happy weekend!

Wishing you all a happy, safe holiday weekend!  

image

Relax, head to the beach or lake, check out jcrew's amazing sale  (love this top, this clutch, and this cute skirt), spend time with family and friends, try this delicious looking salad, and ENJOY the weekend.  I'll be back next week after what I hope will be a productive and focused weekend of studying and catching up (and maybe indulging in one or two of these activities!)

xo,

blog love

Happy Thursday!  It has been quite a week of bar studying so far and to say it is tiring and time consuming is an understatement.  One of the indulgences I allow myself during the day, however, is taking quick breaks to read my favorite blogs.  I might squeeze one in during the last 3 minutes of our lecture break, or it might be as a quick break between multiple choice question sets.  Regardless of the random times, one thing is consistent- these bloggers have great style and content and they provide me with TONS of inspiration.

So, today I want to give a shout out to some of my favorites.  You may know some of them and others may be new, but I promise they are all worth a look!

1. Cup Half Full.  Becky has an amazing talent for interior decorating and she details her projects for all of her followers.  AND,  yesterday she posted the most amazing grilled peach salad recipe- definitely one to try!

2.  designer bags & dirty diapers.  Natalie has amazing style, an adorable son (with another on the way), and the best wine recommendations.  I think this was the first blog I ever followed and she got me hooked!

3. Eloquently Emily.  Emily is adorable and BUSY.  The girl never stops and I love following her adventures as a nurse, friend, and book reviewer!

4. Sequins & Stripes.  Liz is a professional blogger and stylist with amazing taste.  She always shows off fantastic outfits with Chicago as her backdrop.  

5. Turquoise & Teale.  Ashley's blog is an amazing lifestyle blog.  She features great recipes, a variety of home decor, travel tips, and cute outfits.  A definite on my must-read list!

xo,

PS: As a shameless plug for people I love, be sure to check out this blog, and this one too!

wedding registry: summer entertaining

Good Morning!  Summer is around the corner, and every bride needs a few staples on her registry for entertaining outdoors on a warm night.  Here are a few of my favorite picks:  

Tear Off Napkins

 perfect for outdoor entertaining and much cuter than a paper towel.  Throw them in the wash when you are done and use them again and again!

tear off napkin

Catch-All Tray

There is nothing worse than trips in and out of the house when you are trying to relax with guests.  Make sure to include a large catch all tray to make carrying all of your entertaining essentials easier.  

catch-all tray

Mason Jar Mugs: 

Perfect for icy lemonade at your next garden party or luncheon.

mason jar mugs

Drink Dispensers

A fun way to let guests serve themselves. The only hard part is deciding what to serve...

glass drink dispenser stand

Chalkboard Drink Dispenser Labels

A cute way to make sure no one gets spiked lemonade instead of regular.  Throw them in a drawer with some chalk when you are done and re-use them again and again!

chalkboard drink dispenser label

Galvanized Steel Bucket

The best way to keep drinks cold!  Register for at least two - one for alcoholic beverages and one for waters, soda, etc. to make your entertaining a little easier.  

galvanized drink bucket

xo,

cuban style black beans

A few weeks ago, (with the upcoming move looming) Josh and I attempted to eat only what was left in our pantry.  I can't claim this worked for long (there are only so many times you can eat pasta before you are dying for something fresh and green), but we did enjoy black beans and rice for several days.

Though I am no expert on Cuban food, I have had my fair share of authentic Cuban black beans.  This is a great recipe for when you want a quick fix (ie: you don't have time to simmer the beans for 24 hours), and it gets better with each day of leftovers.  If you are like me, you probably have most of the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry (really, why did I have 4 cans of black beans?!?)  Give it a try next time you have a hankering for a quick Cuban meal.

Cuban Style Black Beans

recipe adapted from the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (as always, I used my handy pre-chopped garlic)
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 cans (15 ozs each) no-salt-added black beans
• 1/2 c. orange juice
• 1 Tbs. orange zest (I threw this in last time and it really added to the flavor of the beans)
• 4 Tbs. green onions, chopped (optional)
• Brown rice (optional)
• 1 avocado (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (le creuset with a lid is perfect for this!)  Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute or until garlic browns.  
2. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute longer or until fragrant.
3. Add the beans, orange juice, and orange zest and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
4. With the back of a wooden spoon, smash some of the beans into the sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
5. Serve with rice (if desired) and top with green onions and avocado.

Enjoy!

xo,

first weekend in florida

This collage could not be more descriptive of our return to Florida!  We had a wonderful first weekend here complete with temperatures close to 100 (my car was in the sun when she hit 113), palm trees, and afternoon storms.  As crazy as it sounds, there is something so comforting to me to know that everyday at 4:00pm, a storm will roll through to cool things off...

While I wish I could say we did something over the top and crazy on our first weekend back, most of my weekend was spent staring at my computer screen.  I start my bar review class this week, so I had some pre-work to catch up on that took most of my weekend.  I did have a beautiful view of the river and loved seeing so many boaters whiz by enjoying the gorgeous weather.

my current desk set up...moving to a larger desk tomorrow!

For study breaks, we snuck in some visits with family and friends.  We are still adjusting to the fact that we are in Florida for good now and that we don't have to squeeze everyone into a few days or weeks.  We have lots more friends to catch up with, and we need to schedule some extra time with my family, but all in all, we have loved getting time with our Florida people.

quick visit to our new house for some measurements and planning with rebecca, mom, and josh

dinner with claire and ed at basil thai...and an amazing mango sticky rice dessert

family dinner with nieces k and b

Though I don't have a picture, we got to have dinner with Russell and Simmons earlier this week and Simmons introduced me to a fantastic wine.  This was the perfect red for summer- light and delicious and available at Total Wine!

cloud break

Hope you all had a great weekend!  Trying to get back into my routine of blogging now that we are in Florida but with bar classes and another move into our house on the horizon things might get a little crazy again.  Thanks for bearing with me!

xo,

friday finds: white jeans

Hello again!  We have officially moved to Florida, and we are loving getting caught up with family and friends here.  It has been a crazy time of transition (with more to come as we await our move into our own house in a few weeks) but we are doing well.

One of my favorite things about living in Florida (well, maybe favorite is an exaggeration, but something I am very excited about) is that wearing white pants outside of the traditional "Memorial Day to Labor Day" timeframe is completely acceptable.  The climate here allows for breaking the traditional rules, so white jeans are in heavy rotation through most of the spring and summer.  Whether you are in the Florida heat and humidity or you are anxiously awaiting Memorial Day to bust out your white skinnies, here are a few of my favorite pairs of white jeans for your shopping inspiration.  

jcrew toothpick

jcrew matchstick

JCrew makes some of my absolute FAVORITE white jeans.  I usually prefer the matchstick because they are a little less form fitting than the toothpick but they are still fitted enough to look polished.  I also love the cropped look...remember, showing your ankle makes your legs look longer.  I literally live in mine and I am considering getting an extra pair for back up.

marrakesh flare

I love a flared white jean with wedges or open toed sandals for summer nights.  This is my classic and "go to" look for dinners out or times when I want to look pulled together in the summer heat.  Add a cute top and a pop of bright nail polish on your toes and you are set.

james jeans straight leg

Finally, the straight leg jean.  I think this is a classic style that everyone should have in their closet.  I generally keep straight leg cuts longer to wear with heels (a straight leg with flats looks a little frumpy on me) but you could go either way.  This is a jean that will endure as different cuts and trends come and go.  Find a pair you love and be extra careful about ketchup at your memorial day BBQ!

xo,

moving day

Moving day is HERE!  The POD is packed, cars are loaded, and Florida is in our sights.  We have loved our time in North Carolina, but we are excited for this new adventure.  Be back in a few days (once I find my computer in the mound of boxes and bags!)

xo,