Tickled Pink

Yesterday was the first day of spring. The weather was beautiful today. I am on spring break. All of these facts led me to make some pink lemonade cupcakes tonight. I have never made pink lemonade cupcakes before, but they are something I have always wanted to try. After searching around on the internet a little, I found some recipes I wanted to try.

Pink lemonade cupcakes:

• Box of white cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/2 cup pink lemonade concentrate (thawed)

Mix everything together in mixing bowl. Bake at 350 for 21 minutes.

Lemon filling:

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/8-1/4 cup lemonade concentrate
• lemon juice to taste

Mix cornstarch, cold water, egg yolk, sugar and pinch of salt in medium saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and beginning to boil. Remove from heat and add butter, lemonade concentrate, and lemon juice. Stir until butter is melted. Put filling in a bowl with plastic wrap on top. Place in refrigerator until cooled. 

I got this filling recipe from this blog and modified it to fit my taste.

Pink lemonade buttercream frosting

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup lemonade concentrate (can modify this to your taste)
• red food coloring (optional)

Mix everything together on low until combined. Mix on medium to high speed until frosting is fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

I got the icing recipe from this blog and then modified it for my taste.  I ended up making a recipe and a half of this because one recipe wasn't enough. 

This recipe was relatively easy to make. If you aren't familiar with putting a filling in a cupcake, I would forego that step because it can be a little difficult. Also, make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled when you frost them. I iced a few that were still warm and the icing slid right off the cupcake. Not cool. No pun intended. 

Here is a picture of my cupcake:

Enjoy these lovely spring/summer treats!

Dressed to Perfection

As you know from my previous post, I had the opportunity to go to a luncheon featuring Carmen Marc Valvo this past Friday. After much searching, I finally figured out what I was going to wear. I know it seems like I kind of obsessed over this outfit, and you are exactly right. But I mean come on, how many times do you get to attend a lunch with a fashion designer? I mean this guy has dressed Oprah, Beyonce, the princess of Sweden, Katie Couric, Kate Winslet, Queen Latifah...need I go on? I finally settled on a black and white print tunic, a big black belt, leggings, classic black patent leather heels, a turquoise purse, turquoise earrings, turquoise bangles and a bright yellow necklace for an unexpected pop of color.

I pulled up to Coplon's on Friday morning and sat in the car a minute scoping out the ladies walking in. It looked like everyone was older than me, and when I walked in I realized I was most likely the youngest person in attendance. Most of the people were in their late 20's, 30's, or 40's. The cutest group in attendance was the little old ladies that pulled out their two piece suits and got all dolled up for the event.

Coplon's was the perfect place to have the luncheon. Not only is it one of the most high-end stores in Greenville, but the store is beautiful and spacious in itself. Jimmy Choo's, Miu Miu's and Louboutin's acted as centerpieces for each table. I loved looking at all the clothes in the store, but thankfully was not tempted to buy any of them because they were WAY out of my price range.

Here is a picture of the centerpieces:

As we all sat down to eat, a representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield talked a little. I didn't realize this, but the luncheon also acted as a fundraiser for colon cancer research. Carmen is a survivor of colon cancer and has begun sharing his story in order to encourage people to take the steps to prevent the disease. He recently shared his story on The Today Show and is working with Blue Cross Blue Shield in their campaign to prevent colon cancer. Carmen spoke for a while and shared his story of fashion and cancer with us. He was so down to earth, not like a artsy fashion designer who had his head up in the clouds. He was sincere and spoke from the heart. His speech made me want to go buy all of his clothes. I can dream right?

While we ate our girly frufru food, models walked around in some of Carmen's evening gowns. So beautiful. Carmen also came to each table to sign books and talk with us while we ate. He recently released his book Dressed to Perfection: The Art of Dressing for Your Red Carpet Moments. 

Such a great coffee table book. Who knows, I may end up buying it on Amazon at some point :) After the luncheon Taryn (my boss) made sure I had the opportunity to get a picture with Carmen. Here it is:

I know this is a long post, but this was such a cool experience for me so I wanted to share it with you all! I felt like I lived in the high fashion world of NYC for a few hours.  Hope you have enjoyed reading about it!

Long Time, No Blog

So my goal is to blog at least once a week. If you look at the number of blog posts I have written lately, you will see that I have not been meeting that goal. I love to blog, but sometimes this thing called school gets in the way. And sometimes I just don't have anything that I am dying to write about.

However, I want to tell you about an exciting opportunity that I have this week. Last month, my boss asked me if I would be interested in going to a luncheon with a fashion designer that was coming down to Greenville. She offered to by my ticket for me if I could get out of classes for that day. After checking my schedule to make sure I didn't have any tests that day, I told her I was definitely interested (no brainer).

After researching the designer, Carmen Marc Valvo, the hunt for my outfit began. My boss told me I definitely wanted to dress fashionable for this event, but not to worry about going out and buying designer clothes. This was good to hear since there is no way my budget could possibly handle designer clothes. She said to research trends for this season and find the look for less. So that is exactly what I have been doing the past few weeks. I wanted to wear something black. Black is just classy and always feels fashionable to me. However, I wanted to add some of the seasons trends into this outfit. Bright colors are one this seasons hottest trends. I am working on finding some bright accessories to add to my outfit. Bold prints are another hot trend this season. Take this dress for example. Now I don't plan on going around wearing a house on my dress, but I did find a black and white tunic with a bold print this past Saturday. The search for the accessories continues...be looking for an update next week about the event!

"If the Shoe Fits..."

"...buy it in every color."
-Author Unknown

I seriously want to act on that quote with the shoes I bought last week. Here they are:

Photo credit: http://www.twosistersshop.com

They aren't four inch stilettos, this seasons latest fad, or something you would see on the red carpet. However, they are quite possibly the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. Simple, black ballet flats. I discovered these at a cute little store in downtown Greenville called Pink Azalea. They are made by Lindsay Phillips, the mind behind the popular SwitchFlops. SwitchFlops are flip-flops that have interchangeable straps, allowing you to change the look of your shoes without changing the sole of the shoe. She also came up with the Snap Shoe concept, which is what I bought. The little black flower on my shoe snaps off, and I can buy other snaps to put on. There are so many to choose from-so many possibilities! I can't wait to start collecting some snaps. If any of you have been in a gift-giving mood lately and have been racking your brains on what to get me, think no more :) I think it's safe to say I am obsessed with these simple ballet flats.

I didn't even tell you the best part. The shoes were $64 in the store. However, when you think about it, you are really paying $64 for many pairs of shoes (as long as you have the different snaps to go on them). Although, I loved the shoes and the snap concept, $64 is a little out of my price range. 

When I got home that night, I decided to browse Ebay and see if they had the shoes. Not only did they have them, but they had one brand new pair in my size for $40. It was meant to be. I signed up for an Ebay account and bid on the shoes. I won the bid and had my shoes on my feet five days later. They fit perfectly, and I have worn them three out of the last four days. If I had the money, I would buy them in every color. In the mean time, I will start collecting snaps :)

Bargain tip: Look around online if something is out of your price range in-store. You never know what you will find. Note: this does not apply to the dress you have been eyeing all season that is 70% in-store. Just buy it, you won't find a better deal anywhere else :)