C'est si bon

sprinkles on top

baking is one of my favorite things.

it doesn't matter what i am mixing up,

i just love being up to my elbows in flour & sugar.

however, its not just the baking.

its the entire joy of the experience.

the monogrammed apron.

the french music playing.

the candles burning.

c'est si bon

i love, love, love being able to bring sugar to my dear friends.

there is not much sweeter than a home made treat delivered to your doorstep.

and my friends surely deserve a treat. or two.

a dash of love. a sprinkle of joy. a pinch of kindness.

just to say i am thankful for you.

but here is the catch.

i love the idea of delivering darling cupcakes,

but i never can seem to make my frosting look pretty.

it just looks down right messy.

and messy frosting does not present well.

so, unless i am covering my cupcakes in coconut shavings,

i do not bake cupcakes.

{unless of course they are just for me to enjoy}

until now.

i finally decided to practice the art of frosting.

and boy was it fun.

look how sweet.

for this style of frosting,

i simply used a large round tip.

i held the tip very close to the cookie, pointing strait down to the middle of the cookie.

do not move the tip, but squeeze the frosting out.

the frosting will naturally pillow out.

when the first tier got to the size i wanted, i pulled the tip strait up.

repeat two more times.

add a little sprinkle.

piece of cake.

pretty little things

i have a mild obsession with all things

black. white. and gold.

i have always loved everything black and white.

black and white fashion.

black and white design.

black and white photography.

black and white cookies.

but add a dash of gold

and it takes it to another level.

my home is very black and white.

i have a white home.

black shutters.

a black mailbox.

black and white striped awnings.

{my fave}

black wood furniture.

a black and white striped rug.

a white desk.

a black chandelier.

white flowers galore.

everywhere you look. black and white.

i have recently thought about painting my baseboards black, too.

a shiny, high gloss black.

i think it will add a bold & dramatic touch.

what do you think?

the only thing i am missing...

the gold accents pieces.

i have a few, but i am looking to add.

i need a little more luxe.

i found the prettiest little things today.

the perfect golden addition.

the most stunningly golden salad plates.

who knew pier one was so glam?

these babies are glass plates that have been painted on the bottom.

the texture is unbelievable.

each one is ever so slightly different.

it was love at first sight.

i bought twelve.

twelve pretty salad plates to pair with my

prettiest golden dinner plates.

don't they just belong together?!

i can hardly wait to have my next dinner party.

these will surely be a show stopper.

now i just would love this kitchen to match...

to me this is perfection.

five gold stars.

{pier one also had gold dinner plates and soup bowls. 10 bucks a pop. i may have to go back for the bowls}

fountain of juice

are you a juicer?

i am.

as of yesterday, i am the proud owner of the breville juicer fountain.

and i could not be more pleased with this new toy.

if you are anything like me, i was a bit intimidated when i took this out of the box.

it was big. it had many parts. the blades were intense.

but it was shiny, and i like shiny.

i was so pleased to find that it is super user friendly.

easy peasy lemon squeezy

{my first graders say that all the time.

i thought it was perfectly appropriate given this post}

i have been a fan of juicing for awhile now.

i have heard such positive stories from those who juice.

some have been healed. some have been re-energized.

all have gained loads of vitamins and nutrients.

the real benefit from juicing is that all the vitamins and nutrients

go strait to your blood stream.

your body does not need to digest the whole foods.

it's essentially an instant pick me up.

a great alternative to my usual medium diet coke from mcdonalds.

{which i gave up today... but thats another story}

periodically i will go to rollin oats to pick up a juice.

apple and carrot, please.

delicious.

but now i can juice my very own fresh produce in my very own little kitchen.

last night i stuck to what was familiar.

yep, you guessed it.

apple and carrot.

this morning i added a handful of spinach.

equally as delicious. with an extra dash of strength.

i can hardly wait to experiment with all different fruits and veg.

tomorrow i am trying this green juice

here is the best part of all, friends.

i bought my juicer at macys yesterday.

they are normally around 220 dollars.

but right now they are 40% off.

run! dont walk! go get one!

your body will thank you.

good as gold

i happen to adore everything big & glamorous.

chunky gold. sparkly sparkles. costume jewels.

over-sized sunglasses.

expensive lipstick.

red nail polish.

large, luxe purses.

you name it, i will rock it.

it was no surprise that when i laid eyes on

stella and dot's pegasus necklace

{a must have for every fashionista}

i. had. to. have. it.

the multi-tonal golds.

the intricate detail.

the size.

the statement.

oohhh-la-la.

when i saw this piece, my mind went wild....

dreaming up all the potential outfits that this baby would add instant glamour to.

jeans and simple tee.

bingo.

little black dress.

oh ya.

capris and cardigan.

yes, please!

pair any of the above with this statement piece and you will be exuding glamour.

one of my everyday go-to tops is my jcrew chambray top.

its comfy.

its versatile.

its classic.

i paired that top with this necklace.

surprising, maybe?

but it was the perfect combo of tomboy meets fashion gal.

the vintage, mens wear appeal of the shirt practically begs for a splash of glitz & glamour.

this will surely be a go-to daytime outfit for me.

light chambray top. dark, dark skinny jeans, and this stunner.

show stopper.

that being said,

i can hardly wait to wear it out on the town this weekend in my all black get-up, per usual.

i am big on monochromatic outfits.

there is nothing more chic.

{except for adding this necklace to a little black-on-black action}

throw this baby on with any outfit

and you are good as gold.

the peanut butter to my jelly.

a piece of my heart will always be in nyc.

on sullivan street, to be exact.

the peanut butter & company,

i will forever love you from afar.

i am a huge peanut butter lover.

and i am not ashamed to admit that i eat it nearly everyday.

with a spoon. with an apple. with a banana.

on cinnamon raisin toast. on pancakes.

baked in a cookie. baked in a bar.

i could surely eat it by the jar.

however, i am convinced that there is no peanut butter more divine than

peanut butter & company's peanut butters.

when i lived in ny in 2007

i had my very first bite of pb&co peanut butter.

crunch time.

that extra crunchy spread sent me over the moon.

when i moved back to florida, i was certain i would have to find a runner up...

oh boy, was i wrong or what?!

little did i know that several of our local grocery stores carry peanut butter & company.

rollin' oats. the fresh market. whole foods. publix.

yahoo!

for the last few years i have cleaned out the peanut butter aisles to keep my pantry stocked.

i have it down to a science.

if i want crunch time or smooth operator, i head to the fresh market.

if i want cinnamon raisin swirl, i swing by rollin' oats.

if i want white chocolate wonderful, publix is my store.

how great is that?!

while those flavors are all top on my go-to list,

i was still dying to taste some of the other flavors that pb&co creates.

there are several delicious flavors that are just not found in my neck of the woods.

the sweet, sweet people of peanut butter & company are so generous.

they have caught on to my love for their goods, and so they sent me two jars to taste out.

mighty maple & dark chocolate dreams.

they are oh-so-good.

thank you peanut butter & company for sending some buttery love my way!

i found it most appropriate to use my mighty maple in a new french toast recipe i found.

bobby flay's peanut butter and banana stuffed french toast.

oh. my. goodness.

surely this recipe would be killer with crunch time or smooth operator,

but using the mighty maple sent this recipe home.

and home again.

mighty maple has the perfect hint of maple syrup,

but doesn't make it over-the-top sweet.

peanut butter & company makes all natural peanut butters.

but get this, no stirring or refrigeration needed.

i measured out all my ingredients in advance.

this way i could throw it all together right when my lovie walked in the door.

these graduated and stackable mixing bowls are the perfect way to make cooking prep look pretty.

sweet success!

i just love both of the new flavors i was able to try.

and i will certainly be shopping online for more.

especially for these great little guys...

what a great & healthy snack to carry around!

so, go try some of my fave pb.

i promise you will be forever devoted.

{c'est si bon was not compensated for this post. i was given a few jars of peanut butter to review. all opinions expressed are my own}

i caught wind...

i caught wind that a very special man

was visiting a very special boutique here in town.

and being that this very special boutique happens to be one of my

fave places, and this man happens to be one of my all-time fave jewelry designers,

i knew this girl wasn't going to miss this date with fashion.

john wind visits marion's.

the perfect combination.

if you have not been to marion's, you must make a visit

top on your priority list.

it is truly the most darling boutique ever.

great jewels, great clothes, great gifts.

every single time i pop into marion's,

i have about 10 new items on my

need list.

i can promise you, you will ditch the wish list

when you step foot in the door.

you will quickly create a neeeeeed list.

marion has a great eye for great product.

great product that is special and unique to her store.

allow me to introduce exhibit a,

john wind.

i knew i loved jw the moment i laid eyes on his jewelry,

but i love him even more after today.

he is friendly, warm, engaging.

a true gentleman.

jw has a passion for vintage jewels.

he finds great pieces and modernizes them perfectly.

a dash of old hollywood glamour meets everyday chic.

i love pearls.

i will wear them with anything and everything.

i especially love the chunkiness of the baubles on the left.

that makes such a statement.

these necklaces would be bold with a simple tee and jeans.

i adore this necklace.

the gold, the bold, i'm sold.

it is hard to see in this picture,

but inside these baubles

is lucite.

the perfect modern addition.

another great statement necklace.

i love how big the pearls are, yet they are light as can be.

the detail on the gold leaves sent it home for me.

stunning.

this necklace should be a staple in every girls wardrobe.

charms, pearls, rhinestones, and the like can all be added on to

define your personality.

are these evening bags not the most glamorous things you have ever seen?

and to make them even more covet-able,

get this...

jw found the vintage designer who sold these bags decades ago.

and here is the kicker,

they share the same name.

how great is that?

so, jw embellishes these genuinely vintage bags with brooches and jewels.

i like to think of it as john wind with the volume turned up.

this sparkly bow necklace has my name all over it.

it is everything i adore.

gold.

sparkle.

bow.

i am over the moon.

this is the jewelry genius himself.

he epitomizes good style. look at that jacket!

my jw bracelets are a go-to for me.

no matter what i wear, they bump up the chic factor.

i wear as many as i can at one time...

and i always get compliments.

pop into marion's and stock up on these great jewels.

i love how they reflect each girls personality.

his pieces make great gifts, too!

thanks, jw.

you make the world a prettier place.

this takes the cake

i find any excuse to bake treats.

it could be for my lovie.

{never mind the fact that he never eats sweets}

it could be for a sweet friend.

it could be simply for the joy of making something pretty.

it could be for no real reason at all.

but today,

it is a very special day.

a very special birthday.

mr. wilkerson has been a long time family friend,

and has become so very dear to my hubby-to-be and me.

not only is mr. wilkerson leading us through premarital counseling,

he is also officiating our wedding.

what a blessing.

a little birdie told me that his all-time fave sweet treat is coconut cake.

fancy, i have just the little recipe for this sweet birthday boy.

i consider myself to be friends with ina garten.

yep. ina and i are friends.

i mean, i see her almost everyday...

on my DVR.

i happen to love every single recipe the barefoot contessa has ever created.

that being said, mr. wilkerson will get some ina garten coconut cuppiecakes for his birthday treat.

i am completely devoted to this recipe.

it is an all-time fave of mine.

the divine taste & texture proves flawless over and again.

this recipe surely

takes the cake.

a little mixing.

a little folding.

a little spooning.

and voila!

pop those babies in the oven.

a little frosting.

a little sprinkling.

a whole lotta birthday love.

this recipe truly is a keeper.

i have turned many a coconut critics into believers.

the coconut is subtle, but oh-so-oh-so-oh-so-good.

and here's a little secret.

just keep it between you & me.

add an extra dash of almond extract.

it brings unreal flavor and depth to the cake.

check out the full recipe here

coconut cupcakes

day two. coo coo cachoo.

i thought day one was great.

but day two was the best to date.

the second day of my bachelorette weekend was just plain ol' fun.

by the end of the night my cheeks hurt from laughing so much.

my feet hurt from dancing too much.

my little heart was overflowing with happiness.

{which one can never have too much of}

our lazy day on the beach was full of

laughter & chatter.

true girl style.

these were moments that i wouldn't ever trade back.
not for the world.

saturday night on the town.
a fave of all my past memories.
and this was our chance to do it all over again.

getting ready together with my besties.
music playing way too loud. singing along. putting on makeup. changing outfits.

... getting ready to celebrate.

meet hill. my best friend. my maid of honor.

this is kelly. my little new yorker. she's got edge.

told you.
who else can pull off a tuxedo jumpsuit?
my little groomie for the night.

i went in for the smooch.
she wouldn't have anything to do with it.

hill planned a great bachelorette night out.
but first, we played games.
way fun games.
my lovies answers made the girls laugh
and cry
tears of joy.
he couldn't be any sweeter.
i am the luckiest.