- Part 112

Thanks to the Bloggers

Blogs are one of my main sources of inspiration. This serves in all areas from fashion, to food, decorating and more. The reason I love fashion blogs is because I can see what clothes look like on real people in their own environments. They’re also great because I gravitate towards bloggers that share my same taste in style and in many cases they’ve sold me on particular outfits. That was the case with this dress. When one of my favorite bloggers, Julia from Gal Meets Glam, wore this dress a few weeks ago, I fell in love. I loved the colors, the fitted top and the see through bottom with side slits. Maxi dresses are great, but on hot summer days they can really trap in the heat. This one on the other hand is extremely light and airy. Today I’m showing you how I wore it slightly more dressy with a necklace as well as a bit more casual with a fedora thrown on. The more versatile, the better worth your money!

Details: Dolce Vita dress (sold out here, but I also found it here and here) / Kate Spade crossbody (similar) / Kate Spade sunglasses / Nine West fedora / necklace (old) / Madewell sandals / Michelle watch

June 4, 2014

Have Your Cake

When it comes to birthday cakes (well, cakes in general), I tend to go back and forth between hiring a professional to handle it or tackling it myself. I have not yet had the urge to attempt playing with fondant, so that’s typically where I draw the line. Otherwise, I like to have some fun trying out new recipes. Cooking Classy is becoming a new favorite blog of mine, and when I saw this Lemon Blueberry cake she had made, I waited for a reason to try it. She made a three layer cake but since I didn’t feel the need for that large of a cake (nor did I have a third round cake pan), I used the extra batter to make a batch of cupcakes which my children could enjoy. Right… the children. The lemon, blueberry cake topped with a cream cheese frosting had amazing flavor. I like that it was slightly out of the ordinary for a birthday cake but perfect for the summer months.

Here’s the recipe which was found on Cooking Classy:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp lemon zest
4 large eggs
2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, at room temperature, rinsed and drained well

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 pkgs)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon extract
3 cups powdered sugar
Blueberries and lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round baking pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper. Butter parchment paper and lightly dust pan with flour, shaking out excess.
Sift cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk for 30 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (if you don’t have the paddle attachment that constantly scrapes sides of the bowl while mixing, then stop mixer occasionally throughout entire mixing process and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl), whip together butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until mixture is pale and fluffy. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, measure out milk then stir in sour cream and lemon juice, let rest 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix eggs into butter mixture one a time, then stir in lemon extract and vanilla extract. Toss blueberries with 3 Tbsp of the flour mixture. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with remaining flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 of the milk mixture and mixing just until combined after each addition. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide mixture evenly among prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 24 – 27 minutes. Cool in baking pans about 20 – 30 minute then invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Once cool, frost with cream cheese frosting and decorate with blueberries and lemon slices if desired. Store in an airtight container.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, whip butter until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese and mix until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and lemon extract and powdered sugar and blend several minutes longer until smooth and fluffy (if frosting seems slightly runny, you can chill it for a bit before frosting cake).
Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

June 3, 2014

Polka Dot

Since Memorial Day has come and gone I feel like we are in full summer mode. Despite school still being in session for another week, my wardrobe has basically been switched over with the exception of some light jackets that will remain in the mix. I saw this dress in grey via another blogger on Instagram and ran to Old Navy when I read that’s where it came from. What a perfect, easy, versatile, and comfortable dress for the summertime! I love the color and the drop waist which adds interest to its otherwise basic shape. I’m linking up with Mommy in Heels today for the What She Wears: Polka Dot link up, so this scarf was the perfect accessory to toss on. It also makes me look like I could jump right into this beautiful mural ;)

Details: Old Navy dress (not available online) / Gap jacket, available at Gap Outlets (similar) / Madewell sandals, (similar) / Juicy Couture scarf / Rayban sunglasses

June 2, 2014

Happy Birthdays

This past Saturday was spent celebrating our children’s birthdays with our families. We hosted the party in our building’s lounge which is quite a handy place to be able to utilize. It wasn’t huge or overboard, but it was a great afternoon and most importantly the kids had a blast! Today I’m sharing some shots I captured and I’ll have a few other detailed posts (ie outfit and food) coming up. This party gave me some great material!

Here’s my handsome (just about) 5 year old ready for the party to start. You can take note of his outfit now opposed to later on.

And here’s little Miss all dolled up.

I didn’t technically have a theme, but Target made decorating pretty easy.

Most importantly, the food. I played around with some new recipes (the cake, sandwiches and couscous salad) and added a trusted spinach/artichoke dip. Everything turned out better than expected and I’ll be sharing a more detailed post on the lemon/blueberry cake as well as the pressed Italian sandwiches (omg) soon. I didn’t get to document the tomato, bacon and spinach couscous salad but you can find the recipe here, it was delicious, and the spinach artichoke recipe can be found here.

Madelyn reading one of her gifts intently.

And then there are the gifts that make me cringe but will end up being worn to death….this would be thanks to my sister. She knew exactly what she was doing ;)

As if the shirt wasn’t bad enough, his second most favorite gift was a whoopee cushion! It certainly had everyone laughing uncontrollably!

This is my beautiful sister, Sarah. Outside of certain mannerisms, we look nothing alike. Some people try to disagree, but I think they’re lying ;) This girl is a huge help to our family, especially since we’ve moved closer to home. It’s a blessing to have her willing to help out with whatever is needed whenever we need it. Even if she does give my son ugly t-shirts!

And this would be the best family shot we could get. Unless I wanted a screaming 2 yo, I was going to have to deal with the floaties. So be it. Happy Birthday to two crazy, amazing, beautiful children. I love you!!

I’m sure many of you have heard of Shutterfly, who also happens to run Tinyprints, a favorite site of mine for various types of stationary. Well, they now have a new addition called Treat which is their new greeting card website which caters to specialized versions of personal greeting cards. I wanted to give you an idea of how their cards could be used to create a personalized thank you for an event such as this. Check it out:

I love the simplicity of their site and know our guests would appreciate the personalization as well! Check them out the next time you find yourself searching for that perfect card!

xo,

Marisa

May 30, 2014

High Five for Friday

I don’t know if it’s just me, but this 4 day week has totally thrown me off! Thankfully I didn’t miss anything important, but I found myself questioning what day it was multiple times per day! We had a great Memorial Day weekend full of picnics, swimming, a parade, a carnival, and some family time. It got me quite excited for the summer just ahead of us. Tomorrow we’ll be celebrating both my son and daughter’s birthday with our families. My son turns 5 next week, and my husband and daughter both had birthday’s last week, so it’s been one big non-stop celebration around here!

Here’s a look at our week:

1) This girl has always been crazy about shoes, but this week in particular she was out of control. Those little toes must have been in just about every pair of shoes that I own!

2) This is a shot of my husband outside playing soccer with our son. For those that are aware of his struggle with Lyme Disease this was a huge victory! He typically can’t even take a walk outdoors, let alone kick around the soccer ball long enough to tire out our son! We were told that he’d begin to have sporadic ‘good’ days only to be followed by big chunks of bad days. We’re currently back in the ‘bad’ day streak and as discouraged as he is, I’m sure appreciating that good day as well as the fact that something is actually working! Thanks for all of your continued prayers guys, this is one heck of a journey.

3) Party planning made easy thanks to none other than Target!! Those plates are actually plastic, ie washable and reusable. I found them in the dollar bin at the front of the store and thought they’d be perfect for all of our outdoor cooking/grilling this summer.

4) After reading a few blog reviews on the new Bare Minerals BareSkin foundation I decided to give it a shot. I’m a huge BM fan, so I was excited to try it out. I read that it’s not the best for oily skin, but my skin is typically on the normal to dry side. I’ve been using it all week and I really like the coverage that it gives. I may not be using it on hot summer days at the pool, but otherwise this looks like my new go-to.

5) A typical occurrence in our household, reapplying tattoo’s. I’m not joking that one of my daughter’s first words was ‘tattoo’. At least they get good practice counting as we wait for the tattoo to adhere :)

Have a wonderful weekend all!!

May 29, 2014

‘Tis the Season

Oh yes, that would be swimsuit season. I’m sure I wasn’t alone when I broke out my swimsuit this past Memorial Day weekend. It always feels awkward putting it on that first time of the season. I compare everything to how it looked last year and then notice how it’s not quite as bright as it used to be. At that point I start eyeing up all the pretty new suits that are out there, and boy are there a ton! I tend to lean toward the conservative side (as I do with most of my wardrobe) especially when my pool time is spent splashing around with my kids….not reading a magazine and casually sipping a drink as I used to ;) However, when I say conservative, I don’t mean boring by any means. Below are some of my favorite suits in an array of prints, colors and styles. Which one strikes a chord with you?

Fun 1 / 2 / 3

Floral 1 / 2 / 3

Striped 1 / 2 / 3

May 28, 2014

Cherry Pie Bars

A few weeks ago I shared a way for you to sneak some health into dessert with these Chickpea Blondies. I’m sorry to report that there aren’t any hidden benefits in these bars per say, but there is a ton of flavor! Everything in moderation, that’s my motto. These bars reminded me of a cherry danish, especially with the icing drizzled on top. I ended up stealing a bite or two with my coffee once or twice in the morning, mmm, heaven. They’d make a perfect treat to bring to your picnic’s this summer!

Here’s the recipe that I found thanks to Cooking Classy, here.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 (21 oz) cans cherry pie filling

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 – 3 Tbsp half and half

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (for thinner bars use a 15 by 10-inch baking dish). In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, then blend in vanilla and almond extracts. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Reserve and set aside 1 1/2 cups batter then spread remaining evenly into prepared baking dish. Top with cherry pie filling spreading into an even layer. Dollop small spoonfuls of the remaining batter evenly over top. Bake in preheated oven about 30 – 37 minutes (near lesser time for 15 by 10 baking dish and greater time for 13 by 9). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the glaze:
In a small mixing bowl whisk together all glaze ingredients adding enough half and half to reach desired consistency. Pour into a resealable bag, seal bag and cut a small tip from one corner then drizzle over top of cooled bars. Allow glaze to set (to set it quicker chill in freezer) then cut into squares.

May 27, 2014

A Detailed Top

During the warmer months when layering isn’t always a comfortable option, I tend to rely a lot on cute tops to carry my outfit. Whether it’s a bit of embellishment or a fun graphic tee, it’s nice to have a slight element of interest going on. Sometimes a light scarf over a solid tee can also accomplish this goal. I’ll be gathering some of my favorite tops for you in an upcoming post, so hopefully they’ll give you some ideas on how to keep your outfit simple and interesting at the same time!

Details: Lucky Brand top / Stella & Dot necklace / 7 For All Mankind denim / Rayban sunglasses / Anthro bracelet / JCrew bracelet / Lucky Brand sandals / Clutch via TownHouse

May 23, 2014

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday, friends! I’m assuming many of you are already enjoying your long weekend. Interesting fact: Boalsburg (the town next door to us) claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. Although the long weekend is appreciated (well, for some of you, that doesn’t exactly apply to me!), we also remember those who have fallen serving for our wonderful country.

Memorial Day also marks the opening of pools around here and, more importantly, the (un)official go-ahead to wear white, yay! Okay, not exactly the most important part, but it is a perk for sure!

Our week has been full of celebrations as you can see here:

1) Not only was it my husband’s birthday (yesterday) and my daughter’s birthday (today), but this week also marked one year of A Lovely Living! In some ways it seems like I only just began this blog, but in other ways I feel leaps and bounds ahead of where I began. Most importantly I’m enjoying it more than ever and I’m looking forward to year #2! Thanks to all of you for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you and hope you’ve found at least one or two ways to make your life a little bit more lovely :)

2) This was taken while we were out for my husband’s birthday dinner last night (of course there’s not a shot of him??), but this little munchkin is officially 2 years old today. She brings so much light to all of our lives and I could never imagine life without this little firecracker. Happy Birthday Miss Madelyn Adena!

3) This little dude and I snuck out to the movie theater only to bring some popcorn back to the birthday guy. He’s kind of a fanatic!

4) This is what my daughter woke up to this morning. Anything to help tire our energetic 2yo out!!

5) To break the celebration pattern, I can’t wait to wear my new bandana! I have some practicing to do because this is a new accessory for me, but the colors and pattern were too pretty to pass by! If all goes well it’ll be styled in a post shortly!!

Enjoy your weekend! I’ll most likely be taking a break on Monday, but I’ll catch ya back here Tuesday!

May 22, 2014

Just Another Day…

I enjoyed the irony in wearing this sweatshirt on a particularly rainy day this week. Paradise or not, it was the perfect layer that I needed to remain comfortable during the afternoon. I picked this up at Old Navy a few weeks ago and I’ve probably thrown it on half a dozen times already. It’s a great weight for chilly spring days or summer evenings when the sun goes down but you’re not ready to go inside. I’m also loving this one which would be quite festive (yet fashionable) around the 4th.

Details: Old Navy sweatshirt / Old Navy shirt / JCrew factory shorts (similar) / Converse shoes / Michelle watch / Anthro bracelet / necklace (similar)

a lovely living

Archives

Thanks to the Bloggers

Have Your Cake

Polka Dot

Happy Birthdays

High Five for Friday

‘Tis the Season

Cherry Pie Bars

A Detailed Top

High Five for Friday

Just Another Day…