Weekend Highlights {Memorial Weekend Edition}

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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{ Stanley Chow Prints via Lesley's Pinterest }



::Friday::

-Wine and funny stories after work - 

- Pizza dinner - 

- Watched too much ghost adventures before bed, woke up scared - 



::Saturday::

- Slept in late -

- Suckered Mitchell into writing me a blank check to pay my massive library fines -

- Root beer shake with fries -

- Met new best friends at wine and live music night at a Saratoga winery -

- Finished Dexter season 3 -



:: Sunday::

- Slept in and watched more TV while Mitchell went on a meeting -

- Sent lots of text messages explaining how bored I was -

- Walked around Santana Row feeling fancy -

- Tried pear cider at the new Yard House Restaurant -

-Saw The Hangover Part II - not great -

- More Dexter - Season 4 -



::Monday::

- Too many errands - 

- coffee and groceries -

- watched Andres Torres hit a grand slam to win the giants game - 

- Schooled Mitchell in MLB 2k11 -

- Homemade crepes for dinner -



Overall, my weekend was wonderful and restful. How was everyone else's long weekend? Busy or relaxing?

Fridays Are Fun

Friday, May 27, 2011

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Because sometimes you, your sister, your mom, and your dad just want to see how you would look with a mustache... so you try it out and take a lot of pictures.

I would say we really rocked the look, don't you think?

Travel Plans :: Greece and Turkey

Thursday, May 26, 2011

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Greece




Turkey


I am leaving for a three-week trip to these two gorgeous locations in a few weeks and I am beyond excited. Has anyone been? Anything I should know?


 Photos via here, here, here, here, and here


What I Wish I Were Wearing Wednesday :: Guest Post :: Cornflake Dreams

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

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I am so excited to introduce my fabulous guest poster for What I Wish I Were Wearing Wednesday, Jillian, from Cornflake Dreams. Jillian is one of my favorite bloggy friends and her amazing blog is full of fashion, travel, and fun. It is defiantly worth a look!

hi there! it's jillian from cornflake dreams and i am so excited to be guest posting on one of my favorite blogs today. like julie i recently got engaged and i have been all about wedding planning. i have also been thinking about summer and dreaming of warm weather. chicago won't make up it's mind-- and it's driving me crazy. yesterday it was 80. today it's chilly and rainy. Sooo for my what i wish i was wearing outfit i decided to dream up a beach look...and a beachy location:: 




a huge thank you to julie for having me! say hello sometime over at cornflake dreams :) 

xoxo, 
jillian

Stamps

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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I have always loved rubber stamps, (I think it is the future teacher in me) so you can imagine how excited I was when I came upon this etsy shop full of the most wonderfully random collection of rubber stamps for great prices!




Aren't they fantastic? Just look at that goldfish! that golf cart! the wine and cheese set! I am drooling with the possibilities!

A lot of them can be personalized with a name and would be so cute for invitations or thank you cards. I want to figure out how to use that wedding cake stamp for our save the dates /thank you notes!

Weekend Highlights

Monday, May 23, 2011

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::Friday::

- Road trip with Abby to see my sister, Jane in Davis -

-Visited the baby cows she lives across the street from -

- Massive amounts of Mongolian barbecue - 

- Somehow paid two different bridge tolls going there and back from Davis, no one knows how that is even possible -

- impromptu giants game party - guess who is first in their division nowadays? - 



::Saturday::

- Sat out in the morning sun like a cat -

- Slurpees with my sisters -

- Prom hair and make-up for my sister, Lizzie-

- Watched Lizzie take hundreds of pictures with all her friends -

- Ordered a terrible sour strawberry margarita - replaced it with an excellent Corona and lime -

- Dexter Season Three with Mitchell-



::Sunday::

- Los Gatos Farmer's Market with my mom -

- Banana nutella crepe on the park bench -

- Summer shopping -

- Thought about cleaning my apartment - decided to take a nap instead -

- Trader Joe's orange chicken date with Mitchell -



Was your weekend wonderful??

Things to Love Friday

Friday, May 20, 2011

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Some things to brighten up your hopefully already fabulous Friday



Clever ways to show off a ring 
(I just have to get a picture like this eventually)





 Gorgeous houses with gorgeous gardens
 



 
Smores bar! 






Sweet prints







Some pretty exciting stairs




A funny map 
maybe I only like this because California is described as life as the party. maybe.



Have a wonderful Friday and a wonderful weekend, what are your plans??


Images:

Foolproof Creme Brulee

Thursday, May 19, 2011

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The one thing on my to do list this last weekend was learn how to make creme brulee. My dad makes this amazing dessert for special occasions (random Tuesday nights are special occasions, right?) and it is by far my favorite dessert. ever. So Saturday morning I took a class from my dad on how to make easy, no fail creme brulee.
 
The good thing about creme brulee is that it is mostly eggs, perfect for a girl who doesn't really like to eat eggs but has three pet chickens.



This recipe is easy because it only requires four ingredients:

6 egg yokes
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping creme
6 Tbsp white sugar
4 Tbsp dark brown sugar.




First, separate the yolks from the eggs whites. Note from my dad: always use a separate bowl, nothing ruins creme brulee like egg shells



Whisk the yolks together and add sugar and whipping cream.







Lightly butter your ramekins and pour the batter evenly into each





Carefully put each into a oven safe dish (I didn't have anything to fit all four so I used two) and set them in the oven preheated to 375 degrees. Using a pitcher of warm water, fill the dish to half-way up the sides of your creme brulee dishes. This will ensure your it cooks evenly.




Bake for 45 minutes or until you can see the custard part of your creme brulee is set. (It starts to change from looking like water to pudding)




Once these come out of the oven let them cook completely (this will take something like 20 minutes). Cover them with plastic wrap and  put them in the fridge for a few hours. (or longer, we left them overnight) When the custard part of your dessert is cool it is time to add the topping. This recipe uses brown sugar instead of fancy, creme brulee sugar, one of the reasons I like it.




To make to brown sugar bake better for topping put it in the over for 20 minutes or so on a low temperature to dry the moisture out. Once it is dry put the sugar in a plastic bag and roll it with a rolling pin a few times to crush up any lumps and give it an even topping mixture. Lastly, sprinkle it evenly over the creme brulee.



Finally you are ready to broil your final product. I always thought of creme brulee as being cooked with a blow torch but I found out this recipe tells you to put your dessert in the oven, under the broiler to get a more even top.


When you are broiling your creme brulee make sure you don't leave the oven and keep turning the ramekins to get an even crust. it will only take 2 or 3 minutes, don't leave it unattended! (A quick tip, don't do this step more than an hour before you are ready to eat, the sugar will start to get soggy)

Once it fully cooked (the sugar will melt as you watch), take it out and put it back in the fridge to cool back down. Once it is chilled you can eat it!




The only thing you need to keep in mind before you make this is, start a few hours before you want to eat, leave enough time for the custard to bake then chill, then chill again. But overall, these recipe is so easy you can not mess it up, I promise! And oh, so delicious, I may have eaten this one before letting it cool off from the broiler. maybe.

What I Wish I Were Wearing Wednesday :: Couple Style

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

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Getting engaged means you have a lot of fun parties to go to, pictures to take, and people to look good for. I want to put together an outfit like this for Mitchell and my engagement photos and/or party. I love the pale pink skirt and heart necklace for me and I totally have a thing for guys in boat shoes and sweaters :)

P.S. Want to create your own outfit for What I Wish I Were Wearing Wednesday? email me at lovejulieblog@gmail.com!

Whites Wish List

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

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Some things I from my all time favorite color I am craving right now

1.  Cozy white sheets
2.  Bread bin
3.  Lacy bowl set
4.  White and gray chevron rug

Weekend Highlights

Monday, May 16, 2011

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::Friday::

- finished school work forever (sort of, not really.) -

- celebratory champagne with mom, dad, and mitchell -

- homemade dessert crepes filled with chocolate. breakfast for dinner style. -



::Saturday::

- sleeping in -

- a quick lesson from my dad on how to make fool proof, easy-peasy, so good you will never want anything else creme brulee. *more on that later* -

- marathon shopping session with Sarah -

- more champagne -

- sweet potato tater-tots I so badly wish I were eating again right now -

- more champagne -

- late night heart-to-hearts in downtown Los Gatos  - 



::Sunday::

- one banana pancake and two scrambled eggs at Stacks -

- lots of laughing at our own, not so funny, jokes with that girl up there -

- lots of nothing but lying on the couch and watching I Love Lucy and catching up with blogging friends-
 



Life is so good, don't you think?

Color Creations: White and Green

Sunday, May 15, 2011

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{House of Turquoise}



For my wedding I think I want to have all white flowers with lots of greenery. I love how simple and clean all white with just a touch of green looks for a wedding! Very classic, don't you think?


{Style Me Pretty via Breakfast at Toast}

And speaking of weddings, we are starting to look into photographers right now for our spring wedding in San Fransisco and I am having trouble finding one we just love. Does anyone have any suggestions for Bay Area photographers they would recommend?

Hooray!

Friday, May 13, 2011

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Today is a hooray type of day because:


- by the end of the day I will be done with all my papers and lesson plans I have been doing in school for a year and a half -

-its warm and sunny here is the bay area-

-blogger is finally fixed-

-i have big plans tonight watch a lot of Dexter -

{and}

-it is a Friday and almost the weekend!!-



P.S. buy this celebratory little chicken here

What I Wish I Were Wearing Wednesday

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

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Sundance Flats with JCrew Jacket




I wish I were wearing this outfit right now because I love so many things about it - like those fantastic flats, big sparkly ring, and sweet pink nail polish. The jacket looks so comfy too, perfect for breezy spring days! What do you wish you were wearing today?

P.S. For any of you who entered (or even if you didn't!) my Chelsea Victoria photo giveaway and didn't win, she is offering Love, Julie readers a pretty sweet deal over at her Etsy shop. Just enter 10forjulie at checkout and buy one, get one free, plus 10% off of all of her prints. I think I am going to get this one or this one!