Sterling's Style || Vince Kids

Did you guys know Vince made a kids line??  I honestly had no idea until Nordstrom asked me to take a look at the line.  I love all the Vince pieces I own personally, they are a splurge but you can usually find them on sale and they always fit so well.  The kids stuff is no exception either, great quality and pieces you can mix and match in your kids current wardrobe.  Nothing is showy or flashy, it is all classic.

I let Sterling pick out his clothes from the Vince kids line and he was thrilled and actually I have to give him props he choose really well.  I think this outfit is super cute.

He takes his modeling very seriously:) and how grown up does he look in this picture??

Vince Colorblock Sweater | Vince Tee | Vince Twill Pants (on sale) | Babiator Glasses | Converse Shoes

He really wanted me to include this picture with a lady bug he found.  Such a sweet little heart and we consider finding a lady bug good luck around here.

The tee he is wearing is super soft.

The sweater is so darn cute.  I love the stripe down the side.

The pants fit really well.  We have a hard time finding pants that fit Sterling right, he has long skinny legs and I hate when pants are too baggy.  These fit him great.  

|| Twill Pants

Nordstrom just started price matching too, which means if they see the same item for cheaper they will match that price, so several of the Vince items are marked at 50% off right now.

A few of my other favorites from the boys line.

and because this is what happens after you ask a four year old to pose for more than a few pictures.

Vince kids also has some cute girl stuff- none in Frances Moon's size though it all starts at 4T and up.  Scroll thru to see my favorites. 

This post was sponsored by Nordstrom  All thoughts, opinions, and outfit choices are my own always!!

NDM Styles || Lafayette 148 Two Looks

This past weekend we had glorious weather.  I mean picture perfect.  It was cool enough to bust out some Fall clothes and that made me really happy.

This white tee and sweater combo are a favorite of mine once the cooler air hits.  If you need a plain white tee to wear under sweaters or alone, I swear by this one.  It is thicker so it is not see through, it is the perfect length, and not too tight.   I am wearing a size small, but it runs on the large side I honestly might could have worn a petite.  It also comes in black which I would love to have as well.

Lafayette White Tee | House of Harlow Necklace | Rag and Bone Jeans | Rag and Bone Booties 

Ray Ban Mirrored Aviators

I love the side detail with the side slit.

If you need a great neutral sweater to go with all your colored jeans, look no further.  

I like it paired with the white tee peaking out- plus in Charleston it gets hot quickly so I can ditch the sweater and still be comfortable in the white tee.

|| Drop Hem Sweater

It is such a great neutral color.  I love the material and the stitched detail as well.

Second look from the same line, Lafayette 148 is this gorgeous blouse.

Lafayette Blouse | JBrand Jeans (same style different color) | Rag and Bone Harrow Booties

Such great warm colors for Fall.  I just to went to link to this blouse and looks like it sold out already- bummer but you can shop all the other Lafayette blouses here, and there are some gorgeous ones.

I also love this blouse and it was just marked down 40% off.  I would pair this with black skinny jeans and booties.

|| Clara Blouse

If I were wanting to splurge big time, this ombre jacket is on my wish list.

|| Ombre Jacket

The great thing about the Lafayette 148 line is that is can be worn for work or play.  I absolutely love this look for work but then the fact that the blouse would look awesome paired with jeans for the weekend.

Silk Blouse | Skirt

 The Lafayette 148 Line is carried at Nordstrom, it is on the more expensive side but the quality is amazing.  This stuff will last you for years.  Quite a bit of the Lafayette clothing is on sale right now, so it is a great time to buy!  and remember Nordstrom always offers free shipping and returns, that makes your shopping that much easier.

A few of my other favorites:

This post was sponsored by Nordstrom.  All thoughts, opinions and outfit choices are my own always.

Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

I always love a good lasgana and this recent fall like weather had me craving one even more.  Lasagnas are not the easiest meal to make, they require several steps but man are they worth the extra effort.  Plus you have leftovers for days.  I kind of made this recipe up from a mix of lasgana recipes I found online, a hybrid if you will.   It turned out awesome, even Sterling gobbled it up and I never know what he will eat.  This is good with the chicken but next time I may make it with sausage instead because everything is better with sausage.  Matt said he thought it could use more artichokes, I only used one can so next time I will use two cans.  Otherwise it was rich, creamy and full of great flavor.

Enjoy!

|| C H I C K E N  A N D   A R T I C H O K E   L A S A G A N A ||

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small white onion diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 rotisserie chicken shredded

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ( or a mix of basil, parsley, and oregano)

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, well-drained and chopped

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups Italian blend cheese or Mozzarella

1 beaten egg

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, stems removed and thinly sliced

1 pound lasagna noodles

 White Sauce

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

dash of nutmeg

3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 5 minutes.  Once onions are translucent add in chicken, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and artichoke hearts. Cook about 5-7 minutes and remove from heat.
2.  In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, 1 + 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, the egg and spinach and set aside.
3. In a large, heavy duty saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 3 - 4 minutes, whisking often. Slowly whisk in milk, turn heat up and bring to a simmer.
4. Maintain a simmer for 4 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat down to low and stir in nutmeg, Parmesan cheese and a pinch or two each of salt and pepper, continue stirring until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
5. If using dried noodles cook according to package directions.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch casserole pan.
7. Add a very thin layer of sauce over bottom of the pan, then a layer of noodles covering the bottom completely from edge to edge. Spread 1/2 the ricotta mixture evenly from edge to edge then top with 1/3 of the chicken mixture followed by 1/3 of the sauce.
8. Cover the filling with another layer of noodles followed with the remaining 1/2 of ricotta, 1/3 of the chicken and 1/3 of the sauce.
9. Cover with another layer of noodles followed by the remaining sauce, the remaining chicken mixture and the 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
10. Bake 45 - 50 minutes until bubbly and hot in the middle.

Obsessions

|| Annie Bing Long Sleeve Dress ||

This dress is pretty much amazing.  Love the color and detail.

|| MLM Tunic ||

I am always looking for longer tops to pair with my leggings in the Fall- because as one reader so kindly pointed out your crotch needs to be covered when wearing leggings:) This one is a great length and I love the crisp white paired with black.

Piperlime is offering 20% off Fall items use code FALL20.

I really love this JOA Cardigan.  The bold pattern makes such a fun statement.

It is a great price already but even better with the 20% off.

|| JOA Cardigan||

|| Madewell Sweatshirt Dress ||

My mom just bought this sweatshirt dress and it made me promptly order one.  It is soft and cozy.  A great casual dress.

 || Farmhouse Turkey Platter ||

Matt and I always host Thanksgiving at our house.  We both love to cook and he makes the best turkey.  I have been on the hunt for a pretty serving platter for our turkey and I think this one is the winner.  It is plain and modern and I like that.  It will really show off the turkey.

|| Michael Kors Slim Runway Watch ||

Yes please to this sleek looking watch.  I love the nude leather strap paired with the rose gold face.

 || Lou and Grey Peppered Silky Sweatshirt ||

I have recently become a huge fan of the Lou and Grey line at Loft.  It is chic lounge wear at a great price.  I tried this top on in the store and loved it!!  I loved the abstract pattern.  It is silk but feels incredibly soft. It would be great for work or play.

It also comes in this burgundy color that is so rich and gorgeous for Fall!

|| Lou and Gray Silky Sweatshirt in Burgundy

|| DV Canary Bootie ||

These booties are a steal at under $100 and super cute too.  They also come in brown and nude.

 

|| Rachel Pally Sissy Top ||

If you need a black top that will go with everything I highly recommend this one.  I bought it last year and I am still loving it. It is lightweight and easy to wear all year round.

|| JBrand Mid Rise Jeans ||

My favorite jeans are back in stock so get them while you can.  I never thought I would love a cropped jean so much.  These look great with flats for now and then ever cuter with booties. They really are my favorite jeans as of lately.

 

Scenes From Our Weekend

Let me start by saying we had the best weather this weekend.  It was sunny and the air was crisp- it was just perfect!!

Since October 1st marked the beginning of breast cancer awareness month,  I have been sure to wear my pink. 

Did you know:

-In the U.S., 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

-Every 19 seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with breast cancer.
-Every 15 minutes, a woman dies of breast cancer in the U.S.
-When breast cancer is detected early in the localized stage, the 5 year survival rate is over 95%.
-It has been estimated that if every woman over the age of 50 had her yearly mammogram, breast cancer deaths in this age group would drop by 25% or more.

Scary facts but we can all work together to fight this disease.  Tieks wants to join in the battle and help spread awareness.

 I love the ballerina pink Tieks that they were kind enough to send me.  They are the perfect shade of pink and so comfortable.  Tieks are my go to flats, I always love their color selection.

|| Ballerina Pink Tieks

I enjoyed the most delicious grilled Cobb salad from Butcher and Bee.  I want to try and grill my lettuce now too.

I finally got around to organizing my photos and putting them in albums.  I had a stack of photos sitting out for a good month that needed to be put away.  I came across this picture of Sterling at 10 months around the same age as Frances now and it was crazy to me how much they look alike.  Little twins.

If you are size nine go to TJMaxx in Mt Pleasant and buy these Vince shoes.  I really wanted them but they just weren't practical for me but I sure do love them.

Sterling had another soccer game on Saturday and had his pictures taken before.  I am dying over how cute these are.

I went and looked at fridges for our kitchen and I think I narrowed it down to this Samsung one. I have never bought a Samsung appliance though curious if anyone has?

I can't wait to have a double door fridge with extra space.

Frances figured out where our snack drawer was and was so proud of herself.

I stopped by the 20th Birthday celebration at Celadon Home.  Champagne and home shopping is always fun.  I want to find a spot for that killer purple rug.

Enjoyed happy hour with my parents since they were in town visiting.

Whipped up a delicious spread paired with an excellent Hess wine my mom brought.

  I got my latest wine club shipment on Saturday.  I love Wine Awesomness and highly recommend it.  I do the three bottle mixed pack each month but there is a 6 bottle option as well.  You can do all white, all red, or mixed.  I always love the wines and they are usually ones I have never tried before.  You can sign up Here to get 30% off your first order.

Found these two in bed together Sunday morning just giggling. It was the sweetest thing ever.

New snack obsession.

Lastly, I am teaming up with a wonderful group of ladies for a Fall giveaway. I don't do giveaways often but this is an awesome one with $500 cash and some other great goodies (I love the plaid scarf)!

Your hosts for the giveaway are:

Whitney English, Shay of Mix and Match Mama, Megan of Honey We're Home , Erin of Blue Eyed Bride, Courtney DeFeo,

Nina of According to Nina, Ashley of Fancy Ashley, Carrie of the Carrie Grace Shop, Megan of In This Wonderful Life and Heart and Home Collection, Tara of Between You & Me Signs,

Enter Here to win!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Truth.

Children's Book Review With Fran Hawk

 I am excited to announce a new series I will run on Sundays with reviews of children's books.  I am such a book nerd and love sharing my joy of reading with the kids.  We have quite the book collection but I am always looking for new ones to add.

In comes Fran Hawk.  Fran Hawk is my sister in law's mother in law (try that for tongue twister) and one of the smartest, sharpest women I know.  She is a literary genius.  She is an author and used to write a column for the newspaper here in Charleston.  I cant say enough great things about her.  She knows her books so I know you will all love her recommendations too!  

I will let Fran take it away!

 Are you bored witless by the picture books you read to young children?  Do you comb through the library and bookstore shelves looking for children’s books that are actually interesting? You are not alone!     I just finished wading through a stack of new publications.  Out of about 50 new books for children, I only found a handful that I could recommend with my conscience intact.  Why and/or how do so many blah books get published.  I don't know.

Here are 4 of my favorites from the current crop:

 “Little Boo” by Stephen Wunderli is a gentle story for pre-schoolers about a pumpkin seed that wants to be scary.  It’s a challenge to add anything new to the slew of Halloween books already available, but “Little Boo” is original.  He has to wait through the seasons until he grows from a seed into a pumpkin.  As a jack o’ lantern, he is scary indeed.   

  “The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma” by Diane and Christyan Fox is a new take on the familiar “Red Riding Hood” story for children ages 4-6.  As Cat tries to read the story aloud, Dog interrupts constantly.  He wants a plot filled with superheroes and special powers.  He questions motives and makes suggestions to “improve” the tale.  Hilarious!   

  “Hope Springs” by Eric Walters is a serious picture book for children ages 6-9.  It’s based on the true story of an orphanage in Kenya where drought threatened the lives of all living things.  This compelling book conveys the concepts of generosity and generosity of spirit in ways that deeply connect with children.    

 “Rags, Hero Dog of WW I: A True Story” by Margot Theis Raven is a riveting picture book written for children ages 6-10.  Rags is a stray little mutt who becomes a soldier’s best friend as World War I rages on French battlefields.  He courageously delivers messages from the front lines, and brings a bit of cheer to the fighting men.  Rags served in three major campaigns of WW I.  He saved many lives and was inducted in the Legion of Hero Dogs.     

These books are a start to banishing boring

.Fran Hawk