Teal and Navy Stripes
21 May 2012 1 Comment
in What I Wore Tags: skirt with denim jacket. old navy denim jacket, striped skirt, vince camuto skirt, what i wore
Hope you all had a great weekend! Saturday, after a super intense Crossfit workout, I headed downtown to get a birthday present for a friend and do a little shopping around. It was the last decent day predicted here in Seattle for awhile so I decided to pull out a new skirt I picked up with a gift card at Nordstrom awhile back. It is from the Vince Camuto collection and I must say I’m loving his clothing line. I feel like this skirt has the same look as a Kate Spade, but at a much better price.
I think a navy or cream blouse is an obvious pairing with this, that I’m sure I will do sometime, but I think this little teal tank (just $6) is a fun color to add. It was a casual day so I went with flat sandals that are comfy to walk in and added a denim jacket so I wouldn’t be too chilly.
Skirt – Vince Camuto, Tank – H&M (similar), Jacket – Old Navy, Shoes – Target
Cumin and Curry Burgers on the Grill
21 May 2012 1 Comment
in Recipes Tags: bunless burgers, cumin and curry burgers, paleo burgers, primal burgers
We are offically ready for summer here with our new grill! I never thought we would be able to have our own grill living in a condo, but turns out we are allowed to keep one on our deck – very good news and you can expect lots of grilling recipes to come – nothing is better once warm weather hits. We got a pretty little one given our deck isn’t that big, but it has turned out to be just the right size for us.
Of course getting a grill made us also want to be able to eat out on the deck so we picked up a cute little patio set on sale at Crate and Barrel.
We got the grill put together last week just in time for dinner so I whipped up some burgers and quartered some peppers to throw on. Here is what went into them.
2 lbs. grass fed ground beef
1/2 a medium sized onion, finely diced
1/2 Tbsp. of cumin
1/2 Tbsp. of curry powder
Sea Salt and Pepper for seasoning
Just mix all of the above together and form into 8 patties
We also used some sliced Kerrygold cheddar and guacamole ((I just mash together 2 avocados with a couple spoonfuls of salsa and a sprinkle of salt, garlic powder, and cumin) to top. Michael wrapped his in cabbage leaves, I like mine just with a fork.
The peppers are just lightly coated with olive oil and a little seasoned salt then grilled along with the burgers
Here is my handsome hubby enjoying the first of many al fresco dinners!
Dressed Down
18 May 2012 5 Comments
in What I Wore Tags: express white clutch, Franco Sarto, hot pink dress, premier designs, what i wore
I’m very excited for a fun Thursday night! I’m headed over to Bellevue, to a new jazz club that just opened up, for a show with my very stylish friends, Mollie and Jaymee.
I don’t think I’m going to have a better reason to pull out my hot pink dress for awhile, so I decided to dress it down a bit from the last time you saw it by adding more casual accessories. I wore it to my sister in law’s wedding shower with sparkly shoes and a gold statement necklace, so to make it more casual, I instead paired with my cork heeled sandals that you will basically be seeing with everything, a more casual necklace (I find chunky turquoise to be great to dress things down), and a Summery white clutch.
How do you make a dress more casual?
Happy Friday’s Eve!
Dress – Ann Taylor (similar), Shoes – Franco Sarto, Necklace – Premier Designs, Clutch – Express
Coral & Stripes
17 May 2012 3 Comments
in What I Wore Tags: coral and navy, coral jeans, navy and white striped blazer, striped blazer, what i wore
Hope you are all having a great week so far, we are more than half way to the weekend now!
Today’s outfit may be one of my all time favorite combos. I am loving all the coral everywhere this season and am so happy I found these jeans for 40% off at Ann Taylor, you saw them last here. They are almost completely sold out online now (but check back for restocking), and you can always call the main number and see if a store has a pair they can ship to you. I recommend going one size down than your usual denim size as mentioned before. The fit is great on these though and they get rave reviews online too.
Navy with coral is a favorite combo, so I paired them with a navy blouse (I bought this blouse on sale at Old Navy last year and it ended up in a drawer forgotten about – very happy I came across it!) and then topped with my navy and white striped blazer that I got at H&M last year. I was trying to figure out a necklace to add, when I saw this coral flower pin, and decided, what the heck, a little more coral can’t hurt!
Do you have a favorite pair of colorful jeans this year?
Jeans – Ann Taylor, Blouse – Old Navy (similar), Blazer H&M (similar), Shoes – Franco Sarto
Shorts & Knots
14 May 2012 7 Comments
in What I Wore Tags: express shorts, gingham shirt, knot front shirt, nude wedges, tie front shirt, what i wore
Hope you all had a great weekend! We had an awesome one here, couldn’t have asked for better weather. Saturday the hubby and I went out to Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery to pick up our club selections and we sipped on a wonderful sauvingnon blanc in the sun. Then we had a BBQ with friends on their rooftop deck all followed up by drinks out with my girlfriends. Sunday we spent the day at Alki beach in West Seattle with some of our favorite couples. Check out this view. When we have nice weather in Seattle there is truly no better place to be.
Today our streak of amazing weather continues with highs supposed to be close to 80. It isn’t often that we get shorts weather here in May so I took full advantage by pulling out my current favorite pair. Knotting the front of a button front shirt is a trend that has come back around that I’ve been hesitant to try, but after loving it on other bloggers I decided to give it a go. I went with my gingham button down and I must say I am loving the combo of the gingham with hot pink. I’m headed downtown to run some errands this afternoon and then having a few girlfriends over after work to drink wine and enjoy the rest of our sunny day on our condo building’s terrace. I call it “terrace happy hour”. Can’t think of anything to make a Monday better than that!
What do you think of knotting or tying the front of your shirt?
Shorts – Express, Blouse – Old Navy(similar), Shoes – Nine West via Ross (similar), Earrings – Premier Designs, Sunglasses – Marc by Marc Jacobs
Avengers
11 May 2012 1 Comment
in What I Wore Tags: ann taylor, what i wore, white jeans
Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a fun weekend planned. It is supposed to be almost 80 here in Seattle this weekend, which is practically unheard of, so we are going to be spending plenty of time outdoors. Last night the hubby and I had a fun date to see the Avengers in 3-D Imax. I’m not a huge action movie fan, but this one wasn’t too bad. Although a little more romance and a little less destruction wouldn’t have hurt : )
Aren’t we cute in our glasses?
Michael begrudgingly took an outfit photo for me, he was anxious to get in line! The sunny day was perfect for white jeans which I topped with a floaty navy blue blouse and tan moto style jacket I picked up on clearance during my Ann Taylor shopping spree in New York (using the gift card my Dad and his wife gave me for Christmas) and I added a little print with these floral shoes my MIL passed down to me.
Just want to also take the time to say a Happy (Early) Mother’s Day to all of you mom’s out there, but especially to my amazing Mom, Lynn, and to my Mother-in-Law, Carla. You are both beautiful, generous, loving and I am so grateful to have you!
Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
1 Item, 5 Ways: White Blazer
11 May 2012 1 Comment
in Informational Blogs - Fashion, What I Wore Tags: white blazer, white blazer ideas
As promised, I’ve gotten my act together this month and have put together 5 different outfits using the same white H&M blazer. I got mine last year, but I believe this same one is still in stores. Let’s get started!
First off, a white blazer is always a great topper to a blouse and dark skinny jeans. So I started with my polka dot tie neck blouse, and then added hot pink shoes for a pop of color. (Just picked these up at the Ann Taylor family & friends sale while I was in NY, the perfect heel height)
Jeans – JBrand, Blouse – Piperlime, Shoes – Ann Taylor
I love blazers with a polished pair of shorts, so cute! I pulled out my hot pink shorts, paired with a navy and white striped shirt, and then added a floral shoe. I would dress this up by switching out these shoes for a nude sandal.
Shorts – Express, Blouse – Ann Taylor (similar), Shoes – Payless
A white blazer is perfect for a nautical look. Just throw over a navy and white striped tank with jeans, accessorize with some gold jewelry, and you are all set.
Jeans – JBrand, Tank – Target, Shoes – Nine West via Ross, Necklace – Premier Designs, Earrings – Old Navy
I wanted to do a look with a skirt as well and this black and white polka dot one seemed like the perfect match. Just paired with a simple black tank and some cork t-strap heels.
Skirt – Loft via ebay, Tank – H&M, Shoes – Franco Sarto via Marshall’s
And lastly, my mother in law generously bought me this fun striped maxi dress while I was in NY and I thought a blazer would be the perfect way to add a little structure to a floaty dress. Went with low heeled sandals and silver accents to keep the vibe casual.
Dress – Calvin Klein, Shoes – Nine West, Necklace – Premier Designs
What’s your favorite way to wear a white blazer?
A Weekend in Austin!
10 May 2012 3 Comments
So my sorority sister’s and I take a trip every year together and this year we decided to go to Austin, TX! I am seriously so lucky to have such amazing friends, these girls are so much fun and it makes me so happy that we take the time to get together regularly and are still such a big part of each other’s lives. We spent the days lounging by the gorgeous pool and then dancing the nights away at the awesome outdoor bars. The heat and humidity made those of us not acclimated sort of sweaty messes, but we didn’t let that ruin our fun. But one night out not bringing a hair tie and I didn’t make that mistake again. The last night, after closing down the bar, we left to a massive thunderstorm that soaked us through as we ran back to our hotel. We will never forget that experience – wish I had taken a picture!
Here I am at the pool with my friend, April, who lives in Austin and was our fabulous tour guide for the trip. April isn’t a Chi-O (she’s a Pi Phi), but we have adopted her - she’s been one of my best friend’s since we were 9 years old!
First night out…
At dinner our second night out…
We may have then found ourselves on a party bus to transport us to 6th Street…
And our last night out…
I was clearly getting my groove on…
So there’s the recap, with perhaps a little editing : ) If you haven’t been to Austin yet, I highly recommend for a weekend of fun!
Minty for the big 300!
09 May 2012 7 Comments
in What I Wore Tags: jbrand jeggings, jbrand leggings, knit blazer, mint blazer, what i wore, Zara
Well everyone, this is my 300th post! Imagine that…
Today is the debut of my new mint blazer that I picked up at Zara in New York City last month. I mean please, you had me at “knit blazer”. Throw in the fact that I am loving all the mint everywhere this season and I couldn’t resist. It was the only thing I bought too, I was very proud of myself. My husband told me not to buy anything, so he wasn’t as proud, but I gave myself a nice little pat on the back for my self control.
I also don’t think these jeans have made an appearance yet although I’ve been wearing them like crazy. They are my new JBrand “jeggings”. I used to be one of those people who would never spend more than $50 on jeans, and I probably would have balked if you told me people actually spent $180 on denim, but I’ve changed my tune a bit given how I practically live in jeans. My sister in law told me I had to have these, and since I had a gift card from Christmas thanks to the in-laws, I decided to give them a shot. (so maybe I’m still not someone who will spend $180 of their own money on denim?). Anyway, these are 100% worth the money, gift card or not. They are so comfortable, the waist isn’t too low, they don’t stretch out, and I could basically wear them to bed. Call me crazy if you want, but the cost per wear on these is going to be about zero once I’m done with them. I do suggest sizing up unless you have skinny legs for your size. I’m normally a 27 but went with a 28 in these, the 27′s were a little too snug in the thigh area.
Today I’m headed out to run some errands and then going to grill and sit around the fire with my 3 cousins that live here tonight. Probably won’t be wearing this there though, I think a sweater and boots are going to be in order instead.
Have a great Wednesday!
Jeans – JBrand, Blazer – Zara (same blazer in other colors), Blouse – Nordstrom sale last year, Shoes – Payless
Date and Shallot Rosemary Chicken from PaleOMG and Zucchini Noodles
09 May 2012 3 Comments
in Recipes
My friend Kristin and I were talking about how much we LOVE the site PaleOMG. Seriously, her recipes are awesome. Last night I made her Date and Shallot Rosemary Chicken and it did not disappoint. So easy too. Whole Foods didn’t have shallots so I substituted with cipollini onions and just sprinkled over some dried rosemary instead of using fresh.
Here it is before going into the oven…
Then coming out of the oven…
As for the zucchini, I am obsessed with my new favorite kitchen tool that spiral slices my zucchini into delicious noodles. It is amazing, you should get one. I simply spiral sliced 4 zucchini then sauteed in a few Tbsp. of butter with a little crushed garlic, salt, and pepper. Yum!
Here’s my dinner plate…
