Happy {Gratitude} Weekend!

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this week i was reminded of all the things i have to be thankful for...

 

my heart goes out to everyone that were affected by hurricane sandy.  i feel blessed that all of my east coast friends are safe and at home recouping for the storm. 

 

it's events like this that sadden me and yet lift me up in the most surprising of ways. 

 

take for example my cousin taryn who lived in jersey city and whose apartment was completely flooded and without power.  my  cousin was sleeping on her wet bed in her flooded apartment seeking a place to stay but stuck in jersey city.  i reached out to my friend christa who offered to pick her up and let her stay at her house.  my friend kimi reached out to her east coast friends and a total stranger offered to meet my cousin at the williamsburg bridge and offered her a place to stay, a warm shower, internet and anything she could need.

 

strangers opening up their homes to strangers.  i didn't know this girl sarah but she was willing to help my cousin anyway she needed it.  it warmed my heart and reminded me that humanity is not dead.  there are still good people out there and that human kind is indeed kind.  i have been hearing and reading stories like this all over the web and am so thankful for the existence of these people. 

 

and so today, this weekend, next week, etc, i need to remind myself of all the things i am blessed to have in my life.  i need to stop complaining about the petty things and start observing my amazing surroundings. 

 

i am happy to report that my cousin is on a flight to seattle for a hot shower, drinks and a meal with the family.  and i hope that you all have a wonderful weekend with the ones you love and take a moment to recognize all the amazing things you have in your life. 

 

xoxo

 

Forever Frugal Friday

 

 looking through my closet recently i noticed a few things...

*i have been very frugal with my clothing purchases

*i think i buy more workout attire than normal clothes

*i need to add red, pink, and blue into my wardrobe more

* i need to buy new jeans

*i lack polka dots

which is why this polka dot raglan sweater is the perfect piece for me to add as it is both work friendly and weekend friendly. plus every time i see someone wearing polka dots i get jealous that i have not incorporated any into my fashions as of late.

what's your closet lacking?

Drug Store Beauty Booty

 

1 ~ got2b rockin it encore fresh dry shampoo

i have never used the got2b products before and kind of find them a bit gimmicky.  i was forced to try this dry shampoo as it was the only option at the grocery store and i was in dire need of some.  well my friends, turns out jokes on me, because not only is this stuff totally cheap but it always totally works and makes your hair smell amazing.  it isn't the best dry shampoo i have ever used but i much prefer it over the dove and suave dry shampoos. 

 

2 ~ clean clear morning burst skin brightening scrub

this goodie was recommended to me by mr. b himself.  when we were home in may for the young wedding my parents had this in their shower and b kept raving about how much he liked it.  so i thought i'd surprise him with a tube of it at my house.  well wouldn't you just know that it turns out i quite enjoy it myself as well!  the scent is incredible and it really does do a lovely job of exfoliating and leaving your skin clean and clear and under control!

 

3 ~ maybelline color show nail color "green with envy"

i kept seeing this color at the drug store and picking it up and then putting it back because i needed another nail polish color like i needed  a hole in the head, but it turns out that i did need this color for the wedding i attended in september!  the color is very similar to the essie "mint candy apple" but a lot less goopy.  it required two coats (like most polishes) and lasted at least 3 days without chipping.  i received many compliments on the color and will definitely be exploring the other colors in the collection for my next special event. 

 

4 ~ garnier fructis body boost conditioner

i have extremely fine hair that is so easily weighed down.  finding the right shampoo and conditioner is down right difficult.  i usually stick with the bumble & bumble thickening products but always require a little extra conditioner for my ends and don't want to waste the expensive stuff on that.  i recently purchased this conditioner for less than $4 and i absolutely love it!  it has a lovely scent and leaves my ends soft, straight and healthy.  in fact since i started using it, people have complimented me on my hair a lot more frequently. 

 

THE FAIL

 

organix nutritional acai berry avocado shampoo

after raving last post about organix coconut conditioner, i figured i would absolutely love their acai berry avocado shampoo which smelled wonderful.  wrong.  i have pretty normal hair, neither oily nor dry, but when i began using this shampoo i noticed my hair looked really flat, dry and dull.  not at all what the bottle promised.  i also felt as though i had to use a lot of the shampoo to get my hair clean.  not a fan at all.  after about two weeks it was back to bumble and bumble and my hair has been a lot happier. 

Happy Halloween!

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i mean...could this picture be any cuter? 

 

happy halloween y'all!  hope your evening is full of lots of treats and zero tricks!

 

xoxo

 

 

Make These - Butterscotch Pudding Double Chip Cookies

 

a few weeks back my work hosted a bake sale for our "light the night walk" in l.a.  we raised over $800 from the bake sale alone and seeing as a few weeks later one of my girlfriends was diagnosed with lymphoma the bake sale meant that much more to me. 

 

the cookies i made for the bake sale were an absolute hit!  i had numerous people email me for the recipe at work and instagram and thought the best place to share it was here on the blog! 

 

these cookies are easy to make, taste incredible and really have a fall attitude to them!  i am sharing the original recipe i found and will note the substitutions i made next to them. 

 

enjoy!

 

Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies

fabulous recipe found via two peas and their pod

 

{ingredients}

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (3.4 oz) package butterscotch instant pudding mix
• (my store was out of butterscotch instant pudding, i substituted 1 (1 oz) package of sugar free butterscotch instant pudding mix + 1 (3.4 oz) package of vanilla instant pudding mix (less 1.4 oz)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• (i hate white chocolate, so i removed this portion and upped the butterscotch & semi-sweet chips up half a cup each)
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

{directions}

 

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat and set aside.
• 2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in butterscotch pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
• 3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges and set. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

{a few variations}

 

*surprisingly i think the pudding substitution worked in my favor.  the cookies were sweet without being overly sweet

*parchment paper is key!

*i baked the cookies for 8 minutes and 45 secs and then watched them closely for about another 15-30 seconds.

*after sampling the first batch i realized they would greatly benefit with a dusting of kosher salt before i baked them.  the cookies with salt on them were most definitely the best of the group. 

 

so if you are looking for your next sweet to bring for the fall holidays, go ahead and give this one a try.  i promise it will leave them all raving and craving another one!

Song of the Week ~ Adorn

my roomie avery and i share similar tastes in music and agree that "woo-woo" music has no place in our apartment. 

that said, we both made a recent exception for the song "adorn" by miguel (the remix with wiz khalifa is awesome).  i love it. 

it kind of reminds me of junior high with a little bit of marvin gaye's "let's get it on" mixed in.  it is completely "woo-woo" music and i don't even care. 

stop.  sexy time.

Happy {Horror} Weekend!

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yahoo!  so happy it's friday and you can even speed on the highway (if you are lucky enough to not be stuck in traffic)!

 

tonight b and some friends will be attending the l.a. horror fest to see b's sister and hubby's film "evidence".  first we are planning a bite and drink at pizzeria mozza and i couldn't be more excited. 

 

trying to fit in a workout into saturday somewhere and devote some time to traffic school (don't cross over double yellows to get into a turn lane - $300 later). 

 

lastly a sunday morning hawks game and mimosas.  life is good!

 

xoxo

Forever Frugal Friday

 

capes.  formally only for superheroes are now being worn by all in the fashion world. 

 

a heavy coat in l.a. is a bit of a waste of money as it only gets probably 30 days of wear for the year.  but a good cape can be worn well into the spring.  this contrast boucle poncho (it's a cape) is the perfect piece to add to your fall wardrobe that will also work in the winter.  i love the marbled grey and contrast black stitching, perfect to dress up or down depending on what your day has in store. 

 

what do you think about the cape trend?  in or out?

The Smells of Fall

 

i have fought the arrival of fall long enough!  it is now time to embrace the crisp air and warm fall scents! 

 

my mom and dad ever so kindly sent me two incredible candles from bath and body works to welcome in fall.  i lit up the sweet cinnamon pumpkin (apparently no longer available on line - check in stores) for the first time on tuesday night and my roomie came home and said it smelled like thanksgiving in our house - success! 

 

above are some of my fave fall holiday scents (don't worry, there will be a winter holiday set come december).  i also would like to mention that although a candle is the obvious and easiest way to incorporate fall smells into your life, might i also recommend trying out a soap while you are at? 

 

1 ~ voluspa three-wick tin in winesap apple spice

i first received this yummy candle from boeing at work and it makes you crave a hot apple cider (spiked for me please) and the coziest socks you find. 

 

2 ~ anti-bacterial sweet cinnamon pumpkin

i am not a big advocate of anti-bacterial soaps (i believe they weaken your immune system) but after smelling the candle i just couldn't pass on a bottle of it.  i put it in my center console of my car for post workouts, gas pumps and any other yuckies that i may come across.

 

3 ~ williams-sonoma essential oils dish soap spiced chestnut

if you have been following this blog, you may recall this is my fave scent ever.  and while i usually just savor the candle, i was introduced to the dish soap and let me just tell you, doing holiday dishes is a whole lot easier if this delightful fragrance tickles your nose.

 

4 ~ NEST candle pumpkin chai

now this one i have actually never had the pleasure of smelling, but it is high on my list to find since pumpkin and chai are two of my favorite scents.  adding them together can only mean one thing - holy goodness. 

 

5 ~ White Barn 3-Wick Candle Leaves

the second candle my mom and dad treated me to and it is another goodie (my roomie perfers this to the pumpkin scent).  i can't quite describe the scent other than it smells like walking your dog when it is chilly outside at about 5 pm.  does that make sense?

 

6 ~ ILLUME heirloom pumpkin ceramic candle

oh this candle brings sweet memories of christy and this past weekend in san francisco with carebear.  not only did illume master the scent factor but they really stepped it up a notch and provided a beautiful holder that requires no removing of stickers or hiding a label, just pretty gold and fall tones.  winner.

 

so that's it.  my fave scents for fall!  and just a tip, if you can't wait for your scents to arrive at home, your local grocer should carry the pumpkin maple scent in a variety of items for very reasonable prices.  no excuses! 

 

i would love to know your favorite fall scented home good...what's missing from my list?

Word Up Wednesday

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i was reintroduced to fall this past weekend in san francisco.  it was nice to see this old friend.

 

i like this little reminder. 

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love this.

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a good reminder.

 

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i love this quote and love how i found it just when i needed it.  i got some disappointing news this week and was feeling a little down in the dumps.  then i had an amazing conversation that left me feeling hopeful and excited for the possibilities ahead.