Cap Toes

When I think about cap toed shoes, images of beautiful (and for me, highly coveted) Chanel ballet flats immediately come to mind. It is a classic style that will always be "in", but for right now, slightly very much out of my budget.  As luck would have it, I have seen this trend popping up everywhere lately, and there are some pretty modern takes on this style, from heels to flats to boots (and let's face it, even Chuck Taylors).  While I just adore the simplicity of the basic color on color, some of my favorites have patterns and embellishments.   

What do you think of this trend?  Will you be purchasing anything with a cap toe in the near future?  Did you find a new favorite pair below?  

Cap Toed Shoes by threepsblog featuring high heels

Matt Bernson flat
nordstrom.com

B Brian Atwood high heels
nordstrom.com

GUESS high heels
macys.com

Vince Camuto flat
nordstrom.com

Ann Taylor flat shoes
anntaylor.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs ballet flat
couture.zappos.com

J Crew ballet flat
jcrew.com

Flat
urbanoutfitters.com

Me Too flat
nordstrom.com

MICHAEL Michael Kors high heels
nordstrom.com

DV by Dolce Vita high heels
nordstrom.com

Flat
target.com

Vince camuto boots
zappos.com

ALDO Aukes
zappos.com

Giuseppe Zanotti - Dirty bow-detail patent-leather pumps | Black Pump...
lanecrawford.com

Me Too Karlie2
zappos.com

Vince Camuto VC Signature PUMPS Prod Class VC SIGNATURE PRISCIL Vince...
vincecamuto.com

Birchbox Vs. MyGalm (August 12)

It is that time again!  Time for my Birchbox vs. MyGlam rundown.  

Inside My Birchbox:

Beauty Fixation Nail Polish Touch-Up:  I polish my nails a lot, and am always, shall we say, coloring outside of the lines.  I love that this product is portable, and worked pretty well to remove the remains of my over-zealous polishing.  For $5 for 24 applicators, this would be on my must purchase list.

DDF Brightening Cleanser:  I have always been a fan of this brand, so I was very happy to receive a generous sample of this cleanser.  As I have gotten older, I have noticed subtle changes in my skin, including a few sunspots and redness, which this is supposed to tame.  I haven't been using this for that long, but I like the tingling I feel when I am cleansing my skin with it.  I would buy this if I felt it was making a noticeable after a few weeks.

Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur:  I do like Juicy perfumes, and this has a pleasant fruity floral smell to it.  It is a light perfume, which means that it wasn't overpowering for daytime wear. Overall, I wasn't impressed by the scent enough to purchase it in the future.

Whish Three Wishes Body Butter:  I received the pomegranate scent, and it was lovely.  I liked the light feel of this body butter.  I would purchase this.

Schick Hydro Silk Razor:  I am new to the world of what I am going to refer to as higher-end razors.  I was always a use it a few times and throw it away, cheapie razor kind of girl.  These moisturizing razors with disposable and refillable heads are new to me, and I am enjoying this concept.  With that being said, Influenster sent me a Venus with Olay razor a few months ago that I have fallen in love with and has replaced all other razors in my life.  I had equally high hopes for the Schick version, and it did not deliver.  After using the Venus version, this feels cheap and much less moisturizing to me.  I would not recommend this razor (but if you are in the market, my Venus With Olay rules).

Inside My MyGlam Bag:

Adorable Pink and Orange Mesh Bag

Eclos Cellular Activator Facial Serum and Eclos Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream:  I tried these a few times and didn't notice anything remarkable.  The website promises a noticeable difference in skin after two weeks, so the jury is still out on this one.

Demeter Roll On Perfume in Dragon Fruit:  I did not like this scent when I smelled it on the roller.  I found it to be cloyigly sweet.  However, when I applied it, I found it to be a much lighter and softly sweet scent.  I like it, but I am not sure I would buy it (although at $6, why not).

Salty Glama-ZOID Eye Shadow:  This blend was made for MyGlam subscribers, and it is an irridescent beige with flecks that come our vaguely violet on me.  Pretty, but I am not a big eye shadow user.  

Circus Nail Polish in Ringmaster:  This is my favorite product out of everything this month.  I loved the fluorescent shade of pink, and you can see how it looks on below.  I would absolutely buy this color.

MyGlam Glam Gloss:  I don't see this available for purchase online, but I really do like it.  It smells like watermelon and is a nice, wearable shade of pink.  The applicator was a little flimsy though.

Overall, I did find things products I enjoyed in both bags.  I would give both shipments a B minus for the month.  Did you see anything here that interested you?

My So-Called Instagram Life

When I looked through my latest round of Instagram pictures, I noticed that I really have been focusing on three things: my dogs, my garden, and September issues.  

On a totally unrelated note, I have been trying to make my Facebook page a bit more interactive, with some different content than I post on my blog.  It is an easier place for me to answer questions and chat about tv, shopping, sales, books, dogs, or whatever. Stop on over and check it out. 

Harriet dutifully guards our backyard.

My love for anything Middleton.

Petunia and her tongue (as per usual).

Meatball wedged himself between the couch and the ottoman for a little lovin'.

I found this really great recipe book at Safeway.  There is a lot of fall inspiration inside.

Pinot noir peppers, orange bell peppers, chocolate bell peppers, and lemon cucumbers from our garden.

Roma and Early Girl tomatoes, about to become sauce.

We dehydrated the hot peppers we grew to make different kinds of chili powder.

Harriet says that it is time for bed.

Do any of you watch The Great Food Truck Race?  This team came in second the first season and is parked in my neighborhood.  It is on my to do list for the near future.

My first round of September issues, devoured.

Homemade veal sauce, made from the tomatoes above.

I won another Lucky giveaway.  I will post a review as soon as I try this out.  Has anyone tried an at home gel manicure?

My husband ran out to do a few errands, and apparently, life stopped for the pups.  They didn't move until he returned.

The older Meatball gets, the more freckles.

Separately I love anchovies, and I love green olives.  Together, I can't decide if I love or hate this.  Anyone else tried it?

And to all a good night.

+

The Hike Where I Spotted A Blurry Coyote

I blogged a few weeks ago about our hiking hobby.  Husband and I have been having a lot of fun exploring the open spaces around the Bay Area.  Every time we go, I am compelled to stop and take a bunch of pictures.  One day I would love to bring my DSLR to capture what my phone can't.  For now, the idea of carrying a backpack in 100 degree heat is just dreadful.  

Looking down over the valley.

Husband gets way ahead of me when I keep stopping to take pictures.

A view of Mt. Diablo.

The other side of the mountain.

Another attempt at a self-portrait.  

There are some flatlands between the hills, and they are covered with holes that ground squirrels live in.  You can see them popping up everywhere.

There is also the occasional bunny.

Much to my delight, on this trip we found a coyote.  It ran away before we got close, but the petting zoo loving child inside of me was excited just to catch a glimpse.

This has been a beautiful way to spend our evenings.

Chewy Peanut Butter Blossoms

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  So, when I first met my husband, I knew I needed to work some kitchen magic.  I love to bake, and he told me that Peanut Butter Blossoms were his favorite cookie.  Of course, I told him I made them all of the time (I hadn't even heard of them).  I went home that night and started looking up recipes. I wanted to surprise him with some of his favorite treats when I saw him the next day.  I stumbled across a very simple version and I knew, much like the day I met my husband, that this one was a keeper.  Luckily for me, they are still his favorite to this day. 

Ingredients: 

About 48 Hershey's Kisses (I usually have about 10-15 unused in the bag at the end)

1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk

2 cups of all-purpose biscuit baking mix (I use Reduced Fat Bisquick)

 About 1/4 cup sugar (for rolling the cookies in)

3/4 cup peanut butter (My preference here is for Honey Roasted Skippy.  I think it add a really nice nut and honey flavor).  

1 tsp vanilla extract

How To:

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth. Add baking mix and vanilla; blend well. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Note:  I was making a few of these for a friend who doesn't like chocolate.  (I know, I know.)  So I scored them with a fork and made a few as plain peanut butter cookies.  They still rocked, even without the chocolate.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until very lightly browned (do not overbake). Remove from oven; immediately press chocolate piece in center of each ball. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container. About 48 cookies.

You can see, I even added 2 kisses to a few of them.  You've gotta get in where you fit in.  

Are you a peanut butter blossom fan?  I know there are many other recipes out there, but this one is so simple I haven't tried any of them yet.  If you have another tried and true version of this cookie recipe, I would love to hear about it.  As always, let me know if you decide to make these. Enjoy!