Favorites From the Weekend

 "Mai" flowers for lunar new year

 using the last of the PB for overnight oats in a jar

 Emily's vegan indian spiced chili

 DIYing my own Etsy inspired moleskin

reading/researching

Etsy Love

There's no doubt that Etsy is one of the best places to look for vintage dresses. I was really excited when I discovered Strawberry Koi's shop, which has an amazing selection of dresses with classic silhouettes, nice detailing, and fun prints.

One Year

Exactly one year ago today, I arrived in Italy for my semester abroad! I seriously cannot believe it's been an entire year already. I was looking back on pictures/reminiscing lol, and below are some highlights of my time in Italia. I can't wait to go back--although that's not going to happen for a long time.

Color of the Year

Pantone's 2012 color is tangerine tango! I've always been kind of on the fence about brighter orange tones. Love how it's used in the pieces below though.
What do you think of this color?

1. Erin Featherson dress 
2. Coach satchel
3. Toma Vase
4. Jonathan Adler chair

Hanging Sculptures

Check out these amazing sculptures by Augusto Esquivel made of colored buttons. I can't even imagine how long it took to plan and do each string.

Loren Hope Designs

I recently discovered Loren Hope Designs, which is an online jewelry boutique that also distributes to stores around the U.S. I love all the necklaces, which come in such fun colors and are great for accessorizing any outfit. There are so many great ones that would be perfect statement pieces! Check out the adorable jewelry here.

Lattice Top Apple Pie

After many not so subtle remarks from my dad about craving apple pie, I decided to make one--with a lattice top! I think this was my first time making pie, and I used this recipe for the crust, minus half a stick of butter. Since I didn't really find a filling recipe I liked, there was a lot of improvisation along the way. 2 sliced apples, lots of cinnamon, lime juice mixed with arrowroot powder, and about 3/4 c of brown sugar were mixed with the apples. The result was delicious! I was really excited about how my lattice top turned out, haha. Only thing I would change is adding more apples next time!
 

Jason Wu for Target

Who's excited for this collaboration?? I know I am! Below are my favorite looks--to see more, go here.

Macarons Take Two

The last time I made macarons, they didn't look so great but tasted delicious. This time, we were so excited that some turned out beautiful. Unfortunately, none were all the way cooked! :( Third's time a charm, right?

Get Inspired

I don't usually make resolutions, but I do like the idea of having a visual collage to get me inspired and remind me of goals I want to accomplish. Do you make inspiration boards?

Cupcakes

The other day I went to my friend's house to help make 100 mini cupcakes for an event. It was the perfect opportunity to test out my new camera! I obviously still need a lot of work learning how to use it, but it's a lot of fun figuring out. We used this recipe for the chocolate cupcakes and lemon frosting, this recipe for the vanilla cupcakes, and this recipe for the chocolate frosting. These are definitely not healthy, but a nice delectable treat.