What's In My Bag

Guilty confession, my US Weekly Magazine is one of the highlights of my week.  I have always loved celebrity gossip, so when it arrives in the mail I am one happy camper.  I love the page, What's in my Bag,  where the celebrities share what they keep in their purses.  For some reason this always fascinates me.  While I am no celebrity I thought it would be fun to share a peek in my purse. 

Disclaimer.  This was taken after I cleaned my purse out.  Common items in my purse are spare change, crumpled receipts, crushed food, and trash.  But that stuff is no fun to look at.

Also note I used to keep diapers and wipes in purse but now that Frances is older and I don't change her diaper as often I just keep a few in my car. It makes my purse so much lighter without them in there.

Purse | Annabel Ingall

I am frequently switching purses but this is one of my favorite everyday purses.  It has so much room and I love the look.  I have the larger size.

Also comes in Tan | and Military

Gucci Wallet- My wallet is almost 6 years old and still kicking it.  I used my Christmas money one year to buy it during an after Christmas sale and still love it.

Gigi Notebook- I always keep a notebook with me.  I am super old fashioned and like to write to-do lists, grocery lists, and ideas down.  I like this leather binder because you can refill the pages and use it year to year.

Wet Hairbrush- If you don't have one you need one.  This brush saved my life, and works wonders on my tangled hair.  I keep it in my purse more for the kids.  I feel like I frequently need a brush for them.

Altoids- I hate gum, never chew it but I love a good strong mint.  Helps knock out bad breath if you have it.

Car Keys- love my tassel key chain.  

It makes it so easy to find my keys in my purse, plus it's cute!

Hand Sanitizer- a must especially now that the kids are back in school!  Germ Central.

Ray-Bans- I always have at least one pair of sunglasses in my purse.  These are my new favorites.

Contact Travel Case-  I have major contact issues.  They are constantly watering and irritating my eyes so I carry this case with me in case I need to remove them while I am out.

Sheseido Powder- Hands down the best face powder ever.  It provides such smooth and even coverage.  I always toss it in my purse before I leave in case I need a touch up.  It really makes your skin flawless.   I use I20 for those curious about colors.

Beauty Counter Rose Water Spray- The perfect uplifting spray.  This is great if you travel often.  Just a spritz refreshes your face.

Make-up Case

Inside my make-up pouch I keep lipsticks and perfume.

Beauty Counter Rose Lipstick

Beauty Counter Scarlet Lipstick

Stila Lipstick in Betsy

Chanel Lip gloss (the best lip gloss ever)

Jo Malone Peony& Blush Perfume (this is the perfect small size perfume for your purse)

I also always have snacks in my purse for the kids.  They are always hungry all the time!  Veggie chips for the kids and I love the Trader Joe's individual nut trail mix packs.  They are the perfect small snack on the go!

What do you keep in your purse that I don't and need to?

Loving Lately

 || Beauty Counter Scarlet Lipstick

The perfect red for Fall.  What I love about Beauty Counter lipsticks besides the fact they have no weird chemicals in them is that you can wear them as light or as dark as you want them.

If you don't want red. Rose is my go to for everyday wear.  I am loving the Scarlet color lately though.

|| Colleen Rothschild Detox Mask

 I love a good mask and try to do one at least once if not twice a week.  Tata Harper had been my favorite, but this one is coming in a close second.  I have been using it a few weeks now and can such a difference in my skin.  It is made with charcoal and clay which are so great for un-clogging pores and detoxifying the skin. 

|| Old Navy Plaid Dress

I picked up this dress this week and just love it.  It also comes in Navy plaid.  I like the looser fit and you can't beat the price at $25.  I am wearing a size small.

|| Ladies of London

Anyone else excited this show started back??  I am hooked.

|| Loft Autumn Blouse

I picked up this blouse last week while I was in Loft.  I loved it so much I bough the black color too.  It is a great loose blouse and I love the ruffle at the bottom.  

|| Boom Chicka Tropical Popcorn

I have my friend Nicola to thank for getting me addicted to this stuff.  It is so good.  So far Target is the only place I can find it.

|| Sonia Cactus IPhone Case

You might have noticed my new Iphone case in my pics.  I fell in love with the cute cactus design:)

|| Monserat De Lucca Clutch

I am loving this cute clutch.  It comes in gold or silver and is only $45.

|| Vince Camuto Poncho Cape 

I saw this in the Nordstrom magazine and fell in love with it. I love the colors and the pattern.

|| Steve Madden Raela Pump

I love these Steve Madden Pumps, especially the tie detail.  They come in 5 colors but I really love the nude.

|| Nest Hearth Candle

I love any and all Nest Candles.  This one smells like Fall/Winter and I just love it.

These always make a great hostess gift.

 

|| Loft Calf hair Bracelet

I will adding this to my Fall bracelet stack.  Love the leopard and gold.  It also comes in a black leather as well.

Kale + Brussels Sprouts Salad with Curried Nuts | 3 Day Juice Cleanse

First things first I have a new recipe.  This recipe is an attempt to recreate one of my favorite salad recipes.  I am obsessed with the kale and Brussels salad at Tavern and Table, a restaurant here in Charleston.  It is so good, I dream about it.  Every time my mom is in town we always hit up Tavern and Table just for this salad.  I decided to try my hand at making my own version and it came out exactly like the original.  I was thrilled I can now make my favorite salad at home!

The curried nuts are my favorite part of the salad.  You could make a whole batch of them just to snack on.  They are addictive.  The combination of the kale, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet and spicy curried nuts, tart granny smith apples and salty pecorino cheese is out of this world good.  The salad is best the day you make it but it will save in the fridge for at least a day.  If you keep the ingredients separate it will save even longer. I enjoyed this as my lunch but if you wanted to serve this as a dinner I would simply pair it with some grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish

Enjoy!

|| K A L E + B R U S S E L S  S A L A D  W I T H   C U R R I E D  N U T S ||

- 1 head of kale de-stemmed and chopped

- 1grany smith apple, sliced thinly

- 1 bag Brussels Sprouts, quartered

- 1 jar Marcona Almonds

- 2 teaspoons honey

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 3 teaspoons curry powder

- pecorino cheese

Wash the Brussels Sprouts and cut into quarters.  Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees about 20-25 minutes.  Pull and set aside.

For the Curried Nuts :

Toss the nuts, melted butter, 2 teaspoons curry powder and honey in a bowl until nuts are coated.  Pour on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees about 12-15 mins, stirring the nuts frequently.  Pull from oven and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon curry powder and let them cool.

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing:

( I ended up doubling this) 

- 2 tablespoons tahini

- juice of 2 lemons

- 1 garlic clove

- 2 tablespoons water

- salt

- cayenne pepper

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. 

Place the kale, Brussels sprouts, apples, and nuts in a large bowl.  Pour the dressing over and mix well.  Add the pecorino cheese to taste.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

3 DAY JUICE CLEANSE

Several of you asked and wanted to know how my juice cleanse went.

  I had never done a juice cleanse before but always toyed with the idea of doing one.  So when Blend Juice Bar (my favorite juice spot in town) reached out about doing a cleanse I was all over it.  It was perfect timing after my trip to NYC and a fairly indulgent Summer. 

Why did I do the Cleanse?

I did the cleanse not to lose weight but to re-set by body.  After a glutinous Summer,  I felt like my appetite was out of control and I just felt super bloated.  I wanted to flush my body and try to curb some of the cravings I was having.  I was feeling the need to snack frequently between meals and wanting something sweet after each meal.  I also just felt tired most days.  I wanted to change that.

Was the cleanse harder or easier than I thought it would be?

The cleanse was honestly easier than I thought it would be.  The hardest part was controlling my mind.  The juices actually kept me pretty full but my mind kept thinking about food and just wanting to chew on something.  Food was all I thought about for those 3 days.  It made me realize I eat a lot out of boredom and just to chew.  Since the cleanse I am trying to be more mindful about what I eat. 

Day One

The first day went really well.  Each juice tasted better than the next one.  They were such different flavors it really kept me satisfied plus I looked forward to trying what juice was next.  The white juice, which was a cashew/coconut water/cinnamon blend was so tasty.  Sterling tried it and claimed it tasted just like cinnamon toast crunch. 

I love how Blend has labels on each juice so you know exactly what is in your drink.  You drink them in a certain order and I loved all 5 of them.

I have tried several of the juices like Suja that you can buy at the grocery store and these fresh pressed ones taste so much better and they cost roughly the same.

Day Two

I woke up and felt great.  I had so much energy and my mind just felt clear and not foggy.  Before the cleanse I would wake up so tired and now I was having so much more energy.  Day two was harder than day one mainly because I just wanted to chew something.  I caved that night and ate one carrot and one piece of celery before bed.

Day Three

Once again I woke up and felt great.  I actually woke up before my alarm even went off.  So much energy.  Around lunch time I got super spacey and felt really weak.  I also got a killer headache. I ended up eating later that day because I just felt so out of it out.  Not sure if you are supposed to the eat the same day you finish your cleanse but I did.  A few hours after I ate my headache went away and I felt much better.

Results and would I do it again?

I would 100% do a juice cleanse again.  I would however probably just do a 1 or 2 day cleanse.  By the third day I was ready to be done.  I lost 4 pounds, 2 of which I have already gained back as I figured I would because it was water weight.  I do feel less bloated and I have been much more mindful about what I eat. The craving sweets after every meal is gone. I don't feel the need for dessert everyday.    I feel like the cleanse really helped clean out my body and flush out toxins.  I peed so much those first 2 days and my pee was completely clear so I know I was super hydrated.  Since the cleanse I have tried to drink way more water. Overall it was a great experience.

Blend Info

For locals that are interested in doing a cleanse, you can call Blend or go online to order.  It was so easy each day I just stopped by and my bottles were in a cooler case in the fridge near the front door ready to go.  They offer three different cleanses : Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.  I did the Beginner Cleanse which costs $50 a day.  If you don't want to do a cleanse you should stop by Blend anyways and try one of their juices or smoothies- my favorites are the green juice and green smoothie! I also love the wheat grass and Nature's Flu shots.

*Blend did not compensate me to write this post but they did graciously give me a free juice cleanse.  All thoughts and opinions are purely my own.

Scenes From Our Weekend

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.  The weather was amazing here this weekend.  Crisp and cool in the mornings and not too hot during the day.  It made me so excited for Fall.

Friday morning I witnessed the most beautiful scene.  Firefighters, police officers, and residents walking the bridge in honor of 9/11 victims.  It was so moving to see this 14 years later.  We will never forget that day.

Friday night we took it easy and grilled out.  We did Shrimp kabobs and I made Ina Garten's Crispy Iceburg Salad.  The recipe is under my recipes tab.  The homemade dressing really makes the salad.  I love the crunch of the radishes and celery.  It is one of our favorite salads.

Saturday morning I headed out to the Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms with two girlfriends.  Sometimes when you are a local you forget about awesome spots in your own town.  I am trying to make more of an effort to explore local spots.  

The interior of the resort was decorated perfectly.  I loved these lights.

The weather was overcast but we decided to eat lunch out at the Cabanas anyways.  It was not too hot and the Cabanas were covered so it was such a nice spot.  Living the good life lounging in our Cabana.

Rocking my new Jcrew Sunglasses

Sandals are 50% off in gold version

We ordered several different things from The Sea Island Grill to try off their menu and they all were awesome.  We had the lobster rolls, pimento cheese toasts and charcuterie board.  They were delicious and the presentation was gorgeous.

After lunch we all had massages.  The last time I had a massage was 2 years ago when I was hoping it would induce labor with Frances Moon.  Massages are such a treat.  It was the most relaxed I have been in forever.  I loved this cool rain wall in the spa.

Rows and rows of Oribe.  I love their products. 

My favorites are the Texturizing Spray and Hair Masque

After our massages we headed back to our cabana for a glass of wine and afternoon snack.  

Such a lovely time with these two!!

Saturday night I headed to Kiawah to spend the night with a few of my best friends.  I put my phone away and didn't take one picture all night but we had a blast!  We ate at Jasmine Porch and had cocktails at the Sanctuary.  Such a dreamy spot.

Sunday I was so excited to see these cuties.

Breakfast at Bagel Nation has become a weekly thing for us.  We love that place.  Matt and I are hooked on the Denver Bagel.  Their homemade cream cheeses are all so good.  My favorites are the Veggie, Spanish Olive, and Jalapeno Cheddar.

I have to share this picture of Frances Moon with her baby doll.  She takes it everywhere, it is so sweet.

Have a great Monday!

Weekend Style | Casual Friday

Happy Saturday Friends!  I am off for a fun filled girl's day.   Lunch out at Wild Dunes followed by massages and then a dinner out at Kiawah! 

I wanted to share a favorite casual outfit today. 

 I mentioned this tank two weeks in my favorite tee shirts post.  It is the best.  The jeans are another favorite.  They are 6 years old and I still love them.  They sit higher up on your waist and suck in the flab. I actually own two pairs I love them so much.

The purse I bought this week at Loft after eyeing it for awhile.  I couldn't resist after it was on sale + extra 40% off.  It is a great everyday tote and comes to $27 after the discount!

Sunglasses | Rag and Bone Tank | Seven Jeans | Joie Sandals | Necklace 

Purse 40% off ends today (use code FALLSTYLE)

and this is me smiling waiting for my first meal post juice cleanse:)  Can you tell I am excited to eat!

You can also see a closer look at my necklace, it is a new favorite and great for layering.

Have a great weekend!

Thoughts For Friday

Yippee for Friday!! Even though this was a short week for some reason it still felt long to me.  

This weekend we are having family game night tonight (our Friday night tradition) and Saturday I have a fun girls day planned with an overnight stay at Kiawah!

This week Frances started school.  She will be going 3 mornings this week.  I am happy to have a few hours alone and she loves going and playing with her little friends.

I of course could not resist a leopard book bag for her.  

Several of you asked about her bubble.  I bought it at a local store here called Open House, but found the seller on Etsy as well HERE. | Moccasins

Matt and I started the series Narcos.  When Matt suggested it I was like um, no thank you but after episode one I was hooked.  We have already watched half the season.

For the past 3 days I have been doing a juice cleanse.  I have never done one before but always wanted to.  After an indulgent Summer I was ready to cleanse. Next week I will share all the details and how it went for me.  I wanted to share my new manicure color that coincidentally matched my juice exactly.  

Nail Color is OPI A to Zurich and shoes are Steve Madden (similar)

Last weekend I finally got to try out a new Restaurant near our House, Ellis Camp Fish House.  It was so delicious with gorgeous views.

I highly recommend the fried okra and portobello fries.  

My mom snapped this picture before dinner.

T-Bags Blouse (on sale in pink) | Jeans (under $100) | Purse 

Since Loft started their 40% Fall event I stopped in yesterday for some goodies.

Lots of cute stuff!  Everything is still 40% off use code FALLSTYLE.

This blouse is the perfect blush shade and I finally snagged the tote I had wanted.

Blouse | Tote

A view of the blouse on.

These two are so ready for Halloween.  Skeleton jammies are in full effect.

New sandwich obsession, the Turkey Brie Croissant at Brown Dog Deli.  Simply amazing.

There are so many things I love about Sterling and remind me of me when I was little.  Lately he has been laying out his outfits before school right down to the socks and it just makes my heart melt.  I used to do the same thing before school.  He is an organized fella like his mom:) 

These Rack Room Batman shoes have been on major repeat.

I finished reading Jennifer Weiner's Who do You Love and loved it.  Now I am reading Luckiest Girl Alive .  So far I am loving it.  I read Reese Witherspoon just bought the rights to make it into a movie.

I can not believe it has been 14 years since 9/11.  Praying for all those today who lost loved ones on that horrible day.  I still remember so vividly what I was doing when the planes crashed. It will forever be ingrained in my mind.  Never forget.

Have a great weekend!