Accessorize Me ❤ One Kool Kitty

I had to share this ring I saw at Charming Charlie's.  It's a leopard ring.  It has to be one the most unique rings I've ever seen!  MEOW

Spotted ❤ Dick's Kitchen

I am so excited to share this little gem!  It's right by my favorite nail salon CT nails on NW 21st in Portland, Oregon.  I stopped in for dinner at Dick's Kitchen and it was delish.  I'm slightly obsessed with portabella mushroom burgers and they had an amazing one that is also vegan.  I'm not vegan, but my friend Sarah is so I immediately thought of her when I saw they have vegan options.  But let's get back to the portabella mushroom burger - amazing seasoning and delicious even without any chesse!  They also have air baked fries.  You can tell they are healthier, but they are still crisp and delicious and come with yummy dips.  My favorites were the special sauce and chipotle one.  So good!  Also, my madre got the sweet potato fries and they were even better than the regular potato ones.  And there was a very goregous tall guy dining across the way.  Great food, great scenery.... I'll be back.  :)

Dick's Kitchen

704 NW 21st Ave. Portland OR 9721o

Make & Take ❤ Dump Cake

❤ Supplies

13x9 pan

1 large can of pineapple chunks

1 21 ounce can of cherry pie filling

1 box of yellow cake mix

2 sticks of butter

This cake is so easy and yet so delicious.  It's called a dump cake because you literally dump your ingredients and bake it into ooey gooey deliciousness.  First, you need a 13x9 baking pan.  Next, pour a can of pineapple chunks with the juice into the pan.  The next layer is cherry pie filling.  You can just spread out globs of the cherry filling all over the pan.  Finally, dump a box of yellow cake mix over everything.  Then you use 2 sticks of butter (cut into pieces) and spread out over the entire cake. (I think you could use less butter, it was very rich with the 2 sticks of butter.)  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and enjoy warm or cold!

Make it Up ❤ A new cosmetic bag

I was on the hunt for a new cosmetic bag that had clear pockets and I found this make up bag for a steal at Ross.  You know how they never have what you are looking for?  This was the exception!  Plus, I love pink.

Flash forward - I've been using this make up bag for quite a while and it's awesome.  I separated out the sides into face make up and eye make up.  It's so much easier to find what I'm looking for now.  And just like Martha Stewart would say, it's a good thing!  :)

Spotted ❤ Taylor Hicks rocks Vegas

Go to Vegas.  Go to Taylor Hicks' show!  It was AWESOME.  He can SING and he did.  It's at the Indigo Lounge at Bally's.  It is a steal at $30 for general admission or you can upgrade to VIP and sit in the very front and get a framed photo with Taylor.  I took my madre for a belated birthday present.  We did general admission (but they seat you based on your spot in line).  We were in line at 5:45 pm and were the first people through the door!  We got great seats front and center (right behind the VIP section and we still had a great view).  It's funny because I've paid a lot of money to see other singers (for example a ridiculous sum to see Britney Spears who put on a good show... dancers/lights/costumes, but can't sing like Taylor Hicks).  Also, a plus ANY seat in the Indigo would be great.  It's a very intimate venue and you can actually see the artist.  My second tip is stay after to get an autograph and a PHOTO.  :)  You do have to purchase a Taylor Hicks item to get an autograph, but this is typical and I got a cute t-shirt that is super soft.  And you also get to take a photo with the American Idol winner.  SCORE.  Honestly, this night made my Vegas trip!  He is only going to be in Vegas for a few more weeks... so it's not too late to make a weekend of it.

Hair Do ❤ Red Tips

I was inspired by Jwoww's red tips.  I thought they were so pretty & fun!  

My next though was... hmmm... maybe I could do red tips!  It took me a looooong time to grow my hair out completley au naturale.  However, it's been natural for a couple years now and I wanted to do something different.  My lovely hair dresser in Portland, OR Yen hooked me up.  And I've never gotten more compliments in one day ever!  Then downside is you have to be careful to try and preserve the vibrant red color (cool water only and red shampoo).

It's super fun, but be warned if you do a bold color like this it's annoying when your clothes don't match your hair!  But on a positive note, I really like that you don't need to worry about roots with this style (it's part of the look).  And the first part you'll cut off is the dyed tips anyway. :)  Now who is going to do some purple tips like Katy Perry?  I would love some purple tips, but I don't think I could get away with it at work.

Unity ❤ Day 3

I had an AMAZING day at Unity today.  I heard several inspiring speakers and I have a lot of things to work on.  (This makes me happy.)  I actually went to a wonderful session on blogging and am hoping to makes some moves down the line.  I also went to a fabulous lunch with a Disney imagineer.  And some guests made an appearance...

The salad was yummy, especially the mozzarella cheese balls served in a lettuce head

And Disney definitely knows how to do dessert... sparkling chocolate shoe anyone?

Photo opportunity: Steve Harvey was hosting a white party and the line stretched for as far as I could see!  Oh, the things you see in Vegas. :)

Unity ❤ Day 2

It was a gorgeous summer day at Mandalay Bay!

All ready for Day 2 of the Unity Conference

We went to Serendipity 3 at Caesar's Palace

I got the Portabella mushroom burger and it was so-so

Madre had the Rueben 

AND the red velvet sundae was AMAZING ;)  Serendipity, after all, is known for their sweet treats

Pining for ❤ Leopard Cardi

This pretty leopard cardi me think of my friend Julie!  And I love it.  Especially with the blue and purple.  This is such a fun piece that could definitely take you into the fall season.  And it's only $19.80 from Forever 21.

Unity ❤ Day 1

Today was the first day of Unity 2012.  It's a journalism conference for minority journalists (or in my case aspiring).  It's also a vacation!  I'm staying at Mandalay Bay.  It's a fabulous hotel from the pretty rooms to the amazing (although packed) pools.

My first session today was on the business of me with Mark Luckie.  It was an inspiring session (everyone can use some inspiration now and then) and had some great tips for my blog and branding.  I found out I need new business cards (minus the lovely hot pink on my current cards). :)


I also got to check out the media and career expo, meet some folks and pick up some goodies.  I only got to spend a few lovely minutes (ok, I'm being dramatic it was more than an hour) at the pool!