the anthropologie letter

 Letters for the kitchen are all the rave. From spelling out COFFEE, TEA (which work in a child's room as well. My daughter's room is so girly, it was perfect for her love of tea parties) to EAT, as seen on the show Cougar Town. I love this idea! However, these all can be quite pricey and why not DIY for a fraction of the price! 

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-room-monogram/77415.jsp

I love these letters from Anthropologie but don't love the price. Here's an alternative to the Anthropologie Zinc letter.

I purchased these cardboard letter for only $2.49 each at my local craft store. Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Joanne's to name a few.

I wanted to give the letters an industrial feel just like the Zinc letters from Anthropologie. I searched the isles and come upon these ones. The bulkiness is just what I was looking for. I bought metallic spray paint for under $4 and painted each letter. Then to give it more of an uneven metal look, I applied an acrylic paint in a dark grey with a sponge brush. Just lightly applying a few layers at a time to give it a raised finish.

To finish of the look, I sprayed the paint heavily in several areas. All together I paid just over $10 with paint and material. Such a steal compared to the zinc letters found at Anthropologie which cost $18 a letter!  

These make great gifts and add a personal touch to one's home. I know I love getting homemade gifts so I hope my friend likes her gift for her new home!

I am super excited about these Fashion Sets by M.A.C! Due to hit stores May 3rd! My all-time favorite lipstick has made the list of just one of the best-selling lip colors ever! I would fall under the Latin American set. Which describes me perfectly being that I am part Latina, no wander I love it! It reminds me of watching Novelas with my great-grandma as a child and seeing all the beautiful women with dark smoky eyes and pale pink lips!

 

Latin America & Middle East:

This set includes Russian Red, a vibrant red perfect for getting noticed. And my all-time favorite Snob. A baby pale pink. Perfect for that perfect pout.

Asia Pacific:

This set includes Ravishing,Saint Germain. Top Sellers in Seoul to Shanghai. I have Ravishing and prefer to wear it when I was a bright pop of color! It's a mix between tangerine and apricot in my opinion. Perfect for summer time!

 North America:

This set includes Girl About Town. This lipcolor is preferred in NY, LA and Toronto. I have this color as well and apply it when I want an alternative to the tradition red. It's a fuchsia color that looks great on everyone!

 Europe & Africa:

This set includes Morange, Spice and Saint Germain. Deep Berries are always iconic in places such as Paris and Capetown. I'm thinking about trying this set. Even I could be more daring with color. This is far from my favorite snob, pale-pink but the deep berry colors could always be lightened up a shade or two depending on how it's applied. New to darker colors, gradually apply another layer until you get comfortable with it.

What color set best describes you?

hoppy easter...

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter, ours was a fun-filled one! Breakfast, church, egg hunt, movie and a bed-time story to finish the night. Goodies were eaten, laughs and giggles filled the air and memories created.

We started off the morning with breakfast. I love to wake up early and prepare breakfast for my kids so that they can wake up to the  smell of bacon & eggs cookin'. I made eggs in a basket. Simply placed the bacon in a cupcake pan and baked them for about 15-20 min at 425. I then stuffed them with eggs which I had scrambled up and added spinach to. You could also top with cheese. I made butterfly shaped toast from cookie cutter.

Another one of my favorite Easter meal's is a nest egg or bird house breakfast.

A childhood favorite of mine passed down generations. I used to love when my mom would make this for me! Cut out a hole in a slice of bread. I use a small cup to get a perfect circle shape. This time I used a square glass cup to create more of a "door" shape. Place the toast in a skillet with butter or as I like to do, butter both sides first so it gives it cooks it to a nice brown and you don't get a greasy mouth full. Fill the hole with an egg until cooked. It can be scrambled or sunny side up.

After breakfast, we attended church and let our bellies rest as well. These are nice to prepare in the morning and refrigerate so that when you get home from church or your egg hunt, you can take them out of the fridge for a little appetizer while your guests are visiting.

I always create a drink station, meal station and dessert station when hosting a get together. For my dessert station, I filled several small mason jars with an assortment of candy. All which cost about $1 each and wrapped them in ribbon for a decorative look. The Dollar Tree is also a great place to look for glass dishes for displaying candy. A cupcake stand to display cupcakes, and different shaped or sized platters to display the rest of the treats.

Carrot cupcakes and cake pops are great for Easter. I always decorate each cupcake different. Makes it more fun when trying to decide which to pick.

This year we made Tie Dye eggs. This picture doesn't do justice but these were fun for the kids! Before hand, we also wrote on some with crayon. I used words or phrases that had meaning to me such as "He Is Risen", "Hope" or "Jesus" because this is what we celebrate in our home in addition to the Easter Bunny. During our hunt, whoever found the eggs received $5 for each "special egg". Of course, this always makes the hunt more competitive. And for the one who helps hide the eggs (in this case my 11 year old as he feels he is too old to hunt for eggs) receives $5 for being a LEADER.

Silly me forgot the foam block to stick the cake pops in so they could stand in an up-right position so I quickly came up with the idea after cutting up celery to leave out for the Easter Bunny. I placed the bottom of the celery in a dish, popped the cake pops into it and topped it with decorative grass to hide the any celery.

Along with Easter baskets the Easter Bunny always delivers a movie for the family as well. This year it was HOP! We all gathered around the TV after our long day and watched this super cute movie that was great for the entire family!

And to finish off the night, a bed time story that my daughter received In her Easter Basket. The Easter bunny always brings books in my children's baskets. Something I am very grateful for. This particular book even made my boys laugh. Such a cute book!

st. patty's day...

Hope everyone had a Happy St. Patty's Day! It's always a fun time in our home. I had my niece and nephew over to help decorate cupcakes Friday night and they got to wake up to rainbow pancakes! We rented 3 movies and spent the day piggin' out. What better way to spend St. Patty's day!

I made sunflower cupcakes and topped them off with butterflies I found at The Dollar Tree. I just so happened to find orange, green and yellow ones! Perfect to go with my color palette. I can't help that everything has to have a theme or color palette? I know, so OCD! But it looks pretty right? With our cupcakes we ate rainbow sherbet which I scooped into the left over cupcake liners. This way everyone has the same amount and its the perfect portion for kids and those watching their portion intake.

I made lime jello! Poured into individual glasses and topped with whip cream. OK and a few yellow sprinkles on top. A decorate bow made of twine for an added touch.

I have made green pancakes in the past for St. Patty's day but can't take credit for the rainbow idea. I saw it on Pinterest and had to try it. It was super easy. Just a few drops of food coloring in each batter of pancake mix and you have a great rainbow! I unfortunately ran out of food coloring and wasn't able to make purple but hey, that would have been an even larger stack an this I must say was filling enough.

I decorated some cupcakes with rainbows made from Sixlets. Who doesn't love Sixlet's! For my pot-0-gold, it was a simple Rolo candy placed at the end of the "rainbow".

My mom always made this punch for my parties when I was growing up. 7 Up, fruit punch and topped with with sherbet. Of course I stuck with "rainbow" sherbet to stick with my theme. If you aren't able to find a lime punch, a few drops of food coloring work just fine. Finished it off in a mason jar wrapped in twine and complete with an orange mustache straw (which my kids thought was for the Lorax).  

I wrapped a few cupcakes in tissue paper and twine.

The rest I put in these great rainbow wrappers I found at The Dollar Tree in the Easter section. I love the dollar store!

Found these cute hair bows in the $1 bin at Target. Perfect for the occasion!

Her "nini" (grandma) found this cute shirt at Old Navy for less than $10. She paired it with green skinny jeans and gold ballet flats. She loves Mickey and Minnie and of course it's perfect for St. Patty's Day! I'm sure she will wear it every day for the next week! :)

This is just some of the great stuff I found at Target and The Dollar Tree that were perfect for the occasion. You don't always have to spend alot of money or look in the "featured holiday section". Think outside the box! My kids had no idea who the Leprechaun is by the way. They thught this was a Lorax party...haha! So there you go, a good idea for a Lorax themed party as well ;)

spring break revamp...

What will you be doing this Spring Break? Redecorating, rearranging or refurbishing? Spring Break is a great time to revamp your living space. On a budget, no problem! Look for sale items, items from other rooms in your home or yard sales for new treasures! Doing an exchange with friends is even better! Rearranging a room can give a whole new look to any room!  Here are a few things to do to this Spring Break to freshen up any room this Spring Break!

Adding a monogram to a room will give it a personal touch! I found this "E" year ago at Ross for about $10. Once placed solely on the wall now placed next to a collage of pics.

A collage of family pictures will give a blank wall an entire new look. Try taking pictures from other rooms and placing them all on one wall. Mix and match frames for an ecclectic look or keep them all simple for a modern look.

Tired of the same old mirrors or picture hanging up in one room? Moving items from one room to another will give a room another look and no money spent, makes it even better! These mirrors once bunched in a group of 4 hung on my dining room wall. Now placed over my bed frame, it gives my room a whole new feel.

Adding something new (or old) can give any room a special touch. This vintage inspired soap dispenser was only $12.99 at Target.

Adding a touch of color to the wall will spice up any room! Whether it's an accent wall or the entire room, it will give any space a brand new feeling.

Updating a simple shower curtain or window draping can make a big statement. This shower curtain was on sale at Pottery Barn for half the price. Too good to pass up and the yellow gives my bathroom a bright, airy feeling. This mirror was once in my dining room bunched with 3 others.

cinnamon bread, cheddar cheese and granny smith...

What do you get when you mix cinnamon bread, cheddar cheese and granny smith apples? One amazingly divine guilty pleasure! Typically, this would be a "feel good Friday" post with healthy food but my friend shared this recipe with me that she stole from a grilled cheese cook-off who probably stole it from their great-granny. Anyhow, I was itchin' to try it out!

  

A Friday trip to Trader Joe's is typical for me so why not get all the fixin's for this amazing grilled cheese that I've been hearing about! Their prices are great and they always have the most interesting items. The possibilities are endless, this must be the reason I can never go in for just one thing! I used sharp cheddar cheese and layered thinly sliced granny smith apples over it. Grilled it just as you would a "normal" grilled cheese.

You could also use pears instead of apples or both together! I love to add pears in with apples whenever I bake an apple pie! This is exactly what this reminds me of when I bite into it!

I always finish off any dish with a garnish! I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cheese and placed a couple of apples along with it because I am OCD that way! On the side of the dish is nice but added to the top is even better!

Now although you may feel great while eating it, you are sure to feel guilty afterwards so once your food digests, take a little walk or just eat smaller portions on your next meal. Everyone needs a little guilty pleasure now and then!

Happy Friday Everyone!

international pancake day...

It's International pancake day and IHOP is giving away free pancakes from 7 am - 10 pm. Now if you weren't able to go to IHOP to receive free pancakes then why not have your own celebration! If you didn't treat yourself to pancakes this morning, pancakes for dinner are an even better treat! It's dinner and dessert in one!

and why not have some fun with it by making mickey mouse pancakes for the little ones or the big kids as well ;)

Feeling guilty about eating pancakes? Top it off with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of powder sugar or as I did, indulged in all the fruit afterwards so that I didn't feel as guilty! I'm now stuffed and ready for bed! BTW, blueberries are a great antioxidant and great for the skin and strawberries will keep those teeth looking white! The oranges are a great source of vitamin C, which is also great for the immune system!

Happy International Pancake Day!

http://www.delish.com/food/recalls-reviews/ihop-national-pancake-day-customers-receive-free-short-stack?ocid=ansdelsh11

valentines day in our home...

Love is patient, Love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud. In my home,  it's the simple things that make me the happiest. Fresh flowers can brighten any room, homemade goodies can turn a frown upside down, a simple hug can say a million words and time spent together with loved ones, priceless.

These cute vile of bubbles (top left) were found at Target and came in a cute assortment of colors, which gave me inspiration for choosing my frosting colors. Fresh flowers placed in tiny cups all over the house gave it a sweet touch and candy dishes placed throughout the home as well make it extra sweet! (just make sure to keep an eye are your kids or they will eat them before the holiday arrives!)

I always buy myself fresh flowers, especially for Valentine's Day! Not only do they make any room look beautiful but they can brighten up any gloomy day.  I finally put to use my new IKEA vase that I purchased for only $2.99, what a steal!

The Spray Rose is my absolute favorite type of Rose! It's delicate wispy petals are so beautiful! If you love the Shabby Chic look, these are perfect for you. Trader Joe's has a great assortment of fresh flowers and always a great price! All these for only $5.99.

We started our Valentine's morning off with pink pancakes! Even the neighbor boy joined us. :)

Baking cupcakes are a must when it comes to Valentine's Day!

Simple cellophane baggies were stuffed with homemade cupcakes and goodies for the "sweetest teacher".

The movie Mr. Popper's Penguins made a great gift for one of my boys. No need to spend an outrageous amount on your tiny valentine's as I used to. Teaching them the real meaning behind each Holiday is what's important! Originally $19.99 and only $9 at Target this week only! A small box of chocolates and of course, a toothbrush to brush those tusk! Good 'ol dollar store for those.

and Real Steel as well for only $9. I purchased 3 movies and had a savings of $34.00! They even had "The Help" for only $9, which would make a great gift for yourself!

How sweet are these faux leather ballet flats in red! On sale for only $15 and red heart leggings for only $5 both at Old Navy!

For dessert, I found these chocolate shortcakes at Sprouts and topped them off with fresh strawberries, whip cream and sprinkled them with love! Homeade shortcake is even better but for those who don't have much time, these are time savers for sure and work just as well! :)

For an adult treat: These are my favorite truffles! I am not a huge fan of chocolate but received this brand by Trader Joe's one year as a gift and have gone back for more on several occasions. Only $2.99, beats Godiva prices for sure! I found a great Pink Moscato by Amusant at Trader Joe's for only $5.99. I must say it was a great way to end my long day! Everyone deserves a glass of bubbly on Valentine's Day! 

I came across this great Valentine's day card... for those who know me, know my love for coffee! For the one who receives this card will be one special person!! I'll hold on to it for now ;)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!