Weekend Wrap-up

It's been a wonderfully relaxing weekend aside from a minor plumbing emergency (roots in the pipes) and an accidental metal in microwave situation that led to sparks. Friday night we dined at our favorite Bar La Grassa which is always a treat. With a party of 6 we were able to order just about everything on the menu...yum yum yum!

Saturday we finally started assembling our "art wall" and I'm so excited to keep adding to it! It's definitely a work in progress so I will continue to post updates.

I spent most of today baking for guests that are coming over tonight. I made my first ever poppyseed cake with cream cheese frosting (an Aufmuth family fav)!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too!

XO

Food Truck Frenzy

The food truck craze has taken off full force in MSP. We Minneapolitans love to be outside as much as possible during our 3 months of warmth and what is better fitted to a curbside meal than the availability of many mouth watering, locally produced bites from a food truck? 

My love for the truck dates back to high school when my sister and I would stalk the Antojitos taco truck in Redwood City, CA. Two white girls in a nice car prowling around "little mexico" in search of the most amazing mouth watering carne asada tacos ever. Sadly the truck disappeared after a few years and we were left with nothing. 

My second phase of food truck love came during my 4 years as a college student in Madison. Like Minneapolis, Madisonites bask in the sun as much as possible May-September and the food truck square at the end of State Street is there to prove it. Not to mention Jin's Chicken which on any given night has about a half hour line at 2:30am.

My life is now slightly different...no "little mexico's" in about a 1,000 mile radius of MN and no middle-of-the-night Jin's Chicken Binges, but one thing is still the same...TONS of delicious food trucks (and more than ever before). If you ever need a quick bite just walk down Nicollet on a thursday at noon where the pedestrian-only street is bustling with people shopping the farmers market, the working crowd eating fancy lunches and of course the plethora of amazing food truck options: Dandelion Kitchen, Chef Shack and Smack Shack to name a few....For the time being, feast your eyes on these delicious locally grown/farm raised (minus the lobster) bites. And if you're ever looking for me on a thursday...

...you now know where to find me :)

XO

Santa Fe tidbits

Pat and I recently took a trip to one of my fav destinations: Santa Fe, NM. What a wonderful place to eat amazing food, shop beautiful artisan goods and view unique artwork. We had the best trip but the highlights include our dinner at La Boca and the newest addition to our home...

La Boca Santa Fe
Two of our many incredible dishes of the evening. The Morels were to die for...

Our amazing cow from the newly re-opened Arroyo Gallery owned by the wonderful Scott MacLaren. 

So many sights to see and foods to eat this is merely the tip of the iceberg. I hope you all are able to experience this beautiful city at some point in your life!

XO

Fall in Love with Jcrew Fall

I'm currently coveting just about every piece in Jcrew's fall collection. These gorgeous wool skirts and capris come in a variety of bright colors and I'm loving the look of this season's slightly longer pencil skirt. Leopard print all around? yes please! Top it off with a little color blocking action and I'm now ready to embrace the end of summer with open arms...

XO

My faithful skin care regimen

SkinCare by paufmuth on Polyvore.com

Phytomer Expert Youth Wrinkle Correction Cream, $100
SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF, $152
SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex, $85
SkinCeuticals Phyto +, $78

Phytomer HydraContinue Instant Moisture Cream, $61

Shiseido Purifying Cleansing Foam, $31

Phytomer Rose Visage Toner, $30

I credit Spalon Montage with getting me hooked on nice expensive skin care products. I've become such a sucker for any and all products from their two main lines- SkinCeuticals and Phytomer. Both are spendy (especially when you get into the serums) but the products work wonders for your skin and overall complexion. My justification is that it's worth the money to take care of my skin now so that it looks wonderful and expensive in 10 years! I've included my morning and evening regimens for those of you that are interested in the products I use. 

I love my Shiseido purifying cleansing foam because it is creamy with a small amount of exfoliation beads and leaves your face feeling absolutely clean and make up free. After cleansing in the morning I apply a few drops of SkinCeutical Phloretin CF all over my face. Phloretin CF is an amazing antioxidant that "protects against not only free radicals but other molecules known to cause damage to your skin cells".  In addition "it corrects existing damage by stimulating the synthesis of essential proteins and fibers and accelrating cell turnover". The result is a more youthful, firm, radiant appearance and I LOVE it! It's also excellent to use under sunscreen (such as the SkinCeuticals option I mentioned in the "It's a scorcher today" post) to provide complete and utter protection from sun damage. I finish off my morning routine with Phytomer's HydraContinue instant moisture cream. It's light and very moisturizing- perfect for these humid summer days. 

In the evening I follow a similar regimen with a slightly different mix of products. I start by cleansing my face with the Shiseido product mentioned above. To remove all make up remnants I use Phyotomer's Rose Visage toner. Light with a nice scent, it leaves your skin feeling totally fresh. I then apply a small amount of Phto+ serum. "This botanical gel for hyperpigmentation is an advanced lightening formula combining four active ingredients to diminish discoloration and improve the overall health of the skin". This is a product that was recommended to me by my dermatologist (they sell SkinCeuticals at her office so you know it's a good product!). She uses it morning and night which you can do as well. Lastly, I use phytomer expert youth wrinkle correction cream. I love this product for its thick creamy consistency. It's VERY moisturizing and my go to product in the winter when my skin gets dry! I top everything off with a little eye cream beneath the eyes. 

This sounds long and complicated by my skin has totally changed in the year that I've been using these products so if you're looking for a change try some of them too! Happy skin care product hunting!!

XO

Crazy for Pesto

Anyone who knows the Aufmuth family knows that Jeanne's homemade pesto is a staple in our household.  While nothing can ever beat the family recipe, I'm such a lover of all things pesto that I often try other fun variations. Jeanne's alternate cilantro pesto is delish but for a little more pesto pizazz try the following tasty recipes:

Israeli Couscous and Tomato Salad with Arugula Pesto

We tried this recipe last night and loved it. The fresh tomatoes and parmesan mix with the natural peppery flavor of the arugula to make a delicious light summer dish.

Asparagus and Spinach Pesto with Pasta and Blackened Shrimp

This is one of my go to recipes that I always circle back to. The aspargus pesto is warm and creamy and the blackened shrimp (I make my own mix of blackening spices) adds just the right kick to an otherwise subtle pesto flavor.

Lastly, for the serious pesto connoisseur, you must check out the amazing Pesto Dealer based out of Berlin, Germany. We discovered this gem on our trip this past spring but unfortunately time did not allow for an in person visit. I absolutely love their business idea, especially their "pesto evenings"- a culinary journey through the world of pesto.

Happy Summer (Pesto) Cooking!!

XO

Wheaten puppies!!

After much thought and consideration Pat and I have decided to get a puppy. A huge commitment and undertaking we understand but how can you resist these little buggers?

 4 weeks old

Cute butt!

This last photo is a puppy born from our breeder on her first birthday. Cutie! More photos to come when our actual pup is born in August!

XO

Napolean Perdis NP Set

Some of you may be curious about the Napolean Perdis NP Set Lipstick I included in my post yesterday. I don't think I've ever really owned or used an actual lipstick until a few weeks ago. PMH did the ad campaign for NP Set (for Target) and had a whole stash of fabulous freebees from the shoot left out for us to fight over (love my new perks!). I picked up a few things including this lipstick which I absolutely adore. The color is "Denver"- sheer blushy pink so it almost just looks like a light gloss. It is made with shea butter and avocado oil to give you a boost of moisture and that wonderful soft creamy feel. Love love love it and also love the work we did for the campaign :) See below for a sample of the digital stuff...

Buy your own at Target today!

XO

What's in my bag? a la US Weekly

What's in my bag? a la US Weekly by paufmuth featuring wayfare sunglasses

Marc by Marc Jacobs slouch handbag, $498
MICHAEL Michael Kors continental wallet, $118
Ray-Ban wayfare sunglasses
NP Set Lipstick - Denver at DermStore, $15
Canon PowerShot SD4000, $319
Aveda - products that nurture. body. moisturize. hand relief(tm), $20
Emerald Cocoa Roast Dark Chocolate Almonds, $5.99
LePen Fine Line Marker, $1.15

I love Us Weekly's celebrity "What's in my bag" so I thought I'd create my own to share with my loyal followers :)

I am currently loving my new Marc Jacobs tote (bought at the Nordstrom's Anniversary sale for $200 off). Mine is a deep chocolate brown but you get the picture. Perfect for work/travel and perfect for storing all of my goods. I don't go anywhere without my ipad (with an orange cover) and iphone (I need the new one). I always have a snack (lately these amazing cocoa almonds that I use more as a meal than a snack) and products to keep my skin and lips moisturized (those MN winters really dry you out). I'm a big fan of "to-do" lists and write everything in my mini writersblok notepad (also love moleskine) with my most favorite pens from Russel and Hazel- le pen. Lastly sunglasses are a must for both winter (bright snow) and summer (reflective lakes) and you never know when you'll need a camera!

XO

Blake Lively- love the spread

For those of you who didn't see Blake Lively's spread and cover story in last months Glamour magazine, the fabulous photos are below. LOVE her (and her clothes)!

XO

Jillian Harris' Complexion Smoothie

In honor of Bachelorette Monday (and my never ending search for a quick, easy to make, pre-work breakfast) I wanted to share my newest discovery with you: The Greens Complexion Smoothie. Jillian Harris (former bachelorette) shared her version of this whole foods smoothie on her blog last month so I decided to give it a try today. I rarely eat breakfast before work due to lack of time but this was so quick and easy to whip up and tasted delicious and refreshing (especially when its 80 degrees at 8am). Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup frozen berries (the less strawberries the better as they are particularly high in sugar)
• 1 large banana
• 1/4 cup carrot juice (this is the key ingredient and you cant taste it at all. Carrot juice has tons of vitamin A and biotin, both of which are key to healthy hair and nails. one serving of carrot juice can have up to 700% vitamin A).
• 1 handful greens or Green+ (the berries cover up the taste)

I passed on the greens portion of the recipe because I didn't have any and the thought kind of  grosses me out. Not sure I need to add them because the smoothie was DELISH! Cheers to strong hair/nails and a beautiful complexion!

 XO

It's a scorcher today!

87 degrees feels like 104...now that's what we call classic Midwest HUMIDITY! And it doesn't look like it will be leaving us any time soon so I thought I'd share my summer heat must haves! Pat's and my drink of choice at the lake (or while sitting in our adirondaks out front) is a vodka lemonade. On a scorcher like today try a frozen vodka lemonade to keep things cool (2 parts lemonade, 1 part vodka, blend with ice and serve). Shade is a must and I'm loving my new Jcrew floppy hat. Easily foldable when traveling and it provides A LOT of shade. To keep my face protected I use skin ceuticals new Physical Fusion UV Defense (SPF 50)- its grease free, slightly tinted and high SPF protection (UVA and UVB). win win! Lastly I'm loving my new ray ban wayfarers....mostly because they fold into a tiny compact case and its my new party trick :)

Wherever you are I hope you are staying cool today! 

XO

It's a scorcher! by paufmuth featuring folding sunglasses

J Crew beach hat, $25
Ray-Ban folding sunglasses
SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50

For all you VOGUE lovers out there

My new job in the wonderful world of fashion advertising has landed me in magazine paradise. I went from reading US and Food and Wine to every magazine under the sun. Because of this I have a renewed love for some of the classic fashionista mags. 


I love these stitched magazine covers from London artist Inge Jacobsen so much that I contacted her asking if they were available for purchase. She responded and unfortunately they're not but she said maybe later this year...I think it would be a perfect addition to the art wall so keep your eyes peeled! 

Check out more of her work on her  blog or her website

XO

Time to spruce up the decor

It's been 8 months since I moved into my house and 8 months later there is still one lonely wall waiting for it's masterpiece. That masterpiece was found in Santa Fe last month (for $40,000) so now we're on to idea numero dos...I've always wanted to do a wall-o-art but have never been able to quite figure out the best way to do it while avoiding a million nail holes in my beautiful yellow walls. Now we're part way through summer with another long winter around the corner so the time has come to tackle the project and make my wall bright and happy for the long cold haul ahead :)

This is my latest inspiration for the glaringly blank living room wall

Based on my most fav art exhibit ever: Benches and Binoculars @ the Walker

And these are a few items I have my eye on to add to the art collection (from Etsy)...

XO