Petits Fours of the week

I'm in love with this picture captured on one of the evening walks I take with my kids. I only live 20 minutes from the heart of LA yet sometimes the Woodlands remind me of parts of England. I got to share my first blogger video with all of you thanks to L'Occitane and I am slowly learning to relax a little-there's nothing wrong with a little ME time.

Enjoy your weekend!

Who wouldn't be excited to have these products waiting on their doorstep for them when they come home from work! A kind gesture from L'OCCITANE for my blogger video.

Alright so I'm a sucker for country music especially the ladies of Pistol Annies. They deliver heartfelt songs with a punch in them, I swear I can hear the strength in each of them. Their new album was just released so I'm enjoying listening to it over and over and yes you guessed it, over again! I just joined SoundTracking so start following me on there and you can check out one of my favorite songs from 'Annie Up'.

I can't remember the last time I went to the movies. Given a few openings in my afternoons recently I took advantage and made a date with myself and a bucket of popcorn to just sit back and relax. What's the matter you didn't peg me for a Fast & Furious girl? I have a weakness for muscle cars, not to mention Tyrese and Paul Walker!

I hope you had as good a week as I have had!

Ipsy Spring Fling

Spring Fling was the theme of Ipsy's May glam bag. The bold travel size bag contained JUICE BEAUTY Reflecting Gloss in Fig, MIRABELLA Lip Lustre Liner, YABY concealer refill, but the two products that stood out were ZOYA nail polish and PACIFICA Bronzing Body Butter.

ZOYA: This is a vegan friendly nail polish and Big5Free. The color reminds me of the sun and gave me an instant pick me up!

PACIFICA Bronzing Body Butter: Anything with coconut pretty much has me sold but this offers a little bonus by giving you a sun-kissed instant tan. TIP: wash hands after applying to avoid staining clothes!

What did you get in this month's glam bag?

L'OCCITANE BLOGGER VIDEO

Creating a blogger video for L'Occitane was like stepping into a whole new territory for me. The most I have ever done in terms of video is using my iPhone to record the kids school concerts! This was a great learning experience and an honor to get a first look at L'Occitane's new beauty products.

I would love to hear what you think about the Sublime Essence and Sublime BB Cream. They should hit the stores next month, so you don't have to wait too long! 

Teatime Tuesdays- Tulsi to calm the nerves

"Tea tempers the spirits and harmonies the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties."
                                                                                                     - Confucius

Tulsi sweet rose tea is a balance of Tulsi, Chamomile and rose petals to create a tea that relieves stress and helps protect your immune system. In India Tulsi which is Holy basil is also known as "The Queen of Herbs". I also have a sweet tooth so a little bit of Persian Gaz( pistachio nougat) is the perfect accompaniment to this tea.

Go ahead..take a deep breath, sit back and pour yourself a cup of Tulsi.

Teatime Tuesday-Beignets and Coffee!

 "(Talon pulled another beignet from the sack and held it up for her to eat.)
   That stuff is hazardous to your health.(Sunshine)
   Baby, life is hazardous to your health.(Talon)"
                                                                         -Sherrilyn Kenyon, Night Embrace

Beignet's are popular in the French Market region of New Orleans. Beignet's are French doughnuts that carry an air of sophistication, thus tricking one into thinking somehow these aren't as bad as eating a big fat glazed doughnut! I used a Beignet Mix, yes that's right an actual mix out of a box! It's not always possible to make something from scratch so I was apprehensive over how these would taste but after one batch I'm sold.

What you will need:

• Beignet Mix
• Mixing Bowl
• Rolling pin
• Powdered Sugar
• Oil
• Handful of Flour  

 Knead together the Beignet mix and water

 Roll the dough out to desired thickness. TIP: cover surface and rolling pin with flour so mixture doesn't stick and then cut into squares

Deep fry each piece until golden brown, sprinkling oil over the submerged dough 

Soak beignets to drain excess oil, then sprinkle with powdered sugar

Serve with coffee!

TIP: I cut the squares into various sizes and used the excess dough to make mini beignets

Birthday Dressing

Zara necklace, Cynthia Rowley* dress, Zara heels and nicole lee Clutch*

I was feeling very serious at the approach of my upcoming birthday( for fun photo's check out my instagram) so my way of rebellion was to treat myself with these Zara heels. Bold in color and cut they scream for attention and make any outfit pop!

*Dress found at Marshalls
*Clutch given at LA Fashion Week 2012

Teatime Tuesday- Casual Tea Outfit

Michael Kors rose gold aviators, Marks n Spencer cardigan, Francesca's blouse, H&M printed jeans and Steve Madden heels

Afternoon tea doesn't always require a dress and hat combo. If meeting with friends for a quick spot of tea keep it casual with a feminine twist. I played with textures in this outfit by pairing the jeans with a dressier blouse.

                                  My everyday clover necklace by Dogeared

Shift Dress

Ann Taylor shift dress, H&M sweater, Francesca's necklace and Steve Madden heels

I had planned on wearing an old 60's style shift dress but the weather has had a dramatic drop in temperature. Being the stubborn Taurus that I am I still had to wear the blimming dress so I balanced it out with a chunky sweater and heels.

DIY Jewelry Board

This may just be the quickest DIY project you have ever tried. I never know how to store my statement necklaces without them getting tangled up or taking up too much space so I decided to decorate my walls with them! This is also great if you are in a small living area as am I. Follow these simple steps to create your own jewelry as art.

What you will need:

• Cork board
• Pushpins
• Jewelry 

Categorize and Pin:

• Decide how you want to categorize your jewelry- by color, by size or even occasion
• Place pins strategically to hold the jewelry in place. Heavier necklaces will require more pins. 

Be warned, you may have guests wanting to try on your art!