Creative on a Budget

Make up: Before and After

2013-03-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

Unless you have a perfectly symmetrical face, one side of your face is more attractive. No one can really pin point why one side of the face is more attractive. My good side is the left side of my face.

Today I'm going to show my before and after makeup face. I only started wearing make up regularly last year and depending on how early I have to start my day I'm perfectly happy foregoing makeup for the extra minutes of sleep :) On the days that I do have time for my make up routine, it usually doesn't take me more than 15 minutes. Sometimes I can do just the basic foundation, mascara, and brows in 5 minutes, if I'm in a real rush.

I know my foundation does make my face look whiter overall but the above before and after photos probably look more drastically different because of the lighting. You can't really tell in the photos but I have a lot of acne scars on my checks. I never had perfect skin but during my 2nd and 3rd year in college, my upper division science and core classes were stressing me out and my skin reflected that. My acne has gotten so so much better after I started using Proactiv my senior year in college and it's been 3 years since I started using Proactiv. The redness has decreased and my scars are very slowly starting to fade though the deep blemishes will probably take many more years to fade, if at all.

ABSN: First Semester at CSU San Marcos

2013-03-15T00:56:00.002-07:00

I started my first semester at CSU San Marcos' Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing. As a school that has rolling admissions I was surprised when I received an admission letter a month after I submitted my application. As excited as I was about the acceptance, I was very nervous about the necessary move to Southern California. After some confliction and debate I decided to accept the admission with a back up plan to still apply to CSU Sacramento's ABSN program. I would much rather attend the CSUS program because it is closer to my home and family, and still let me keep my part time job. My second choice school was CSU Northridge, I did apply to the ABSN program and found out this week that I got accepted, but too late.

CSUSM's ABSN requires a semester of prerequisite courses that other ABSN programs usually requires completed prior to beginning the program. It would be much cheaper to take the prerequisite anthropology, philosophy, and nutrition courses at a community college, but alas, that's not the case here.

For those interested here's my timeline:

November- I submitted the nursing application
December 2nd- I got my admission letter
December 9th- Deadline to accept the admission (the day I submitted my intent to enroll)
December 12th- Applied to CSUSM using CSU Mentor
January 19th- Relocated to Temecula
January 22nd- First day of class

We had a Nursing Orientation on February 28th and was quite overwhelmed by the additional cost of the required nursing health check ups and nursing equipment. Overall it's going to be almost another $1000. I knew nursing school would be expensive, time consuming, and challenging but I had been hoping it was an exaggeration. For now I'm working a 6-8 hour a week babysitting gig and enjoying my free time. Next semester will be the beginning of the actual nursing courses and I'm sure I will be missing this first semester a lot.

Spring Forward!

2013-03-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Excited for Spring :)

It's already so warm, we can't wait to find an occasion to wear our new sun dresses out.

2012-08-03T01:45:00.000-07:00

Outfit Break Down:

Shirt- $10

Shorts-$5

Shoes-$20

Belt-$8

Total: $43

Outfit Break Down

Shirt- $6

Skirt and belt-$5

Necklace- $5

Shoes- $3

Total Cost: $19

What's for Dinner: Hot Pot and Korean Barbeque

2012-07-17T17:15:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Jimmy visited and that always calls for extra effort put into dinner. We narrowed it down to either hot pot ot Korean barbeque, couldn't decide on one, so we did BOTH! We did cheat a little bit on Korean barbeque because we broiled the meats in the oven (it was a really hot day that particualr day, so I think there's an exception to the "grill at the table" rule). Everything was very delicious and very filling...and overall, a lot cheaper than if we went to eat out. We did have to put in a little prep work, but time in the kitchen is gossip time, so that was time well spent.

I am not the greatest fan of Korean arbeque at restuarants. I believe I am a little cheated when I have to pay to cook my own food, that's kind of the reason why I'm going out to eat at all. Anyway, those Koreans are smart I have to say, they just cut and marinade the meats, no need to worry about customers complaining about how the meat is cooked. Don't love Korean barbeque when I go out, but I do like eating freshly grilled meats, so when we eat in, Korean barbeque seems like a good idea. Then there is the grilling indoors and the risk of dying from smoke suffocation, so we've made Karoean barbeque a "special" dinner only affair.

We had both beef and pork, but we cheated on the pork and bought marinated pork from out local Korean store. I have to say though, both were equally good, which means we must have some Korean in us.

Korean Barbeque Beef

1 pound beef, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped giner
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauced

1. Mix all the ingredients together, add beef.
2. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes.
3. Grill until desired doneness (we grilled ours for about 3 minutes)

I actually haven't had hot pot at a restuarant, so I don't really know what ingredients are traditionally in hot pot, but we had a Chinese native (almost through and through) with us, and if he didn't complain, we take it that we did good.

I honestly believe that with every noodle soup dish, the basis for it turning out great is making sure the broth is wonderful. Because out interpretation of hot pot is very similar to pho (a very familiar dish), we started with our very own recipe for pho broth.

Left: frying spices Middle: strained spiced oil Right: broth, ready to go

Pho Broth

8 cups of water
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 pieces ofdried galanga
2 star anise
4 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of steak seasoning (pepper corns, coarse sea salt, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, chilie flakes, paprika)
1/4 cup of soy sauce

1. In a sauce pan (or the large pot you're going to make your broth in), heat oil until hot.
2. Add galanga and star anise and stir. Cokky for 1 minute.
3. Add fennel seeds and bay leaves. Add steak seasoning. Cook for another minute or two until fennel seeds are fragrant.
4. Remove oil from heat. Strain oil into a heat proof bowl or cup. Discard spices.
5. Put oil back into pot and heat until hot.
6. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds (do not let garlic brown). Add onions and cook until tender.
7. Add soy sauce. Cook for another minute.
8. Add meat, if using, and cook until meat releases some juice. Add water and let boil for at least 30 minutes.
9. Taste broth and adjust salt level to your liking. If too salty, add water.

There are a bunch of things we put in our hot pot, so much so that I actually did not get all of them photographed. So if you're new to hot pot, here's how you would eat it. First, make your broth (you will need a portable burner to set your pot of broth atop, so make sure you have this before you even make the broth). Second, make sure you have all your meats, vegetables, and noodles ready. That means you need to thinnly slice your beef, cut up all your vegetables, and have your vermicelli noodles soaked.

To eat, and this is set up family style, have all the meats, noodles, and vegetables on a table. Start by putting a bit of everything into the pot (which is kept simmering at the table), individuals will dish out what they want as they eat. Make sure the meats are thoroughly cooked before you start digging in. Keep adding ingredients in as you eat to make sure they're always food cooking. A rule to follow is to have extra broth simmering on the stove to replenish the pot at the dining table. Have fun with hot pot, and be careful, the pot really is hot!

Noodles: vermicelli angel hair and thick flat rice noodles.

Vegetables: napa cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, shiitake mushrooms, basil, and cilantro.
Not pictured: bean sprouts and mint.

Proteins: fish balls, tofu, shrimp, and beef.

Price breakdown:

Korean Barbeque
Beef: $10.00 (split)
Marinade for beef: free (we already had these ingredients on hand)
Pork: $13.00

Hot Pot
Broth: free (we already had these ingredients on hand)
Noodles: $3.00
Napa cabbage: $2.00
Broccoli: $2.00
Cauliflower: $1.00
Basil and cilantro: free (from mom's garden)
Shrimp: $10.00
Beef: free (same beef was used from Korean Barbeque)
Fish balls: $2.00
Tofu: $2.00

Total: $45.00

We fed 5 people and we ate this for three meals (because we had so much left over), that means for this meal cost us $1.75 per person per meal. Beat that!

Makeup for Cheap

2012-07-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I've tried couponing. Very unlike my older sister, I am horrible at it. However, this week, I have been pretty lucky, especially because there's a sale going on now for 69 cents nail polish, lipsticks, lip liners, and eye liners. I went out and bought a whole bunch of nail polish and a few eye liner pencils and I didn't even feel a slight bit guilty afterwards. Oh, and a great find was the foundation I bought, which was 75% off. I actually didn't use any coupons, but that's ok, I still got makeup for a lot cheaper than I usually do.

That means that if you are going to your local CVS drugstore, keep an eye out for Wet 'n Wild nail polish, lip sticks, lip liners, and eye liners, because they are going for CHEAP!

Price breakdown:

Everything (10 items): $ 0.69 each

Savings: $4 extrabucks from CVS

Total: $2.90

Easy, Healthy Salad Dressing

2012-07-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love more than cupcakes, are vegetables. I'm not sure why certain people hate vegetables, but I love them (not as much as vegetarians, because I happen to love meats just as much). One of my go-to vegetable dish is a simple salad, but I make mine awesome with my dressing. The important thing to remember when making this dressing (as well as any of the recipes on this blog) is that you can always adjust it to your taste. Add a little bit more of this, a little less of this, or add something new altogether.

Salad Dressing Recipe

1/2 lime or small lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce (or dash of salt)
1 tablespoon sugar (this time I used 1 tablespoon of my homemade ginger syrup)
A few shakes of black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2.5 cups of salad greens (baby spinach, mixed greens, etc.)

1. Combine all the ingredients together and mix until incorporated (emulsified).
2. Dress salad (do not overdress!)

Salad Basics (for me)

There's a few things I always add to my salad, one of them being onions and the other being fruit. The onions, mixed with a bit of the dressing and microwaved for 1 minute on high to tenderize them, becomes a really sweet addition to any salad. I really enjoy the extra freshness and flavor fruit adds to a salad. Whatever fruit I have available, whether that be apples, oranges, strawberries, or peaches, basically anything that is quite firm and can keep its shape and texture after being tossed. For today's salad, I also added some almonds and candied ginger as well as peaches because I happen to have all those ingredients on hand. When you make your salad, add whatever ingredients you like. Oh, and if you haven't, try sliced cooked potatoes, your salad now has become filling.

Forever Cheap

2012-07-09T23:55:00.002-07:00

This weekend, we went on a shopping spree! And for the first time in a long time, we did not go to the thrift store. There's this small shop the next town over that sell super cheap clothes. And the great thing is that their clothes are actually things from stores like Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, and other pricier stores. We bought 3 items, a dress, a skirt, and a top and all for under 10 bucks!

The dress I bought I very cute, starting with it's very simply but very unique print--elephants! I love the feel of this fabric, it's not very breathable, but boy...I forget that because it feels to silky smooth. The color, a orange-copper blend, is utterly beautiful, which only adds to the cut of the dress. On the hanger at the store, I was hesitant to pick this dress because it looked pretty shapeless, and I need something that will shape me. But I tried it on (because of the fabric color, print, and feel <3 ) and it looked good. I like the length, which is not too short, just short enough. I always love sleeve because my arms are not the most toned, and these sleeves with a scrunched cuff is always on my list of things to love. If the sheer beauty of the dress was not enough, the price will definitely win you over, as it did me.

Price breakdown:

Forever 21 dress: $3.99

Pearls and Gems statement necklace: $5.00

Nude heels: $22.00

Total: $30.99

Target Free Goodie Bag

2012-07-08T13:40:00.002-07:00

If you're anything like me, free stuff always wonderful. Recently we received a wonderful surprise in the mail and that surprise was a free Target goodie bag. We actually signed up for this free goodie bag a few weeks (months) back, that we forgot what it was. But what's great is that it came. This free bag is packed full of sample-sized products, products that we can really use and that's an extra bonus.

So what's in our goodie bag?

The bag itself, which is a zippered pouch with has a very pretty print and made of very sturdy fabric.
Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Sunblock
Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Coditioner
Aveeno Daily Detoxifying Scrub
Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo and Conditioner
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter
Target beauty product coupon book

We use sunblock on a daily basis and this Neutrogena sunblock is perfect, especially for the face. This sunblock is very light and does not leave an oily feel at all and that's always great. I have yet to use the other products, but when I do I will make sure to update this post and let y'all know how they are.

July Fourth Barbecue

2012-07-07T03:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Fourth of July (again)!!!

This is a much fitting post for the big 7/4 because it actually showcases what we cooked and ate today. I am posting this a few days late, so use your very creative imagination and take yourself back in time for a little bit.

So, today, we were in really good company (minus one mister who I thought travelled a long ways to join us, but BAILED). We started the day off slow but eventually ended up in the pool by the middle of the afternoon. The greatest part of the swim was little Landon, who has never been in a pool before and found it quite odd that we were all "showering" together. As I was stepping into the pool, he looked at me, looked at his mommy, and said, "Auntie shower too?" It was just too much for me.

We finally got out of the pool and started our barbecue grill. As mandated by this national holiday, we had a backyard barbecue, and as it always seems to happen when we grill anything, our meats came out a bit more charred and a bit more done than we wanted.

Fourth of July Barbecue Menu
Rice
Pork/beef sausage
Chicken wings

Chicken drumsticks
Steak
Corn on the cob
Pepper sauce with lots of cilantro
Wine cocktails

rice, because we have a lady who just cannot eat without rice (even during her low carb diet)

Protein: chicken, beef, and pork
next year: fish

Vegetables: corn, pepper sauce, wine cocktail
(grape is more of a fruit, but it's just as healthy as a vegetable, especially in its liquid, fermented form)

After stuffing ourselves, we walked outside and watched the firework show. It's always a good thing that we live so close to where the fireworks are fired off, we were able to sit across the street from the apartment and enjoy a light show. Some of the better pictures that I was able to capture when I was not moving from the all the excitement.

The shooting stars, which was very fitting tonight because of the giant moon.

The light show that made the night AWESOME!

The GRAND FINALE
We like to end with a big BANG and that happens most successfully when you shoot multiple fireworks at once.

This year may not have been the greatest year from some of us, but tonight definitely made me forget some of the $4!+ that the wonderful year of the dragon has brought. So, may the rest of the year be like tonight's firework show, starting with the malfunctioning test runs that don't make it to the sky and fall back to the ground, followed by beautiful explosions of colorful lights that remind us to celebrate the blessings around us and ending with so such grandeur, it's more than was anticipated at the beginning.

Happy Independence Day!

Ginger Surprise

2012-07-06T18:51:00.001-07:00

From the last time I made ginger cupcakes, I had some a few sweet ginger concoctions left over that I wanted to make use of. First, always reserve your ginger syrup from the candying process and make a well deserved cocktail for yourself. That's what I did with my ginger syrup and now I want to go get some more ginger just to make the syrup for the cocktails. It's also a great idea to share drinks with friends, so good thing a friend visited today. Thanks for giving us a reason to drink today!

I also had some candied ginger left, so I made some ginger walnut cookies. A special lady I know loves ginger, so I made some the other day and shared it with her. I do believe she likes them, she did finish one while I was visiting, then again, she always does and I later find out she hates something I've made, so who knows.

So very refreshing and not strong at all. The combination of different citrus fruits is just right.

All the ingredients (minus the orange): lime, lemon, ginger syrup,
lime and lemon juice, mint syrup, vodka, and mint.

Left: muddled mint and lime wedges Right: everything mixed together, ready to drink

Ginger Mint Cocktail

40 mint leaves

1/2 cup orange juice

1 large lemon, juiced

1 lime, juiced
1 lime, cut into wedges

4 tablespoons ginger syrup
4 tablespoons mint syrup**

1/4 cup vodka

1. Place mint and lime wedges into a pitcher and muddle with a wooden spoon.
2. Add juices, syrup, and vodka. Mix until incorporated.
3. Strain into glasses filled with ice.

**Mint Syrup: equal parts sugar and water (1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar) and a few mint leaves (I used 10 for 1/2 cup of water and sugar)

Ginger Walnut Cookies

1 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/6 cup candied ginger
1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
1/8 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix flour and salt, set aside.
3. Cream sugar and butter.
4. Add grated ginger, candied ginger, and walnuts to butter. Mix until incorporated
5. Add flour, mix until incorporated.
6. Shape into balls and place evenly on baking tray.
7. Gently press down on each cookie so make a 1/3 inch disc.

8. Bake cookies for about 20 minutes, the tops of the cookies should be slightly golden.

Price breakdown
Ginger*: $1.00 (bought them for super cheap at the Asian market, 79 cents per pound)

Ginger Mint Mojito
Mint: free
Syrup: free
Limes: $1.00 (10 for $1.00)
Lemon: $0.96 (6 for 96 cents)
Orange juice: $1.49

Ginger Short Bread Cookies
Almonds: free (I bought a bag at CVS for $4.99 and used my $5.00 extrabucks, so it was free!)
Everything else I already had in the refrigerator or pantry.

Total: $3.45

*I candied all the ginger and made about 1.5 cups of candied ginger and 2 cups of syrup. I'm excited for the future!

Life and it's Many Stepping Stones: The Hmong Wedding

2012-07-04T14:00:00.002-07:00

Life is constantly changing and sometimes I simply don't accept it until I'm a part of it. I'm always amazed by people who can make life-changing decisions, because I've always been a bit afraid of change. But over this past week, I was part of a beautiful change, one that I've been anticipating for a very long time now. But I have to admit, looking back now, I'm still adjusting to this change.

Two weeks ago, two of my closest childhood friends got married, to each other. There was our gang of five year olds who grew up playing in dirt together, and as the years passed, each one of them has gone on with their own lives and now most of them are either married or married with children. And now that these two are married, there's only a few of us left to bear the pressure and worrisome questions of our future as forever single individuals.

The drive north, stopping for lunch. What's on the menu: boiled chicken, rice, and cucumbers
(this is what's one the menu for the entire wedding).

Nonetheless, this weekend was a reminder to me that no matter where life takes you, you will end up where you're suppose to with who you're suppose to be with if it's meant to be.

I wanted to take this space and explain a little bit about the proceedings of a traditional Hmong wedding, but as I got 1/10 of the way into it, I realized I was leaving out too much details and I started to feel like I was writing a book, because that's what a discussion on such a topic requires. I deleted the five page essay I wrote and decided to do something simpler, something more informal, and this is what we have, a brief blog post.

Wedding and dowry negotiations the night before the wedding.
If a dollar amount is not agreed on, they will be no wedding.
This process can take a few hours or a few days. We were up only until 2 am.

Left: butchering a whole pig for the wedding
Middle and left: the mej koob offers each male member of the family 2 shots and a piece of chicken, not too sure what this process entails (let me know if you do)

Top 2 pictures: drinking, no hands
Bottom left: parties from both the bride and groom sides dissect the beck of the chicken to foretell the marriage of the couple, whoever gets a negative reading must drink (saib yaig)
Bottom right: wedding song

Left: the send off chicken, wishes the bride luck in life as well as any other lady who shares the chicken
Middle: as we leave the parents of bride's house, the mej koob divides a whole chicken between mother and daughter
Right: before we leave, anyone from the bride's family can give the green lady (equivalent to a maid of honor) a drink as a token of her acceptance of a new family member

This particular wedding took place in Oregon and thus there was a 12 hour trip involved, but it was well worth it, both ways. There were 12 of there crammed into a 12 passenger van, and all they way there and back we all slept, so major thanks to our driver who safely delivered us to Oregon and home again.

Granola Bars

2012-07-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Today, very bright and early, the man-friend (because we're too old to call them boys, and they're too old to be called boys, though they act like boys most of the time) decided he will escape any prep work for our fourth of July celebrations, and go biking. Being the wonderful person that I am, I decided to make him some granola bars for him to make sure he does not keel over during his 50 mile ride.

Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars

1 cup oats
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp honey (I used the ginger syrup I had left from my candied ginger)
4 tbsp corn syrup
1 egg white
1/2 cup raisins
3 tbsp chopped almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix wet ingredients together in one bowl. Mix dry ingredients together in another bowl.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until evenly distributed. The granola should stick together but no liquid should pool at the bottom (if there is excess liquid, add another tablespoon of oats and stir again).
4. Pour the granola out into a small baking pan lined with parchment paper and mold it into the shape you want
5. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned on top and no longer feels wet.
6. Allow to cool, and cut into bars.

Price breakdown:
Free!

I actually had all these ingredients in my pantry. And if you're reading the rest of my recipe posts and find that most of the prices are free, it's because I modify recipes to fit whatever ingredients I have on hand. I also just try to make things with what I have already. I wouldn't have made granola bars if I did not have oats or raisins. I would've substituted more ginger syrup in place of corn syrup, but for some reason I had corn syrup (oh, I made sneakers once).

Things that Make me SAD

2012-06-30T13:45:00.001-07:00

Late last night, I went through craigslist.com and found a few garage sales I wanted to stop by this morning. The last time I went to a garage/yard sale was probably this time last year, and I wanted to see what treasure I would come across today. The plan was to bike to 3 different garage sales, but plans changed because my sister and her man-companion also wanted to go treasure hunting. We decided to drive and then go grab some free samples at our favorite Costco. The horrible surprise we found as we walked to the car...my diver side mirror was dead (broken and hanging by it's thin plastic wiring). I'll be the first to confess that I don't love my car was much as some guys out there do, but this made me really sad. And then mad. And then sad again, because I have to money to repair this.

After a few calls, to my insurance, then my dad, then the police, and back to my insurance, then my dad, I am now just one sad lady with a broken mirror mount. :(

So since I have no collision coverage, thus no money from the insurance company to help me pay to fix my car, here's the quick fix: lots of gorilla glue! My very own Mr. Handyman glued the two broken parts together, and for over 40 minutes, he held it in place. Oh, what would I do without you and your very strong arms? My mirror would just fall back to its doom without you.

I guess we'll try again tomorrow to go rummaging at the local yard sales, but today we'll just watch glue dry (literally).

**And to the evil person who broke my mirror...you should have left a note, now I have an ugly mirror. And if you read my blog, please fess up so I can report to my insurance who you and and get my mirror fixed. Thanks. Oh, before I forget, I HATE you. :)
Update

The glue has dried and the mirror has survived a week of driving without falling off! YAY!!!
Here is what the mirror looks like today. It's still not as pretty as it used to be, but it works so that means this cheap fix will have to do until I save enough money to buy a new mount.

Summer Dresses and Jumpsuits

2012-06-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Aside from shorts and sandals, the one thing that screams "summer" in one glance is a floral summer dress. One of the best thing about summer dresses is how vibrant the colors are, and no matter how much I may avoid color throughout the year, color always finds me in the summer. This particular dress is very colorful and has a very playful print that really says "summer" in a dress. The clear buttons on the dress let the dress stands on its own and the length of the dress is just right, not too short and not too long. There really is no shape to this dress, but that's one of the beauty of the dress, because you can cinch it wherever you want. I personally like to cinch dresses at the hips, but wearing belts at the waiste is growing on me too. The belt I decided to wear with this dress is a double-braided tan belt. I wanted something more casual mostly because the shoes I really wanted to wear were quite casual as well.

Price breakdown:
Dress:$2.00
Braided belt: $1.50
Mossimo Supply Co. olive heels: $6.00

Total: $9.50

This second outfit doesn't instanly say summer, but it can work beautifully for summer. The beautiful teal color always reminds me of mermaids and for that reason, it's so fitting for beaches and summertime. This jumpsuit actually came to us from a thrift store that we don't frequent, so it was a great find. Its intended purpose was a night out outfit, but it can be worn as a day outfit as well, a very versatile piece. The jumpsuit is paired with some very big earrings. These earrings are actually very heavy, they were certainly worth the money spent, so they are rarely worn. Even for today, the were worn just for pictures. But they are so beautiful and I love them, even if I do just get to look at them and nothing more. The shoes that complete the outfit are my very dangerous royal blue (with silver lining) heels. These heels look painful, but they are actually not too bad. The extra height always makes me feel sexier, and that's always good.

Price breakdown
Jumpsuit: $3.50
Earrings: $6.00
Heels: $20.00

Total: $29.50

We're going to be bringing on the color, so don't be surprised if one day this summer our blog becomes a rainbow of summer dresses and sheer blouses. And may you also brave color along with us and shower yourself with the different hues of sunshine awaiting us this summer! Oh, and don't forget to hunt those thrift stores for summer steals! We will and we'll share whatever finds we make.

Blast of Blackberry

2012-06-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Costco, we stopped by our secret roadside blackberry bush and picked ourselves some free blackberries. And what can you love more than free fruits? Free fruits that you can turn into a cocktail!

In the heat of summer, you can't beat fresh berries and ice cold drinks. So as a salute to summer, drink up!

Blackberry bliss, makes me smile.
Note--the top right corner picture is my lemon-infused syrup, the syrup left over from the last time I candied lemons.

Blackberry Mint Cocktail

40 mint leaves

1/3 cup blackerries

2 tablespoons simple syrup

1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 lime, cut into wedges

4 ounces vodka

club soda or lemon-lime soda

1. Muddle mint, lime wedges, and blackberries in a tall pitcher.

2. Add simple syrup, vodka, and lime juice and mix well.
3. Strain into glasses filled with ice.
4. Top with soda.

I love blackberries and wanted to make the most out of our loot. I've always loved blackberry pie and have never made it so I thought, why not? A really good friend of mine got me a pie book last year for my birthday, so I looked up a blackberry pie recipe from the book and ran with it.

Blackberry Pie

1 pie crust (recipe follows)**

1 cup blackberries
1 tablespoon flour

1/4 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Mix blackberries, flour, sugar, and lemon juice together. Set aside.
3. Divide pie crust. Roll out one pie crust and line pie dish.
4. Spoon blackberry mixture into pie dish.
5. Sprinkle butter on top of blackberry mixture.
6. Cover blackberry filling with second rolled out pie crust. Sprinkle pit crust with sugar.
7. Crimp the edges to make sure the filling will not seep out during baking.
8. Bake for 1 hour.
9. Let cool before serving.

Pie Crust
1 1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (I just used vegetable oil)
1/4 cup cold water

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Add butter and rub until mixture resmebles coarse sand. Work quickly so you don't melt all the butter.
3. Add vegetable shortening and mix with a fork.
4. Add cold water and mix until incorporated.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. Divide dough into 4 peices and rool each piece out to 1/8 inch thick.

**For the above blackberry pie recipe, I made 3 mini pies (using a large cupcake tin) and used only 1/4 of the pie crust recipe for all 3 pies.

So, if you have a blackberry bush to pick from, do it and make something delicious out of it. And when you do, let me know what creations you think of and hot it turns out. Happy summer!

Bicycles and Sunsets

2012-06-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

Today was a really nice day. A new friend visited and I was reintroduced to some of the things I haven't done in a while. After Mexican food, a walk through nature, bowling, and drinks, I was able to finally fit in some exercise. I'm not sure if I was actually invited, but I went biking with the guys today, and for 20 whole minutes, my legs were actually feeling something other than sleep.

We went biking right before sunset, and I tried to get as many pictures as I can, but that was very hard to do because I was on a moving bicycle and everyone else was moving, including the cars on the country road we were riding on.

Out biking adventure included a little bit of bike repairs, but thank goodness for the handyman in the group.

Enjoying the sunset and taking advantage of the golden lighting.

It was great to re-explore all the back roads that make up this little town, especially in such good lighting. We were able to exercise and enjoy a sunset. I had an awesome trying to catch up with these guys, so until next time--I will lead next time!

Summer Rock

2012-06-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

If you don't know already, I'm a big fan of rock (country rock, Hmong rock, Thai rock, American rock) and I love to add little streaks of rock in my everyday outfits. And I'm not always in black but I do love the slimming affect it has. However, for the summer, black is just a bit suffocating. But here's my take on something that can be a bit rock-n-roll and still extremely light-weight and very subtle. Some may not consider this rock-n-roll enough, but for me, it's just right.

I don't like to accessorize too much for everyday outfits because jewelery can be heavy and can mess with my hair. I do love my digital watch with everything I wear as well as my gold and diamond necklace.

My cheetah shorts are really cool, that are the main rock piece of my outfit. This is actually the first animal print bottom I own, and I love them beyond belief. But these shorts come in second to my lace sweater top. This top is so beautiful and very cool. The material is very lightweight and breathable (especially because of the little holes created by the lace pattern).

Oh, and, again, if you know me, you know I rarely curl my hair, but I recently to learned to quickly curl my hair so I love that with every outfit, curled hair.

Price breakdown:

Miss Chievous lace sweater top: $13.00

Almost Famous cheetah print shorts: $10.00
Chaps belt: $14.00*
Casual Cool flats in black: $1.00

Total: $38.00

*This is the most expensive belt I own because I actually bought this out of pure necessity when I went to Oregon. The belt was originally $26 dollars, but I had a 55% discount.

Strawberry Mint Mojito

2012-06-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

One of the more interesting things about my family is that we are strawberry farmers. So this past weekend, I made the effort to pick some strawberries and make something delicious with it. Last night, I made some drinks for us with the freshly-picked strawberries. I also went to the park and picked some mint; and thus the strawberry mint mojito was born. I've made a few changes to the drink since last night, so I'll update the blog as soon as I make another drink.

Strawberry Mint Mojito

1 1/2 tablespoons mint-infused simple syrup
3 large strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
5 fresh mint leaves, more for garnish
1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) white rum
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup club soda

In a small bowl or glass, muddle the simple syrup, strawberries, and fresh mint leaves until just fragrant.
Add a handful of ice to an old-fashioned glass.
Pour the strawberry mixture over the ice.
Pour in the white rum and lime juice.
Add the club soda. Gently stir the drink.
Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve immediately.

Mint-infused simple syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a cup and microwave.
Let cool, and strain the mint leaves.

Father's Day

2012-06-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

Happy Father’s Day! (last weekend)

Father’s Day has come and gone and I forgot to post up what we did to celebrate dad. I had some time on my hands so I decided to come up with a theme that was both environmentally and pocketbook friendly. I thought for a very long time before I came up with the idea to use newspapers as the sole materials for the decorations.

Where we live, the school has free newspapers, available daily for the students. I actually started this project after school was out, so I had to do a little searching (I actually had two little elves who did this for me) to find stacks of unread paper and reuse them. I’ll have another post up later that outlines the decorations how-to.

For the food, we came up with a menu of the foods dad loved. We tried to keep it simple, up dad is dad.

Menu:

Smoked pork ribs
Grilled oysters
Spring rolls
Spring salad
Watermelon
Wilted greens
Chicken ad tofu soup
Pan fried peppers
Dessert soup (a play on naabvaam, a tapioca dessrt except there's no tapioca, just lots of different flavored jello, fruits, and coconut milk)
Cupcakes (pandan, ginger, jasmine green tea)

Not everything is pictured, given that when we celebrate, we tend to forget to take too many pictures, but use your imagination.

Hopefully everyone had an awesome time celebrating their dad (and/or father figures), because we did and you should too!

Looks for the Lake

2012-06-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, in attempt to beat the baking weather, we spent almost the entire day lake-side. The cooling breeze almost called for sweaters, especially with what we decided to wear.

Outfit #1

This outfit, especially because of its print, is very tropical and fitting for any day out near water. The fabric is very thin, light, and being cotton, very breathable. I initially wore the full length skirt as a sun dress by leaving the top button undone and cinching it at the waist with a thin leather belt. I paired this with a short denim jacket to make sure my shoulders and arms do not burn, for the short while before I jumped into the water. My sandals are very shiny, but not too flashy, which I love because I can always spot them from a mile away.

Price breakdown:
Sag Harbor floral print skirt: $2.50
Old Navy denim jacket: $15.00
Ralph Lauren silver sandals: $5.00
Belt: $0.50

Total: $23.00

Outfit #2

Shorts become a staple for summer, and these short are becoming my default short this summer. I've been searching for shorts are aren't too short nor too long, and these fit the bill just right. This beautiful satin and lace top is sexy and cool, I honestly feel guilty when I wear it sometimes. The overall material is very thin and light and although satin is not the most breathable, the lace panels does allow lots of cool air to breeze on in. And then there are my shoes. I love, love, love these shoes. They fall in between shorts and socks (on my love-o-meter, because I also love, love socks that keeps my feet warm and soft). I got these tax-free from a trip to Oregon and are the only sandal I wear.

Price breakdown:
H&M satin and lace panel top: $5.00
US Polo denim shorts: $8.00
Bass sandals: $30.00

Total: $43.00

Happy Summer and have fun dressing up to warmer weather!

Day at the Lake

2012-06-20T09:46:00.003-07:00

Happy Summer!

Today is going to be the longest day of the year and officially the first day of summer! And that is why we decided to go enjoy some sun yesterday, so we can stay in today and bask in the coolness of a nice AC system. J

In our little town we call home, we have a small lake of our very own. And even though its beaches man-made and its waters pumped in, it’s a lake we can call our own. With the warming days, the lake called to us, and yesterday became a day at the lake.

Joining us were two of our favorite little girls. The lake offered such beautiful lighting and serene background, that it was only natural we have a camera with us. And being who we are, we needed a mini photoshoot before everyone went into the water and ruined their beautifully curled hair.

There were many swimming lessons throughout the day, and let's just say, little progress was made by the end of the day. Everyone did enjoy a few ice cold popsicles, even though the breeze from the waters was more than enough to make me forget that summer is almost upon us.

So let's make the most of today, and once again, Happy Summer!

The big Big BIG County Fair

2012-06-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

This year is the first year our kid brother is going to the fair and we wanted to make sure he had a blast. The funny thing was we did not expect to have so much fun just watching him. It was quite hilarious to see us at the fair, there’s 6 of us “big kids” huddled around one little boy. Let’s just say he had a lot of power that weekend.

Giant tractors...no wait, that's just how big they are!

It’s that wonderful time of year again, when the temperature goes up and up, when we need more and more ice cream in the freezer, and when we start to wear less and less clothes. But most important, this is that time of year when the county fair rolls around and we can once again make use of the many acres of paved land we call the fair grounds.

Visited the jail house, got measured (this method is an extremely accurate predictor), and petted a piglet.

From onion blossoms and cotton candy to petting pigs and riding elephants, we had an amazing time waiting in lines and rooting Phillip on as he attacked his first rides, solo. I’l be the first one to say it, we have a brave boy on our hands.

Rides! Rides! Rides!

We cannot wait until this feverishly hot weather is behind us, especially since the best part of it is over. But there's still next year, and by that time, Phillip will be taller and able to ride the bigger rides. Until next year!

Swim Suit Splash

2012-06-15T17:03:00.001-07:00

Summer's here! Since the end of the stuffing holidays, most of us have been trying to shed the weight to decrease the skin folds in our swim suits. Regardless of your shape or size, there are a few things that can always help enhance your bikini look.

Bright swim wear looks youthful and fun. Don't worry about matcing your top and bottom. Mix matched pieces can look very cute together, just be sure to not have too much print. For a flattering look choose one piece with a pattern and one that is solid.

Look for the details, accessories look cute but swimming with them on isn't very practical (wet hair tangled in with a necklace can be a pain). Details like the beads on the bikini top and the studs on the bikini bottom are perfect. This Y back strap looks super cute and adds support :)

Price Breakdown
(All our swim suits were purchased more than a year ago. So I can't remember the prices exactly any more. All prices are estimates.)
Top: $6
Bottom: $16
Ring: $5
Bracelet: $3
Sandals: Gift, free
TOTAL= $30

For those lucky ones with a heavier top, look for bikini tops with underwire. The underwire lifts and separates for a flattering bosom. This matched black suit looks sexy and slimming. For extra glam add a statement necklace and... HEELS! I know it's crazy, but if you're going to a pool party, this look would look sexy and chic, the perfect swim suit version of the cocktail dress ;)

Price Breakdown:
Top: $15
Bottom: 15
Bracelet: $3.50
Shoes: $12
Necklace: $5
TOTAL: $50.50

For those with more of a boyish figure, string bikinis will look best on your frame. If you really want to add some volume to your bosom, ruffles can do that. But don't over do the ruffle or it will overwhelm your frame and look strange. A little ruffle on the bikini bottom can add some interest and if necessary it gives a little more shape.

Similar to what I have mentioned above about the details, the detail on this top adds interest without accessories.

To enlongate your legs, choose bottoms that are well fitted with slim waistbands or string bikinis.

Make sure you have a well fitted bikini bottom to avoid any accidential slippage and to save you some trouble. In my experience, it's always harder finding a well fitted bikini bottom. A nice solid bikini bottom can be easily paired with another top. This solid yellow bikini pairs nicely with almost any bikini top.

Price Breakdown:
Top $6
Bottom: 7
Hat: $4
TOTAL= $17

POSING IN YOUR SWIMSUIT!!!!

How do those Victoria Secret models look so good in their swimsuit?! Ignore the fact that they have a super model body and look closely at their poses. Here are a few tips on how to pose to elongate, slim, or simply hide some not so camera friendly body parts.

1) Bring the focus in on what you do like about your body.
For example, if you're proud of your busty chest, don't be afraid to use it to your advantage. Bring attention to it with a necklage or a top with attention grabbing details.
If you have a trim waist, show off that midsection, or if you have a cover up on, wear something that you can tie off at your waist. Bring the eye in.
Long legs: show off your legs and elongate them with a slim waistband or string bikini bottom.

2) Get on your tip toes!
Just as wearing heels, getting on your tip toes for a photo enlongates your legs.

3) Arms

Arms up

Bringing your arms up elongates your torso and can make your arms look slimmer. You can rest your hand on your head or have your arms outstretched. This pose can be a little tricky to pull off, Victoria Secret models do this pose a lot and make it look so easy but this can actually look a little weird. Try to relax in this pose. For this pose, looking down or off to the distance or playing with your hair a little will make it look more natural.

Arms back

Just cross your arms behind your back.

Hands at your waist

Hands at your waist, squeeze in a little and bring in your waist. Do not press your elbows in. This pose not only makes your arm look slimmer, it also defines your waist more.

4) Prop a leg and stand off set

Just bend a leg and bring that leg forward, crossing your leg a little. This pose hides the thigh a little and can elongate your legs.

5) One shoulder back
Bringing one shoulder back, twists your torso and makes it look longer and more defined

6) Stand with 2/3 of your thigh immersed in water

If you have water and you're in it, this is perfect for hiding your legs or for making them look longer. The water cuts off your legs and gives the illusion that it can be going on for miles beneath the water.

What's for Dinner: Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage

2012-06-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

End result, pretty good lookin' eh?

For the past few weeks, I have been watching small exerts of the show America's Test Kitchen, and have been making a few of their recipes. I decided I would make their gnocchi recipe, and pass or fail, I would blog about it. Thank goodness it was not a fail. I actually have not had gnocchi before, so for homemade gnocchi, I have to say, I tasted pretty darn good. I have most definitely set a standard for gnocchi, because I now have something to compare future gnocchi with.

So here goes nothing!

If I can do it, you can too!

Ingredients

Gnocchi
2 pounds russet potatoes
1 large egg , lightly beaten

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 ounces) all-purpose flour , plus extra for the counter

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon salt

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Poke each potato 8 times with paring knife over entire surface.
3. Microwave potatoes until slightly softened at ends, about 10 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking.
4. Transfer potatoes directly to oven rack and bake until skewer glides easily through flesh and potatoes yield to gentle pressure, 18 to 20 minutes.
5. Holding each potato with potholder or kitchen towel, peel with paring knife. (I found this a bit difficult, so I just used my hands, because I do have super silicon hands.)
6. Mash potatoes, until smooth, but do not overwork it.
7. Gently spread potatoes into even layer and let cool for 5 minutes.
8. Transfer warm potatoes to bowl.
9. Using fork, gently stir in egg until just combined.
10. Sprinkle flour and 1 teaspoon salt over potato mixture. Using fork, gently combine until no pockets of dry flour remain.
11. Press mixture into rough ball, transfer to lightly floured counter, and gently knead until smooth but slightly sticky, about 1 minute, lightly dusting counter with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
12. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and dust liberally with flour.
13. Cut dough into 8 pieces.
14. Lightly dust counter with flour. Gently roll piece of dough into ½-inch-thick rope, dusting with flour to prevent sticking.
15. Cut rope into ¾-inch lengths.
16. Holding fork with tines facing down in 1 hand, press each dough piece cut side down against tines with thumb of other hand to create indentation. Roll dough down tines to form ridges on sides. If dough sticks, dust thumb or fork with flour.
17. Transfer formed gnocchi to sheets and repeat with remaining dough.

Sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1 small shallot, minced (I used half of a realy small onion)

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, about 11/2 minutes.
2. Off heat, add shallot and sage, stirring until shallot is fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in lemon juice and salt; cover to keep warm.
4. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add remaining 1 tablespoon salt.
5. Using parchment paper as sling, gently lower gnocchi from 1 sheet into water and cook until firm and just cooked through, about 90 seconds (gnocchi should float to surface after about 1 minute).
6. Using slotted spoon, transfer cooked gnocchi to skillet with sauce. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.
7. Gently toss gnocchi with sauce and serve.

Price breakdown:
Potatoes: $1.99 for 5 pounds
Sage: $0.99

I already had flour, eggs, garlic, onion, butter, and salt in my pantry and refrigerator, so those ingredients are free for me!

Original recipe, including pictures and a video, can be found at: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=31238