Guest Room Tour

Welcome to our guest room!

I had to let the craft room go and transform this space into a guest room. 

My family lives in a different state, so when they come to visit, I want them to be comfortable and have their own space. Which is why we decided to say good by to the craft room. 

Lets take a peek:

As I am sure most peoples "guest rooms" are, this room is full of old things from around the house. The only thing I actually bought for this room is the bed and mattress. Desk was in our office, linens are from my old queen sized bed, lamp is from our living room, chair is from the dining room ..... you get the point :)

Wall stencil: etsy

Bed: IKEA

Desk: IKEA (no longer available)

Chair: IKEA

Euro shams: DIY (fabric is from IKEA)

Coral pillows: DIY

Small green throw pillow: Home Goods

Mirror: Thrifted

The white, orange and green boxes are from IKEA, everything else on the shelf are things from around the house. The boxes hold my crafting things: ribbons, buttons, elastic, stamps, patterns...

The desk drawers have my thread, needles and other sewing things.

I store the sewing machine in the closet, If I need to sew something quick, I use the desk. 

If I need more room, I bring the sewing machine down to the dining table. 

The  bench we keep in front of the bed is for our dining room. 

If we are having a big dinner party, we bring the bench down to the dining room since I only have 8 chairs. 

I just got a elliptical this week! (Gotta  get back into shape before summer)

I will keep it here, if we have guest coming, I will have the hubby move it to our room for a while. 

Thanks for visiting. 

Hope you all have a great day 

Honey Cake Russian Medovnik

This is one of my favorite Russian layer cakes! I actually have to control myself to have no more then 2 slices. I am sure if you try it, you will see what I mean. 

It makes a while to make, but it is so worth it in the end. 

CLICK HERE TO PRINT

Ingredients:

Cream/filling:

1 can of condensed milk

3 eggs

2 TB honey

1/2 cup of butter

Cake layers:

2 eggs

3/4 cups of sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 TB honey (heat in microwave for a few seconds until runny)

1/2 cup of butter

2 cups of flour

2 cups of walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

Make the cream: 

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, combine condensed milk, eggs, honey and butter. Stir constantly, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

Transfer to a bowl and put in the refrigerator to cool down. 

Making the cake layers:

Preheat oven to 350

Beat 2 eggs with sugar, baking soda and warmed up honey.

Melt the butter in a medium sized pot and transfer the beaten mixture into the the pot.

Add the flour into the pot and stir until well combined. Remove from heat and cool. 

Once the dough has cooled, dip the dough in flour and slice into 6 even sections

Prepare 7 pieces of parchment paper (one for each layer and the scrapes)

February Birchbox

Whenever I get my birchbox in the mail, I get so excited. I don't peek into my birchbox profile, so it is always a surprise on what I am getting. This month I was not disappointed. 

Don't know what birchbox is?

It's a monthly subscription service which is $10.00 a month. First you take a little survey, so they can find out more about your skin, make up likes and dislikes. Just so they know what to send you. You get 4-5 high end samples in the mail. You can then turn around and review your products for points. You get 10 points per product review. So you can get 50 points per box. 100 points is $10 you can use at the birchbox store. 

I love this because I get to try products that I would have never had a chance to try. A lot of them were amazing, and I have purchased them on my own. 

Now, lets see what I got in this months box:

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm Full size $36

What Birchbox says:  Adenosine improves skin’s elasticity, and arbutin brightens and evens out skin tone. Rare caviar extract promotes collagen production, while titanium dioxide and zinc oxide provide broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. 

What I say: The sample size was enough for 2 uses. I was impressed at the coverage of this BB cream. I didn't even need to wear any concealer,   which is unusual because of my hyper-pigmentation. 

I like that the full size comes with a pump.

This BB cream is pretty highly rated online, the reviews say that it even improves your skin with frequent use.. I can see why. It is a perfect daily use.

I am putting this on my list to buy. I usually use a tinted moisturizer on a daily basis, but this has better coverage and lasts longer then my current tinted moisturizer. 

Juicy Couture/ Couture La La Full size: $90

What Birchbox says:  Bright and zesty mandarin, crisp green apple, and tart red currant notes open up the fragrance, while soft lily of the valley and orange blossom lend it a hint of chic femininity.

What I say: This is a pleasant smell, I don't like it more then the viva la juicy, but more then the original Juicy. Won't be purchasing. 

TIGI / Catwalk Your highness Root Boost Spray  Full size: $14.95

What Birchbox says: The fine, lightweight foam sinks immediately into wet strands for long-lasting volume.

What I say: I am not a big fan of hair styling products, I usually prefer hairspray and dry shampoo. But I used this and am in love! You spray it in the roots of your wet hair, then blow dry. It looks like I back combed, but I didn't. The volume is still there the next day to! It doesnt leave your hair, sticky or nasty. It just feels like there is a bit of texture at your roots. As soon as I run out, I am buying the full size!

theBalm / Hot Mama Blush full size: $20

What Birchbox says: This illuminating powder is one of the most flattering blush, highlighter, and shadow combos we’ve ever come across. It combines subtle color with light-reflecting silica particles to give us the peachy keen complexions we’ve always wanted. Wear it on your cheeks, your lids, and wherever you want to add a dose of shimmery warmth.

What I say: This is such a great sample size. It is a beautiful color, I can see why it is so highly rated (and even sold out on Birchbox) It will suit many skin tones.

I can see myself purchasing this, after I run out of my sample.  

swatch of the color:

The treat this time was a Ghirardelli Milk and Caramel square, this is one of my favorite chocolates and was a nice treat. 

That's my birchbox, What did you get in yours?

Roasted Potatoes with Bell Peppers and Onions

This is a easy and delicious side I like to make. Its not the quickest side dish to make, but it one of the yummiest.  I absolutely love roasted bell peppers and onion with my potatoes!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers washed, seeded and cubed

1 red onion Peeled and cubed

8 potatoes

1/4 cub of Olive oil

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Peel, wash and cube your potatoes.

In a large bowl, combine your potatoes, bell peppers, and red onion, olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt & pepper.

Toss until well combined.

Preheat oven to 350

Grease and large baking sheet. ( I always use foil for easy cleanup)

Spread the potatoes evenly on the prepared sheet. 

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

Remove the potatoes from oven and using a spatula, give the potatoes a good mix. 

Turn up the heat to 400 and put in the oven for 15 more minutes. 

Pierce the potatoes with a fork to make sure they are cooked through. If not, cook more. 

Enjoy!

Strawberry Sauce for Pancakes/waffles/crepes

I have been craving strawberry sauce for a while now and I finally made some with some strawberries which were overripe. This sauce is wonderful on waffles, pancakes or crepes. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs of strawberries, washed and sliced

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 of a lemon juiced

1 pinch salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan over medium/low heat; stir until sugar dissolves and berries are soft. (about 10 minutes)

Remove from heat and cool.

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you have a great day!

Current Face Routine

My skin care routine is always changing, I am always looking for something better.  Let me tell you a little bit about my skin: It is very oily, sensitive and acne prone (especially around that time of the month)

I have tried almost every kind of drugstore product out there during the past 10 years of my life, and have moved on to department store products and have noticed a huge difference in my skin. 

So here is what I have been using everyday:

To remove makeup: Bioderma, which is by far the best makeup remover I have ever used.

To cleanse face I use Mario Badescu Foaming Cleanser. 

To Tone I use: Clarins Toner

I use the clarisonic at the end of the day.

To moisturize during the day, I use Hope in a jar. I don't love it, but want to use it up, before I try something new. 

I use Embrolisse on those days when I wear makeup (it is amazing as a primer/moisterizer)

My alltime favorite lip balms are the sprout lip balms.They are all natural and literally melt onto your lips. 

For nightime I use Neutrogena Ageless essentials night cream. This is a new thing I added recently to my routine, because I am getting older and need something  a little moisturizing.  

I use Mario Badescu Eye cream twice a day. 

I use the Mario Badescu drying cream whenever I get any hormonal breakouts. 

 If you have similar skin as mine, please let me know what you use and what your favorite products are. 

Thanks so much for visiting. 

Change the Buttons!

I wasn't sure if  I should even share this tiny little project.. But maybe one of you can use this for inspiration, so here it goes. 

I bought this wool blend coat at the BP department at Nordstrom a few years back. Then a button fell off and I stopped wearing it. (plus I didn't really like the big plastic buttons) 

I finally got around to going to Joann's and picking up a few buttons. 

Ta Da!

Looks like a new coat!

Thanks so much for visiting.

Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake

This is a delicious and easy to make coffee cake that is wonderful for breakfast. When ever blueberries are in season I make this with fresh berries, but this works just as well with frozen berries. 

CLICK HERE TO PRINT

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)

1/2 lemon zested and juiced

3/4 cup of sugar (plus additional for sprinkling on top)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups of flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup of butter milk

1 cup of blueberries

Preheat oven 350F

Cream the butter with lemon zest/juice and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla, beat until combined. 

Add the flour, baking powder, salt and buttermilk until well combined. Fold in the blueberries. 

Mixture will be thick.

Grease a baking pan, spread batter into pan.

Sprinkle 2 TB of sugar on top. 

Bake for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Hope you have a wonderful day

Bread Sticks

These breadsticks are really easy to make and will complete any meal!

Dough:

 1 1/2 cups of warm water

 2 TBS sugar

1 TBS yeast

1 TBS salt

2 TBS butter (softened)

4-5 cups of flour

Topping:

3 TBS melted butter

sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Pour water into a stand mixer with the sugar and the yeast. Let sit for about 10 minutes (until frothy)

Add salt, butter, 2 cups of flour. Mix the dough on low. Add the rest of the flour a half cup at a time, until dough the dough scrapes the side of the bowl clean. 

Mix the dough on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until its soft and easy to work with. 

Let the dough rest in the bowl for an hour.

Roll out the dough into a long log. Cut the dough into 12-14 pieces.  Roll these pieces into 6 inch snakes.  Spray 2 cookie sheets with oil, and lay out the breadsticks with atleast 1 inch between them.

Let rise for atleast one hour.

Preheat oven to 170.

Put the breadsticks into the oven to rise for 15 minutes. 

Take the breadsticks out and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt. 

Preheat the oven to 400.

Bake the breadsticks for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. 

While they are baking, mix the rest of the butter and 1 tsp of garlic powder. 

When the breadsticks are golden brown, remove from the oven and brush with the butter/garlic mixture. 

Serve warm.