Holiday Candy

One of my friends, who I have known since high school, used to make this AMAZING candy but only during the holidays. I couldn't wait until Christmas came around. It's funny, because I never asked her for the recipe, just waited for her to make it. This year, though, I asked her for the recipe. She said it's called Cracker candy. Anyone heard of it? It's a really easy recipe. So, instead of making my homemade Rocky Road fudge, this year I thought I would mix it up and make Cracker candy. Honestly, I will probably end up making the fudge too.

Here's the recipe. It's super easy and smells delicious as you are making it

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag semi sweet chocolate morsels
saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line a cookie sheet that has sides with wax paper or aluminum foil I personally like wax paper because it tends not to stick to the cracker.
Place saltine crackers all along the cookie sheet until cookie sheet is full.

In a small pan, melt the butter and sugar on low heat. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, keep stirring for 3 minutes. You will have to watch mixture because it tends to boil over. (Almost happened to me)
After 3 minutes are up, pour mixture over the saltine crackers.
Put cookie sheet in the oven for 5 minutes. Make sure the crackers don't burn.
Take the cookie sheet out of the oven.
Slowly pour morsels over the saltines. After about a minute, the morsels will melt. Spread them out over the entire sheet.
The best thing to do is place the cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours. If you don't have too much freezer room, put them in the refrigerator.
After cool, break saltines and serve.

Let me know what you think!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Our Christmas card 2009

Thank you everyone for your input. I was actually able to find a card that allowed me to include all of my favorite photos.





Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Have been sick....

Sorry for the lack of blogging. We have been a bit of a sick family. In November we went to my brother's wedding in VA, which was beautiful! Well, while we were there, Sebastian got sick with a double ear infection and bronchitis. Since we felt bad for him, he slept in the bed with us. Well, this meant I contracted his bronchitis because he likes to sleep right next to me. So, we were both on inhalers and nebulizer (breathing treatments). We are finally now over everything, although I still have what my friends are calling my sexy voice. For some reason, my voice hasn't come back to normal. Hopefully it does soon.

I just wanted everyone to know why I haven't blogged in a while. Please don't unfollow. I promise I do have some great makeup reviews coming up soon. We all love makeup, don't we?

Christmas time.....

Around this time every year, Mickey and I try to agree on our Christmas card design. Ever since Sebastian was born (last year) we have decided to let him be on the card sans us. So, last week, my FAVORITE photographer, Jennifer Brum, took pictures of Sebastian for his yearly card. Here are some of the pictures. Now I just need to pick one. How can I pick one when they are all so cute?
I am leaning towards the last two. Which one would you choose?


photos courtesy of Jennifer Brum photography
www.jenbrumphotography.com

What did you make for Thanksgiving?

I am still very lucky that I have not had to host Thanksgiving at our house just yet. Although, we do host Christmas at our house, but we'll get to that in due time....
This year, we went over to my inlaws for Thanksgiving lunch/dinner. They have a traditional turkey with stuffing, yams, cranberries, sweet potatoes, well you get the picture.
I decided I wanted to add a little Spanish flair to our Thanksgiving feast (yes, I am Spanish) so I made my famous Guava cheesecake. Yes, it is as YUMMY as it sounds, and RICH! I forgot to take a picture of it before we went over to their house.

Here is the recipe, it's super simple and everyone will LOVE it!

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup of melted guava (I find this in the hispanic isle of the grocery store)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
pie crust (no I don't make my own)
Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a mixer
Add eggs
Pour batter into crust
Bake at 350 for 40 mins or until the cheesecake is firm

Refrigerate for 3 hours. I usually make mine the night before to ensure it's cooled down completely.
When serving, add whipped topping

*If you really want to add a little more richness, I use a chocolate crumb pie crust. It makes a huge difference and is delicious!

So, what did you make for Thanksgiving?

Our baby turned 1. Happy Birthday Sebastian!

Yesterday our little boy turned 1! I can't believe how quickly time passes. It's as if just yesterday we were coming home from teh hospital with him. He has grown so much in the past year, I know, he's supposed to do that. But, as a first time mom, I just want him to stay this way....all cute and snuggly. So, here are some pictures of him the past year for you all to enjoy him as much as we do.

At his birthday party this past weekend. He loved his cake!

Four years ago today...

Four years ago today, I married my best friend.

I love looking back at our wedding album and remembering what a great day it was. We got married in Florida, so you never know what the weather is going to be like...even in Novermber! That day, four years ago, it was a PERFECT day! And I'm not just saying that because it was our wedding day. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect, it was as if God had made this day for us.

We started a little tradition, on our one year anniversary, where we watch our wedding video. So, this morning, my hubby and I sat together with our little one and watched it again. It really took us back to how wonderful our wedding really was. So many people came from out of town and out of the country, we feel so blessed to have such great people in our lives. There was so much love in the room, it was amazing. Every time I watch it, I get a little teary eyed, only because it was truly one of the happiest days of my life (I know, it's cheesy because most brides say that) but it's the truth. So, Happy Anniversary to you sweetheart. Here's to many more years (and kids) together. I love you!

I feel so lucky because I really did marry my best friend!

Our Little Pumpkin

I know this post is a week late, but better late than never, right? We didn't take Halloween pictures because poor little Sebastian was feeling under the weather. We did, though, manage to go to the pumpkin patch by our house and have some pictures taken of him. He LOVED it. Actually, that's an understatement. He was so happy, he didn't know what to do or where to go.





By the way, can you tell we live in Florida? I mean, shorts in October?

First buy of the Holiday season...and yes, it was a bargain....

Yesterday, I went walking around our local towncenter with a friend, not really "looking" for anything. As we were walking around, Pier 1 Imports had a SALE sign in their window. It called my name. We went in to see what they had. Let me tell you....they already have most of their Christmas items out! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous items!!! I can't wait to pick some of them up, but I will wait until after Christmas. I refuse to pay $20 for an ornament!
While I was looking through some of their fall items, which are on sale, I found this amazing wreath. Now, I have to say, I did see this wreath a few weeks back, but it was $35 and I wasn't in the mood to spend that amount. It has beautiful feathers with gorgeous jewel tones in it. Yesterday, it was on sale for $25. I figured, that is a pretty good price. The manager of the store then came over and said it was the last one and she would be willing to give me a discount on it because it wasn't in a box. Woohoo! I was sold! So I got the wreath for $22. Not too shabby....
Here is a picture of the wreath from the website. Mine has more jewel tones, not so many autumn colors. Either way, it's a great buy because I can keep it up through Christmas. This wreath has officially put me in the Christmas decorating spirit. I can't wait to start!
Have you started decorating? If so, what?

There is a crisp in the air....

This is seriously my favorite time of the year! I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about cooler/cold weather. Sweaters, boots, scarves, the new styles of leggings...I could go on and on. Now, I live in Florida, so when I say that I love the cooler/cold weather, I am only talking about 50 degree weather. I know, I know, some of you reading this are like, WHAT that is not cold weather! Well, to us Floridians, it is! Anything to take a sweater and boots out of hiding.
This fall, I have been on the hunt for new boots. I knew I wanted something that was knee high, but I don't think I can attempt the new over the knee boot. As popular as they are, the only thing I can think of is Pretty Woman. Sorry, they are just not for me.
As I was perusing my favorite websites, stores, magazines and anywhere I could think of that sold boots, I could not find the pair I wanted. Well, let's back track a little, I did find a few pairs of boots, but, to be honest, they were out of my price range right now. I usually go to my local Target about once a week, and it's evil! I never leave that place without spending double what I intended on spending. This day, though, I was very happy to spend the double. I found the most amazing pair of boots. They are called the Kandi (top of the pictured boots). I got them in a medium tan/brown color. LOVE THEM! And they were on sale for $29.99. Now I have seen the Loeffler Randall boots which look pretty close to these and retail for about $695 (bottom picture). That is a $665 price difference! Do you know what else I can do with $665 (did I mention we have a son...haha)? I could think of plenty of things....
As I have talked about before, I am always in search for a bargain and I like to share it with my readers.

Happy shopping!!

NEW MASCARA! Lashlights by Too Faced....

This past weekend, Too Faced Cosmetics debuted a new mascara called Lashlights. Now ladies, I know we are all on a constant search for the "PERFECT" mascara, and I think this is pretty close to it. I have been a Diorshow addict for the past 2 years. I love DIORSHOW. But I am willing to test out others as they come out...


Here is the skinny on the new mascara:

The formula has microscopic mirrors that bounce the light off your eyelashes all day long, this, in turn, gives your eyelashes a glossy look and makes you look like you've just applied mascara to your lashes.

The wand has Optic blue LED light which allows you to see ALL of your lashes when applying your mascara.

The formula has a combination of Vitamins E and C so you do not need a primer. This will keep your lashes feeling nourished and lovely all at once!

And on top of everything, there is a cute little mirror on the side of the mascara tube. Hello, easy way to apply the mascara. No more digging in your purse for a mirror or looking in the rear view mirror for those of you (ahem...me) that apply mascara in the car.

The price point isn't so bad, it's up there with the Diorshow, YSL, Fiberwig @$25. But, I think it's totally worth it! Right now, it's an exclusive buy at Sephora, so if you go and try it, let me know what you think.

I've already tried this mascara and LOVE it!

We all LOVE a bargain...

Alright ladies, we all LOVE a bargain, right? I feel like I am on the eternal search for bargains...there are a few exceptions (LV, TB, etc). Well, yesterday I blogged about the gorgeous new jewelry I found at the Coach stores and have decided to add them to my wish list. Right now, I just can't think of spending that much money on accessories. When buying a trendy item, I usually go for a lower end, only because I can't see spending a lot of money on something that is going to be "out of season" in a few months. Okay, so I'll get to the point. Today as I was perusing Target, I decided to look at their jewelry counter. I have been avoiding the counter because I know I will find something I like. To my excitement, I found the same exact chain I blogged about last night. It's the one with the round ball at the end. And it was only $39! Okay, so the colors aren't the exact same, but it was still fall colors. Seriously, I was in shock. I know Target does this quite often, using designer looks to inspire their looks, but I never thought I would find a Coach design there.
Unfortunately, I am not able to download a picture of it, but if you look at the Coach ball on the chain and search for it on the Target website, you will be sure to find it.
Happy shopping!

Revamped look for Coach

While we were vacationing last month in Hawaii, we stopped into the Coach store on Luxury row. We were waiting for our dinner reservations, so I figured why not? Now, I am not one for Coach, just never was really my staple bag. I hope that doesn't sound pretentious, just being honest.
Well, this season they have brought back some GORGEOUS jewelry into their line. I am all about the details and accessories, so I was immediately attracted to some of the items below. So, I think I will be giving Coach another try, at least on the accessories front.
Any of these items I would gladly take under the Christmas tree, or maybe for our anniversary present next month...ahem...

I got an Award

I don't even know what to say. This is literally my first few weeks blogging and I already have an award? Thanks to 3barefeet for the award. As you can see, I am just starting out in this new arena of blogging. I apologize if it's a slow start, but I promise to get up to speed on all things makeup and fashion.
I hope to start to get to know more and more people via the blogger world as I have through twitter.

Thanks again to 3barefeet for the award. Make sure you all stop by her blog, it's too cute!!

So now you all get to learn a little something about me, so here goes:
Ready, set, GO !

1. Where is your cell phone? nightstand
2. Your hair? blonde
3. Your mother?amazing
4. Your father? unbelievably supportive!
5. Your favorite food? spanish
6. Your dream last night? don't remember
7. Your favorite drink? cranberry and vodka
8. Your dream/goal? success in my professional life
9. What room are you in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? Makeup artistry
11. Your fear? being alone
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? have another child
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren’t? introverted
15. Muffins? banana
16. Wish list item? can I ask for more makeup for my kit? always need more as a makeup artist...
17. Where did you grow up? All over, was an Army brat...but settled in Jacksonville, FL since 5th grade
18. Last thing you did? gave baby a bath and put him to sleep
19. What are you wearing? pj's
20. Your TV? LCD
21. Your pets? drive me crazy, but I love him
22. Friends? AMAZING!
23. Your life? couldn't be better
24. Your mood? so happy
25. Missing someone? yes, always miss my family
26. Vehicle? Accord, for now, looking for something bigger b/c of baby
27. Something you’re not wearing? make-up
28. Your favorite store? depends on what I am looking for (Ann Taylor LOFT, JCREW, GAP, TB, Nordstroms, MAC)
29. Your favorite color? PINK (I'm a girly girl)
30. When was the last time you laughed? tonight
31. Last time you cried? Wednesday
32. Your best friend? miss her
33. One place that I go to over and over? MAC
34. One person who emails me regularly? friends
35. Favorite place to eat? anything sushi or Spanish food

GO PHILLIES

Okay, so I know this isn't anything related to makeup or fashion, but I wanted to cheer on my favorite team (plus Mr. M works for them). We are so excited for tonight's game that I don't think Mr. M can contain himself. I have to admit, I am pretty excited myself, read below to find out why:

Last year, when the Phillies went to the World Series, Mr. M went, but I was too far along being pregnant to go. So, I missed all the festivities. BUT....this year, I GET TO GO!! On top of it all, we get to take baby S with us to! What child can say they have been to the World Series? And sat in AMAZING seats at that? The one downside, if we do go, is that the first home game (Phillies) is on Halloween. So baby S's first Halloween is going to be spent some of the time at the World Series game. I think he will forgive us later in life, right?

Well everyone, keep your fingers crossed for us tonight.....

Mia Clarisonic Giveaway!!

Recently, I purchased a Clarisonic PRO from a fellow blogger, My Blonde Reality. You can see her link under the blogs I follow.

She is now giving away one of the MIA Clarisonic's. Go to her blog to enter!

It's such a great product, you are going to LOVE it and it's PINK! What is not to love about it?

So go to her blog and enter to win!

Amazing Makeup

So as most of you know, I am a professional makeup artist. I love, love, love nothing more thank applying makeup on someone, having them look in the mirror once everything is done and they are just speechless. That is the unspoken compliment!

Well, just a few weeks ago, I decided to order some products from a new to me company called Coastal Scents. I had heard tons of reviews by other MUA's about their shadows, brushes, etc, so I figured it was time to check them out. They were always being compared to MAC so I figured...why not?

Well, here is all the fun stuff I received in the mail!!

Shortly after receiving all these amazing colors, I had a few photo shoots and a fashion show I was working, so I am so excited to be using these colors! For those of you that are MAC junkies, this is a great alternative if you want the high pigment, but don't want to pay the MAC price. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the MAC colors, as I said, this is just an alternative.

Birthday Planning

I can't believe it, actually I don't really want to think about it too much, because I may just start try tear up a bit, but, I have to face reality. My little boy, Sebastian, will turn 1 in less than 5 weeks. So, today, I have decided, I am going to dedicate to planning his party, getting the invites ordered and deciding on a theme. I would love to do a pirates or something funky, but my surf loving husband, wants to do a surfing them. Ugh! I am so over the surf theme in our life sometimes. *side note* he wants him to dress up like a surfer for Halloween. How do you dress up like a surfer, boards shorts and flip flops, uhm, NO!!!

Sorry for that, just had to get it out....

Now back to planning. We are thinking of having a small affair at the house since the following weekend is my brother's wedding so we will be seeing all the extended family there and we can all sing Happy Birthday to him.

Can anyone else make any suggestions of themes for a one year old party?

Can't wait to order these....

I really wish we had a Neiman Marcus in Jacksonville, but since we don't, I guess I will be ordering these online. Or I guess I can go to Orlando to find them. I am so in love with this color, I think it will be the new neutral this fall. These Tory Burch flats are definitely going to be in my shoe wardrobe VERY SOON! I am just sad that I wasn't able to pick them up while I was down in Tampa. ugh...

The only store I found that carries this color is NM. If you know of another let me know.

What do you all think?

Sophia's First Birthday!!

We had such a great time celebrating Sophia's first birthday at the Centre Club in Tampa, Fl.

Here are some pictures of her gorgeous little outfit. Isn't she so cute....okay so I may be biased. I can't believe my little one will be the big 1 in 5 weeks! Where has the time gone?