Ayy Yi Yi!!!

Today is Cinco de Mayo!!!  

Which means I get to enjoy the culture whilst eating my beloved Mexican food...one of my favorites!  :)

It was a tradition in college to celebrate Cinco de Mayo making limeade margaritas and guacamole from scratch.  We loved the holiday so much, we made up our own celebration, "Cinco de Seis," which, naturally, follows the next day.  I know it does not many ANY sense, but it was our thing...Cinco de Mayo was always a two day fiesta!

So in honor of Cindo de Mayo, I wanted to share some fun inspiration to get all of you in the spirit!

These have to be the cutest little popsicles I have ever seen!  They're Corona flavored, which is a light Mexican cerveza...perfect for today!  Recipe found {here}.

I love this idea for a little party...they're total DIY and make for great centerpieces!

I love Mexican tiles and their beautiful colors...these stairs are no exception.

This Mexican inspired dress by Free People is adorable!  I wish I had it to wear today!

I know these poms are popular for any occasion, but I think they're especially festive for Cinco de Mayo!  The vivid colors tie into the textiles that Mexico is known for.

 The cupcakes look dee-licious!!  A little cupcake + a little lime margarita?  Sounds good to me!  Recipe found {here}.

I've seen a lot of owls around these parts, but this little guy could not be cuter!  Don't you agree?

Hello!!  What is not to love about these Mexican Textiles?  I spot a little ikat, chevron, and good old fashioned stripes!  Amazing!

This Mexican Suzani bedspread is perfection in this mustard color...love the color scheme in this room.

Of course, no Cinco de Mayo post is complete without a fresh squeezed tangy margarita.  Doesn't this one look divine?  Recipe found {here}.

Images via Pinterest

So what plans do you have tonight?  Whatever you do, I hope you have a great celebration...and feel free to continue on into Cinco de Seis!  Ay yi yi!  :)

xo natasha

Linking up to Let's Fiesta! blog crawl!  Join in the on the fun!

Ideas for Mom

Mother's Day is right around the corner and it is always a wonderful time to let your mama know how much she is cherished!  I thought I would share some fun ideas that your mom is sure to love.

Necklace

Dogeared jewelry is one of my favorites!  The necklaces all have sweet messages and they're reasonably priced.  This one is perfect for mom...so dainty and sweet!

Phone Case

  For the tech savvy mom, why not update her iPhone case with this cute floral Kate Spade one?  It's a little bit retro and a little bit whimsy...perfect for mom!

Candle

Jo Malone has the most heavenly scents that are mature enough for mom, but the whole family will enjoy.  This candle's geometric pattern adds a fun touch.

Flowers

Flowers always brighten a day and these peonies are sure to do the trick!  I love the look of a single type of flower in a bunch....makes a great impact!

Bathrobe

Bathrobes are a traditional gift on Mother's Day, but this one changes it up with the bold print and 3/4 length sleeves.  A great change for the spring and summer!  :)

If you're don't want to spend too much, you can always make Mom...

 {via}

Breakfast in Bed!

She'll be sure to love that...and just the opportunity to spend quality time with you.  :)

Whatever you do for your Mom this Sunday, I hope it's a special one!

xo natasha

Something {Baby} Blue Cupcakes!

It's a BOY!!!

Only not mine, my friends!  :)

I mentioned yesterday that I attended a baby shower over the weekend...but what I didn't tell you is that I made 48 cupcakes for the special event!  You should have seen me Saturday morning...elbow deep in powdered sugar and cream cheese frosting...desperately trying to frost those babies and get to the shower on time.  Clearly, my time management skills were lacking that morning.

Anyway...I digress!  The point is that this cupcakes turned out to be a huge hit!  The secret is the OREO!!!

Yes, these cupcakes feature half an oreo {cream side up!} on the bottom of each of them...the other half gets crushed up into the batter...and let me tell you...they are HEAVEN!

 The best part is that the oreos are soft and literally become part of the cupcake...genius!

Recipe adapted from Homemade by Holman:

{Cake}

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 36 Oreo cookies 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Separate 24 Oreos, leaving cream filling on one half. Place cream side up in the bottom of each liner. Add the other halves and remaining cookies to food processor and pulse a couple times to create large chunks. Set aside Oreo chunks.

Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add milk and vanilla to a large measuring cup and stir together. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Follow with 1/2 the milk mixture, mix on low and continue alternating additions, ending with flour mixture. Stir in Oreo chunks.

Scoop batter into prepared liners, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan about five minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

{Frosting}

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 2 T heavy cream
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 24 Oreos for garnish {I chose sprinkles instead}

Beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and beat until incorporated. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium high and whip for 30 seconds to a minute. Fill a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes as desired.

Garnish with an additional Oreo or Oreo halve.

If baking from scratch scares you or you just don't have time, simply buy a white cake mix and stir in the oreos...no one has to know and it's an easy shortcut.  In my opinion, the homemade frosting is what makes the difference...there is no substitute for that, my friends.

Ok, what are you waiting for?  Time to make these cupcakes and blow your families and friends away!
 

xo natasha

Linking up to Tasty Tuesdays

My Weekend Recap!

Hi Friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend...there was certainly a lot that went on in the last 3 days!  I thought it would be a great opportunity to recap on all the wonderful things that happened over the weekend...at least in my life!  :)

1. Royal Wedding

 I think blogland has done the wedding justice at this point.  Kate was STUNNING!!!  She did not miss a beat...her dress...her makeup, her florals, her demeanor...it was all just so beautiful.  It was definitely a great testament to who William is and the woman he married.  I have no doubt Princess Di would be extremely proud.

2. Baby Shower

  On Saturday, one of my very good friends in Tahoe, had her baby shower for her little boy {who's name is yet to be determined}!  The baby room has a forest theme and the owl has become a predominant figure!  Her party favors were these adorable sugar cookies and of course, I had to have the owl...though there were cute squirrels, trees, among other fun forest creatures.

3. Bridal Shower Attire

Here's what I wore...I had no intention of NOT showing a full body shot, but hubby was skiing and I could not for the life of me figure out how to make the mirror work.  Anyway...you will notice some of these pieces from my last post here.  I actually wore the blue Anthro earrings too, but that will just have to come for some other time.

Dress: Gap

Scarf: Nordstrom

Shoes: Mia Limited Edition

Jewelry: Amy

4. Spring Flowers

 I am in love with my stargazing lilies and tulips...in full bloom.  Definitely made my weekend more enjoyable.  

5. The Pups

  Wilson made a new best friend this weekend...Kaia, the mini saint bernard, who is 4 months old.  She is only supposed to be about 40-60 pounds and she is ADORABLE!  I definitely think Wilson has decided she will be his new girlfriend...like it or not!  :)

 My last note is that you can also find me at Keller Creative today, talking about all things "outdoor living".   Check it out!

Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

xo natasha