Courtney's Top 5: Hair Products

1. Macadamia Deep Repair Masque: This hair masque is a lifesaver when my hair starts feeling dry and damaged. Used twice a week, it helps smooth and tame any broken and fly-away strands. It doesn't weigh my hair down, and smells like a tropical vacation!

2. Moroccan Oil Treatment: Several months ago my hair was in the worst shape it's ever been! My cut requires blow drying every day, and it was taking it's toll. Moroccan Oil before and after the blow dryer actually helped to "heal" my hair, and bring life back to the "fried" ends.

3. John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray: Love misting this spray through my hair to give my blonde a boost! Easy and mess-free — simply spray in towel dried hair, and blow dry.

4. John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Enhancing Shampoo: Not my everyday shampoo, but my go-to for cleansing my hair of product build up. Helps keep my color vibrant, too!

5. Tresemme Extra Firm Control Hairspray: A little goes a long way! For that section of hair that just won't stay put, this is the cure!

♥ Courtney

Simple Vanilla Cake

So, let me just say this now..... I don't bake. And when I do, it's from a box.

But for some reason, I decided I wanted to bake a cake. From scratch (Truth is, I just didn't have any cake mix available).

Overall, this was really simple to do, and it didn't require many ingredients - I already had everything I needed around the kitchen.

I had a little issue trying to get the cakes out of the baking pans, but I think it turned out okay. I guess you can be the judge of that.

So let's get started!

Here's what you'll need (Enough for 24 cupcakes or 2 - 9x9 inch pans):

- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk

What you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour your 9x9 inch pans, or line your muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the sugar and butter together. Once creamed, beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
3. Combine the flour and baking powder in a second bowl, add to the creamed mixture and mix well (I added my flour mixture in three batches to make mixing a little easier).
4. When the batter is smooth, pour or spoon it into your pans or paper liners.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (20-25 minutes for cupcakes). The cake should be done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out cleanly.

Now for the fun part - decorating (I cheated with this part)!

I found this can of icing at Target and HAD to pick it up!

It wasn't the cleanest of cakes, but it was certainly tasty! The cake wasn't overly sweet, and the icing added a nice touch. I would definitely recommend trying this out!

Let me know if you try this and how it turned out, or if you have any other good cake recipes!

♥Sara

Ten Questions with Courtney, Part 1

1. If you could live in another era, when would it be and why?
Definitely the 1940's! I love everything about it: the fashion, movies, music, and dancing! It was also a simpler time, with truly important things being valued (family, home, etc.).

2. What is something you could NEVER give up?
My phone. Lame, I know. But phones are so much more than phones now! Giving up my phone would also be giving up my camera, GPS, iPod, notebook, calendar, knit counter, etc, etc, etc!

3. What are some things you like to do in your spare time?
Knit, read, watch classic movies, write letters.

4. What skill/talent would you like to have, but don't?
I would love to be able to draw or sing.

5. What inspired you to start a blog?
Back when I started The Musings of Miss 1941, I wanted a place to share all the things I found special about the 1940's, and a place to accumulate and share that information with others looking for more info and resources about the era.

The Blue Typewriter, however, was an idea Sara and I had kicked around for a while. We find so many neat things — projects, recipes, local restaurants and shops — we want to share them with people who appreciate those simple every day pleasures, too. :)

6. How would you describe yourself?
Simple. I like slow, relaxed days full of coffee and every day joys.

7. Black & white or color photos?
Black and white! You have to work a little harder to compose what you want to communicate through the picture, but those sharp images are so striking!

8. If you could eat only one thing for a week, what would it be?
Can I be broad with my answer and just say fruit? Lol. I think I could survive on bananas.

9. What is your drink of choice at the coffee shop?
Lately it's been iced coffee. If there's a biscotti involved I will go for a cappuccino.

10. Favorite cartoon character?
Linus from the Peanuts! I love the whole Peanuts gang, but Linus isn't afraid to be passionate about what he cares about!

Baseball is back!

As you guys may or may not know, I love baseball! So needless to say, this first week of the MLB season has been pretty exciting for me!

 

Friday was the home opener for the Baltimore Orioles and, of course, I HAD to go! Downtown Baltimore was booming and there were plenty of fans out, enjoying the beautiful day.

 

The Orioles beat the Twins 9-5, with help from a Chris Davis grand slam!

 

I made my way back to Camden Yards on Sunday, and although the Orioles lost, the seats weren't too bad! ;) I had to snap a few shots of Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy (one of my favorite players).

 

Baseball has been a favorite of mine for years now, and every year I look forward to watching my team and cheering them on, no matter how they do. After an amazing 2012 season - the Orioles' first winning season and playoff appearance since 1997 - I can't wait to see what the 2013 Orioles have in store!

 

Do you have a favorite sports team?

 

♥Sara

Purse Alert!

I haven't gotten a new purse in a while, and I've been eyeing this one up, so I figured I'd get it while it was still available. Why not, right?

 

I found this bag at Target, and fell in love! There were a few different colors, but I really like this Camel shade. It's pretty neutral, so it can go with anything. And I LOVE that zipper pocket on the flap! SO perfect for keeping my phone ready to grab at a moment's notice!

What's awesome about this bag is, although small enough to wear crossbody comfortably, it's big enough to carry the everyday essentials - making it perfect for a shopping trip, movie date, or grocery store run!

 

The two main compartments are good for bigger items - sunglasses, a wallet, keys - and the smaller pockets inside are great for phones, gum, makeup, and the smaller stuff.

 

As you can see, I got quite a bit in here, without the bag being too bulky. I actually switched to a smaller wallet, and was able to fit my blog notebook in there.

 

Purses aren't just bags, they're accessories, and I think this is such a cute Spring bag! I'm excited to start carrying this around now that the weather is finally warming up!

 

♥Sara

 

Mango Ricotta Pizza

Homemade pizza is super-simple to make. It's been months since I've ordered take out. I like knowing what goes into my food, and being able to up my toppings for a fraction of the price. The current household favorite is Mango Ricotta Pizza.


Ingredients:
- Pizza dough or ready-to-go pizza crust
- 1 Cup sauce (I use spaghetti sauce)
- 1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 mango, cubed
- 1/2 t. dried oregano
- 1/4 Cup ricotta cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven according to your pizza dough/crust directions. For me, this is 400 degrees.

Evenly spread the sauce on your pizza.

Top with half of the mozzarella cheese.

Top with your mango cubes and sprinkle with oregano (more or less, your preference).

Top with remaining mozzarella cheese, and dot your ricotta evenly on the pizza.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake according to your dough/crust directions. Mine is usually finished in 15 minutes, but I give it extra time so it's crispy and bubbly.

Let your pizza cool for a few minutes before cutting.

The mango adds a sweetness, while the sauce and oregano bring the savory. This is my go-to pizza — it looks, and tastes, much more complex than it is to make!

Oh, and I highly recommend drizzling sriracha on your slice! ;)

❤ Courtney

Notebook Organization

Starting a new blog can be a little overwhelming - so many ideas! These are just a couple of things I did that might help you with your notebooks or planners to help you keep track of to-do lists, post ideas, and first drafts!

I found this notebook at Barnes & Noble. I love the bright color and the cassette tapes (Does anyone else miss mixed tapes?)!

 

 

I like love using sticky notes to help me organize and keep track of what's going on, so I stocked up on some yesterday. I use them for lists, marking pages, and jotting down ideas here and there. Colored pens and highlighters are also great for keeping notes. I love using colors to write down notes.

 

These sticky tabs are lifesavers! They're perfect for categorizing and the colors are fun (Can you tell I like using colors?).

 

Yup. I'm crazy. I actually labeled my labels. I trimmed the sticky part of a sticky note off and put them on the back of my tabs holder. Maybe this is a little much, but it doesn't hurt, right?

If you have any ideas on how to keep things in order, let me know, because I could always use some more organizing tips.

 

♥Sara