Happy 1st Birthday, BeautyFrosting!

Posted on March 12, 2013 by BeautyFrosting

I would be posting my High-Low of the week but I can’t think of a low to report because…

It’s BeautyFrosting’s 1st birthday!!!

Happy Birthday, BF!

No need to blow out the candles though, today!
I’ve already got everything I could have wished for with readers like you!

We’ll have a big celebratory giveaway later this month – when we announce the winners of our 1st annual BeautyFrosting BFF Awards! So stay tuned…

But, for now, here are some of my favorite moments in this first year of BeautyFrosting!

The beauty…

A year of beauty & pampering...THANK YOU!!!

The baking…

A year of sweetness...THANK YOU!!!!

The being…

A year of "being", a.k.a. lifestyle...THANK YOU!

The celebrations…

A year of celebrations...THANK YOU!!!

And the friends who make this journey oh-so-sweet!

A year of friends...THANK YOU!!!!

I am so grateful for each and every one of you who has read the blog daily, written questions to “Dear Dawn”, watched our videos, entered ourcontests, told your friends about BeautyFrosting, sent us a product to try for BeautyFrosting, followed BF on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram, on YouTube and for all of the praise, suggestions and support you have offered over this past year to me.

And I have LOTS more coming for you in this, our second year! Like what, you ask? How about Foodie Friday with food & restaurant reviews and A Southern Girl’s Guide to LA with spa & business recommendations.

How about that? It all starts THIS weekend! It’s just my way of saying -

THANK YOU for a SUPER SWEET 1st year!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Thank you from my heart to yours! xoxo, Dawn (BF)

xoxo,
BF

***Special note: Why March 12th? I chose to debut BeautyFrosting last year on what would have been my beloved Nanny, Clara Margaret Hayes’s, 99th birthday. Every year that I celebrate a birthday, I am celebrating her and all of the lovely, ladylike things she stood for and taught my mom, my aunt, my cousins and me!

I miss you every day, Nanny…

BF Asks: What was your favorite BeautyFrosting moment this year?

High-Low: A WEEK OF WONDERFUL WOMEN IN MY WORLD!

Posted on March 4, 2013 by BeautyFrosting

Wow, wow, wow!!! What an amazing week filled with oodles of fun with friends and wonderful women in my world!

The week started off with…The Oscars! I had a strange feeling that this might be my last opportunity to sit at home and watch (party invites, etc.) so I decided to take advantage of it. I had brunch and bottomless mimosas with my best friend, Suzanne Karotkin, who was visiting from Dallas and then came home, slipped on my favorite Jessie Steele cupcake pajamas and settled in for the evening with some Village Pizza and vino.

Super indulgent - Oscars Sunday in pjs with pizza!

On Monday, my amazing Mom celebrated her birthday so I did what I could from afar. I prettily packaged her favorite coconut cupcakes from Joan’s on 3rd, shipped them to her in Dallas and then posted a few collages on Facebook so she knew I was thinking of her on her special day! I have the most beautiful mother in the world and I’m lucky that I get to consider her my very best friend and talk to her usually twice a day.

My beautiful Mom!

Mom - the center of our universe.

I was thrilled to welcome my new intern, Maddi – a student at UCLA, to my BeautyFrosting team! I was so excited that I organized one of my favorite Martha Stewart notebooks for her replete with a nametag. Yep, I’m kind of a nerd! I am so excited for the energy, organization, talents, ideas and creativity she is already bringing to the BF team!

Welcome Maddi!!

I was super excited to get to be one of the first to try the all new Dermalogica UltraSmoothing Eye Serum at their flagship store in Santa Monica. It was a lovely evening of pampering, cocktails & eats and treats! Stay tuned for more details on this awesome new eye treatment!

Experiencing the Dermalogica difference in Santa Monica

And this past weekend was a weekend filled with wonderful women that I adore!! Between dinner at Frida in Beverly Hills, wine & tapas at Covell in Silverlake and brunch at Duplex on 3rd, my weekend was packed with fabulous friends!

A wonderful weekend with some of my favorite women!

Then last night, I had the pleasure of trying out the fabulous Flemings SteakHouse in Beverly Hills. As a Texan-turned-Angeleno, I had been craving a steak like nobody’s business, so when the offer to try out this sensational steakhouse presented itself, I felt like the steak gods were in my corner! More on this deliciousness later!

With fun friends At Fleming's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills

After all this, I need a vacation from my weekend!!!! While there was much delicious food this weekend and even more delicious cups of laughter and dishing than glasses of wine, I am in need of a break from all of the social activity.

However, that won’t be happening this week! Too much going on to even mention!

LOWS

My sweet Mom’s birthday was a little tainted by someone being selfish. That made me a little angry, shall we say, as her #1 biggest fan!

And unfortunately, there was a second low. And ohhhhhh-was it low! My beloved, sweet pup Miss Ellie has developed a barking problem since we moved into the place we live now. It has come to a head because she’s barking for hours on end when I leave. I am meeting with a dog trainer who told me that I need to crate-train and stop letting her sleep with me. That hurt. She’s 8 1/2, y’all. I actually cried when she told me that so the trainer probably thinks I need a therapist myself! But I started doing what she told me to do and I’m hoping to see gradual results soon.

I’m really feeling for all of you parents out there. I mean, if this is hard for me, I can only imagine how difficult saying no as a parent will be for me one day! Wish me luck with this little challenge!

Miss Ellie's new "house" -

xoxo,

BF
BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week?

High-Low 17: New Year, New Opportunities

Posted on February 18, 2013 by BeautyFrosting

Well, now, it has been A WHILE since I’ve done a High-Low. My apologies for that, beauties. There have been a lot of changes – for the better – but I didn’t know that at the time.

So what all has happened since December? Well, I left my day job, gained 2 new writing clients, learned some hard lessons about boundaries and betrayal (ouch!), traveled to Dallas for Christmas and back, got the flu and recovered, finished 2 more books in The Cupcake Kid series, had 2 of my commercials air during The Grammys, had a super memorable show at The Hotel Cafe and more! Whew.

HIGHS

Christmas in Dallas was punctuated with breakfasts, dinners, drinks, shows and parties with friends, a myriad of Mi Cocina (my favorite restaurant visits) and LOTS of delicious food!! People often ask where I got the bug for baking and I always tell them from my Mom and her mother, my Nanny. Just look at the deliciousness I get spoiled with when I go home!

When I returned to L.A., I knew New Years was going to be a doozy. I had invitations to 3 parties all over the city. I went to the first one, at my friend Vanessa’s house and in the midst of it, realized I was sick. The flu hit me and I was out for almost 2 weeks!

When I healed, there were lots of events and meetings to attend so I was busy! But not too busy to bust out 2 more books in The Cupake Kid series!

My show at The Hotel Cafe, where I sing my signature bluesy country, was so much fun! I got to play with some of my favorite musicians, see tons of friends, bake Strawberry Milkshake cupcakes to share and top off the night with a dance party with friends at The Room. Goooood times!

Then, I was delighted to be called in to do 2 more Target voiceover commercial spots for Taylor Swift & Pink that aired during The Grammys! 12-year-old me was over the moon!

So far, I am a big fan of 2013!

LOW

If you’d asked me a month ago, I could have told you a low point. I learned the powerful lesson that things really do happen for a reason and that while I might like for everyone to be my close friend, it’s better to keep work relationships separate sometimes.

But now, I realize that the perceived low point was a beautiful opportunity. It opened so many doors. I was amazed, once again, that life truly turns lemons into lemonade sometimes and that lemonade is sweeter than anything you could have imagined.

High-Low 15: CAMP THANKSGIVING

Posted on November 26, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

I am calling this past week, Camp Thanksgiving!
It was craaaaaaazy busy! And I felt a bit like a camp counselor, or like Julie McCoy on The Love Boat, what with planning activities for the week for my brother and friends and me!
I had at least one event/activity every night and I will probably be catching up on sleep all week.

And this next week is my birthday week (the big day is on November 30th) so I have no time to get sick or exhausted!

Without further ado, here is High-Low 15!

HIGHS

1) A fashion illustration by the talented fashion artist/illustrator, Bee, at the J.Crew & Vogue party. I can’t wait to frame this piece!

2) My big brother came into town for Thanksgiving. It’s always so fun when he’s here! But, I swear, if he lived here year-round, I would never get ANYTHING done!

3) The most epic Thanksgiving ever with good friends. My most memorable to date. In my friend Sarah’s backyard with lots of candlelight, wine, games, laughter and a full-on dance party. I kept saying that I felt like we were in some winery commercial. So fun! We were up til 4:30!

4) All of the baking fun that comes with Thanksgiving!!

One of my friends said that this was the best pie he’d ever tasted!

Moonshine Pie (the recipe will be up on Friday):

Cowboy Corn Casserole:

Farmhouse Green Bean Casserole:

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits:

Pumpkin Cherry & Pumpkin Cranberry cupcakes:

And speaking of cupcakes, check out this southern church social/cakewalk spread. Utterly delightful & delicious!

5) The Counting Crows at The Wiltern with friends. Between staying up late, sleeping til noon and catching these guys, I was pretty sure I must have travelled back to 1997 in a time machine.

Such an amazing week and what a sweet way to see this year come to a close for me!

LOWS

Ahhhh, the lows. We have to have a good dose of those with the highs, now don’t we?

This week, I have three. Booooooo.

First of all, I’d like to address my sadistic curling iron: “Listen, honey, if we’re gonna be friends, you’re gonna have to stop burning me. Ouch! ” This is the second time that’s been a low in my life.

I had a miscommunication with a good friend and that pains me even more than the burn did. I feel miserable about it and my heart hurts. That’s when you know a friend is a good one – when you hurt because you may have hurt them. I hope it clears itself up soon. I hope.

And, lastly, as you guys know, I am a little on the Pollyanna side.
Okay, A LOT.
So when people bring out the hate, I am always shocked, appalled and – to be honest – a little amused. Last Friday, my dear friend – a talented blogger, writer, artist, photographer and social media expert was attacked on her personal wall on Facebook…by a “friend”. When will the unhappy & unfulfilled stop projecting their own self-hate onto other people who dare to stick their necks out creatively? Go into therapy, read a self-help book but don’t let the hate win, folks. Life is too short.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week?

High-Low 14: Sweet & Sleepy

Posted on October 22, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

This week was busy. It seems like each week gets busier and busier. Isn’t that the case?

But along with the “busyness” of it all, I am beyond grateful that there were some super sweet moments that made it a week to remember.

Highs

1) My little neighbor & dear friend, Lucy, celebrated her 4th birthday. To celebrate, she had a rockstar fete.

And I baked “Microcone Cupcakes” for the occasion. Get it? Pardon the Phil Dunphy-ness of that.

I’ll put up the recipe for “Microcone Cupcakes” as soon as I get a chance!

2) Attending the J.Haus fashion show was a treat!

A burlap gown!

A gown made entirely of corn!

So fun!

3) I made another batch of my Pink Lemonade cupcakes for my agents last Friday. I try not to eat my treats during the week but it was Friday so I had to try one. It was so delicious, y’all!

4) I had the pleasure of having Tea with Tarte Cosmetics and had the delightful thrill of getting to preview their Holiday ’12 Collection: Baby, It’s Bold Outside.

The candy-colored holiday products had me at hello. All pretty, powerful products that are a morsel of the cost of separate items.

Tarte Holiday Collection: "Baby, It's Bold Outside"!

And I got to see some of my favorite friends, Megan of Meg’s Makeup and my fellow Dallas girl, Roxy, of RedCarpetRoxy:

5) I finally played on Polyvore and oooooooh did I have fun!

I loved it so much that I started a Pinterest board based on my Polyvore-playing. That’s a lot of p’s! Check out BeautyFrosting on Polyvore and Pinterest to see what looks (fashion, accessories, jewelry, hair, makeup, oh my!) are inspiring me right now.

6) And lastly…I copyrighted my first kids books. One is a sweet-themed series and the other is a night-night book. They are my babies and I can’t wait for y’all to read them to your little darlings! Sorry there’s on pic of this so I’m using this one that Amy Opoka took for my BeautyFrosting shoot.

LOW

Tired. I am sooooooo tired. As much as I would love to sleep for a week, I’m off again next weekend to my best friend’s wedding in New Orleans. Sure to be a fun fete-filled weekend, I am also looking forward to sleeping in a few mornings! I have been going non-stop and even me, the Energizer Bunny, has to get my batteries charged sometimes!

Have a beautiful week, everyone!

xoxo,

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week?

High-Low 13: Lemonade

Posted on October 15, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

Dallas. Los Angeles. Little Rock. Los Angeles. Amelia Island, Florida.

Whew. That’s what my travel itinerary has looked like this past month.

I have been on a wedding tour of the south, y’all. And it’s not over yet!

My best friend’s wedding is the last weekend of this month in New Orleans and it’s gonna be fuuuuuun. But first there is work to do. Lots and LOTS of work.

I am so sorry that it’s been almost a month since my last High-Low but I’m here to make that right today. I’m focusing on events of this past week. But never fear! I will have plenty of posts with my favorite moments of the past month’s wedding marathon super soon.

The theme of this past week? Honestly? Lemonade. Baking pink lemonade cupcakes, eating lunch at lemonade, making the proverbial lemonade out of the lemons of life.
And a dash of “lemonade magic”!

Without further ado, here is High-Low 13.

HIGHS

This past weekend, I baked my Pink Lemonade cupcakes for my friend Matty. Actually, for our friend Jake’s birthday but Matty requested them. Ah, the details.

Off-season baking: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

It was a super random, mid-October, non-Autumnal treat. And they were delicious!

I’ve also realized more and more how therapeutic baking is for me.I am such an extrovert that it’s pretty much the only time (besides my bath & sleep) where I’m not talking or writing to someone. I always come up with interesting ideas and insights while I’m busy baking and coming up with new recipes to share with you all.

Baking is my therapy.

Frosting therapy, my friends.

***

Continuing the “Lemonade” theme of it all, I kept it going after walking in the AIDS Walk Los Angeles yesterday. Lemonade is one of my favorite lunch spots in L.A. and I couldn’t think of anything more refreshing after completing a 10K than a salad sampler and Watermelon Rosemary lemonade.

I especially love the sign you see as you walk out of Lemonade:

Stand on this corner, Close Your Eyes, Make A Wish

Whenever I see a sign like this, I feel like magic is alive in the world and it’s right in front of me. Literally. I guess it’s the kiddo in me but I half expect Jiminy Cricket to jump around the pole and say, “Wish granted!”

Love that.

***

Speaking of the AIDS Walk Los Angeles. I am so proud to have been a part of it!

AIDS Walk Los Angeles 2012

Again, there is something lemonade-magical about walking with thousands of people who are each hoping to make a small difference. All with one goal, one vision, one love. Together, we are strong.

It felt good, both spiritually and physically, to walk 6 miles around West Hollywood with a bunch of super positive, proactive people. There were even cheerleaders everywhere!

Not a cheerleader:

With my friend/neigbor, Pjetur:

It’s the small accomplishments in life:

I had set a BIIIIG fundraising goal for myself and, unfortunately, I didn’t meet it. But I still raised a good amount of money for AIDS programs throughout Los Angeles. Thanks to all of YOU who donated, AIDS Walk Los Angeles raised over $2, 271,000! Yaya!!!

The finish line!

LOW

Oh, the lows. We’ve gotta have a few of those, don’t we? This week’s low is only a thought. But it’s one that’s been on my mind a lot lately.

It is so hard when you want to help someone who doesn’t want to help himself.

Gosh, it’s hard. And, oh is it frustrating!

You can try everything in the book – and even some things that aren’t in the book – but until someone wants to help himself, there’s not a lot to be done.

Just waiting. Lots of waiting. And praying. Praying mostly for patience, actually.

I hope none of you out there are going through anything like this right now.
But – if you are – please know that I feel your pain.
And I send you lots of love, lots of patience, lots of hope and lots of luck.

We’ll get through it. Just know that. We. Will. Get. Through. It.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: Did you experience any “lemonade magic” this week?

High-Low 12: Busy

Posted on September 17, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

Helllloooooo everyone!
The next month is a busy one for me! I’m starting my columns, “Primping with” and “Dawn’s Delights” as guest blogger on Giuliana Rancic’s site, FabFitFun, going to a slew of weddings, showers & bachelorette parties, hosting 2 showers, organizing my team for AIDS Walk LA and trying to get as many daily blog posts out to you guys. Whew.

I will do my darndest!

As for now, here is my High-Low this week.

HIGHS

1) The wedding of my friends, Meghan & Jim, in Simi Valley last night.

It was truly a picture out of A MidSummer Night’s Dream.

They are such a beautiful couple and I was so happy to be witness to their magic!

And the cake, from Cake Sensations in Pasadena, was one of my favorite wedding cakes of all time. Deeeeeelish!!!!

I swear! Wedding cake is my favorite food!!!

Plus, all of my friends from my days working with Barbra Streisand were there so it was like a super fun reunion – replete with wine & dancing. I was a dancing machine.

Barbra brought us together: The Barwood girls

At the end of the night, as Eddie Vedder crooned “Stay with me…”, I organized an impromptu dance circle around the happy couple. It was a moment that everyone there will always remember.

A circle of love for the happy couple

2) I’m organizing a team for AIDS Walk LA on Sunday, October 14th. Wanna be on my team and walk with us? Click here & join us! It’s totally FREE to be a member!

If you’d like to donate, all I’m asking is for a donation of $1. That’s all. If you can afford more, great! But $1 is all it will take to make me grin with glee. I figure if I can get 1000 people I know to donate $1, I can raise $1000 for the cause! Click here to donate to our team for AIDS Walk LA! Please be a part of AIDS Walk LA Team BeautyFrosting!!! And, remember, nothing is more beautiful than generosity!

AIDS Walk LA

3) My new Stroganoff Casserole Recipe

I took it over to Jay, Hope, Baby Isla & the grandmas and they said it was delicious!

LOWS

Again, not many lows this week but there was something that rubbed me a little wrong. So I guess that was my low!

The low of the week was a doozy.

It really got me a little down. About friends, about politics, about people.

I wrote a positive remark about something politically. There was not a tinge of hate or negativity in it. And it’s not something that is particularly partisan or anything.

In fact, it was simple positive energy. Celebration, if you will.

An old acquaintance from high school replied to it in a negative, rather defensive way explaining that I didn’t “understand” things.

Then my friends started trying to defend me and she eventually removed her post.

It all made me pretty disappointed.

Here’s the thing.

I love politics. I love the speeches and debates and difference in opinions.

I love sharing information so that we might learn from each other’s differences.

After all, that’s what America is about.

But I don’t like negative politics and/or campaigning.

Why?

It doesn’t work. It’s that simple. It’s been proven in studies time and time again.

All that negative energy, being sent out to our leaders and into the world, can’t do anything but harm us.

Hurt us.

Break us.

I will not refrain from posting positive messages about government or future government officials.

I don’t write hateful comments on anyone else’s words of praise.

So please don’t write them on mine.

I always like to imagine if a child was reading what I said. Would he/she get a positive message about politics?

Would he see the disdain and negativity and get a bad taste in his mouth?

Nothing is worse than that.

No one is going to change anyone’s mind with negative remarks about the beliefs we hold dear.

Call me Pollyanna — and plenty have — but we must be positive and proactive and VOTE to have our voice heard.

Not write negative, demeaning remarks on each other’s Facebook pages.

It just defeats us as a whole.

xoxo,

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week?

High-Low 11: GRATEFUL

Posted on September 10, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

You know when you have a great day – how that reasoning, logical little voice in your head reminds you that this luck/happiness/love/success, etc. won’t last forever?

That mean little voice that might remind us of a bully in school, a negative parent or dream-crushing teacher? Well, this is what I like to say to that little voice when it talks to me meanly in moments of Bliss: “Get on out Devil, I’m not listenin’ to ya.” (I like to say it in a Loretta Lynn – In the Pines – kind of way).

Last week, I said that a few times to myself. And, know what? It worked. When the negative comes in, I always try to counter it with a little positive. You see, as a friend of mine once told me, “The only time you fail is when you stop moving.” And, y’all, this is sooooooo true.

So, after an amazing, affirming week last week, I kept moving this past one. I worked from 7am – midnight doing the best I could. And I was rewarded with an even better week than the last!

This was a week filled with highs and a scarcity of lows. Thank goodness! So the one word that comes to mind this week: GRATEFUL.

HIGHS

1) New Life: Welcome, little Isla

My precious friends, Jay and Hope, gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl, yesterday. They named her Isla. After being a week-and-a-half late and a challenging labor (30 hours!!!), already, this baby is so loved. It’s like the world was waiting for her. And we were! Babies are amazing reminders of how beautiful life is. How precious time is. And how important it is to have family and friends that make this journey so sweet.

I couldn’t stop snapping pics!!!

Love at First Sight: Hope & Isla

Isla

Love sweet moments like these

Grandmas & aunties galore!

I cannot wait to see what a wonderful life this beautiful little biscuit, Miss Isla, is going to have with these two sweet, loving, talented people as her parents. What a lucky girl!

2) Another, please! I booked another voiceover

So with all of my celebrating last week after booking my first SAG-AFTRA voiceover job for UPS, I did not expect this.

I booked a national voiceover for Target! WHAAAAAAAAT?!! So thrilled. So grateful. I can’t stop smiling.

And, of course, I had to have my good friend, Jenn, capture my childlike excitement again. As always, when I get good news, I did herkies, high kicks and cheerleading jumps from my high school days. I think this is becoming a tradition: book a big job, take embarrassingly ridiculous pictures. I mean there were even spirit fingers involved.

Excited as a 5-year-old!

3) Surprise! Flowers at the door

To top off the amazing news that I had just gotten in the car from my agent, I came home to find a lovely bouquet of flowers from my stylist friend, Laura S. She left them for me as a thank you but they couldn’t have been left on a more perfect day!

Surprise! Flowers at my door!

4) Fashion’s Night Out on Robertson

After the excellent news I received that day, I had the perfect place to celebrate – Fashion’s Night Out on Robertson!

My friends, Sharzad Kiadeh of LuxLyfe and Erin Michelle of Well in LA were co-hosting a fabulous event at Hale Bob with stylist supreme, Laurie Graham.

(From L to R): Me, Erin, Samantha, Nicole Myden, Sharzad and Laurie Graham

There, I saw some of my favorite, fabulous, fashionable LA-blogging friends and indulged in a glass – or 2 – of champagne.

Me & a few of my favorite LA bloggers!

I met 2 fellow Texan-turned-LA-girls! Besides the fabulous stylist extraordinaire, Laurie Graham, I also met Lisa H. Los Angeles is a lucky city with those lovely ladies living here!

My new friend (& fellow Texan), Lisa H

5) Having a super-fun session for Target

I had an amazing session doing the spots for Target. And I was a total nerd in that I wore red. Not to mention, I baked cookies. But I do that for all my sessions.

I’ll let y’all know as soon as they start airing! Keep an eye out for me telling you to go grab Taylor Swift’s, Pink’s and No Doubt’s new albums at Target. That’ll be me!

In the booth for Target

6) Celebration

At the end of a long, busy, productive, exciting & blessing-filled week, I was thrilled when my good friend (and power agent), Gloria H called me.

She wanted to catch up and see my kids’ books, too!

So off to Three Twenty Wine Lounge we went. We love that place!

Celebration with Moscato

It was a delightful and delicious way to celebrate! And the perfect end to a perfect day!
And guess what? She’s also a fellow Texan. You know what they say… you can take the girl out of Texas…

LOWS
Honestly, yet again, there weren’t any real lows. But…

Texan girls are made for tornadoes not ‘quakes.

Eeeek. Earthquake. Side to side kind. Never felt that kind before. And I don’t like that we’ve felt 3 so close together in the past 2 months! Miss Ellie and I both couldn’t stop shaking.
Hope that’ll be the end of that for a while. But it’s a little disconcerting when there are so many small ones so close together.

Agh! There that voice is. ”Get on out Devil, I’m not listenin’ to ya.”

xoxo,

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week? Do tell.

High-Low 10

Posted on September 3, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

I have been swamped and my High-Low has become the victim of my busy schedule.

But it has been such an exciting, productive time that I just had to share.

Here is my High-Low 10.

HIGHS

1) I was thrilled to get the call that everyone wants from their agent! A booking call! I booked a national voiceover radio spot for UPS. I am beyond thrilled! So much so that my friend, Kristin, captured my excitement of receiving the news in this collage!

When I'm excited, I resort embarrassingly back to my high school cheerleading days doing herkies and high kicks.

2) Baking a successful new recipe: Sour Cream Apple Pie in a Buttermilk Maple Crust. Yum. Everyone at the BBQ said it was delish!!! I’ll feature the recipe soon! Stay tuned!

Sour Cream Apple Pie with Buttermilk Maple Crust

3) Seeing my favorite band, the Old 97s 2 (!!) nights in a row at the El Rey here in Los Angeles. They were here on the 15th anniversary tour of their album, Too Far To Care. Rhett Miller, the lead singer, grew up in the same Dallas world where I did. He was a coffeehouse darling who became a prodigy and now an alt-country star. I love them so much. My favorite band. Period.

Rhett Miller

Murry Hammond

Rhett Miller of the Old 97s

The first night I went with my super fun friends, Jennifer, April and Sari.

The next with my friend, Jolie, whom I’ve known since I was a kiddo at the Episcopal School of Dallas. Jolie was in my big brother’s class and I always thought she was the coolest!

Me, Murry Hammond and Jolie

But there was nothing cool about us dancing like schoolgirls to Rhett and Murry and the boys… but do we look like we cared?

Dancing like schoolgirls!

4) I also had an AMAAAAAZING time with my fellow LA bloggers and PR friends this week.

Melrose PR’s First BloggywoodLA event at BruHaus. What an awesome place and amazing people!

Nicole Myden & Gina Wade Creative’s “A Dinner To Blog About” at Rosa Mexicano where I met MORE amazing bloggers and had the most delicious food a Tex-Mex addict could enjoy.

The Angeleno Magazine Poolside Beauty Event – A luxurious evening of glammer & glitz on the rooftop of the London West Hollywood. The perfect farewell to summer! Check out our complete Angeleno event post here!

5) And lastly, finishing the first draft of BOTH of my children’s books. I’ve never written a book before and I couldn’t be more excited about these stories! It’s almost as good a feeling as being in love! p.s. I had a verrrry good assistant! She sits in my lap every morning when I work. I’m a lucky kid!

The best assistant a writer could ask for!

LOWS

Hmmm…I don’t have any this week! Wait. That’s not true. It was very hot and I don’t have air conditioning. Then again, being from Texas originally, 90 degrees is not hot. On second thought, Nope, no lows this week. Just gratitude and happiness!!!!

BF Asks: What was your HIGH-LOW this week?

xoxo,
BF

High-Low 9

Posted on August 13, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

Happy last few weeks of summer, golden girls!

I had many memorable moments this week but my favorites came from my party this weekend that I hosted for my big brother, David.

Me with the guest of honor, my big brother - David

David, a.k.a. “Sueno”, has been in Los Angeles for the summer. He lives in Dallas normally, where he is a Government professor, but has had a lovely LA summer out here for the past 2 months.

I’ve been a little more like Julie McCoy – on The Love Boat – than Dawn McCoy, acting as a social coordinator and/or camp counselor for him during his stay here.

It has been a busy, busy summer but a magical and memorable one, as well!

So, of course, I had to give him a proper send-off!

I decided to host “A Fiesta for Sueno” replete with homemade margaritas, summer sangria, friends’ dishes, pie, cupcakes, a kiddie pool and more.

Here are the highlights from the fun fiesta!

HIGHS

The Invite:

My true calling: Party Hostess

The Social Lubrication? Our family’s favorite cocktail. Did somebody say Margarita? I tried to recreate Mi Cocina in Los Angeles. It was good but NOTHING compared to Mi Cocina in Dallas!

Kickin' Cucumber-Jalapeno Margaritas

An added bonus? Utilizing my Nanny’s antique relish tray for customizable margaritas. Love it!

Limes, Jalapeños & Sweet Pickles - oh my!

Pie time!!!

BF and my Avocado Pie with Toasted Coconut and Tequila Whipped Cream

And the food? The food was AMAAAAAAZING!! I made Big Mouth Black Bean Dip, Drunk Pico de Gallo, Zesty Citrus Guacamole, Texas Praline Cupcakes, Avocado Pie with Toasted Coconut & Tequila Whipped Cream and The Devil’s Cupcakes (Mexican Chili Chocolate with Nutella Mascarpone Frosting). And my sweet and culinarily-talented friends brought Bean & Cheese enchiladas, Chicken Enchiladas Suizas, Mexican Lasagna, Mexican Salad and Mexican rice casserole. YUM!!!

The Tex-Mex spread

Kickin' Cucumber-Jalapeno Margarita & Avocado Pie

Even the cupcakes were Tex-Mex themed!

My good friend, Amy, brought the biggest hit of all — A KIDDIE POOL!!! On this super-hot LA day, this saved the party! Adults, and kids alike, were in summer heaven! It never hurts to have a little slice of nostalgia served up with your margarita!

Around the campfire? Not on this scorching hot day!

A few of my favorite girls!!

It was one of my all-time favorite days! A beautiful summer day spent with my brother and good friends. Yet again, I am reminded how fortunate I am. To live in this beautiful, beachside city and to have the best friends that make throwing a party an effortless affair.

I know it’s gonna be hard to say goodbye to my big brother but, at least, we have this fun fiesta as a beautiful memory of his time here. Fiesta, indeed.

LOW

Ouch!!

Ouch!!!!!!! That’s what I said when I reached into the drawer of my vanity, to pull out my hairbrush, and was met with a searing pain instead. I’m applying neosporin, and crossing my fingers, praying it doesn’t scar. But it’s a bummer because it’s on my makeup swatting hand! Just thankful it wasn’t worse!

xoxo,

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week?