Guilty Pleasures

Everyone has a guilty pleasure (and no this is not meant to be nasty, so get your mind out of the gutter). According to Wikipedia, a guilty pleasure means "something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it." 


Well I have a few of those:


Real Housewives of ... anything
My two favs right now are the Atlanta and Beverly Hills seasons, mainly because they are the only ones currently on. These women live in mega-mansions, wear Louboutins, eat at five star restaurants and always seem to find something to complain about. They fight and make up only to bash each other during the interviews, need I remind you the other person will eventually watch the show. So before you judge me for being shallow, I really just love these shows because they involve no thinking what-so-ever and that is all I need after a long day at work.  

I saw Ne-Ne in Phipps and Cynthia Bailey at an event but no other Housewife sightings on the ATL front

And you wonder why plastic surgeons are so rich, because they have worked on every 6 out of 6 women in Beverly Hills

Diet Coke
Some people can tell me they love water... "It tastes so good." Well you are just plain lying to yourself because it has NO taste at all. I have been trying to drink a lot more water, and I am doing better... but I love Diet Coke. There is no nutritional value but it tastes so good. I will have serious Diet Coke cravings and I will give in, I don't believe in deprivation. There is no comparison to an ice cold Diet Coke :)

Magazines
I love me some magazines. If you ever lived with me or know me good enough, then you know I can't live without magazines. Trashy celebrity spreads, home decor pages or food recipe mags can keep me busy for hours on end. Yes the subscriptions add up but what else can fulfill my attention for a full hour and not make me bored (and I get bored VERY easily).

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
I love any kind of desserts, but especially chocolate covered strawberries. Maybe it is because I tell myself there is some healthy fruit underneath all that chocolate. Or maybe it is because Aaron has made them for me every Valentine's Day for the past four years (hint, hint). Whatever the reason, I eat them even if I happen to be on the "diet of the month" because they are so dang good.

Fresh Flowers
We are in super savings mode to save up for our first house but I can't pass up fresh flowers. There is something about fresh flowers that brightens up a room and just makes me feel so much better. Yes, I feel a little guilty about buying them but I LOVE flowers and there is just no other comparison. (Tulips have hit the supermarkets already; bought a bouquet today)

Love, 

Happy Friday!!!

I don't know about you but this week has seemed super long!

Sunny and 63 degrees is the Atlanta area forecast and I can't wait for our relaxing weekend.  But anyways... Happy Friday!  I will leave you with a little Winston to enjoy :)

Love,

Attention Brides

So I know I am married, but that doesn't mean I can't still look at weddings. I love the pictures, the colors, the moments... everything that a wedding stands for. Your wedding is like the best day ever, the start of a new life with the love of your life (sorry if that was too corny).

I love e-mails and I got an amazing one today...

Anthropologie is introducing its wedding line, BHLDN, on Valentine's Day!!! I couldn't find any images but you can view some future pieces in the rotating pictures on their Web site.

The new line will feature wedding and party dresses. I L-O-V-E Anthropologie already but now I think I am obsessed a little bit more.

 Love,

Outfit of the week - $200 or less!

This week's outfit features a color block Tracy Reese sweater. Color blocking was a huge trend this past season and look for more of it in the spring! Paired with a Banana Republic corduroy skirt this outfit is comfortable yet chic. You can switch out the Joan & David croc heels with a pair of sweater tights and riding boots for weekend brunch. A classic teardrop necklace completes this look.

Don't forget to head over to Fresh Quince and check out Danielle's picks from Current's Arlington location!

Tracy Reese wool sweater $87.95
Banana Republic skirt $24.95
Joan & David heels $38.95
Necklace $44.95

Grand total: $196.80

These pieces can be found at Current's Alexandria location.

Spring Fever

I am so over winter and ready for spring! I love winter because of big chunky sweaters and jeans all the time but it is so not fun anymore.

I would love if these magically appeared in my closet, but they will probably never, ever, ever go on sale :(

Anthropologie

Piperlime

J. Crew

Tory Burch Flats

 Tibi

Gap

Now this is not related to spring fashion at all.... but while we are in savings mode I have been looking at home decor. I thought this was wallpaper at first, but it is actually a stencil. Sounds like the perfect weekend project.

Love,

Happy Birthday Sophie

Happy Birthday Sophie! Miss you friend! Hope everything in DC is amazing!

By the way, for those of you who don't know Sophie, she is probably the sweetest person you will ever meet. Soph, have an amazing day!

Outfit of the week - $150 or less!

This week's outfit combines a cozy printed Three Dots dress with a pair of suede Daniblack boots. You can easily pair the dress with a blazer and heels for the office. As the seasons change opt for a denim jacket to top off the dress. The boots feature tassle detailing and can be paired with anything from jeans to skirts and tights. These pieces provide countless ways to be incorporated into your wardrobe and should become a staple in your closet.

Three Dots dress$38.95
Daniblack suede boots $55.95
Necklace $35.95

Grand total: $130.85

These pieces can be found at Current's Alexandria location.

Salmon with Olive Tapenade

So the snow day week really messed up my new years' diet. Sitting with nothing to do really makes you think about all that Christmas candy in the pantry.

That being said, I cooked a very light, healthy dinner tonight. We had salmon topped with an olive tapenade and balsamic tomato salad. (You can choose any fish you like for this recipe)

Olive Tapenade

• Green olives with pimentos
• Kalamata olives (no pit)
• Capers
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp. olive oil

There aren't set measurements above because it varies on how much you want. I love olives so I made a lot.

Balsamic Tomato Salad

• Cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Again this depends on how much you want to make. (I know this said "salad" but in my book salad doesn't have to include lettuce. I am pretty picky on my lettuce so I left it out.)

Tada... finished product!

Love,

Etsy Love

I could spend hours on Etsy. It is like a marketplace for crafty people and some of these people are amazing.  Here are a few of my favs:

Anders Ruff Custom Design

Anders Ruff has the perfect addition for your next party. The printables are endless and you can even order a custom design.  I love candy bars (not only the chocolate kind but the popular glass jar arrangement of candy) and they these items make them so elegant with coordinated designs and cohesive elements. If there is a party in my near future (maybe the hub's, Winston's or future wedding parties) I will be sure to take a look at this site.

LetterGirl

The circle address stamps were the thing to get or give.... there are endless styles and fonts.  I will admit I have one but it is my parents' address so that really won't do me any good now, and as long as we are in a temporary residence, I don't really see the point in buying a new one. But... I came across this shop and absolutely LOVE these. They are a little artsy but I think that is what I like about them.

Turquoise Tumbleweed

This precious little shop is based in South Carolina... keeping it Southern :) Anyways, if we hadn't bought out Pottery Barn's pillow collection after our wedding, we would have totally gotten some here. These pillows are featured in classic fabrics that will work in any room. Maybe when I have more rooms I can get more pillows. Fingers crossed!

Tadpole Creations

Let me preface this by saying I am so not in the market for a child... I have one, he weighs 60 pounds and drools while he eats. But, these are the cutest baby clothes/accessories. They are super casual and perfect for everyday use. I am personally partial to the red polka dot elephant onesies but these are also super cute for summer. Maybe in oh... five years.

Timeless Paper

These papers really are timeless.  I love this dragonfly place card, maybe because it is so unique.  The shop also features invitations, napkin rings, table numbers, etc. And everything is pretty inexpensive too. These make the great addition to a party or get-together.

5eizen

If you are having an outdoor garden wedding, then I think this ring bearer pillow is gorgeous... it was even featured in the Martha Stewart Web site. The organza and silk are a beautiful combination and it just has that truly feminine feel. There are also tons of other styles to choose from.

And... there are MANY other shops to choose from, so look at Etsy if you get bored or want to find something that you can't get anywhere locally.

Love,

Cabin Fever

I wanna be here.... but this is where I am....

These are just some pictures of Atlanta. The snow has turned to ice which also means the crazies come out and try to drive. We saw several cars spinning tires while their owners wondered aloud what was happening... two inches of ice and a massive hill maybe?

Our little family is getting antsy. Winston looks at us with his droopy eyes and wrinkly face as if we are so rude as to have disturbed his peaceful napping. I wish now I had saved up some to-do items for these last two days and schools have already announced that they are cancelled yet again tomorrow.

Our itinerary:
We trekked up the street to Kroger with the rest of our neighbors (seemed like that) to have a change of scenery and walk aimlessly through the bare aisles... I tried a new chicken salad recipe... I learned how to attempt to relax...

Crossing our fingers for better travel conditions tomorrow but with ice and freezing temps approaching, things are looking frigid.

Love,

Snow Day: Additional Video

Here are some more videos from our adventure through our neighborhood. By the way... if you didn't know, Winston loves to eat ice cubes from the freezer. A little girl was feeding ice to him as he let her rub his belly.

Snow Day

So Aaron and I are sitting here looking out on a snow covered view. It honestly came down in a 2 hour span so we got to experience our first snow together as a family at about 10 p.m. last night. I am so thankful for having power because then I would really know what stir crazy is.

 He hated the snow at first but then sat at the door crying to go out because he loved it so much

 Best Friends

 Weatherman Aaron checked every time they went outside

 Our view with morning... but it wasn't fun anymore because of the sleet

Us being mean a little to Winston but he loved it

Aaron and his first time with his new flip camera... hence the nauseous feeling you get after he moves it too much :)

Love,