Saturday, November 26, 2011

cutesy cupcakes!

A few days before the Thanksgiving holiday, my friend Adri came out for a quick visit! She was in town to spend the holiday with her family, but I stole her away for a day and took her down to 16th Street Mall in Denver for some shopping, gossip, and treaters! Before we knew it we were standing at the most adorable little cupcake stand called Gigi's Cupcakes. We thought we may have missed out on our chance for some gourmet cupcakes, but to our surprise, the kiosk was still open, hooray! Gigi's Cupcakes is situated right in the middle of the mall in just the cutest stand...




Gigi's Cupcakes!
  


A little Gigi's history


Not only were Adri and I shocked that the stand was still open, but to our joy, all the cupcakes were buy one get one free! Twice the deliciousness for the price of one! We couldn't believe our luck! So we each made the tough decision on which two cupcakes caught our eye the most! In a few short minutes we were walking through the mall each carrying these cutesy cupcake boxes..



The box itself was just the cutest, but what was sealed inside was even better...



chocolate mousse & wedding cake!
 
After getting these in my hands it only took a few short minutes to devour one of these little guys. They were insanely delicious! If you're ever in Denver and looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, I most DEFINITELY recommend you check out Gigi's Cupcakes at the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver...so amazing!



chocolate mousse with a pilgrim hat for thanksgiving!
 



just about gone!
 



and finished in under five!
 

Saturday, November 19, 2011

to do!

I am an insanely frequent lap top user. Usually for multiple hours every day: school, work, facebook, email, pinterest, and BLOGGING! Since I am on my computer for an extended amount of time and on a daily basis, my computer gets extremely warm. So irritating! My quick fix? A $2.50 black, plastic lap desk knick knack from IKEA.

Most people would just buy something cheap like this and leave it. However, I tend to enjoy spicing things up a bit! My immediate thought...MODGE PODGE DECOUPAGE! I am a relatively huge fan of modge podging anything and everything. Modge Podge is a type of clear, non toxic adhesive used for decoupaging in either a matte or gloss finish. You can literally decoupage almost anything: dressers, table tops, cabinets, light switches, books, shelving, etc. to give even the most simple things a little pop of color, patterns, and texture! 

So, for my DIY project, I gathered pictures, magazine clippings, and stickers to modge podge on my new, very plain lap desk. It took me maybe a half hour to finish this project, but could have taken almost fifteen minutes less had I not been such a perfectionist. Here's a very simple step-by-step How To for decoupaging!

STEP ONE:  gather items
  • An item or fixture to decoupage
  • Pictures, magazine clippings, stickers, memorabilia, etc.
  • Modge Podge
  • Foam paint brush
  • Paper towels
  • Newspaper to protect the surface you are working on
Lap desk BEFORE
STEP TWO:  begin decoupaging
  • One by one, take each item you will be decoupaging and place it on the surface.
  • Just like if you were to paint, take the brush and dip it into the modge podge and spread across your picture or clipping and onto the surrounding surface area.
  • You do not need a lot of modge podge, just a light layer over each picture or clipping. Use paper towels to wipe off access modge podge.
  • Once you have finished laying and decoupaging one image, start on the next.
  • Continue until you have everything in place and covered in a light layer of the modge podge.
Materials   
 STEP THREE:  finishing layer
  • Finally, paint one consecutive layer of modge podge over the entire surface to make sure each image is in place and secure.
STEP FOUR:  let dry


Here's a peek at the after shots!




Monday, November 14, 2011

new music

     Music is a relatively huge part of my life. I literally listen to music for at least two hours a day: to and from school, in the car, when doing homework, when cleaning, and most importantly when I am just relaxing. I do my best to keep up with who or what's new by checking iTunes on a weekly basis. I LOVE finding new music to listen to over and over and recommend to my closest friends. I usually like a little bit of everything, yet at the same time, I am hugely picky with what I consider to be "good" music. My all time favorite genre of music is easily, hands down COUNTRY. Generally, all the songs within this genre are down to earth and have true, unique meaning. Because of this, I find myself gravitating toward country more so than any other genre in the music industry.

     In terms of what I listen to, my country artist go-tos as of now are definitely Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Gloriana, The Band Perry and most importantly and most recently, Scotty McCreery!

     I literally just bought Scotty's new album "Clear As Day" off of iTunes last night and I have probably listened to it 8+ times on repeat. As much as I hate to say it, I feel like most people underrate him as an artist particularly because he is 17 years young and has blasted only since winning American Idol. I'm sure these negative individuals assume he'll get his fifteen minutes of fame and be out of here in no time. However, I'll have to politely, yet completely disagree. He showed everyone on American Idol that he can sing an insane range of notes, put meaning behind what he's singing regardless of his age, and proved to be a clearly genuine artist that has stayed true to himself since making it in the industry. If you even slightly enjoy listening to country, I STRONGLY suggest you listen to his new music. Go beyond listening to his top two songs because his entire album is amazing. He was given the opportunity to record songs that were written by well known artists and songwriters such as Keith Urban and Chris Tompkins that not only stayed within the country genre, but also that you as the listener could see he had a connection to. Let me know what you think! What are your favorite songs?

    Side note: he's adorable, which obviously makes you want to listen to it even more, I mean, if you know what's good for you! :)


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Inspiration

     A simple word that has far more meaning than most would generally tend to give. Without inspiration, what gives us enough positivity to keep going when things get tough? Without inspiration how do we complete tasks that everyone tells us are impossible? There is no other answer.
     I used to believe that inspiration came solely from significant events or people that in some way or another caused great impact within your life. Although that is entirely possible, I've learned that even the smallest of things: an action, a phrase or saying, or even a picture can inspire someone even if for just a day.
    Almost everyday of my life I see or hear something or someone that makes me smile, but most of all I realize that there are people out there that have it far more worse than I could even imagine. Those simple THOUGHTS inspire me to make the most of my life, take chances, and remember that not only is every day a new day, but it could also be your last day.
   
     Speaking of inspiration, I have two very permanent reminders of how important inspiration is to me and my life. Tattooed on my left foot I have the quote, "Dare to be remarkable". This quote means the world to me. I see this tattoo every day and it reminds me that I have the ability to be the best person I can be and that no one can stand in the way of that, except for myself. Although I may not do something that is "remarkable" in the minds of people all over the world, I would hope that the people close to me know that I give everything I've got in everything I do.
     Also, every last member in my family inspires me on a daily basis. The things they do for me, for others, and the things each person has gone through are unreal. For those reasons in and of themselves, my family means the absolute world to me. I would give anything for my family and it goes without saying that they would do the same for me. I wanted to do something that allowed me to remember everyday just how much my family inspired and meant to me. I was thinking of the line about how people 'wear their hearts on their sleeves' and I thought that was an interesting saying. I figured my arm, or wrist rather, was a substitute for my sleeve, and in lieu of simply a heart, replace with my family. Thus, my family tattoo on my wrist. Each day I get to see my tattoo and know just how special not only the tattoo is, but my family as well.

    Aside from my tattoos, other things and people tend to inspire me. Most importantly, my mom, Eve. She can honestly, without a doubt find the good in any situation. She is the most positive and outgoing woman I know; and to me, that means the world. With everything she has gone through, I truly don't understand how she is the amazing, beautiful woman she is today. But some how, through all of the dark, she finds the light. And that is simply inspiring to me. Anyone who has ever met Eve would easily vouch for me. She was the mom that everyone loved and adored. She is my hero, my role model, my everything. I don't know what I would do without her! She is my wonder wall <3