CINCO DE MAYO

Hope ya'll had a fabulous weekend.  As I mentioned on Friday, Cinco de Mayo is this Saturday! You can guarantee this Texas girl LOVES to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and couldn't be more excited about getting to spend this year's day in Austin, CAN'T. WAIT.  I hope ya'll have fun plans for the weekend, and it is not too late to throw together a fiesta for friends with the essentials and recipes mentioned below.  

Paper Flowers//Corona Pops //Mini Tequila//Ruffled Streamers//Topo Chico//Chiclets//Plants in Cans

(Photo)

 via

Margarita Cupcakes
(via Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

1/4 cup lime juice

1 1/2 tsp lime zest (1 lime)
1 cup soy milk (plain or vanilla)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp tequila
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
In a large bowl, mix together lime juice, lime zest, soy milk, oil , tequila, vanilla and sugar.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to lime mixture and stir until just combined. Divide evenly into muffin tins.
Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

WEEKEND LINK LOVE

It's Friday and nothing like this video to get you ready for the weekend!  I had forgotten how much I absolutely love this scene from the movie Something Borrowed... AMAZING.

A few favorites I've come across this week:

1. For those of you who didn't get their Margarita fix from the previous popsicle post, these Watermelon Basil Margaritas look amazing & delicious!
2. This amazing article on the Huffington Post for all of us who are rapidly sliding into the big 3-0.  And the BOOK that came out earlier this week!
3. Great thing to try out this weekend if you are wanting to take on a craft project.  These painted tumblers look pretty simple to make and are super cute.
4.  Can't wait for the fabulous Clare Vivier's candy colored messenger bags to make their debut in stores soon.. in the meantime you can check out my favorite Clare Vivier bag, the messenger bag, on her website.

MARGARITA POPSICLES.

Cinco de Mayo is only EIGHT DAYS AWAY, yes, you read that right, it is one week from tomorrow.  That means you have only a few days to pull together a fun Mexican fiesta to celebrate the day! Not to worry, I have all the essentials for the perfect celebration, but you'll have to wait until Monday's roundup for that.  While I was looking for the perfect party ideas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I came across so many ways to create the perfect margarita and wanted to share the first of many margarita recipes, the margarita popsicle.  Even if it is not sunny and 90 degrees here in NYC this weekend, it doesn't mean you can't make a dozen of these popsicles sit outside and pretend you're basking in the sun enjoying the springtime weather.  Let me know what you think of them!

Recipe via 

TINY BITS OF TRUTH.

Can not believe it's already Thursday! Feels like the week has flown by, right?  Tiny bits of truth series for this Thursday, and I also included a pretty adorable "What It's Like to Be A Dog Toy" video... amazing!

What It's Like to be a Dog Toy from Beep Show on Vimeo.

SNEAK PEAK...LULULEMON SWIMWEAR

It is no secret that I would wear Lululemon spandex every day of every week for the rest of my life if possible, yes I do believe it is THAT GOOD...so you can only imagine the excitement I felt when I came across a post yesterday on Glamour Magazine giving a sneak peak at the new Lululemon swimwear line launching next week.  Oh my goodness, I can't wait to check it out next week.  Until then, we have the two photos below, which sadly, don't offer too much insight into the greatness I know this swimwear line will be.  If you are not familiar with Lululemon, check out their wunder under crop pants.  These are my favorite of the entire collection, and I truly believe these look good on every any woman, any size, any shape, anytime.  I couldn't resist including a few other favorites currently online at Lululemon right now as well.  Are you a Lulu fan? 

LET. IT. RAIN.

"If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh what a rain it would be..."

When it rains, it pours.  Thankfully this weekend there was a brief moment of sunshine on Saturday, because for all day Sunday it was a wet, chilly mess here in NYC.   I found myself caught without an umbrella (again!) in a downpour Sunday morning, and it got me thinking about rain in general.  Prior to moving to New York I always took for granted the ease with which in Texas we easily navigate the rain- walking from building to car to garage and never really worrying we will get stuck without our umbrella stranded in the rain.  In New York, I've quickly learned it's better to ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS bring the umbrella because there is nothing worse than being stuck without your umbrella and still six blocks from home.  I always debate whether I should make a run for my apartment and arrive soaking wet resembling what I like to think of as a drowned rat when I get there, or suck it up and buy another cheapo umbrella from the man who appears without fail every single time it rains to sell them on the street (I've lost count of how many times I've ended up purchasing one of these gems!).

Rain.  It comes sporadically. Steady. Softly. Unexpectedly. But no matter what, it comes.  And what we do when it arrives, is entirely up to us. Isn't that how so many things in life are too? I know I certainly have plenty rainy days, ones that I often believe they are so dreadful all I want to do is stay in bed and avoid the day at all cost, when in reality, a little rain is needed in order to grow and bring new life, right?   It's best to put your wellies on, throw on that rain jacket, grab your umbrella, and get out there and take in the rain and be thankful for all rain brings both to our own lives as well as to the outdoors surrounding us .  Rain has also taught me that you can never take yourself or life too seriously, because there are always going to be obstacles in your way, you're always going to get caught without your umbrella and seeking a place to take cover, and the best thing to do is find comfort in knowing the rain will pass and learn to laugh at yourself, because life is far too short to let a little rain get you down. 

Since it is springtime, and that inevitably means rain showers, I had to share a few of my must-have rain essentials.   Do you have any rain boots? If you are in the market for new rain boots, I absolutely LOVE my Loeffler Randal taupe rain boots and would highly recommend them! What are your rain essentials?

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COLOR COMBO CRASH COURSE: COBALT+CORAL

1// 2// 3// 4// 5// Photo

Recently, I have seen the coral and cobalt blue combo EVERYWHERE.  I am not one to stray from my "uniform" of black, white, or the occasional red or bright pink, but this color trend is something I'm going to try out for spring/summer.  It's perfect to brighten up your look and there are so many different options out right now to get this look, as shown by Olivia Palermo below, I mean can rock anything she puts on, gorgeous!

Coral Blazer//Splurge Pumps//Steal Pumps//Photo

Have any of ya'll tried out this color combo for spring yet? Any favorite coral or cobalt blue pieces you've found? Let me know because I would  love to check them out!