Manicure Mondays

Ah! Favorite bad-ass manicure ever - and it's not as hard as it looks!

Basically all you have to do it paint your nails a base color, in my case, black, then wait for it to dry completely. And I mean, completely because if you don't the base color will peel off. I like to wear the base color for a day or two before doing the second step of this manicure. 

To create the stripe pattern, cut some scotch tape into thin strips with some scissors. Apply in any pattern you like. I've done horizontal stripes, vertical stripes, but this time I wanted to go all out and do a diagonal v-pattern. Make sure to press down on the tape to make sure it is secured. Paint the second color on top and pull off the tape immediately. Let dry for a minute or so, then apply topcoat and you are done!

{what i used}

CND stickey anchoring base coat

Wet n' Wild black creme

ORLY luxe

Seche Vite dry fast topcoat

Tailored Tuesday & Travel

1. Sass & Bide 'The walk metallic open-knit linen sweater'

gosh i love this dearly.

2. Kain 'Washed silk tank'

basics.

3. Marni 'Studded leather shoulder bag'

at first glance, i thought this bag looked kinda weird. looking at it more and more... i kinda like it.

4. J. Crew 'Deena twill shorts'

gah such a pretty color!

5. Military of Switzerland 'Rucksack'

i love myself a good backpack.

6. Paloma Barcelo 'Brussel metallic leather multi-strap sandals'

would match almost everything!

7. Veer 'Woodgrain iphone skin'

lovely!

8. Forever 21 'Travel kit'

i love these things - perfect for overnight trips and the perfect size for carry-on airplane liquids!

9. Sennheiser 'HD 25-1 II'

music is a great companion. good headphones make that bond even stronger.

10. Forever 21 'Glittered makeup brushes'

pure fun.

11. Forever 21 'Polka dot nail file trio'

for those pesky nail snags.

12. Cle de Peau Beaute 'Concealer'

supposedly the best... hmmm i am intrigued. 

13. Nars 'Nail polish in schiap'

sassy in a bottle.

14. John Freida 'Funky Chunky'

this is discontinued but i used to love this stuff! perfect bed head product.

15. Urban Decay 'All nighter long-lasting makeup setting spray'

sweating off all your makeup a problem? this can help.

16. Modcloth 'Travel adapter'

for the savvy traveler.

{rainbow stairs, germany}

awesome.

{sedona, arizona}

must visit soon... so close...

{garvin gardens, arkansas}

ummm can i get married here?

{argentina}

whatttt? i went to argentina... wish i saw this!

{world's largest tree house, tennessee}

who is the genius that made this?!

{tulip fields, holland}

amazing!

{brazil}

beach party!!!

{hong kong}

i want to sail in one of those gorgeous red boats on this gorgeous water!

{roatan, honduras}

the sea always has a way of putting me in a good mood.

German Chocolate Cake

I haven't done a food post in ages! I miss them but recently I haven't had the urge to bake, let alone take photos of it all. Since I was 'forced' to bake for my godfather's birthday, why not at least take a photo of what ended up to be a beautiful cake. Well, forced sounds horrible, I was happy to make the cake but it was however, under deadline... eek! 

To be honest, I'm not the hugest fan of German chocolate cake. I love chocolate cake. I love chocolate cream cheese frosting. I love coconut and I love pecans. But the combination of all of those things together just does not do it for me for some reason.

So when I tell you I didn't like this cake, please don't be discouraged or swayed away from trying this recipe! I made it for my dear Godfather's birthday and he loves German chocolate cake. That being said, he said this was one of the best ones he's ever had. I can't tell you if he was saying that to be sweet to me  or if it was true, but since he's a pretty honest man, I think it's probably true - whew! Let me just say though, the cake alone was fabulously moist and the frosting was deliciously smooth and tangy.

German Chocolate Cake

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Original recipe here.

For the chocolate cake:

1 box Devil's food cake

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

For the German chocolate frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

For the chocolate buttercream:

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsn. milk or cream, if needed

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two muffin tins with liners, set aside. In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs and vanilla. Sift about 1/3 of the cake mix and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. Add another 1/3 of the cake mix, stir to combine. Add the sour cream, then the remaining cake mix and stir until combined. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

  

To make the frosting, over medium heat in a saucepan, constantly stir the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks and butter until thickened (basically until it boils, about 15 minutes). Stir in the vanilla, pecans and coconut. Let cool. To make the chocolate buttercream, beat the cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes, add the cocoa, powdered sugar and vanilla. Let beat for 3 minutes. If it is too thick, add some milk. If it is too thin, add some more powdered sugar. Pipe the chocolate buttercream along the edges of the cooled cupcakes to create a barrier, then add a small scoop of cooled German chocolate frosting into the center. 

Video(s) of the Week

You might know Duck Sauce from their 'Barbara Streisand' fame, but I think this new video is ridiculously hilarious and deserves equal amount of fame! A-trak (half of the Duck Sauce group) said that the 'Big Bad Wolf' could refer to anything really so why not go all out and turn them into crotchfaces? Amazing concept to say the least. 

Deadmau5's shows are more than just a concert, they're a whole production! Witnessing it first hand was a whole body experience. Seeing how much effort goes into producing an his concerts is totally awesome.

I loveeee this song, as previously stated here, and the video is so, so perfect. It's completely emotional and reminds me a lot of Skins, a show I was addicted to for a while...

Layer Cake Bakery {Irvine}

I'm always on the prowl for a good French macaron. I've successfully made them myself probably three out of ten times, so buying them is definitely a better option for me haha! I'd love to perfect my technique sometime in the future but realistically, if I want a French macaron, I'm best off buying them.

I decided to visit Layer Cake Bakery in Irvine because I'd heard from multiple people about how great their macarons are. I was happy to finally hear that I could get a macaron in Orange County rather than having to travel miles to Los Angeles for my favorite 'Lette macarons. 

Above is a canelé, which I've been trying to try for years. I wanted to make them myself a while ago after coming across them online - they sounded delicious, chewy and custardy... how could I not want to eat them? I couldn't make them because I didn't have the proper pans, so I pushed them out of my radar but the instant I saw them in this bakery, I was so happy!

The canelé was awesome - exactly as I imagined. So crispy and crunchy on the outside and fabulously chewy on the inside.

Now on to the main event: the macarons! These were pretty darn good and I've come across many macarons in my day. They were the perfect crispy-chewy texture and the fillings were smooth and sweet. Being that I'm picky, the fillings though weren't my favorite because I'm not the biggest fan of buttercream fillings in French macarons. I much prefer ganache but don't get me wrong, these were still amazing!

Yelp

Website

Manicure Mondays: The Accent Nail

Sometimes I like to keep my manicures simple but on the other hand, have this urge to glitterize everything. The accent nail is the answer to this problem. Sometimes a full 10 fingers of glitter is too much for everyday life and something I like to save for things like... Vegas! But... one glitter nail? Oooooh so pretty!

{what i used}

CND stickey anchoring base coat

Essie tart deco (for the main color)

ORLY luxe (for the accent nail)

Milani jewel fx specialty nail laquer in gold (for the accent nail)

Seche Vite dry fast topcoat

Re:generation

I'm a fan of all types of music (with the exception of pure screaming), so I'm definitely a big fan of this. Can't wait to hear the musical mash-up.

Mixtape

IT IS THAT TIME (aka new music time)!

oregon bike trails . cayucas

pure summery, folky goodness.

the rapture . how deep is your love {a-trak remix}

this song is already hot as shit, but a-trak remixing it takes it to a whole new level!

neon indian . polish girl

awesome synth bleeps that make me want to break out my disco dance moves. pure electronic bliss.

the bloody beetroots . rombo ft. congorock

when you combine the bloody beetroots and congorock, you can bet that you'll get a badass, hard-hitting tune. this is it.

DEVolution . good love {alesso remix}

alesso always knows how to make a feel good song - this is no different!

lips . everything to me {christian strobe remix}

love this chill-out song. perfect for the start of fall when i like to start listening to my "gloomy day" weather music.

jhameel . the human condition

reminds me a lot like dan black, whom i adore. so naturally, i adore jhameel too.

pretty lights . hot like sauce

pretty lights has been KILLING IT. i want to see him live so badly... like NOW, please!

dada life . happy violence

dada life is simply one of my favorites. their music is pure ridiculousness in a good way. seeing them live puts them on another level too - their energy is insane. i mean come on... champagne + bananas? how can you beat that combo?

afrojack, steve aoki . no beef ft. miss palmer

i love this song. pure house madness. the end. 

the generationals . when they fight, they fight

pure, unadulterated goodness. makes me want to put on a circle skirt and sashay a bit!

dillon francis, cory enemy . who the fuck are you

dubstep goodness on crack! people like to rag on dubstep a lot, but just accept it and enjoy the weird, repetitive, choppy existence that it is!

delorean . simple graces

listen to the first five seconds and you'll be hooked instantly. i promise you.

bag raiders . snake charmer

bag raiders is the shit! that is all.

aphex twin . windowlicker

oldie but a goodie.

dirty south . walking alone

cannot wait for this to be released! my horrible ripped version has been on loop nonetheless.

the honey trees . moon river

moon river is a henri mancini classic. i love this ethereal cover.

zedd . the anthem

i love zedd. i think he is one of the best live shows i've seen yet - every song he threw on made me want to dance ridiculously!

avicii . fade into darkness {albin myers remix}

always love for avicii. after hearing him play this remix at nocturnal, i knew i had to get my hands on it!

robyn . call your girlfriend {feed me remix}

always love for robyn, too! her music always pulls me in some way.

rihanna (produced by calvin harris) . we found love

i ADORE this song!! house is invading the entire music scene like BOOM, so you'd better get used to it! 

florence + the machine . shake it out {the weeknd remix}

the weeknd is the shit. they're huge right now and with this remix of florence, i'm sure they'll get bigger and bigger with time.

* all links are to where songs can be downloaded or listened to

Swedish Semlor

I love anything involved with cream or custard. Cream puffs are just a complete celebration of the gorgeous lusciousness that is custard, which is why, naturally, I'm in love with them. After seeing gorgeous photos of Swedish semlor on Pinterest, I was intrigued and decided to find out a little bit more about them.

The Swedish have this lovely tradition called 'fika' which is basically a time in the day where they take the time to relax with some coffee and pastries. I think it's the most lovely idea ever, if only we could all take some time out of our busy lives to enjoy some fine company and fine pastries - I think it would do us all a big favor. Anyways, semlor are the Swedish version of cream puffs, but a little bit more involved and fragranced with the slightest bit of cardamom and almond.

 Soft, cardamom spiced buns filled with custard and whipped cream and topped with just a bit of powdered sugar... come on now, how can it not be good? Plus, they're really pretty too!

Swedish Semlor

Yields: 8 large buns or 16 mini buns

Adapted from here.

1 large egg

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup warm milk

1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom, plus more for filling

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup milk, or as needed

3 oz. marzipan

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream

powdered sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg with the melted butter and milk. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to soften for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift together the 2 1/2 cups of flour with 1/4 cup sugar, salt and ground cardamom. Once the yeast has softened, stir the flour mixture into the milk mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes. Sift together the remaining flour and baking powder. Stir into the risen dough, then knead until smooth. Form into 8 equal balls or 16 if you'd like smaller buns. Place onto a greased baking sheet, cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, 35 - 40 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the buns for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown and the center is firm. Cool the buns on a wire rack until room temperature. Once cool, cut about 1/2" thick slice off the top, set aside. Scoop or cut out the center of the buns, leaving a shell about 1/2" thick. Tear the removed bread into small pieces and place into the bowl of a food processor. Add the milk and marzipan to the mixture and process until smooth, adding more milk if necessary. It should be the consistency of pudding. Add the almond extract and a pinch of cardamom and process until combined. Scoop this mixture into the hollowed buns. Whip the cream with 2 tbsn. of sugar to stiff peaks. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the filling to 1/2" over the top of the bun. Replace tops onto the buns and dust with powdered sugar.

Manicure Mondays: Zebra

Ever since it has been getting hot in my parts, all I've wanted to do is wear the craziest, most colorful nails around! I just got this new, absolutely gorgeous Zoya color that epitomizes summer - the brightest, boldest hot pink ever. I'm not a pink girl by any means, but this just screamed out to me.

I thought I'd kick it up a notch even more by adding some badass zebra stripes using a striping brush. Just two coats of the Zoya color, then by using a striping brush, I added random and slightly messy horizontal stripes across my nail. Since it's supposed to be kind of organic, it wasn't too hard to make it look good. Mistakes are welcome!

{what i used}

CND stickey anchoring base coat

Zoya lola

Cacee color artist with striping brush in black

Seche Vite dry fast topcoat

Nicole by OPI drying drops