Photography Favorites - Friendship Feature

Hello lovelies!

This post is inspired by recent events! The last two evenings have been so much fun and a reprieve from all-day studying sessions. On Thursday, my besties and I tried out a new Mexican restaurant in Honolulu called Cocina. Their food was great, esp the papas fritas (Mexican-style french fries). We then went and got dessert at a popular local diner chain called Zippy's. We spent the night talking and laughing and reconnecting. Such a great evening, and it made my soul sing.

And last night, one of my really good friends and his sister had a house/apartment warming party. There was great food (ribs, pulled pork, sashimi, ravioli, cake, and MORE) and even b e t t e r company. We also laughed a lot, played video games, and just enjoyed our moments together. Such a perfect evening.

To celebrate my wonderful friends, I thought I would post some of my favorite friendship photos that I have come across! Hope you enjoy them, and hope you have a great weekend with loved ones!

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Aloha,
Cassie

"I honor the place within you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place within you, which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace. When you are in that place within you and I am in that place within me, WE ARE ONE"

Collector's Show- July 2013

Hi all,

I love to go to collector's shows! I don't know if you have them in your area, but they basically are shows were you can go vintage shopping! A lot of people collect amazing things, including postcards, dining sets, hats, jewelry, telephones, etc. In the collector's shows that I have gone to, I have seen things from the 1900s. In fact, in the most recent collector's show I attended, I saw postcards dating back to the early 1900s; I couldn't believe I was holding a real postcard (with WRITING) that was over a century old! Incredible.

I love to buy refurbished vintage items and vintage items as is. Some of them may not be in the best shape, but others clearly have been kept safe from the elements. The items in best shape, of course, cost much more. This time, I bought a couple dishes and a vintage Snoopy figurine for my boyfriend from a toy collector who collected little Snoopys! My boyfriend also got me an original Ewok stuffed animal. SO CUTE.

Here are a couple of pictures that I took :)

The Ewok that my bf got me :) I love it so much!

A collection of Snoopys and other Peanuts characters. This was not the same toy collector I bought my bf's stuff from. I found one perfect for him from another guy.

A gorgeous dining set. I don't have room for this (YET), but I wanted to buy this so badly. Look at those blue flowers *I die*

Going to this show was a blast for me and I only spent around $20 for everything! I wanted to buy so many other things, but I stopped myself (I didn't want to spend too much money). Let me know in the comments below if you have ever been to a collector's show and what vintage things you love to buy!

Kisses,
Cassie xx

Pasta Galore

Hi all,

I am typing to you with a burnt left thumb. Lol. Regardless, I wanted to share with you a GREAT new restaurant I discovered. Well, technically, my mother's friends discovered it. Anyway, this place is fantastic. 

For those of you from Hawaii or about to vacation to Hawaii, please visit Uncle Bo's in Kapahulu (I will write the full address at the end of this blogpost).

I went for a wonderful baby shower, and the restaurant gave us a "tasting menu" option (because we were a party of 10+ people). The option basically included salads, appetizers, entrees, and desserts for everyone at the table. Everyone got to share the LARGE menu items (family style). I left feeling SO full and completely satisfied. I only wish that the pace was slower, so that we could have savored the food and stretched out our stomachs a little more. Still, the food was excellent. It is a mixture of Asian and Italian. Fusion Perfecto!

I loved these two pasta entrees:

Grilled Peppered Chicken Pasta

Shrimp Pasta

The other entrees and appetizers were great as well. Anyway, I just wanted to share my wonderful experience! Hope you head down there soon! I completely and totally recommend it. The only thing is, parking may be a little difficult. There is a small private lot ($5/$6 flat rate, depending on the time of day). That gets full fast, so either go early or find street parking. Besides that, you are in for a wonderful treat.

559 Kapahulu Ave

Honolulu, HI 96815

(808) 735-8311

Price Range: $$ ($11-$30) 

http://www.unclebosrestaurant.com

Let me know: what are your favorite places to eat!

Kisses, 

Cass xx

Patriotic Cupcakes

Hey all!

I'm back with my cupcake recipe! Well, to be quite honest, it's not really a recipe. The cupcakes were made with the prepared store mix. Sad face. I didn't have enough time to whip up homemade cupcakes. But, I did individually (and painstakingly) dye separate batches of the cupcake batter to make the three layers. And of course, the frosting was homemade (as detailed in my previous post)!

So, without further delay, here's the recipe:
(source: http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/celebrating-the-red-white-and-blue-with-cupcakes/)

Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes

1 box of white cake/cupcake mix  

Red Food Coloring

Blue Food Coloring

buttercream icing (recipe in previous blogpost)

red sprinkles

Directions:

Follow the directions on the box to mix the cake batter.  Divide equally into three bowls.  Leave one bowl white, and add colorings to the other bowls to get red and blue.  Layer the batters into your cupcake liners by the spoonful (I layered the red, white, and then the blue).  You can be neat with flat layers or just goop it in for a more swirly effect.  Follow the box’s instructions for cupcake baking time.

The cupcakes turned out great! Photos are below:

The completed cupcakes with the frosting and sprinkles.

An inside view of my layers (I went with a layered but still swirly effect!)

Step by step collage!

If you have any questions or comments, let me know! Also, if you make these, let me know how they turn out! Happy baking.

Kisses,

Cassie xx

Baking Time - Homemade Butter Cream Frosting (with Recipe)!

Hey all,

For Fourth of July, I have decided to make red, white, and blue cupcakes. I'm sure I will be posting the recipe for the cupcakes shortly, but I decided to make the frosting first. Normally, since I do not always have the time, I would just drop by a local grocery store and grab a jar of prepared frosting. BUT, I have decided to stick to more natural ingredients! 

The recipe for the buttercream frosting:

source: http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/celebrating-the-red-white-and-blue-with-cupcakes/

1/2 c.  unsalted butter

4 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar 

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5-6 tbsp. milk

I used REAL BUTTER, pure powdered cane sugar, pure vanilla extract, and organic 2% milk. I know that these ingredients can be a little pricey, so if you prefer to stick to the non-organic ingredients, I totally understand. :) Also, I suggest using real ALL-FAT butter. I am a little scared of whole milk, and I think it's a little TOO rich for me. BUT I think it would be great to use with frosting, since frosting is essentially all fat and sugar. :)

I will be posting a picture of my final product when I post a picture of the cupcakes. Until then, I will post a picture of my workspace. Baking is messy, but always fun! Don't you agree? 

Kisses,

Cassie xxx 

NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO UP!

So, I have started doing youtube videos, and I just wanted to tell you all! My first video is just a "What's In My Makeup Bag?" video, and I just sit and tell you all the makeup I am currently carrying with me everyday. I also share the products that I am loving and that I have not been satisfied with. 

Check it out: http://youtu.be/K6IocvdMdIU

Thanks guys and talk to you soon!

Kisses,
Cassie xx