Friday, June 3, 2016

Style Files Vol 10 | The Little Black Dress

The little black dress.  Something all women need in their closet.  A dress you can feel good in and wear for many different occasions.  I LOVE black.  I think it is super flattering and the perfect backdrop for some fun jewelry.

This little black dress is a recent find and perfect for any occasion dressy or casual.  It is under $200. 

What I am Wearing:

I love that the dress is two tiered making it a little different than other black dresses.  I also love the pleating detail.  It has adjustable straps, is fully lined and is really comfortable.  Sizing wise it runs slightly on the large side, I am wearing a size XS.  

My tassel obsession continues.  These shoes are so comfortable and I like that they have a lower heel.  Sizing wise they run TTS,  I went with my normal size and they fit just fine.  They also come in a black version but for some reason I always prefer a nude sandal.

 I know I show this purse all the time but it is one of my go-to purses.  The size is great and I love the fringe.  It is available in 4 new colors right now.

I mentioned this jewelry line called Nakamol a few weeks and I decided to order a few pieces to try.  This necklace was a keeper.  I am a sucker for turquoise and I love it paired with the black background it makes it pop!  It has adjustable straps so you can adjust it to the length you prefer.  You can't beat the price either, it is under $60.

Oh and if you want to try a fun new lipstick for the Summer I really recommend this Nars lipstick from the "Audacious" line.  It seriously stays put all day!  I am wearing the Greta color but I just saw their is a color named Natalie that of course I need to try next! 
While I love my black version this dress also comes in hot pink which would be so fun for the summer!



The dress came from the Vince Camuto line at Nordstrom.   I really like the VC line, I find the quality is good and the price range is usually always under $200.    I am kind of obsessed with this woven purse.  It comes in 2 other colors too!


A few other favorites from the Vince Camuto Line.
Scroll through to see them and you can click to shop.




My Outfit Details:



Thanks to Nordstrom for partnering on this post! 



Thursday, June 2, 2016

Garden Veggie Pie + Favorite Cover-Up Back in Stock


This little delicious pie is like Tomato Pie but better.  Matt and I both agreed that we loved the addition of the squash and zucchini.  It has been on repeat around here lately.  The roasted veggies give the pie so much extra flavor.  This is such a great way to use up extra veggies and tomatoes that are so abundant right now.  You can easily make this ahead of time and just let it sit in your fridge til you are ready to bake it.  Keep an eye on the pie crust as it bakes because it has a tendency to burn.  If it does I sometimes cover it with foil.  Let the pie sit about 10-15 minutes before slicing it or it will be super messy.
We like to serve ours with a green salad or side of beans like peas.
Enjoy!


|| G A R D E N  V E G G I E   P I E ||

- 1 pie shell (in the refrigerated section)
- 2 zucchinis sliced
- 2 squash sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced thinly
- 4 tomatoes sliced
- 1 cup mayo
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- basil sliced very thinly

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the sliced zucchini and squash with olive oil and salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet in one layer.  Roast about 20 minutes until they have softened.

Meanwhile slice the tomatoes and then lay on paper towels to absorb the extra liquid.  Let them sit for 20 minutes while the squash and zucchini cook.

After you remove the zucchini and squash from the oven place the pie shell in a pie baking dish and then bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Mix together mayo with 1 cup cheddar cheese and 1 cup mozzarella.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir in 1 tablespoon hot sauce.

Arrange one layer of zucchini, squash, onions, tomatoes and sprinkle basil.  Spread with half the mayo mixture.  Set aside about 5 pieces of squash/zucchini and 2 tomatoes slices for the very top.  Then layer with the remaining zucchini, squash, red onion and tomatoes and spread the rest of the mayo mixture.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese.  Then arrange the few saved squash and zucchini slices around the top and place tomatoes in middle.  Sprinkle with basil.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30-40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Let stand about 10-15 minutes before slicing.


.....................................................................

One of my all time favorite cover-ups is now back in stock in several new colors.  I have the black version and love it.  It is so incredibly soft!  
I wore the black short version to the pool yesterday:)  Oh and that doughnut float is the kids favorite!

It was also just released in this tank version as well.
They both also come in longer versions as well.   My sister gave me the long hot pink version for my birthday and I loved it so much I ordered the shorter black version.  Honestly they make great night gowns too they are that soft!  None of the styles are over $100.










Wednesday, June 1, 2016

All About The One Piece

The One Piece.  It's what I am all about after having kids.  I still wear a bikini but I feel so much better in a one piece when I feel like all my extra flab is sucked in.  Plus I just find they are more practical when dealing with kids in the water.  You don't have to worry about your top coming down or any other wardrobe mishaps.  There are so many amazing options right now.  


One Pieces


Row One

Row Two

We spend a lot of time at the pool and beach in the warmer months so I have accumulated quite the selection of one pieces.  Some styles and brands I love more than others and I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite styles.

I bought this after I had Sterling and 6 years later I still wear it often.  The top is padded and offers support so it helps your boobs not to look saggy which is always a plus post babies.  I find the rouching in the stomach area really helps to give the illusion of a flat tummy and is flattering.  Sizing wise I have an 8 in this suit.  It most bathing suits I order up from my normal size.  A 6 would probably fit me now since I bought the 8 right after I had Sterling and still was not back to my normal size.  But the 8 works and I was also able to wear this while pregnant with Frances.



I have mentioned Marysia swim on here many times but it is truly one of my all time favorite swim wear lines.  Fun fact she used to live Charleston when she was first starting her line and I had the pleasure of meeting her!  Yes, they are on the expensive side but I feel it is worth the money.  I feel like a million bucks in her bathing suits.  I do try and watch for them to go on sale it makes the purchase not sting quite so much if you can find it on sale.  

Sizing wise I wear a small in her suits.  I am typically a medium in swim suits but after visiting Everything but Water and actually trying these suits on it really helped me get a feel for her sizing.  The sales person assured me a medium would stretch out too much and to go a size smaller than what you think you need.  She was totally was right, the small fits perfectly.  These suits are fully lined but they do not have padding.  You can have own padding sown in if you feel you need it.  Typically Everything But Water has pads they will give you for free if you ask and you just have to have someone sow them in.   I find the halter style offers enough support though and I don't miss the padding.




This Stripe version is currently on sale.

There are several other Marysia styles on sale right now on Net a Porter.   Scroll through to see them all and you can click on the image to shop.





I am contemplating this gorgeous one piece.  I am a sucker for a good black one piece.



This Mara Hoffman is one of my favorite cut-out styles because it doesn't show too much skin.  I usually wear a medium in her suits.  

This pattern is currently 30% off, I have it in the navy color.

I also like this Micheal Kors version I just bought for this Summer.
and it's on sale right now too making it under $75.  I am wearing a size 6 in this style.


The One Piece gotta love it!







Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Scenes From Our Memorial Day Weekend

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.  I am always so thankful for all those men and women who fearlessly serve and protect our country everyday.   Land of the free because of the brave. 


A few snaps from the past few days.
A little happy hour spread from Thursday night when we hosted our neighbors Rick and Gary for dinner.  This Sauvignon Blanc is a new favorite.  Super light and crisp.
We just adore Rick and Gary.  If you ever need a photographer they rock, they snap my blog pictures often we always have a blast!
What I wore:
Tee Shirt Dress (use code WEEKEND to save 30%) | Necklace | Sandals | Tote

Friday I spent the day organizing my jewelry in this new acrylic case.  It is so nice to have it all organized and in one spot.

This dress I ordered last week arrived.  I wanted to wear it over the weekend but of course all it did was rain.  It is made out of really light cotton and it is fully lined with a built in bra.  I just love the bright, bold colors. 

That night we took the kids to the yacht club because we knew the weather was going to be yucky the rest of the weekend.  So happy we got to spend one evening outside enjoying the beautiful weather. 


I am wearing the Mara Hoffman Swing dress I shared over the weekend.  It is still on sale!

We managed to catch a stunning sunset.

Saturday morning Sterling and I went on a quick run before the down pour started.  This beach is about a mile from our house so we frequently run (well I run and Sterling rides his bike) here and stop to look for shells and shark's teeth.
That afternoon I took the kids to see the Angry Birds movie.  I have to admit I was dreading seeing that movie I really don't like the angry birds but I was pleasantly surprised it was really cute.

Sterling had a friend spent the night that night and I snapped the cutest picture of them in bed.  It almost looked like they were holding hands while they slept.

Breakfast at our favorite spot Bagel Nation the next morning.
I love the Denver Bagel.

That night we headed to my parents for happy hour with a few of their friends who were in town visiting and then to dinner with our friends.
I made this easy app:  Prosciutto + Melon + Mozzarella.

My mom snapped the best picture of us, I swear it is rare that we are all looking at the camera.  This one is a framer!
What I wore:
Blouse | Necklace  (if you love local the blouse and necklace came from Beckett Boutique)
Monday morning I tried out another new recipe from Chrissy Teigan's cookbook.  French Toast Casserole with Salted Frosted Flakes.  It was good but so rich and heavy.  We did however love the salted frosted flakes on top! 
I also wanted to share one of my favorite cover-ups is back in stock this year.  I packed it last year for our trip to St Maarten and I will be packing it again.   I can't believe in 3 short weeks we will be back there!

Have a great day!  I am off to the gym and starting a detox diet before our vacation- too much indulging lately!  Lots of clean eating ahead:)