March 29, 2017

Simple Easter Table Decor
















Hello there! It's spring time and I'm so excited! We have had a mild winter but last snow storm left us wishing for a little bit more sunshine. It's officially spring on the calendar it does not feel so outside. Even though, I have been bringing small pieces of spring inside my house. I definitely changed my front door wreath and started the Easter table setup. Not a lot of people (me included) have hundreds of dollars for table decor, especially since it's a very short season. I gathered what I had around the house and this is what I came up with. I did buy the flowers ($20) from Michael's and the M&M's  with eggs ($2.28 each) from Walmart. Thinking outside the box and using what you have on hand will yield most unique results. If you look closer you will notice that my drinking glasses are all different but that's even more fun. I used clothespins to hold name cards and simple plastic plates inside the real ones which can be used for salad (or dessert). There are no rules and as long as you like the finished result, that's all that matters. 
Hope you draw inspiration and get some ideas on how to set up your Easter table.


Materials Needed
Plates
Silverware
Ramekins
Paper plates (color of your choice)
Plastic eggs
Raffia
Flowers
Runner
Styrofoam Bunnies
Paper Grass
M&M's

December 26, 2016

Pistachio Cranberry Cookies {updated RECIPE}


Hi there! Hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and enjoyed the best time of the year. I'm not really back blogging but after hosting another Cookie Exchange Party this recipe has been requested many times. So here is my recipe because I tweaked the original just a little bit. 
Warning: highly addicting and fast disappearing goodies below.



Ingredients
2 c. flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ c. sugar
1 tsp light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter (softened)
pinch of salt
1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding mix
½ cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
*optional* green food coloring


Mix together all the dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip together softened butter and sugar for about 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy, and add eggs.

***It is best to have all ingredients at room temperature so make sure your eggs aren't from the fridge. Let them sit out for up to 2 hrs on the kitchen counter or place in glass with hot tap water for 10 min.
Add the dry ingredients and mix for about 1 minute until you can't see the flour in the dough.


Chop up the pistachios, because I could not find chopped up pistachio nuts. And do yourself a favor and buy the shelled nuts.


Then do the same thing with cranberries. It all depends how chunky or tiny you want them in your cookies
Add pistachios and cranberries to the cookie dough and gently mix just until incorporated for about 30 seconds.


Drop by a teaspoon onto a parchment paper about 2-3in apart. Again it depends how large you like your cookies.


Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, just until they are set. Transfer them onto a wire rack and let coll down. Make sure not to over bake them. Cookies may look like they are soft in the middle but trust me, they are done. Do not keep them in the oven longer then 10 minutes.






Ingredients
680 g (2 cups) flour
3 g (½ tsp) baking powder
170g (½ cups) granulated  sugar
15g (1 tsp) light brown sugar
2 eggs
225g (2 sticks) butter (softened)
pinch of salt

1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding mix
½ cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
*optional* green food coloring

Method:
Preheat the oven to 325F.
1. Mix together all the dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip together softened butter and sugar for about 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy
2. Add eggs to butter and mix well for another minute or so.
3. Add the dry ingredients and mix for about 1 minute until you can't see the flour in the dough.
4. Chop up the pistachios and cranberries into small pieces
5. Add pistachios and cranberries to the cookie dough and gently mix until incorporated for about 30 seconds.
6. Drop by a teaspoon onto a parchment paper about 2-3in apart. You can also use cookie scoop - they will be more uniform and round.
7. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, just until they are set. Transfer them into a wire rack and let coll down. Make sure not to over bake them. Cookies may look like they are soft in the middle but trust me, they are done. Do not keep them in the oven longer then 10 minutes.

***It is best to have all ingredients at room temperature so make sure your eggs and butter aren't straight from the fridge when you starting to whip them. Let them sit out for up to 2 hrs on the kitchen counter. If you we pressed on time here are couple of tips. 
ONE: Cut butter into small bite size pieces and put it into microwave on 20% power for 1 minute. Stir it and if it's not soft enough place it back into microwave for 30 seconds. 
TWO: Place eggs into a glass with hot tap water for 10 minutes.

Thanks for vising and enjoy!

July 1, 2016

Why I Quit Fashion Blogging









Hello  everyone! If you have been a follower of my blog for a while, you may have noticed that I stopped blogging at the beginning of this year.
Why you ask?
Here is the bottom line: it's not worth it!
Let me explain.

When I was starting out, I desperately wanted to be the lucky one of the few who 'made it' in the blogging world. I wanted to have the million dollar house, the fancy shoes and expensive handbags. Yes, I did try to make this a business and to tell you the truth it was going pretty well. My last month of blogging I made some money and got some cool sponsorships. And then? Then I quit.

I quit because it was consuming my life.
Blogging is not just a job you do and then close your computer and go to bed. It's a 24/7 type of thing where you have to be present on all social media. If there's social media outlet your name better be there. If there is an event for all the bloggers, you better be there. If there is a new trend, you better be wearing it the minute it comes out and not buy it on sale two seasons later. If there is a hashtag, you better know about it and use it on all social media. It is simply exhausting to keep up the appearances and chase after something that's ever-changing and so insignificant.

Let's face it, clothes matter so very little in a person's life.

No one will remember what I wore this day, or that (except maybe my wedding) but people do remember what you did for them and how much time you invested in them.

Being a Christian and a fashion blogger is simply impossible. I tried to reason in my mind that I will inspire Christian girls to dress modestly and to look classy. And although that may be true, if the heart of a person is not right, no amount of modest dressing will save them. Their life is much more precious in Jesus's eyes to care about how modest or immodest they look. Saving a life is what matters.

Can you imagine if Jesus came to this Earth to change how we look and what we do? How much would that help us? We would be very proper and well dressed people still going to hell.
I'm not saying that those things are not important but what's more important is relationship with Jesus.

Relationship with Jesus is everything.

Blogging was consuming my life and slowly pushing Jesus out. I couldn't talk about what touched my heart on Sunday or witness to someone, while trying to sell you everything possible. Look here is a cute dress, and those nice sandals I have, don't you want  to have what I have? Go buy it now. Never mind that you are in debt or have to pay bills, or maybe can't even afford food. I will make my life look so attractive and so pretty that you can't resist to buy what I have, which will benefit me. And you? I don't care about that.
That's the attitude of fashion bloggers world.

My primary goal in life is to have a relationship with the Lord that reaches others for Christ and fashion world does not allow that. On the contrary, it does everything to distract and destroy that.
I was living, eating and breathing blogging which wasn't doing anything for people in the light of eternity. It wasn't inspiring anyone to have a passion for Christ and was making the trivial things of life (like clothes) the most important.
Don't get me wrong, I still like to dress pretty and modest but it is not my goal in life.
I love my Jesus and want to live my life so it shows just how much He means to me.
Hope you can join me in living the life of stepping out on faith and having a burning passion for Him, because Jesus really is worth it all.

P.S. Also those faces above! They are worth all my time, effort and money spent. They grow up so fast and I don't want to miss them growing up because I was chasing after the wrong thing.

March 14, 2016

Jonathan's 3rd Birthday Party {Construction Theme}

















And just like that my little boy turned 3 YEARS OLD! Where did the time go? Honestly. Also, somehow it took me a month to post this and now I wonder how I had the time to do this every day!?

It was such a blast to plan a birthday party for my boy because he really enjoyed taking part in making the cake and setting everything up. He begged me to help with the cake and couldn't wait for everyone to show so he can 'play' with it. 
I didn't want to throw a huge family affair where he would be bored but invited more kids then adults. Also, I went with a simple brunch menu and cake for dessert. Everyone loved the cake and enjoyed the party! It was short but sweet and more then anything he can't stop talking about the cake and all the boys and girls that came over.

Menu
Spinach and artichoke quiche 
Ham and Swiss panini
Turkey and Asiago panini 
French toast casserole 
Hot crab salad on crostini
Veggies 
Dump truck cake

Supplies
Plates, cups, forks, construction paper, - Dollar Store
Caution Tape - Home Depot
Balloons, black gumballs, goodies bags, hard hat - Party City
Signs, candy rocks for the cake - Hobby Lobby

December 24, 2015

Christmas Card



It's Christmas Eve and we are so ready to celebrate the birth of our Jesus! We have been so busy and just tired (from lack of sleep) with the addition of our little girl (you mamas of multiples rock!). It's been an amazing and trying year. We had so many changes, and yet so many blessings! Thank you so much for another wonderful year and for growing my blog with me - it's been surreal having my wishes come true. Nevertheless, this blog has taken a huge amount of time to grow and sustain, which left me drained and exhausted. I'm so happy to have achieved this far and I will be taking a break from blog for a little bit. I need to refocus and recharge, as well as find out what's in store for next year. Till next time!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

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