decorate

Styling Your Vanity

Pretty Little Things

styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity

My favorite time of the day is when I'm sitting at my vanity and getting ready for the day ahead. It's a time to relax and primp, which to me has always been quite fun. I wanted my space to reflect my personal loves and have a feeling of delicateness and romance. I knew right off of the bat that I wanted white furniture. It feels pretty and clean. Next, adding antique dishes for showing off some of my jewelry. I really loved the idea of having my jewelry out and also using it as a decoration. It's much easier getting ready when you can actually see what you own. Along the same lines, I wanted my makeup brushes to be out and keep them in a pretty candle holder and also a little decorative stiletto shoe my mom surprised me with. What vanity would be complete without a mirrored plate to keep perfume, little mementos, and flowers on? Really, anything can be stored on the plate and makes it feel oh so very feminine. Scattered here and there are little personal items such as a framed photograph of Justin and I along with little photos I place on my mirror, seashells from family vacations, a cork from my birthday in Hyannis Port last year, a crystal bear from my grandmother, and lastly a wand that has purple and blue stars, moons, and star dust. The wand was given to me as a child from my dad. It's something I've always loved and treasured and keep it in a prime spot where I can always see it. One of the last items on my vanity is an antique mirror and brush set my mom gave me. Having an extra mirror to hold up close comes in handy when you're applying eye liner and mascara.

Flower Power

Flower Arranging Tips

The earth laughs in flowers
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
arranging flowers

Nothing beats having fresh flowers in your home. The bright colors and fragrant smells remind me of what such beauty there is in this world. Bringing fresh flowers into your home will no doubt brighten up your mood. While filling your home with fresh flowers can be costly, one trick I've learned is to buy bunches of inexpensive flowers, separate them all out, and then make my own small arrangements in pretty vases. So now you have the small arrangements chosen for each vase. Another trick I've learned is to take clear tape and make a grid pattern at the opening home of the vase. Think like a tic-tac-toe game. After creating the grid and cutting the stems to the appropriate length, place each flower within each little square until you can no longer see the clear tape. This way the flowers stay upright and do not fall over. Think outside of the box too with your vases. Why not try a bowl (cut the stems short for this), a teacup, or even a mason jar?

Sweet Treats

Bird's Nest Macaroons

birdsnestbanner             amandabrezovsky.com

A spring time holiday, Easter brings with it delightful visions of blossoming color and life renewed. This simple dessert not only incorporates the pretty pop of color, but also the idea of new life. Like Christmas, Easter has many sweet treats associated with it. While I try to stay away from sugar, sometimes a girl cannot resist the temptation, especially while I'm in the mood for whipping up desserts. The recipe is easy to follow and only takes a few ingredients  to make these delicious bird's nest macaroons.

birdsnest        amandabrezovsky.com

Ingreidents:

  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 6 cups shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup nutella
  • Mini chocolate Easter eggs

(A small note to make: I used truvia baking blend to cut down on the calories and sugar intake. If using truvia, the amount of sugar decreases to 1/4 cup and 2 table spoons)

birdsnest         amandabrezovsky.com

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, until mixed thoroughly. Mix in coconut.
  3. Drop your batter onto a cookie sheet by using 1-2 tablespoon amounts. Roll into balls, then make an indent with fingers to resemble a bird’s nest. You can make them however large or small you want. This will affect how many eggs can fit into the little nest. I found that 1 tablespoon scoop leaves enough for one egg, while 2 tablespoons leaves enough for 3.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and browned in spots on top.
  5. Once completely cooled, spoon a little Nutella into each “nest”. Heat the Nutella for 15 seconds to make it spread easier. Finish by topping with 1-3 chocolate eggs.
birdsnest    amandabrezovsky.com


birdsnest                 amandabrezovsky.com