i dabble

Take-Out Fake Out: Pad Thai

2012-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else have a tough time making home cooked meals every night? I certainly do. Some Thursday nights I am plum tuckered out and we order pizza/Chinese/Thai/sushi and I always feel guilty about it. One of our combined New Year's resolutions is to limit our take-out consumption and learn some quick substitutions for the things we typically order in. I am hoping to feature some of our make-in(stead) recipes with all of you in a new feature called Take-Out Fake Out.* First up, at home pad Thai. I followed a Martha Stewart recipe that is not online anywhere but I followed her recipe almost exactly (with an addition and a substitution.)

Cast of Characters:

- 8 oz dry wide, flat rice noodles (I used Udon as that's what I had on hand)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice plus lime wedges for serving (3 limes were needed)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce (I used fish)
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha
- 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 package of firm tofu, sliced and patted dry (we subbed 1/2lb of shrimp as we aren't tofu lovers)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup of bean/mung sprouts (not in the original recipe but I love them)
- 8 scallions, thinly sliced
- Coarse Salt
- 2 Tbsp roasted, salted peanuts chopped (I used wasabi, soy sauce almonds)
- Chopped cilantro

1) Soak noodles according to the package's instructions, drain and set aside. If you go the shrimp route, cook shrimp and set aside.

2) Whisk together the lime juice, soy/fish sauce, chili sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.

Pictures like this don't help my egg issues, ick.

3) Cook your eggs. Martha suggests folding them into a threefold omelet and thinly slicing into pieces once fully cooked. I'm not that fancy, so I just scrambled them dry and set them aside.

4) Add 1 1/2 tsp of oil to a wok or large skillet and add carrots, garlic, sprouts and scallion (white parts only) and cook down for 5 minutes or til soft.

5) Add lime juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Add your noodles from Step 1 and cook, stirring frequently. Add eggs and tofu/shrimp and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Top with nuts, cilantro, scallion greens and lime wedges.

We loved this at-home version, it was more spicy and not as sweet or heavy as takeout pad Thai. I really liked the addition of the wasabi nuts on top for an added kick. Each serving (with tofu) has approximately 450 calories and 18g of fat so its definitely better than the take-out version.

*I thought I was so clever coming up with Take-Out Fake Out, and yet Real Simple magazine ran a feature last month with the same title, boo! For the record, I did think of it before reading the magazine.

I would love to know, do you have any take-out fake out recipes of your own, or any you'd like me to try to re-create? Let me know!

Laura Takes L.A. - a wardrobe update

2012-02-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Laura Takes LA! by carasun00 featuring a collared shirt

Who's excited for the Oscars tonight? I would be, if I wasn't going to be in Aruba! Speaking of fashion in L.A., a friend of mine recently moved to Los Angeles to begin a new life on the other coast. She wanted to update her East Coast wardrobe to include pieces more representative of California style. She asked me to put together an inspiration board for her of jeans-based looks since she works from home and has a little one to chase around. I built 6 interchangeable looks based on skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans and boot cut jeans. To me, L.A. has a very easy and laid back style (see Jessica Alba) so I relied heavily on flowy, light pieces that can easily be layered and dressed up with great jewelry, fun sunglasses, hat or cool satchel.

So how do you think I did, is there anything you think is quintessentially Californian/L.A. that I missed? Have you ever updated your wardrobe to better fit your location?

I love making these inspiration boards so if you have any requests or suggestions, I am all ears!

Fashionable Friend Friday: So Many Scarves

2012-02-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

Of the multitude of accessories out there, few are as versatile as the scarf. This week certainly reminded me of that. Scarves can serve as neck warmers, hair ties, belts, pseudo vests and wraps and handbag add-ons. As much as I love scarves, I tend to wear them the same way every time so I will be storing some of these ideas away for the future. Here are our 5 takes on getting the most out of our scarves.

Andrea took Sini's large leopard print/zebra embellished scarf to the max as a belt on a simple black and white look and found the most perfect bracelet in her stash to match it perfectly. Here she is hamming it up in her scarf.

Sini wore Marisol's color blocked scarf as a statement piece with an otherwise basic blue cowl dress. I love how she tied the scarf and how her arm warmers match the purple in the scarf.

Marisol rocked Andrea's leaf print scarf by pairing it with similar colored items and another print. Pulling in the purple of the scarf with the cardigan was a fun way to tie everything together. Definitely a fun look for work or play.

Corey sported Andrea's silk floral scarf on her handbag all week and as a necktie yesterday (but I left my point-and-shoot at work today, sorry Corey!) I think tying a scarf on a purse is such a chic accessory as Corey demonstrates below.

I wore Corey's teal scarf as a belt to jazz up a summery dress that has a lot of black to it. Unfortunately our office got really hot and I had to take off my cardigan and wore the scarf belt as a wrap for the latter part of the day.

If you need some additional scarf wearing inspiration you should absolutely watch this video by Wendy's Lookbook. It's adorable, she has enviable scarves and ways of tying them. Happy Weekend everyone!

Little Bits of Happy, and an outfit

2012-02-22T22:17:00.001-05:00

I hate admitting it here, but I've been stressed out with real life lately. As much as I love (and thrive on) being busy, the past few weeks have been overwhelmingly so. On top of everything else I have been fighting insomnia for two weeks and over the weekend the work stress, lack of sleep and the 30+ miles of marathon training a week proved too much for me and I cracked. Fortunately I was at my parents in Boston and my mom lent me her shoulder to cry on, her kind ear to listen, oh and a few cookies. Even though life's been a bit tough, there are always bright spots to every day. Here are a few that have made the past few weeks a bit brighter:

My mom treated me to a mani/pedi on Monday. She insisted I try a shellac manicure since she's a big fan. Two days in and no chips or marks in sight! I love that as soon as the dryer stops you are good to go. As a busy, impatient gal I could get on board with this smudge proof manicure.

www.williamlanday.com

This book is not exactly uplifting but its really gripping. Set in the neighboring town to my hometown and the park I ran right by on Saturday(!) made it that much more engaging. The end was pretty surprising, and calls into question how far one would go for their family.

Image via www.hellomiami.com

Have you tried a bar/barre workout? Marisol and I did at The Bar Method after work and it was awesome! Runners are notoriously inflexible and we showed how true that was this evening. The class was a combination of ballet positions, stretching and strength training. Such an awesome burn!

Finding new music like Ellie Goulding's album, Lights and re-finding old favorites like this song on my iPod. Something about this song instantly calms me.

And it wouldn't be Wednesday without an outfit. I wore this sometime last week when I realized this sweater hasn't been worn since before Christmas.

Sweater - Old Navy, Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Plenty by Tracy Reese, Purse - Dooney & Bourke, Flower barrette - DIY, Necklace - swapped from Marisol, Bracelets - Gifts

Thanks for reading and being patient while I get back on track. I would love to know what little things pick you up during a rough week or two!

Fashionably Friend Fridays: Necklaces a plenty

2012-02-16T22:42:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago I introduced you to a few of my favorite gals at work. We've been busy remixing each others accessories since then but I kept forgetting to bring my point and shoot home to upload pictures, until today. This past week we sported each other's necklaces in different combinations than the original owners had seen before. Check us out!

Here's Sini rocking Marisol's gold and metallic necklace with some of her own gold jewelry and a black top and red skirt combination. I like this dark(er) necklace mixed with the bright red, to me it's an unexpected but cheerful color combination.

I'm wearing Corey's necklace in this outfit. She has trouble figuring out how to wear this necklace so she was looking for ideas on how to style this. I put it off center and added a flower pin for some added texture. The purple tights add a needed pop of color.

Marisol sported Sini's cluster of pearls. Sini has said that she finds this statement piece tough to wear because of its heaviness and inherent formality. Marisol dressed it down by keeping the rest of her look simple with a chambray shirt and a grey skirt and grey and pink polka dot tights.

Corey showed off Andrea's colorful beaded necklace. Andrea has a knack for mixing colors together so she generally wears this with unexpected colors but I really love how much this sings with the turquoise cardigan and Corey's gorgeous red hair.

Andrea donned Marisol's black beaded necklace. I love that she paired this statement piece with a great mustard top and wide leg trousers. It would have been so easy to wear this with black or white but it looks great with the mustard.

So how did we do? We'll be back with scarves next week! Stay tuned and have a great weekend. I'll be running 17 miles of the Boston Marathon's course on Saturday and hopefully doing some pre-vacation shopping with my Mom.

Wednesday's Wardrobe: I Love the Night Life

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend I did something I have not done in a very long time. I went out two nights in a row...in the city nonetheless. There are so many birthdays this time of year among our friends that it was bound to happen sometime but finding club ready clothes at 30 is so much harder than it was at 20. Here are two outfits I put together for night's out on the town.

Friday night Corey wanted the gals to go out dancing for her birthday so we all donned our best dancing duds. I would have preferred to wear a higher heel since I'm the dedicated shortie among my friends but I had 16 miles to run Saturday morning and dancing in heels are a runner's worst nightmare.

Shirt/Clutch - Ann Taylor Loft, Jeans - Old Navy, Shoes -Macy's, Bracelets - Forever 21/Ann Taylor Loft, Necklace - Gift, Earrings - Charming Charlie's,

Saturday we celebrated Becky's birthday with a Mexican feast and night of shuffleboard and beers. I picked up this colorblocked top for $10 at Marshall's on Friday. I love that it shows skin without revealing too much. My feet were done after my dance outing and my run, so ballet flats it was. Too bad I failed to look at the forecast and missed the blizzard-like wind/temps ripping through DC that night. Oops!

Shirt - Marshall's, Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - GAP, Clutch - Gift, Necklace - Chicago, Bracelets - Target/DIY

What do you wear on a girls night out or for a Saturday on the town?

Being a Better You: Tips for Aging Gracefully

2012-02-15T21:43:00.001-05:00

Looking back, 25 was a great year for me, full of fun and major life changes. As the years have passed by, the grey hairs have appeared in ever greater force, and my metabolism has ground to what feels like a halt. Morgan over at la chapstick fanatique is turning 25 in a few weeks and is featuring pieces on being a better you on Wednesdays this month. I'm linked up over there but here are a few of the things I do to make sure I look and feel as young as possible.

Warrior Dash 2011

Exercise: When I'm not training for marathons, I workout 4-5 times a week because I love the way it makes me feel. If you are new to exercise, find a way to love it and keep with it. More than ever before there are a multitude of different types of exercise out there. Kickboxing, zumba, step aerobics and running are my favorite activities. I love racing, partly because I have so many friends who love to race with me. If you can convince a pal to join you in your exercise pursuits you will not only be accountable to someone but will have someone to ~~dress like a freak and run through mud with~~ laugh and joke with and to push/be pushed by.

My ballerina manicure from a few months ago.

Treat Yourself: As women, we do not do nearly enough of this because we always are doing a thousand other things for others. When you can, find ways to be good to yourself. For example, on weekends, I love to do facial masks, deep hair conditioners and other treatments while I do laundry/dishes/vacuuming. I usually do my own nails but I also treat myself to a mani/pedi at least once a month just for a fun outing. Whatever you do, find a spare hour or two in your week to unwind and give your body to a special treat. If you need some fun, natural masks/skin treatments check out Lindsay's blog at Delighted Momma, she has a whole bunch.

My 29th birthday - in blue of course.

Style: The fashion we got away with as younger gals generally do not look as good as we age. Be cognizant of your best assets and play to them. If your best assets at 30 are different than they were at 22, that's OK but make sure your wardrobe is representative of that. Also, know what hues are best suited to your coloring and wear them as much as possible. I wear a lot of blue because it makes my eyes pop. As we age, investing in classic pieces and amazing basics is a great way to build a strong wardrobe for life. Spend less on trendy items, see my $3 fascinator above.

My brother and I poorly serenading the guests to Kokomo at his wedding

Last but certainly NOT least: Know how to have as much fun at fill-in-the-blank years old as you did in your youth. I had so much fun in my 20s its hard to imagine that the fun will end now that I'm in a new decade. As cliche as it is, age is only a number. Have fun, laugh lots and remember that your smile will always be your best accessory. Pop over to Morgan's blog for more tips about being a better you! Now I want to know, what do you do to make you the best you can be?

BDIB/EBEW - Red and Pink Outfit

2012-02-14T08:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day from your very own walking conversation heart! With the Bloggers Do It Better challenge asking for our best red and Everybody, Everywear asking us to pair red and pink together I decided to put my brightest red with my cheekiest pink and a little leopard - meow! My husband's reaction to this outfit was "wow, you are bright," the whole "you look cute" followed moments later after he looked away from the glowing red beacon.

Shirt - Banana Republic, Dress - BB Dakota, Belt - Betsey Johnson, Shoes - Steve Madden, Bracelets - Gift/Stella&Dot/Filene's Basement

So are you wearing red or pink today? My husband won't be able to miss me at dinner. He's taking me to Palena for their tasting menu tonight, I am excited for a nice dinner out with him after work. Whatever you do, have a great day!

Cupid's Cupcakes : A Valentine Treat

2012-02-12T20:15:00.003-05:00

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? As commercial and fake a day it is, I love holidays simply because they give me a reason to create themed decorations/treats/crafts. After last week's cake pop mess I had a leftover cake mix, frosting and lollipop sticks to use up. I saw this adorable project over on Bakerella and decided to make something sweet for my equally sweet coworkers.

For this project you will need the following:

- Cupcakes, baked

- Frosting

- Cupid's Dust aka Sprinkles

- Lollipop Sticks (I used 6" sticks)

- Construction Paper/Cardstock

- Scissors

- Scrapbook Glue (or any non-toxic clear glue)

- Kebab skewer/chopstick/fondue stick

1) Bake your favorite cupcakes and cool completely. Frost your cupcakes with your favorite frosting. Add Cupid's dust (sprinkles) to your cupcakes. I used red sprinkles and a white/pink mix on mine.

2) Now its time to make your arrows. Start by folding a piece of paper in half and cut out a number of hearts.

3) Apply some glue to one heart and stick one end of the lollipop stick to the heart. The heart's tip should be facing in towards the cupcake. Set aside.

4) Using your kebab skewer poke a hole through the cupcake. Make sure to hold the cupcake liner tight to the cupcake when you break through the other side.

5) Remove the skewer and put the lollipop arrow in its place. Glue another heart (tip of the heart facing away from the cupcake) to the lollipop stick and enjoy with your Valentine!

If Cupid hasn't been treating you well lately, have no fear, I made a cupcake for you too! Break a lollipop stick in half and glue two hearts to the broken ends. Stick the undecorated ends in the cupcake, and you have yourself a broken arrow cupcake.

These cupcakes are so sweet for both the eyes and taste buds. They could be really cute for a kid's party or school celebration or for a after lunch treat with your coworkers. So will you be my valentine?

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Old and New Favorites

2012-02-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the camp song that went make new friends but keep the old, one is silver, the other is gold? No? I guess you were spared from attending Girl Scout camp. Anyway, this week pairs old favorites with new(er) pieces together in a few fresh combinations.

It took me a year and umpteen colorblocking bookmarks/pins to put these two together. Now I can't imagine separating these brights from one another. I love the pops of neon showing up everywhere for spring so I added my favorite neon flower to brighten the look even more.

Top - Forever 21, Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Nine West, Flower - H&M, Bracelets - Target

This sweater is an old favorite. It's so soft and cozy, its like wearing a knit robe. I paired it with this newer lace top for our ride home from New York for a casual travel look. If you've been around awhile, you know I don't like messy travelers when there are so many comfortable options out there that don't involve bedazzled sweats or Uggs.

Sweater/Top - Ann Taylor Loft, Jeans - J Brand, Shoes - Tory Burch,
Bracelets - Forever 21, Earrings - Gift from Parents

I picked these shoes up on the Gilt Groupe final sale for a song after stalking them forever. They are so comfortable, so glad I scored them! I wore this to dinner and the charity concert on Friday night. The lace top has been one of my favorites for a long time. It's so delicate and feminine and works great year round. My Stella & Dot jewelry from the party two weeks ago arrived and I couldn't wait to wear them.

Top - Dillard's, Jeans - Ann Taylor Loft - Shoes - Plenty by Tracy Reese, Bracelet/Necklace - Stella & Dot

Do you reach for the same things time and again or do you rotate your closet often? I'm trying to stretch the versatility of my wardrobe but its so hard to resist those old favorites!

Choose your Own Cowl - A quick knitting project

2012-02-07T21:19:00.001-05:00

Every holiday season I make a goal of making as many homemade gifts as possible, this year I knit several cowls for my crafty sisters-in-law. When my mom heard about their knitted gifts she wanted one too. Since her birthday was yesterday, I also knitted her a ribbed cowl scarf using some pretty purple wool I bought in New Orleans to match her lightweight winter coat.

I followed this Lion Brand pattern but used smaller needles and less yarn to make the cowl smaller and closer fitting i.e. warmer. Assuming you know how to knit in the round, this is really easy and fast. This project makes for great TV watching because the pattern is easy-peasy.

For this project you will need:
- one skein (3oz.) of acrylic yarn or any bulky yarn (The Jiffy in the picture)
- one skein (1oz.) of thin wool (loose ball in the picture)
- 16" Size 8 circular needles
- Stitch marker
- Large eye needle/crochet hook

Gauge - 14 stitches = 4 inches

1. Cast 88 stitches using the long tail method onto your size 8 needles. Place your stitch marker at the beginning of the round. Make sure you do not twist the stitches, keep them all facing the inside of your circle. Join in the round.

2. For the first row, Knit 2, Purl 2 till the end of the round.

3. For the second row, Knit 1, Purl 2, Knit 2 till the last three stitches where you purl 2, knit 1.

4. Repeat the first and second rows until the desired width is achieved. The original pattern says 16 inches but that sounded enormous to me. My cowls have been between 6-8 inches wide.

Mom's Birthday Cowl

My cowl with some leftover yarn.

The type of yarn you use will drive the size and shape of the cowl as you can see above. Wool (top picture) will make for a more ribbed, slimmer cowl. Acrylic yarns (bottom picture) will carry the pattern less sharply and will be looser. I like them either way, its entirely up to what yarn/style suits your fancy. It's a choose your own cowl adventure!

Are you a knitter or crocheter? I would love to learn to crochet, perhaps I will tackle that later this year. Till then, there are lots of summer babies to get knitting for!

Bowled Over: A Weekend Recap

2012-02-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you but I am totally wiped out from the weekend. I really think today should be a national holiday so we can all recover from too much food, beer and TV watching. Anyway, I had a great, yet busy weekend. Friday night I went to dinner and a charity concert for the American Heart Association with my best friend. It was so great to see her and catch up over good food and music. Saturday I had an awesome 15 mile training run. I tried a new trail that took me to Georgetown and back in my new kicks in record time. I was thrilled. I spent the rest of Saturday watching college basketball, hanging with my husband and making a few crafts for the Superbowl. Rather than I buy a $15 tablecloth I painted this $2 tablecloth like a football field with Patriots and Giants end zones. I also made this field goal post out of paper towel rolls and breadcrumb canister. I even made Wally (the Red Sox mascot) a little Pats uniform. Yesterday I cooked my heart out for the big game. If you need any party food in the near future, this empanada recipe is fantastic and my husband proclaimed that he would like to marry this dip. His words, seriously.

Getting the snack table ready.

Themed Foods as usual. I used my favorite chili recipe and set up a fixins bar for our entree.

These lobster sliders were a nod to my New England roots. Where were you yesterday Jerrod Mayo?!?

Ugh, the football cake pops from H-E-double hockey sticks! At least they tasted good.

Wally got in on the action.

So did you party it up last night, or did you skip the Superbowl? Overall I thought it was a pretty underwhelming game/commercial lineup. My favorite commercial was the chocolate M&M commercial, and the new VW bug/dog weight loss one. What was yours?

I'll have a new craft project, feature and outfits this week! Stay tuned.

Fashionably Friendly Friday: Introductions

2012-02-02T21:39:00.000-05:00

I feel incredibly lucky to have several coworkers I consider great friends both in and outside of work. We bond over many things, but fashion is one of the ties that bind us together. We love each other's fashion choices almost on a daily basis so we decided to combine our shared love of fashion into a new Friday series. We each brought in difficult to style/or things we only style one way items to be remixed. Together we filled a conference table with jewelry, scarves, head wear, sweaters and vests and split them to wear and then pass along. At the end of this challenge, you'll see all of these items worn by four women with different styles, shapes and sizes.

Since you'll be seeing a lot of my fashionably friendly coworkers on Fridays, I thought I'd introduce you to them.

This is Andrea, she is the entire reason I got into long distance running. She's also a major reason behind my love of Frye boots, as she has several pairs of killer boots. Andrea is also a great layer-er of tops, combiner of colors and wearer of the tallest heels.

This is Corey, she's my favorite booty-shaking, sweets indulging gal to grab a margarita and tacos with. She's got great casual, feminine style. She makes looking cute look easy. She usually sports colorful basics, fun flats, beaded necklaces and big smiles.

This is Marisol, and I want her entire closet. We've joked about getting side-by-side apartments so we can share closets. We're partners in knitting and scrapbooking crime. Besides sharing my love of Dairy Queen and yarn, she also loves finding a great deal, and rocking adorable mix-and-match pieces, and great accessories.

This is Sini, she's an amazing dancer, cooker of samosas and banger of phones (haha.) When she's not being sassy she's rocking prints better than anyone I know. I wish I had her taste for prints, bright colors and bold combinations.

And you all know me, my picture was horrendous but you know what I look like. Hopefully you'll find this Friday series a fun way to see how we style accessories individually. If nothing else, its a fun way to wrap up the work week.

I hope you have fabulous weekends! I'm going to a concert with a friend tomorrow night, running a long run Saturday and then hosting a Superbowl party on Sunday. GO PATRIOTS! What are you up to?

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Bold As Love

2012-01-31T22:23:00.003-05:00

Back in December I wished for the Frye Melissa button boots in Bordeaux, and on Christmas Day Santa delivered them to me...twice. My parents got me my Bordeaux boots. Jamie tried, except they were in the wrong color so they were returned and I was given an I.O.U. Since our Bloomingdales is closing and many deals line the aisles, my IOU came in the form of a bright red Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Ikita last week. I am in love with this beautiful, bold, soft bag and have carried it almost every day since getting it so here are some of my purse pairings from the past week.

These shoes have been under my desk at work for literally a year. I completely forgot about them but found them while doing some cleaning at work. I thought they would be fun to show on the ol' blog. So I paired my red blazer, mustard belt, black skirt and polka dot tights with this look to play up the fun colors of the purse and shoes.

Blazer - Nordstrom, Tee - Ann Taylor Loft, Skirt - Old Navy, Tights - Hue, Shoes - Rocket Dog, Necklace - Jewelry Bar, Belt - Marmalade in San Francisco

I wore this on Thursday to work and dinner and drinks with some gal pals. These are now known as my blueberry pants at work. I really like the pops of red and feminine pearl accents in this all-blue ensemble.

Shirt/Jeans - Old Navy, Shoes - Me Too via Nordstrom, Pearls - Gift from Husband, Ring - from my Nana

I wore this on Friday (my day off) for errands, appointments, lunch with an old friend and a Stella and Dot party. I picked up this beanie a few weeks ago for $4 and thought it picked up the colors of this top perfectly.

Jacket - INC via Macy's, Blouse - Ann Taylor Loft, Tank/Shoes - Old Navy, Jeans - J Brand, Beanie - Laila Rowe, Necklace - Charming Charlies

And last but not least, we went to NYC on Saturday night for my dear friend's 30th at the Ritz-Carlton. I did not mean to match this dress to my purse but I forgot to bring another bag. Does this dress look familiar? It's the BB Dakota dress I wanted for my OWN birthday back in October. It came on Gilt Groupe a few weeks ago and I had to snag it while my size was available. It's just a great color and style, the perfect party dress.

And here's a final funny. My friend and I are both on the shorter end of the spectrum but have a love of very tall heels. In this first picture we are wearing our heels, note our head placement with the range's bottom.

And here's flat foot, a good 4-5 inches shorter.

Dress - BB Dakota, Tights - Hue, Shoes - Cole Haan, Necklace - Charming Charlies

So I have to ask, do you rotate out your bags on a daily basis or do you carry one a week/month/season? I'm definitely a several day in a row gal because my purses are on a shelf I cannot reach and I'm too lazy to get my step stool from the kitchen. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Happy 1st Blogday!

2012-01-30T20:46:00.002-05:00

Image via Partytimesrus.com

Tomorrow my itty-bitty blog turns 1! She's grown so much, so quickly! It is hard to believe this little space has quickly become one of my favorite hobbies, and that's saying a lot cause I have loads of hobbies! It has been so much fun sharing recipes, projects and outfits with you over the past 12 months, and I am thrilled to share some new ideas with you in the coming year. I have so enjoyed hanging here with you and getting to know each of you and your blogs. You readers are such a supportive community full of love, humor and fun. I cannot thank you enough for swinging by over the past months to check out my latest dabbles. As I said, I have a few new ideas up my sleeve for the coming year that I cannot wait to share with you later this week. Until then, let there be blogday cake and thanks for reading thus far! Cheers!

Fashionista vs. Frugalista - Doting on Dots

2012-01-27T09:46:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I did a Fashionista vs. Frugalista post but we booked a vacation to Aruba for the end of February so now I'm constantly thinking about umbrella drinks, beaches and resort wear. While browsing the web for warm weather wardrobe inspiration (say that three times fast) I happened across these amazing Marc by Marc Jacob shorts.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Hot Dots Short via Nordstrom

I have a love/hate relationship with shorts because my legs are so short but these are pretty darn cute. I really like that the length is not super short. So what's the catch? They come it at $228. As adorable as they are, they are only shorts and that seems a little steep.

Free People Dot Staying Cool Short via Lyst.com

I found a more budget-friendly pair of Free People shorts on sale at Bluefly. This pair is more flowy than the pair above and may actually be a skort based on the description? While I haven't worn a skort in many years, I do love skirts for summer so maybe these are worth a try? They are $34.99!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Hot Dots blouse via Nordstrom

I have wanted a tie-blouse all season but have yet to find one I love but this one? I adore. Polka dots are just the happiest print to me! Anyway, I also love the Marc by Marc Jacobs blouse in the same Hot Dots pattern as the shorts above but this shirt has the same price tag as those shorts. $228 big smackers.

Halogen Sleeveless Blouse via Nordstrom

While browsing Nordstrom's website further I came across this Halogen top for $52.00. The dots are smaller and not as pronounced as the Marc Jacobs version but its 1/4th the price and has a very similar shape.

So what do you think? Do these pieces bring out your inner fashionista or frugalista? What's on your crave list right now?

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Is It Really January?

2012-01-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

Now I'm not complaining about the super mild winter we're having here, but I have some beautiful cashmere sweaters and wool skirts that are feeling seriously neglected this season. The past week has been incredibly warm which had made getting dressed pleasant albeit a little difficult. Everyone of the looks below features a tee or tank more often saved for warmer months but since January has become one of those months, I'm rolling with the (warm) punches.

I picked up this burnt out velvet jacket before Christmas as something special to wear for holiday functions. That special occasion became training for work, do I know how to party or what? I paired it with grey jeans, a tank top, booties and some fun accessories including my Nana's watch necklace from the 40s. Please excuse my end of work week hair situation and dancing...

Jacket/Bracelets - Forever 21, Tank - Filene's Basement, Jeans - Old Navy, Booties - Steve Madden, Necklaces - Gifts, Headband - Nordstrom, Earrings - H&M

Coral is one of my favorite colors but I generally reserve it for months when I have a tan. The other morning it was just begging to be paired with this military-esque skirt, funky necklace and summer shoes.

Shirt - Target, Skirt - Marshalls, Necklace - Gift, Shoes - L.A.M.B, Bracelets - Forever 21

Again, a thin strappy tank in the middle of January. For awhile, I have loved mustard and navy together on just about everyone and finally I put them on myself. Please excuse my terrible hair in these pictures, my hair dried in a bun that morning and I took it down without looking in a mirror first. Womp, womp.

Cardigan - Marmalade in San Francisco, Tank/Shoes - Old Navy, Skirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Tights - Hue, Ring -Star of the East , Necklace - Gift via Nordstrom

These tights may be my new favorite thing. Our local Bloomingdales is closing :( and everything is on super discount. I've had my eye on these Kate Spade polka dot tights and at last they were on sale. Hip, hip hooray! I thought it would be fun to combine dots and stripes so I pulled on this tissue thin 3/4th sleeve shirt and a purple corduroy skirt.

Shirt/Skirt - Old Navy, Tights - Kate Spade, Shoes - Bandolino, Necklace - H&M, Bracelet - Made by my SIL

So have you been having an unseasonable upswing in temperatures? If so, how have you been fashionably coping with the winter heat wave?

Finally Soup Weather: Chicken and Dumpling Soup

2012-01-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years homemade soups have been a winter staple in our house. Unfortunately the very mild weather we've had this season has not inspired me to get stirring. But that changed this weekend. As the snow/sleet starting falling, I finally got in the mood to make soup. I started on Saturday by making my own chicken stock and then made chicken and dumpling soup from this recipe yesterday afternoon. As always, I doctored it a little bit.

Cast of Characters:
- 4 cups of pulled chicken
- 10 cups of chicken stock (homemade if you have it)
- 4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
- 4 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (1 oz.) of baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning (I didn't add this but I think it could use it)

1) Add stock to a pot and bring it up to a simmer. After a few minutes (5-7) add the chopped celery, carrots and half the parsley.

2) Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to almost a boil and boil your chicken. Once boiled, pull apart with two forks.

3) In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. With a fork, combine spinach and buttermilk to form a sticky dough. The dough will be very wet and sticky.

4) Once the stock is simmering, use a large tablespoon to drop dumplings into the soup. Cover the pot and continue to cook for 7-10 minutes or until the dumplings are fully cooked. They will float when they are done.

5) Add salt, pepper and chicken to the pot and warm the chicken all the way through. Serve with lemon wedges, a side salad and piece of crusty bread.

This soup is thick and hearty, and the vegetables add some flavor and vitamins. This soup makes a ton, and is both low calorie and low fat for a thicker soup (348 calories/8g fat based on 6 servings, although I'd say 8-10 servings is more realistic.)

I love making soup when it gets frigid out, do you have any recipes you rely on when the temperatures drop?

Dressing for the Dogs

2012-01-19T20:50:00.001-05:00

Dressing for the Dogs by carasun00 featuring red tops

For Christmas my sister-in-law got me a blog makeover, wahoo! I'm so excited to leave my pink blog in my past AND to finally have a menu organizing all of my randomness. So in return, I put together some looks for her and her brand spankin new career. Back in November she took a leap of faith and started her own dog walking business. While she spends her days playing with pups she doesn't want to look like a schlubby dog walker. She expressed interest in exploring leggings/jegging-based looks so I pulled together this board for her.

I wanted to give her affordable, comfortable clothes in sturdy fabrics that can be washed easily, layered or worn separately. Even if you have J.Lo's butt, pairing a longer top with your leggings is a must (in my humble opinion.) The red top and mauve sweater are mid-thigh but not so long that the pups could grab the bottom and begin a game of tug-of-war. Also, if you are wearing a fitted bottom the top should be looser to even out the proportions.

I kept the boots simple, flat and neutral. Both pairs of boots are functional but also fashionable for long walks by the lake. The accessories are minimal because dogs get dirty, and again I didn't want to put too much out there that they could grab hold of. Bib necklaces, colorful belts worn at the wait and bandanna scarves are easy ways to bring the eye up to the face and dress up a basic look. Some simple earrings, or thin bangle would be fun as well. I also love cute hats for winter and think she'd look great in a fun yet warm beanie.

Have a great weekend, I have 13 miles to run, soup to make and football to watch. What are you up to?

Lets Get Physical! A Legwarmer DIY

2012-01-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

I've shown you how to re-fashion mittens and an iPad sleeve out of sweaters but what to do with those leftover sleeves? After some thought and a couple days of cold feet, I came up with these legwarmers. I really loved the cozy pattern of the sweater I used to make the mittens, so cutting up the matching sleeves seemed like the right thing to do.

For this project you will need:
- A wool sweater to cut up
- Ruler
- Fabric scissors
- Pins
- Sewing Machine

1) If you are using a previously felted sweater, skip this step and proceed to Step 2. If not, wash your wool sweater in hot water and then dry it on hot. This will "felt" your wool, i.e. set the stitches. Your sweater will shrink some so make sure you buy a big enough sweater to allow potential shrinking.

2) Turn your sweater inside out and lay it on a flat surface.

3) Starting at the cuff, use the inside seam (right seam in the picture above) as a guide to determine the length of your leg warmer. It's your preference but I went all the way up to where the inside seam begins to bend towards the armpit (see where the ruler's third block is in the photo.) Once you have determined your length, lay your ruler across the sleeve and pin your line so you know where to cut.

4) Cut across the sleeve. This will be the bottom of your legwarmer. You can hem the bottom of the legwarmer if you want a finished seam but I was lazy for my own pair and just folded them over.

5) Place the ruler between the cuff and bottom seam and pin along the ruler to make your legwarmer's vertical seam.

6) Cut along the pinned line and then sew along the line. You may need to go over the seam several times or use the zig-zag setting on your sewing machine if your sweater is especially thick.

7) Turn inside out, and you're done with one legwarmer.

8) Repeat steps 2-7 for the second sleeve, then rock out to some Olivia Newton John or whatever 80's song suits your fancy!

These legwarmers are so cozy and warm (duh) and are fun to wear with jeans and boots. I am planning to make a pair with another patterned sweater I have and put them in my Etsy shop later this week. Have you done any crafting this week?

Golden Globes: Best and Worst Dressed

2012-01-16T16:28:00.003-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year, awards season! I jest but every winter as we freeze in our bulky sweaters and parkas, all the pretty people of Hollywood don their most beautiful attire for our viewing pleasure. Since I was a little girl I have always loved watching the red carpet and oohing and ahhing as a line of dresses pass by the screen. Last night was no different. There was a real absence of color last night, as nudes/blush tones seemed to be big again this season, black dresses too. Here are my picks of the best and worst dresses of the night. All pictures are from Yahoo.com.

Best Color: Paula Patton. Ryan Secrest called this dress "Big Bird yellow," I call it beautiful. Love her hair and earring choice too!

Runner Up: Reese Witherspoon - I loved the color on Reese; the pleats, sweetheart neckline and her tousled hair were perfect but I wish the bodice fit better.

Best Blush: Kate Beckinsdale. Seth Rogan stated the obvious during his award presentation with her. She was breathtaking.

Runner Up: Angelina Jolie. The pop of red on this dress absolutely made it, but the pristine white and the impeccable fit were just lovely. The red lip, seen on so many last night was also perfect with this dress!

Best Pale Purple: Jessica Alba. She was more beautiful than I've seen her look in awhile. Just effortless and sun kissed. To think she had a baby 6 months ago!

Runner Up: Octavia Spencer. I loved the draping on this dress, it hugged her curves in all the right places. Her jewerly and shoe choices were great too!

Best Dark Dress: Sofia Vergara. The mermaid shape is a bit predictable for her, but the bottom of this dress moved beautifully and I really liked the dark blue hue on her.

Runner Up: Claire Danes. The back of this dress was incredible but I thought the shoulder and waist details were a lot of fun too. I wish she had figured out a suitable undergarment to give her some support but that's just my opinion. The red lip was a fantastic choice again!

The Worst: There were only a few missteps last night and none of them were overly egregious, which is pretty surprising in an awards show environment.

I disliked Lea Michele's Cher-esque number, it just felt over the top and overworked. The palm on the thigh pose was also weird all night.

Zooey Deschanel's style is quirky, no question. I know Prada used black and green pearls to embellish this dress, but it looked like AstroTurf to me. Her dress was not my favorite but her hair and makeup were fun.

Jessica Biel. I don't know how someone with such a slamming body always has trouble with award show dresses, but this was not flattering on her (or anyone I'd imagine.) I wish she'd figure out something to do with her hair. It also looks so flat/messy/blah.

The worst of the night was unfortunately Julianna Margueles in purple. Again, this was an ill-fitting dress and I'm not sure it was even the best color for her. We've definitely seen her look better at past shows.

So did you watch the show? What did you think? Who were your best and worst dressed? Did you think anyone was a show stopper in a good or bad way?

Wednesday's Wardrobe: New duds

2012-01-11T23:18:00.002-05:00

Prior to starting my shopping ~~ban~~ minimization here in 2012, I scooped up some sale items before the end of the year that my wardrobe absolutely needed, or I have lusted after for a long, long time. It's been awhile since my last Wednesday's Wardrobe so I wanted to feature some of the gifts/sale picks I nabbed in late December.

Way back when I talked about wanting this J.Crew pencil skirt, and alas it finally went on sale with an extra 25% off at the register. The patient bird gets the skirt, mwahaha! I love the color, and decided to play up the color and fit with some animal print, a chunky necklace and headband for a holiday dinner with friends.

Sweater - Old Navy, Skirt - J.Crew, Necklace - Charming Charlie's, Earrings -Filene's Basement, Headband - Nordstrom, Shoes - Steve Madden

These pants cost me $11 at Loft after Christmas shopping with my mom. Again, I love the bright color and the cropped style. My in-laws gave me a Nordstrom gift card for the holiday so when I saw this silk top there, I knew I needed it for my blue pants.

Top - Nordstrom, Sweater (old, old, old) - ?, Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Steve Madden, Necklace/Earrings - Gifts

These tights are not new, but almost! I did a quick assessment of my tights collection on New Year's Day and found them all over again. I like the herringbone pattern, and decided to play up the pink pattern with this pink checkered scarf.

Dress/Silver Bangle - Ann Taylor Loft, Scarf - Filene's Basement, Tights - DKNY, Shoes - Seychelles, Colored Bracelet - Target,

I've seen blanket cardigans all over the Internet and was really wanting one at an affordable price. When I saw this one at Forever 21, I loved the pattern, colors, and length. It's cozy and blanket-like without being huge. And the beautiful footwear? Merry Christmas me! Thanks Mom and Dad, I L-O-V-E them.

Cardigan/Spiked Bracelets - Forever 21, Shirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Leggings - Target, Boots - Frye, Earrings - Charming Charlie's, Necklace - Gift from Key West, Rhinestone Bracelet - DIY

Did you pick up any fun wearables during the post-holiday sales? Also, how do you feel about more than one outfit post a week? Just curious...

Everybody, Everywear: Black and White Shirtdress

2012-01-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

I am clearly not made for pressure situations as figuring out a black + white outfit this morning almost sent me back to bed...or maybe it was just Monday morning rearing its ugly head. When I saw that the next Everybody, Everywear challenge was black and white, I was excited! I have a strong preference for black and white separates and patterned dresses. I own at least 10 black and white work dresses, they are so easy and always chic!

When a few attempts at creative black and white ensembles failed me in my haste to get out the door, I reached for this tried and true patterned shirt dress. I paired it with black tights, suede loafers, and my neon yellow flower pin for a spot of color. Quick and simple for mornings when you have to get out the door fast.

Dress: Ann Taylor, Tights - Target, Shoes - DSW, Bracelet - Provincetown, MA, Flower Pin - H&M

What do you wear when you are running for the door, or better yet on just another Manic Monday?

Sweet, Sweet Sunday: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-08T18:07:00.001-05:00

I know its cruel to post a cookie recipe in early January but I did my best and waited until the beginning of the second week of the year to share. I considered sitting on this recipe for longer but Jamie loved them, and he's quite the dessert critic, so I knew it was too good not to share. If you resolved to avoid such treats, file this recipe away until you have a cookieful occasion. If not, make these immediately, they are AWESOME! Quick, easy, chewy and not overly sweet. I followed this recipe with a few minor adjustments based on some of the reviews of it.

Cast of Characters
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt*
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I opted out)

*The original recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of flour but I found the dough very sticky, so I added a 1/4 cup more. The original recipe calls for 1 tsp of salt, but apparently that created salty results for some. One-fourth of a teaspoon worked well for both mine and Jamie's tastes, subtly salty but not overly so. If you generally cook with salted butter, you may want to omit the additionally salt entirely.

1) Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Combine softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar in a stand mixer and mix until smooth.

3) Add eggs one at a time, and then add vanilla extract to the butter/sugar mixture.

4) Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Slowly add these ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and stir until combined.

FYI - I love this Pampered Chef Dry/Liquid Measuring Cup

5) Add the oats and chocolate chips and mix slowly to the batter, mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix these cookies, apparently over mixing causes them to flatten out during baking.

6) Using a cookie scoop or large tablespoons, drop large(r) mounds of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. With a cookie scoop I yielded 36 large cookies.

7) Bake at 325 degrees for 12-13 minutes or until barely brown on the sides. Cool 1-2 minutes on the sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, enjoy with a glass of cold milk. I dare you to eat just one. Both Jamie and I were supposed to take some to work since the recipe made so many, but in the end we couldn't part with them; they were too good to share (sorry Corey, you'll get some next weekend!)

Have you indulged in a sweet treat this year, or are you holding strong? Obviously we've been eating cookies, but the 25 miles last week make it OK, right? :)

2012, The Year of Use: Goals for the coming months.

2012-01-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

We are almost one week into the new year and I'm finally getting around to writing down my goals for 2012. Like my fellow bloggers, I have decided to share my goals for the new year in hopes of being more accountable to them. Last year's theme was, "Just Say No"since I tend to over commit myself. I failed miserably, thanks for asking. This year's theme is, "Use It, Don't Lose It."

Dress/Earrings - H&M, Scarf/Clip/Bracelet -Forever 21, Gold Bangles - Filene's Basement, Leggings - Target, Sandals - Bloomingdales, Necklace - Gift, Purse - Laila Rowe

1) Use: The numerous cookbooks, and spices that I have used once and then never again. This year I want to get creative and put those books and spices to use. Don't Lose: All the food I throw away because I'm too lazy to cook dinner after work. Wasted food means wasted money. We have to stop this.

2) Use: A.C. Moore and G Street Fabrics are my kryptonite, and their scrapbook supplies and fabrics slay me. Rather than buying supplies for some ~~future~~ never gonna happen project, I'm going to work on actually putting the projects I've bought supplies for together. Don't Lose: Space, so much storage space.

Sorry for the awful lack of pedicure, I just ran out of time. Fixing this on Saturday!

3) Use: I keep waiting for Kendi to do another 30x30 challenge, but in the meantime I am going to attempt a shopping ban and really take a hard look at my closet and its contents. I've already purged once in 2012 but if I don't wear it with my new closet rotation system, its out. Notice I said attempt a shopping ban, let's be real I do not have Laura's willpower. Don't Lose: Moola, and my mind every time a knee-high boot falls on my head as I try to find something to wear.

4) Use: The yoga package and Pilates/Yoga DVDs I own, and do some core work. I'm training for the Boston Marathon, so I'm running a lot which is great, but I have no upper body strength. I hate core/back/arm work and for those reasons my body hates me somewhere around mile 20. Seriously, my back is usually what hurts on long runs. Don't Lose: another shirt size to being flabby.

5) Use: all the make-up I buy AND wash/moisturize my face at night. I really want to continue my adventures in lipstick and eye make-up but I have to be better about removing it at the end of the day. Skinful behavior. Washing make-up brushes more often than once in a blue moon will also be a goal for the year. Don't Lose: anymore make-up because it expires before I've touched it.

So what have you resolved to do this year? Are you sticking to your resolutions so far? I actually think most, if not all of these goals are obtainable. Moving things around to host family for Christmas got me thinking about my consumptive ways and got the buy less, use more ball rolling already.

Get the Look - Birdie, Donovan Decker's HR gal

2012-01-04T20:55:00.001-05:00

Get the Look - Birdie, Donovan Decker's HR gal by carasun00 featuring leather high heels

Did you watch the world premiere of Jane By Design last night? I did, and it sure was cute! Per usual I had my eye on what all the actresses were wearing, and the first full outfit that caught my eye was that of Birdie, the HR gal for Donovan Decker. Sorry for the terrible picture, it was the only still I could find online.

Birdie welcomed Jane into the office with a great pair of high waist cupro pants, a beautiful off-white top with pleating and zippered shoulder details, black pumps and an AMAZING statement necklace. The rope and beaded necklace was so enviable, this was easily the must copy look of the show for me. While Birdie wore pumps, I found these Fendi booties that I think would pair perfectly with her look so I picked them for her (and maybe me in my dreams.)

What outfits did you like from the show? Jane's vertical striped skirt/dress and shoes were fantastic and I also liked her chambray and colorful skirt combination. Share your "Get the Look" page over on the Jane By Design Facebook page or shout out my outfit over there, they choose the winner tomorrow!

Secret Santa: The Blog Version

2012-01-03T19:47:00.001-05:00

Before undecking those halls I wanted to share with you one special gift I received this year from my Blogger Secret Santa. I have always seen blogger swaps, and was so excited to participate in the Secret Santa hosted by Mary and Viktoria. I was assigned Elena, and Marta was assigned me! Equipped with a $15 limit and a list of likes and interests we were asked to pull together a sweet gift for our gift recipient. Marta nailed my love of homemade whimsical pieces, fashionable pins and cooking related goodies! Here's what Marta got me, I scored big :) Thanks Marta!

These beautiful handmade felt birds in robin's egg blue and grey. I wish I had them in time to trim the tree with, but now several of these sweet birds live in my craft nook.

Marta also made me this adorable little pin. I have been trying to perfect my felt petal pins for over a year, and now I don't have to. I love the little floral button in the center. I'm planning to wear it on my cardigan tomorrow at work.

And last but certainly not least, this beautiful French Country-inspired apron from Anthropologie. It's almost too pretty to cook in, but not quite. :) I donned it last night while whipping up some ri-donk-ulous cookies (yes, I made cookies the week after everyone is sick of them) and it was so fun to wear and kept me flour-free!

Did you get anything fun and unexpected this holiday season? I would love to hear what gifts were exciting for you this year!

I'm off to watch the Jane By Design premiere and finish my last challenge for the crew over there. Stay tuned this week, I'll share that cookie recipe and maybe even a few pics of my Christmas boots!!!

Jane By Design: Challenge 6: Pretzelace

2012-01-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a festive New Year's, we kept it low key and celebrated both days with friends, food and lots of football. When I wasn't celebrating I made time for several small craft projects including the latest request from the Jane By Design crew. Using Snyder's pretzels as a point of inspiration, we were asked to make a fashionable piece for the new year. I immediately thought of Dolce & Gabbana's pasta jewelry from their Spring 2012 collection and decided to make a ladder necklace from the pretzel sticks.

Cast of Characters:
-Pretzel sticks
- Acrylic paint
- Paint Brush
- Ribbon
- Hot Glue Gun

1) I wanted the pretzel rods to be as smooth as possible, so I rubbed the salt off all of the pretzel sticks I planned to use. Then I laid out a design for my necklace on a clean surface.

2) Using a foam paint brush I painted a coat of copper paint on each pretzel stick and left them to dry for 30-45 minutes (or dry to the touch.) The metallic copper paint I used only required one coat but repeat if necessary.

3) Cut a piece of ribbon to your liking, my piece was approximately 18" long. Create an upside down U with the cut ends closest to you.

4) Starting halfway down the ribbons, begin gluing the painted pretzel sticks along the ribbons, and then add the "ladder" pieces in between the two previously glued pretzel sticks.

5) Bring the ends together in a "V" and glue ends together. Repeat step 4 until the necklace is completed. Flip over and cut the ends of your ribbon off.

6) I went back and cut pieces of pretzel to fill in the white space along my necklace to give it a more polished look.

This necklace came together quickly, but I really love the final product with its coppery color and nod to the geometric trend. This piece would easily dress up a t-shirt and jeans or add a bold statement to a black party dress.

Have you ever been fashionably inspired by a food, or other typically unfashionable item? Share your project ideas over on the Jane By Design Facebook page, and tell them I sent you! Or if you love my necklace, shout it out over there too!

Jane By Design Challenge 5: Day to Night

2011-12-30T11:03:00.002-05:00

Burning the midnight oil in the last challenge got me into Challenge 5 and ever closer to the premiere of Jane By Design on ABC Family next Tuesday! Because Jane is constantly on the move running errands for Gray and Donovan Decker she asked us to create a transitional look based on a white oxford button down shirt that could be worn to the office and then a night out with little fuss. As a gal who lives in the 'burbs but works and plays in the city, on Fridays I wear outfits that quickly move from the cubicle to the club. For transitional outfits, accessories are the key to changing a base outfit that will take you from AM to PM. For my base outfit, I paired my provided white oxford with a pleated leather skirt.

For the office, I paired the look with a leopard belt and pumps, and office appropriate jewelry; silver bracelets, black pearl earrings and necklace. I carry bigger bags to the office for all my workday necessities (including my PM accessories), so I pulled in some color and pattern with this wool tartan shoulder bag.

Shirt - Provided, Skirt - Free People, Belt- Betsey Johnson, Purse - Dooney&Burke, Earrings/Necklace/Top two bracelets - Gifts, Bottom Bracelet - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Steve Madden

Before leaving the office I would change my accessories, by adding a studded waist-cinching belt, and a super tall pair of studded leather shoes. I added some dangly earrings, a chunky statement necklace and leopard clutch. I like small bags for evening, especially wrishttps://www.facebook.com/JaneByDesigntlets that can keep my hands free. Add a red lip and second coat of mascara and away you go!

Shirt - Provided, Skirt- Free People, Belt - Betsey Johnson, Necklace - Charming Charlies, Earrings - Forever 21, Bracelets, Gift/Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Dani Black, Clutch - DSW

How do you transition from work to play? Share your own transitional looks here, or over on the Jane By Design Facebook page! Have a great weekend and New Year's Eve, I'll be back to blogging (and blog reading) next week!

Jane By Design: Holiday Sweater iPad sleeve

2011-12-27T01:07:00.000-05:00

In recent years, one of the most amazing Christmas comebacks has been ~~Tickle Me Elmo~~ the Christmas sweater. Ugly sweaters have been all over the holiday party circuit, TV sitcoms, and today in my Jane by Design challenge trunk. For this challenge we were asked to transform a gaudy Christmas sweater into something new and hip for the Holiday 2012 runway. Since iPads showed up twice in my family Christmas, I decided to make a festive iPad sleeve from my sweater. The sleeve could easily substitute as a holiday clutch, Kindle/Nook cover or green alternative to wrapping paper.

Isn't she a beauty?

Cast of Characters:
- Holiday Sweater
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Hot Glue Gun

Cut pearls and gold beads off sweater

Presents add holiday fun!

1) Trim all of the trimmings (pearls/beads/presents) off the front of your sweater. Set trimmings aside.

2) Now turn your sweater inside out and cut the back out of the sweater. The back will be used to build the iPad sleeve's body.

3) Wrap the iPad in the center of the back so the bottom hemline comes to the top of the iPad and the curved collar hits the bottom of the sleeve to see what you are working with for fabric. You may need to fold several times to figure out where to position the iPad to get the best fit. The middle of the sweater worked well for me.

Pin your seam-to-be slightly away from the iPad so the sleeve isn't too snug to fit the iPad in.

4) Pin the sides of your sleeve approximately 1/2" from the iPad to give it some wiggle room. Sew both sides from the fold to the hem. Cut the rest of the sweater away from the newly created seam.

5) Pin the collar/flap of the sleeve and sew along the seam to create smooth lines. Once finished, flip the sleeve/flap inside out, so the right sides are out.

6) Using a hot glue gun, trim your iPad sleeve/clutch as you see fit. I added some flair along the top and bottom seams and a few presents in the middle to serve as a reminder of where this sleeve came from.

This was a quick project that turned an ugly sweater into a useful product that not only keeps your iPad safe from scratches but makes it holiday season appropriate. I can see adapting this tutorial into an even chic-er version with a nice piece of leather, wool tartan or other seasonally appropriate fabric.

So I must ask, do you own any holiday sweaters, did you wear one this weekend? Do you have any great ideas for how to change up a holiday sweater? Let me know, or shout it out over on the Jane By Design Facebook page!

Jane By Design Challenge 3: The Perfect Purse

2011-12-22T22:08:00.002-05:00

Ms. Chandler Murray has offered me another bite of the fashionable apple; she's tasked me to feature my favorite purse. Other than shoes, purses are my favorite thing to ~~browse~~ obsess over online. While I love my menagerie of purses, my gold Foley + Corinna Mid City Tote is above and beyond my favorite.

I love this purse for many, many reasons but primarily because to me, it represents becoming an Independent Woman. Just like the ladies of Destiny's Child sang so very long ago, "the [purse] on my arm - I bought it." After I had been working awhile, this was the first nice bag I bought myself. I thought about it for months, actually visiting department stores just to touch it before I finally bought one to pet at home.

The buttery leather is amazingly soft and the brushed gold color is both classic and special. As Foley + Corinna state on their website, their pieces are "the perfect mix of sophistication, fun and function for the chic city woman." I'm a city gal who needs a bag that seamlessly transitions from day to night, and this one does it well. I call it my Mary Poppins bag because it holds a magical amount of loot for its small size. The metallic color pairs well with tailored pieces for work and equally well with jeans, heels and a sparkly top for girl's night out.

What more can I say, I love this bag! It's been a good bag to me for and we've had a lot of great times together. Do you have a favorite purse? If so, what makes it special to you? Is it a souvenir or a gift, a great deal or your first splurge item? Shout it out on the Jane By Design Facebook page, and tell the ladies over there I sent you!

If you are celebrating, Merry Christmas! Everyone have a happy and healthy weekend!

Wednesday's Wardrobe: On the Go

2011-12-22T07:42:00.000-05:00

This week is making me a little crazy! There is so much to do before my family arrives, so many friends to see and celebrate with and so much work to tie up prior to taking next week off! I've mentioned before that when the going gets busy, I reach for comfy classics. This time of year when errands involve running in and out of stores that crank their heat way up that means layering on enough warm clothes that I can skip a coat. These looks all include comfortable shoes, hair up and out of the face and minimal accessories. Here's a few outfits that I've been running around in the past week.

I wore this over the weekend to finish shopping, wrapping and Christmas dinner scouting at the local grocery stores. The sweater and tank are from Old Navy. If you need any last minute gifts, they are practically giving clothes away there. I love these jeans because they are so soft and broken in, I've been living in them recently.

Sweater/Striped Tank - Old Navy, Necklace/Jeans - Ann Taylor Loft, Scarf - Gift, Hat - Forever 21, Clogs - Dansko, Purse - Gift, Earrings - Cape Cod, MA

I wore this for a festive dinner out after running around all weekend. The pleats of this top make it fun, but don't make it any less easy to move around in.

Sweater - Ann Taylor Loft, Shirt - Marshall's, Jeans - Old Navy, Headband - Gift via Nordstrom, Purse - Matt and Nat via Ruelala, Shoes - Me Too, Bracelets - Gifts, Belt - Filene's Basement

This outfit was for hitting the mall on a particularly cold day, and margaritas with some girlfriends last Friday. I really love the combination of the cozy plaid shirt and fur/sweater and our Christmas tree :(

Vest/Jeans- Ann Taylor Loft, Plaid Shirt - Target, Clogs - Dansko

Now, please excuse me while I go deal with the Christmas tree that just toppled over spreading needles and ornaments across our living room, unfortunately I am not kidding! Oh, holidays :)

Last minute gifts: Homemade Candy

2011-12-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

If you need a few last minute gifts or a sweet treat to serve your guests this coming weekend, here are a few candies you can whip up in a jiffy. This year I made a few simple treats for work; candied oranges and pretzel rods dipped in dark chocolate and my favorite holiday candy, peppermint bark.

Candied orange peels ready for dipping

Dipped pretzels rolled in sprinkles and toffee chips

Peppermint Bark ready for a work party

Peppermint bark couldn't be easier; I follow Paula Deen's* proportion of white chocolate to candy canes. Combine 2lbs of white chocolate chips to 1 cup of crushed candy canes. To reap 1 cup of crushed candy canes you will need one entire box of mini candy canes or 6-8 regular candy canes. *I omit the peppermint extract, I do not think the bark needs it.

1). Unwrap the candy canes and place them in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Wrap the Ziploc bag in a dish towel to keep the shards of candy cane under wraps (trust me.) Take a rolling pin/meat tenderizer/hammer and crush the candy canes. This step is great stress release if you've had a bad day or ran out of wrapping paper mid-package and have no extra in the house...only me?

2) In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate chips down until they are melted completely. You can do this in the microwave as well but I prefer the double boiler method. While the chips melt, prepare a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper to spread the candy on.

3) Add the crushed candy canes to the chocolate and stir till fully combined. Quickly spread the white chocolate and candy cane mixture over the parchment. It doesn't need to be neat, but you just need it to be the same thickness everywhere for the best results. Set aside to harden, this will take several hours or you can leave it overnight.

4) Crack the bark into individual pieces and wrap in bags or tins or start enjoying immediately with a cup of cocoa. And don't forget...

The infinite wisdom of Target hanging in my kitchen

It's an easy treat, but a delicious holiday favorite in my family. Since I'm still figuring out what to serve my family for dessert, what holiday treats are favorites around your house? Anyone have a pie or cake recipe I need to try for Christmas dinner?

Jane By Design Challenge 2: Style Icon

2011-12-18T16:29:00.004-05:00

Despite technical difficulties with the video for Challenge 1, my boss, Gray Chandler Murray, gave me another shot with Challenge 2. Armed with a white t-shirt and fabric markers I was asked to design a shirt representative of my style icon. While I don't admire one person's style above the rest, there are women with strong sense of self, confidence and upbeat personalities who have great style that I admire for their public presence. One of these women is Reese Witherspoon; her classic, casual style is indicative of her happy demeanor and no-fuss approach to life. Not to mention, she's a fellow shorty with a love of ice cream, running and great handbags! Reese always looks great, whether it be in jeans and sandals, or in well-cut, brightly colored sheaths for the red carpet.

I wanted to design a shirt Reese would wear, so I modeled my shirt after one of her many striped tops. I chose classic colors like navy and red and added light blue as a nod to her love of chambray and denim.

I made a braided necklace from several cut up t-shirts I had in my fabric bin, and added a long silver necklace since Reese tends to layer long necklaces in her casual looks. I completed my t-shirt with a leather cross-body bag, sunglasses, flowy linen skirt, cardigan and simple, yet chic flats because Reese is often photographed wearing all of the above.

Sweet readers I'm curious, who inspires your look? Your mother or grandmother? A celebrity or athlete? A fellow blogger? I would love to hear who's style you admire. Shout it out over on Jane By Design's Facebook page and/or if you like what I did, say it over on the Facebook wall too!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a few quick candy recipes for last minute presents!

Jane by Design Style Challenge: Take 1

2011-12-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the technical difficulties, the video works this time, I think.

On January 3rd ABC Family is premiering a new show called Jane By Design, about the fictional design house Donovan Decker. I am competing in a challenge to be a fictitious blogger for the design house and have a ~~box~~ trunkload of goodies to show my creative skills with.

The first challenge was to take a $50 gift card and go shopping. Mind you, going shopping with someone else's money is not a challenge, its a dream come true. With the upcoming start of a new year, I decided to create a fun, easy outfit to ring 2012 in with. So, I jetted over to H&M and Forever 21 after work to scour the racks for clothes that would pack a unique, party punch at an inexpensive price. I found a beautiful blush colored beaded dress that is a perfect way to celebrate the evening and the return of 1920's fashion inspiration. For me, this look is festive without being loud and in-your-face, black or sequinned all over. I created a short video describing my head-to-toe look and how I would style it further. You can watch me in the clip below, or over on Facebook. If you are up for the challenge, yourself you can post your own past or recent shopping haul here for all Jane By Design fans to see! Don't forget to mention i-dabble in your haul video!

So what do you think, would you wear this for New Year's Eve, or are you going bolder and bigger? Are you foregoing the parites to stay home and cuddle with the ones you love?

Wednesday's Wardrobe: She Got it From Her Momma

2011-12-14T21:43:00.003-05:00

I have an amazing relationship with my mom and I feel so fortunate for that. When we're together, which isn't often, we love to spend a day shopping till we drop or get a beer, whichever happens first. Together we do loads of retail damage, but my mom also has a crazy knack for picking out cool pieces for me even when I'm not around. We have similar taste, but sometimes she buys me things outside my comfort zone. My mom is continually responsible for colors, patterns and cuts I've never tried before, and I love that! Here are a few outfits built around pieces I got from my momma.

This fun beaded necklace was in my Christmas stocking two years ago. I love the graduated V-shape and bright orange/black color combo. Coincidentally, I found this orange safari top over the summer and realized it was a perfect match to this necklace. I paired it with holey jeans, boots and long earrings for a casual Friday look.

Earrings - Forever 21, Necklace - Gift from Mom, Top - Marshall's, Jeans - Ann Taylor Loft, Boots - Target

Green and I generally don't mix; I blame the yellow undertone to my skin. Thus, green has never been my favorite color to wear. My mom sent me this tunic which I was unsure of forever. I like the fit and beading so I played up its flea market saleswoman flair with big copper colored bangles and earrings. I also got my love of Frye from my mom's stories of her amazing red Frye boots from back in the day. If only they were still around for me to ~~steal~~ borrow!

Tunic - Gift from Mom, Khakis - Ann Taylor, Shoes - Frye, Bangles - Filene's Basement, Earrings - Forever 21

We had a holiday potluck in the office today so I wanted to be festive but not overly so (the ugly sweater party is NEXT week.) My mom, seamstress extraordinaire, made me this beautiful sequined skirt a few years ago. The rich cranberry color, thick fabric and subtle sequins are perfect for party-hopping. I kept the rest of the outfit simple to let the skirt and necklace from mom really shine.

Sweater - Ann Taylor Loft, Skirt- Mom made it, Tights - Target, Shoes - Payless, Necklace - Gift from Mom

Green sparkle nails for the holiday party

I bought these shoes when I was a Congressional intern many moons ago but they just keep on kickin!

Do you and your Mom shop together? If not, what are some fun ways you share your time? So excited to see my mom and the rest of my family next week!

A glimpse of the weekend

2011-12-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

Another jam packed pre-holiday weekend 'round here. We hunted down, acquired and decorated our Christmas tree, shopped then wrapped, baked and ate. I also brunched with one of my best friends, enjoyed wine and tapas with friends on Saturday night, ran the Jingle All the Way 8k and then attended Blogger Blitz DC on Sunday night. Add in the fire in our apartment building Saturday night that had us up most of the night Saturday and it was a LONG, yet wonderful weekend.

An $8 make-shift mantle with white birch limbs, miniature ornaments, twinkle lights

How lovely are thy branches

Ready to Jingle all the Way on 3 hours of sleep

Before Blogger Blitz DC, Shirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Skirt - Free People, Earrings - Forever 21, Clutch - Laila Rowe, Tights - Target, Shoes - Steve Madden

At Blogger Blitz DC with Host Alison, Katelyn, Courtney, Kelly, me, Morgan

Did you do anything festive or fun this weekend, I certainly hope so!

Sweeter, Sweater Mittens: A HoliDIY Project

2011-12-11T21:10:00.001-05:00

Hopefully your holiday shopping/crafting is well underway by now, but if not, have no fear! Another quick craft project to the rescue! This project repurposes a wool sweater and turns them into adorable fleece lined mittens. I based this project off a pair of felted wool sweater I bought myself years ago at a craft fair.

Cast of Characters:

- A wool sweater, preferably with a large hem along the waist

- Scrap paper

- Pencil

- Scissors

- Fabric Scissors

- 1/4 yd of fleece

- Pins

- Sewing Machine loaded with thread of the appropriate color

1) Begin by felting your wool sweater in the washing machine. The felting process tangles the wool threads making it tough and durable. To do this, wash the sweater in hot soapy water, and then dry the sweater on high. You want to use the largest sweaters you can find as the heat will significantly shrink your sweater. This sweater is an XXL I found at the thrift store.

2) Trace your hand on a piece of scrap paper (or the Harry & Davids catalog like me.) Move 2-5cm away from your hand tracing and cut the template out. This step will make sure you don't make your mitten too tight when you sew it together.

3) Turn your sweater inside out. Pin the hand template to the sweater starting above the hem and cut two sweater sides out and set aside. The sweater's hem will end up being your mitten cuff.

4). Repeat step 3 with your fleece. You will now have two wool and two fleece hand prints for a total of four.

5) Pin one fleece piece to the wrong side of the matching sweater cut out being careful to not pin the fleece to the will-be cuff. Carefully sew the two together. Repeat with the other fleece and sweater pieces.

6) Pin right sides together (fleece side out) and sew them together, including the cuffs this time. You may need to take the foot off your sewing machine, depending on the thickness of your sweater/fleece combination. I did not have to do this, but I went very slowly because my machine did not appreciate the fabric's thickness and skipped stitches in places. Just be careful if you take the foot off!

7) Flip the mittens inside out and voila!

These mittens are durable and very warm. Mine go everywhere with me during winter. This project is fast, I made my set in just over an hour, including making a pattern/photographing as I went. I have several sweaters leftover from this project that I'm going to make mittens from and put on Etsy if anyone is interested in a last minute Christmas gift! Have a good Monday!

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Blue Suede Shoes

2011-12-07T19:53:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay on Wednesday's Wardrobe, would you believe I burned the entire palm of my hand cooking dinner last night? No? Believe it, I tried to type this up and kept yelping in pain! All good tonight, so here it goes...

Elvis* and I could have been friends. We both love(d) dancing, peanut butter banana sandwiches, donning leather and blue suede shoes. While I don't own loads of leather/suede I do occasionally indulge in a rich, buttery piece of leather or a bold suede piece. Most often my cow products or vegan takes on said products are in the form of a shoe, jacket or purse. So, here are a few suede/ vegan leather items in my closet.

I wore this last week when it was still warm enough to forget tights for another day. You cannot tell but the neckline of this top is almost stained glass like, i.e subtly sheer in spots. Also, if you've never tried Dansko clogs, I highly recommend them. The arch and heel support is top notch, and a pair will last you forever, or six years, whatever comes first.

Shirt - Target, Skirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Dansko, Headband - Gift via Nordstrom, Earrings- Ireland

most comfortable shoes ever, they are my favorite post-marathon shoes!

I wore this dress to work this week. I love the big buttons, color blocking and subtle nod towards mod. I tried to pair it with chevron tights and booties for a subtle nod to the 1960s. These suede booties have become a quick favorite as they are comfortably classic but also on trend with the season's loafer/oxford/menswear-inspired footwear.

Dress - Maggy London via Nordstrom, Turtleneck - Target, Tights - Filene's Basement, Shoes - DSW, Bracelet - Provincetown, MA.

I wanted this vegan leather skirt the second I saw it on Gilt Groupe but it was gone by the time I tried to purchase it at 12:04pm. Does anyone else have these issues on Gilt Groupe? Anyway, I received an email from Gilt during a break from jury duty last week stating that my skirt was now available. I scooped it up and have loved it since I took it out of the box. The elastic waist (awesome-town), pleats and superior comfort can't be touched. It's such an easy piece to dress up or down. I intend to dress it up for holiday gatherings over the next two weeks.

Cuffed Shirt/Striped Shirt - Old Navy, Vegan Leather Skirt- Free People via Gilt Group, Pantyhose - ?, Shoes - Tory Burch via Nordstrom, Black Pearl Earrings - Gift from Parents, Pearl tin cup necklace- Gift from Husband

*So we're clear, I'm talking about early 1950's cuffed jeans, striped tee, leather jacket Elvis, not bloated Vegas jumpsuit Elvis.

With that, have a good weekend. We're on a quest for the perfect tree this weekend, finishing the Jingle Bell 8k race and all sorts of other fun stuff. Have a good weekend everyone!

Tollhouse Cookie Pie: A quick holiday treat

2011-12-05T21:53:00.001-05:00

While this recipe is not terribly unique, it is on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip package, it is terribly delicious. This pie is the best of both worlds, gooey like a chocolate chip cookie and buttery crusted like a pie. It also is the ultimate I-need-a-quick-dessert recipe. In truth, the bake time is not quick but it goes together super fast and the ingredients are those you have on hand if you bake often. Cookie pie has long been a longtime favorite in my family and my book club just inhaled it so I wanted to share it with you as well.

Cast of Characters:

1 frozen 9-inch deep dish pie crust, thawed
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup of flour
3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup of chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli, ssssh don't tell Nestle!)
1 cup of nuts (optional)

1) Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Whip the two eggs on high until foamy. In a stand mixer this will take 2-3 minutes.

2) Add in the sugar, brown sugar and flour.

3) Beat in the softened butter until all the ingredients are well combined.

4) Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts if you use them on low until gently combined. Walnuts are wonderful in this pie, but I omitted them because I didn't know my book club's nut preferences.

5) Pour mixture into your pie crust and bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Note: After 60 minutes my knife did not come clean but my pie crust and top were sufficiently brown...and cracked after being stuck twice...so I decided it was done.

This pie is great on its own, or with a little scoop of ice cream or homemade whipped cream. If you do not eat it immediately, warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds before indulging. Its pretty rich, so a sliver will do you well! Do you have an easy, go-to holiday recipe for desserts on the fly?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

...everywhere I look. This weekend was one of those perfect weekends where you have a ton of fun but also get loads done. I went to a Movember charity event with friends on Friday night and proved that at 30 I can still hang with the best of them. 4am baby! Then again, as a 30 year old I was determined to not lounge Saturday away so I gave the apartment a good scrub down, ran errands, did some holiday shopping and decorated the house before meeting friends for dinner and passing out promptly at 10. Today I finished a couple of projects/gifts, made Chex mix for my sweet hubby and a pie for book club tomorrow night.

Spraying glitter over pine cones from California

Quick mittens

A string of ornaments over the doorway

We still have a ways to go before Christmas; including buying a tree, loads more baking and finding a gift for the Mr. and my brother. What did you do this weekend; anything holiday related?

eShakti review: A dress above the rest

2011-12-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

I first heard about eShakti, an online clothing boutique, several years ago when my friend Sini used the site to buy a great color blocked dress custom made for her. Until recently, I had forgotten about the site, and the wonderful range of clothing options they provide. Several weeks ago, I was offered an item to review for eShakti and was so excited to see what they had available.

eShakti has an enormous array of dresses, skirts, blouses and scarves in all sorts of prints, colors and fabrics. What's even more awesome? The site allows you to buy clothes that are CUSTOM made for you. So, if you love the print of a dress but want it to be v-neck or have longer sleeves, its not a problem. You also have the option of sending in your actual measurements rather than a dress size when you purchase your item. For short, curvy gals like myself, this is as Rachel Zoe would say, major. The site also sells a wide range of sizes for all of their items, ranging from size 0 to 26W and they never go out of stock!

I picked this adorable navy printed dress because I loved the pockets, the full skirt, buttons, ruched sleeves and bird print. After selecting my dress, I pulled out my sewing tape, sent my measurements in and received my made-for-me dress 10 days later. Pretty awesome. If you want to get in on the awesomeness, here is a promo code, IDAB0811, you can use to get $20 off your own purchase between now and December 31, 2011. So get shopping!

Dress -eShakti, Knee Socks - Target, Shoes - Seychelles, Necklace- Nordstrom, Earrings - Cape Cod, Purse - Colorado, Sweater- Old Navy, Belt - Filene's Basement

It finally felt like winter yesterday so I layered on a sweater and a belt to keep me warm during jury duty in the drafty courtroom.

Have a great weekend sweet readers. I'm hoping to get a sleigh-load of holiday crafting done!

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Man, I Feel Like a Woman

2011-11-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

I think there is something really sexy and classic about menswear; pinstripes, vests, button down shirts, and blazers are such sexy, yet versatile wardrobe pieces. In fact, as much as I adore evening dresses, I really love when female celebrities wear tuxedos or well tailored suits to events. They are such wonderful and unique looks! Personally, I like wearing menswear when I need to dress up a simple look or when I'm trying to look powerful for a tough meeting at work. I am Cara, hear me roar! Coincidentally, over the past week I've worn several menswear inspired looks out and about.

I knew last week was going to be a ~~graveyard~~ quiet week at work so I wanted to be comfortable but put together enough if my supposed meetings came to be. The meetings didn't happen but at least I looked better than the three ladies I saw donning their tightest and brightest velour tracksuits. Speaking of track suits, please excuse my post run frizz.

Shirt - Old Navy, Jeggings - Target, Belt - Filene's Basement, Shoes - Steve Madden, Earrings/Necklace - Cape Cod, Gold Bracelet - Gift from parents, Colorful Bracelets - DIY

Please excuse the unknown stain on my boob, I ate lunch carefully and still splattered. This is why I have to take pictures in the morning; to avoid gym frizz and lunch splatter!

This lil ensemble was for dinner out to celebrate our friend Amber's birthday. I love vests; always have. My mom used to sew me vests made of celestial printed fabrics and buttons that I was weirdly drawn to in middle school. Clearly, I was the coolest kid in school....or had a future career with Miss Cleo. While my sun and moon vests are long gone, I do own this pinstripe one that I have loved for quite awhile.

Shirt - Old Navy( a different one!), Vest - Target, Jeans - Marmalade in San Francisco, Shoes - DSW, Earrings - Limited

I picked this tuxedo-esque tunic up in Chicago, while helping a friend shop for new duds. I consider it my finders fee to myself for a hard day shopping for others. I love the tuxedo shirt pleats, french cuffs and diamond-like buttons of this top. It's the perfect combination of masculine and feminine and apparently that combination makes me laugh a lot.

Tunic - Macy's INC brand, leggings - Old Navy, Boots - Steve Madden, Belt - Betsey Johnson, Black Pearl Earrings - gift from parents

Do you like menswear? Does it makes you feel powerful? Or do you trend towards more feminine and flirty pieces? Let's hear it!

Santa Baby? My Wishlist

2011-11-30T07:29:00.001-05:00

From left to right: Frye Melissa Button Boots, Jess LC Belmont Square Scarf, J.Crew's Classic Jenna Bracelet, Marc Jacobs Classic Q Hollier Hobo, ASOS Portfolio Envelope Clutch, Michael Kors Infinity Scarf, ModCloth Jukebox tights, Kate Spade bangles.

With the holiday season in full swing now and two of the biggest holiday shopping days behind us, its time to start buying gifts for all of those on your list. I have not created a holiday wish list since I was a kid, sloppily pasting the entire Toys R Us and American Girl catalogues to a giant piece of laser printer paper. While my yens and wants have changed since My Little Pony's bath cloud and Kirsten and her pioneer accessories, this year I've put together a list of things I would love to see under the tree this year. The list shown below is entirely fashion related because well, that's what I primarily love and who wants to see the running socks and a new iPod armband I need on here?

P.S. Did you know that American Girl is getting rid of Kirsten?!? I feel so old...
P.P.S. Sorry, if you saw the Blogger-eaten version of this post last night!

A Delicious Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-28T19:53:00.001-05:00

Well, hi there! My Thursday food coma ended up took a few days longer to wake from than expected. The weather was so fantastic that spending what I'm sure are fleeting warm, sunny days in front of a computer screen seemed crazy. We spent the weekend at my in-laws in Philadelphia eating yummy food, visiting friends and family. Some highlights included hanging on the deck with my in-laws goats, frolfing (frisbee golfing) along the Schuylkill River, eating dinner at Sbraga downtown, seeing the Muppets and putting our marriage on hold for three hours for the Eagles-Patriots game. YAY Pats, way to win!

My ballerina manicure; pearly pink polish with glittery tips aka passing time in the car.

The last time our teams played each other was 7 years ago, when we first started dating.

This picture is completely representative of what the Patriots did to the Eagles, hahaha.

What did you do this weekend? Eat too much? Go Black Friday shopping? See any movies? Whatever you did, I hope you had great weekends and are gearing up for the rest of the holiday season. While its still incredibly warm out I couldn't wait another day to light my favorite Christmas candle (the Balsam and Cedar scent from Yankee Candle) and put the Grinch on while I type this up. Now, off to ~~complete~~ start some holiday crafting.

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Easy-Peasy

2011-11-22T20:06:00.001-05:00

Sometimes even us fashion-obsessed gals have a hard time pulling together inspired looks on a daily basis. It's been a hectic week and when the going gets busy, the outfits get simple. I rely on tried and true pieces to build simple ensembles so I can get out the door quickly and on with my day. Here are a few easy-peasy looks from the past week:

I wore this to work on my casual day last week. I bought this shirt Thanksgiving weekend in Raleigh years ago at the most fantastic Dillards I've ever stepped foot in. I love the lace and sweet buttons down the front, as it feels sort of country-inspired. I wore it with boot cut jeans and my slowly but surely being broken in Frye loafers.

Shirt - Dillards, Tank/Jeans - Old Navy, Shoes - Frye via Bloomingdales, Necklace - Bridesmaid gift, Bracelets - Filene's Basement

I went to an outdoor craft fair over the weekend. It was going to be very chilly so I layered on a cardigan and a felted hat to keep my wet head warm. (I refuse to dry/diffuse my hair until it gets below freezing...didn't I just tell you how lazy I am last post?) Despite my layers and my cape! I still froze my bippy off but had a lot of fun at the fair.

Cardigan/Belt-Marmalade in San Francisco, Printed top/Jeans - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - DSW, Hat - TJ Maxx, Bag - Colorado, Flower Pin - Forever 21

Post half-marathon I did NOT want to go to work on Monday because I was tired and everything hurt. A t-shirt +scarf+ flowy skirt+comfy flats = work appropriate sweats. Colored tights were my attempt at looking somewhat put together.

Tee - Ann Taylor Loft, Skirt - Old Navy, Tights - Gift, Shoes - Gap, Bag - Hype, gift, Scarf - Filene's Basement, Bracelets - Target

I'm still feeling a bit drained from the weekend so I relied on another easy look for work today. Shirt dress, boots and a head scarf, easy as 1, 2, 3 items and out the door.

Shirt dress - Marshalls, Boots - Liz Claiborne via DSW, Scarf - Mom's, Belt - Diesel, Necklace - Gift

For everyone celebrating on Thursday, I wish you a healthy and happy Thanksgiving full of delicious eats and wonderful moments with family and friends. I am thankful for many things this year including you sweet, thoughtful readers who make sharing a little bit of my life that much more fun and exciting! All the best; I hope to post a holiday wish list on Friday if I come out of my tryptophan-induced coma in time.

Trading Places: Sneaks for Snuggies

2011-11-21T19:14:00.001-05:00

For many months my life's theme song has been "The Lazy Song" but yesterday I traded in my Snuggie for running shoes and Springsteen's "Born to Run." Back in August I told you I was going to run the Philadelphia Marathon in November and share some training tips along the way. Yesterday was supposed to be marathon day, but it did not happen. The laziness I talked about in August was harder to kick than suspected, forcing me to give up my marathon dreams for lack of training. Fortunately, Philly has a half-marathon on the same day with a course I have run before. So, I ate some carbs, said a small prayer and went running.

Around mile 10 my lack of training reared its crampy, achy, pessimism-inducing head; in other words I hit "the wall." Any runner can tell you about "the wall" i.e the moment the race gets incredibly long and you will do anything to be on the couch chillin in your Snuggie, click to MTV so they can teach you how to dougie.

With my parentals sporting their safety green running shirts

I digress but finding motivation to peel yourself off the couch or run those last three miles can be just as hard as the workout itself. Here are a few tricks for days when the couch vs. cardio battle comes into play:

1) Variety is the spice of life. While running is my main form of exercise, some days I am just not in the mood to pound pavement. Having a back-up workout option for days when you want/need something different will get you up and moving. I like kickboxing or zumba as a treat away from running.

2) Change tracks. Great music makes for a great workout, so find tunes that work for you. I love Top 40 pop, techno and 80s hits for working out. Beats and lyrics that inspire you will push you farther than you imagine; I listened to the Rocky theme 4 times (with the occasional air punch) during the half marathon yesterday.

3) Stylish steppin. Wear clothes that are comfortable, supportive and make you feel good. Feeling good is the easiest way to start looking good. By wearing workout clothes that accentuate those areas you've worked hard for is a wonderful motivator to keep them looking good.

4) One more ______. When I first started running, I would increase my time/speed by running one more minute or one speed faster. Yesterday when I was shuffling along with turtles passing me, I went one more light pole, and then another and another until the end was in sight.

5) Fitness friend. Having a pal that is working towards similar goals as you will ensure you get out for a run or make 6:00am boot camp on days you'd rather forget it. A good fitness friend gets you to lunchtime abs class when you'd rather read people.com while you chow down (thanks Corey.)

I finished the half marathon yesterday with the support of my family and a few of these motivational tricks. Yesterday's race was just the motivation I needed to get back to running because baby, [I was] born to run. What motivates you to work out? Eating the occasional treat without guilt? Wearing your skinniest jeans or the feeling of a good tired sweat?

Wednesday's Wardrobe: World Traveler

2011-11-16T21:06:00.001-05:00

Over the past few years I have traveled A LOT for pleasure, upwards of 20 weekends a year. While some collect spoons, key chains and magnets from the places they visit, I am drawn to unique jewelry, belts, handbags and boutique clothing finds. For me, wearing something memorable is a far more useful and fun way of remembering a great trip than dusting that tabletop of National Park shot glasses that my husband has accumulated...not that I'm complaining. So this week I'm featuring a few looks featuring souvenirs from trips over the past few years.

Back in 2004 when I met the Mr. on my whirlwind trip through Europe we spent a quick afternoon in Venice, Italy exploring the many beautiful alleys and shops. We happened upon a gorgeous shop full of Murano glass. I was a poor college graduate at the time so the price tag of most of the shop's contents was out of my reach, but this glass/gold leaf necklace was just right for me and my budget. Seven years later, I still love this necklace, and the Mr. even though he tried to shrink these pants in the dryer a few weeks back.

Sweater - Marshalls, Shirt/Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - LeSportsac via Mom, Gold Bracelet - Gift from parents, Turquoise Bracelet - Gift from SIL via Banana Republic, Necklace - Venice, Italy, Sea Glass Earrings - Rehoboth Beach, DE

I picked up this billowy top in San Francisco on a lazy day of shopping while waiting for Hurricane Irene to pass through D.C. so we could get home back in August. It pairs well with this flowy skirt and these fun shoes I picked up on my first invite only shopping trip with Royela back in October. While that trip was local, it was a memorable experience with one my favorite ladies.

Top - Marmalade in San Francisco, Skirt - Lulus.com, Shoes - Plenty by Tracy Reese via Nordstrom Rack, Necklace - Target, Silver Bracelet - Gift from MIL, Colored bracelet - DIY

As broke as I was in 2004, I got a bonus back in February which was perfectly timed with my winter trip to the Caribbean. While in St. Thomas I enlisted my parents and their fantastic taste in gems to buy this tanzanite and diamond ring as my first "big girl piece of jewelry." I've oogled my mother tanzanite ring for years, so I figured why not buy my own. Today I paired it with one of my favorite Marshalls finds and these great tri-color shoes.

Sweater - Marshalls, Skirt/braided bracelet- Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Newport News catalog, Plain silver bangle - Gift from Brother, Ring - St. Thomas, Necklace - gift from parents (also from the Caribbean)

So when you travel, do you buy souvenirs for yourself? Do you aire on the side of postcards and snow globes or items like art, fashion, food/wine or do you avoid souvenirs all together?

Caramelized Onion Cauliflower Tart: My favorite side

2011-11-15T19:31:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you but side dishes are my favorite part of Thanksgiving. My plate generally is separated into piles of green bean casserole, stuffing, sweet potatoes and above all else my mom's mashed potatoes (although my MIL makes a mean one too) and two measly pieces of turkey. Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite fall recipes that would make a fantastic, unique side dish for your Thanksgiving meal. I offered to bring this tart to my in-laws last year but got lazy and didn't make it...I am one amazing daughter-in-law/house guest aren't I? Anyway, here is the original recipe, with my lazier adaptation below. You won't be disappointed, the smell alone is worth it!

Cast of Characters:
- 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 3 and 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Truffle oil or truffle salt*
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream**
- 1 8oz container of mascarpone cheese***
- 1 cup of grated Gruyere cheese (Swiss is a good substitute, I used cheddar as I had it on hand but a milder cheese is your best option)
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- A sprinkle of nutmeg
- 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
- 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
- Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

1) Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Chop your cauliflower and add to a bowl containing 2.5 tbsp of olive oil. Coat cauliflower with oil, add salt and pepper and pour onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, stir and roast for an additional 15 minutes (10 in my oven) until brown and tender. *Drizzle with truffle oil or truffle salt and let cool. You can absolutely skip this step; I have every time until this one because truffle anything is PRICEY but my co-worker Ro gifted me some truffle oil a few weeks ago. Thanks Ro!

2) Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Add remaining 1.5 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet, add sliced onion, salt and pepper. Cook onions down over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and soft.

3) Meanwhile spread 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard across the bottom and along the sides of the pie shell. I needed just over 1 tbsp to accomplish this.

4) In a bowl whisk together eggs, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, 1/4 tsp of black pepper and grated nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in grated Gruyere/Swiss/whatever cheese you use.

5) Place pie pan on a baking sheet to prevent spill over, and then layer onions on the bottom, cauliflower in the middle and thecheese/egg/cream mixture on top. Sprinkle grated Parmesan on the top. Bake for 40 minutes at 325, until firm and golden brown.

This tart is creamy and tangy. The combination of Dijon mustard, onions and roasted cauliflower is delicious. It's great hot or cold, and also makes for a delicious brunch option with a side salad. **You can use light cream or even milk if you are trying to be calorie conscious, but the tart is best with heavy cream. *** Sour cream can be substituted for marscapone cheese in a pinch if you can't find it. Also, if you are an overachiever, you can make your own dough, but in my humble opinion pre-made pie crust has come a long way and works just fine for this tart. If you do make your own, make sure to make it big enough for a deep tart pan as the filling needs a lot of space.

What are some of your Thanksgiving favorites? Sides, turkey and gravy, pumpkin pie? Do you stick with tried and true family recipes, or try something new for an audience?

Shake your Tail Feather

2011-11-13T18:51:00.001-05:00

This weekend's wedding taught me a number of lessons. First, I cannot stay out past 1am two nights in a row anymore and be productive on Sunday and second, finding a dress you love is worth the effort no matter how many you try on. Right mom (my fearless and patience shopping partner)?

One of Jamie's best and oldest friends got married here in D.C. last night and since Jamie was in the wedding party we had a full itinerary. As spectacular as the weekend was, it was a bit stressful for me in the wardrobe department. The rehearsal dinner was at a fancy-shmancy D.C. steakhouse, requiring suits for the gents and party dresses for the gals. Given the venue, I felt the need to wear something more fancy than normal but didn't want to upstage my Saturday night dress. I decided on this sparkly tank dress and a blazer because it felt festive but not overly fancy.

Dress - South Moon Under, Blazer - Gap, Necklace - Charming Charlies refashioned by moi, Shoes - Nina via Lord and Taylor

Saturday's wedding was black tie optional. Jamie sported a tux so I wanted to match his dapper duds. After searching high and low for a floor length gown and finding nothing that wasn't bridal, prom-y or downright ugly I gave up and opted for a black cocktail dress. As luck would have it, the only dress I loved wasn't in my size at Macy's in-store anywhere or offered online. Go figure. After searching the darkest corners of the Internet, I finally stumbled upon my feathered frock at Belk.com last Sunday morning, ordered it, paid priority shipping and said a small prayer that it fit upon arrival (it did.) My glam fairy Royela, helped me with hair and makeup before the big night and off I went.

Dress - Belk, Earrings/Bracelet-Borrowed from Mom, Shoes - DSW, Headband - gift via Nordstrom, Clutch - Ann Taylor Loft

The dress was a big success! I danced the world's longest hora in it and received many compliments throughout the night on it, including from the Mr. I hope you all had wonderful weekends; this ol' girl is heading to bed to try and catch a few extra zzz's before Monday arrives once again!

Catalog turned Couture: A DIY Beaded Bracelet

2011-11-10T19:58:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season to receive catalogs, fa la la la la la la la la. Every year around this time the holiday catalogs start rolling in, and while those glossy pages sure are pretty to flip through, at some point I end up recycling each and every one of them. When I received my latest shipment, I made a conscience effort to re-purpose these catalogs into a holiday project. Paper bead making ensued. Over the next month I'd like to share some easy, affordable projects that make great gifts this holiday season. For this project I borrowed from this tutorial, as well as this one.

Cast of Characters:

- A brightly colored magazine or catalog (I used J.Crew and Urban Outfitters)
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Toothpicks (or needles)
- Mod Podge (the Gloss/Lustre version)
- Small paint brush
- Gloves (optional)
- Hemp Cord (embroidery floss or thread will work too)

1) Line up a ruler along the edge of the page you want to use and create a triangle that is 1mm (or eyeball it) at the base and goes to the top of the page and cut it off.

2) Mark 2mm base triangles with a ruler and pencil across the rest of the page. Cut the triangles up.

Definitely getting a manicure tomorrow.

3. Using a toothpick (or needle) wrap the base of one triangle around the toothpick and wind the paper tightly around the toothpick. If the finished product comes off the toothpick, its OK, just hold it together until you Mod Podge it.

4. Brush some Mod Podge onto your toothpick and set aside to dry. Let the beads dry at overnight. They should be nice and shiny when they are dry. *If you have a manicure or like your nails at all, put gloves on before you start step 4. Mod Podge does not do wonders for your fingers.

5. To remove beads, hold the toothpick in one hand and spin the bead off the toothpick with the other hand. If they do not come off easily let them be for a while longer.

6. Using hemp cord, thread the beads onto the cord to the desired length and knot at both ends. I made a long bracelet (28") that I could wrap around my wrist four times and tied it off at both ends but feel free to get creative!

This project is as easy as flipping through a catalog but with a much better (and cheaper) end result. This bracelet is made from three catalog pages, is colorful and glossy. I'm going to try making a black, white and red one, since its my favorite winter color combination.

While its not snazzy, expensive or offered by a cool brand, I would like to give away a bracelet to a sweet reader in honor of my 100th post ever! Just be a follower on Google Friend Connect to be eligible to win. Leave a comment below with what colors you'd like.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, thanks to all of those who serve! One of Jamie's childhood friends is getting hitched this weekend and its an all weekend event culminating in a black tie wedding! Very excited to wear a new dress and see the hubs in a tuxedo.

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Shades of Grey

2011-11-09T20:41:00.001-05:00

With a title like that you're probably thinking about the weather or the Grateful Dead (great song.) I think of my winter wardrobe. I rely heavily on grey, brown, navy and black in the cooler months and this past week has been no exception. So lets get to the clothes, shall we?

I love how military-inspired this dress feels. The army green color enhanced with the brushed gold metal accents make me feel ready for both work and (fashion) boot camp. It was cold so I added a thick pair of ribbed sweater tights, and one of my favorite pairs of shoes.

Dress - Marshalls, Tights - Gift, Shoes - Seychelles via Nordstrom, Necklace - J.C. Penney, Watch - Husbands, Bracelets - Filene's Basement

It was so warm yesterday that I couldn't fathom wearing tights. I have many months of tights ahead of me, might as well wear bare legs as long as I can. This grey sweater was a great Old Navy find; the stripes are made of metallic gold thread. I tried to play up the gold with several blingy accessories.

Sweater and Tank - Old Navy, Skirt - Talbots, Necklace - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Steve Madden, Headband - J.Crew, Earrings - Eden of Dennis, MA.

Again, warm weather = hanging onto summer clothes for one more day. I picked up this shirt at the Nordstrom sale this summer but had little opportunity to wear it. I paired it with this orange cardigan, some grey slacks, my tallest shoes, and a yellow belt.

Just warming up my sweet dance moves for this weekend's wedding....get ready!

Sweater - Coldwater Creek, Top - Nordstrom, Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Via Spiga via Rue la la, Necklace - Lia Sophia, Bracelets - all Gifts, Earrings - Gift from my MIL

Doh...my hem is messed up, someone's got a date with their sewing machine this weekend :)

We've made it through Wednesday, and Friday is close, hang in there! I hope to share a craft project with you tomorrow! With that, I'm going to go start and finish said project :) Happy Thursday!

A Few Good Reads: Book Review

2011-11-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

Oops that was an unexpected week off blogging! Oopsy-daisy. I had my second book club meeting last night and during it I quickly realized that I haven't given you any good reads recently so here are two.

The first is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Wow, what a doozy! I was so engrossed in this book that I literally read it from the moment I got on the subway to the moment my work computer booted up. One morning I completely missed three different co-workers saying good morning because my nose was stuck so far into this book.

www.laurahillenbrandbooks.com

While reading, I had to keep reminding myself that this is a true story of one man. It was that unbelievable. The story follows Louis Zamperini, a precocious, unpredictable lover of life based in California. Louis discovers a gift for running as a teenager and quickly becomes an Olympic level runner at the Berlin Olympics. Louis later enlists in the U.S. Air Force, becoming a bombardier serving in the Pacific and ultimately becoming a Japanese POW. I don't want to ruin the rest of the storyline as its pretty incredible but the heart and soul of this man and his survival story is awe-inspiring. So many times, I wondered if I could remain "unbroken" in a similar situation and I'm not sure I could. This is definitely a fast, thrilling page turner that will run the gamut of your emotions. There's a bit of WWII history in there if you're interested in that like I am, but its definitely more of a human interest piece. I really loved this book and was truly inspired by Louis' perseverance and strength in the face of some deplorable situations. There are a lot of take aways for the daily stresses in all of our lives here!

www.randomhouse.com

The second book is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. I was really intrigued by this book; I know so little about Ernest Hemingway other than I really hated Old Man and the Sea in high school. The Paris Wife follows the early lives of Hemingway and his first of four wives, Hadley Richardson and their lives together in Jazz Age Paris. The story follows the couple as they navigate the party-atmosphere of the times and the indulgent artistic folks they befriend. The book provides a lot of interesting background points about Hemingway's writing process, specifically with writing The Sun Also Rises. Throughout the book, my feelings towards Hadley changed greatly. She is so deeply in love and committed to Ernest that her patience and loyalty is at times enviable, and at other times frustrating. What's most difficult yet fascinating to read is how she ultimately befriends the woman that Ernest leaves her for. This was a really interesting read; educational without being a non-fiction book or biography. The descriptions of early 20th century Paris, the Jazz Age and Europe as a whole were wonderful, I caught myself dreaming of skiing in the Alps a lot during this book!

If you're curious, we read Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Bank for book club this month. It was a thought-provoking read, and is certainly good for creating a discussion, but not my favorite. I was the only dissenting opinion though, so check it out if you're curious. Have you read anything great lately? I'm always adding to my list!

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Low Light Variety Pack

2011-11-02T22:07:00.000-04:00

I feel like I hit a fashion road bump this week, and am only feeling 'meh' about these outfits. Actually maybe its just the pictures of said outfits I'm feeling meh about. Unfortunately, the cave-like lighting of our apartment does none of these pieces (or their walking hanger) justice. Is anyone else finding it difficult to find daylight for picture taking? Bring on Daylight Savings (its Saturday), let there be light!

I embraced shorts with opaque tights last winter, and haven't looked back. I wore this to dinner with friends last Friday. I also wanted to wear my new cape! I finally found this one on Ruelala after trying on many, many capes including your picks and didn't like any of them (on me.) The rounded armholes and hemline, deep pockets and furry hood are so warm and cozy.

Cape - Hilary Radley via Ruelala, Black Sweater/Purple Sweater/Shorts - Ann Taylor Loft, Tights - Target, Shoes - DSW

And now I present the worst reason to pick out an outfit, ready? It matches your $1.99 witch hair clip for Halloween. Dont' say I didn't warn you. I thought this holiday clip was office appropriate, so I picked out this multi-colored paisley print dress to wear with it. I love this dress so much, it was a gift from my mom for finishing my first marathon...see why I ran two more of them? Giant bags of clothes at the end!

Dress/Necklaces - Gifts, Tights/Hair Clip - Target, Boots - Steve Madden via DSW

Anxiously awaiting our trick o' treaters. We only had 4, but they were cute!

This sweater is such a bright bubblegum pink and has a sweet zipper in the back, which I'm not showing you because I don't like my posterior at the moment. I picked up these olive pants at the Columbus Day Loft sale for $29.99, and they fit like a dream. My vertically challenged self feels almost long legged in them, I say success!

Sweater/Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Flower Pin - H&M, Pearls - Gift from the rents

So my husband/live in photog kept telling me to hike up my pants for a shoe shot and I fell into a fit of laughter as he kept saying "higher, no higher" until I was at full high water length.

One last funny for you. I've been wearing my cape A LOT because its cute with everything, or so I thought. After sweating it out at the gym I couldn't fathom putting my work clothes back on, so I threw my cape on over my shorts and tee and headed home. Too bad my shorts are WAY shorter than my cape and I looked like a flasher on public transit. If you need visual evidence, I offer you the following for a mid-week chuckle!

Have a good end of the week sweets!

Comforting Carbonara: A New Recipe

2011-11-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

After a long night party rocking on Saturday, all Jamie wanted on Sunday for his birthday dinner was something homemade and carby. His request for baked ziti came a bit late in the afternoon so I offered him pasta carbonara since I know he loves it and there was a new recipe from Everyday Food I wanted to try. Personally, I don't love pasta carbonara because I think its heavy and I don't love eggs, but the addition of lemon and leeks in this particular recipe really intrigued me. The lemon and leeks lightened up the taste and add some needed pep and acid to this tried and true flavor combination.

Cast of Characters:

- 6 slices of bacon, cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
- 4 leeks, thinly sliced
- 3/4 pound of short pasta (I used penne, since that's what they have)
- 2 eggs
-1/2 oz grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
- 1 tbsp zest and 1 tbsp of juice from one lemon (I zested and juiced one entire lemon, but I love lemon)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (I used half a bunch)
- Coarse salt and pepper

1) Set a pasta pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions, drain and set aside. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.

2) Rinse and cut your leeks. After cutting your leeks, rinse them again in a strainer to make sure all the sand/silt is removed. Maybe I got really dirty leeks this time, but mine needed this extra rinse.

3) Cook bacon in a large skillet for 8-10 minutes until brown and crispy. Set on several paper towels to drain. Trim off excess fat. Pour off all but 1-2 tbsp of the bacon grease into a container/coffee cup for another use or garbage. Be careful, bacon grease is lava hot!

4) In the remaining 1-2 tbsp of bacon grease, cook the leeks for 8-10 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Whisk together the eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and the 1/4 cup of pasta water (regular ol' water will do if you forget like me).

6) Add drained pasta, egg mixture, bacon and leeks into the skillet and stir it up, little darling stir it up (sorry Bob Marley on the brain.) You want your egg mixture to be cooked all the way through. Season with salt and pepper, add parsley and more Parmesan cheese if you so desire.

Mangia, mangia! Like I said, this recipe was surprisingly light and full of flavor. I liked the added lemon zest and juice against the crunchy leeks and salty bacon. Given the saltiness of the bacon and cheese, I went fairly aggressive with the cracked pepper which added some additional pep to the flavor combination. I was happy with it, Jamie loved it, and on Sunday that was all that mattered. Happy cooking!

Party Rocking in the House Tonight!

2011-10-31T20:30:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm anxiously awaiting trick or treaters, we've had ~~three~~ four so far, but this candy has...got...to...go! Did you celebrate this weekend? Despite the snow (ugh!) we rocked out Saturday night at MTV-themed Birthoween. If the birthday boy's 3:30am bedtime is any indication of the night's success, I'd say we threw one heck of a party.

Picture via Katharine

Jamie and I made a ton of themed food and drinks like bacon-wrapped, cheese-stuffed jalapenos known as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jessica Simpson's "Is it Buffalo?" chicken dip and a cheese platter labeled Brievis and Butt Bread. We created a fizzy, spiked punch dubbed Ron-Ron juice from the Jersey Shore concoction loved by his roommates. We also found an inflatable cauldron cooler online that we entitled Carson Daly's cauldron of mystery that we filled with both trick and treat beverages. Here were a few other treats, including my personal favorite, Jersey S'mores.

Jamie and I sported our best MTV-inspired attire, he as Butthead and I as Katy Perry from the California Girls video. I wanted something very colorful and something I could DIY. My original Boy George costume was proving more difficult than it should have so Katy Perry it was. This costume allowed me to go buck wild with my glue gun, a bag of rhinestones, felt, and dollar bin candy/ice cream/cupcake stickers. Plus, I really wanted to make a felt ice cream cone. What can I say? I'm a sucker for ice cream in all of its forms.

My friend Nate as Divo in the background

We wanted our MTV and our friends did not disappoint. Almost every single guest came in a hilarious and inspired look! If I had to choose favorites, Divo, Ke$ha, L.M.F.AO, pregnant Beyonce, Hall and Oates and the other Katy Perry were mine. Great job everyone!

Divo, 80's Madonna, Beavis, Real World/Road Rules challengers

Ke$ha with her bottle of Jack

Hall and Oates

L.M.F.A.O Party Rockin' in the house!

Oates, Pregnant Beyonce, Katy Perry (California Girls), Moonman, Britney Spears, Madonna, Katy Perry(Last Friday night)

The chicken and braces/headgear combination was out of control funny!

So did you celebrate over the weekend, did you hand out candy this evening or are you heading out to a party later? Whatever you do, be safe and be spooky!

Link Love: Spooktacular Edition

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you but Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday. Its funny how much I love it given how much I dislike all things scary, spooky, startling and dark. What I do love about Halloween is the option to dress up like someone or something else for one day. Oh, and the candy, I really like the candy.

image via Real Simple.com

In honor of my favorite holiday and my husband's 30th birthday, we are throwing a Birthoween party on Saturday night. Since he, I and MTV turned thirty this year we decided to theme our party around all things MTV. All costumes, food, music and drinks are to be inspired by MTV. We've got our food, drinks and costumes planned already. We can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

image via www.pest-cemetery.com (no I'm not kidding)

If you are looking for last minute holiday inspiration yourself, here are a few great links from around the web!

These inexpensive, yet beautiful DIY webs beat that tired, old bag of cottony cobwebs.

Fashion Pumpkins, the Missoni and Balmain are my favorite!

Spooky salt and pepper shakers (that can be reused for a Flintstones themed BBQ.)

Cute drink labels for a kids-only or adults-only party!

Dress up as the Hamburgler and other costume ideas from your own closet.

How beautiful is this wall of bats?

image via www.folsomfriends.com

So do you love or hate Halloween? Are you celebrating early with weekend tricking or treating? Whatever you get into, have a spooktacular weekend!

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Pants a Plenty

2011-10-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

With such a great weekend under my belt, you must be wondering what I wore to all those fantastic NYC events? Um...clothes, duh. Honestly, I didn't take pictures of two of the good outfits, but that's how the ~~cookie~~ apple ~~crumbles~~ crunches in New York City?

Saturday was a two outfit day, as most Saturdays are for me these days. During the day I needed cozy, comfortable duds for walking all over the city. I pulled this simple tee, sweater vest, bootcut jeans and my disco flats together for our trek.

T-Shirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Sweater/Jeans - Old Navy, Ballet Flats - Gap, Bracelets - Target, Earrings - Craft Fair, Sunnies - Cole Haan, Purse - Foley and Corrina via eBay

Not pregant here, just too much Carnegie Deli!

All was going well on set until I got photo-bombed by my sister in law!

Post 13,353,453 mile walk we huffed it back to the hotel to get gussied up for dinner at Le Bernardin. While I almost always default to a dress in these situations, I really wanted to wear pants that night. I pulled these shiny skinnies on, added a sequined grey top and lace blazer and away we went. Three courses into the four course meal I remembered why I wear dresses to big dinners - no waistbands to squeeze your full tummy!

I wore a jumper! on Sunday but there were no pictures cause I looked busted from my cold. Oddly enough, I have pictures from Monday when I felt even more busted. This sweater was perfect for feeling feverish. Wool blend for the chills, and lacy breathable front for those hot, fevery moments. I picked up these Frye shoes at Bloomingdales this weekend. I love them, I will need to get better pictures of their beauty and height soon! Please disregard the Viking hats in our hallway...we earned them in a mud run this summer.

Sweater- Ann Taylor Loft, Tank - H&M, Pants - Old Navy, Shoes - Frye, Bag - Gift via Target, Black Pearls - Gifts from the 'Rents.

Note: These pants are not high waters, I promise. I just hiked them up so you could see the shoes. You're welcome :)

Happy Thursday peeps, we're almost to the weekend!

Big lights, Big city: Weekend Recap

2011-10-25T22:16:00.000-04:00

Every single time I visit New York City, I am amazed by how incredible a place it is. There is so much to take in, the views, the smells, the sounds, at times it can be too much but mostly it's just awesome. Normally, I am visiting friends and avoid all things touristy, but this time we did all things crowded.

While waiting for Jamie, my brother and sister-in-law to arrive, I walked around Ground Zero, Bryant Park, Central Park and Bloomingdales before meeting everyone for dinner and drinks in the West Village. Despite our hotel's elevators being out and having to climb 30 flights (instant butt workout) at midnight we had a great day.

Great window display of vintage sewing machines in the All Saints display.

Beautiful Bryant Park flowers

The Promenade

Saturday, my brother and fellow early riser, grabbed two coffees and walked Midtown in search of bagels. We spent the rest of the day walking around the Empire State Building, NY Public Library and Central Park. With all that walking, we needed more sustenance. Fortunately, the Carnegie Deli was on our way to the park. We split corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, pickles and a black and white cookie. YUMM-O. After more walking, we met friends Royela and Patrick for a meal that is beyond words at the newly renovated Le Bernardin. I will never forget it, it was that special. I have no pictures, because its not a place you shove a camera in your food but I assure you it was amazing. Great friends, food and wine (and gifted champagne - thanks Angela and Mike!).

Lion at the New York Public Library

The Empire State Building

True sign at the Carnegie Deli

Sunday was a lazy day since both Jamie and I woke up with colds (NY subway, I'm looking at you!) so we walked around Times Square, grabbed a slice of pizza and waited for the 2pm performance of the Book of Mormon, which was incredible! Such a gut-busting, button-pushing, raunchy, over-the-top show. It really blew every other musical I've seen out of the water. The music was both clever and diverse, the dancing amusing and high-energy and the sets simple and transitioned seamlessly. We've already bought the soundtrack and are talking about going back for an encore performance.

Getting my Chocolate Fix!

Musicals I've loved, and Musicals I'd love to see

A very true quote at the Book of Mormon

Phew! It was jam-packed-with-fun weekend, and precisely what we wanted out of our birthday weekend. Tell me, do you love NYC and if so, what do you love to visit when there? Do you go super touristy like we did, or avoid all of it?

You see this? It's my new haircut!

2011-10-24T22:21:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the radio silence 'round these parts, I pinched a nerve in my back last week and then Jamie and I were in NYC to celebrate our joint 30th birthdays with a truly epic weekend. I kicked it off with a haircut at Three Squares Studio in Chelsea with Jordan Blackmore. My father-in-law knows Jordan and Andi, the salon owners who offered me a new 'do, and I was thrilled to accept their kind offer.

I was unsure what to expect when I headed to Chelsea on Friday morning, but I was very excited and slightly nervous. Upon my arrival in the studio, I immediately relaxed. The space is beautifully inviting; full of reclaimed wood, warm and interesting light fixtures, candles, books and an ever changing selection of art. I loved the fantastic chain suspended double sided mirror.

Before, with my mother-in-law Claudia

While I waited for Jordan to arrive, I flipped through his portfolio and was so starstruck when I saw all the beautiful celebrity clients he has worked with recently! When he arrived with his sweet pup, he took a few minutes to talk me through the cut and put me at ease; he was super friendly and complimentary. He told me I had beautiful, healthy hair. No more coarse hair complex here!

Consulting the curls

Marc and the pup

After a wash, condition and hydration mask, we chatted while he snipped and 90 minutes later, voila! I love the lighter, less pyramidy result. If only I could have my hair diffused and curled every morning before work! I need a live in glam fairy...

Jordan and I post cut.

After, if only it stayed like this forever!

Post cut, my in laws, Andi and her father went for lunch and a brownie at the Chelsea Market. All in all, a fantastic start to the weekend. Super special thanks to my in laws (Hi Marc and Claudia) who made it possible, went to the salon with me and then served as my photographers all morning! You guys are fantastic to me, thank you! Readers, I hope you had great weekends, I'll be back tomorrow with more tales from New York City!