favorite five: instagram accounts to follow

Well, I haven't done one of these in awhile...

To be fair, my favorite Instagram accounts {are you following me? You should! @sheriann_} tends to change every few months. I'll go from loving fashion bloggers to watching stop-motion videos to all things fitness. But no matter what, these five are constantly at the top of my list! Aka, I check these the most whenever I'm on Instagram. Which is more than I would really like to admit.

So in no particular order, on with the show! Don't worry, they're not all fashion or lifestyle bloggers ;]

 @grizandnorm

Griz and Norm, otherwise known as the husband and wife team Normand Lemay and Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, are feature animation artists at the Walt Disney Animation Studio. Um, hello! What a cool job! Their joint Instagram account is full of drawings, paintings, and sketches from various Disney films and original pieces. They also share super helpful design tips on Tuesdays! Guys, you need to check them out! Especially since they did a whole series on Disney princesses and other female characters and the designer shoes they would wear. Can you guess the one above?

@notestomyselfie

To be honest, I can't remember how I stumbled upon this account. But I'm so glad I did because Jilly Hendrix is funny. And sassy. And putting the things you've thought in your head on Instagram. She also happens to be a DJ and hosts a podcast with Lo Bosworth {yes, from Laguna Beach and The Hills} and Greta Titelman called Lady Lovin'. You should give that a listen too! It's great!

@nutmegandhoneybee

Of course I had to include a food/baking account! Meghan Rosko is so, so incredibly talented. I mean, just take a look at those Kylie Lip Kit macarons that she decorated herself. And if you look at her Instagram, you will be filled with envy of various kinds. Not only does she make delicious looking sweets ranging from macarons to cakes to chocolates, but she also can decorate like a you-know-what. And get ready for this... She's just 21. I know! Crazy. Go follow her.

@rosielondoner

Rosie is my all-time favorite lifestyle blogger. I love that she's from England. I love her style. I love all of her travel photos. I love her food posts. I just love everything! Her blog and Instagram give me such wanderlust and makes me wish I could go on trips with her. Oh, and have you seen her hair? #hairgoals







@stylemepretty

So... I am not getting married. I don't even have a boyfriend. But fun fact, I love Style Me Pretty, a wedding inspiration website, so much that I visit it every day. I just love looking at all of the beautiful dresses, floral arrangements, color schemes, and cakes. It's honestly just a daily dose of all things love and happiness that will surely brighten your day! And of course, tons of inspiration for your special day, whenever that may be. There's no rush! Just more time to look at all the pretty things!

So there you have it! Let me know what some of your favorite Instagram accounts are! Have a great weekend!



final four in houston + a vlog!

I mentioned that I was going to the Final Four in Houston, and if you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat, then you'll have seen little bits and pieces of my weekend in Texas. But I decided to try my hand at something while I was there...

Vlogging!

To be fair, this is more of a video diary since I'm currently too self-conscious to be talking to a camera in public. We'll get there eventually I'm sure.

This was my ninth time going to the Final Four, second time seeing Syracuse there, and my second time in Houston. While I do love Texas, Houston is not my favorite location for an event like this. As you know, Texas is huge. There's tons of open space, definitely more than we have here in NJ, so you have to drive everywhere. For something like the Final Four when there are tons of fun things going on during the weekend {Fan Fest, concerts, ESPN coverage} plus sightseeing in the city, it makes for a better experience when you can walk everywhere. San Antonio, New Orleans, and Atlana have been my favorite locations so far. If they just rotated between those three cities, I'd love it.

Still, it was a really great weekend and my parents and I had fun. And you can see what we did - mostly lots of sports {obviously}, shopping, and eating - while we were in Houston!

how to watch the masters {masters drinking game}

Image via Twitter

The second round of the Masters is currently underway! Jason Day started out great and then had a rough go of it on the back nine. In just a matter of 45 minutes - three holes - he went from 5-under to even par. Rickie Fowler shot a +8 yesterday. And Ernie Els had a bad case of yips on day one and had to six-putt from no more than two feet to finish the first hole.

Pros, they're just like us.

I know that not a lot of people find golf that interesting to watch, but someone out there has made watching the Masters even better than it already is. All you need to do is first, do yourself a favor and make this cake or pimento cheese to enjoy all weekend. Make sure to tint the icing green to match the coveted green jacket. Then, grab your favorite drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and have Golf Digest's drinking game rules on hand.

A few examples of their rules...

Jim Nantz says, "A tradition unlike any other."

A hole's nickname is used.

You hear bird noises.

Azaleas are shown along with the sound of a guitar.

Those last two will most likely have you drunk in 30 minutes.

Happy weekend!

sephora spring sale picks & wish list

It's here, it's here! Sephora's spring sale started yesterday and everything is 15% off! Since makeup rarely/never goes on sale, this is the best time to stock up on things or purchase those items on your wish list.

These are the exact codes and dates you need to shop the sale...

VIB Rouge members: 15% off with the code ROUGENOTE from April 7th through April 13th
VIB members: 15% off with the code VIBNOTE from April 8th through April 13th
BI members: 10% off with the code BINOTE from April 9th through April 12th

Flip through below to see what's on my wish list and my favorite things from Sephora! And let me know what you are planning to pick up!

pistachio chocolate cake & the masters

It's Masters Monday! If you aren't aware, the Masters Tournament, the first golf major of the year, starts on Thursday and I am very excited. The Masters if my favorite of the four majors so I always look forward to this one. It's one of the prettiest courses you'll see, I promise!

Last year, I tried my hand at making pimento cheese because it's one of the most spreads and sandwiches served at Augusta National. This time I wanted something sweet and something green to represent that iconic green jacket the winner receives. Before this, I'd never had or made pistachio buttercream before but am a total fan now. Plus, pistachios, raspberries, and chocolate must be on the best flavor combinations ever.

Seriously. EVER.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:
1 cup AP flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Raspberry preserves for filling/spread

Pistachio Pudding Buttercream:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 package pistachio pudding {a 3.4 oz package}
2 1/2 - 3 cups confectioners sugar
4-5 tbsp cold milk
Green gel food coloring (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and line two six-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, coca powder, baking soda, baking powder, instant espresso, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. You can do this my hand {what I usually do for this cake} or with a stand or hand mixer.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix until well combined. There shouldn't be any lumps left!
5. Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cool for five minutes in the pans. Then, remove and let them cool on a wire rack.

Pistachio Pudding Buttercream:
1. With a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
2. Add the entire package of pistachio pudding mix and one cup of the confectioners sugar. Make sure the mixer is off!
3. Mix on low and incorporate the rest of the ingredients, alternating between the milk and confectioners sugar. If you like a sweeter frosting, add the full two cups and five tablespoons of milk. If not, just add another cup and a half and about four to four and half tablespoons of milk.
4. If you're using the green gel food coloring, add it in here at the end. I used 11 drops of Leaf Green from Americolor to get the color in the pictures.

Assembly:
1. If necessary, level the bottom layer of your chocolate cake. You get to eat the extra! Otherwise, place the bottom layer on the cake stand.
2. Spread a layer, as thick or thin as you'd like, of raspberry preserves, leaving about a one inch gap from the edge of the cake. Place the second cake on top.
3. Frost your cake with the pistachio buttercream and ENJOY!