Hi all –
I want to thank everyone for following Confetti13 thus far as I got my feet on the ground as a blogger. I also wanted to alert everyone to a re-branding that I’ve undergone, and provide a link for where to follow me from now on.
I’ve rebranded to “tan&wild” and can now be followed at this link: https://tanandwild.squarespace.com/home-1
Hope everyone enjoys!
Time for a confession. I drink a lot of wine. There, it’s out.
I’ve grown up in a family who plays games such as “guess what flavors are on the nose of this particular wine” and belongs to 15+ wine clubs. Regular shipments to my parents’ home are boxes and boxes of wine for their wine fridge/wine room. Each labeled, and placed strategically in a particular place in the wine cellar to stay to its perfect temperature.
I used to work at a winery, and needless to say believe I have somewhat of an idea on what is good versus bad wine. The good wine I usually drink with my family and costs $50 – $200. That’s the great wine actually.
But I’m living on my own, I need to shop, buy shoes, eat out, go to happy hours – so I am not ready to part with $50 for one bottle of wine; yet.
So what to do? Well – Safeway actually has a fabulous selections of wine that are within anyone’s ideal budget range!
My mom and her girlfriends do girl’s night every Wednesday where pending weather they go on a hike, eat pizza and drink wine. Each host buys a bottle under $25 – hides it in a paper bag, and then the ladies taste, guess what kind of grape (Cabernet, Pinot, Syrah, Zinfandel etc.) and what they smell on the nose and after a quick taste.
So – I thought I’d round up some of the best wines at Safeway for under $15 to help guide your next wine trip!
BEST LIGHTER RED WINES
Pinot Noir: Mark West Pinot Noir California 2010 for $9.99 a bottle
This wine features aromas of cherry cola (Lana Del Ray anyone?) and is slightly on the sweeter side with a hint of maple. Allspice and cinnamon also arise on the nose, and a hint of tobacco balance out the bottle.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Greystone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 for $10
The sweetness of this wine might remind of milk chocolate. Some sweet baking spices like nutmeg also come through and add some complexity to the fruity cherry flavors. This one pairs great with a salty cheese like gruyeure.
BEST FULL BODIED RED WINES
Garnacha: Las Rocas 2009 at $11
This wine is slightly smoky, with black cherry aromas. The dark flavors are nicely balanced with a slight tobacco and oaky vanilla and nutmey flavors. This wine goes great with a softer cheese, think a honey goat or brie.
Malbec: Bodega Tamarai Reserva, Argentina at $11
This wine has smokiness both on the nose and in the mouth. Not too fruity, you may get a slight hint of fruit like raspberry. It’s best when sitting open for a bit and can be paired with a grilled steak or portobello mushroom.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Bonterra, Mendocino, 2010 for $15
Nice black cherry flavors with both black pepper and spices, with a hint of vanilla oakiness. I prefer a sweeter cabernet so this one isn’t my favorite and is best enjoyed with heartier beef dishes. It’s a dry red and great in a tasting line-up.
Chianti: Cecchi DOCG 2009, $14
This wine is rather robust and has an earthy smell, is a bit peppery but is complemented by dark fruit flavors. The tannins stand up well to richer dishes like meat-based pasta sauces.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Black Label Claret, California 2010 for $15
This wine is layered with dark fruit flavors like currants, dark cherry, balsamic and even a little like soda. It’s very acidic though and is best drank after breathing for a while. Best paired with a meaty lasagna or beef stew. Full bodied and delicious. I drink this wine a lot and it is one of my favorite on this list.
Sometimes after a long day at work the last thing I want to do is cook for hours and hours and waste my evening.
This recipe I found from Epicurious is delicious – even my picky eater boyfriend loves it! I’ve modified the recipe a bit to fit our palates a bit. See below and enjoy!
RECIPE:
2-4 Chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
1 can chickpeas
I can tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped (pre-chopped garlic in a jar is totally fine too)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
Lemon wedges for serving
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil in ovenproof skillet (if you don’t have one – which I don’t — you can heat in a non-stick pan and then transfer the chicken to an oven-safe dish).
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings you like. We like to use cayenne seasoning for a little spice. Cook chicken until browned on both sides – but not all the way through as you’ll be transferring to the oven.
Add olive oil drippings to oven safe dish, add chicken. On stovetop add chickpeas, onions, garlic, tomato paste and chicken broth and heat through until the paste de-clumps.
Add over chicken and place in the oven. Heat for around 25 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through.
Season with parsley (if you’d like – or leave plain) and dish up!
Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
I’m a current resident in San Francisco, and a natural 5’8, and love to wear heels. Are you sensing my problem here?
It’s not only hard being tall and wearing heels (butI love it anyway – werk it ladies) but walking around city streets and hills can be killer (good?) for your calves and just a plan pain in the ass because of potholes, uneven sidewalk; and let’s face it – we walk more than we drive.
For those of you that are looking for some cute spring to summer transition sandals that can be worn through the city streets, take a peek at my favorite below from DSW’s “City Sandals” collection.
1. Levity Arrow Sandal, 69.95
2. Madden Girl Hiighfiv Wedge Sandal, $49.95
3. Crown Vintage Rebecca Wedge Sandal, $54.95
4. Matisse CityScape Wedge Sandal, $69.95
5. Tommy Hilfiger Yara Wedge Sandal, $59.95
XX, Confetti13
As the seasons change so does your preference for certain makeup.
Winter is perfect for darker hues, moisturizing creams and scrubs.
Springtime is when you want to have a fresh, glowing face free from harsh products.
For those of us that like to wear makeup at any time for any occasion during any season (guilty) below are some hot items you can’t go wrong with. The below showcases a few different options for some of our makeup favorites like: foundation, primer, bronzer, blush, concealer and more.
Foundation:
Blush
Bronzer
Concealer
Primer
Ward off those rainy, (almost) Spring time blues and keep your skin and lips fresh and soft during this time of year. I’m a huge fan of making your own facemasks – or really and sort of product that you’ll be using on your skin.
However – as we all know – things come up, we get busy and it’s just easier to buy one for $30 from your favorite store.
Below are some great DIY Lip Scrub options, that provide something for everyone!
Take a look and note your favorite below in the comments.
Happy Friday everyone and try to stay dry out there!
There are two prime bases for each of these lip scrubs, either coconut oil or brown or cane sugar as the exfoliants. The cane as you know, is lighter and provides are more gentle scrub while the brown sugar is a bit more coarse – you can choose which you prefer for your lips.
I like my scrubs to really reflect the holidays any time of year, because let’s face it – the holidays create the best smells for your home.
Below are the typical ingredients you can use in your scrub:
Ingredients:
– brown or white sugar
– extra virgin coconut oil
– chopped herbs and fruits of your choice
– flavor extracts and spices of your choice
Here are the instructions for prepping your lip scrub:
Instructions:
1. Choose your container, and measure your exfoliant so that the container is just about half full.
2. Measure the coconut oil—you want a 1:1 ratio of oil to sugar.
3. Transfer oil and sugar to a mixing bowl, then add the chopped herbs and fruits, followed by flavor extracts and spices of your choice. Add each of these “to taste.”
4. Mix gently to combine—over-mixing will make the granules begin to dissolve.
5. Add scrub to an air-tight storage container and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Remove from fridge at least five minutes before use so that the mixture can soften.
The first lip scrub combines white sugar, fresh rosemary and a few drops of peppermint extract. Sometimes the extracts can be a bit pricy – so if you’d prefer not to use an extract I think incorporating fresh orange or lime zest into the mix will do the trick.
This recipe uses honey, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. After mixing add a light dusting of ground clove and orange zest. You’ll smell this fragnant scrub immediately!
This is sure to be a favorite for any person – just add some cinnamon and mix and you’ve got a light and flavorful spread.
This fabulous scrub uses vanilla extract and chopped cranberries and is perfect for spring!
This is also a great gift for friends and family – running low on rent because you shopped too much? Me too. This makes a completely personalized gift that doesn’t cost too much money and will mean much more to the special person who receives in than a store-bought gift. Be sure to include a cute little label so they know what they’re getting!
And voila!
XX, Confetti13
So I am officially back from Las Vegas – and full throttle at work.
As promised, this is a mediocre photo diary of my time in Vegas with some insight into what I wore and why, and some fun treats I bought along the way.
This was as soon as we arrived in Vegas. After a fresh spray tan – black is the color to go to – primarily to ensure that you don’t get any tan on your clothes! Nothing looks more tacky.
Shoes: Payless
Dress: Forever21
Necklace: Forever21
Makeup: None
Hotel: Treasure Island
I typically always wear some sort of makeup; although there are those days when I’m just truly too lazy to bother. I took a picture of my staple must-haves that I bring with me whenever I travel and don’t have my entire makeup kit. Take a look at my fav products below!
E.L.F – Shimmer Powder
Benefit – BeneTint
Lorac – Eyeshadow Palette
Covergirl – Define-a-line Black Eyeliner
Too Faced – Bronzer
NAKED – Urban Decay, Flushed
Benefit – Hello Flawless Liquid Foundation
NARS – Matte Lipstick, Deep Red
Above is a closer look at the entire eyeshadow palette. When I am going out somewhere, particularly Vegas I tend to use some of the darker colors such as Unspoken with Uncensored as a highlight sparkle. For day-to-day I typically highlight under my brow and along my lash line with unreal and then use Unconditional all over.
Our first night out, we got dressed up, hotel-hopped and gambled. I have officially learned, that gambling is NOT for me 🙂
Here’s a snap of us right outside of our hotel.
I’m wearing:
Top: Rock n Republic
Shoes: Unknown – gift! But I got lots of compliments on them!
Necklace: Francesca’s
Stretch Leggings: Macy’s
The next morning I was starving from staying up late and wanted a treat to hold me over until we went to our SuperBowl party where we had a buffet. I chose a pastry. Typical.
Directly across the street from our hotel is a quaint little bakery, Bouchon. I decided on the below. I die.
I don’t even remember what this is called. Something along the lines of “Dark Chocolate Almond Powered Sugar Croissant” Calories – do not count when you’re on vacation.
I’ll continue part 2 featuring our SuperBowl event, evening festivities and outfits and end with our last night where we saw Circque de Soleil.
Stay tuned!
xx Confetti13
Good Girls Rarely Make History
Happy Friday everyone!
I am a chronic favorite product stalker – and love reading my fellow bloggers favorite must-have products. I will say however, that often times I come across a post like that, most of the products they detail are either paid or far too expensive for my budget.
Below, I’ve included some of my favorite products that are all within the $100 budget. You can even get some of these (most) at your local grocery stores or Bed Bath & Beyond stores. Win.
I own my own Spray Tan machine because I used to spend countless hours and countless dollars at the local salon getting my weekly spray tan. I just happen to be a German, Russian, English, Swedish who does not tan naturally despite what Island I am on.
SUN is my GO-TO tanning lotion that does not leave any streaks and actually makes you look tan, rather than orange or brown. Warning though: the lotion is dark brown so make sure you have something to exfoliate your palms afterwords so you don’t look you just went digging through the mud. No natural-looking tan can cover up brown fingers. Believe me on this one. I swear by this stuff. I use it almost daily and it’s great to refresh a tan or begin one. If you suffer from the winter white-ness, this is a product you must get.
Hoola is sold by Benefit, and is one of the best bronzers I’ve ever come across. I have used every bronzer there is on the market, see above a la Spray tan machine owner. It is hard to find a product that complements most skin-tones without making you orange, sparkly, and let’s face it (no pun intended) – look like you just bronzed the heck out of your face while your neck and arms are still completely white. This product when used with a big round brush can be applied to the neck and chest as well for the same desirable effects.
This is my favorite eye liner of all time. I am a black eye-liner, green-eye enhancing wearing fool. I swear by eye-liner and I typically don’t go one day without it. Eyeliner and bronzer are my absolute must-haves. These two will always be on my list. What i love about this – is that there is no sharpener needed, you simply twist and have the perfect eye-liner pencil ready for use at any time. Try a simple look with bronzer, eye-liner, mascara and a neutral lip for a natural look for any occasion.
ELF cosmetics (Eyes, Lips, Face) is an up and coming brand that offers products in mineral brand, Studio finish and other styles much like MAC or Bare Essentials offers different types of lines within their brand. I love this mineral revitalizing face spray in the morning. Not only does it help hold make up after you’ve applied, but it’s light and doesn’t leave streaks on your face after you’ve sprayed it. I believe you can get this baby for $3 as well.
One thing I have been using consistently (besides bronzer) since I was a young teenager is wrinkle cream. You can never have enough in your drawer. One thing women often forget, is that although a ‘natural’ suntan is a thing of beauty and lasts forever without every coming off (like a spray tan) the damage to your skin is often irreversible and will undoubtedly cause wrinkles. Due to my fair skin, I’ve unfortunately suffered with the misconception that if my friends with darker skin tones can tan, I surely will too. That is not the case and I’ve suffered horrendous sun burns because of it. It is never too early to use this stuff and it won’t break the bank.
Last but not least is a product by Oribe that’s been featured in InStyle magazine and has even the Angels talking it This voluminous spray is great for any type of hair and is meant to be used on damp hair right out of the shower before a blow-dry. It gives the extra emphasis you need before a new day or a night out.
Hope one of these products does the trick for you!
XX, Confetti13
Awards Season is back at it!
There are few things more exciting than watching (although being there would be more exciting) beautiful adorned gowns on the Red Carpet on our favorite A-list celebs.
There were a few fashionistas that really made the mark for me, and showcased what superstardom looks like. If I were famous, you better bet I’d be reaching for a statement dress that would leave viewers and fashion folks talking about me well after the show, whether I won an award or not.
I have a top 3 list that I think warrant “gold” stars in every sense. Not only are each of these women stunning – but they chose outfits that reflect different things about what they wanted to put off at the Globes.
Being a psychology major, I like to look at the choices behind the fashion, it’s not just a dress. There’s a reason why these were chosen.
Best Dressed 2014 at The Golden Globes
1. Lupita Nyong’o in Ralph Lauren
Stunning, stunning, stunning – must-have this look.
Lupita’s choice reflects a lot of things to me.
First off, she’s an up and coming star with not only talent but the most amazing figure and flawless face. She is an Ivy-educated beauty who recently graduated from Yale. I think her choice is one of simplistic perfection. Ralph Lauren is an all American designer known for his simplistic yet classic shapes, color palettes and design choices that often are somewhat nautical in nature. A true “everyday woman” characteristic is designed by Ralph Lauren. When you think of modern-American woman what do you think? White, tall, a nip-tuck every other week?
Lupita is at the Golden Globes for her performance in “12 Years a Slave,” a movie which educates those of us who choose to turn a blind-eye to the past that our ancestors left-behind. As we still fight for equality on a majority of topics, I think her choice to wear a red dress on the red carpet, by a strong American designer showcases just how far we’ve come. She is a symbol of the post-slavery Black woman: strong, confident, glamorous and eye-catching. She wins my Golden Girl on the Carpet award last night for best dressed. Everything is flawlessly executed from the trend-setting cape connected to her dress to her toned down jewelry and stunning make-up.
#Obessed.
2. Kate Beckinsale in Zuhair Murad
Kate to me is utter perfection, girl crush to the extreme.
Not only does she have the most fantastic body, but she looks great in make-up and gorgeous without. What I love about this Zuhair Murad gown is the mermaid-cut bodice adorned with a beautiful criss-cross patterning of silver beads and a black bodice underneath. Grey/Silver are On-trend colors this year, as are black and white. Typically, I will always fall for a neon or bright colored dress but in this case, muted takes the cake. Her dark nails match the color palette of the dress, her clutch and her dark hair. I’m obsessed with the fact that she went with a messy side-bun as opposed to a more cold, slicked back straight do. Top pick for sure.
3. Camila Alves in Dolce & Gabbana
This is a Hollywood couple to envy. They’re both head to toe Dolce & Gabbana and she looks flawless and he makes velvet look sexy. How does that happen?
What I love about her look, is that she is a dark Latin beauty and there isn’t a dress out there that can manifest that more than this floor-length sequined black DG dress.
The event last night was for Matthew. His film was an artistic version of his method acting skills and she was there in support, not to over-shadow. This dress perfectly states elegance and poise without overpowering his big night (and win) by a revealing over-the-top dress.
Perfection.
Confetti13 