Carefree Easy Style

Have you noticed all the buzz about Cochella? Yeah, well that my friends is becasue it’s going down this weekend and the next! If you are a lucky duck who happens to be attending the festivities, dance a jig to a few songs for me! I’ll be with you in spirit lol!

I absolutely LOVE the “I didn’t try at all, but I  still manage to look super hip” style that Cochella brings out in people! Of course there are those who will take it to bazare extremes, (that is  just part of the festivities I believe) but I am talking about the ladies like these celebs below, whose style is super cool, but like they don’t give a rip at the same time 😉 Its all about the tassles, the feathers, textures, and breezy fabric! I would dress like this all the time if the weather  and occasion allowed!

 

  Let Cochella bring out your inner hippy ha ha!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Much Love

Amanda

Newest Project: a table for the wee one

I Have been wanting to make a little reading / learning corner for my little sweetie-pie. I looked and looked (honestly, I probably could have looked harder lol), and I couldn’t find one gently used. The local thirft stores and craigs list were failing me on this project. I think it is because I had such a specific look in mind. So I just broke down and ordered one to be shipped to the house. I put it together all by myself too! GO ME!! lol

Finnley loves it! I got her a matching bookshelf too, which isn’t as sturdy as the table unfortunately, but it is still very cute in her reading corner!

Much Love to ya,

Amanda

Versatile Blogger Award

I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award!  SO COOL right!? Yaa-Hoo! Thank You to Beauty Sheep (what an creative name huh!) who nominated me! Check her out here !

So here are the rules:

1. Nominate 10 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging (or whose blogs you love to read).
2. Let them know that you have nominated them.
3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
4. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you.
5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your blog post.

7 Random Facts about Me

1.  Lately I have been turning on Pandora and singing (usually off key) to my 14 month old daughter every morning while I make breakfast … my poor little girl lol. It’s a great way to start my day!

2.  I have always dreamed of being on a WB series (or CW now) like One Tree Hill or 90210..ehhh not gonna happen lol

3.  I LOVE Jesus, He LOVES me! By the way… He LOVES you TOO!

4.  I am a freakishly good hoola-hooper!

5.  I recently had Danish Pancakes with fresh blueberry topping for the first time, and I think they are my new favorite food combo!

6.  Legally Blonde is still my favorite movie… I know, I know,  it’s a little embarrassing.

7.  I think neck braces are hysterical… I realize this may sound cruel, but if I see someone wearing one I can’t help but snicker…Unless the person is in apparent pain at that very moment… (I do have a heart people) 😉

Blogs I LURVE:

1.) http://earthygurl.com/

2.) http://thesimplystyledlife.blogspot.com/

3.) http://thesugarmagnolia.wordpress.com

4.) http://anjouclothing.com/

5.) http://needleandfork.com/

6.) http://twsst.wordpress.com/

7.) http://theinbetweengirls.wordpress.com

8.) http://vegansparkles.com/

9.) http://ilookstreetstyle.wordpress.com/

10.) http://kfddesigns.blogspot.com/

I’m sure you will enjoy these blogs as much as I do! And don’t forget to check out Beauty Sheep’s blog as well! 

XO

Amanda

Our Day in Pictures

We went site seeing in Santa Ynez Valley with my folks today!  Such a great day with the fam!

 

 

 

 

 

Black Sequins Hat – Forever21

Mustard Infinity Scarf – Homemade

Plaid Blue Flannel – TJMaxx

Blue Stretch Skinnies – PacSun

Grey Dress Socks – Target

Black Suede Ankle Boots – Ross

White Embellished Watch – Fossil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our fun-filled day ended with a much needed nap for our little one on the ride home. 🙂

xo Amanda

Infinity Scarf… Oh How I Love Thee

I finished my infinity scarf that I have been working on for a few days, and I am in LOVE! It’s so cozy warm I just want to take a nap in it! I actually started the infinity scarf project a week ago but the yarn I chose at firts was uber scratchy. I went to wrap in around my neck for a little test drive before I finished, and it felt like I made a scarf out of scotch-bright dish scrubbers lol.

I headed to Micheals to pick out the softest yarn they had (on sale). People were probably thinking I was strange because I was rubbing all the different yarns on my face and neck to see which one was soft. I didn’t care though. I didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

I ended up purchasing a “Vanna’s Choice” yarn by LION BRAND in mustard and for the stripe I used the same brand in taupe.

 

 

 

Here is the finished project. Well I think it’s finished. I might put another stripe. I’m not sure. What do you think, should I add more stripes?

 

 

How to:

1. Start with a chain stitch and make it as long as you want ( measure it losely around your neck twice)

2. When you get your desired length, chain an extra three from the end.

3. Put a half double chrochet stitch in each chain until the end

4.Chain three turn your work and repeat step three. Continue until you reach your desired width.

5.For the stripe I slip stiched to add the new color,  and cotinue with the slip stich all the way around the scarf.

6. Join ends using a yarn needle and the tail end from your last row of your scarf or an extra piece of yarn.

 

TAA-DAHH! Enjoy your scarf! so easy huh!

xo Amanda

 

 

 

 

Take a Hike

It is so gorgeous in central California, I mean really breathtaking! Add the (normally) great weather, and you’ve got prime hiking conditions.

E and I truely enjoy a good hike! Breathing in the fresh air, feeling those calves a-burnin’ as your climbing the hills, it’s our kinda party! When Finnley was born it put our hiking escapades on hold for awhile. Now that she is older (and she will let us put her in the carrier with out screaming) we are able to revisit our long lost hiking trails 🙂 It’s perfect timing too, because my parents are coming to visit TOMORROW!!! (I am SO excited) and now we will be able to show them our favorite spots.

We went hiking near Santa Barbara and it was pure entertainment watching our little peanut bounce around in her carrier! She loved being out side and kicking her little legs around. Talk about a workout though, she gets heavy real quick. Thank goodness Evan was there to carry her around most of the time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xo Amanda

 

Finnley’s Homemade Teething Biscuits

Finnley loves herself some teething buscuits. Our sweet girl would munch on those things all day and night if we let her (we don’t of course lol).  So, I thought I should start making some homemade ones, so I know exactly what goes into that precious tummy of hers.

I looked around on the web, but I didn’t really find what I was looking for, so I just sort of made one up from a bunch of different things I read.  I wanted to use a bean flour because of the added protien and fiber. I also have a bunch of left over organic infant oatmeal cereal that I needed to use up, seeing as how our lil one is onto eating big girl oatmeal now. (They grow up so fast…sniffle, sniffle)

I highly recommend using your own homemade apple juice for this recipe, and for all your juice needs if you can. No matter what the label says (all natural, organic, no sugar added, etc.) it still does not have the nutritional value of freshly juiced organic fruit.

Homemade Teething Biscuits

1 cup homemade apple juice (or pear  juice would work well too)

1 1/4 cups Garbanzo bean flour or whole wheat flour

1 cup uncooked organic infant rice cereal or oatmeal cereal mix

1 tbsp of melted earth balance or coconut butter (to coat the top of the cookie)

1 tsp of vanilla

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix baby rice, fresh homemade apple juice, 1 & 1/4 cup of bean flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.

3. Your dough should be firm and easy to shape, if it is on the sticky side more flour is needed.

4. Roll your dough out on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Grease up your cookie cuter before you begin to avoid sticking.

5. Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the biscuit with melted butter.

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes on a greased baking tray until lightly golden brown. Cool completely and store in an air tight container.

*If you want a sweeter biscuit,(because these are not really sweet at all) you could always add a little agave sweetener with your butter and coat the cookie with that.

 

xo Amanda

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well my husband ate the last of the eggs for breakfast this morning, so when it came time to making the cookies I was so desperately craving, I had to improvise a little. I usually cook with eggs for certain desserts, such as really amazing chocolate chip cookies. It’s the dairy that I really try to avoid. Today there we no eggs to be had, so I reached for that ever-aging nanner sitting in our fruit bowl, and went to work.

For my super delicious choc. chip cookies that I always make (from the back of the trader joe’s choc. chips bag) I use eggs like the recipe calls for, and then sub the milk and butter for coconut milk and coconut butter. Oh they are heavenly!  Anyway, the Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are pretty darn tasty too!  They were just the warm chocolaty cookie I was looking for on this chilly Saturday afternoon. 🙂  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:
1 large banana
1/2 cup Earth Balance Or Coconut Butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 oats

 

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350

2. Cream butter and bananas together in a mixer and add sugar.

3. In a separate bowl mix together salt, flour, oats, and baking powder. then mix in with butter mixture.

4. Mix in vanilla and chocolate chips. ( if you find your dough is to stiff, add a little “milk.” I had to add some coconut milk to mine. It really depends on your banana.)

5. Drop and shape cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

6. Gobble them up!  MMMMMM

Happy Saturday! 

xo Amanda

ModCloth

Do you know how sometimes you go shopping for a specific thing in mind that you need, only to find really really cute things that you don’t need but you want badly? Well, imagine a website filled with those little eye-catching “somethings” that are so cute, you just have to get it! (Dangerous, I Know lol) ModCloth is that place. Here are a few items I found to be, Oh So Cute!

 

Chic Compact Mirror

$8.99

Junk in the Truck Container

$19.99

Glad to Adhere It

$8.99

 

 

Once Bitten Toothbrush Holder

$8.99 for the set

 

Hanging Salt and Pepper Set

$21.99

Mustachio Straws

$9.99

 

 

Aren’t they so fun! I love a good novelty item. I feel like there is room for a little quirkiness in everyone’s life. 🙂 After all we can’t take ourselves too serious right?

xo

Amanda

 

 

Rompers in the Winter?…Yup!

I received a cute little romper for Christmas from my thoughtful hubby. He picked it out all by himself 🙂 Such good taste my man has!  I have been itching to wear it, but the winter weather was not cooperating with my summer wardrobe choice. Even though January is not too cold in my neck of the woods, it’s definitely not shorts weather, unless you want to pare those shorts with some chattering teeth and goosebumps. Well fear not my romper-loving ladies, I have found a solution. Here is what I came up with…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jean Jacket-Guess

White Scarf – Forever21 (The feathers are not part of the original scarf. I clipped them on.)

Blue Floral Romper – Forever21

Cream Tights – Forever21

Light Blue Knee-highs – American Eagle

Brown Report Frisco Knee-high Boots – TJMaxx