Marina an The Diamonds

CUPCAKES.

Good evening blog readers :)

I haven't done a food post yet so I thought I would tell you about my favorite things . . .

CUPCAKES.

They are my life. I don't like birthday cake; I won't eat it, but cupcakes I WILL EAT haha

Over the summer, my sister went to a camp at Penn State and my mom, dad, and I stayed in an adorable inn 5 mins away. When we were there for a couple days, we ventured around the town going into shops, exploring the area, did some shopping, and eating at different restaurants

We came across a place called *ndulge.... they had the most AMAZING cupcakes I have ever had!! The display was beautiful from the wrapping that held the cupcake to the icing and toppings. They had the best cake part and the icing tasted like heaven. The flavors ranged from Amaretti for Cherry, to Chocolate Moussetachio and many more! Safe to say, every time we passed the shop, we bought some! I fell IN LOVE with them (and of course my mom and dad did as well) lol

You MUST visit this place and eat their cupcakes! Check out their website .....

http://www.ndulgecupcakes.com/

These are a couple of the ones we had... I tried to snap a good picture of them, but they are so much better looking in person haha: (going clockwise) in the front is Amaretti for Cherry, to the left, is The Chocoholic, Coconut sCream, Chocolate Moussetachio, and Red Velvet

YUMMY! :)

With love and cupcakes,

Kara Jae

Big Sweaters and Cardigans

During the winter, a big sweater or warm cardigan can come in handy. While trying to stay stylish, but warm on those extremely cold days, pick out a long cardigan or sweater with a pattern or design. Here are some examples:

This is a really interesting sweater. It gives a great color and pop to the outfit while still giving you warmth! haha

This huge, bulky sweater has such a pretty pattern on it! It can help you dress up a look (add a black, winter dress underneath with tights and heels) or it can keep you warm on a casual day, (Put on some grey acid wash jeans and black/navy blue military boots with a thermal shirt) and stay comfortable all day long.

Ahhhh! Ok, I loooove this sweater so much! It has been my goal and fashion "look-for" this year! I'm still searching for a perfect leopard sweater (The one in the picture is from a store in Australia so I don't think I will  be getting that anytime soon haha) It goes great with blacks and bones and gives such a flare to that "regular, plain" cardigan that everyone has.

It might be hard to see the actual design of this cardigan so I tried to enlarge it ....

Aaaalright. That's better, I think...... haha anyways, I love this sweater so much. (Btw, to me, sweaters and cardigans are the same thing lol so don't mind if I use the words interchangeably lol) This vintage 80s gemmed cardigan is from Penelope's Vintage (such a cute store ... check it out) The blue color allows you to pair it with dark colors which can help brighten up the "dull and dark" winter looks. Put a nice necklace on and some matching earrings and you are set with the stylish, and perfect outfit for winter!

Always staying warm and being stylish,

Kara Jae

First post of the NEW YEAR/ They make me feel good . . .

Ciao bella gente!

This is officially my first post of the new year! I'm so excited to see what this year will bring.... hopefully a great blogging year too ;)

I thought I would make my first post about things that make me feel good . . . 

 

I am in love with this picture! I want it to be my living room one day... I love the furniture ( I love decorating things and picking out furniture haha) and the best part is the staircase - you always need a spiral staircase ... it makes you feel like your climbing up to the sky



 Beautiful <33

Can't you tell that I'm having a Tom Felton obsession? haha ;)

Two greaaaat people :)

Before Rehab, Before EVERYTHING

It is so true...

Halloween .... the only day where it is acceptable to play dress up

isn't she lovely

All the time ... hiding what I truly feel

The New Year/ Holiday Style

Happy New Year's Eve!

Gosh, I don't know where time goes, but 2010 is almost over! This year was filled with so many memories that I will cherish forever. I'm so thankful for my family and so many great friends that I made this year! I love them with all my heart .... I hope you and all your families have a great NEW year :)

Now, I know I'm a little late in a "holiday fashion" post lol, but I figured better late then never .....

So for this "Holiday Look" I figured that the colors shouldn't really be too vibrant, I mean after all, it's winter. For starters, tops with a design on them can really be a statement (like the bone and black one at the top). If you pair it with a nice holiday skirt and a blazer or long cardigan, it would be the perfect look. Other shirts can have color in them, make sure that they stay in the "winter" zone/spectrum lol. 

Another option instead of a shirt (if you are one who is always cold lol), you can just pick out a nice winter sweater and pair some jeggings with it and some stylish boots with heels and you can dress up that 'casual, comfortable" look without a worry. 

 I think a blazer is a very good piece to have in anyone's wardrobe. It makes an outfit look great and you don't have to worry about wearing a dress, let's say, and feeling cold if it's strapless or anything. The other coat, up top that has some leather on it is my new favorite clothing item. I think it is an amazing coat that you can wear out anywhere on top of any outfit. If you want to hide a shirt or not take off your coat when you go out, just pick up a fashionable scarf or hat and put on a nice pair of jeggings, jeans, or dress pants. Then, all you have to do is throw on some boots or heels and - there you have it! The perfect easy-to-dress look (I have to say, I do this all the time and abs. LOVE this idea the most)!

 For jewelry, I have a lot of bracelets... mostly that are bland colors (silver and gold). They almost look old and rusty in a way, like "antique chic". I pulled a black ring that can practically go with anything and then I pictured a bone heeled shoe and two black booties.  They can basically be worn with anything. This is great because you can dress up a look within seconds! :)

Alright ladies, this is about it ... my last post until next year! haha
I hope you have a great day.. treasure the last moments of 2010 with your family and friends.

Let's make this year 2,011 times better than the last...

With love and smiles,

Kara Jae

I need Ganesha

Hi Darlings,

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with your families! It was great to have a break from school and spend some time with the fam :) It's always a story when we get together and share the love haha

On to my post . . .

So I've kinda had a thing for elephants.

                                          SERIOUSLY

Since I was in Pre-k my favorite stuffed animal was an elephant. All of my greatest moments happened with that elephant. I'm not sure what happened to it, but every since then, elephants were my favorite animals. I got a chance to ride on an elephant once and it was one of the best moments of my life. They are such big animals, but are so calm, humble, and relaxing. So yeah, you can say we have a special bond ..... I'm not sure what it is, but they make me feel so special like they almost know who I am. I feel so down to earth when I'm with them and I can just be me; I love them :)  

Trust me, there is a reason on why I'm going on about elephants. Recently I've been really interested in Buddhism and Hinduism. After watching Eat.Pray.Love., I wanted to learn about the different religions and cultures. I liked how they focused on the "inner self" and peace and harmony. They are things that sound so essential to live a balanced life. The other day when I was watching the movie (for the like the 10th time haha) I heard David (one of the characters) talk about Ganesha, a god, who was known as the "Remover of Obstacles". I knew there was a reason I only heard that part....

During this past year and even during different times in general, so many obstacles get in the way of what we need to do. They stop us from following the path that we are on and try to distract us from the right way. They cause stress and worries, that aren't needed in life! I needed something or someone to help me get through those mini obstacles and bumps in the road - and I think I finally found the answer.

Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati as a guardian to her privacy. Parvati's husband never respected her wish of privacy to the extent of entering her bathroom while she was taking a bath. She decided to settle this once and for all. Before taking a bath the next day, she rubbed off the sandalwood paste on her body and  made a figure of a young boy. She breathed life to it and told him that he was her son and he should guard her from anyone entering on her. Later on, Shiva (Lord of Destruction and Parvati's husband) came to see Parvati, but the boy blocked him. Without knowing that the boy was his son, Shiva fought with him in a battle and took off his head. When Parvati returned from her bath, she was so angry to find out what happened. She threatened to destroy the heavens, but Shiva stopped her and told his followers to bring the head of the first living being they encounter. The first animal they saw was an elephant, so they chopped off his head and put it on his son. They breathed life into him and Parvati embraced him with love and joy.

(http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/deities/ganesha.htm)

The most striking feature of Ganesha is its elephant head. The elephant is the largest and strongest of animals in the forest. Yet he is gentle and, amazingly, a vegetarian, so that he does not kill to eat. They are affectionate and loyal to their keeper and are filled with love and kindness. Ganesha is very a powerful deity. An elephant can destroy a whole forest and can be like a "one-man army" when provoked in a harmful way. However, on the flip side, he is loving and forgiving and moved by the affection of his devotees. He helps remove the bad things in the path that your life is traveling.

So, If you need help with the path that your life is headed in, go to Ganesha. Follow him, worship him, and talk to him. He will help you and things will turn around.

Keep him in the back of your mind for the new year that is coming....... very soon :)

With love and elephants,

Kara Jae



Fashion Time

This first look has been a role model for me during this season. I love how you can pair a cute shirt and a plain sparkly skirt together and then add some bootie shoes. However, the jacket is what makes it or breaks it. If you are going for the "party or fancy" look, think about putting on a blazer or leather jacket. If you just want to be warm and cozy, but also look chic with a finished look, don't be scared to add a bulky sweater that matches with the rest of your outfit. You can add a nice scarf or a fashionable hat depending on how cold it is too!



This next look I absolutely love, solely for the purpose that you can wear it anywhere. A blazer is always a good clothing item to have in your closet for that "finisher" that you can use for any look - even if you want to dress it up. You can buy a really cute dress, any color, and get some matching jewelery to go with it. You can wear stockings if you want, and don't be scared to choose a pattern when you do - pick a sheer black, or lace pattern too. Choose a beautiful pair of booties to go with the look (or you can even use tall boots)... I am in love with the boots that are in the picture above, and then a light creamy rose color looks great under the dark blazer with sheer tights.



I love this dress because it is different... the pleated style with the loose chiffon and big sleeve on the one shoulder really makes it unique. Being that it is black, you can feel free to pack on the jewelery with small pieces. But another option is to use one statement piece, like the feather necklace shown in the picture above (I'm in loooooove haha), which can really be beautiful.




This look is almost typical for the winter. The leather skinny pants are great for the cold weather and give off such a chic look. The booties (which are a popular trend for this season) are a great addition to the look. The peacott with a warm cream colored hat can finish it off to be the perfect season outfit.

Be creative this season and buy tons of cool jewelry! haha

With style,
Kara Jae