6.26.2014

A Cake for the 4th of July

 My family likes to get festive when it comes to holidays, most of the time we go over the top. lol which I like to consider a good thing. For the last few days I've been trying to think of what I could take to our family get together for the 4th of July. Then it hit me, my mom used to make this strawberry cake all the time when I was a kid. Since I wanted to go with the theme, I tried it out with a white cake and dyed it blue. Turns out, it's just as good. 
All you need to do is add some blue food coloring to a white cake mix (I used a store bought one but if you can make it from scratch, then you go girl! One day, I'll be right there with you) For the frosting, add about 4 teaspoons of tropical punch kool-aid to one container of cool whip. Mix that together, frost the cake, and add sliced strawberries on top. That simple. And is everyone will love this.
Do you have any favorite sweets for the 4th of July?
xoxo erica

6.25.2014

Pink Dresses & Mint Poufs are Fun

Dress: Marshall's, Belt: Target, Shoes: Nine West, Pouf: Ban.do Clutch: Jenny Packham (similar)
Over the weekend, we went to a comedy show and then an 80's club after to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. We saw Gabriel Iglesias "Fluffy", and he had us laughing all night long. I knew the night was going to be good night filled with laughter, drinks, and dancing with some of my favorite people. Naturally, I had to wear something just as fun and this mint pouf always makes any outfit seem that much more fun..see I even do kissy faces. lol. 
Happy Wednesday girlies...it's date night!!
xoxo erica

6.24.2014

Married Makings // DIY Storage Cubby Hole Stand

 Okay, so I'm really excited to share this project. I've always done all the diy crafts/projects for the blog on my own, but this one is pretty special because me and Chris built this together!!!! Ha, actually Chris built it and I painted it lol Either way, it's always nice to do something together as a couple. For the wedding we did a lot of diy projects and had fun working on creative things together so I asked Chris to jump in on this project with me. When we got married, I moved in with Chris. The only problem was that Chris had a guy closet...and I have a lot of clothes. You get where I'm going with that right? Yeah, not enough space for both of our clothes. Luckily, I have a handy man and we decided to make this storage cubby hole stand to put some of my things in. Oh and the colors are just fun, bright, and happy...I love it! 
We used a treated 2x12 (but we recommend using a 2x12 white wood for a budget and time friendly)
Start off by measuring the top and bottom of the stand which will be your longer pieces. We did 34 1/2 inches. Use a skill saw if you have one, but if not a hand saw is just as good. Measure the skill saw to the depth of the wood (go no further than a 1/4 of an inch below the wood). Cut down the line where you measured 34 1/2 inches.
After all you cut all the pieces you should end up with:
Two pieces that measure 34 1/2 (top and bottom)
Two pieces that measure 11 inches (sides)
On your top piece, draw a line measuring the width of your side piece (this will be your boundary line of which you can place the nails). After your lines are drawn put a nail at the top and bottom of each end within the boundary you just created. Hammer the nail just far enough to wear you see it poking out on the other side. Line up the side pieces to the ends of the top piece. (Make sure the side piece is on the inside) Once you have hammered both side pieces to the top piece, flip over and repeat for the bottom piece.
 It should look like this, once all pieces are attached together. Make sure your corners are flushed (even). Take a tape measure and get the width and height of the stand to create your back piece.
 On a piece of particle wood (we used a 1/4 particle wood), measure the width (34 1/2 inches) and the length (12 inches). We used a chalk line to create straight lines. You will cut this out using the skill saw,  again remember to adjust the blade height like you did earlier when cutting the wood. 
 Look, I'm using power tools!! and of course I'm in a dress and heels.
Okay, back to the tutorial. use a t-nailer with a 18ga x 1 1/4 nails. Lay your just cut piece on the back of the frame, make sure it lines up evenly, and nail away. If you don't have a t-nailer tac-nails are just as good (use at least 1 inch)
 All you need to do now is make the dividers in the stand. 
Take your measurement of the cubby hold and add an additional 1/4 of an inch...make a line there.
 (Ours was 11 1/4 inches) From a 1x6 piece of wood, cut two pieces that are 11 inches in length. Place them where you marked your lines and make sure they are even by using a level. Once leveled, hammer in with t-nailer or t-ac nails.
We decided to add a 2 inch leg using a 2x2 piece of wood.
 Use painter's tape to outline the borders and paint your stand. I wanted to only highlight the edges but you can get creative here. Then we created lines on the cubby holes with a bright blue paint. Again use the painter's tape to section off the parts you don't want painted. Let everything dry.
Fill up with all your things. 
xoxo erica & chris

6.20.2014

Date Night Outfit

Dress worn as blouse: Marshalls, Skirt: Langford Market (similar), Heels: Rebecca Minkoff, Clutch: Thrifted
 Ever since we got married, our weekends have been tied up with hanging out with either mine or Chris' family. We quickly decided that we needed a day for just ourselves. That's where date night came in. So every Wednesday me and Chris go out for dinner, and as of lately a movie. This is one of those date night outfits. Even if we do go to the movie theater which is a pretty casual place, I dress up anyway. Sequins, a skirt, and high heels is the perfect kind of outfit for me. 
Happy Weekend girlies!!!

xoxo erica

6.19.2014

Life Lately

 1. Doing my "show off my skirt" pose
2. Starting my morning off the right way...chocolate & sprinkles.
2. Catching up on magazine reads on my lunch break.
3. Wearing out my new shoes...love them.
4. Taking family walks with Chris & Scar. 
 6. Summer nails...obsessed with falmingos <3
7. Date night drinks :)
8. Pizza pizza...I could eat pizza every day. This is delicious.
9. Trying to get lucky...we won $40!!!
10. Celebrating family birthdays...we've had 3 in the past 10 days!!!

xo erica
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6.17.2014

Tuesday Three Way // Summer Nail Ideas

Sally Hansen Dive In, NYC Pink Promenade Creme, Essie Tart Deco, L'oreal Royally Yours
I've been loving all the bright nail polishes that are out right now and fell for this gorgeous blue on our last trip to Target. I think that Chris is catching on to the fact that when I say, "let's go grocery shopping at Target" it really means, "let's get a few things to eat while I get all the other stuff I really want like clothes, magazines, or in this case nail polish". haha Hopefully he's not though.  Last year I got into nail art and even shared a few tutorials on the blog. I haven't in awhile and thought it would be fun to share a few quick ones to get you excited about summer since it's right around the corner. 
 Summer Silhouettes
This reminds me of summer sunsets and really makes me think of the beach...my happy place. 
I did palm trees which were pretty easy to draw with a nail art pen. Just a simple curved line for the trunk, small curved lines for branches, and then adding leaf like points. Let the palm tree go solo or add another :) 
Wouldn't this be fun with flamingos too!?! 
 Pops of Color
This nail idea is what I would call summer fun...the combination of bright and bold colors are perfect for summer. I made this effect by simply dipping a q-tip into some polish. The dots don't come out completely perfect but I like it that way. Once the first color dries, add another color of dots just slightly off the original ones. Have fun with the color combinations.
 Pastel Tips
This look is great for when you want something a bit more classic but with a fun twist. I went with the bright blue as my base and used the pastel polish for my tips but I think it would be just as pretty reversed. Simply put a strip over the base polish once it's dried and pat it down to make sure everything is sealed off so when you paint the tips the polish won't bleed over.  Paint the tips and remove the tape once dry. If you feel confident enough with a steady hand you can free hand painting the tips.
Fun right? Do let me know if you try any of these!

xoxo erica

6.16.2014

DIY // Pom Pom Tote

 Lately I've been into pom poms...I'm not sure why, but I guess it's because they are so darn cute! I use tote bags all the time to carry essentials whether it's while going to the gym, a quick shopping trip, or even just to keep all my electronics together. I feel like I'm always on the go so it's nice to have everything in one place...sometimes I even throw my clutch in there. Since pom poms are my latest obsession, I figured why not? Let's make a pom pom tote! Oh and colors that remind me of the ocean are always a plus for summer.
 Supplies: Yarn, Tote Bag, Scissors, Glue Gun
 First you will need to make your pom poms.
1. Wrap yarn around 3 fingers about 55-65 times.
2. Cut a piece of yarn about 6 inches long.
3. Wrap that piece around the yarn wrapped on your fingers.
 4. I remove my middle finger and adjust the string to center the yarn.
5. Tie the string in a knot.
6. Cut the edges to create pom pom.
 7. Place glue in the center of pom pom and press the middle pieces together.
8. Glue pom pom to tote bag.
All done and ready to fill with all your summer essentials!!
xoxo erica

6.13.2014

Black Sequins & Golden Hearts

Top: Target (old), Skirt: Target (old), Heels: Nine West, Necklace: Rue 21 (old)
 I'm not sure why, but every time I wear a full skirt I have to do this "show off my skirt" pose. lol I'm calling it my signature thing. Oh and once I put on sequins, I like to pile on the sparkly things...this necklace is one of my favorites and the heels I'm in love with. If I wasn't afraid of wearing these heels out, I'd probably wear them everyday. Seriously. No joke. On another note, hello Friday :)  For some reason this week has felt like the longest and I'm soooo happy it's finally the weekend. And for once, we are all caught up on shows, there are no parties to go to, and we don't have any real plans. I think I might just catch up on sleep...it's going to be nice. Go out and party for me, ok? 
xoxo erica

happy weekend :)

6.12.2014

Gimmie What I Want // June Wish List


the dress
I think on everyone's wish list is that perfect summer dress. For me, it's this one. I'm a stripes girl all the way and I love that this dress switches the stripes directions from the bodice to the skirt...oh and a fun bow detail doesn't hurt either.

the shoes  
I'm having a huge thing for ankle straps on shoes these days...I'd say more than half of the ones I already own have them. I'm loving this neutral color block combination of these heels and they would go with pretty much any summer outfit.

the accessory
Okay, so neon is one of the things that NEEDS to get in my closet this summer. I've been wanting to have something neon to just give that pop to outfits like a classic tee and jeans. I think this neon yellow bag would look good hanging off my shoulder, right?

What's on your current wish list?

xoxo erica

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