Moon Orchids

Expanding my wings

2012-05-01T19:18:00.002-07:00

Recently, I wrote an article for Newlyweds-dish.com which is an online community for newlyweds. Here is the link to the article: Finding your place in a new town

Please, check the above link out and leave me some feedback. I appreciate all your support and love.

Thanks and don’t forget to follow my blog!! xoxo

Fireplace Paint Job

2012-04-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

The first thing I knew I had to do as soon as we moved into our condo was to change the wall color around our fireplace. The previous owner had painted it a very interesting shade of orange/rust that had sheen in it so it changed colors when the sun would hit it... not exactly my style for wall paint in my living room.

For now, I am keeping the fireplace simple so that I can add more personality to it later once we have the rest of the living room finished.

Here are the before and after pictures:

BEFORE

AFTER

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Outfit Rundown

2012-03-23T00:21:00.000-07:00

Vintage D&G Sunglasses

My Handmade Swarovski and Gold Dragonfly Necklace

Gold H&M Chain Necklace

Anne Klein Dual Tone Watch

Vintage Bracelets

Wedding Rings

Forever21 Sweater

French Chic by L Blazer

H&M Skinny Jeans

H&M Belt

Bandolino Flats

Kate Spade Handbag

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Three Things

2012-03-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with chocolate filled cupcakes!

M cooking yummy V-day dinner for us <3

Breakfast in bed for M. Husbands need some pampering too =)

In my home, there is always something yummy to eat... as you can tell by the pictures above. Three pictures that make me smile. What small things makes you happy from day to day?

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Inspire me

2012-03-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

I love vintage inspirations and flea market treasures. This video on Vimeo that features Coco Rocha inspires me even more to go on a hunt for treasures that can be recycled and reused. Especially since I recently moved into a new condo with my husband and am in the process of decorating our place. My one goal is to only bring in the things I truly love and are timeless. Since we are on a budget the process of decorating is a bit slow, but I don't mind because I would rather get quality things rather than filling up our place in a month with junk I will want to throw out in a year. You get what I mean?! ;-) So, flea markets, yard sales, and thrift stores... here we come!! If I do find something vintage for our place I will definitely share it with you guys.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow my blog! xoxo

Outfit Rundown

2012-03-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

H&M Necklace
Anne Klein Dual Tone Watch
Vintage Bracelets
Wedding Rings
Liz Claiborne Leather Handbag
Express Cashmere Sweater
Dotori Jacket
H&M Skinny Jeans

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Keep Calm And Carry On

2012-03-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

The story of the recently famous phrase "Keep Calm And Carry On". Enjoy!

Lately, you see this phrase everywhere, on t-shirts, books, bags, cell phone covers.

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Zara Plaited Leather Shopper Bag Review

2012-03-09T02:47:00.000-08:00

I first saw this bag on Zara's website last month and after a week or two of indecisiveness I decided to just purchase the Plaited Leather Shopper bag. So, before I start my review on the bag, here are few facts from the Zara website:

The bag costs 149 US Dollars.
The measurements are 12x17x9 Inches.
The exterior is 100% Buffalo leather.
It comes in Brown, Blue, Black, Cream, and Red colors (depending on what's available).

Now, here are my thoughts about this bag: the delivery process was quick and it came to my home in about a week. It was placed in a big brown Zara box that was covered with a blue plastic bag for shipping.

As soon as I opened the bag I was a little surprised by the size of the bag; which partly was my fault because I didn't consider the measurements on their website properly since I had seen some celebrities carrying this bag in pictures online and it didn't seem that large. I was however pleased with the look of the bag. I liked the handles and the hardware and how sturdy the bag felt. Another plus was the shoulder strap that comes in handy with big bags because you tend to carry a lot of things in them and they get heavy. By the end of the day it would be nice to carry it on your shoulder and not have to carry it on your arm.

As I took it out of the bag and started inspecting, I realized that the bag was not lined and just had a detachable pouch inside of it; which I did not like. I like it when bags are lined so you can clean them if you spill something or if your lipstick comes out of it's tube. In this case, the interior leather would be ruined or a major pain to get the stain out. Another very important thing I didn't like about the bag was the detachable cotton pouch; which came undo and fell inside the bag every time I filled it with just few of my belongings. I'm not sure if I got a faulty bag or if all pouches are designed that way. This leaves me to believe that the only way to use this bag would be to keep my stuff in the bag and not use the cotton pouch. Another thing I didn't like about the bag was the leather. I know it's 100% buffalo leather and from the outside I think it's fine, but from the inside because it's not lined, felt very cheap and plasticy. My husband jokingly calls it the tupperware bag.

Overall, I was disappointed with my purchase and would not recommend this bag... unless of course you like your bag to be extra-large and don't mind the usless pouch situation. For those who travel a lot this could work as a carry on? But for me this was just a waste of money and I'm seriously considering returning it. In case you still want to buy it, please click away. =)

Thanks for reading and I hope this review was helpful!! xoxo

70% Off at Kate Spade online

2012-03-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

Kate Spade is one of my favorite brands and when I received an email from them in regards to their 70% off Sample Sale I was ecstatic. Without wasting any time I ordered one of their fabulous handbags and now am patiently waiting for it to be delivered to my house. Meanwhile, I wanted to share this great offer with all my readers!! Click here to go to the Kate Spade sample sale. Enjoy!

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Etsy: Orange Dress

2012-03-02T01:47:00.003-08:00

It was love at first sight...

Sexy Party Dress

As soon as I saw this dress, I knew I was going to love it. It has all the components that I adore in a winter dress (although it's advertised as a spring dress): full sleeved, sleek fit, hits right below the knees. And for 69 dollars, this handmade beauty is a steal!!! Don't you think so? You can buy this dress here. They also sell it in blue here. Hope you like it as much as I did! =)

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Fruit Salad

2012-02-29T20:52:00.001-08:00

Clean and organized home is a happy home... at least for me. Messy places give me anxiety. I spent all evening cleaning and organizing our place and now that everything is clean and put away, I feel like my soul can rest.

To treat myself after all the hard work I decided to make a fruit salad. Yum. Makes you feel so healthy and fresh.

Green Apple, Orange, Kiwi, Grapes, and Apricot = Yummy Goodness.

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Quick Boneless Chicken Fry

2012-02-25T20:23:00.001-08:00

For someone who loves chicken, this is the easiest recipe and quickest dinner possible. From start to finish it will take you about 30 minutes; which includes the 15 minutes marinate time.

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Red Chili Powder
Lemon Juice
Green Peppers
Olive Oil

In a large plate that has about two inch raised edges, put desired amount of salt, black pepper, red chili powder and mix the powders together. Spread this all over the plate so that it creates a layer of powder. Now take your chicken and place it on top of the powder so that all the powder is covered with the chicken pieces. You can do this roughly. Now take your lemon juice and sprinkle it all over the chicken. Cover the plate with saran wrap but make sure that it doesn't touch the chicken (which is why you need a plate or flat container that has raised edges). Leave it in the fridge for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take a fraying pan and put some olive oil in it. Warm it for about a minute while you take out the chicken. You should see that the under side of the chicken has gotten a reddish tint to it. Fry the chicken in the oil for about 8 minutes while moving your spatula around so the chicken doesn't stick to the pan. Check to see if the chicken is cooked, if not you can give it another minute of two, but make sure not to over cook it or you will dry out the chicken. You want it to be juicy and tender. Once cooked, serve it with either rice and some mint yogurt chutney. Enjoy!!

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Michael Kors Wallet

2012-02-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

My search for the perfect wallet had been going on for about two years now and I am so glad to have found the exact style and look I was going for. Michael Kors Jet Set Continental Wallet has just enough room for your cards, change, and receipts, the softest leather you can imagine and the smoothest zipper I have used so far, with the perfect amount of gold hardware. To protect the leather, the sales woman suggested I get their leather cleaner; which I so obediently did because I want to be able to use this wallet for couple of years with minimum scratches. I think of it as an investment! ;-)

While I was in the store, I fell madly in love with this bag here, but thankfully remembered that I just made my student loan payment!! Wouldn't that bag be the perfect year around handbag that could fit almost anything!?!? Maybe some other time... ;-)

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Outfit Rundown

2012-02-03T00:58:00.001-08:00

Forever21 Tank Top

Gap Shirt

Forever21 Cardigan

H&M Jacket

H&M Tights

H&M Knee High Socks

Gap Boots

Calvin Klein Handbag

Anne Klein Watch

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow my blog!!

xoxo

A bit Disorganized

2012-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy lately that my handbag had turned into a nightmare! I'm always having a hard time finding things in my bag when I need them and I end up taking everything out to find what I am looking for. This has GOT to stop.

It's time for some organization!!

Now you know what I carry in my handbag...

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Pumpkin Cake

2012-01-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

One of my new years resolutions is to cook and bake more and for the past few weeks i've been doing exactly that!! Here is a yummy recipe for a Pumpkin Bundt Cake I found online, but ended up altering few things to my desires:

Ingredients:

4 Large Eggs

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Can of Pumpkin Puree (15 ounce)

3 Cups of All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1/3 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

1/8 tsp Ground Cloves

1 Cup of Mini Chocolate Chips

Pre-heat the over to 350 degrees.

Mix eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl and beat well. Add pumpkin puree and mix again. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Add the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes.

Once baked, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar or decorate with the Chocolate Glaze recipe below.

Chocolate Glaze:

Take 6 Ounces of semisweet chocolate, 57 grams of butter, and 2 tbsp of light corn syrup in a pan. Melt them together and once melted let it cool to a thick syrup consistency. Pour over the cake and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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xoxo

Goodbye 2011, Hellooo 2012!!

2011-12-31T12:04:00.000-08:00

2011 will come to an end tonight, but I am looking forward to what the new year has to offer and am excited for all that I have planned for my blog this upcoming year.

Here is my dress for my New Years party tonight:

I am in love with the sequins!!

Since I get cold easily, I will be wearing black tights with my dress. You can also wear a fun bright colored tights with some heels. I'll be home with my husband so I won't need a bag nor shoes, but if I was going out on the town I would be rocking this ALDO bag and my favorite GOLD J. Renee shoes:

Keeping the accessories to a minimum to not take away from the dress!!

My favorite J. Renee heels!

Hope you had an amazing year and have an even more amazing year ahead of you!! HAPPY NEW YEAR and don't forget to follow my blog!!

xoxo

Sale: Sephora additional 20% off sale items

2011-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

I love a good sale and when there is an additional 20% off on the sale items... you know i'll be all over it. One of my favorite stores Sephora is having an additional 20% off their sale items when you enter the code: EXTRA at checkout. This sale ends January 3rd and while supplies last. You can check out the sale here.

Hope that helps someone. Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow my blog!! xoxo

Christmas Cookie

2011-12-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is what's burning in my kitchen right now!!

If you live near a Bed Bath and Beyond, I would suggest running over there right now because they have 50% off on all their Holiday Yankee Candles. That means a 22 oz jar which is normally around $25 is now only $13!! AHMAZING. You could also order it here and get them right to your door.

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White Oreos

2011-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

I recently I got my hands on the limited edition white fudge covered Oreos and the second I tasted them, I knew I had to share this product with you before they are off the market!!! If you like Oreos or white chocolate, you have got to try these!!! I am in love.

This box was finished the same day it was bought.

12 little pieces of heaven

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Three Things

2011-12-18T20:37:00.000-08:00

Earrings my husband got me on our first trip together.

Fruit and Skittles = Perfect Snacks!!

Bracelet holder in my closet

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Review: Calvin Klein Tweed Coat

2011-12-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Since I recently moved to a much colder state, I desperately needed a heavy coat for this winter. I looked high and low and finally decided to get the Calvin Klein Tweed coat from Macy's. Originally this coat was listed for $345, but in store it was selling for a bit less. Thankfully I waited to get home and checked online to discover that they were selling it for only $169.99!!! It stinks because now they are selling it for $149.99, but that is just how the rates fluctuates depending on when you buy your winter coats.

Calvin Klein Tweed Coat

When I got the coat in the mail, I was instantly in love with the fit and how warm it was... however, after wearing it a couple of times I realized two big cons. One, that it sheds like ayouknowwhat and secondly, the tweed part of the collar itches horribly. The top button also fell off within the first two weeks.

Ultimately, I am not satisfied with my purchase, but because of it's look and how warm it keeps me I do wear it when it's extra cold outside. Hoping that getting it dry cleaned will help with the shedding and luckily I religiously wear scarfs during the winter so, my neck won't get too itchy.

Where did you get your winter coat from and how do you like it?

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Review: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

2011-12-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Left: Peach Parfait, Right: Creme Brulee

I recently gave in to the hype about the new Revlon Lip Butters and picked up two shades that I thought were the safest for me to buy since I tend to stick to nudes. I have to admit that I fell in love with the product. The packaging is very nice, but doesn't feel luxurious because of the plastic tops. I do love that the top is the same color as the shade of the lip butter; which helps to figure out which one you want to buy since you can't try it on in the store. These come in a good range of shades that I think would suit most skin types. The fact that these go on sheer is a huge plus for people that are new to lip colors because it goes on sheer and provides just the right amount of color without making you feel like a clown. The colors I picked are both neutral and go well with my skin tone. However, the only thing I don't like about the Peach Parfait is the chunky skimmer it has. Even though the shimmer doesn't transfer too much on the lips, I wish they had made it more with a sheen like the Creme Brulee. Lastly, I am in love with the way these make my lips feel. I never thought I could get the smoothness of a lip butter with such nice colors AND sheen!!! I have never to this day have finished a lip product without losing it or throwing it away, but I think I will finish these because ever since I got them I have been using them non-stop. I would recommend you go out and get a shade you feel most comfortable with because I think you will be impressed by the quality of this product and will go back for more shades.

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Caramel Popcorn

2011-11-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Right after the Pumpkin Pie craze of Halloween and before the Turkey recipes for Thanksgiving start, I would like to share this Caramel Corn recipe with you. On a crisp fall day like today, when all you want to do is snuggle up with a blanket and watch a movie, there could be no better snack than Caramel Popcorn. Here is an easy recipe I will be using that I got from AllRecipes.com:

Ingredients

1 cup unpopped popcorn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F(150 degrees C).
In a large pot, heat oil over high heat. Add the unpopped popcorn. Moving the pan constantly, pop the corn. Remove from heat, place in a large baking pan, and keep warm in the preheated oven. Discard unpopped kernels.
Mix sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt into a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture starts to boil. Continue cooking for 5 minutes without stirring.
Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over the popped popcorn. Stir popcorn until evenly coated. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from pan and put into a large bowl to cool.

Try and tell me how it turns out for you. Happy Eating and don't forget to follow my blog!!

xoxo

Three Things

2011-11-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Whiting and David 1930's mini mesh bag I held at my
wedding reception

My new Gap Rain boots that i'm dying to use

My Apple Ipad screen saver

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow my blog!! xoxo