gingham and lace + watermelon cake.

gingham and lace for a

semi-wordless wednesday.

i saw photos of these watermelon cakes floating around during the 4th of july weekend, and most recently on Sisters Marie. since it's been hot and muggy, i decided to give it a try for a refreshing treat. i prepared it after everyone went to bed, and when they saw this pretty cake sitting in the refrigerator the next morning, they were so excited. mini-he couldn't wait to eat this cake. i made him wait almost the whole day, because i was scrambling to also make brownie cups [for brownie sundaes].

why? because i needed a back-up.

when i finally sliced the cake, mini-he was disappointed to see that it was just fruit, haha. he enjoyed the brownie sundaes while the rest of us enjoyed the watermelon cake!

 seedless watermelon is better, but this is what we had. i used extra creamy cool whip (instead of whipped cream), and it held up nicely. just make sure to pat the watermelon dry before applying, then top with whatever you like. super easy.

(Lulu's skirt (similar); Gilly Hicks shirt; Shop Lately necklace)

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in case you missed it, check out this fun #PerfectPop

app for making the perfect bag of popcorn:

ankle boots + gingham.

second year in a row that i've stocked up on button down shirts on black friday. these are my absolute favorite shirts because of their versatility. they work with shorts or skirts, look good left out, tucked in, or layered under a jacket or sweater, and can be casual or dressy. here i'm wearing it with denim, because with all the rain we've been having lately, it's hard to put on anything but jeans and boots. i almost got this 773 bag from JustFab in black; so glad i went for the purple. it makes a nice colorful addition to monochromatic outfits such as this one.

by the way, i never knew what these shirts were called; i say button down for lack of a better term. after googling, i learned that button down refers to a collar that is actually buttoned-down, like this. the term that i'm looking for is button up, or simply button. front. duh.

(Libi & Lola machu ring (buy))

wonton mein on a chilly day...

mischa boots | 773 bag in purple

(gilly hicks shirt; pacsun denim; bag & boots c/o JustFab)

purple satchel.

it's the bag you never knew you needed.

i kept coming back to this purple hudson bag from JustFab and finally decided to go for it. it exceeded my expectations of a suede-like bag. the quality is great for its price, the color is vibrant, it's lightweight, and the size is perfect...big enough to fit all the essentials, yet small enough to be considered a purse. i was worried about its versatility, but i've paired it with peach, blue, black, and now green and pink...it just works.

this is another crazy weekend for us. tomorrow, after our usual saturday classes, we're heading to my niece's school fair. this is when i let mini-he eat all the cotton candy he wants before letting him jump to his heart's content in the bounce houses. after that we have my daughter's athletic banquet,

and we finish off with mini-he's [flag football] championship

game on sunday.

what's going on in your neck of the woods?

to finish off last weekend's events, we spent two nights helping our neighbor make pasteles, and let me tell you, it's no easy task! from peeling green bananas, to grinding them, to chopping the meat, assembling them, and cooking them, a lot of work goes into these things. and after all that, i forgot to ask for

one to try! have you tried pasteles?

(JustFab Hudson bag c/o; express denim; jcrew shirt; ae jacket)

calm before the storm.

it's hard to get back into the groove of things at work since the holidays, but there are busy times ahead and i feel like this

is the calm before the storm. time to buckle down.

speaking of storms, the crazy wind kept messing with my camera's focus...and my hair. good news is that i've been able to wear all my favorites...furs and sweaters and boots.

happy aloha friday!

(true religion denim; old navy boots; libi and lola bracelet c/o)

thanks to those who have been voting...

one click daily, that's all it takes!

print mixin.

sometimes something happens that just puts you in a mood for the rest of the day. it wasn't anything bad, and it wasn't anyone's fault, but it just lingered in my head for most of the day. enough that i didn't really get anything done. i did have a grilled cheese sandwich with fries and a no-foam soy latte which were both really yummy, so that was good.

here's to getting over this hump day.

foxy brown wouldn't leave me alone...she kept nudging me!

(shirt, jcrew; skirt, local boutique; shoes, nine west, clutch, f21)

shop the look:

friday casual.

tgif.

just a super casual friday outfit that i always feel good in...my denim flares and a button up [or is it button down?].

at one point i couldn't get enough of gingham ones in particular, but they were sold out everywhere. they seem to be hitting the shelves again at gap and j. crew and old navy.

another busy weekend ahead. movies on the big screen in the yard tonight...think blankets, popcorn, and hot chocolate. then saturday i'm participating in relay for life with the girls. we'll be walking to honor cancer survivors and those we have lost. one of our classmates recently lost her battle with breast cancer. to learn more about the event, feel free to check out my page here. and sunday is all about the minis...swim, tutoring,

and singing classes.

what's up for your weekend?

(alloy western design necklace c/o AliExpress (buy))

a peek at what's new in.

(shirt, j.crew; denim, express; necklace, AliExpress (buy))

country bump.

i just want to say that i'm looking forward to march.

this month we will be full-blown into softball season, there are several school functions to attend, and i have tentative plans to meet up with the girls at a beach house.

things are looking up!

any big plans for march?

star apple. this interesting fruit has a milky core and

a texture similar to persimmon.

(shirt, jcrew (similar); hunter boots (buy); denim, true religion (similar))

photo: random google search

ok, i love, love, LOVED this show. tara suffers from dissociative identity disorder, better known as multiple personality disorder. by the show's finale, she has five eccentric "alters" who appear at the most inopportune times. her teen son struggling with his sexual identity, her daughter trying to find her place in the world, and husband who loves her to death all try to lead normal lives while tara struggles to get to the root of her problem. this is a must see.

(rated: TV-MA)

pinkish purple.

i love that everyone is getting into the spirit of valentines.

i ordered a mocha at starbucks today, which came in this cute heart-adorned cup, and was given this 'buy one mocha

and get one free' card. now, i could do without the commercialized couples dinners, but coffee?

that's the way to my heart.

met up with the gang this morning for a beach workout. it was pouring rain, and i went expecting hoping for a plan b. something like a few quick stretches under covers followed by a cup of coffee...where we could talk about next week's workout? no such luck. there was no plan b. we ran the beach then did a timed series of high intensity sit-ups, push-ups, planks, squats, jumps (onto a low wall)...eight sets. in the pouring rain. i was drenched down to my undies and my shoes were sloshy inside, but amen to my maybelline gel eyeliner

which didn't run at all. 

 

this hot mocha was perfect on this rainy day.

(top, j crew (similar); skirt (similar)(similar);

shoes, nine west (buy); necklace, bebe)

one down eleven to go.

january is gone, and in looking back at my resolutions,

here's a quick recap of the month:

sleep early - at least once a week. it's a start.

exercise - check! meet with the gang once a week then light exercise at home the rest of the week.

girl time - check! met up twice.

read - finished a book i started months ago.

one-on-one mini time - nope.

try something new - check! yoga.

fix laptop - nope.

organize posts - nope.

how was your first month of 2012?

iced coffee and a chocolate chunk cookie make

the afternoon traffic bearable.

(shirt, j crew; vest, old navy; denim, abercrombie & fitch (similar);

boots, nine west (similar))