It's Christmas Eve Eve!!

It's Christmas Eve Eve which means holiday shopping is coming to an end and hopefully you've picked out your outfit to wear to Christmas mass and or grandma's house for dinner. Wishing you luck as you finish up everything in preparation for the Holidays!!

DIY Homemade Christmas Gift: Seashell Necklace

Back in the summer, I had the idea to make homemade Christmas presents for my friends and family. I was inspired while walking on a beach in Cape Cod collecting shells for my seashell mirror. I saw a few shells that had a natural hole in them made by the ocean. I then had an idea to make jewelry out of these shells. They would be scallop and jingle seashell necklaces. Here, I will show you the step by step on how to make them!

Step 1: Handpick the seashells of your favorite beach.

Step 2: Put holes into the seashells. Here's a link on how to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRTv7tuX-u8 (Tip: Make sure you do this on a piece of cardboard and be very gentle with the shells). 

Step 3. Put a jump ring into the hole. Jump rings can be found at any craft store. 

Step 4. Loop through the jump ring any type of string, rope, or chain. I used hemp for a more natural organic look. 

Step 5. Tie the rope like a necklace and the gift is ready! 

Step 6. Wrap the necklace up in tissue paper and place it in a little box or stocking or bag with a signature note! Here was my signature note:

Small Gift // Stocking Stuffer Ideas for under $20!

Are you stumped as to what to get your sister, best friend, friends, coworkers, etc? Here are a few ideas to get one of those holiday burdens off of your shoulders for yes, under $20!

philosophy spiced gingerbread cookie // Lilly pullitzer coffee mug // twistband hair ties // butter london nail laquer // Pony Hair iPhone 5 Case - Pink Leopard // kate spade notepad // reindeer earrings 

Obsession: Patagonia Women's Pelage Jacket

Okay, so my obsession today and this whole weekend has been the (my mom's) BEAUTIFUL Patagonia Women's Pelage Jacket. It is so warm and so flattering on every body and everybody!! My sister who is 5'4 and 100 lbs can rock it and me being 5'8 and weighing just a tad more than my sister……anyways it looks gorg no matter what your body type. 

A definite suggestion for your Christmas list! I know I added it to mine!! 

Some pics of me in the gorgeous jacket:

Baklava

So, on the girl's weekend here in NYC, we sat down and ate a late dinner at Pera Mediterranean Brasserie. We had a fantastic dinner with a couple of "mezes" or "small plates" including stuffed grape leaves and lamb dishes with PLENTY of pita!

As the mezes began to disappear, we sat back in our seats completely and utterly satisfied when the waitress offered to us the dessert menu. Welp, why not. We ordered the baklava. 

Baklava is (as wikipedia explains it) is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of fill or phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. Or as I would explain it: pure bliss. 

Try not to salivate too much:

The Christmas Gift That Keeps on Giving

So, do you guys want to know the secret to receiving a present monthly for a whole year? The answer is Julep Maven. Julep Maven is a monthly subscription to the nail polish and beauty supply company called Julep. The website found here: http://www.julep.com/maven.html will answer all of your questions.

Basically, in the monthly package, you receive two different color nail polishes along with some other monthly themed goodies such as cuticle cream, lipstick, lipgloss, candies, face wash, lotion, etc.. It is truly my favorite Christmas present from last year and I will be renewing my subscription this Christmas!

Dominique Corbasson - French Artist

Dominique Corbasson - French Artist 

Recently, I have been obsessing over this artist. Her work is so intricate yet so simple. I am absolutely in love with her work. 

Check her out:

Holiday Outfits on a Budget

We all know the holidays can be a stressful time with the millions of "holiday" pictures that are being taken and with your money flying out of the window. But here, I have a fun holiday outfit solutions for you! 

First, from Forever 21, the Festive Floral Dress 

Next, from Forever 21, the Luxe Floral Skirt

Lastly from Forever 21, a classic plaid skirt

From H&M, a winter-y knit dress

From Old Navy, Women's Cowl-Neck Sweater Dress

So there are just some ideas for some outfits for the upcoming holidays…very classic and inexpensive! 

Books On My Radar

As winter break is creeping up on us, catching up on reading is something I've been planning on doing for a while!

My mum gave my a $25 gift card to Amazon.com and I used that money to splurge on a few books I am planning on diving into over winter break.

Over Thanksgiving break, I began to read the book I was looking forward to reading most which is Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand. Needless to say it is amazing. I'm obsessed.

• 14,000 things to be happy about - Barbara Ann Kipfer
• Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella
• Beautiful Day - Elin Hilderbrand
• I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella
• Mini Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

Thanksgiving yummies- later post

WARNING: This foodporn may not be suitable for all eyes..

Aren't cooking and baking forms of art? I absolutely think so!

 

(Mile-High Apple Pie)

It's Been A While.. here's what I've been up to

So as I am currently in the process of digressing away from my finals week work, I decided to blog. I know it's been forever since I last blogged so I figured my first post since the summer should be about the changes I've forgone since my last post!

So I like to think it's worth noting that the biggest change has come from my body. Since the beginning of the summer until this point, I have lost 20+ pounds. Needless to say freshman year of college did me dirty…

Here are some transformation pics:

For those of you guys struggling from weight issues or self esteem issues, it is possible to get through it all. I've been there, I've felt that pain and struggle and I can tell you that going through it sucks but getting to the result is SO WORTH IT! 

Fast, Easy and HEALTHY tomato soup!

This recipe consists of six very delish ingredients (Yes, six!!!)! This recipe serves one.

You will need:

• Tomato (I used one large heirloom)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 7 leaves of basil
• Pinch of salt
• Pepper
• 1 stick of mozzarella    

Put the tomatoes in a small pot and turn the heat up to medium heat. Next, add the tsp of olive oil. As it begins to simmer, add the cloves of garlic. I love garlic so I added two, but if you're not a garlic fan, try just one. Next, add the salt and pepper. Finally, chop up the basil and let it all simmer until you reach a soupy texture (about 10 mins). Once complete, slice the mozzarella and combine in a bowl. Let it sit and you will have a delicious tomato soup with melted mozzarella! 

Only 2 Weight Watcher's plus points! 

 

TWERKK

gotcha

Relaxation By Me, Brynne Logan

So I've been having a huge writers block lately and I haven't really had much material to write on seeing as my life is overall pretty boring. My life is basically that "boring" gif from Spongebob (if you are or were an avid Spongebob watcher, you know exactly what I mean). BUT, lately I've had this small indulgence on a beauty/spa item...THE FACE MASK. As I write this, I am wearing one. Okay I'll spill which ones are my fav because I know you're all curious. Now, seeing that I am a college student, that means I have a college disposable income. Aka no cash/spending money with the exception to the many dollars I throw to my family's Honda CRV to make it move. I have found that at the end of a long day full of torture from both customers and co-workers, I like putting on a face mask and calling it a night.

My personal fav's are the mud masks, however, I do enjoy the occasional peel-off. Not only is this relaxing with the scents and tingles on and in your face, it's also good for your skin! Different masks offer different advantages for us pretty girls (am I right, ladies?!).  Some include: the clearing and prevention of acne breakouts, smoothing and moisturizing of the skin, removal of blackheads and dead skin, etc. These are all very big promises to give out to the general public. Truth is, it's a state of mind. Perhaps it is relaxing for the sed costumer therefore their acne goes away WHO KNOWS. All I know is I love them, love when they make my face tight and stiff and they're perf for spa nights in or with your girls!

For my clay mask fans (All of which are under like $6):

For my peel-off mask fans:

And for my hungry girls:

Hope you guys are now turned on to the idea of rubbing this foreign substance on your face. Sit down, enjoy some wine and just relaaaaaaaaax. Also, this is a great thing during your period. 

(PS I was going to include embarrassing pics of me in the face masks but I didn't want you people thinking you'd look better than me in them)

DIY: Seashell Mirror

I got the idea of a seashell mirror one day while I was laying on the beach on the Cape. Over the vacation, I began to collect shells for my soon-to-be masterpiece. By the end of the vacation, I collected what I seemed would be enough. Saturday afternoon, I went to Home Goods and purchased the perfect mirror to cover my seashells in! This little project of mine is SO easy and anyone with two hands can do it. It's easily the perfect summer DIY.

All you need is:

1. A Mirror

2. A hot-glue gun

3. SEASHELLS

SEA-n here (pun intend):

It's basically self explanitory how to do this. Just glue the the shells to the frame of the mirror.

After three hours of standing and bending over, here is the finished product:

 

The (second) Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Yes! July is finally here! The fourth of July has come and gone and that meant family time, cookouts, lobster and fireworks!! What else does July bring??HYDRANGEAS!!! Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite flower. Being up here in Cape Cod is a blessing. I am so lucky to have this perfect little house. Also, because Cape Cod has an abundance of hydrangeas. I have waited all year to take pictures of the beautiful masterpieces and I'd love to share them with you! 

Perfect Beach Sandwich

While down the Cape, my mom makes two special sandwiches specifically for the beach. I will go into detail about the other one another day. THIS sandwich however is pretty much perfection. When you read the list of ingredients you will know why.

I don't exactly know why caprese is the most perfect combo of all time, but it is.

Ingredients:

• Baguette
• Tomatoes
• Mozzarella
• Pesto spread
• Basil leaves
• Avocado
• Homemade Balsamic dressing