Leggings: Two Must have Pairs for Fall.

Leggings you either love em or hate em and I absolutely love them. First and foremost they are comfortable which is always nice. Plus I think they make for a really cute fall outfit. A few of my favorite leggings outfits (now if only my legs looked like Blake's):

I recently found two pairs of leggings that I am smitten with and I know you will be too!    I have found you don't want leggings that are too loose and have no structure that is just plain unflattering. Both of these leggings fit like a glove.  So far they are the best leggings, I have tried but I am always open to suggestions!  Since I am 9 months pregnant I won't scar your eyes with pictures of me in the leggings but just trust me they are amazing.  Both are a little on the pricey side for leggings but I swear they are worth every penny!

|| SPANX READY TO WOW STRUCTURED LEGGINGS ||

These are great everyday leggings,  they suck you and are so flattering.  I love the waist band at the top it really sucks you in and flattens out your tummy.  They run true to size, I ordered a size small.
They are a cotton blend and super comfortable.

|| DAVID LERNER CLASSIC COATED LEGGINGS ||

I have wanted a pair of coated leggings forever and these came highly recommended.  They are super comfortable, I am actually able to still wear them pregnant.  They come in black, espresso, and merlot.  I went with classic black, and they also run true to size I have a size small.  They don't have quite as much structure as the Spanx but I still found them very flattering.  Great for a dressier pair of leggings.

Choosing tops to go with leggings can sometimes be a struggle, I rounded up a few of my choices.  The key is to find tops that hit at your hips or a touch longer.    I love sweaters or loose blouses with leggings. 

Vince Dip Dye Oversized Sweater | Equipement Stripped Sweater (on sale) |  David Lerner Leggings | JCrew Leather Pocket Sweater |  Vince Double V Tee |  Vince Cashmere Cardigan |  Joie Marlo Blouse |  Joie Crush Sweater

I am living in leggings this last month of my pregnancy so I have to sing their praises!

xoxo

Spicy Black Bean, Green Chili, and Manchego Enchiladas

 I am trying to jump on board with Meatless Mondays. Now don't get me wrong I could eat vegetarian everyday,  it is the hubs who likes meat with his meal.  He claims he is hungry an hour later with no meat and not satisfied.  But I am trying to keep him healthy much to his dismay, so we are trying out meatless Mondays.  This week I decided to make Spicy Black Bean Enchiladas.  I thought they were awesome and Matt even remarked for health food they were very good.  They were super easy to whip together- most time consuming task was dipping the shells in the sauce and rolling them up.   You could easily add more veggies or meat to this mix but I thought they were good just with the black beans.  Such an easy week night meal full of flavor!

|| S P I CY  B L A C K  B E A N,  G R E E N  C H I L I  & M A N C H E N G O  

 E N C H I L A D A S ||

Recipe adapted via

Ingredients

• 12 small corn or flour tortillas (I used flour)
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 28-ounce can red enchilada sauce, such as Las Palmas
• 1/2 cup grated manchego cheese + more for topping (or sub another Mexican cheese, such as Cojita or Pepper Jack) (I used a mix of Manchego and Mexican Quesadilla Cheese)
• 1/4 cup light sour cream or greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
• salt and pepper to taste
• Topping Options: Diced green onion, cilantro, avocado, salsa, sour cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and position a baking rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Combine black beans, green chilies, sour cream, cumin, chili powder and 1/2 cup manchego cheese in a mixing bowl. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
3. Warm 3/4 of the enchilada sauce in a large shallow pan over low-medium heat.
4. Pour enough enchilada sauce to also lightly coat the bottom of a 9×13 dish. Swirl to coat and set aside.
5. Using your hands or tongs, carefully dip the tortillas in the warmed sauce until both sides are well coated. Transfer the tortilla to the baking dish, scoop in 2 Tbsp of the black bean filling and roll up. Place seam side down and continue until the pan is filled – should be about 8 enchiladas.
6. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and use spoon to make sure all parts of the tortillas are evenly coated. Top with a bit more cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
7. Serve with toppings such as avocado, guacamole, sour cream, green onion, cilantro or lettuce.
8. Will keep in the fridge for a couple days. Reheat in oven

Obsessions

|| CHINESE LAUNDRY EASY DOES IT D'ORSAY FLAT || 

I lucked up and found a pair of these Chinese Laundry flats at TJMaxx and I now I am obsessed with them and want another pair.  They are so comfortable and look cute with everything from dresses to skinny jeans.   Mine are a snakeskin so I want a more solid color this time.  They are a steal at $59!  I can't say enough great things about these flats.

|| BB DAKOTA V PATTERN SWEATER||

Another gem of a sweater from BB Dakota, I swear they are killing it this year!  This would look great with black skinny jeans or leggings.  It looks so comfy!

|| J BRAND MARIA HIGH RISE POWER STRETCH JEANS ||
My mom just got a pair of these high waisted JBrand jeans and they are so flattering!  They sucked her in and made her look so thin.  I swear high waisted is the way to go!! They are top on my list post baby when I can fit in regular jeans again!  Really dig this green/charcoal color for Fall.

|| GOLD IKAT DESSERT PLATES ||
There is a good chance I may be in the hospital over Thanksgiving delivering our baby or I will have a newborn at home, so why I am planning Thanksgiving table scape ideas is beyond me, but I love these gold ikat dessert plates.  They would look so pretty with pumpkin pie on them:)  They would be great for Christmas too!

 || REBECCA TAYLOR ARTISANAL A LINE DRESS ||
I have been stalking this dress forever and it is finally onsale for 40% off!  Really want to snag her to save for a few events we have next year!

 || LANSTON BF MINI DRESS ||
This dress is so awesome and such a great price.  Love the blush color, but it also comes in black too! Such a great dress for everyday wear.  I would pair mine with my gray Rag and Bone Booties just like the model.

|| OLD NAVY TASSLE TOTE ||
I have heard nothing but rave reviews about this tote from Old Navy.  It comes in 5 gorgeous colors and is the perfect size and price!  All the reviews say it feels like real leather and looks real.  Love the turquoise and tan colors.

|| ASOS LEOPARD SHIFT DRESS ||
I can't stop thinking about this leopard dress I spied on ASOS.   I have two leopard dresses already but can one ever have too much leopard??  It is such a fabulous style.

Currently Crushing on: T by Alexander Wang + Winner

I am no stranger to the T by Alexander Wang line. But lately it has become my newest obsession. The pieces are so well made, fairly affordable (almost everything is under $250)  and super flattering. 

On Thursday night I attended an awesome fashion show at Hampden Clothing.  I stopped in there the day before to get the girls to help me with a cute outfit.  Dressing the bump at this point is a struggle but I refuse to buy maternity clothes this late in the game.  I wanted something I could wear pregnant or not.  I fell in love with this T by Alexander Wang Dress the second I tried it on.  I think my favorite thing about his line is how comfy his clothes are.  This is the softest dress ever!

It is a great dress for pregnancy and after because it is so stretchy.  I found my dress at Hampden so if you are a local stop in there in and try it on, it is also online on their website but looks like there are only two sizes left.  You can also find it HERE from Revolve Clothing and Saks in black instead of gray.  It would be such a great dress for the Holidays paired with a glittery necklace and fun tights!

I got a size small for those curious so I could wear it post baby.  It is very stretchy so size down if you are between sizes.

|| T by Alexander Wang Long Sleeve Mohair Dress ||

 Here is what the dress looks like on a not pregnant lady for those curious.

I also tried on both of these Alexander Wang Dress at Hampden.  They are fabulous black dresses with such versatility.  I highly recommend checking them out if you need a black dress.  Added bonus they are so comfortable!!  I really wanted both of them!

Black Sleeveless Mohair Dress || Black Cowl Neck Dress

The fashion show at Hampden Thursday night was so fun.  There are some amazing clothes there for fall.  I loved this look.  Such a great Holiday Outfit!

Here are some of my other T by Alexander Wang favorites.  I own the twisted skirt and love it.  Such a great versatile skirt.  All his pieces are well made and such classic pieces you can mix in your wardrobe easily.  I highly recommend you check out his line!

Lastly the winner of the Social Dress Shop giveaway is Jenny Hancock! We will contact with you details about your new clutch! 

xoxo

The Best Clutch Ever by K Slademade + Giveaway

Don't you just love when you find a clutch that is so perfect it is all you want to carry?? Well that is how I feel about my K Slademade clutch.  I am obsessed with it. You might remember it from my shower pictures, I carried it then.

I also carried it last night to a fashion show at Hampden Clothing- more details on that tomorrow or Monday!   It has become my go-to clutch!
My stomach is about big enough to be a shelf to sit things on:)

I choose the royal blue and surprisingly it goes with everything!!  The clutch is made out of the softest leather ever and you can fit so much inside of it.  You can carry it folded over or not.  I love the colored detail at the zipper and the tassle.

If royal blue ain't your jam it comes in 4 other equally gorgeous colors.  It really is a steal for a gorgeous leather clutch.

ROYAL BLUE |  PALE PINK | CAMEL | JADE JEWEL | RED POPPY

Lucky for all you gals Social Dress Shop is giving away one of these pretty clutches in any color you choose!  Just follow the steps below to enter!  You have til Sunday at midnight to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't want to wait and see if you win the clutch,  you can buy it now with 25% off.  Just use code FALL25 when you check out.  Trust me you want to snag this purse while you can with the discount, I am obsessed with mine.  It would make a Christmas Gift too.

 The discount actually applies to all merchandise, so take advantage of the 25% off this weekend and get to shopping.  A few of my favorites from Social Dress Shop.  I own the BB Dakota Noland Dress, The Pink Stitch Maxi, and the Black and White Line and Dot Dress and they are all favorites of mine at great prices!
Happy Shopping and Happy Friday!
xoxo

  div

Latest Beauty Obsession: SW Basics

Let me start by saying this is not a sponsored post, I actually paid for these products and tried them on my own- not that I would be sad if SW Basics wants to send me some free products to try:)  I just truly loved these products and wanted to share my find!

I will be the first to admit I am not very adventurous in the beauty department. I usually find something I like and stick with it. Well I was reading US Weekly (yes I subscribe and love celebrity gossip, Friday is my favorite day because my US Weekly comes) and it was talking about a line Gwyneth Paltrow loved, so I knew I needed to try it.  The company is SW Basics.  The article said GP loved their body scrub and I am a sucker for a good body scrub so off I went to browse their site.

I browsed the SW Basics site for awhile and was very impressed.   First of all everything is super affordable.  It is all made with very simple ingredients and they list the ingredients right on the front of the bottle- nothing hidden.   SW Basics is based out of Brooklyn and they pride themselves on being all natural and using the purest quality products around.  All of their ingredients are either certified organic, Fair Trade, or sourced from small family farms.  All of the ingredients are things you can pronounce and have heard of, nothing weird. I loved everything about their site plus I loved the simple sleek look of their packaging.  I am a sucker for a pretty bottle.

 I finally decided on and ordered 4 products to try:

|| BODY SCRUB ||

Of course I had to try the main product my girl GP recommended.  This body scrub is so coarse which I love, it really exfoliates well.  It is not quite as oily as some scrubs more grainy.  It smells like coconut which is so luscious.  I have been keeping this is my shower and using it all over my body.  It makes my skin so soft afterwards.

 || FACE CREAM ||

I debated about ordering this because I am pretty loyal to Cetaphil but decided why not?  This actually turned out to be my favorite product I tried.  It smells heavenly and really coats and moisturizes your face.  I only ordered the small jar and wish I had done the larger one.  It is great for dry skin.  The cream is really thick so I feel like it really coats my skin well and seeps in.

|| EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER ||

Lately I have just been using my coconut oil to remove my make-up.  I smear it on my belly for stretch marks and then use it to take off my make-up.  While it works great sometimes it can be clumpy and get in my eyes.  I loved this make-up remover and will definitely be buying it again.  It is oily but I feel like it moisturizes yours eyes at the same time as removing your make up.  and it did remove all my make-up.  I am hooked on this stuff.

|| LIP BALM ||

I threw in this lip balm at the last minute because well, I was already paying shipping and it was only $1!  I tried the citrus and peppermint and loved them both.

I highly recommend you visit the SW Basics site and try their products out.  I am pretty smitten with mine and sure I will be a regular customer of theirs!
xoxo

 

Butternut Squash, Bacon and Arugula Quiche

This quiche is amazing. One of my favorite quiches I have made yet. Even Sterling gobbled it up although he made me pull out all the greens (arugula)- what is it with kids and green veggies? Anyways the combo of bacon, butternut squash, and arugula is pure genius. Such a great flavor combo. It is the perfect Fall quiche.  Add in lots of cheese and you have yourself one tasty meal.

 I made a few changes to the recipe mainly that I used microwave bacon instead of cooking my own- this saves so much time and mess.  Then I roasted the butternut squash instead of sauteing it.  I think roasting veggies brings out more flavor.  I denoted my changes in pink so you can choose how you want to make it!
Enjoy!

|| B U T T E R N U T  S Q U A S H,  B A C O N,  A N D  A R U G U L A  Q U I C H E ||
recipe adapted via

• 1 pie crust
• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 2 cups chopped butternut squash
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 eggs, whisked
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 3 handfuls fresh arugula, whole or roughly chopped
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay prepared pie crust in an ungreased pie plate. Bake for 5 minutes, then set aside.

Cook bacon in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving grease in pan. (I omitted this step and used microwave bacon instead)

 Add butternut squash and onion and saute for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the squash is tender. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute. Remove from heat. ( I roasted the butternut squash at 400 degrees for 20-25mins tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper.  I sauteed the onion and garlic while it roasted.)

In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the sauteed vegetables, arugula, cheese, and cooked bacon, and stir until well combined.

Transfer the quiche filling into crust, and use a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (I always cover just the crust part of my quiche with foil to prevent it from burning).

Quiche will rise while baking, but should settle back down once you remove it from the oven. Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve warm.