happy spring + taking a break

This is my favorite day of the year, even if our fickle New England weather makes it impossible to pack away winter coats and hats just yet. Happily, this year I'm staring at a sunny 68 degrees on this first day of spring!

So what's all this about taking a break? Well, I'm sick. With the flu, or some sort of horrible body-aching-sore-throat-fever-head-pounding thing that has left me helplessly drinking tea and eating not much other than grapefruits and crackers. With a mountain of work in front of me and little time to waste (or relax) my body has reminded that rest is essential to health and so it has given me the gift of sickness. I say that last statement half sarcastically, but also half sincerely. Sometimes it takes a real smack in the head to realize that you need to re-access your situation and organize your life according to what matters most now. On that note, I'll be taking a short break (I won't stay away for long - you must know me by now). I'll see you in April just in time for my other favorite day of the year, my birthday. Just kidding that is not my other favorite day of the year - maybe it was when I was a kid and cake didn't make me fat. This year is a big one, too... more on that in a few weeks. Until April!

image source

stripes and skirts

I've been seeing a lot of combinations of striped tops and sold skirts lately. The look is effortlessly chic and offers a million ways to layer in accessories. I'll be adding a nude sandal, a bright over-sized bag and, of course, some Marissa B. jewelry!


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wordless wednesdays

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spring nail color trends

Loving these spring nail colors. How of-the-moment and yet still classic enough to actually wear if you're out of your teens. I can't wait to try some pistachio inspired colors. This 30's style moon manicure has me intrigued. The tutorial is so fun - I might try mine with a hot coral and pistachio/minty green. Off to find those hole enforcer stickers I've had laying around since the seventh grade!

Ombre two ways

It's been quite the busy week around here on the marsh and I'm just d-i-y-ing (was that a successful play on words?) to get crafty this weekend. I would love to make that pretty ombre hanging chandelier for the girls' room. I actually have a bunch of color swatches leftover from a project I made last month (I'll post that one soon). Anything ombre is irresistible to me right now - those meringue parfaits are no exception! Also, couldn't help but daydream about wearing these flats with this dress. Sigh.

wordless {happy birthday} wednesdays

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boston cream pie birthday cake

Hero Hubby's birthday is swiftly approaching (as in tomorrow) and I am making his favorite dessert, Boston cream pie. This recipe for classic Boston cream pie is from the Omni Parker House in Boston where the dessert originated. The different ingredients can seem intimidating, but once you have all the components, the assembly is easy! I'm going to skip the part about fondant and slivered almonds and just go for a nice chocolate ganache instead. I'll post pictures of the results, aflame with all the birthday candles (and there a lot this year). Hehe...

cake image via martha stewart
poster image via allposters

it's a sign

Actually, it's your sign! The Cosmic Collection of hand stamped zodiac charms are now available on marissab.com. You can get them in sterling silver, gold fill or solid 14k gold and in all the astral signs. I can already tell I'll be wearing a necklace with charms of the four signs in our family. And, if you're really into astrology wouldn't it be nifty to make a necklace composed of your sun sign, moon sign and rising sign. Oh, the possibilities...

have a {happy} weekend

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quick oven ribs

It was 4:00 and tummies were already starting to rumble. Had I employed the Crock Pot to work its low and slow magic earlier in the day I would be sighing that happy sigh one makes when one has the answer to the "what's for dinner" question that typically strolls through my head at precisely 4:00. But, I forgot about the Crock and instead had cold, raw pork ribs in the refrigerator. Quick ribs? Not so much... but then inspiration flashed and by 5:45 I ended up with falling off the bone deliciousness on our dinner plates. Here's the recipe for quick oven ribs.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds ribs
chili powder
garlic powder (I prefer organic, non-GMO and made in USA)
salt
1 medium onion, sliced (I used a red onion)
barbecue sauce

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and spray with oil to coat evenly. Wash ribs and pat dry. Sprinkle some chili powder, garlic powder and salt on all sides of the ribs and rub in. Arrange ribs on pan and top with onion slices. Cover with another piece of foil and fold edges with the bottom piece to make a "packet" of ribs. Bake for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Uncover and brush with barbeque sauce. Place the ribs under the broiler (low) for about 5 minutes each side. 

Can I just mention these glass spice jars? I have seen so many bloggers feature these in their own pantry. I love how uniform and neat they look! I buy most of my spices in bulk and it may be time to reorganize the miss-mosh of pouches bound by disintegrating elastics.

image via martha stewart

vegan chocolate cake

Happy March! As typical New England Weather would have it, there are about four inches of snow on the ground. To think we almost go out of February unscathed by Old Man Winter. Ah, well... I'm still obsessed with these sandals and painting my tootsies this color in my excitement for spring. Anyway, on to that scrumptious looking cake pictured up there. Made with the very basic of ingredients (you probably have them all in your kitchen at this very moment), baking this chocolate cake is on my to do list this weekend. And, it's vegan! Not that we're vegan... couldn't even begin to think about life without dairy (or hamburgers), but it looks like an easy recipe to whip up when the need for something crowd-pleasing arises, or your vegan friends pop by for a visit. Check out the recipe for vegan chocolate cake.

image via joy the baker