Green With Envy

She did it again. Gwyneth choose the perfect dress for the Bambi Awards in Germany on Thursday. Girl can do no wrong fashion wise in my opinion. She went with a sparkly emerald green number from the Ellie Saab 2012 Spring Collection. Emerald is one of my favorite colors and that paired with a plunging neckline and sparkles is truly perfection in my book. I sure wouldn't mind having this dress for a Holiday Party!

Photos via: Fashionawards.com and JustJared

Thoughts for Friday

TGIF Lovelies. I am so happy it's the weekend mainly because my parents get into town Sunday. I can't wait to see them and put my Dad to work around here (wink).
I am super excited because my Design Icon Celerie Kemble just came out with a new Design Book called Black and White. I have her book To Your Taste and it is one of my favorite coffee table books. I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

It is filled with so many beautiful and inspirational design pictures. It is making me want to do a room based around black and white in our house. Love the simplicity and freshness of it.

I am thinking about making these 7-up Biscuits this weekend. My brother-in-law made them for us last weekend and they were incredible! So light and fluffy. Plus they are on the smaller side so you don't have to feel guilty about eating more than one! They are so easy to make and delish with butter and honey. I highly recommend!

Is anybody else completely sick of hearing about Kim Kardashian? I mean were we really shocked when she ended her marriage, not at all. But 72 days is ridic, all marriages are hard in the beginning and take compromise, something I think Miss Kim is not so good at.

And if you have not watched the SNL skit "Fairytale Divorce" please do yourself a favor and watch this. I was laughing out loud!

I can't stop thinking about this DVF Top and Parker Dress. I have convinced myself I need them for the holidays. I am thinking the top would be more versatile so I would get more wear out of it but I sure do love the sparkle of the dress! Which do y'all vote for?

DVF Florina Blouse, Parker Faux Wrap Dress
I was just reading Town and Country last night and found out Truffle Oil actually has no truffles in it. The magazine said "Truffle Oil doesn't have any truffle in it. The ingredient is called 'truffle essence' or 'aroma,' neither of which is regulated by the FDA. It's bismethane, which costs pennies to produce." I am so shocked we eat Truffle Oil all the time and now this make me reconsider it a bit. The info came from a book called "Mycophila" and it is filled with interesting facts about mushrooms. Another tidbit is the Italian White Truffle costs $3,000 per pound! Pretty interesting facts about shrooms (not to sound like a nerd or anything:)!


I know this may make me a cougar at the ripe old age of 31 but Man do I love Zac Efron. Look how gorg he is in this picture. You are welcome for this dose of Friday Eye Candy.

I will leave with this quote I found on good ole Pinterest and it made me laugh, so true!

Sputnik Stalker

Last week it was the Atoll Mirror, which by the way I added to my Christmas List for the rents. Fingers crossed that will be sitting out for me from Santa come Christmas Morning! This week I'm stalking the Sputnik Chandy. I am thinking it plus the Atoll Mirror will be the perfect additions to my house. Just look at her in all her awe and glory. Have you ever seen a prettier chandelier?

I love the idea of the two over the kitchen counters or even over a bed. But I am thinking I would put mine in our dining room. We need a light in there desperately and I think good ole Sputty would look perfect. Where would you put yours? And anybody know where I can find a deal on one? Only place I seem to find good ones is at 1st Dibs, and that my friends is out of our budget!

Photos via william miller design, pinterest, google, apartment therapy, msn, coco cozy

Tuscan Kale Salad

I have to give my girls Kelli and Lisa at Bud and Leo credit for this delish recipe. They featured this recipe last week on their blog and I have eaten it everyday since I saw it, except Saturday! I tend to be obsessive about my lunches. First for months it was my Chopped Greek Salad, then it was the Vegetable and Hummus Tart and now it's this Kale Salad. I am beyond obsessed with it, I seriously crave it everyday. I think perhaps my body is telling me I need to eat more leafy greens.

This salad is super simple but the flavors are amazing together. The red pepper flakes provide the perfect bite, while the lemon is light and fresh, the cheese smooth and creamy, and the breadcrumbs provide some crunch. I eat mine with lavish chips and hummus because let's be real I need a little more than just a salad at lunch! Enjoy!

**A few recipe recommendations on my part: I only use one garlic clove and it gets it pretty garlicky. I also recommend letting the dressing sit on the salad for 10-15minutes. The kale does not get soggy and it helps soak the flavor in. I use Panko Breadcrumbs because umm who has fresh breadcrumbs just sitting around? Use cheese that is cut in shards not grated, more flavor in my opinion!**

Tuscan Kale Salad

Ingredients:
4-6 cups Kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves with midribs removed
Juice of 1 Lemon
3-4 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, mashed
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Hot Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (Rosselino variety if you can find it) or other flavorful grating cheese such as Asiago or Parmesan
½ cup freshly made Bread Crumbs from lightly toasted bread

Directions:
Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

Top photo courtesy of 101 Cookbooks

And for all my shoppers Neiman Marcus is having their FIRST CALL SALE right now. This is my favorite sale, all the designer stuff is 40% off. I always stock up at this sale!

and SHOPBOP is also having a huge sale. We are talking up 70 percent off. So go get your shop on today!

And I almost forgot I am guest posting over at Liz's Beautiful blog With A Little Style and Ease sharing an amazing lasagna recipe. You are def gonnna want to make this recipe for the fall, check it out HERE.

Happy Humpday!

Obsessions

TORN BY RONNY KOBO ALICE NATIVE DRESS
Do y'all read Luella and June? If not you are missing out on some fabulous fashions. I have been contemplating buying this dress ever since I saw Bradley wearing it last week. How amazing does she look in it? It screams the perfect fall dress for me! I love the pattern and how cute does it look with a jean jacket? I think it would also look great with a cropped leather coat.

BANANA REPUBLIC ZOE GATHERED BOOTIES
I have been on a real bootie kick this fall. I love them because they are so versatile. They look great with jeans but just as cute with dresses. I was surprised to find this pair at Banana that I love. The gathered detail gives them that perfect edge.

KENDRA SCOTT RINGS
I am a huge fan of all Kendra Scott Jewelry and I am especially lusting after these rings. I love the vintage feel, they remind me of a few of my grandmother's rings I have. Best part her jewelry is super affordable! I think these would be perfect to wear to all the upcoming Holiday parties!

Marxis Ring, Razina Ring, Rocco Ring

FASHION HUNTERS
Please tell me I am not the only one who watches this little gem on Bravo. I have to give Bravo some props they can suck me into any reality TV show. If you haven't seen it, this show is about 3 girls who run an upscale consignment store. I mean people bring in Louboutins and Birkin bags, it's pretty ridiculous. Now that Rachel Zoe has ended for the season this is my new guilty pleasure.

LEMON WATER
I have really gotten into drinking lemon water everyday. I try to start my day off with hot or cold lemon water depending on my mood. I have read numerous articles about how good it is for your digestive system. Check out this list here for the top 5 reasons to drink lemon water.

Weekend Happenings

How is it possibly Monday already?? I feel like our weekend flew by, probably because it was jam packed!

Friday we had a low key evening. I made a big pot of Paula Deen's French Onion Soup. It is always amazing! The recipe is under my recipes tab if you have never made it. I highly recommend it, it is cheap, easy and so tasty!

Saturday we had some pictures done for our Christmas Cards by my girl Julia- sneak peek to come later. But here is one shot of Sterling in his adorable outfit. We had to bribe him to cooperate with raisins so if you get one of our Christmas cards it will mostly likely have a box of raisins in it!

Later that day we had a birthday party for one of Sterling's friends Oliver. The kids got to go to the fire station and had so much fun. Not sure who loved it more Matt or Sterling! I'm not kidding Matt talked to the firefighters forever and was pretty eager to hop in the front seat!

Then I was off to a Bachelorette party for my dear friend, Alissa. We started with Champagne and pureed fresh strawberries- amazing. I highly recommend you try this instead of mimosas, such a great twist. My sister in law pureed the strawberries in her juicer but I think you could use a blender too.

Then we headed to my favorite wine bar Bin 152.

They have an amazing wine list and the most delicious Cheese and Charcuterie plates. I was in heaven.

Somehow later on into the evening I ended up doing alot of these! I mean that's what Bachelorette Parties are all about right?? It was a good idea until the next morning....

We had such a fun time and I was super happy to have my sister in town to hang with us. She is always my partner in crime!

I will leave y'all one with one OOTD from this weekend. Ladies if you don't have a Tory Burch Cardigan you need one. I have one in brown and red and they are my favorite sweaters. So versatile and always look chic!

Tory Burch Cardigan, JCrew Talia Blouse, Seven "The Skinny" Black Jeans, Micheal Kors Pumps
Oh, and thanks to the time change this nugget has woken up at 5:30 the past two days. I was not a happy Mommy this morning! But it is hard to stay angry at this sweet face. Any suggestions on getting kids adjusted to the time change are welcome!