Off to Las Vegas!

Hi everyone! Tomorrow I am jetting off to sunny Las Vegas for a nice long weekend so I will be taking a few days off from blogging.  My younger sister got a job as a professional showgirl in Bally's Jubilee! and my entire family is flying out to see her opening night performance. :) I'll be sure to post photos and stories when I return from the trip!

I've never been to Vegas before, so it will all new to me! I don't gamble but I know that I'll have fun regardless. :) So far, my plans are to relax by the pool and (hopefully) get a tan, explore the hotels and shops on the strip, go on some of the rides at the top of the Stratosphere and possibly take a day trip to the Grand Canyon! If you have any recommendations or tips for me, I would LOVE to hear them so please drop me a note in the comments below!

A Little Bit of Sparkle...

...because sometimes all you need is some glitter & shine to brighten up your day!

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10 Pretty Ballet Flats for Spring

In my opinion, you can never have too many pairs of ballet flats. They go with everything: skinny jeans, bootcut jeans, dresses, skirts & tights...the possibilities are endless! My absolute favorite pair that I've purchased to date are these Chloe leather ballet flats in light pink.

They were pricey, but they are the most comfortable shoes I own - I don't even feel like I'm wearing shoes when I have them on!! They go with everything in my wardrobe and they remind me of my former dancer days. :) You can buy a similar pair here.


Here are 10 pairs of ballet flats I'm lusting over this spring!

JCrew classic leather ballet flats - $125. I love these flats because they are classic but also trendy since they come in so many fun, bright colors like poppy, violet, gallery green and cobalt, which are all perfect for spring.

Zara studded ballerina - $90. These flats are so unique because they mix the classic feminine ballet shoe color with fashion forward studs! I want these on my feet immediately.

Friday Inspiration: Quotes I Love

Enjoy your weekends, everyone! :)

Style Inspiration: Olivia Palermo

You may remember Olivia Palermo from her role on The City with Whitney Port, but she's now known across the globe as a serious style icon. Whether she's dressing up for an event, sitting front row at fashion week or just hitting the streets of NYC, she always looks classy, fashion forward, chic and polished. She is a master accessorizer - her handbags and shoes always compliment her outfit perfectly. I swear, she looks good in everything she wears and can do no wrong when it comes to style!!

Here are some of my favorite Olivia looks of late.

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DIY Trinket Boxes

If you've seen my post on making picture frames, you know that I love working with paper and wood. In addition to making the frames, I also like to make little trinket boxes to display around my apartment. They take a bit more time than the frames do, but they are really fun to make and also make great gifts! I wanted to show you two boxes that I made for myself and let you know what steps I took to create them.

What I'm Dreaming of...

Happy first day of spring, everyone!! Here are just a few things I've been dreaming about lately...what's on your wish list?


This gorgeous pastel layer cake by Bubble & Sweet...

Macarons from Laduree...

A trip to Paris this spring...

Secret Gardens & Enchanted Forests

One of my favorite books as a child was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. With a bit of imagination, the words on the pages transported me to a hidden garden full of wonder and surprise.  I also loved reading fairy tales with enchanted forests where magical things would happen with each step. Each of the images below brings me back to my childhood dreams of secret gardens and enchanted forests...I hope they do the same for you! :)

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Friday Inspiration: Quotes I Love

Happy Friday! :)

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

*This recipe was featured by Lauren Conrad on her official website!*

Once a month in my office, we have a party for the ladies in my group who are celebrating their birthday. We all take turns bringing in desserts, chips & dips and healthy snacks and this month I was up to bake a sweet treat! I decided to make these salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars that I saw on the amazing Brown Eyed Baker's blog.

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They are a delicious combination of soft chocolate chip cookies and gooey salted caramel layers...perfection! I love how the sweet and salty flavors compliment each other - it makes these bars super unique and unlike anything else I've made. I didn't alter the recipe from the original at all, but I may skip the salt on top of the brownies and just stick to using salt on the caramel layer next time - I think I may have overdone it!! :)

Style Inspiration: Celebs in Feminine Frocks

Over the past couple of months, there have been multiple award shows, celebrity events and fashion shows which can only mean one thing - tons of fabulous outfits!! In my opinion, there's nothing better than a beautifully feminine dress, and whether they are short or long, these celebrities wear them well.

Olivia Palermo in Christian Dior

Kristin Wiig in J. Mendel

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

Dreaming of spring...

The last two days have been gorgeous in Boston with sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s and it really has me wishing that it was officially spring! I can't wait for all of the flowers to bloom, especially peonies, which are my absolute favorite. :)

Today it's rainy and in the 50s, but that won't stop me from dreaming!! I'm just going to keep looking at these gorgeous photos and pretend that it's mid-May already...

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Nutella Cheesecake Bars

When I saw this delicious Nutella cheesecake layer bar recipe by The Moonlight Baker on Pinterest, I knew I needed to try them! I love anything cheesecake and my boyfriend is obsessed with Nutella, so I knew these would be a perfect match for us. :) He said that these were "the best things I've ever made...even better than cupcakes!" While I'm not sure I agree with him 100%, I do think that these were absolutely delicious and I could not stop eating them!

Friday Inspiration: Quotes I Love

I hope everyone had a great week and is looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend! :)

Lauren Conrad features my cupcake recipe!!

Yesterday afternoon I was browsing Pinterest and I saw a picture that looked familiar to me - it was a photo of my cookie dough cupcakes! I had pinned the recipe awhile back so I figured one of my friends had repinned it, but when I looked closer, I realized that it was Lauren Conrad who had pinned it with the caption "cookie dough cupcakes (omg so good)"!!

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I was completely blown away - she has almost 42,000 followers on Pinterest so I was excited to think about all of those eyeballs on my cupcake recipe! I had submitted the recipe to her website awhile back, so she or one of her team members must have seen it and decided to pin it. Last I checked, it had about 300 likes and almost 2000 repins!!

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Not only am I excited about the exposure, I am flattered that Lauren and her team thought my recipe was good enough to share with her thousands of followers. I put a lot of heart and soul into all that I write, bake, craft and create, so it feels really good to have one of my recipes noticed and appreciated by so many people! :) Needless to say, it totally made my week!!  A big THANK YOU to everyone at LaurenConrad.com - I am so thrilled!

Nail Art Inspiration

I don't know about you, but I love giving myself a good manicure. It's nice to get your nails done professionally, but I really enjoy taking an hour once a week to paint my own nails! I'm constantly looking for new polish colors and I LOVE using glitter and sparkle, especially on my ring finger.

my most recent self manicure

Here are some gorgeous nail art designs I've found on Pinterest. While some of them are definitely too difficult for me to attempt, I plan to try some of the simpler designs out very soon!

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12 Spring Dresses Under $100

Spring is almost upon us and I'm looking forward to wearing some cute new dresses once the weather warms up! This season is all about bright colors, colorblocking, florals, lace and 50s inspired dresses.

Here are 12 of my favorite dresses under $100. Will you be adding any of these to your online shopping bag?

Cheap Monday Yvonne Dress - $90. I love the bright tangerine color and the cinched waist.

LC Lauren Conrad Colorblock Accordion Pleat Dress - $51. The soft pink palette and pleating make this romantic dress totally on trend for spring.

Five Places I'm Dying to Visit

Here are five places I'm dying to visit, in no particular order! Do any of these destinations make your top five list?

1) Kyoto, Japan. I've never been to Asia and this would be the first place I'd want to visit there!

Friday Inspiration: Quotes I Love

It's my favorite day of the week :) Happy Friday, everyone!

Gift Guide: For the Hostess

Whether you are attending a dinner party or a housewarming party, it's always a thoughtful gesture to bring a small gift for the hostess. After all, she probably spent all day (or even multiple days) preparing for the party, so it's nice to treat her to a little something! :)

It's much easier to pick out a gift for someone you know well, but there are a few safe gifts that will appeal to all. Here are some great hostess gift ideas under $40 - which is your favorite?


Flowers - prices vary. Flowers are an easy way to show your hostess appreciation for all she's done before the party. They make a nice addition to any room and smell fabulous! Peonies, gerber daisies and tulips are my personal favorites - I would skip roses as they are too romantic and lilies because they are often used at funerals. If you have time, put the bouquet in a mason jar and tie a pretty ribbon around it!

Bottle of wine - prices vary. Wine is always a welcome gift at a party! Whether it's red or white, your hostess will definitely appreciate a new bottle to add to her collection. You don't have to spend a ton - just pick a bottle that you know she'll enjoy! I recommend trying any bottle by Cupcake Vineyards, especially the Pinot Noir, Red Velvet and the Riesling for dessert.