Wedding Ideas: Citrus Ice Cream Soda

I'm so excited today to feature our latest photoshoot on with Michelle March over on Floridian Weddings today! See the entire post here.

Inspired by having a citrus ice cream soda station at your wedding reception, I created this shoot with a little help from the wonderful Laura and the beautiful photos from Michelle. Thanks Ladies!

xoxo~Becca

The SAG Awards: Rainbow Ladies

The Screen Actors Guild Awards took place last night and I was so happy to see the rainbow assortment of colored dresses on the red carpet. I am never shy to add a little color to my wardrobe and while they were some gorgeous nude gowns, these brightly colored gowns caught my eye!

Julie Bowen in Temperley London

Michelle Williams in Valentino

Kyra Sedgwick in Pucci

Dianna Agron in Carolina Herrara

I thought that Emily Blunt looked STUNNING in her Oscar de la Renta green gown!

Who was your favorite?

xoxo~Becca

Sweet Louis

I was flipping through my new Vogue magazine and saw the new "sweet" Louis Vuitton ad campaign and of course fell in love, are you surprised! Shades of pink, pastel ice cream, headbands, pink cheeks, pastel purses, in love! Photographed by the amazing Steven Meisel, how can you not want to buy one of these bags {Valentine's Day, hahaha}.

The runway show for this new collection was gorgeous in Paris! Marc Jacobs had the models walking out from a beautiful fantasy like carousel, see it all here.

I know I have had a busy go go go type of week and have a lot going on in life. Looking at an ad campaign like this makes me feel lost and dreamy. Doesn't this just make you happy. Ice Cream and Carousels and Louis Vuitton, wow, Happy Friday!

xoxo~Becca

Four Years Ago This Week

Today I started day dreaming about going on a winter ski vacation. While all of you that live up North want to escape to Florida, I have an itch to head to the mountains and have some snow time! I was day dreaming about a trip I took to Austria with Beau and his family four years ago and it got me thinking about four years ago this week...wow.

Four years ago this week was the big Inauguration week and it is still one of the most exciting and fun memories I have with my sisters and will be for the rest of my life. We bundled up and woke up at the crack of dawn sporting our Obama pins and walked down to the Mall watching the swearing in underneath the Washington monument. DC was so alive and exciting!

The evening before we had a huge event for Huffington Post {see the entire party here} at work that I was able to have them assist as volunteers with. I know that watching Will.i.am and Sting rehearse and later on perform with Sheryl Crow, while I escorted Ben Affleck through the VIP area, may have been a highlight of working in DC;)

The weekend after all the fun, I joined Beau's family in Austria for a ski trip! Wow, how I would like to blink my eyes and be there again right now!

This photo of Beau, is of him waiting for the ride up the mountain to lunch. It was awesome, you held onto a rope and they pulled you up to this small cabin with this view. The only way down from lunch, you and your skis. It is moments like this that you think back and wonder "Wow, did I cherish it when I was there?" I do now!

Isn't it crazy to look back sometimes at what you were doing a few years ago on this day, this week. It makes you realize all of the fun you have had! For now I will have to daydream about these memories, but hey, what a time it was!

xoxo~Becca

Jason Wu at Target

In case you haven't heard, Target has done it again! The fabulous Tarjay has collaborated with another amazing designer to bring their high end fashion to a Target girls budget. February 5th, I will be at Target lining up {no joke} to snatch up some of Jason Wu's amazing designs!

I am loving the shirt with the bow!

How about this little blue sweater with the belted dress!

And this dress, oh please don't run out, I love it!

Can't wait to see all of the fabulous stuff in person!

xoxo~Becca

Rebecca's Recipes: Wheat Berry Salad w/ Winter Fruit, Pistachios & Ginger

A tore this recipe out of Food and Wine magazine and have had it laying around in a stack of magazines and tear sheets in my living room for quite some time now. Well last week I decided I needed to a) go through that pile and b) cook a dish I could eat throughout the week. Here it is...my new favorite recipe: Wheat Berry Salad with Winter Fruit, Pistachios and Ginger. The original recipe calls for Farro but I replaced it with Whole Grain Wheat Berries and well, it was just as delicious!

Even Beau loved this healthy recipe when he stated, "Hey, that cous cous like stuff in the fridge, did you make it? It is delicious!" Yep, it is. For a snack, for lunch, dinner or I'm even thinking as a little healthy breakfast alternative.

Bon Appetit! xoxo~Becca

INGREDIENTS

1. Salt

2. 1 1/2 cups wheat berries (10 ounces)

3. 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

4. 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

5. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

6. 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

7. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8. 1/4 cup golden raisins

9. 1/4 cup dried sour cherries

10. 2 scallions, thinly sliced

11. 1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, chopped

12. 1/4 cup chopped mint

13. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the farro and simmer over moderate heat until al dente, about 35 minutes. Drain well, shaking off the excess water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, ginger and oil and whisk to blend. Season with salt.

3. Add the warm farro to the dressing along with the raisins and cherries and toss well. Let stand until the farro is almost cool. Just before serving, fold in the scallions, pistachios, mint and cilantro and season with salt.

MAKE AHEAD

The salad can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

i heart COLORBLOCK

I have never been one to be afraid of wearing a little color, oh no! I tend to head towards the racks of clothes full of pinks and oranges and yellows before black. Last year for Christmas Beau bought me a bright orange purse. Color me happy! I love a little color! So I was quite excited to see all of these color blocked pieces around for Spring. Fashion, be bright and cheery!

Colorblock by rldamato

Wedding Wednesday: Southern Living Weddings Giveaway

I wanted to let all of you know that we are giving away an awesome book over at Floridian Weddings. Southern Living Wedding Planner and Keepsake: What To Do Before Saying "I Do". The editors of Southern Living Magazine collaborated with the wonderfully talented and creative DC based ladies Maria and Kelly from Ritzy Bee Events .

We are giving away one book this Friday so leave a comment here CLICK HERE !

The book is really lovely and after reading it I would highly recommend it for your planning!

xoxo~Rebecca

A New Case

This past weekend I caved in and upgraded my phone to the new iPhone 4S....ummm, hello, why did I wait so long! I'm totally loving my new phone! It is lighter, smaller and so much faster then my previous iPhone. WOW! So now that I'm loving using it for everything, obviously I need a new case! However, there are so many out there. Help me out! Which one do you think I should get?

Case #1 - The Ocean City Case from Society 6

I felt it very fitting living in FL by the beach. Isn't it pretty.

Case #2 - Signature Silhouette Case by Pretty Smitten

My sister sent it to me, I love it, but I decided, I'm 30! Do I need this. However, the light pink version is quite cute.

Case #3 - Kate Spade

So pretty and sophisticated with fun gold polka dots

Case #4 - Pencil Shavings Studio Mini Chevron Stripe Case

I'm a sucker for chevron printed items and monogrammed, so both of these together = love.

Case #5 - Pretty Smitten Leopard Initial Case

Yep, I'm pretty in love with everything about this, pink, leopard, fun but sophisticated, kind of.

Help me! Which one should I get????

xoxo~Becca

The Holiday Road Trip 2011

I think I may have mentioned, we took a 20 hour road trip to Cleveland for Christmas! Oh my, it was long, however, we had such a wonderful holiday! Other then that late night drive, it wasn't that bad. I thought I would share a few pictures that I snapped along the way.

Sir Oliver was actually, surprisingly SO great on the trip. Look at him in the back seat "his room", a new holiday blanket, toys, new bones, he was all set.

A few holiday details I loved: I wrapped my packages simple in the same color palette and used paint samples that I got at the hardware store for my gift tags. My oldest sister who hosted the holidays this year embroidered towels for everyone this year and left them on our bed, how sweet! And our room was decorated with paper chains just for the holidays, festive!

Yep, that's my family. On Christmas Eve we took a trip to the market in Cleveland that was quite impressive. My sister gave us all reindeer antlers to wear, awesome, haha. We had a mini bar crawl {I think maybe 2 stops} but still everyone was a good sport and so fun.

The first night everyone went to Gatherings Kitchen for a holiday dinner which was SO much fun. My sisters friend Ruth own the catering company that you can hold private supper clubs. We actually made the traditional homemade pasta for the next evening and cooked a lot and drank a lot of vino, really fun night.

I had to share a picture of my sisters guest room she turned into a closet, I mean....really! Her house was featured on Design Sponge earlier this year and I was glad to visit and see what magic she had done.

Last but not least, Christmas day was completed with a little Karaoke. My sister's boyfriend bought her this gift and hands down...so fun! Ok a few cookies, yes wine and singing, Holiday FUN!

Gosh, I love the holidays!!!! So much fun! cheers!

xoxo~Becca

Saturday Breakfast: Homemade Granola

It has been a week since I wrote and I took the week to try and relax a little from traveling, visitors and the holidays. I have been eating clean and running a lot and trying to get back in the groove of healthy life {cookies not included, sad}. I am a huge breakfast person and recently I find myself running out the door in the morning getting a wrap at Starbucks, no good, instead of eating at home! I was reading Whole Living and came upon this recipe for Granola and thought it would be delicious to make at home or grab a bag on the go!

Store bought Granola can be full of sugar and way high in fat! I am really trying to not buy any processed food and cook a lot from scratch, my saying is "Eat cleaner!". That is one of my 2012 goals. Didn't have time to make lunch, don't let me run to Panera, drive home instead or even to Whole Foods.

I made 6 cups of yummy homemade granola, the recipe I used is at the bottom of this post. I bottled it up in cute jars and added little labels to stash away in my kitchen.

Beau was commenting this morning how delish he thinks it is. Without adding yucky sweeteners and tons of sugar I managed to make it taste sweet and full of flavor! A pot of french press coffee, some greek yogurt, fresh berries and fresh flowers and our Saturday breakfast was sunny and perfect.

Even Sir Oliver thought it smelled yummy!;)

Ingredients:

6 cups old-fashioned oats

• 1 1/4 cups almonds & walnuts, etc., coarsely chopped.
• 1/3 cup flaxseed meal, wheat germ, a mixture of the two
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup sweetener, such as honey, agave syrup, or molasses
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup dried fruit, blueberries, cranberries, figs, coarsely chopped

Granola Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the oats, nuts, seeds,
   flax and/or wheat germ, and
   cinnamon in a large bowl. In another
   bowl, whisk the egg whites and the
   salt until frothy. Whisk in the
   sweetener and the olive oil. Add wet
   ingredients to dry ingredients, and
   stir until the oats are evenly coated.

3. Transfer mixture to two rimmed baking sheets and spread flat.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, then gently flip with a spatula, moving granola from the outer edges to the center of the sheet. Continue to cook until golden, about 10 minutes more. (If the granola starts to brown too much at the edges, gently stir those parts into the middle.)

5. Cool completely on pan, then transfer to a bowl and gently stir in the dried fruit.

Happy NEW YEAR! ~ 2012

Happy New Year! Happy 2012! I am sitting at my dining room table with a cup off coffee, pretty tulips and my new 2012 notebook I made on Minted {I'm a little obsessed}. I won a giveaway on Brooklyn Bride a month ago and ordered New Years cards and ordered one of these as well. I thought it was a great little place to write down my resolutions, dreams, plans and ideas for the year ahead and throughout 2012! Inside the cover I put a photo from a recent collaboration I created with Laura and amazing Kat {more to come soon} that I thought would get me inspired and remind me what I love every time! I also typed up some of my favorite quotes as a reminder to be happy, glittery and sparkly {my words for 2012!} every day! I hope you are having a relaxing New Years day! We rang in the New Year at home over an amazing bottle of wine, a nice dinner some board games and just relaxing, it was nice.

Today I'm doing a little cleaning and reorganizing before I head back to work tomorrow. I found these few links which I thought I would share. All good reads for the new year. Hoping 2012 brings you a bit of everything lovely!

1. 12 Things Happy People Do Differently

2. A mini challenge on what to be grateful for

3. 50 Healthiest Ideas for 2012

4. How to Stick to your Resolutions

5. I just found this blog and I like her road to getting fit! Here's to my road 2012!

xoxoxo~ Becca