three layer cake

ThreeLayerCake has moved to GlamourMash

2012-08-02T07:59:00.001-07:00

Zebra Love

2012-08-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

I remember thinking zebra print was IT... back in the 5th grade. And then it was cool again in 9th grade... or so I think. Well guess flippin' what! Zebra has become cool in my book again.. and apparently the book of many other interior designers out there! Hopefully, it's here to stay. Hooray!

Here are some photos of beautiful interiors with hints of zebra mixed in here and there. Enjoy

top2bottom: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Bits of My Week

2012-07-31T08:52:00.001-07:00

Bits of My Week via my iPhone :)

These past few weeks have been a gigantic headspin. We've fit so much into our tiny little schedule. But, it's all been fun. I don't get too personal on my blog i.e. photos, so I thought I'd share a few snapshots of my life with you. Enjoy :)

DIY Coming Soon to ThreeLayerCake// Work Event Wearing Aprons by Carolyn's Kitchen // Hawaii // Homemade Pasta // Chili and Lime Tortilla Chip Tapas // Comic Con Costumes // Men of the Family Waiting Patiently While the Ladies of the Family Shop // Breakfast Made By My Love // Homemade Tortilla Chips // New Kate Spade Bridesmaid Idiom Bangle // Coffee and New Blog Design // More Homemade Pasta // Star Wars "Dive In" Date with Clint at The Pearl Hotel in SD // Clint and his Star Wars Cocktail (Lightsaber Glowstick Included)

Budget Friendly Buys!

2012-07-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

So, I gathered up a bunch of fabulous finds on the cheap for you! I'm trying to save $ right now so I can buy some bigger ticket items (ahem, cough, cough) but that doesn't mean I can't live... just... a... little, right!?

I am definitely buying the ASOS spike bracelets, wrap claw ring and cross bracelet. I mean, at these prices, it's hard not to, right? I just found out that ASOS, where many of these items are from, ships both ways FREE! That's unheard of!

Hooray for cheap thrills!

7. Green colourblock jersey dress $9

6. Turquoise sequin collar shirt $22

8. ASOS Spike Stretch Bracelet $13.26

2. ASOS Metal Bridge Detail Retro Sunglasses $19.88

1. ASOS Wrapped Claw Ring $19.88

3. ASOS Spike Cord Friendship Bracelet $8.29

4. ASOS Fine Cross Bracelet $9.95

5. ASOS Pleated Skirt in Colourblock $58

Current Obsession // Jayson Home Again...

2012-07-27T08:02:00.002-07:00

I couldn't help myself... Jayson Home is so fabulous I had to share it again as my Weekly Obsession. How A-M-A-Z-I-N-G are these pieces!? I can just imagine these pieces all housed in an ultra luxe reading nook or chic dining room. I'll say it again, if you haven't visited online retailer Jayson Home yet, get on it!

What is erveyone's plans for the weekend? Considering the mild weather in San Diego (76 degrees), I decided I want more heat! It's summer, isn't it! I WANT HEAT! So a few friends and I are heading to Arizona where the sun can make sweet, sweet love to this white, white skin of mine! SO looking forward to spending some time at Havasu River with some tasty buds, lots of junkety junk food and a few close friends. Hope you all have an exceptional weekend whatever it is you end up doing :)

1 vintage lucite pendant $595 // 2 snakeskin pencil tray $112 // 3 marble salt and pepper cellars $108 // 4 gold athena tray $45 // 5 moroccan dessert plate - black and white $18 // 6 sun bleached turtle shells $85 // 7 jean bedside table $1450 // 8 natural cowhide $795 // 9 petrified wood trays $65

Chef Spotlight: Joy the Baker

2012-07-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION ALL FOODIES!

Have you heard of Joy the Baker? She is an amazing chef blogger who prepares and photographs the most delicious looking food! I've tried and adapted several of her recipes including my Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach and Cheese Ravioli from THIS RECIPE of Joy's and I'm yet to be disappointed.

Her blog is beautifully put together and her directions are filled with the perfect mix of informative and funny. And did I mention the photos? The photos will induce serious mouth-watering!

{Mushroom and Bacon Breakfast Skillet}

{Strawberry Pineapple Crumble}

{Chicken Pot Pit with Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits}

{Pink Raised Donuts with Toasted Coconut}

{Smashed Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Pancakes}

{Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread}

Bar Essentials

2012-07-25T08:18:00.002-07:00

I LOVE entertaining and what is a party without a great cocktail in hand? I have a tall dark wood and mirrored bar cabinet from Z Gallerie that I am just in love with. I have it decorated with lots of fun straws, pretty liquor bottles and family heirloom barware. It's one of my favorite pieces of furniture. Here is my guide to stocking the perfect bar. Bottom's up!

1.keg works 3 piece cocktail shaker

2. jayson home horn bottle opener

3. pampaloni wine decanter

4. martini stir rods

5. keg works 3 piece mini martini cocktail shaker

6. crate and barrel ice bucket

7. assorted liquors

8. gold chisels glassware

9. black and white paper straws

Mirror Image

2012-07-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

I am and have always been in love with mirrored furniture. not only does it make your space look bigger, but it is just stunning to look at. What category does this fall in? Modern, shabby chic.... whatever the case, I love it.

Here are some amazing pieces that were featured on Joss and Main as of late. If you could own any of these, which one would it be? Do you have a mirrored piece of furniture in your home?

1 // spike chest 2 // Ingrid dining table 3 // milano side table 4 // pia coffee table 5 // bridget coffee table

Stud Muffin

2012-07-22T23:30:00.001-07:00

Spikes and studs are everywhere lately. I personally love the trend. I think it's so fun to pair a feminine piece with a tough piece... think pink pouffy cocktail dress paired with gold spikey bracelets. Floral pants and white top paired with chucks and heavy eye make-up.

Cute while still being edgy.

What do you think about this trend? Is it a GO or is it a NO?

1 // ASOS Spike Stretch Bracelet $13.26

2 // ASOS Plastic Spike Collar Necklace $12.43

3 // Silver Pyramid Stud Black Hard Case Cover For Apple iPhone 4 4G 4S S5P $13.88

4 // nOir Pyramid Spike Bracelet $135

5 // Georgina Gladiator Sandal Black Leather $72

6 // ASOS Multi Spike Drop Earrings $9.94

7 // Spike and pearl collar $5

8 // Noir Jewelry Noir for L.A.M.B. Pointy Collar Necklace $66

9 // House of Harlow 1960 - Spike and Cone Ring (17K Yellow Gold Plated) - Jewelry $52.99

10 // Sam Edelman - Bryn Pouchette (Python) - Bags and Luggage $258

Cacio e Pepe

2012-07-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

Shortly after my boyfriend and I got back from our amazing 12 day trip to Italy (emphasis on the AFTER), my boyfriend said he had watched Anthony Bourdain chowing down on some amazing looking pasta in Rome called Cacio e Pepe.

Cacio e Pepe, literally cheese and pepper, is a classic Roman dish made from the simplest of ingredients: water, pasta, cheese, freshly ground black pepper and butter.

And it's simply amazing. If you ever see it on a menu, order it. Or, better yet, make it yourself!

It's become one of our favorite meals to repare and I hope it might become one of your favorites as well.

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 6-10 mins | Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Half pound spaghetti or bucatini

1/2 cup salted boiling pasta water

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly grated pepper, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish

Basil or other green for extra garnish (my basil is from my home garden, hence the caterpillar bites)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions on the box (add salt to water). After pasta has cooked for several minutes, ladle out 3/4 - 1 cup boiling pasta water and set aside. When pasta is extremely al dente (about 2 minutes before you would normally strain), remove the pasta and strain. Set aside momentarily. Add boiling pasta water, butter and pepper to a hot sauce pan. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss through the water mixture until the pasta absorbs almost all of the water. Remove from heat and add cheese to pasta. Toss and garnish with more cheese and pepper, to taste.

Buon Appetito!

Sunnies Love

2012-07-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

There are a few things in life that I think every girl should splurge on. These include:

High Thread Count Sheets

A Dream-Tastic Pillow

A Good Pair of Kitten Heels

A Great Piece of Jewelry You Buy Yourself

and last but not least...

"Make-You-Feel-Fabulous-Every-Time-You-Put-Them-On" Sunnies!

Some sunglasses just have the ability to transform how you feel. I can be wearing sweatpants and a tee to the grocery store but once I put on my Ray Ban Aviators, I feel pulled-together and chic.

Check out these below picks... I think they are all fabulous head turners!

1. Karen Walker Perfect Day Sunglasses $220

2. Stella McCartney Sunglasses Rounded Plastic Sunglasses, Hazelnut $225

3. Karen Walker Never Say Never $250

4. Super Sunglasses Perfect $117

5. l.g.r. Sunglasses $354

6. Super Sunglasses Basic Sunglasses $163

7. Ray Ban 3025 Aviators $145

8. Super Sunglasses Matte People Sunglasses $163

9. D&G Sunglasses Square Havana Square Sunglasses $135

10. Very Vintage Sunglasses $323

Three Layer Cake Mentioned on MadeByGirl

2012-07-17T13:25:00.001-07:00

Three Layer Cake was mentioned over on MadeByGirl today!

I have said it once and I'll say it again, if you haven't checked out Jen's blog before or her fabulous online stores, MadeByGirl and Cocoa&Hearts, you must go take a look-see! She is one of my favorite bloggers around and her art is beautiful... I'm sure you've seen her LOVE prints floating around the blogosphere before.

Enjoy!

Designer Spotlight // Sam Edleman

2012-07-17T08:28:00.001-07:00

Sam Edelman Rules. He makes things I melt for. Shoes and bags and bags and shoes galore! I'm especially obsessed with the top right suede booties. I want them SO bad! The link provided is the cheapest I've found them yet!

Chickety check him out!

left to right

Wyn Leather Peep Toe Wedge Shoe Boots $182.87

Layne Bag $159.99

Pax in Chateau Grey Leather $249.95

Alvin Animal Print in Leopard Brahma $149.95

Pillow Crush

2012-07-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

Pillows are a bland couch's best friend. And my interior design crush.

These ones from Shop Furbish are so cute.

Which one is your favorite?

Shop the home decor section of Shop Furbish where these pillows can be found.

Weekly Obsession // Shop Furbish

2012-07-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the much anticipated Kia Optima Car Commercial that played during the Superbowl? Mr. Sandman brings a dream to an unsuspecting guy? The guy's dream features model Adriana Lima, Rock Legend Motley Crue and WWE Fighter, Chuck Liddell. It's the perfect male fantasy, all rolled into one hugely ridiculous dreamscape.

Well, Shop Furbish would more than likely be featured in my female dreamscape fantasy. Shop Furbish... along with Goblets of Chambord.... and Brad Pitt. In a banana hammock. Meow.

Anyways, Shop Furbish is perfection. In an online retail platform. Poodle Bookends? PUH-LEASE! I am toast with a credit card!

Just do me a favor and go shop the store. Not only will you drool a little on your keyboard, but you will find that it's a great place for inspiration.

P.S. If you haven't seen that commercial, it's really very silly. Click HERE to watch it.

1. brown floral bench $1700 // 2. poodle bookends $65 // 3. green tie dye pillow $65 // 4. the rivera ring - neon pink $12 5. // furry stool $215 // 6. flamingo cards $16 // 7. brass grasshopper paperweight $35 / 8. large floral pinched tray $25 // 9. watercolor binder $24 // 10. skull cuff $14

Watch It

2012-07-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Confession: I love watches but I don't own one. I hate the feeling of feeling something of weight on my wrist, which is weird, I know. Bracelets, I can deal with. Watches, not so much.

Truth: My parents' college graduation gift to me was a brand new watch so I could look professional in interviews... they told me to go buy whatever watch I wanted (under $150) and I came back with a $25 bright lime-green digital Swatch complete with a calculator on it. It was sweet in my mind but it was definitely not what they had in mind... I wore it a few times and retired it to the glove compartment in my Jeep. I'm just not a watch person, darnitall.

That Being Said: I still looove how they look and think they are a cute (and useful) fashion accessory.

Here are some of my favorite picks out there! Do you have a watch? What brand do you like?

1. Michael Kors: Oversized Rose Gold Watch

2. Anthropologie: Safari Wrap Watch

3. Anthropologie: Viscid Watch

4. La Mer Collections: Pyramid Stud Wrap Watch

5. Nixon: The Camden

6. Michael Kors: Sport Watch

7. La Mer Collections: Soho Wrap Watch

8. Nixon: The Monopoly Watch

9. Michael Kors: Large Dylan Watch

10. Akribos: Diamond Gold Swiss Quartz Floating Watch

I Need Your Opinion!

2012-07-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

I have an insanely huge announcement to make! Threelayercake.blogspot.com will soon be changing to glamourmash.com. Glamourmash will still be hosted on blogger but I will have a dedicated webpage and corresponding store to sell jewelry and other glam accessories. It's more my style and will allow me to explore more exciting ventures, which I will be announcing soon!

I am in the early design stages of the website and I cannot get past the first element of design and it's killing me: My logo font! I know it seems minor but I just need to know what everyone's opinions are because your opinions are the ones that matter! I will probably delete this post after a few hours and make the formal announcement at a later date, so I appreciate your help!!

Ok, so please tell me your honest opinion. Do you like the top option or the bottom option.

Lots of love and many thanks,

Holly Foxen Wells

Fancy Bookends

2012-07-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

"Old friends. Sat on their park bench like bookends... winter companions, the old friends... lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sun... the sounds of the city sifting through trees... settle like dust on the shoulders of the old friends." -Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel

Aren't those lovely lyric by Simon & Garfunkel? It's one of my favorite songs. We stow many of our favorite and most cherished possessions between bookends, so why not make these functional pieces slightly more fabulous than normal. Here is a collection of bookends that I am just so in love with.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Shop Spotlight // Sugar Paper

2012-07-09T08:38:00.001-07:00

What is it about letterpress printing that gets us ladies in a complete and utter tizzy!?! I get happy... excited... elated even, to peruse shop aisles and internet pages for those perfectly and eloquently designed bits of stationary.

I am in love with the simplicity and the nostalgia of these pretty papered notes.

Sugar Paper is one of my favorite paperies... and the story of the creation of the store is quite sweet, too. Close friends and graphic designers, Chelsea Shukov and Jamie Grobecker, founded Sugar Paper in 2003 out of their love for letterpress. It turns out, lots of people agreed with their design throwback as well and the store concept caught on like wildfire. Visit their paperie site HERE and go get your tizzy on ;)

Sea Fan

2012-07-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

I saw this gorgeous photo of a home interior via Nuevo Estilo. The item that immediately caught my eye was the gorgeous pink and coral sea fan. It just TOTALLY ties the room together, don't you think?

The dressing screen on either side are also a nice complement, drawing the eyes to the focused centerpiece of the room. Love!

Naturally, seeing the use of a fabulous piece sent me on an internet hunt for more pleasing visuals! Here's some more examples of how to work the sea fan into your own home design.

via paris market

via the house that kat and fred built

via Savvy Home

via shorely chic

Chili and Lime Tortilla Chip Tapas

2012-07-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

I've been making the chile and lime chip in this recipe for years. They are really easy to make and SO much better than anything you can buy in a store. The "tapas" part was just made on the fly with the ingredients I had on hand and it ended up being pretty darn tasty.

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Yield: 6 servings

Chip Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt (kosher salt is my fave)

Tapas Toppings:

1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese

1 avocado, sliced

3 tablespoons cilantro

lime wedges for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each tortilla into 8 chip sized wedges and place on a nonstick cookie sheet in a single layer. Mix lime juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Using a cooking brush, brush the solution over the chips so that they are slightly moist. Combine other spices in separate small bowl and sprinkle on top of chips. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure chips don't burn. When chips are crisp, remove from oven and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle with tapas toppings and enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July

2012-07-04T08:00:00.002-07:00

A quick note to wish everyone a very happy and safe Fourth of July! I will be celebrating the best and most all-American way I know how: With lots of friends and family, lots of lighter fluid, lots of cocktails, and lots of marshmallows!

The beach community that I live in has an annual marshmallow fight on the beach right after the simultaneous Sea World, Downtown, Pacific Beach, La Jolla and Ocean Beach Fireworks Show. It's a pretty spectacular and dramatic event! There's nothing like pegging complete stragers with handfuls of marshmallows, right!?

I also wanted to share an awesome American Flag Shorts DIY with you. This comes from my friends over at Free People BLDG 25 Blog. I think I'm going to tackle this DIY project today! Ow!

xoxo -Holly

Watercolor Wallpaper

2012-07-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

Lately, I'm loving watercolors. I mentioned in a previous post about my fabulous watercolor art purchase from Leigh Viner's collection... it kicked me off on my watercolor obsession.

Here's a new concept and trend: Watercolor Wallpaper... it's more Avant Garde than the traditional patterned wallpaper look and incredibly beautiful. Check out these beautiful collaboration between designers Karla Davison and Wendy Schwartz with Black Crow Studios. These wallpapers almost look like you are floating in the clouds... gorgeous!

Current Obsession // Jayson Home

2012-07-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

There is something I can't quite shake about Jayson Home... I keep coming back to this online wonder emporium for inspiration and decorative lust. Jayson Home is an online home furnishing retailer chalk full of interesting finds... it's a great place to pick up a statement piece for your home or a really unique gift for someone you want to impress with your shopping skills ;) You will find a myriad of things that are edgy chic and earthy in a sense.

Horns, skulls, snakeskin, petrified wood, quills, turtle shells... these are just a few of the materials that make up these fabulous finds. Unleash your wild side and get to shopping!

1 quill box $30 // 2 gold wishbone $48 // 3 claw bottle opener $24 // 4 pyrite cluster $30 // 5 antique bottle photo #2 $1395 // 6 tyrol horn vase $48 // 7 york box - grey $128 // 8 skeleton and arrow plate $48

Mahalo

2012-06-19T08:15:00.006-07:00

I leave for Hawaii tomorrow morning! OMG, I can barely wait! I don't think I've taken a day off for myself since last September so stir-crazy is an understatement. Work has been especially busy as of late and with my move to a new apartment and the windfalls and heartbreaks of trying to buy a new home, I am ready to mentally check out of... everything.

Bring me a cocktail, a book, some sand beneath my feet and some sunshine on my face and I will be in my happy place.

Hawaii, you cannot come quick enough!

Link Love: epic view, ahi tuna, bubbly, sunscreen