It's Friday, B*tches!!

Happy Friday friends!  We are SO looking forward to this weekend!  Alana is hosting a Ladies night for several friends to get together which we will of course be blogging about next week!

I am making Caprese Skewers and Funfetti Cake Pops (from a box)...hope they turn out!

In the meantime, here are a few of our favorite things for summertime!

* Evolution Fresh cold-pressed juices:

I discovered these when I received a coupon for them at Starbucks, but they are much cheaper at the grocery store. They help me feel a little less guilty for the ground turkey marinara sauce pasta I made and have been eating for lunch all week... I love the Sweet Greens and Lemon as well as the Essential Greens.  I can't wait to try more!

* Skinny Girl Cocktails:

 Skinny Girl cocktails are essential for a weekend with the ladies. My favorite is the Margarita! It is great poolside or to pregame with before you go hit the clubs. Bethenny hit this one out of the ball park. I haven't tried all of the other Skinny Girl drinks, but if they are half as good as the margarita then sign me up.

* A friendly game of mini-golf:

I think my hole-in-one on the 1st hole was eclipsed by my last place finish?  Next time I need to work on my patience.  I matched my ball color with my pumpkin-orange pedi, though :)

P.s. This is obviously Ria and not Alana, because Alana would have gotten first place!!

* Ballerina Pink gel manicure with a touch of sparkle:

Gel manicures have been my absolute favorite indulgence this summer.  It is so nice to not have to worry about your polish chipping and a pretty manicure always pulls together any outfit.  I added a touch of sparkle to jazz it up a bit.

My 4th of July gel manicure below also helped me feel extra festive!

* Artsy Lattes:

When I get the chance to spend time with my mom in San Diego, we have made a new habit of visiting The Lofty Bean first.  They have great organic coffee and tea with a sustainable mission.  The baristas also sing along to the radio and put a pretty finishing touch on your latte that can't help but make me smile.

Have a great weekend and drink responsibly!

Art Wall and Reading Nook

I love rearranging my apartment, especially my bedroom! I get the "itch" to move things around at least every 2 months. Once the urge comes on, it consumes my every thought and there is no stopping me (side note, its a great workout too!). I had recently cancelled cable, so I had more freedom with where I could move my TV. This opened up a world of new possibilities! The main problem I was facing is that there is just too much furniture in my room so I have to be really creative to fit it all in there without looking cluttered. The crazy thing is that I was able to add a chair in there and it ended up looking less cluttered than before. Not sure how that happened, but I am pretty excited about it!

The process started early Sunday afternoon and took about 4 hours to finally get everything in its place. My favorite new additions to my bedroom are the art wall and reading nook. The art wall is great because it is one central place where I can display my works of art (One of the paintings on there is my Grandpa's though). It creates a warm and homey feeling with the chair and I just want to sit for hours and read. Next book on the list: Fifty Shades of Grey!

Who else loves re-arranging their furniture??

Easy, Cheesy Toast

I was about to make some Parmesan toast, but feeling inspired by this post, I decided to make my own version (minus the avocado, sadly). It was absolutely delish on Trader Joes' Roasted Garlic Asiago bread (which you should try whether or not you make this toast)!

The only problem I had was broiling the cheese.  I tried the broiler in my oven AND the toaster oven but the cheese wouldn't broil!  This was fresh mozzarella so I am thinking that had something to do with it.  The fresh basil leaf torn up on top was a nice addition. I bought a basil plant last week at Trader Joes and it has the hugest leaves on it!  They were perfect for homemade Caprese - I will post that soon!  Anyways, this cheesy toast was a great quick and easy snack that definitely hit the spot.

Sorry I didn't take more pictures, as you can see I even took a bite before taking the picture above.  I was VERY hungry!

1.  Cut the amount of bread you would like from loaf.

2.   Squeeze desired amount of lemon juice over piece of bread (I used about 1/2 of a lemon, but I LOVE lemon juice!).

3.  Top with your favorite cheese. I had fresh mozarella on hand, but you could also use parmesan, jack, or whatever is your favorite.

4.  Sprinkle red peppers on top.  It would also be great with rosemary on top.

5.  Broil or toast for 5-10 minutes or until your toast looks about how you want to eat it.  Be careful not to over-broil your toast and burn it!

6.  Top with chopped fresh basil leaves and eat!

Red, White, and Blue Berries!

Last night, my friend Jenny sent me a picture of these Red, White and Blue Berries and I immediately asked her to guest post.  I saw these featured here, and wish I had the patience to make them tonight for the 4th of July tomorrow.

I met Jenny at my current workplace, Rodale.  We were both Sales Assistants together and after Jenny made the long (and brave) move across the country to NYC, we were both promoted to Sales Planner around the same time.  I am lucky to count Jenny as one of my good friends and couldn't get through the workday without having her a phone call (or gchat) away.

Please welcome guest blogger, Jenny Whiting!

Hello from NYC! I'm Ria's Co-Worker/East Coast Counterpart...and more importantly, devout follower of Yumsicles and happy to share a little festive treat that is perfect for your Fourth of July celebrations.

These are so incredibly easy it's ridiculous. All you need is three ingredients: Strawberries, white chocolate chips, and blue sugar. 

First, simply wash and dry your berries.

Next, melt the white chocolate chips (Tip - Melt in 20 seconds increments, taking the time to stir between each). 

Once the white chocolate is stirred smooth, dip your berries (make sure the berries are dry after you wash them so the dip adheres) and then immediately dip into the blue sugar. 

Place them on a cookie sheet or tray lined with parchment paper.  Continue this process with each berry until you are done.

Lastly, refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Enjoy!!

Now everyone, these are so easy and perfect to bring to that 4th of July BBQ or party.  Please send pics if you make them!