- Part 94

February 23, 2015

Shades of Denim

Mixing denims are one way that I love to pull outfits together. With various (almost countless) shades of blue denim alone, not to mention the array of colored denim to choose from, your options seem endless. It may also seem daunting, but if you stick to shades you know work for you and start with what you have in your own closet, you’re bound to come up with a few alternatives. Here’s one way I wore blush denim and chambray last spring and then another version here with a denim top and basic black denim. This time around I turned to my slim selection of maternity clothing and used some of my favorite key accessories (ie scarf, bag and booties) to create another, easy going denim ensemble.

Details: Gap Maternity Top (similar non-maternity) / Motherhood Maternity denim (similar non-maternity) / Scarf (similar check out coupon codes here) / Madewell tote / Jeffrey Campbell booties (similar)

Linking up with Style Sessions

February 20, 2015

High Five for Friday

Hey all, happy Friday! What a crazy, off week we’ve had around here. Three school delays, one early dismissal and a cancellation today due to freezzzzing cold weather has kept things interesting. And by interesting, I mean that my regular schedule was totally thrown. Oh well, I suppose that’s life. But it sure would be nice to get in to the gym every once in a while!

Here’s a look at my week:

1) Thankful for lunch dates with my husband (+ Madelyn) where I can satisfy cravings and we can enjoy tasty Cobb salads.

2) 28 weeks down, 12 to go. I had my second (yes, they do it twice around here) glucose test and am glad to have them officially out of the way!

3) With a now potty trained toddler (ie wiping and washing hands some 20 times/day), the bitter weather and endless dishes (always, right?), my hands are so very thankful for this hand relief.

4) I picked up this cute bomber jacket at Old Navy this week. It’s great as an extra layer now and will be a perfect jacket in a few months. I can’t seem to find it online at the moment, but here’s a similar option.

5) I’ve made this Tuscan Pot Roast a few times now and I think it gets better every time. It’s a perfect weekend meal since it takes a few hours to roast and fill your home with a mouth-watering scent!

Hope your week was great! Enjoy the weekend!

February 19, 2015

The Crazy Cycle

Just curious who else continues to get dressed for the day, looks outside and realizes that this is what will be going on top of your cute ensemble yet again?! Don’t get me wrong, I love the change of seasons here in the northeast, but after three school delays and an early dismissal already this week, I could use a little break. Or at least some sunshine. On the other hand, it is a great time to be stocking up for next year. I already ordered a Patagonia coat for my son in the next size up in preparation for next winter. The sales this time of year can be extremely enticing, so as much as you may despise the daily weather report at the moment (or is that just me?), try to take advantage by thinking ahead. Come November, you’ll be glad you did!

Coat / Hat / Scarf / Boot Socks / Hunter Boots / Gloves

February 18, 2015

Baked Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Penne

My love for baked pasta dishes runs deep and I had a feeling that the use of sun-dried tomatoes and a yummy cream sauce would make this one a keeper in my book. When I was pregnant with both Jack and Madelyn I remember having quite an aversion to chicken. Thankfully this hasn’t happened yet with this pregnancy because I cook with chicken often. I actually made this recipe a few weeks ago and just looking at these images again has my mouth watering. I think the frigid weather we’ve had lately is also adding to the appeal of this dish, but I’ll use any excuse to make this again!

Baked Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Penne via The Art of Comfort Baking:

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Penne (I used closer to 3/4 lb)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 2)
1 tablespoon Spicy Grill seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour, plus 1 tablespoon
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups milk
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, diced
1 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 Italian seasoning bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cook your Penne in a large pot of boiling salted water about 3 minutes short of al dente. Drain and return to pot.

Dice chicken into bite size pieces and toss with grill seasoning. Cook until cooked throughout.

In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic, whisk and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add milk while whisking and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently until sauce thickens, about 6-8 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook for 1 minute. Take off heat and add mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

February 17, 2015

I Love You

For those who celebrated, I hope you enjoyed a sweet Valentine’s Day this past weekend. My husband and I did get to dinner on Friday, but I had spent the night prior with some sort of a stomach bug (it wasn’t pretty), so I wasn’t exactly into the food. Thankfully my ginger-ale and company were great :) We spent most of Saturday home with our littlest loves since the weather wasn’t all that fantastic. I tend to enjoy relaxing days cuddled up inside. Until the kids are about to explode with energy that is!

Oh, I also changed up my hair since you’ve last seen me. For those that have been following along for a while, you’ve likely noticed that I’m big on changing my hair. Both in length and color, I tend to get bored after a certain period of time. I’m in the process of growing it out a bit and the longer it got, the more I was beginning to feel a bit washed out with all of my highlights. I didn’t want to do anything permanent during pregnancy, so my stylist did a quick glaze to take me closer to my natural color. It’ll likely lighten over time, but I’m enjoying the update!

Details: JCrew coat (this years version on sale here and here) / JCrew sweater (option) / Motherhood Maternity denim (similar non-maternity) / Jeffrey Campbell booties (similar) / Stella & Dot necklace / Fingerless gloves (Sold out but I found a similar pair on Etsy here)

Linking up with Style Sessions

February 16, 2015

What’s better than a SALE?

A clearance SALE! Ladies, Nordstrom is currently having a pretty awesome Clearance Sale and I wanted to share a few of my favorites. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’ll probably want to ;) Beautiful sweaters, great denim, pretty accessories and great pumps that are pretty darn close to Pantone’s color of the year, Marsala. Happy shopping!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

February 13, 2015

High Five for Friday

Hope you guys had a great week! It felt like a whirlwind to me and overall I’m pretty exhausted. It never fails that just as I crash into my bed, the littlest babe decides it’s her time to have my attention. Well she certainly has it! We’re down to less than 3 months until we meet her and we’re all getting pretty excited. Overwhelmed too, don’t get me wrong. This house is going to go from crazy to insane in no time, but we’ll be jumping in, ready or not! I also registered Madelyn for preschool next year. Just a few mornings per week but I still can’t get over the fact that she’ll be old enough for school. We’ve basically tackled potty training this past week however, so she’s proving herself to be quite the ‘big girl’. Now, back to appreciating the little once bouncing around inside ;)

Here’s a look back at my week:

1) My breakfast buddy, getting business done.

2) Some Valentine treats for Jack’s class.

3) Good to know my feet are still down there.

4) Found this little gem at TJMaxx yesterday. The perfect accessory for my SIL’s wedding next month.

5) Did you guys know that the 100th day of school is something to be celebrated? Well, I do now. This is Jack’s 100th day shirt that he and his dad decorated with 100 J’s :)

Have a great weekend and a Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 12, 2015

My Everyday

Despite my excitement yesterday for spring weather, the reality remains that winter accessories are still a must. This has most definitely been a go-to outfit of mine lately. Perfectly casual and comfortable, and great for chasing around my kids and running errands. For those of you that get (yes, get) to dress up for work during the week, this could be something you turn to during the weekend. Distressed denim and a sweatshirt, a match made in heaven.

Details: Motherhood Maternity sweatshirt (similar non-maternity option) / Motherhood Maternity denim (similar non-maternity option) / Converse sneakers / Zara hat (similar) / Scarf and gloves via Riley on Main / RayBan sunglasses

Linking up here.

February 11, 2015

Who’s Ready for Spring?

It makes me laugh as I think back a few months to October and how anxious I was to layer with coats and scarves and all the fun winter accessories. Can I just tell you how over it all I am? I realize these items will remain necessary for a bit longer, for those of us in the northeast at least, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start my spring planning. I recently worked together some outfit boards for a friend of mine who has an upcoming trip to CA. Obviously this has triggered my eagerness for the next season to arrive.

Jackets are always a good starting point when it comes to spring weather. There’s such a wide variety to choose from including anoraks, trenches, denim, moto and everything in between. Below are a few that have caught my eye thus far, although new spring lines are being released daily, so I’m sure this won’t be the end of cute, stylish options for the season!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

February 10, 2015

Three Ingredient Pancakes

Three, yes three, ingredients and Bisquick isn’t one of them ;) Would you believe that you can make amazing pancakes made of banana, egg and chia seeds? I wasn’t sure I believed it either until I tried it, and it’s true. With these staple ingredients on hand, it takes little more than a quick blend and a hot griddle to whip up these healthy, delicious pancakes for your family any morning of the week. I don’t have much else to say other than go give them a shot. I have a feeling you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Recipe via The Skinny Confidential:

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 banana
1 or 2 scoops of chia seeds

Directions:

Blend above ingredients together.

Warm non stick pan to medium heat and add a little coconut oil to pan.

Cook silver dollar size pancakes about 30 seconds on each side. Add cinnamon if desired.

a lovely living

Archives

Shades of Denim

High Five for Friday

The Crazy Cycle

Baked Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Penne

I Love You

What’s better than a SALE?

High Five for Friday

My Everyday

Who’s Ready for Spring?

Three Ingredient Pancakes