Blonder Ambitions

Author: Kiki E.

  • RECIPE TO TRY – CHILI, JALAPENO CHEDDAR CORNBREAD MUFFINS, & HONEY WHIPPED BUTTER

    RECIPE TO TRY – CHILI, JALAPENO CHEDDAR CORNBREAD MUFFINS, & HONEY WHIPPED BUTTER

    In a word (or two… okay, three): ultimate comfort food. There is nothing I love more than comfort food.  My daddy is a Texan… so it’s in my blood that the ultimate comfort food is chili and cornbread.  I whipped up the whole meal in literally 10 minutes (leave it to simmer for at least an hour and a half, though… chili is all about the simmer).  I used a ridiculously simple recipe (find it here).  Then I used some basic cornbread mix and threw some diced jalapenos and cheddar cheese into the batter.  I cooked up the cornbread muffins in my Babycakes maker (my obsession is highlighted here).  The honey whipped butter is literally as easy as it sounds (whip honey into some butter, sweetheart. See? Easy.)… There is nothing glamourous about chili (as you can see with my oh-so-simple and totally-not-glamourous pics)… but there is something so ridiculously satisfying about it.  And, of course, the ultimate Meal for Your Man (or, come on, just for your wonderful self!) testament is the review from… well, a man.  My man tester’s words {after a long “Mmmmmm”}: “This is my second favorite chili ever.  My mom’s is the best, of course” (smart answer)… For such a simple recipe, I was thrilled with the compliment. Oh, and he ate (at least) five muffins. I consider it a success.  So, get simmerin’… you. will. love. this.

  • BLACK PASTEL

    BLACK PASTEL

    Vest, Twelve by Twelve. Dress, F21. Shoes, Boutique in the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

    The most fabulous part of hitting mid-week? Mid-week Happy Hour with the girls.  For an occasion that’s not quite an afternoon affair… and may or may not trickle into the evening… it’s best to keep the look light and soft… but with a bit of edge.  The chiffon, pastel print, and baby doll cut of the dress are balanced with the black vest and black patent leather shoes… both all tied up with black cords.  Soft makeup and hair with volume show that you put in effort to look good for your {gorgeous} friends!

  • HOW TO – MAKE YOUR OWN CARDS

    HOW TO – MAKE YOUR OWN CARDS

    I am a complete sucker when it comes to all things personalized.  I am also an utterly complete sucker for greeting cards.  Beyond this, I am an utterly completely ridiculous sucker for receiving a personalized (ie homemade) greeting card for no reason at all.  Those that know me know my obsession with one-of-a-kind gifts… accompany the gift with one of these one-of-a-kind-made-by-fabulous-little-you cards.


    1. Layout all of your supplies.  I love to use things I already have. Some leftover paper from Valentine’s Day (seen here), linen paper used to make the menus for my sister’s surprise birthday party (seen here), stamps used to make place cards (seen here), and pearl details that were remnants from a wedding that I had designed (seen here).
    2. Get a great tool with which to cut straight edges. I swear by my Martha Stewart Simple Paper Trimmer (buy it here).
    3. Use your paper cutting handy dandy tool to trim your main paper (the card’s base) to the size that you want.
    4. Fold your base paper in half.
    5. Cut your secondary paper (use something flashy… you know you want to) to be a bit smaller than the folded portion of the front of your card.
    6. Adhere the secondary paper to the base paper using double stick tape (if you don’t already own some… buy some. now.).  Cut your third piece of paper to a slightly smaller size than your secondary paper.  I used linen paper (you know, the fancy resume kind)… I love the texture. So posh.
    7. Time for some stamping. Lay out the stamps on your paper before inking as a guide.  Don’t worry if you don’t stamp in a completely straight, perfectly spaced line. The charm is in the imperfections.
    8. See? Imperfect, but still darling.
    9. Add some of your own (charmingly imperfect) handwriting and a little embellishment if you feel like it. I did.
    10. Double stick tape (ah, yes. again.) your third piece of paper to your secondary, glitzy paper. There you have it. An adorable, made-by-you card.
    11. See again? Imperfections… crooked handwriting. Not every corner in place. Everything slightly off-center. That’s the best part.
    12. Line the inside with more luxe linen paper. With such an adorable card just keep the message short and sweet. It’s more than enough.
    13. Add a little more personalization on the back. You’re so crafty. And chic. And adorable. And perfect. That’s what the person that you give the card to will think. So, take a little time… let someone know they’re worth it to you.

  • QUILTED LEATHER

    QUILTED LEATHER

    Jacket, F21. Dress, B.Darlin. Shoes, I.N.C.

    At the end of a loooooong work week, nothing kicks off the weekend like going out with your best girlfriends to play with the city lights.  When the night’s plans include a nice dinner downtown followed by some time on State Street {Santa Barbara’s main drag}, the look needs to be appropriate for the nightlife yet refined.  A sequined gray mini dress leads to some major skin exposure {perfect for nighttime}… balance the look by covering up with a feminine, ruffled, quilted, chain embellished leather jacket {now you’re refined, gorgeous}.

     

  • MAXI CHIC

    MAXI CHIC

    Sunglasses, Chanel. Necklaces, F21. Belt, Gossip Santa Barbara. Dress, Vertigo {Paris}.

    I had a day full of business meetings and shopping {yesssss!} ahead of me.  The fashion challenge was to look polished and effortless, while still maintaining a level of comfort {didn’t want to have to cut shopping time short}.  Enter: the maxi dress.  It comes in endless styles and every imaginable color (though I’m a sucker for embroidery and jewel tones… it totally screams “High End Puerto Vallarta Vacation”… hey, a girl can dream).  This look is killer on any body type and it makes a statement {you are a confident. bold. perhaps international (make ’em wonder). vision of a woman.}.  Cinch the look with a belt or wear it loose.  Beachy waves in your hair and a pair of statement sunglasses on your face complete the look.

  • HOW TO – ARRANGE FLOWERS

    HOW TO – ARRANGE FLOWERS

    There is nothing like having a fresh bunch of flowers in your home. On your desk. On a table. Anywhere.  Everywhere.  However, you don’t want those flowers to appear as if they have been haphazardly thrown into a vase.  Each and every flower should look like it is exactly where it is intended to be.  Here’s how…

    {You should have two pairs of cutting tools… One standard pair of scissors [make sure they are sharp!] and a smaller [very sharp!] pair of pruning shears.  Also, have a vase waiting filled 1/3 full of water}

    {Purchase flowers in a single hue… White is always fresh and looks classic.  Arranging buds in a single color takes less precision than a multi-colored arrangement… less room for error!}

    {Lay your flowers out on a clean and open surface and use your standard scissors to remove any wrapping and binding from the flowers}

    {Use your pruning shears [careful! they’re verrrry sharp!] to remove all leaves and thorns from flowers.  This results in a crisp looking flower arrangement.  Also, you never want leaves below the water level because they soak up too much water and then it doesn’t get to the bud}

    {Keep a bucket to catch all discarded greenery so you can dispose of it responsibly. Green waste! Compost!}

    {Cut all stems at a 45° angle… they soak up the water better that way. Also, cut the stem at a length where the head of the flower rests on the top of the vase}

    {Arrange the largest buds first.  They take up the most space and it’s easier to see where you can highlight your smaller [and usually more expensive!] buds}

    {Next… take your smaller flowers and fill in the gaps until the flower heads are tightly bunched}

    {Voila! A completed arrangement… Aren’t the ranunculus to die for?}