Friday Fun!

I want to learn how to play this badboy! I recently saw a fun music video by 'We Were Evergreen' that involved this pink ukulele. Apparently they are pretty easy to learn how to play.

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I'm loving nude wedges this summer. Not only are they easy to walk in, but they make you look taller without being too obvious on your feet. How great!

An awesome Foodie Blog with amazing close-up pictures and cooking techniques I've never heard of.

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I'm loving this dress that I found on Pinterest! What's not to love with that cut and those flowers?


Check out this necklace. How silly!

Gone Swimming...

Please excuse my absence while I'm at the pool.
PS. Don't you wish you looked at good as some of these ladies while you were swimming at the pool?? I feel like I can never quite escape the drowned rat look.

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White Interiors

I wrote a few days ago about my recent obsession with white. I just can't get enough of it! My husband and I recently bought a house so I have been having fun decorating and painting. While I LOVE color, I also really love white. It is calming and makes the home feel relaxing. Here's a few things that I have done with white:

Yes, I did just paint a bright turquoise wall in my house! I decided to accent it with white frames and a variety of pictures though.

I love lanterns. Usually I like the brightly colored ones, but for decorating the house while adding light efficiency, I chose white lanterns. These can be found super cheap online, or at Ikea.
"Juliette Paper Lantern" 

I have slowly been collecting tablecloths, but this one is my favorite by far. It is white lace and I found it at a thrift store for $1. It is in perfect condition...although my husband did just spill a cup of coffee on it this weekend. Lucky for me there is bleach.

Finding a good simple plant stand is always a difficult thing for me. I have so many plants, but nowhere to put them. I scored big time with this simple white wired plant stand from none other than WalMart.

Neon

The Berry.com

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Rachel Pally - ZEST NEON RIB BALLET SKIRT by Rachel Pally, L

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Neon used to annoy me. It was too 80s, too bright, kind of gaudy. The more I see it now though, the more I like it. That must be how trends work.

Peonies on white

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This is the look of calm. Lately I've had an obsession with white. White walls, white table cloth, white bedding...the list goes on. I'll have to share some white pictures from my house later this week. As for today, I have found this lovely picture of peonies on white and silver. Just beautiful!

Chocolate Ganache Icing

Ganache is wonderful, I love it, I love chocolate. Chocolate ganache can do and be a variety of things AND it tastes delicious. What is not to love?!

Lately I've been playing around with whipped ganache. I have always been afraid to whip my ganache because of how it might set up. Even though ganache is wonderful and can be used for a variety of things, it is also finicky and moody. I have had enough problems with it in the past, that I have decided not to chance going the whipped route. That is, until I became super curious. So one fine day I took my ganache and gave it a good whip! What do you know, it actually worked, nothing funky happened to it. So now I am a believer in a good whipped ganache icing.

When making a cake/cupcakes, regular icing is always a tasty and safe route to go, but why not try using ganache next time? It is a rich chocolatey alternative to a sugary icing. You can easily make one ganache and have two different icing types. There is the glaze type, and the whipped type. Both are very easy.

When making a ganache icing, there is usually a 1:1 ratio of chocolate to cream. This makes it nice and pliable for pouring onto cakes, or whipping into a texture that can be piped onto cakes. Below is a good recipe for ganache icing:

Ganache Icing:
(makes about 4 cups)
-2 cups bittersweet chocolate (chopped finely)
-2 cups heavy whipping cream

Place the finely chopped chocolate into a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and take it off the heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit without stirring for a few minutes. Then, stir with a whisk until smooth. (Be careful not to stir too much or too fast.)

At this point you have a glaze ganache. You can either pour it over your cake/cupcakes, or you can go the whipped route instead. For a whipped ganache, you will need to put the completed ganache into the refrigerator until it has cooled, but not solidified. (about 45 minutes) When the ganache is cool, whip it with a mixer until soft peaks form. Now it is ready to be piped onto your cake/cupcake, or you can use a knife or spatula to wipe it on for a different look.

And there you go, two different ganache icings from just one recipe!

Hot sunny

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Here on the East Coast in the DC/VA area it is supposed to be a HOTT sunny day. I think it's time to make some popsicles and buy a sprinkler. Stay cool today!

Lace!

Lace, it's coming back and I can't get enough of it! It is dainty, sexy, and oh so feminine. The colors and styles are also endless, but my favorite is the basic and most classy white lace.

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Chandeliers

Mother In Law Chandelier

Oh So Modern Chandelier

Light and Airy Chandelier

Glam Rocker Chandelier

I have a current fascination with chandeliers! Oh the possibilities...and they can go in any room of the house. Something classy for the bathroom, an edgy modern one in the dining room, and a light and airy one in the bedroom. Chandelier overload? I think not!