victoria beckham's hair

About once every year I debate chopping my super long hair into a short bob. I like the extremes- so if I have long hair, it's going to be super long. And if I have short hair, it's going to be super Victoria Beckham short. I like to be... deliberate if you know what I mean. 

So, knowing that girls are constantly searching for new hairstyle inspiration, I thought I'd share the collection of Victoria Beckham's hairstyles I keep on hand in case I ever decide to take the plunge. I love VB's short hairstyles because even if you have thin hair (like me), it can just lay and still look great.

Here are my favorite short hairstyles by Victoria Beckham... 

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Ahh.. just looking at these almost makes me want to schedule an appointment. Almost.

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baked zucchini parmesan

Zucchini is one my favorite vegetables. And while I'm not in love with eggplant parmesan, I knew I'd love it so much more with a different veggie...and the zucchini was perfect.

Serve with a side of pasta and faux meatballs!


You'll Need:
Zucchini- 2, cut in half and sliced 
Spaghetti Sauce- 1/2 jar or 16 oz. 
Egg- 1, beaten
Breadcrumbs- as needed to coat
Italian Herbs- oregano & parsley
Parmesan Cheese- 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 375.  

Mix herbs with breadcrumbs on plate.

Brush zucchini with egg. Then coat both sides of zucchini with breadcrumbs. Place on cookie sheet.

 Pour sauce over. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake 20 minutes.

detachable collars

I love fashion accessories like these detachable collars to give your outfit a unique look. Studded collars add a bit of edge, and look great when paired with other more feminine pieces so it's not too over the top. For a more girly look, try the "Peter Pan" shaped collar with bows or a lace collar. 

Wear detachable collars over sweaters, button downs (over the original collar) or regular high neck shirts to instantly transform your look and breathe new life into an everyday shirt. 

Various customizable detachable collars- Etsy seller lonjefarris

Detachable collars are a little hard to find online or in stores, so I definitely recommend searching Etsy.com for your perfect collar. There are so many available, and most sellers will work with you for a customized order for exactly the collar and style you like. 

I purchased the light pink collar with silver studs you see on the bottom right of the image above. I chose it because it can be worn over grey, blue, black or white and because it's pink it's not as hardcore as a black collar with studs. So I think it's more versatile. 

Pink Detachable Collar with Studs- Etsy Seller lonjefarris

Detachable Denim Collar with Studs- Etsy Seller elizaruth

Detachable Polka Dot Peter Pan Collar- Etsy Seller BlumArt

Detachable Lace Peter Pan Collar- Etsy Seller Luminia

ASOS Detachable Pearl Collar

Black Detachable Collar with Heart Studs- Etsy Seller RichandDamned 

Detachable Collar- Peter Pan/Sailor Style- Etsy Seller BlumArt

sixties spring style

Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet is one of my favorite brands. I love the 1960's inspired style and bold colors her line. Here are some of my favorite spring items. 

Alice & Olivia High-Waisted Black & White Pants & Briar Pleated Yellow Top

Alice & Olivia Haven Colorblock Shift Dress - ON SALE!

Alice & Olivia Shana Printed Button Down & Red Wide Leg Pant

Alice & Oliva Krissy Open Back Black and White Dress

spicy mac & cheese with cauliflower

• I created this spicy macaroni and cheese with cauliflower when I was sick and needed something warm and comforting but that would also clear me up. I love homemade macaroni and cheese and this definitely hits the spot. Plus, with high protein cottage cheese instead of butter or heavy cream, it's a healthier homemade mac & cheese option.
• 
  

• Serves 6-8
• 
  
• You'll Need:
• Gemelli Pasta- 8 oz. (can sub penne, elbow macaroni or shells)

Cauliflower- 2 cups, chopped
Sharp Cheddar Cheese- 8 oz., shredded

Low Fat Cottage Cheese (small curd) - 12 oz. 
Plain Greek Yogurt or Fat Free Sour Cream- 6 oz. 

• Hot Sauce or Cayenne Pepper- to taste
• Garlic- 3-4 cloves, minced
• Onion- 1 chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Breadcrumbs- to top

Swiss Cheese-to top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook according to package. Drain.

Meanwhile, saute garlic & onion in drizzle of olive oil and cook the cauliflower. You can either add the cauliflower to the same pot with the boiling pasta noodles for the last 5 minutes of cook time- or, if you want it mashed, boil it separately until tender & mash it.

• In 2 quart baking dish, stir together cottage cheese, shredded cheddar, sour cream, hot sauce, cooked cauliflower, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Add pasta and mix until covered well. Taste and add spice to liking.

  Sprinkle breadcrumbs and Swiss cheese over top.

  Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

cucumber water

They served us water like this on our honeymoon in Jamaica and we were amazed how light and refreshing it was. It's the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day- and it quenches your thirst so much better than sugary drinks like lemonade or pop. It's so simple, I don't know how we never thought of it before!

Image courtesy of MarthaStewartLiving -thanks, Martha

Just add a few fresh cucumber slices to your glass of iced water and enjoy a fresh taste of heaven. It's also nice to add cucumber slices to a glass pitcher of iced water when you're hosting a party or having people over, it's different and guests love to try something new. Something about its simplicity makes cucumber water feel very lush and spa-like...your friends might even think you're classy. 

creamy corn dip

This creamy Mexican corn dip is so easy to make and everyone always loves it. The ranch packet and chiles give it a good flavor and some garlic never hurts anything. You can use fat-free cream cheese and/or sour cream, but when I'm making them for a party I use regular.

You'll Need:
Cream Cheese- 8 oz.
Sour Cream- 4 oz.
Hidden Valley Ranch Mix Packet- 1 oz.
Frozen Corn- 12 oz. , cooked
Red Pepper- 8 oz., chopped
Red or Green Onion- 1/2 cup, chopped
Diced Green Chiles- 4 oz.
Cilantro- optional, to taste
Garlic Powder- to taste
Cayenne Pepper- optional for spice!


Mix cream cheese and sour cream.

Add ranch packet and mix. Stir in a bit of garlic powder.

Stir in corn, red pepper, onion, chiles and cilantro.

Season with cayenne pepper or add diced jalapeños if desired.

Refrigerate 1 hour and serve with tortilla chips. Tostitos Multigrain Scoops are my favorite.

fettuccine w butternut squash, goat cheese + walnuts

I adore butternut squash and this fettuccine with goat cheese and walnuts is flavorful and creamy but completely guilt-free. I bought pre-cut & skinned chunks of fresh butternut squash from Trader Joe's, so it was easy to toss in olive oil and roast. I know Giant Eagle also sells them.


If you're not a goat cheese person, you can leave it out completely or sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top instead! You can also add spinach if you like- I just didn't have any on hand.

Serves 6


You'll Need:
Fettuccine- 8 oz.
Butternut Squash- 1 skinned, seeded and cut into chunks
Fresh Spinach- 12 oz.
Cooked Garlic or Garlic Powder- to taste
Goat Cheese- 2 oz.
Walnuts- 1/2 cup
Pasta Water- 1/2 cup
Milk/Unflavored Soy Milk- 1/2 cup


Drizzle olive oil on butternut squash and roast at 375 for 30 minutes until tender.


Boil water and cook noodles according to package directions.  Add spinach last minute of cook time if using. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.


Put warm butternut squash in food processor. (Set aside some chunks to cut up if you want bigger pieces in your pasta too) Add garlic, cheese, pasta water and milk to food processor.

Mix- until you have desired consistency. (I only used 1/2 cup total of liquid here- so I increased the amounts so yours will be creamier than what is shown.) 

Drain noodles & spinach and put back in pot. Pour butternut squash mix over pasta and season with salt and pepper. Add walnuts and any chunks of butternut squash you set aside. Mix until pasta is coated. Add additional milk or water if too thick.

how to keep brown sugar soft

Did you know you need to add something to your brown sugar to keep it from hardening? I didn't. Every time I went to use my brown sugar it was solid as a rock and I was left frantically scraping off tiny crystals for my recipes. I was pulling my hair out, proclaiming, "There has to be a better way!" 


And there is. 


Start by putting your brown sugar in an air tight container. But a container alone isn't enough. You probably already know that your brown sugar will still get hard in a container, you need to add something to absorb the moisture. Here are your options:


Terra Cotta Disk

Some are specially made to keep brown sugar soft- like this Brown Sugar Bear from Bed, Bath & Beyond, just $3. This is what I use. 


Bread

Toss a slice of bread into your jar of brown sugar to keep it from hardening. The crazy part is, it will never get moldy. Don't try to eat it, but it won't get moldy. 


Marshmallows

Toss a few marshmallows in your container to absorb moisture. 


Microwave
Maybe you didn't know about the above 3 and you need a quick fix to soften your brown sugar STAT. Toss the jar in the microwave at 30 - 60 second intervals to soften your brown sugar. You would think it would get sticky, but it doesn't. It softens and becomes useable again! Just keep nuking it and stirring...