Friday Favorites....On Saturday

Sorry for the late post, I moved to Columbia, Missouri yesterday. So between boxes, unpacking, and driving back to St. Louis. There wasn't much time for blogging. This is just a temporary sublease for the summer before I move into my actual apartment. So excited to decorate!! But anyways, here are my favorites from this week!

 1. Emily Giffin's new book!
 I love all her books, Something Blue and Love the One You are With, being my favorites. I am so excited to delve into this book after my book hangover. (Thanks, Fault in our Stars, you made me stop reading for a month)

2. Sunsets over Forest Park

I can honestly say this is one of my favorite places. Between the zoo and the boat house, I have a small love affair with Forest Park. And since its the 250th anniversary of the 1904 Worlds Fair. Its even more exciting this summer!

 3. My nail polish color: Lust for Lilac
This is from Maybelline's line of nailpolishes. Absolutely adore this spring color. (Yes, that's my Military college ring)

4. Work outs

I have been going consistently every day the past two weeks. Sorry about the 'no makeup' and blurry eyed look. Mornings are not my favorite but I am loving the results from the gym. So it continues. That and I bought cute new work out clothes that make me motivated. (I have tattooed eyeliner on my top lids, so when I say no makeup, I mean I didn't put any on)

5. World's Fair Pavillion
When I was in high school, we as a school, would come here and spend the day. It was called Rosati-Gras. It was always such a good time and every time I drive by. I smile and remember the days of playing red rover, eating Mom's deli subs, and Ted Drewes ice cream. (I took this Thursday night as I was driving home and decided to cut through the park, just so pretty!)

Everyday Look

The past two weeks have been nice staying at my parents house. I haven't had any real engagements that resulted in getting really dressed up. Also because most of my belongings are still in boxes, I have been trying to keep things to the bare minimum. This has become my makeup regiment and comfortably casual outfit that still looks put together.

Before Makeup: I wash my face with Cetaphil Gentle Wash or Yes to Tomatoes facial scrub

Pat dry my face

 

 

I love Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I wear Nude.

Post Moisturizer. Not a full coverage but nice even look.

Then I like to add NYX concealer to my undereye area and any blemishes that are still visible. Since I am not adding foundation because of the summer heat, I want to make sure its very blended.

 



I follow up my concealer with a little bit of PIXI Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched (Thank you IPSY for this!) And a swipe of Suspect on my crease and Bootycall on my lid from my NAKED2 palette. I finish off with Maybelline Falsies Mascara in Black Drama.

 

The Finished look.

 

 

 And my Outfit of the day. A grey oversized top from Forever 21. White Skinnies from Forever 21 as well. A Brahmin bag. And Shoes from Target.

 

Memorial Weekend BBQ

Whether you are at a BBQ, the beach, or poolside celebrating this three day weekend. Please remember to thank a soldier or a veteran for their service. They are the reason for our freedom. I am blessed to have many "dads" that are serving and/ or have served and are now retired. I also have a handsome boyfriend who happens to be a captain in the Marine Corps. So these weekends are always pleasant reminders to not take things for granted.

However, I am also not one to argue with a three day weekend! I spent Saturday and Sunday working for my mom's BBQ competition team, Sues Ques. It was a ton of work, my hair and clothes wreaked of BBQ smoke and charcoal, and it was exhausting. But so much fun!! So my outfit this weekend consisted of a Sues Ques tshirt, running shorts, and running shoes. Comfy!! Tonight I have a family friend BBQ. Here are few ideas for how to dress..

 

I have a small love affair with anything striped. Just see my instagram.

This dress from Lord & Taylor is actually on sale!!

 

This is most likely what I will be wearing tonight for the BBQ at a family friend's house.

 

Obsessed with this top. If anyone finds a great replica. Let me know!!

 

 

Planning on making this tonight for the party!! So festive!!

 

-Happy Memorial Day Weekend

 

Friday Favorites: My Birthday Week

A few things from this week that I am loving:

1. Finished writing all my thank you cards from graduation. I love handwritten notes and so I make a point to respond to all cards sent to me with a heartfelt "thanks"

2. Birthday flowers from my mom. So pretty!!

 

3. This adorable bow necklace is at the top of my list of 'next purchases' from Mindy Mae's Market 



 4. Baby elephants at the zoo. So stinking cute to watch.



5. New books!!! Blog post to come!!

 



6. Funny card I found that I can't wait to send to my boyfriend in California. Yes, I am in a long distance relationship.

 

 

7. Being home in St. Louis. And its summertime. So baking with fresh fruit. Rocking my Keds, albeit dirty. The sun shining on the yellows and greens of my neighbors fields.

 

 

 

 

Spending my weekend with my parents at a BBQ competition. My mom has her own team, Sues Ques, in which I am part of. She won last year out of 200 teams for her dessert. This is a new event this weekend but excited for another competition. We've been prepping all week for vending and competing! Have a great weekend!!

 

XOXO



It's my Birthday! Let's Eat Cake!!

One of my favorite places to visit in St. Louis, is the London Tea Room. They just moved locations, and once I moved back, I was eager to visit their new place. Of course, I had to order my favorite lemon and blueberry cake with cream cheese frosting. I LOVE this cake!! So after a few Pinterest inquiries, I found a recipe that seemed close if not a duplicate. I tweaked it a little bit and it looked and tasted amazing!!


Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

Thank you to sallysbakingaddiction.com for this recipe!!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total: 3 hours
Bake time: 21-26 minutes at 350 degrees
 * I water bathed my cake layers so it took about 30 minutes at 325 degrees

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (Do not overmeasure)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
• zest + juice of 3 medium lemons ( 1 TBS zest, 1-2 TBS juice PER lemon)
• 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh (258g) or non-thawed frozen (275g)
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces (224g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners' sugar
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons (15-30ml) heavy cream*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• *I added a tsp of Lemon Extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray three 9x2 inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Make the cake. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy - about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
In a large sized bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 5 seconds, then add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice.Overmixing will lend a tough, dense textured crumb.
Remove from the mixer and stir lightly until everything is just combined. Toss the blueberries in 1 Tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Batter is extremely thick. Do not overmix at any point.
Spoon batter evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. Bake for about 21-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine took 21 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 Tablespoon cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon of cream to thin out, if desired. (*I added a little lemon extract to my frosting)
Assemble and frost. First, using a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers to create a flat surface. Place 1 layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, then the third layer. Top with frosting and spread around the sides. The recipe doesn't make a ton of frosting, just enough for a light frost. Top with blueberries or lemon garnish if desired. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.
 

Helpful notes:
*This batter will fit into a 9×13 pan. Fill 2/3 full. If there’s extra batter, you can make a few cupcakes. I’m unsure of the baking time since I only typically make it as a layer cake.
*VERY careful not to overmeasure your flour. This will result in a heavy, dense crumb. You want a precise 375g.
*Please use buttermilk in this recipe. See note in post about how to make your own at home. 
*1 medium-size lemon = approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest = 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
*Room temperature eggs preferred for even distribution among batter. Simply set into a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using or set out when you set out your cream cheese/butter for the recipe. 
*Heavy cream with 30% or more milk fat preferred in frosting for creamiest texture. For a less creamy texture, milk would be fine.

Enjoy!!!

It's Wedding Season!!

Since I am 24 (well in two days), the amount of weddings I attend have been slowly increasing each year. I've played the part of bridesmaid, groomsgirl (in the bridesmaids dress, different color), family, friend, and guest. As someone who previously worked the wedding circuit as a server at a country club, wedding season was always an entertaining time at work, as well as a lesson. What to wear and what not to wear. I have seen cringe worthy outfits, white dresses that were not the brides, hats with suits, air jordans and flannels, etc. I have been to casual and black tie weddings, still waiting on my first white tie!! Three weeks ago, I attended the wedding of a close family friend. They had their reception at the Chase Park Plaza in downtown, St. Louis. So definitely, nice, black tie. In two months, my boyfriend and I will travel to Michigan for his friend's wedding at a bed & breakfast. Still nice, but not as formal. Although I am well into my twenties, and my boyfriend nearing 30, our attendance at weddings is increasing at a more rapid pace. My mother has always made sure I was dressed appropriately for each of the occasions and I don't hide from the fact that I call her for help if I am at a loss for deciphering a wedding invitation's dress code. Here are a few helpful hints. What I plan to wear to the wedding this summer, what I wore in April, and anything in between.

White Tie
 (Most formal)

Something floor length of close to it. Not too bridesmaidsy

Can be found at Nordstrom's website

Or this Donna Morgan dress, a little more bridesmaidsy but if you choose a color that isn't remotely close to the wedding color palette, you are perfect! If you don't know what it is, look at your invitation colors and avoid them. 

Black Tie
(Dressy cocktail)

 

 The dress I wore in April to a black tie wedding. With nude pumps

This was the dress on the website

 



 He's cute. Sorry, I love his serious face.

 

Semi-Formal

(Most Common, Nice cocktail)

 

I plan on buying this dress for the summer wedding in Michigan.

 Minus the shoes, I would wear a strappy nude sandal for a romantic vibe.

I also like this dress, but not those shoes. I would again wear nude strappy heels.

 

 

Casual

(Sundress, cotton dresses)

 

Textured Cotton Fit and Flare dress, perfect for a casual wedding.

If its a beach wedding, something light and breezy and sandals.

 









Friday Favorites

This week has been interesting... I graduated Saturday and spent my last days in Charleston at all my favorite places. A blog post will follow about that. (Picture to the right: Charleston Tea Plantation, I just love the oak trees and Spanish moss) I left Tuesday to drive back to Missouri. My first stop was to visit my 101 year old great-grandfather. For the past three years, I have made a point to visit him every month, now that I am moving farther away, I am trying to make sure I see him every other month. But my best friend, Ali, got to finally meet him. We spent a few hours with him, hanging pictures, telling stories, going through photo albums. He is wonderful! And I truly treasure the times I have with him. After leaving North Carolina, we drove through the mountains and stayed in Knoxville, TN for the night. The next morning was an early one, driving a few hours out of the way to visit Mammoth Caves. I hadn't been there in 16 years and thought it would be a fun little side trip. We had a blast!! Finally 6 hours later, we made it to St. Louis, my hometown. Yesterday, I was fingerprinted and did more paperwork for the government work I will be doing. Today, Ali and I made the two hour trip to Columbia, Missouri for a few signatures and registration for my summer research credit. Found out great news!! I need 72 credit hours post-undergrad to graduate. Thank you Masters degree, I have 33 hours already and with 4 more this summer. Well on my way to being a doctor!! This weekend is all about unpacking, repacking, regrouping and celebrating. Its Ali's 24th birthday this Sunday and the wineries are calling! Have a great weekend!!

A few things I am loving this week....

My new Mimosa Candle from Rewined

This is my second candle from this Charleston based company

Obsessed is an understatement and although expensive, they last FOREVER!

Bath and Body Works Candles

 

The Worlds Longest Caves and North America's largest

 

Memorizing all the words to every song..

Yes, I am a child but 18 hours in a car leaves little else

 Back in my beloved St. Louis

 



Amen.

Graduation

Graduation came and went this past weekend! As I live in the south, this is always a sundress event. The College down the street from mine requires all their graduates to wear white dresses and the males must wear white morning coats. Fancy! As I graduated undergrad in 2012, from a military college, we had on a military uniform (wool actually) and it made my outfit choice (or lack of) that much easier. Since I was observing a dress parade at said military college this past Friday, a sundress and strappy heels was an understood. And in true Charleston form, you can never go wrong with a Lilly, a Lilly Pulitzer that is. My suggestion for baccalaureate, dress parades- at military schools, and any other pre-graduation festivities is a nice spring sundress, not too short, not too formal. And heels should be comfortable or less than 4 inches. For graduation, if you are the graduate, or even going to a graduation. It should be a little more dressier. For my graduation on Saturday afternoon, with my Masters degree. I wore a black cotton dress from White House Black Market that was a halter with nude pumps. I was also under black robes and a white/blue hood. I had to wear a cap, so I had my hair curled, thank you humidity, my curls were not perfect but I was too excited to care!! Happy Graduation to all of you out there!!

(Above: Baccalaureate, Dress Parade) 

(Above: Graduation Close-Up)

Graduated!!! Now a Master of Arts- Biology, Toxicology

 

Blue Moons and Bright Mornings

As someone who doesn't normally drink, light weight problems, I rarely let myself get past the two drink limit for a night. I prefer a glass of crisp Chardonnay but last night was a Blue Moon and slice of orange at the tavern decision. Apparently I was dehydrated and after the third Blue Moon, I was feeling it... Fast forward to the bright, early, and super sunny morning where I was dragging myself out of bed to get to work. I wanted comfy clothing that could still pass as business casual. I let my hair air dry from the shower the night before, so my natural, wild curls were and are everywhere. (See picture below for Taylor Swift hair). I slipped into my favorite go-to white jeans from White House Black Market, a gray slouchy tshirt from H&M, and strappy sandals. With a little bit of makeup to cover the sleepiness and my sunglasses, I ran out the door to make it to work in time.

"Turn the page, continue reading, and let the next story begin...”

I guess when starting a blog, you should preface the "why" factor. And its simple, to document. But to document the here and now, I should probably take you back to the where I have been...

Currently I am sitting at my desk job with an hour left. I have three more days in the lovely Charleston, SC before I graduate with my Masters of Art in Biology. I have five more days before I move back to the Midwest, two weeks of freedom- and a birthday, and then I begin my research and PhD at Mizzou. Whooo! But the nostalgia is starting to kick in. I have spent the past six years in Charleston. My undergrad, at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina was the best and worst experience of my life, challenging me more than I ever thought possible. But despite its difficulties, I would do it again, with a smile on my face. I have made life long friends and family. Because of research work, I continued my education onto my graduate degree. I wasn't quite ready to let go and move forward. Two years later, as I say goodbye to mentors, second and third "dads", and friends. I know that the Citadel has changed me for the better... But I need to "turn the page, continue reading, and let the next story begin."