10 Free {Tiny Prints} Holiday Cards

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So we pretty much use Tiny Prints to announce just about every special occasion. There is absolutely nothing more personal than fun, personalized cards. Tiny Prints have so many awesome designs to choose from that we are never disappointed. As far as we are concerned, the holidays are already here! We really need to crack down on ordering holiday cards that we stumbled across an awesome Tiny Prints deal going on THIS WEEK that we wanted to share with you! So here's the skinny: Enjoy ten (10) free Holiday cards using the code 10FREECARDS at checkout. This offer expires on 11/12/2014 (11:59 P.M. PT). Simply click here and get to holiday card shopping!

Stuffed Acorn Squash from South Fork & Spoon + Ango

Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here so we wanted to start collecting some recipes to make this Thanksgiving's dinner one for the books. We are at the age where we can no longer hide from the kitchen; it's our turn to contribute with a delicious dish! South Fork & Spoon + Ango shared with us a dish that is sure to make some mouths water: Stuffed Acorn Squash. One of the key ingredients for this meal is grapeseed oil which we have been hearing a lot about as it is apparently better to use than olive oil. Find the Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe below and share with us any of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes in the comments below. 

Stuffed Acorn Squash from South Fork & Spoon + Ango 
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients
4 Acorn Squash, ideally 1-2 lbs each, halved lengthwise and seeds removed

5 teaspoons or more to taste, Salt

2 teaspoons, Ground Black Pepper

2 cups wild rice

3 oz Grapeseed oil

1 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

1 Tablespoons minced garlic

2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (stems removed)

4 cups cleaned and rough chopped kale

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 Tablespoons chiffonade ( cut like ribbons) mint leaves

Equipment

• Medium sized pot
• Fine meshed strainer
• Baking sheet
• Pepper mill
• Sauté pan
• Spatula
• Large Bowl

Directions

1) Pre heat the oven to 475 degrees

2) In the fine meshed strainer, place rice and run under cold water until clean.

3) In medium sized pot, add rice + 2 t of salt + 4 cups of cold water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat until rice is simmering. Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the water and is cooked. (Note: rice can be cooked up to two days in advance)

4) On baking sheet, place squash flesh side up and rub with 1 oz grapeseed oil + 2 t of salt + fresh ground pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Use a fork to test for tenderness.

5) In a separate sauté pan heat 1 oz grapeseed oil on medium-high heat. Add shiitake mushrooms + garlic + 1/2 t of salt and sauté until mushrooms are cooked but not browned. Remove from heat and place in large bowl.

6) In the same sauté pan used for the mushrooms, heat 1 oz of grapeseed oil on medium-high heat. Add kale + 1/2 t of salt and cook quickly using tongs or a spatula. Keep the kale moving so it doesn’t brown. Once wilted, remove and place in bowl with shiitake mushrooms.

7) In bowl, add cooked wild rice + sesame seeds and mix together.

8) Taste rice mixture and season accordingly

9) Fill the cooked squash halves with the rice mixture. Garnish with mint

Major Nordstrom Sale

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As if Black Friday won't be enough this month, Nordstrom has a pretty awesome sale from now until November 11th that we will be taking advantage of. It's no surprise how much love we have for Nordstrom. Last year we had our one year anniversary party at TOPSHOP! Virtually every category of stuff is on sale including select women's clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories. Select items are up to 40% off right now too--mad steal! A bonus is that this sale is being offered BOTH online and in person! Double bonus: Free shipping online. We cannot wait to get our hands on some Sam Edelman boots. A new Rebecca Minkoff handbag wouldn't hurt either! Co Founder, Sakura, just moved so she will be checking out their bedding on sale--she's seeing some super cute stuff so far. We have included some of our favorite items from the sale above so feel free to shop our favorites.

Most importantly: Shop, shop, shop till you drop!

Why You Should Vote!

It's Election Day! The day that we all make history by impacting how things should run. Our generation is so influential that we really could move mountains. When you think about the idea of voting, I'm sure many of you cringe. There has been this negative connotation surrounding voting and we want to break that. Your vote REALLY DOES count. Every vote leads us toward an outcome that impacts everyone around us. The question is, how can you be an educated voter? It's pretty simple. On a separate piece of paper, write down every single candidate and proposition to be voted on.  Make THREE columns for each that say "What They Say",  "What Others Say", "What I Think".  Go to their specific sites and view other collateral and write down what they are saying about themselves and what they can do for you. Then, write down what the opposition says about them. Finally, make your own conclusions. By doing this, you have carefully considered each candidate and can hopefully make an educated vote.  Be sure to follow all of the instructions on the ballot which include the proper color ink to fill in your choice and bringing your voting card if you're voting in person.

If you're a student, then consult with your government board or your counselor to figure out where you can vote on campus. Or, simply visit Get To the Polls for that info.

Happy Voting!

4 Makeup Artists To Follow On Instagram

Contouring, highlighting, glowing, "giving face". These are all amazing makeup tips we have learned from some of our favorite makeup artists (otherwise referred to as "MUA"). Instagram has always been our go-to when it comes to makeup trends and we often use it as a source to mirror some pretty amazing looks. We're sure all of you have that one Instagram page you check on the daily for beautiful makeup looks and inspiration and we do too. Check out our 4 "must-follow" makeup Instagram pages. Do you have a favorite Makeup Artist that we should check out on Instagram? Share with us in the comments!

1. Patrick Ta (@patrickta) #makeupbypatrickta
2. Angel Merino (@mac_daddyy)
3. Karen Sarahii (@iluvsarahii)
4. Haley Buckner (@haleybuckner)

Bonus: We are absolutely in love with the lip products from Dose of Colors (@doseofcolors). The lip products are vegan and cruelty free which is pretty awesome. The colors are rich, vibrant and super affordable. The colors are such a hot commodity that they get sold out quick, so that's why you've got to snag them quick. We especially love the Dose of Colors Instagram page because they often feature makeup artists and different people wearing their beautiful lip products. It gives us access to other makeup artists to follow while at the same time giving us an idea of how the Dose of Colors lip products look on different women---love, love, LOVE!

9 Halloween Makeup Looks

More and more each year we see some super creative Halloween looks done purely with makeup. There is something really fun about transforming your face and body into a work of art. Kappa Alpha Theta and Makeup Artist, Mackenzie Brown is the guru of fun Halloween makeup looks so we asked her to share some of her favorites. Be sure to follow Mackenzie's YouTube makeup account for even more every day makeup looks!

1. Cheshire Kitten
-What you need:

· White, pink and purple face paint, pink and purple eye shadow, white eye liner and false lashes for added dramatic effect!

2. Doe, a Deer, a Female Deer
-What you need:

· White eyeliner, bronzer (or contouring powder), brown eye shadow, black liner, brown/taupe face paint for the lips

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Babe
-What you need:

· Green and blue face paint, green and blue eye shadow (for contouring/highlighting to give the look more dimension) and glitter!

4. Cute Scarecrow
-What you need:

· Pink lipstick, pink blush, orange eye shadow or eyeliner and black/brown eyeliner!

5. Pixelated Pixie
-What you need:

· Black face paint, White face paint and lots of time and patience!

6. Jungle Cat
-What you need:

· Black eyeliner, brown eye shadow, gold eye shadow, black lipstick

7. Comic Book Heroine
-What you need:

· Black eyeliner, bright lipstick, white eyeliner, false lashes for an added dramatic effect!

8. Masquerade Ball
-What you need:

· Black eyeliner or face paint, glitter and patience!


9. Porcelain Doll Face
-What you need:

· White face paint, red lipstick, purple and red glitter, purple eye shadow, black eyeliner, pink blush and brown face paint/brow gel


*For a lot of these looks Mackenzie used the Make Up For Ever flash palette instead of face paint, but you could also recreate the looks using the NYX jumbo crayons and they’re more affordable for college students!

A Girl's Guide To Paris

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Paris, France is one of the most magical cities that we've fallen in love with. The language, the culture, the buildings, the people--it's all so mesmerizing. Many of our sorority sisters had the privilege of studying abroad in Europe and Paris was one of their favorite destinations. After hearing all of the hype, Co Founder Karen finally made her way over to Paris last October and it was love at first sight. Since Paris is on our honeymoon and bucket list, we asked Karen to share with us a must-see list of things to do and see while in Paris. Check out her recommendations below! Have any suggestions? Share with us in the comments!

L A N D M A R K S

Well, first things first: visit the Eiffel Tower (duh!). If you have time, actually go to the top of it and admire the amazing view. At night, the Eiffel Tower lights up too so it's definitely a cool site to see. The Grande Arche de la Défense, which is at the business neighborhood of La Défense, is a tourist must-see. It gives you a great view of the Arc de Triomphe in front of you. Going to the Arc de Triomphe you will be able to see and shop on the Champs-Élysées. Trocadéro is where you can take a great picture and have a great view of the Eiffel Tower while witnessing the beautiful golden column. Le Champ de Mars is a large public green space near the Eiffel Tower as well and is great for a picnic. Le Quai d'Orsay is also a touristy place and if you feel naughty as my friend would say, the Moulin Rouge is pretty cool. Versailles (also known as The Palace of Versailles) is a must-see piece of historical architecture. The Locks of Love bridge is fun to go to (bring a lock!). Consider even doing a boat cruise on the Seine River!

S H O P P I N G

Châtelet Les Halles is where you can do some affordable shopping. If you're into high-end fashion then visiting the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Élysées is a must. Add visiting the Christian Louboutin store and the Chanel store to your list. If you get to the Chanel store in time, ask for a tour of Chanel's old flat which is around the corner from the store (keep in mind, it's likely they won't allow you to take pictures in the store).

M U S E U M S  A N D  C H U R C H E S

You could spend an entire day at the The Musée du Louvre (a museum), but prepare to wait in a long line. Another notable place to go to is Notre Dame Church. It is the church inspired from the Bossu de Notre Dame book. Though the line to get in was long, it was worth the wait. Montmartre has great cafes to chill after visiting the Sacré-Couer church (a popular Roman Catholic church). 

R E S T A U R A N T S  A N D  C A F E S

You can't go to Paris, France without munching on some macaroons. Ladurée on Champs-Élysées is the place to go for some yummy macarons. Wine, cheese, croissants, frites, crepes and baguettes should be on your radar since France is known for these tasty delights. Here are a list of some more places to dine at:

• L'Avenue (good breakfast)
• Moutarde Street-Opéra (American style food)
• Rose Bakery (breakfast, brunch, coffee & tea--plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians)
• La Bulle (upscale French bistro)
• Bar à Gaufres (sweet and savory waffles that are gluten-free)
• Le Market (The menu is a mix of Asian/Japanese with more traditional French dishes)
• Breizh Café, Little Breizh, and Creperie Framboise (delicious crepes)
• Café Latéral (good for lunch near Arc de Triomphe)
• Angelina (pricey, but iconic restaurant)
• Académie de la Bière (awesome Roquefort mussels and frites (fries)!)

N I G H T L I F E
 If you want to hang out at night the party place to find bars and night clubs is de la Bastille. It is the spot to be with a young crowd. Try Rue de Lappe which is located in the heart of the Bastille just between Rue de la Roquette and Rue de Charonne. Rue de Lappe offers dozens of bars and restaurants that attract just about everyone from locals to visitors.

When in doubt, just consult your concierge at your hotel or do some Googling to find the best places to wander to in Paris. Paris cannot be conquered in a day (although you can try!) so take your time and live in the moment.

Au revoir!