juliavalley

Great Gatsby Soiree – Costumes, Cakes, and Champagne

Published on May 11, 2015October 26, 2016 by juliavalley9 Comments

Themed parties are the absolute best. Everyone has an excuse to dress up, they make for the best decorations, and it gives you a reason to try a bunch of new drink recipes! For Megan’s birthday this year we decided to go with the perfect little Great Gatsby soiree. Like I said, the three main parts of the party included costumes, swanky decor, and 20s style cocktails. Oh, and it wouldn’t be a birthday without a HUGE cake! Check out how we transformed our apartment and forced our guests into full Gatsby party mode (ok, maybe a tad less glamour, but an equal amount of glitter). Continue reading “Great Gatsby Soiree – Costumes, Cakes, and Champagne” →

Chartreuse Pleated Skirt Sewing Tutorial

Published on May 5, 2015February 2, 2017 by juliavalley41 Comments

I’ve been color obsessing this Spring. Anything in pink or chartreuse has been calling out to me like an adorable little puppy telling me to buy it. Continue reading “Chartreuse Pleated Skirt Sewing Tutorial” →

Brunch at Mark’s: Southern Eggs Benedict and Honey Roasted Grapefruit Recipes

Published on April 28, 2015October 26, 2016 by juliavalley3 Comments

A week back, Kyle and I went on a trip to visit a good friend of ours in DC. Being the lovely host that he is, as well as a cooking aficionado eager to take me up on joint blog post, Mark treated us to the most fantastic brunch! Ideas swirled back and forth the week before we arrived, and we settled on this perfection of a brunch: Southern Style Eggs Benedict (of sorts) accompanied by honey roasted ruby red grapefruit. My mouth is watering just thinking about it again. Continue reading “Brunch at Mark’s: Southern Eggs Benedict and Honey Roasted Grapefruit Recipes” →

Baking Cookies in Monstrous Proportions: Monster Cookie Recipe

Published on April 13, 2015October 26, 2016 by juliavalleyLeave a comment

There are so many cookie recipes out there, it’s hard to say I have a favorite. I’m a sucker for a fantastic peanut butter cookie recipe (check mine out here). Then there are oatmeal raisin that are so comforting and make the entire house smell like grandma’s. A classic fallback are good ole chocolate chip cookies, which I tend to make the most. But really, why pick one when you could have them all? Continue reading “Baking Cookies in Monstrous Proportions: Monster Cookie Recipe” →

DIY Fit and Flare Sun Dress Sewing Tutorial

Published on April 13, 2015February 2, 2017 by juliavalley26 Comments

Spring is here and that means my jeans are going into hibernation. Weather that allows me to not wear pants is the best. Though I have quite a few dresses, I have a couple that I tend to gravitate toward every time I reach into my closet. My faves tend to be:

1. Colorful! If I only get one piece of clothing, I’m not about to make it boring.

2. Comfortable. None of this tight everywhere or super short business. I just don’t end up wearing those ones very much.

3. Flattering. If you feel good in it, you’ll always want to wear it! Continue reading “DIY Fit and Flare Sun Dress Sewing Tutorial” →

Homemade Floral Body Scrub – Recycling Your Bouquet

Published on April 7, 2015October 10, 2017 by juliavalley3 Comments

After my trip to Hawaii was over, I held on to that vacation as long as possible. After snatching every lei out of the garbage can after the luau, I threw them into my bag, determined to get them home. They made it back surprisingly well, but after about a week I was noticing some wilting petals. Continue reading “Homemade Floral Body Scrub – Recycling Your Bouquet” →

Luau Loving and Final Maui Adventures

Published on April 3, 2015January 24, 2017 by juliavalleyLeave a comment

Three weeks after my trip, I’m finally getting my last and final blog post up about Hawaii. Though it is the last, it includes possibly one of my favorite nights of the trip! Mid week we got a decent amount of rain, so shopping and reading on the porch filled much of our time. We also tried to drive up to the top of Haleakala to see the volcano, but once we got there it was cold. Like 30s and raining… I wore shorts. We took a look at the gorgeous sights, snapped a photo or two, and hopped back into the car. Continue reading “Luau Loving and Final Maui Adventures” →

Hawaiian Coconut Pineapple Crumble Recipe

Published on March 31, 2015October 26, 2016 by juliavalley2 Comments

Being in Hawaii for Spring Break was incredibly inspiring. I can see why artists go on extravagant adventures to places they’ve never been before. Getting to experience such a unique culture in Maui was eye opening and exciting! I saw new animals, ate new foods, smelled new plants, and breathed the ocean air in a way I never had before. Continue reading “Hawaiian Coconut Pineapple Crumble Recipe” →