July 30, 2010

Maxed-Out



Flowy maxi dresses are the perfect item to add to your summer wardrobe. They show enough skin to be sweet and not sexy. This modern-day frock has been transformed into one of the most comfortable clothing items other than jeans as of last year. The maxi dress shown above is from Banana Republic. I went into their store last year for the first time ever and was very surprised at how cute their clothes were. The sales associates were helpful and I was offered a fresh drink while shopping! This made my shopping experience pleasurable and I certainly intend to come back. Printed or solid these dresses are sure to make you the center of attention.
Don't Get Maxed-Out!
emily kate(:

July 28, 2010

Wicked



As you have probably heard, Wicked: the Musical is on tour and has stopped in Houston! I had the privilege to go with my friends to watch this fabulous work of theatre. Before this though we went to The Grand Luxe cafe and enjoyed their key lime pie and red velvet cake which was amazing as usual. Then we listened to talented actors for three hours. This was the best night of my life! If Wicked comes to a theatre near you, buy tickets fast! They almost sold out within hours. This musical is great for every age and really defies gravity and makes you feel popular with its show stopping performances.
"It's good to see me, isn't it? No need to answer, that was rhetorical."-Glinda
emily kate(:

July 27, 2010

Hey Cupcake!



Driving on my way to an amazing weekend getaway at a friends house on Lake Travis, I spotted this shiny trailer that had "hey cupcake!" written on it. I consulted about my stomach and decided to stop by. Little did I know that I was about to experience the most delicious cupcake my mouth has ever tasted. They have flavors such as Vanilla Dream, Red Velvet (my favorite), Double Dose, Snowcap, The Standard, Michael Jackson (another favorite), 24 Carrot, and Sweetberry. All of these mouth-watering cupcakes have either buttercream icing or cream cheese icing and which ever one you choose you are sure to die and go to heaven! Since I was going to a girls weekend getaway, I thought it would be great to buy 11 and get one free using their special offer right now! They are only $2.75 and worth every penny! Check out their website at www.heycupcake.com to find locations and read how he started hey cupcake!
You only live once, Go for it!
emily kate(:

July 25, 2010

Tough Love






After a few hours cooped up in my apartment, I realized it is impossible to stay inside and not get a little stir-crazy. I grabbed my best friend and we headed to see a movie; little did I know it started pouring the minute I walked outside. So I opted to wear this leather jacket from Forever Twenty-One. I have been trying to find my "tougher" side since my wardrobe has consisted of mainly florals and pastels this summer. The jacket is perfect when you pair it with with ripped jeans. P.S. Forgive the quality of the photos. I forgot my camera and used my iPhone.
Tough Love!
emily kate(:

July 22, 2010

Double It Up



I always thought that you could only wear one scarf at a time or else it would look bulky. This statement is very false. When you put together two lightweight scarves this creates a very chic boho look that I love! Just make sure you pair colors that compliment each other so they don't clash. In my second blog ever posted I showed these scarves and I said that I bought them at Macy's for 4 dollars so if you are worried you won't find a good deal or that the cute ones are expensive, never give up! There is always a great deal around the corner so keep on looking.
Don't find yourself in a knot!
emily kate(:

July 21, 2010

Sweet Lemon Bars


I have been on the hunt to find and bake really good lemon bars and I have finally done so with the help of Paula Dean's recipe! The ingredients for the crust are: 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, pinch salt, and 2 sticks of butter. The ingredients for the filling are: 4 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, 6 tablespoons of flour, and 6 tablespoons of lemon juice (I prefer fresh). Now to get started just preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the pan. Then combine all the ingredients for the crust and press the mix into the pan and cook for 20 minutes. While this is baking, mix the ingredients for the filling and wait until the crust is done.

Pour the filling on top of the baked crust inside the pan. Once you have finished this, put the pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes longer.

When it is out of the oven, sprinkle the tiniest bit of powdered sugar over the top of the lemon bars for a sweet touch to it. Now I suggest putting it in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the bars to be not as mushy as when they came out of the oven.


Some people may want to make fun shapes out of the cute desserts to bring out their inner child!
Bon Appetit!
emily kate(:

July 16, 2010

Easy Breezy




My best friend Stephanie is modeling the sundress in the picture above. She is amazing and so thoughtful! You will definitely see her more often on the blog. On another note, I love sundresses! I have at least seven and they complete my spring and summer wardrobes. These are great for running errands, having lunch, or even going on a date. I am cold everywhere I go so I always pair these light dresses with cardigans, and the temperature is perfect!
Have Fun In The Sun!
emily kate(:

July 9, 2010

International Delights: Alfajores





Lately, I've been having an obsession with cooking delightful desserts. I might as well call it a hobby since almost every other day I'm whipping up a batch of a new recipe that I find. Today I made these melt-in-your-mouth 'cookies' that are very typical in the country of Argentina. The process takes time, but the end result and licking a spoonful of dulce de leche makes it all worthwhile.

Ingredients:
- 2 sticks of butter slightly melted
- 3/4 cups of sugar
- 2 1/2 cups of cornstarch
- 1 cup of flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons of grated lemon peel
- shreds of coconut
- dulce de leche {can be made or store bought}

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and beat over medium speed until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch and baking powder and baking soda together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue mixing until it forms a consistent dough.
*If necessary, add milk to get the consistent dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness, then cut with a small round cutter (or a juice glass). Repeat the rolling and cutting until you have used all the dough. Place the cookies on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, just until the edges start to brown.

Let the cookies cool completely, and then place a generous dollop of dulce de leche on one cookie, topping with another cookie to make a sandwich. Press gently together and roll the sides into the coconut shreds.

As they say over there,
Chau!
emilykate(:

July 7, 2010

Take-Out




Take-out is a gift from God. Whenever it is raining outside I certainly do no want to be rushing around town going to dinner or picking it up. So chinese takeout was pretty much all I have eaten the past couple of days. I LOVE fortune cookies. There is no way to describe it! As i unravel the clear package that contains the fortune cookie, I get excited and eat it. Then soon after I realize I ate the paper that has my written fortune on it! No matter how hard you want the fortune to be true or false, it always seems to be correct.
再見 (Bye!)
emily kate(:

Cold, Cutouts, and Colorado




My parents are big on surprise family trips for "bonding time". So this next week I will be in Colorado at a ranch riding horses, mountain climbing, and hiking. I am normally not an outdoors kind of girl but since my new year's resolution was to try new things, I think I will enjoy it. As always, I will be flying over there so I chose to wear this cutout cardigan since you never know if you are going to be hot or cold on the airplane. Cutouts are starting to rise up in the fashion world. Whether they are on cardigans or shoes watch out for this trend alert. I also had to pull out my riding boots for this occasion. I have not been riding in three years so this should be interesting. I am super excited to be away from all the Houston rainstorms.
Colorado or Bust!
emily kate(:

Singing In The Rain



On a rainy day in Houston, All I want to do is throw on a pair of sweats and tennis shoes. I did not think it was possible to look fashionable when it's raining; But I found a way! Dav Rain Boots solved my problem perfectly by designing very cute rain boots. Having these leopard boots make me feel fierce and confident on a normally gloomy day. Target also helped solve my problem of lacking in cute rain jackets! So when I found this jacket I bought two colors!
Bring on the rain!
emily kate(:

July 6, 2010

The Mustard Seed





After a very long and eventful Fourth of July weekend, I took my dad out on his birthday for dinner. We went to Houston's in the galleria area and had an evening full of catching up. Happy Birthday Dad! During Americas' birthday however, I went to La Grange for a fireworks show and came across an adorable boutique called The Mustard Seed. They have a great selection of accessories and small variety of clothes but the atmosphere of the store is incredible. I got this skirt there and was dying to wear it as soon as I bought it! This floral belt completed the look. I bought this at a store in the Galleria Mall called Agaci.
God Bless America!
emily kate(: