Colorblock Around the Clock

You guys, we've almost made it to the long weekend! Only two more days and we will be smooth sailing into Valentines Day weekend where you can eat as much candy as you want without counting calories (because calories don't count on holidays, of course). I'm a firm believer that the week goes by faster when I'm busy so I've been trying to pack in a few after work activities this week. Last night I went and got a much needed manicure with my friend Meg. I almost always paint my own nails so it was nice to treat myself to a little pampering and some much needed gossip. Tonight I'm getting dinner with my parents which is exciting because it gives me a night off from cooking, which doesn't happen very often (more like two days of pampering, huh?!). 

Okay back to the outfit, I've been pulling out all stops to dig through my closet to find warm sweaters this week. Honestly, I'm so sick of my winter wardrobe so I've had to be very creative as of late. This color block sweater was nice and warm and I love the zipper details on the shoulders and sides. Olive is one color I wish I had more of in my closest, it's such a pretty shade of green. The one good thing about all this snow is it makes for a pretty background for all these photos, but thats about the only good thing I can say about it! 

Sweater J Crew, old (similar style here) // Jeans

Boots // Crossbody Fossil, old (similar) // Bow Ring

Necklace Macy's, old (similar) // Sunnies Coach, (similar)

xoxo

Wednesday Wish-list: Spring Edition

The amount of snow surrounding my area at this very moment is unbelievable. We have multiple feet piled up right outside my window and even Misa is getting tired of having to navigate through it, pretty soon even a dog her size can't walk through the deep snow. So this has me dreaming of warmer climates and new spring attire, because let's be real choosing between sun dresses and sweaters really is a no brainer.

Right now I'm pretty focused on stocking up on new spring arrivals even though the winter sales have been fantastic. There are so many great new arrivals so today I'm sharing with you my current wish list for spring:

Striped Pleated Skirt

Francesca's has been knocking it out of the park with their new spring arrivals, there are so many items on my wish list from that store, but when I saw this striped navy and white skirt it immediately made it at the top of my 'to-buy list.' Now all I need is a tan.

Leopard Calf Hair Sneakers

You know the saying, "Nothing haunts us like the things we didn't buy"? Well I very rarely experience that because I have a bad shopping habit and rarely pass up a great shopping opportunity but a few weeks ago I had a slip up. I had the chance to buy Steve Madden leopard calf hair sneakers for $30 on clearance and didn't buy them. Then low and behold, slip on sneakers are all over the fashion magazines and that fantastic $30 shoe is no where to be found. So now its looks like I'll be settling on a full price Sam Edelman shoe instead, ugh!

Keyhold Back Geo Print Dress

I fell in love with this Sam Edelman dress last weekend while shopping in Lord & Taylor and now I'm patiently waiting for it to go on sale. The pictures really don't do it justice because it's a figure flattering, flowy dress with a really pretty geometric pattern (plus it's lined!). I could definitely see myself wearing this to dinner after a day at the beach.

Leopard Chino Short

Within the last year I've been trying to break out of my short comfort zone. I've never been big on printed shorts and preferred the basic neutrals with a fun top but I'm slowly starting to realize there are so many great style options and I really should be expanding my horizons. Take these fantastic navy leopard chino shorts, they can be worn during the day while heading to the beach or can be dressed up for drinks at night.

Design Lab Fit & Flare Dress

Yellow is not a color for everyone, but when I have a nice tan in the summer it's one of my favorite colors to wear. I love this bright yellow sundress from Design Lab, perfect for strolling through the streets of a beach town on a warm sunny day. 

Clare V Foldover Clutch

I've been dreaming of owning a Clare V fold over clutch for awhile now but I can't seem to make up my mind as to which one I was to invest in. The newest one I am lusting over is this brown leather with a pink stripe down the middle. You can even get it monogrammed with your initials!

What's currently on your wish list?

xoxo

New Recipe: Mushroom Goulash

Happy Tasty Tuesday!

I have been on a new recipe hot streak lately going through old cook books and changing things up. As I've gotten more comfortable in the kitchen, I've been better about making substitutions to ingredients to make the recipes my own. Today I'm experimenting with a vegetarian goulash that uses mushrooms in place of meat. The flavor of the meal was fantastic and it was quick and easy to make, plus it makes plenty of leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg of wheat farfalle pasta
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 lb of cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (like chardonnay or you can use a cooking wine)
• 1/4 cup tomato pasta
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to directions, set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat oil and onion over medium/high heat for 3-5 minutes or until onion starts to soften.
• Add sliced mushrooms to skillet and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes until mushrooms begin to brown.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine vegetable broth, wine, tomato paste and flour and whisk together until completely combined.
• Add paprika and minced garlic to skillet, cook for 1-2 minutes and then add whisked mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes until mixture thickens a bit.
• Add parsley, peas and sour cream to skillet until fully mixed. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, then add cooked pasta and stir till completely combined.
• Serve and Enjoy!

xoxo

The Calm Before the Storm

So I took these photos last Saturday and as you can see we already have a considerable amount of snow on the ground, about 1 foot to be exact. Well, apparently Mother Nature didn't feel like that was enough because since Sunday we have been getting walloped with another giant storm which, by the end of it, will probably give us another foot of snow and then some. woof. I think I need to start advocating on behalf of 'Adult Snow Days' because if the roads aren't safe enough for the school buses to drive on, why is okay for me to drive to work on them? If I ever become president my running slogan will be 'Do you want to build a snowman...and get paid to stay home from work to do so?' Unfortunately since I took a day off last week because of the weather, I really can't take another day so I trekked into the state offices this morning!

Long story short, I'll be bundled up in my heaviest sweaters again this week, especially this cozy toggle sweater that I may or may not have stolen from my mother. I'm quite sick of my winter closet at the moment so I've taken to "borrowing" items from hers to get me through these last two remaining months of winter. I am very lucky that my mom has a great sense of style and she is fortunately the same size as me!

Sweater Loft, old (similar) // Flannel Button Down

Leggings // Boots ALDO (similar style here)

Sunnies // Glasses Ring // Necklace Ann Taylor, old (similar)

Are you getting hit with a snow storm too?

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts + A Weekend Recap

Happy Sunday!

Currently I am sitting inside anxiously awaiting the big snowstorm that is about to hit the 518! We've had snow on and off all weekend but tonight we are going to get slammed with a snow storm that is going to last well into Monday night. Who knows, maybe I'll even get a snow day from the Governor, wishful thinking... This has been one of my busiest weekends in a long time and it seemed to fly by.

This weekend...

• Friday was my day off so I spent most of my morning trying to calm Misa down while she furiously barked at the electricians working on our house. She was not a happy camper and by the end of it she needed one long nap to recover.
• Friday afternoon I got lunch with my mother and headed out to the mall for a quick visit to Lord & Taylor. I'm in full spring mode and refuse to buy any more winter items so I picked up these color block dorsay flats, this floral top, and this dress which I'm looking forward to wearing in St. Maarten. 
• Friday night I headed out to a new bar/restaurant in our area, Slidin' Dirty which focuses on great sliders and even better cocktails (think pickled dirty martinis!) for my friend Stephen's birthday. Post dinner and cocktails, we headed over to the bar next door, Footsy Magoo's for some foosball which, in case you we're wondering, I am terrible at.

• Saturday afternoon I did my blogger thing, took pictures for the week before the storm hits, wrote some posts up, looked up future recipes to try, the usual.
• Saturday night I headed out to City Beer Hall to celebrate my friend Marissa's birthday (so many birthdays this week!). It was a fun night catching up with friends and since I don't head out to the Albany bars very often, it was something different.
• Today I'm recovering... I can't go out like I used to (#oldlady), prepping for the storm, making a roast for dinner and getting excited to watch the Walking Dead and the Grammys tonight!

This pup is the only one excited for the upcoming storm!

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo

Weekend Links

Happy Saturday!

After yesterdays below freezing temperatures I am looking forward to staying in my pajamas, under the covers all day today. If any of you have the same plans as I do, be sure to check out some of these weekend links.

• Did you get a chance to watch this video of Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon battling it out in a lip sync challenge? They performed after the Superbowl last week, competing against each other while signing some of todays biggest hits including Beyonce's 'Drunk in Love' and Katy Perry's 'Roar.' 
• Yesterday I went to Lord & Taylor and picked up a few items for St. Maarten and I also ended up buying these color block d'orsay flats that I am so excited to wear this spring. 
• Buzzfeed has done it again and this link literally made me LOL, they collected videos of 11 dogs who are VERY SORRY for what they've done, meaning pups who ruined furniture, ate cookies and we're overall very naughty. The looks on some of these pups faces are absolutely priceless and it brings me back to the days when Misa ate my bright pink slippers that I received for Christmas only two days earlier. I promise it will bring a smile on your face.
• I'm praying this glasses print blouse from Forever 21 goes back in stock. It's definitely my style and the perfect representation of #geekchic! Plus it would go great with this Bexley Glasses Watch from Francesca's.
• Ladies, we have suffered another fashion blow. Just weeks after C Wonder and Piperlime announced they were closing their stores Kate Spade announced they are closing down all of their 19 Kate Spade Saturday stores. On the plus side, we might get some good going away sales on their way out.
• Did you check out Wednesday's post discussing my Warby Parker Try-On Kit? I'm still looking for opinions on which pair to buy.
• I'm looking forward to the Walking Dead coming back tomorrow night. You can watch the trailer for the second half of season five here and be sure to check out the 5 things you need to know before the show starts back up tomorrow night including the return of some familiar faces!

What are you up to this weekend?

xoxo

Valentines Day (or Gal-entines Day) Gift Ideas

With Valentines Day only a week away I'm sure many of you are hinting towards your loved ones at different things you would like or receive and the rest of you may be shopping for single friends to surprise them with something fun on "Galentines Day." Personally, single or not I've never been a huge fan of Valentines Day but I do love how it gives me the excuse to eat lots of candy and wear pink. I also really enjoyed looking at all these fun gift ideas and found my black heart growing as I picked out heart theme presents, but how can it not when presented with bright pink loafers and heart shaped sunglasses, haha!

When writing this post I was reminiscing about the elementary school days when we would pick out boxes of Valentines for our classmates (mine we're always superhero theme), fill them out with names and put them in everyones individual handmade valentine mailboxes. It made me miss those days and I now want to convince my co-workers to pass out valentines in the office like the good old days!

tumbler // sunnies //  duffle bag // heart socks

kiss clutch // kiss me bangle // be wild pencils

heart pants // loafers // sticky notes // mug // scalloped dress

xoxo