Wakeboarding

One of my projects for the summer is learning how to wakeboard. David loves to go with his friends and family, so I'm determined to be able to go too. Although I'm still working on being able to stay on for a while without falling, I've been having sooo much fun with it. Who knows, maybe by the end of the summer I'll be doing all kinds of jumps and tricks! (Ok, so probably not, but you never know!) Either way, I love getting to go out on the boat with David and everyone else. I actually told him the other day that I'm pretty sure I was born to go boating and wakeboarding all the time, even though I wasn't born into a "boating" family. I'm definitely working on convincing my dad to get our family a boat now!

Samantha

It's finally time for the last part of my Sex & the City feature! I'll be honest, I never realized how much work putting together this feature would be!! However, there's no better way to finish the feature off with the lovely Samantha :-). Samantha, the oldest of the four main characters, is by far the most promiscous and sexual of them. She is the ultimate "cougar" - confident, sexy, and sophisticated. Her clothes definitely reflect that. Check out these examples of Samantha's style:

Samantha's clothes are very young and trendy. They're often tight-fitting, as Samantha loves to show off her figure. Colors vary from black to pastels, with plenty of metallics thrown in. Like the other characters, she loves her heels, especially peep-toe pumps (she's always trying to show a little more skin ;-)) To mimic Samantha's style, don't be afraid to show off your figure (without going over the top). You're going for sexy, yet sophisticated. Pair cute, figure-flattering dresses with colorful belts to show off your waist. Don't forget the sunglasses!

1. Metal Studded One Shoulder Dress – Forever 21, $27.80

2. Cutout Dress – Victoria’s Secret, $29.99

3. Annibelle Pleather Belt – Forever 21, $6.80

4. Metal C-Framed Sunglasses – Charlotte Russe, $5.50

5. Audrey Slingback – Payless, $24.99

So now that we've looked at all four ladies, whose style is your favorite?

Pike on America's Got Talent!

Hey guys! So I just wanted to share with everyone how proud I am of Pike for making it through the first round of America's Got Talent! Pike is a fraternity at Virginia Tech that started their act for a philanthropy event. Check out their website, and be sure to watch their amazing performance!

Miranda

Miranda is probably the least favorite of the four main characters on the show, at least based on the comments of most of my friends. She started out as the most masculine of the four, but has clearly evolved over the years to a sexy and sophisticated woman, mother, and wife. Miranda definitely dresses the most conservatively of the four. Her outfits are generally very sleek and straight with somewhat high necklines. She tends to mix neutral dresses and tees with colorful sweaters and accessories. Check out these examples of Miranda's style:

Miranda's style is easy to imitate. Keep it somewhat conservative, with higher necklines and longer hemlines. Pair neutral dresses and outfits with colorful or even metallic accessories. Check out these items for easy ways to mimic Miranda's conservative yet sexy style.

1. H81 Cable Knit Cardigan – Forever 21, $18.90

2. Sunday Silk Dress – Forever 21, $27.80

3. Reversible Scoopneck Tee – Victoria’s Secret, on sale for $7.99

4. Crinkled Needs Scarf – Forever 21, $6.80

5. Merona Collection Kate Shift Dress – Target, $39.99

6. Large Bow Front Handbag – Charlotte Russe, $22.50

Tell me: What's your favorite piece?

Gelato

Yesterday David and I stopped by the Gelato Cafe, a small cafe only a couple miles away from where I leave. It was soooo good. The cafe is absolutely adorable, and the gelato was amazing. Although my favorite is nocciola (gelato made with nutella - mmmmm), they didn't have it yesterday so I went with Roasted Almond, which was still delicious. David got Malaga, a unique flavor that immediately brought me back to getting gelato when my family and I lived in Italy more than 10 years ago. I would definitely recomment stopping by if you're ever in the Stafford area.

Charlotte

Charlotte is by far my favorite character on Sex & the City. She is absolutely adorable, and her attempts to be the perfect mom, wife, and friend are so endearing. She is definitely the sweetheart in the series and the easiest one to relate to.

Charlottes style is feminine, classy and very preppy. It's also just a little on the conservative side - think Jackie O. or Audrey Hepburn. She favors structured dresses and skirt suits, usually with some element of femininity, either in the details or in the color. She tends to use purse that are square and just as structured as her clothes, and carefully matches every ele stlyement of her outfits. Here are just a few samples of Charlotte's style:

To chanel Charlotte's sweet and preppy style, be sure to match your outfits carefully, wear structured, classic pieces, and incorporate feminie details into your look. Check out these pieces inspired by Charlotte:

1. Knit Peplum Dress – Forever 21, $24.80
2. Junior Blooming Peasant Dress – Deb, $48.99
3. Bow Front Skirt – Forever 21, $28.00

4. Relic Glazed Tote – Kohl’s, on sale for $27.00

5. BCX Jacket – Macy’s, on sale for $25.99

6. Connie Women’s Lolita – Famous Footwear, on sale for $29.99

Check out stores like J. Crew to find other pieces reminiscent of Charlotte like these ones. Tell me, would you wear any of these pieces?

Strawberries & Cream Sponge Cake

Ok, one more post before I continue with Sex & the City :-). One of my other passions would definitely be baking. Although I'm certainly no expert, I still love doing it. My mom loves to cook and bake, so she's always been an excellent resource, and is really the one that got me into baking. I love trying new recipes, as well as making some of my favorites I've made 100 times before.

Strawberries are definitely my favorite summer fruit, so I decided to create this twist on the classic strawberry shortcake. I love sponge cake for how deliciously moist and tender it is. I used this recipe for the cake and layered it with fresh strawberries and homemade whip cream. The cake recipe was a lot easier and simpler than most sponge cake recipes I found online, and I would definitely recommend using homemade whip cream instead of store varieties like ReddiWip or Cool Whip.

Want to try it? Comment with any questions you have, or let me know some of your tips and ideas for fun summer cakes!

Memorial Day

Hey all! So while I continue working on my Sex & the City feature, I wanted to update you on the amazing Memorial Day I had yesterday. I spent my day off from work at David's (my boyfriend) house, where we went boating and hung outside all day. We started off the day by going wakeboarding with some of his friends a little after noon. I tried wakeboarding once before last summer, but I could barely even get up on the board, let alone actually go anywhere. Imagine my surprise when I not only got up, but actually stayed on! And no, it wasn't just a fluke - I was able to get on and ride several times before I got too tired :). Too bad there are no pictures to prove it! (The one above is from a couple years ago.)

Afterwords, we headed up to the house and ate hamburgers and some really delicious watermelon. We then went swimming in the river for a little bit. I have to admit I was a little nervous about swimming in the water - last time I did, a fish started nibbling on my foot! No worries though, I made it out wihtout any fish trying to eat me :-). After swimming we headed back out in the boat to go tubing. Although I love going tubing, after crashing into the water three times at speeds of 20 - 30 mph, I was definitely exhausted. We relaxed at the house for a while, then David and I went back out on the boat one last time. He tried to teach me how to drive the boat, which was really fun. We finished out the evening relaxing on the patio in the beautiful weather, watching the sun set and making smores. What an amazing day.