Best Crystal Bag Dupes for Prada and Balenciaga

*** Disclaimer: I put this at the top of every dupe post but if you are looking for replicas, fakes, 1:1 copies this is not the page for you! This is a list of the best crystal bag dupes for spring but these pieces do not try to be or directly replicate the designer bags they take inspiration from. I do not promote those types of inauthentic goods and never will. What I do promote is everyone being able to afford the look they are going for without copying a brands protected IP. For more check out this post.

So I will admit I didn’t get crystal hype at first. I have always loved shiny things but I just didn’t know where one would wear a full crystal bag. But then I got my Prada Reedition 2005 in platinum crystal and found that sparkles can be carried anywhere! My bag has been to sushi, Whole foods, Costco, my best friends house and the post office! If you don’t mind a bit of attention, crystals and sparkles can literally be worn anywhere.

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The Best Holiday Sugar Cookies

(Recipe for Cookies & Icing)

My Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies!

To me there is no more quintessential holiday dessert than the sugar cookie. We see them at the grocery store, at work office parties, and in the homes of loved ones around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. But not all sugar cookies are created equal. My below tips and tricks will help you create some of the most beautiful and yummy sugar cookies!

The Sugar Cookie Recipe 

1 ¼ cup salted butter (room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 cups all-purpose flour 

  1. Measure out the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Place together in the bowl of your mixer and mix. Mix on medium to low speed until smooth. (This is normally about 3 minutes.) 
  2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. Add egg and mix.
  4. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. 
  5. Slowly add in flour and mix until a soft dough forms. You will know the dough is ready when it pulls away from the side of the bowl.
  6. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll with a rolling pin to desired thickness. 
  7. Place the dough in the freezer for at least one hour. 
  8. Cut the dough into desired shapes with cutters. 
  9. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes.
  10. Allow cookies to cool before frosting. 

Pro Tip: Make sure to freeze your dough- it really does make all the difference! If the dough gets warm between you cutting out the shapes and baking put the cut out dough back in the freezer for a bit before it goes in the oven. 

The best mixer of all time!

The Royal Icing Recipe 

2 lbs (one bag) of powdered sugar 

5 tablespoons meringue powder 

¾ cups warm water 

  1. Measure out powdered sugar and meringue powder in the bowl. Mix together. 
  2. Slowly add in warm water until you get your exact consistency. For me that means the icing is dripping off the mixer head at a pretty even pace. 
  3. If the icing is too runny add more powdered sugar. If the icing is too thick add more warm water. 
  4. Add dye to create desired color(s). 
  5. Yes, the icing recipe is really this simple. 

Pro tip: If you need white frosting, take that out and bag it first. Then mix in the dye for your next lightest color. Continue mixing colors over top of each other. For example I mixed white, then light orange, then dark orange, then brown. This was all with the same white starting color and added dye for each different color I wanted to the same mixing bowl. 

I find that the right tools make this baking process a lot easier- and quicker! For both the cookie recipe and the icing recipe, hand mixing is not going to get the consistency you want. To achieve smooth dough and icing, I recommend the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer. Normally this mixer costs about $400 but through the eBay refurbished program you can get one for about $220. To make it even sweeter the item comes with up to a 2 year warranty. That’s great savings for an item that will literally last you decades! (I know this from personal experience as my mom has had her KitchenAid mixer for about 35 years!). Another tool you need to have for this is a rolling pin. There is no way to get the dough the right thickness without rolling it out. And if you do not roll it out there is no point of freezing the dough…which will lead to your shapes spreading in the oven. And the last tool I recommend is a scribe. Without this little piece of metal it’s basically impossible to flood the cookies correctly and get a nice even texture. 

Everything needed to make the sugar cookie recipe!

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Striped Sweater Weather is Here!

Striped Sweater from Abercrombie

Fall is almost here…or if your like me it’s been here since September 1st- even if the weather does not want to cooperate. And this fall the most popular sweater- the striped sweater! Not surprisingly a lot of these sweaters are already sold out- because everyone is ready for fall too! Below are my favorite striped sweaters for every type of fall!

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Isabel Marant Etoile Plaid Coat Dupes

Isabel Marant Etoile Plaid Coat
Style: Gabriel
Colorway: Rosewood

The Isabel Marant Etoile Plaid Coat... a coat I coveted for many years until I bought one on sale last spring from Cettire. This coat has been around for awhile in the fashion crowd making it somewhat of a fall/winter fashionista classic. Plus, lets be real, anything plaid will always been “in” for fall/ winter because plaid/ checks are staple pattern for the cozy time of year. Below are my fav dupes for this coat!

*** Disclaimer: These are the best luxury sandal dupes for the Isabel Marant Etoile Plaid Coat. I put this at the top of every dupe post but if you are looking for replicas, fakes, 1:1 copies this is not the page for you! This is a list of the best dupes for the Isabel Marant Etoile Plaid Coat but does not try to be or directly replicate the coat. I do not promote those types of inauthentic goods and never will. What I do promote is everyone being able to afford the look they are going for without copying a brands protected IP. For more check out this post.

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5 Must Have Pieces from Sezane

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Sezane and wish that my whole closet was made up of pieces from the brand but sadly thats not in the budget. With most pieces costing over $100, it makes sense to buy pieces that are staples and you will wear for years and years. Below are my 5 favorite pieces from Sezane that I would call Parisian staples.

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Best Nail Salons In Silicon Valley

This spring I went on a nail odyssey! I tried out different nail shapes, colors, and styles. I visited different salons in San Mateo County to find the best nail salons in Silicon Valley and I learned about the San Mateo County Healthy Nail Salon Program. The Program was launched in 2013 due to health concerns for nail technicians and customers exposed to hazardous chemicals found in nail salon products. Salons that are part of this program use less toxic products, safer practices, and better ventilation. Currently there are 15 salons that are part of the program in San Mateo County with more across San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Alameda counties. Want to learn more about the San Mateo County Healthy Nail Salon Program? Visit smchealth.org/healthynails

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Dupes for the Sezane Achilles Sweater

This is the Sezane Achilles Sweater in Mottled Beige in an XS.

*** Disclaimer: These are Dupes for the Sezane Achilles Sweater. I put this at the top of every dupe post but if you are looking for replicas, fakes, 1:1 copies this is not the page for you! This is a list of the best dupes for the Sezane Achilles Sweater but do not try to be or directly replicate the Sezane Achilles Sweater. I do not promote those types of inauthentic goods and never will. What I do promote is everyone being able to afford the look they are going for without copying a brands protected IP. For more check out this post.

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The Best Luxury Sandal Dupes from Target for Spring/ Summer 2022

*** Disclaimer: These are the best luxury sandal dupes from Target for Spring/ Summer 2022. I put this at the top of every dupe post but if you are looking for replicas, fakes, 1:1 copies this is not the page for you! This is a list of the best luxury sandal dupes from Target for Spring/ Summer 2022.but do not try to be or directly replicate these shoes. I do not promote those types of inauthentic goods and never will. What I do promote is everyone being able to afford the look they are going for without copying a brands protected IP. For more check out this post.

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Gucci Rubber Mules Dupes

*** Disclaimer: These are Gucci rubber mule dupes. I put this at the top of every dupe post but if you are looking for replicas, fakes, 1:1 copies this is not the page for you! This is a list of the best dupes for the Gucci rubber mules (also called the Gucci rubber slide sandals) but do not try to be or directly replicate the Gucci rubber mules. I do not promote those types of inauthentic goods and never will. What I do promote is everyone being able to afford the look they are going for without copying a brands protected IP. For more check out this post.

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Classic Chanel Ballerina Dupes

My 3 Favorite French Brands: Sezane, Celine and Chanel

*** Disclaimer: I put this at the top of every dupe post but if you are looking for replicas, fakes, 1:1 copies this is not the page for you! This is a list of the best dupes for the Chanel ballerina (also know as the Chanel ballet flats) but do not try to be or directly replicate the Chanel ballerinas. I do not promote those types of inauthentic goods and never will. What I do promote is everyone being able to afford the look they are going for without copying a brands protected IP. For more check out this post.

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