Fall Fashion! (Ilene from Much Love, Illy Guest Posts!)

oh.

em.

gee.

you guys, you are SO in for an amazing treat right now. I'm not sure if any of you guys miss me yet since I've been having a bunch of guest posts lately (and I know you all are totally crushin' on them hard core) but I know for a fact you will not be disappointed with what you are about to witness below.

I big fluffy heart Ilene from Much Love, Illy. She is a wicked awesome fashion blogger who also has a love for Jim Halpert (swoon) and a soft spot in her heart for Back Street Boys circa 1995 (ya know, before Brian had kids, Nick dated Paris (ok, really, what WAS that?!) and Kevin decided it would be cool to wear long skirts with combat boots)

I can honestly say that she is one of my bloggie BFFs and I know for a fact that one day we will be blessed by each others way awesome presences (by the way, doesnt that word look totally weird pluralized?)

Enjoy Ilene's fashion post! and check out her mad dance skillz guys--its an official movie premier of Ilene shakin' what her mama gave her! (or, how I like to endearingly call it "how Ilene got her groove back") (not that she lost it or anything) (still never understood how Stella lost her groove) (she should've checked in between the couch cushions, thats where my groove always ends up)

and if you are wondering what her inspiration was you can find that here.

Also? She makes pretty swag all.day.long. and lucky for you she has a coupon code for Yellow Heart Art Readers! (wha the whaaa??)

Also? Side note. Not only do our couches not fit into the new apartment--but neither does our queen size box spring. I currently hear the sounds of Bub's chain saw hacking away our brand spankin' new box spring so it can fit upstairs. Vodka Valium cocktail to go please?

Take it away Ilene! <3

autumn greetings to the Leonora's incredible readers! 

my name is Ilene and i hail from the blog Much Love, illy. when i'm not there, you'll find me busy over at my handmade shop, creating accessories such as poppy garland headbands, jewelry, hair charms, etc. soooo...be sure to stop by and visit me! i love visitors and making new friends. 

and so today, i have the pleasure and honor to guest post while Leonora wraps up on her big move and gets ready to party in Disney (totally jelly over this! um, the Disney part, not the move). today, i am revealing to you something that has not been revealed before (unless you stalk youtube 'cause it is a public link - yikes!). 

some of you might recall Leonora had a dance party i had RSVPed to a little while ago, but i ended up having some technical difficulties. but hey, better late than never, right?! so here goes nothing (except for my dignity and pride) but hey, it's party, right? you gotta let loose! and we do just that...

*i'm totally holding my breath.*

i know, i know. now you won't wanna be my friend 'cause you are thinking this woman is psycho! but hey, i figured if you are a reader of Leonora's blog and you enjoy her mini dance parties, i'm sure you can handle mine (and my little sister that you saw jamming it up in the background - she rocks!). i am not a pro like Leonora (as you can tell my voice was waaay off - like i said, technical difficulties), but maybe this brought you a laugh or two. 

and that's a wrap! 

thanks for having me, Leonora. you know this already, but you are da bomb diggity!

much love.

ilene (aka illy)

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

p.s. use coupon code LEONORAROCKS for 15% off of your entire order over at my shop!

Recipe Madness! Alli guests posts

Awright guys this is the FINAL WEEKEND Of our move.

it is go time baby!

I'm kinda bummed that sunday dinner for bub and I will probably be left over pizza for the 5th night in a row. Don't get me wrong, I love pizza and all, but I'm pretty sure if you cut me open right now I would bleed marinara sauce.

Can't wait till I'm all settled in so I can make have bub create this lovely dish that Alli from Life on LeRoy has shared with us today! Thank you Alli for guest posting for me while we get all settled in :)

Hi everyone, I'm Alli from the blog Life on LeRoy.

My blog is dedicated to sharing my simple, blessed life, my love for cooking, red wine, family and the little things in life that make it so beautiful.

I've got a supa fun recipe in store for you today!  It's a little time consuming but it's a lot of yummy!

I'll let you in on a little secret, although the measurements for the ingredients are listed below, I rarely (if ever) measure when I'm cooking.  That's just no fun to me!

Shells with Crispy Bacon and Spinach

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces

2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta

1 cup grated asiago cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup cream

2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

I like to prep all my ingredients right away.  I find it easier as I go along, to have them all ready.

For this recipe I minced the garlic and parsley.  I think an important part of cooking is having a great knife to work with.  I spent about $50 on mine and it's worth every penny.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the shells:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

Your mixture should look something like this:  YUM!

Next, stuff the shells!  You'll want to cook the shells just until they are al-dente (cooked just long enough to still be firm, but not too soft).  That way they are easier to man-handle and stuff.

Now for the sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells.

Please note:  you will want to grab a spoon and drink the sauce, but I would advise against it - your stomach will not like you later!

Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

(Big dork!  I know!)

I hope you enjoyed learning a new recipe!  These shells are delish and are great to have when you're having a large group over because they are so filling!

Thank you so much Leonora for letting me hang out on your blog while you are busy moving!

Hop on over to Life on LeRoy, grab a cup of coffee and get to know me better.  I look forward to it.

Friday Faves! (The guest post edition)

The move adventure continues.

Woe of the day:

Our current couch does not fit into a new apartment.

Seriously?

(pause)

Seriously.


insert panic attack and little dollar bills dancing around my head here.

so what does Bub wanna do to "fix" this problem? Well, he measured our windows (on the 2nd story of the house) and apparently the couch can fit through (uhh, rejoice?). He wants to get his fire truck, recruit some of this fire buds, hoist our set on a cherry picker, go across our landlord's front lawn and throw our set through the windows.

sigh.

Our landlord is totally gamed for this idea, her only request was "Please just don't end up on News Channel 12, and we have a deal"

sorry landlord, we can't promise that. and yes, I will be video taping every second of this adventure and post on youtube for your viewing pleasure.

as you can see--I currently have some big fish to fry here, so I've asked Jessica from Jessica N Designs to fill in for my Friday Faves. She has made mama proud--I stand behind each and every item she picked 110%. (psst and in case Jessica couldn't anymore awesome she may or may not have a coupon code for Yellow Heart Art readers! Seriously, check out her stuff, and lemme know watcha buy ;) )

OH! and before I forget, the winner of our Shabby Apple giveaway is Peniam ! (so jealous of ya girl, email me so we can hook ya up!) didn't win our shabby apple giveaway? DON'T FRET! You can still enter to win a home made cupcake kit for 2 from Stay Calm Cupcake, enter here! 

...Hit it homegirl!

Hi! I'm Jessica.

Wife to my high school sweetheart, Brooks, mommy of 3 and creator of jessicaNdesigns. 

You can read more about me here.

I blog about my family, my love of pretty handmade things, all the inspiration I gather and I love to do the occasional DIY project. 

I really LOVE giving new life to Vintage Silverware & creating memorable keepsakes and pretty Vintage Inspired Jewelry. You can find all of that in my shop. 

I am so thrilled to be here with you on Leonora's Blog! I just love her don't you?! Of course you do...how could you not? She keeps me laughing on the daily! 

Leonora asked me to share some of my Etsy Favs with you today so...

Here are my latest Etsy Favorites:

Headband : Eye Shadow : Vintage Card Catalog

 Chocolate Soap : Stacking Rings : Awesome Print

Bowband : Vintage Necklace : Lip Shimmer

Love these like I do? You can find all my favorites here

I LOVE doing product Mash Ups! In fact, I do one every Monday on my Blog! 

I would love for you to come visit me! 

Blog : Shop : Facebook : Pinterest

 

In fact, come visit my little shop & if anything suits your fancy, get 15% off with code: LUVLEONORA

Stay Calm Cupcake Love & Giveaway!

It's no secret that I like to eat. (ok, I really really really to the 10th degree like to eat) I wish there was a diet out there that would allow me to eat anything I want and I could actually lose weight--or give me super powers or something. (I'll take super powers for 500 alex)

Oh well, I guess being "squishy" and "doughy" is a small price to pay to enjoy some good eats, right? right.

I am mega stoked to share with you guys my newest sponsor Jill from Stay Calm Cupcake.

First off, cupcakes hold a special place in my heart. I get to unwrap a miniature personalized "cake" that was made just.for.me. and devour it at my own pace (ok, so my own pace might be lightning speed, this is a judgment free zone people)

What I love about Jill's shop is that she takes cupcakes to the next level. One of her cupcake treats that I totally swoon over are her "treat for two" cupcake kits!

she sends ya 2 naked cupcakes that you get to decorate yourself! You get to pick cupcake flavor, frosting AND topping! Come on, is that not the most perfect date night idea or what? (oh and you may or may not be eligible to win this lovely lil treat if you keep readin..not saying juuuuuuust saying ;) )


Take it away Jill!...

Hi! My name is Jill. I am the cupcake obsessed mastermind behind “Stay Calm, Cupcake Shop”. I am passionate about creating inventive, delicious, and entirely homemade cupcakes for all of my customers. I opened my shop in 2010 with the hopes of making a little extra cash and sharing my baking talent with others. To my delight, my Etsy shop has turned into a much greater business venture. My dream is to one day soon open up a store front and have my own cupcake truck. In my world, a sweet little cupcake can fix almost any situation. Stay Calm Cupcake Shop was born out of the simply philosophy that all of us need to slow down a little bit and enjoy the sweeter things life has to offer.

Now it’s time for me to answer some questions from the lovely Leonora. Here we go!

What kind of suh-weet awesome amazing products your 2 hands make!

I sell all things cupcakes! Right now I am selling and shipping cupcake jars, cupcake sprinkles, and lots of homemade cupcake kits. I also do local catering for birthday parties, baby showers, office parties, and much more.

Cupcake Love Cupcake Kit

Mini Vanilla Cupcake

Cupcake Jar

What is your most favorite hand made item that you own?

I have an apron that my one of my really close friends took the time to sew for me. It’s soecial because she picked out the fabric, and the pattern and made it just for me. I love to wear it when I bake!

What 3 items from your shop make you go "awww yeah I TOTALLY baked that, and what?"

Honestly, I love all the items in my shop. I don’t sell stuff that Im not head over heels for. My favorite is the coconut cupcake though. It’s like a mini vacay for your mouth. The sweet coconut with the moist cake – its heaven! I also really love the rich combo of chocolate peanut butter. And I’m pretty obsessed with how adorable the mini cupcake jars are!

Coconut Perfection!

"Mini Cupcake Jars"

You are waiting in line for an epic ride at your favorite water park. When you get to the top you realize they ran outta water and are now pumping the rides full of (insert your thought here)

FROSTING!! You knew I’d say that though ;)

QUICK: would you rather be given the ability to fly OR be invisible.

I’m pretty terrified of heights so I’d have to say Invisible. There are so many times when being invisible would be awesome! I’m pretty nosey, so ther are a lot of conversations I’d like to sit in on and listen to!

Hidden Talent? (Come on, I KNOW you totally have one)

I’m pretty good at free-style rapping. Ya, I said it..rapping ;)

What is your most popular cupcake flavor?

Red Velvet and Vanilla are my two most popular. They are classics!

"Red Velvet - So Delish!"

Where can we stalk your faboosh little self?

Well, I’m glad you asked! I have a blog where you can find tons of great recipes and an occasional sweet giveaway. My facebook page has tons of shop updates, recipes, coupon codes, and free sweets. And my Twitter account is a great place to listen to me talk about what’s going on in my life. I tweet about lots of great blogs, etsy shops, and more! Follow me, I’d love to meet you!

Stay Sweet! xoxo

Watcha givin' away Jill??

As a new sponsor, I want to give a way a special package of sweet treats! Here's your chance to win a yummy Stay Calm Cupcake Treat for Two Cupcake Kit!

"Two is always better than one!"

Your prize will include:

• 2 Cupcakes (your choice of chocolate or Vanilla)
• A small container of frosting (choice of Vanilla, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, or Strawberry)
• A small bag of custom sprinkles

Simply frost your cupcakes, top with sprinkles, and enjoy!! Perfect for you and your date to make together, for a fun girls-night-in OR have them shipped to someone whose celebrating their birthday this month!

Mandatory Entry: Must be a follower of Yellow Heart Art via google friend connect and leave me a comment telling me ya do so!

Extra Entires:(You must leave a comment on Yellow Heart Art's blog for each extra entry you completed)

1. Like Stay Calm Cupcake on Facebook and leave a post saying hi!

2. Follow Yellow Heart Art and Stay Calm Cupcake on twitter AND tweet about this giveaway! Include "@YellowHeartArt" "@staycalmcupcake" and the URL to this giveaway post.

Please feel free to use the following tweet:

"@YellowHeartArt is giving away something suh-weet from @StayCalmCupcake ! I'm entered to win a cupcake kit for 2! http://bit.ly/qpOv3n"

3. Stop by Jill's Etsy shop , give it a "Heart" and let us know what your favorite treat is from her shop!

Winner will be announced by Yellow Heart Art on September 30th. Good luck!

PSST just a friendly reminder, some people aren't playing nice on the playground and are saying they did all the steps for "extra entries" when in fact they didn't. We do check to make sure all your entries are valid. Thanks guys!

Guest Post: Crock Potin' It Up!

Whats up loves? You're going to see some familiar and new (to you!) faces sneak up on my blog these next few weeks. I have recruited some of my all time fav bloggers to guest post for me while bubs and I kill each other calmly move into our new digs.

So, I kinda feel bad for the Bubs. I am the worse "house girlfriend" ever.

I burn water.

I spill said burnt water all over the floor.

I have no clue how to fold a fitted sheet (so I just make a fort outta 'em instead--problem solved)

The most "domestic" thing I do is slap some cold cuts in between 2 slices of bread for my love to bring to work for lunch.

Enter Erika.

I'm convinced Erika is living a parallel life to me; the boys in our lives drive us absolutely crazy (but we love 'em, right Erika?), and if I owned a pup I'm pretty sure he would be just like this lil guy

Anyway, Erika is gonna attempt to domesticate homegirl. Crock pot it up love! (pssst if you keep readin' you might find an awesome coupon code from Erika for her Etsy Shop!)

Hi I'm Erika.

 I blog at about inspiring things and my puppy (pictured above) and sell pretties on Etsy.

And I'm here to talk about crock pots.

When I used to think crock pot I thought '50s housewife in an apron and gray pot roast.

While I'm totally down with the apron, I'm not so down with the gray pot roast, which is why I avoided my crock pot for a year after getting it for my wedding.

Until one of my friend's moms told me that a crock pot is not scary but amazing.  Crock pots don't need to be used for gray meat but in fact can be used to make lots of yummy things... and can make your life easier.

Repeat after me, "the crock pot is my friend."

Case in point: this delicious tortilla soup I'm going to give you the recipe for. It, like most crock pot recipes, requires NO skill, just a can opener and the ability to dump things inside a pot, which I'm assuming most of you can do. :)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (you can cook & shred them before or do as I do and just stick two frozen ones in there and cut 'em up later)

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 yellow onion

1 4 oz can of diced green peppers

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of water

1 can of chicken broth

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup salsa

1 bay leaf

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 can corn or 2 cups frozen corn (whatevs you have on hand is fine)

1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro (optional-- I just love cilantro.)

1 avocado (optional-- for garnish)

Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you. I promise it's easy.

Directions

Chop & mince as needed and then dump everything in the crock pot. Select LOW to cook the soup for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for anything less than 4 hours.

Sit back and let the crock pot do its work. Eight hours later, check on it.

 Looks good.

Pour some in a bowl, garnish with avocado (cuz everything is better with avocado)

and handfuls and handfuls of tortilla chips.

Nom.

and no matter how cute your pup begs, remind him that soup is for humans.

Thanks for letting me stop by Leonora and help everyone embrace the crockpot. Speaking of crockpot, you can get 15% off in my Etsy shop with the word: CROCKPOT.  :D

and if you want to see more of me (well probably you want to see more of my puppy) I can be found on the Internet on my blog, in my shop or at 140 characters on Twitter as @erikalc. 

thank you so much Erika! (didja love her? come on, you totally do right? Did I do good picking my first guest blogger? HOLLA!)

Mila Rose Designs Gets New Branding! (by moi!)

I absolutely adore Melis from Mila Rose Designs.

and I absolutely adore all things that are created with the color combo gray and yellow. Like oooOoOOo I don't know this beaut below...

I stalked this headband for-frekkin-evah. I added it to my faves. I would go to it at least 5 times a day and just stare at it longingly and imagine that it was in my hair and not Melis' (no offense girl you totally rock it and all but it needed to live on my head stat)

so I contacted Melis and she agreed to a trade! (holla!)

I got said headband, and I revamped her current branding!

aaaaand cue logo now:

...didja notice that the silhouette in her logo is actually HER?! HA! how fun is that? I love how it shows off Melis' personality AND her product of fun lil fluffy flower goodness.

aaaand cue etsy banner now:

Melis and I both agreed that adding her signature "fluff" to her etsy shop banner added the right amount of "girly" and "fun" to her brand.

In case you were wondering, yes her tagline "be pretty" rings true for her shop. Check out Melis' signature looks below!

The Deanna

The Mini (pssttt this is the image I used to make Melis' logo!)

The Janey

She even makes gorgeous cowls for those cold winter days that are slowly creepin' up on us!

The Stevie

are ya hooked yet?

Find Homegirl here!

[blog] [shop] [facebook] [twitter]

Thank you so much Melis for letting me be a part of Mila Rose Designs!

• pssst giveaway for a shabby apple still going on here!

• sign up for our newsletter for our great return in October! Won't send out more than one a month and even THAT'S pushing it ha. Also? Coupon code for our grand reopening will be enclosed as well as a promo we are running to our subscribers only!

• I will be having guest bloggers on my blog for the next few weeks while I get settled into my new apartment! SO STOKED for this collaboration guys!