Goal #71: Reach 1001 posts on my blog

In honor of my 1,001st blog post, I want to share my love for my friends who too, have been inspired to start their own blogs.  I love them all, and I encourage you to become a follower of their blogs too!

*and in no particular order...*

Boog's Exploration | Alex, my sister, I love her.

the baby sassy show | Shannon, my dearest friend & new bloggie!

OCGente | Albert, my family & inspiring writer.

Simply Vintage by Santanarose | Rosie, my family & newest inspiring jewelry designer.

From these Lips... | Madalyn, you know her already!

Pink.Dazzle.Gloss | Taryn, my dear friend & newest blogger!

Sharing is caring!  I'm so ridiculously happy to have all of these blogs to look to every week for fun posts to make me smile!

Do you have a blog you want to share it? Leave a comment so we can check it out!

Most Adorable Baby-Related Story:

I follow Inchmark Journal, a fun little blog that I have enjoyed for some time written by Brooke Reynolds.  Well! She shared a baby-related story from this past Christmas, and I had to share!  It's about how her brother and sister-in-law found out the gender of their expected baby.  Read her post below, or visit her blog here:

Christmas Gender Reveal

My little brother and his family were visiting for Christmas, and they are expecting their third child. As we opened up our gifts Christmas morning, he pulled one special gift from the pile and called the family to attention.

My sister-in-law had had an ultrasound earlier that week, and they didn't know what they were having. They asked the ultrasound technician to write on a piece of paper if it was a boy or a girl, and then they went to a clothing store and picked out a boy outfit and a girl outfit. They gave the note from the ultrasound visit to the clerk at the store and said they wanted to buy either the blue boy outfit or the pink girl outfit depending on what the note said. The clerk wrapped it in a box so they couldn't see which outfit they had purchased.

They wrapped the box and opened it with us on Christmas morning, so we could all find out at the same time that they are having.. a little girl!

It was so fun to see the reactions of my brother and his wife, my parents, my kids, and my niece and nephew as they all found out. By far the most exciting gift we opened Christmas morning and one of the most creative gender reveals I've seen.

Aren't you glad I shared?? So sweet!
Since this post is directly from her blog, I'm gonna name this a "guest blog" post!
Be sure to check her out!

Madalyn Marie's Mix it Up!

It's that time of the year again when friend's and family get together for cookie bake off's and cookie swapping parties! My first one of the year is this weekend, hosted by none other than your dedicated blogger Erin!

The special treat I will be bringing is my favorite (and pretty healthy- minus all the butter of course) Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies! I found this recipe last year on OceanSprays website and instantly fell in love! It has forever been added into my recipe book and my go to cookie recipe to share!

So here it is:
INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (I prefer to use Coach's Oats, available at Costco)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Visit the website for more Cranberry friendly recipes! 

Sharing more From These Lips soon!

Madalyn Marie

Hump Day Fav: Greeting Cards

If there is one thing me and the bestie have in common (besides our shoe size), it's our love for all paper goods! From cards, to post-its and random organizational notepads- we love them all, here is a round up of fun and cheerful note cards to send someones way.

Gotta love the use of lyrics on this one
{via}

Fun, hand-painted postcard, just because 
{via}

Simple and Sweet
{via}

Love, love these simple blank illustrated cards- perfect to send "just because"
{via}

Isn't this just the sweetest?
{via}

Hump Day Fav: mark.

My favorite make up right now is for sure mark.

Not only do they have amazing deals but Lauren Conrad is also a representative for mark. and I have always idolized her ever since Laguna Beach. I love her fun but casual style, and her skin and look always looks flawless, who wouldn't want that!!

To add to that, for any Twihard fans, Ashley Greene is a new representative for mark. and you get her look from the Jay Leno show. She also is a natural beauty and has a lot of good tips on how exactly to capture her look.

Here are a few of Lauren's Faves that I have purchased and fell in love with...

mark Face Xpert Flawless Touch Makeup
I do not leave the house without this. It is amazing and really gives a flawless look. This is great because it is a very light coverage which helps a lot during this extreme heat! It doesn't sweat off and really lasts all day long.
How I use it: I dab a few splotches of this onto my forehead, a few on my cheek bones and around my eyes, and one on my nose and chin. Using the mark Foundation Brush I blend the foundation in all over my face and around my eyes and hair line for a complete look.

mark Get Bright Hook Up Highlighter
I fell in love with this after seeing it on mark. and reading the previous customers who were very happy with this product. Ever feel like the dark circles under your eyes drag your look down? Well this is a big fixer of that!! I use it every day, even if I don't need it, because it brightens up my face enough that I'm comfortable with no other make up on. It can actually be used all over your face: eyes, cheekbones, or brow bones.
How I use it: I use this under my eyes only, not for any particular reason, I just haven't had the need for it elsewhere.. yet. LOL. I take the wand and brush this underneath my eyes and on the inside of my eyes. I again use the mark Foundation Brush and blend it up under my eyes, around the inside and up onto my lid. It gets the vains to disappear while also bringing light all over!


mark Go With The Pro Mini Brush Kit
This is a newbie that the site has. I have all these brushes, but when I bought them they weren't in this fun pack. This is the cheap way to go to get everything you want. There is a powder brush, concealer brush, eyeliner brush, eyeshadow brush, and lip color brush all for only $15. AND you get this fun little bag to store them in.
How I use these: The powder brush I use for my loose foundation on days where I feel I need a little extra coverage, I use a generic foundation with this for an extra layer. The concealer brush I use ALL the time with the two products mentioned above. The eyeliner brush I haven't mastered.. I'll get back to you on that! The eyeshadow brush is pretty basic but gives a very smooth finish to any look - especially when using the bolder colors. And finally the lip color brush is easy to use right before I go out to get the perfect amount!


mark Salon Straight No-Iron Smoothing Fluid With Invigorating Orange
This is BRAND NEW to me and I cannot wait to use it! It is a light liquid that is supposed to substitute a flat iron. I hate using a flat iron every morning and many days I'm lazy and never actually finish my hair. It's usually wet underneath when I leave and evenutally gets gross. I'm hoping that this will fix that problem and I am able to blend this in and walk out the door! We'll have to see...

mark Have a Heart Necklace

This is "A Gift that gives back". By purchasing this necklace or the matching bracelet you'll be donating to a great cause. These pieces of jewelry features Lauren’s signature "faves" heart on one side and the m.powerment by mark.** emblem on the other. This is all for a campaign that is commited to break the cycle of dating abuse and partner violence. By buying this you have a new gem for your accessories as well as putting a few bucks towards a huge issue. m.powerment has more information on this.

Happy Anniversary...

TO ME AND MY AMAZING BOYFRIEND! Est. 2005!
Today is our 5 year anniversary and I just wanted to share a few of our favorite moments :)

If you ever have the JOY of spending time with us, you know we are silly 24/7. Everything is an inside joke to us and we could go on FOREVER just laughing about probably nothing, wrestling, throwing things at each other, and everything else that makes us giggle. This picture is one of those moments! It was a win for our favorite team, the Lakers, and we had to sport our pride and Black Mamba face! DUH!

VEGAS! This is one of our favorite places to be! O'Shea's Irish Pub is one of our favorite spots because we ALWAYS meet people from our college and we get to play beer pong! We are always itching for our next trip and new things to do. Our best times are in Sin City :)

My 21st birthday.. an epic night if I do say so myself. He took care of me until he couldn't take care of himself, which is the only way I would have it, and then handed me over to my mom! LOL

Each year we try our best to clear our schedule and take an adventure off to the woods with some great friends, this is this past summer in Big Bear...

Our graduation :). We each just graduated from CSUF - I have a degree in English and he in Accounting. This was an amazing time for us and I wouldn't have had it any other way then with him by my side.

I love you David Paul Benjamin Ethington. You have changed my life over these past 5 years. I don't know what I would do without you..

alex.dehart

Thank You Guest Bloggers!

Thank you lovely ladies for stopping in for a birthday celebratory post!  It was fabulous!

Photos complimentary of your FB pages!

Happy Happy Birthday!

I remember the day this crazy blog began and I can't beleive it has already been a year!!! Well, Happy Birthday The Lime & The Coconut! I love love love pretty much everything that goes up on this blog and I just wanted to share some of my all time favorites that have either inspired me or just simply made me smile!!!

Here are some of my favorite posts over the past 365 days...

Fashion ...

If you know me.. I am a huge shopaholic and I cannot stay away from clothing websites to save my life. One of my new favorites of the year is http://www.lulus.com/ where I found my graduation dress that Erin posted about. This dress was so stinking comfortable and totally adorable! I got it in gray and am thinking of sporting it this weekend in San Diego for my 5 Year Anniversary!

Wedding...

Who ever thought of using cotton to make a wedding dress??! Well I think it is a genius idea and when my day comes I will definitely be sporting a cotton gown. This one is Erin's all time favorite and I can't deny it. The bottom of the gown zips off for two separate looks and I think it's incredible! I hope I see you wearing this some time in the near future!

Etsy...

I have yet to purchase from Etsy but I think the site is amazing and offers such great products. This is one of my favorites. If I was bold enough to wear this I definitely would.. Maybe I'll made a DZP list and put "Wear a daring accessory" on it and purchase this..

Books...

Erin recently completed this book for her DZP and handed it over to me and I cannot put it down! I find myself laughing out loud while on the stairmaster at the gym.. and then realizing I'm in public. Chelsea Handler is a genius in this book, and probably her other ones, if you haven't thought to pick this up - I strongly suggest you do! Just to be able to LAUGH

Family...
I love when I see posts about our family, friends, animals, etc. This is one of my favorite pictures of me and my lovely sister from over the years and I can't even tell you how much I love this woman. She's pretty incredible, to keep it short and sweet. This blog has thrived because of you and I just want to wish The Lime & The Coconut a Happy 1st Birthday!

<3 alex.dehart

Mix It Up: A Birthday Treat!!

Happy Birthday to The Lime & The Coconut! This incredibly entertaining (and informative!) blog has been such a treat to read over the past year. I am so excited to be a part of the celebration! Aaaaand... in honor of the festivities, I've got a delightful recipe to share :) One of my FAVORITE southern treats that my grandpa makes is berry cobbler. Here's Martha Stewart's version, a close second to PaPa's ;)

Best Berry Cobbler
Serves 6 to 8

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar, plus more if needed and for sprinkling
3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus more if needed
6 cups (3 pints) blackberries or raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and add heavy cream in a slow, steady stream, mixing with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together. Divide dough into 9 pieces, and loosely form each into a ball.
Whisk together cinnamon, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl. Add berries; toss gently to coat. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish. Top berries with dough balls, spacing evenly. Brush dough with heavy cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until berries are bubbling in center and biscuits are golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack, and let cool slightly, about 30 minutes.

Add a dollop of ice cream for a lovely birthday dessert! Happy Birthday Lil Blog! Here's to another year!

LF

No Celebration is Complete Without.... CUPCAKES!

In honor of the Lime & The Coconuts one year birthday (can you believe it!), I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the most darling cupcakes designs I have found out there!

I'm currently loving cupcakes! In fact, one of my coworkers is helping me out and making these fabulous cupcakes for me this weekend for the bachelorette party I'm hosting (it's margarita and taco bar themed so these fit in just perfectly! I'm so excited!)

So, here it is, Madalyn Marie's Darling Cupcake Design Rounded Up (with commentary included of course!)

All images are courtesy of Cutest Foods

How could anyone resist such a fabulous looking cupcake! It's almost too cute to eat! And if you know me, you know I'm a fan of all things sparkly! And ain't it perfect! We've got From These Lips... in the pink, The Lime & The Coconut in green, now who wants to be blue! Any takers?

 I could not resist this design! Isn't it clever? Just think if you had a fun movie marathon party how great these would be!

For all my friends going into the teaching field, including Erin's lil sis Alex- wouldn't you love to find one of these babies on your desk! I'd take this version of an apple over a real one any day! Yummmie!

How perfect for summer! Watermelon cupcakes! This is one of the simpler designs, but how great is it! This is a definite must for any outdoor BBQ!

The round up couldn't be complete with at least one animal cupcake- and isn't this one a whoot! (hehe, I know cheesy joke, but didn't you laugh, just a lil)

Now I'm inspired to try some cupcake designs of my own! Hopefully this got your baking juices flowing!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY L&C!

Stay Fabulous!
Madalyn Marie

In the Age of Nostalgia

I am constantly dating myself saying things like, "Remember when Michael Jackson was of darker complexion?" It seems as time progresses the more the "things" I thought were cool, became familiar with, and grew up with are now outdated. Well, in the name of The Lime & The Coconut's first birthday, I thought I would share these neat birthday cards made by Venerate Cards on etsy that share the same sentiment. The front of the card displays a line drawing of a technological device that is now out of date with the phrase "If you remember these..." On the inside of the card a simple phrase is state in the middle of the card, "you're getting old!"

They are fun cards that intwine a bit of nostalgia, humor, and simplicity, which is truly everything I would want in a birthday card.

Happy First Birthday, L&C!

Best,

AB

Visit Venerate Cards' Etsy shop to see other designs!

Guest Blogging This Week

That's right!  Madalyn is heading to the Bahama's this week with her fam-bam, so I will be guest blogging over at From These Lips... this week.  So if you get a chance, make your way over there to see the features I'll be sharing from Designer's Corner to My Jewelry Box (hers or mine, I haven't decided yet), some Shoe Love and What's on Repeat.

Happy Easter E!

Here are somethings you might find in Miss Erin DeHart's Easter basket:

To keep her cheeks rosy and fabulous this spring and summer season some Benefit Sugarbomb powder. With these four shades of peach, soft plum, shimmering pink, and rose- you've got instance sexy!

Something gold that also helps others in need by making her voice her weapon, a Falling Whistle. 

Something cute and personalized to help her keep in touch with all her loved ones this season and help her reach her Day Zero Project Goal # 68.

Something to help her "Keep Calm and Carry On" in calming sky blue. I think this one should go in her cubicle at work to help her through those tough work days. 

Something to help her keep organized and keep up during this time of spring cleaning- some great organizational notepads from Knock Knock. We all know how she has a deep love to all things notepad! 

And last, but not least.... a Chipotle gift card. (for when you meet up with your bestie for lunch) 


Happy Easter E! 
Your Bestie,
MMW