Follow Friday

I love this lady's style. She's definitely up there on my list of someone's closet that I'd like to raid. I also like that her outfit pictures always include up-close shots to jewelry and accessories that make the outfit complete!

curvy girl chic

 

Tasty Thursday

My dad's side of my family is 100% Italian - my great grandparents were 'off the boat' and my grandma holds up family tradition each Sunday by making a huge lunch for me, my siblings, my dad, uncle and aunt.
Last Sunday, a few hours after we finished eating and cleaning up, we had to take her to the ER with chest pains and they found an aneurysm in her heart. She was discharged today and the first thing asked was if my sister and I could make lunch this Sunday because none of us want to miss it!

Since it's her heart that's being affected, she's on orders to be on a low-sodium low-fat diet so I'm trying to search for some recipes that cater to it! These broccoli chips look so yummy and I think I can tweak some things (ex eggs -> egg beaters or something along those lines) so that she can enjoy it.

Baked Broccoli Chips

Ingredients:

Broccoli stems sliced into thin coins (as many as you like)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

a shallow bowl of egg wash (1 egg plus a splash of milk whisked together)

A good dash of salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper (mix this in with the panko crumbs)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the broccoli stems into thin coins.

Prep your egg wash and panko mix (panko crumbs + spices).

Dip the coins into a bath of egg wash and then coat them in the panko mix. Next, place them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until coins are tender and fragrant.

(TONS of additional pictures on Keep It Simple Foods)

curls

Like I mentioned on Sunday's post, I got my hair permed this past weekend!
My hair is normally pretty dull and flat and all the products in the world can't get it to hold a style, much less a curl. I didn't want a full head of ringlets so I asked my hairdresser to do a body wave perm. I was a little worried for the last few days because my hair looked like I was stuck in 1980 but I think it just needed some time to relax.

And now finally I have curls that hold!
(I tweeted this earlier) but it really is funny how something as simple as changing your hair can make you happier, more confident, etc, etc.

Sorry for the cheesy myspace style pictures. Blame my blackberry.

Tuesday Trends

Jumpsuits! We've gotten a few styles in at work and I was bummed out thinking that a short girl could never pull it off - until I saw a girl shorter than me try one on and look awesome! I love rompers but have trouble finding one that doesn't make my tummy look like I'm carrying a baby haha

I love that topshop has jumpsuits that look like 2 piece outfits!

Music Monday

One of the top 40 radio stations here has been playing this song non-stop. At first I was thinking "mehh I don't want to listen to a sad song while I'm driving around" but after listening to it a few times, I find myself belting out the words as I around town. As cliche as it sounds, there are just certain songs where you hear them and think "yeah, this is what I'm going through right now!" and for me, this song is perfect.

What do you think?

lazy sunday, as usual.

I had a pretty low-key weekend, as usual. On Saturday I decided to go crazy and get my hair permed, but not in that "hey it's 1980" kind of way. My hair is usually pins-straight and I'm never able to get it to hold any style, let alone a curl. My hairstylist suggested I get a body wave perm for volume and hold, but she also said I'd have to wait a few days for full results! So I managed to take a picture and not include my hair in all it's perm-y messy bun glory.

Rocko's 5month birthday was this past week! Not really cause for celebration or anything, but I like being able to sort of track how big he's getting. 

Follow Friday

Syracuse was lucky to have a "warm spell" yesterday and today by getting all the way up to 50 degrees! Even though it's supposed to go back down to single digits by tomorrow, I'm ready for spring and everything that comes with it, especially the gorgeous flowers. I linked to Jenny's blog a few weeks ago for her yummy homemade tomato soup recipe, but I wanted to have her on a 'follow friday' post to show off her creativity with food and crafts.

How adorable are these tulip cupcakes?

This looks fantastic

Yes please.

Tasty Thursday

I love, love, love smores. Smores ice cream, smores candy bars (that aren't made anymore, sniff) and now I can try smores cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

(courtesy of Lovin From the Oven)

Tuesday Trends

I'm not sure how I feel about this week's trend of mixing patterns. At work, my visual managers are always dressing our mannequins with polka dots and stripes, plaids and florals, and somehow they always look good! I'm tempted to try but am afraid one wrong move and I'll look like a hot mess.

A tip from Lauren Conrad's book, Style, suggests that if you're going to mix patterns, you need to match similar colors and contrast the size between pieces.

What are your thoughts on it?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rocko is my valentine, of course. (not the best picture of him - my mom makes me put a sheet on her couch when he's on her side of the house pshh and he just rips it off haha). 

Normally I'm that grumpy girl on Valentine's Day that doesn't want to see anyone holding hands, kissing, cuddling, whatever. But for some reason, this year I'm just...content with being single. Maybe this is a sign of growing up, I don't know. I've got my amazing family, my sweet little pup, and I'm about to graduate from a program that I've learned so much from. 

So to all the ladies, single or not, Happy Valentine's Day! Be thankful for what you have, and don't be sad by who/what you wish you had.

Follow Friday

Inspirafashion

 

Atlantic - Pacific

Tasty Thursday

I found this recipe last weekend when the internet was buzzing with superbowl food ideas and now I wish I had had a superbowl get-together so I could've made it!

Buffalo Macaroni & Cheese 

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound (16 oz) elbow macaroni 
1 small onion, finely chopped 
2 stalks celery, finely chopped 
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
3/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce (preferably Frank's. If you are worried about the heat factor add half the amount)
2 tablespoons  flour 
2 teaspoons dry mustard 
2 1/2 cups half-and-half 
1 pound (16 oz) yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) 
2/3 cup sour cream 
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (found in the grocery store next to regular breadcrumbs) 
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain. 

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half and add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth. 

Combine the chicken mixture, cooked pasta, and cheese sauce and toss to combine.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. 

Best served immediately.

Source: Adapted from the Food Network

(Courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything)

interior love

Senioritis has gotten the best of me! Living at home and only taking four classes is making me one lazy lady! On Mondays and Wednesdays I only have one class and it almost takes longer to drive there & back than actually sitting in class - so I decided to take a personal (lazy) day today.

Instead, I'm hanging out watching law&order and repinning out my heart's desires on pinterest!
My apartment stayed cute & tidy for a whole day - as many times as I put away his toys, Rocko strews them all over the place! He's just about 5 months so he's beginning his teething phase and chewing everything.

So while my homey space goes through the puppy phase with us, I'm drooling over these interiors.

Case of the Mondays

The picture says it all! I can't believe it's already the second week in February and only a week away from Valentine's Day! This month is definitely going to fly by.

I've been waking up every morning for the last week and a half with stomach aches and eating makes it worse! My mom is convinced I have the flu in some strange basic form but I feel fine aside from my darn tummy. Anyone have any remedies?

Music Monday

D.R.U.G.S.

(Destory Rebuild Until God Shows)

Blessings often come in disguise, and the formation of Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (D.R.U.G.S.) is a perfect example of how the ending of one experience can be a transformative stepping-stone toward something greater. Case in point: When front man Craig Owens was let go from the Michigan based post-hardcore band he’d fronted since 2001, he was faced with an uncertain situation. Instead of dwelling on it, he turned that energy into the motivation to create a new project that would eclipse anything he’s done in the past. “Over the last 12 months I’ve done a lot of growing as a human being, as far as figuring out who I am,” he explains. “The idea for this band stemmed from the fact that I wanted to do this right; I wanted to make the biggest band I possibly could, and that’s exactly what I’ve done here.”

Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows is an exciting new musical project that pairs Owens alongside other musicians who have undergone similar experiences, and join forces on a mission to create something vital and new. “I wanted to put together all of my closest friends and the best musicians I possibly could, and begin a new project where we all could start fresh,” Owens explains. To round out the band, he selected Underminded guitarist Nick Martin, From First To Last guitarist Matt Good, Matchbook Romance drummer Aaron Stern and Story Of The Year bassist Adam Russell. While this group of rock veterans had never played together as a unit before, they had an undeniable chemistry from the moment they first got together in the same room. 

http://www.facebook.com/drugs

http://www.myspace.com/drugsband

http://decaydance.com/artists/drugs/

I'd rather watch the puppy bowl

Happy Sunday!

Although I'd rather watch the puppy bowl & movies, my sister came up from school (and by that I mean she drove a whole 20mins) so we can make some tacos and watch the superbowl tonight (I'm more excited for the commercials).

How are you spending your superbowl sunday? Who would you like see win tonight's game?

I guess I'm rooting for the Steelers, even though my uncle is a diehard packers fan.

Follow Friday

First Impressions

Maria effortlessly puts together gorgeous vintage inspired outfits & takes pictures in the cutest locations!

  

No Fashion Victims

This gorgeous lady hails from Finland, so make sure your browser is capable of translating the text! I love her hair (and wish mine would look as flawless!) and it's always fun to see how fashion translates across the globe.

Tasty Thursday!

One of the things I like about pinterest (aside from the organizing!) is that people repin a lot of amazing looking food & links to the recipes. I think most people can agree that grilled cheese & tomato soup is such a comfort food for any occasion - chilly days, bad days, etc. I can't say that I've tried any other tomato soup other than Campbells, but this picture alone makes me want to make some from scratch.

Tomato Basil Soup

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes

2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned

parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the crushed tomatoes.  Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up.  Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well.  Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar.  Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.  

To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil.  Serve topped with parmesan cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich.

(credit: http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/01/recipes-tomato-basil-soup-best-grilled.html)

Pinterest

If you're like me and obsessed with weheartit, you'll love pinterest!

I have so many bookmarks and picture folders full of images/links of pictures I've found on weheartit and the only thing that bugs me is that I can't really organize them.

Pinterest has the same concept of weheartit except once you're a member, you can "pin" your favorite pictures to styleboards that you can label and keep organized.

There aren't as many pictures/pages as weheartit & there's some repetition when something gets "repinned" a lot, but, for me at least, the organization trumps!

I think it's invite only to create a username, so if you'd like an invite, leave a comment with your email!

Tuesday trends

Lately at work when customers ask for help, everyone keeps asking why all the clothes look so big - and I keep saying "oversize tops are the trend for spring!"

This big storm that's supposed to hit New York tonight (plus still feeling down from my man troubles) have got me wanting to just throw on a big, chunky sweater to class. With skinnies, oversized sweaters are the perfect way to feel cozy but not look frumpy.