten heels are hot for Spring. Kitten heels height is usually 1.5 in. to about 2 in. Those cute little kittens will be in pumps, sling backs, sandals and mules. 







Marni Platform S











Platforms & wedges are still out there, in sandals, sneakers, and peep toe booties!

And those oxfords are popping in for Spring. Some are flat, some have heels, and yes, open toed! These 3.1 Phillip Lim oxfords are opened toed & a sling back too!





                                                  
Love Christian Louboutin & really love these Spring cut-out, lace-up sandals; these smokin' hot Christian Louboutin's also come in black (found at Neiman Marcus). 





Christian Dior Pointed Pump

The curved heel seen on the runways, and will be the "must have shoe" for Spring.








  

Herve Leger 


Miu Miu Spring Sandal
   Heels, heels, and more heels! Lastly chunky heels, seen low & high!





Prada Open Toe Bootie

You might even, see ankle & slouchy socks worn with some of the Spring shoes; for I guess you would say a "frolicky, young at heart look"!

There are alot of great kicks out there for 2014 Spring! Some of the Spring/Summer shoe styles, this chick is not a fan, (did not post the Ugly "brutta" ones), believe me when you see some, of those sandals, you will know what I'm talking about!

This chick loves these 2014 Spring shoes!



Monday, February 10, 2014

2014 Spring Pants Silhouettes


       
Even though it's still freezing (and still snowing) outside, thank goodness Spring is just around the corner! According to the Farmer's Almanac, March 20 is officially Spring. Yes, let's all do a happy dance! If you've been shopping lately, you have seen those spring clothes popping up. Because it can still be a little chilly the first part of Spring, it's great to make that transition from winter with a great pair of 2014 Spring pants. Till it warms up you can choose to top them with a feminine blouse,a cute pastel sweater, a sweatshirt, or some sort of jacket. Boxy jackets are popular this Spring. If your pants are voluminous, you might want to wear a a more tailored blazer.
One thing about fashion- one day it's in - next day it's out! Here you have it girls - culottes are back in! Remember those real wide legged pants that flapped in the wind & made you wonder, "is that pants or a skirt?'; well, they're back. They were seen in Fall 2013 in tweeds & wools, but they are here for Spring/Summer too. Culottes are typically real wide legged, hit above the knee, mid-calf, or look like a short skirt. Spring culottes, on the runways, were wide and full of volume or some styles were slim fitting. Slim fitting like Victoria Beckham (pic above left) in her 2014 Spring culottes. Some had pleats, some flat fronted. Culottes will be seen in different fabrics including silk (ex. Etro's culottes above right pic), denim & linen. In my opinion this season's "culottes" are all over the board, some look like your typical wide skirt legged culottes, some look like crop pants, and some even look like a little wider leg Bermuda short! Sooo confusing, think it just depends on the designer & what they want to label them!


Whew- now that we are all confused bout the whole "culottes", lets talk some more pant trends! They can be flowy, voluminous, pleated, slouchy, loose and skinny! White is great for Spring/Summer, especially a wide legged trouser, so classy. Love Rachel Zoe's white trouser, one of her 2014 Spring looks. Also, loving on Etro's silk voluminous pants, they look great and totally comfortable! Another pant still being seen are palazzo pants (long, flowy, wide legged pant). Think I have a palazzo pants obsession, can't remember when I haven't had some type of palazzo pant in my closet! Have had black silk, printed silk, leopard chiffon like, linen, cotton, and knits of all prints. If you have wore palazzo pants, you know what I'm talking about- they are comfortable, you can dress them up or down, where them all seasons, and great for travel! There you have it- what's not to love?




















Lastly, a couple more looks for Spring/Summer is the Bermuda short and the skinny trouser. Love both of them, so glad to see both of them for Spring/Summer. This season they are treating the Bermuda short like the pencil skirt. Can be worn with a feminine blouse and cute jacket, as shown in this J.Crew Spring look. Bermuda's and skinny trousers will both be seen in linen, cotton, silk & rayon, also some will be pleated, come flat fronted. 3.1 Phillip Lim has these great lemon abstract skinny trouser in his Spring/Summer collection, I'm in love with them! Both are great with flat sandals,oxfords, but also look fabulous with wedges or pointy pumps.
So many pant options out there for 2014 Spring/Summer. I know for sure, March 20 this chick will be wearing some kind of a Spring pant, maybe worn with a bootie & jacket (depending on weather), but will be wearing them!
This chick loves the 2014 Spring/Summer pant silhouettes!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Unrefined Shea Butter

Unrefined Shea Butter
Unrefined Shea butter, where have you been all my life!! For those of you out there that have been using unrefined Shea butter for years, this chick is so jealous! It is the BEST moisturizer out there!! Heard about it several months ago, and started searching for it in drugstores and health stores nearby, with no luck. Checked it out on the Internet and found it at www.butters-n-bars.com. Unrefined Shea butter is different than products just labeled Shea Butter found on shelves everywhere.

Found out all kinds of things about this wonderful buttery moisturizer. There are 2 kinds of Shea butter - unrefined & refined (don't buy). Come to find out unrefined Shea butter has been used for centuries (still mad at myself for not knowing about this years ago). It comes from the fruit of the karite tree, known as the "tree of life" because of all its healing properties. Besides being an absolutely great moisturizer, it's suppose to help with wrinkles, skin thinning, stretch marks, rashes, chapped lips, sunburns, dark spots, eczema, and more. It's rich in Vitamins A & E. It is in the naturalist form - not processed & no harsh chemicals added. Unrefined is a weird color of cream or kinda greenish buttery color, and a slight funky smell. They say a nutty smell, I think it smells like Crisco shortening (don't worry, spray on your favorite fragrance like you normally do & no one else will smell it). I thought it would smell like cocoa butter, or the yummy smells of body butter when you walk into the Body Shop, but no. That's okay because truthfully my skin has never felt so so soft. It's greasy at first, but soaks in & keeps you moisturized all day! Waiting to see how it works on wrinkles!
Now refined Shea butter, stay away from. It usually has been extracted with hexane or other petroleum solvents, which takes away all the healing properties. It is usually white & has no odor. Some companies do try to trick you labeling their product Pure or Organic, but check it out, if it is bright white & has no smell then it is not unrefined!

This little "Tree of Life" product was cheap! On their website butters-n-bars.com, a 1/2 lb. plastic container was only $4.50 (think my shipping might have been more than the product), and you use such a small amount.

No Doubt, this chick is loving her unrefined Shea butter!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Valentine's Day Pop Tarts



V-day Pop Tarts
Valentine's Day Pop Tarts are the perfect little treat for the special love (or loves, kiddos luv 'em) of your life! They do take a little time to make, but so worth it; you will never ever eat one of those cardboard tasting boxed pop tarts again! Can be made day before, just keep them in a covered container. Can be eaten at room temp, or pop in microwave just a few seconds (15-20 secs. is all); if you have one of those toaster ovens, even more perfect for heating up.
Valentine's Day Pop Tarts
Filling Ingred.
3/4 c. strawberry or raspberry jam                                                  1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch                                                                          1-2 tsp. maraschino cherry juice

Go ahead & make filling, so it can cool while making the pop tart pastry.
With a fork, whisk cornstarch with water, till no lumps! In a small saucepan, put in your jam & stir in cornstarchy water, blend. Stir in cherry juice (I added the cherry juice, cuz I feel it brings out the fillings red brightness). Bring to a boil, keep stirring, so it doesn't stick. Simmer about 2 minutes. Remove it from heat & set aside.
                                           
Pastry Ingred.
2 1/3 c. flour                                                                                    1 stick butter, softened (not margarine)
2 Tbsp. sugar                                                                                   1/3 c. shortening
1 tsp. salt                                                                                         2 eggs (1 for pastry & 1 for basting)
1 tsp. baking powder                                                                        2 Tbsp. milk
Pink Icing Ingred.
1 c. powdered sugar
2-3 tsp. maraschino cherry juice
1-2 tsp. milk

Lets make pastry:
In a small bowl, whisk together one of the eggs & milk; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk with a fork the flour, sugar, salt & b. pwder together. With your fork, cut in the butter & shortening till big crumbs form. Add the milky egg mixture, blend with your fork till a soft dough forms. Cover & put in fridge 15 min.
Preheat oven to 350.

Beat slightly other egg; set to side.
Ready to roll out! Dough is very soft, so it rolls out better on a piece of lightly floured wax paper. Make one pop tart at a time. Pinch off part of your dough, roll about 1/8 in thick. Take your heart cookie cutter (pic above is the candy box cutter). Lay to the side on another piece of wax paper. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of your jam filling right in the middle. Baste lightly around the edge with egg. Cut out another heart for top. Lay heart to heart with filling in middle. Press with your fingers all around edges to seal. Press all around the edges with the tines of a fork.Prick with a fork the top of your heart tart, to let steam escape. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake about 25 min, till lightly browned. Remove from oven, place on a platter to cool Cool completely before icing. Makes 5 - 5 in. heart pop tarts.

In a bowl stir together all icing ingredients. Icing should be thin, but not watery. One thing bout this icing, if it's too watery, add more p. sugar. Too thick add a little more liquid. Drizzle or completely frost your pop tarts, however you want to do it. Add some sprinkles if you want or even pink or red colored sugar.



*One of the pop tarts I took a small cookie and barely cut into the top of the heart, instead of picking it.

You can really taste the buttery flavor of the pastry, and the yummy fruit filling; just a Valentine's Day Delight!!

This chick is loving the Valentine's Day Pop Tarts!

Monday, February 3, 2014

Valentine's Day Cookie Cutter



















Here you have it, the cheapest 5 in. heart cookie cutter that comes with chocolate! Yes, it is the box of those cheap little V-day candies found in the aisles of Wal Mart for $1.00!
 I was getting ready to work on a Valentine's Day treat, but needed a large heart shaped cookie cutter, had a small one but just needed that large one! Didn't have time to run all over looking for this darn cookie cutter that I was possessed in finding (sure Michaels or some of those other places have them, but no time). Ran into the closest place, Wal Mart! Going down the Valentine's Day aisle were, you guessed it those heart shaped boxes of chocolates for a buck! Thinking "what the hell, this just might work", grabbed this one (bout a 5 in heart) & the smaller one.
As you can tell, the inside of the lid is plastic, with a great edge perfect for cookie cutting or to use on any other heart shaped project you need. Since it is plastic, it can be wiped clean. One added bonus, you can eat those chocolates, while you're cutting away! Didn't even try the small heart shape box lid, because it is all cardboard. Loved the larger one's plastic lid, it worked perfect for cutting out my little treats!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

2014 Year of the Horse Trends

Zgallerie "Horse in the Rain" artwork
Here we are, already a few days into it, "2014 Year of the Horse". Chinese New Year celebrates this the Year of the Horse. it runs from Jan.31, 2014 - Feb. 18, 2015. The Chinese zodiac has a 12 yr cycle of animals, and they interact 5 elements - wood, metal, fire, water, and earth. This year it is the wood horse!  I'm not Chinese astrologist, just telling you what they're saying- you are a horse if you were born 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, &1918. Your lucky colors are purple, blue, and grey. And here it is you "horse" peeps your lucky numbers are suppose to be 7, 3, 2 (Plz don't hop a flight to Vegas right now, just saying)! You are also very energetic people!
With all that said, "The Year of the Horse", is what's trending now! So we are seeing horses pop up in home & clothing. If horses really aren't your thing, then no need to invest alot in your horse decor,apparel,or accessories.
TJ Maxx Horse Heads.
Marshall's Equestrian Scarf,
Burbery Boots
 Found these great white ceramic horse heads at TJ Maxx, also Z Gallerie has similar, that you can order online. Zgallerie.com has some wonderful horse art also. Love the cute Equestrian scarf i found at Marshalls. Equestrian boots are also popular for "The Horse of the Year" style. Love my Burberry boots, the flat heel & buckle on the ankle give that equestrian style.

Some designers out there like Gucci and Hermes have always had their equestrian style. We are all familiar with the iconic Gucci horse bit design on their handbags, belts, wallets, and jewelry. Gucci also has a beautiful equestrian scarf, I'm in love with. Ralph Lauren also have a few equestrian style in their collections. Harrods.com have a wonderful pair of Ralph Lauren jodhpurs.


modcloth.com
  Horses are popping up everywhere on clothing, jewelry, and handbags. Jonathanadler.com has a really cute little horse wristlet, and Longchamp is celebrating the "Year of the Horse" with the "Le Pilage" handbag in red & black.
Some other places you can find some horsey items are Modcloth.com, they have cute horse scarves, dresses, and skirts! Hotsox.com have some really cute horsey socks.
And lastly, have to mention Forever21- if you want to just flash a little "Horse of the Year" trend and on a tight budget, check out Forever 21, they have some really really inexpensive horse jewelry!

This chick loves "The Horse of the Year" Trends!