Cream #withspirit

Girls Night at the Oscars

SF Girl by Bay — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:02:02 +0000

i grew up in los angeles, so i am a child of the oscars. we always watched the academy awards in my house — and to this day, i’m pretty sure i’ve never missed one. i’ve thrown a few oscar parties in my day, but i’ve never shared one here, so i thought it would be fun to host an oscar girls night, and make it all about desserts. oh dear, those poor actresses, starving themselves silly all week to squeeze into those slinky gowns, and we’re going to sit here and eat divinely decadent desserts and drink baileys cocktails. oh yes, here’s to drinking your dessert.

there will probably be some gentle mockery of the oscar outfits, too — you know how that goes. as much as i like seeing a beautiful gown, there’s that secret guilty pleasure when someone shows up looking like a glamour don’t and you and all your girlfriends have a go at them. twitter makes it even more fun to watch the oscars these days, too. it’s like one big critique — of the gowns, the hairdos, the speeches. and you get to root for your favorite nominees too. so, i whipped up some oscar-inspired treats and decor to celebrate the special night. i hope you like it! here’s to girls night at the oscars!

i found little oscars at the local party shop and topped the cupcakes with them. cute little gold guys!

white and milk chocolate dipped strawberries always make a pretty dessert and so easy to do. melt your chocolate slowly in the microwave stirring every 20 seconds or so. then dip away and leave strawberries to dry on a sheet of waxed paper.

i used my mismatched collection of vintage glasses for our cocktails, and added inexpensive gold doilies as coasters.

okay, this idea is a bit of a cheat, but i couldn’t resist. i bought a bag of freshly powdered donut holes and then skewered them with these sparkly gold sticks. kinda crazy, but pretty great finger food, right?

okay, here’s where we got a little nutty — we glammed things up a bit by wearing wigs. add a few balloons and some cocktails = good time!

mmmm, we mixed up some Baileys Chocolatini. so freakin’ good! oh, and don’t forget to top them with pretty gold sprinkles.

how cute are these? i added miniature top hats to red velvet cupcakes!

Sponsored by Baileys Original. Join @BaileysOriginal on Twitter to celebrate #girlsnight and the women of the Red Carpet.

Planning an Awards Season Party

Design Crush — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:21:22 +0000

from Design Crush

It’s here! Awards Season is once again upon us – did you catch the Grammys last Sunday? So many wardrobe hits/misses and unexpected wins and losses that it’s a shame to watch alone, don’t you think? Well, I do. So I’ve put together a little inspiration for my ideal Awards Season party including decor, appetizers, desserts, and cocktails. My goal was to create a bit of an old Hollywood-meets-cozy winter wonderland feel with a twist.

THE LOOK

DIY Mercury Glass Votive Holders – A Beautiful Mess

Brushstroke Dinnerware – Oscar de la Renta

Silvery Chevron Tray – BHLDN

Lockport Portable Fireplace – Holly & Martin

Eclectic Candles – Tom Dixon

Lighted Birch Forest – Terrain

THE APPS

Easy Salt + Vinegar Veggie Chips – eBakerie

Ricotta with Lemon, Basil and Honey Bruschetta – Martha Stewart

Fries with Lemon Salt + Rosemary – Alexandra Cooks

Crab Spring Rolls – Cajunlicious

from Design Crush

Kale + Artichoke Dip – Spoon Fork Bacon

Garlic + Herb Stuffed Brussels Sprouts – Cooking Stoned

THE SWEETS

Clementine Cake – A Tasty Love Story

Coffee Meringues – My Kitchen Affair

Chocolate Orange Bark – Cake Merchant

THE LIBATIONS

Baileys Over Ice

Baileys and Coffee

Baileys Hazelnut Martini

What to Wear Everywhere This Season

Design Crush — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:22:11 +0000

December is here and with it the Season of Numerous Parties! Every modern lady knows it can be a daunting task, you don’t want to wear the same frock to every get together and you definitely don’t want to break the bank. And let’s not forget comfort, a big one on my list. I’ve put together three outfits from jewelry to dress to shoes that are sure to bring the wow factor this holiday season. And of course, no holiday party is complete with the perfect cocktail!

First up is your best friend’s dinner party! You want casual with that little something extra. And you also want to be able to kick off your shoes and curl up on the couch when everyone else has left for some gossipy girl talk.

Edwardian Hand Necklace – Catbird // // Stackable Rings – Winifred Grace // Pendleton Warm Springs Knit Dress // Bucket Bag– Toast // Ginnifer St. Jude – milk & honey // Baileys Chai Swizzle

The obligatory work party, it’s either three hours of hell or a night of trying to catch the eye of your office crush. (Sometimes both.) In either case, you want to be dressed to impress.

Shapedrop Earrings – Madewell // DRUID Necklace – Nikki Montoya // Leatherette Shift Dress by Parc Boutique // Weve Snap Clutch – Nutsa Modebadze // Lily Wedge Booties – Loeffler Randall // Baileys Coquito

The ultra glam get together is where you really need to bring your A-game, but you already knew that. Sparkles? Check. Strappy heels? Check. Blingy hair accessory? Check. Maybe it’s a holiday gala, maybe a New Year’s Eve party, whatever the case go all out! It’s not every day a girl gets to wear head-to-toe sparkle.

Drinking the Stars Comb – ban.do // Two-Tone Engraved Starburst Stud Earrings – House of Harlow // Sequin Shimmy Dress – Free People // Harlow Embossed Envelope Clutch // Kacy Heels – Pelle Moda // Baileys Martini

What is Friendship?

Danielle Ellwood — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 22:11:37 +0000

from Danielle Elwood

I mean, we all know that by dictionary definition, friendship is considered to be the emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends. But since I became a mother, I have to admit friendships no matter who they were with took a back burner to my children.

It wasn’t until the spring that I realized how much I need my friends as well as strong friendships in my life. Whether my friends were also mothers, childless, married without children by choice… or just single ladies doing their own thing in life.
I cherish all my different types of friends.
The Single Friend is always confiding in me about dates, opinions or just things she can’t say to others. The Married but Childless friend always wants to take me out for a girls night, a movie or just get me away from my kids. Which most of the time is greatly appreciated. We all love our children, but before we were mothers… we were also selfish women who loved time to ourselves right? Time to ourselves is great for us!

The Married friend with children is one of my favorites just because we can all put our kids in a room together, let them kill each other while we enjoy a nice adult drink before demanding our designated driver return us home. Or heck, just taking all the kids out to lunch at McDonalds Play Place is a treat.

But what I have grown to learn during this time was how incredibly important the spirit of friendship actually is. The days I don’t have an opportunity to talk to my friends, I always find myself more stressed out than normal.

It is more than just being friends. It is keeping that great connection open with those we love and choose to keep important in our lives once we have made the transition into motherhood.

My biggest advice? Cherish those friends who make time for you. Some day, you may really need them. Be there for them, be the friend you want in return!

Getting in the Spirit!

Nessabirdie — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:58:05 +0000

from nessabirdie.com

As I get ready for the holidays, I become more aware of what my friends mean to me. They definitely do so much for me and I learn things about myself with them every day! I sat and wondered, what is the true spirit of friendship?

Communication

My boyfriend is definitely more than that title; he is one of my best friends. Not to get all mushy (we aren’t into all that), but he always finds some way to lift up my spirits, even when I think they have torpedoed to the ground! Whether it’s talking on the phone or sending emails to things that interest us, it shows that he is thinking of me. And I make sure to do the same for him. It’s important to share those high spirits. It has to be a two-way street, not a one-way.

Laugh as Much as Possible

When I with my friends, I have such a great time! I am normally a silly, goofy, young-at-heart person. I feel that laughing brings people together faster than having a 2-hour deep conversation (even though they are needed, too). Laughter fills the soul. Laughter is universal.

Good Spirits

When it comes to relationships, I want to be 100% honest with you and vulnerable. I am definitely someone that doesn’t turn away friends quickly. I am not all about the “Mean Girls” drama or anything like that, but if you are a friend, you will be a friend for life (unless you run over my dog or something)! I feel that your spirits go up with every day, month, year, that someone is in your life!

I love my friends and how they have made my life full of so much spirit! It brightens my world!

Just remember, your friends are the family you get to pick and drink with, so pick and drink responsibly! :)

We have spirit, yes we do!

She Runs in Pearls — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:43:24 +0000

from She Runs in Pearls

I often say that I am blessed far more than I deserve when it comes to friends. Each one of my friends has a different personality and we blend in different ways. When BAILEYS & Clever Girls asked me who I thought embodied the word spirit – I immediately thought of Staci. At some point, every person meets someone that impacts his or her life in a fun-filled, adventurous way. I met Staci when I was a freshman in college – but I knew her long before then.

I think I’ve told this story before – but! Staci and I went to high school together. I didn’t know her really well, but I knew of her. When I got to college – we were paired to work together through our scholarship program. Over the years, our acquaintanceship grew into a pretty solid friendship. This girl, is one of the most optimistic people I have ever encountered – and it is contagious! She doesn’t judge and she’s been there to pick me up when I have been at my worst. Friends like her are hard to come by. But I digress – let’s chat about her spirit!

Spirited didn’t just come from her high school cheerleading days. It comes from her willingness to have a dance party no matter where we are.

And it comes from her drive for adventure. When I asked if she wanted to go to Ireland with me – she responded with a resounding yes, that was followed with “Let’s bike across the country!” Nothing is ever too far fetched, and everything is obtainable. She sees the glass half-full, and for my pessimistic, realist view on the world – she helps me to see things different.

She’s also the one person in this world that I know who shares my affinity for being awkward at random moments in life – like when we are both trying to order coffee with our fancy phone apps that we don’t really know how to work and we can feel the cashier getting frustrated with us. Whether it’s coffee, drinks or ice cream before dinner-time, Staci embodies the spirit of friendship because at the core of who she is – she aims to be the best friend/person she can be. And my life would forever be dull without her around.

Spirit of Friendship

Clever Compass — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:16:50 +0000

As 2012 comes to a close it’s a great time to reflect back on the amazing friendships in my life. I have been fortunate enough in this life to have more than my fair share of spirited friendships. Some friends have been in my life for just a season while others have been around for the long haul.

Neither more valuable than the other, just different.

I have the friend who I’ve gone surfing in a hurricane with, toured a Presidential bunker with, and taken several trapeze lessons with. Others with whom I’ve driven up almost vertical mountains, nearly drowned white water rafting, and who know things about me that few others do.

In addition to the outward adventures with some, there are still other friends who are there to listen–no matter the miles or months that have passed you can always pick up where you last left off as if no time or space has happened since you were last together.

And, then there are my “internet friends”. You know the people who live inside my computer. The people…the friends that I talk to often and yet rarely see. It’s easy for folks not tied into the internet to think it strange to have blogger/internet friends. But over the course of the last few months, they have been the ones whose footprints are on the beach, for it is they who have carried me through the diagnosis and treatment of my husband’s cancer.

I was several states away with two of my blogging buddies this past June when I got the call from my husband that he might have cancer. These friends lifted me, they would have left had we needed too. They were there for me when the doctors decided that he didn’t have cancer and then when they changed their mind that he did, that he didn’t, that he DID. They were the very first people to send cards, to send thoughts and encouragement our way. They tweeted me, Facebook’d me, texted me, emailed me from the very first day of his treatment and have never stopped.

They have checked on him and his treatment, but they have also checked in on me as well. They have encouraged their children to write letters to our son, so that he has something to look forward to during this very turbulent time. The true spirit of friendship is being there when times get tough, when things don’t go the way you had planned, when you have to help each other dust off and get back in the saddle. In 2012 I am incredibly thankful for the strong spirits and the amazing friendships of both Jen and Kelli. Without them this year would have seemed impossible to survive.

Cheers to great friendships!

Spirit of Friendship

A Day Without Sushi — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:04:52 +0000

from A Day Without Sushi

What is the “spirit of friendship”?

When someone asks what the “spirit” of something is, I can’t help but put to use those four years of Latin and think about where we get the word spirit. The Latin word “spiritus” literally refers to breathing.

The breath of friendship.

How does a friendship breathe? What keeps it alive?

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’” – C.S. Lewis

Friendship is built on the things we share. It means knowing that the other person dances around the house singing showtunes when no one is looking, then stops for a moment to make sure there aren’t any hidden cameras watching, and laughing because you thought you were the only one.

“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.” –Plutarch

A true friend is someone who can understand you and be there for you, without becoming you. They can read the Economist while you read People magazine, can eat McDonalds, while you eat foie gras, can slurp fruity drinks while you sip Scotch.

“Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.” – Oscar Wilde

The spirit of friendship involves feeling for a friend in the down times, to be a shoulder to cry on, or commiserate over common trials. But it also means standing by a friend’s side, or even behind them, when they find success. It’s putting aside jealousy and insecurities and celebrating the good in their life. And knowing they’d do the same for you.

“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” – Kahlil Gabrin

Keeping a friendship alive is about focusing on what you contribute, not what you can take away from it.

“Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.” – Socrates

Friendships stay alive by continuing to work on them, even during tough times — you don’t stop breathing just because you’ve had a bad day.

“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today,” said Pooh.

“There there,” said Piglet. “I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.”

Friendship means not just understanding when your friend is going through something, but supporting them through it. (And bringing them something tasty to drink, apparently.)
The spirit of friendship is bonding over what you have in common, adoring the things you don’t, being there for the good and bad, and always giving it everything you’ve got.

What makes a friendship breathe for you?

The Spirit of Friendship

Perfectly Imperfect — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:16:01 +0000

from Perfectly Imperfect

This time of year makes me all sorts of sentimental.

The other night, I had a Facebook conversation going with two of my best friends and I was in hysterics over what was being said. As soon as I signed off, it hit me; that pang of just plain missing someone.

I have amazing friends. AMAZING. We’ve been through so much together and we’ve made it to the other side. I’ve noticed that the older I get, the less amount of true friends I have, but the more genuine those friendships are. And I’ll take quality over quantity any day.

There is absolutely nothing better than time spent with good friends. I adore my family, but sometimes I think they see me too much as “Mom” or “wife” and not enough as “Megan”. And while I love being wife and Mom, I was Megan for 22 years without being those two titles. That hat, just plain Megan, deserves it’s fair share of time too and no one makes me feel like “Megan” better than my girls.

In a good group of girlfriends, there is a spirit of friendship that can practically be felt. It’s a bond so tight, that you can almost see it. That’s the mark of a good friendship. After years of getting to know each other, my best friend has this uncanny way of knowing just what you need before you even realize you need it.

She has a way of showing up to watch movies in bed when you feel just plain awful. She’s the one showing up with a night out outfit when you insisted you just want to stay home, but she knows you need a night away. She plans the perfect dinner for your birthday. She shows up at football viewing party at your house in the rivals’ colors just to make you laugh (then you make her watch outside or change, hehe).

Each of my closest friends could not be more different from each other but every single one of them is perfect for me. It’s like having four more life mates separate from my husband. We’re kind of like sister wives. Only not. At all.

This time of year gets me thinking about how thankful I am for them. For how much they make me laugh. For how I can always cry on their shoulder (though sometimes you’ll get a “buck up woman!” instead of a sympathetic ear!). For how we can have a disagreement and easily move past it. In these kinds of friendships, there are no deal breakers.

Our times together look a bit different these days. There is less tailgating at our college football games; much less drunken nights out; less crashing in each others’ beds chatting and giggling til morning; but the spirit of our friendships are still the same. We still have fun. We still laugh a lot. We still drink too much on occasion (whoops) but those aren’t what hold us together.

It’s our history together. It’s that we know basically everything about each other and still choose to hang out. It’s that we chose each other; we chose to do life together. And we didn’t take that decision lightly.

Good grief I love these girls. Here’s to many, many more years of friendship. Cheers!

Spirited Living

My Inner Shakti — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 14:41:32 +0000

from My Inner Shakti

Every morning when I wake up, I look in the mirror and say, “Today is going to be a good day.” I really do. And you know what, since I’ve been doing this, my days have been pretty good for the most part. Now, I’m not one of those people who believes in the “secret” and the whole concept of saying what you want and then getting it. I believe in knowing what you want and living with intention.

So if what I want is for my day to be good, I know that I have to base my intentions around that. For me, a HUGE part of this is living with spirit. In a way, we each have our own spirit that we bring to the table. Personally, I think I show spirit in the way of my quirkiness. Don’t laugh, but I believe that by showing people my authentic self (a very quirky one at that), I enable them to do so as well. This in turn creates positive energy that feeds the universe. With each passing day, I’m more and more convinced that this is 100% true.

My spirited quirky self is ever present in all facets of my life.

It showed up before my wedding with my grandmother. She’s never in her life worn a dress. Until I insisted…

It was present during a family reunion where I sported a high side ponytail and danced around like it was 1988…

It entertained my family as I pretended to win Miss America while holding my sister’s graduation flowers…

And it almost always comes out when I’m with my Vishnu. In fact, I think my quirky spirit has rubbed off on him. I have a video that serves as the perfect example of this, but I’ve been told not to post it. “Some things are not meant for the blog.” Boo!

Spirited “quirky” living is amazing. It’s helping me and those around me laugh and smile more. And that to me goes beyond having a good day, it leads to a good life.

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln