The holidays are upon us

Hard to believe I only have one week left in Boston before I head home for the holidays! Today we got our second day of snow - but still nothing sticking so no winter wonderland. Hopefully we'll get one pretty dusting before I leave!

This pictures actually from a couple weeks ago - now our tree is packed with gifts

I can't believe how organized and on top of things I am this year! I only have two more gifts to purchase and one to finish making and I'm all set! Like I said - hard to believe!

How are you doing this year? Did you utilize Black Friday or Cyber Monday (my personal favorite).

Back From the BVI

Folks - I'm home!!

My trip was amazing - something out of a dream and while I easily could have stayed and stayed and stayed I do have to admit there are things I'm happy to be home for - namely my bed and kitchen.

I realize I never fully explained to you all what this vacation was. To be honest it was a long time coming and then before I knew it it was happening and I was a tad overwhelmed with things going on in life and also being ready to go. So allow me to share some more info now.

Basically the trip consisted of my dad, my stepmom, my boyfriend and I sailing our way through the British Virgin Islands on a boat called the Chablis. Since most of the islands are so close together down there we were able to wake up each morning and sail just a couple of hours to our next desired harbor where we would post up and explore. This led us to some awesome places including boat bars, some excellent snorkeling, the Bitter End and more.

As you can probably imagine in was the perfect paradise vacation with delicious eats, crystal clear waters, sea turtles, rum and Cards Against Humanity.

 Hope these pictures helped warm you up in this national cold front!

Bread Baking: Part 2 - The Execution

So a couple of weeks ago I mentioned to you all that Food Network magazine had featured a "50 Quick Breads" article and that I was looking forward to trying a recipe or two. Well ladies and gents, I finally tested out my first one last week.

Considering it was more or less my first time making one of these breads I followed the recipe verbatim but I look forward to playing around with it a little more next time. I started with the Earl Gray Vanilla bread which I highly suggest. It was the perfect day to make bread too because it was a rainy day and for whatever reason I always love homemade treats of this variety when it's storming out. Since I had work the same day I brought the loaf in and my coworkers were truthfully impressed so I felt like the whole experience was quite the success.

I think the added honey Earl Gray drizzle they suggest you make to put on the freshly cooked bread makes a huge difference - I drizzled as soon as the bread came out of the oven but then didn't actually serve the bread until it was cooled.

Now bake away my friends!

P.S. While I was able to set this post to go up while I am out of the country I sadly did not have things together for any more - I will not have posts going up at all next week but I promise I will resume posting on my return to the country the following week! Until then! Ciao!

Month In Review - October 2014

I wanted to start this post by saying that I am currently on my way to the British Virgin Islands to start off my dream vacation. That being said I do have some posts scheduled to go up while I'm gone - though they will be more scattered. I'm going to try to possibly post some stuff while I'm away - but no guarantees, though you should also watch my Instagram just in case pictures go up there first. Now past the formalities and on to the meat of it:

Some exciting things that happened this month:

- It was fall. I really don't feel like I have to say anything more than that. Seasonal events included, apple picking, fresh apple pie baking, pumpkin carving, cider drinking, bread baking, and so much more. 

- I got a "promotion" in a sense - I was asked to move up to bartending at my restaurant, which is exciting! Perhaps you can expect to see more cocktails here as a result!

- I went to an incredibly beautiful wedding in Purchase, NY

New discoveries this month:
- In research for my upcoming sailing trip I did some research on different waterproof iPhone cases and man are there a lot out there these days - based on the majority of reviews that I read, I ended up going with the Lifeproof Fre - I'll let you know how it holds up!

- Again I have another not so new discovery that I wanted to share with you guys called Pixlr. This amazing website does virtually everything that Photoshop does but FREE! You don't even need to download anything (of course that does mean that you have to have an internet connection) but still it's unbelievably useful and operates similarly to Photoshop so if you are familiar with that set up Pixlr should be a breeze!
- Super cheap flights to Europe via Norwegian - makes a girl think.  

What to look forward to here on Muneshine:
- Pictures and stories from the islands!! As I write this I'm at the airport between flights on my way to  St. Thomas and I can't wait to share with you all kinds of photos once I'm back!

Wednesday Wisdom

So today's quote actually has more significance than usual. The truth is I've been keeping something from you all - or rather just waiting to share that as of this SUNDAY I'm going to be leaving on a two week sailing trip through the British Virgin Islands!!

Of course, for the trip I'm absolutely hoping for smooth seas (in the past I've been known to get sea sick...). Needless to say, for me a smooth sea will actually be what I need to become a more skilled sailor - at least for now!

I do like the inspiration behind this quote though in regards to other facets of life - when times get tough try to turn them into a learning opportunity! Have a great rest of your week!

DIY Fall Decor: The Ghost Frame

After a long weekend of celebrating I decided to keep it simple today and share with you one of my Halloween DIY decor items that I made last year. It's one of those pieces that was SO easy to make and yet I get compliments on it all the time.

So without any further ado allow me to introduce you to the Ghost Frame:

Like I said before - this was the easiest thing to make and would look super cute on a fireplace mantel... alas if only I had one. 

I bought the frame at the Goodwill and when I got home I just removed the image and backing that came with it and secured the glass to the frame - in some cases this may require hot glueing but with mine you can see the little tabs just closed around the glass. 

Then I got a large piece of white construction paper and drew out a ghost shape - I liked these ones with wing-like arms because they added a little more character and body to the shapes. Then I lay the shapes out on the frame deciding which direction I wanted each of them to face before drawing the three small black dots to create their tiny and adorable screaming faces. 

Then I glued the ghosts to the FRONT of the glass - I felt like this helped to create the "box frame" look and creates an eerie shadow behind the ghosts. This also eliminated my need for fancy sure-fire clear glue allowing me to use just my standard hot glue gun.

And Voila! Done. Like I said super easy and creates a fun impact on your decor!

Obviously the same strategy could be used for loads of shapes too and I'm sure this one would look super cool on a painted wall (but alas I rent). So to all you DIYers let me know if you try it out! I'd love to see some other versions!

Bread Baking: Pt 1 - The Inspiration

Last month in the October issue of Food Network Magazine they did a piece on "50 Different Bread Recipes" and it got me curious. In the past I've never been a huge specialty bread fan but I do LOVE my mom's chocolate chip banana bread and have always enjoyed a good piece of sweet dessert bread. Plus fall seems like a good time of year to get into the bread spirit. The question then of course is which one to try.

Honestly all 50 varieties sound incredible but I think I've narrowed it down to trying either the Pear Hazelnut, the Chocolate Stout, the Earl Grey, or one of the savory varieties such as the Spinach-Goat Cheese or the Jalepeño-Corn.

Needless to say if you're in the spirit of baking bread you should definitely pick up an issue of Food Network- in fact if you like being in your kitchen at all you should pick up an issue - it is by far one of the best magazines out there.

I think I'm going to try to bake a loaf this weekend or next week and I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

Wednesday Wish List: The Stemless Martini Glass

I recently decided to make an extravagant dinner for my man (appetizers, marinated salmon, potato and squash hash, and a melon apple salad - complete with homemade hand-picked apple pie with fresh whipped cream). And with such a fun and extravagant dinner I decided we should obviously have a matchingly grown up cocktail - cue martinis. The only thing, I have no martini glasses and something feels a little less sophisticated when drinking a dirty martini out of a mason jar (yes, that is indeed what we ended up doing...)

Which brings us to my Wish List Wednesday - the Martini Glass. Personally I'm drawn to stemless versions as I like their uniqueness as well as their sturdiness (I'm a bit of a klutz).

// 1. Libertini Martini from cb2 $18 for 4 // 2. Stemless Martini from cb2 $12 for 4 //
// 3. Mikasa Cheers Stemless from Bed Bath and Beyond $40 for set of 4 //
// 4. Fortessa Stemless Martini from Sur La Table $48 for set of 6 //

Well, bottoms up you guys and have a great rest of your week!

Catching Up: Fall Adventure

So some of you folks may have realized that I took the last week off and my apologies for that - I just needed some time to get organized with things. Unfortunately, something had to take a backseat and this time it was this. But now I'm back with a ton of fun new posts to share :)

To start us off - scenes from recently:

Hope you are all enjoying your fall just as much as I am and I promise to improve on my timeliness of posts!

Your Weekly Inspiration: Oct 8th

When life gets tough - don't stop. 

Have a great rest of the week you guys!

Fall Outfit Inspirations

This season is and always has been all about the tall brown boots, the comfy looking slouchy sweaters and the scarves. Even if it is the same every year I'm still obsessed and still trying to master my fall wardrobe. Below are some of my autumn outfit inspirations:

1. from All Things Katie Marie // 2. from Scissortail Silk // 3. from OMG Cute Things // 4. from Seven Layer Charlotte

What do you think?? Loving the fall wardrobe?

Month in Review: September 2014

It's that time again - then end of a month and the beginning of another. Can you believe it's been nearly five months since I started this blog!? Not to toot my own horn but I'm pretty impressed with my ability to keep this up for this long so far and I hope you guys are all still enjoying it!

Some exciting things that happened this month:

- I ran a freaking half marathon!! It was the most incredible experience, read more in my post here.

- I made a fairly impromptu and random three day trip to Cleveland, OH to visit a friend and was pleasantly surprised by the flyover state! So beautiful, I had such a great time.

- The iPhone 6 and iOS 8 came out along with the announcement for the apple watch... While the phone has received plenty of ridicule and has had plenty of issues, I am definitely enjoying the updates in iOS 8 and must admit I'm totally jonesing for the watch

- It's practically old news now but the ever-bachelor, George Clooney is now a married man. Talk about a gorgeous couple!! 

- Football has begun and fantasy conversations have swept the nation, I'm excited to say that for the first year ever I'm actually a part of it and man, is football fun. So far my team is 2-2 with some very large swings in high and low points but keep your fingers crossed for me that the highs start to out way the lows!!

New discoveries this month:

- For those with an iPhone 5 or higher the new iOS 8 operating system now allows for you to download new keyboards should you not be totally satisfied with the old iPhone standard. This means we iPhoners can now finally have a swipe input keyboard! I've been using Swype ($0.99) and have to say that I'm truly obsessed - it's just so much faster (and worth the dollar)!!

- imoji, this is an AWESOME app that essentially lets you make your own "stickers" to text and send your friends via your phones camera or pictures from the Internet. There is literally no better way to send that picture of a cat lifting a dumbbell or Arron Rodgers beautiful and fierce face.

- This last one actually isn't a new discovery at all since I've known about it for at least a year but I realized I don't think I've shared it with all of you and you should definitely know about it, it's called The Skimm and its a daily email that basically sums up the day's biggest news stories in language that makes even the most complicated issues and puts into terms anyone could understand. While it really is just an overview it has a wide array of topics such as international and national level news, pop culture updates and even an occasional book recommendation. Basically reading this email once a day can prepare you for any current event party conversation. 

What to look forward to here on Muneshine:

- More fall! And more consistency. Guys, I apologize for my lack of organization this month leading to late and missing posts. I'm hoping with the start of a new month I can take back the reigns a bit on all things Muneshine and get this back to what I know it can be and what it should be. Thanks for bearing with me in the meantime!

Wish List: Winter florals

In the past I have never been all to impressed by florals, but there's something about this seasons dark almost mysterious winter florals that has me envious. It feels like a simple way to bring a subtle piece of summer joy into the colder months without standing out like a sunflower in the snow. 

Headband  (ShopBop) // Shirt  (Kohl's) // Dress (H&M)

What do you think? Is this a look you're ready to rock this winter or should we be leaving the flowers for the spring?

Running a Half Marathon

Well guys, I did it- I ran a half marathon, 13.1 miles. And I have to tell you, it was a huge mix of emotions. But overall, it was an incredible experience and something that I think I will definitely want to do again.

Going in it felt like I had all the odds stacked against me - I had fallen on a training run a week ago and my scrapped knees were still pretty painful and bandaged up and then on the Sunday prior to my run I came down with an intensely exhausting cold. Needless to say I wasn't as prepared as I would have liked but nonetheless the run went really well! I was able to actually run the first 11 miles before hitting a wall and questioning my sanity and will to live. But crossing the finish line was out of this world. 

Because the run we did (the Hampton Marathon & Half) was so small they had an announcer at the finish line who was actually able to call out everyone's names as they crossed and some fun facts like whether it was a runners first time doing a Half or Full Marathon. This little touch just made it all the more special to finish. 

Ultimately, I can't believe it's over and that I did it. Enjoy some pictures from the event and the weekend below and get out there and run! 

The top is our Ferry Ride to the Hamptons, then a cute decorative doorway in downtown Southampton
and finally me and the man after we finished!!

Your Weekly Inspirations

Always remember that with hard work you can still become everything you ever wanted to be.

H&M Home

You may have noticed that I've missed a few posts recently and for that I'm super sorry - Fall has already been very busy and on top of it all I've developed a cold - blehh

So early last week I went on an exploration for the perfect fall shoes and found something even better - the Newbury Street H&M and their awesome home goods section. It was INCREDIBLE. As I've previously told you all I love all things home goods, but it's usually hard to find affordable and on trend items. UNTIL NOW! 

Per usual H&M practice, everything was priced so affordably - and they had everything! Pillows, table cloths, duvet covers, bath towels and so much more - as with their clothes nothing was made of the worlds best quality but for $5- $30 one can't really complain. I was so blown away by their selection of rustic and awesome looking pieces I probably spent upwards of 45 minutes perusing the space. I think I was most appreciative of the numerous and wide array of designs for throw pillow cases at affordable prices, considering pillows are always so expensive it was awesome to find some that I liked the look of and could also afford. I ended up buying three!

1. Bird Cage Pillow Cover $9.95 // 2. Gray and White Pillow Cover $12.95
// 3. Flour Sack Pillow Cover $5.95

Wish List: Gray Booties

Fall is here and with it the time for new shoes!!

I've been majorly eyeing some new gray booties and some tall dark brown boots for this season and can't wait to find the perfect affordable pair - something like these below (only hopefully at a Marshalls or T.J. Maxx so it will be cheaper)

Title. SoftRock Rocklin from Zappos $145 // 1. Jessica Simpson's 'Delaine' from Nordstrom $110 //
2. Isaac Mizrahi New York Justice Booties from Macy's $189  // 3. Dansko Bonita from Zappos $185

I have a pair of black booties from a couple of years ago and while they are starting to look pretty worn they are the most handy shoes to own in the fall - they're warm but don't necessarily overpower your outfit - they tend to be more subtle.

What do you think? Do you own a pair of booties, do you want to?

Scenes From The Weekend

As ready as I was for Autumn, I still can't actually believe it's here!! Time to take out the AC and bring up the box of sweaters!

This last weekend I was lucky enough to have family in town just in time for the weather switch and as a result spent a very decent amount of time outside (despite my working everyday) so in honor of family visits, beautiful Boston and the start of fall here are some "Scenes from my weekend"

Images include, oysters from Union Oyster House, fossils and views from the Museum of Science and me and my sisters in the Botanical Gardens.

Hope you all had a great weekend enjoying the new fall weather and have a great week ahead of you!

Lox Rocks! (I know - lame title)

Recently I mentioned that I was making a bigger effort to change and improve some of my eating habits. Not that I used to eat particularly badly, but rather that I really only ate from one cuisine - Mexican. My diet was predominantly Mexican based dishes that (to be honest) were delicious! But as someone who loves food and wants to get in shape I decided I needed to round out my diet just a bit.

Overall, it's been a fun and delicious journey. I eat a full breakfast with a smoothy most mornings and have found some awesome new sandwiches and salads that I can whip up for lunch. Today I wanted to share one of my favorites:

The Open-faced Lox sandwich! Alright this is not me reinventing the wheel - it's a classic but a goodie, and this has been my recent take on it:

Per the classic Lox on a Bagel, my open faced sandwich includes Cream Cheese (I use the Chive Whipped Cream Cheese by Philadelphia), Tomatoes, Red Onions, Lox, fresh cracked Pepper and Seasoning Salt all laid out carefully on Sourdough Toast. To note, this is a messy meal since the toast  is crunchy but I really like that added layer of texture so I feel like it's worth it.

Plus this sandwich is not only delicious and filling but the Lox provide you with a great helping of Omega-3 Fatty Acids which can help with heart health and weight loss!

Let me know if you recreate this and love it (or hate it) or if you have any fun additions or alterations that you enjoy with your lox!

Oh, and have a wonderful weekend!!

Mid Week Thoughts: Sept 10th

Hey there, sorry about the lack of post this Monday - I just didn't have it together earlier this week! But I'm working on my organization and will eventually get there.

As for now, a moment of reflection:

Anything is possible with the right attitude and hard work - so remember one day you'll be looking back amazed at what you've accomplished and where it all started.

Have a great week everyone!