Too Much Fun For One Day

One Top: Two Ways

top: Forever 21
shorts: J.Crew
sandals: Bandolino
clutch: TJMaxx
sunglasses: DKNY

I think, I over-scheduled my Thursday. 

I had so many wonderful plans, but I didn't factor in that the day only has 24 hours. 

Between Jonathan's doctor's appointment, trip to the farmer's market, stupid fight on the way home, lunch (side note: it's always better not to fight on empty stomach. Everyone is a lot more snappy), hanging out with girlfriend I haven't seen in ages, laundry and taking care of super tired and cranky baby, I was exhausted. Add to that 80-degree weather and it's even more tiring.

 I crashed for a quick nap at eight o'clock and asked hubby to wake me up in half an hour. 

Yea, that didn't happen. Ha! 

But I did get up, an hour later just to have some food and go back to bed. Good thing Jonathan didn't object and was out as soon as he was done nursing. 

Seriously, it's great to have fun and productive days but sometimes we I schedule too many things at once. We I end up tiring ourselves myself out so much that next day is spend recuperating from all the 'fun'.

I think, it's a new first-time mom syndrome. I am getting it under control.

So take let's easy and enjoy our weekend!
Shall we?

Vanilla Strawberry Cupcakes w/ Buttercream Frosting {Recipe}

So here is the deal - I don't like to follow recipes. I usually read them for general reference and then go and do my own thing. It works. Sometimes. 

More times then not, it doesn't.

My sister on the other hand, she follows them to a T and gets amazing results pretty much every time. 

We were making some delicious sweets for my mom's bday party and she wanted to make cupcakes.

From scratch. Such a good daughter.

I wanted to make them from the box. Hey, I was making food too.

She won. I said, fine, but you are on your own. 

And lemme tell you, I'm glad she did. Because these were some delicious cupcakes. 

I mean, little-bakery- on-the-corner delicious. 

Lick-your-fingers-after-you-ate-the-cupcake-t-get-every-bit-of-frosting delicious.

The only thing she improvised with was the addition of strawberries. And she should have added more because they were giving the sweet cupcakes just the right amount of tartness. 

Delicious I tell ya!

And she did such a great job decorating these puppies.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup milk
• ½ tsp vinegar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/2 lb strawberries

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a bowl, mix the vinegar and milk together and let stand for 3-5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs until pale and frothy.
4. Add sugar and whisk again until incorporated.
5. Mix in the vegetable oil and set aside.
6. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
7. Gradually alternate incorporating the milk mixture and the flour mixture until everything is incorporated.
8. Finely chop strawberries and add them to the batter. Gently fold until incorporated
9. Divide into lined muffin cups, filling about ¾ full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean. The edges will be lightly golden =)
10. Let stand in the pan for about 2-3 minutes and then remove and let cool on a wire rack.
11. Frosting recipe from here. It's a lot easier just to watch a video;-)

 Party's simple decor

What To Wear: Summer Wedding

dress: Dorothy Perkins

shoes: Aldo

clutch: Nordstrom

necklace: Bauble Bar

sunglasses: Les Nouvelles 

Summer is here and the wedding season is upon us! Every time I have a formal event to go to, I reach for a dress. There is something about wearing a dress - it gives you super feminine powers. 

Here is an elegant look for any summer soiree on your social calendar. 

I especially love the color and cut of this dress. It's light, summery and very classy.

Happy shopping!

Weekend Happenings

top: TJMaxx (similar)
skirt: Loft (similar)
shoes: Tahari
clutch: H&M

Welcome to Monday!

Hope you had a good relaxing weekend.

 Mine was filled with birthday celebrations - a one-year-old party and my mom's birthday. It was lots of fun.

My sister and I threw my mom a small bday party yesterday night. Sunday afternoon we started getting some major rain and lighting. A lot of people lost their power and it was hot and humid outside. 

Thank God we didn't because first of all, the party would've been ruined and then it A/C wouldn't work. 

I'm so spoiled. I know. 

All in all, it was a great weekend.

What did you do?

How Far Are You Willing To Go To Please Your Man

Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not talking about any shades or any gray nonsense here but what you are willing to do within reason to be attractive to your man. 

I may sound old-fashioned and anti-feminist but I've been thinking about this a lot lately. 

Who do women dress for? Do we dress to stay attractive to our men or do we buy designer labels and try to fit into size 2 dresses just to show off to other women? 

Hubby tends to think it's the later and lately I've been inclined to think that too.

Let me back up a bit.

Ever since I got pregnant, my body started changing and taking some unwanted forms (hello stretch marks?). Unwanted is a very understated word. Those changes were hated with passion.
 Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful to bring a life into this world. Only it wasn't so wonderful to see my body take a hit and show clear signs of aging. I've complained and lamented over my baby weight to my hubby a few times too many. 

He kept saying that I'm even more beautiful to him, that he loved my body as it was and on and on. Sounds like a sweet guy eh? Well, did I believe him? Of course, not. 

I wanted to fit into size 2. I wanted to show other gals at church that I've lost all my baby weight. I wanted to wear a-line skirts for goodness sake. I wanted to wear all the latest blogger fashion hits (leather pants anyone?). I wanted to wear my hair in a top-knot, without it accentuating my filled in cheeks. 

But it wasn't happening soon enough.

After an honest conversation with hubby,  reading this post and couple girlfriends on this topic, couple things became very clear.

Men don't care about latest fashion.

Men don't care about size.  

When a wife is dressed nice, a husband isn't going to ask her where she got that hot dress that accentuates her size 8 curves from. He will pay her a compliment. He will tell her she looks sexy. 

The end of story. 

Well, maybe the story continues but behind closed doors ;-)

Women on the other hand? A whole different story.

Women care about the labels.

Women care about the latest trend

Women care about the price tag

And most of all, women care about what other women will say/think about them.
Don't deny it. You know it's true.

We, the female species, know that men are very easy to please. As long as men are fed and their women look good (whatever that entails for your man),  have some sexy time (ya know what I mean?) they are set for life. Yep that's all.

So if you know that your man doesn't care about J.Crew, loves to see you in heels, can't stand the top-knot and has an aversion to giant jewelry (i.e. statement necklace), would you give it all up?

 Or would you still wear/not wear it?

There is a fine line between being a total pleaser and loosing your own identity and someone who loves dressing for your husband because, well, he is the one who matters the most. Doesn't he?

It's about giving and receiving. If you want your man to give you what you want, fulfill your emotional needs and love you the way you need to be loved, it's probably a good idea to listen to his advice on your looks.
It matters to him. A lot. 

I can see how this would bother a lot of women. 'He should love me the way I am' and 'Forget it, I'm not giving up my__________' is the attitude that comes naturally.
This is what is meant by marriage being hard work, a lot of compromise and sometimes sacrifice and submission (oh no! not that word)
. Bending your own will to please someone you love isn't a sign of weakness, or giving in to male's chauvinistic domination but a sign of maturity and true love.

Isn't it what we, ladies, really want? 
I'm just sayin.