Salted Caramel Popcorn

Being on spring break, I have a bit of extra time, so I decided to try out a new recipe. I had come across several of these popcorn recipes on Pinterest, and decided to try one.

what you'll need:

Olive oil (coconut oil would work too!)

Popcorn kernels

1 Stick of butter

1 Cup Brown sugar

1/4 Cup Corn syrup (light or dark)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Pour a thin layer of olive oil in your pan, and then add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn the stove on medium heat, put a lid on your pan and wait for the corn to start popping, shaking the pan about every 30 seconds. Start shaking your pan more frequently as the popping increases. Take your pan off the heat when you only hear a pop every 2-3 seconds.

Remove the lid and let the popcorn cool.

 Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the brown sugar and corn syrup, and stir. Once combined, set a timer for 5 minutes and let it bubble over the heat. When five minutes is up, remove from the heat and let it cool for about five minutes.

Pour your now "caramel" mixture over the popcorn and fold in with a spatula.

Spread mixture on a pan and stick in a 275 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Let cool, and there you have your popcorn, perfect for movie night, or an afternoon full of  binge-watching Netflix! Careful, this stuff can get addictive.

-Cassidy

Phoenix

 

Sorry I've been gone for a bit- I took a some what spur-of-the-moment trip to Arizona! I got to see a ton of my family there, and it was an all around beautiful experience. I took minimal pictures because I was so busy, but I thought I'd share a few.
I'm back in Tennessee, and I came home to a snow storm ,which is supposed to last for a few days. So, as gloomy as that is, I guess I should try and appreciate the beauty of the cold weather, as I am trying to see the beauty in all things lately.

-Cassidy

February Favorites

1. Gap sweater: I found this gorgeous waffle-knit sweater at goodwill this month! It has buttons down one shoulder, and I think I'm in love.'

2. Ariana Grande's Teen Vogue shoot: I adore this shoot, Ariana's style is always so spot on.

3. A Chorus Line vinyl: Another diamond in the rough at goodwill. I love this show and for 99 cents I couldn't pass it up!

4. Lemongrass Tea- my mom got this for me at T.J Maxx as a valentines gift- it has a really nice lemon flavor, with a hint of green tea, but it's really light and not bitter at all.

5. Maybelline nail polish in Golden Opportunity- this has been my most used nail polish this month, because it is so forgiving, and matches with everything.

6. Urban Outfitters beanie- I found this gem on sale at Urban while in Knoxville. It's been perfect to throw on when I go out, and keeps my ears nice and cozy.

February has brought some extreme cold, but has also brought a few really lovely and warm days. I hope those days will continue into march, and I am so excited for spring!

Cara Delevinge & Lily Collins Inspired Makeup

Cara Delevinge and Lily Collins are my main ladies- I love all of their makeup, hair, and style choices. 

They are both known for their statement brows, which have become such a trend lately. (works for me, less tweezing!)

So, I created a makeup look inspired by their bold brows, and smokey eyes. 

I applied foundation, concealer, and powder, then swept on my elf blush. 

 Next I filled in my brows with my Love and Beauty eyebrow kit.

For the eyes I primed with my Color Tattoo in "Bad to the Bronze." Then I took my Maybelline Palette, and with a blending brush I applied the light brown in my crease, outer edge of my eye, and my lower lash line. Next, I blended the dark brown into my crease, and also took the sparkly bronze color put it on the outer third of my eye and blended into my crease. I took what was left on the brush and swept it on my lower lash line. I then took a black pencil liner and lined my top lash line and the outer half of my lower lash line. I smudged it out with a smudger. Lastly, I curled my lashes and applied a couple coats of mascara.

For the lips I used my pink Baby Lips and a nude gloss. 

This look is perfect for daytime, but also can be amped up with a colorful lip, or a lined waterline and some falsies.

 Go out and rock some bold brows! 

-Cassidy

Gold Tipped Mani

I love a good french manicure- that said, I am terrible at french manicures. I always end up frustrated and disappointed with my poor painting skills (maybe I take things a bit too seriously sometimes)

But don't fear, I have created a french manicure that I can actually do! the only "tool" you need is a teeny paintbrush, which I had lying around my house.

You'll need a base/top coat, a sheer pink polish, a gold polish, and optionally a glitter polish.

I am kind of glitter-obsessed, so of course I opted for glitter.

Paint a clear base coat, then go ahead and paint your pink. I used three thin coats to get it as opaque as I wanted. Give your nails about 20 minutes to dry before the next step.

Then, take your teeny-tiny paint brush, dip it into your gold polish, and muster all of your confidence to paint your tip! I found that gold polish is extremely forgiving, especially compared to white polish. 

*tip: rather then moving your brush, move your finger- you'll get much straighter lines

You could definitely stop with the gold, but I took that same brush, dipped it in my glitter and painted over the gold.

And you're done! It's a super simple, but a very classy and wearable manicure. 

I hope you'll try this out for yourself! 

-Cassidy

Green Tea Facial Scrub

These last few winter months, Green Tea has been a staple in my life, and I've been drinking 2-3 cups a day! It has awesome health benefits, and I think it tastes great (though some may disagree).

Lately I've been concocting a Green Tea  facial scrub, and I think I have perfected the recipe! This mask helps with a variety problems, including acne, acne scaring, and dull skin. It is perfect for all skin types, because it does a great job at balancing your skin. It's great in the winter to add a bit of moisture and bring back a glow, but it is also perfect for year-round use.

*Ladies with oily skin (like myself), don't shy away from this recipe because it has coconut oil- when you rinse your skin with hot water, pat it dry, and wait a few minutes, your skin will soak up all of that oil and you won't have to moisturize!

What you'll need:

-2 Tbs Ground rice or rice flour

Rice flour aids in helping with pigmentation, blemishes, and even wrinkles. It's also very gentle.

-2 Tbs ground oatmeal

Oatmeal is such a gentle exfloliant and is perfect for irritated or super sensitive skin. 

-Green Tea (from two tea bags) 

Green tea has tons of antioxidants, and can even help prevent damage from stress and pollution.

-1 Tbs Honey

Honey is very moisturizing, and is also a natural antibiotic, which is perfect for fighting acne.

-2 Tbs Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a great moisturizer and is extremely gentle on skin. 

Mix your flour, oatmeal, and green tea.

Warm honey and oil in the microwave, then add to the dry mixture.

Mix it all up and you're done!

Stick into a container, and you have a scrub that is gentle enough to use everyday!

(This scrub will last about two weeks in an airtight container)

I hope you try this out for yourself on a rainy day!

-Cassidy

Welcome, February

Thus far, February has proven itself to be full of opportunities, which is exiting. 

But, the weather has been much less exiting, with temps in the 20's and 30's, hence why I am shooting in my room. (You'll have to excuse the poor lighting)

 Lately my wardrobe has been  basically a spectrum of black and greys. So, I'm slowly attempting to add some color back in. I saw this sweater at T.J Maxx and immediately loved it because it had a button down back (which I forgot to snap a picture of). They had it in black and purple, and naturally I was drawn to the black- but I decided I should push myself out of my comfort zone and I purchased the purple! (Major, I know)

Sweater // T.J. Maxx

Pants // Local Boutique

Necklace // Old Navy

Midi Rings // Local Boutique

Nail Polish- Sally Hanson, Hibiscus 

I hope your February has been lovely thus far, and when faced with decisions I challenge you to buy the purple sweater this month! (Metaphorically, of course)