Blog Design #2!

So, remember how awesomely I designed CupcakesOMG!?

My BFF, Katie, decided to start a new blog dedicated strictly to books! What does a BFF do for another BFF? Design the blog! Heck yesssss! She wanted a simple, clean look and that's what I gave her. I love the chevron stripes mixed in with the green and swirlies. It's girly, but modern.

So, go on over and take a look for yourself, and follow her blog! I'm telling you, this girl reads more than any person I know.

Clicky-Clicky:

What do y'all think? I'm seriously considering a blog makeover giveaway once I reach 200 posts or 300 followers (whichever comes first)! I can't really take this on as a little side job right now (as it takes quite a bit of time since I'm a stinking perfectionist), but maybe during the summer....

Anyway, Happy Monday!

Dexter Got a Phone

My students think they're so funny. They sometimes are. 

I love chaperoning overnight conventions, btw.
I'm celebrating my return home with a glass of chardonnay.

p.s. Here's a cute picture of Dexter because I knew you were hoping for one.

I love my job, but I really love a nice hotel room.

Hola, mis amigos! I am reporting to you here, live, from the Texas Educational Theatre Association Convention! I'm here with my two other co-workers and my 36 very lively high school Thespians. Yeah, you know it sounds like a blast. Actually, it's pretty sweet. I have my own, gorgeous big hotel room to myself, although we won't mention all of the kids are on the same floor as me and have been slamming doors for the past hour. And, guess what else?! I get to miss two days of school! Really, my job is awesome and I love my job, but I really love a nice hotel room.

Wait a second. It's quiet.

 

Sorry. Fell asleep there for a second.

Anyway, what was I saying?

Oh yeah, TETA Convention. Lots of cool workshops I'm going to go to, learn a lot of new things to take back to the classroom, get the kids inspired, and tonight we're going to see:

via Alley Theatre

I'm pumped. It won the Tony for Best Play in 2009. I've never read or seen it before, so I'm even more excited. I love going into plays not having much prior knowledge so I put away my "Director's Eyes" and just enjoy the art. It's so hard for me not to critique and analyze theatre after doing this for so long and being a director myself, but the Alley Theatre never disappoints me so I hope I can just enjoy!!! 

It's already the weekend for me, so Happy Weekend, everyone!

A Little Tuesday Inspiration

Since Tuesdays tend to feel a little uninspired, I'm telling myself this today.

via Pinterest

I hope your Tuesday lends itself to something beautiful.

I Need Vacation Ideas

Greg and I made a deal that this year. I get to plan our summer vacation! 

I am pumped because he has planned the last few, including the location! Of course I would love to go back to Europe this summer, but because of the prices and the amount of time Greg can take off, it's not looking so good. Phooey. If anyone can find some cheap, but nice European deals for me during the summer, send them my way!

So, anyway, I've narrowed down my realistic vacation destination choices to 4 spots in North America.

Here are my top 4 choices, in my current order of preference.
I need some help deciding and when I do, I would love your input on where to stay and what to do!

{1} Napa Valley

 This trip would also include San Fransisco and possibly Yellowstone. I've never been to Northern California, and I am a huge foodie, so I think this would be tons of fun for me.

{2} Montreal

 I hear so many good things about French Canada, I would love to visit!

{3} Miami

I've spent a few days in Miami before (a long time ago after a cruise) and I've always wanted to go back after watching so many seasons of Dexter.

{4} New York City

I have also been to NYC, but believe it or not, only once before. Being the huge theatre nerd I am, this would be awesome to watch so many shows. And being the huge cupcake freak that I am, I could finally visit Crumbs.

I need help deciding! Out of those four, which one would you pick and why?

Funny Friday Joke

My coworker told me this joke and I think it's hilarious (but that's not saying much since I like stupid jokes). Hope it makes you giggle on this fine Friday. I need a pick me up!

Happy Friday!!

Tranny Cat

It is never a good idea to let your sister put a dress on your boy cat.

Case in Point:

He will now be referred to as "Tranny Cat" when he wears this dress.

Or I guess it could double as his "Richard Simmons Outfit."

I hope he doesn't develop a complex. Hmm...looks like he might. Look how proudly he sits on Greg's shoulder.

Golden Globes Fashion Faves and Flops

Anyone else watch the Golden Globes last night? To be quite honest with you, I found it to be a bit of a snooze fest. (GASP!) The most fascinating thing, as always, was the fashion, and that was kind of boring, too! (GASP! again!) I'm sure everyone's got their opinions, but I love to see a bit more drama on the red carpet, but it looked like some celebrities pulled out basics from their closets. Phooey! Oh well! Here are my two favorite looks and my two least favorite looks!

Faves!

 {#1} Lea Michele

via

I absolutely love this dress. I would totally rock this on the red carpet. The asymmetry and drama of the dress is perfect! Now, this is what I'm talking about!!

 Yeah, I definitely could rock this dress.

{#2} Carrie Underwood

via

She always manages to look stunning! The color and fit of the dress is perfect, and the sparkle makes her look expensive and like a modern princess.

 Wow, I look hot in this one, too!

Flops!

{#1} Natalie Portman

via

Apparently Natalie is getting some high marks from the fashionistas for this dress, but I cannot stand it. It looks like a cheap Valentine's Day candy box. Or aren't roses like that a little "goth"? I've never liked pink and red together, though. Maybe pregnancy makes you do weird things like wear goth Valentine's Day candy boxes!

{#2} Helena Bonham Carter

via

It is not cool to have mis-matched shoes. I don't care who you are. Maybe she got dressed in the dark? Or her super bizarre sunglasses were too polarized and she thought she was putting on the same color shoes. And the hair - it reminds me of an 18th century courtesan living in the 1980s. Oh, and I think her dress is on inside out.

So, tell me! What were your favorite looks from the Golden Globes red carpet? 

What about your least favorite?

I might go back to the "dark side" after seeing this.

Recently, Lauren Conrad returned to the "dark side" of hair color and sported some new "Brazilian Brunette" locks! I have seen this photo floating around here and there, and I just had to re-post.

I must admit, I am in complete hair lust.

So, what's right with this hair choice? Um, everything.

However, these points are definitely worth mentioning.
1. The highlights are beautifully placed and give her that "almost blonde" look. It definitely keeps her whole look from feeling overwhelmingly dark.
2. Super easy maintenance if her natural hair color is close to the brunette at the top of her hair. Gosh, what I'd give to have maintenance like that.
3. It looks so natural and whimsy-- the hair color, that is. Like she just stepped off the beach with sun-kissed streaks and then had her stylist give her perfect beach waves ('cause, duh, wind blown hair doensn't look like that).

Gahhhhh! I just love this to pieces! And it upsets me because I just re-highlighted my hair! Well, maybe next time? I know one typically doesn't go "darker" in the spring, but I tend to break a lot of "rules". One also shouldn't be wearing flip flops in February, but I know I do (thank you, 80 degree weather 10 months out of the year).

Who am I kidding? That "LC Brunette" hair color is gorgeous.

I wouldn't match my other two siblings as much, but I would be reppin' my natural hair color!

What do you all think?

Become brunette or abide by blonde?

Healthy Lasagna Recipe

Have you ever found yourself wanting to make something over and over? This recipe would be that for me.

This recipe is definitely one of my go to recipes. I got it from Weight Watchers, and it's only 6 points (if you're following WW). I'm actually not on Weight Watchers right now, but I love a lot of their recipes and I haven't found many I didn't like.

You typically associate lasagna with being high in fat and calories, but this one doesn't have that, although there is no skimp in flavor. You can even get a lil' cray-cray and add some other fun stuff, like spinach, fresh basil leaves, or maybe even some zucchini! Oooh, lawd!

Enjoy!

Tomato & Pepper Lasagna Recipe

via Weight Watchers

Ingredients:
24 oz. marinara sauce
1 c. canned diced tomatoes
1 c. skim ricotta cheese
1 c. part-skin mozzarella cheese
1 c. shredded parmesan cheese
¼ c. egg substitute
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp dried oregano
6 dry lasagna noodles
½ c. roasted red peppers, water packed, cut into strips

Preparation Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small pot, combine marinara sauce and tomatoes; set over low heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses; stir to combine. Stir in egg substitute, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Spoon 1 c. sauce in bottom of an 11“ x 17” class baking dish. Arrange 2 lasagna noodles over sauce, down center of dish. Spread half of cheese mixture (1 c.) over noodles; top with pepper strips. Place 2 more noodles on top; spread with remaining cheese mixture. Top with 1 c. marinara sauce; place remaining 2 lasagna noodles on top. Spoon remaining sauce over top, sprinkle with more mozzarella (to taste) and gently press down on lasagna.
- Cover dish loosely with foil; bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake until cheese is slightly browned and noodles are tender when tested with a knife, about 10-15 minutes more. Remove from over and let sit for 5 minutes.


One Note: I typically add more lasagna noodles (2 on the bottom layer and 2 on the top layer). I know it makes the recipe more fattening, but oh well -- I'll stick to the recipe when I really need to be strict.


Happy Friday, lovelies!

Clarisonic Mia Review - 1 Month in

I mentioned before that got a killer deal on a Clarisonic Mia at an online Black Friday sale. They usually run for about $149, but I was able to score mine for a mere $108 total (including free shipping)! Yee haw!


For those that have never heard of the wonderbeautytool (yes, I just made that word up) known as the Clarisonic, it is an exfoliating cleanser brush made by the same folks as the Sonicare toothbrush. According to their website, the Clarisonic cleansing brush moves 300 times per second, removes 6 times more makeup and is more than twice as effective than manual cleansing. That's some pretty hefty claims, eh? They sell three different brushes (Classic, Mia, and Plus), some that have different speeds and abilities, but essentially they all do the same thing. After extensive research on which one to purchase, I went with the Mia since most reviewers said they only needed that one speed.

I wanted to write a review on this thing after the first day I tried it, but I told myself I would wait a month so I had more experience with the product. So, here I am, one month later!

Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System

Me and my skincare BFF, the Clarisonic Mia.

First Thoughts on the Product

- The brush is very lightweight, small (fits in my hand perfectly) and ergonomic. Notice how it's maybe the size of half of my head.
- I looooove how it's waterproof!
- Charging the brush is easy.

Using the Product

- The instructions say to use it in light circular/figure-8 motions around your face. You're supposed to keep it on different areas of the face for a specific amount of time, totaling one minute. I don't do that. I just circle it around my entire face.
- The brush shuts itself off after one minute so you know you're done. At night, I give this two rounds (totaling two minutes) and sometimes more if I need extra exfoliation.
- I have the sensitive brush head, and I feel that it does not irritate my skin at all. I had a little irritation when using it on my neck, but my skin has adjusted since then.
- I love the way it feels on my skin while using it! It's like a mini spa experience.
- It tickles when I used it on my nose.
- My skin is sooooo soft after using the brush.

My Clarisonic Routine

- I shower at night (I'm not a morning person so any extra time for beauty sleep is a must). Before I step into the shower, I gently rub a little bit of olive oil over my face and eyes as a makeup remover (best makeup remover ever, btw). Once in the shower, I use a wet wash cloth to remove.
- I use this cleanser and let the Clarisonic work two rounds on my face.
- I even lightly let the brush work under my eyes every so often (very lightly and for about one second), crows feet area (what little crows feet I do have), my lips, and above my lips. I tend to focus on my jaw/chin a little more, as that's where I tend to get some painful cystic acne.
- Once out of the shower, I treat and moisturize right away, as I want my products to absorb.
- In the morning, I do not use a cleanser. I just splash my face with warm water and give the Clarisonic about thirty seconds on my face, focusing on areas that dry out (makes makeup application so much easier to have exfoliated skin).

Thoughts/Tips After Using the Product

- I have LESS ACNE!!!! This is a huge plus for me! I do get some little pests every now and then, but no cysts anymore! The ones that I do get heal very quickly! I literally had two pimples on my right cheek on Christmas day and 3 days later they are completely gone. I thought I was getting a big cyst on my jaw and it flaked away within TWO days! Keep in mind, I do use acne products (Benzoyl Peroxide, Retin-A), so my guess is the Clarisonic is letting those products work better and exfoliating my skin so well that big pimples don't have time to live a long life! I am amazed how the marks literally flake off after a couple of days!!
- I use less products because they absorb into my skin better.
- I've noticed less "lip shed" (for lack of a better word) when using lipstick/glosss.
- My congested pores/blackheads on my nose are going away! I'm telling you, those buggers have been the bane of my existence for over a decade and I am so happy to see those pores clear out!
- This thing really helps me with my Retin-A "flakies". My Retin-A dries me out and after using this in the morning, it really kills the flakes!
- My skin is not oily at all anymore! This is so strange/freaking awesome, because I'm so used to my face oiling up during the course of the day!
- Don't even bother using the cleanser that came with the brush. It stinks (literally and figuratively).
- The charge on the brush holds about a week. I do use it more than the specified amount, and twice a day, so that could be me personally.

One Helpful Hint:

I always make sure to wash my brush with antibacterial soap and scalding hot water after cleansing, and then I dry it with a towel. You do not want a bacterial build up on your brush and a wet, used brush could possibly be a breeding ground for bacteria. I noticed that when I got a little lazy and didn't wash the brush, I got a few whiteheads. Could be coincidental (though I think not), but I think this is essential. I will always wash and dry the brush after each use!

Final Verdict (after one month)

Totally worth the hype and money. I will update as I continue to use this product, as I feel that some of the best reviews come with time. So, start saving up for your Clarisonic and come back to read more of my experiences as I keep using it!

And for real finally, I will leave you with a close up of my face (and Dexter's) from yesterday afternoon. It was cold and crappy rainy day. Before attempting to leave the house, I put on a tiny bit of mineral powder foundation, concealer under my eyes, bronzer, and eye makeup (liner, mascara, tiny bit of taupe eye shadow). Those that know me well know that this is really not a lot of makeup for me. I'm soooo glad that I don't have to load up on the liquid foundation with a precise application in order for my skin to look good. Hallelujah, Clarisonic!

Dexter doesn't care what my face looks like as long as I cuddle, feed him, and play with him. If only the rest of life were that simple!

Homemade Pizza Crust Recipe

I know, I know, it's a bit uncouth for me to post a pizza crust recipe in January amidst the resolution dieters. However, making homemade pizza doesn't necessarily mean that it's a diet buster. Homemade pizza lets you control the ingredients. Use less cheese, more veggies, lean meat (grilled chicken, turkey pepperoni) and more tomato sauce! The crust isn't really high in calories, it's what you put on top of it that can really make or break it.

I would know this because I have become quite the pizza pro lately. Greg is a pizza freak and I was bound and determined to make his favorite food from scratch. I've come up with this crust recipe that I feel is fail proof. There are two ways to actually make it -- by hand and in the breadmaker. There is also a 1.5 lb and 2 lb recipe. I can get two pizza crusts out of the 2 lb recipe. If you have a bread maker, you must try the dough setting - it's awesome!

Don't let this photo tempt you too much... it's not that unhealthy!!

One of my homemade pizzas with kalamata olives

Meg O.'s Pizza Crust

Please Note:  all ingredients room temperature for bread maker, water is warm (put in the microwave for 30 sec) for hand made

1.5 lb dough

½ tsp salt
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 and ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 c. water
2 Tbsp olive oil

2 lb dough

¾ tsp salt
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 and ⅜ c. water
3 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation Instructions for Bread Maker

(if you’re feeling lazy...)
- Combine ingredients into bread pan
- Follow instructions on bread maker for “dough” setting

- Let dough mix and rise, take out when finished
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Bake crust alone for 3 minutes
- Top with desired toppings
- Bake an additional 10-12 minutes, until cheese is browned

Preparation Instructions for Hand Made

(if you’re feeling crafty...)
- Combine dry ingredients, minus yeast
- Add water, then add yeast
- Knead dough until smooth (about 5 minutes)
- Let dough rise for 15 minutes - 1 hour (I wrap it in a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Bake crust alone for 3 minutes
- Top with desired toppings
- Bake an additional 10-12 minutes, until cheese is browned

I would give you links to healthy pizza recipes, but I figured you knew how to use Google. This pizza crust can be used with anything! YAY! Enjoy!

Bustin' Some Brass

Anyone else guilty of faking it? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about -- your hair color. I belong to the category that fakes the light blonde. I'll admit it. My hair was a lot lighter as a child and even in my teens, and it just got darker after college. I was in the sun a lot and lightened it in the sun one summer and then my roots grew in significantly darker, so I began the process of lightening my hair with bottle dye. I then progressed to getting professional highlights last year, every 8 weeks. That quickly got super expensive. Currently, I'm doing my own highlights and toning my hair to a nice, non-brassy blonde. Once I feel confident in my method of highlighting, I'll be sure to share!

Here are photos of "virgin" hair and "current" hair to iterate my changes.

My hair color circa 2007

Current hair color. A little darker than I usually have it, but you can see the highlights (self done!) and the neutral color.

Being a "bottle blonde" isn't always easy. As they always say, beauty is pain. My biggest problem is that my hair tends to brass fairly quickly in between colorings. I just like a neutral looking blonde - nothing too ashy, definitely nothing brassy. I am always self-conscious that I'm going to end up like this:

I usually love Jessica Simpson's hair, but geez, this is just wrong...

Going lighter always is a delicate process and can turn out terribly wrong or fade to the wrong color.

So, with all of this blonde coloring, comes some learning how to bust some major brass.

Here are some things I swear by:

Wash hair every other day. 

I previously didn't get this at all. I used to wash my hair every day. No way, Jose! Investing in dry shampoo has definitely decreased damage and brassiness (as the more you wash, the more the color gets washed out).

Purple Shampoo/Conditioner. 

I like the traditional Shimmer Lights but have also found that One 'n Only Shiny Silver (found at Sally's) is a lot cheaper and great!

Red/Gold Corrector

This stuff is awesome -- you can use it for so many different things. It's a small little bottle that adds drops of this purple liquid to whatever product you want. It's meant to counteract the red and gold tones in your hair. I drop some of the Ardell Red Gold Corrector in my color/toner to really make sure I do not add brassiness when I color, but I also use it in my shampoos and conditioners, and even styling products to tone down in-between brassiness.

A blue/violet Toner.

Toners are meant to get hair to the desired tone in the color spectrum. There are warm (red, orange, yellow) and cool (blue, violet, silver) tones in hair. My brassiness has reds and yellows, so blue and violet neutralizes. This can get messy if you don't know what you're doing. Make sure you talk to someone at Sally's before trying this. I use a Wella Toner (these two are popular) with 10v developer on wet hair, leave on for 15 minutes, rinse, and condition. I make sure to use a 10 volume developer as I don't want to lift (meaning, make lighter) the color in my hair, but just deposit the neutral tones. Some people say you're supposed to use a 20v developer with toner, but that only is the most helpful when you're all-over bleaching your hair completely and need to get it from that "banana yellow" phase to platinum. The higher volume developer, the higher lift in hair. Research this more or get help at your beauty supply store if you're thoroughly confused after reading this.

Deep Condition.

I make sure to deep condition my hair once a week so that my hair doesn't lose moisture.

So there you have it! 
I know this might be a lot of information on  a pretty complicated topic, so feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments! You can also check out this post for some of my other hair tips.

CupcakesOMG!

If I were you, I'd head over pronto to CupcakesOMG!

First of all, Melissa's blog is awesome. She talks about one of my favorite subjects: cupcakes! Many of my readers comment on how my musings on cupcakes make them hungry. She's like me to the millionth degree. This girl lives cupcakes -- it's amazing. If you don't want to be tempted on the third day of your resolution diet, don't look at the pictures. Gosh, that easy! But besides the cupcakes, Melissa is also incredibly funny, pretty, and her blog is a delight to read. She and I go way back to middle school theatre! We were in a play together where I played a character named "Candide Yam" and she played a character named "Sue Duse"! We were (and still are, I might add) real starlets.


Melissa recently e-mailed me asking me about my blog and who did the design. She was impressed to hear that I did it myself, and further impressed that I offered to re-vamp her blog! I thought, "Hey, why the heck not?! I have two weeks off!" (Little did I know how busy I would actually be, but the redesign didn't take too long.) We shot e-mails back and forth and came up with a Rachel Zoe inspired look! I love it, personally, especially the gold sequins (totally her idea -- I can't take credit for that one). It's given me the design itch for my own blog again! But I will hold off and add little things here and there.

It also got me thinking... dude...I'm pretty good at blog design, if I don't say so myself. I have learned how to use Photoshop in a way that complements blogging and I have known HTML/CSS from webmastering my sorority's website. Heck, I had a website in 7th grade! It was a Geocities (does anyone remember Geocities? HOLLAH!) website about Musical Theatre! I even had a midi playing "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables on my page (sounded exactly like this)! Is that not AWESOME?!?! So, yeah, many years of experience.

So... with all these "cutesy" blog design pages that charge, would anyone be interested in a redesign from a crazy lady like me? I'm not sure if I can make it look like a scrapbook, but I can definitely do gold sequins. I'm going to toy this idea around after hearing from you. I'll do the first few for free! Ooh, giveaway?! Give me your thoughts!!

But in the meantime, stop reading my blog and go to CupcakesOMG! NOWWWWW! Oh, and don't be surprised to see my pretty little face featured there!