Guest Post: Capital Style

First, a big thanks to Kelsey for having me today! I LOVE the beach, so when she asked me to write about the must haves in my beach bag...well she didn't have to ask twice. So without further adieu, here are the 5 things you will find in my beach bag.

J. Crew {$165}

1. Sunscreen: I have darker skin and don't really sunburn (except that time I sat out from noon till 6pm on a cruise ship somewhere in the Caribbean - not smart), but I am concerned about sun damage and super concerned about wrinkles as my twenties disappear in the rear-view mirror. I usually use an SPF 15 or 20 - like Coppertone - on the bod and a SPF 30 for my face - like Kiehl's sunscreen.

2. Hair care: I wear my hair natural which, for those of you who do not know me, is super curly. If I put it up in a ponytail, by the end of day, it snarls and starts turn into dreadlocks and that's on a normal day. Add surf, sun and sand and well, you got a big ol' mess so I need stuff to fight the frizz. I am a huge fan of the "Not Your Mother's" line of products. It's affordable and available at most drugstores. My go to these days is the "Kinky Moves" curl defining cream {$5.99}. It does exactly what it says and gets rid of the frizz. That is after I brush out the tangles. I use a big flat brush cause it doesn't rip out my hair. I also love the ribbon hair ties - they actually hold thick hair and don't rip it out!

3. Tunes: I love music just about as much as I love fashion, so I'm certainly not hitting the beach without a soundtrack. One of our summer interns recently told me about Songza and I'm obsessed! It is "music conceirge" that offers you music for the situation. Just pick a playlist and voila - chilling by the water, beach party, BBQ - music for any occasion!

4. A good book: I saw they're doing a film version of Anna Karenina with Kiera Knightly. I'm pro reading the book before seeing the movie so that's my summer reading. For something a little lighter, I'd recommend "Let's Pretend this Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson.

5. Sunglasses: Remember how I said I was worried about wrinkles, yeah, wan't joking. I don't really leave the house without sunglasses, so they are definitely a staple for the beach. This summer I'm into the cat-eye shades.

So here's to sand-filled wishes and rum punch dreams! Hope you all stop by Capital Style sometime to say hi!

Guest Post: Cupcakes for Breakfast

Hey beach babes! This is Nikki from Cupcakes for Breakfast here to share a look inside by summer beach bag. Some of my essentials include a bright bikini, a great book, cold juicy fruit, and both bug and sun protection. I'm all ready. So, when are we leaving??

sequin straw tote | beach towel | pink polka dot bikini | Avon bug guard | sunscreen | Time Traveler's Wife | Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | wayfarers | OXO water bottle | Merimekko picnic bag | nectarines  

Kelsey, I hope you have a great vacation! Thanks for having me!

Guest Post: Mrs. In Training

Hi!  I'm Kelly from Mrs In Training.

I'm so excited to guest post for The Capital Barbie today, and want to tell you all about what I pack in my beach bag!  I just got back from a glorious week at the Outer Banks, and so I was able to snap a few shots to give you a peek ;)  Dressing for the beach is always the same for me - bikini, flat sandals (I hate the way flip flops "flip" up sand on my legs), a hat and sunglasses.  I also love this breezy Zara tunic as a cover up.  

In my bag, I always take a small lunch cooler to keep drinks and snacks cool.  Water is a must in 100 degree heat, and this week I was munching on fresh blueberries and Luna bars for some extra energy.  

How do I keep it all cold?  These awesome Cordina daiq-GO-ris!  You freeze them, and when you're ready to drink, just squeeze and unscrew the cap!  My aunt and I called them our adult Capri Suns, and with 6% alcohol they definitely made our afternoons more enjoyable!

Everything else I put in a large zipper bag to keep as much sand off as possible.  I love this clear one from DvF...it makes it so easy to see what is inside!

And it contains necessities like suntan lotion, a wide toothed comb for any snarls after dips in the ocean, and my personal addiction, Carmex chapstick.

I never leave home without my cell phone, but I also love this tiny speaker from iHome - it is really loud, and perfect to entertain a group over the sounds of the surf.  That, the Pandora app, and Amazon music Cloud Player really start a party.  

I saw a pin on Pinterest earlier this year about how baby powder helps get off sand at the beach, so I thought I'd give it a try since I HATE getting sandy.  And wow, does it work!  After I cooled off in the water and dried off with my towel, I rubbed a bit of baby powder on my face, hands, or wherever else I had a bit of sticky sand, and it came right off!!  I will never go to the beach again without it.  And I packed the wipes to take off any bits of baby powder before nomm-ing on some blueberries, but I really didn't need them - the baby powder wasn't messy at all.  My Kindle was another "must" - I love how perfectly it works in bright sun.

And of course, a towel, but I forgot to take a picture, and we all know what those look like ;)

Kelsey, hope you're having a great time at the beach!  Thanks for having me!  

Twitter @mrs_in_training  |  Instagram @mrsintraining  |  www.mrsintraining.com

Friday Foodday

Lovebugs,
Next week I'm headed on vacation with my family to New Hampshire for a whole week! But not to worry, I'm leaving you in the very capable hands of some of my favorite bloggers. Enjoy their posts! 


Now, my favorite recipes!

Avocado Roasted Chicken Grill cheese with spicy tomato sauce

c/o Kitchen Bellicious

Ingredients

8 slices each of swiss cheese and pepperjack cheese

2 large ripe avocados, sliced

1 cup of spicy tomato sauce

8 slices of good hearty bread

1/2 pound of chicken tenders

1 tsp salt and pepper each

1/2 tsp cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic powder

dash of olive oil

dash of paprika

Directions

Mix seasonings together along with the olive oil and toss with the chicken tenders. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on size of tenders) at 375. Set aside to cool. Once cool cut into nice size chunks.

Generously butter one side of a slice of bread. Place bread butter-side-down onto skillet bottom and add slice of pepperjack and slice of swiss cheese, next add the chicken and avocado slices. Butter a second slice of bread on one side and place butter-side-up on top of sandwich. Grill until lightly browned and flip over; continue grilling until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining slices of bread. Top with the spicy tomato sauce and call it a night!

Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables

c/o A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients

4 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large mushrooms, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 chopped grated Pecorino cheese 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, onion and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and pecorino.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Oreo Fudge Bars

c/o Stephanie Cooks Blog

Ingredients

1 16 oz package Oreos
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a mix of milk and semi-sweet- we like it both ways)

Directions

1- Preheat the oven to 325.
2- Line a 9x13 dish with foil, sprayed with cooking spray.
3- Set 6-8 cookies aside, chop into pieces (this will be the topping of the bars).
4- Place remaining cookies in a food process and process into a fine crumb. (If you don't have a food processor roll them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin until in a fine crumb).
5- Combine the butter, Oreos, and salt. Press down into the bottom of the pan.
6- Melt the chocolate, combine with the condensed milk, stirring well.
7- Pour the topping over the Oreo layer. Top with the chopped Oreos.
8- Bake for 20 minutes.
9- Allow to cool for one hour, then place in the fridge to cool completely before slicing. Keep cool until serving.