20 Minute Wonders For The Busy Piglet

You know you're Italian when you consider getting a bigger car so you can fit all of your groceries... also you can probably smell prosciutto and garlic from a mile away. But whether you're Italian, Russian, or Japanese, you probably love pizza. Yes, that gooey, cheesy, circular food of dreams, that no late night drunchies would be without. Today I made the bold move to try and make homemade pizza, and by homemade I mean precut ingredients and precooked crust, but none-the-less it was probably the best decision I have ever made and  it took only 20 minutes! Just like building a house, the key to pizza is a steady foundation, so picking the right dough is important. You can basically find pre-made pizza dough anywhere, but I used Rustic Crust from Central Market. I followed up with Cucina Antica's "La Pizza" sauce and topped it with shredded aged gruyere, sun dried tomatoes, and lot of prosciutto. Bake in the oven until cooked and crispy. Bing Bang Boom. Dinner is served. 

 The second 20 minute wonder I discovered this week is Essie's Sleek Stick™ nail appliques. These magic nail stickers are long lasting, UV cured, and for those of us who paint nails worse than an eight year old, perfection. They come in a dozen different patterns, colors, and some even have jewels :D !! Every girlie bone in my body just got bedazzled and sang Cher. This week I am wearing "embrace the lace". I love the neutral pearl background and the gilded ivory filigree looks really impressive for those who live under a rock and don't read my blog....heathens *cough*. Check out these awesome options...

stickers and stones

so haute!

oh my gold!

embrace the lace

ps. this is the greatest breakup song ever..

Cookie Cutter Syndrome: The Holes in Fashion's Newest Trend

You know what really grinds my gears? And no, it's not that they discontinued making Eggo Waf-fulls (those were delicious). I'm talking about this unnecessary "cutout" trend.  I understand that it's fashionable to show skin, but why does one need to look like a walking neon doily? Who is to blame for this gross misuse of power you ask? The top two biggest offenders of this fashion faux pa are Urban Outfitters and Nastygal Boutique. Now I am a major Urban and Nastygal fan, but who let Edward Scissorhands start designing their clothes? I vote we nix this god awful trend and set some simple ground rules. To show some skin this summer bare your shoulders with a one sleeved or off the shoulder top. If you're feeling a little bold, a crop top or bralette are totally in. And if you MUST have cutouts; two maximum. TWO! Not three. Two.

Examples (all from Urban Outfitters and Nastygal)
BAD

GOOD

Trend that must stay: whimsical independent films. "Beasts of the Summer Wild" and "Moonrise Kingdom" are two of the best films in the last five years. The fanciful setting and waggish writing make these two flicks serious must-sees! Here's an idea: do dinner and a movie for date night, but wear an off the shoulder top! bingbangboom.

To Russia with Love: Shout Out to My International Piglets

I have just noticed that I have some readers in Russia... badass. So I want to give a shout out to all of my international piglets out there or should I say свиней, cerdos, grisar, schweine, prasata, porcs, i maiali! Thank you all for reading! In your honor I would like to post a few of my favorite foreign things (Sorry if your country isn't listed, but you could always send me some of your favorites to broaden my world). 


Sweden:
The Sounds. One of my favorite bands ever. This indie rock band can turn up the heat or take it slow, but whatever the pace their lead singer   Maja Ivarsson can break it down. 

France:

Jean Marc Levy. The most amazing hair stylist in the world! Jean Marc has been doing my hair for years and let me tell you he is the greatest thing to come out of France since crepes. Book an appointment with him at the Red Rock Salon in Las Vegas, NV.

Love him!

Italy:
La vita è bella. "Life is Beautiful". Written and directed by Roberto Benigni, this film will make you laugh, cry, and reconsider everything you thought was important in your life.

Life is Beautiful

And my Russian pizzimps:
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014. I'm headed your way guys! Only cool countries get to host the winter olympics. 

Nothing is hotter than a gold medal- Sochi 2014

Summer Lovin'

Wassup piglets?! It's summertime and that means NEW WARDROBE! Really any season, month, or even day calls for new clothes, but summer is the ideal time to revamp! I've been trend watching and can tell you that I am not impressed by this season's new look. Whoever thought neon tribal print looks good on anybody besides Rihanna or a size double zero was wrong, way wrong. Summer is about being hot without any effort. Its about throwing on a swimsuit and some cut off shorts and heading out the door. It's about the lake, the beach, the perfect tan. This year I will draw my inspiration from the queen of simple sexy, Marilyn. Most of you are probably thinking i'm on crack for implying that Marilyn Monroe is anything close to simple, but google image "Marilyn Monroe Beach" and you'll get what i'm saying- a plain white swimsuit can go a long way. So this summer stock up on some basics. White tanks, cut off shorts, cotton button downs, long skirts. Here are some links to help you with your online shopping addiction. Remember the first step to closure as a polished piglet is to never admit you have a problem- shop till you drop! Or you get cut off. *knock on wood* Links below pics.

Marilyn DGAF

<3 summer sweaters

Gorgeous!

HERE ARE THE LINKS:

http://www.joie.com/new-arrivals 

--- The ideal brand for simple sexy! I love their tanks!

http://www.freepeople.com/clothes-dresses/

--- Got to love Free People cut off jean shorts and white lace dresses!

http://www.johnnywas.com/shop/womens/4_love_and_liberty/?gclid=COn3gK2qkrACFQrf4Aod3io6pQ

 --- 4 Love and Liberty is prob my favorite summer brand. Their use of silk and lace is amazing. 

http://www.everythingbutwater.com/swimwear/browse/all.html?page=1&filters=382&size=&color=

--- For the Marilyn in us all,  L*space knows what up when it comes to solid white swim suits. 

P.S What is life without a pair of wedges and Chanel lipstick? NO LIFE AT ALL. <- post to follow.
xoxo Head Pig

Brinner. Breakfast For Dinner.

Brinner: America's unsung hero. The Catdog of food. The perfect combination of late night cravings and a piglet's constant need for carbs and syrup. Stuck in the shadow of Brunch for generations, Brinner has been bringing sweet joy to night owls without nearly the recognition it deserves. Well today this injustice ends! Wake up America, it’s time for Brinner! Put away your steak and potatoes (unless they're hash browns of course) and bring on the waffles and eggs!

The key to making a successful Brinner is acting on pure cravings. Being spontaneous is a must. If you plan out a Brinner like you'd plan out a full dinner, your taste buds are going to be overwhelmed and you'll become indecisive or just not hungry. In my opinion the best brinners are the unplanned ones. Head to the kitchen and whatever cereal looks best, pour a big ol' bowl. If you start craving protein just grab some eggs. If you're extra hungry make as many pancakes as you can. One should never ever worry about having too much Brinner because you can just eat your leftovers in a few hours! Amaaaaaazing. Psh, and they said I wasn't the smart sister.

Now I'm not really big on actually cooking. I'm more of a wining and dining type of girl, so I usually get my Brinner from a restaurant. The best place in the entire world to get Brinner is from Ol' South Pancake house in Ft. Worth, TX. It may look like a hole in the wall, but any place where you can get pigs in a blanket 24 hours a day sounds like heaven to me. I also am a huge supporter of Waffle Houses. You can get their hash browns traditional, covered, smothered, chunked, topped, or diced. Impressive eh? Just be prepared to sit next to fat truckers and have a woman in a hair net serve you food. It may not be pretty, but it sure is tasty.

So all hail Brinner! The greatest made up meal of the day! I recommend you all find a place near you that serves breakfast all day, head on over, and shove your faces. Mmm nothing says a goodnight's sleep like a tummy filled with warm chocolate chip pancakes. Mmm pancakes.

An Honest Letter to Myself

So I've been seeing a lot of celebrities writing "letters to myself at 16" in Skymall magazines and such. And it got me thinking about how incredibly unhelpful those are. I mean you can't go back in time and apply all those things youve figured out. It's pointless. But I appreciate the idea and have decided to write a letter to myself at 18 from my 18yr old self. Careful piglets things get a little deep, but I figured my fellow piggies would understand. Let the Soul searching begin.


Dear Sam,
Im writing you this letter because I know you're trying to make sense of the world and figure yourself out, but who better to help you find yourself than yourself? Nobody. I know things are really confusing right now. You aren't sure what to do with your emotions and trust me you have a lot of them. I'm here to let you know that it's ok. First of all stop spending so much time in the mirror. I know when you see yourself you see just a small troll with a bob. You see  every flaw even down to the little scars you blame on that cat attacking you. you see every split end, blemish, possible wrinkle. But when I look at you, when I really step back and look at you, I see a very beautiful girl. I think you just need to let go of stupid flaws and let yourself be beautiful too. You also need to get more sleep. I know it's hard for you and the second you lay down every thought and feeling you suppress during the day comes at you. But maybe that's a sign to stop suppressing everything. You've pushed a lot of people away in your life because you've been unable to tell them how you feel. How happy they made you or how they've actually hurt you. Stop being so cold. Let yourself cry when your sad. Let other people know when your happy. Also it's ok to be alone. I know you hate it, but take this time to figure you out. Figure out what went wrong all the other times and learn from it. But please, don't ever get content with being by yourself. Its ok to want to be in love. Everyone else wants it too even if they don't want to admit it. But this time let's wait to be with someone who likes you for you. Who thinks your jokes are funny, likes how you write, finds you as beautiful as I do, and thinks it's cool to be weird. Oh and who wants to feed you. Hey, a girl can dream. Just be you Sam. You may be weird and hard to understand but I get you and i love you. And it's not just me who feels this way! Put your mind as ease and know that at the end of the day you always have yourself to talk to. Which you do often.. Might need to cut back on that in public. Oh and please never stop compensating with humor. It makes ending deep letters to yourself that you post on the internet much less awkward.

Love,
You (Sam)

The Pursuit of Happiness

Hello Piglets,
This is your fearless leader speaking. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of amazing highs and incredible lows. Yet I feel like this this range of happiness happens to me every year. SO, I have decided to make this winter one of utter bliss. Like gourmet marshmallows from William Sonoma happiness or that feeling of getting your first Louis... well maybe not that happy but we will shoot for it! Here are a few goals of mine to make my winter perfect and hopefully yours too!


1) Function and Fashion: Looking Cute While Being Snug as a Bug in a Rug
This winter y'all need to stock up on a few winter essentials. These should be basic staples to your winter wardrobe. I'm talkin' a trench coat, monochromatic sweater dress, a sweater with a hint of shimmer, leggings, boots, and a giant scarf with fur trim. If you have one of each of these bad boys you will be set for the rest of your days.

2) Artistic Nourishment:

In my opinion the winter is a perfect time to get in touch with your creative side. This doesn't mean putting paint on a canvas, but instead creating something that not only inspires you, but your peers. If your handy with a brush, go for it, but if your just a mere mortal like me, you can let out your inner Monet in a number of ways. For me I like to take the digital route i.e my blog (yes that means I will actually be posting this winter.) but if you don't want to devote yourself to the blog-o-shpere you can get savvy with something like Pinterest or Tumblr. Post pictures of things that are inspiring you and share them with your friends! Nothing sounds better than sitting down with a cup of cocoa, wrapped up in a Little Giraffe Blanket and click clacking away on the old Mac book.

3) A Winter Romance

It seems like around this time of year relationships seem to dwindle. This year I am determined to keep my love life as warm as a chestnut roasting by an open fire. This means no braving the cold with a hat and no make up. No staying in on Friday nights because 25 Days of Christmas is on. This means solely looking cute on New Years for the distinct purpose of snagging a kiss when the ball drops. For those of you with a significant other, PLEASE keep shaving your legs and PLEASE do all of those cheesy wintery dates you've always wanted to do. Don't let the cold make your relationship go frigid. Step up your game this winter piglets, the mistletoe is calling. 

4) Spend Some Time With Ye Besties

This winter break spend some quality time with your best friends. Don't let the hustle and bustle of your mom's friend's christmas parties get in the way of the people who always have your back. Before going to a christmas party, have your friends over for manis and pedis. Dedicate a week night to re watching all of your favorite christmas movies. Make puppy chow.... mmm puppy chow. 

Go forth and be merry piglets!! Be merry and bright!