Marilyn Mon-Role Model

How would you answer the question, "if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?" The first person who always come to mind for me is Marilyn Monroe. I want to ask her how she really died (was it an accidental overdose, was it a murder, was it a suicide). I want to know how tall she is in real life (I'm guessing she's actually quite small). I want to know how she feels about being an icon to the likes of Madonna, Lindsay Lohan, Anna Nicole Smith, me, and other embarrassments to society. But mostly, I just want to know what she would wear!

Maybe it's because I've lived in D.C. for 6 years, but I feel like most chicks I know are all about Jackie O. with her helmet hair, pillbox hats, and waspy accent. I don't mean to be rude (sure I do), but I think she is snoozeville USA. I mean, hair that doesn't move and barely-there-make-up? No. Absolutely not. 

Of course, Marilyn oozes sex and glamour, but for me, she also exudes humor (most of her roles were comedic and everyone she worked with spoke of her impeccable sense of timing) and intelligence (she wasn't formally educated, but she was incredibly well-read and left behind a legacy of brilliant quotes), highly unusual pairings when you think about the dichotomy of, say, Courtney Stodden and Amy Farrah Fowler, for example.

So yeah, she was a sexpot, gorgeous, funny, and smart. I mean, of COURSE I idolize her!

When I was visiting my parents last week, my mom (who is also a huge Marilyn fan) and I watched "My Week with Marilyn," which inspired our own mini Marilyn movie marathon, including "The Prince & Me" (the movie she was filming in My Week with Marilyn) and "The Seven Year Itch." 

I don't care how superficial this sounds, but I was so taken with her beauty that I decided to just Google and Pin a bunch of pictures of her in a simple-minded attempt to absorb some of her good looks through internet osmosis...or something. I told you it was simple-minded. I was especially delighted to find this magazine feature where she talks about her eating habits, which is pretty much a Paleo diet, minus the random ice cream sundaes.

It pretty much proves we're soul mates. It also proves that we really WOULD be the perfect dinner companions. 

So, if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would YOU choose? And what would you eat?!

A Punch of Green

{Blouse: Equipment; Jeans: Express; Sandals: Steve Madden (similar); Necklace: Spike the Punch;
Watch: Michael Kors; Sunglasses: Thierry Lasry; Bag: Foley+Corinna; Lipgloss: Chanel Jalousie}

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that you'd be seeing more of my Spike the Punch necklace, and here it is! I figured something as bright and sparkly as this 7-row rhinestone necklace deserved an equally bright ensemble. After all, more is more. I buttoned the blouse all the way to my neck, feeling very Lana del Rey  meetsHeathers. With my fresh blow out from the Blow Dry Bar, I was the vision of springtime freshness and drag queen fierceness, just the way I like it.

Getting Drunk on Hair at The Blow Dry Bar

Once upon a time, my blog was about one thing and one thing only: cupcakes. You thought I was going to say being really, really good looking, didn't you? That's just what it's about now. But when this here blog was simply about precious cupcakes, I wrote a girl-crush post about Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere, in which I questioned whether I should expand my blog's focus (Spoiler Alert: I did).

In that post, I specifically mentioned Emily's trip to a blow out-only hair salon. That was almost two years ago, and I've been dreaming about it ever since, so when I discovered Houston had their own version called the Blow Dry Bar, I practically peed myself from delight!

After convincing my mom it would be $35 well spent ($45 in her case, since she has so much hair), we booked our appointments for my trip back home last week.

The place is fresh and feminine, accented with Tiffany blue accessories and chandeliers.

Of course, no self respecting "bar" would be without their coasters...

 ...or menu options:

 I went with On the Rocks.

Here I am before, looking pretty damn good:

 ...but here I am after, looking even better (which I wouldn't have thought possible):

I've said before how it's always been really difficult for me to find someone who can blow dry my unruly hair as well as me, but I was pretty impressed with my hairtender? at the Blow Dry Bar. She used several large round brushes and finished off the look with a 1 inch barrel curling iron to create the soft, loose waves in my hair. I left feeling pretty good about the whole experience and more frustrated than ever that D.C. still doesn't have one of these. Like, how is that even possible???

So, anyone else ever been to a blow dry bar? How did you like it? Which style did you choose??

When in Texas...

...do as the Texans do!

Add 50-inch wheels to your F-150 to make you feel like you're always at a monster truck rally, even if you're just in the grocery store parking lot. (Editor's note: Also, enjoy the ample space that makes parking lots even possible.)

Order two margaritas with your Tex-Mex and dessert. Ya know, because you can't get anything good in D.C.

Catch up with the adorable puppies your mom refers to as your "sisters."

What I'm trying to say is, I'm at home in Texas, just trying to absorb all of it I can. I'll probably be hit or miss with the blog posts this week (which obviously explains why there's no TwoFaced recipes today), but I'll be back in high gear next week! 

So, what other stereotypical Texan things should I do this week? And you can't say "watch 3 episodes back-to-back of GCB" because we did that last night.

Friday Fun Find: Spike the Punch Addison Necklace

{Spike the Punch Addison Necklace, $50}

I feel like today's FFF is a true find! For those of you already acquainted with Etsy jewelry designer Spike the Punch, I don't have to tell you how difficult it is to get your hands on these limited pieces. For those of you not familiar with Spike the Punch, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??? Shop owner Elizabeth might as well be called the "rhinestone whisperer" with her candy-colored necklaces (that sell out in mere minutes) and the Marie Antionette-worthy bib necklace before you that I miraculously managed to get my grubby hands on.

Generally, FFF is all about sharing things I love with the Cupcult so that you might also bask in the gloriousness of whatever I'm featuring, but I'll level with you: even as I write this, there's only 1 more Addison necklace available. My guess is it'll be gone by the time you see this, and for that, I'm sorry. But I won't say that I'm sorry I have one and you don't. Because I'm not. You know what I am sorry for? That I'm not sorry. You know what I'm also not sorry for? That I'll soon be sharing a look with you featuring this necklace. Now that's something we can all enjoy. You know me--doer of good deeds for everyone.

Who else has been lucky enough to score one of these coveted STP items? How many pieces do you own? How did you manage to get your hands on them???

Scents and Scentsability: A Jo Malone Love Story

I was an awkward, dramatic, and outspoken 11-year-old when I started wearing my first fragrance that didn't come from a Barbie box. (You remember those right? The little solid perfumes in round plastic discs, smelling reminiscent of a baby prostitute?) My perfume of choice was then newly released ck one, the unisex "cologne" that launched a million black and white ads featuring unisex looking people and an obsession with all things Calvin Klein, at least in my Houston suburb middle school circa 1996.

When I went off to high school, I then discovered Chanel fragrances, and quickly accumulated a collection that included Chance, Allure, and No. 5. I also quickly lost many friends, citing painful headaches likely induced by the gallons of whore bath I drowned myself in every morning. But I didn't care--it was worth it.

My love of fragrance hasn't slowed down in the past decade. From Ralph Lauren's Blue to Kate Walsh's Boyfriend to Givenchy's Very Irresistible, I simply can't.get.enough. If I were ever on an episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive, it would be because I was buried under a pile of perfume samples and body oils and yelling about having "the vapors" or something equally incomprehensible. I don't believe in having a "signature scent," because there are far too many odoriferous (yes, real word) ones to enjoy. Cue Jo Malone, fragrance juggernaut:

The Jo Malone fragrance line has everything you might possibly want in fragrance form: candles, colognes, lotions, body wash, and body oils. And while all the scents are named after various florals (i.e., orange blossom, white lily, and jasmine), they are surprisingly unfloral, thank goodness. I hate floral scents. The end.

I scored some major loot for my first Jo Malone purchase a couple weeks ago, thanks to buddying up to the sales woman at the counter. I bought the candle and the cologne you see above in one of my favorite scents, White Jasmine & Mint, but I also scored these mini samples of cologne in Grapefruit and Lime Basil & Mandarin, just for, ya know, being me prolly:

JK, it was some "spend more than you intended and probably should and we'll give you this free junk you don't need" deal. You know the kind. I like them enough, but I doubt I'd actually buy these scents with money, but free is good.

Can we just talk about the packaging for a sec? I mean, the candle is adorable wrapped in plastic and tied with a bow, but did you see the box above?? Literally wrapped like a present. Just in case a box tied in a bow doesn't ring your bell, the sales woman really impressed me by spraying the tissue paper in the bag with the scent I bought. Zut alors, y'all!!!

And because it was the end of her shift on a Friday night and her feet probably hurt and she might have been bored and what does she care 'cus it's not her money anyway, the sales woman also sent me off with half a dozen mini samples of other fragrances. I'm basically obsessed with Amber & Lavender and Pomegranate Noir now.

What I don't have a picture of is the sample of body oil she included as well. So if you're keeping track at home, that's:
- a White Jasmine & Mint candle
- a bottle of cologne in White Jasmine & Mint
- two mini bottles of other fragrances
- 6 samples of 6 OTHER scents
- a sample of body oil
I pretty much feel like I robbed the Jo Malone booth. In a good way.

If I were recommending any one item to someone to try for the first time, I'd suggest either a fragrance or a lotion. The body oil is nice, but not as moisturizing as you might want it to be. And though I love a good candle, the scent isn't as strong as I want it to be. But like I said, I want to smell like a baby prostitute, so maybe it'd be strong enough for you. Or you mom. I mean, hello! Mother's Day is just around the corner. What better way to tell mom you love her than by insinuating she stinks? I mean, am I right???

Any other Jo Malone devotees out there? Which fragrance do you love? And what are you getting your Mom for Mother's Day??

TwoFaced: Olives

"TwoFaced Tuesdays" is a joint venture between CupcakesOMG! and Jenna from The Paleo Project. Each week, we select one secret ingredient and put our own paleo spin on it. You can catch up on the entire series here. Also, if you have any special ingredient requests, you can always tweet us (@CupcakesOhMG and @ThePaleoProject) using the hashtag #TwoFacedTuesday.

100% of the time I go home to visit my parents in Houston, we eat Mexican food 80% of  the time. I will order enchiladas 100% of those times, which means that 1,500% of the time Mexican food outside of the state of Texas is horseshit. Math, y'all!!

And yes, that does include Mexico. and no, I don't speak from experience. Details like those are irrelevant!

More on things that are relevant--enchiladas. I gave up trying to find a decent Mexican restaurant in D.C. long ago, after ordering too many bowls of queso made with Velveeta and Rotel (NOT queso) and enchiladas devoid of an adequate amount of cheese. Now, I'll only step foot in a Northeastern/Mid-Atlantic "Mexican" restaurant to order a margarita, so I can literally drown my Mexican-food-longing sorrows in tequila. Fun fact: Tequila is considered one of the most "Paleo" of liquors.

Clearly, I was suffering some Pavlovian response to the idea of going home next week, which I assume is why I couldn't stop craving enchiladas this weekend. And because there was no restaurant where I'd get anything even half as good as the real thing, I figured it was the perfect occasion to experiment with my new Paleo enchilada recipe.

For the record, I'm aware cheese isn't considered "Paleo" in many circles, but dammit if I would make the same mistake as all the Yanks up here and leave it out for the sake of being true Paleo. 

I am also aware that sour cream isn't true Paleo either, but screw you man!!!! It's delicious with the coconut flour torillas and ground beef and olive filling (there's the TwoFaced ingredient you were waiting for!).

This was an absolutely fantastic paleo swap for the real thing, and a far better option to anything I've been served in a Mexican restaurant north of the TexArkana border.

For more olive-y goodness, you have to check out what Jenna whipped up at The Paleo Project!!

Paleo Beef Enchiladas

Makes about 8 servings

For the tortillas (makes about 12 tortillas)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp. water (more if mixture seems too thick)
• coconut oil

For the meat

• 1 can (28 oz) Red Enchilada sauce--check the labels and pick something sugar free
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds grass-fed ground beed
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3-4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can large black olives, chopped
• green onions, chopped
• cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. While oven preheats, make the tortillas by whisking together all the ingredients until batter is slightly thin (add more water if it's too thick).

3. Heat a tsp. of coconut oil in non-stick pan over medium heat. Once oil has melted, add about 2-3 Tbsp. of batter, swirling around in pan as you pour to get a thin tortilla. Brown on first side for about 2 minutes, or until the tortilla can easily be flipped over. Flip and brown on other side. Remove to cool on a cooling rack or plate and finish cooking remaining tortillas. Set aside.

4. Make the enchilada sauce by bringing red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes.

5. While the sauce simmers, brown the beef in a skillet with the onions. Drain off some of the excess fat then add the green chiles and salt. 

6. To assemble the enchiladas, ladle about 1/2 cup of red sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, spreading out evenly.

7. Spoon meat, cheese, olives, and green onions into each tortilla. Roll tortilla up and place seam down in the dish. Repeat until pan is full (it's okay for the enchiladas to be in tight together). Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with a thick layer of cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with green onion and cilantro before serving. Serve with sliced avocado and sour cream.  

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

I had an epiphany this weekend: I hadn't made cupcakes in, like, months. I might as well be saying I hadn't breathed in months, it's that serious. 

For me, baking, particularly baking cupcakes, is akin to living. Since I just wrapped up a 30-day paleo challenge, I felt like the Easter weekend was an opportune time to try out my new Springtime cupcake falvor, Lemon Raspberry.

Generally, I don't waver in my opinion of my abilities, but I'll be honest...I wasn't sure I still knew how to bake. I mean, I cook all the time, but was it possible I could have fallen out of practice in the last few months? Might I not be able to get the right pouf in the cake? Would the frosting be too runny? Oh god. What if they were just--ugly?!?!

You'll be glad to know my fears were completely unfounded. I'd like to be able to say "hey you guys, it's just like riding a bike!" but those of you that know me personally know I never learned how to ride a bike, so I can't substantiate that comparison.

So yeah, these were incredible and quite popular among the friends I shared them with Saturday night. The lemon cake is fluffy, and when filled with lemon curd, the perfect amount of tart, which is paired perfectly with the sweet raspberry buttercream on top.

I'm pretty sure if there's fruit in them, cupcakes have no calories.

I'm pretty sure.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Makes about 2 dozen


For the cake

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• lemon zest from two lemons
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 jar good quality lemon curd (or you can make your own)

For the buttercream

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 pint of raspberries
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

2. Combine cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Whisk buttermilk and egg whites in another bowl to combine.

4. In a stand mixer, combine sugar and lemon zest on low speed until the sugar is fragrant and moist. Add butter and beat at full speed until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes.

5. Add vanilla and lemon juice to the butter mixture. Then add 1/3 of the dry ingredients on medium speed until incorporated. Then add half of the milk mixture until just incorporated. Continue to add the flour and then the milk, ending with the flour mixture until all the ingredients are combined. Finally, beat the batter another minute or two to ensure everything is combined and aerated.

6. Using an ice scream scoop, divide the batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool.

7. While cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. Whip the butter in a stand mixer on high until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar in 1 cup increments until you get it to the sweetness you desire.

8. In a food processor, puree raspberries. Add the puree to the buttercream and continue to whip until the puree is well incorporated. Add milk if needed to get a thinner consistency.

9. Refrigerate for a few minutes while cupcakes continue to cool. 

10. Using a pairing knife or an apple corer, remove the center of the cupcake about halfway down. Fill the hole with a dollop of lemon curd. Top with buttercream and a fresh raspberry before serving.