My Beach Read Picks

Three days of work separates me from a beach vacation to Cape May with my family. We've been going to Cape May since I was a little girl and since it's the only trip we take every year as a family, it's something I've been looking forward to for a long time. One of my favorite things to do is plop my chair down by the ocean and read a book. I normally go through two books and several magazines by the time the trip is over. Today I'm going to share with you what's on my summer reading list including some books I've already finished.

1. Luckiest Girl Alive - I discussed this book on Monday's post and I'm most likely going to have this finished before my trip on Saturday because it's been such a page turner. If you were a fan of Gone Girl, last years must-read book, then you definitely won't be able to put this book down. It tells the story of Ani FaNelli, a New York girl engaged to be married to the man of her dreams, but she struggles to find her happiness because she is haunted by her past. 
2. Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny - I always like to have at least one "trashy" read for the beach and this is what I have lined up for Saturday. This book, written by Girl Next Door Holly Madison is a tell all about her life in the Mansion, and she dishes on the good, the bad and the ugly. This book is going to give the perfect amount of gossip necessary for a day at the beach.
3. Midnight Crossroad - Author Charlaine Harris is best know for her Sookie Stackhouse series, which the hit television show True Blood was modeled after. I loved that series and finished one book after the other so I was anxiously waiting for Charlaine's next book. Enter her next paranormal series, that tells the backstory of the creepy inhabitants of Midnight, Texas. This is the second book I'm bringing with me on my trip, so I'm not sure how it is just yet!
4. The Rumor- This book is next on my summer reading list, after browsing the book section in Target. The Rumor is described as "a provocative page-turner about scandal, secrets and true female friendship" which was enough to peek my interest. It looks like a good book club idea for the office.
5. Keep Quiet - I finished this book a few weeks ago and wanted to add it to my list. This thriller tells the story of Jake and Ryan, a father and teenage son who have been struggling to connect. However, after a fateful night they are forced to come together after tragedy strikes to keep a secret that could tear them both apart. It's definitely a page turner with a lot of suspense. The only downside to the book is I found the mother character to be extremely annoying and overbearing, but maybe that's just me.

What book do you recommend I check out this summer?

xoxo

New Recipe: Tortellini and Sausage in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Happy Tasty Tuesday!

A few weeks back we had a bit of a cold spell when it was damp and rainy so I was on the hunt for a warm home cooked meal that wouldn't take forever to make. Enter this easy to make, one pot recipe that packs a ton of flavor and makes plenty of leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of hot sausage
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 packages of frozen tortellini (I buy the multi colored ones but only because its extra colorful)
• 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Boil water in a pasta pan and cook tortellini according to package directions. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook onions and sausage in olive oil until browned.
3. Add chicken broth, tomatoes and pepper and bring to a boil. 
4. Turn heat down to low and add tortellini and let mixture simmer and thicken for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add cream cheese and shredded cheddar, mixing completely.
6. Cover and let stand for another 5-10 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

xoxo

What I'm Loving Lately

Happy Monday!

I'm on day 4 of housesitting, which has become a bit more hectic now that I have to add work to the mix. Nigel, my pup roommate has been snugging up to me every night when I sleep and it has me wishing that Misa was a little more snuggly. However, Nigel likes to spoon with me each night which is an interesting sight seeing how she is 150lbs. 

Anyways, since we're full blown into these summer months, I thought I would share with you a few things I'm loving lately.

TV I'm Loving:

Big Brother has always been my summer television guilty pleasure. This season has been super crazy from the beginning with a crazy cast ready to start trouble. If you're a fan like I am and are looking to get the inside scoop of what is going on in the house without watching the live feeds I suggest you check out Rob Has A Website where they do podcasts a couple times a week with various guests including past contestants.

Book I'm Loving:

I go through around two books a month so I'm constantly on the hunt for my next great read. Then I heard that Reese Witherspoon had recommended The Luckiest Girl Alive which tells the story of Ani FaNelli, a writer for Women's Magazine whose teenage past lives on in infamy. I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book and it's definitely a page turner. Although I don't know the end just yet, from what I've read so far I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a juicy beach read.

Rumors I'm Loving:

(WARNING: this contains Game of Thrones season 5 spoilers)

Recently Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, was spotted at Wimbledon with his famous long locks. Now, this may not seem like much to some people however since Jon Snow was "allegedly" killed by his fellow members of the Nightswatch during the season finale, fans like myself are holding out hope that the fact that he hasn't cut his hair means that he might not be dead just yet! But as show runners have proved to us before, like Jon Snow, we know nothing...

Summer Piece I'm Loving:

I bought these blue pull on boardwalk shorts Memorial Day weekend at J Crew Factory and they've instantly become my favorite shorts this summer. I showed them off last week in a blog post and after my mom saw them she ordered two pairs of the longer 5 inch version for herself. They come in a variety of colors (I currently have my eye on the eggplant color) and they're perfect for throwing on over your bathing suit on the way to the beach.

Beauty Product I'm Loving:

It's no surprise that I spend a lot of time in the sun during these summer months but between the chlorine in the pool and sitting in the sun, my skin becomes really dry. This banana boat lotion is my favorite summer lotion of all time. It goes on a little thick but it always hydrates my skin and helps preserve my summer tan, plus it's cheap making it a great drug story purchase.

Accessory I'm Loving:

I wrote a few weeks ago about my love of Flash Tattoos. Well they recently just came out with a ton of new styles and options that are perfect for an outdoor concert or pool party. I plan on stocking up before I head to Chicago in a few weeks for Market Days.

What are you loving this summer?

xoxo

Holiday Weekend Sales

Happy 4th of July!

I'll be spending today hanging out by the pool and enjoying some fourth of July goodies. Not only will I be celebrating America, but also some of the amazing sales going on this weekend. Here is a round up of where you can score some awesome deals:

• Kate Spade Outlet: 60% off the entire store, plus an additional 20% on all handbags (find an outlet location near you)
• Kate Spade: 25% off all sale items online with the promo code SETSALE
• J Crew Factory: 50% off the entire store with an additional 20% with the code HOTSALE
• Aerie: Up to 60% off all swim suits
• Lord & Taylor: Extra 25% off clearance items and 20% off sale items
• LOFT: 50% the entire store with the code GOFOURTH
• Shopbop: Big sale on their website, various items on super sale
• Talbots Outlet: 50% off the entire store
• Banana Republic - 30% all full priced items with the code BRTHIRTY
• Target- Buy 1 get 1 50% off on all apparel and shoes
• GAP- Up to 50% off all sale styles
• Brooks Brothers- having their semi-annual sale at the moment, great deals
• ASOS- up to 50% off items

What are you up to this holiday weekend?

xoxo

Weekend Reads

Happy Friday! 

The holiday weekend is finally here. 

I'm looking forward to spending it with family and friends.

Weekend Reads for your viewing pleasure:

• Planning on taking a summer vacation somewhere special? Ashley from History in High Heels has 10 Tips for Traveling in Style that will help you pack your suitcase accordingly.
• Summer can be an expensive time for me since I'm always out and about, which is why I loved this Everygirl article that discusses 7 Money Mistakes to Avoid Making in Your Twenties.
• Hosting a 4th of July party this weekend? Here are 20 festive desserts you can make to wow your guests.
• My new favorite sleeveless shirtdress from J Crew Factory is on sale this weekend!
• I'm a bit of a Harry Potter nerd and I totally geeked out when I heard there would be a play called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opening up in London next year. Of course Buzzfeed responded by coming up with their own list of Harry Potter Productions that NEED to happen. Don't tell me you would watch an Netflix series following Snape's time in Hogwarts.
• I love these rope bracelets from Lilli and Tori, they come in so many bright colors and would be great for layering with other bangles. 
• I'm a little obsessed with Caitlyn Jenner and I'm having serious outfit envy. Check out some of her best looks from Pride last weekend, that shimmering rainbow skirt with the black blazer is stunning.
• I really want these Ban.do office file set for my desk at work. The plain manila options are so boring but this would spice up my office design.
• Going to see the fireworks this weekend? Check out the Travel Channels list of the best places in America to witness fireworks and celebrate our independence. 

What are you up to this weekend?

xoxo

Red, White & Blue

I am very much looking forward to this holiday weekend. Even though I don't have a long weekend off from work (they decided to give us an extra day of vacation time in lieu of a long weekend) I plan on treating this weekend as a mini vacation. I'll be housesitting for the next 5 days for my aunt and uncle while they are away which means I'll have the pool to myself! So most likely you will find me pool side with a drink in my hand for most of the next few days. 

In addition to housesitting, I get the pleasure of watching their dog Nigel. Now, I'm no stranger to big dogs as you know. Misa is quite large and in change at 80 pounds and she is my partner in crime, however Nigel is a whole new beast to take on because she weighs in at a whopping 140 lbs! So despite making Misa very jealous, I'll be snuggling up to a new friend for the next 5 nights. 

J Crew Factory Shirt Dress // G by Guess Sandals

Hat ALDO, old (love this option) // Necklace JC Penney, old (similar)

Sunglasses Kate Spade Outlet, (similar option here)

Bracelets, gift // Bag Michael Kors, old (similar here)

xoxo

Fruit Salad

Happy First Day of July!

Can you tell by my outfit today that I'm already getting in vacation mode? I'm ready to ditch my pencil skirts and work blazers for some shorts and printed tanks. I'm officially 10 days away from making my way down to Cape May for vacation and I couldn't be more excited to really step away and relax. The best part of Cape May is it truly is a relaxing vacation. I've been taking this trip with my family every single year since I was a little girl so we're quite familiar with Cape May by now. We have the motto of eat, beach, sleep, repeat which is a motto I can get used to! Long gone are the days where we try and do something exciting on our yearly trip and instead we trade our tours and day trips for sand and pina coladas. It is the ultimate relaxing vacation where our only concern is what restaurant we are going to go to for dinner. 

Okay, so lets talk about my outfit. I'm obsessing over these shorts which come in a variety of different colors (and they're currently on sale!). They're elastic waist so they make great weekend shorts or shorts you can throw on over your bathing suit on the way to the beach. I can definitely see myself stocking up on a few more pairs before summer is over. They matched perfectly with this funky tank that I picked up over Memorial Day weekend. It's a great tropical print that puts me in vacation mode. 

Shorts // Tank // Longchamp

Sandals Vince Camuto, old (similar style here)

Sunglasses American Eagle, old (similar here)

Bracelet Kate Spade, old

xoxo