a lovely living

Monthly Archives for June 2013

High Five for Friday

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  1. Madelyn and myself celebrating my gf’s 30th birthday. 30’s are the best years of our life, right??
  2. Jack is finishing a week long Safari camp today. He was thrilled about me taking this pic.
  3. Some new items arrived from Zara this week. Their adult line is always great, but if you haven’t checked out the kid’s clothes you should take a look. Reasonably priced as well, especially on sale!
  4. I received my first Birchbox yesterday, exciting! More details next week.
  5. The best $7 I spent this week was on this basket. It now holds all of the kid’s clutter in the back seat and looks oh so pretty sitting back there. (more…)

Outfit of the day

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Express tank, Gap shorts, LOFT necklace, triangle necklace from Townhouse, Marc Jacobs watch, Adrienne Vittadini shoes

I recently picked up these shorts at Gap on sale and couldn’t wait to wear them. I only have a hint of a tan and I know they’ll look even better once I’m a bit more sun-kissed. They are bright, girly and perfect for the warm weather. The tank is from Express which I purchased because 1.) it was on sale and 2.) I love the the unexpected detail on the back. The triangle necklace came from a shop in Hoboken when we were there a few weeks back. I had been looking for a silver/gold piece with this vibe and was thrilled when I came across it. (more…)

Tick tock

I have mentioned before that I have a slight addiction to watches. They are such a fun accessory to add to an outfit, especially with the variety that is available. From classic metals to leather bands in every color imaginable to stripes and sports inspired, I’ve gathered a few that I’d happily add to my collection.  There in the middle would be my dream watch, Miss Pasha C. Maybe someday you’ll make your way onto my wrist. Until then, your cousins will do just fine.

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Clockwise from top:

  1. Kate Spade
  2. Michael Kors rose gold
  3. La Mer orange
  4. Kate Spade
  5. Michael Kors
  6. MICHELE
  7. Michael Kors gold
  8. La Mer mint
  9. Cartier PASHA C

Which do you crave the most?

Whoopie!

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If you don’t know by now, I have a love of sweets and chocolate is often involved. Yesterday I celebrated the birthday of one of my best friends. We share a love for sweets in general, but in particular, Trader Joe’s whoopie pies (or as we in PA know them as gobs). If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, I recommend trying them. They’re amazing. I had never attempted these before, but felt it was an appropriate treat for my dear friend. They turned out wonderfully and tasted even better when they were chilled. Sweet, light, fluffy, creamy and delicious! Here is the recipe I used after sifting through dozens of them and their reviews. (more…)

I heart bright denim

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Madewell top (old), JCrew factory denim, LOFT scarf, Marc Jacobs watch, Gentle Souls sandals, Ray-ban  aviators

I spent this past Saturday afternoon with a dear friend from college. Our afternoons together typically involve food, drinks and some shopping. Perfect, right? She also got to fill in as my photographer, lucky me!

I’m a big fan of all the brightly colored denim out there right now. They can really make an outfit pop and are perfect for the summer months. Even though the temp and humidity were high, the scarf remained on for the sake of the outfit. I love summer, but I find it much easier to be fashionable in the fall when you can easily accessorize with layers. Soon enough! This outfit also had some bangles until my teething daughter had to have them and I walked out the door bangle-less. If only I knew how to photoshop. (more…)

Week in review

Happy Friday everyone! This week was full of activities with my kiddo’s and a little shopping thrown in (surprise, surprise). I always need to remind myself not to rush decorating a home, but to acquire pieces slowly as I find things I love. This week I found two such pieces which you’ll see below. Madelyn added a new pair of adorable shorts to her wardrobe and Jack Walker had his first soccer practice (Okay, he played before when he was 2, but that was the biggest crock. Hence, his first practice…).

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I had been eyeing up this mirrored tray at Target for a few weeks. It was priced a bit too high for my liking, so I continued to pass it by. Then one day I saw the magical clearance sticker and quickly threw the last one in my cart. I love the way it looks on our dining room table, but it’s a very versatile piece which is one of the main reasons I like it. PS, it’s even cheaper in stores if you were interested. (more…)

Weekend Wardrobe

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I know it’s only Thursday, but my week so far has been spent running errands or at the pool. For those of you that work in an office, please don’t think for a second that I’m lounging with my magazines and a drink in my hand. Instead picture me keeping a fearless 12mo old from crawling into 2 feet of water over and over again and making sure a 4 year old isn’t stealing everyone’s toys or squirting anyone in the face. Fun? For the most part. Relaxing? Not in the least. These weeks however, make me long for the weekend where I can actually put myself together. I’ve put together two looks that I would slip into in an instant. Most pieces are from Madewell because, well, they just know how to do it right. Both looks appear pulled together without having put too much thought or effort into them. That’s what the weekend is all about, right?

Happy Thursday! xx

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Everyone has their version of “the best chocolate chip cookie ever”, right? Since that is obviously disputable, we’ll just to refer to this as “my favorite chocolate chip cookie”, sound good?

Here are a few reasons that these have become my fav. First, the size. I can usually go through 2 or 3 regular chocolate chip cookies, so it only makes sense to make them bigger and only indulge in one. Using an ice cream scoop, as recommended, turns out a perfect sized cookie that remains chewy with just a bit of crunch. Second, the salt. Sprinkling the tops of these cookies with some kosher salt creates the perfect sweet and salty mix. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Lastly, the chocolate. I always used to grab a bag of tollhouse, until I realized what a difference good chocolate can make. I know there’s even better chocolate than Ghiardelli out there, but if I can’t easily find it in the grocery store, I may not get around to it.

Should you decide to try this recipe, and I highly recommend you do, please follow the directions carefully. There’s a reason why they use a mix of flours, keep the ingredients at room temperature, chill the dough and scoop out large cookies. It’s an art and a science and they make magic! (more…)

Summer Shower Ensembles

It seems that summer has (almost officially) arrived. Along with the sun comes everyone’s share of showers to attend. Sorry if I lost ya on this one guys, but pass it along to your wife/girlfriend/sister/mother!

I know it’s tempting to buy new dresses for weddings, but when it comes to showers I typically can’t justify purchasing a new ensemble. Unless of course it were my own shower, but with 6.5 years of marriage and 2 kids behind me that’s obviously not happening.

Regardless of how new or old your dress is, you always want to feel fresh. My suggestion is to add a pop of color that coordinates but doesn’t necessarily match your dress. This can be done via your bag, your shoes, or your jewelry. You shouldn’t harbor much guilt when you only need to purchase an accessory. Here’s the catch, try not to over do it or go too matchy-matchy. For example, if you’re going to make your shoes pop, keep your jewelry more neutral or if you’re going to have your accessories stand out, keep you’re shoes toned down.

Did I lose you? Check out the three outfits I have put together below as examples and have fun making an old dress of yours feel new again!

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A pop of mint from the clutch looks beautiful against the coral in this dress. The earrings are colorful as well, but they pull from the coral in the dress therefore adding to the outfit, but not standing out. (more…)

Ombre and Floral Pants

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Well, I did it. Although nervous, I took the plunge and am no longer a blonde. The first day I was planning on when I’d be going back to blonde. But as a few days passed, I started recognizing myself again in the mirror and started to embrace this new look. It’s quite a change for me and apparently the top is back (or as close as she could get) to my natural shade. I had no idea my hair had gotten so dark! My stylist knew I didn’t want the ombre to be too drastic (ie the line running across my head), so she took it easy. I love that it’s softer around my face so it doesn’t feel too harsh. I’m still adjusting, but am glad I did it. (more…)

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