What I Wore {post 16}

Hello!  I hope your Wednesday is going well.  I'm going to apologize in advance for the lack of home-related posts on the blog lately (and for the foreseeable future).  I'm in the thick of triathlon training and Summer weekend plans, so my time to complete home stuff is really at a minimum.  I have a few projects I can probably squeeze in from time to time, but for the most part, I'm just not going to be around the house to work on them!  But I'll be working and training ... so the "what I wore" posts and triathlon posts will keep the blog humming right along.  Up today is a round-up of my recent Summer outfits. 

* Summery White Top & Army Green Wrap Skirt *

This is one of my favorite easy-breezy Summer outfits.  The top is from TJ Maxx and is one of those light white cotton tops with crochet detailing.  It's very sheer and comfy, so I wear a camisole underneath.  The faux wrap skirt in army green is a Mossimo skirt from Target from a few years ago.   

* Floral Blouse & Jeans *

I wore this on a casual Friday at work.  I wore my Gap boyfriend jeans rolled up with the floral blouse I got at Target.  I decided to unbutton it and wear a black tank under it.  I paired the whole thing with my orange flat sandals from Target.  Looking at the pictures now, I'm not crazy about the jeans.  This outfit would have been better with white shorts or a skirt. Ah ... outfit hindsight.  

* Bright Blue Cotton Dress *

This dress is about three years old from Target and I'm pretty sure it was about $15 when I bought it.  It is way too casual for work, so I wore it out to dinner and shopping with my friend Heather.  It was insanely hot the day we met so I wanted something light and easy.  Its empire waist, so it's very tricky (read: I don't want to look pregnant in it).  I wore an emerald green tank under it because the neckline is  very deep v-neck.  I wore my leather slides and my hair in a knot.  

Ahhh Summer.  I hope you're staying cool these days!  What do you wear when the temperature is unbearable?

See you swoon,

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

... bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things. Oh The Sound of Music.  I love that movie.  I grew up watching it and wanted to be either Maria (who wasn't obsessed with her wedding gown and that train!!), Liesel (I seriously coveted her pink dress in which she sang and danced to "Sixteen Going On Seventeen") and Louisa (she just struck me as the sibling who didn't take anyone's crap).  In any event, that is a very long introduction to today's post: a few of my favorite things.  And I am sorry if that song is now stuck in your head.

Olay CC Cream

I've been hearing the buzz about BB creams and how terrific they are, so I ran out and tried one.  I liked it a lot, but I ended up breaking out a bit, so I consulted my friend Toya, who knows her make-up, and she suggested a CC cream might be a better fit for me. I don't really know the difference between BB and CC, but the Olay CC Cream is amazing. It's lightweight, makes my complexion look smooth and even and has spf 15.  It's perfect for Summer!

Honey Stinger Energy Chews: Cherry Cola Flavor

I use a lot of energy chews when I'm on my bike.  Any distance longer than an hour and especially if I'm doing a run immediately after the ride, I need to make sure to eat often so my energy level stays up. I love the Honey Stinger chews - they're my absolute favorite.  And i just discovered their cherry cola chews.  Um, these suckers taste like Cherry Coke.  They are so delicious.  

Kenra Platinum Shaping Creme

My hair is naturally wavy, so when I blow it dry, I need a smoothing cream to prevent frizzy hair.  I absolutely love the Kenra Platinum Shaping Creme (with the number 7 on it).  A little dab goes a long way and it makes my hair smooth and soft but does not weigh it down.  I just order online.  

Etsy Site: Edor

I recently discovered the Edor site on Etsy.  She makes gorgeous, delicate and simple jewelry, which is totally my style.  I've ordered a silver disc and a gold circle necklace from her and have been so pleased with them.  She makes stunning, understated jewelry that's terrific quality.  

Bag Balm

I am kind of obsessed with Bag Balm.  You've probably seen it a million times on the bottom shelf at the drug store: it's in the green tin.  I use it everywhere: lips, elbows, feet, and to relieve sunburn pain and chafing from my runs.  I also swear by it for keeping feet smooth: I just smooth a ton of it on my feet at bedtime and in the morning, my feet are buttery soft. 

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish

I have to paint my nails each week or I have a tendency to bite them.  Which is to say, I definitely bite them.  It is a horrible habit I've had since I was a kid. But if my nails are painted, I don't do it.  So I take some time each Sunday and paint my nails.  I recently discovered the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polish (it was on sale at my CVS).  I.  Love.  It.  It actually looks like a salon manicure when it dries!  And it doesn't chip.  I prefer it to any of my other polishes, and most of them are at least twice the price.  I have it in pink, but I'm definitely going to buy more colors. 

Truffle Tremor Cheese

Oh cheese.  Oh truffles.  OMG.  I like to buy a really yummy cheese once a week that I nibble on when I get home from work or when I'm making dinner.  My absolute favorite is the Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor goat cheese.  It's got a bunch of different textures and flavors and the kick of truffle sets it over the edge from amazing to FREAKING UNREAL.  I'm sorry for the all caps, but I have to shout.  It's not cheap, but it is worth every goat-cheese-and-truffle-buying penny.   I don't bother with crackers. I just cut it up and eat from a plate.  And then I lick the plate.  Oh ... even the picture makes me want it.   

Dark & Stormy Cocktail

I'm loving the Dark & Stormy cocktail!  It's made with black seal rum (or any dark rum) and ginger beer.  I had some black seal rum on hand from the Winter ... I added a shot of it to some black coffee on some cold Winter days.  So when I saw this recipe, even though I don't like ginger beer at all, I decided to give it a whirl.  It's sooo good.  Here's the recipe:

* 2 oz dark rum (I use Black Seal)
* 3 oz ginger beer
* lime

Fill highball glass with ice.  Pour rum over ice.  Fill glass with ginger beer.  Squeeze lime. Stir.  Enjoy.

There you have it!  A round-up of a bunch of things I'm loving lately.  What about you?  Got anything you'd like to share? 

See you swoon,

note: none of the above companies or products have comped us for today's post.  

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

No blogging today -- just fun in the sun and cocktails with some very good friends.  Have a terrific holiday weekend!

See you swoon,

What I Wore {part 15}

Good morning!  I'm really excited for the 4th of July.  This year, I'm headed home to my parents' house for some low key fun - barbecuing, a bike ride with my mom, swimming in the pool, and lots and lots of running.  Then I'm hanging out with two of my friends from high school.  And then I'll head back home and spend the rest of the weekend playing with my little ones.  Yay for long holiday Summer weekends!  To kick off the holiday weekend, here are some recent outfits I put together.

* Floral Cami, Grey Pants, White Cardigan *

The centerpiece of this outfit is the pretty floral cami that I got last Spring from Forever 21.  I love that pattern, but it is way too bare to wear alone to the office. So I paired it with a lightweight white cardigan from the Gap and my dark grey trousers.  I wore my patent red pumps (Ann Taylor outlet) for a pop of color.  

* Purple Dress, Nude Bow Peep-Toe Heels *

Talk about bargain outfits ... I think this entire outfit was $45.  I got the purple dress last year from Old Navy, on sale for $15.  I wore my nude bow peep-toe heels, which I scored on clearance for $10.  They're finally broken in and feel wonderful.  I dressed up the outfit with my long necklace from the j.crew outlet, which was around $20 or so.  

* Printed Top & Black Pants *

This was an easy outfit to just throw together. I wore my black pants with a printed top I found at New York & Co. last year.  Whenever I see printed tops that I like (that are in my budget) I try to snatch them up.  Printed tops with solid pants really take an outfit from ho-hum to polished.  

That does it for today - over and out!  Have a great day and a terrific holiday!   

See you swoon,

Before and After: Kitchen Chairs

I am telling you - I decided over Memorial Day weekend that it was time to get down and dirty with some painting projects and I made good.  In that weekend, I painted the dining room mirror, my IKEA chest for my bedroom and my four IKEA chairs for my kitchen.  

I will put it on record right here, right now: I hate painting chairs.  I really do.  They are so annoying!  And of course, in my case, I was taking my chairs from black to white.  I knew I was in for at least three coats of paint and one coat of primer.  I was right. But first, let's go back to the beginning.

When I moved into my place last Spring, I bought a nice wooden table for my eat-in kitchen (from IKEA) and four Stefan chairs.  I've had these chairs before, and chances are, you have too.  They're very inexpensive and the size is pretty great for a small space.  The only issues and there are two: (1) they only had black and (2) they are really uncomfortable to sit on.  But I knew I could change that with a little paint, foam and fabric, so I went for the bargain $20 chairs.   You can see the chairs and table in this old pic.

So I got down to business.  I took the seats off the chairs (because I would upholster them) and used one coat of Zinsser oil based primer and three coats of Valspar paint and primer in one (in cream delight, semi gloss finish) on top.  Plus two coats of Polycrilic.  The frames were looking good.  And then it was time to upholster them. 

I went to Joann's and bought some foam for the seats.  Then cut the foam to size, used batting and some fabric I found at Fabric.com and ... voila!

I debated going with the yellow.  I tried out some other more neutral fabric I had in my stash, but ultimately I loved the little pop of color under the table.  This means I'll definitely paint the little wooden stepstool grey instead of yellow though!  

I love the transformation in this space.  It's light, bright and happy:  exactly what a kitchen should be!

See you swoon,