Bohemian Magic

The New Justina's World

2015-11-03T14:46:00.000-05:00

Hey All!

This will probably be the very last post on this blog EVER... because I have upgraded to the wonderful world of WORD PRESS! I have spent the past year or so really learning all the bells and whistles of that, so I will be conducting all of my blogging on my new wordpress site from now on!

On my new word press site, I am able to conduct all of my passions of Art, Music, Writing, Food, Travel, Beauty, Self-Care and Spirituality in a much more organized and efficient way!

You can now sign up for my mailing list there as well...

Here is my NEW and OFFICIAL web dwelling!

www.JustinasWorld.com

You can E-mail me at

Info@JustinasWorld.com

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Justina

xoxo

NEW "ABRA-ZINE!" SUMMER 2014 MERMAIDS ISSUE COMING JULY 1!

2014-06-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

COMING JULY 1!!! The "Abra-zine!" Summer 2014 Issue on MERMAIDS!!! Can't wait to finally share it with you all! If you haven't already, please like my sister site for my e-mag page Abra-zine!

It will be available for download on my official site on July 1!

www.LaBohemeMagique.com

Thanks You to all of my contributors and readers for your neverending support!

I only hope to grow from here! :-)

Justina

xoxo

Wow Wow Weddings Submission - By Dena Miller

2014-02-16T18:00:00.001-05:00

I wanted to spotlight our very first

WOW WOW WEDDINGS

submission!

My good friend Dena Miller got married on Valentine's Day

(HOW ROMANTIC IS THAT!?!)

and she made a lovely video highlighting the magical moments of her special day

with her now husband Jimi.

Please check out her video post below,

as well as her

WOW WOW WEDDINGS BLOG POST HERE!

I hope you enjoyed this segment of

WOW WOW WEDDINGS!

Click here for MORE

WOW WOW WEDDINGS!

Happy Valentine's Day! 2014

2014-02-14T22:36:00.003-05:00

Did you have a good Valentine's Day?

Did you get some fragrant flowers or some yummy chocolate's from your sweetheart?

I spent the past 2 days in my studio creating some cute little wooden heart ornaments for my mom's party that she has been planning for the past month...

I bought some little wooden hearts, I got about 20 in a bag for about $3 at the Hobby Lobby around the corner. Aren't they so adorable!?!?

I added some terms of endearment and some glitter

for some extra

MAGIC!!

KISS ME

BE MINE

LOVE

XOXO

you are such a

CUTIE!

Won't you

BE MINE?

Gems make them shine so nicely!

I added some lace so I could hang these cute little hearts as ornaments, and put some decorative bows on top to cover the imperfections...

Not only did I spent some time in my studio the past couple days,

This morning I spent some time in the kitchen with my mom

making some DELICIOUS treats for her Valentine's Day

Party!

I made some

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

With some cute little heart sprinkles

and hot cinnamon gummy hearts to top them off!

I added them to my 3 tier platter...

I ran out of the pink frosting so I made a few without.

I had some snowflake baking stencils on hand, so I made the pattern with some powdered sugar.

The tier was topped with a beautiful light up mechanical angel.

Don't forget about the hand dipped chocolate covered heart shaped marshmallows and we did make some hand dipped strawberries but by the time I took my pictures, they were already chilling in the fridge...

We even hand dipped some chocolate covered pretzel tips with sprinkles as well and laid them in a bed of sweet red licorice!!

The party is about to begin!

What is this party missing?

OH! I KNOW!

A cocktail OF COURSE!!!

Here is a recipe for the

LOVE MARTINI

1 1/2 ounces of Coconut Rum

1 ounce peach schnapps

2 ounces cranberry juice

Mix that altogether and serve chilled with 1 strawberry cut into halves as a garnish!

I hope you enjoyed all of these yummy treats today, and I hope you all had a

LOVELY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

NEW BOHEMIAN MAGIC OFFICIAL SITE!!

2014-02-04T10:11:00.003-05:00

HELLO LOVELIES!!!

So I did it, I took the plunge!

I have registered an OFFICIAL DOMAIN for La Boheme Magique!

I have big plans for my "company" and I think everything should really start with a home base.

This place is now going to be "home base"

I have some things in the works as far as re launching my E-Mag "Abra-zine!" with the help of some lovely people, and I want 2014 to be the year that I launch my Etsy Store.

I think I'm just scared, but I won't conquer that fear unless I just jump in! So here goes nothin...

But yea, my official site is all set up, so now I will be taking further steps very soon!

HERE'S TO 2014!!!

Oh Yea! AND CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO VISIT MY NEW OFFICIAL SITE! :-)

Ta Ta for Now!

Justina

xoxo

BECOME A WILD SISTER TODAY!!

2014-01-21T19:59:00.001-05:00

I am SO so SO so SOOOOOo EXCITED!!

Do you know why that is?

A WILD SISTER, YOU ASK?

Well, I want to let you in on a little secret....

I have discovered something so absolutely life changing, and exciting, and I am SOOOOO happy and honored to be representing this new tribe of women! It just makes you feel SO EMPOWERED on a daily basis! I have never found a more positive haven than this. It is an E-Mag and Social Network unlike any other! JUST FOR WOMEN! No Boys Allowed :-X !

With over 30 COLORFUL and vibrantly INSPIRING issues to flip through, these E-mags contain articles from artists, storytellers, creative and intuitive healers, lovers, fighters, life coaches, you name it, it's there! This E-Mag is a true gem, that I just so happened upon and I truly believe it was fate! I have found a new home, a safe haven to create and talk about creating with my fellow women!

The site is also filled with other goodies such as daily affirmation cards, E-courses, and Social Network complete with a LIVE chat room, The WILD SISTERHOOD is designed to be a support group for women of all walks of life. The creative soul, the hippie chick, the voice inside all of us that tells us we need to RUN FREE AND BE WILD!!

Are you ready to nourish your soul with wildness, inspiration + sisterhood? Step into your power with a tribe of Wild Sisters cheering you on every step of the way! Are you ready to love yourself, follow your bliss and change the world?

If so,

BECOME A WILD SISTER TODAY!!!

I hope to see you on the other side! :-D

HOMEMADE SUGAR SCRUB! (Good for Dry Winter Skin and YOU CAN EAT IT TOO!)

2014-01-14T20:59:00.001-05:00

So I know it's been quite awhile since I last posted. The last time I posted was at the start of September, the seasons were changing, summer to fall, I was sick as a dog.... Man am I glad THAT is over. I think it was a combination of things. But I think it mostly had to do with the Ragweed in the atmosphere! I think it was just an allergic reaction, that went way too far... Man I don't wish that on ANYONE, how horrible! Now I am back, way more healthy, started taking my vitamins regularly, and really listening to my body, taking it easy when I'm under the weather, instead of pushing myself.

Now it is the NEW YEAR!

Happy 2014 EVERYONE!

Hope you had a great NYE, I had a nice relaxing one, and Avi and I also celebrated our 5th Year Anniversary on New Year's Day, by lying in bed all day and doing absolutely nothing, lol. It was lovely!

So It is officially WINTER, and my skin actually isn't TOO dry, except for one odd little patch on my right arm. It started off looking like a zit, and me being the skin picker I am, decided to try to pop it and pick away at it, and then it turned into a larger patch that started to look like eczema. I showed it to my aunt and cousin because my cousins get eczema and she told me to try sugar scrubs.

So then a lightbulb went off in my head

(she calls me lightbulb face hahah!)

I decided to kind of research how to start making my own

Sugar Scrubs out of

ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS!

The problem with store bought sugar scrubs is that they are loaded with CRAP! They are filled with tons of chemicals to improve shelf life, change their scent, or color. All of those chemically fragranced cancer cocktails are totally not good for your skin, and most tend to make my skin either too greasy, oily, or even more dry and itchy!! Not to mention suffocate your pores! Your skin is the largest organ you have so, it's important to feed it things that are going to hydrate and make it glow!!

So the past couple days I have spent some time in my kitchen with just a few practical ingredients that you can find in your kitchen pantry or fridge!!

Let's get started!

Ingredients

2 TBSP Raw Organic Sugar

(Should be Brown in color)

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TBSP of the Juice from Half of a Small Lemon

1 Biotin Caplet (1000mgs)

Step 1

Find a small jar for your concoction!

Make sure it is clean before you use it,

I just rinsed mine out with some palmolive dish soap.

Make sure it is completely dry before you add your sugar to it,

cuz you don't want it to clump!

Step 2

Measure out your 2 TBSPs of Organic Raw Sugar and

add it to your mason jar!

Doesn't it sparkle so beautifully?!?

Step 3

Measure out your 1 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Place it in a small cup to the side.

Measure out your 1 TBSP of Fresh Lemon Juice

from half of a small lemon.

Place that in a separate small cup, to the side.

Step 4

Take your 1000mg Biotin Caplet

and crush it into a fine powder

using a mortal and a pestle!

Now I am not sure if biotin will work as a topical, and I have looked for some information on this all over the place. It is unknown whether it works as a topical or not... But I figure it can't hurt. Although, it is best if the caplets are taken orally. Follow the directions on the bottle for dosage information! Biotin is good for hair, nails, and skin, so why not add it to our concoction!?

(You can find Biotin caplets at any health food store, or in the vitamin aisle at almost any pharmacy!)

Now that all of our ingredients are prepped and set out for us to use readily, here is what you do!

Stir in a little drop of olive oil and mix that up until it's all mixed in. Then add some lemon juice till it's all mixed up evenly as well. The sugar will start to look crumbly... Then more olive oil, more lemon juice, stirring evenly until it starts looking more goopy. You may or may not even need the full teaspoons of both oil and lemon. If it ends up too watery, then add more sugar back in!

I kind of experimented with my textures. I tried one in a more crumbly texture, and one in a more goopy texture. Try them both out for yourself and see what you like the best!

You could also add essential oils for scent, or healing properties. Some like to add chamomile, or lavender...

I didn't have any of these things on hand, so I just kept it simple for now!

There are many ways you can do these sugar scrubs! Get creative!

Instead of Olive Oil, try Coconut Oil!!

Coconut Oil is SO good for your SKIN!

Instead of lemon juice, try the fresh juice from an orange!

It is YOUR sugar scrub, do what you want with it!

Here is the texture I ended with...

Now take a small dollop in your hand and massage into dry areas of skin! Don't those little sugar crystals tickle your skin!!?! It feels so soothing!! Scrub for a minute or two, then rinse with cool water, and pat skin dry with a cloth towel.

Store your jar at room temperature, and be sure to stir your mixture before each use!

Now here is one thing you can do with homemade spa products,

that you can't do with those store bought cancer cocktails...

TASTE YOUR PRODUCT!!!

Yup, that's right,

YOU CAN EAT IT TOO!!!!

(I think I just about ate half of my concoction, omg it's so yummy and lemony, sugary, sweet!)

Now, if you can EAT a product ,

then it MUST be safe!

100% NATURAL INGREDIENTS!

Try it, Enjoy it!

HAVE FUN SUGAR SCRUBBING!

Let me know if you try this, and also if you try it with

other natural ingredients! I'd love to know what you come up with

Please also check out my good friend Dena's video for her yummy coconut oil sugar lip scrub!

and also CHECK OUT HER BLOG HERE!

:-)

Thanks for reading!

September Poem

2013-09-11T16:16:00.001-04:00

Summer is coming to an end

August was so bittersweet

Enjoy the days,

they're dwindling down

and cooling off the heat...

Come rest under a canopy

of flowers smelling sweet...

Come watch the faeries acrobat

and fly lightly off their feet

Will you miss these summer days

Of carefree relaxation?

Or do you look for Autumn Fairies

with anticipation?

September brings the equinox

The start of autumn harvest

The changing of the leaves

beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges...

I can't wait for FALL!!

Can You?

:-)

PROJECT UPDATE: Welcome Mat

2013-09-11T14:31:00.003-04:00

I know it's been quite awhile since I started this project, and it took me awhile to finally bring it into completion. I apologize for leaving you hanging on this! However, the end of August has been a whirlwind with some special guests, other blog posts filled with recipes, and my never ending health battle....

Well I'm sure a lot of my readers are wondering why I am ALWAYS sick with "Upper Respiratory Infections"... Well I have been to the Dr. three times in the past 3 weeks, and I am still not showing signs of recovery. So what IS wrong with me, you ask? Apparently, I have asthma, and was never diagnosed! So the past 3 weeks or so, have been trial and error with different medications, and so far nothing seems to be working. I have just been super miserable all month long, as it has been flared up, and it might have something to do with the ragweed floating around this season. I had a blood test yesterday to test for allergens, so hopefully we can find out what exactly is irritating my respiratory tract. Well enough of that crap...

I wanted to update you on my project that I have been trying to finish!

Do you remember this!?

THE WELCOME MAT!

I started painting it at the beginning of August...

I used acrylics, as well as some metallic and glitter paint to give it some sparkle!

I painted the flowers and surrounding stones all beautiful vibrant colors!

It kind of looks like stained glass, doesn't it?

I used some of the dry brushing technique I learned in Kathy Monaco's painting class

with my Aunt Fi Fi! Do you see how I dry brushed a darker shade of orange around the yellow bricks to give it some depth?

Here is the finished product!!

My mom is going to love it!

I am going to finish it off with a sealing spray, this way it can be placed outside and endure different kinds of weather....

Veggie Frittata & Strawberry Guava, Orange Juice, & Blueberry Smoothie

2013-09-09T20:34:00.000-04:00

Today I have a super easy, and super YUMMY recipe for you all!

I LOVE making these when I'm hungry for brunch, lunch, or even late at night, I'll make it before I go to bed. And it's super healthy! Full of veggies, full of protein!

And I also have a little elixir surprise in store for you, to enjoy along side of this yummy dish!

So without further adieu, I present to you my recipe for

Veggie Frittata with

Guava Nectar, Orange & Blueberry Smoothie!

Ingredients for Frittata

Half a Zucchini

1 Tomato

Half a small onion

A few pinches of fresh parsley

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

So first you want to chop your veggies...

I used Zucchini, Tomato, & Onion,

They are my FAVE together, and especially with eggs ...

Also be sure to give em a rinse first before chopping!

Coat your pan with some olive oil, fire up that heat and once that starts sizzling,

throw in your veggies!

These are going to have to cook for awhile before adding your egg.

So stir those around a bit, get them coated in the olive oil, and then turn the heat down a bit, place a lid over them, and let them cook from the steam!

Set it and forget it for awhile...

Now you want to get out 2 eggs!

Scramble those...

Now after scrambling my eggs, I love to add salt & pepper, sometimes a little crushed red pepper for heat,

AND FRESH PARSLEY!

Let's go outside to my parsley plant to pick a few sprigs!

BUT WAIT!?!?!

WHO IS THIS????

Look who came to visit my Parsley plant today!

I was wondering why we were a bit scarce on the parsley this year...

Looks like Mr. Grubby found my secret stash...

He looked so content in there munching away,

so I picked my few sprigs and let him be.

I wonder what beautiful color his wings will be when he becomes a beautiful butterfly one day...

Well that was a nice little surprise!

Have a nice day Mr. Grubby!

Now back to our recipe...

Rinse your garden parsley...

And add to your scrambled egg mixture!

Once that's all mixed, check on your veggies!

If they are still not tender, leave them cook until they are!

Once they are cooked all the way through, you can add your egg to the pan now....

Make sure the egg covers the whole bottom of the pan, coating all of your veggies as well....

Put heat on low, place a lid over it, and let your eggs cook through.

While that is cooking, let's start on our magical elixir !

Ingredients

Strawberry Guava

Orange Juice

Fresh Blueberries

Ice

Magic Bullet

So for this recipe I used my handy dandy Magic Bullet...

This this is AWESOME for making smoothies of any kind.

I started by filling my bullet halfway with ice,

then halfway with this YUMMY STRAWBERRY GUAVA to cover that ice,

then the remainder of the bullet cup with the orange juice.

You want to blend that until there are no more huge ice chunks.

Once you have a nice blended consistency, now add a handful of blueberries!

By now your cup should already be pretty full of smoothie, so be careful not to make it overflow!!

Put the cap back on and blend again, just so the blueberries are crushed up into the mixture now!

Ok your smoothie is done now! Let's put our bullet cup in the fridge until it is ready to serve with our Frittata! Let's check on that now...

Throughout the course of me making the smoothie, I was also checking my frittata every now and then.

I kept scraping the sides around the eggs in the pan, and also poked some holes in the center with a fork to prevent air bubbles.

When your eggs look like the picture below, they are done!

The olive oil I used to grease the already nonstick pan ensures that my frittata will slide ride out onto and plate!

VIOLA!!!

Let's pour our magical elixir!!

I garnished with some fresh mint from the garden!

How refreshing does this look!?!?

A beautiful table scape for a beautiful day!

I can feel fall in the air already...

The breeze on this day was so perfect, and the flowers are already starting to hide away...

LET'S DIG IN!!

This dish is so enchantingly delicious!

OOPS!

I ate the WHOLE THING!!!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I did!

Please try it out, and let me know if you have other ideas to add to the recipe!

I'd love to hear!

Well, that is all!

Have a

MAGICAL DAY!

Aunt Linda & Cousin Jessie Visit From North Carolina PART 4 & 5 (FINAL SERIES POST!)

2013-09-06T17:20:00.002-04:00

So here is my last post about my Aunt Linda and Cousin Jessie's visit to NJ 2 weekends ago.

So on Day 4 of their visit here, we all had plans to go to my mom's godmother's house down the shore.

Avi made some guacamole and I made some walnut and butterscotch morsel banana bread.

Both seemed to go over very well :-)

It was nice to have some bbq and sangria, poolside.

They DID have a pool, but nobody really went in it.

We mostly just hang out around it with our drinks.

L to R: Me, Aunt Dor, Aunt Linda, Jessie, and My Mom

We spent the day there, and then my aunt and cousin went to see their old street in Brick.

They used to live in Jersey before they moved to NC, so whenever they're in Jersey, they go visit their old neighborhood. So I got home and watched some tv, and then they came back later on.

Jessie and I tried watching The Great Gatsby, but we both fell asleep...

They were planning to leave the next day... bummer!

I went to bed, and woke up the next morning to my mom and my aunt knocking on my door...

They're staying one more day!!! Let's get dressed, we're going to the mall!

So we went to Bridgewater mall, had some lunch in the food court, and then went shopping some more! We window shopped in Pottery Barn, William Sonoma, Francesca's where I bought a cute flowy leopard top on sale for $20, and some other cute little boutiques. Especially this one where we had way too much fun trying on some fake bangs...

I think we were annoying the less than happy lady who worked there, so we put them back on the rack , and headed on our way. After the mall, we hit up TJ Maxx/Home Goods. We spent sooooo much time in here looking at the cute little china, and Halloween Goods!

I even found a pair of Coach shoes for a very affordable price, that actually FIT ME!!

It's very rare that I find shoes that fit me, so when I do,

I splurge :-X

They are cute little brown suede flat ballet slippers. I have been wanting a pair like that forever... So I just bought them, with some coaxing from the girls...

( I will show a pic in a later post)

My mom ended up buying a cute little cake tier,

which we later put some wafers on for dessert after dinner.

She also bought some lovely pumpkin soap which was only a few bucks and smells like HEAVEN

We went to Hobby Lobby for Jessie and My Aunt cuz they don't have one down by them.

Shortly after we went home cuz my dad had another amazing recipe up his sleeve!

I also bought a Halloween Apron for this season's fall baking festivities.

It has a cauldron on it with some cosmo glasses, and it says

"Pick Your Poison"

It's SO cute!

When we got it home, my dad decided to model it for us as he cooked some

HOMEMADE PASTA AND PESTO SAUCE!

Dinner is served!

Tonight we dined Al Fresco!

Would you like some tomato salad on the side?

They are "Ugly Tomatoes"

straight from our garden!

How about some Italian Bread?

Dinner was so

DELICIOUS!

After dinner we had some lovely dessert!

JUICY WATERMELON

and some FIGS, right from my grandmother's tree!

Before this trip, Jessie had never had fresh figs before!

My dad made her try one, and she was hooked since!

I'm pretty sure she had at least 5 figs for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner, every day that she was at our house! My dad sent her home with them, because she loved them so much...

She even asked him how to grow a fig tree, and he said he is going to get her one for next year...

It started to get dark out and we heard some giggles...

who can that be joining us?

Some night fae, perhaps?

What a beautiful dinner and night it was...

But all good things must come to an end...

It was time to turn in, so we cleaned up dinner and headed inside.

Jessie, My Dad, Avi, and I decided to watch The Great Gatsby!

What an amazing movie this was!

It was shot so beautifully,

I didn't expect anything less from Baz Luhrman...

I have been a fan From Romeo and Juliet, to Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom,

I just think the guy has such an intriguing and imaginative way of storytelling.

His films are truly art that I find myself indulging in, time and time again!

When the movie was over, we all called it a night, and I said my goodbyes to My Aunt and Jess...

I went to sleep, and when I awoke the next morning, they were already en route back to North Carolina!

I miss them already, and look forward to our next adventures together whether they visit here, or we visit there!

I hope you enjoyed this series of posts about their visit.

They were seriously so adventurous, I just had to share every detail...

Aunt Linda & Cousin Jessie Visit From North Carolina PART 3: Grounds For Sculpture

2013-09-06T13:57:00.002-04:00

Well I am back for yet another blog post about my Aunt Linda and Cousin Jessie's stay...

We just did SOOOO much in this weekend, that it's hard to do it all in one blog post.

I'm kinda editing all the pics as I go along.

Anyways! I just HAD to tell you about the Saturday they were here because it was just THAT gorgeous of a day, great for exploring and walking around.

We had decided that we wanted to go to

GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE

This place is so unbelievably beautiful, they have over 200 sculptures done by different artists from all over the world. The place is filled with beautiful misty ponds, draw bridges, life sized human like statues that you have to take a double take at because you think they are real, flowers, tree canopies, and roaming peacocks throughout the grounds...

On our way!

Avi took TONNNNSSSS of pictures, I took some on my camera, but I had a malfunctioning memory card, and a majority of my favorite ones went corrupt :-(

So let me just say that most of the pictures below were in fact taken by Avi, and I put my whimsical touch on them for this blog only...

Here we are in the little shuttle that drove us about 2 feet to the entrance.

We were laughing so hard cuz we could have just walked once we figured out how close it was...

Here we are in the first gallery

We look like such tourists!

But what are we looking at!?

This amazing ceiling!!

Here are some more of my favorites from the day

Sculpture of a woman bathing in the misty springs...

You can see her from the draw bridge overlooking the beautiful Rat cafe.

This huge head in the water was overlooking The Rat cafe (above)

We wanted to eat there, but it was a bit pricey and the wait was insane!

This beautiful sculpture of the lady with the umbrella was so beautiful.

It was probably one of my favorite sculptures from the day...

You can't see it in the pic below, but there was also a small boy statue next to her.

They sat HIGH upon a huge hill, and believe it or not, all of those breathtaking red flowers around her

ARE FAKE!!!

We couldn't believe it either...

This is me walking through one of the first tree pathways we encountered...

(we encountered many canopied walkways throughout the day, and each one got even more beautiful than the next!)

I feel like I'm being followed here...

Do you here giggles?

I think there are pixies in these woods....

One of the best exhibits is this Woman Showering.

The below photo is taken from the mirror view...

You can see her showering, and she also sings in the shower as well!

It was a little creepy, it sounded so real!

The water was really running on her as well...

Below is a replica of Johannes Vermeer's The Girl With the Pearl Earring.

This was taken by Avi, such a beautiful shot!

Soon we were on our way to the

Peacock Cafe

to enjoy a nice healthy lunch!

I had a turkey and brie wrap with an arugula salad which was pretty delicious!

Right after lunch, we stopped into the attached gift shop were I found these

BREATHTAKING BEAUTIES!

How beautiful are those bracelets!?

They were only 8 bux each, so I picked up 2 for myself

and the green one on the bottom I bought for my mom...

On the way out of the gift shop, we made our way back into the garden where the peacocks were roaming all about! They are such mystical and beautiful creatures!

We also came upon a few praying mantis's resting in the shade of more tree canopies...

We also came upon this peeing statue...

Yes, it was squatting and peeing..

We were laughing so hard!

Here we passed by some Buttercup Blossoms,

Avi took this beautiful shot...

I can feel fairy spirits around me...

Do you see them?

Here I am under one of the many canopied walkways...

It was fun getting lost in a labyrinth of beautiful foliage all day!

Here are the rents posing with a larger than life replica of

American Gothic

Rosario is waiting in a "Breadline", which was the name of the sculpture...

Below is a sculpture of a bubbly cauldron with skulls in it, and misty water spraying out...

It looked so ghoulish and gross, but the water mist felt so nice and cooling on this warm day!

There were a few witchy and ghoulish statues standing by it...

We walked our way through more foliage mazes, and decided to take a rest on the river bank...

Shortly after we got some root beer floats in a little garden resting place...

Then we trekked on to do more exploring...

We came upon this beautiful Gypsy Wagon,

Which actually ended up being the main entrance to Rat's!

Inside the wagon, and restaurant entrance...

Avi captured some bumble bees buzzing around this

whimsical flower...

Avi took this picture of me down by the river bank,

in one of my favorite dresses, I bought it at Walgreen's for

$10!!! Isn't it cute!?

Again, for some reason, I felt fairy spirits around me all day!

They have definitely made the day so enchanting and magical!

The weather was beautiful, the day was perfect, it was relaxing,

and some great time spent with family.

The drive home was so exhausting,

when we finally got home, we decided to lie down on the couch for awhile while the parentals fixed dinner in the kitchen.

They made a yummy pasta dinner with meatballs, and salad...

After dinner, my mom, Aunt, Linda, Jessie, and I decided to go to the Marshall's around the corner from my house because Jessie lives in the mountains in North Carolina, and doesn't have access to most of her favorite stores in her neck of the woods. She bought a few nice lanterns for her house, and I picked up this AMAZING smelling Natural Soy Black Orchid scented candle...

It came in such a pretty little sachet pouch!

My mom picked up a box of

Natural Rooibos Cinnamon Vanilla Tea by Tea of Life at Marshall's...

I am trying to find the tea online, but cannot find it anywhere, so it must just be Marshall's Brand..

It sure is yummy though with a little milk and honey! We went home and made our tea, and then Jess, Avi, and I curled up on the couch and watched

Oz the Great and Powerful

It was a nice relaxing night to finish off the exhausting but adventurous day...

PART 4 COMING SOON!

Aunt Linda & Cousin Jessie Visit From North Carolina PART 2

2013-09-04T23:10:00.001-04:00

So day 2 of my Aunt Linda and Cousin Jessie's stay was so much fun!!

We went to Peddler's Village, Pennsylvania!

We were going to go to New Hope, but we decided to go to Peddler's Village instead!

We were all STARVING and I had suggested eating at the Cock n' Bull restaurant which has AMAZING chicken pot pie and turkey dinner....

Here is Jessie and I enjoying our glasses of water, while our lush mothers had more wine, LOL!

I was feeling a bit under the weather, so I thought it best to stay hydrated for the day...

I started with a beef soup for my appetizer, and I got the chicken pot pie for my lunch!

It came with a side of the most interesting Apple & Raisin Slaw and a piece of Corn Bread!

It was DELICIOUS!

My mom took my advice and went for the Turkey Dinner with Mashed Potatoes, Squash, Cranberry Sauce & Gravy!

Here are us ladies out to lunch....

Jessie, Me, Aunt Linda, and My Mom

After lunch we did some walking around, and went in some little antique and consignment shops looking for little treasures to purchase...

We found a shop where my aunt and my mother bought little rubber flower wine stoppers, LOL

what lushes! Jessie and I had fun looking at all of the Halloween stuff that is starting to adorn the little shops!!

Attached to this little shop, was a beautiful greenhouse...

Where we had fun discovering some need plants that didn't need to be potted or watered...

Such beautiful plants all over the place, it was really so magical!

I loved this little frog guy spitting water into this beautiful fountain adorned with a hanging tree wrapped in white lights and potted plants...

After the greenhouse shoppe, we checked out a little consignment jewelry boutique, where I bought these cute little gems...

I just loved how they sparkled, and they just called right out to me!

After the jewelry shop, our sweet tooth was calling, and we hit up a little beanery and cafe right next door! Jessie and I treated our moms to their lattes and we both got chai tea lattes which were nice and light, and so yummy!

Some cute cookie jars at the cafe filled with biscotti

Jessie bought a huge burlap bag here for $5 to do some pinterest projects with.

The cafe sells huge burlap coffee bags, which was a cool little sale angle.

The cafe itself actually used the bags to adorn the shop with little burlap valances for their windows and stuff. You can really do anything with burlap! It's amazing how much burlap stuff we saw on our ventures that weekend...

After the cafe, we did a lot more walking around and a lot more shopping...

We also went in a little candle store where I bought my friend Ashley a birthday gift which I will do a post about, after I give her the present :-X

I also bought my mom 2 candle burner tarts , and myself a little candle holder as well...

The rest of the afternoon was filled with loads of fun, just walking in more shops, meeting some furry little critters along with way, including a bunny named Oreo, and a little ancient looking squirrel with a whirly tail who hopped back and forth curiously collecting peanuts from the nut shop next door to a religious shop our moms went into.

We also had way too much fun in a book shop, a turkish lantern shop, and a hat shop where we had a blast trying on all the different hats.

My mom actually ending up buying a headband with some sweater knit and feathers on it.. it was so cute, I told her she just had to buy it...

Here are some lilies in a pond outside the hat shoppe...

Can you see the coi fish under the water?

It was getting late so we decided to head home...

But not before we hit up the village bakery for some sweet treats!

The window display was so adorable!

Inside there were so many delectable treats to feast the eyes upon!

It really was a sweet tooth's heaven in there!

Check out these GORGEOUS cakes!!!

How beautiful are they!?!

Jessie bought a rich chocolate cupcake, and I bought a couple cinnamon rolls.

My eye caught a Bacon Choco Cupcake, and I immediately thought of Avi.

So , I bought one to surprise him after dinner :-D

We got home and my dad whipped up a magical dish of

Chicken Piccata and Garden Salad...

Everything was delicious of course, and then we had our treats from the bakery...

Avi was so surprised about his choco bacon cupcake!!

After dinner we spent some quality time altogether outside on the back patio under the pergola illuminated by candlelight and a solar sun ball...

It was a beautiful night, and we sat around laughing our butts off at My mother and Aunt Linda.

We were laughing at how they should have their own talk show, where they would have special guests, but the guests would not be able to get a word in edgewise...

They're just both Chatty Cathies, they were making us laugh so hard with stories of when they were little!

Well that was the night!

Stay tuned for Part 3: Grounds For Sculpture

Aunt Linda & Cousin Jessie Visit From North Carolina PART 1

2013-09-04T21:47:00.001-04:00

So 2 weekends ago, we had the pleasure of having my Aunt Linda & Cousin Jessie visit us from North Carolina!! This was such a treat because we rarely see them. I actually think the last time we saw them was a year 1/2 ago :-(

They got here on August 22nd, a Thursday night and my dad whipped up a magical dinner!

The girls brought some wine from a North Carolina winery...

This one was called "Twisted Sister" which made me laugh, cuz it reminds me of my mom and her sister Linda. It was a very sweet wine, and tasted a bit like welch's grapejuice, which is pretty dangerous if you ask me! It went down so smooth, and was SO yummy!

They also brought a red wine, which we were all laughing that it had a "Woodsy" taste. That was the term of the night regarding that wine.

My dad whipped up some perfectly seasoned pork chops...
Here there are waiting to be cooked,
Can't wait!

And some Cavatelli and Broccoli!

Every meal he makes is a

MASTERPIECE!

The ladies are so excited to be spoiled by Rosario's home cooking for the next few days!

And I must say, his dishes are indeed picture worthy!

Cavatelli Anyone?

After dinner I showed them some videos I made of Renaissance Fair, and stuff in LA, and we had some laughs. Then Jessie, Avi, and I went out to a piano bar with some of our friends that we introduced Jessie to. It was a fun night!

LOL at Avi's Face in this one!

Day 2 coming soon!

Birthday Gift!

2013-08-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

So I wanted to do a post on the gift I just got my BFF for her birthday this year...

I think it is the CUTEST gift ever, and I think you would really enjoy how I put it together!

She got me an insanely cute gift for my birthday this past year, so I definitely had to get her something!

On my trip to Peddler's Village, PA with my mom, Aunt, n Cousin a few weeks ago, I found this ADORABLE little candle holder in a candle shop! I thought it was SO pretty, so I just had to scoop one up for her! (I loved it so much that I actually bought myself one too :-X)

Also on my trip to Peddler's Village, we spent a good chunk of time in this beautiful new age shop that had all sorts of cute glittery cards and art. I found this little birthday card, I thought it was absolutely adorable to go with her gift!

The maker of this card is PAPAYA.

You can find all of their merch HERE

They really have some BEAUTIFUL stuff <3 p="">

So silly me, I bought my bff a candleholder with no candles!!!

On a trip to Walgreen's, I found some AMAZING scented tea lights.

I bought her one Gardenia (these smell so spring fresh!)

and also one pack of Apple Cinnamon, because it reminded me of Autumn, which is right around the corner! It's my BFF's favorite season, as well as mine, so I knew she'd just LOVE these!

While my cousin and aunt were here, we also hit up Marshall's, where I found this adorable gift bag...

It is so colorful and whimsical, I thought it went perfectly with the gift!

I always save my tissue paper when I buy new stuff from Victoria's Secret, so I used some bright pink tissue paper to fill the gift bag...

So I put all the goodies in the gift bag, and then wrote a personal little note on the card...

I decorated the inside of the card, as well as the envelope with some rubber stamps that my mom had gotten me for christmas a few years back...

I thought they were so adorable, and she would really get a kick out of the bratty characters...

This is the stamp kit I used, I found them on etsy HERE if you are interested to purchase and try them out!

Weekend Project: Welcome Mat

2013-08-19T01:40:00.002-04:00

How was your weekend!??! Mine was relaxing despite my never ending battle with this respiratory infection. It's been about 2 or 3 weeks now, and it will just not go away. I went to the doctor's on Friday and she put me on an inhaler to help me breathe and clear some "residual" mucus. If it doesn't clear in a week I might just ask for an antibiotic, cuz this is just ridiculous :-(

I'm exhausted, haven't been sleeping at night, every time I fall asleep, I wake myself up choking and gasping for air. It's horrible, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy :-(

Anyway, to kind of brighten my spirits, my mom said she had a project for me to do on Saturday...

She has had this welcome mat that had faded horribly from years of outdoor use in the dirt and sun...

She asked me if I would paint it really colorful for her, so I was excited to do an arts n crafts project!

I started applying the paint, but the fuzziness of the rug was absorbing the paint too much , and I wasn't getting the vibrant colors that I wanted right off the bat.

So I decided then to add a coat of modge podge gloss on first in order for the paint to glide nicely across the surface and have the pigment dry nice and bright.

SUCCESS!

I also added some metallic paint to give some details a nice magical sheen to it!

My dragonfly came out so beautifully, I am so happy with it!

I also had some green glitter paint that I added as well...

It's going to sparkle so nicely in the sun!

This is my progress so far, it was ALOT more work than I had thought it would be, so on Saturday I only got done as much as you see in this picture above...

Because soon it was dinner time!!

I had to clean up the table because we were dining Al Fresco tonight!

My dad had made a crockpot of Veal Stew which was

DELICIOUS!!!

I must get this recipe from him!

Have some bread to soak up the broth!

That was yummy!

So today I managed to work a little bit on the welcome mat, but not much because I had set up shop outside but then it had started to rain :-(

I cleaned up quickly so I didn't take any progress pics today....

But I WILL show you what we had for dinner today...

Sunday in my house is always pasta and sauce day...

Every Sunday my dad puts different things in the sauce, sometimes pork or beef chunks, sometimes meatballs, but today it was garden eggplant!!

It was so delicious...

After dinner I just took it easy...

I started watching Game of Thrones,

Avi has been raving about the show,

so I am trying to catch up to him so then we can start watching it together.

After an episode, I took a nap, tried to get used to my new inhaler, and then we watched Breaking Bad.

We are TV junkies, I must say.

Totally Guilty!

Well that is all for now... I will post more on the welcome mat when I make some more progress!!

Ta ta for now!

Cooking With Ashley: Mushroom & Broccoli Risotto, Gluten Free Pasta With Lemon Yellow Squash, Spinach, & Shrimp, and Garden Tomato & Cucumber Parmesan Salad

2013-08-15T23:54:00.004-04:00

So yesterday my BFF Ashley and I had set a date to get together and do some Arts n' Crafts!

I was still feeling a bit under the weather so we decided to hit up the health food store because a friend of ours was raving about Oregano Oil which is said to be good for respiratory health and many other things. Ashley was also telling me how a friend of hers was suggesting that she go on a gluten free diet, because all her life she has had eczema issues with her skin. In efforts to clear up her skin once and for all, she really wanted to try out some options to see if she would be able to follow through with a gluten free diet. Last year, my dad had also tried the gluten free route, so I am very familiar with some gluten free products and had pointed her in the right direction as far as alternatives for certain foods go. We are both Italian, and cutting out pasta altogether is pretty much sacrilegious!

So I picked up some Oregano Oil and she picked up some Gluten Free Pasta to try out...

Our Arts n Crafts Day turned into a Cooking Party!! I also remembered I had leftover mushrooms n spinach from last weeks soup post, and I wanted to use them up before they went bad! I hate wasting food!

We tried out some gluten free dishes that she would enjoy eating, and that are super easy to make as well!

The menu for this cooking party was

Mushroom n Broccoli Risotto

Gluten Free Pasta with Yellow Squash, Spinach, n Shrimp

Garden Tomato n Cucumber Salad

So we started with our

Mushroom Risotto

For this recipe you will need

Olive Oil

1 Clove of Garlic

Chopped Mushrooms

Broccoli

( you can use fresh Broccoli, but I had the last bit of a frozen bag left, so I wanted to just use the rest)

1/2 a Small Onion

(also had this onion being saved in the fridge so I just used it to get rid of it)

1 Cup Arborio Rice

1 Cup of Water

1 Cup Chicken Stock

Parmesan Cheese

White Wine

(You can use cooking wine if you have it on hand, but I just used regular wine I had around the house)

Salt n Pepper

So we're going to start off prepping our veggies, so first dice up your mushrooms and onions and throw them into a bowl along with your broccoli heads.

Next mince your garlic and coat the bottom of your pan with extra virgin olive oil.

How magical does that look?!?

Can't you just smell it from there?

Once that is simmering nicely, and before the garlic turns brown, add your bowl of veggies!!

Let those really simmer and cook through nicely before adding your rice....

Once your veggies are pretty much cooked through enough, you want to add your 1 Cup of Arborio rice. I really love this rice because as it cooks it starts to form this creamy like consistency and it is

OH SO YUMMY!

Now once you add your rice, stir that in with the veggies and make sure all of the grains are covered in the oil until they start looking clear. Once all of the rice is covered in the oil, you want to add 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of chicken stock.

Now STIR!!

Lower the heat, and put the lid on and crack it a bit...

Let it cook...

While that is cooking we are going to prep our veggies for the next dishes!

So my parents came home this past weekend with some vegetables from my grandmother's garden!

They brought home some yellow squash and fresh cucumbers!!

I just had to try them out in some dishes!!

The next dish we are going to make is

Gluten Free Pasta With Lemon Yellow Squash, Spinach, n Shrimp

(We tried out the gluten pasta for Ashley, but feel free to use regular pasta for this dish if you so choose!)

Ingredients

1 Pound of Gluten Free Spaghetti

(We used Schar Brand)

1 Yellow Squash

Half a Bag of Baby Spinach

1 Clove of Garlic

1 Stick of Earth Balance Vegan Butter

Olive Oil

Handful of Shrimp (Fresh or Frozen is up to you)

Salt n Pepper

Half a Lemon

So first we're going to chop up our squash...

Now this is just a matter of personal preference, Ashley didn't mind the squash skins on , but I think next time I make it, I would peel the skin off first. Even after cooking them and steaming them for 20 minutes, the skins were still really hard and crunchy to the bite. It was a bit too thick for me...

Next if you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them in some lukewarm water.

Not hot, or they will cook! Let those defrost for a bit while you chop your garlic.

Yes I use LOTS of garlic for my dishes... I'm Italian, what can I say!?!?

At least I keep the vampires away :-B

So oil your pan, turn up the heat and when that gets nice and hot, add your garlic.

Before that browns, add about half of your butter. Let the butter melt a bit so the oil and the butter start to make a nice little sauce.

Now add your squash to the pan!

Put a lid on that and let those steam!

Start a pot of salted water for your pasta!

While those are steaming, Let's check on our Risotto!

It looks like the risotto is absorbing all the liquid very nicely,

stir more!!

The key to good risotto is to keep stirring and keep between low and medium heat...

Oh also at this point, I added some white whine

( I love any dishes with a little splash of wine,

a tablespoon should be enough),

and Ash added some Parmesan cheese!

I would also strain the defrosting shrimp at this point, rid them of any tail shells, and cut them in nice sized chunks. This way more shrimp is spread evenly throughout your pasta once you mix it together.

While I handled the risotto and squash, Ashley prepares us a nice little salad with our

Garden Tomatoes n' Cucumbers!!

Ashley made a nice little vinaigrette with Olive Oil, White Vinegar, Honey, and Salt n Pepper

She added some grated parmesan cheese to the mixture, onions, and finished it off with a dried cranberry and honey roasted almond mix by Almond Accents...

While Ashley is mixing up our salad, I added our spinach to our now tenderly cooked squash along with the other half of the butter, and let that melt over the veggies...

We took a little interlude while things were bubbling away to dance and twirl eachother to some Joni...

Your pasta water should be boiling by now.

Add your pasta and stir with a pasta ladle to prevent it from sticking together.

Now just an FYI for anyone cooking Gluten Free pasta for the first time...

As you are cooking it and tasting it to see if it is done, it does have a very cardboardy, fake kind of taste, and it is going to taste a little "off" until it is fully cooked.

If you are used to pasta with gluten and eat it often, switching over to gluten free pasta is a bit weird at first, but the taste is pretty manageable, and with the right ingredients it can be delicious!

While your pasta is cooking, now add your shrimp to your squash and spinach mixture!

We add this last because shrimp cooks very fast, and we don't want to overcook it

Now salt n pepper it, and add your half a lemon's juice to it...

Make sure you are still stirring your pasta and taste to see if it's done.

It's a bit tough to eat gluten free pasta al dente, you want to make sure it is cooked all the way through so it doesn't taste like cardboard lol!

Strain your pasta once that is done! I would not rinse the pasta with water, I'm not sure about gluten free pasta, but with regular pasta, rinsing it rids the pasta of all of it's starches, and in traditional Italian cooking, we like to keep in all of that flavor! So right after you strain the pasta, put it into your large pasta bowl, and dump in your Squash, Spinach, and Shrimp Mixture! Mix everything together!

Isn't that just BEAUTIFUL!!?!

Our Risotto is done as well!

Let's bring our salad over to our table!

And our yummy pasta!!

Today we're dining Al Fresco!!

Ashley is waiting to try out our concoctions!

I think she will do just fine with her new gluten free diet,

Let's wish her the best of luck!

Are you thinking about going gluten free, or have you already tried such a diet?

How did things turn out for you?

Did it soothe what ails you? Have you had success?

Comment below and please let us know!

We hope you enjoyed our recipes for today!

If you try them out, please let us know how they turn out..

And also comment below and let us know if you have any questions as well!

Painting Class With Aunt Fi Fi : Fishies

2013-08-12T18:30:00.000-04:00

So I finally had some time to sit down today and edit these photos from this past weekend!

I attended a painting class with my Aunt Fi Fi on Friday night! It's always so much fun to go to these with her, she is such a little ball of creativity and talent. She has been going to this woman's classes for years and once in awhile I tag along when I really like the project they are working on.

The woman who teaches the class is Cathy Monaco.

She teaches flat brush & dry brush techniques and boy is she a character!

Half the class is spent laughing at the things that come out of that woman's mouth...

The classes are taught out of Cathy's basement, the number of people in the classes used to be a lot more, but there was only the 3 of us students for this one...

Below is a pic of Fi Fi setting up her station, and along the wall are Cathy's paintings she's done throughout the years...

Here are most of the colors that we used for the background...

The first step is to paint the background like a gradient with a lot of water to blend the 3 different colors together for the water. Then we had to paint the whispy little seaweed strands the Calypso Blue to give it the impression that it is in the distance. We also did some smaller fish like this as well...

I did not photograph every single step because I had to keep up with the rest of the class, so I photographed what I could. We also used a few more colors for the fishies...

Aren't they so cute!?!

This is what the final piece looked like when I was done painting at the end of the class...

Both Fi Fi and I were not happy with how our shading below our seaweed plants came out...

Cathy also suggested that we glue seashells to the painting...

Right away I remembered that I had some little seashells, rhinestones, and a seahorse that I could use to glue it on...

It didn't stop there though, I had the sudden urge to glitter the WHOLE THING and make it look like a magickal underwaterscape scene!!!

Here is the finished glittered product!

I used some moss to cover the shading that I didn't like as well!!

These yellow fish sparkle so nicely in the sunlight!!

I had some flower confetti i used to top off my seaweed with

and centered them each with sparkly rhinestones...

My mom saw it and remembered she had a tiny starfish that she has been wondering what to do with for a long time, so she said "OH I HAVE JUST THE THING FOR THIS TO FINISH IT OFF!"

So she gave me the starfish and I put that on as well!

Now it has the perfect home!!

I forget the names of these types of fish, but Cathy told us during the class...

I added some black glitter to them, but not all the way through because I did't want to ruin the white dry brushing effect that makes the fish look see through and reflective....

I thought these fishies were the perfect summer project, and I am so happy with the end result!!

Thanks Fi Fi for the class,

can't wait to go again soon!

RECIPES: Roasted Red Peppers, Asian Influenced Clear Soup, & Citrus Sunburst Green Iced Tea Infused with Fresh Orange & Garden Mint

2013-08-07T13:37:00.005-04:00

How is everyone's August going so far!??!

Well mine was going pretty decent until I got slammed with an Upper Respiratory Infection :-(

I don't know why am I super proned to these, but they have become somewhat of an inevitable annoyance that I have to deal with every few months. I did have a head cold two weeks ago, and that seemed to have subsided, I did end up feeling better, but then I woke up one morning last week with that scratchiness in the back of my throat :-(

No Gooooooood!!

So I went into Immune Boost mode, and thought I'd make myself some things that not only provided comfort, but would be healthy as well. So if you're sick right now, head to your farmer's market and pick up some VEGGIES!!

I picked up some Spinach, Mushrooms, Garlic (LOTS OF IT!) and Carrots!

I like to buy the already pealed garlic cloves as a well as the already peeled baby carrots,

makes prep time more of a breeze.

So this first recipe, I am going to make asian inspired CLEAR SOUP, you know that soup that you get when you go out to eat hibachi, or sushi, comes with most meals, and consists of a basic broth with the fried onion, scallion, & mushrooms slices? Yea well, I am not doing the scallion or fried onion, not cuz I don't like it, but just because I wanted to experiment a bit with other stuff, and I just LOVE me some spinach and carrots! I needed some greens which will hopefully boost my immune system a bit more...

So anyway enough with my rambling, here is my recipe!

ASIAN INSPIRED CLEAR SOUP

Ingredients

1 Handful of Raw Baby Spinach Leaves (not frozen)

5 or 6 Baby Carrots

1 handful of raw Mushrooms

1 or 2 Garlic Cloves

1 Chicken Buollion

Ground Black Pepper

A Small or Medium Sized Pot of Water

So fill up your pot of water , add your 1 chicken bouillon and your finely chopped clove of garlic.

I used one clove, but if you love things extra garlicky, feel free to add 2.

Put that on a medium heat and bring that to a boil.

While that is heating up, chop your carrots & mushrooms.

I like to chop all of my veggies and place them in one bowl so I have them all in one place when I go to add to my boiling water. By the time you're done chopping your veggies, your water should now be boiled. I don't bother chopping my spinach since the leaves wilt and shrink in the boiling water anyway.

Now that your water is boiling and your bouillon should be dissolved and garlic cooked ,

go ahead and add your veggies (mushrooms, carrots, spinach)

Put heat on LOW and put a lid on it until carrots are cooked all the way through!

I love my carrots tender, but if you love them with a little more bite, then cook them for less time!

Once your veggies are nice and cooked, add your ground black pepper,

turn the heat off and serve hot!

This is sure to soothe any ailments you may have...

I plan to make this all week long!

I have enough ingredients to make a few batches.

Also the serving size with the amounts of ingredients I used, serves about 3 or 4.

The next recipe I want to share is

Citrus Sunburst Green Iced Tea Infused with Fresh Orange & Garden Mint

So I managed to get my hands on this Sunburst Green Tea Flavored Mighty Leaf Iced Tea! My mom brewed it the first time without all of the dressings I added this time, and it was a bit too strong even for me, so I added some stuff to soften the taste a bit for those who don't like their iced tea too strong.

Ingredients

1 Mighty Leaf Sunburst Green Tea Bag

1/4 to 1/2 cup Sugar (Depending on how sweet you like yours)

1 Fresh Orange

A Handful of Fresh Garden Mint

Ice

So the steps for this recipe is pretty easy!

First you boil your pot of water.

(I don't use a kettle for making ICED teas, I use a pot, because you want room to steep your tea bags using the whole batch of water!)

And the tea bags for THIS specific tea are HUGE!!

But they are so pretty and they smell SOOOO GOOD!!

So once your pot of water comes to a boil, turn off the heat, and add your 1 large tea bag!

Let that steep for however long, if you like stronger tea, let it steep longer, and if you like weaker tea let it steep shorter.

While that is steeping, go ahead and add your sugar, and stir, stir, stir! You want all of your sugar to dissolve into the hot water.

At this point you're going to let your pot of water cool, or at least become lukewarm so it is a bareable temperature to work with when you add your fruit and herbs, which we are not trying to cook! *giggles*

So now would be a good time to prep our fruit!

Cut up one orange into slices like seen in the above picture!

Also be sure to collect some fresh mint from your garden,

If you do not have a garden, you can buy it from any supermarket

(Just be careful of pesticides, YUCK!!). Most farmer's markets these days sell organic produce, which don't use pesticides, BUT I'd give them a good rinse off anyway, cuz you really don't know where it's coming from or who is handling it :-\.

And if you're picking from the garden, be careful of BEES!!

Bees like to pollenate around the little tiny flowers that mint grows. They do not go for the actual mint leaves, but just be careful not to get in one's path while picking your mint! I had to dodge a few :-P

If your water is still not cool, feel free to go do some other chores, or watch a show until it's ready to add the rest of the ingredients. Also now might be a good time to take out your teabag! When you take it out, make sure to squeeze the excess water from the bag, back into your pot! Don't want to waste any!

So once your water is cool enough, carefully poor your batch into a nice pitcher!

Now is when you add your Orange, Mint, and Ice!

How colorful and beautiful does that look!?!?

Let's have a taste of our magical concoction!

NOW, THAT'S REFRESHING!

Let's sip on this while we make our last recipe for today!

Now I grew up in an Italian Household, and my parents often entertain, and usually have this on the antipasto menu! They are DELICIOUS, and absolutely EASY to make...

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

Ingredients

1 Red Pepper per person

1 Clove of Garlic

A Few Sprigs of Fresh Parlsey

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Ground Black Pepper

So we are going to start with our peppers, I am going to make 2 for today...

Before we cook with them, let's just rinse them anyway to be safe!

After they are rinsed, dry them, and place them on a baking sheet covered with tin foil.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Pop those babies in the oven, and leave them in there for about a half hour or until the skins look like they're starting to charr and start peeling off of the pepper... You also want your peppers to feel soft to the touch, not really firm anymore, so make sure the insides are cooked before taking them out!

Take them out and let them cool before handling!!

Once they are cooled enough remove the stem/core and start peeling the skins off!

After removing the skins, start running the peppers under water to remove all of the seeds and any skin remaining off the pepper slices.

Place them in a dish, because we are going to start seasoning these babies!

Chop up your cloves of garlic & collect your Parsley from your garden,

or purchase it from your local farmer's market as well! If that's the case, give them a little rinse as well...

Add your Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your peppers,

Sprinkle your garlic and parsley over the top,

And then lastly add your pinch of sea salt and your ground black pepper!

Give that a good mixing, and you might wanna wrap this up and fridge it for 20 - 30 minutes before eating. They are best when they are cold!

Alrighty! It's time to try out our afternoon snack!

I think I need a refill on that Sunburst Green Tea as well!!

OH MY GOODNESS!

DELICIOUS!!!

It's been a great day of experimenting in my kitchen, and showing you some recipes that I made up, or just grew up with...

Try them yourself, and let me know how you like them, or if you decide to try them, and you have your own ideas to add to them, I'd love to hear about em!

Ta ta for now!

100th POST: THIS CALLS FOR A TEA PARTY CELEBRATION!! *UPDATE: I'M LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE (Miss Vanessa's Mad Tea Party 2013)

2013-08-02T01:39:00.006-04:00

*READ ME FIRST *

First of all, I wanted to say how very sorry I am for being so late to the party!

I have been hearing all the raves about Miss Vanessa's Mad Tea Party this year, and I hadn't remembered until recently that it was coming back around until it had already passed :-(

However I DID still want to take part in all the fun, as I had attended a few years ago, and met so many lovely people in the process! So IF you will accept my tea party post despite my tardiness, I apologize for being such a white rabbit about the whole thing! Coincidentally enough, I had just done this tea party post in celebration of a very special occasion, so whilst highlighting that joyous event, I thought it would also be a great post for Miss Vanessa's Mad Tea Party as well. Again, sorry for being so late to this very important date, but I hope you enjoy this post nonetheless :-)

Sincerely,

Miss Justina

So almost magically simultaneously, I have made it to

100 FACEBOOK LIKES and have also reached my 100th POST HERE ON BLOGSPOT!!

I feel like just yesterday, I made the decision to post my arts, crafts, recipes, and magickal ideas on here for the world to see, and in the process I have met some AMAZING women who do the same things as me!

In celebration, I thought I would share a magickal little recipe for you all....

Homemade Butterscotch Morsel

and Walnut Banana Bread

With Homemade Iced Chai Tea Elixir

So my mom has been making this banana bread recipe since I was very little and it's always fun to try different versions of it with different little surprises added inside. You can pretty much add anything you want to the batter, but today I decided to try out some butterscotch morsels with walnuts... I also had dried cranberries on hand, but wasn't sure if that would be overkill... Maybe next time!

So my mother brought to my attention that the bananas were starting to go bad, which is the BEST time to make banana bread!! She wanted to make it, but she was busy with some other things, so she asked me to.

So I whipped out her handy dandy recipe!

Once I got all of my ingredients together I preheated my oven to 350 Degrees and then

I added the dry ones first to a large mixing bowl.

1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon double acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Next add 1/2 cup of shortening, or you can use butter or margarine

I actually used Earth Balance Vegan Butter and it worked just as well!

I also used the same thing to grease my pan.

Here in this step you want to cut the butter or shortening into your dry ingredients with 2 knives, scissor style, OR you can do what I did and mash it all together with your hands...

(Make sure you take off your rings and your hands are clean ;-) ! )

Mash it together until you get these coarse crumbs!

Next mash up your 2 overly riped nanners, and lightly beat 2 eggs!

Add that to your crumbly dry mixture along with a half a cup of your butterscotch morsels

and a half a cup of your crushed walnuts!

Fold all of that into your batter with a spatula!

Now grease your bread pan, and pour your batter into it.

Pop that baby in the oven and set your timer to 55 minutes to 1 hour !

Before our next recipe, let's take a much needed and well deserved break!

Time to LICK THE BOWL!!! :-X

(That part always makes me still feel like a little girl!)

While that is in the oven it is time to get started on our magickal refreshing Chai Tea Elixir!

This is great to drink on the side with your banana bread!

Chai Tea Elixir

First bring a pot of water to a boil...

Once that is boiled, turn off the heat and get out 2 teabgs,

I love this Organic Tazo Chai, but you can use any brand of Chai that you wish...

Put the 2 tea bags in your pot of HOT water and let that steep...

You might want to wrap the tea bag's string around the pot handle to prevent the whole thing from falling into the water. Careful to not burn yourself doing this though!!

Also while your teabags are steeping, and while your water is HOT, now add your sugar and stir so it dissolves into your water. You can add sugar to taste, less if you don't like it as sweet, or more if you love a sweet chai like myself :-)

While your tea is steeping, check on your banana bread!

Stick a toothpick or fork in the center, and if you have raw batter come out onto the fork, then let it bake a bit more!

Mine was actually still a bit uncooked in the center after a full hour!

I think I added an extra 10 minutes, and again it was still uncooked.

Finally after adding another 15, it was baked all the way through!

Time to take out our BANANA BREAD!

Let that cool on your stovetop now,

and go check on your chai tea...

Once your tea is lukewarm on the stove, now it is time to

pour it into a pitcher, add a handful of ice,

and also some milk to taste.

Add more if you like your tea lighter, less if you love a dark tea.

I love my chai milky so i added a lot of milk!

Put that in the fridge to chill it for a bit until you are ready to serve!

While your bread is cooling, and your tea is chilling, there are a few things I want to show you!

I bought some new books!!

I had a some money on a gift card that I had been saving for a special occasion!

Well I had just finished reading Garden Spells

by Sarah Addison Allen....

And I was really craving more of her magical stories, so I had set out to find some more of her work...

I picked up The Girl Who Chased the Moon,

and The Sugar Queen by her!!!

Aren't these beautiful!! I can't wait to devour their magical pages!

Aside from the Sarah Addison Allen Books, I also stumbled upon a beautiful bright pink leather bound book called

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Other Stories.

I thought the cover was so enchanting with it's filigreed and cartoony cover with golden accents...

The inside covers are beautifully illustrated and the pages were gold dipped...

The book also includes a silk book mark sewed into the binding and the pages themselves include the original illustrations

by Sir John Tenniel ...

The back cover has the Mad Hatter on it, which I loved as well!!

I cannot wait to read these amazing works!!

I thought the book was so beautiful and I just had to add it to my collection!

I really wanted to share it with you all :-)

O would you look at that!!

Our bread is cooled and our chai tea latte is chilled!!

Would you like a slice or two??

Don't forget to have some iced chai tea latte!!

It is sure to keep you cool on this

HOT SUMMER'S DAY!!

I think I have decided which book I want to start with ...

THE SUGAR QUEEN!

Now excuse me while I cozy up in a cushiony chair under the shaded pergola and devour my tasty afternoon sweet treats and my magical book!

Thank you all for reading my blog throughout the years..

Here's to another 100 posts!!

CHEERS!

Wow Wow Weddings Post #3: Joel & Lauren July 14, 2013

2013-07-31T00:46:00.000-04:00

So here is my 3rd Wow Wow Weddings Post!!

I have been so busy actually creating, cooking, & crafting to keep up with my wedding posts, since I have in fact been to way too many weddings over the past 3 years...

This wedding was a bit interesting because Avi and I didn't really know any of the people attending.

I grew up with Joel, the groom, and have known him since kindergarten. We lost touch when I moved in the 3rd grade, and we didn't reconnect again until the invention of Facebook around 2008 or so. It was crazy that we were able to pick right back up where we left off. I really treasure our friendship, and am happy that we are able to be in each other's lives not only as children, but also as adults.

I felt honored to be invited to his special day!

So I didn't really get my outfit together until just a few days before the wedding. I had my friend Marie come with me to help me find a cute summery dress. We went in a few stores, and then finally went into Macy's and I found this cute little Peach & Salmony colored 1950s vintage looking housewife dress with some patterns. I loved how the straps wrapped around the neck and formed a criss cross around my back. I loved that this dress had a built in bra so I did not have to worry about finding one to suit the odd back. The shoes could have not been more perfect for this dress, we went to MJM which was right next door to Macy's. I usually never find shoes my size in there. Originally, I had my mind set on finding some white shoes, but then these caught my eye as I was making one last round around the store before leaving. I tried them on and they were PERFECT! Matched perfectly, and fit perfectly. It was meant to be! I accessorized with cute white pearl necklace, some coral and peach colored bangles, peach dangly earrings from Target, and a white snap clutch. Avi also wore a peach colored tie with a light paisley pattern to accent my colors. We always roll to a wedding in style :-)

Here is the outside of the church...

I took some pictures inside, but I was kinda far from all the action, and my camera kept going blurry.

Below are Avi & I waiting for the Newlyweds to exit the church after the ceremony...

The Bridesmaids & Flower Girl are in their positions, and their bubbles are ready!

Here are the Newlyweds!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!

The crowd applauses and bubbles float up into the air!

It was such a beautiful day!

Lauren's veil and train were so elegant and beautiful!

Everyone helping the bride get up the steps with her long train!

I also didn't take too many pictures at the reception, but it was BEAUTIFUL!

Cocktail hour was great, they also had signature cocktails in honor of both the bride & groom

Joeljitos which were a mint mojito, and a Laurentini which were peach martinis...

I did try both, and they were both delicious!

Below is a poached pear salad over baby spinach and dried cranberries & almonds

THIS WAS YUMMY!

Avi & I enjoyed ourselves despite not knowing many people there.

I must say that whoever we sat next to both during cocktail hour & dinner were very nice and personable! It was nice to meet some new people!

We had fun dancing the night away, and even more fun walking around during the Venetian Table dessert hour. It was an Italian/Cuban wedding, and they are never complete without the Venetian Table. There was a light show and everything!!

Avi and I were seated at a table that was against a canvassed wall which on the other side of it was the pre-cocktail hour lounge area. When the fire show was going on, on the dancefloor, to our surprise, as we turned around toward our table, the whole wall had opened up and before our very eyes, there were lavish tables filled with little tarts, cakes, fruit, chocolate fountains, cotton candy, carnival style popcorn, different types of fudge, fresh waffles, ice cream, you name it , the treat was there! It was just an amazing dessert hour, but by that time we were STUFFED, so we settled for a few little tartlets, & some fresh berries...

Everything was so gorgeous & elegant, the food was delicious, the hall was beautiful...

And it couldn't have been a more gorgeous day!

One more Congratulations to the happy couple!

To Joel & Lauren

CHEERS!

Tuna Macaroni Salad

2013-07-26T18:15:00.002-04:00

How are you all this afternoon?

By the way...

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today I wanted to share a simple recipe with all of you...

My mom has been making this since I was little, and it is a nice quick meal you can just throw together if you have these basic ingredients:

1 lb of elbow macaroni

1 can of strained tuna

A few stalks of washed celery

Half an onion

2 or 3 Hardboiled Eggs

Mayonnaise

Fresh Parsley

Salt & Pepper

Paprika

So the steps to making this yummy dish are pretty easy!!

First you cook your pound of pasta, and strain it!

Rinse with water to prevent from sticking, and throw it in a large mixing bowl!

Let that cool a bit while we prep our other ingredients...

Also while your pasta is cooking, you can also hard boil your eggs as well!

2 or 3 should do just the trick for a pound of pasta!

Once your eggs are done, it should make it easier to get the shells off if you shock them in cold water and leave them in that for a few minutes while you're prepping your veggies in the next step!

I guess that would make them SHELLSHOCKED! AAHAHAH!

Ok as you awkwardly brush off my horribly corny joke, take a look at this next step!

Next wash your celery, and unpeel your onion!

Chop them up, dice them up finely if you'd like, or if you like your veggies chunkier that's fine too!

It's all what YOU prefer!

Once all of your veggies are chopped, go back and take your "shellshocked" eggies out of the water!

Give them a peeling and rinse them to get the remaining shell bits off...

Now chop your eggs into nice sized chunks, and open your can of tuna!

Now you are going to add your Onion, Celery, Eggs, & Tuna to the pasta in your large mixing bowl...

Add mayonnaise until you are happy with the consistency...

Stir it all together!!

Now it's time to go out to your garden if you have one, and pick some *FRESH PARSLEY*

or you can just buy some parsley from the store!

Now go to your magickal spice rack and grab your paprika for another little splash of color!!

Now wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes...

But feel free to taste along the way to make sure the flavors are exactly how you want them!

AND VIOLA!!!

Enjoy a whole bowl of this as your whole lunch

Have as just a side with some BBQ'd meats or grilled veggies!!!

Try it out and add your own ingredients as well!!

Feel free to add diced green bell peppers or even black olives!

ENJOY!

My Weekend: A Headcold + Garden Spells & Cupcakes = ALL BETTER! :-)

2013-07-25T01:00:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to tell you a little bit about my weekend!

I had come down with a little head cold and couldn't bring myself to do anything but snuggle up and pick up one of the many books on my MAGICKAL BOOKCASE!

I had started reading "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen, awhile ago, and last time I tried reading it, I got halfway through it, and then life got in the way as usual! So I just never got around to finishing it. I just got the urge to pick it up and give it another go. I remembered a lot of things from it, but I started from the beginning anyway and I finally finished it TODAY after 4 days!

I LOVED IT!!!!.... SO MUCH!

It's one of those books that I can only hope they will make a movie out of...

I had a really fun time picturing the characters in my head as I was reading it.

Here is what I came up with, feel free to disagree but these are just MY personal casting choices:

Claire - Ginnifer Goodwin

Sydney- Isla Fisher

Bay - Mia Hays

Evanelle - Judi Dench

Emma - Carrie Underwood

Hunter John - Paul Walker

Ariel - Faith Hill

Tyler - James Franco

Henry - Toby Maguire

Lester - Scott Wilson

Fred- Chad Lowe

James - Michael C Hall

David - Alfred Molina

I just loved getting lost in this quaint little enchanted world!

All the talk of herbs & gardens really made me want to be out around the natural elements!

The bumble bees bury themselves in the mint flowers!

The minty sweet smell captivates them, they don't even seem to mind that I got up too close to take a picture!

There is magic surrounding the fairy pond ...

Can you see it!?!? It's all around!!

The book made me want to grow a mischeivious apple tree!!

Could you IMAGINE a tree who's fruit gave you crystal visions of the biggest event in your life, when taking a bite!?!

Not quite an apple tree, but here is an ever growing fig tree!

The magical properties of Figs include Fertility, Strength, Energy, & Health...

These garden tomatoes are starting to ripen on the vine!

These were grown from seeds given to us by my grandmother!

She is an expert tomato gardener, the love in the seeds she gave us seemed to nurture our garden with abundance this year! Can't wait to eat one!

If I made some flower petal wine,

Do you think I would be able to fix broken relationships, or see in the dark?

What kind of powers do you think these bright pink petals would have?

They are so playful and cheery!

All of this gardening is making me so

HUNGRY!!

How about this delectable treat?!?!?

Avi had a sweet tooth on the way home from our little field trip to Chester where we went in the little consignment shops with unique art and handmade crafts. We also had a nice sushi dinner which was so yummy! The stinging wasabi helped to clear my sinuses just a bit with my head cold!

It was also his sister's 14th birthday, so it was the perfect idea to stop at a local bakery for some enchanted cupcakes!!

I just had to have the blue one!

Avi settled for the orange one!

We gave his sister the pink one, my mom the yellow one, his mom took the white one,

and there was just one chocolate left standing!

YUMMY SUGARY SPRINKLES!!!!

What a SUGAR HIGH!!!

We finished off our confections with a nice glass of iced water

with fresh mint from the garden!!

It is getting late now,

Time to blow out the candles & lanterns

and get ready for another day!

Garden Spells inspired me so much!

Oh!

And did I mention,

After reading the magical book & satisfying my sweet tooth

(plus many bowls of soup, dollops of wasabi, TBSPns of Vicks Daytime, and vitamin/supplements later),

I actually feel MUCH BETTER!!

It may have been allergies, whatever it was, I'm glad it's

GONE!!

I cannot wait to pick up SAA's other book

THE SUGAR QUEEN

If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and pick up Garden Spells now!

Thanks for reading!
Till next time..

WELCOME TO MY NEW PAGE! "Wow Wow Weddings!" ALL ARE WELCOME!

2013-07-23T00:19:00.001-04:00

Welcome to La Boheme Magique's

"Wow Wow Weddings!"

I started this new page after realizing just how many weddings I have been to over the past couple years... I think it's around the 7 or 8 mark which is A LOT!! Yikes!!

I wanted to showcase some of the different ways people display their love for one another on their special day. All of the weddings that I cover in my blog posts are of close friends and family.

Do you have your own special wedding story that you would like to share, whether it was your own, or one that you were in, or one of a friend, or even an acquaintance?
If you would like to join in on the fun, please click the button above to take you to the
OFFICIAL WOW WOW WEDDINGS! PAGE

And follow the directions!
See you on the other side ;-)

My Past "Wow Wow Weddings!" Posts

Post 1: Marianne & John

Post 2: Mike & Leyna

More coming soon!

Wow Wow Weddings! Post #2: Mike & Leyna June 30, 2012

2013-07-22T19:20:00.001-04:00

Hello Lovelies!

So here is my 2nd "Wow Wow Weddings!" Post...

It recently occurred to me that I have been to about 7 weddings or so in the past 2 or 3 years, and each one was just as special as the next...

The wedding I am featuring today is my band, Stelladeora's drummer Mike and his now wife, Leyna.

It was really surprising, but not surprising to Avi and I that we got invited, because at the time, we had only known Mike for a short year, but at the same time we had gotta super tight in that year...

By the time the wedding rolled around, it felt like we had known the couple,

FOREVER!!

It was great to be a part of their special day!

They had their wedding down the shore in New Jersey at a cute little chapel that looked like something out of a storybook!!

The thing that stood out the most about this church was that there was no air conditioning and it was very hot inside!! But it was a beautiful ceremony nonetheless!!

Here is Avi and I waiting anxiously for the ceremony to begin!

HERE COMES THE BRIDE!

Doesn't Leyna look BEAUTIFUL?!?

Just look at the magic all around her as she enters the room!

As Mike & Leyna recited their vows, you could feel the magic all around!!

It was a fairytale ending, their

HAPPY EVER AFTER

The crowd waits anxiously outside for the newlyweds to make their grand exit from the picturesque chapel!

Magic is in the air!

HERE THEY ARE!

THE NEW MR. & MRS.!

Bubbles carry well wishes of their future life together,

off into the sky!

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!

Their limo awaits their departure from the crowd, to take them to the much anticipated reception!

Upon entering the hall, guests were greeted and encouraged to find their place cards for their tables...

Pen & Paper was also displayed upon the entrance table where guests were encouraged to leave

advice & wishes for the Bride & Groom...

Cocktail Hour Commences

and many a Sing A Long took place on the dance floor!

The food was delicious & the ceremony was loaded with fun, complete with a memory photo booth!

It was a

BEAUTIFUL DAY!

Thank You for reading!