Saturday, June 23, 2012

bun heads

Once a bun head, always a bun head! Growing up as dancers, we were forced to secure our precious locks into tightly pinned doughnuts on the tops of our heads on a daily basis. At the time we thought that there could be nothing worse than this unattractive hairstyle that gave us Dumbo ears! Well, now look at us. . . wrapping our hair into buns has turned into a pretty much daily activity. When we saw that thing called a "sock bun" on the internet we were hesitant to try it, kinda reminded us of those cheesy infomercials. But one day we thought screw it, and we went into my husbands sock drawer and stole a pair of long grey socks! We cut the toes off, and each took a sock into the bathroom. The rest is history. The sock bun is our new favorite hairstyle. No more bobby pins or weird droopy buns. Just a beautiful, doughnut that sits right on the top of your head! It goes up in minutes and stays for hours. Try it, it really feels magical. We like to keep our hair a little messy when doing it so that we still have that natural and effortless look the topknot is known for! Here is our how-to:

 
start with a sock that matches the color of your hair so that it hides inside of your bun later!
cut the toes off to create your "bun tube"
step 1::
secure your hair into a ponytail at whatever height that you like your bun.
we like ours pretty high up there!

step 2::
place your hair inside of the tube with a little bit of hair peeking out of the top

step 3::
peel the ends of your hair down in a circular motion around the sock.
roll the sock down, tucking your hair inside with each roll.
continue rolling until you reach the base of your ponytail.
give it one extra roll to tighten your bun

voila!!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

fresh squeezed mai tai recipe

We made this recipe for our rum loving, island worshipping, dad for father's day. Made with freshly squeezed juices, this potion {in our dad's words} is healthy and full of vitamins and minerals. And yes, it will leave you feeling a little giggly too ;) Whip up and squeeze out a big batch of these mouth watering mai tais for your next bbq or dinner party. . .
Island Style Freshly Squeezed Mai Tai Recipe:
3 oz. light rum
3 oz. dark rum
1 oz. orange curacao (or grand marnier)
2 oz. fresh squeezed pineapple juice
2 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz. almond syrup  {you can get it in the mixer section}

To drink it mystics+mint style, pour all of the ingredients into a mason jar with ice. Put the top on and shake your heart out! Take the top off, stick a straw in it and enjoy responsibly, or not. . .

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

fathers day gift idea

In celebration of all the fathers out there that love to enjoy a cocktail or two, here is a simple, yet meaningful gift that is personal+practical. . .

{SUPPLIES: Modpodge, 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" tile, a small brush, and clear Polycrylic }
{STEP 1:} photocopy your favorite pics onto cardstock. I was lazy and used my color printer
{STEP 2:} trim the pics to size + modpodge onto tile
{STEP 3:} once the modpodge is dry, paint a coat of polycrylic onto your pics
I have to admit, this project came about because I bought these stone ice cubes that I thought were neat. But at the same time, I thought to myself "what a random Father's Day gift?" Our dad LOVES his whiskey but I realized my gift needed something more personal.

{STEP 4: Presentation is everything! Tie your best ribbon, twine, or rope around these suckers and your gift is complete and sure to impress!}
These were super easy, cost $1 a pop, and turned out better than I expected! I am definitely going to make these more often. . . birthdays, party favors, any holiday really!



Saturday, June 2, 2012

heavenly abs series II

Hey, we heard it is officially swimsuit season! If you have been practicing our first ab series, then you should be ready to crank it up a notch!  Add these moves onto part one to create one kick ass ab routine sure to fire up those dreamy, swimsuit ready abs of yours! 
Make sure to add in some extra cardio too. . .

1. bring both knees in to your chest, keeping your knees straight above your hips. Make sure to create a flat table top from your knees to your toes. Do 16 crunches lifting your shoulder blades off of the ground and pressing your abs into the floor or sand.
2. straighten both legs straight up to the blue sky, again keeping your legs in line with your hips. 
Do 8 crunches.
3. scissor your legs open into a dancer's second position. Do 8 crunches.
4. bring the bottoms of your feet together into a "butterfly" position with knees open to the side. 
Do 8 crunches.

Finish this series with an isometric hold that your love handles will hate you for! 
Hold this position for 1 minute on each side. 
If your waist line is extra stubborn, go ahead and repeat it twice :)
{beginner}
{intermediate/advanced. . . just try it!}