Sparkling cocktail picks

Tools: Martha Stewart smokey quartz glitter, Martha Stewart glue and sealer, bamboo skewers, red pom poms

I've slowly started to put a few red and pink inspired decorations around the house. Not too much, jut a simple silver bowl of sweets, chipboard letters over the window and small tea lights nestled in with the usual coffee table centerpiece, but the saddest part of decorating is knowing that your hard work only lasts a few weeks before it gets boxed away for next year. This is why I decided to craft a little bit of red sparkle that I could live with well after the 14th has passed, more specifically, a little embellishment for the bar. Using long skewers, red pom poms, and a smokey glitter I put together sparkling cocktail picks that add a little glamour to an evening cocktail. Collected in a simple jar, they're an addition I plan on repeating well after February has passed.

1. Poke a small hole into to pom pom using the sharp end of a skewer, set aside.

2. Using clear glue, paint a light coat of adhesive over the last 2-3 inches of the skewer.

3. Roll end in glitter until adhesive is completely covered. Dab the end of the skewer in a dot of glue.

4. Insert the pom pom into the glued end of the skewer, holding for a few seconds to set.

5. Place point side down into a jar until completely dry, repeat with remaining pom poms. After all are completed, start mixing some cocktails and enjoy!

Guest post: The "it" list

Happy Friday ladies!

Enjoy these great links this weekend...

• suze wears clothes brings us words of inspiration each and every Sunday. I love this week's installment, especially this colorful quote on joy! (find suze wears clothes on twitter!)


• gs lillian found these adorable "spike" necklaces at Target... pop on by her blog to see what other fun pieces she found - including a few that are perfect for Valentine's Day! (find gs lillian on twitter!)


• my soul is the sky is back with another great hair tutorial - this one, the 'bohemian side braids' look great on her and have inspired me to try a similar style! (find my soul is the sky on twitter!)


• what the frock recreates an outfit featuring a neon skirt, a cozy sweater and an unusual hem-line. Sound like fun? It is! (find what the frock on twitter!)


• live a lot goes for the all black outfit. Do you ever fall back on this simple outfit formula? It happens to be one of my favorites! Check out her look!


• rachael really looks stunning in stripes and faux fur. Then she adds red wellies and a pearl necklace for the win! (find rachael really on twitter!)


• free to be stacia lee is hosting a giveaway for a gorgeous amethyst necklace. Stop by her blog to enter! (find free to be stacia lee on twitter!)


• here & now sports the perfect weekend outfit and looks fabulous doing it! Especially since she had just run a 5K that day! You go girl!


• fabulously average is rocking what she calls "the new neutrals" - and I couldn't agree with her more, they totally are! What are the "new neutrals"? You'll have to stop by her blog to find out! (find fabulously average on twitter!)


• behind the dressing room door has the perfect accessory for cold winter days - a bold and colorful scarf! See how she styled it! (find behind the dressing room door on twitter!)


• the capital barbie tracks down some absolute darling bowed-tops. I love how feminine and flirty these tops are! (find the capital barbie on twitter!)


• sweetie pie style takes this mint green maxi dress and styles it three ways that are perfect for late winter into spring! It's so versatile! (find sweetie pie style on twitter!)


• a fashion fixation introduces us to a new online shop called Vestique - have you heard of it? I love their bold and colorful selection, like this blazer! (find a fashion fixation on twitter!)


• the tiemann girls are showing off their gorgeous taupe finds from Target! Taupe never looked so good ladies! (find the tiemann girls on twitter!)


• stay in the lines makes homemade oreo cookies. I think I know how I'll be spending a cold, winter Saturday in my near future - baking and eating these! (find stay in the lines on twitter!)

the IT list is produced weekly by Jill of good life - for information on how you can be involved, click here!

Thanks for sharing these fun links Jill! -Jaclyn

In the garden

1. Ban.do, Mini Pom Pom Set
2. Topshop, Floral Lace Pleat Skirt
3. Old Navy, Rock Star Jeggings
4. Dior, Scented Waterlily Nail Lacquer
5. J.Crew, Jules Floral-Print Silk Dress (on Net-a-Porter)
6. Equipment, Signature Glacier Blouse

When the weather is cold and the sun only pops out for a few hours at a time, it's hard to imagine strolling through a garden in a silky sun dress. Luckily since the weeks are quickly passing, that means those days a fast approaching. I am a big fan of flowers and the bold botanical prints popping up in the stores and on the runways is getting me excited for pastel hued items and floral chiffon fabrics. While a few storms are sure to pass before I get to wear any of these things, I'm going to start preparing early and introduce a few winter friendly florals into the mix, like perfumed nail polish (such a cool idea!) and minty long sleeve blouses. Is anyone else looking forward to any spring trends? I would love to hear.

Everyday equestrian

Shop Speedy Girl dress c/o, J.Crew jacket, Burberry scarf, Hue tights, Zara boots

After spending most of my childhood and teenage years around horses, I've developed a pretty big love for classic equestrian inspired materials and designs. A herringbone coat is one of the first things that comes to mind when I picture riding boots, velvet helmets, and other various leather and buckled garb. While I don't think I'll ever pull out my show boots for a weekend brunch date or a shopping trip, I can take inspiration from the show ring ensemble by mixing in different prints like floral and plaid. A simple dress, cozy scarf, and ankle boots (that have become an everyday item) mix together finish the equestrian inspired look without donning a full costume.

Life lately

Puffs of red for an upcoming DIY

The past few weeks have been full of colds, medicine, and winter weather, so this weekend I took full advantage of the sick-free days and added a bit of color, decor, and sweets into the mix. I know it's about a month away, but the Valentine's decorations have started to creep into my house in the form of red and sparkle and cinnamon scented treats. Paired with flowers and new stationary for simple notes, the happy little additions made it easier to roll into a new week of work.

Peach and glitter manicure (Chanel June and OPI Designer...de Better)

Little yellow roses

Oatmeal raisin cookie batter to celebrate my mom visiting

Polaroid notecards for impromptu letters

Homemade oreos

I'm pretty good about not buying sweet things and since I've been on my juice kick lately, the drive to keep eating fresh fruits and veggies is even stronger. However, when my kitchen appliances seem to whimper more than usual and a passing head cold begs for something comforting and tasty, I tend to give in to the sugary thoughts and bake something. Last week I decided to make homemade oreos using this recipe, which resulted in a tasty few nights of cookies and milk with their sickness soothing power. The ingredient list is pretty short and the cookies bake in no time. I got a little heavy handed with the dough rounds, but the oversized oreos were really nothing to complain about. The sweet cookies were short lived and the next day I was back to healthy foods and juices, but the midweek indulgence was a nice treat.

The red carpet: Golden Globes

Top row: Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang, Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen, Paula Patton in Monique Lhuillier
Bottom row: Jessica Alba in Gucci, Natalie Portman in Lanvin, Charlize Theron in Dior

There's something about turning on the red carpet to watch impeccably dressed people saunter down the red carpet in gorgeous gowns. It's an event that gets the whole town in a frenzy and while I may be miles away from Los Angeles, I still find comfort in sitting in front of the TV to yay and nay the dresses as they pass. Last night's Golden Globes definitely seemed to be a celebration of sparkle, hair acessories, and form fitting shapes. My two favorite trends, however, were popping colors like yellow, red, and deep blue along with vintage inspired silhouettes with embellishment. Did anyone else watch the Golden Globes last night?

I'm also guest posting over on 101 Things I Love today. Stop by to check out Johanna's cute winter fashion series.

Home improvement

Completing the bedroom with a striped Ikea throw

Ever since I moved into a new place in Ann Arbor, I've been on a mission to make each room as functional and pretty as possible. Of course, this is an ongoing process and a little hard to do when your quirky place has tight corners and your furniture budget is...slowly growing. This past weekend I felt like a happy medium was finally achieved and each room received the finishing touches on a tight budget. A graphic blanket, new coffee table, and small knick knacks came together to complete each room, making them cozy and eclectic.

New coffee table adorned with vintage glass dishes, pastry boxes, and books

Stacked gift boxes create a pop of color behind simple candles

A gifted brass bird clip provides the perfect outgoing mail holder at the entryway

A mix of food, candles, and wood for the kitchen table centerpiece

Does anyone else have some great home decor items they've just added or are hoping to find? Also, don't forget to enter the Ladyee Boutique giveaway below. The dress is the perfect staple item!

Ladyee Boutique giveaway

Dress c/o Ladyee Boutique, leggings unknown, Zara boots, Kate Spade purse

Dresses are the main item that fill my closet. Vintage, evening, and cocktail varieties seem to dominate that racks, but while they look great hanging, they don't seem to be practical when I'm trying to pick out an everyday outfit. Finding good daytime dresses has always been at the top of my shopping list, that's why when Ladyee Boutique gave me this great wrap dress to try out, I was excited to finally have a go-to staple dress. The flutter hem and cuffed sleeves make it perfect for a casual look, but the dotted pattern and silk material make it a little more special. Paired with leggings, boots, and a bright purse, the outfit made a day of sightseeing and lunching comfortable while still having that feminine look I love in dresses.




The online boutique has a great selection of ladylike pieces for evening and daytime and they are graciously giving one reader the same dress pictured here! It's definitely a fun piece that I have already worn on multiple occasions.

To enter the giveaway:
- Leave a comment below telling me where you would wear this dress.
- For an extra entry, follow Stay in the Lines through the blog, Twitter, Bloglovin', or Facebook and follow Ladyee Boutique on Twitter or Facebook

I'll pick a winner on Friday 1/13. Good luck!

Juicy juice

I've always been a pretty big veggie fan and don't shy away from green things too much, so when I was given a juicer for Christmas, I was anxious to try out some homemade leafy drinks. The machine is admittedly frightening, given that it sounds like a plane taking off, but the colors it produces are completely fun. Bright lime green, deep purple, even a sunset orange make the veggie and fruit juice combinations enticing to try. Since all resolutions are in full gear right now, I went for a trusty green drink to finish out the week. It's a slightly savory juice with a ginger mint aftertaste and while I'm sure it's a little bit of my head tricking me, I did feel healthier and more awake at the start of my day after drinking it.


*If you don't have a juicer, try a smoothie with the same green hue. Replace the cucumber and melon with a frozen banana and grate the ginger to form a paste. Blend everything in a blender with 1 cup soy milk.

In the sun

Blouse borrowed from mom, Zara skirt, Hue tights, Zara boots, Chanel Rouge Carat nailpolish

Over the holidays I definitely made the most of the sunny days and warm weather by combining clothes that didn't need an extra jacket, bundle of a scarf, or mittens. Taking advantage of the mild days always makes outfit planning a much easier task and while I may need to think ahead over the coming months about my ensembles (leaving LA for a real winter was a little hard to do) I can definitely take some inspiration from my California outfits and mix them in to my winter wear. I had been eyeing these boots since the Fall and when I found them over the holidays I decided to treat myself to an early present. The stacked heel and simple black leather make these shoes perfect for any climate and while my denim blouse may need to be replaced with a substantial sweater, the sunny look can still keep me warm all winter long.