The Superbowl = Excuse for a party

Jen and I painted the city red this weekend and took a gazillion pictures. Too bad my crappy internet is moving at record prehistoric speed, and at this rate I will be posting them in the next century. So that being said I will have to postpone that post for tomorrow, but in the meantime here are some shots from my little Superbowl party on Sunday. Since I was rooting for the Saints, I thought a cajun theme would be appropriate. I made a massive pot of gumbo and my friends brought all the yummy fixings to match. I think everyone left stuffed and happy. Mission accomplished ;)

Tea for Two

{The seating at 26 Beach, I'm totally lovin the birdhouse as wall decor}

After visiting 26 Beach on my recent trip to Venice Beach, I was immediately enamored by its charming decor. Its sweet little details made it a perfect setting for a nice afternoon get together with girlfriends. In fact, it inspired me to host my own little holiday brunch/tea party for my own friends (which also gives me an excuse to get some cute tableware too!) Tea parties were among one of my favorite imaginary games when I was a kid, so hosting a real one should be so much fun =)

I can't believe the weekend is almost here! This week really flew by fast. D and I have a SUPER exciting culinary adventure in store for this weekend, and I can't wait to tell you more about it on Monday. Here's a clue: we are visiting a restaurant that has been consistently rated one of the top, if not the best restaurants in the world! I'll have to do some extra cardio before hand, but it's soooooo worth it!

Have a lovely weekend =)

-Missy

Cupcake Love

{dessert for the indian themed movie night we hosted on Sunday}

Carrot cupcakes topped with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and a touch of orange zest.

Perfect =)

Mad about Mad Men- Betty Draper Costume Ideas for 2009

Since Halloween is just around the corner, I wanted to share the Betty Draper look I put together for this year. It was super simple, elegant, and comfortable. The best part of it all is that you will be able to add these beautiful pieces to your everyday wardrobe. No need to trash it away in the back of your closet where it will never be seen again! I had so much fun "being" Betty this weekend, and part of me wants to get up every morning and look as polished and stylish as she does.

{via google images}

{my version of Mad Men's Betty Draper}

{Betty Essentials: floral dress, cardigan, peep toe heels, pearl earrings, pearl necklace}

Hair & Makeup :

{I used very light eye makeup as the makeup should appear very feminine and delicate}

{ I used my favorite liquid foundation and set it with translucent powder. A light pink blush was applied along with slight highlighting and contour powder on the cheek bones}

{now top it off with RED lipstick that compliments your skin tone. Use a lip liner to help soften the look and to avoid looking like you are joining the circus}

{for soft curls, I used a 1.25 inch barrel curling iron. Part your hair in two sections. Curl half of the hair towards your face, and half of it away from your face}

{Spray all over with some good quality hairspray}

(since it would take forever to do a play by play tutorial just email me if you have any questions about the products or techniques I used and I'd be more than happy to help! ( btw, I am no makeup artist/hair stylist by any means, these are just suggestions coming from little old me ):

lovelylittlelife{at}gmail{dot}com

The curls can be kept down, or you can opt for a simple up-do like I chose to do. I basically just used the curls to help with the volume, swept my hair into a side pony tail, and rolled my hair into a side bun while securing it with an elastic and bobby pins for any stray hairs}

Finished product:

Lovely little Hostesses

{Oh hello there, we're Melissa and Mabel, your hostesses for the night}

{Derek showed up at the apartment looking like this. We had no idea who he was }

{With the beautiful birthday girl Kjersti! We love you :) }

{our girly-halloween themed tabletop decor}

{d doubled as the dog whisperer that night}

{creepy jello shooters- the party favorite}

{Alaina the school teacher. I bet every teenage boy would kill to be in her class!}

{the cowgirl and gorilla share a kiss}

{now the mullet man steals a kiss from me as I squirm away from his mustache}

{the SCU girls}

{the lovelies posing with the birthday girl}

{apparently gorillas like to party too!}

{the cake we made for kj}

{so sweeeet!}

Mabel and I added event planning to our resumes this weekend as we hosted a birthday soiree for our dear friend Kjersti! We had so much fun planning and prepping for this special occasion, and can't wait for another excuse to host a party! Happy birthday Kjersti! Here's to a great year! You deserve it =)

Happy Howl-o-ween

{aren't they the cutest insects you've ever seen?}

{derby bug}

{burger sticking his tongue out at me. What a cutie!}

Last year we dressed the dogs up as sweet little bumble bees for halloween. The costumes didn't stay on for more than half an hour, so while they were in a picture taking mood, I snapped all the photos I could before they began to unravel. Thanks to the economy, Burger and Derby will probably do an encore of their bumble bee alter egos, but I don't think they mind. I bet they are praying I forget about them all together haha.

The weekend has loads of fun in store for us. Festive celebrations and music festivals galore! Tell you more about it on Monday ;)

Mad about Mad Men- Costume ideas for 2009

{images via here}

Halloween is just around the corner, but finding a clever costume hasn't really been at the top of my priority list this year. My past experiences with costume shopping have left me pretty hesitant about the whole process. You buy a costume (they are pretty expensive btw), wear it once, throw it in the back of your closet, and never see it again. So after buying bunny, flight attendant, gangster getups in past years, I've learned to instead invest in costumes that utilize everyday pieces that can be worn later. Last Halloween, I channeled the legendary Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, and it has probably been my favorite costume thus far (with exception to my ballerina costume I never took off when I was 3). I bought a simple black dress, a fake 99 cent cigarette holder, did my own updo, and topped it off with a borrowed a tiara for the whole look. The little black dress is something I can use forever, and won't end up as closet trash.

This year I'm going to play by the same rules and attempt to pull off the look of the stunning housewife, Betty Draper (played by January Jones) from the hit show Mad Men. Set in the early 60's, Mad Men's style reminds me of my grandmother. She was a seamstress back in her day and made the most beautiful and elegant dresses. The style back then was so lovely and polished (something you don't generally ever see today). I really hope I can pull it off, and if anything, I'll still get a really great dress out of it ;)

Lovely little creations- White chocolate cheesecake

{eye candy for cheesecake lovers}

This dangerously decadent dessert was made specially for my friend Alaina's birthday. The birthday girl, who is incidentally a cheesecake fanatic opted to nix traditional birthday fare in favor of this delicious alternative. Although the end result was absolutely great, I'd have to say this baby was a labor of love. After two oven fire scares and a crack that almost ruined the entire aesthetic of the cheesecake, I was this close to throwing in the towel, dumping the damn thing into the garbage disposal, and sending derek to the nearest bakery for a consolation cake. Luckily I stuck it out, and thanks to several prayers and crossed fingers, successfully pulled it off without burning my house down (okay I'm exaggerating).

Now that I've scared everyone from ever making a cheesecake, truthfully it is not that hard. I've made other cheesecakes without a hitch, but with this particular cake I failed to securely wrap the bottom of the spring form pan with foil. It is a MUST when using an Oreo crust. Because Oreos already contain a very high fat content, the oils from the cream will melt during the baking process and leak through the pan causing it to drip onto the oven's underside (which is a big no-no). So take it from me and wrap the bottom of that pan a hundred times before you bake anything. Now, with that being said. Here's the recipe :

crust

• 2.5 cups chocolate wafer cookies (I used oreos), broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

filling

• 8 oz good-quality white chocolate, finely chopped

• 4- 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions

Crust:

* Preheat oven to 325 degrees, finely grind 2.5 cups of chocolate wafers in a food processor

* Mix crumbs with 1/2 cup melted butter until moist.

* Press into the bottom of a 9 in springform pan, and 1 inch up the sides.

* Bake for 10 minutes or until firm but not burnt

Filling:

* melt chocolate in a double boiler. cool until luke warm and stir to prevent hardening, set aside

* cream sugar, cream cheese,salt, and flour until light and fluffy

* with the mixer on low-med speed, incorporate one egg at a time

* slowly mix in sour cream vanilla until combined

* stir in melted chocolate

* pour filling into cooled crust

* bake in center rack for 1 hour at 325 . (check cheesecake at 50 minutes because ovens can vary)

* turn off oven at end of cooking time and cool cheesecake inside of oven with the door slightly open for 30 minutes (this will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking)

* remove cheesecake from oven and refrigerate overnight

Topping:

You can choose to serve it plain, but I like mine topped with whipped cream and chocolate covered strawberries.

* combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar

* beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks are formed (decorate as desired)

* strawberries can be dipped in special mold chocolate such as the wilton brand (which adds a special touch)

HAPPY BAKING =) and Happy Birthday Alaina!

xoxo,

Melissa

A very merry unbirthday to you!

This weekend was a full on birthday fest. Since none of us like getting older anymore, I want to instead wish all my dear friends a very merry unbirthday!

{Dave and Marilee celebrating the big 3-0 at Double D's in Los Gatos}

{louis,derek, and mimi -- happy to still be in their 20's. right lou? hehe}

{cheezin' it up at Rosie McCann's}

{the birthday girl and her entourage}

{alaina with her very special birthday white chocolate cheesecake I made just for her =) }

{The roomies getting their groove on the dance floor}

{the lovebirds martha and julian}

{And here's a little something to help us hold on to our childhood just a little longer}