Life Lately

I hate Mondays and like them all at the same time.  I am sad the weekend is over but always ready for a fresh start to get a lot accomplished.

Sterling had a soccer game Saturday morning and scored his first goal at a game.  I was so proud of him.  I love the Saturday morning soccer games it is a fun start to Saturday.  Watching the kids play is adorable and sometimes comical.

The grey top I am wearing is a new favorite from LaSenorita Jolie.  I love the scoopneck and it is so soft!! 

|| Kristin Top (Use code LSJ-DBDD to get free shipping)

 

I have mentioned my love for Spanx leggings before but when I saw they came out with a new Faux Leather pair I about flipped out.  I promptly ordered them and they did not disappoint.  If you want faux leather leggings for the fall you must order these!  They suck you in and are so flattering.  Trust me these are a must for Fall.  They already sold out on Shopbop and Revolve where I ordered mine so get them while you can!

|| Spanx Faux Leather Leggings

 

I had a great grocery run at Trader Joe's this week.  Two new things I am now obsessed with are the  mozzarella sticks and cinnamon roll bread.

The wine is also excellent, from The Wine Store in Charlotte.

Frances Moon turned 10 months last week.  Where has this first year gone??

She just started crawling about 2 weeks ago and is always on the move.  She can't quite pull herself up yet but we practice by strengthing her legs and she loves it.

I have become a regular at Park Cafe, their breakfast is the best. I tried the tomato toast last week and it was so good, it inspired me to create my own.

I made whipped ricotta which is basically just ricotta, salt, and olive oil.  You can mix it in a food processor or with beaters until fluffy. Lightly toast your bread, then spread a layer of the whipped ricotta, and top with fresh sliced tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper and toast 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with chives and enjoy.  It is a really delicous combo!

I spent Sunday morning at Urgent care dealing with a UTI- never fun.  However Sterling kept me laughing the whole time I waited.   The doctors put him to work with his gloves on:)

One of my favorite maxi dresses is on major sale 50% off.  I wear mine often.

|| Mayacamas Maxi

Happy Monday.

Saturdays Steals and Splurges

Here are this weekends best deals!

Rebecca Taylor is running their spend and save event.  If you spend $500 you get $100 off and if you spend $350 you get $50 off- use code RTSPEND14.  

I am in love with this silk tie dress.  How amazing would it look with booties. Navy is my favorite color for this fall.  Shop the site Here and start saving, two items would put you over $500 and you could save $100.

|| Silk Tie Dress

I also love this blouse.  The pattern is so pretty.

|| Geo Print Blouse

JCREW is offering 30% all sale items.  I bit the bullet and ordered a new swing sweater.  I wore a few of my old ones so much last season while I was pregnant that they were in rough shape plus I decided to size down since I am no longer pregnant.  I got the yellow in an xs and love it!!  All the colors are on sale plus you get additional 30% off.

|| Swing Sweater

I think this tee dress is so cute.  Looks comfy too.

|| Tee Dress

My sister and I both bought these tees for Sterling and Finley and they are so cute. On sale plus additional 30% off.

|| Glow in the Dark Tee

 

 The back of the tee says give me space.  We tried to get a picture of the boys from behind but they were fast!

I also picked up this Camo tee for Sterling.  He is camo obsessed these days.

|| Camo Tee

These camo pants are his favorite.  Wears them all the time.  and you guessed it he dressed himself below:)

|| Camo Pants

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Banana Republic is offering $25 off every $100 you spend and there are no exclusions this time!  Use code BRHERENOW.  This time I am ordering the drape coat I was waiting for a deal!

I am loving their coats this season!

Black Mixed Media Coat | Leather Sleeve Moto Jacket | Drape Jacket |

Pink Boucle Jacket | Suede Moto Jacket

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Tory Burch just marked down some new things. 
I really like this stripe shirt, it comes in three different colors and is 50% off.
|| Kendall Stripe Tee

I know summer is almost over but I love this tunic and it is also 50% off. I am considering buying it to save for next year!  The matching bikini is also on sale and would make such a cute set.

|| Floral Tunic

The Simonne Cardigan is perfect for Fall.  I own two of these and love them.  They are great to toss on over a blouse or tee.  I wear a medium to have a bit looser fit.  They are 40% off.

|| Simone Cardigan

The Caroline ballet flat is on sale and I love the brown/black combo for Fall.  I heard the Carolines are the most comfortable flats!

|| Caroline Flats

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Lastly The Born Free Collection at Shopbop is now 70% off!  The line is designed by Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Isabel Marant, Marni and several other fabulous designers.  Parts of proceeds to go to help fight HIV.  I have been eyeing many of the kid/baby items and now they are a great deal!  Great to save for baby gifts too! 

Scroll thru to see them all.   Shop all Here

NDM Styles : Fall Patterns Part 2

TGIF Friends.  Anyone have fun plans this weekend?  We have a soccer game for Sterling Saturday and let me tell you it is always comical watching 4 year olds play soccer.   There is much confusion about which goal to kick too:)  Then Sunday we have a birthday party out in the country!  A fun weekend for sure.

I wanted to share a new line of dresses that I came across while browsing Vince Camuto.  The sales people at Nordstrom told me about this dress line called Clove.  I had never heard of it before but now I love it!   Almost all the dresses are under $100 so they are not too expensive.  Plus they are so cute and versatile.

  I really liked the silhouette of this particular dress.  

 It is perfect for church, a party,  or even work if you paired it with a cute blazer.  It is a nice length, as a tall gal I have a hard time finding dresses that are not too short.

(Excuse the same background for the pictures this week I had my mom snap these while I was home:)

Clove Dress | Vince Camuto D'Orsay Flats

The colors are stunning in this dress.

It runs on the tight side so if you don't want it so fitted order up a size.  I am wearing the size 4 with a Spanx slip underneath to smooth things out:)

 I have been wearing my D'Orsay flats all the time.  It is surprising how well the eggplant color goes with everything.

|| Vince Camuto D'Orsay Flats 

The other dress from the Clove line I loved was this plaid shift dress.  I am a bit plaid obsessed for Fall and black and white plaid is always so classic!  This would also look awesome with black tights and knee high boots.

Both of these dresses are Nordstrom exclusives so you can't find them anywhere else!

 Clove Plaid Shift | Rag and Bone Newbury Booties

They didn't have this dress in stock when I ordered mine but I love it.  The floral print is so gorgeous!

|| Floral Print Dress

Almost all the Clove dresses are under $100.  Such a great price!  A few of my other favorites from the line.

This post was sponsored by Nordstrom all thoughts and opinions are my own always.

House Happenings

I know a lot of you wanted a home tour, in light of our ceiling crashing thru the house is not totally up to par to be photographed yet.  I thought I would share a few new things in and around our house in the mean time.

While we were patching the ceiling hole in our den we decided to add some recess lights.  We live in an old ranch house and our den and dining room had no overhead lights.  Totally random, right?  The hole in the ceiling was a good excuse to put in some lights and it made such a big difference.   We also had them installed in our kitchen as well.   The brightness makes the room feel so much bigger!

While he was doing the lighting work we had him go ahead and wire the dining room so we can hang a chandelier.  Problem is I can't make a decision what I want.  This is why home decorating is so hard to me, I can't commit!  These are a few I like at West Elm but they are a bit more than I want to spend.  The last one is the least expensive.  I want something edgy and modern.  Thoughts on a favorite?

Atrium Chandelier |Waterfall Chandelier | Droplet Glass Pendant

Our rug for the screen porch finally arrived thanks to GDC Home.  I went with a Dash and Albert Rug and really like it.  I didn't want a rug to cover the whole floor because I like the slate tiles I just wanted a small one the kids could play on if they wanted.  I bought a fan that was too big so now I have to return it (blonde moment measure first before you buy)  but we are slowly making progress.   Next is hang a fan, some white twinkling lights around the top and a glass door.

|| Dash and Albert Rug (available in other sizes as well)

Here is another view, this was an old mirror that broke that I set out to go to the trash.  The lighting is actually perfect for outfit pictures though!  The space is small but it is the perfect little play area for the kids.  Sterling loves to sit out here and build blocks and legos.

Joie Marlo Blouse | JBrand Grey Jeans | Madewell D'Orsay Flats

I scored big at TJMaxx recently.  I found this awesome silver bulls head for Sterling's room.

$29!!  Such a steal.We are going to hang it this weekend.

I also found these green moss balls.  I had been looking for something to put in the bowl in my bar area and these were perfect for $7.

I have really been loving our new bedroom lamps.  I found them at Celadon Home on clearance but Lulu & Georgia carries the exact same ones.  They also come in a bunch of different colors.

|| Lydia Lamp in Snow White

The cabinet in our kitchen took a back seat to the lighting but it will be done next including some built ins around our fridge.  I figure if I may be in this house for a few more years I need a few updates, I just have to budget!

and because I love Nate Berkus and he is the master of interior design.

Grouper with Watermelon Salsa + Roasted Cabbage

Ya'll this meal was just awesome.  We had it Tuesday night for dinner and we all loved it.  Even Sterling loved the cabbage and usually he is picky about veggies.   I was inspired because in my CSA basket this week it had a head of cabbage and a watermelon and I wanted to branch out from how I normally eat the two.

 I have been hooked on going to our local fish shop to get fish and this week they said the Grouper was the freshest so I used that but any fish could work with this recipe.  We make this salsa often with pineapple but never watermelon.  The watermelon was great in the salsa and paired really well with the fish.  We served the fish with roasted cabbage and man was it good. I don't know why I have never roasted cabbage before but I am hooked now!!  It had great flavor and was a touch crispy it was excellent!  

Enjoy!

|| G R O U P E R + W A T E R M E L O N   S A L S A ||

- 1 - 1.5 pounds of Grouper or any other white fish

- olive oil

- 1/2 small watermelon diced finely (seeds removed)

- 2 jalapenos diced (seeds removed)

- 1/2 red onion diced

- 1 avocado diced

- juice of one lime

Place the grouper on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes depending on size of the fish.  It is ready once you can flake the fish with a fork.

Mix together watermelon, jalapeno, red onion, avocado, lime juice, and salt.  Lightly toss together and let sit while fish cooks.  Spread over fish and enjoy.

|| R O A S T E D  C A B B A G E ||

- 1 head cabbage

- olive oil

- salt and pepper

Slice cabbage into rounds.  Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 400 degrees 40 minutes.

New Beauty Favs | RMS Beauty + Tata Harper

I just recently started trying to take extra good care of my skin.  Since my late teens I have always moisturized and used eye cream religiously but never really thought much about what I was putting on my face or body.  Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs everything we put on it.  It made me really think about the products I was using and made me decide to want to take better care of my skin like I take care of my body.  I eat healthy and exercise to take care of my body, why not do the same for my skin??

I started researching companies that were organic and natural and didn't use any weird chemicals.  

These two companies were constants that I heard nothing but great things and rave reviews about :

RMS Beauty | Tata Harper

I decided it was time to revamp by beauty routine and add some new products.

I wanted to share my favorites from each line with ya'll.  

RMS Beauty

Confession until recently I had no idea this line was based out of Charleston, which I think makes it even cooler.  I stopped by the local office here and it was so neat to see how the business was run and I got to test all the products, which is always fun.

RMS is an organic line, gluten free, GMO free, Soy free, Nano free, and they never test on animals.   They also package their items in recyclable glass with an aluminum recyclable lid....not plastic!

From the RMS website to help better explain the line

 "RMS Beauty breaks away from the pack of natural cosmetics. RMS Beauty products are formulated with raw, food grade and organic ingredients in their natural state, allowing their living, healing attributes to penetrate and rejuvenate the skin. In their purest form, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants and their healing properties remain fully intact, encouraging amazing potential for anti-aging effects. RMS Beauty has also taken extreme care in the use of minimal heat in the manufacturing process of this product in order to keep all nutrients and healing properties alive."

My favorite part about this line is how great the cosmetics felt on my skin.  They are made with unrefined coconut oil and feel so moisturizing!  

  They all are made to be applied with your fingers for good reason.  According to Rose Marie Swift the founder and creator of the line and celebrity make-up guru- skin to skin application is superior. It blends so much better and benefits the skin because it stimulates the blood flow.  Touching the skin encourages skin cell regeneration and turnover which equals beautiful fresh looking skin.

  

These were some of my favorite products that I really recommend.

 Raw Coconut Cream ||  It is unrefined so it is different than the Coconut oil you find at the grocery store. It has not been heated to a high degree which removes nutrients.   It feels like silk.  I have been using it as make-up remover and to moisturize.  Really I want to slather it on m whole body its that good.

Living Luminizer || This stuff instantly brightens up your face.   I swear a dabble under my eyes on my cheek bones and it makes my face pop and not look so tired. 

The Un Concealor || My favorite thing about this concealer is that is made with coconut oil so it moisturizes under my eyes as I wear it.  It also provides great coverage.  In 2011/2012 it won the best of beauty awards in Allure magazine so you know it is legit.

Eye Polish in Magnetic || Normally I use a powder eye shadow and not a cream but I have been hooked on this since I got it. It is super easy to apply and you can make it as light or dark as you want! Plus it stays on all day.  I love the magnetic color it is a great neutral.  I also love the solar color as well.

Bronzer || This gives your cheeks the perfect hint of color.  It gives your skin a natural looking glow and sunkissed look.

Lip to Cheek in Modest || This can be used on your lips or cheeks but I love it most on my lips because I prefer bronzer on my cheeks but that is just me!  This is a great color for during the day it is not too dark.  I am wearing it in the picture below,  the perfect hint of color.

Lip Shine in Sacred || This is the perfect Hot pink!  It is brighter than the Modest but a gorgeous pink!!  I like this for a night out or when I want a little more color.

RMS Beauty has graciously offered 10% off any order thru October 1 with code DBDD10.  A great time to try out their amazing products!   I am hooked and I am sure you will be too!  You can shop their whole site here and read about the products.  I promise you will fall in love with this line!

Time and time again I kept hearing about Tata Harper and how awesome this organic line was and let me tell you it exceeded my expectations!  I was blown away by every product.  They all smell heavenly too.  These products are a bit pricey but worth the splurge in my opinion.  Thru Wednesday if you order from Neiman Marcus you can get a gift card depending on how much you spend use code BET2GET at checkout.

Resurfacing Mask || This was the most raved about product from the line and I am obsessed with it.  I use it about 2-3 times a week and my skin feels amazing after.  You can leave it on up to 30 minutes, it is easy to put on and relax at night.

Regenerating Cleanser ||  This completely got my make-up off and made my face feel so fresh and clean.  It has a light grain in it so it helps exfoliate as well.  I swear my skin never felt so clean after using this.

Restorative Eye Cream || This feels like silk under my eyes.  It reduces puffiness and dark circles and really helps hydrate the eye area.

Floral Essence || I was unsure of this at first but received a sample when I bought my other products and I would buy it again in a heartbeat.   I spray it on before my moisturizer and it makes my skin feel moisturized and vibrant plus it smells so good.

Would love to hear if any of you have tried RMS Beauty or Tata Harper and what products you swear by!