Bootie Rocking

Is it Fall yet? While I love Summer, Fall is hands down my favorite season. I love the cooler temps and Fall fashions are my favorite! I am such a bootie person come Fall. To me they are so much easier and more versatile than knee high boots. They look great with jeans, dresses, and even shorts! I don't buy shoes often, like I maybe buy two-three pairs a year.  I like to invest in shoes that will last me awhile and while some of these are expensive I find it is worth it to occasionally spend a little more money on shoes.  You want them to be comfortable, look good, and last!

I rounded up my top 9 Bootie picks for this Fall. 

SAM EDLEMAN MORIILO BOOTIES- You can not beat the price of these cute booties.  Love the lower heel and detail on the side. 
TWELFTH STREET BY CYNTHIA VINCENT WEDGE BOOTIES- I love a wedge bootie, they are so comfortable and the color of these is perfect.
SAM EDLEMAN SHAY TWO TONED BOOTIES- Another fabulously priced bootie.  The fact that it is two toned makes it so versatile.
RAG AND BONE CLASSIC NEWBURY BOOTIE IN GRAY- I actually own these booties in Gray and they are worth every penny, I promise you!  They fit well and look great with everything.  You can find the Camel Color onsale HERE.
RAG AND BONE HARROW BOOTIES- These are going to be my next booties, I am saving now to buy them.  I tried them on and fell in love with them.  Love the leather strap detail and Rag and Bone never disappoints.
MADEWELL BILLIE BOOTIES- Love the darker color of these booties and I have heard Madewell makes awesome shoes, they also come in black.  
SAM EDLEMAN SHAY BOOTIES- A great affordable black bootie that would go with everything. 
BANANA REPUBLIC RYANN BOOTIE- I have to say I am a big fan of Banana Republic shoes.  For the price they hold up really well and are good quality.  I love the skinnier heel on these, perfect for a dressier bootie.
REBECCA MINKOFF OPEN TOE BOOTIES- These are the perfect booties to wear now and latter with the peep toe.  

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Side note if you need new shoes for your kids Piperlime is having their back to school sale and you can get up to 30% off all kids shoes including sale shoes.  They carry some really great brands so check out the sale HERE.  Don't forget to use code SCHOOL when you check out!

 

 I am getting Sterling these Pumas and Minnetonka Boots

SImple Baked Lasagna

I know, I know there are a million lasagna recipes out there and trust me I have tried many of them. But this one is different, it tasted how lasagna should taste- amazing and fresh.  This is hands down my favorite lasagna I have made. 

 This recipe came highly recommended from my sister who received quite a few lasagnas after her son was born, and this was her and her husband's favorite.   I made it the same day she sent me the recipe. What I like about it is it is relatively easy to make.   You use no bake noodles and you only have to make one sauce, the other layer is sour cream (or creme fraiche).  You do have to chop up a few veggies and cook meat but once the sauce is made and simmering you are good to go.

  

The recipe seems long but once you read it, I promise it is not bad to assemble.  You could easily make two lasagnas out of this recipe in square dishes if you needed to take food to someone or make it in one large dish if you are entertaining.  I promise this will become your new favorite lasagna!

Plus how gorgeous does it look with the tomatoes and basil scattered over the top?  The perfect lasagna I tell you!

:: S I M P L E  B A K E D  L A S A G N A ::

adapted from Jamie Oliver's The Food Revolution Cookbook

Serves 4-6

For the bolognese sauce:

- 2 slices of smoked bacon, preferably free-range or organic (I used the pre-cooked Hormel kind)
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- olive oil

 - 2 heaping teaspoons of dried oregano
- 1 pound of high quality ground beef or pork or mixture of two (I used only beef)
- 2 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
- sea salt and pepper
- fresh basil
- 2 oz of parmesan cheese 

For the lasagne:

- 8 oz dried egg lasagne sheets (I used Barilla No Boil sheets)
- 2 cups of creme fraiche or thick sour cream (I used a 20 oz container of sour cream)
- 4 oz of parmesan cheese (I also added in some shredded mozzarella too)
- 1 large ripe tomato, sliced ( I needed two small tomatoes)
- 4-6 basil leaves

To make the bolognese sauce:

Finely slice the bacon and chop up the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery into small dice.  Place a large casserole-type pan on medium to high heat and add 2 lugs of olive oil, bacon and dried oregano cook until bacon is lightly golden.

Add veggies to the pan and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly colored. Stir in the ground meat and canned tomatoes. (I cooked the meat separately and drained it to rinse the grease off before adding to sauce)

Fill one of the tomato cans with water and add to pan (For future, might not need any added water if the tomatoes came with a lot of juice so add as needed)

Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pick the basil leaves off and put in fridge for later.  Finely chop the basil stalks and stir into pan.  Bring to boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer with lid on for 45 mins, stirring a couple times.  (I had to simmer with lid off because I added too much water)

To finish the sauce:

Preheat oven to 375. Remove the bolognese sauce from heat. Finely grate 2 oz of parmesan into the sauce.

Tear and stir in any larger basil leaves, keeping smaller ones aside for top.  Taste sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.

To make the lasagne:

Grate 4 oz of parmesan. If you don’t use No Boil sheets, boil some water in a pan, then add the lasagne sheets with a drizzle of olive oil and blanch (slightly soften) for 3-4 minutes.  Drain sheets and carefully pat dry with paper towel to absorb excess water.  Spoon a third of the bolognese sauce into the bottom of a overproof dish.

Follow with a layer of lasagne sheets.  Dollop a third of the creme fraiche or sour cream and smooth over the lasagne sheets.  Sprinkle one third of the parmesan cheese. (For future, I will use less cheese)

Add another layer of sauce and repeat with sheets and cheese, ending with creme fraiche and parmesan on top layer.

Top the creme and parmesan (added mozarella here) with sliced tomatoes and small basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  After that, remove the foil and bake for 35 more minutes until the lasagne is bubbling and golden. (Place on a baking sheet in case there is bubbling over)

Obsessions

{SERENA AND LILY PEWTER MERCADO BASKETS}

I am loving these baskets for our nursery.  How cute are they?  It is great you get two to a set.

I would use one for bath toys in our bathroom and one for toys in the nursery.

{JEFFERY CAMPBELL D'ORSY FLATS}

I think these are pretty much the perfect flat shoe for Fall.  I will be getting a pair of these.  Nude + Black is always a good combo.

{BUMP NEST BODY PILLOW}

As I am sure any of your preggos know the larger you get the more uncomfortable it gets to sleep at night.  When I was pregnant with Sterling I just used a King size pillow, but this time the people at Bump Nest were sweet enough to send me a real pregnancy pillow.  This pillow is amazing.  It is the softest most luxurious pillow ever and their pillowcases come in such cute fabrics.  I am pretty sure I will be sleeping with this even after the baby comes- that is if I can get it back from Sterling he is obsessed with it too!

{PIM AND LARKIN PRINTED SHIFT DRESS}

This is the cutest shift dress ever.  As you can tell by my header I am a fan of pink and orange.  This dress would work well into Fall too paired with a cute leather jacket and booties.  Even better it is less than $100!

{JBRAND MARIA HIGH RISE POWERSTRETCH JEANS}

Besides my Rag and Bone Jeans, my other favorite jeans are the high rise JBrand ones.  They sit higher up and suck in all your muffin top- I promise.  I am smitten with this charcoal gray color for Fall.

{VELVET VERNA SLUB STRIPE TOP}

I am a sucker for cute stripe tops.  They look so chic in the Fall.  Especially layered under blazers and sweaters.  Velvet is one of my favorite brands for Tees, they fit well and are so soft.  This tee is a must for me this Fall!

{VELVET LEOPARD PENCIL SKIRT}

Of course after seeing the stripe top with the Leopard Skirt I became obsessed with it.  It is sold out already on Shopbop but I found it on Zappos.  It is the perfect leopard skirt, I love the colors and pattern!  The skirt is a cashmere blend so I am sure it is so comfy and the price is a steal!  I am thinking it might even fit me pregnant because it has stretch in it!

{GAP TERRY MOTO JACKET}

I love the look of this casual jacket.  It looks like tweed but it is Terry.  An easy jacket to toss on over anything.  You can get 20% with code GAPNEW

Scenes From Our Weekend

We had such a productive weekend this weekend. It is a good feeling to get things accomplished. 

First and foremost big thank you to my Dad who painted the nursery for us.  He really is a master painter.  He is so tall he can trim with no ladder and no tape and he paints fast!  I went with Pratt and Lambert's Quartz Moon for our color but halved the strength of it.  It was my first instinct and my mom and sister both picked it in the blind test, so I had to trust my family.  The color went best with the rest of what I envision in the nursery.  I could not be more pleased it is the perfect purple gray.  Here is a peek this is the first coat.

Another big thank you to my in-laws who gave us a King size bed.  Our queen bed was always so cramped with the two of us and we both like our space sleeping.  This literally changed our lives this weekend, I will never go back to a Queen Bed again.  I still need a dust ruffle, duvet, and headboard but for now we are just happy we have a larger bed to accommodate our growing family.  Sterling is already smitten with it and wanted to nap in our room.

Lately I have been obsessed with Thai and Vietnamese food.  If you have any good recipes send them my way.  My mom is equally addicted and every time she is in town we always pick up Vietnamese Tacos from Ban Bah Mi.  If you have never been you must.  The best tacos ever.  Our favorites are the 5 spice pork and beef.

While mom was here we of course hit up an Estate Sale.  Mom is so good at scouring these sales for amazing finds.  

We have trained Sterling well at these sales, this is him patiently waiting to enter.  He was not so patient inside especially when he found the toy room:)

I scored this abstract signed painting for practically nothing.  I mean prices at Estate Sales are so good!  It is hard to see but it is a cream and white abstract and we hung it in our bathroom.

Saturday was a pool and boat day.  I may have fallen asleep on the boat, I have been so tired lately!

We did manage to see another amazing rainbow.  We have had the best luck with rainbows this summer!  As usual once the camera comes out Sterling does not cooperate.

I realized I have entirely too many book on my night table.  Sad thing is I am reading them all.

Sunday I took Sterling to see Smurfs 2 while Matt went fishing with a buddy.  I can not go to the movies and not order buttered popcorn and coke.  It is so many calories but so worth it.

Lastly, I am 6 months along- although I still have a little less than 4 months til my due date. I forget you are really pregnant for almost 10 months and not 9.

I have been obsessed with the brand Riller and Fount for both my pregnancies.  The dress I am wearing is by them and so comfortable.  All their clothes are made out of the softest tee shirt material.

They have the a similar version on Piperlime in Black or Gray. The side rouching is key pregnant or not it hides all lumps and bumps:)

{Riller and Fount Christinia Tunic}

I also own this Kimono Dress by RF and love it.  The black and gray are on sale right now at Piperlime too.  I own the black and live in it!

{Riller and Fount Kimono Dress}

I leave you with this, my child has turned into a picky eater wanting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal.

xoxo

Blog Sale!

Happy Saturday Friends. I am cleaning out making room for baby. Email me at nataliemason24@yahoo.com. Shipping is $5 an item and I will combine shipping if you order more than one item! xoxo 

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG ORANGE SILK BLOUSE

Size= 4

$70
SOLD

GREYLIN HOT PINK SILK BLOUSE 

Size= Small

$45
SOLD

FOREVER 21 BLUE AND BLACK TRIMMED BLOUSE

SIZE=XS (loose fit, fits like a small)

$18

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG BLOUSE

SIZE= 4

$60

JOIE LEOPARD COTTON TANK

SIZE= SMALL

$40

TIBI GEOMETRIC PRINT SHIFT DRESS

Size= 4

$75
SOLD

TIBI SECRET GARDEN RED DRESS

Size= 4

$65

CYNTHIA STEFFE ROYAL BLUE COTTON TANK DRESS

Size=XS (very loose fit, more like a small)

$35

CYNTHIA STEFFE ROYAL BLUE SILK DRESS

Size=4

Dress also comes with a ribbon belt, so you can wear loose as shift dress or belted.

$50
SOLD

SPLENDID TULIP DRESS

NEW WITH TAGS

Size= Small

$115

LOT OF 2 FOREVER 21 SMOCKED MAXI DRESSES

Size= Small

$25

MAX STUDIO OLIVE GREEN MAXI DRESS

Size- XS

$30

GAP T-SHIRT MAXI DRESS

Size- XS (runs on the large side more like a small

$35
SOLD

EVERLY GREY MATERNITY DRESS

NEW WITHOUT TAGS

SIZE= XS

$45

Non-Maternity Maternity Style

I am officially six months into my pregnancy and besides my JBrand Maternity shorts (shop HERE), I have bought no maternity clothes.  This time around I vowed to buy no unnecessary maternity clothes.  There are so many options now for regular clothes that will fit us preggos.  I have nothing against maternity clothes, but they are expensive and I have a hard time justifying spending that on something I will wear less than a year.  Why not buy regular clothes that you can wear before and after the baby? 

The picture above is from last week, I am actually 24 weeks this week (yay)!  I wanted to show it because it is my standard pregnancy outfit.  A loose blouse + Jean Shorts.  I live in that outfit, switching up the tops but always my jean shorts!

 Matt used to always joke before I got pregnant that I dressed like a pregnant woman.  Truth is I love loose blouses, shift dresses, maxi dresses,  and tunics, that is just my style and it has served me well this pregnancy because most of my clothes still fit.  My go to brands that are great for pregnancy and after are Joie, Rebecca Taylor, Vince, DVF,  and Tibi.  They are timeless brands that yes, are bit a expensive but last forever and always look chic.  

I will say you probably do need to buy maternity bottoms.  You can't really get away with regular bottoms with a huge belly!  JBrand is my favorite.  I have these jeans from when I was pregnant with Sterling and then bought the cut-off shorts this time.   I love this JBrand Color for Fall and these White jeans for Summer.   You don't need many bottoms just wear the same ones.  I honestly wear my same jean shorts everyday.  I tried the Old Navy ones and no comparison the JBrand ones are so much better.  They fit better and are just more comfortable!  Better to buy one pair of nice shorts than 5 pairs of shorts you don't really love.  Leggings are also a good idea.  Otherwise you can just rock your maternity bottoms with cute loose blouses or wear loose maxi dresses.  I do also love a fitted dress as well- show off that bump!

I rounded up a few of my favorite non-maternity pieces that you can easily rock while pregnant and then still still wear them post baby!  Just scroll thru to view them all!
(I own the Rag and Bone Dress, JBrand Jeans,  Vince Top, and Vince Dress- recommend them all!)