tory burch x tiny prints

alice + olivia isn’t the only contemporary clothing brand collaborating with non-clothing retailers for the holidays.  tory burch teamed up with tiny prints for the tory burch holiday collection featuring 4 vibrant designs of photo holiday cards, thank you notes, address labels and personalized stationery.

the tory burch collection is perfect for the fashionista looking to send a little designer holiday cheer to friends & family.  portion of the proceeds benefits the tory burch foundation (tbf).  plan ahead and keep an eye out for tiny prints promotions for your order!  happy sending :)

spinach artichoke pasta salad

this colorful pasta salad is not only pleasing to the eyes but it’s just as pleasing to the tastebuds.  perfect citrus blend of lemon, vinegar, and veggies, the best part about the pasta?  no-nuking (microwaving) required for a quick weekday work lunch!

ingredients:

• 1 cup rotini pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup artichoke hearts in water, drained
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• handful sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• black pepper
• salt

instruction:

1. bring large pot of water to boil
2. add salt and pasta to water
3. cook until pasta are al dente
4. drain pasta and set in large bowl to cool
5. dice spinach, artichoke hearts, red onion, and sun-dried tomato
6. add diced spinach, artichoke, onion, and sun-dried tomato to pasta
7. mince garlic then mash into paste, add to pasta
8. add lemon juice, vinegar, oil, and pepper to pasta
9. gently toss salad together
10. refridgerate for 30 minutes before serving (this allows the flavor to set in)

if you are on a no-carb diet, option to substitute mushrooms for rotini :) happy tossing!

alice + olivia x sbux

there’s been a lot of amazing designer collaborations lately, from isabel marant pour h&m to these equally parisian chic limited edition alice + olivia bearista bear (how adorably cute is she?) and double wall ceramic mug.

designed by the founder of alice + olivia, stacey bendet, with the vision of a properly caffeinated dancing alice + olivia bear and a holiday mug all dressed up in signature black + white stripes with gold accents and tutu!

they’re limited edition and launched on 11/12/13, so if you have the perfect coffee loving fasionista in mind, purchase them here or visit the nearest starbucks. happy holiday shopping :)

flea market 101

treasure hunting at the flea market is an exciting & fun experience!  here are helpful tips for visiting flea markets:

do:

1. arrive early- arriving early means you get first dibs on treasures and parking.  during hot months it’s helpful to arrive early to avoid the heat.
2. arrive late- yes, ironic, but arriving later means you have greater bargain room because most vendors are more likely to give greater discount as they close out the day.  during hot months it’s helpful to arrive late to avoid the heat.
3. dress comfy- leave those heels, skirts, and dresses at home. jeans and t-shirts will do. leave those fancy jewelry too, last thing you want is your louis vuitton ruining your bargain.
4. bargain- don’t be afraid to bargain.  if the offer is not within your budget, don’t be afraid to walk away either.
5. know exactly what you want- before going, think of pieces you’re missing or need, visualize what you want because there is no turning back as return policy is non-existent.

bring:

1. cash- though most vendors now have credit card acceptance capability, but cash is a must, and having cash gives you greater room for bargain.
2. the right transpo- especially if you’re planning on picking up large pieces. nothing will make you more sad than seeing a large gorgeous vintage piece you can purchase but can’t take home. bummer.
3. a rolling shopping cart- for those stocking up on small items, it’ll help you travel from vendor from vendor, trust, unless you’re looking for an intense arm workout.
4. your imagination- sometimes vintage pieces can easily be refurbished by reupholstering, buffing, or painting.
5. water & sunscreen-  last thing you want is dehydration & sun burn.

my local flea market recommendations:

• rose bowl flea market, pasadena. 2nd sunday of every month.
• melrose trading post, los angeles. every sunday of the month.
• the groves antique market, irvine. 1st monday of every month.

happy flea market (s)hopping & bargaining :)

cake stands

cake stands come in different sizes, tiers, materials, and finishes.  though their original intention is to be serveware but they also make great home decor/organization pieces.

home decor:

• single-tier-  great for candle display.  stack candles on gift boxes, incorporate diffusers and other small decorating items for a great bed stand display (see featured image).
• multi-tier- perfect for small accessories (e.g. rings, watches, earrings, hair clips, etc.) display/storage.

serveware:

• single-tier- most versatile, suitable for serving whole cakes and pies.  if purchased in different sizes the stands can be stacked to make multi-tiered for small pastries display.
• multi-tier- not suitable for large cakes and pies but great for small pastries display (e.g. croissants, cupcakes, cookies, tarts, etc.).  tiers can be utilized for small sauce dishes for jam, butter, cream to pair with pastries.

some of my cake stand favorites:

• iron and glass cake stand set by cbk.  love the vintage finish.
• winter bakery two tier server by villeroy & boch.  perfect for christmas and accessories.
• footed cake platter with dome by crate & barrel.  use without dome for stacking, with dome to preserve freshness.
• ceramic cake stand set with ribbon by two’s company.  great for single tier display or multi-tier display. change out the ribbon per occasion and color preference.

good cake stands are worth the investment for display during parties, bridal showers, baby showers… just to name a few.  happy serving, decorating, and organizing :)

diaper cake deco

you’ve seen how to make a diaper cake here, my sister recently made a 3-layer diaper cake for her coworker’s baby shower and here are other options for decoration:

• silk flowers- trim stems short and insert into edges where the cake layers meet
• headbands- great rubber band substitute if it’s a cake for a baby girl (see top layer).  make sure the bands are not stretched to prevent deformation
• stuffed toys- make great cake toppers if they’re small enough
• blankets- roll, rubber band, they make great cake layers as well
• other small baby items- shoes, socks, rattles, pacifiers, you name it.  to secure, stuff the tags into diaper gaps, best to sit on layers for a neater look, option to hang items off the sides

again, make sure no diapers were harmed during the making of the cake.  happy decorating :)

diaper cake

need to attend a baby shower?  diaper cakes are perfect for baby showers and contain the most essential item parents need for their newborn, diaper$ (yes, diapers are di$posable & expen$ivo)!  you can easily gift a box of diapers and other baby essentials with a diaper cake.  they make perfect centerpieces and won’t go to the baby mama’s waistline ;).

supplies:

for cake

• newborn diapers (for value, i suggest these)
• giant rubber bands, one or two for each cake layer

for decoration

• baby items (toys, blanket, shoes, socks, accessories, silk flowers, etc.)
• ribbons
• glue gun
• 4 wooden skewers
• double sided tape
• optional: cake stand for display

instructions:

for cake

1. cake layers- start by spiraling the diapers and overlapping the diapers in a circular pattern like this
2. once you’ve achieved the desired size for the cake layer, rubber band the perimeter of the cake
3. if the layer is not dense or large enough, continue to insert more diapers into the layer
4. continue steps 1-3 for each stacking layers.  each stacking layer should be about 2-3 inches smaller in circumference than the previous layer to create room for decorations
5. stack each cake layers on top of each other until desire position
6. insert wooden skewers from the gaps of the top layer down to the bottom layer so all layers are connected and secured (note: make sure not to poke through diapers)
7. push  skewers down until they are no longer visible

options for cake

1. incorporate a blanket into a layer or wrap blanket around diapers for a layer like this
2. incorporate stuffed animal into a layer if the stuffed animal is too big to be a cake topper like i did with the stuffed monkey (the diapers were secured around the monkey)

for decoration

1. to hide the rubber bands around the perimeter of each layer, measure out ribbons around perimeter. hot glue overlapping edges (note: make sure you don’t hot glue the diapers!)
2. make bows with ribbons and tape them on each cake layer with double sided tapes

make sure no diapers were harmed during the making of the cake.  happy no-baking :)

c.s.o. frittata

i have a problem.  all i want for breakfast on the weekends are things not from the pantry.  my problem… too lazy to go out (plus i want to stay in my pjs for as long as possible).  solution to my laziness:  leftover veggies and eggs to make a quick and easy frittata with c.s.o. (crimini, spinach, onion) that’s even easy enough for my lazy self  :)

ingredients:

• 1/4 onions, chopped
• 5 crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 cup milk
• salt

instructions:

• whisk eggs and milk together in bowl
• heat oil (or butter) in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat
• stir fry onion until cooked
• toss in and stir fry mushroom and baby spinach until cooked
• sprinkle salt to taste
• evenly spread the veggies in pan
• pour egg over veggies
• lift and rotate pan until egg mixture is spread evenly in pan
• bring to low heat and cook until the underside is set but the top is still runny
• remove from pan

option to top with cheese and/or sprinkle with black pepper.  happy lazy breakfast :)

earl grey almond shortbread cookies

it’s monday, since we can’t have an IV bag full of caffeine infused into our blood steams, why not try caffeine in solid form?  yes please!  i love almond, earl grey, and shortbread, this recipe combines all my favorites into bite-sized buttery goodness with a light hint of almond and earl grey:

ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 earl gray teabags (i used these)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

instructions:

1. remove tea leaves from teabag
2. in a bowl, whisk together flour, tea leaves, and salt until the tea leaves are just spotted throughout the flour
3. in a mixer, add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and butter to the flour mix and mix until dough is formed
4. wrap dough in plastic wrap and refridgerate for 30 minutes
5. preheat oven to 375 degrees f
6. lay parchment paper on baking tray
7. roll out the dough to 1/4-in thickness with rolling pin
8. cut dough into shapes about 2-ins apart with cookie cutter (i used 1.5-in round cutters like these)
9. bake for 10 minutes or until the edges turn slightly brown (you’ll start to see a light brown edge appearing, you want to be careful not to burn them)
10. remove from oven and let cool on sheets for 5 minutes
11. transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature

happy monday & baking  :)

fresh squeezed orange juice

you better think twice before putting a carton or bottle of orange juice in your shopping cart!  here are reasons why store bought “orange juice” is no bueno:

• most are made from concentrate, that’s already bad enough to start
• it undergoes a process called deaeration which oxygen is removed for longer preservation
• as a result of deaeration, the flavors have been lost, so it’s artificially flavored with “flavor packs” that are full of chemicals
• pasteurized, resulting in nutrient & vitamin losses

you really don’t need a fancy commercial orange juicer like this to make fresh orange juice, all you need is a simple juicer like this at home to make fresh squeezed orange juice!

storage & uses:

1. store juice in mason jars to keep fresh.  fresh squeezed orange juice has a refrigerator shelf life of about 12 days!
2. freeze in ice cube trays.  great for making smoothies and can even double as ice for mixed drinks or cocktails!

variations:

1. add grapefruits for a great citrus blend
2. add lemon for the sour tolerant folks

1 orange has 43 mg of vitamin c, so before you sign up for flu shot, try fresh squeezed orange juice!  happy juicing :)