You've Gotta Try This: Zip List

Oh how I love technology! I really do enjoy cooking, but the one part I HATE is deciding what to cook. I have some favorite food blogs, but sometimes that even gets boring. I don't know where I found out about ZipList, but I do know that I love it!!

Just go to ZipList.com & sign up! Here's a short little list of some of the best features:

• Add your own recipes or ones that you find online so you have them all the time
• Find & send you neat & popular/new recipes right to your email
• Create a shopping list for you AND {get this!} organize it by aisle and send it to your cell...amazing
• Master List suggestions for popular gatherings - Bday parties, Cocktails parties, BBQ's, etc.
• Find coupons for you for the things you buy most
• Diet-specific checklists for whatever you need! {Diabetics, runners, etc}

So for example, if you were going to make this delicious recipe tonight, you could add it to your recipe box, click on "create shopping list" and it pulls all the ingredients for you. You can uncheck any ingredients you don't have already at your house, then it puts it into your shopping list. Take your phone to the store w/ you, and viola! You didn't forget anything at the store!

I just love it. And the BEST part - - it's FREE!! How is it free?? Here's what the ZipList website says:

"We let you manage your recipe box and shopping list for free. Based on items on your shopping list and where you live we are able to show you coupons or from retail grocery stores and manufacturers that save you money. We charge those companies to advertise their offers to you."

 I'll take it! Happy Shopping!

xoxo

That's Pinteresting...

So I posted a little bit ago about Pinterest (which is amazing), but I know a lot of people have been saying that they are spending a lot of time on the site "pinning" neat things to do and not reserving any time to actually DO those neat things. I wanted to share some of my Pinterest projects that I have tried since I started pinning :)

Snowflake pillow

{Felt snowflake template found on my pin board - I used flannel instead of felt for the pillow because it was on sale at JoAnn's}

Bird Ornament (top of the tree)

{Made these with my Momma! Bonus in this picture - you get to see the weird squid/snowman ornament Sebastien gave me last year!}

More Birds!

{I can't stop making these things. Had to add two to the wreath I made for our front door!}

Christmas Tags - Free Printables

{So simple! I should have printed them on both sides, but whatevs. Wrapping paper from Target!}

Painted wooden letters with ribbon

{Made these with Brittany! I hung them on my pantry door because it was looking a little bare. She put hers in some garland and it looks BEAUTIFUL!}

I've also made some food, but that will be posted later.

All of these can be found on my pin board - CRAFTY. Follow me here!

XOXO

5 Things

One post per week is not my goal, but it's something! Another "5 Things"

'Believe' sign at Macy's! Not as wonderful as the one in NYC,  but it will do :)

 Thanksgiving lunch with The Smiths & The Chains! 

Got to use my leaf cut-out on my apple pie this year

Went to the 118th A&M v ut game (a little Saw Em Off action here)

This has made my morning for the past 2 weeks! Now I can make my latte at home

Have a wonderful rest of the week! 

XOXO

5 Things

I completed my 365 Days of Happiness, & I am so proud of myself for sticking with it! But alas, now I'm sad. It's not like I don't still find happiness in something everyday, but I really miss sharing that with everyone! There was just something about saying "out loud" those things which made me happy that day. I really enjoyed it. So, I decided to tweak that task just a little and post here my "5 Things." Just a way for me to share what has made me happy in hope of inspiring others to find happiness in little everyday things as well. Enjoy!

Engagement toast with friends! I got the special "engagement ring" glass :)

Meeting Christian Siriano at Neimans while shoe shopping! He is so tiny!

Using our first engagement present

 {Nora Flemming platter complete with "turkey" mini}

Sunday Morning brunch at home! 

{Using our second engagement present - double waffle maker!}

XOXO

Cleaning Your Make Up Brushes

Up until I saw this video over at Capitol Hill Style, I must admit I didn't clean my brushes very often at all. Now I do it every week! They feel soooo much better when they're clean, & after you see all the grossness that comes off when you wash them you will want to do this every week too.

All she uses is Antibacterial dish soap and EVOO. How easy! You can clean your brushes right now!! I haven't bought the brush guards yet, so I just dry mine on their side - faux pas apparently. Whatevs. This girl is adorable & says things like "sebum" so you know she's legit.

Now go clean your brushes or your face will break out with bacteria!

You've Gotta Try This

I'm slacking on my blogging again - boo me. Skydiving was going to be my next AWESOME post, but since it's been postponed, I am going to share 2 website that you've gotta try!

First: Whole Foods Cooking

This is the "Recipe of the Day" - Wild Rice & Barley with Apricots and Tarragon 

I don't know about you, but that sounds super fancy to me. But I can totally do it! And I'm going to this weekend. Just you wait. They have tons of recipes on there, & since they're from Whole Foods I automatically feel like they are healthy and cool. I don't know why I always feel so much more hip when I'm in Whole Foods than when I'm in Kroger. I mean it's just a grocery store...or is it? I absolutely LOVE walking around Central Market and/or Whole Foods. I feel like there are so many things that I've never tried! But then I get frustrated because they don't have things like Golden Grahams, and I go back to Kroger where I belong. ANYWAY. Try this website for recipes if you want to be cool.

Second: Pinterest

Now, you have to be invited or get on a waitlist (for like a day), but it's seriously worth it. This suggestion does come with a {warning} though - IT'S ADDICTIVE. Now you may be thinking - 

"um, it's just pictures I'm pretty sure I can handle myself." 

No. I was "pinning" this morning at 6:15. That's an addiction. 

But you can pin cool things like this:

Hilarious things like this: 

And BEAUTIFUL things, like this:

I mean seriously... that is some good stuff right there. Anyway. I hope you will join, & I hope you will follow me so I can follow you & see what wonderful things you find to pin.

Happy Friday!

I Looooooove...

So it's been a while {again} since I've posted anything here! My bad. I have been keeping busy with traveling & appearances, which is good for me! I've seen a bunch of other bloggers that do a "What I'm Loving Now" post every now & again, so I wanted to post about some of the things that I'm loving right now!

1. My book. Soooo I finished my book!!! OMG. I got a bad sunburn when I was in Miami because I was reading while I was laying out & forgot to turn. I seriously couldn't read it fast enough :) Amaze-balls. Now I'm reading Tea Rose {recommended by my Boost}, & I haven't really gotten into it just yet. I'm definitely going to stick with it though! We shall see.

2. Kate Middleton. I can't get enough of Kate Middleton. Of course I'm so jealous that she is going to be a princess, but mostly I've been obsessed with her hats! How fabulous is she? I think I will start a hat revolution here in the States... who's with me??

And my faves:

3. Gold Necklaces. I was always a silver jewelry person until about 6 months ago. Why the switch? No clue! First I got this necklace from Stella & Dot.

It's their Signature Clover Necklace, & apparently was featured in Cosmo. It's long & delicate & goes with everything. I just love it! Then I wanted a shorter necklace that was still special & versatile, & I found this one from Swarovski, the Clover Pendant. {horrible picture...makes it look cheap}

Apparently I like clovers? Who knew. This necklace has 3 different length options, which is nice. It's just simple & cute, & I wear this one with everything too! Then, a friend at work had this FABULOUS necklace that I just had to copy! Of course I won't wear it to work, but it is just too pretty to not buy one for myself!

Sequin Metal Ring Status Necklace - out of stock right now, but found on Piperlime.com. This one of course is not as versatile, but when the BF notices it & says he really likes it - you know it's special! 

4. Spring. The weather here in DC is finally warming up! (But thankfully it's not all at once like in Texas where all of a sudden it's 85 outside). I am really looking forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival activities in the coming weeks!! {Check them out} Hopefully, I will get to take one of these pictures myself:

So pretty! Breathtaking! Lucky for me, there are some of these beautiful trees right outside my apartment & some on display at the Botanical Gardens! {Also, I'm wearing one of the necklaces from above! Bonus}  

Soooo what are YOU loving right now? Share!

XOXO

BRRR - Baby, it's cold outside!

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted! My goodness. This is just an easy idea to get something up on the wall that doesn't cost a lot & is actually useful! Yay for that!

I saw the idea in a boutique down the street from me as a way to display the scarves they had for sale, & I just had to do it in my own little apartment :) Now that I live where it's actually COLD in the winter time, I wear a scarf everyday! I thought this would be a great way to have them out instead of stuffed in a drawer where I can't even see what options I have. Plus, this area of our entryway was just plain & screaming for something to go there.

The letters {found by my fabulous Momma!} were about $2 a piece. Two were already black & two were white, I had a can of black spray paint so VOILA! they are all black. Super easy & BBE even likes it. Perfect!

XOXO,

Rally to Restore Sanity

So this is a little bit late, but on October 30th I took advantage of living in DC & went to my first "political" rally! Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert (of The Daily Show and Colbert Report fame, respectively) put on a Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the National Mall. There was an estimated 250,000 people in attendance to hear the musical guests and other speakers.

Sebastien & I got separated from our group and thought we would just catch up with them when we got there...didn't happen.

Here I am sporting my Halloween shirt!

Always exciting to see the Capital

People on their way to the Rally

These people were from Hawaii!! Crazy

There were so many people there our phones didn't even work!

This is where we waited until we got in. 

There were 3 different sections - VIP (who knows how you get in there!), Special Guest (had to have a ticket), and regular...ew. No one wants to be just regular! So I sat on an electrical box until we convinced the guards at the gate (yes guards!) to let us in as Special Guests :)

SWAT Team!

Collective Cheek Pop!

Haha I liked this instruction - laugh like a mad scientist! This is the view from my seat on the box

Kid Rock

Finally Inside!!!! WOO!

It was a really fun day with GREAT weather!! The overall message was basically think for yourself. Try to see through the games that are being played in the media and politics right now and vote for who you think is right and who can change what needs to be fixed. There was no blatant support for either democrats or republicans, which I thought was great. Thank you Jon & Stephen!!

XOXO,