Ruche’s Holiday Feature “A Glistening Occassion” launched on Monday and we had so much
fun with it! We decided to have a Great Gatsby inspired shoot which seemed
perfect for the holidays. There were so many beautiful dresses and I loved all
the hair pieces. Dressing up is one of my favorite things to do this time of
year!
Some of my favorite items from the shoot are the following:
You can see the full feature here and shop the looks here.
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching I thought it would be fun to make a cheeseboard to celebrate. Normally I always see cheeseboards out around the winter holidays, but I think it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day! One thing I love about cheese is how you can pair it with so many complimentary items. Valentine’s Day is about love, and since a traditional gift is chocolates, I thought it would be fun to make a cheeseboard paired with sweet, as opposed to savory, items. I partnered with Wisconsin Cheese to show how three of their cheeses could be used to make a delicious spread!
The first cheese on my cheeseboard is Merlot BellaVitano. This cheese has a creamy consistency similar to Cheddar, but is milder, and has hints of Parmesan. Pair Merlot Bellavitano with fresh blackberries and smooth dark chocolate. The blackberries and chocolate enhance the berry notes already present in the cheese.
Next, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, a Gruyere-style cheese made with unpasteurized cow’s milk from pasture-grazed cows. I thought some chocolate and nuts would be the perfect companion for this one. Creamy and nutty, this cheese really stands on it’s own.Last but not least, the crème de la crème, a wash-rind and soft-ripened cheese. Don’t be fooled when you unwrap the boldly fragrant Petite Frère; it’s a sweet, decadent and flavor-complimenting cheese. I loved pairing fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey with it. Together they were absolutely amazing, and the perfect end to a delicious cheese course.
Are you getting excited for Valentine’s Day? How do you like to celebrate?
This past weekend was wonderful. It truly felt like summer and I feel like I did so much to enjoy every minute of it. Matthew and I went to the dog beach with Ginger, soaked in some sun, roasted marshmallows on the grill, watched some of our favorite shows and just relaxed. Yet, sometimes these weekends that can seem so perfect can leave you feeling down in the dumps. I don’t know how to explain it, and I’m not sure if any of you understand, but last night going to bed I was so sad. I was sad thinking that the weekend was over, that Matthew was going to work and that I was back on my job search, sad that it’s already the end of June and the wedding and Italy seem so far away now. A disappointment with the weekend being over turned into so much more and before I knew it I was just a mess. I was in this dejected funk and thankfully Matthew insisted we stay up, watch some of the BBC version of Emma {I love it!} and drink some sleepy time tea. It made me feel a little better and before I knew it I fell asleep. Yet, today I felt like this dark cloud was still over me. I couldn’t shake it all morning and afternoon, and I still haven’t. This happens every once in a while where I can’t help but focus on all these negative things. In case any of you have ever felt this way and know what I mean, I thought I’d share some of my best tips to snap out of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad mood:
1. Take a walk and get some fresh air. Sometimes seeing the sun shining can kick that cloud out of there. 2. Look at your schedule and make lunch/dinner dates with friends. Friends help! 3. Make a list of all the things you are thankful for. Sometimes in this state of mind I can forget. 3. Do something for you whether it’s getting a massage, a manicure or a hair cut. Do something that will give you some extra confidence and make you smile. (I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow..it’s been 6 months, can you believe it?) 4. Make a list of things you want to get accomplished each day. I’ve been so overwhelmed with apartment searching and job hunting that spending more than a couple hours on one or the other can make me lose all energy for other things I need and want to do. This is kind of silly but I’m trying to put my days in a class format– Apartment Period, Cleaning Period, Blogging Period, and Job Period. I try to break up the tedious things with something fun, like blogging or emailing a friend. 5. Listen to upbeat music and hopefully it will make you want to dance 🙂 6. If it doesn’t make you dance, do something active. It’s so hot now that working out doesn’t sound very appealing but yoga in a cooled studio sounds a little better. Or go on an early morning walk or hike! 7. Do something good. I donated a bag of clothes to the Goodwill for my last week’s little resolution. It helped me get outside of myself and remember that there are other people in need. It helped give me some much needed perspective. 7. Play with an animal. When I was sad last night I picked up Ginger and almost immediately started to smile! Why are dogs so amazing?
If any of your have some suggestions for getting out of a bad/sad mood, I’d love to hear!
Regular scheduled programming tomorrow, I promise 🙂
Welcome to M Loves M! My name is Mara and I created this lifestyle site in 2009 as a place to share my love of fashion, beauty, food and entertaining. I moved from Southern California to Idaho and love adventuring with my husband Matthew, our two children, and our dog Ginger. We're also pregnant with baby #3, due this autumn! I strive to create a site that’s relatable to women, while also being inspirational. I’m so glad you stopped by!
Last but not least, the crème de la crème, a wash-rind and soft-ripened cheese. Don’t be fooled when you unwrap the boldly fragrant 
