So Steve @ work introduced me to Ellie Goulding. I gotta say, she’s pretty awesome! This song will get stuck in your head – BEWARE!! Her whole album, Lights, is really good! I highly recommend it 
Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed
August 3rd, 2011July 2011 Birchbox
July 16th, 2011I got my very first Birchbox today! I was really excited to open it up and see what was inside. I have to say, first off, their packaging was really pretty and wrapped up like a present! Love it! Birchbox teamed up with Cynthia Rowley, an American fashion designer, for this box. So far I haven’t tried anything but the nail polish. I like the nude, pinkish color of it, very different from what I usually get. Here are the pictures & description:
1. AHAVA – Mineral Hand Cream (3.4oz $20)
Loaded with Dead Sea minerals, this fast-absorbing cream heals dry hands without a smidge of residue.
2. philosophy® – purity made simple one-step facial cleanser™ (8oz $20/ 16oz $32)
This perennial award-winner is pH-balanced to gently clear away dirt, oil, and makeup without drying out skin.
3. Redken – shine flash™ 02 (4.4oz $17)
A must for all Cynthia’s runway shows, this weightless spray gives hair a brilliant finish.
4. Zoya – Touch Collection Nail Polish in Shay (0.5 flz oz $8)
Neutral gets a sexy makeover in this creamy, slightly metallic nude. The perfect accessory to summer’s bright fashions.
EXTRA KIND – Almond & Apricot
Snack right with this wholesome bar – no preservatives or hard-to-pronounce ingredients.
Frank’s Red Hot Chicken Dip Recipe
July 9th, 2011I found this recipe in the sunday newspaper. Every time I make it, it’s a huge hit and people request the recipe
5/5 stars
Ingredients:
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup any flavor Frank’s RedHot sauce
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 cans (12.5 oz each) Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken Breast, drained
Assorted fresh vegetables and/or crackers, and/or tortilla chips for dipping.
Directions:
1. Stir cream cheese in 9″ deep dish pie plate with fork until smooth. Stir in dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir in chicken.
2. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Stir. Serve with veggies, crackers and/or tortilla chips
CSS Rounded Corners
July 8th, 2011Check out this awesome website of CSS code for rounded corners: CSS Border Radius Generator
It seems to work great in Chrome & Firefox… not so much IE, but then again are you surprised?
Purple Hair
July 8th, 2011I wasn’t a big fan of the turquoise hair, so I added Manic Panic’s “Hot Hot Pink” onto their “Atomic Turquoise” and I got this awesome purple! It looks deep purple but in some lights it’s midnight blue and outside it’s pinkish purple. I love that it has so many dimensions! I have used regular purple before and it fades out fast and fades into an ugly gray color. I’m hoping this won’t fade the same way, if anything maybe it will fade to the turquoise or pink color. Either way, enjoy!
Turquoise Hair
July 6th, 2011So I decided to put a new color in my hair, Turquoise. I really wanted a light blue or ocean-like blue but this was all I could find. I’m not a fan of having green in my hair – AT ALL. It’s not cute and usually looks washed out. This turquoise looks pretty darn washed out though!! It’s not bad but it’s not great either. Maybe I’ll try to put more in and it may even it out. I really don’t want to have to rebleach my hair lighter and more even, I just don’t want the extra damage. I think maybe I’m just used to the pinks and reds I put in? Either way, here is a picture. (Sorry it’s kinda yellow, cell phone pictures suck!)
I Won A $50 Gift Card
July 6th, 2011About a week ago I saw that Luminess Air was having a Facebook contest where you have to submit your own tutorial about how easy it is to use the Luminess Air system. The video had to be under 3 minutes and there would be a total of 6 winners. I was nervous because I’ve never made a video before and I felt really stupid posting it up everywhere for people to vote on! In the end I think it turned out pretty good for my first try (this was the 2nd take, the dog started barking in the first one!). I ended up in 5/6th place and won a $50 gift card! Yay! I’ve been entering contests like crazy lately!
Here is my video
Best Chocolate Cake Ever!
July 6th, 2011Here is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. The icing is good but I prefer to make a whippy type instead. The recipe is from: FoodNetwork.com.
5/5 stars
Ingredients:
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
Chocolate Frosting:
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
