A cup of Mai

Coconut and Berry Pops

2013-05-22T20:42:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that June is right around the corner and summer will be here before we know it! So to start off summer early here's a super easy and sugar-free popsicle recipe. Hope you'll have fun making them as much as I did.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of coconut milk
2 cups frozen berries (whatever type you like, I used a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
2 tablespoons good quality honey
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:
Combine everything in a food processor and pulse until completely smooth. Pour into frozen pops mold.
If you have time, make batches of individual berry flavors and freeze them in stripes using a bit of plain coconut milk between the layers.

follow me on Instagram @acupofmai

Do or Don't White Polish

2013-05-22T19:19:00.000-06:00

Recently I spotted alot of white nail polish on Instagram and magazines. John joked that it looks like white-out, but it feels so clean and modern for spring/summer. Would you try it?

For steak-free white nail polish, here's what you need to do:

1. Apply a good base coat.
2. Carefully apply just three stroke of polish, one down the middle and one on each side.
3. In between layers of white polish, apply a base coat this will help minimize any residue streaking from your last coat of polish.
4. Now apply your second coat of white polish.
5. Paint on a shiny topcoat.

'Tis the Season

2012-12-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! And I love it!!

There's nothing quite like the cozy feeling of Christmas decorations for me:)

We took out all of the decorations on Thanksgiving Day, but I'm still working on everything put together. Here's a little preview of what I have going on so far!

I'll update you again with full pictures of everything once it's done. Hopefully that will happen by next week or so! Do you have your house decorated for Christmas yet?

I kept it simple this year, and didn't buy anything new. Okay...just a box of gold ornaments from Target. Does that even count?
Follow me on Instagram @acupofmai

Have a lovely day everyone!

Our Anniversary Photos

2012-12-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

So very excited for today's post. I finally get to share my husband and I's 5 years wedding anniversary shoot. While we were in Colorado back in August, we had the incredibly lovely and talented Laura Murray Photography documented it beyond all expectations. Here are some of my favorites!

Photographer: Laura Murray
Hair: Alex Sternberg
Makeup:Kelsey Zabawa
Location: Four Seasons Hotel and Boulder, CO

Have a delightful weekend everyone!!!

Christmas Wish List Under $100

2012-11-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Zara ankle wrap sandals / Stella & Dot bangle bracelet / Tech accessory / Diptyque Figuier Candle / CB2 Format Tray / CB2 Cooper Double Old-Fashioned

Have you started making your Christmas wish list yet?

Favorite things: 10.8.12

2012-10-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

A few things I'm loving this week.

J.Crew j crew / Christian Louboutin pumps / Frye kitten heel boots / H&M / Christian Dior retro sunglasses / Yves Saint Laurent

So I've been MIA for a while...

2012-10-01T16:06:00.000-06:00

Shameful, I know.

I started off so strong! And then nothing. It's called a blogger burnout I think. Well, to be fair. I have been pretty active on Instagram since I last posted two months ago. Instead of writing a blog post about my dinner, I posted it on Instagram.

I love Instagram. I really really do, but it has ruined my blog. I haven't posted any recipe or personal style outfits since July and I'm dragging my feet about doing so. When it comes to Instagram, I love it. It has become the place where I share random moments, new purchases and outings on the town.

But still, I should've made time for this blog. As I truly believe in either doing something the right way or not doing it at all. The web doesn't need another abandoned blog. So, from now on I'm going to try to blog as much as I did before.

Anyway, on a lighter note here's a simple mason jar arrangement tutorial all under $10. Hope you guys enjoy!

Supplies:
1 mason jar ( purchased @ hobby lobby's with 40% coupon $ 1.50)
bouquet of flowers of your choice from supermarket or florist ( wholefoods $ 5.99)
garden shears ( i used scissor)
ribbon ( LV ribbon from last Xmas)

Directions:

1. Purchase a mason jar and bouquet of flowers ( for this project I used Snapdragons).
2. Cut the stems of flowers at different lengths to create varying heights.
3. Fill the jar with water and arrange the flowers in it. Tie your choice of ribbon around the jar, and there you have it-- a lovely arrangement to give as a gift or sitting pretty on your desk.
Follow me on instagram @acupofmai

GIVEAWAY!

2012-08-18T18:15:00.001-06:00

Wanna win these adorable measuring spoons Anthropologie?

1- like photo
2- follow me on instagram @acupofmai

Winner will be announced next Friday. Good luck everyone :)

A Birthday Wish List

2012-07-28T07:21:00.000-06:00

My 29th birthday is coming up in two weeks so I though I'd celebrate my last official year as a late twenty-something by making a roundup of little items on my wish list. I keep telling my hubby that 29th birthday is HUGE, but he's not quite convinced! HAHAHA

Ray-Ban ray ban eyewear / Tom Ford lip makeup / Salvatore Ferragamo perfume / Face care / Sandisk Sdcfx-032g-A61 32 Gb Extreme Compactflash Memory Card 60mb/S / diptyque 'Jasmin' Scented Candle / Gold Flatware 5-pc. Set / Kinfolk: Volume Four / Miu Miu Textured-leather cardholder

Have a lovely weekend y'all!

Finally Mine!

2012-07-23T08:41:00.000-06:00

Some new test shoots with my new camera, the Nikon D800. I have to say that it is a really nice camera to use. The pictures here are reduced drastically in size.

D800 | 50mm 1.8

D800 | 85mm 1.4

D800 | 50mm 1.8
D800 50mm 1.8

Have a lovely week folks!

New Love!

2012-07-12T06:08:00.001-06:00

I am in love with these gorgeous strappy wide heel sandals from Zara. Love the black velvet heel against the skinny gold strap. I think they will definitely look great with everything! Super happy :)

Guest Bedroom Reveal

2012-07-06T05:30:00.001-06:00

We had a house guest last week and I finished the room just in time. Of course, like any room in my house, it will never be finished, but you will agree this room definitely had a big style boost. I can cross my guest room makeover off my list.

My goal was to make this room very light, simple and modern.

If you will remember we started with this. It was just too blah. A few pieces bought and new paint on the wall and here is the after:

Eventually, I will swap out this lamp shade with solid black. But this will do for now :) Hubby installed the TV on the wall and art prints by me.

It goes to show that with a new coat of paint, and buy a few new things you can really make a big difference and give a room a whole new feel.

Source List:
Paint: Sherwin Williams Dover White( perfect warm white)
West Elm Mini Parsons Desk
Headboard: Target
Pier 1 : Parson Chair
Target: Curtain
Rug: From my dressing room
Lamp: previously owned ( urban outfitter)
Grey Pillows: previously owned (crate and barrel)
Black and white pillows: Ikea ( thanks, sister)
Bedding: TJ Max
Bedskirt: Pottery and Barn
Light Pedant: DIY

Hope you all enjoy it and have a great weekend ahead!

How to Make Vietnamese Iced Coffee ( Cafe Sua Da)

2012-06-29T03:42:00.000-06:00

Cafe sua da is a traditional Vietnamese coffee recipe and this is my favorite way to have coffee.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons of Cafe Du Monde or (coarse ground coffee)

1-2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

A glass for the brew

A glass filled with ice

Hot water (almost to a boil)

Vietnamese Coffee filter

Serve: 1

Directions:

1. With a small glass add 1-2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk

2. Remove the top screen of metal filter and put in1 1/2 tablespoons of coffee, screw screen back on. Place filter on the glass with the sweetened condensed milk. Pour just a tiny of hot water to cover the grounds and let sit for about 30 seconds.

3. Now loosen the filter screen at 1 full rotation. Pour hot water to top of the filter, cover and let it sit until water has gone all the way through filter. (usually about 3-5 minutes)

4. After water has passed though filter, remove filter from glass. Stir coffee and milk together. Pour the brew into a glassed filled with ice and serve.

Ideally you want to add the condensed milk to the glass before brewing because the boiling water actually cooks it. For this recipe I add it after since most readers probably don't know how much condensed milk they want :)

Enjoy!

Anthropologie Inspired Zinc Letters

2012-06-21T06:42:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, its me again! Long time no blog huh? My life has been insanely busy this last month but things are finally starting to calm down a bit so I that I can get back into blogging mode. Heck, maybe I'll even get to blog more than once every two weeks lol. Anyway, If you follow me on instagram @ acupofmai you may already have seen a few sneak peek of DIY Anthropologie inspired zinc letter I did few weeks ago. We all have seen the silver letters at Anthropologie. I even bought letter "K" you may have seen it on my hallway gallery, but its so easy to make your own for a fraction of the cost! I bought 5 letters including paints and brush for less than the price of one at Anthro.

Supplies:
Black acrylic paint, folk art pearl paint, cardboard letters and a paint brush

Directions:
Paint the letters all black and let them dry for about 10 minutes. Then dip your brush into pearl paint use long stokes to paint over the black. The silver coat will give it the texture to look like a matte metal. Let that coat dry for another 10 minutes and paint over another second coat if you prefer. Let it dry completely and hang them wherever you want!

I picked up these paper mache letter from Hobby Lobby for $ 2.47 a piece

You can see the comparison here: letter "H" is the diy version and "K" is from Anthropologie. Pretty similar right?

You really can't mess this up just go with what you think looks good. You might not be able to tell in the photos but the finish is really awesome. You wouldn't guess they were paper mache.

Btw, we're getting closer to that big "Guest bedroom" reveal post. Hope you enjoy this tutorial and have a happy weekend ahead!

Finally! Guest Bedroom Sneak Peek

2012-06-11T18:31:00.001-06:00

The guest room is coming along very nicely! There are only a few more things to add, but I thought that I would share a little sneak peek of what I've done so far. If you've been following me on Instagram (acupofmai) you know that I had a change of heart about painting the wall stripes. We decided to paint the walls white. I'm so glad we did because it makes the small room appear so much bigger.

I'm also super happy with the West Elm Mini Parsons desk. I'll be posting more pictures when it's completed so stay tuned!

Latest West Elm Purchase...

2012-06-06T07:03:00.001-06:00

So, with my design dollars I took the plunge and finally ordered the Mini Parson's desk from West Elm that I've been in love with for years.

So what do you think, you like? :)

all images via pinterest

Bedroom Makeover on a Budget

2012-05-22T07:23:00.000-06:00

We're expecting guests this September and the room is a hot mess/blah. Our guest room is in need of a makeover but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. Okay, truth to be told, John didn't want me to spend a lot of money, because he knows how fast I can do that!

Anyhow, the room was painted Benjamin Moore canary yellow when we moved in. So, this weekend I'm thinking adding a few wide white stripes on the wall.

Here's the before:

(sorry for bad lighting--the yellow its actually a lot brighter.)

Horizontal stripes can make a room appear wider than it is and add a fresh new look to an old wall don't you think? How wide do you think I should paint the horizontal stripes? Ahhhh, I'm super excited!

all images via-pinterest

Favorite Things

2012-05-21T07:26:00.001-06:00

Good morning loves! And Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Some of the things I'm loving lately:

Chalkboard Herb Pot with Saucer, $7.95
diptyque 'Jasmin' Scented Candle, $32
Stripe Sheet Set White/Feather Gray, $19
Campaign Desk, $230
Vintage Remix (Hardcover) : Target, $24
Charleston Vintage Clock, $39

Insta.Life

2012-05-17T06:34:00.001-06:00

Personal-Follow Me On Instagram
Username : acupofmai

If you want to know what I'm up to-personal and blog related as well...you can follow me on Instagram and facebook fanpage. I'm totally addicted to this app. If you have Instagram, drop me a comment with your username in box below. I love to discover new people to follow!

WANT @ old navy

tory burch

fruit tart for MIL on Mother's Day

@Border's

gorgeous flowers #whole foods

new love.

Entry Table

2012-05-16T09:22:00.000-06:00

Over the past couple weeks or so, I've been slowly adding things to make our foyer a little more welcoming and useful. You see the way our home and driveway are set up, everyone uses our backdoor. Even without a lot of traffic, I still wanted this area to look nice.

Here are some before photos from 2 years ago during Christmas

Are you ready to see the after? :)
The first thing I bought when we moved into our house was this table from Target. YES, I freaking love TARGET! hahaha

pictures are not straighten but you get the idea right?

I really love my new phone cover. Thanks husband!

Sources:
Wall- Behr Dolphin fin
Table- Target ( 4 years ago)
Mirror- Z gallerie( 4 years ago)
Candle sticks- goodwill spray painted white
Clear tray- Container store
Storage bin- Container store
Ikat bowl- Anthropologie
White frame- Michael's
Ampersand print- made by my nephew

If you would like a free copy of Ampersand poster please email me at acupofmai@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Budget Guest Bathroom Reveal

2012-05-02T22:16:00.000-06:00

After a long wait and much hard work we have finally, and I mean FINALLY finished our guest bath.

a few before photos and mood board here

tile installed without grout

My guest bathroom is your typical bathroom that the builder installs across America. It's plain and boring. Before we moved in the house we painted using Benjamin Moore Feather Grey and that was it. After 4 years of looking at it I thought now its the time to jazz it up a bit.

Here's the after....

We ripped out the yucky laminate flooring and installed hexagon tile with white grout. To keep everything in the budget we decided to keep the wall color and vanity cabinet. We then removed the fake marble vanity top. We also replaced the mirror. We didn't touch the bathtub and decided it was fine it was.

I had the oak cabinet painted black and added a wooden counter top that my husband built using two poplar board from Lowes. I thought it would it give it a nice ZEN look. Sanded, stained and sealed! I purchased the sink and faucet from Amazon. The sconce is from Restoration Hardware and was purchased during their 15% Spring sale event. The door knobs was from Anthropologie, originally we did not have any door knobs.

The mirror I got at Lowes it was a display item for only $30. I decided not to center the sink to the cabinet, it was just a cramped feeling when you were in there all squished against the door washing your hands. So instead, I put the faucet off center to visually fill the space of the centered sink.

This place is almost done, and I will have TONS of photos to show you. This is all the hard part, lightning, painting, plumbing and flooring. The only thing I need to do is build a bamboo towel ladder. Overall, we're very happy with our DIY guest bathroom project.

The Perfect Classic Mojito

2012-04-30T18:18:00.000-06:00

Start your week off right with The Classic Mojito! They're such a refreshing, cool drink.

Ingredients:
8 fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 Tbs. simple syrup ( see related recipe at bottom)
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Crush ice as needed
2 oz light rum
2 oz club soda
1 lime wedge
Serve 1

Directions:
Put the mint leaves in the bottom of a glass. Add the simple syrup and lime juice and muddle well. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add the rum and club soda and stir briefly. Add the lime wedge.

Simple Syrup recipe
Ingredient
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar

Directions:
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, bring the water to a simmer. Add the sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Pour the syrup into a clean bottle, cap it and refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: You can keep 2 months or longer in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Hallway Gallery

2012-04-29T17:19:00.000-06:00

Well its been a week since my last post. I'm still alive, just been working on a various projects :)

I'm completely smitten with my new hall way gallery that I just finished last weekend. One of my favorite project I've done so far. What do you think?

Sneak Peek

2012-04-19T06:46:00.000-06:00

Coming soon, I promise!

Pantry Makeover Reveal

2012-04-16T18:55:00.000-06:00

Its about time right? This reno has been complete since last month or so...but I finally got the chance to took some photos yesterday and now its ready for the world to see!

See the before here.

Okay, here it is! It may not be some super huge pantry and high end design, but I L-O-V-E it!
We emptied the entire pantry, ripped out the old shelves, wash down the walls. Then we painted the walls Behr Botanical Tint, installed 5 new shelves with simple white bracket from Lowe's.
Need to pick up some sugar soon :)

top: Shallots and Garlic| bottom: Onions

misc items

So that's it! A well organized pantry. My new pantry makes me so happy!
If you have any questions feel free to email or leave a comment below.

Details:
Everything was previously owned. The only thing we had to pay for was the paint, shelving brackets and two stripe baskets from the Container Store.