Hello Lovelies!

Its been a long time since I have posted something on this blog. I am sorry I have not shared more ideas and outfits with you dolls. I have been really busy since I found a new job and my schedule has been hectic. However, I am saving money to buy a new camera! Once I buy the camera, I will start posting once more and possibly make my own website. Are you gals excited?? I hope you are! The new website will feature more outfits, ideas, recipes, celebrity outfit steals, and other fun stuff. I was even thinking of changing the name of the website as well. What do you guys think? Well that is all I have to say for now. I look forward in launching the new website soon. Keep posted!

Peplum Power.

Hello Lovelies.

Happy Sunday! How is everyone doing today??? So, tomorrow is Monday again and the start of summer classes. Yuck!!! Who is ready?? I know I am not, especially when I am taking Chemistry :/ Oh well, it will soon come to an end. Moreover, in today's post, I am going to be giving you gals tips on the power of peplums. They are so cute! I love peplum dresses, skirts, and shirts. They are a must have this summer. Peplums can transform your outfit from simple to fashionable. These are great for a casual night or perhaps for a date with the next door cutie. 

In this outfit, all the pieces are from Forever 21. I love this store! Furthermore, I paired a coral peplum top with a pair of nude/tan high-waisted shorts and a pair of nude/black ankle strap heels. When I first saw these shoes, I fell in love; I had to buy them!!! With this outfit, I used a large black envelope clutch, but you can also use a nude one; both will look great. To accessorize, I used a black and gold stone necklace, a black and gold stone ring, a gold cross ring and a pair of small gold heart earrings.  

Tip: Peplums also look fabulous with a short ribbed or twill skirt. Try color blocking them; you would look fabulous. You can wear a coral top like the one I used and color block with an orange short skirt or a yellow peplum with a black and white line skirt. These shirts look really nice when paired with a gold plated belt. Remember, to wear a statement necklace or a pair of nice large earrings, but do not wear both! By doing so, you will overdo the outfit. 

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”
― Coco Chanel  

 Much Love,

Paper Mynt Fashion♡ 

Strawberry Meringue Cake (Mostachon)

Hello Lovelies (:

Happy belated mother's day to all my beautiful mommies out there! I hope you all enjoyed your day! It's been a while since my last post! I apologize for not posting anything. I have been so stressed with school while juggling work, but my class is almost over!!! Yay!! I will be posting more outfits and photo-shoots. Today I want to share a delicious cake recipe that a friend gave to me recently. This cake is called "Strawberry Meringue Cake" but it is also known as "Mostachon" in the Mexican region. This cake consists of strawberries, a cookie base, and a sweet spread. It is really easy to make and it will leave your tummies craving for more!!! Are you ready? Let's get to it.

The following are the ingredients and supplies you will be needing for this recipe: 

 

* 4 egg whites

* 1 cup of sugar

* 2 tbsp of vanilla extract (1 for the cake; 1 for the icing)

* 1 tbsp of baking powder

* 1 cup of crushed Ritz (about 25 crackers or a packet)

* 1 cup of crushed graham crackers (half a package)

* 1 cup of crushed pecans

* 1 can of half cream

* 1 box of cream cheese

* 2 boxes of strawberries

* 1 cup of powdered sugar

* Salt

* 1 springform cake pan (the one with the latches on the side)  

* Measuring cups

* Large round plate

* Spatula 

* Large round bowl

* Hand/stand mixer

* Non-stick cooking spray

* Wax paper

The first thing that we will be working on is the cake. For the cake these are the ingredients you will be using: 

 * 4 egg whites

* 1 cup of sugar

* 1 tbsp of vanilla extract

* 1 tbsp of baking powder

* 1 cup of crushed Ritz (about 25 crackers or a packet)

* 1 cup of crushed graham crackers (half a package)

* 1 cup of crushed pecans

* Salt

In the bowl, you are going to crack the eggs and pour only the egg whites. Careful not to crack them to hard!

  

Your bowl should look like this....

Next, using the hand mixer you are going to blend the eggs until they turn into a bulky  bubbly mixture. 

Once that is achieved, you are going to add the cup of baking powder into the mixture. Now, blend the powder with the egg whites. 

Then, you are going to add a pinch of salt and blend into the mixture. Then, add the tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Subsequently, add the cup of sugar. In this step, make sure to blend the mixture while adding the sugar in portions.  

 

Thereafter, add the cup of crushed pecans. Do not blend these yet.

Next, add the cup of honey graham crackers.

Afterwards, add the cup of crushed Ritz.

Now you are ready to blend. However, for this procedure you need to blend the mixture in a specific manner.  You are going to use your spatula and start in one side and move it either counter or clockwise. You are going to be blending in half circles or half moons. Once you reach half of the diameter of the bowl, dip the spatula down and bring the mixture up to the opposite side. Repeat this movement until the pecans, Ritz and graham crackers are mixed with the batter. 

**If you have trouble with this movement, click on this link. In this video, the lady will demonstrate how it is done. Sorry it is in Spanish, but getting the hand movement is all that matters! 

Your batter should look something like this...

 

Before pouring the batter into the pan. You need to cut out a circle of wax paper. To get the best shape, trace something circular about the same size of the pan. 

Next, spray the springform with the non-stick cooking spray. 

 

Afterwards, place the wax paper and spray once again.

Now you are set to pour the batter into the springform! Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Before putting the springform into the oven. Make sure to even out the batter so your cake can be in proportion all around. You can do this with the spatula.

 

Once you have evened out the batter, place the springform into the oven. You are going to cook the cake for 35 minutes at 350 F. Once the time is complete, let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the oven without opening it.

While the cake is baking, you can work on the icing. For this you will need the following ingredients:

* 1 can of half cream

* 1 box of cream cheese

* 1 tbsp of vanilla extract

* 1 cup of powdered sugar

For this procedure, you can use a new bowl or rinse the one used previously. To do the icing, pour the entire box of cream cheese into the bowl. 

Thereafter, pour the entire can of half cream and blend. 

 

 Next, add the tbsp of vanilla extract.

Last but not least, repeat the same process of adding the sugar as mentioned before. However, you will add the powdered sugar instead of the regular sugar.

Once that is blended, the icing should look like this....

By now your cake should be fully cooled. If it has already cooled, you are ready to start decorating the cake!

 

Before you add the strawberries, you need to cut them. You can cut them however you like, but they look prettiest when you cut them through the middle and make them thin. Once you have cut a good amount, you will place the strawberries in a circular formation around the cake, starting near the edges; working your way towards the center.

Once you have reached the center, you are finished! Your cake is a masterpiece! You can eat it like that, or you can refrigerate it and let it cool overnight and enjoy the next day. The choice is up to you; either way will do :)

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”  

-Charles  M. Schulz 

Much Love,

Paper Mynt Fashion  ♡

Up, up and away...

 

 

Hello My Lovelies,

Happy Tuesday! How are you all doing today? I hope everyone is doing great! In today's blog, I am going to talk about the photo shoot that took place this past weekend in the local beach. This photo shoot was probably the funnest photo session I have ever experienced. The day kicked off like this.  My friends and I woke up around 9 AM or so to do our hair and makeup. By 12 PM, we had taken off to buy the latex balloons at Party City. After 30 minutes, we were headed to our destination. The island is only one hour away from home, but since we talked the whole way; we missed the exit. Therefore, we had to go the long way and were delayed another 45 minutes. By the time we arrived to the beach, it was a little past 3. By now, we were starving since we had only eaten breakfast! My poor little tummy kept making growling sounds. However, we decided we were going to go forward with the shoot and then we would have dinner. Shortly arriving to the island, we reported to the condo and drop off our belongings and headed to find a perfect location to start the session. We soon came across some sand dunes along the way to the different accesses and we decided to stop and begin there. We had a lot of fun taking turns doing the photo shoot.  However, since my friends and I wanted the same photo shoot, we were sharing outfits. The only problem was that there were no dressing rooms to change outfits. So you could just imagine! We decided to change in my friend's car. Luckily, we took blankets since it was a bit chilly and used them to cover the windows.  At about 7 PM, we had finished with the pictures and headed to Tom & Jerry's to enjoy a delicious chicken finger basket. Yum! After we finished eating, we headed back to the condo to relax by the pool. Yay!!!

Tip: For this photo shoot, we decided to do a beach look; something natural. I had purchased this light pink maxi skirt two months prior to the photo session and fell in love with it instantly. So when my friends and I arranged this photo shoot, I knew this skirt would be perfect for this occasion. I paired this beautiful skirt with a cute white crochet crop top from a local store called Agaci. With a natural look like this, natural beach waves are a must! These fun waves can be done with a 1 1/2 or 2 inch wand. To get a more natural effect, you can brush your hair gently, so they won't look marked. Moreover, to place the cherry on top, I assembled this outfit with a pretty floral crown I created a while back. Ladies, this crown looks really nice with a simple crop top and they are really easy to make!!! On the accessories, a pair of light pink rose earrings and gold rings (cross rings are my favorite) will do! For the shoes, a pair of chestnut/taupe/nude braided thong sandals or cork wedges will work wonders. Pair this outfit with a beige cross-body and the world is your runway!

  
 

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world."

— Marilyn Monroe

Much Love,

Paper Mynt Fashion  ♡

| Top: Agaci (exact) Ebay (steal) |   | Skirt: Forever 21 |

  | Earrings: (similiar) |

DIY: Dip 'N' Dye Ombre Shorts.

Hello My Lovelies.

Today's blog will consist of a step by step tutorial of how to create the ombre effect on shorts using tie dye and bleach. Ladies, these shorts are so simple to make and they look adorable on.  I had much fun experimenting with dyes and putting together this neat guide for all of you. At the end of the day, I had paint everywhere and I smelled like bleach. Yikes! Nevertheless, it was all worth it!!! I know you have probably seen tons and tons of blogs who have done this activity, but you will enjoy this one because I will provide you with helpful tips to keep in mind while doing this fun project. Are you ready to dip 'n' dye??? Let's start!

Step 1:

 

The first thing you will need to do is take a trip to your local thrift store and buy a pair of high waisted denim jeans. They usually run cheap around $3 or $4 dollars. Then, you would take a trip to your local Wal-Mart or super center. Here, you will find the following:

·         Dye
·         Sand paper
·        Clear bottle (ketchup dispenser bottle)
·        Bleach
·        Toothbrush
·        Scissors
·        Rubber gloves
·        Trash bags
·     Protective eye gear
·     Bucket 
·     Soda ash
 

Most of these items you probably already own, so there is no need to buy new ones. Once you have all the supplies, you will now be ready to cut the shorts!
 

Step 2:

 
When cutting the shorts, you need to play it by ear. What I mean by this is, to make the first cut at knee length and go from there. Remember, to only cut one side first. In this step, it all depends in how short or long you are going to want these babies. I recommend to place your hand where the back pocket ends and cut where your hands ends; That will be a good size for your shorts. Once the length is determined, fold the jeans in half (hot dog style) and cut the other portion off. As I mentioned earlier, once you are ready to cut, remember to only trim one side so when you chop off the other segment, both sides will be equally proportioned. Once that is done with, your shorts should look something like this...  
 

Step 3:

In this step, you will be utilizing your scissors to distress the shorts. To do this, you need to open your scissors and grab them from one blade and run them in a horizontal direction along the end of the shorts. You also want to run them in a vertical direction to pull the treads out. The more you run the scissors, the more distressed your shorts will be. 

 Step 4:

To add even more distress to your shorts, you can use the sand paper. To do this, you get the sand paper and rub it against the shorts in a vertical direction on the distressed section. The more you use the sand paper, the more distress your shorts will be. This will create a very pretty effect on the shorts. 
 

Your shorts should be looking somewhat like this...

You are now ready to dip 'n' dye!

Step 5:

Before you start working with the dyes and bleach, make sure you wear protective eye gear and rubber gloves. I do not suggest using regular latex gloves because they will tear once you touch the bleach. The eye gear will protect your eyes while pouring the bleach into the bucket. Now that you are being safe, you are ready to have fun. Moving on, you need to pour the bleach into your bucket. In this occasion, you can pour the whole container. Once you have poured it all out, you need to decide whether you want to completely whiten your shorts and prepare them for tie dye or if you only want to bleach a portion. To bleach a segment of the shorts, all you would do is dip the segment you want bleached and leave them there for about 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, take the shorts out of the bucket and throw them into the washing machine. 

Now to color them, do the same procedure mentioned above but instead of placing the shorts into the washer, you are going to color them with dye. However, before you begin experimenting with the colors, you will need to set a station to work on your shorts. This is where the trash bags come in. All you have to do is lay the trash bags on the floor and place your shorts on top.   

 Step 6:

Once your station is set up, you are ready to add color to your shorts!!!! For this activity, I utilized the Tulip fabric dye. I do not recommend you purchase this brand because the color fades as soon as you place the shorts on water. If you decide to go with this brand, since it is inexpensive, make sure to buy the Tulip soda ash so the dye can be more vibrant and last longer. In my activity, there were several things I did wrong; this was one of them. I forgot to add the soda ash during the final wash. Moreover, depending on the type of brand of dye you purchase, the instructions of preparing the dye will vary. For example, for the Tulip brand dye all you need to do is mix the dye in hot water and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Then, you would mix the bottle every 5 minutes for a total of 45 minutes. Furthermore, I suggest you use a container like a ketchup dispenser bottle or perhaps a hair dye bottle to prepare the dye. Therefore, when you are applying the dyes, the process will be smooth and efficient.

When coloring the shorts, it is really up to you on how you want to design your shorts and what colors to use. I recommend using vibrant and pastel colors like mints, pinks, oranges, yellows blues and greens. These colors look beautiful on the shorts. One thing I want to add is if you go with ombre effect, when you apply the dye, make sure to implement the paint at 45 degree angle while elevating the end of the shorts at the same time. By doing this, you will avoid the dye from smearing into the other colors. Moreover, once you have applied all the colors you want to use on the shorts, use a toothbrush to blend the colors for a more natural ombre effect. You can do this by gently utilizing the toothbrush to scrape in circular motions in between the different colors.

Step 7:

Last but not least, once the shorts have been colored and done with, the last step would be to place them in the washer. When placing the shorts in the washing machine, keep in mind to add the soda ash so the dye won't fade when it comes in contact with the water. Anyhow, when the washer stops, place the shorts into the dryer and wait for them to dry. Once the shorts have dried, you are now ready to rock them!!! Now that you have dyed your shorts, you can add cute little studs on the pockets or lace or any other cute add on. 

All in all,  this activity should take you anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour or 2 at the most.  If you decide to do this fun project, please send me pictures to my email of your final product or post a picture in the comments section. I would love to see your creativeness :) 

P.S. On another note, next week I will be posting pictures of the new photo shoot I will be taking on the 12th. I am so thrilled for this shoot and to show you lovelies my outfit ideas. So keep posted!!

 “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” 

~Coco Chanel

Much Love, 

Paper Mynt Fashion ♡