Joy in My Life

 

It's here! Joy the Baker, one of my favorite bloggers, released her cookbook this month. I am so glad I found it before it sells out. It is totally inspiring to see all these talented bloggers publishing books, Joy the Baker, Cupcakes & Cashmere, and The Pioneer Woman (2nd book comes out today!)

If you haven't been a Joy The Baker follower here are some of her yummy creations (in no special order):

Rosemary Lime Cocktail

  

 Baked Lemon Risotto

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Dulce De Leche Buttercream

{What I Wore} Casual Chic Work Attire

And my love affair with Old Navy continues! Do you ever start online shopping for something small and quickly realize you only have to spend $50 to get free shipping! It is such a mind trick, I always justify throwing a few more things in my cart so I can get FREE shipping -- mean while spending much more than I originally planned, but hey "I got free shipping!" Well this was one of those instances, I get a second pair of black skinny jeans and bright light weight sweater.

This outfit was great for comfort and perfect for client meetings as well. It really is nice working for an agency, because jeans are usually 100% acceptable even when the client is around.

sgkjndgk sfk ;kvjvb

A Pop of Color

This past weekend I paid a visit to my nail lady. I love her SO much! She does a great job, is super funny and compliments clients often -- win win situation. I chose an orangy pink color for my toes and she painted my finger nails to match, can't say no when it was only a $6 polish change. If you live in the south county area I highly recommend MiMi at Top Nails in Dana Point.



Cajun Shrimp by O.P.I

Happy Birthday Baby Sis!

 "A sister is someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway."

Author: Unknown

 

Today my sis turns 24! I am so happy to have her in my life as not only a sis but as a friend. This weekend will be full of celebration, laughter and love with all of our family and friends!

{What I Wore} Birthday Drinks Style

This past weekend a bunch of friends and I went out to celebrate my 27th birthday. Again, do I have to mention, I love celebrating all month long. I like giving people an excuse to go out and have a good time. Well this year I felt the need to have a mature birthday party, being that I am past my mid 20's-- eek scary (is 27 consider late 20's?)!

I've done the clubs, I've done the party bus, and I've done the sit down dinners. So, this year I decided to invite everyone out to drinks at the Artist Village in Santa Ana. It's funny the type of reaction you get when you choose to take your friends to Santa Ana, but if you didn't know, the area around the court house has a really fun bar scene offering amazing cocktails, beers, and food.

Although there are many places I would like to check out, this time around we went to The Copper Door. Let me tell you, I read amazing reviews on Yelp and this place really lived up to the expectation. It was huge, had a good selection of beer (they only sell beer) and multiple pool tables.

When you are going to a new place it can be hard to find the right outfit. You don't want to be over dressed, underdressed, or uncomfortable-- especially on your birthday. Luckily, I knew this place wasn't like a typical Newport bar so I went for a mix of comfy, cute, and chic! Click on the articles of clothing below to match this look.

Boots by Charlotte Russe

Teen Girls' Skirts by Xhilaration

Teen Girls' Clothes by Xhilaration

Earrings by Gorjana

Berry Green Protein Shake

Drinking green smoothies have been all the rage for the past couple years. I have tried some that are more like sludge, some that are bitter and then some that are pretty darn good! I took on the  challenge at home and was pleasantly surprised how easy and tasty they turned out.

Fortunately I have a 'Magic Bullet Blender', this is a simple contraption that makes it easy to whip up smoothies, juice, shakes, and even salsa!
Try for yourself and let me know what you think, or share your favorite recipe below!

Ingredients
All of the following ingredients can be found at Trader Joe's.
Yields 1 Serving 

• 2 scoops vanilla designer whey protein powder
• 1/2 a cup of frozen berries (I like TJ's very cherry berry)
• 1 cup of fresh spinach
• 1 1/2 cups of water

Weight Watchers Points: 5

Fancy Fashion Friday

Best Friends ALWAYS Know Best

If you didn't already know, I am celebrating my birthday month. All though it is quickly coming to an end, I was SO excited to receive a box from Zappos.com this week. I knew it was going to be something fabulous-- everything that my best friend Caty ever gives me is so meaningful and gorgeous. When I opened the box to see these beauties I died! They perfectly fit, are perfectly comfortable, and are perfectly me! 

Some people wouldn't be okay with pulling off wild articles of clothing, but they are a great statement piece to jazz up your outfit. I was nervous they were too fancy for work, but I paired them with skinny jeans and a peach sweater and they rocked. Plus my mom said it was feisty Friday so I wore them proud, cause mothers always know best too! Of course as you could imagine I received nothing but compliments. I can't wait to wear these with a LBD or skirts in the summer. They are super fun but will be reserved for special occasions!

Don't mind my band-aid, I play soccer.