Currently Loving....

Is it just me or did this week take forever to end?  Let me tell you, 5 day work weeks are just not for me. I am in serious need of a vacation to some place warm because the cold is not helping either.

Here is what I am loving this week:

Michael Kors Gold and Turquoise Watch

I just received the new Michael Kors catalog in the mail and he has some beautiful new pieces for spring. I know this sounds weird but I actually don't own a watch. I love how they look on other people but I just don't think I would get much use out of one, however, isn't this new watch from the MK line beautiful? I'm definitely admiring it from afar.

Chrissy Teigan on Twitter

Does anyone else follow Chrissy Teigan on twitter? For those of you who don't know her, she is the model wife of John Legend, who recently landed the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. She is super beautiful, but has the funniest personality. Her hilarious tweets back and forth with her favorite restaurant Taco Bell are my favorite. She definitely falls into the category of beauty and brains. 

Essie Fiesta Nail Polish

I've been rocking the navy nails for quite some time now but as we inch closer to spring I'm ready to ditch the darks and bring in the hot pinks. I just purchased Essie's Fiesta at my local drug store and it's the perfect shade of pink!

The Buca di Beppo Pope Table

Last Tuesday we celebrated my cousin Logan's 16th birthday at Buca di Beppo. For those of you who haven't been there, its an Italian restaurant where all the food is served family style so you can share. Well theres a special room in all the restaurants called the Pope Room, where there are photos of all the Popes on the wall and a giant Pope head in the middle of the table, how funny is that? Such a fun experience and the food was delish!

BaubleBar Ring Trees are Back in Stock!

I'm so excited that the BaubleBar animal ring trees are back in stock. I just ordered the bunny for myself. Keep on the look out because I might have a surprise for all of you too....

What are you doing this weekend?

What have you all been loving this week?

xoxo

2014 Book Count Update

So one of my 25 Before 25 goals was to read more books so I will be keeping track of my reads so far in 2014. You can follow along and try them yourselves! I'm hoping to finish 2 books a month, which is a pretty achievable goal if I continue to read on my breaks at work. It's actually been really great expanding my horizons on the different books out there. However, my next step is to get a library card because books can be expensive. I really appreciated all your book recommendations you gave me a couple weeks ago and I've added plenty of them to my list.
Just yesterday I started Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn which is a New York Times best seller. Its a suspense novel about a girl who goes missing and her husband becomes the main suspect. I'm only about 50 pages in and it's pretty good so far, definitely a change from what I've been reading recently which is fun. Recently it was announced that Gone Girl is being made into a movie, with Ben Affleck playing the husband (swoon). 

My 2014 List of Books I've Read (So Far):

1. Orange is the New Black - Piper Kerman
2. After Dead - Charlaine Harris
3. Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without A Date - Katie Heaney
4. Everything Is Perfect When You're A Liar - Kelly Oxford
5. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Have you read Gone Girl?

If so, did you like it?

xoxo

Brown & Black Combo, Do or Don't?

So a couple of weeks ago I received a cardigan from my mom as a gift. It is black, cream and brown color block and it got me thinking to when I was younger and my mom instilled in me two big fashion rules: 1. My handbag and shoes should always match my outfit and 2. You never mix browns and black together. Now I am not one to follow the rules of fashion but for years my mother would scoff when I would wear my brown riding boots with a pair of black leggings. She would complain that I should be wearing black boots if I was wearing black leggings and I should definitely be wearing a black handbag as well. I for one always trust my moms judgement because I love her sense style but this was one thing we could not agree on. So it's funny that after all these years of complaining she was the one to buy me a brown and black cardigan... guess I've changed her mind.

Times have changed and the idea of brown and black (along with pairing navy and black) together is no longer a faux pas. I love how trends and styles can evolve and how what was once considered a fashion blunder can now be seen as a big hit. While I was researching some brown and black looks on my favorite source of inspiration, Pinterest, I found hundreds of amazing looks that go against that anti-black/brown combo belief, you can check out some of my favorite looks below.

Since I LOVED reading all your opinions on my post about the crop top, I thought I would pose a new question for you... do you pair brown and black together?

Also what are some other "fashion rules" that you love to break?

Finally, I should totally buy that color block ALDO clutch to go with my new cardi, right?!

ALDO Clutch

xoxo

New Recipe: Veggie Pizza

Happy Tasty Tuesday!

So I love a versatile recipe, something that can be used for a quick dinner or be pulled together to be a finger food for a party. This recipe is simple to make and is super tasty. Two weeks ago we decided to have a Valentines Day party at work and we all brought in a different finger food for the party. Well my work friend, Emily, brought in this amazing recipe and I knew I had to get the ingredients and share the details with you all. I may or may not have eaten like 8 pieces that day....

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of Pillsbury crescent rolls
• 1 package (8oz) of cream cheese softened 
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 pkg of dry ranch seasoning mix
• 1 small/medium broccoli
• 1 small/medium cauliflower
• 1 red and 1 orange pepper
• 1 pkg of shredded cheddar cheese
• ***Note: any other veggie can be substituted in this recipe, another reason why it's so great!***

Directions:

• Spread crescent rolls on two cookie sheets (do not pull them apart, just unroll them like a pizza dough) and bake them according to temperature directions for about 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let cool.
• While crescent rolls are baking, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch mix in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
• Chop up the heads of the broccoli and cauliflower and dice up red & orange peppers.
• When crescent roll dough has cooled, spread cream cheese mixture on the top, distributing evenly. 
• Top with chopped veggies and shredded cheese (use as much of each as you prefer).
• Cut into finger food slices and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Enjoy!

*Thanks again Emily for sharing this recipe*

**Remember you can get all of my Tasty Tuesday Recipes on my Pinterest account or my searching 'Tasty Tuesday' on the search section on my blog*

xoxo

ASOS Bathing Suits

Less than 2 months until I am on the beaches of Costa Rica and now that my vaccinations are paid off I can focus on the fashion aspect of the trip starting with bathing suits. I have a serious addiction to bathing suits. You know how people say you can never have enough shoes or handbags, well I think you can never have enough bathing suits. The sun lover in me tries to spend every free minute of summer in a pool so I tend to collect bathing suits for every occasion. ASOS has had some really cute bathing suits for anyone who is headed somewhere warm on spring break, plus the majority of them are super affordable which is a pro in my book!

 I tend to lean towards the bandeau tops because I hate a tan line almost as much as I hate a cloudy day and since I plan on spending several days lying on the beaches of Costa Rica, strapless bikinis will work just fine for me. However, I do need to have a couple tops with straps in case a game of pool volleyball breaks out or if we decide to go into the ocean (ocean waves + strapless bikini = major wardrobe malfunction).

Also I've really been loving the one piece options for the summer. Although I normally don't wear a one piece I think they have made so many amazing retro bathing suits with awesome cut outs and designs that make the one piece sexy instead of frumpy. 

One thing I think every girl should own in the LLB (little black bathing suit). Black is flattering on every body type and although I love a good neon print suit, the black suit is such a classic look you can rock no matter where you are.

Does anyone else collect bathing suits like I do?

What's your go-to style for hanging out in the sun?

Nautical Stripe Top // Floral Cut Out One Piece // Lip Print Balconette Suit

Neon Color Block Bikini // Black Mesh One Piece // Pastel Stripe Bikini

Little Black Bikini // Floral Bikini

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts + A Weekend Recap

Can you believe that Sex and the City ended its run 10 years ago? Thank god for HBO Go marathons and E! replay the season all the time because I can't get enough of Carrie and Co. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! As usual it flew by for me... I feel like I need a 3 day weekend to get everything done I want to do.

Here's a quick recap of my weekend:

• Friday night I went out for dinner and drinks with my girlfriends and then we went to go see that new Zac Efron movie, The Awkward Moment. It was pretty funny and Zac Efron is shirtless a couple times which makes the $11.50 per ticket totally worth it in my book. Side note: the drink I got was called the Audrey Hepburn, and it was hot pink... perfect way to start off the weekend.
• A Confession:

• I have a serious shopping problem that needs to be curbed ASAP. However, at least I can say I get good deals? Macy's was having a huge sale on Saturday afternoon and I was able to grab this amazing navy and green Michael Kors dress I've had my eye on for $30! Plus I also grabbed this cute navy and white MK coat for spring (I can never pass up a deal).
• It was a beautiful day on Saturday so after the mall I decided to go outside in the back yard and throw the ball with Misa. However, my mother thought it would be a good idea to (without telling me) lock the back door and leave for church, leaving Misa and I locked out of the house with no keys, cell phone or leash. Thank god it was nice out. Poor Misa couldn't wait to get inside and snuggle up on the couch when we were finally let inside.

• My InStyle subscription finally arrived. I will be spending my morning getting caught up on all the spring trends to further my addiction.
• Later today I am heading to another fundraiser for a friend of the family who is battling cancer. Hopefully they will have another amazing turn out so they can use the money to cover medical bills.

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo

Friday Five

Happy Friday Everybody!

This was a short 4 day work week for me, but I'm still happy it has come to an end. Tonight I am getting dinner with some girlfriends and then we are going to see the new Zac Efron movie, because nothing could be better than spending my Friday night with a shirtless Zac Efron, am I right ladies?

Here is what I am loving this week:

Game of Thrones 15 Minute Preview to Season 4

Season 4 is coming. I'm a huge fan of the GoT series (please if you haven't, stop everything and read the books, they are fab). We still have a month and a half before the new season starts but the producers did throw us a bone and release this 15 minute trailer to the new season. Although I'm still in Red Wedding mourning there is so many exciting story lines to look forward to.

Disney Princesses as Game of Thrones Characters

Also going along with my excitement for season 4 of Game of Thrones, Buzzfeed recreated all the Disney princesses to look like our favorite GoT characters. They are hilarious and spot on.

Tory Burch Fall 2014 Collection

I've been following Tory Burch's fall collection on Instagram and I'm loving the gold jewel embellishments she's been adding to the dresses and sweaters. It's a fun little preview of what we should expect in the upcoming months.

Everything Is Perfect When You're A Liar

With two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch I have been getting so much reading done at work. My newest book I started is by Kelly Oxford a writer/comedian and her book reflecting on the adventures in her life is laugh out loud funny. Coming from a pretty well behaved child, her teenage memories are quite wild.

J Crew Factory Spotted Dress and Anchor Clutch

Growing up 101 Dalmatians was (and still is) my favorite Disney movie, I even dressed up as Cruella DeVil for Halloween one year, wig and all. So to this day I'm a sucker for anything that resembles dalmatian print which is why I love this factory dress. It looks great on The College Prepster in this picture. I also love this anchor clutch from the factory store as well, perfect for a warm summer night. These are both brand new arrival so I'm so mad they weren't at the store when I was there last week.

What are you up to this weekend?

xoxo

In Bloom

Today is February 19th which means there is exactly 30 days until spring...not that I'm counting or anything. With spring right around the corner there are so many amazing blog posts about spring fashion. I have literally been bookmarking so many posts highlighting different trends I want to try once the weather warms up. You have no idea how badly I want to put away all my winter sweaters and show a little skin. 

Floral patterns have always been something that I loved in fashion but never actually tried myself. Within the past year I have found myself taking more fashion risks and going outside my comfort zone which is why I could see myself in a pair of floral pants come spring. A lot of the times I like to jazz up an outfit with funky jewelry or shoes but the floral ensemble is busy and crazy enough that you only need simple accessories and neutrals pallets to accentuate it. 

If you're a fan of floral on a budget, I highly suggest you head to Target because Peter Pilotto has just released a new spring line available for a limited time. That is where I found that adorable floral dress featured below in my post. The majority of his pieces are made up of bold floral prints mixed with other fun patterns. The best part of this line.... everything is under $50!

Are you a fan of floral fashion?

Merino Silk-Panel Sweater // Baseball Cap // Floral Trousers

Jumbo Bloom Necklace // Peter Pilotto for Target Dress

xoxo

Book of Mormon

I just found out yesterday that I officially have tickets to go see The Book of Mormon in March. I'm a little bit of a theater geek and love going to see Broadway shows in NYC, as well as traveling Broadway shows in my area. I'm lucky that the traveling Broadway shows are frequent visitors of the 518 so I try to get to them as much as possible. I've been wanting to see The Book of Mormon ever since it was first released and was getting so much buzz, however the past couple times I've been down to NYC it has been sold out, ugh. So when I found out the traveling show was coming to the area I jumped on the opportunity to get tickets. 

For those of you who don't know, The Book of Mormon is a religious satire musical from the creators of South Park. After its release in 2011 it won 9 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Its been called the most inappropriate Broadway show of all time for it's non-PC jokes on religion among other things but I have a sick sense of humor so I don't doubt for a minute that I won't love every second of the show. One of the items on my 25 Before 25 list was to see another Broadway show so this is the perfect opportunity to check it off my list.

For the past couple years I have kept a Broadway show wish list of different shows I wanted to see. I've been so lucky that I have been able to check off the majority of my list (Lion King, Wicked, Rock of Ages, Hairspray, Mary Poppins, etc). Next on my list of shows to see include The Little Mermaid, Spiderman: Turn off the Dark (such a nerd), and Aladdin, which opens this March. When I was younger I never had any interest in plays or musicals but as I've grown older, I just can't get enough of them. It's amazing how much creativity that goes in in the making of these shows, and to witness the magic happen first hand is such a cool experience. If you haven't gotten the chance to see a Broadway show, I highly suggest you try because even though it can be quite expensive, it is worth every penny. 

Have you seen any Broadway shows?

Which ones are on your wish-list?

xoxo

New Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

Happy Tasty Tuesday!

I'm a huge fan of quick and simple recipes because the last thing I feel like doing when I get home from work is making a long tedious meal.  Even if a recipe is delicious, I’m less likely to make it again if it took more than 1 hour to make. I originally saw this recipe for chicken pot pie on the Doctor Oz show and although he said it’s a nice healthy dinner, I think its full of flavor and doesn’t seem like your traditional bland chicken and vegetable meal. Plus its super easy to make and takes only 20 minutes to prepare…Jackpot!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onions
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 ½ cups frozen peas
• 1 large package of frozen vegetables (I like the broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley)
• 1 rotisserie chicken from the market    
• ½ cup low-fat cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
•   ½ cup skim milk
• ½ teaspoon celery salt
• Pillsbury pre-made pie crust (I like to cheat and buy the pre-made stuff, it tastes just as good)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly cover a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray
•  Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and set to medium heat
• Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes
•  Stir in the flour until completely combined
• Pour in the chicken broth and milk, whisking slowly until combined. Cook at a simmer for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
• Whisk in the cheddar cheese until melted. While this melts shred the rotisserie chicken.
• Add the chicken, peas, vegetables and celery salt. Mix together.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared piecrust. Add top of piecrust and slice vents into the top of the crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown.
• ENJOY!

xoxo

Greek Inspired Decor

The outlets were in full on spring/summer mode this weekend, there were shorts, sandals and plenty of dresses on display at all of the stores. So despite the fact there is currently over 2 feet of snow outside my window I have warm weather on my mind. One of my dreams (that I hope to one day make a reality) is to own a beach home. I'm not sure exactly where I want that beach house to be located, but I do know that I want an beach view so that ocean breeze can flow through the windows of my home all day long. Unfortunately, I can't really decorate an upstate New York home with beach themes (it just seems out of place), but I love the look of a home completely decorated in white and blue. Also a white color scheme doesn't stay white for long when Misa and her dirty paws are around. 

This color scheme is why I've been such a fan of Greek decor. First of all, traveling to Mykonos Greece is on my bucket list because it serious looks like one of the most beautiful places in the world. Those clean white homes surrounded by the crystal blue water is just breath taking and I would love to have a home inspired by that amazing view. So of course when I am looking for any inspiration, I go to my favorite place to find it...Pinterest. As soon as I searched 'Greek Decor' I found so many beautiful home ideas with a Greek theme, perfect for my future dream beach house.

Check out what I found:

I'm in favor of anytime sand and shells can be used as home decor.

I love the idea of painting the ceiling a different color from the walls of a room.

Now I want to scatter white vases all around a room.

How cool are these sinks and the color of the walls?

Nautical stripes = perfection

Does anyone else dream of owning a beach house or visiting Greece one day?

Am I the only one that uses Pinterest to decorate an imaginary home?

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts + A Weekend Recap

So normally on Sundays it means the weekend is winding down, but luckily for me I have tomorrow off because it's Presidents Day which is such a relief because the past two days have been super busy and I could totally used a day on the couch before I get back to work.

Heres a quick recap:

• Friday night I went to dinner with a friend, Galentines Day was in full effect.
• Saturday morning I got up super early because I had to take Misa to the vet. She was due for a couple shots, needed her nails clipped and was recovering from a small lung infection so the vet wanted to check her out. If you want to experience the most stressful situation alive, try taking Misa to the vet because she gets herself so freaked out that I have to muzzle her (because the vet can't get close enough to her to do it himself), then she proceeds to cry/growl/have a meltdown until we leave. Good news is she is back in tip top shape.
• After the vet I had to take a trip to get Misa a new bowl (apparently a higher raised bowl can help decrease lung infections in the future, go figure). She was quite excited to get her new present.
• After a quick stop at Petsmart, I went to the Lee Outlets in Massachusetts to scoop up some Presidents Weekend Sales. They had such good deals!
• So despite going to the Lee Outlets on Saturday, my mother and I still made the trek to the Manchester Outlets on Sunday because Kate Spade was having a huge sale (and they don't have a KS store in Lee). So this officially confirms my shopping addiction...two outlets in one weekend.

Weekend Photos:

Car ride to the vet/pre-freak out

New Bowl = Happy Monster

Kate Spade Bauble Perfection. They had AMAZING sales.

Grabbed some dresses at J Crew Factory #NavyorNothing

Do you guys remember this post from September where I lusted after these amazing Kate Spade Pants?! Well I found them at the outlets for SUPER clearance, 70% off plus my 15% student discount. There was only one pair left and they were in my size, so I knew they were destined to be mine!

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo

C Wonder New Arrivals

Sorry for the quick post today but I am headed to the outlets to scoop up some Presidents Day weekend sales. I haven't been shopping in forever so I am so excited to check out all the spring new arrivals. Thought I would share with you my 4 favorite items from the spring line from C Wonder! I desperately wish we had a C Wonder closer to me because their store is like a wonderland full of goodies.

What are you up to today?

Is anybody else headed to the outlets this weekend?

Je t'aime Jewelry Plate // Clove Bangle // Striped Zip Pouch // Suede Wedges

xoxo

Friday Favorites

Happy Valentines Day Ladies and TGIF!

I hope you all have something wonderful planned for tonight whether it be a date with a significant other or a night out with friends celebrating the joys of being single. Also I hope you're all staying safe if the snow storm hit you, be careful out there the roads are slick!

The 5 Most Annoying People on Valentines Day

I love Jenny Johnson on twitter and she is a hilarious female comedian and writer. She wrote this post last year discussing the people we love to hate on Valentines Day and it made me LOL, so I thought I would share it.

21 Awkward Valentines Day Cards For Your Confusing Modern Relationship

Okay some of these cards are soooo funny. I want to buy them and send them to everyone in my life. How can you not love a card that says "I'm obsessed with you in a non-creepy way". Definitely check some of these out if you're looking for a last minute card. 

Simply Jessica Marie Greeting Cards

I'm loving these "You're Better Than Any Boyfriend" cards from Simple Jessica Marie. I just wish I spotted them sooner so I could send them to all my friends! How cute are her illustrations?!

Elvis Duran and the Morning Show

Do any of the rest of you have a favorite morning radio show? I'm super weird in the fact that I prefer talk radio to music when I'm at work and Elvis and his crew keep me laughing all morning long. They replay their show on iHeart Radio so if any of you are interested in checking him out, I highly recommend it. 

Polo Classic Sports Hat

I really want a baseball cap to add to my wardrobe, especially because I think I will want one for Costa Rica to keep the sun out of my face. I think a polo hat would be the perfect one for me, I'm deciding whether I want a white one, navy one or pink one!

What are your Valentines Day Plans, friends?

xoxo