Wanted: New Flip Flops

First of all, someone needs to stage an intervention with me because these past couple weeks I have been on a spending spree and it needs to stop. My main issue is that Macy's has been having a Friends and Family Sale where everything in the store is 25% off including designers. So now I'm not only tempted by the amazing new spring arrivals, I'm also tempted by the fact that these amazing spring arrivals are now on sale, ugh. 

Anyways, I've really needed to buy new flip flops. My basic black pair broke at the end of the year last year and most of my other pairs are worn down and have really run their course. I've been trying to wear more "sandals" but when push comes to shove and I need to race out the door to run errands I'm going to choose a classic pair of basic flip flops 9 times out of 10 (I know... shame on me as a fashion lover). So last weekend I wound up in the shoe section at Macy's and ended up buying 3(!!) pairs of flip flops for summer. Firstly, I found a great pair of black Havaianas which can replace my broken black flip flops. Next I found these great brown leather Sperry flip flops that are a little more structured, they definitely offer a little more support over the traditional flip flop. Finally, I grabbed a pair of navy Tommy Hilfiger flops with sparkle gold detail. I figured if I wanted to wear flip flops to work one day, these sparkly pair would add a little fun.

 I ended up getting an amazing deal on all three pairs so I feel less guilty about my spending spree and more accomplished because I can finally replace my beat up old flip flops that have seen better days.

What are your go-to flip flop brand?

Are you more of a sandal or flip-flop girl?

Black Havaianas // Tommy Hilfiger Gold Glitter Flip Flops // Sperry Leather Flip Flop

xoxo

New Recipe: Baked Almond French Toast

Normally I always make my mom breakfast on Mother's Day so I thought I would share with you a great almond french toast recipe just in time for next Sunday. I have previous posted this delicious Cinnamon French Toast that we eat on Christmas morning but today I wanted to also give you guys another french toast recipe that is equally easy and just as yummy. I got this recipe from my uncle who usually makes this on Easter Sunday and it's something I look forward to every year so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Also I apologize for the terrible photo-- the french toast is a hot commodity and I didn't want to hold up the line!

*** This recipe needs to be made the night before so it can sit overnight***

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of challah bread
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups half & half
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (Sprinkle on top)
• For Topping
• 1 large egg white
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

• Butter/grease a 13x9 baking dish.
• Cut the challah bread and squeeze all the slices into the pan.
• Mix all additional ingredients (except topping ingredients) together and pour it over the bread and sprinkle top with cinnamon.
• Wrap in saran wrap and put in refrigerator overnight.
• The next morning mix topping ingredients, pour over bread and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes until french toast has browned on top.
• Serve to Mom!

xoxo

Leather Skirts For the Workplace?

So I recently bought this amazing faux leather skirt  at Ann Taylor a couple weeks ago after they had a sale and I've been debating for the past couple weeks whether I could wear it to work. Keep in mind we have a very casual workplace-- jeans, sneakers, flip flops and sweatshirts are a common occurrence in our office. I try to keep it somewhat dressy, if I wear jeans I always try and wear a dressy top and make sure I have cute accessories and once it starts warming up I will be wearing plenty of skirts and dresses. The leather skirt I bought is slightly above the knee so length is not an issue but I still had that fear of wearing leather in the workplace because when you think of leather you don't always associate it with office attire. 

 So I began researching different ways you could make leather more office appropriate and I found there are plenty of ways you can make leather look stylish yet not too over the top for the workplace. I realized the key is to pair it with more conservative pieces like button downs, oversized sweaters and feminine blouses to minimize the "sexiness" of the leather. I'm confident after finding so many great ways to style a leather skirt that rocking the leather in the office will not only be appropriate, but will also be a big hit!

Here are a few of my leather skirt inspirations:

Would you wear leather to work?

Ann Taylor Faux Leather Skirt

Button Down // Crystal Necklace // Sandals

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts + A Weekend Recap

First of all I chose this quote for my Sunday thought because today would have been Audrey Hepburn's 85th birthday! Anyways, another weekend has come and gone but I would have to say that this weekend was a success. Sometimes my favorite weekends are the ones where I don't have set plans and instead I can just relax and go with the flow. With the weather starting to get nicer there will be plenty of fun things to look forward to and busy weekends ahead of me so in the meantime I will cherish the easy weekends.

Here is a quick recap:

• Friday night I (finally) went and saw Divergent with my friend Meg. The movie had a few differences from the book but overall I really enjoyed it. (Seriously could Theo James get any better looking, swoon!) I'm really looking forward to starting the final book, Allegiant, on Monday. 
• Saturday I spent the entire afternoon with my mom. We had lunch and went to the mall, our favorite two activities. I'll be writing a post later in the week about my purchases, in the meantime I ask that you start preparing to stage a shopping intervention for me. Thanks.
• Saturday night was the perfect night in, I was able to catch up on some blog posts for later in the week and read a couple of my magazines that have been piling up on my table.
• Today I am going to try and get down to my Grandmas house for a visit. I haven't seen her since before I left for Costa Rica and I want to show her some of my pictures. Nothing is better than hanging out at her house!
• Tonight is another Game of Thrones night! This season has been amazing and book readers know that there is so much to look forward to!

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo

Mother's Day Panic

Mother's Day snuck up on me this year, I started to panic the other day when I realized that I had a week to find a present for my mom. Normally I never have an issue finding presents for my mother. I get my shopping bug from her and with her love of fashion I'm never stumped for ideas. The problem is my moms birthday is on May 7th and Mother's Day is on May 11th so I have to find back to back gift idea's for her. I typically try and spoil my mom on her actual birthday and when I went out shopping last week after work I was able to pick up 4 tops, a skirt and a bracelet for her birthday. Now, I'm fresh out of money and wanted to find something smaller but thoughtful for Mother's Day. 

Enter Circle E Candles. They have a million different amazing scents but the reason I was drawn to them was because their candles have an excellent burn time. I ended up ordered a large Buttery French Vanilla candle for $20 and it has a burn time of 220 hours! That means my mom could burn this candle for over a week straight without every blowing it out and it would still have candle left to burn. Candles can be so expensive and my mom goes through them so quickly that I was searching for a perfect candle that would give me enough bang for my buck. Circle E candles were originally recommended to my by my friend Christina who became a huge fan but when doing my research online, I found only positive reviews about the product. This is my first time ordering but I'm hoping to be as satisfied as the rest of the customers! I'll definitely be letting you all know of my findings next week after my mom gets her gift.

What are you getting your mom for Mother's Day this year?

Have you ever bought a Circle E Candle?

xoxo

Friday Five

We made it friends, it's finally Friday. This was my first full week back from work which was a pretty harsh reality for me. Having plenty of work to do definitely made the week go by a little faster but I am very glad that the week is finally over. I'm looking forward to having a somewhat relaxing weekend because for the first time in awhile I don't have much on my plate!

Here is what I'm loving this week:

The Zoey Collection from Tommy Hilfiger

Recently Zooey Deschanel teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger for a new summer collection and literally everything in the collection is so cute. I've got my eyes on this Maxi Dress but there are so many wonderful pieces for spring and summer. I love Zooey's quirky style and it definitely shines through in plenty of the items in this collection.

Insurgent

I've been plowing through the Divergent books and last Wednesday I finished the second book, Insurgent. Now I'm anxiously waiting for book 3 to arrive in the mail and I'm (finally) seeing the movie tonight! I definitely have Divergent Fever!

Chicago

Ever since returning from Costa Rica, I've been struck with the wanderlust bug. I really want to plan another trip for the beginning of summer so I started looking at flights to Chicago. My cousin lives there  and I try to get out and visit once a year. It is one of my favorite cities to visit because there is so much to do, especially in the summer. I'm hoping to plan a trip when they are having one of their several festivals so we can be outside. 

Gladiator Sandals

Does anyone else have a hard time finding comfortable sandals? I find myself always gravitating towards flip flops because the hard bottoms on most sandals really bother my feet. Last weekend I finally found the perfect sandal because it incorporates rubber into the bottom of the sandal so it bends with my foot as I walk. I love them so much I think I want to purchase them in navy also!

Girls 

I just wrapped up Girls season 3 which was a huge step up from this disappointing second season. This show has a way of making me laugh out loud one second and then cringe from secondhand embarrassment the next. Now I'm looking for another new show to fill the void--- any recommendations?

What are you loving this week?

xoxo

Spring Accessories

Despite this rainy 50 degree weather, I've got spring on my mind. Slowly, I've been pulling out my spring accessories and it has definitely been brightening my mood. I still believe there is nothing better than a spring/summer wardrobe. The warm weather just makes it easier to get ready in the morning and I no longer have to worry about whether I will be warm enough in work. I can finally stop worrying about layering and focus on accessorizing!

Here are a few of my picks for spring accessory must-haves:

What are your spring must-haves?

Gladiator Sandals // Flower Statement Necklace // Light Blue Cross Body Bag //
Straw Fedora // Citrus Scarf // Striped Gia // White Converse //
Woven Belt // Clover Hinged Cuff

Seersucker Baseball Cap // Link Bracelet // Giraffe Smoking Slippers // Umbrella

xoxo