Trends & Tans

its so Important to do the things that make you feel good.

Now that it's starting to get nicer out, it's time to share my yearly tan post. I often get asked what tanning product I use since often times I am indeed tan. Who could blame me right? I'm blonde. And lets face it blondes look better tan. It also makes be a better person in general and feel less stabby.

So let's get to it. Fake Bake! I've used this product for About 15 years and will tell anyone who will listen how amazing it is. It has a green base so it doesn’t look orange. They have many different products and I'm pretty sure I've used them all but my favorite is the Instant Tan. They mean instant too. 'Cause this girl who is always in motion sure doesn't have a lot of time to wait for...well, anything. I'm a real big fan of instant gratification and this delivers. You can also watch it go on so there will be no dreaded streak. Plus with a birthday looming it helps to fight the good fight against wrinkles.

Fast Tips:

Always exfoliate first and put a little lotion on your elbows and knuckles.  

Do you nail polish after. 

Once your tan is where you want it, moisterize twice a day.  

What if you get a faux tan and it comes out terrible? Have no fear. Here is the fix:

Simply mix equal parts lemon juice, baking soda, and sugar and rub it out! 

Why does this work? Basically it just evens out the Ph of your skin back to normal. Crisis averted. 

Buy Fake Bake here

Flame Scarlet and a great sleeve!

Now on to fashion. I’ve talked about the Spring/Summer Pantone color palette and shared some favorites. So today I’m once again combining a fabulous current trend and a color from the palette I just love. 

Flame Scarlet breathes so much life into the season and will be sure to add sizzle to your summer. I was thrilled when I found this top that mixed this amazing color with the puffy sleeve! This trend is so fun because it adds just the right amount of fun and frill to an otherwise basic top.

Enjoy your Tuesday Friends!

Bedroom Bliss

Hello and Happy Monday!

I once did a Martini Moment called "Cozy & Chic" and it was all about things you can do to make your bed even more comfortable. In this Fast Fash Home Hack I'm talking about your bedroom in general. It's no secret I absolutely love my bedroom and would do anything to make it even more comfortable. And actually when we toured our house it made me say “where do I sign?”.

Your END TABLES

Now with a babies, they inevitably come with more....things. So my first tip is to keep your bedside table as clear as possible and only keep what’s needed there. At one point in my new motherhood I looked over to see just what I had sitting there. Bottles, burp cloth, Owlet station (SIDS monitor), baby monitor, not to mention my things: phone, jewelry catcher, magazines, notebook. Needless to say some major decluttering needed done. Once it was cleaned off and places were designated for things it made all the difference! It also helped my head feel less cluttered too. But wine is essential right?

Lighting

Maybe it's us being photographers but we are all about lighting. We have Phillip Hue Lightbulbs (buy them on Amazon, at Home Depot, or Target) and you can completely control the warm or coolness, bright or dim. We have them all over the house and I can tell you they are totally worth the investment. Also speaking of lighting make sure you can block it out (if you want that is). I like to know what’s happening outside so I often keep mine open.

Have a nook

For a housewarming gift, MK got me a beautiful chaise and thats where I read or drink my morning coffee or have a much needed cocktail at the end of the day. It helps to have somewhere other than bed to make the room even more cozy.  

Sending you so many good vibes this week!

Let’s Get Cheesy

Hello Friends!

If you know me then you know I love to entertain. Hosting parties is like my thing. I also love to pick on appetizers and sip my vino instead of sit down dinners (I mean of course there is a time and place for that). On today’s Perfectly Plated I’m talking about the anatomy of the PERFECT cheese plate. Recently, I had someone tell me I should do a post on doing a cheese platter like you would order in a restaurant. Well here you go! MK and I always stay in for Valentines Day, and usually do wine and cheese. There also might be steaks involved. But always wine and cheese.

When I started hosting many years ago,  I did soooo much research on how to make the perfect cheeseboard. One full proof thing I learned was “something old, something new, something goat, and something blue”.  That will always stay in my head when creating this appetizer. A board like this might be intimidating but I can assure you it isn’t hard.

How to Charcuterie:

Here is a list of what I used:

Meats: Pepperoni

Salami

Prosciutto wrapped around mozzarella

Sliced ham

Sweet Sopressata

Cheeses: Asiago (old)

Fresh Mozzarella  (new)

Brie

Goat

Gorgonzola (blue)

I added: Grapes

Gorgonzola stuffed olives

Walnuts

Honey

Raspberry Rhubarb

Fresh Rosemary

An assortment of bread and crackers. Make sure to mix up the texture and flavors.

I recently came to own cheese knives. Why they weren't already a part of my life before is beyond me. But, I thought it would go perfectly with this cheeseboard talk to break down what you use them for.

Spatula: This one is for cheeses like Brie or Camembert

Cheese Fork: Move cheese easily with this to plates

Heart Shaped: Best for hard cheeses like Asiago

Soft Cheese Knife: For Gorgonzola or Mozzarella

No matter what your V-Day plans are, I hope they include some delicious cheese and wine of course.