Anyone wanna buy me a dress?

It's been a while since I've done any kind of clothing-related post so I thought why the heck not do one today. Impeccable reasoning. Roll w/ it.

Plus, with the swimsuit arrival in almost every store (let's all eyeroll together) I thought I'd start browsing to see what's new for spring.

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This long maxi has been at Anthropologie for ages. I still love it.
I can't swallow the $138 pricetag though. Not for a maxi...I mean come on.
sigh.

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I have a cardigan obsession.
I love this $78 one from Anthropologie.

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The color and lace detail on this simple (but pricey - $118) J. Crew sweater are lovely.

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I'm a lace-a-holic.
And this back!
Urban Outfitters - $69

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I'm not a red person but there's something I adore about this simple color-block dress from Forever 21.
Plus, at $27.80 who can beat it?


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How cute are these $16.80 Espadrille Flats from Forever 21?

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To be honest, I'm a bit on the fence about this $27.95 Ikat "T" from Gap.
But I have so many solid tops that I need some punches of print in the mix.

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The green, the straps, the ease...oh Anthro
$98.

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Anyone else notice I have a mild fixation on dresses?
I'm totally enthralled by the ease, simplicity, and beauty of them.
Kinda can't get enough.

Happy Wednesday friends!

Breakfast Win

If you've been reading this blog for long you know I am NOT a breakfast person. I could wake up and eat nothing until around 2-3pm. I know this isn't good though and am slowly adding nutritious foods (I actually want to eat) into my morning meal routine. Sure sometimes still I whine about having to consume anything before the sun is directly overhead, but progress is progress, so onward I charge.

I saw this Biggest Loser oatmeal pancake recipe on Pinterest the other day and instantly wanted to try it. I love healthy, simple recipes. This one has 6 ingredients (one of which I omitted) and only 2 steps. This is an A.M. can do!


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I wasn't nervous about trying oatmeal pancakes due to my previous success with oatmeal-based muffins. My only adaptations of the recipe were: using raw sugar instead of granulated, omitting the cinnamon, and using no-fat small curd cottage cheese.

The result? A shining success! I really enjoyed them. The taste and texture were so close to regular pancakes that I almost didn't notice. I used reduced calorie syrup and berries to round off my breakfast plate. I was pleasantly surprised at how light but filling they were.

Also, as a side-note, one of my bff's got me this for my birthday.


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It's a batter dispenser and I use it ALL the time. I absolutely love it! It made these pancakes a breeze. In fact, I put all the ingredients in the dispenser and used my immersion blender to whip it all together. (I prefer to work smarter not harder - one dish instead of multiple). I've used it to make muffins, cookies (that didn't work as well), and cupcakes. It's awesome. Get one.

Hip-hip hooray for another breakfast alternative!



I was not compensated in any way for the products or recipes shown in this post. I just wanted to share things that I enjoy and/or use in hopes that you might like them too.

My Favorite Mascara

I don't wear a lot of make-up. My daily facial regimen is pretty bare-bones.
It looks a little something like this:

1. Wash face
2. Moisturize (w/ sunscreen)
3. Quick sweep of powder
4. Blush
5. Mascara
6. Tinted lip balm

The end.

I am not a fussy girl. In our house I wait for the boy to finish getting ready, not the other way around. I am, however, a big fan of the small arsenal of products I do use. So today I thought I'd share my favorite mascara with you.

Maybelline Lash Discovery


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I'm a big believer in the power of mascara. I don't like goopy, clumpy, tarantula-leg looking lashes that so many products seem to deliver (at least on my eyes). This mascara (and brush...I think that's the key) gives me long, natural, soft lashes that last all day (and no I don't buy the waterproof kind). It's an excellent value at around $5-6 per tube (I buy mine at Target)...a steal if you've ever purchased mascara.

Now I realize not everyone has my kind of lashes or aesthetic so this might not work for you or be your kinda thing...that's ok. But just in case you wanna see this product in action, I took the following photos yesterday to show you why I love it so much.

BEFORE - completely natural and untouched lashes


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I think this last one looks like I have eyeliner on...but I don't. I guess it's just a shadow or something.


Notice the subtle but effective difference?

AFTER: Just a few swipes and you get natural, elongated lashes. No clumps or tiny black balls stuck on the ends.

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So what's you're favorite mascara?
Do you wear mascara?
How much would you spend on a tube? Are you more frugal or would you spend more for a beauty product?


Note: This is my opinion only. I received no compensation, award, or parade float. Just something I use every day that I thought you might like too.

Favorite Cookie

Anyone else notice how I bounce from workouts to desserts? No, I'm not trying to sabotage you. I realize it may appear to be so, but it's not. I just love both. And design, fashion, books, steam mops, etc... My blog is as full of irony as my life. So when you begin to wonder what kind of blog you may be reading, I suggest you not work too hard. "Baby doesn't like to be in a corner"...is that the quote? Whatev. Point is, this blog is full of stuff I dig and it's just about as random as I am. So enjoy. ;)

 My favorite cookie is not one that comes from my kitchen, but oh how I wish it did.

Before I tell you where to find this delectable little morsel, I should probably share my criteria for cookie perfection. Everyone has different tastes, but my ideal cookie should be:

• crisp BUT chewy outside
• soft center
• somehow chocolate inclusive (choco-chip is my typical choice)

I'm kinda a plain-jane when it comes to food. I don't like super exotic flavors or combinations. I was at a party once where someone baked nutmeg into the chocolate chip cookies. Whyyyyy?! Don't mess w my senses that way people.
The following is my favorite cookie of all time. I can't find (or bake...yet) a better one.

McAlister's Chocolate Chip Cookie


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I know McAlister's Deli isn't in all 50 states so if it isn't in yours, might I consider a road trip...or mail order purchase? Just saying. It's that good.

Happy Thursday (and shout out to my Momma turned 50 yesterday!!)

Disclaimer: McAlister's doesn't know I exist. I only mention b/c it's one of my favs and I thought you might enjoy it too.

Update: Living/Dining Progress

We made quite a bit more progress this weekend on the living/dining redo.

You may remember we started with a bright yellow then painted a light (but not right) gray...

Then to this...

The house has been in constant transition over the past 7 or so months.  At first I tried to make the room NOT look like it was in a state of flux. But I soon realized the futility.

This weekend we made a few more steps in finishing the space.

• molding in dining room
• new sofa
• installed dimmer switch in dining room

Ha, it seems like we did so much more than that. I guess we did really though. Why, the weekend before we re-painted. Sweat equity means more to the laborer than the reader. Haha.

Here's what the room looks like now.
Please excuse the phone camera pics. It's all I got.

See that trim?

Oh and here's the new (to us) sofa.

The trim was purchased, primed, and cut at our local home improvement store.
The sofa was found on Craigslist and is in near perfect condition. It retails for $1800 and we got it for under $400. I know some may balk at the idea of a used sofa (I used to be one) but given the condition and my ability to deep clean and steam any surface known to man, I couldn't pass up this deal.

I'll show you a properly styled and lighted photo when the room is fully ready. This is just a sneak-peek.  

From initial plans to final steps...

Left: what we've done

Right: what we still need to do

 Notice the off-kilter art? Yea, I'll get to that in a second. But otherwise an improvement, no? I'm really pleased. The molding turned out exactly as I'd planned and for $30 you can't beat the transformative bang-for-your-buck.

Natural lighting = better color shot. Gosh I love this gray.
Do you like the cluttered dining table for one? Nothing but the styling best for you friends. I work my fingers to the bone to get it just right.

Ok, so back to the carefully hung artwork.

I'm an impatient person. I don't check the back of large canvases before I punch tiny holes in freshly painted walls. No, instead I use my arm length as a leveling tool and "eye-ball it".  And when I realize a large wooden support runs up the back of each canvas hindering the one-nail hanging policy to which I strictly adhere, I choose NOT to re-hang said artwork properly. Nope, I leave it. For days. Just hanging there...all wonky and cock-eyed.

Anybody else hate hanging art/pictures? Please tell me I'm not alone. It's ridiculous isn't it? We're not talking biochemistry here (which btw was my undergrad minor...ha). It's not complicated, but with my careful planning and task execution I seem to tangle even the most simple of projects.

Make These NOW

These Vita-Top-inspired chocolate muffins are about to rock your world.

Chocolate and I are buds. We've walked together through many a trial and joy. I love chocolate but the truth is she's not reliable. (And she makes my butt fat.) So in the continuing spirit of responsible consumption (read: I do NOT need to eat every smiling cupcake or cookie that comes my way) I decided to give this flour-free, health-ified chocolate muffin recipe a try.

Please, please make these.

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe slightly adapted from Dashing Dish

Makes 12 large muffins or 24 mini-muffins

Prep-time: 10 min

Cook time: 12-15 min

Ingredients

1-3/4 c old-fashioned oats

3 egg whites

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt  I used 0% Fage.

1/2 tsp cream of tartar 

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup Raw Sugar 

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (OR you could use white chocolate OR peanut butter chips!) I used semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Foil cupcake liners, remove the inner paper lining (paper liners tend to stick to muffins!)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with foil cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.
3. Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans. Gently sprinkle 1/2 of the chocolate chips evenly onto the mixture (set rest aside).
4. Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
5. Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. *Note, you could skip this step by putting all of the chips in the batter, and baking the muffins for 12-15 min straight, but this method gives the muffins the traditional ‘VitaTop Muffin’ look with the chocolate chips on top!
6. Cool muffins before removing from pan.

My pans aren't usually so messy but this time I had a little accident while filling...I still can't talk about it.

I'll be honest, I was expecting a healthy chocolate muffin to taste, well, healthy. I had no idea what a batter containing oats, Greek yogurt, and applesauce would be like. NO idea...and I was scared. All my fears were relieved in the first bite though. These were decadent and rich with chocolate flavor. The cake is perfectly moist but not too sweet. I ate one for breakfast, another for a snack, and (oh what's that) another for dessert. Not really...but I could have.

I kid you not, drool is collecting in my mouth as we speak. I'm one of Pavlov's dogs.

I mean come on! 

Please make this simple, better-for-you, chocolate-inclusive recipe. You will be so glad you did.

Side note: It just occurred to me that a chia seed addition to the recipe might also be awesome. Or use quinoa instead of oats? Just some thoughts.

Linking up:

party, basketball, and paint

This weekend was a busy one.

On Saturday Parker, Megan's oldest son (one of the best buds), turned 3. Ah! Hard to believe.

Happy Birthday Parker (who you can't see b/c he's sitting on the floor opening presents and Auntie Faith was too lazy to get up).

I wish I'd thought to take more pictures so you could see how great the party was, but trust me...it was terrific.

Oh! and the theme? Mustache Bash!!

Don't you love it?

I'm sure one day Parker will be embarrassed that his Momma and Aunties cross-dressed at his birthday party.

On a side-note, I really wanted Megan's stache. Mine is lame and creeeeeepy.

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Later that night we went to a Mavs game in downtown Dallas. Thanks to D's job we were able to get free platinum tickets.

I'm not a big sports person and wasn't looking forward to the evening...until we got there and I realized what "platinum"meant: Better food, better restrooms, quiet, less crowded...no large drunk man hovering precariously over you threatening to slosh beer across your head, etc.

I snapped this shot when I went exploring. There was a large, open area w/ bar-height tables and a great vantage point for game-watching (if you do that sort of thing).

There was also a huge dining area with a crazy (like cruise crazy) buffet. We had already eaten (we ate at a Mexican place in another platinum area) but it smelled so good. One of D's co-workers said it was about $50/plate. I laughed. I don't care how good it smells, a buffet is a buffet...and that price was a bit steep for me anyway.

Speaking of where food...the little place we tried was in a large open area with a bar and another eatery. There were plenty of tables and some leather lounge chairs set up to face the private view out these windows. Yes, and a balcony. (I'm easily thrilled).

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Sunday was paint day.

I already had the color picked out...thanks to 6 months of swatch testing.

Yep, 6 months of periwinkle/gray.

BUT NOW...

Martha Stewart's Bedford Gray from Home Depot
Ok, so I realize this is a bit anti-climactic...*whaa whaa*
Can I fault natural lighting on a rainy, gloomy day?

How about at night w/ floodlights lamp/overhead lighting?

No, not much better.

Like how I styled the room special for you?

Close-up.

Dining room. (molding to come. face plate and dimmer switch too).

Tell me you can see the difference?

Well, even if you don't, I do and I live here so that's what matters. It's hard to tell from the pics but it's actually a lot darker than the gray before. It's really cozy and warm...but not stifling. I love the richness it brings to the space and the contrast with the trim.

Obviously we still have a LONG way to go (which is why dear friends I haven't shown you more)...but it's major progress so I'm thrilled and even a bit motivated to keep it up.

I'll show more when I have more to show. Haha.

It might be another 6 months though - just warning.

(chocolate mustache from the party...I gobbled that puppy up moments later.)

I did it

The internet has been out all day and I'm nervous it's about to cut out again.
Sooo, I'll keep this short, sweet, and tantalizing. (Yes, I just used the word tantalizing).

I FINALLY re-painted the living/dining room. Remember this and this?
After living with it for 6 months I made the decision to re-paint yesterday.
I'm happy to report the new color is a success!! (I was worried at first.)
Story and all the gory details coming tomorrow.

Happy Monday friends.

Julia + Me + Omelets

My knowledge of cooking-giant Julia Child was, I'm embarrassed to say, limited to one 7th grade play featuring a lovable old chef named Edith ("Jiles" I believe). Edith remained the imprinted, albeit, wrong, caricature of said master until recently.
She:
1) spoke in an octave audible to canines and small children only.
2) had a strange, somewhat spooky (hey I was 13) back bulge.
3) needed help applying her face. I'm talking shaky-hand syndrome or something.

A week or two ago I was channel surfing and caught the movie about Julia Child and a blogger (what's the name?). Gosh I love that Meryl...not her best work...but I love her.
Anyway, my interest was piqued about the first lady of cuisine again. Who was this woman? Was it true didn't cook until her 30's? I had to know more.

Thanks to YouTube and a few Google searches I had some answers.
I have to say friends, I'm kind of loving Mrs. Child. She's quirky and fun. She makes me feel like I really can cook anything. When she makes a mistake (and I love that she does...or that it was taped before editing) she adapts quickly and humorously. She's a real woman. And I like her.

What's more...the woman made me wanna cook an omelet. This may seem like no big deal to you friends, but it is to your writer pal. Reasons? Let me count the ways:
1) I really don't like eggs, eggy things, egg-like substances, etc. (I can eat them but generally don't care for them much at all).
2) I don't like typical omelet inclusions (green/red peppers, onions, ham, etc.)
3) I thought they were hard to make.

See? Who knew there was a difference between a puffy omelet and a French one? Or beating eggs with chopsticks? Or how hot the pan needed to be? Preach it girl.

Ok, so this doesn't mean that I'm gonna start eating eggs more often...BUT I might be buying her book(s?) and watching more of her videos. I feel like I get a mini-culinary education every time I watch. Yea, I'm kind of addicted now.

Teach me more Julia, teach me more.

2012's First Workout

Well, it's January 4th and I still haven't been able to do anything with my Christmas pictures. It's probably not gonna happen at this point, so I'm just gonna cut my losses and move on.

New Year's Eve was quiet and simple. We drove out to my Dad's for our Christmas there but I ended up getting sick that night.
pretty huh?

Thankfully my dad is a walking medical dictionary so I was in good hands.  And Lulu, my step-mom's dog, was also there to keep me company (mine were off exploring). AND, believe it or not, I managed to stay up until midnight.
Today is the first day I've felt close to 100% though so you know what that means...
WORKOUT TIME

I tried two new-to-me Pop Pilates videos this morning and might go for an evening run or do some weights tonight too. Both were pretty short but effective. I'm definitely gonna have a little soreness tomorrow...especially those inner thighs. Wowzers.

Pop Pilates Inner Thigh and Runner's Calf Workout

Pop Pilates Cardio Kickboxing Workout

To me, exercise is really about health, not size. I feel better when I'm active and intentional about what I do with my body and what I put in it. The hardest part of any workout is the beginning but I want to encourage and challenge you to do it. Keep going. Don't give up or get down on yourself for not being whatever it is you think you should be. Be proud of any progress you've made (even if it's small). And take ownership of the only body you've been given. You're not a trash can so stop treating yourself that way. Mkay?
Glad we had that little chat...

So get after it and let me know how you're doing.