Protecting Colored Hair from Chlorine

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Sarah S.

Recently, I dyed my hair auburn (Emma Stone style), and at about the same time I also decided to take swimming lessons. Having never dyed my hair before, I was concerned about the effects of chlorine on the color. I found this great post about some tips for protecting your color hair when swimming from Fashionista.com. Below is what I bought after reading the article.

Vidal Sasson Color Protect Spray, $3.97 at Wal-Mart to apply before swimming

Protect Colored Hair from Chlorine on miaprimacasa.wordpress.com

L’Oreal Ever Pure Sulfate-Free Color Care System Moisture Deep Restorative Masque, $7.74 at Wal-Mart for once a week moisture treatment

Protect Colored Hair from Chlorine on miaprimacasa.wordpress.com

Aveeno Pure Renewal Sulfate-Free Shampoo, $5.97 at Wal-Mart for daily shampooing

Do you have any other tips for protecting colored hair?

Ciao!

Sarah

Because Sun Stays: My Favorite Spring Trends

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Sarah S.

Spring Trends on Miaprimacasa.wordpress.com Oversized

Pastels

Simplicity

Menswear-inspired

Neon

Textured Sweaters

Hybrid

Sheer

Lace

Chambray

What are you favorite spring trends?

Ciao!

Sarah

My New Kitchen! How to Modernize an Outdated Space

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Sarah S.

For about six months, my sister and I attempted to decorate our new apartment around the free furniture we had received from family. At some point, we realized that we wanted to take our decorating to a more sophisticated level, i.e. not a clearly twenty-something pad filled with hand-me-down furniture. The kitchen space was the most troubling for us thanks to the outdated flooring, cabinetry, and trim. Our solution? A large rug that set off our eating space from our cooking space, a modern table (Ikea), pops of red (sleek Target chairs and three red candles did the trick), and a Matisse print. We focused our color pallet on just three maine colors: black, red, and blue to make the space look clean and modern. The transformation clearly works, since I’ve found myself cooking more and spending more time in the kitchen than I had before!

Total Cost: $298.98

Chairs- $79.99 for a set of two at Target

Table- $179.0 at Ikea

Rug- $79.99 at Target

Coat Rack- $29.99 at Ikea

Red votive candles- $10 at Target

What are your suggestions for modernizing an outdated space?

Ciao!

Sarah

Peanut Butter Banana Pancake Recipe

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Sarah S.

What’s better than peanut butter and bananas? How about peanut butter and bananas in pancakes! This is a super easy recipe (originally found here). My next try with this recipe will be replacing half the peanut butter with Nutella. Now that would be a perfect pancake.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 small banana, peeled and chopped

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix in the peanut butter, then add the milk and vanilla. Blend well. Stir in banana pieces.

Coat skillet with cooking spray. Cook pancakes over medium heat on skillet.

Enjoy!

Sarah

p.s. Freeze extra pancakes for later!

Running the Coast: 15 Miles of New Hampshire Coastline

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Sarah S.

Coast Run miaprimacasa.wordpress.com

Over the holidays, I dragged two of my sisters out for a 15 mile run up the New Hampshire coastline. Arguably, the coast is either 13 or 18 miles depending on if one considers the coast of New Castle as part of the whole coast or not. In our case, we chose a compromise milage of 15 (three miles more than I’ve ever run and five more than my sisters had gone). A bit ambitious to be sure, but how often do you get the opportunity to brag that you ran a state’s whole coast line? Below are some pics we shot while on the run.

NH Coastline Run miaprimacasa.wordpress.com

Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Sarah S.

I can’t totally take credit for this recipe; I got it from a coworker after trying a batch of his. I did modify the recipe to fit my own tastes (substituting flax seeds for chia seeds and adding a bit more peanut butter and less honey). A great thing about this recipe is that there really is no limit to its variations. I decided to make my own granola bars instead of buying them because I not only wanted to save a bit of money, I also wanted to control exactly what I was eating in this snack. I always had trouble identifying store-bought granola bars that were truly healthy (“Is this more like a candy bar than a granola bar? What does whole wheat really mean in this bar?”). With my own homemade granola bars, I know exactly what I’m getting!

Granola Bars

2 Cups Quick Oats

1 Cup Protein Powder

1 Cup Chia or Flax Seed

1 Cup Dried Cranberries

1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Mix the above ingredients in a bowl, then add:

1 1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter

1/2 Cup Honey

Press the mixture into a 9X13.

Depending on how crazy I get with the chocolate chips or cranberries, I’ll add in extra peanut butter or honey to firm up the mixture.

Store in the fridge to help keep from crumbling.

Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Ciao!

Sarah

What’s Inspiring Me Right Now…

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Sarah S.

Canvas Land' End Goat Art

This amazing goat created by my talented friend, Diana. Originally posted on the Canvas Lands’ End blog.

Some cozy artist’s space inspiration from 79 Ideas.

Florence, Italy -miaprimacasa.wordpress.com

Memories of Florence.

Salvatore Ferragamo’s Men’s Fashion Show AW 2013 2014. Watch it here.

Everything about the second season of Girls and the music from it.

And finally, some guiding words of inspiration from the great Paulo Coelho:

“The energy of hatred will get you nowhere; but the energy of forgiveness, which reveals itself through love, will transform your life in a positive way.”

What’s inspiring you today?

Sarah

Lined Zip Clutch Tutorial

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Sarah S.

I found the pattern and tutorial for this charming little clutch at Charm Stitch. I modified the original pattern by increasing the pattern size by two inches and choosing not to decorate my bag with drawings (I let the corduroy and contrasting vintage floral lining do all the talking).

I don’t recommend this project for beginners who have not worked with zippers yet, but if you feel up to the challenge, I suggest trying a sample bag first before working on your final piece.

My biggest piece of advice is to be patient, use a zipper foot, and backstitch wherever it makes sense for security (I’d like think this bag will get thrown around and used quite a bit!).

Have you tried the tutorial out yourself? Pass along your thoughts or suggestions below!

Ciao,

Sarah

Related Posts

Lined Sequin Clutch with Zipper: a tutorial at Sweet-Verbena.blogspot.com

Fold-Over Clutch Tutorial at Fabandmade.blogspot.com

DIY: Leather Fold Over Clutch at SayYestoHoboken.com

Great Finds: Vintage Singer circa 1800s

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Sarah S.

My parents found this vintage Singer at a garage sale in New Hampshire. What a gorgeous find! Unfortunately, it’s not in sewing shape.

Kitchen Redo: Pops of Red, a Bold Rug, and a Sleek Table

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Sarah S.

Here’s a sneak peak of my newly redecorated kitchen (homemade Italian dinner and all! Get the recipe for the parmesan chicken here.). I was a bit skeptical when my sister suggested this rug, but I think it corners off the seating area nicely and has made our meals more comfortable and enjoyable. The chairs are not the right ones yet, but our new red chairs should be coming in soon (will update with pictures when complete!).