Home Decorating: Photo Gallery Wall

Since our wedding in 2012, I've had so many lovely frames and photos that were packed in storage and never put up on display.

When the lovely Jordan posted about a Gallery Wall, a light went off in my head. I decided to try my hand at making one a few weekends ago to display in our downstairs hallway.

I laid everything out ahead of time to decide on a layout before hammering holes in the wall. K was a good sport and helped with the hammering and measuring.

In the process of hanging up all the frames, we realized the space we were working with was slightly smaller so decided to do a black & white theme only and leave out the long rectangular frame on the right.

Since the frames were all different sizes, I had to order a couple different size photos and wait for them to arrive before completing the project last weekend.

The Details:

Most of the photos are from our wedding day, including this one of our First Dance.

Pretty clock

Canvas with a motivational quote

An old photo of my grandparents when they were young bucks

Decorative Mirror
(and there you can see my reflection and iPhone flash...nice Emily, nice!)

I love how it came out even though it didn't turn out 100% as planned. I do prefer the black & white theme instead of having a mixture of colors

Caribbean Curry Chicken in Slow Cooker

I've been making Curry Chicken for years now but this was my first time using a slow cooker and I have to say it came out fantastic. K even commented that it may be the best one I've made yet so I'll be making it again.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 4 hours

Serving size:  8

 

Ingredients:

4 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 medium tomato, diced

1 medium onion, diced

6 small potatoes, halved

3 garlic cloves, diced

1 tbsp Olive oil

4 tbsp Caribbean curry powder

1 cup water 
Salt & Pepper
White or brown rice 

Optional: (to make it extra spicy)

Caribbean hot pepper sauce or scotch bonnet peppers

Pour olive oil into slow cooker and mix in chicken, potatoes, onion, garlic and tomatoes.

Mix 1 cup cold water with curry power.

Pour curry mixture over ingredients in slow cooker, season to taste with S&P, and stir well. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, set on low and cook for another hour until the chicken & potatoes are fully cooked and the curry sauce has thickened a bit.

Serve with rice and Enjoy!

 *Announcement*

Starting next week 02/18, I'll be hosting a Recipe Swap every Tuesday so feel free to link up with your favorite recipes for drinks/cocktails or food.  I've loved finding and trying new recipes from other bloggers so I'd like to keep it going for anyone interested in cooking new things and sharing their recipes & reviews.

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<a href="http://www.martinisbikinisblog.com" title="Tuesday's Recipe Swap"><img src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/triniemily/Tuesdays-Recipe-Swap.jpg" alt="Tuesday's Recipe Swap" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Rainy Weekend Fun

Mondays come way too quickly and are never welcomed around here but what you gonna do? The only thing I like about Monday is reliving my weekend. It was a rainy but good one in Central FL.

I did Fajita Friday with coworkers at my favorite Mexican restaurant.

 

Then got home to a package of goodies from ULTA. This is what being a blogger does to you! Reading makeup and product reviews is a bad influence on my online shopping habits. Wouldn't have it any other way tho. Can't wait to try out the Philosophy's Purity Cleanser, Benefit's POREfessional and the rest of my goodies.

Saturday was an overcast and rainy day but we had already bought tickets to Orlando's Chili Cook-Off which was a hit despite the shitty weather. We tried all sorts of chili including deer chili and got to vote for our favorite one (mine was the pulled pork chili). We endured the weather with umbrellas and had a good time with friends.

 

Kate and I sporting umbrellas and cold beverages in hand.

After the Chili Cook-off we went to warm up at a Sports bar and fireball shots ensued. Perfect way to warm up, maybe not?

Sunday was a nice, lazy day despite it being beautiful outside after days of rain. I caught up on my blogs, cooked a pot roast and cleaned the house since we have family visiting this weekend.

How was your weekend?

NOLA Trip Booked & Friday's Best

Happy Friday!
I think I say this every week, but I'm looking forward to sleeping in and having no big responsibilities this weekend. It's been a crazy week at work so a large glass of wine is calling my name ;-)


One: Myself and 8 other girls just booked our flights to New Orleans for a bachelorette in April. I've never been to NOLA so I'm excited to check out the French Quarter and party on Bourbon Street. Now we need to find a good place to stay around that area. Any recommendations??

Two: Girls sushi date last night. We meet up every few weeks to catch up over happy hour sushi & wine at our favorite spot downtown. You can't beat $4.25 sushi rolls and cocktails!

Three: My package of goodies arrived from Bath & Body Works on Monday along with a free 3-wick candle from spending over $20. I chose the Peach Bellini candle which smells SO good! Their new lotion collection also smells divine - The "Sun" lotion is my favorite, then "Sky".

Four: Chicken Stir Fry never gets old in my house. We make this meal for dinner almost every week because it's healthy, easy & delicious. I posted the recipe last year here.

Five: Don't forget to enter to win a $200 Stella & Dot gift card  our Valentine's Giveaway hosted by Bella from Dateless in Dallas.

Have a great weekend!

Joining Lauren for H54F and Darcie for Five on Friday.

Happy Birthday to a Legacy

Today, I'd like to pay tribute to the life and legacy of one of my idols

Robert Nesta Marley: 1945 -  

His music with forever live on and provide positive guidance for my daily life.

Happy Birthday Bob! Keep rockin' 

Valentine's Favorites

While I'm very aware Valentine's Day has become a commercialized holiday that encourages you (or men) to spend money on red roses, chocolate hearts, hallmark cards and so on, I do think it's a good time of year to remember and show those you love that you appreciate them, whether it's your best friends, parents, significant other etc. Cooking a nice dinner at home, watching the movie he wants to see, going bowling or just spending quality time together are just as important.

I'm all for those things but my festive side gets the better of me sometimes and I've put together some gift ideas to go with the Valentine's theme, which would also be cute gifts for birthdays in February.

Hanky Panky Thongs · Juicy Couture Camisoles · Victoria's Secret Gifts & Sets


How do you plan to spend Valentine's day this year?

Super Bowl Pizza Dip

I made this dip on Sunday for a friend's Super Bowl party and we loved how it came out. If the Super Bowl isn't the perfect excuse to indulge in some extra calories, then I don't know what is.

Ingredients:

1 block of cream cheese

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half

8 oz. shredded parmesan cheese, divided in half

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 1/2 cups pizza sauce

sliced pepperoni

Italian seasoning

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, 1/2 parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese on low with an electric mixer and spread onto the bottom of a greased baking dish.

Pour pizza sauce on top of mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle remainder of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top and then layer with green peppers and pepperoni.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese starts turning golden brown.

Serve with chips or warm bread.

Enjoy!

Super Bowl Weekend + $200 Giveaway

Super Bowl Monday should really be a holiday, don't you think? Productivity nationwide has to be zip to none. Although, I'm not a huge football fanatic, I am married to one and I do love joining in the festivities with friends

I went to a friend's Superbowl party yesterday and indulged in copious amounts of beer and greasy food. I do make an exception for the Super Bowl and enjoyed all the crap yummy food that comes along with it.

I made Pizza Dip for the party, which was my first attempt at making it. (Recipe to come).

Giveaway Time!

Bella, myself and these lovely ladies are hosting a Valentine's Day Giveaway. Enter below to win a $200 gift card from Stella & Dot.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. Winner will be notified on February 8th.

2. Winner will be verified. If the winner cannot be verified, a new one will be selected.

3. The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize after the notifying email has been sent out.

If they do not respond to the email within the 48 hours a new winner will be selected.

Good luck! 

The 5 O'Clock Dance

Oh I'm just sitting here all patient waiting to join Nene... Happy hour is calling my name after this week!

Other than vino, I'll probably enjoy some delish Cinnabon Vodka this weekend.

On Monday, I mentioned that I scored the best deal EVER over the weekend. Pinnacle® Cinnamon Roll vodka was on sale for 2 bottles for $12. With a mail-in rebate for $12.

Free vodka? Um, yes please! So I stocked up on a few 8 bottles for "the house" and to give as gifts, if they last long enough. 

I usually like to mix flavored vodka with soda water because I think it's sweet enough but it's always fun to experiment with new cocktail recipes when entertaining friends.

 #1:
Pinnacle® Cinnamon Shot
1 part Pinnacle® Cinnabon Vodka
Splash Half and Half
Shake with ice and pour into a cinnamon sugar rimmed shot glass

#2: 
Pinnacle® Cinnabon Cider
1 part Pinnacle® Cinnabon Vodka
2 parts Apple cider

#3: 
Pinnacle® Cinnabon Ginger
1 part Pinnacle® Cinnabon Vodka
 2 parts Ginger Ale

#4: 
Pinnacle® Cinnabon Sparkler
1 part Pinnacle® Cinnabon Vodka
2 parts Champagne

#5: 
Pinnacle® Honey Bun
1 part Pinnacle® Cinnabon Vodka
1 Part Jim Beam Honey Bourbon
2 parts Fresh Lemon Sour 
Shake well with ice

Have a great weekend!

Joining Lauren for H54F and Darcie for Five on Friday.

Makeup Products & Brands I Live By

I used to mainly buy Mac makeup & cheaper pharmacy brands, but I've been testing out different makeup brands from Ulta and Sephora and now I have a variety of go-to products that I love and use on a daily basis.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow · Tarte Face Makeup · Stila Lipstick

Smashbox High Definition Concealer: ($22) This concealer works great for covering up blemishes and dark spots before applying foundation. The consistency of it is long-lasting throughout the day and the tube also lasts a long time making it worth the price.

Tarte 12-hour Coverage Foundation: ($38) I've tried a number of foundations and this one (made with amazonian clay) by far provides the most coverage which I like since I tend to apply makeup in the morning and do not have the time to re-apply during the day.

Gel Eyeliner Pencil: ($8 Avon or Ulta brand) I like how gel eyeliners apply smoothly and thicker/bolder than regular pencil liners. Even better, the cheap Ulta brand works just great for me.

The Original Naked Palette: ($52) If you're not already familiar with Urban Decay's Naked Palettes, they are the bomb! These palettes are great because they offer a great variety colors to get a casual daytime look or a more bold nighttime look.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara: ($6.99) I've tried mascaras that are 10 times this price and I always come back to this one. I use Falsies on a daily basis but I also have some Mac mascaras that I use for more bold/nighttime looks.

Stila Color Balm Lipstick: ($22) This is my most recent makeup purchase and I love the colors that they offer if you're looking for a rich, moisturizing lipstick that is long-lasting.

Clinique "True Bronze" Powder Bronzer: ($26) I LOVE this bronzer and use it every day... I literally don't leave home without it! After applying foundation, I dust a light amount all over my face to get rid of the pale/flat look that foundations can cause especially on lighter skin. This bronzer gives your face a nice refreshed glow to start the day (or night).

Mac Eyeshadow Pigments: ($15) I own a variety of these power shadows and use the lighter/neutral colors on a daily basis for work and the bolder colors for going out with friends. You can find pretty much any color you're looking for and they last quite a long time so it's definitely worth the price. 

Urban Decay Primer Potion: ($20) I don't always remember to apply primer, especially when I'm rushing in the mornings but I definitely love how it works and it really helps to prolong your eye makeup and prevent creases.


Joining Jordan today for The Glam Series.

    What face makeup do you live by?

Free Bath & Body Works 3-Wick Candle with $20 Purchase

Thought I'd share this great deal from Bath & Body Works because I love their candles, lotions & body sprays.

Now until Sat Feb 1st, their offering a free 3-wick candle with a $20 purchase, plus free shipping on orders over $25. Coupon code: FREECANDLE20.

I ordered the Peach Bellini candle with my online purchase, which I'm yet to smell but sounds pretty good. 

I'd also like to announce the launch of the Martinis & Bikinis Facebook page. It's a work in progress but I'd like to invite you to be one of the firsts to follow my page & join my adventures in FB land.

Cheers!

Easy Ham and Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheese (I used 1/2 c. Monterey Jack and 1/2 c. Four Cheese Mexican blend but you can use Cheddar, Swiss, Mozzarella, or any combination of cheese you like.)
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cooked ham, cubed or chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup green onions
1 9 inch deep dish pie crust

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs with whipping cream. Stir in cheese, ham, mushrooms, onions and all other ingredients,ham and Cheddar cheese. Pour into pie crust.

3. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden brown.

Enjoy!