winner winner

My summer luck continues! The blog that made me start my blog, Nicole's Guide to Style, held it's first giveaway last week. She was giving away a CSN stores giftcard, and I was lucky enough to win! I can't wait to pick out what I'm going to put it towards. I'm thinking a wonderful KitchenAid mixer, but my mom has her eye on a few things too. I guess we'll see!

kelley

got that theta spirit

Over the past few days I've been making some posters for some sorority events. I've made some for Bid Day, and some for general use at philanthropies to cheer our theta girls on! I have more to do, but I've had so much fun making them so far that I thought I'd share my work in progress.

I've made a few more since I took these pictures, but I'm sure you can get the idea from these! Theta love!

kelley

a hole in one

My dad's birthday was last week and my mom and I made him some yummy cupcakes! He's loved golfing throughout his life, so we decided to try something fun!

We made the cupcakes into a mini golf course! This course was complete with grass, a sandpit, the green, and a mini ball. We used a pipping tip for the grass, and my mom quickly became an expert! I drizzled a sweet milk mixture on top of plain cupcakes and then sprinkled graham cracker crumbs on top to make them look sandy. I'm sure you could frost the cupcakes in white lightly, and use that instead of the milk mixture. For the green we just smoothly frosted some cupcakes and my mom put a grass trim as a finishing touch. The flag is made with a portion of a skewer and some blue painting tape, and the ball is a small bit of a mini marshmallow.
My dad loved the cupcakes and my mom and I had a blast putting a twist on this delicious dessert!

kelley

charged up cherry

You'd think this color would be red due to the "cherry" part of it's name. But I guess that's what the "charged up" part is for because it's so much more than that! It's almost like a dark neon pink if that makes sense. It's a great color that is classic and fun - I love it!

kelley

steal of the day

This is been the summer of steals for me! I've had amazing luck with finding some great stuff at even better prices! I haven't even bought all of the great deals I've found, but trust me, I have taken advantage of some of them!
Today I found more great deals at none other than Marshalls. I found a $350 Joie maxi dress for $35 (90% off!) that was absolutely gorgeous, but just way too big. I also found an adorable Kensie dress that was a little big, but I was still excited about it because it was $168 down to $15! That is until I saw ripping all along the seams and decided to just pass it by. However, the things I found that did work out made up for my disappointment about the two dresses!

Olivia + Joy Studded Chic Crossbody in White - $78 on sale for $7
Olivia + Joy Quilted Crossbody in Light Grey - $58 on sale for $7

Steve Madden Daynty in Black Leather - $89.95 on sale for $50

The bags are both adorable and for only $7 each? Terrific! And don't even get me started on the shoes. I really don't need them seeing as I'm planning on picking up the a brown Jessica Simpson clog. I mean, do I really need two pairs of clogs? But I simply couldn't pass up the deal! What can I say? I absolutely love a good sale.

kelley

easy filled cupcakes

Last week I made cupcakes for a get together my mom had for her and her girlfriends. She said chocolate was a must, and I decided to make my favorite buttercream recipe for a delicious topping. I had been wanting to try a new filling technique from Martha Stewart's book, and I figured I could try it out and make my own version of the Hostess classic. Here's a mini guide to the delicious filled cupcakes!

I started by letting the cupcakes completely cool.

Next I used a double-edged knife to cut a small portion of the cupcake out.
You cut at an angle, and cut a circle out. The angle makes the hole come to a point so the piece comes out whole, and you still have cupcake underneath the filling.

Next I piped some buttercream into the hole.
Make sure to be generous when filling the hole so when you go to frost the cupcake, you don't get crumbs mixed into the frosting.

Lastly, I added some more buttercream onto the cupcake (in addition to what I had already piped in) and frosted the cupcake completely.

The only other step would be to enjoy this yummy treat! Look out Hostess - these were delicious!

kelley

free at last

Free People is having a great sale! They have tons of stuff on sale, and it's way on sale. Yay! I have to decide if I'm going to put an order in or cross my fingers and wait until I go down to Santa Barbara and go into the store. Either way, here are a few of the many great items on sale that caught my eye!

Printed Ruffle Tap Short - $68 on sale for $49.95
Sequined Mesh Slip - $68 on sale for $19.95
Sophie Sandal - $98 on sale for $39.95
Silver Pyramid Studs - $12 on sale for $6.95

I love Free People. Their stuff is stylish and unique, and they have great sales! The shorts are so cute, and I have the belt in the photo, so that must be a sign that I should consider them. My friend has the slip in white, and it's amazing. She's tiny so she can wear it as a dress, but I'd have to get a bigger size if I wanted it to be long enough as a dress on me, but then it's too big everywhere else. I think it looks great as a top to tuck into a skirt and you're ready to go out! Both the sandals and the studs are adorable and they're steals! I just noticed the four things I featured start with "S" - shorts, slip, sandals, and studs. That has to be a sign that I should buy them all, right?

kelley

jade is the new black

I have to admit, it was the name that first drew me to this fabulous polish. Of course I heard the polish being talked about because it's such a great color, and I remembered the name because I liked it so much. Needless to say, I loved the color as well, and now it's one of my favorites! Whenever I wear it I get compliments on it. I think it's because you don't see green polish too often, or maybe because the color is so great!

kelley

clog eat clog

Are clogs now a classic? They keep going in and out (and in and out) of style, and I'm thinking this pattern won't stop. Regardless, right now they're in, and I'm loving them!

Jessica Simpson Junie in Tobacco - $88.95
Via Spiga V-Astro in Caramel - $198
Steve Madden Daynty in Taupe - $89.95

The Steve Madden also come in an adorable olive suede. Very cute. But I need a new pair of dark brown leather heels to wear during rush, and I think I'm going to go with the Jessica Simpson. I originally thought I'd go with some kind of strappy leather sandal, but I'm just loving the clog!

kelley

russian navy

I've come to realize that these pictures just don't do the polishes justice. I take multiple pictures of every color trying to get a good representation, but they're all just so much more beautiful in person!
I absolutely love Russian Navy. It is very dark and looks almost black when you're inside, but once it catches a little light, you get this brilliant navy blue. The color looks amazing in the bottle too - a dark shimmery navy with a hint of purple. In the bottle, it's actually very similar to OPI Ink, which is also a great color. This color makes me feel mysterious, which is always fun!

kelley

beachy keen

This weekend I went to the beach! I stayed at a beautiful beach house with the waves right in the backyard. It was so relaxing and tons of fun. The only problem was that it was chilly and cloudy, so I didn't get much of a tan. My friend and I walked on the beach and wrote in the sand. I went with the classic "theta" and snapped a shot right as a little wave came to wash it away.
I had a great time at the beach, and on our way home we stopped an did a little shopping - always a good time!

kelley

tickle my france-y

My eye is always drawn to this polish because I absolutely love the color in the bottle! I like it a little less on my nails, but it's still definitely a keeper. It's a polish that you see, but it's not all you see. Perfect for an interview or professional setting, but also great if I don't want something too loud. I'm still on the lookout for more brown-ish colors especially with gray hints as well.

kelley

in the nude

I've been loving nude pumps for awhile now. They are understated and dramatic at the same time. Both professional and fun. They're like magic shoes! I've been looking for the perfect pair, and although I really love the Louboutin Banana in Nude, they're a little out of my budget. I STILL haven't gotten a pair, but it's one of my goals to find a great pair and grab them before summer is over.

Steve Madden Flamed in Blush - $90 on sale for $43
Jimmy Choo Private in Nude - $950
Brian Atwood Maniac in Nude - $580

I loved the look of the Steve Maddens, and the price was too good to turn down! But when I went to order them, they were out of my size. Of course. So my search continues!

kelley

pamplona purple

I really like OPI Pamplona Purple! I love the way it looks in the bottle, and it looks a tad darker on my nails, but it's still very pretty. I think it would look good on lots of different skin tones, and I can't wait to wear it once it gets a little colder. It will be a fun pop of color that's not too bright, but still makes a chilly day more fun!

kelley

glitter in the air

I really love glitter. It's eye-catching, it's fun. Apparently, I'm not the only one to think so - I've been seeing so many amazing and shimmering glitter shoes lately. Sarah Jessica Parker wore an amazing pair of gold glittery Louboutins in Sex and the City 2, and Steve Madden has come out with multiple glitter heels.

Christian Louboutin Straratata in Multicolor Miniglitter - $995
Steve Madden Snobbie in Gold Glitter - $109.95
Mui Mui Glitter Peep Toe Pumps with Velvet Bow - $570

At the top are the fabulous pink Christian Louboutin Declic Glitter Pumps - $675

All of these shoes are so fun and glamorous! The Mui Muis remind me of the shoes I got for a dance in high school - they were covered in gold glitter, and I loved them!

kelley

an expensive wish

Late last night I saw that one of my favorite childhood shows was on. This got me thinking about all the shows and movies I used to love. I remembered one of my favorite Disney movies, Wish Upon a Star. The movie starred Katherine Heigl and was about two sisters who magically switch bodies and live as each other for a few days. After remembering the movie, I wanted to buy it, and hoped I could find it on DVD. I looked on Amazon because I was planning on putting an order in soon, and I found it!

But for a price. A new DVD of the movie was selling for $45. This movie is from 1996! Almost $50 for a 14 year old (hardly classic) Disney movie? One copy is even selling for over $100! They do have used copies for about $30, but I was still shocked! I wonder if the price is so high since it's starring Katherine Heigl who has become so popular. I think I'll put off getting the movie, even though I would like to see it again! I'll be happy enough with some of the other goodies I'm getting including another copy of one of my all time favorites, Clueless. I watched that VHS tape hundreds of times, and my DVD copy seems to be lost, so I'll be happy to own that one again!

kelley