All Posts - A Beautiful Mess

4/19

10 Things I Love Sunday

By Keely Rust

Hey everyone! I’m going to do another small business list this week—hope you all are staying safe and healthy … sending all of the positive vibes to you!!! Here are some things I’ve been loving:

1. These custom bandanas from Daily Disco—they’re personalized with chain stitch embroidery; you pick what it says!

2. Love a pleated dress—this one is so pretty and under $60.

3. Absolutely obsessed with this cream cleanser, it’s from a great clean beauty brand and it’s so soft and nourishing—under $20!

4. This blanket!

5. Just being optimistic with this cute and colorful art print ready for those good times!

6. I’ve been wanting to learn a new skill and embroidery has really caught my eye. This beginner’s kit is so pretty and includes everything you need to get started.

7. I made this mini carrot cake from A Cozy Kitchen for Easter and it was so delicious. However, I accidentally grabbed black walnuts from the store instead of regular walnuts and they tasted … intense, haha. Lesson learned! The brown butter cream cheese frosting in this recipe is on another level.

8. Speaking of recipes, my favorite sauce for just about anything—basil vinaigrette!

9. This pink T-shirt from Ban.do feels very now.

10. Missing the nail salon? This set from Olive and June has everything you need for the perfect at home mani-pedi, and you get to pick your nail polishes.

xo Keely

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4/18

A Color Story: Our Favorite Desktop Presets for Spring!

A Color Story, ABM Apps, Photography Tips, Tips

By Ana Elliott

Hi, friends! Do you ever re-edit photos? There are some images I’ve taken where, years later, I still love the composition and image itself, but the edit could use a refresh. Maybe some of you are going through old photos or memories while staying home, so I thought this was a great time to talk about some of the new and fresh presets we have available at A Color Story!

Our Desktop sets include Photoshop actions or Lightroom presets (depending on which you select at checkout) to be used with Photoshop CC or Lightroom CC. We’ve worked with some incredible photographers to bring our most recent presets to A Color Story, and they’re honestly some of our favorites to date! Let’s take a look at some before and afters, shall we? ????

Arielle Vey’s Set — Holiday

Arielle is the photographer behind the photos above, including the cover photo for this post! Her newest set in A Color Story is called Holiday. We love her for her rich edits, often featuring colors like a deep turquoise-teal and a warm, peachy-pink. The before + after above was edited with Chelan, and the whole Holiday set delivers a sun-kissed mood! Arielle’s presets are bold and instantly give us that summer holiday feeling—which we are here for.

Teresa Freitas’ Sets — Wildflower Meadow and Superbloom

Teresa Freitas is another very talented photographer. She is, in fact, behind our newest filter +pack in the A Color Story mobile app, Palette! Some of you may have gotten a chance to check out her bright, candy-colored looks in the app, and we’re happy to say she has two new sets available on A Color Story | Desktop. Wildflower Meadow features soft and tinted tones, with low contrast, best used on outdoor images. You can see in the photo above, the filter Cuckoo Flower completely transforms the feel of this location. Dreamy!!

The photo above was edited with Blazing Star (Infrared I) from Teresa’s set, Superbloom. While maintaining Teresa’s pastel style, Superbloom offers more contrast and bolder edits, along with two infrared filters like the before + after pictured above. These are best used to create surreal red, pink and purple hues from what is typically green, and we love how unique they are! I could see some really cool art coming out of these presets. ???? And if you’re interested in both of Teresa’s sets, you can snag a little deal by purchasing the Wildflower Bloom Collection. Yay!

Jeff Mindell’s Set — The Shore

Jeff Mindell’s set, The Shore, is inspired by his summers growing up along the boardwalks of Jersey Shore. We love using them for brightness, warmth and vibrance, and they work great on outdoor photos as well as well-lit indoor shots. Jeff’s take on blues is one we love—never basic, and never boring! Our favorites boast bright teal like in Stone Harbor (pictured above). And as a bonus, check out how good this same filter looks on some cookies Emma made recently!!

As I mentioned, we love working with talented photographers to bring these presets to life. If you’re a photographer with a unique vision, we’d love to include your Photoshop actions and Lightroom presets to our online marketplace! Feel free to email us for consideration here: hello AT acolorstory DOT com.

Thanks to all of you for letting me share about what’s going on at A Color Story these days! We love hearing from you, so if you have any questions or comments at all, feel free to hop into our inbox or find us on Instagram.

xo! Team ACS

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4/17

A Color Story: New Collection with Steffy

A Color Story, ABM Apps

By Ana Elliott

Happy Friday!! Steffy is one of our favorite creators, and we’ve heard such good feedback about her filter +pack, Harvest Moon, which is why we’re so happy to introduce the Steffy Collection today! We’ve teamed up with Steffy to curate a collection of her favorite filters, and by getting the Steffy Collection, you’ll save 33% on what these filter +packs would normally cost. Can we say, bonus?!

Of course, it wouldn’t be the Steffy Collection without including Harvest Moon! We love her stunning filters that focus on warm tones and boosted oranges. We launched this filter +pack with Steffy in the fall, and we’ve been excited to see the Pumpkin Spice filter on your images year-round! That filter in particular turns blue skies into a really lovely, warm aqua.

We really admire Steffy’s friendship with fellow NY bloggers, and it’s so fun to see them featured in her collection. First up is Jag Lever!

Jag Lever’s been creating some amazing content lately with her outfit photos, and we love to see her filter +pack, Twilight, in action! Twilight features some edgier tones, as well as an overall less-saturated look. Maintaining contrast and challenging shadows, these filters mute color enough for mood while keeping the punch.

Noelle Downing is another inspiring creator, and we are all about the message that her feed and her filter +pack communicates. Each of the filter names in the I AM +pack are empowering mantras of characteristics we possess. I AM: Queen, Lush, Strong, Worthy, Enough, Abundant, Powerful, and Thriving. Wow!! The I AM filters are great for fashion and travel, but more than anything, drawing attention to what’s always been beautiful.

To round out the Steffy Collection, we have two effect +packs by Elsie! The photo above was edited with Glow, which features a versatile combination of light flares and subtle prisms. Created for lifestyle photography, these effects blend in and out of the photo without overtaking it.

And finally, we have Elsie’s Texture +pack! Inspired by old albums and worn, imperfect prints, this effect +pack adds subtle scuffs, scratches and light leaks. Love it!!

Thanks for letting us share about the Steffy Collection! It’s a great deal, and there are so many types of filters represented—we know that no matter your style, you’ll find some favorites here. 😍🧡

xo, Team ACS

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4/17

Elsie’s Statement Sofa Guide

Home Decor, Living Room, Window Shopping

By Elsie Larson

Hi friends! I’ve been shopping for a sofa for my front living room (I don’t know about you, but I just cannot say “formal” living room). It’s the first thing you see when you enter our home, and it’s a bit of a lower traffic living room since we have three areas with sofas and this is not our TV space. I got SO excited when I realized that this space was a good opportunity for a statement sofa! So I’ve been shopping for a fun colored sofa (probably pink!) for this space.

I thought it would be fun to share some of the gems I have come across as I’ve been shopping. Many are super budget-friendly as well!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13

xoxo- Elsie

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4/16

Lola’s Playroom Makeover!

Home Decor, Home Tour: Laura, Kiddo, Kids Room, Room Tour

By Laura Gummerman

Ahhh, what a happy space! I think we could all use a distraction lately, and finishing up Lola’s playroom has been a bright spot for me. This room used to be just an office/craft storage space for me, but once Lola came along, we started to get more toys and games to play with as she got older. I really wanted a space for her to play in with friends and to store her toys so we wouldn’t have them taking over the general living spaces at all times (I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to relax at the end of the day when the living room is still covered in toys!). I did still need a spot to store all my craft supplies (which is a LOT), so we actually share the space and I set up several ways that I keep my stuff separated from hers, but easily accessible to me. Once I had that system set up, she’s free to play in here whenever and I don’t have to be worried about safety or making sure my stuff doesn’t get destroyed.
That DIY corner rainbow wall makes me SO happy every time I pass the room! You mainly see that corner from the hallway, so I wanted to do a statement that would make the most impact without having to do a whole room wallpaper or pattern. I love it!
That little sunshine print is adorable and I love playing with (and just looking at) those vintage-looking wooden cars. I buy them for baby gifts all the time!
We did an IKEA hack to make an easy sensory table for Lola last year and I’m so glad we did! It’s great to have a little station for her inside to dig in and pour rainbow rice and dried beans back and forth (you can find all the links to the sensory table items in this post!). Lately, she’s into making the rice and beans into different foods for the little animals to eat…usually the dishes are made of cheese and coconut for some reason!

Lola loves bunnies (her favorite stuffed animal is a bunny), so I got her that precious little bunny chair for her table.
Lola loves putting things in baskets/carts and moving them from room to room or taking them outside for walks in the driveway, so this little woven luggy basket is perfect for play grocery shopping trips and taking her babies for a walk. I plan to let her do some real grocery shopping with it at the farmer’s market once that is a thing again (Elsie has Nova bring hers when they go and I thought that was such a good idea to help keep kids busy while you shop).
Those hanging planters are a DIY from several years back and I still love them!
Those storage cubes are great for keeping toys and small puzzles organized and I love that little swivel chair for Lola to read in (the kitties like to nap it in too!). That mid-century pendant light is one of my favorites in the house—super simple but really pretty.
I had so much fun making this little cleaning set for Lola recently and all the items actually clean things, so that’s a big bonus for mama when we are playing cleanup time!

That leopard rug may have been a record for “fastest pinned item” for me on my Pinterest page—it’s juuuuuust too cute! Leopard print has been a favorite of mine long before it became trendy again, thanks to being a big fan of the movie Funny Girl (“Hello Gorgeous!”), so I’m happy to get it in kiddo versions for Lola to love, too. She was so excited to see the leopard print I picked out for her above the toy storage as well!

That flower mirror was a fun DIY touch to the room and I like that “run wild” print so much I have it in two places in the house!
I made that lion bust for Lola before she was born, so I thought I would move him into the playroom and give him some friends to hang out with! Unicorn, swan, bear … gang’s all here! I love that playful shape print above the dresser (that’s where I keep all my sewing fabric) and that car garage from our favorite local kids shop is so sweet! It has some wooden cars that come with it, but I also bought some vintage model cars while thrift shopping to use on it.

Since we share the room, I keep the lower built-in shelves for Lola’s toys so she can get them and put them away herself and all the “untouchable” items of mine are way up at the top. That unicorn storage basket is such a cute way to store toys as well…
What a sweet room for such a sweet girl! Since we have the sensory table in here, I also chose a cowhide for the room so it would be easy to sweep up stray rice and beans rather than have them get lost inside a shag rug. Overall, seeing this happy space give me a lift of joy and I love playing in here with Lola and adding little cheerful additions where I can. Hope this brought a smile to your face today as well! xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

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4/15

Cashew Chicken Sauce

Comfort Foods, Food, Meal Ideas, Savory

By Emma Chapman

I grew up in Springfield, Missouri, which is pretty proud of their claim to inventing cashew chicken. For me, cashew chicken is a very nostalgic food as it was a part of my childhood. For it to be true Springfield-style cashew chicken, the chicken pieces have to deep fried and there will be no colorful vegetables on the plate aside from maybe a smattering of green onions as garnish. At its core, it’s a fried chicken and gravy meal served over rice. And I have to admit, I still crave it from time to time.

And although I do eat chicken, I often prefer to make a homemade version of this with tofu or simply vegetables (like baked cauliflower). When I do make this with chicken, I prefer to bake the chicken and only lightly bread the pieces with flour for a slightly lighter and healthier option. In case anyone out there is like me (loves cashew chicken but would like to make it with tofu or vegetables sometimes), I thought I’d share my cashew chicken sauce recipe.

You can also use this for meal prepping, as you can make the sauce on the weekend to use for a super quick weeknight cashew chicken (or tofu) dinner.

If you have ever made gravy or a roux then making this sauce will be simple. Basically, you just need some whisking skills and about 10 minutes or less of attention span. 🙂

Once the sauce is done ahead of time and rewarmed or made that evening, then you can simply bake some chicken, tofu, vegetables, or a combination and serve over rice.

Once the protein and vegetables are cooked I stir everything with the cashews in the sauce. Then serve over the warm rice. Super simple and totally tasty!

I like to garnish with some chopped green onions and if I have it some toasted sesame seeds, but it’s not necessary if you don’t have those on hand. Enjoy! xo. Emma

5 from 3 votes

Cashew Chicken Sauce

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
2-3 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Instructions

In a small to medium size pot, combine the sesame oil and minced garlic over medium heat. Cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the remaining sauce ingredients: oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, red pepper flakes (if using), and cornstarch. Start with two tablespoons of cornstarch and you can add more later if you think it needs to be thicker.
Give that a good whisk. Then slowly add the vegetable stock. The mixture may appear very thin at first, but keep cooking over medium heat and it will thicken up (like gravy). If it doesn't, add another tablespoon of corn starch. If it gets a little too thick, add a little more vegetable stock. Once it reaches the desired thickness, remove from heat. Taste and add salt or more soy if you think it needs it.
Use right away or store in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and rewarm as needed. I will use this sauce over two pounds of chicken (or whatever I'm cooking) for four servings. So you can divide the sauce in half if you only need two servings at a time, like we do.

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

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