Pantone’s Spring Fashion Report… Style Looks

March 17, 2014

Spring officially arrives March 20th; however, I am kind of annoyed with Spring’s mother. You know her, right? Mother Nature. I mean at this point I think either A) She clearly plays favorites to her children and apparently Winter has her heart or B) She has some weird sense of humor and gets great pleasure out of watching us switch from flip flops one day to snow boots the next, all while sniffling and sneezing.

Sometimes we all must take matters into our own hands, and at this point I am sticking my nose up in the air at Mother Nature. If you won’t give me the sunshine and warmer temps I need to physically feel like Spring is actually near, then I will trick my mind into believing Winter is on its way out and my old friends, Spring and Summer are coming out to play.

I have already redecorated my home. Removing all traces of Winter. Spring florals and candle scents have now taken its place. I actually did that a few weeks ago and Mother Nature reared her ugly head at me and gave a few more shots of Winter.

So, I attempt again… as I write this and stare out my window at the SNOW that covers the green grass that was there this weekend. That white, white, white, white, okay some dirty from the road, white, white, white SNOW. I need some color in my life. Catch my drift? Along with all the wonderful things Spring brings, what I think I am missing the most is the return of great Spring fashion and fun Spring colors.

So, here we go… let’s forget what is actually outside our windows and begin mentally preparing for spring. Please let me introduce you to Pantone’s Spring 2014 Fashion Report!

Photo courtesy of Pantone.com

Each year Pantone puts together its list of colors, which will pretty much guide the design word. So, get use to seeing these. The Color Of The Year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid, which I am actually excited about. Wondering how these colors translate to your closet? Below are three Spring Style Looks I put together in preparation of Spring’s return.

SPRING STYLE LOOK #1

Spring Style Look #1

Striped Skirt – J.Crew 98.00 | Top – J.Crew 79.50 | Necklace – Forerver21 9.80 | Shoes (Dolce Vita) – Piperlime 139.00 | Handbag – H&M 34.95

SPRING STYLE LOOK #2

Spring Style Look #2

Earrings – J.Crew 85.00 | Top – J.Crew 69.50 | Heels – (Ivanka Trump) Zappos 125.00 | Jeans – H&M 39.95 | Watch – Michael Kors 160.00

SPRING STYLE LOOK #3

Spring Style Look #3

Dress – ModCloth 44.99 | Scarf – Banana Republic 35.00 | Sunglasses – (Ray-Ban) J.Crew 145.00 | Hat – (Michael Stars) Piperlime 38.00 | Sandals – (Steve Madden) Piperlime 50.00

Which look do you like the best? Share in the comments below. Time to get Spring Shopping!

Holy Guacamole… Nailed It!

March 12, 2014

You know what I love? A great Guacamole.

It wasn’t always such a sweet relationship between us two. In fact, the beginning was a rocky road for us. I was that girl who would go to a Mexican Restaurant and place my order (usually a Chimichanga) and say, “Oh, and hold the Guacamole.” I totally, noticed the waiter’s eye roll too.

Mostly, I didn’t give it a chance, but I also think I just had some bad versions. It wasn’t until my Sister-In-Law, Amie and her husband, Corey made a batch a few years back, that my thoughts went from, “No, thanks. I will pass.” To, “Holy, Guacamole, where have you been my whole life?”

Start by rounding up your ingredients, ya know… wrangle them in.

Guacamole Ingredients

As, you can tell. It is a pretty shady I mean sparse bunch. Start with the Avocados… the scarey Avocados. I say that because I think it is an intimidating fruit. Yes, it is a fruit people. I think they are avoided because many don’t know how to cut, chop or handle them. Kind of like Avocado’s scarey right-hand man… the Mango!

Before you begin make sure the Avocado is ripe. I cannot stress this enough. It must be ripe. To tell if it is ripe, look for the “Ripe” sticker on the Avocado placed by a diligent Produce employee. Just kidding! Give the Avocado a gentle squeeze. The skin should give a bit. If it doesn’t then it is not quite there. Leave it on the counter a few days to soften up. Here are some more tips.

While it can be intimidating, cutting, chopping and dicing an Avocado is pretty easy. First, start by cutting it in half. You won’t be able to go through because of the pit, but continue to cut around. Then twist slightly to separate the halves.

Avocado Halves

Take your knife and strike the pit so that the blade sticks. Hold the Avocado and twist the knife to loosen and remove the pit. For Guacamole, I use my knife to make length wise and width wise slices (Are they words? Not sure, but you get what I am saying).

Avocados Sliced

Then using a spoon, scoop out the Avocado into a bowl. Don’t forget to scoop out any pulp that remains on the skin.

Avocado Slices

Using the backside of your spoon, smash up the avocado. I like mine chunky. Add in your chopped tomato, diced red onion, the juice of half of a lime and add Garlic Salt, Pepper and Sea Salt (this makes it! Love the course salt) to taste. Give it a stir and serve. It is that easy!

HOLY GUACAMOLE:

Serves 4-6

2 Avocados
1 Heirloom Tomato – Chopped
1/2 Red Onion – Diced
1/2 the Juice of Lime
Garlic Salt, Pepper & Sea Salt – To Taste

Diced Avocados and smash in a bowl. Add chopped tomato, diced red onion, the juice of 1/2 of a lime and give it a good stir. Season with garlic salt, pepper and sea salt to taste.

Favorite Things – February!

February 25, 2014

As February comes to an end, I thought I would try something new on the Blog. As humans and consumers, the #1 form of advertising for any business, through the history of marketing is three little words… word of mouth. It will always be king! Why? Because people value the opinions of their family, friends and peers over an advertiser. In fact, studies show that 90% of consumers trust peers while only 14% trust the advertiser.

So, trust me, people! 🙂 These are my Favorite Things for February and stop right there… I know you are visualizing Oprah right now screaming to an audience of equal screamers, “You get a car, You get a car and You get a car.” It is not that kind of Favorite Things. Wish it was but I don’t have a show… yet!

Mason Jar Pomelo Lime Candle – It is heavenly! Seriously, go buy now! It claims to burn up to 20 hours (I haven’t got through mine yet) but I am wishing I picked up a few more. This little dandy is just $12.99 from Target and is perfect for Spring’s pending arrival. Any day now, any day now…
This is a three-in-one but they compliment each other so nicely. Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo, Conditioner and Anti-Breakage Serum. I was never a real big shampoo or conditioner snob. I mean you are just washing your hair, right? Well that was before I started to dye my hair. Seriously, I was 26 years old before I ever had my hair dyed professionally (I say that because in Middle School my Mom tried to give me highlights but they really didn’t take). Anyways the Ombre approach can really do some serious damage to your hair. Believe me, I have learned. So, I was on a mission to find a product that actually provided some benefits to my hair – hydration, softness and shine. Now I am a shampoo snob! I really don’t want to deflect from these products. Some conditioners I have found weigh my hair down, but not the Organix. It really nourishes my hair and leaves it super smooth. Finally, my new BFF – the Anti-Breakage Serum. Again, because the tips of my hair started to get brittle and dry from dying, I gave this product a try and it really helped. I started it after I had some bad split ends but mostly noticed its power after my last cut and break from dying. It is great at prevention. I purchased mine at Rite-Aid – $7.99 each.
Burt’s Bees Lip Shine (Whisper) – No lipstick for me. I am a lip gloss kind of gal. It seems like whenever I go to a make-up or drug store, I always pick-up a new lip gloss. This time the market (aka – Grocery Store to me) got me. I love Burt’s Bees as a brand, but this was the first I had tried their Lip Shine. 100% natural and made with apricot wax and sunflower seed oil, it softens your lips and adds a gloss without being sticky. I also love that it gives the same benefits of chapstick, but has color, so my Hubby won’t steal from me. I purchased at Martin’s for $5.50.
Blue Diamond Almonds – You know we well by now… let’s chat food! I am really trying to be a much healthier eater these days. Maybe you noticed from some of my Food Posts? Anyways, I am slightly obsessed with the Blue Diamond Flavored Almonds. I have tried Strawberry, Blueberry and the Caramel Macchiato flavors. So far, Blueberry is in the lead. These are such a great healthy snack, as long as you are disciplined enough to PUT THE BAG DOWN! I purchased at Martin’s for $2.99.
My last favorite thing cannot be purchased. They say nothing in life is free, right? Well this one, sorta of kind of is, until you actually pay for the item, but the service itself is free and so very cool. I kind of love that it is a start-up with not a lot of traction yet, but believe me, this baby is going to grow into a full fledged teenager very, very soon. Meet – Rack It Up. So, imagine any other online shopping day (or at least it is the case for me) you are on one of your favorite retailer’s websites and see some items that you got to have, problem is price. Maybe you just can’t splurge on the item right now. So, you check back for the item to go on sale or sign up for the company’s emails only to realize you are so busy you never open the company’s email and you missed the sale. Problem solved with Rack it up. You can actually set when you are notified too! You can choose when the item goes on sale, or when it drops to a certain price or percentage. Then Rack It Up does all the work and you get an alert when that item goes on sale. Allowing you free time to continue to shop online… I mean do your daily work and chores.

*This is not a sponsored post. I have purchased each of these items on my own and provided a review based on my personal experience.

Breakfast Experiment Success and a Twofer for you!

February 15, 2014

I am officially over winter! “Hey, Mother Nature… I am not sure what we did to make you so angry, but I am sorry! Now please make it stop!” In general, I really like Winter, but only in the beginning of the season. Since it started snowing here in October… I am done! It also doesn’t help that my husband’s Landscape company plows in the Winter, and with the winter we have had, I feel like I don’t see him anymore.

He was up again this morning at 5 am, which means so was I. As I laid there staring at the ceiling hoping to return to sleep I realized it just wasn’t going to happen and began planning my day. I always find myself more adventurous with breakfast than with any other meal. I am not sure why, but I kind of feel like I have never really been a true breakfast person. It is my least favorite meal of the day. So, I guess my thinking is if I try something new and mess it up… well, no big loss, I will just move on with a cup of tea or coffee. (I know, it is the most important meal of the day, blah, blah, blah – I am trying, people).

This morning was one of those days. A day where I made a complete mess as I concocted not one but two – yes, two new breakfast recipes. Let’s begin…

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie & Avocado and Egg White Open Face Sandwich

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie & Avocado and Egg White Open Face Sandwich

Pretty yummy looking, right? Well it was, so I have to share my breakfast recipe experiment successes (noticed that – “successes” is plural, because again I am giving you two recipes today!) You, can thank me later at once or I will accept two separate “thank you’s” when you make each.

Let’s begin with what I am calling the Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie. I mean, I just limited this poor creature! Don’t let the name fool you… have it any time of day.

BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE:

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie

Serves 2

1 Cup of Frozen Blueberries
1 Banana
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 Cup of Almond Milk – Original
1/3 Cup of Ice
1 – 6 oz. Cup of Yoplait Very Vanilla Light Yogurt

Combine the the blueberries, banana, vanilla extract and almond milk in a blender and mix until well blended. Add ice and yogurt and blend. Serve up!

AVOCADO AND EGG WHITE OPEN FACE SANDWICH:

Avocado and Egg White Open Face Sandwich

Serves 1

1/2 – Everything Bagel – You can use whatever bread option you would like! Try it with whole wheat toast or an English Muffin.
1/2 Tbsp of Light Butter
3 – Egg Whites
Splash of Almond Milk – Original
1/2 – Avocado
2 Tbsp of Salsa
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add 1/2 a Tbsp of light butter to skillet heated to medium. Whisk three egg whites, add splash of Almond Milk and salt and pepper to taste. Add egg whites to skillet. Once near completion, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste and cook until done. Toast bagel. Mash half of the Avocado 1/2 in a separate bowl and smear on bottom of bagel. Add egg white scramble to top, the 2 Tbsps of Salsa and the other half of the Avocado sliced. Season with salt and pepper. Note: I always use Sea Salt with Avocado. It gives it a great taste.

Enjoy!

Saturday Scores… A Little Retail Therapy

January 12, 2014

I was hoping to come to you all today, live (well sort-of, I guess more like a recap) from Washington, DC; however, at the last minute our plans for the day changed. Over the years I have learned that my husband’s side of the family likes to theme things – dinners, vacations, day trips, etc. I actually adore this and believe it is partially the reason I think we bonded with each other so quickly in the beginning. Now I take my theme dreams to the extreme. I mean I secretly wish I had the money and space to own a pantry filled floor to ceiling with placemats, dishware and serving plates, all organized and ready for any given themed night. Please tell me you know what I am talking about! It’s the dishes you walk past in department stores that are painted with beautiful patterns and colors and you think internally or maybe out loud, because let’s face it… that would be funny! “If I could only throw a fiesta or Cinco de Mayo party?” Or, maybe it’s the serving ware that is adorned in clean looks of whites and blues, that make you stop, pause and think… “If only I owned a beach house?”

Cue the Sound of Music – I mean, seriously… “these are a few of my favorite things!” And Scene…

So, yes I am a sucker for themed things. You name it and I am ready! Our theme today for our travel was suppose to be a “Food Tour” of Washington, DC’s hotspots. We researched, received advice and even had it mapped out. However, things happen and we hit a few snafus this morning, including some rainy weather, which would make our commuting by foot through DC… a bit unenjoyable.

Therefore, I ask, what is a girl to do to ease her disappointment? Well if you are like me… a little retail therapy seems to fix everything!

I have never been one to really splurge, in fact, maybe I should just go ahead and announce it… I am a bargain shopper. I get a thrill out of a great deal. A coupon could be the single deciding factor between me walking in one store over another, although there are some super apps out there that are changing my shopping habits, but that will come in the form of a future post. Back to the subject at hand… I love a great deal. To me, I get greater pleasure from walking out of a store knowing my bags are filled with multiple items for one price than one great item for that same price. But, hey, that’s me! I mean I could easily count on one hand the most expensive single clothing items I have splurged on over the years, and I am sure my sister-in-law, Abbey is probably laughing hysterical at this moment as each time I have either called or texted her for moral support. Big picture is I like fashion and quality but I love the thrill of a great deal more, and will wait patiently for a great piece or go on sale or go on the hunt for some amazing knockoffs. Plus, where I am from… you only have so many options.

Here are my Saturday Scores, as I like to call them. Proof that with a little patience and enthusiasm you can score some serious deals on some great items that will make your wallet happy and closet just a little fuller. Enjoy!

With just $50 I was able to score (there is that word, again) these 4 schnazzy items. Each item was from the store’s Clearance selection.

Items purchased under $50.

RED HEELS – Nine West

I purchased these heels at our local TJ Maxx for just $20. Completely authentic Nine West Heels. I found a pair online for $78.95; however, I think I will stick with parting with a Mr. Jackson for mine.

Nine West Heels – $78.95

GOLD BANGLE

This one I also snagged at TJ Maxx. It was just $10 but retailed for $35! I have a new obsession with gold, so I cannot wait to pair this beauty with some of my favorite outfits.

Gold Bangle from TJ Maxx

BLACK PENCIL SKIRT – Max Studio

Retailed for $78, but I found on the Clearance rack at TJ Maxx for just $10! Check out the Max Studio website, it made me feel even more excited about today’s purchase.

Max Studio – Black Pencil Skirt

WHITE AND BLACK SKIRT

Regularly $30, I stopped by Kohl’s on my way home and successfully found this great skirt for work just just $6. You cannot make this up! Well I guess you could, but I did not. It was just $6 for this item.

All in all, I would say it was a great and successful day. I was able to walk away with $221.95 worth of merchandise for just $46! I got some great fashions and my wallet still had cash, which I traded for dinner out with the hubby. You bet I was wearing one my new pieces!

Please share with me some of your fashion finds, looks for less or great deals!

Treat Yo Self – Egg White Scramble

January 4, 2014

Good morning, all. I am back! Now, come on… you really didn’t think I was a Milli Vanilli did you? No, one hit wonder here. I committed to this thing, so let the next Blog commence.

So, here I am on a Saturday morning alone. Now don’t feel bad for me. I use to be someone that dreaded being alone, but with busy work weeks filled with lots of personalities, I will let you in on a little secret… I kind of like being alone. Shhhh! While the Hubby is off in the woods for the last day of Hunting Season (which is humorous to me since there is Bow Season and soon, Spring Fly Fishing) I found myself at home with no plans. Say it with me people – NO PLANS. Now that does not happen often.

I straightened up the house, stoked the wood stove (ah, I sound so Country Chic!) and then thought… “I am making myself breakfast this morning!” I actually got excited as I rummaged the refrigerator looking for ingredients to whip something up and I kept thinking of the “Treat Yo’ Self” episode from Parks And Recreation with Tom (Aziz Asnari) and Donna (Retta). WATCH HERE for a good laugh!

You know from my earlier and first post – Black-Eyed Peas Salsa, I used some vegetables, so you could say I had some veggie leftoverage (I just made up this word and I am keeping it). My Hubby is usually the Breakfast Chef in our home and if we are not eating together, I usually eat breakfast on the go. So, it was a little odd for me to round up the ingredients and cookware for myself.

After a quick assessment of my ingredients I decided to accept the challenge and create an Egg White Scramble. I used Green Onion, Green Pepper, Red Onion and Tomatoes, all washed and diced.

Diced Vegetables – Egg White Scramble

Add some butter to a skillet heated on medium.

Backwards N high Heels – Egg White Scramble

Add your colorful ingredients!

Cooking Vegetables – Egg White Scramble

In a separate bowl whisk three egg whites, add a dash of 2% milk and some sea salt and pepper.

Whisked Egg Whites – Egg White Scramble

Add egg whites to skillet, once veggies are nice and tender. Allow egg whites to cook over veggies, scrapping the sides and tilting the skillet to pull loose egg to cook. Once egg is evenly cooked, add a 1/4 tsp of chives and scramble the ingredients.

Cooking Egg Whites – Egg White Scramble

And, because I live life on the edge… I added a pinch of Mozzarella cheese to top.

Mozzarella Cheese Added To Egg White Scramble

Plate the scramble on a plate, sprinkle some sea salt and pepper, and add some sliced tomatoes.

Egg White Scramble

Now, grab your coffee and enjoy!

Egg White Scramble

EGG WHITE SCRAMBLE:

* This is based on one serving since I decided to… “Treat myself!”

2 – Green Onion Bulbs – Diced (both white and green part)
Quarter of Green Pepper – Diced
Red Onion – Diced
2 – Heirloom Tomatoes – Diced (I used ‘Carmello’)
1/2 Tbsp of light Butter
3 – Egg Whites
Splash of 2% Milk
Mozzarella Cheese to taste
1/4 tsp of Chives (dry)
Sea Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Dice the vegetables. I used Green Onion, Green Pepper, Red Onion and Tomatoes. Add 1/2 Tbsp of butter to skillet heated on medium. Add vegetables, minus tomatoes to skillet and cook until tender. In a separate bowl, whisk three egg whites, add a splash of 2% milk and salt and pepper to taste. Add egg whites to skillet, over vegetables. Cook the egg whites, scrapping the sides to cook all eggs. Add 1/4 tsp of chives and scramble ingredients. Once cooked through, add Mozzarella Cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!