Lou's Spring Style :: Jazzmin Style

Happy Friday Everyone! Can you believe we made it? I know I am not the only one ecstatic for a lovely three day weekend full of BBQ's, pool parties and a little sun on my skin.

This outfit was inspired by the lovely Jazzmin Styles. An online boutique that has quickly become one of my favorite finds. Not only do they have a wonderful selection of basic pieces but each of their statement pieces has a special "look at me" aspect to them. I am seriously crushing on this Bi-Level Sheer T and Hand Painted Bi-Level Dress.

I am wearing the Hand Painted Leggings, by Jazzmin Styles which I have to say are the most comfortable leggings I have ever owned, not to mention I love the hand painted touches.

I paired them with my flowing emerald long sleeve shirt and Hooded Sweater Vest courtesy of PB & J Boutique.

I topped everything off with a straw hat, gold arm candy, chunky wood necklace and leather sandals, which are my new go-to's.

This is the perfect outfit for the hot, then cold, then hot, then cold weather of the Salt Lake springtime. I hope you all have a lovely Friday and a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! Do you have any fun plans for the three days off?

Summer Belongs to You :: Create Your To-Do List

"I know what we're gonna do today!" I absolutely love Phineas and Furb. I know I have confessed this before, but I love this show so much because it only proves that you CAN have a plan for every day. It's almost like a New Year's resolution list, but you have less time to complete it, which for me makes the need to complete the list, more urgent and fun.

Do you have plans for the summer? I hope you do, if you don't, I have created a customizable list for you to fill out and put in a place you will see everyday. While you might create one of these for your family, what about the things that YOU want to accomplish? I have a list of books to read, adventures to take, places to explore, etc.

Here are a few of my personal summer to-do's:

 So those are just a few but I have made a printable for you to complete your own. You are going to feel much more productive this summer if you have goals mixed in with fun things. I can't wait to dive in to these things. Click on the image to download.

Have a fantastic time planning your summer adventures and goals. We would love to hear about your plans. Where are you going? What are you up to? What are you going to read, create, or grow. Let us know. xx Lynn

Zoku Quick Pop Maker :: A Summer Must

Have you ever come across a product and thought, I just want to try that out to see if it is really THAT good. I run across these things at Bed Bath and Beyond and Home Goods constantly, but I actually purchased one recently. Have you ever seen a Zoku Quick Pop Maker? Better yet, have you tried one? They are amazing!

Here's how it works, stick your Zoku Quick Pop Maker in your freezer for 24 hours. Now you are ready to make ice pops whenever. Let me share with you one of my favorite recipes for the Zoku.

Ingredients for one bar:
2 kiwi slices (with skin if you choose)
1 chopped strawberries
1/2 chopped kiwi (with skin if you choose)
3 chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 tsp. chopped mango
Dole Piña Colada fruit juice

1. Take your kiwi slices and place one on each side of the inside of the Zoku maker.
2. Spoon the chopped fruit and spinach into the maker. Place the stick inside the maker.

3. Pour the fruit juice in to the maker to the fill line.
4. Let sit for 7-9 minutes. Yes, that is all it takes.

5. Take your super tool and twist on the top to release your pop. Enjoy!

How delicious does that look? Trust me, it was. Go ahead and visit the Zoku website and check out their other amazing products. I love this product and I really love the array of options you have in creating these pops. I would highly recommend the Zoku Quick Pop Maker to anyone. My husband has a love for Otter Pops. I am slowly converting him to enjoy these instead.

Geometric Corkboard

 Ever since the Mr. and I moved we have been trying to spruce up the new place. For us, the thing that makes it feel like home is one word "homemade". I have had such a lovely time putting my own creative touch on everything, and that didn't stop with the office. Here is a sneak peek at PART of my office, the rest will come later when it is all finished.

When I would decorate my room as a child I thought that I needed to pick a theme and stick with it. As I have grown up I have broken out if that tiny box and I love what has come from it. Whenever I am at a thrift store, home goods, or even garage sale-ing, I always find little nik naks that I love, but they never go together and I don't have a place for them yet. I used to just leave them, but now I can't help but grab them. I always eventually find their home. This office space is one big mixture of garage sales and thrift stores and I can't help but love it. It went from being the dingiest part of my home to the brightest. One of my favorite parts is the cork board, I kept looking at our old cork board and decided it needed a face lift. And the best part of this DIY? It is so simple!

Materials:
Cork Board
Paints
Paint Brush
Masking Tape
Scissors

Directions: 1. Cut the tape into strips, varying in sizes from 2-4 inches.

2. Tape off sections of your cork board to make the desired shapes you want and press the tape down firmly, I chose triangles but I half debated diamonds. (This is the most time consuming part, don't scrimp for time here, your hard work will pay off.)

 
3. Paint 2-3 coats of paint inside the shapes and let it dry.

See, I told you, easy as 1-2-3. This little hand made touch is exactly what my office needed to brighten it up. If you look closely you can also see our "Things That Make Us Happy" lists and those lovely Fringe Topped Pencils from last week.

We have a winner to announce today! Congratulations to Susannah for winning our Little Flower Soap Company Spa Gift Set. She will have the opportunity to customize her set. Congrats love! Happy Tuesday to all! xx. Lou!

Baked Lemon Salmon & Lemon Rosemary Couscous with Golden Raisins

We are featuring two yummy dishes today that has one of our favorite flavorings. Lemon! Lemon is a much healthier way to add flavoring to a dish rather than loading a dish with salt. We have Baked Lemon Salmon coupled with Lemon Rosemary Couscous and Golden Raisins. Let's dive right in.

For Lemon Baked Salmon, you will need the following:

4 Salmon fillet cuts
Mrs. Dash lemon seasoning
8 lemon slices or 2 sliced lemons
dill
1 tsp. olive oil
4 sheets of aluminum foil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1 tsp. of olive oil on the aluminum foil, then place one salmon cut on each aluminum foil sheet.
 

Pour Mrs. Dash lemon seasoning and dill over the top of your salmon. Place two lemon slices on the top. Wrap the salmon up and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Your mouth will water while these are baking. The aroma is amazing.

When I was at Sprouts the other day I passed the grains isle and this pearl couscous caught my eye. I had never cooked with couscous before and thought that it would make a wonderful alternative to the usual brown rice.

Ingredients:
2 cups Israeli pearl couscous
2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 lemon + zest
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup golden raisins
4 cups water

Directions:
1. Add water, couscous and rosemary to a saucepan and cook for 20 minutes.

2. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the zest from the lemon and the juice from the lemon.

 

3. Add the golden raisins, pecans and mix well.

We hope you enjoy these recipes. We think they would make the perfect backyard barbecue recipes. If you want to place your salmon in aluminum foil on the grill, that would work as well. Have a glorious Monday!