The Reese Pant Three Ways

So on Monday I showed you how I styled my new Reese Pants. Well I just can't get enough of these floral pants and I was trying to brainstorm all the different ways I can wear them. When I was first considering buying them I thought to myself this print is pretty wild, will I be able to style them different ways or are they a one trick pony? I worried that I wouldn't get a lot of use out of them and they would be a waste of money. But, after careful consideration I realized there are so many ways to wear these pants! They're even versatile enough that they can be dressed up with a pair of heels and delicate top, or dressed down with a simple pair of sandals and a chambray shirt. Today, I came up with three different ways you can wear the Reese pants that will make you reconsider your hesitation to the printed athletic and have you running out to the stores to pick up a pair thats right for you!

Look 2:

Look 3:

Look 1:

Silk Top // Reese Pant  // espadrille // necklace // hat // bag // bracelet

Look 2:

Reese Pant  // chambray top // strappy sandal // mini bucket bag // earrings // cuff

Look 3:

Reese Pant  // Navy Eyelet Top // Open Back Sandal // Sunglasses // Striped Tote // Feather Chain

Work Wear Wednesday

So I've decided to officially make 'Work Wear Wednesday' my new project showing you can look professional and cute in the office while still being age appropriate. I picked up this dress at Gap this past weekend when they were having a big 40% off sale. Let's be real, The Gap is constantly having huge sales so there is no reason you should ever pay full price for anything at that store (I also ended up getting this white seersucker dress for only $20 from the clearance rack). You can never own too many LBD's and I gravitated towards this one because of the eyelet detail at the bottom of the dress, plus it was lined which is one of the things to look for when buying a good quality dress. 

Since this black dress wasn't very spring-like, I decided to accessorize it with some teal jewelry and bright bag to give this simple dress a little more personality. Also this is the first time I've finally been able to bring out my d'orsay flats that I bought a few months ago. I definitely think they are going to be my go-to shoe for spring. If your office is chilly, you can easily drape a cardigan or blazer over this  dress to keep you warm but still looking stylish. 

Side note: after viewing these photos it is apparent that my St. Maarten tan is officially gone... ugh!

Dress // Necklace Francesca's (similar here)

D'Orsay Flats // Sunnies Michael Kors (similar style here)

Bracelets & Bag Kate Spade, old (similar bag here)

xoxo

New Recipe: Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

Happy Tasty Tuesday!

One of my favorite parts about the weather warming up is that my typical dinner recipes switch from hearty dinners in the crock-pot to flavorful grilled creations. Throwing dinner on the grill is so much easier to prepare, especially when I'm just serving the meal with a side of easy to make pasta salad or corn on the cob. This chicken kabob recipe was very simple to make, plus it's a great week night dinner recipe because it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare & cook.

**This recipe needs to marinate 24 hours before cooking, so prepare the night before*

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg of chicken cubes (my market had nugget sized raw meat, perfect for kabobs)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp white sugar

Directions:

• In a large Ziploc bag combine all ingredients and shake to combine.
• Refrigerate and let marinate overnight.
• The next day when ready to cook, preheat grill to medium/high heat.
• Take marinated chicken out of Ziploc bag and place them on kebobs. **I bought my steel kebobs at Home Depot for $7, but you can buy wooden ones at Walmart or stainless steel ones on Amazon). **
• Grill skewers for 8-12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
• Enjoy!

Whats your favorite thing to grill in the summer?

xoxo

Spring Thing

Hello Monday, we meet again.

I'm hopeful that today will be the last chilly day for a long time. The weather has been fluctuating like crazy lately which is really putting a damper on wearing some of my new spring attire. It doesn't have that same spring feel when I have to wear a sweater, haha. 

Last weekend I went into J Crew to pay a bill and ended up buying a whole new outfit (hence the reason why I prefer to pay my bills online, grrr). On the plus side I ended up getting a really good deal on both this top and pants featured in the photo because they were on super clearance. I have wanted a pair of silky print pants for quite awhile now. I had searched high and low for a pair that was actually flattering on my frame. You see, I'm not tall and most pants of this style were either too long on me or just made me look frumpy. I also have to be careful to buy pants that don't make me look "hippy" as my mom and I call it, the last thing I want to do is wear spanx under my pants! 

So after months of trying on so many cute pairs of pants and striking out miserably I was so excited to discover a pair of relaxed fit pants that were flattering and comfortable! This pants will be perfect for cooler summer nights or for casual Fridays in the office because there are plenty of ways to dress them up or down. 

Whats your take on the relaxed pant trend?

Top // Pants // Flats (only black available)

Sunglasses // Bag Michael Kors (similar here and here)

Necklace Ann Taylor, old // watch

Bracelet J Crew Factory, old

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts + A Weekend Recap

Every week when I sit down to write this Sunday post, I think to myself, "how in God's name is it already Sunday night." Seriously. These weekends just fly by. 

This Weekend:

• Friday was my friend Dana's birthday, so post work we went out to celebrate in Troy. It was a fun night out celebrating with friends. Happy Birthday again to Dana!
• Saturday morning I watched the Bruce Jenner interview from the night before and was so moved. He is very brave to tell his story and I don't doubt he will save many lives by doing so. I'm so happy he is finally able to become who he was meant to be all along.
• Post interview I spent my day running errands and grocery shopping for the upcoming week. Then I went to church for the first time in forever (glad the roof didn't cave in on me when I entered) because they had a mass for my grandma.
• Saturday night I stayed in and finally caught up on Grey's Anatomy (ugh). I'm a little annoyed by the ending... mark my words: they're going to make Meredith pregnant now.
• This morning I got up early and went to the mall because I wanted to check out the Lord & Taylor Friends and Family sale, but I came up empty handed. I did however get a cute dress at the Gap that I'll show you later in the week.
• Tonight I'm getting together with friends for our weekly viewing of Game of Thrones!

xoxo

Weekend Reads

The best part of Sunday mornings is curling up on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee and catching up on your reading whether it be blogs, the newspaper or a fun fashion magazine. A nice relaxing Sunday always helps me mentally prepare myself for a full week of work ahead. So if your snuggled up on the couch, please enjoy these weekend reads:

Weekend Reads:

• You all know how much I look forward to Game of Thrones on Sunday nights. Can you name these Game of Thrones characters by these emojis? 
• Warmer weather means all the blockbuster summer movies will start to come out starting with The Avengers this week. Still trying to decide which movies you want to see? Check out this Summer Movie 2015 cram session to decide what to catch up on before you head to the theaters.
• Lord & Taylor is having a huge Friends and Family sale and their entire store is 25% off, which means you can grab this Design Lab skater dress I styled last week on super sale!
• I love getting nostalgic about what was cool when I was a kid (pretty sure I still have all my 1 million beanie babies stored in a bin somewhere...). I laughed out loud at this list of 24 Dreams that All '90s Girls Had That Never Came True, seriously I'm considering making my adult bedroom Lisa Frank themed.
• If you're a Disney movie fan, then you will definitely enjoy Todrick Hall's latest mash-up. He takes classic songs from movies like the Little Mermaid and the Lion King and sings them to the beats of different pop hits. I need all of his Disney mash-ups on my iPod STAT!
• J Crew has so many cute skirts that would be perfect for my summer work wardrobe. I currently have this pink pleated skirt and this floral wrap skirt sitting on my wish-list just waiting to be purchased.

What are you up to this weekend?

xoxo

Tips When You're The New Girl

via

As many of you know, two weeks ago I started a new job. There is so much to learn and I'm going to have that "new girl" feeling for quite some time until I start to gain independence and am able to work on projects on my own. Entering a new company and not knowing anyone can be difficult but it's important that you start off on the right foot. Today I'm sharing with you some of the things I've learned during these first few weeks and how you can impress your boss and make them happy they hired you.

1. Ask Questions: Sometimes it can be overwhelming when you're learning something new and getting used to a new environment but it's important to not be afraid to ask questions. Your higher ups will appreciate that you're taking the time to learn information correctly and you might actually learn quicker when you're not left with questions unanswered.
2. Get to know your bosses: The past few weeks I've been lucky to get the chance to learn more about how my supervisors got to where they are in the company. First, it shows that you're interested in working hard to move up within the company and second, it shows that you are invested in the company and the people you work with. Bosses like to see motivation and drive!
3. Always carry a notebook and pen: You never know when you're going to get dragged into a last minute meeting or project so you'll want to take notes on everything you do. You'll be glad you wrote things down when you're asked to complete a task and don't have to rely on memory to get the job done.
4. Don't be afraid to ask for work: These past few weeks have been information overload for me but since I'm still shadowing my supervisor I have moments of downtime when she is off doing other things. I always make the effort to ask for mini projects or offer to assist her with something she is working on. It makes the day go by faster when I'm working on something, plus every new thing I learn gets me one step closer to independent working. The worst thing you can do is just sit there twiddling your thumbs because you don't want the higher ups to think you're lazy.
5. Be Professional: This should be an obvious one but make sure you dress extra professional at first until you get a better idea of what the office attire is like. Also show up on time, don't leave early and don't take an extended lunch. You want to give a good impression those first few weeks and it will get you in the habit of being a model employee for years to come.

Now it's your turn, what's your "new girl" advice for me?!

xoxo

Flower Power

Boy, has the weather changed since I took these photos last weekend. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful 68 degree day and now I'm deciding which sweater and long pants to pull out and wear today, woof. I got this skater dress on sale at Lord & Taylor, seriously my new favorite store and originally planned to wear in it St. Maarten but never ended up bringing it. However, I'm still getting plenty of use out of this dress that can easily be transitioned from spring to summer. 

Typically when I have a really 'girly' dress with a lot of frills or florals I try and counter it with a more masculine piece for balance, hence bringing my favorite leather jacket out as an accessory. I've never been a super girly-girl so I like to have a balance when I wear an overly feminine dress. Also, I need to quickly discuss these amazing calf hair sandals that I got on clearance from ALDO. I have trouble finding sandals that bend and don't hurt my feet but are still stylish and these were the perfect fit!

Dress // Jacket Neiman Marcus, old (similar style here)

Calf Hair Sandals // Bag, Michael Kors (similar style here)

Necklace Talbots, old // Sunnies Michael Kors (similar here)

xoxo

Work Wear Wednesday

Happy Hump Day!

I'm going to try something new on the blog in the upcoming weeks. On Wednesdays (assuming I stick with this plan) I want to try and highlight a ready to wear work outfit that you would see me in at the office. This will mean plenty of bright pencil skirts and dressy blouses. 

Getting dressed up for work the past two weeks has definitely been something new for me. We didn't have a dress code at my old job and I frequently wore jeans but now jeans are a no-go (except on casual Fridays, yay!) so it's caused me to be a little more creative with my outfit selections and shop for more "girl boss" professional wear. I've noticed that people in my current office tend to stick to basic neutral colors but I'm here to show you can look professional but still add some personality to an outfit. I don't want to stray too much from my personal style so I'm taking on the challenge of making professional wear fun!

Blouse // Skirt Macy's, old (other colors available here)

Flats C Wonder, old // Necklace Macy's, old

Sunglasses

xoxo

New Recipe: Bacon & Veggie Fried Rice

Happy Tasty Tuesday!

Last week I was in the mood for hibachi, so I decided to bring the hibachi to my house by making my own fried rice. This dinner was very easy to make and only used two pots, so I saved time on dishes when I was done too. Plus it has so many delicious flavors that you will never want to go out for fried rice again!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 pkg of bacon
• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 4 clove garlic, minced
• 1 2-inch piece of ginger, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 pkg frozen broccoli
• 4 cups brown rice
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 3 eggs

Directions:

• In a large skillet cook bacon over medium/high heat until crisp and crunchy. Remember to pour the grease in a jar and not down the drain because it will clog your pipes. Transfer cooked bacon to a side plate. Using a knife, chop cooked bacon into smaller pieces and set aside.
• In a pasta pot boil rice according to box/package directions and drain.
• In the skillet used to make the bacon, add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and vegetable oil and cook on low for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. 
• While garlic is cooking, microwave broccoli according to package directions. When broccoli is cooked, add it to the skillet and combine with garlic mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium low heat until broccoli crisps up a bit.
• Add cooked rice, soy sauce, chicken broth and chopped bacon to broccoli skillet, mix well. Keep the stove top on medium low heat to heat mixture throughout. 
• Push fried rice mixture to one side of the skillet and crack the eggs into the other side. Scramble eggs until set and then mix eggs into rice mixture.
• Serve rice in bowls and enjoy!

xoxo

Check Marks the Spot

Well the big Lilly for Target release was a big bust for me, but shockingly I'm actually not that disappointed. From what I heard the website crashed for quite a long time in the middle of the night and when it did come back mostly everything was sold out. I personally didn't want to buy anything online because I was unsure of the quality of the items, plus waking up in the middle of the night to shop didn't seem very appealing to me, especially after the site went down at 1am and didn't come back for hours later. 

My friend Marissa and I decided to take our chances at our local Target Sunday morning. When we arrived, bright and early everything was gone. What I was most surprised about was the lack of pieces they carried to begin with. From what I saw from the tiny display, there is no way they could have carried multiple dresses and accessories on one small rack. My guess is that the selection at my local Target was slim to begin with and those who arrived at the store at 5am scooped everything up right away. The sales associate said everything was gone by 7am! The most shocking thing was reading the details online, people walking into local Targets and putting the entire display in their cart, only to go home and sell all the items on eBay for 3x the original price!! So sad that it came to that and glad I wasn't a part of that madness.

There are so many non-Lilly pieces that I'm looking to invest in this spring/summer so my wallet is pretty grateful that I struck out at the Lilly sale. Who knows, maybe after the success of this sale they will re-release some of the items and I'll be able to pick them up later this year. On the plus side, I'm loving this casual look that I wore to work last Friday. I bought these checkered pants two summers ago on the clearance rack at J Crew for next to nothing, and they're a pant to style this spring.

shirt // pants J Crew, old

belt // Sperry's (similar pair here) // Necklace Macy's (similar here)

Bag Michael Kors (similar options here and here)

How did you make out at the Lilly for Target release?

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts + A Weekend Recap

via

Why is it that the weekdays always drag but the weekends always fly by? This amazing weather we had in the 518 was definitely a tease of whats to come and I am counting down the days until I am poolside soaking up the sun. 

Weekend Recap:

• Friday night I got dinner and drinks with friends at our local Bombers. It was a beautiful night and the restaurant was packed, I think everyone had the same idea that we did.

• Saturday afternoon I was out and about running errands and making visits. It was such a beautiful day outside that I wanted to be out as much as possible. I ended up running into J Crew to pay a bill and left there with a new top and pair of pants... which is why I prefer to pay my bills online, haha.
• Saturday night I got dinner with my parents followed by a trip to the market (wild and crazy night, huh?!)
• Sunday morning I woke up early and headed to Target with my friend Marissa to check out the Lilly for Target sale but came up empty handed (more on that tomorrow).
• Tonight I'm hosting Game of Thrones night at my house, looking forward to finally getting to see Arya Stark and follow her adventures!

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo

Weekend Reads

Happy Saturday!

It is a B-E-A-UTIFUL day in the 518, the sun is shining and its quite warm out! Gives me hope that the days of wearing a jacket are numbered and soon it will be sunny, hot weather all the time. I've spent my afternoon running errands so I can be outside as much as possible, it feels so good to have the sun on my face. For those of you settled inside for the day, check out these links below:

Weekend Reads

• I've recently fallen in love with comedienne Amy Shumer, I'm counting down the days till I can go see her new movie, Trainwreck. This past week she was on Ellen and had me LOLing. 
• I'm a big Harry Potter fan, but even I didn't know some of these facts about the series, definitely a fun read.
• Kate Spade is having their annual Friends and Family sale and the entire store is 25% off. Some of my favorite items from the sale include this carry-on luggage, this teal maize bag and this funky octopus ring.
• Fans of the Game of Thrones series will enjoy Post Show Recaps weekly podcast recapping the episodes and breaking down inside scoop from show producers.
• Planning on shopping the Lilly for Target line tomorrow? Check out these helpful tips and tricks to ensure you get everything you want before it sells out.
• It's that time of year where many of you will be getting ready to graduate and look for jobs. Here are some tips on what to wear on a job interview that will help you feel confident when selling yourself!

Hows the weather in your area?

xoxo

Friday Favorites: Wishlist Edition

via

It's not a secret that I shop way too much and buy things I don't need (but still want). There are days that I go to the mall and go on a spree and then I can't leave the house for three weeks because I'm so broke, haha kidding. These sprees tend to happen during the change of seasons when all the new arrivals enter the stores and I'm overwhelmed by all the options. However, now that we're well into the change of the seasons I've decided to get a little more organized when it comes to my shopping. Instead of just going out and buying things I like, I decided to make lists of things I want to invest in. This keeps me within budget and prevents a splurge when I enter a mall/outlet. 

Madewell Skinny Skinny White Jeans

I'll say it once and I'll say it again, Madewell jeans are worth the price. They fit like a glove and are made really well (hence the name, right?). They're skinny skinny jeans are my personal favorite and I've had my eye on these white ones for awhile, now I'm just saving my pennies to buy them!

J Crew Factory White Crepe Dress

I seem to be on a white kick, eh? I saw this dress last time I was at the outlets and fell in love, unfortunately they didn't have my size. It's dressier and lined so it would be a great dress to wear to the office. J Crew Factory always has great sales, so I'm just holding out for a really good one.

J Crew Factory Drapey Drawstring Pant

Drawstring pants have been everywhere this season and I love all the funky patterns and designs. There are so many ways to dress them up or down for spring, but I personally struggled to find a pair that were flattering on my shorter frame. These geometric one's are exactly what I'm looking for, plus they don't need to be hemmed!

Old Navy Striped Flat

It seemed like every blogger has been talking about these flats, but who can blame them?! They're $24 price tag is a steal for a great spring shoe. They're sold out in my size online (ugh) so I'm hoping they still carry them in my size at my local Old Navy so I can pick them up.

Whim Zebra Sheets

I talked last week about my obsession with Martha Stewarts Whim bedding collection but after putting my new striped sheets/comforter on my bed last weekend I realized that I really want these zebra pillow cases on my bed too to mix and match the prints. Luckily for me, they're on sale and Macy's always has great coupons. 

What are you currently saving up to buy?

xoxo

Patience is a Virtue

 Sometimes it pays to be patient, especially when it comes to shopping. Months ago when shopping at my local Lord & Taylor I found this gorgeous Catherine Malandrino skirt and French Connection top. I instantly knew that I wanted them in my wardrobe however both were way out of my budget. So I waited, checking each month to see if they went on sale. Both did come down in price, but were still out of range for me until finally last week a miracle happened. Both top and skirt ended up going on clearance and with a coupon I was able to score both items for $35 (thank god for coupons)! 

This almost never happens to me because most of the time I wait too long and it sells out or they no longer have my size but the shopping Gods were on my side this time. It felt so good to pick up the items that I wanted at the price I was willing to pay for them. I can't stress enough how important it is to take advantage of in store coupons and coupon codes when shopping online. It can be tedious to look for them, but in the long run it has saved me so much money. 

Top // skirt (use code APRIL for an extra 15% off both items)

bag // flats J Crew Factory, old 

Bracelet Banana Republic, old // Sunnies Michael Kors

Necklace, J Crew Factory

xoxo