A New Blog for My Dailies

I love love love to run around and see other bloggers online real estate. I think its a great way to learn about new trends in lifestyle, new cleverness in interiors and interesting techniques in cuisine, among other things.

This weeks find is a blog I found by screwing around on Instagram. It's called Mint Love Scial Club. Besides the awesome title, it's written by a young, fashionable woman who has a got her finger on the pulse of coolness. She provides us with excellent drink recipes (I've tried a few!), very useful and fun DIY projects and a home tour that is on Apartment Therapy! But where am I going to categorize her? She has everything!

I love to visit the Mint Love Blog because I want to do some of the things she's done. Not terribly creative but why re-invent the wheel? So in the next few weeks look for our house tour and a cocktail recipe that I call The Ccicero and another I call the Velvet Hive. I'm also coming along with a new 8tracks mix and will be doing a giveaway (hair products) from Mosaic Salon!

Meanwhile check out some of the stuff she has...

She includes Gastronomy(me too). Donuts made using a donut pan. So sweet and an excellent photo. My mouth is watering! Go see the whole post here!

This photo is quite cool and has such clarity, my goodness! She took it herself in a step by step to make her Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail. The recipe follows....

This is one of the most clever DIY's I've ever seen, and I've seen some. As a crafter a "creative" person never reveals their sources, but I just can't keep this one to myself. In fact, now I want to have a dinner party too! These are "Faux Polaroid Placecards!" Perhaps I can put the directions here? Nah. If you'd like to make these for your next venture in entertaining get the directions right here.

Ridiculous

Well....I'm quite ridiculous. I want to be taken seriously as a blogger as I have so much to say and to share with you guys. I'm also very sorry for being absent from posting for so long. 

Wedding season is upon us and since my trip to Disneyland, I've not had even one second to myself save for sleeping. So here I am back in the saddle at least for this post today...

I sometimes read a design blog called Coco and Kelley. Cassandra recently wrote that at an even for a wedding she was called "ridiculous." She also said it was one of the best complements she's ever received. I wish I had had the mind enough to (when it happened) see the same, because it's true! Go and read her story which is warming to the heart and soul and gives us all a little fortitude! I have a similar story.

On the day of my rehearsal dinner, I preened in the mirror, anticipating the next couple of hours and looking forward to the following day. I had designed a red strapless dress in silk satin which was embellished around the hem with black feathers. Before the rehearsal/wedding (in July) my mother, for my birthday (in October) gifted me a wicked pair of Hale Bob slides. 

Yeah. They were different, but how lame and boring life would be without things that are different, unusual, fun, inspiring and so on...

I wore these fantastic shoes with the red dress. And how were they met? Not with the applause I had imagined in my head. Instead, they were the draw of ridicule...Yup. They were exclaimed to be "ridiculous." Cassandra was pretty inspirational on her blog post and I was pretty moved by it, not simply because I had a parallel story. Oh no, nothing that simple. I was moved because of the way she handled the situation with grace followed by a smile.

Frabjous Finds - Fawning In Love

'It seems very pretty,' she said. 'Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas—only I don't exactly know what they are!" Alice in Wonderland 

Frabjous: Possibly a blend of fair, fabulous, and joyous. Definition from Oxford English Dictionary, credited to Lewis Carroll.

I love Alice's sentiment. Sometimes you encounter something or someone that is extraordinary. In that case what else can one say about whatever that je ne sais quoi is....Frabjous hits the nail on the head.

I was very lucky to come across Fawning In Love. I was looking for a very specific hair comb to wear in my hair for an upcoming wedding in which I am a bridesmaid. I want to represent my husband and I as I stand up for a very close friend. Our theme was "Birds of a Feather Flock Together." I found it! And I ran around the house yelling to my husband that I'd come across a Frabjous Find. Perhaps what prompted me to purchase from her were her excellent photographs, or the sweet packaging, or that everything is so reasonably priced. In any case I was overjoyed by this little present.

Laura, the shops owner, isn't any old handmade maven. She is a real professional and that was clear upon the receiving of this wee ditty. I've  a story to tell about the adventure that has been my experience with Fawning In Love.

I ordered a little gold hair comb that came with a little gold feather. The measurements were perfect - very small as I have baby fine hair. Wracked with excitement, I paid via paypal for my treasure. And then...I waited. The comb, having never showed up seemed to have gone missing in transit. I messaged Laura on Etsy, she took great care to rectify the error, immediately. Two days later, after rush delivery, my hair comb arrived. She was prompt, professional and warm. 

Her crafting doesn't stop at her accessories. Look at the sweet wrapping...It is because of her above and beyond talent that I've decided to feature her on Frabjous Finds! You'll want something from Fawning in Love, too. I promise! 

Impeccable details...

And look what other extraordinary things she offers in her shop...

In Search of Mickey - Manicures...

I am a hand person. I just am. Always have been.

My Granny has Barbara Streisand hands. Yup. "Like Butta!" She, at 93 is always coiffed, designer dressed and impeccably manicured. Because of her fastidious way of keeping herself up for, ahem, nearly a century, there are certain things that I have picked up from her.

Sure I love art (Gran), and dogs (Gran) and I'm being as modest as possible here, I love a good game of cards as in, I'm quite the shark (Gran). But, perhaps the weirdest thing I picked up from Fay (gorge name, right!?) was her love of a good set of fancified 10's! Oddly, It's one of the things that I was so attracted to my husband for...his hands are really attractive in a masculine but not callused way!

I am going to "The Happiest Place On Earth!" on June second and I got a manicure yesterday. I had a design all planned out and figured it would be easy enough to do. But, nooooooo! Here's how it went. I told "Kimmy" about my trip to Disneyland. I picked my colors (Ink Gels in Barbie Pink and Dark Glitter Grey) and told Kimmy to paint all nails the pink except my accent nail which I wanted grey. Then I explained to her that I wanted my accent nail to have a silhouette of Mickey's head on the accent nail in the pink. She tried hard enough. But it was a no go. So, I looked up other Mickey designs to see how hard it is to get this done or to see if anyone else had done something similar. I found a great blog that has all kinds of excellent nail designs, not just Mickey Mouse...

If you're interested in some spicy nails, the place to visit is Holy Manicures! Margaret is a manicure maven. She is uber talented and clever to boot.

Following is her rendition of the Mickey Manicure. It's delightful! I wish I could tell my manicurist how to do the Mickey silhouette on my finger! I've written a note to Margaret so perhaps she can help me?!

And I found a few others on her site that i really liked...

How does she do it?!

Here are some other Mickey/Minnie nails...

Mad Mani's

source

I'm going to publish this without the mickey on my accent nail...bummer. But it is my aim today to get a pink Mickey on there. And when I do I'll edit in the new picture with the complete nails!

Yeaaaay! Finally! I got my Mickey...I got it at GG Salon on Alhambra. A woman name Heidi did it for me. I feel complete...and gues what? I leave today (June 2nd) for the mouse with sissy!

M-IC-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Throw a Real Garden Party!

I love the idea of a garden party. It's so English. So romantic. Let's face it, how fun to dress up with all your friends and drink champagne and eat cupcakes in the shade of a big tree on a warm day? Um, great!

Make simple invitations, create a simple menu and set the date, time and place. Voila! Fun at your fingertips!

Menu:

Champagne Cocktails with homemade bitters
Mango Iced tea
Cucumber tea sandwiches
Smoked salmon finger sandwiches
Date canapes with goat cheese
Cocktail weiners with a maple glaze
Cupcakes with Earl Grey gelato

Photo Credits

Thai Basil Hummus and Sesame Garlic Crackers

I'm not a huge fan of chick peas - garbanzo beans - tiny sandboxes in my mouth. Yuck-o. However, I love legumes and when I stumbled across this recipe on A Girl and Her Fork, my mouth started to water and I confessed that I would make the Thai Basil Hummus for this weeks potluck at work.  Ally, has made this specific hummus with Canellini beans instead of Garbanzo's and thank goodness really, because it's yummier now. Not that it wouldn't have been before, like I said not a fan of tiny knuckles!

I made my own crackers today, too because I have been experimenting for months and they are finally (almost) what I want them to be. I first embarked upon the journey of homemade crackers because I HATE to spend $3.50 on a box of water crackers when I have flour in the house at all times and fancy myself a competent cook.

 Thai Basil Hummus 

Ingredients

2 (15 oz.) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons peanut oil 
3 fresh cloves of garlic, crushed
4 Tablespoons lime juice 
1 Bunch basil leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste - Ally's recipe called for 1/4 tsp)




salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put beans, peanut butter, oil and garlic in food processor and pulse a few times. 

Add 3 Tbs. of lime juice, the basil and seasonings.

Pulse until smooth.

(I found that when I chilled it for an hour and then added the last tablespoon of lime juice it added a really refreshing taste dimension. But if you just want to add all the Lime juice right up front, that'll work too.)

Sesame Garlic Crackers

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3 T olive oil

8 T water

2 T sesame seeds

1 tsp. garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until a dough ball forms. ( if the mixture is crumbly add a tiny bit of water - too sticky, add some flour).

Lay ball of dough on a parchmented  or floured surface and begin to flatten ball first with your hands then with the rolling pin)

Once you have the dough very thin (1/4 inch or thinner) cut dough into the desired shape. For mine I just wanted little squares.

Cook for about 7 minutes (depending on thickness) and keep an on them! 

When they're golden remove them from the oven and cool completely.

Serve!

A Place in the Sun

Longer days, breezy evenings, lazy sunrises and good books; a day by the pool with lemonade, biscuits in the morning and a sunny outlook; Summer is nearly here. Following is my newest playlist that has something for everyone as we head into summer...it's called "A Place in the Sun," where I want to be!

1. Gordons Garden Party - The Cardigans
2. Sunshine, Lolliops and Rainbows - Leslie Gore (Thanks Denis)
3. El Sol - Zwan
4. The Tide is High - Blondie
5. Soft Shock- Yeah Yeah Yeah's
6. Xanadu - Olivia Newton John and ELO
7. Your Love - Wyclef Jean Feat. Eve
8. Pink Moon - Nick Drake
9. Que Sera Sera - Doris Day
10. Adolescent Heart - Class Actress
11. Golden Brown - The Stranglers
12. Fire in Your New Shoes - Kaskade

A Place in the Sun from poppiesandpaperbacks on 8tracks.