Valentine's Day Marshmallow Pops

As someone who always has the best intentions of baking yummy treats for all the holidays a la Betty Crocker and then fails miserably at following through with that plan, I wanted to whip up something quick and fun for Valentine's Day this year that I would actually make.  I love the idea of cake pops because they're so darn cute and already individually portioned, which is great for sharing them at work or school.  But let's be real, making them can be an all day affair and ain't nobody got time for that.  Unless you do, and then kudos to you.  If you're short on time but still want to satisfy your sweet tooth, then marshmallow pops are the perfect compromise.  Plus, you practically get to jump right into the fun part - the decorating!

To make these fun and easy treats, you'll need:

Jumbo marshmallows (I used the HUGE ones but I think a size smaller would be fine too)

White chocolate candy coating

Paper straws or lollipop sticks (mine are from the Target Dollar Spot)

Sprinkles for decorating

Food coloring (optional)

To prep your marshmallows for decorating, cut a small slit into the bottom of the marshmallow and insert the straw.  This will help it hold and prevent squishy marshmallows.  Lay them out on a flat tray or plate (I just used a plastic cutting board) and pop them in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

While the marshmallows are in the freezer, melt your chocolate coating according to the package instructions.  I used two different bowls so that I could color one batch pink and keep one white, but you can do whatever combination you'd like!  Also, lay out your sprinkles in bowls so they'll be ready for decorating. 

From here you can pretty much take creative control and decorate your marshmallow pops however you want.  Just be sure to move quickly so that the chocolate doesn't harden in the bowl and the marshmallows don't thaw out too much.  Having them nice and cold is key so that the coating will set quickly and keep the sprinkles in place.  Even still, it doesn't hurt to pop the final product in the freezer for a couple of seconds until they are really set. 

I had a one-woman assembly line going, taking a couple marshmallow pops out of the freezer at a time and putting them back in the freezer after they were decorated.  Keep going until they're all done.  I found it best to roll the marshmallows in the chocolate and let the excess drip off the end, then dust the sprinkles all around until you achieve your desired look.  It really is that easy! 

For the Love of Good Hair

I love having perfectly styled hair.  You know what I don't love?  Washing my hair, drying my hair, curling my hair - the time it takes to achieve said look.  As someone who has heard "Wow, you have a TON of hair" too many times from different stylists, I'm just not willing to commit that much time to getting ready.  Lately I've resorted to the air-dry, no-heat, no-products approach and I have to say that my hair has been super healthy and shiny since.  But there are times when I miss having my curls too.  Enter Drybar, a salon dedicated strictly to blowouts and styling, and basically the answer to my hair conundrum. 

I recently had the opportunity to check out Drybar's newest location, just opened in Louisville a couple weeks ago.  From start to finish, the whole experience was what a trip to the salon should be (at least for me), relaxing and fun!  Sure, there might have been 10 blow dryers going at once, but you wouldn't know it.  The setup was a large open room with a u-shaped bar - get it, Drybar.  Oh and the names of their products and services tie back to the bar theme too.  A+ for marketing.  Anyway, once I was seated I met with my stylist to pick my style from the menu.  I opted for the Cosmo-Tai, a mix of the structured curls of the Cosmo and looser curls of the Mai-Tai.  She asked me a few questions about my hair type and texture so that she would best know how to work with it, which I thought was great since everybody's hair is so different. 

From there we want back to a separate room where she washed and conditioned my hair and wrapped it up in a fancy knot to keep the back of my shirt from getting wet.  Seriously, I need to learn that trick!  My only critique was that she was very gentle when washing my hair and it almost felt like my hair wasn't washed that well, because thick hair problems.  I'm so used to the full-on scalp massage I get at my regular salon that it was a bummer not to have that here.  I will say, the chair and sink setup at Drybar is SO much more enjoyable than a normal salon.  The sinks are elevated higher than the chair so you are reclined at a comfortable angle that doesn't require lifting your head so they can shampoo and rinse your hair underneath.  If you have long, thick hair like me you probably know what I'm talking about.

After getting shampooed, we went back to the bar and she did my blowout and styling.  My stylist was so sweet and friendly, we chatted most of the time and even found out that we went to the same high school because obviously Louisville is the biggest small town.  Like I've already said three times, I have very long and thick hair so my blowout clocked in around an hour whereas my friend Chelcey was finished in about 40ish minutes.  But that's the great thing about it, we were treated the same even though we have two totally different hair types and lengths.  I didn't feel like she rushed through my appointment to get me out the door.  She took her time to make sure every piece of hair was curled perfectly.  That being said, I wasn't too crazy about how my bangs were styled.  Bangs are such a personal thing so I know next time to make sure I communicate clearly how I like them to wear them so that it will be perfect!  If you have any quirks or preferences when it comes to styling your hair, just be sure to tell your stylist up front when select your style from the menu.

Overall I truly enjoyed my Drybar experience and getting pampered for an hour on a Friday afternoon.  I'm contemplating never washing my hair myself again (kidding, maybe).  If you have an event to attend, a date night, or just want to treat yourself, you should definitely pop in and get a blowout!  If you're not in Louisville, Drybar has locations all across the country with more opening soon.  I know how excited I was when I saw that Louisville was added to the "Coming Soon" list, so keep checking for your city and it may be there before you know it!

Drybar offered me this free blowout.  As always, I only share things that I truly love on my blog and all opinions are my own.

The Year of You

Hi, my name is Amanda and I'm the blogger behind Derby City Darling.  You may remember me from such posts as Five Tips for a Successful Photo Shoot, Meet Me at the Hop (in Red, White and Blue), and 25 Thoughts I Had While Shopping the Sephora VIB Sale.  Just figured I'd remind you since it's been 99 days since I last shared anything on this little nook of the Internet.  All jokes aside, it's a brand new year and with that comes a new set of goals and aspirations.  I already bought myself a new bag, because new year equals new bag, am I right or am I right?  With Marc on my shoulder I'll pretty much be able to conquer anything. 

Toward the end of last year I let myself slip into a dark hole, and to be perfectly honest I am still climbing my way out.  I'm definitely getting there, though.  I don't know if it's the promise of a fresh start or the fact that an old chapter in my life has come to a close, but I'm motivated more than ever to unleash my creative side again.  I knew it was back when I was washing my hair and thinking of how I would write this first post since my little break.  There were so many witty thoughts running through my head as I lathered and rinsed that I knew I needed to get this out tonight, at 10:38 PM before bed.  I've got other projects on the horizon too, including re-opening my Etsy shop, that I can't wait to get going.

I got the idea for The Year of You from a YouTuber that I follow, Marissa Lace.  We both had similar experiences in 2015 as mentioned in paragraph two, and so I was really able to relate to her in this video.  I decided as soon as I watched it that I wanted to make 2016 the Year of Me.  I'm going to focus on things that I want to do, things that I enjoy, and spend time nurturing myself.  I've always made a list of new year's resolutions in my head, but this year I wanted to document them here on the blog.  If you know me then you know I love lists, and more importantly checking things off of said list, and so what more important list to have than one of goals for a new year.  These are the things that I'm going to do for myself this year.

Listen to more podcasts (hi, Straight Up With Stassi)

Read more books

Re-open my Etsy shop

Exercise 3+ times a week

Drink enough water every day

Save more money

Cook more often

Keep my bedroom clean

Use my planner to its full potential

Be spontaneous

Keep a consistent blog schedule

Take more staycations

Whether you had a tough 2015 and welcome a blank slate or had an amazing 2015 and want to keep on rolling into 2016, I hope that you are able to reach your goals and dreams and make it The Year of You.  I'd love to know what your resolutions for the year are, and if you have any recommendations for other podcasts, feel free to send them my way.

xoxo,

Amanda

What I Wore: My Best Friend's Wedding

There are two things that I absolutely love about being a bridesmaid.  First and foremost, nothing can surpass having the honor of standing next to your best friend on her special day.  That is definitely a memory that I will never forget.  And second, if we can be superficial for a moment, it's the glamour of the day and getting dressed up, hair done and makeup perfected.  I'm a true girly girl, what can I say?

Finding the perfect bridesmaid dresses can be tricky since different styles flatter different body shapes, and everyone is obviously not built the same.  Chelcey decided that she wanted us to wear different jewel-tone dresses which was great because we could all find something we felt comfortable in.  I immediately turned to my favorite site to find my dress, and coincidentally Chelcey had spotted the same dress when she sent out some examples of the general type of look she was going for.  Done deal.

I could not have been happier with this dress.  Best of all, because it's not your typical bridesmaid-looking dress, I will be able to get a lot of regular wear our of this piece.  Even though it is a little pricey, the quality shows when you put it on.  It feels durable and heavy, not cheap like it will fall apart after a couple of wears.  The lace is beautiful and the color is rich enough for fall with tights and booties, but will work just as well with sandals when spring and summer roll back around. 

Dress | Eliza J via Modcloth | Also in Emerald!

Shoes | Chinese Laundry

Photos by Haaken Reed

PS - Head over to Chelcey's blog to see photos from her honeymoon and more photos of her wedding, coming soon!

Ready for Fall

I don't know about you, but I've made my fall list and checked it twice.  Ok, that might be for the wrong season but you know what I mean.  New clothes have been bought, patiently waiting for the temperature to drop enough that they can be comfortably worn, and hair freshly colored.  Darker makeup is making its way into my daily rotation and hearty soups and chili are at the top of my grocery list. 

Even though we are still dodging summer-like weather, the mornings and evenings have been pleasantly fall.  I could hardly wait any longer to break out my new wardrobe, so this outfit made its grand appearance this past weekend while out and about at NuLu Fest.  These two colors are quintessentially fall - but really, would you call this top burgundy, marsala, maroon, or what?  I'm always one to grab a typical pair of blue jeans so I've picked up a couple pairs of colored pants to incorporate more variety into my fall wardrobe.  And when I spotted this lace peplum top hanging on the sale rack, I snagged it right up.  The air isn't quite crisp enough for me to break out boots just yet so I stuck with my favorite sandals that I've had for years, but you can bet that I'm more than ready for fall.

Lace Top | Loft

Skinny Jeans | Ann Taylor

Bag | Michael Kors

Necklace | Benevolent Jewels | Similar

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