Bloom With Joy

FASHION-J’ADORE GIGI HILL BAGS!

May 23rd, 2013

***I just* *J’Adore my Gigi Hill Bags!***

Why? Because they are high quality, stylish, and functional!

The Gigi Hill Bags help me to stay super organized and they offer so many neat options when it comes to accessorizing my wardrobe. I am especially excited about the summer fun beach items; totes, sandals, sunglasses, and signature towels. Living in Florida, I get to take advantage of our beautiful beaches and having these stylish items at hand in the trunk of my car gives me the option to take a break from a busy day and make a pit stop to my favorite place to chill. Take a peak at these six items that are a must have for summer fun!

Katharine Reversible Tote -Feeling undecided? Reach for your Katharine! This cute, reversible tote allows you to show both sides of your personality with either of the fabulous prints offered in each Katharine bag. Zippered pockets inside and on the front keep important items secure and private. An open top makes it super easy to slip in sunglasses, magazines, and even your lunch. - Retails $45
Nicki Mirror- Nicki will catch your eye! This stylish two-sided purse mirror comes in a matching case with a clip to attach inside your bag for easy access. The dual-sided design allows for 1X and 3X magnification… so you can be ready for any beauty emergency! - Retails $20
Coco Flip-flops -Keep it casual and fun with the Coco wedge flip flops! Your wardrobe just won’t be the same without them. A cute heart charm dangle on these cushy walkers keeps you styling as you move from the beach to the barbecue in true Gigi Style! – Retails $39
Annette Towel -Ready for a game of beach blanket bingo? Large enough to spread out on, this is one soft towel available in two great options – Aqua Nile and Tribes Black. Whether you are lounging at the pool or enjoying a day at the beach, don’t forget the Annette! – Retails $39
Willie Sunglasses -Shades of gorgeous! Available in black with silver logo or tortoise with antique gold logo, these sunglasses have you covered. Complete your look with a pair of these stunning shades! – Retails $59
Lana Business Card Holder -Business or pleasure, hold all your cards in style. Flip open this pretty, retractable case and your business cards pop up at your fingertips! The Lana will carry your business cards, ID, or even credit cards and snaps shut nicely to seal the deal. – Retails $29

Are you a travel executive?

Teacher with extra school supplies to tug along with you? Busy mom that is looking for a chic tote for all the kids toys? Well we have a wonderful line of luggage and travel bags….just pack, get ready, jet-set and go!

We even have a super cute Daisy Diaper Insert

Gigi Hill bags are designed for the runway of real life!

Need a gift idea that is cost effective?

Consider the Essentials Capsule Collection by Gigi Hill!

What is neat about this set is you can split it up into multiple gift items.

Add a cute hand bag and Whalah…the perfect gift

Essential Capsule Collection by Gigi Hill Bags by joymariebelle on Polyvore

Gigi’s (Joy’s) Closet is Open for Business!

Have a virtual party!

It’s official! I can now do my Gigi Hill business from the comfort of my home office by offering you a virtual party option. This is such a great way for busy moms, executive, teachers, etc. to introduce the fabulous Gigi Hill Bags to all your friends….AND….you get to kick back and relax!

Best part of it is… you don’t even have to clean or prep for this party

I do all the background work by putting a virtual link and party invite together for you. All you have to do is forward the invite by email to your friends, family, and co-workers and spread the word via face book. Then sit back and reap the hostess rewards. Make sure you tell everyone that they can host their own virtual party too and you will get even more fabulous goodies.

To learn more, contact me via this link.

Parties are fun! They are a great way to get together and socialize, so if you are in the mood to have your party in-home, and don’t mind the extra work of making appetizers I would love to be your stylist. This way you will get to feel the many fabric choices and get to view the items on hand. Just click the same link above to schedule your party.

Looking for a rewarding career as a Gigi Hill Stylist?

Right now we have some great packages with free shipping!

Take a look at this wonderful opportunity to join me and soon you will be spreading the word about how you just j’adore your bags

Wanna see more fun stuff? Follow me on Pinterest for up-to-date items and Specials!

joie de vivre

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FLORIDA LIFE- HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO DAY!

May 5th, 2013

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

image via~123rf

Cinco de Mayo—which is on the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A holiday in Mexico, and in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage in areas with large Mexican-American populations. This rich cultural tradition includes mariachi music, parades, authentic cuisine and street festivals. What better way to celebrate this culture than with a fantastic recipe for Mexican flan de leche.

This is my first time making Flan

What an experience! You will get a lesson in patience just to get the caramelized sugar right. It took me three attempts at this and the third time I was finally able to achieve a slightly lighter Caramel color. The other two times, I ended up with a hard cracked mess. The rest of the recipe was pretty easy. Instead of using a blender or food processor, I used my Nutri Bullet….worked like a charm! The recipe I used below called for a “flan mold”, however I just used one of those white corning ware oven-proof dishes.

Flan is a classic Latin American dessert that’s almost like baked custard that’s flipped over before serving to reveal a caramel glaze. Don’t be intimidated, though! The finished dessert only looks difficult to make, but it’s actually quite easy. (except for the glaze)

Check it out! Not bad for a first timer.

Here is the Recipe!

1 cup white sugar, ¾ cup of water
1 cup whole milk
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the oven heats up, place sugar in a heavy saucepan with water and, stirring constantly, cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts and turns a golden amber color. (Remove from heat as soon as the color changes or it may burn.) Carefully pour the melted sugar syrup into a flan mold and allow cooling.

Combine the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla extract and cornstarch into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cream and pulse to incorporate. Pour the mixture over the cooled caramel syrup in the flan mold.

Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the prepared flan mold in the roasting pan on top of the towel and place the pan in the oven. Fill the roasting pan with hot water to the point where the water level is halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The flan should be firm but still “jiggle” a little at the center. When it’s done, remove the flan from the oven and let cool. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. To serve, run a sharp paring knife around the inside of the mold to release the flan. Invert a plate on the mold, carefully flip the mold over and then remove the mold.

It’s all about trial and error…don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a recipe right the first time. The most important thing to remember while in the kitchen….is to just have fun!

joie de vivre

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FLORIDA LIFE – 5 PRIMO APPS TO SMILE ABOUT!

April 2nd, 2013

WANT TO USE AN ‘APP’ THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE?

Apps have been a part of the social main stream for quite some time now …..some are good, some not. They can be lucrative if you know how to design them and helpful for millions of users. Take the example of Nick D’Aloisio. The 17-year-old high school student sold his app Summly to tech giant Yahoo for a reported $30 million in cash and stock. Wowza! Can you imagine at his age….I would be one proud parent….which got me to thinking about some of the apps that I use. I have quite a few downloaded onto my iPhone, but there are five that I use on a continual basis and they really do bring me some joy and make me smile. I thought I would share these “free” apps with you.

Browse through and give me your take on them by leaving a comment below.

joie de vivre

Takes

Takes is a really cool app that just launched in March 2013. The concept when using the takes app is that you shoot a bunch of pictures using the app, and those pictures land in the I-Phone’s Camera Roll where they are saved. The remarkable thing that is happening in the background of every photo is that takes automatically transforms your images into a video which is backed by musical soundtracks. You can choose up to 15 of the images you just shot with action and motion that come off like you put some time and thought into producing them. Share the videos on Facebook, Twitter, or send them by email…pretty nifty

What I like about this app…easy peasy! By pressing one key, your photos come alive and become a video! Check out my “On The Farm” takes video below! It’s a compilation of my critter friends here in Florida…..so cool seeing the mama duck with her babies!

Pose

Quick…strike a pose, camera click; then share with all your friends that great new outfit you just found.

Pose is one of the best ways to share and discover style! The catch phrase “Out with Vogue, in with Pose” is the new buzz. This handy app lets you look for anything related to fashion. Whether you are looking for casual chic, street style or pastels, Pose has it all. See the Collection! See More Nail Art!

Search the #Hashtag for your favorite items…shoes, purses, etc.

What’s my favorite thing about Pose?

Getting cool style ideas from all the outfits!

image via ~ 123rf

Fit Radio

Fit Radio lets you increase your motivation; stimulate your endorphins, and amp up your workouts with a mix of high-energy music. The music is specifically designed to intensify listeners’ enthusiasm, boost their workout performances, and make people move in general. Fit Radio has Genres, Stations, Dj’s, and a place to save your favorites; I especially like the Poolside Rock…..very reggae! Needing a Zen moment, try the chakra station or the gyms cardio workout is perfect for stepping it up on the elliptical machine. Excuses are useless, results are priceless so download the app and ramp up your workout.

What I like about Fit Radio?

Listening to this music will just make you want to shake your booty:)

image via ~ 123rf

Flipboard

Oh this is a fun app, I added my facebook fan page and it makes a cute little magazine that you can flip through. On flipboard, you can find everything that matters to you from world news to some of life’s great moments and save into your own unique magazine to flip through later or share with friends. You can also keep up with Etsy shops via flipboard too The company’s mission is to let people discover and share content in beautiful, simple, and meaningful ways.

Working on your desktop? Head on over and snag the Flip-It bookmarklet and start saving all those neat websites you find.

What do I like about using Flipboard?

It is a fun way to catch up on all my news without having extra clutter surrounding the images.

image via ~flipboard

Manilla

Manilla lets you get your bills, statements and balances organized in one secure place online. They offer easy account linking, free unlimited document storage, and have a simple navigation. With over 3,500 + available providers, you are almost assured that your accounts will be able to link up. I just started using Manilla and so far it has been rather easy to link my accounts They also offer outstanding customer service and can be reached at support@manilla.com or by calling (855) 302-8574.

Avoid all the stress of paying bills by simplifying and organizing your daily life!

Why I love Manilla?