A Colorful Throwback: The Spice Girls

Everyone loves a good throwback… So why not talk about the music group that defined my pre-teen years —

The Spice Girls.

One look at this picture and I am reminded of the color that the Spice Girls brought to my life. Their wardrobes, their hair, their shoes! I collected Spice Girls bubble gum, lollipops, post cards, and posters that were colorful. And even their lyrics promoted friendship, positivity, and most importantly—girl power.

The group didn’t want to be average. And they did everything imaginable to stand out.

The outfits were not only unique and colorful, but they also matched their names as well, which reflected the individual attitudes and personalities. Sporty Spice was always in sporty attire, and Scary Spice always had some sort of animal print or bright color. Posh Spice was always the most fashionable, and Ginger Spice was always the sexiest. Baby Spice, my favorite, was always cute as a button.

These girls truly took on their roles and created a band with a personality that no one could compete with…

We all have a lot to learn from the Spice Girls. Because if you “wannabe” a color queen, all you need to do is “stop right now” and “spice up your life!” Girl power!

Color Changes Everything

When spring roles around, I know that usually means more color—bold fashion, vibrant trees, and neon nail polish.

This year, however, that also meant the reveal of a new Target ad campaign, Color Changes Everything. 

 

From the moment the commercial starts, people wearing colorful clothes begin to transform everyday life…all by adding color from Target. A boring couch gets fabulous pillows. An entire family gets a spring wardrobe. A woman gets a complete makeover.

The simple idea that color changes everything is perfect. I want to make it my new tagline. I want to yell it from the rooftops! I want to live and breathe color.

Target does a great job with this campaign. It takes real life situations and adds their own colorful accessories, beauty products, and fashion. The commercial allows its viewers to see the immediate result of adding color to his or her life.

I urge you to go out and try it on your own. Add color to your life, and let me know if it changes everything.

Rainbow Cupcakes

I had been seeing pictures of rainbow cupcakes for a while, and I finally decided it was time to make some for myself! So Pinterest directed me to this post, and my roommates and I were in for a colorful treat.

I bought one box of Funfetti cake mix, one tub of Rainbow Chip icing, and a pack of food coloring. I mixed up the batter, and then separated it into five smaller bowls. Next, we put in the food coloring, which immediately turned the white cake mix and into vibrant colors. We decided to make the colors orange, blue, green, purple, and red.

We used regular cupcake tins, and my roommates and I took turns creating our cupcake masterpieces. It was like the batter was our paint… Each one had a different color scheme or pattern, and we were so anxious to see the final result!

They came out wonderfully… It looked like we had tie died the cupcakes! We were so giddy when we cut into them—this baking activity definitely made us feel like kids again. (FYI: We decided this would be a great activity for the youngins.)

After they were done cooling, I put white icing onto the rainbow cupcakes. It was a perfect color contrast. And it was so fun to find different colors and patterns with every bite.

Happy baking!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone out there! I hope you’re celebrating with friends and loved ones.

But most importantly, I hope you’re celebrating the colors that are distinct to this day—pink and red.

Maybe you’re wearing heart socks, a red scarf, or you painted your nails pink. Today is the day to wear these colors loud and proud. (And when else can you get away with wearing an outfit of head-to-toe hearts?)

Image via Etsy.

Also special for Valentine’s Day is the endless amount of colorful candy! The grocery stores are bursting at the aisles with holiday candy. I love the colorful wrappers and frilly decor… And my candy intake certainly increases during the month of February, but I just can’t seem to turn down pretty candy.

Tonight, I’ll be cooking this heart shaped pasta. (A Valentine present from my parents purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond; thanks Mom and Dad!) I’m thinking I’ll add marina sauce to the pasta so I can get in as much red as possible today.

What are some other colorful ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear! Happy red and pink day!

Pizza Dip

As far back as I can remember, my grandma made pizza dip at every family gathering.

While it would cook in the oven, all seven of the grandchildren would take in the distinct smell and wait impatiently for it to be done. As soon as my grandma would put the pizza dip on the table, it was a mad dash for who could eat the most. No one in my family would leave the table until the dish was empty. It was, and still is, my favorite appetizer.

Even though my grandma has passed away and no longer makes her special pizza dip, it has become one of my favorite recipes to make for any occasion. Whenever it is cooking in the oven, I marvel in the smell—a smell that conjures up both memories and my appetite. I proudly carry on her tradition and know that my grandma would be thrilled to know that I am sharing her recipe with my friends as well as keeping the dish a part of my life.

So now I share with you, my grandma’s infamous pizza dip recipe. Enjoy the memories, the smells, and most importantly the final product… I promise you won’t be disappointed.

What you need:

• 8.5 by 11 Pyrex dish
• 1 box of cream cheese (8 oz.)
• 1 jar of Ragu’s Pizza Quick Snack Sauce
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese (not pictured)

How to make it:

1. Lightly grease the Pyrex with cooking spray (I use Pam).
2. Let the cream cheese get soft, so that you’ll be able to spread it. Cover the entire Pyrex with the cream cheese. (Sometimes, I heat the cream cheese in the microwave so it is easier to spread.)
3. Next, chop the entire onion into small pieces. Cover the layer of cream cheese by sprinkling the onion into the Pyrex. (You don’t have to use the whole onion, as long as there is enough covering the layer of cream cheese.)
4. Measure out one cup of mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle it evenly over the layer of onions.
5. Pour the entire jar of Pizza Quick sauce over the layer of cheese. (Finally some bold color! The dish was looking so bland…)
6. Lastly, sprinkle any kind of Parmesan cheese over the layer of sauce. You don’t need to cover the entire dish; it’s really just a sprinkle!
7.  Cook for an hour at 350 degrees or until it is golden and bubbling! Serve with tortilla chips, wheat thins, or even veggies… and enjoy.

A colorful hobby

I don’t remember exactly when my passion for home decor, total renovations, and house hunting started… but in the recent months, I have become obsessed. It’s not like I’m in the market for buying a home, and I haven’t had a need to decorate a house, well ever. But I have a new hobby, and I can attribute it to two things.

1. HGTV: I was at the gym one day in the fall when I turned on “Curb Appeal,” a show that transforms the exterior of a house into something beautiful, updated, and entirely different than what the home owners originally had. I don’t know why, but I was hooked. Then I found “House Hunters,” “Property Virgins,” and “Property Brothers”—and the rest is history. The shows have taught me about real estate and design as well as how to turn a fixer-upper into a dream home (like these image below from “Property Brothers”).
   

   Before

   

   After

2. Pinterest: Everyone has a Pinterest account these days, as the site continues to grow daily. I love all of the categories and am constantly inspired. But my favorite category by far is home decor. The pins overwhelm me with beautiful rooms, fabulous color combinations, and unique furniture. I have created different boards to help me organize what I love: bedrooms, for the home, and accessories. You can check out my boards here, and see the designs, color palettes, and styles that I love. Isn’t this bedroom gorgeous? I love the wall color, the mirror above the bed, and contrasting colors with the pillows and bed spread.

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Emily on Pinterest

 

 

I think what I love about my new hobby is seeing the impact that color has on design. I am always blown away by transformations, where a house may start out a mess and ends up looking like a million bucks. I love the process of picking a house, noticing what is unique about it, and planning the design process.

I watch HGTV daily, and I am excited for my new found passion! I’m one step ahead of the game, and I’ll be ready (and EXCITED) when the time comes to buy and decorate my own house.

Happy New Year

Happy 2012!

I hope you brought in the new year with lots of color—maybe a sequin dress, festive drinks, or a cardboard 2012 headband. No matter the shade or item, as long as you were surrounded by color I am sure your new year will be a sparkly one!

So get ready for a crazy, colorful ride. 2012 has just begun.

Sharpie Slam at Digital Atlanta

I’m sure you all know about my love for Sharpies…. it’s their bold colors and crisp marker tips that make me swoon everytime. The products are reliable, and the brand is truly one-of-a-kind.

So I’m here to tell you about a unique event that is taking place as part of Digital Atlanta: Sharpie Slam.

Sharpie Slam is a live art competition between two teams of up-and-coming Atlanta artists taking place this Wednesday, November 9, as part of Digital Atlanta. The teams will only be allowed to use Sharpie permanent markers and Sharpie paint markers during the competition. They will find out the theme of the drawing when the contest begins, and they’ll be creating their masterpieces on 6×8 foot walls. Does this sound like Sharpie heaven or what?

{This event is one of many taking place during Digital Atlanta—a week long series of events celebrating Atlanta’s digital, social media, and mobile marketing and technology successes. It is taking place this week, November 7-11, and events are being held at various venues around Atlanta. (I highly suggest attending any and all Digital Atlanta events that you can… embrace the digital awesomeness being thrown your way.)}

Sharpie Slam’s winning team will be decided by the audience and two guest judges, Mark Boomershine and Corey Barksdale, and will be awarded $500. Join the artists as well as Sharpie and digital enthusiasts on Wednesday, November 9 at 6:30 PM, at the space next to Sound Table (485 Edgewood Ave) for music by DJ Wyld Stallion, drinks (featuring SweetWater Brew), and a night of live art as we blend the lines of art and digital!

View the event details here.

Learn about the artists:

• Kyle Brooks
• Oliver Cesair
• Jesse “Commence” Jager
• Loretta Paraguassu
• Lucha Rodriguez
• Michael Snyder
• Shellton Tremble
• Paco Vergachette

**photo from Sharpie’s Facebook page

Happy Halloween!

Fall brings colorful holidays… the first of which is Halloween.

The holiday revolves around the perfectly orange pumpkin. Pumpkin patches are on every corner and you can find them in every grocery store. They rest on every house’s front porch, and on Halloween day, it is time to carve the pumpkin! One of my favorite childhood memories is carving our family’s pumpkin—I loved taking out the squishy insides and then creating a piece of art. Through the years, we made an Ernie pumpkin (my favorite Sesame Street character), scary monsters, and even tried carving our dog. So this year, I am going to carve a UGA masterpiece in honor of the Bulldawgs win over the Gators! (You can purchase a UGA carving kit on Dawgwear.com.)

Halloween is also all about candy. The candy aisles at any grocery or convenience store are always so colorful on Halloween—packages have switched from their usual bland colors to the spooky orange and black. Candy comes in the shape of pumpkins, bats, and witches. Trick-or-treating is the event of the day, and kids end the night with enough candy to last them months. And I cant forget about candy corn, the special Halloween candy. When the leaves start to change colors, I immediately crave this seasonal treat!

And I can’t forget to mention colorful costumes! Kids and adults of all ages dress up in colorful attire. This year I am being an American cowgirl—I was inspired by my summer Jackson Hole trip—and I’m wearing a blue plaid shirt, red and white flag jean skirt, and my cowboy boots. What are some costumes you’ve had through the years?

So go out and celebrate Halloween… the holiday that revolves around candy, dressing up, being spooky, and the color orange. BOO!

The Athens Farmers Market

As a student, I take my sleep very seriously. And the only reason I will gladly set my alarm before 9 a.m. on the weekends is to attend the Athens Farmers Market, which has quickly become one of my favorite Athens activities. My friends and I choose to get there early because that is when the vegetables are abundant and color is everywhere.

Stands are set up with local Athens vendors that sell an assortment of products—potatoes, arugula, tomatoes, bread, even freshly made pasta. I once asked a vendors if the basil he was selling was fresh, and he told me that he picked it that morning. You can’t get much fresher than that.

As I go from one stand to the next, I am overwhelmed with color…the red of a tomato, the purple of an eggplant, the intensity of a sunflower. And when I get home and start cooking, I am always delighted by the taste. What I buy from the farmers market has vibrant color and an amazing taste. I have certainly become spoiled by the quality of what I buy from the local vendors.

If you have never been to the Athens Farmers Market, I urge you to go and experience the excitement. I guarantee that you will leave with great food, a smile, and items that will make your kitchen and food colorful!