cute water shoes...do you exist?

B and I are going camping up in Wisconson with some dear friends this weekend. Part of the trip will include a rafting excursion. Which, hooray, I'm totally down for! The drawback? We need to wear some sort of water shoes to be safe and practical.

This may sound like a total stretch, but water shoes freak me out! Sure, there are new ones nowadays that are more stylish, but they way they hug your whole foot, yikes!

So, as I was debating on where to get some, and how I can stomach having to look down at my feet, I thought about how CROCS has this new 'mary jane-ish line. They are called "Malindi" and I found them on amazon for $14.99!

SUPER cute and comfy, and the actual color is a bit darker, so not as bright as the picture.

AND. For a limited time, you can sign up for AMAZON PRIME for their 30 day free membership. You can get anything delivered in two days for FREE, OR, pay $3.99 for next day delivery.

I had originally thought I'd get the black pair, but it was closer to $25.00. The "berry" was cheaper and was cute and summery, so I went with it.

As promised, I got it in 2 days and at first, the tag said that they are size 6 W, for wide. I was a little worried, but they fit me fine. They don't have half sizes, and I'm usually a 6.5. It's a little snug, but it should stretch out a bit.

I never thought I'd buy/wear a pair of CROCS, but let me tell you, I'm wearing them around the house right now! I don't want to take them off! I'm going to wear them tonight to Navy Pier to see the fireworks with Tyson and Shannon, their 7 year old boy and 5 year old TRIPLETS. Yes, triplets! We love hanging out with them!

Anyways, gotta get back to sewing, but couldn't resist NOT sharing my new CROCS. I gotta get used to saying that...repeat, my CROCS....my CROCS... teehee!

Thai Mai Photography

I loved my wedding, and there isn't much that I would change about it. However, our biggest regret is not investing more $$ into a photographer. At the time, digital photography was not available to the Joe-Schmoes of the world, and to have a photographer work with digital would have cost a few arms and legs.

So needless to say, I am so envious of all the beautiful wedding photos that I see nowadays.

One of my bridesmaid and good friend Ruth (she also did my makeup and hair for both my engagement AND wedding - SO talented!), back in California, has a friend by the name of Thai Mai who does amazing work! He did her TTD (Trash The Dress) photoshoot, which were fantastic, but I can't find the link right now. However, her is a gorgeous photo of her and her dress!


Sorry to be so unprepared for this blog, but I seriously feel like I'm on a "photo high" right now!

I am thinking about doing a TTD of my own someday. Who knows, I might have to do it when I'm back home in Cali :o) Especially since the dress is there!

Anyways, click on to his blog, it's truly outstanding!

Thai Mai Photography

My top 3 Sephora brand goodies

Honestly, I could easily list my top 10 Sephora goodies, but I won't - so that I can save some for upcoming blogs!

#1 Mini Heated Eyelash Curler - Sephora Brand - $12

I have always been a fan of heated eyelash curlers. First of all, none of my eyelashs ever fell victim to getting unintentionally plucked. And second of all, the heat really speeds up the curling process. Once upon a time, I had bought their other eyelash curler, also at Sephora, but there was a design flaw that made the bottom/black portion of the curler loose, which is where the battery connects. I went through 2 of them before I was convinced by the salesperson to try the one that I'm featuring. What's even better is that the pink one is cheaper by $4 and the way that the cap fits on it, it will automatically turn it off, which eliminates the possibility of running the batteries dead. SCORE! While I do miss more of a handle to hold on to, the pink one is still pretty easy to use. So save a few bucks and just buy the pink one the first time your go around :o)

#2 Mineral Double Compact Foundation with SPF 10 - Sephora Brand - $22.00

I am a BIG fan of mineral powder, and was faithful to Bare Minerals for a good chunk of time. I just got tired of the loose powder and the mess that occurred every morning around the sink. I always wished they had a compact version, but I don't think they ever did. I gave up Mineral powder for awhile until one day, I ran across the best of both worlds! Sephora has their own Mineral Double Compact Foundation with SPF 10. Let me tell you, it has answered all of my prayers and I LOVE IT!

"This silky foundation provides buildable coverage and protects skin with an SPF 10, while the long-wearing formula creates a luminous finish. Tested in order to minimize the risk of allergy, our mineral foundation is talc-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, oil-free and noncomedogenic. Use the dual-sided sponge to achieve your desired look: the fuzzy white side for light coverage, or the black spongy side for full coverage. The "R and the "D" in the shade name reflects Sephora's french background.

The "R" stands for "Rose" (pink) and for those with cool undertones. The "D" stands for Dore (gold) and is for those with warm or yellow undertones. This dual-layer compact also contains a mirror, for touch ups on the go" - Sephora website.



For awhile, I was in between a D35 and D40, but now that it's summer, the D40 works perfect. When I'm in between again, I'll have to double dab and try to get a good mix of the two compacts to customize my own shade.








I have not used this, but I think it will have to be on my "next purchase" list.
Professional Mineral Powder Brush - $26












I've been using their Contour/Bronzer Brush, which I'm not happy with anymore. And Yikes! It was $36! They must not have had it in the store when I was looking to buy a brush for my new foundation. Oh well!

#3. Sephora's Fresh Gloss Lipgloss - $7

"A pocket-sized lip gloss infused with a fresh, minty scent.

What it is formulated to do:
A refreshing burst of minty flavor helps freshen your breath and the hydrating formula imparts a slick shine that makes your lips truly irresistible.

To use: Apply as often as you like, over lipstick or alone."

I LOVE THIS stuff. The minty sensation lingers for a long time and the feeling is not too heavy. And for $7, it last a long time, too.

So there you have it! My top 3 Sephora brand products. I have a ton more, but like I said, I'll save it for a rainy day. What about you? Do you have any favorite Sephora brand products? Give them a chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised, just like me!

Avocados, Mangos, and Apples - oh my!

How many times have you waited, and waited (and waited and waited) for an avocado or a mango to ripen? And how many times have you been giddy to cut into it, only to see that it's either rotten or near close to being un-edible?

Money and time wasted on good food is never a good thing.

Waste no more! Lemme tell you how to ripen fruit to near perfection!

Did you know that apples and bananas give off ethylene gas and this gas naturally ripens fruits?

1. Place fruit (I've done this mostly with avocados and mangos) in a paper bag.

2. Place an apple or a banana in the bag.

3. Close up the bag and write the date on the bag.

Give it 3-5 days and gently squeeze to see if it's ripe. Based on your preference, you can leave it in a for a bit longer, but don't forget about it! Hence, writing the date on the bag.

Another way I grew up ripening avocados, is placing it in dry rice. This only works because the avocado has such a thick skin. BUT, if you forget it about, you can ruin both the avocado AND the rice. So, be careful.

Here are few more tips on how to ripen avocados. I have not tried them all, but would love to hear feedback about it.

I also just recently learned how to cut and peal avocados. Who knew you could use the skin to your advantage? Simply Recipe has great tips.

I've got 5 mangos in a paper bag right now. The ones at Costco are the best!! There WAS 6, but I got anxious and greedy and ate one prematurely. F.A.I.L. A lesson learned, for sure!

Happy ripening!

Easy Vegan Overnight Oats

I had to pass this along from my fellow food loving girly girl, Lauren, who loves our blog! Yippee! We don't get much feedback from anyone (aside from my FC, Lynn - thank you!), so it always makes my heart happy :o)

Anyways, moving on and as a follow up to my Oatmeal blog, Lauren suggested Vegan Oatmeal Oats. I'll be honest, I haven't tried it yet, but Ms. Lauren loves it and said that shes eat it (almost) everyday.

I'm gonna try these soon, especially since they are served cold, perfect for the summer.


And lastly, I'm in love with Nutella! Love, yes, love!

Mango and Sticky Rice? Um, yes please!

Wow, I am on a blogging roll today! I can't help it! Just as I finished my last blog, I jumped on facebook and saw a recipe that I MUST share from my friend Lisa.

A wee little backstory: My friend Lisa and her friend Rachel, are the team behind Jolie Jolie: All things Prettiful. She is actually one of my inspirations to start this blog with MY (best) friend jjenell. You must check out their blog, they have such cute stuff to share - stuff they make AND stuff that they draw inspiration from. We all could use some fellow inspiration, that is for sure!

So, when I go to Thai Restaurants, I'm almost always drawn to one of their infamous desserts: Mango and Sticky Rice. However, unlucky for me since being in Chicago, this dessert is very seasonal. And when do you think I have the most craving for one? Yes, dead middle of winter! Lucky for me, now I know how to make it myself - thanks to Lisa!

Oh, and for the mangos, I suggest getting the flat, yellow mangos. They are also known as the Filipino mango. They are sweeter and don't have any of the stringy stuff.

Here is a mouthwatering picture - oh emm gee!



What you need ::

2 cups of coconut milk [about a full can]
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of sticky rice [i used the Kokuho Rose brand]
1 1/2 cup water
3 -4 ripe mangoes
Roasted sesame seeds [optional]
RICE COOKER =)

Ok .. what you need to do ::

• Soak the rice in water for about 20 -30 mins.

While that is soaking ...
• Prepare the coconut milk. In a pot, put the coconut milk in to a medium boil. Then you add the sugar and salt until it all dissolves. Put aside.
• Cut the mangoes and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

When you are done soaking the rice drain it and put the rice and the 1 1/2 cups of water into the rice cooker and let it cook in there like normal rice. BUT.. depending on your rice cooker, half way through open it up and stir in about half of the coconut milk you prepared earlier and then let it finish cooking. I like to stir the rice every 5-10 mins during the whole process ... but im sure that is not needed. VOILA! you got mango and sticky rice. I believe that the longer you let it sit in the rice cooker after it's done cooker will make it stickier.. but don't let it stay in the rice cooker too long or it will burn.

ENJOY!!!

Thanks again, Lisa! And my buds thanks you, too - my tastebuds, that is :o)

Fekkai, i heart you

What can I say, another product introduced to me by my girl J!

Fekkai is an amazing hair product that I have stayed pretty true to. However, I can only speak fora few of their products. While they are on the expensive side, most of their products last a very long time.

The line that I use Brilliant Glossing Collection


Frizz-fighting, soft-seeking shine cream works for nearly every hair type. With encapsulated olive oil spheres to instantly reboot shine all day long. Our superstar formula, ever so brilliant

Brilliant Glossing Cream, use sparingly (as it can give you borderline greasy hair) in damp hair.

$32 for 7.2 oz - but it lasts forever!




" Feather-light mist delivers an even veil of shine with encapsulated olive oil plus all day long protection. This last impression - leaves sheer shine to finish any style.

Fekkai's legendary shine collection infuses new Encapsulated Shine-Release Complex in its winnning olive oil formula to renew shine all day, strand by strand, minute by minute."

- Fekkai Website

Glossing Mist

$23 for 5 oz bottle
$9 for 1.7 oz bottle


The research I've done on this line has really inspired me to try their whole line, meaning the shampoo and conditioner. I have short hair, so it should, in theory, last longer for me. Hm...

BUT, my newest L.O.V.E. is: Fekkai Golden Shimer Gelee Mist

Beware, this is a LIMITED EDITION, so go out and buy it soon. I am already 1/2 way through my bottle and will be stocking up soon. Especially, since it's ONLY $10!

This is not your typical glitter for your hair bottle. The glitter is very subtle, but the smell, oh-the-smell, it takes me to the beach in an instant. Also, be sure to rinse the nozzle under hot running water after each use. It helps it from clogging, which will help YOU avoid spraying it all over your bathroom sink and maybe even into your eye. I personally use this more as a refresher for my hair, rather than for the hold aspect.

Which takes me to my next point. The reviews on this have been mixed. I can see this being used ONLY in the summer. But hey, if you live in Sunny Cali, you can use it (almost) all year long! The scent stays with me all day, which I love because I'm stuck inside almost all day.

Only you can decide when and how much you want to use it.

As for me, I'll be using it all summer. And maybe during the other seasons, when I want to be reminded of summer :o)

Seriously, buy some soon and let me know what you think!

"Square meals are more fun in round cups" - JJ

I admit it, I'm a crave-r and a binge-r. If I like something, I want it all the time and can't get enough of it!

My newest crave is Jamba Juice, but not what you would think. While their smoothies are tasty (I don't have a fave though), I just recently had something different when B was craving some JJ and I was craving for something warm.

I present to you, Jamba Oatmeal:


$2.95 for 7.6 oz.

"Slow cooked, quick served. Hot, healthy Jamba Oatmeal - organic steel cut oats made from scratch and served with fruit and brown sugar crumble. So grab a spoon and find your smile"

As served = 220 calories
With brown sugar crumbles (I highly recommend!) = 260 calories

It can also be ordered with:

* Bananas
* Apple Cinnamon
* Blueberry/Blackberry


My favorite:
* Brown sugar crumbles, top and bottom, with easy blueberry/blackberry.


Today's order got a little messed up. He didn't give me nearly enough crumbles, and way too much blue/blackberry.

But did I eat it all? Like heck I did! Next time, I think I will see if I can order the brown sugar crumbles on the side. I like them still it's it natural sugary form, and not so much when it's melted. But man, those crumbles rock my world!






This is only my 3rd time eating steel cut oats. I had recently seen a friend's FB post that it was quite yummy. The texture is very interesting. It almost has a popping sensation your mouth when you bit into it. The pieces are freshly milled from high protein oats and cut into neat little pieces on a steel buhr mill.

The first time I had it, I bought some at Trader Joe's. Total fail, via microwave. It never seemed quite all the way cooked, and before I knew it, it had overflowed all over the microwave - oops. So, I think I will cook them on the stovetop at home, and then reheat it here at work. Wish me luck! I'm a little nervous about buying the brown sugar crumbles. What if it's not as good?! Ok, I'll stop whining and letcha know :o)

I forget the price, but it was no more than $5 for 24 oz. for 17 servings.

Enjoy!