Sunset & Vine

I was sincerely hoping this last week was going to draw out as slow as possible - mainly because I’m a big pansy and didn’t want to go and get my wisdom teeth pulled out. But they are officially out - I survived, and it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Now, I get to sit back, relax, and let lots f ice cream, milkshakes, and smoothies take up residence in my belly :) Other than that, here’s what I’ve been up to:

Details: Neon and tan tasseled clutch and a newly acquired dainty ring.  

Sangria & live music at Sabor. Ty & I have found our singer for the wedding!

Look what I found! Hello Kitty Champagne!! It was so cute, I had to buy a bottle.

My Rewinded candle is making the room smell wonderful as I type, I am a huge fan. 

Some light reading while I relax. I am really loving Shawn Johnson’s new book, I can’t put it down.

xoxo,

sunset & vine

Since fourth of July is just around the corner, here are some fun warm weather outfits to wear all summer long. Pull together classic pieces, and mix in some fun patriotic details to seal the deal. Bottom line, just have fun with it and enjoy the festivities! 

Jeffrey Campbell El Carmen Platform - American Flag $130.00

Jeffrey Campbell Lita Platform Boot - American Flag $160.00

other ideas:

TOPSHOP Petite Flag Print Denim Shorts $68.00

Forever 21 Women’s Faded Denim Shirt $22.80

Dorothy Perkins White Lace Shell Top $17.00

Steve Madden BFLAGGED MULTI $48.00

Brandy Melville Betsy American Flag Sweater in Cream $85.00

RALPH LAUREN Earnest Burnished Calf Loafer $379.00

Current/Elliott The Boyfriend star-print low-rise denim shorts $200.00

Forever 21 Women’s Lace Inset Denim Vest: Denim $19.80

Nasty Gal America Shirt $128.00

Here are just a few snaps from our trip to Lake Tahoe and Kirkwood (from a few weeks ago. I’m super late, I know - and I am sorry). We ended up loving the area, and… drum roll please… we are now looking into buying our very first home near South Lake Tahoe! Between all the activity, the beautiful sights, and all the fishing, Ty and I both feel its the perfect place for us!  

Main street in Truckee, California - the street was filled with lots of vintage boutiques and delicious restaurants!

The cutest little bear cookie I have ever seen! He was way too cute to eat!!

We drove around the whole lake and need a little rest break. It was so beautiful! 

Follow the jump for some more pictures!

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This is such a great idea from Justina Blakeney!! We are officially in summer mode all across the States, and since it’s in the 90’s here in Southern California, these ice cubes are definitely drool worthy. I can’t think of a better way to refresh guests during a hot summer pool party. Or maybe use them for cooling down the kiddo’s after a long day of playing outside. Just as Justina says, “Wake up in the morning to a spicy iced chai, serve lunch with frozen fennel sparkling water, or have a minty mojito by the pool at sunset”… the possibilities are truly endless. Find out more about these icy treats here.

Recipes:

Pina Colada Cubes: Use a large ice cube tray and alternated layers of pineapple juice and coconut milk. It works best if you do thin layers and fully let each layer freeze before adding the next. Add your beautifully striped cubes to fresh muddled pineapple, coconut milk and rum for the most delicious summer treat.
 
Spicy Iced Chai: Make chai tea with good old hot water and a tea bag, add some agave and let cool. Pour into ice cube molds and freeze. Serve with your milk of choice, in this case I used almond milk, and rimmed my glass with sugar and allspice.

Frozen Fennel Fresca: Simply freeze a fennel frond in water and served with sparkling water.

Minty Mojito: Squeeze several limes and add agave to taste. Chiffonade several leaves of mint and add to lime juice, and freeze mixture. Serve mojito cubes with muddled limes, mint, sparkling water, and your favorite rum, YUM! 

Raspberry Spritzer: For this I simply froze fresh strained raspberry puree and added it to sparkling water, as the cube melts you get the most delicious sweet tangy spritzer.

all information via.

Libbey California Glasses, Tall Frosted Souvenir Ice Tea Glasses, set of 5 $38.00

So, we are officially back from Lake Tahoe!! The pictures are coming soon (I promise), but bottom line - we fell in love with the area and want to live there. With all the hiking, fishing, and beautiful scenery, it’d be perfect for us. Other than that, we’ve been catching up and getting things done this week. Here is what we’ve been up to lately:

A ladybug landed on my ring finger while fishing the other day. I hope that means our marriage will be filled with lots of luck in love :)

Tyler came home with a lil present for me: a fishing/hiking/outdoors hat! 

They are fresh off the presses! Our save-the-date postcards came in!!!

An outfit from the week: black tee, vintage flower print jacket, leather shorts & spiked bangles 

Brown bagged beer at the Highland Park Kitchen last night with some friends. 

xoxo,

sunset & vine

Hello beautiful yellow leather clutch!

This DIY from Style Scrapbook is absolutely perfect for the wonderful summer nights we’ve all been having lately. The “how to” describes the stylish bag as being super easy to make - and I can’t wait to try it out. Grab some leather, a zipper, and a sewing machine, and then follow the jump for more pictures and info. 

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While scrolling through The Sweetest Occasion the other day, I found one of the cutest parties I’ve seen in a while. It’s definitely perfect for kids, but it could be also a wonderful excuse for grown ups to get away from the street lights of the city. Find out more about this fun party created for Leaf Magazine here.

see more photos after the jump

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Lately, I’ve been looking for something more classic for my shoe wardrobe. Because of the pop of gold at the toe, I think this shoe has a perfect balance between both class and sass (which is what every girl needs, of corse). Its a wonderful staple for anyones closet.

ASOS Pluto Point Court Shoes with Gold Toe Cap $99.42

This week has been a quick one for us over here - Tyler’s been getting back in the groove of things and getting ready for the upcoming hockey season. I’ve been a little busy bee with appointments for the wedding and it’s really nice to have things come together a bit more. To top it off, we are so excited to leave for Lake Tahoe and the Kirkwood area today. Heres what we’ve been up to lately:

White House/Black Market blazer, F & F top, H & M black cigarette pants, Forever 21 shoes, vintage old men’s watch, Chloe handbag.

Wild flowers for a fun shabby chic country styled event.

H & M leopard blazer and black racerback dress, Chloe handbag and Vintage bangle.

Freshly squeezed lemonade paired with a good book for a hot afternoon outside.

Girls Nail day with a little coral, blue, and glittery hot pink - and some wine too!

Talk more soon!

xoxo,

Sunset & Vine

With the weather around here shaping up really nicely, this sounds to die for with a side of white wine and the good outdoors. Find out more about this savory blueberry ricotta pizza from A Spicy Perspective here.

Recipe: Savory Blueberry Ricotta Pizza

From here

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 12-15 fresh basil leaves
• 2 slices Sargento Vermont Sharp White Cheddar
• ¼ cup Sargento Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
• ¼ cup fresh blueberries
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 tsp. honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Unfold the puff pastry and lay it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
3. Use a fork to prick holes over the surface, leaving the edges untouched.
4. Arrange the basil leaves over the dough. Then break the cheese slices into bite-size pieces and layer them on the dough.
5. Use and pizza cutter to cut the dough into 8 triangles.
6. Next dollop the ricotta over the dough followed by a sprinkling of blueberries.
7. Sprinkle the pizza with crushed red pepper and salt. Bake for approximately 20 minutes—until the edges are golden.
8. Remove from the oven and drizzle with a little honey.
9. Pull apart and serve warm.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

I find this to be so funny. Definitely something I need for my office desk. 

Paper Tweet Notepad by Knock Knock $6.34

This wonderful idea comes from Jenny Steffens Hobick at Everyday Occasions! I am a huge fan of the little things when it comes to a home. These hand painted linen towels are perfect for not only my home, but could be great as a gift as well. Huge plus - they are easy to do to boot! Jenny says it best by saying, “Best of all, this project can be done by the more ungifted artist.” Find out more about this DIY and see all these pictures here.

Hand Painted Linen Towels

From here  

Need:

•     fabric paint
•     brushes
•     painter’s tape
•     water
•     drop cloth or craft paper
•     linen fabric
•     sewing machine
•     thread
•     pair of scissors    

Directions : 

1. Begin by cutting the linen into the size of the item you’d like to make.  For a napkin, a 20-inch square is a standard size, and 24 by 30-inches works great for kitchen towels.  Allow 1-inch extra around the perimeter for the seam.  Place a piece of craft paper on your surface before beginning.  Place the linen down and use painter’s tape to create stripes.  For a ‘plaid’ effect you’ll need to do the perpendicular stripes in separate phases.

More about the DIY after the jump

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This past week seems to have been a foodie week for us!

Had a lunch date with one of wonderful friends finally. Wearing: a vintage top with H & M black skinnys and my Prada purse from Italy.

Tyler’s birthday was on Saturday! He’s such an old man, he turned 26 on the 26th.

I made some yummy blueberry lemon whoopie pies for a Memorial Day backyard BBQ. If you happened to have missed the post, click here.

We caught a Dodger game this week. Look how cool our new bobble heads are!

Tried a new recipe this week from How Sweet it is! This Watermelon Feta + Basil Quinoa was to die for. It is perfect for a summer time lunch or dinner.

xoxo,

Sunset & Vine

It’s June already? Where has the time gone??

I posted last month about a Summer Bucket list that I was putting together for my time here in the States (read more about it here). With over two months gone, I am amazed at how quickly the time is flying. I remember touching down at the Los Angeles Airport thinking how excited I was to revisit and try new things in my home state of California. We only have two more months together here to really enjoy everything, so heres some more adventures we’d like to share:

Paint some pottery (or better yet, take a pottery class). Image from here.

Try indoor rock climbing (idea from Refinery 29). Picture from here.

Spend the afternoon sipping tea at the Huntington Rose Garden. Picture from here.

Take a hands on cooking class (possibly from Sur La Table?) Image.

Finally sign up for and run a marathon. Image from here.

Host a dinner party for our closest friends. Image from here.

Go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market for a day of inspiration and shopping. Image.

Practice Yoga more often. Image from here.

Whats on your list? Follow the jump for more ideas.

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