Floral 'n Leather

The Teen Vogue accessories editorials always captivate me. I loved this one from the May issue especially because right now I am loving vintage looking leather and liberty prints. So spot on!

**ALSO, enter my Orient Watch Giveaway and Petit Rococo Giveaway!

Tangerine Chiffon Cake

When I was home for Easter a few weekends ago, we had over my best friend's family for dinner. We had a very spring-like menu for dinner and when I was put in charge of dessert, I wanted to do something light and airy. I've always liked the way a chiffon cake sounds, I guess because I love the fabric. This Tangerine Chiffon Cake I made was delicious - flavorful because of all the zest, moist and light. I also attempted to make the candy flowers they suggested to go on top. They looked cute on the cake, but I don't think I'll make them again - they were much harder to do than I thought!

**Also, enter my Orient Watch Giveaway and Petit Rococo Giveaway!

Fine Frenzies

Combine Alison Sudol (of A Fine Frenzy) and ban.do's Black Line and you get this.

The images are absolutely stunning. I love how her hair pops against the green background, not to mention the amazing hairpieces! It looks like a magazine pictorial, not pictures for a website.

It's pure loveliness!

** Also ENTER my Orient Watch Giveaway and the Petit Rococo Giveaway!

Petit Rococo Giveaway!

Petit Rococo creates beautiful jewelry fit for any modern Marie Antoinette. All the beads and baubles, bows and fans that make the jewelry resembles the decadence of Versailles. The woman behind the line, Madeleine, was kind enough to host a giveaway for y'all. She's giving away a pair of her adorable Bowtie Earrings (there are more colors available):

Rules to enter:
For 1 entry: leave a comment with your email address on this post
For 2 entries: become a follower and tell me in your comment
For 3 entries: go to the Petit Rococo website and tell me your favorite piece.
I will randomly choose a winner with a random number generator. The giveaway will run through Sunday May 2nd 11:59 pm and the winner will be announced that Monday. Good Luck!

Rando

Hit the random button on my itunes and here is what I got:

1. Heads Up – Karen O and the Kids
2. Love’s Not A Competition, But I’m Winning – Kaiser Chiefs
3. No Sound But The Wind - Editors
4. Complaint Department – Lykke Li
5. Mayor of Your Town – Leona Naess
6. The Information - Beck
7. Du Og Meg – Of Montreal
8. Come Back Margaret – Camera Obscura
9. Into The Fire – Thirteen Senses
10. Count to Ten – Tina Dico

Barefoot in Barcelona

This is what color is currently on my nails - a creamy mocha

Barefoot in Barcelona by O.P.I.

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Also, enter my Orient Watch Giveaway below!

Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway!

I got another Orient Watch giveaway for all my readers: This fabulous, silver woman's watch - a truly timeless piece!
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Rules to enter:

For 1 entry: leave a comment with your email address on this post

For 2 entries: become a follower and tell me in your comment

For 3 entries: go to the Orient Watches website and tell me your favorite of all their mechanical watches

I will randomly choose a winner with a random number generator. The giveaway will run for 2 weeks through Monday May 3rd 11:59 pm and the winner will be announced that Tuesday.
Good Luck!

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PrettyLights

I took this picture of the Chihuli fountain at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. For some reason I thought it went well with the "lights" theme lol.

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Songs containing the word "light(s)":

1. Shoot the Lights Out – The Watson Twins
2. Red Lights - Vib Gyor
3. Leave the Lights On – Priscilla Ahn
4. Keys Out Lights On - Jenny Owen Youngs
5. There is a Light That Never Goes Out – The Smiths
6. Blue Light – Bloc Party
7. Baby You’re My Light – Richard Hawley
8. Lights and Music – Cut Copy
9. Traffic Light – The Ting Tings
10. Lights On – The Pierces

Guest Post: Sara Bimmel

Strawberry Galette

flickr

If you’re used to the perfectly crimped borders and heaped filling of pies, a galette may seem strange at first. As a rustic tart, it’s not often pretty, and it’s not for those who prefer filling over crust. But if you don’t care much about aesthetics and you appreciate the flakiness and flavor of a good pastry, the galette is right up your alley. And with farmers’ markets soon to open their doors for the season and push summer’s beautiful stone fruits and ripe berries, the time to make one is fast approaching.

I recommend a strawberry filling, especially if you can get your hands on some wild berries. The flavor is so great on its own, but the other wonderful thing about strawberries is that they meld well with almost any other fruit, so you can fill the tart with a combination that includes blueberries, peaches, rhubarb, or even apples.

Strawberry Galette
This makes one tart and will serve 6 to 8.

for the pastry:
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp. finely ground sea salt
• 1 T. sugar
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. ice water

for the filling:
• 2 pints (4 c.) fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. tapioca flour
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 T. strawberry liqueur or 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

1. Toss together the flours, sugar, and salt for the pastry. Cut the cold stick of unsalted butter into small pieces, and use a pastry blender or food processor to cut the butter into the flour. Stop when the butter is in pea-sized lumps.
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2.Gradually add the ice water to the pastry, a tablespoon at a time. Toss the pastry after each addition, and stop adding water when the dough comes together in a lump.
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3. Gather the dough into a rough ball, pat it down into a disc, wrap the disc in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes and up to two days.

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4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

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5.While you chill the dough, make the filling for the galette. Pour the strawberries into a large bowl, and toss the sugar, tapioca flour, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Sprinkle the dry ingredients evenly over the strawberries, and toss to combine. Pour in the liqueur or vanilla extract (if using), and stir the mixture again. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

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6. When the dough is done chilling, unwrap it and place it on a flat surface that you have coated with flour. Sprinkle flour on a rolling pin, and roll out the dough to an even, flat circle that is close to 15 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough circle to a baking sheet coated with parchment paper.

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7. Heap the strawberry filling in the middle of the dough circle, making sure it doesn’t spread too much by scooping it in at the sides if necessary.

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8. Create the edges of the tart by grabbing the edges of the dough and folding them inwards. If you want better looking edges, trim the dough to an even circle before you fold it. If you’d like, paint the edges of the tart lightly with melted butter.

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9. Bake the tart at 375 for 45 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. If you’d like, sprinkle the tart with powdered sugar and serve with fresh whipped cream.

This post was contributed by Sara Bimmel, who writes about Halloween costumes over at StarCostumes.com

I Heart SF

For my 21st birthday, which is a month away, my parents are taking me to San Francisco and Napa Valley for a week. I'm super excited, but haven't done too much travel research on them yet. Do y'all have any recommendations for shops, sights, or restaurants?

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See more travel posters like the one above at The Heads of State

WORKOUT Mix #1

As much as I love my sweets, believe it or not I love working out just as much. But my workouts are only enjoyable if I have an amazing playlist to go with. My workouts start out intense, then slow down some, then the last few minutes I step it up again. I rotate between the elliptical, treadmill and weights. Here are some songs that really get my heart going:

1. Embers – Just Jack
2. Radio - Beyonce
3. Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
4. Womanizer – Britney Spears
5. Calabria 2007 - Enur
6. Piece of Me – Britney Spears
7. XR2 – M.I.A.
8. Pump It – Black Eyed Peas
9. Jungle Drum – Emiliana Torrini
10. Starstruck – Lady Gaga

What songs do you like working out to?

Go Do Now

My roommate introduced my to this artist: Jonsi - the solo lead singer of Sigur Ros. I never really heard much of Sigur Ros' stuff before, but I can tell you after listening to Jonsi, I will be now. The Icelandic singer has this sprite like falsetto voice that is almost non-human. There's lots of layering, percussion and twinkle sounds throughout his album, Go. Also, some of his songs are in Icelandic, making them seem all the more magical and ethereal. This is truly one of the most beautiful albums I have heard in a long time. His music just has that feeling of inspiration and exhilaration that energizes me. Now, Go Do and listen!

Hear the song below and see the video here (it doesnt allow embedding): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6HjT4SQKJI&feature=related

Nightstand

I went home this past weekend for Easter and it was so beautiful, not only because I got to see my best friends and family, but also because of all the daffodils and cherry blossom trees were in bloom. When the wind wold blow off the petals from the flowering trees, it looked like snow falling. My mom made me this little mason jar arrangement of the flowers from our yard. I put it right next to my bed, for a little reminder of home :)

Many Maries

I love the look of this video for Acid Girl's Lightworks. The song is okay, but the theme of this video - Marie Antoinette - is super fantastic! The costumes and the food - it literally is eye candy!

The Pianist

I love the sound pianos make! Here are some songs that are purely piano - no other instruments accompany them, except for maybe a voice or two:

1. Dawn – Pride and Prejudice Soundtrack
2. Ballerina – Leona Naess
3. Postcards from Far Away - Coldplay
4. Many Rivers – Charlotte Martin
5. Avril 14th – Aphex Twin
6. Typical – Laura Marling
7. Bones – Charlotte Martin
8. The Beacon – A Fine Frenzy
9. Hero – Regina Spektor
10. Internalize This – Charlotte Martin