mary kay satin hands

I don't mind winter, or cold weather, but I start to get really irritated when my hands get dry. There's only so much lotion I can use and I don't enjoy the heavy, greasy feel that most creams leave on my hands.

I came across Satin Hands by Mary Kay about a month ago and my hands have never been happier. Satin Hands is a three step process that's very easy and simple. The three products make my hands feel refreshed, soft and never greasy. Satin Hands provides enough substance to keep my hands free from the effects of cold weather, but also leaves my skin feeling light. These products do not leave hands soft permanently, so I would suggest repeating the process once a day.

I was so relieved when I came across Satin Hands, and I'm even happier I was able to buy a new beauty product last month. See below for the three step process. Do you use a hand remedy that keeps your skin soft during the winter?

Stay beautiful,
Marina

Step 1: Wet hands and put a small amount of the smoothie hand scrub on your fingertips. Scrub all over hands.

 

Step 2: Spread a small amount of the hand softener across knuckles, or dry areas. The softener is thick and protects dry patches from getting worse.

Step 3:  The hand cream is fragrance-free and leaves hands feeling soft. Rub the hand cream all of your hands.

Not too bad for winter!

fried bocconcini, avocado hummus and jalapeno popper dip

I went to visit Brett's sister and brother in law a couple of months ago and we went Pinterest crazy. We came home from a mini Oktoberfest in Bloomington, and we decided to make three delicious appetizers.

Sweets are not my thing, it's the salty foods that always win my heart over. I was super stoked about cooking some salty dishes and spending time with Cassie. Cassie and Jeff are always a delight to be around.

While the guys watched TV, Cassie and I became masterminds in the kitchen. We fried, we diced and we mixed - it was awesome! We started off making fried bocconcini (mozzarella) and then we made an avocado hummus and a jalapeño popper dip. My personal favorite was the avocado hummus. It was addicting and so easy to make! I loved having appetizers for dinner, and it's something I totally suggest. All of the recipes are below!

Fried Bocconcini

 

  

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 2 lb. bocconcini (about 50 pieces)
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 cups Panko bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Drain the cheese from its liquid and place on a paper towel to dry
2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
3. Put the egg mixture, bread crumbs mixture and flour in separate bowls. To make the bread crumb mixture, combine the Panko bread crumbs with salt and parmesan.  
4. Roll the cheese in the flour, then into the egg mixture and coat with the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess after each step.
5. Repeat the breading process one more time for each cheese piece.
6. Pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches in a frying pan or fryer and heat at 350°F
7. Working in batches, fry the cheese until golden, about 45 seconds.
8. Transfer the fried cheese to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and black pepper.

Avacado Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 avocado
• A couple squirts of lime juice       
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth

Jalepeno Popper Dip

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 package cream cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs 

 Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and jalapenos in a bowl and pour into a baking dish.
3. Mix the panko bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the dip.
4. Bake until the sides are bubbling and the cheese cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.
   
   
   Stay beautiful,
   Marina

my bridesmaids

I can easily say my best friends have changed my life for the better. They are my sisters and I absolutely adore them. I will always carry them in my heart. Asking my lovely ladies to stand by my side on my wedding day is hands down one of my favorite parts of this journey. I am so thrilled they get to be a part of our wedding and Brett and I feel the same about his groomsmen.

Technically, I'm probably supposed to wait another month or so to formally ask my bridesmaids, but I could not wait (they all knew it was coming anyway)! I've always wanted to ask them in a creative, personal way and I came up with this idea about a year ago. :)

I love bedazzling/decorating plain pictures frames. It's something I did throughout college and I knew this was a gift I wanted to give my best friends. I bought a bunch of flowers, pearls and other embellishments to stick on the picture frames and used scrapbook paper for the little notes. All of these items, including the frames were purchased at Michaels. Some of the embellishments already had an adhesive, and I had to glue some of the other pieces on. I created each frame in a unique way because each of my bridesmaids is different and I wanted to add a touch of their own personality.

I also tried to incorporate our hopeful wedding colors - black, white and red. I decided to purchase two-sided picture frames and fill one side with a memorable picture and the other with "the big question" (also a place holder for a wedding picture). I put each frame and a personalized note in a box filled with red tissue paper. I designed the notes and created the typography in Microsoft Word. I wrapped each box with beautiful black and white wrapping paper, and topped each gift with a red bow.

 

 

Meet my beautiful bridesmaids: Dana, Cassie, Sam, Mary, Ashley, Callista, Alyssa and Tara. 

I love you girls so much and I'm so happy you all said yes. :)

  

Stay beautiful,

Marina

merry christmas

 

 
I decided to make homemade cards this Christmas. It was a lot more time consuming than stopping at Target to pick up a pack of cards, but in the end it was so worth it. 

Michaels and Hobby Lobby have been my best friends lately. I swear, they never fail me! I bought a ton of construction paper, stickers  and other little items to create my cards. I chose the four colors that remind me of Christmas: dark green, dark red, cream and dark blue. I added a little sparkle and incorporated many "Christmas symbols" like, snowflakes and evergreen trees. All of the supplies I used can be found at any type of craft store. Just pick up some materials that catch your eye and create any type of card your little heart desires.

My cards aren't as elaborate as I envisioned them to be; they're all very simple. Come to think of it, simple is perfect to me - it reminds me of the Christmas season in general. We add bright, shiny, pretty decor to our houses, trees and gifts as part of our celebration of Jesus' birth, but in reality none of that matters. All of the extravagant gifts and decor go away, but what remains are the simple things. Things like being with our loved ones and going to a Christmas mass/service to truly celebrate God's gift to us.

I'm happy I kept the cards simple and I hope I enjoy the simple and small things Christmas has to offer. I'm so excited to celebrate Christ's birth! I hope you all have a blessed Christmas. I've included some pictures below of the card-making process for your reference.

Stay beautiful,
Marina