Perfect Summer Seafood Sauce

Summer is here! For many this means hitting the grill for some burgers & dogs, but for me this means super fresh seafood season! Now I'm not huge on seafood, (I prefer the 'Turf' side of a 'Surf & Turf' any day) but I have really grown to love a nice light white fish with a citrus kick. 

I had gotten some beautiful fresh Tilapia at the market & I knew I wanted to jazz it up a bit for my own little kick off to summer meal, so naturally I headed to the internet for some inspiration. I found myself stumbling around FoodGawker, (if you haven't tried this yet, it's basically like what would happen if Julia Childs had a love child with Pinterest.) when I found this recipe on there and it came with a bonus Lemon Garlic Mayonnaise Sauce (umm yum.) & I decided to give it a go. I did tweak the recipe just a bit (less & 'light' mayo) to make it a bit more healthy, it is pool party season afterall. 

What you need:

Light Mayonnaise w Garlic w Lemon w Salt & Black Pepper

Peal back some of that garlic (1 clove to be exact) & mince it up.

Then you want to measure out 1/2 a cup of Light Mayo

Then you are going to want to squeeze one large lemon which produces about 2 tablespoons full of juice.

Using a spoon, combine the minced garlic, lemon juice & light mayo in a bowl. Sprinkle in some sea salt and black pepper for taste. 

Place the sauce back in the fridge until your ready to serve.

 I up-cyled an old mayo 'squeeze style' bottle & tripled the recipe so I can keep it in my fridge & have it ready to go for next time. *Just make sure you remove the old wrapper & write on the bottle with a sharpie to make sure there is no condiment confusion. :)

& there you have it. This sauce tastes amazing & was a great compliment to the Tilapia (it tastes great with Swordfish & Mahi Mahi too.)

On Pinterest? Repin Here!

Help Me Get to Bonnaroo!

Hello Everyone I'm putting my good mojo out there into the universe (cough..cough..internet) & hoping all you Rhinestoned Adventures readers will help me win a pair of tickets to Bonnaroo! 

Because my summer job doesn't start for a few weeks, & I appear to be playing a game of russian roulette with full-time employment & my student loans, I'm a little short on cash. So lately I've been jumping on any/every chance to somehow earn free tickets this concert. 

So for this contest I had to design a poster for the 11th Annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. They are going to be picking 3 winners, 1 Student Entry from the Art Institutes, 1 General Entry (that's my category) & 1 Random Voter (that could be you!) So what I need is to get into the top 10 of the General Entries! How do I do that!? Hopefully with your votes. 

So Everyday up until May 28th at 11:59 pm you can a vote. You get 10 different votes per day. Remember this also increases your chances to get entered in for a free pair of tickets as well (score!). 

How do you vote?

Log on to facebook and find the Art Institutes' page (or click here. http://www.facebook.com/artinstitutes)

Then click the "like" button (remember you can always unlike something later on)

then you want to click on The Bonnaroo Poster Promo Page. (http://www.facebook.com/artinstitutes/app_321078081298129 )

Then find my design. It looks like this. 

and click the view button under the photo.

once you have it in full view you click the VOTE button!

& that's it! 

Now I have 2 pictures of my Bonnaroo Jelly up on the sight, one was the original drawing that I did and the second was after I photoshoped it because they require a layer format for their entries (yes I did download a photoshop app just for this contest hahaha). So please vote for one or both! I would love an opportunity just to make it into the finals! 

PLEASE & THANK YOU!

Flawless French

Ahh the art of a DIY french manicure. There are many different methods out there (some of them may even lead you to calling your manicurist for the next available appointment)  but this one has worked the best for me. Now I know you can use scotch tape to help you make a nice crisp line for your french, but I however like to rock the 'squoval' or round shape on my nails & sometimes a straight line tip just looks off; & I also know there is a special nail tape that has a round shape to it specifically for a french, but that can be a bit pricey. This method lets you customize the shape of your french without any tape, it is a super quick & easy way to help you conquer your DIY french difficulties (yes, even on your right hand!). 

What you need:

Sally Hansen Xtreme wear White On wEssie Mademoiselle w Essie Good to Go

Flat Paint Brush w Nail Polish Remover w Cotton Ball

Using Sally Hansen White On, paint on the tips for your french. Do Not Stress about making this perfect! If it's a little messy or the edges are not perfect, it's ok! 


(You can go a head onto the next step if your in a rush, but I would recommend that you wait about 5 minutes to let the tips dry completely first. I find that the remover becomes easier to control when the paint is dry & you won't have to worry about any runny edges.)

Now on to clean up those edges. Using the bottle of nail polish remover, fill the cap up & dip a flat tip paint brush in. (this type of brush is great for creating lines) Wipe or tap off any excess remover & then place it onto the bare part of your nail.

Using a windshield wiper motion, bring the paint brush up to the white tip. This motion will help clear up any messy edges and help you form a nice natural curve.

As you go along the flat brush will begin to gather up the excess white paint. Re-dip the flat brush in the remover & wipe the paint off with a cotton ball.

Be sure to hold your hand back & notice the thickness & shape of the other nails, you want to have a cohesive feel on you hand.

 Once you are satisfied with the shape of your tips you can add 1-2 coats of Essie Mademoiselle. I think that this is a perfect french color, it has a nice milky pink hue to it that gives a natural feel. Then finish with your favorite top coat. :)

On Pinterest? Repin Here!

Mint Julep Mani

No copyright infringement intended. 

To celebrate this years Kentucky Derby I decided to do a Mint Julep inspired nail look.

No copyright infringement intended

The $1,000 Mint Julep is the most iconic drink of the derby. Served in a gold plated cup it is an instant eye catcher & separates the high rollers from the gambling enthusiast. Now if the $1,000 tab is bit to rich for you blood, I suggest you throw on your biggest hat, mix up the cocktail at home & paint your nails in spirit. (that's what I'll be doing anyway) 

No copyright infringement intended

What you need:

Funky Fingers Mrs. Mint  w  Funky Fingers Down to Earth  w Funky Fingers Star-Studded

Bobby Pin w  Toothpick

Start with a base of Funky Fingers Mrs. Mint. This mint color is great for this look because it has a crushed gold undertone. 

 Open up your bobby pin and paint the end with Funky Fingers Down to Earth. Use this a a dotting tool along the bottom of your nail. Then take a tooth pick & drag some lines of paint at a diagonal.

Then once you have the shape you like, repeat the 'dot & drag' process with Funky Fingers Star-Studded for a glitzy look. 

Then make sure to top it off with some top coat & you'll be ready to cheer on those ponies with the best of them. 

Mint Julep Recipe 

No copyright infringement intended

Recipe courtesy of Drinks Mixer
2 oz Woodford Reserve® bourbon whiskey
1 oz water
1 tsp cube white sugar
4 fresh mint sprigs

Muddle 3 mint sprigs, sugar and water in bottom of Julep cup or highball glass and fill with crushed ice. Fill with bourbon, stir. Dust 4th mint sprig with powdered sugar for garnish. Serve with straw.

Don't be that girl.

Ok so here's the deal, I'm not big on classifications, I like to think I'm in a constant state of evolving; However after taking some thought provoking classes during my years of higher education I'd like to fancy myself somewhat of a feminist. (Now for those of you who think feminism is all about burning your bra's, growing out your arm pit hair, & 'sticking it to the man', please educate yourself a bit more before getting all 'judge-y.') I'm a firm believer in equality & like to see most gender rolls broken (having my door opened is still a nice gesture). Not to mention I can recite all the lyrics to every Spice Girl album ever. (Go Girl Power & all that jazz.)
  Now with that being said, I must share with you something that drives me absolutely bonkers.... A box of tampons next to the toilet.

Nothing says "Hey guest of my bathroom! Guess what!? I have my period." quite like a brightly colored 'box of fun' next to the toilet paper.  I don't want to know you have your period; No one wants to know, except maybe your boyfriend who you had unprotected sex with, but other then that no one cares. We probably already figured it out anyways since you've been shuffling around all day eating Ben& Jerry's & crying for no apparent reason. So please princess save me the eye sore next to your thrown. k?

Now some people may take the time to put the box away under the sink when their bathroom is not occupied (kudo's to you), but lets face it, normally I am racing to the bathroom & I forget to grab the box before I sit down, which leaves me trapped & debating a MacGyver type move to open the drawer with nothing but toilet paper & old InStyle magazine. 

Solution? Secret disguise box. 

Well if you haven't tried these Cottonelle Fresh Care Wipes, I suggest you do. Scott brand also has a version and I'm sure your local supermarket probably has their brand version as well.  So being a good consumer I wanted to test the variety; They are all pretty much the same but their boxes come in different designs & colors. So when you finish your pack you can either get a refill wipes, or in my case you can upcycle it into your secret disguise box. 

 Just pop open the bottom portion & fill it up with whatever you need. Then stash the box next to your toilet paper & magazines & no one will be the wiser (& you wont have to find yourself in a MacGyver situation.) 

You Are Welcome.