by steph_egan | personal
I don’t know where you are at the moment and what the weather is currently doing outside your window, but here in Charlotte it’s been rain rain rain for what feels like days on end. I realize that’s nothing to complain about as my friends in the North awake to snow-covered cars, slippery walkways and the general brown mush it all turns to after a few days. Either way, it’s Winter everywhere, and with that comes a lot of gloomy days. Days when January seems to DRAG and the holidays are nothing but a distant memory.
On my way home this evening, just as I was letting the gray skies get to me, Three Little Birds appeared.
Not physically… but through the speakers of my car, and through the voice of Bob Marley. And I was instantly transported back in time:
May 27, 2012.
In Jamaica to shoot a wedding, it was Sunday, and my work was done… sitting on the beach with two girlfriends, drinks in hand and aqua water in front of us, two old men appeared – locals. In trousers and button down lightweight cotton shirts, carrying a suitcase and some other makeshift musical contraption, they sat down before us. And there, on a beach in Negril, in Paradise… they serenaded us with the most perfect version of Three Little Birds. Using the suitcase as a seat, and also as a drum. In that moment, the words of that song could not have been more true: there was really nothing to worry about, and if there was… every little thing gonna be alright.
How fortunate we were to be sitting on a sun soaked beach without a care in the world. And with today’s rain, and a random song selection at the perfect time… I’m back there again.
by Mandi | recipes
2013 has brought new beginnings. New healthier beginnings.
I am putting more focus on healthier foods, getting more sleep, and getting more exercise. To jumpstart us off, the mister and I have agreed to three months of eating very healthy. No grains and no diary, basically the Paleo diet. It has actually been a lot of fun trying new recipes and cooking together. Below is one of our favorites yet.
Bacon and Pork Bite-Size Medallions with Mustard Drizzle
Ingredients
- MEDALLIONS
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 6 slices of bacon (you may need more depending on tenderloin size)
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- salt and pepper to taste
- toothpicks to hold meat in place
- MUSTARD SAUCE
- 3/4 c yellow mustard
- 1/2 c honey
- 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon stevia or truvia sweetner
- 2 teaspoons tamari sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 375.
- Prepare the mustard dip by combining all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Make 24 hours ahead of time for best flavor.
- Set aside 1 c of the mustard sauce to use as the drizzle.
- Cut the tenderloin into 1/4 inch strips that are about the width of bacon. Lay the strip flat and then layer one slice of bacon on the strip of tenderloin. Start on one end and roll both into a pinwheel or medallion. Secure with two toothpicks.
- Cut the medallions in half to make two smaller medallions.
- Mix together the pecans, salt and pepper.
- Dip the medallions in the mustard and then coat with the pecan mixture. Lay on a baking sheet that has been lined with wax paper.
- Cook on each side for 7-8 minutes each, drizzle with the cup of mustard that was set to the side and serve.
These would be great for an appetizer or a finger food for your next party, but we used them as the main course for our meal. We also made sauteed garlic spinach, sauteed mushrooms and a side salad with homemade lemon garlic dressing.
If you think these look great, you should try some of our other recipes: chicken pot pie cupcakes / guilt free recipes / carrot and fennel soup
by jenn_davis | style
A lot of people are surprised to learn that for many years I was a makeup artist. I started working for Prescriptives cosmetics when I was a freshman in college and then went on to work for Christian Dior. The majority of my adult life has been spent learning and perfecting certain beauty tips and tricks so I thought I would start sharing them with you all.
One of the biggest misconceptions about makeup is that you have to spend a fortune to get a quality product. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however, there are certain products that are well worth the splurge (a prime example is eye shadow but I will save that for another day altogether)! I have broken down a few key products that I use on a daily basis and offered three different price points. I personally tend to ride the center line as far as my cosmetics are concerned but it’s nice to know that there are options out there to fit virtually every budget.
Find these Foundations here, here and here.
Blush here (favorite color is Orgasm!), here (favorite color is pale pink!) and here.
Waterproof Eyeliner here, here and here
Mascara here, here (my ultimate favorite- it’s hard to beat Dior mascara!) and here
Lip Treatment here, here (honestly, try this stuff once and you will be hooked!!!) and here
