Weekly Outfit Recap

Happy Saturday!

I'm starting to get used to taking photos every week of all my outfits (although, I'm not going to lie, it's a little inconvenient to do it after work when all I want to do is change and put comfy clothes on). Do you think it would be weird if I had my co-workers take the pictures on our lunch break, haaa?! Either way, I hope you enjoy another weekly outfit round up! 

Sunglasses Ray-Bans // Maxi Dress Michael Kors (old) // Belt J Crew (old) // 

Sandals Sperry // Bangles C Wonder

Sunglasses Ray-Bans // Shorts J Crew Factory // Tank Forever 21 (old) 

Hat Polo // White Converse // Tote c/o The Pink Giraffe 

Dress Michael Kors // Sandals Tommy Hilfiger // Bracelet C Wonder (old)

This is Misa's attempt at a smile

Skirt Francesca's (old) // T-Shirt J Crew Factory // Bow Sandals Vince Camuto (old)

Bracelet Kate Spade (old) // Necklace J Crew Factory (old) // Sunglasses Ray-Bans

"Why are you not taking more photos of me?" - Misa

Leather Skirt Ann Taylor // Top Loft Outlet // Bracelet My Moms closet (oops) // Booties ALDO (old)

Skirt Express (old) Similar //  T-Shirt J Crew Factory // 

Arm Candy Bracelet Kate Spade // Necklace Macy's (old) // Sandals Tommy Hilfiger

xoxo

Friday Four

Yay for Fridays! Even though this was a short work week for me, I'm still happy it's over (except I have another state test tomorrow...ugh!). This weekend is a little more laid back than last weekend, it will be nice to have some free time to get some stuff accomplished. I am patiently waiting for the 80 degree weather to stay so I can spend my weekends in the pool!

Here is what I'm loving this week:

My Pink Giraffe Tote

If you haven't read my review yet, you can check it out on the link above. The Pink Giraffe has so many cute items for summer!

The Normal Heart

I just watched The Normal Heart, an HBO original television movie about the rise of HIV-AIDS in New York in the 1980's and how it affected the gay community. If you happen to have HBO, I highly suggest you check out this powerful movie that will not only make you cry, but be outraged on how those afflicted with HIV/AIDS in the 80's were treated. It is definitely a story that deserved to be told.

C Wonder Anchor Rope Necklace

How perfect would this necklace be for summer?

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

I was listening to Elvis Duran and the Morning Show the other day when they played this speech by Baz Luhrmann giving advice to recent graduates. Even though I am long done with graduating it definitely resonated with me and I think it's a speech that could apply to anyone at anytime. Check it out and let me know what you thought!

What are you loving this week?

xoxo

Summer Bucket List

I always consider Memorial Day weekend the official start to summertime. Its around the time when the weather finally changes for the better and fun summer events start happening and it definitely had me thinking about my summer plans. The other day my fellow blogger AJ from The AJ Minute did a post on her Summer 2014 Bucket List and it inspired me to make one for myself as well.

1. Head to the Saratoga Race Track
2. Go strawberry picking in Syracuse with my girlfriends
3. Soak up the sun at the beach (Cape May is calling my name!)
4. Go to the movies--- there are so many good summer movies coming out!
5. Have a bonfire with friends (mmmm s' mores) 
6. Drink a pina colada or two, or four, or ten....
7. Do some shopping on Michigan Ave (Chicago here I come!)
8. Go for a walk at The Crossings 
9. Go to Troy's Rockin' on the River
10. Play minigolf and enjoy some soft serve ice cream!

Whats on your summer 2014 bucket list?

xoxo

The Pink Giraffe

A couple weeks ago The Pink Giraffe contacted me asking if I would be interested in doing a product review on my blog. After checking out their website I happily agreed. The Pink Giraffe offers a huge selection of personalized gifts (to my monogram lovers--- this is the website for you!). Some of my favorite items include their adorable bags and totes, their colorful phone cases, and of course their beautiful monogrammed bedding (how gorgeous is this set?).  I fell in love with so many of the products on their website as I waited patiently for my Monogrammed Striped Canvas Tote, which arrived just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The majority of their items are hand embroidered, so you know your purchases are in good hands.

As most of you all know, I am a lover of summer and spend most of my weekends lounging by a pool. This means I constantly have a pool bag packed with me in my car in case I decide to scoot out of work early to head to somebody's house for an impromptu BBQ. The key to a great pool tote is plenty of room to hold all my stuff along with enough side pockets to stash my wallet, keys, etc. Enter the Pink Giraffe pool tote--- it has everything I wanted in a tote bag. Firstly, it came in navy (my favorite color) and the monogram comes in a wide variety of colors (I went with pink). It has a front pocket, back pocket and interior zipped pocket that holds all my smaller items, like my ID. But, my favorite part of the bag is that it has a zipper! I feel like so many totes don't provide a zipper option, but this bag offers that little extra privacy that I want and need, especially when I'm headed to the beach.

This tote is also very versatile, although I plan on using it as my pool bag in the summer, I could just as easily see myself using it as my work bag or an overnight bag if I was traveling somewhere on a long weekend. 

I'm the kind of shopper that values a good deal, I cut coupons, sign up for mailing lists and use my student ID whenever it means I can get something for a great price. The Pink Giraffe offered so many wonderful products for a great affordable price and whenever I can find a quality store with great prices, I will forever be a loyal customer. Overall, I would highly recommend The Pink Giraffe, not only did I love the tote they sent me, but their staff was so friendly and helpful, which is something I value as a shopper. 

Have you ever shopped at the Pink Giraffe?

What is your favorite item on their website?

xoxo

New Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Happy Tasty Tuesday Everyone!

Once the warmer weather starts up my cooking tends to simplify. I choose quick and easy meals that tend to be made on a grill rather than an oven. I'm happy to take a break from the stews and traditional dinners and replace them with more laid back options for awhile. So the other day I decided to try making quesadillas. I know it sounds weird, but I have never made them before and I was in the mood to experiment with something new. They actually came out really great so I wanted to share my experiment with you!

Ingredients:

1. 1 rotisserie chicken (you could buy chicken breasts and cook them up too but I hate touching raw chicken so I avoid it like the plague).
2. 1 package of large wheat wraps
3. 1 block of three cheese (buy whatever block of cheese interests you... but go for a block of real cheese rather than a bag of pre-shredded processed cheese... it makes a huge difference in flavor).
4. 1 small can of black olives
5. 1 jar of jalapenos 
6. 1 pkg of mushrooms
7. 1 small red onion
8. 3/4 cup of Franks Red Hot Sauce (or any wing sauce you prefer)
9. PAM non-stick spray

Directions:

• Dice up onion, jalapenos, olives and mushrooms and set aside. 
• Grate block cheese and set aside.
• Shred the rotisserie chicken, dice up the chicken and place it into a large plastic ziploc bag. Add hot sauce to bagged chicken and shake until all the chicken is coated.
• Lay out wraps and on ONE HALF of the wrap lay shredded cheese down, followed by chicken and veggies. Top veggies with more cheese and fold the wrap in half, making a quesadilla.
• Spray PAM onto a non-stick frying pan and turn stove-top onto medium heat. Add quesadilla and cook each side for 3-4 minutes or until the wrap starts to crisp up and the cheese starts to melt. 
• Enjoy!

                     Am I the only one who has never made a quesadilla before?

xoxo

Memorial Day Weekend Recap

I hope you all had as amazing of a weekend as I did. There is something about 3 day weekends that makes us all a little bit more adventurous with our plans. I decided that this weekend was going to be filled with friends, family and fun, and I definitely accomplished all three. I'm still hoping to ride this long weekend high a little longer before the Tuesday blues set in. 

Here is a quick recap of my weekend:

• Going back in time a bit to discuss Thursday night where we went out to celebrate my cousin, Zach, officially graduating from Medical School. He is now ZT MD and although I'm still in denial over him moving to Massachusetts next month, I really am so proud of all he accomplished.

• Saturday my mom and I decided to take a road trip up to Manchester Vermont to check out some of those Memorial Day sales. The weather was supposed to be overcast so we thought it would be the best weekend to step away from the pool and do some shopping. Little did we know it ended up being a BEAUTIFUL day in Vermont. We ate lunch outside at our favorite deli, Zoey's, surrounded by my favorite lilac tree's. It was such a fun girls day!

• I may have gone a little overboard with the outlet shopping but the deals were phenomenal. J Crew had a 50% off with an additional 10% off sale, and Kate Spade had 50% off their entire store with an additional 20% on all handbags (hence the new KS bag). Can't wait to show you all my swag over the next couple of weeks. 

• Sunday morning my girlfriends and I thought it would be fun to get Sunday brunch. My friend Christina was in town and we thought the best way to catch up was gossiping over mimosas. We decided on going to the Bonefish Grill because they advertised brunch and "bottomless mimosas" on Sundays from 11-2. Little did we know that they actually don't start selling alcohol until noon so we were SOL. Let's just say we were not happy to have out drinks taken away from us. I normally always recommend the Bonefish Grill for dinner, I have never had a bad meal there... but I would NOT recommend the brunch. The food just wasn't that great, they have a very limited menu and don't expect to get mimosas before noon... However, it was fun to catch up with Dana and Christina and start planning some adventures for this summer.  

• After brunch I headed to my Uncle Dave's for a cook out. In the summer basically every weekend is spent at one of my Uncle's house hanging out by the pool. It's been a family tradition since I was a little girl and years later I still look forward to going every weekend. It's nice to get back into the summer swing of things because it means I get to see all my cousins more often than during the winter months. Side note: I may have eaten my weight in Italian cookies.

• Sunday night my cousins and I finally got to go see X-Men: Days of Future Past. We are such comic book nerds and have been looking forward to this movie for months. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. This has been the X-Men movie fans of the comics have been waiting for and it almost makes up for the terrible X3.
• Today is round two at my uncles house, we will be having another cook out which will wrap up my weekend of unhealthy eating. 

What did you do this weekend?

Tell me about your Memorial Day traditions!

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts

Happy Sunday!

Normally on Sundays I give you a quick recap of my weekend, but guess what?! The weekend isn't over just yet! I'm excited to continue my long weekend with friends and family over the next two days! So the weekend recap won't come until tomorrow. 

Hope you're all having a great official start to summer! 

It's a beautiful day in the 518 and I'm hoping to soak up some sun (AKA making room for some more beauty in my life)!

xoxo

My Week In Outfits

Hi Guys! 

I'm starting to get into the swing of things with these OOTD's. It's definitely has me thinking about what I wear each day and how it will look in photographs, but it's made me more adventurous with my weekly picks too. This may end up becoming something I enjoy in the near future! I do love showing you guys my sense of style because it helps you get a better idea of who I am!

Leather Top French Connection // Skirt H&M (old) Similar // Flats C Wonder (sold out) // 

Bracelet (gift) Charming Charlies

T-Shirt J Crew Factory (Similar) // Skirt Ann Taylor (old) // Bracelet Kate Spade (old) // Necklace Macys (Similar) // Sandals Jessica Simpson (old) (Similar)

Misa hated that the spotlight wasn't on her, so she decided to photobomb my pictures!

Dress J Crew Factory // Necklace J Crew Factory // 

Glitter Bow Belt Kate Spade (sold out) // Sandals Tommy Hilfiger

Dress Michael Kors (old) // Necklace J Crew (old) // Bracelet Alex and Ani // 

Sandals Chinese Laundry (old) Similar

Dress J Crew Factory // Belt (old--got it in a little shop in Chicago) //

 Bracelet Kate Spade // Necklace Kate Spade // Wedges ALDO (old) Similar

Question for those who post outfit posts--- do you take the pictures at the end of each day? 

I need a better picture taking strategy and all suggestions are welcome!

xoxo

Currently Loving...

TGIF friends!

I am so excited that the end of the week is finally here and we have a 3 day weekend ahead of us. This is officially the start of the summer weekend season, bring on the BBQ's, pool parties and pina coladas! My office is going to be super empty today because plenty of people are taking the day off to extend their long weekend even further, alas... I will be working away (aka staring at the clock waiting for it to be 3:00). 

Here is what I'm loving this week:

Survivor Finale

As you all know by now I am a huge Survivor fan and I'm hoping to one day compete on the show (you can watch my audition tape here). Last Wednesday was the finale of this seasons Survivor: Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty. It has been such a good season and I can't believe I have to wait until September before the new season airs.

Zosia Mamet's Glamour Column

I'm a big fan of the show Girls so it's not unexpected that I also love the actress who plays Shoshonna, Zosia Mamet. She is a new Glamour magazine writer and I wanted to share with you her most recent article discussing what "winning" means. She highlights how people equate success with money but instead we should be equating success with happiness and fulfillment. It's definitely worth a read because it definitely made me re-think things...

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Okay if I wasnt geeking out enough with the Survivor post I'm also loving the new X-Men movie. I grew up with all male cousins (I'm an only child) so I never played with dolls, instead I played with action figures. I probably know more Marvel superhero facts than most girls my age and my favorite superheroes are the X-Men. I seriously cannot wait to go see this movie... which also has two of my favorite actors in it--- J-Law and Peter Dinklage!

Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet

I swear by Sally Hansen (Hard as Nails) nailpolish. I know most of you are huge Essie fans and I am too but Sally Hansen is much cheaper and lasts a week without chipping. I just bought Mint Sorbet last week and I'm hooked. It looks like creamy mint ice cream, the perfect shade for spring! I see it being my go-to choice for quite sometime.

What are you loving this week?

xoxo

Booked!

After a couple weeks of looking for cheap flights, I finally sucked it up and booked my flight to Chicago for the first weekend in August! Thank God for Southwest because they will give me a credit for future flights if the price goes down between now and when I leave. They always say to check flights on Tuesday because that is when they offer the best deals but when I checked last Tuesday the flight actually went up $26, so I hurried up and booked before the price got any higher.

Anyways, lets focus on the positive... I'm headed to Chicago for the third summer in a row!! It is honestly one of my favorite places to visit and I'll be staying with my cousin who lives there (hooray for not having to pay for a hotel!). Hopefully I will be able to also have a mini reunion with some of the people I went to Costa Rica with too! On the itinerary are plenty of board games because it wouldn't be a cousins reunion without a couple rounds of the game Clue, but the rest is to be determined. Luckily for me the summer months mean plenty of festivals in Chicago and hopefully I can sneak in some beach time as well. 

One thing I am a little nervous about is this will be the first time ever that I am flying alone. I'm not a good flyer to begin with so this is not something I am looking forward to. But, as discussed previously, this is the year of stepping out of my comfort zone. In the past, if I couldn't find anyone willing to travel with me I just wouldn't go at all. Now I don't feel like I need to rely on anyone and I feel confident planning a trip on my own. I want to learn to make my own memories and take matters into my own hands. Hopefully that confidence sticks with me during take-off!

Either way this fun little trip has me even more excited for summer and it's only increased my desire to travel and see more of the world. Yay for adventures!

Are you going anywhere fun this summer?

Chicago friends, any hot-spot recommendations for me?

Chicago visit in 2012 (with flat Margie in tow).

xoxo

What to Wear Wednesday: Black and White

I've recently been in an all black and white mood, which is unlike me because I'm a big fan of bold bright colors. However, it's always a reliable go-to color combo whenever I go out for drinks with friends mainly because it works in every situation. Typically I always wear black on the bottom and then incorporate white on top but I've recently with the warmer weather on it's way in, I've been on the hunt for the perfect white pencil skirt. I love the idea of a structured white skirt because not only can you pair it with any color of the rainbow, but it will also really show off my summer tan. 

So today I put together a black and white outfit that I believe works for multiple occasions. You could add a black blazer and wear this to the office or replace the tote with a clutch for a date or drinks with friends. Either way this black and white combo is sure to turn heads (in a good way). 

Do you ever wear neutral colors from head to toe?

White Pencil Skirt (also really love this affordable ASOS option) // Black Top //
Block Sandals // White Aviators //
 MK Color Block Tote // Stackable Cuff Bracelets // Midi Ring Set

xoxo

New Recipe: Brown Sugar Yams

Happy Tasty Tuesday Everyone!

I have another simple but delicious recipe to share with you all today. I realized that I post a lot of dinner dishes but I never really highlight any of the side dishes I make to go with the meals. Typically on Sundays I always make a big dinner with all the fixings. Whenever I bake a ham I always do spinach, apple sauce and brown sugar yams. Its a fun twist on the traditional potato and they can be baked in the oven right along with the ham!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 yams depending on how many people you are serving. (I use 2 large yams or 3 small yams to serve 3 people).
• 1 stick of salted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Melt butter in microwave, once melted add brown sugar to create a syrup mixture.
3. Cut up yams into squares, place in baking dish and pour brown sugar mixture on top.
4. Stir to coat yams in mixture.
5. Bake for 1 hour, until yams are soft, stirring yams every 20 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

** You can find all the recipes I make on my Pinterest page or on the tab at the top of my blog**

xoxo

Show Off Those Toes!

Did anyone else happily pack away all your boots this month? I nearly jumped for joy when I got to display all my summer shoes in my room instead of the bulky winter boots. I also am so excited to not have to wear socks for the next three months! I am one of those weirdos that refuse to wear pants/socks when the warm weather comes. After having the longest/coldest winter this past year I can't even begin to consider putting on anything that will cover my toes (lucky for my nail salon who will be seeing a lot more of me now!). 

Now there are so many fun summer shoes I want to add to my wardrobe. I definitely want to add more florals, loafers and (gulp) block heeled sandals. Speaking of block heels... I may need a instructional class on how to walk in those said heels because my coordination is non-existant and I'd rather not spend my summer in a ankle cast. I love a versatile shoe that can transition well from work-wear to night-wear. So above I picked my 12 favorite shoe options for summer! You may have noticed I left out the espadrille which are all over the fashion magazines... I'm slowly coming around to the style but I'm not ready to make the plunge yet.

What are your summer shoe essentials?

Pineapple Flip Flops // Anchor Loafers // Floral Keds // Toucan Sandals // 

Floral Bow Sandals // Navy Gladiators // Stripe Wedges // Mesh Boat Shoes // 

Black Ankle Sandals // Block Heel Sandal

Pink Strap Sandal //  Mint Converse 

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts + A Weekend Recap

First of all, I'm obsessed with this quote. I found it on Pinterest earlier this week and even posted it on Instagram. It has such an important message, be confident in your thoughts and beliefs and you can conquer the world, AMEN SISTER! Anyways, another weekend has come and gone. As usual, it flew by, who can I contact to try and make every weekend at least 3 days long? I can't imagine anyone would be against 3 day weekends....

Here's a quick recap of my weekend:

• Friday night I got dinner with a few girlfriends at Sake, our local Japanese Hibachi restaurant. If you're in the 518 area I definitely recommend checking Sake out, it is delicious and you will definitely leave will a stomach full of goodness.
• After dinner we went to see The Neighbors which was hilarious. Obviously I mentioned before that the real reason I wanted to see it was Zac Efron's abs but the movie was very funny. Has anyone else noticed that there are so many great summer movies coming out? I feel like each weekend something else is released that I want to see.
• Saturday afternoon I had some errands to run, I wanted to get a fake flower for my desk at work (since I can't be responsible for a real one that would probably die within a week). They had so many pretty affordable options at HomeGoods, which is one of those stores I could spend hours in 'fake decorating' my dream apartment. I also stopped at my other addiction, Target, to pick up some new books since I finally finished the Divergent series (shocking ending!!!). Fellow Divergent book readers, did you like the Allegiant book ending? I was surprisingly content with the how the author decided to wrap up the series.
• Saturday night was very low key--- spent it at home clearing out my DVR. Plus, I finally started taking pictures for my Weekly Outfit Recap Posts!
• Today I'll be spending my day working on this weeks blog posts, I'm also going to make a lasagna for dinner--- You can find that recipe: here.
• Tonight is another Game of Thrones night, only 4 episodes left until the season 4 finale!

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo

My Week In Outfits

So I finally got up the courage to start taking pictures of my outfits throughout the week. Not going to lie, I felt like a complete dork while I did it (and I'm pretty sure my neighbors were very confused) but it felt like an accomplishment because it was a big step out of my comfort zone. I thought it was important that I start doing this because although I constantly post about the different fashion styles that I love, very rarely do you guys actually get a glimpse of what I wear on a day to day basis. I have a pretty relaxed work environment but I still try to look business casual on a daily basis. I'll be trying to do a weekly post on my outfits every Saturday that will be a mix of work attire and relaxed outside of work style. 

Top Ann Taylor // Skirt J Crew // Flats J Crew Factory (similar) // Anchor Bracelet Kate Spade // Anchor Necklace Kate Spade // Coral Bracelet Chloe and Isabel 

Skirt J Crew Factory (similar) // Top J Crew (old) // Cheers Bangle C Wonder

Shoes Sperry (similar) // Glasses Warby Parker

Dress Francesca's (old) // Buckle Bracelet C Wonder // Belt H&M (old) // Sandals Tommy Hilfiger

Leggings Express // Tank American Eagle (old) // Jean Jacket J Crew Factory (similar)

Boys Make Passes Bangle Kate Spade // Wishbone Necklace C Wonder // Beau Bag Kate Spade // Aviators Ray-Ban

Dress Banana Republic (similar) // Flats J Crew Factory // Bracelet & Necklace Macy's (old)

Fellow bloggers, will you share with me your picture taking tips and how I can stop feeling like a huge nerd?!

xoxo

Friday Favorites

The weathers warm and it's Friday, could my day get any better?! Maybe once it hits 3:00 and I'm out of the office it will! Congrats on making it through another week my friends. I'm looking forward to a weekend of fun with friends mixed with some relaxing in between.

Here is what I'm loving this week:

Bruce Springsteen

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I went to the Bruce Springsteen concert last Tuesday night. I've been a fan for as long as I can remember (pretty sure my mom listened to Bruce when I was in the womb). This was my third Bruce concert and man, does he put on a show! I can't recommend going to see him enough, he is the perfect definition of Rock and Roll.

My Survivor Application Video:

My cousin Josh and I have submitted another application video for Survivor: Blood vs. Water 2 where they cast family members to compete together for 1 million dollars. I'm a huge fan of the show and it would be my dream to challenge myself and compete for the top prize. You can check out our audition video above! Maybe in a couple months you will see me on the island!

Neighbors

Tonight I'm planning on going to see Neighbors with friends. I've heard the movie is really funny but lets be real, the main reason I'm going is to see Zac Efron's abs... he is such a beautiful human being. Has anyone else seen it?

Corn on the Cob

I made corn on the cob with dinner a couple nights ago and it was amazing. There is something about corn on the cob that just screams SUMMER. I've heard great things about cooking corn on the grill and it's something I want to try before summer ends. Here is a recipe I found that I'm thinking about attempting: Grilled Corn on the Cob

#Selfies

I'm going to attempt to start doing OOTD's on the blog. I normally find this incredible awkward but I really want to share my outfits with you guys so it might be time to break out of my comfort zone for one post a week. For those of you who regularly post OOTD's---any advice?

What are you loving this week?

xoxo