Five Favorite Blogs (Part II)

Like I promised in this previous post, here are five more of my favorite blogs! And the list goes on...

9to5Chic

because I'm addicted

Late Afternoon

Apartment 34

Sous Style

P.S.

If you have any exciting Oscar plans/parties/party recipes, I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

Details

Sandals: Sam Edelman 'Gigi'. Cream top: BCBGMAXAZRIA (old). Blue tank: Frenchi Silky Sleeveless Top (one of my favorite basic tanks and it's from the Juniors section oddly enough!). Watch: Michael Kors. Stackable rings: Ariella Collection. Earrings: Jewelmint Indian Escape Earrings.

Today I was inspired to brighten up my outfit with a couple pops of bold color because the forecast told me it was supposed to be 80 degrees! How's that for February? :)

The Lovely Miss Diana

Here are a few photos from the shoot I styled, as promised. Diana is a wonderful, free-spirited young woman and a dear friend of mine. To find out more about her, check her out here, here, or here!

 

 

All photos taken by the amazingly talented Paul Barnaby.

Five.

Five things I enjoyed this week!

View from a drive we went on in Santa Barbara (that slight blue color way out there is the ocean!).

Charming breakfast spot...Cold Spring Tavern.

Possible wedding shoe.

Valentine's Day flowers from my someone special :)

I got to style a photo shoot for my friend Diana's acting portfolio (which was SO fun!). Photo taken by Paul Barnaby. More photos from the shoot coming soon!

2-in-1

Thanks to a tip from a friend, I found these amazing ponytail elastics that double as arm candy at Target! Much chicer than the plain old ponytail elastics we all wear around our wrists in case of a hair emergency. These are definitely a new favorite!

Elastics are Goody Doublewear and can be found at Target!

Weekend Wear

Outfit from a relaxing Sunday morning spent breakfasting and exploring in Cold Spring Canyon (about 20 minutes north of Santa Barbara).

 

Sunglasses: Ashbury. Top: StyleMint (Barley Colorblock). Jacket: Hinge. Jeans: Forever21. Ankle Boots: Steve Madden. Ring: H&M. Nails: Essie Sand Tropez.
*all pictures taken on my iPhone

Five Faves

This week flew right by! Beginning with me arriving back in CA from St. Louis, having a little Superbowl get together, engagement pictures, Tyler's birthday dinner, and ending with a roadtrip to our wedding site in Santa Barbara. Despite being so busy, I always try take time to enjoy the little things. If I didn't, life would fly by without me barely noticing. Next week, I challenge you to do the same....find five things (big or small) that made you truly enjoy the moment during the week!

Left: View of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis from the Ground. 

Right: View of St. Louis from the top of the Arch.

Gorgeous, sunny afternoon I spent outside reading.

Indian Escape Earrings from JewelMint.

New leopard rug for our bathroom!

And we got our engagement pictures back today! What a gorgeous job by our dear friend Katie!

Happy weekend to all!

Quick Amendment

Had to do a quick change to yesterday's Roasted Chickpea  recipe. It seems as though the original recipe was a little bit off with the timing. The texture of the chickpeas after baking should be crunchy. If they are still soft in the middle then they need to continue baking! It may take more like 40-50 minutes. If any of you tries this recipe, please let me know how you like (or don't like) it!

Roasted Chickpeas

I have recently embarked on a journey to get healthier and more fit. My younger sister (we will call her C) and I are doing this together in order to hold each other accountable. Plus, you have someone to cry to when you want to eat a big, fat pile of french fries ;) C has aptly named this journey "Project Skinny Mini" and has given it 3 rules:

1. We must work out a minimum of 4 times a week. Note: 2 times in one day only counts as 1 (unfortunately).
2. Eat healthier everyday (more fruits and veggies). It just comes down to making the better decision which we both know how to do.
3. No snacks after 9pm.
     **Yikes! I am a big time snacker and I especially enjoy my little snacks before bedtime. This will be tough for me.

All in all, I think I can do it! Like I said though, I am a big time snacker, so I am on the lookout for healthy snack choices. I really like nuts, but they can tend to be high in fat. A very good friend and mentor of mine is super into healthy eating and fueling her body the correct way and gave me this great recipe for roasted chickpeas. Chickpeas are lower in calories, per serving size, than nuts and lower in fat (0g saturated fat!).

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°. Drain a can of chickpeas and spread them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with desired seasonings and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. The time may vary so just keep an eye on them and that's it!
     **I prepared mine with a little garlic salt, onion powder, chile powder and black pepper. Delicious!

P.S. I have reached over 1,000 views on the blog, so thanks for reading you guys! Now, just hit that follow button and follow the blog too! Much love :)

Five Floral Favorites

Floral print is coming back in a big way this spring and, at first, I wasn't sure if I would ride along the trend wave with this one or not. I have never been one to pick out a floral print item for myself. I felt it made me look younger than I already am (I am a mere 5'2" and am often mistaken for a teenage girl). However, after doing some research, I found a few sophisticated floral pieces that would bring the fresh essence of Spring to my wardrobe!

Zara Printed Trousers

Zara Printed Top with Shoulder Frill

Insight Kyles Floor Deep V Swimsuit via ASOS

J.Crew Fête Short in Gardenshade Floral

Forever 21 Floral Stilettos

What floral pieces are getting you in the mood for Spring? Happy weekend!