The Cat's Meow

Puurfect

This puurfect outfit embraces a simple black monochromatic look with the pencil skirt and shirt. The top's stripped layering effect is built into it from Modcloth. Next, add on some lovely leopard accessories and voila! a new outfit is born. This look will never go out of style. The ever chic black and white combo combined with any animal print defies the changing trends and lends a hand to the meaning of timeless.

The heels are from LC Lauren Conrad and the clutch comes from Target. In my opinion, these heels really pack a one two punch and are effortless to walk in!

Blazing Blue

Be a Trail Blazer

It's hard not to get noticed in this fancy blue frock with a bright blue cardigan. Pop on those nude colored heels and get ready to succeed your way through the day!

One color I love, without any doubt, is blue. Many outfits I wear either contain the color, or are completely dominated by it. On upcoming posts you'll see the color incorporated into outfits and paired with another favorite color of mine, blush.  Today I chose to wear my LC Lauren Conrad trench from Kohls since the cool wind was whipping around outside.

Beneath the beautiful teal trench I paired the blue and white frock with a blue cardigan from Banana Republic. I literally wear this cardigan everywhere. The smashing color goes with everything in my closet and the white beading classes up the appearance. The nude heels blend into my legs and do not compete for too attention from the main focus of the blue outfit.

The white purse from Steve Madden has been recycled for about three seasons now and I can imagine having this for the long haul, it really never goes out of style!

The replica Kate Middleton engagement ring perfectly compliments the blue colors in the outfit as does the replica emerald Jackie Kennedy engagement ring. The gold ring on my middle finger is from my mother and I always wear it as it goes with just about everything, simple and classic. The tennis bracelet was also my mother's and like the ring, is timeless. The gold watch comes from New York and Company.

Simple Pleasures

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

When it comes to dessert time, that signals all sorts of warning bells in my head. Basically, how bad the sweet treat can be for my body and health. One thing I have learned though, like most things in life, is moderation is key. I always watch the sugar content in all types of foods be it the appetizer, main course, or dessert, due to the toll it takes on the body. Sugar can literally make you look older, yikes! Cutting sweets completely out of the diet would be ideal, but as I have learned in the past, cravings can come on strong and take over, leading to an eventual dessert fest of all sorts. To keep the cravings at bay moderation comes into play. Either make healthy comprises like swapping milk chocolate out for healthy 70% dark chocolate, which is filled with flavanoids and becomes more like fiber at 70%, or treat yourself to one dessert a week so as not to completely limit yourself, but also keeping the sugar at bay. This way, you can have your cake and eat it too, the best of both worlds being had.

Finding that balance can be tricky, but simply takes some planning and good decision making. Instead of bleached flour, buy whole wheat flour, and instead of white rice, try the ever healthy quinoa. I've used whole wheat flour and quinoa in many of my recipes for cooking and baking, and they come out fantastic. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips from the vending machine, try to pack an apple instead or bring some berries and almonds to munch on. Having that one dessert at the end on the week, or whenever you prefer, will not seem so bad after all of the healthy choices being made. Not only that, but it gives you something to look forward to, a nice reward for all of your hard work!

Elegant Easter

My Classic Easter Look

In my mind, Spring does not officially arrive until Easter. The whole basic meaning of Easter is the renewal of life, which, perfectly co-insides with the events going on all around us at Spring time. White has always been the classic Easter look, just take a look at the fabulous Judy Garland in "Easter Parade" or in "Meet Me in St. Louis" when her whole family is going to visit the Louisiana Expedition in the Spring, all are decked out in head to toe white. For me, I chose a white embroidered dress that has the best bow detail around the collar that I got from Modcloth. The nude clutch with crystal bow detailing works perfectly to keep the outfit classic. Get this, the clutch is from Cracker Barrel! Never would have guessed that, but it shows how pretty finds can be found where you least expect it. I decided on a slight pop of color with my shoes from DSW. They have a blended floral print on them with the majority of the color being blue. A sock bun pulls the polished look together and the beautiful earrings are from the Jacqueline Kennedy collection. Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter!

Blushing Beauty

Lipstick Confidential

To go hand in hand with yesterday's post, the blushing beauty trend continues with Luscious Lips to perk up your day. My favorite lipsticks tend to be on the pinker side, but do not get me wrong, I love a good classic crimson as well. Another great way to brighten up the day or mood is with a simple swipe of lipstick. Not only will this make your teeth look whiter, but it also makes you look more polished and put together. Win win in my book!

The Lipstick brands and names in order from left to right are:

• Revlon: Pink Cognito
• Sonia Kashuk: Hit of Pink
• Sugar: Rose
• Sonia Kashuk:Blushing
• Mark: Sweetie Pie  (I wore this on my wedding day!)

Nothing feels more ladylike than twirling up the lipstick in the tube and then gently gliding it onto your lips. Pure perfection.

Blushing Beauty

Luscious Lips and Fancy Floral

Dreary days literally call out for a little pick me up. What better way than by wearing bright and cheery colors! Blush tones have always been a favorite of mine to add a little pep in your step. This color also feels very feminine and ladylike, two things I always strive for. So why not store away those winter hues and dig out some beautiful Spring time shades for a light and airy look.

The blazer, dress, and shoes are all LC Lauren Conrad from her Kohls line. The clutch comes from Loft. The femininity of the blazer and the blush tone are what originally caught my eye. Notice the scalloped edges and how it just flows around the body. I chose a nude heel to compliment this look and to have them blend in rather than stand out. Also notice the bow detailing on the heels, it's all in the details ladies!

Pastel's will always go hand in hand with Spring. Luckily for me, I wear pastels throughout the whole year and absolutely love them. They look and feel fresh, which is what Spring is all about as well as lightening up on the layers and the colors in your closet. So why not put a smile on someones face as you breeze by in your effortless blush tone outfit, and remember, it's all about having fun!

Pretty Healthy

Quinoa Bake for Breakfast

One of my favorite events of the morning is breakfast. I like to get up, exercise, take a shower, and settle in for a nice healthy meal. Sometimes I'll include a juice drink, but on this occasion I wanted to focus on the meal itself. Instead of reaching for a sugary cereal, try to start off the day the healthy way! This bake, which becomes like a cereal, is packed with good for your body ingredients including quinoa, honey, coconut, cinnamon, berries, and lastly milk. This breakfast is even great for you glam gals who are always in a rush to get out the door since it only takes about 15 minutes to make. Starting the morning off with breakfast gets your body in gear for the busy ahead by getting the metabolism process moving and hopefully leading to fewer cravings throughout the rest of the day.

The main star here is none other than the whole grain quinoa. Protein packed, this little guy brings tons of fiber, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin, and manganese to the table. Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids and with all of that fiber, it makes you feel fuller longer while also decreasing your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It's lysine content helps rebuild tissue growth and repair meaning it does wondrous things for the skin! The iron helps keeps muscles full of oxygen and the riboflavin helps keep energy levels high. What a great little grain quinoa turned out to be!

To make the baked cereal, simply combine all of the ingredients together and lay out onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Once done, take out of the oven and combine back into a bowl. Top off with milk, berries and enjoy! You'll be on your way to a healthier you in no time.

Sweet Treats

Bird's Nest Macaroons

A spring time holiday, Easter brings with it delightful visions of blossoming color and life renewed. This simple dessert not only incorporates the pretty pop of color, but also the idea of new life. Like Christmas, Easter has many sweet treats associated with it. While I try to stay away from sugar, sometimes a girl cannot resist the temptation, especially while I'm in the mood for whipping up desserts. The recipe is easy to follow and only takes a few ingredients  to make these delicious bird's nest macaroons.

Ingreidents:

• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 6 cups shredded coconut
• ¼ cup nutella
• Mini chocolate Easter eggs

(A small note to make: I used truvia baking blend to cut down on the calories and sugar intake. If using truvia, the amount of sugar decreases to 1/4 cup and 2 table spoons)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, until mixed thoroughly. Mix in coconut.
3. Drop your batter onto a cookie sheet by using 1-2 tablespoon amounts. Roll into balls, then make an indent with fingers to resemble a bird’s nest. You can make them however large or small you want. This will affect how many eggs can fit into the little nest. I found that 1 tablespoon scoop leaves enough for one egg, while 2 tablespoons leaves enough for 3.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and browned in spots on top.
5. Once completely cooled, spoon a little Nutella into each “nest”. Heat the Nutella for 15 seconds to make it spread easier. Finish by topping with 1-3 chocolate eggs.

Heart of Health

Juice Boost

One of the best things a person can do for themselves comes in the form of juicing. Especially drinking the juice on an empty stomach which allows all of the vitamins and minerals to absorb quickly into the system. Wait about twenty minutes to a half hour before eating anything else to give the digestive tract a chance to process the nutrients. Also, juices should be considered more like a snack than a whole meal. The body receives a good amount of the daily requirement for fruits and vegetables through juicing, but lacks in the fiber and protein needed to keep the digestive system happy.

 The great thing about juicing is how customizable it is. One can literally experiment with so many different fruit and veggie combinations. I want to share a new favorite of mine that combines kale, beets, lemons, oranges, and apples. All are extremely good for overall health and provide a big boost in vitamins and minerals. This specific combo balances each other out nicely with the fruit cancelling out the bitterness of the kale and beets. In the juicer, combine, 1 bunch of kale, 1 apple, 1 beet, 1 orange, and 1/2 of a lemon.

• Kale: This leafy green has become very popular lately and rightfully so! It comes chock full of vitamins and minerals including, vitamins K, A, and C, magnesium, and folate. It has a high fiber content leading to proper digestion and the ability to detox the body keeping the liver in check. It is high in iron, antioxidants, and has anti-inflammatory properties, all great for the skin!
• Beets: I've only recently started to research about beets and their wonderful affect on the body and skin. They are loaded with potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine, and folic acid. Like the kale, they also have the great ability to detox the digestive system and keep the liver happy. To top it off, beets can also help in keeping the mind and body relaxed. They contain betaine and trytophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of over all calmness. 
• Apples: The old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, so there must be a reason for this right? Absolutely! They come packed with vitamins C, A, B1, B2, B6, E, K and flavonoids and with smaller amounts of phosphorus, folate, niacin, magnesium iron and calcium. Apples provide potassium which may promote heart health and are thought to be good at fighting cancer with their high antioxidents, phytochemicals and phytonutrients, which help lower the LDL or bad cholestrol.
• Oranges: A glass of orange juice is known to provide twice the daily amount of vitamin C needed and that means good things for your skin and immune system. Oranges also are bursting with vitamin B6 thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, magnesium,  selenium and copper.
• Lemons: While oranges have the market corned on vitamin C, a little known fact is how packed lemons are with vitamin C as well. Not only that, but they can restore the body's pH levels, cleanse the bowels, stimulate the liver, dissolve kidney stones, contain the  phytonutrient tangeretin, which is effective for brain disorders, and strengthen blood vessels with vitamin P.

Birthday Bliss

Happy 17th Birthday Chelsea!

Taken today on her 17th birthday. Doing what she loves, resting in the sunshine.

It's hard to believe that my baby is seventeen years old today. Where does the time go?!?! I remember the day my family and I received this little bundle of joy. October 17th 1997 became one of the happiest days of my life. The rescue team estimated that she might have been about six months old when we got her. Valley Cat Rescue found her at a home that had caught on fire and been abandoned. Her vocal cords were affected from the smoke and could only produce a squeaky sound, but over the years she has been able to work up to a full meow. 

My how my little kitten has grown up over the years. She truly provides the best companionship I could ever ask for. The apple of my eye and light of my life, Chelsea means the world to me and I am thrilled to celebrate her seventeenth birthday with her. She deserves only the best, perhaps some tuna fish for later after we have some nice cuddle time. Happy birthday to the best little girl in the world!

Mommy and baby on her big day

Blooming Blossoms

The Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival 2014

The arrival of Spring brings a renewed hope in life from the warmer weather, bountiful sunshine, and life "springing" up from all around. The grass and trees start to get greener, the newborn animals play, and the flowers begin to bloom bringing splendid color and fragrances with them.  I look forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival, not only visit one of the greatest cities, but mainly to experience and capture the beauty of the blossoming trees as they bring forth a wondrous feeling of awe.

Weather wise, the sun shined at high capacity and the temperature reached a max of 80 degrees. Absolutely perfect for walking around and taking pictures of the beauteous blossoms. My friend Mike, who lives in Maryland, invited my husband and I down for the weekend so we could all visit D.C. Finding shaded areas with the blossoms proved to provide the best results picture wise. We all had a fabulous time and hope to get there next year! Without further ado, here are some photos from the trip!

Good Reads

Magical Transport

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”

— Stephen King

Some days are just meant to be spent inside curled up under a warm blanket, drinking a cup of hot tea, and being transported into another world. On a day such as this, rainy and cold outside, a book becomes a fantastic device to envision a whole new outlook. Books let the imagination flourish and enhances the ability to create, to learn, and to be mindful of the beauty surrounding life.

I'm never very far from a good book, whether located on my night stand, kindle app, bookshelf, or coffee table, one can always be within my reach. Many of my favorite lean towards the category of biography. John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra to name a few, but I also devour books that can take me to an enchanted world that simply does not exist in the "real" world. Ideas of magical wizards, vampires, Gatsby-esque figures and fairy princess's bring out the dreamer within me. Also, a good mystery novel, such as Sherlock Holmes, always excites my adventurous and inquisitive side. Whatever your preference may be, I find it important to read as much as possible, to not only educate ones self, but to also keep the imagination alive.

Currently reading: Listening In: The Secret White House Recordings of John F. Kennedy

A Moment to Remeber

Never Giver Up

Happy Thursday everyone! This being my first blog post, I felt it would be appropriate to make it an inspirational one. My mother always said to never give up no matter what obstacles come your way. These past few months have been difficult after losing her, but her advice has stuck with me through it all. Life certainly threw my mother some curve balls, but she always took the high road and never let them get her down. She was the definition of strength, beauty, and courage rolled into one.

I find it only fitting that this first post be dedicated to her. She inspires me each day to follow my dreams and she always gave me encouragement to be the best I can be. She lived a good and happy life, and even after her diagnoses, she still continued to stay positive and find the beauty in all life has to give. In part, because of her uplifting words, I decided to create this site and continue to follow my starry eyed dreams. I'm extremely thrilled to be able to do this and share my creativity.