New Line You Need to Know: Pippa

No, this line is not named after Pippa Middleton.  It is actually created by the peeps who run French Connection and it is my new favorite line.  While I was home in Charlotte I spied the line at Belks.   It is not carried in many stores yet,  but you can find it online at Bloomingdales  I think you all know how much I love blouses well,  Pippa has great blouses and the prices are super reasonable.  Nothing is more than $220,  and most of the blouses are right around $100. The line has super fun prints and everything fit really well.   I found it ran true to size if you order.  The sales lady told me the line was designed for young working women to double as work and evening clothes.  I can see why the pieces are smart and sophisticated but fun at the same time.

 {Pippa Red and Tan Silk Stripped Top}

 {Pippa Silk Stripe Long Sleeved Top}

Lucky for me I still had a Belk giftcard from my birthday so I used it to buy the red and tan stripped shirt and my mom got the Turquoise one so we can trade.  I am really thinking about ordering the black/tan stripped dress as well.  I think it could double for a church dress and then funk it up for a night out.  Some other favorites from the line:

Silk Stripe Dress, Peacock Feather Print Blouse, Silk Solid Blouse, Ikat Spot Silk Dress, Belted ColorBlock Dress, Scales Blue Blouse, Scales Dress, Silk Short Sleeve Blouse in Lemon

So tell me what do you think?  Have you heard of this line before?  I am pretty smitten with it!

Make This Cocktail + Guest Post

Happy Saturday Loves.  Hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I had to share my newest drink Obsession: Elderflower Mint Prosecco Cocktail.  This drink is pure heaven in a glass.  You might think it is weird to add cucumber and mint to your champagne but I assure it is not.  It gives the drink such a lovely fresh taste.  The perfect bubbly drink for a summer night!  Enjoy!

ELDERFLOWER MINT PROSECCO COCKTAIL

Ingredients

Prosecco, chilled

St-Germain (elderflower liquor)

mint leaves

finely sliced cucumbers

Instructions

Fill a tumbler glass about half way with super chilled prosecco

Throw in a few mint leaves and cucumber slices

Top with about 3/4 oz of St-Germain

Also I am guest posting over at Cassie's amazeballs blog Hi SugarPlum. 

 

I know you all read her blog and love her ( I know I do, she is like the Martha Stewart of the Blog world always amazing me with her design, entertaining and cooking skills).  Well she is on vacay right now (I am super jealous) and I am playing her fun game:  Marry, Make Out, and Muzzle.  Here is a sneak peak at one of my choices you will have to click here to see what category I put him in:)  And don't act like you don't like Zac Efron, those eyes get me everytime.  Yeah I know I am cougar, but proud of it.

Thoughts For Friday

I am super obsessed with the new Maroon Five song, Payphone that they preformed on The Voice two weeks ago.  Have to play it every time I get in my car.  And we can talk about how hot Adam Levine is. I think I am attracted to him because he looks like my hubs.  I love tall dark haired men! 

First Ann Taylor surprised me and now Banana Republic. How cute is this Ikat blouse? I swear it looks just like some expensive ones I have seen online. It is a steal for a great blouse.   I think it is going to look pretty cute with my white jeans.
{Banana Republic Talia Ikat Blouse}

I am so excited because I am finally getting a Silhouette of Sterling done. I have wanted one forever. WayWay is working on it and I know it be fabulous because all her stuff is! I debated FOREVER about what color to do the Silhouette. You would think it was a life or death decision the way I debated.  I went back and forth between going bright or just doing classic black.  In the end I went for Turquoise, I love the pop of color.  Plus most of our walls are pretty neutral so I think it will show up better.  This is not my silhouette but it is the picture I sent WayWay for reference. I love how the name and age is at the bottom.

Lately I have been hooked on roasted cherry tomatoes. I had no idea how much more flavor the tomatoes would get from just roasting them!  It is my new favorite side dish.  I have been making it at least once a week and surprisingly Matt loves it too! All you do is toss with olive, salt and pepper,  then roast at 350 degrees for about 20-30 mins. After they are done cooking I add in some fresh julienned basil.

Yesterday I finally hit up Glazed, a new doughnut shop downtown. Ladies it was amazing. Worth every single calorie. I will be returning frequently! They had so many fun doughnut flavors, sadly they were sold out of the Maple Bacon flavor that I really wanted to try, but our glazed were mouth wateringly good!

I am in love with this outfit Charlize Theron is wearing. Makes me think I need a blush colored blazer. Love it paired with the black.

Was that enough Random Babble for your Friday? I hope you all have a great weekend!

The Great White Jean Debate

Ever since seeing Gwyneth in her "perfect running errands" outfit. I have been convinced I need a pair of white jeans.   Well really I would like her whole outfit, but lets start with the jeans.   Problem is do the perfect pair of white jeans exist? Confession: I have never owned a pair of white jeans before.   Crazy, right??  I can't seem to find a pair that is flattering and trust me I have tried on many different brands!  We all know white jeans accentuate everything and put it all on display way more than regular jeans.   I find most are too see through, don't have enough stretch, are too short, or just plain unflattering.

Enter Rag and Bone. Apparently Gwennie is wearing their Skinny Bright White Jeans.

Now I am not delusional I know my figure is nothing like Gwyneth's but these jeans look like a great fit.   They are high waisted which is key for me! And I am obsessed with my Rag and Bone Midnight Skinny Legging Jeans. Really beyond obsessed. They suck me in all the right places and make me look 10lbs thinner.   Seriously ladies try on a pair of these and you will be obsessed too.

Can their white jeans do the same?  Anyone own a pair and care to share?  Any recommendations for white jeans that fit well? I want them long,  skinny,  with stretch, and flattering.   Is that too much to ask?? And I need them soon so I can copy all these fabulous ensembles based around white jeans!

Val's Prosciutto, Asparagus and Parmesan Spaghetti

I have to share with you one of the best recipes I have made lately. First off if you are not already reading Val's blog, Val so Cal you really should be. She is always cooking up something amazing and then sharing the recipes with her beautiful photography skills.  She never ceases to impress me each week with her mouth watering recipes.  I found this recipe on her blog a few weeks ago and promptly made it. Both Matt and I loved it. I mean really loved. It was so full of flavor, yet light at the same time. I highly recommend grating your own fresh Parmesan and adding the baked Prosciutto on top. It gets so crispy and pairs perfectly with the light cream sauce! This dish was super easy to whip together and reheated well the next day. Serve with some crusty bread, an Arugula salad, and chilled white wine and that my friends is one amazing week night meal.

If you are not a pork eater and I am not judging because my girl Gwennie also avoids the pork family, this would be absolutely delish with sauteed Shrimp added instead of the Prosciutto!

PROSCIUTTO,  ASPARAGUS,  AND PARMESAN SPAGHETTI

8 ounce of angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 small onion, diced

2 cups of sliced mushrooms

4 oz. of prosciutto, cut into strips

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

1) Cook pasta according to directions and put pack in pot.

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Cook onion, garlic, and mushrooms until fragrant and semi done. Add Prosciutto and asparagus and cook until asparagus is bright green, about 3 min. Add cream, 1/3 cup cheese, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until sauce has thickened, about 4 minutes.

3) Pour sauce with vegetables over pasta and toss to coat.

4) I put more Parmesan cheese on top and crisp prosciutto pieces that I baked.

You can check out Val's Original Recipe and Beautiful Photos HERE.  Because mine sure don't do it justice!

Obsessions

MARYSIA SWIM

 I am smitten with every single swimsuit in Marysia's swim line. They look like they would be so flattering. These are top on my list of must buy bikinis for this summer

{St. Tropez Ruffle Bikini, Acapulco Bikini}

SHISEIDO THE SKINCARE PURIFYING FACE WASH

 I used to be very loyal to my Purpose face wash until my mom gave me a bottle of this Shiseido face wash recently. Now I will never use any other face wash. It foams up and lathers really well- I hate face washes that do not lather because I feel like they don't get your face clean. This smells heavenly and a tiny squirt goes a long way. It removed all my make-up and made my skin so soft. I highly recommend!

HOUSE OF HARLOW 1960 ABALONE SUNBURST NECKLACE

My grandfather gave me this necklace while I was home as a belated birthday gift ( and yes my mom helped him in picking it out). I love it so much. I have been wearing it nonstop. You might have noticed it with my Ann Taylor Dress.   It goes with everything!

GAP CREWNECK TEE DRESS

 I think this might be the perfect summer dress. Soft, comfortable, stylish, and affordable!  It comes in many different colors but my two favorites are the stripes and the neon pink. Thinking I am going to splurge for both!
{Stripped Crewneck Dress, Neon Pink Crewneck Dress}

PALERMOS SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Normally I am not a frozen pizza girl. Don't get me wrong I love pizza but the frozen one's are usually pretty disappointing. I tried this pizza at my parents house and loved it. It had great flavors and the spinach and goat cheese were the perfect light combination. This is one frozen pizza I will be buying.

Weekend Happenings

I just got back from visiting my parents yesterday afternoon and my house is a wreck! I love going out of town but I sure do hate unpacking!
I did a little shopping while I was home and found the Joie Blouse I blogged about a few weeks ago. She is even better in person. Love the fit and the black and white pattern goes with everything! It especially looks great with my colored jeans. The jeans are J Brand and my newest obsession. They fit great and they are the perfect blush color that goes with everything!
{Joie Madera Dot Blouse, J Brand 811 Skinny Jeans}

I guess I love this black and white pattern because I found these two images of fabric I had saved that I was considering for recovering my wingback chairs. It looks almost identical to the blouse pattern.  The fabric is Ground Works Confetti by Lee Jofa.

While I was home I attended a bridal shower for my dear friend Jenna. It was so fun to see my old my friends. A few of us have been friends since Junior High!  Here is one picture from the shower of all of us.   Jenna the Bride to be is to the left of me.  So excited for her wedding in June.

My dress may look familiar because it is the Ann Taylor Dress I blogged about Thursday. I am really loving it- and thanks to all who gave me the heads up about the 40% off. I got a real steal on it!

My little man has quite the head of curls and I love it. Problem is it is starting to get a little too long. When it is wet it is a full blown mullet.  He needs a haircut bad , but it just makes me sad to cut these sweet curls.

I always find great new wines when I am home visiting my parents because they love wine as much as I do. This Sauvignon Blanc called Glazebrook was so good. Retails for around $14. For those who live in Charlotte it is sold at Reids.

Sunday when I got home we went to the Yacht Club near our house for Happy Hour and saw this beautiful rainbow. It is hard to tell from my picture but it stretched across the whole sky, it was stunning and it was Sterling's first rainbow!

I came across this quote over the weekend and it really made me think about being Thankful. It hit close to home (yep I am getting deep here again even after my deep post Friday).  Now every night as I say my prayers I am reminded to be thankful.