Valentine Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Icing

Today is my birthday! When I told Mac how old I was his jaw dropped and his eyes got really wide and he said, "Woah! That's almost a hundred!" So, there's that. I'll spare you the shock and horror of telling you how old I really am and just skip to the best part of having a birthday...the CAKE. I usually make my own birthday cake (chocolate with white icing), but this year I decided to mix things up a bit. This recipe for "magic pink cake" is absolutely amazing and would be perfect for Valentine's Day. It's super easy and is guaranteed to knock your socks off. If you're a strawberry fan, this cake is going to be your new best friend. Even Mac, who usually just licks the icing off cake and leaves the cake part, ate every single bite and has begged me for pink cake 9,000 times a day since I made it. Believe me, it's a winner. 

All you need to do is mix a box of white cake with some flour and strawberry flavored Jello. In a separate bowl, mix eggs and strawberries. If you mix them with a mixer, you'll get tiny specks/bits of strawberry in your cake batter. If you just use a spoon to mix, you'll have much larger chunks of strawberry. Your choice (you can't really go wrong either way)! Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir. Voila, pink cake! 

This homemade strawberry buttercream icing couldn't be any easier. Cream butter and strawberries, add powdered sugar. Then be prepared to battle everyone in your house for the rights to lick the beaters! Don't say I didn't warn you.

Once the cake is cooled, just dump the icing on top! You can also make this cake with chocolate cake mix, which is fantatic. It's not pink, but it's really really good! Or swap out the frozen strawberries for raspberries and use raspberry flavored Jello. You can also make this in cupcake form, but you will need to make the icing stiffer (less butter, more powdered sugar) because this recipe is a bit runny and tends to ooze off the cake (which I love). Feel free to add sprinkles!

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix

1 small box strawberry jello

3 tablespoons flour

4 eggs

1 cup oil

1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and chopped

1 stick butter

3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Mix cake mix, Jello and flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, oil and 1/2 cup strawberries. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix. Spray 9x13" pan with nonstick spray and add cake batter.

2. Bake cake in a at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

3. To make icing: cream butter and 1/2 cup strawberries. Add powdered sugar and mix well. (For stiffer/thicker icing, add more powdered sugar.)

4. Spread icing over cooled cake. Enjoy!

This cake has become a favorite in our house, even surpassing my beloved chocolate.

What's your favorite cake flavor?

Stitch Fix Keepers

Hello friends! It's been a while since I posted my last Stitch Fix box (back in August). I've received three boxes since then and didn't take a single photo. Womp womp. However, instead of showing you all the items in the boxes and what worked/didn't work, I decided to show you all the items I've kept over the last few months! So, this is a parade of keepers only, which makes it a bit different than a normal Stitch Fix review, but I think it's just as fun. 

Just in case you've been living in a hole over the last few years, let me quickly explain what Stitch Fix is. Basically, it's a personal shopping service where you fill out your style profile by answering questions about likes/dislikes, style, sizing, etc. Your stylist bases her/his picks on your profile, but you can also write a note about what you're interested in, as well as link to you Pinterest style board or blog. You receive a box with 5 items, including a style card that shows you different ways to wear each piece and you get to try the clothes on in the comfort of your own home and decide what you want to keep or send back. You have three days to send back the stuff you don't want in a prepaid prelabeled envelope they include in your box, so it's super easy. For each box, there's a $20 styling fee, which is deducted from the price of your box, should you decide to keep anything. If you send back all the items, you lose the $20. And if you keep all five items you also get a 25% discount on all the items. 

Ok, on with the show! (I'm so not a fashion blogger - please disregard my awkwardness in these photos.)

Le Lis Myler Keyhole Back Blouse

Black and floral, light and gauzy - I love this top. It's the perfect mix of feminine and trendy. I currently own nothing floral, so this was really different than anything in my closet. I think it looks great with a pair of black pants and would be perfect for the office. It would also be cute with jeans, maybe under a blazer or with a colored cardigan or jacket. It's a bit light and breezy, so I probably won't be wearing it much until it warms up again, but this will be perfect for spring! 

Liverpool Rizzo Skinny Pant

In the photo above (and a few of the photos below) I'm also wearing these black Liverpool Rizzo Skinny Pants, which I'm obsessed with. I don't know how they do it, but Stitch Fix has this uncanny ability to absolutely nail fit on the pants they send me - and everyone else says the same thing! The pants have a thick elastic high waist, perfect for that post-baby belly, with good stretch, but doesn't feel like maternity pants. They're a little bit long, so I'm planning on having them hemmed so they hit right at the top of my foot, but I also don't really mind them rolled, as shown.

THML Mario Pullover Sweater

I love this sweater! It's thick and feels well-made, without being heavy or adding extra bulk in the wrong places. I love the stripes and the colors, which are a charcoal grey,  orangeish and tans. I think the variety of colors means that it will go with nearly everything (black or tan). Plus, I like the pop of color and that it's warm for winter.

Mavi Gold Hattie Skinny Jean

Again, in the above photo I'm also wearing these jeans and they are the most amazing pair of jeans I've ever owned. They were not cheap, but they are thick and fit like a dream! They're soft and buttery and flattering and I could sleep in them, they're so comfortable. Totally worth every penny. I haven't worn another pair of jeans since I got these and they almost make me want to throw away all my other pairs of cheap jeans. 

RD Style Calistoga Side Slit V-Neck Knit Top

This might be my absolute favorite shirt I've ever received from Stitch Fix. I love the length (that it covers my butt), I love the side slit, I love the v-neck. It's comfortable, soft, flattering and fits great. It's a black/grey knit, which is light, yet also warm. It can be dressed up with a pair of black pants or tuxedo ponte leggings (which I'm wearing above) or down with a pair of distressed denim jeans. Yes, the slit is high, but I always wear a tank/camisole under sweaters anyway, so it didn't bother me a bit. I want this top in 20 different colors.

41Hawthorn Renesme Geo Print Faux Wrap Dress

I wanted to hate this dress solely based on the name, but I love it. I find wrap dresses to be so comfortable and flattering. I like the dark purple color and the grey print. The pattern is cute and I think it'll go with black or brown shoes. Perfect for the office (paired with a cardigan because my office is always freezing). 

Market & Spruce Lanta Open Drape Cardigan

Sometimes I wonder whether Stitch Fix understands winter at all because so many pieces they send during winter months are light and airy, but then they sent this sweater and my faith is restored. I love this cardigan. It's so thick and soft and cozy. It's a beautiful deep purple color on the bottom and a light heather grey on top. I think it's a great casual piece to throw on over a t-shirt with jeans for an easy and comfortable outfit.

Market & Spruce Corinna Striped Dolman Top

I think everyone that does Stitch Fix has received this top in one of their boxes. It's so popular that there's an organized effort to show SF consolidarity by wearing this exact shirt this coming Sunday so current Stich Fixers can find each other and make friends! It's that popular! And for good reason. It's flattering and comfortable and easy to wear dressed up with black pants or down with jeans or leggings. 

Staccato Michelli Open Drape Cardigan

This cardigan was so similar to the one above that I almost didn't keep it, but then I tried it on and fell in love. While the cardigan above is light and soft and cozy, this one is thick and heavy and sturdy. It almost has a structured feel, which I think it great. It's very long and adds a lot of warmth, which I need at work. I love the colors and think it's a really versatile piece.

Mo-Vint Kuhn Henley Top

This one was a bit iffy for me. I loved everything else that came in this box, but I wasn't sold on this top, but I kept it so I could get the 25% off discount on all five pieces (it was cheaper to keep it than to send it back). I was going to try sell it on the Stitch Fix FB page to someone that was looking for it, but when I tried it on again, I liked it a bit more. My husband happened to walk in on me wearing it and told me he loved it, so I kept it. And now I love it too. Honestly, it's giant on me and not structured or all that flattering on my small frame and it's not really my style...but I like that it's different and it's really grown on me! It's so incredibly comfortable and really great to wear out with the kids or lounging around the house. It's got pockets in the front and is long enough in the back to cover my butt (which I like). It's less faded than the style card makes it look and is a pretty purpley-blue color with pink stripes. I've worn it quite a few times and always get compliments on it! Who knew?!

41Hawthorn Moni Chain Print Stud Detail Blouse

I received this back in October and I think this was such a great shirt for fall. I love the orangey color and the gold studs on the front. I like the v-neck, but don't love that it flaps completely open all the time (I wish it stayed closed like the middle photo above) (I'm a prude like that). I like the length of the top and the detail on the front and the sleeves. I also like the cut of the bottom, but after wearing it a couple times, I do wish the sleeves were a bit less poofy. 

Brixon Ivy Bixby Clover Print Blouse

This is a top that I actually received in my very first fix, but I never posted so I thought I'd show you here. I like this top and think it's great for work. Most of my work wardrobe is black and white (or some shade thereof), so this fit right in. I like the print and the thickness of the material. I usually have to wear a thick scarf with this top though because the neck is so big that I freeze in my office without one, although it's great for summer. It's a bit big on me right now (I have lost a bit of weight since I received this one over the summer). I could probably stand wear it in a smaller size now, although I don't really mind it being loose. I do with that it was a smidge longer though. When I lift my arms it feels shorter than I like. 

Alright! So, that's what I've kept over the last few months. Thanks for following along and checking out what I received in my SF boxes! I've started really loving everyone else's SF reviews and Stitch Fix reveal blog posts are quickly becoming some of my favorites. I think it's so much fun to see what everyone else is getting!

If you haven't signed up for Stitch Fix yet, please give it a try! If you want to use this referral link, I'll love you forever (don't worry, I love you even if you don't).

What do you think? Was everything I kept worth it? 

Which was your favorite?

Something Old, Something New

Since having children, I have started to hang on to little items, memories and trinkets I think they might like to have later in life to remind them of their parents and their childhood. I have a box for each kid, filled with cards, photos, paintings, gifts, ticket stubs, clothing items, etc. that I hope to give them someday (maybe once they have children of their own) and walk them through the items and talk about how much fun we had and how much they were loved and wanted. Since losing all my childhood items in my mother's house fire this summer, this concept has become even more precious to me and I hope someday they'll appreciate these little memories as much as I do.

One thing I have been wanting to hand-down to the kids is something special from the day that Ryan and I got married. Our wedding day was hands-down one of the greatest days of my life and I thought a lot that day about the family that we would (hopefully) create together. I absolutely loved my wedding dress and have never felt more beautiful in my life, but after everything was said and done, I decided to sell the dress. I had a lot of people ask if I was going to save my dress for a future daughter, but I knew that the chances of having a daughter that wouldn't want to pick out her own dress and make her own decisions was slim to none, so I sold it. I don't regret it for a second, but a part of me does wish that I had a special piece of that day to pass on to her. 

Which is why I'm SO excited about this! One of the next additions to Mim's memory box is going to be this little white dress she's wearing, which is made from the button-down shirt that Ryan wore on our wedding day! There is this amazing new startup company called Petite Marin that makes the cutest little children's outfits from hand-me-down buttoned men's shirts. For girls, they offer this gorgeous little flutter sleeve tea dress, with buttons on the front and a zip back. For boys, they make the cutest little heirloom-quality Ross romper with side and shoulder buttons. 

I just can't even get over how cute this little dress is and I'm so sad that it's freezing cold outside and she can't wear it everyday. Although, it is special, so I don't want her destroying it by jumping in mud puddles or covering it with sucker slobber. I really wish I had found this company before Mim's baptism, because this would have been such a sweet baptismal dress. However, I'm just thrilled to be able to hand this down to her someday with the hopes that maybe she has a daughter (or granddaughter) that can wear this dress and hear the story about our beautiful wedding and the amazing family that began that day. 

Mimmy loved the dress and was so cute when I put it on her. She twirled around and around, laughing like crazy! I told her how pretty her dress was and she'd just smile and say, "mine mine mine" like one of those sea gulls from Nemo (her favorite show). She was also fixated this day on her Cat book, which she calls "Mao" (meow) and carries around the house with her at all times. I wanted to get her upstairs to take photos in better light, but she wouldn't leave her book and I didn't feel like dragging her and the camera and that giant book up the stairs, so this is what we got. She loved wearing the dress and I can't wait for summer when I can put her in this and some ruffle socks with Mary Janes. Cuteness overload coming soon. 

The dress is really well-made and sturdy. I love all the details, like the buttons on the front, the flutter sleeves and the label in the back of the dress. I also love the story behind the company that is making the clothing. Two best friends from Marin county in California are merging vintage fabrics with new playful patterns to create unique one-of-a-kind pieces. I love that the clothing is all locally made and it's a family-run company just getting started. 

I've been following Petite Marin on Instagram for a while and I am absolutely GAGA over the plaid flannel dresses they've done for winter and the holidays! I want to raid my husband's closet and send them everything that he no longer wears. How cool would it be to have some of those special pieces (a shirt from your first date with your husband, your father's favorite shirt or your grandfather's old flannel shirt) made into something you could pass down from one generation to the next. I've also seen that they make memory pillows from shirts and are thinking about expanding into lovies. I want them all!

 Images from Petite Marin's Instagram page

Have you ever up-cycled or re-purposed special clothing?

What would you pick: dress, romper, memory pillow or lovie?

*I received this product free of charge for my honest review and feedback. All opinions are 100% my own (and Mim's). Special thanks to Petite Marin for the dress and for being so awesome!

2016 Word of the Year

Happy New Year, friends! 

By now (four whole days into the new year), I'm sure you've seen a couple dozen posts about resolutions and goals for 2016. And of course, I have them as well. I've made a list of goals, milestones, resolutions and accomplishments that I'd love to hit this year and after writing them down I realized that many of them all incorporate the same concept, so instead of boring you with the specifics, I'm going to share my "one word" with you today. 

I love the idea of focusing your year around one simple little word. If you remember, my word for 2013 was EMBRACE (which I wrote about here). I think I did a good job that year of embracing the chaos of being a new mom, embracing my new role as a full-time working mom and embracing the mess of having a little one (with another on the way by the end of the year). I also wanted to embrace my post-partum body and accept the way I looked and felt after carrying a baby. I wanted to embrace my child and spend as much time with him as I could while he was so tiny. It was a year all about acceptance and compassion and understanding. 

I didn't blog about them, but I also did a word for the last two year. 2014 was a crazy year, with a wild child toddler and a baby on the way in July, I wanted a word that would encapsulate how overwhelmed and exhausted I was feeling. My word for 2014 was SURVIVE. Plain, simple and straight to the point. It was a year all about adjusting, adapting and surviving. Spoiler alert: I'm happy to say that we all survived that year and lived to tell the tale. 

Last year for 2015, I wanted something a bit more encouraging, so my word was CONNECT. I really wanted to make sure I spent the year connecting with the kids and reconnecting with my husband, family, friends and former self. I wanted to end the year feeling closer to my husband and feeling closer to the person I was before I had babies. Last year I made the decision to go down to part-time at work, which gave me a lot more one-on-one time with the kids during the day. This felt incredibly liberating and freed me from some of the guilt I felt taking time for myself to focus on my marriage, my health and my friends. I made time to spend with the people I loved the most and ended the year feeling like I accomplished my goal.

I've been thinking a lot about what my word for 2016 will be and I think I've decided to go a different direction again this year. I want a word that will call me to action and force me to make some decisions and take action in my life. I want a word that will encourage me to be more deliberate and focus on what really matters. So, my word for 2016 is: 

It's definitely not the sexiest of words. It's not necessarily uplifting or inspiring. But it's really speaking to me right now, when my world seems to be jam-packed with so much stuff and so many things to do. I need to take some serious time and reflect on what's important to me and get rid of all that extra stuff I'm hanging onto. I want to reduce my stress. Reduce my obligations. Reduce my clutter. Reduce my waistline. Reduce my debt. Reduce my guilt. I want to feel lighter, be lighter, live lighter. I want more space, more air, less crap. I want to not feel overwhelmed by how much stuff I have going on or how much there always is to do. I want to buy less, need less, want less. It's going to take some work, but I think it's doable and I'm excited about making this happen. I think it'll be liberating! Wish me luck! 

What's your word for 2016?