D.I.Y. Ombre Shorts

Things you'll need: A pair of high waisted cutoffs (these used to be jeans i found for 5.99 at goodwill); fabric dye; salt; steaming hot water; rubber bands to create a starburst effect; a bucket.

Follow the mixing directions on the packet of whichever fabric dye you are using keeping in mind that the solution will stain whatever bucket/bowl it is in. I recommend wearing a pair of gloves for the whole process as the water is really flipping hot and you don't want your fingers looking an odd color!

Here is the blue lagoon mixture I ended up with! After tying a couple of ends together with the rubber bands, just dunk it right in! I did mine in three sections, the third being the cuffed portion of the shorts which I let sit for the longest amount of time in the solution (5 or so minutes). The longer your fabric is submerged in the solution, the richer the color.

Pop them in the wash by themselves and hang to dry. And here is the end result!

The turquoise is more subtle than I anticipated, but I love them nonetheless! This weekend I'll probably try out a purple dye on another pair and see how that turns out. White/yellow would be another really cool color combo. Give it a try, it was the perfect project for a sunny day out of the house :)

finally, the end of the weekend!

Yep, you read that right! After clocking in 32hrs 49min this weekend, I am happy to finally have my Friday funday tomorrow! As such, please stay tuned for one (or all) of the following goodies:

1. a nifty D.I.Y involving flowers, hemp, denim cut-offs, and bleach

2. an outfit of the day

3. the recipe for a cheesy delight to try with a lovely pinot noir once your weekend comes around! :)

Until then, I'll leave you with a quick snapshot of this furry nugget because what blogpost is complete without a little picture action?

Here is Whoof being quite the smartie pants and watching her favorite channel, CNN.

The MACdaddy of all foundations.

Sorry, I couldn't resist with the title.

So foundation has always been a tricky one for me to figure out. Until someone told me you could have combination skin, I just assumed mine was whacked out. Some days it was oily, other days it was bone dry, one day my forehead would be greasy, next it would be my nose. And while there are a handful of quality products the drugstore brands provide, more often than not the formulas I experimented with would fade by the day's end, give mediocre coverage, and rarely match-up to my skin color. Ring any bells? Cue MAC Matchmaster.

So essentially, the brainiacs over at MAC have somehow managed to bottle magic. When applying , I use about 1 pump and it does a beautiful job of hiding any acne scarring or uneven skin coloring without looking cakey or turning me orange. Being a neutral foundation, MAC has created a product with more leeway in regards to matching. In the past, I've found the NC's to be very yellow and the NW's too pink. This one here is 5.0 and would suite NC40-42 just fine. It honestly blends with my skin so nicely and dries a soft matte leaving it looking delicate and natural. The design of the pump is especially wonderful because you don't waste as much product as you might otherwise. The consistency of the formula is not too thick and not too watery and does well when applied with either a brush (any generic one will do) or a sponge.

The only other thing to say is that it works better when applied with a primer (L'oreal Studio Secrets is a good one) and then set with a powder. Otherwise it moves a little throughout the day however I still get 8+ hours of wear with this and if I'm carrying on through the evening, a little powder freshens it up just fine. Here is the skinfish I've been wearing with it:

Here is a little before, during, and after action (click to enlarge!)

Looking a little worse for wear: dark circles, blemishes, uneven skin tone, frazzled hair; Applying Mac Matchmaster with rando Eco Tools brush; Dust on some Skinfinish/powder; End result: geeking out sans outstanding dark circles, noticable blemishes and overall happy about an evened out skin tone. Unkempt hair solution TBD.

At the end of the day, I couldn't be happier with this find. It did cost a pretty penny, but when it comes to something like foundation I recommend saving and then treating yourself to a quality product. If you're like me and you will be using it most days without fail, then it will be a pretty penny well spent.

Hang ten!

golden snitch sweater

With daylight savings six days away, I'm drunk on the sheer thought of sunshine and warm weather. Yesterday was absolutely divine and after a quick stroll about town, some shameless people watching (and plenty of man gawking), my co-workers and I popped into a local bar for a drink or two. All in all a perfect way to ease into the week. Thought I'd share the outfit I sported for said lazy Sunday. It was a little smart for the occasion, but I just had to wear this metallic crewneck ASAP.

Back in November-December, H&M had two versions similar if not identical to this gold one. The only difference might have been the color selection (winter version came in black and a rose gold I believe). They were retailing them at 24.95 or something along those lines. With other Christmas presents to buy, a NY trip to save for, I didn't get to pick one up and when I finally got around to it, they had pulled them from the floor. Long story short, I spotted this one last weekend (trained eye that I have) and after zero'ing in on it, nearly fainted/yelped/beat up the beat when 1. they had my size and 2. IT WAS $9.95. YES, $9.95. Sheer. Happiness.

Still working out how else to style it, but it is definitely a gem when worn over simple shirts with a collar and jeans. Here is the completed look, including the lipstick I paired with it. I'd love to try and pair it with a mint green or pastel pink for the spring time. What do you think? Should metallics be a item left for winter? Or should a girl shine all year long?

apple, gorgonzola & pecan tartlets with maple drizzle

Despite a self-enforced cheese noshing interlude, I can't completely get away from the stuff. Instead of jamming every type of gouda, cheddar, and brie into my mouth, I've resorted to jamming aforementioned cheeses into other people's mouths, and have left my pie hole to enjoy exactly that- pie. (strawberry rhubarb recipe to come!) So without further ado, I bring you the first installment of "A Cheesemonger's Life for Me," a complete guide (read: a hodge podge of kitchen experiments) to cooking with every possible cheese under the sun. First up: gorgonzola dolce.

First things first, you're going to need at least 17oz. of pastry dough that should be divided into 6 equal squares. Score these guys all the way around with a sharp knife so heat can escape and your tartlets don't become all misshapen and trollish in the oven. It'll look a little like a picture frame! Pop your third to a half pound of gorgonzola (I used dolce) into a bowl, chuck in 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and in the immortal words of Bob Marley: stir it up. To give your pastry those crisp golden edges, crack an egg in a separate bowl, whisk it lightly, and then brush along the edges of the pastry square.

Next, spread the gorgonzola/cream mixture on top of your pastry square, making sure not to cover the scored lines. Crush some pecans and sprinkle them right over and then peel, core, and quarter an apple or two. Lay them flat (don't worry if the apple chunks are little thick, they will cook down in the oven), drizzle some maple syrup over all that and pop it into the oven at 425 for 15 min. I defs recommend checking in on your little tartlets after 8 minutes or so. My oven is completely mental, so it cooked them in half the time. My guys were a weeee bit crispy, but still absolutely delicious inside! The fam really enjoyed them and it was a great time to gather round the table and share a few good laughs.

Until next time!

20. DIY: jazzing up a pair of old boots

So I've finally cozied up to the idea of staying right where I am for a change. A few months ago, I was grimacing every drive to work and complaining about the complete lack of quality coffee around these parts. But shortly after the new year, something just clicked. The little things have me smiling and who knows if it is because the days are getting longer or if I'm simply settling. But in any case, I've finally tucked away all my goodies, hung my clothes up in the closet, and am beginning to add my own little touches to this place. Some sparkle here, some pizzazz there. It it no surprise that these creative touches have somehow found their way into my wardrobe. In the last week alone, I've scoured load of blogs for crafty DIY's and cheap ways of jazzing up what you already have and making it YOURS. Take for instance, this pair of otherwise plain, worn-in boots:

Pretty nifty on their own, but with a little decoupage sealer from the craft store and patterned fabric...

They become something else! Now as much as I would love to claim this clever idea, you'll have to check out a beautiful mess for their pair of lovely floral ones. Hopefully tomorrow morning they will be all dry and ready for wear. I'll be sure to post a finished project!

19. ja-ja-ja-jammin' january

fresh water, sliced cucumbers and lemons, a handful of mint sprigs, let steep overnight. enjoy :)

Phew! January was a rough and tumble whirlwind of work work work! Even though there were moments my nails were bitten down to stubs and some zits had their spotlight moment right around mid-month, it feels good to be a busy bee buzzing to and fro. January has been nothing but a faboosh start to a promising new year. In the immortal words of John Lennon, oooo she done me, she done me good. Here is a wee recap:

NEW YORK NEW YORK NEW YORK NEW YORK. The first week of 2012 had me back in New York- breathing in the scents of the city, noshing on pizza and pomme frites, ooh'ing and ahh'ing with my nose pressed against Macy's windows, and dozing off on the ever wonderful N line.

Mr. Violin. There is a new member to my church's band (they are quite handy with the bongs you know) and I'm not sure if it is his delicious bum, broad shoulders, or the fact he isn't 35+ and married with children, but I have a mahusive crush and instead of drooling on the pew these days, I find myself up and adam, bright eyed and bushy tailed! He can play an impressive violin solo, I must say.

Mi amigo es tú amgio. Also made some lovely chums at work and am happy to be sipping coffee and doodling with them fine folk.

Nutterbutters + Nutella. Enough said.

February is looking to be filled with lots of hot yoga (must make up for lost time!), Revlon lip butters, pink nail polish, and a far better track record at church.