Happy Holidays

I'll be heading home to Texas over the holidays for some quality family time, loving on my ridiculously adorable nephew, stuffing my face with my Mom's home cooking, and running a bajillion miles on the road to balance out said face stuffing.

I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-Michele

Image courtesy of @andgrassi via Instagram



Cookies for a Cause

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Boston #CookieSwap for a Cause, put on by the always fabulous Swapaholics and Boston Food Swap. The event was an all-out, sugar coma inducing event where every cookie brought would provide a donation to Cookies for Kids' Cancer.  I'm a huge fan of swapping and a passionate baker, so this was an easy way to combine two of my favorite things into one event for a good cause.

This was one of the biggest swaps I've ever been to, with about 150 other bakers on hand to help the cause. Joining me in the cookie festivities was Kristen, and after setting up our cookies and brownies, we were off to snag the goodies. 

Fellow baker-swappers getting the tasty treats

I love this description of the recipe!

Each swapper received a Gladware container to fill with delicious cookies. As you can see, we did some serious damage.

 Once we grabbed our tasty swag, Kristen and I had some fun taking photos with Santa. 

This was such a great event, and I really hope there are more swaps like this to come! Now if you'll excuse me, there are some cookies calling my name.
 

 Top: H&M (Gift from office Secret Santa) 

Skinny Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft

Headband: The Fashion Truck

Black Friday Shopping

Happy (Cyber) Monday Lovelies! I hope you enjoyed a long weekend with friends, family and food. Did you partake of the retail madness? I tried. Really, I did. It started with cyber shopping on Friday (why brave the mall when you can shop from the comfort of your PJs?) but that unraveled when a few sites I went to, ahem Gap and Anthro, weren't working. FAIL. I actually went to Best Buy, but a check out line wrapped around the store told me I wouldn't be taking anything home. 

It started to look like my weekend would be a complete shopping bust until Sunday night. ApartStyle sent me an awesome notification about a sale. The ending result was scoring these beauties at a STEAL. Originally priced at $440, they were on sale for $89. Shopping success. 

Nappa Leather Slim Pant

If you haven't already checked out ApartStyle, I strongly suggest you do ASAP. I've shopped from them a couple times for wedding dresses (here and here) and I've never been disappointed. So if you're on the hunt for a little something for yourself today, check out Apart. They're having more killer deals today for Cyber Monday. 

Did you have a successful shopping holiday? I'd love to hear what you scored over the weekend, whether it was for family, friends or yourself.

*note - I was not compensated for this love fest on ApartStyle. I'm just a fan girl.

Smiling Stiletto-Marshall's Shoe Event

If you've ever read by blogger profile (that little blurb about moi on the right hand column of my blog) then you know I believe shoes make the outfit (at least 99% of the time.) That's why I'm a fan and member of the Smiling Stiletto Shoe Club. 

Last week the club hosted an event, sponsored by Marshalls, at Vlora Restaurant. There were goodies galore up for grabs by playing a few games, like "Guess the Marshall's Price" where, if you guessed the Marshall's price for items like Prada sunnies, you won them. How awesome is that? Unfortunately yours truly did not win any of the clothes/shoes/sunnies, BUT every one walked away with at least one Marshalls gift card. 

My favorite part of the evening, however, were all the shoes (natch.) Pairs and pairs of shoes were placed around the event, so naturally I ignored any photos of my outfit and instead focused on the shoes. Feast your eyes. 

The Shoe Table

I want these coach boots

I also want the leopard wedges and the purple suede booties

Love at first sight.

  What I'm Wearing: 

Top - Tilly's (worn here and here)

Skirt - American Apparel)

A Fashionable Affair

I wanted to share some photos from our trip to New Orleans. The extended weekend was pretty magical - not only did we get to see some of our favorite friends, but the bride and groom got married in style. After exchanging vows in a beautiful courtyard, the entire wedding party was marched through the French Quarter behind the Second Line band Treme, which included a stop in Jackson Square for their first dance. 


To say it was beautiful wouldn't do justice to how amazing this wedding was. And because the bride and groom are such stylish folks, you can bet their wedding guests were too. Below are some photos of the grand affair. 

Tis True

The tall drink of handsome next to me is my date - we didn't mean to, but we matched!

At the Pharmacy Museum just after vows were exchanged

The twins and I after the reception - feeling the New Orleans spirit

Love this man!

I took some video of the wedding as well, and will share that as soon as it's ready (you wouldn't believe how long it takes a non tech savvy girl to make these things happen!) Until then, I hope you've enjoyed. 

All That Glitters

Happy Monday Lovelies! As you're reading this I'm returning from a weekend in New Orleans. As I mentioned on Friday, we're in the Big Easy to celebrate another wedding (if you're counting, that's 4 this season, none of which were in Boston) and en route back to Boston today. Since I don't have an outfit for you (yet), I thought I'd show you what I wore to the wedding via designer images. 

 I was lucky enough to score this sparkly Diamante Tiered Dress from Apart Style last year via a giveaway. I wore it once to Stephen's office holiday party, and was never documented wearing it, so took the opportunity to wear it again. I thought it would be sassy enough to storm the streets of the French Quarter.

I have to admit that it was love at first sight with this clutch from House of Harlow 1960. I knew I wanted something in red (there again with my red obsession) and this clutch just looked so bad ass. I love everything about this clutch - from the gold studs to the jaguar head clasp.

I hope your Monday is off to a great start, and I promise I'll have photos from New Orleans later this week. Until then, enjoy the start to your week! 

xoxo,
M.

The Perks of Being a Model

I think nearly every young girl has dreams of being a model when she grows up. I know that I certainly did. And while my HUGE boat feet gave me hope that I'd grow into them, alas, the abrupt stoppage of height at just 5'4" ensured that I'd never have a career careening down the walkway. 

After seeing this slideshow from Fashionista earlier this week, I'm a little thankful that I didn't end up a runway model. Take a look at what the various Fashion Week(s) does to a dainty doll (note: not for the faint of heart or those with feet issues)

The Great Escape
It’s tough to keep the pinky toe in check. This was especially evident at Christian Dior, where they were slipping out the sides. The problem? We’re putting our money on the poorly-placed strap at the front. 

 The Ill-Fit
This is probably the most common runway problem. Either too tight, or too large, models often have to contend with ill-fitting shoes that may fly off at any second, or will cut circulation off completely. Opened-toed sandals seem to be the best bet since the toes at least have somewhere to go.

 The Wardrobe Malfunction
Not as common as the others, but the broken heel has been known to happen. These Mugler heels were needle-thin. Too thin, in fact, since many of them seemed to have bent right out of shape. Or perhaps they simply buckled in fright after that bizarre video of Lady Gaga. 

 

The Protective Measures
For any woman who wears heels on a regular basis, you can be pretty sure there will be a few bandaids kicking around her purse. The aesthetics of the bandage are probably the reason why more aren’t seen on the runways, though we wonder whether it’s always the right choice. Scabs are pretty tough to look at, too. Speaking of… 

The Wear and Tear
The slow decline of a model’s foot is obvious when looking at the collections from city to city. The pristine skin and tone from the beginning of NYFW takes a sharp turn by the time the model makes it to Paris, none evidenced so clearly than at Louis Vuitton, one of the very last Paris shows. Bruises, cuts, discoloration… it’s a bit scary, to be honest. We hope all the models are now enjoying a good rest. And hopefully a foot rub. 

On that note lovelies, I think it's time you kick off your heels and put on some flats to enjoy the weekend. I'm in New Orleans right now celebrating a wedding, so you can bet I'm in my fanciest heels navigating Bourbon Street. Hopefully I don't end up like these models when the weekend is said and done.  Enjoy your weekend! 

xoxo,

M.

Recipe: Spinach Summer Salad

Yesterday I woke up with a craving for salad. Recently I discovered an easy-to-make recipe from Ellie Krieger's "So Easy" (remember that delicious Steak Chimichurri recipe I wrote about this summer?) that's just sliced strawberries, fresh mozzerella, fresh basil and a balsamic vinaigrette. Like I said, yesterday I woke up with a craving for salad and I wanted to incorporate this salad but add my own twist to it. It's hard to have a craving for salad before lunch time and have to wait ALL DAY to come home and make it, but I survived. 

Because I was coming from Bar Method (have you been yet? If not, check out Najeema's write up on this awesome workout), I knew my butt would be kicked and that a protein rich salad would hit the spot. The result was better than I could have imagined. Doesn't this look mmm-azing? 

Recipe: Spinach Salad with Strawberries

1 package of perdue skinless chicken breasts

1 package, organic spinach

1 quart Strawberries

1 package of fresh mozzarella 

2 Tbsp balsamic 

Season chicken breast with a little salt and pepper - use a grill pan and cook thoroughly, chop into pieces

Slice strawberries into quarters

Cut mozzarella into cubes

Rinse 1 cup of spinach

Assemble into salad bowl

Finish w/ drizzle of balsamic vinegar 
Enjoy!

Urban Cowboy

One of my favorite things about the weather cooling is the ability to throw a blazer on. There are very few other things that instantly jazz up an outfit like a blazer. 

I found this tweed blazer for a steal at my local Buffalo Exchange last week and threw it on over a white shirt and jeggings for an afternoon lunch with a girlfriend. I have a feeling I'll be wearing this outfit a lot more often since it's a simple ensemble. 

Top - Ann Taylor Loft

Blazer - Buffalo Exchange

Jeggings - Swapped

Boots - DSW

Short Necklace - Shabby Apple

Long Necklace - Jewel Mint

Just a little pop of color

A colleague recently asked me if red is my favorite color. Confused, I asked her why she would think that and she responded that I'm always wearing something red. For the record, red is not my favorite color. Purple is. How many purple items do I own? Two. How's that for ironic?

Looking through my outfits lately though, it's clear that I've got an affinity for red. Maybe it's because red is my POWER color. I feel good in red. It's such a "look at me" color. But far be it from me to wear all red and really scream look at me! No, for me, red is more of an accent. A little POP of color to an otherwise neutral palate. 


Take today's outfit. A simple black and white dress. Nothing extraordinary about it. A simple bow at the neckline. All business in the front. But in the back?

Dress - Shabby Apple

Fishnet stockings - Target

Suede pumps - Urban Outfitters

necklace (used as a bracelet) - Forever XXI

Sunnies - Kate Spade

Lipstick - "Truly Red" Laura Mercier  

In the back - BAM. All party. Just a little accent to an otherwise neutral palate.

Red and Leopard

A few weeks ago (yes, I realize I'm THAT far behind) I had the luxury of attending the Boston Globe's Celebration of the 25 Most Stylish Bostonians for 2011 (for a fabulous recap, check out Brilliance of B.) I met up with Kristen and Brittany for cocktails, people watching, and, of course, outfit watching.

Me, Brittany and Kristen

The event was sponsored by Chambord, so most of Boston's fashion elite gathered to sip on pink martinis and nosh on delicious hors d'oeuvres. The show even had a red carpet, so naturally we had to snap a photo or two. Thanks to Brittany for capturing all the photos!

 

Top - Tilly's

Blazer - Gap

Shorts - swapped

Tights - Target

Booties - Kohl's

For the event I went casual glam. I wore these red shorts and this leopard blouse plus a black velvet blazer. I added some black tights and open toed booties and called it good. Thanks to Kristen for the extended invite to join you and for the Globe for recognizing some of the stylish Bostonians.

Kate Spade Sample Sale

It's that time again! Today only, Kate Spade is having another sample sale with items up to 75% off, so now's the time to get your hands on some fabulous fall accessories. 

Happy Shopping!

 

Red Fedora

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Boston's Fashion's Night Out with a group of Boston's local bloggers. Sadly my camera was buried so deep at the bottom of my bag that I couldn't find it, so I didn't snap any pictures, but there are so many good write-ups on the night. In fact, I'd recommend looking at Brilliance of B for a great recap. 

While ogling the beautiful clothes from shop to shop, I swore I wouldn't go crazy with purchases, but then I found a red fedora and after trying it on, everyone agreed I must have it. 

Image Courtesy of Brilliance of B

This hat is such a statement piece, so it pairs really nicely with basics. Earlier this week I pulled out the fedora with a simple outfit to punch it up. I must admit that I absolutely LOVE this hat and can't wait to incorporate it into my fall wardrobe.

 Top - New York & Co (several seasons back)

Capris - New York & Company

Red Suede Pumps (seen here and here ) - Urban Outfitters

Leaf necklace - c/o Shabby Apple

Rocking Wren

 

Oof, I can't believe it's already mid-September. Seriously, where does the time go? I'm starting to rock a lot more dark colors and long pants. And with the heavy rain we had last week, it was the perfect time to bust out this new blazer. 

I bought this blazer from Tra Tutti, the online sale shop, during it's "going out of business" sale over the summer., which means I got it for 75% off. When all was said and done, I paid $50 for this blazer that retails for $410 - SCORE! This Wren blazer has really nifty details that make it pop. Like the sparkly lapels that add a little punch to the basic black. And the silk pin stripe liner that I exposed by rolling up the cuffs. I kept everything else simple and paired the jacket with a pair of jeans and my PLV snake skin heels. And apologies for the funky shading. It was a late night at the office (like 8:30 pm late) and I wanted to make sure I snagged a photo before I left for the day, so I used one of the walls at our office.

Top - H&M

Jacket - Wren

Jeans - Lucky

Shoes - Pour la Victoire

Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

I have the world's biggest sweet tooth, so I'm always looking to try new recipes. When we were in Texas earlier this summer, my friend Mark ripped out a page of a People Magazine with a recipe for chocolate dipped coconut macaroons (Stephen told him how good these looked, so Mark made sure I knew about it!)

The recipe came from RHNYC Jill Zarin, so immediately I was skeptical, but the recipe was SO easy that I had to give it a try. 

Recipe Makes 24: 
2, 14-oz bags sweetened flaked coconut
1, 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. Mexican Vanilla Extract (you can find this at William Sonoma)
1, 12-oz bag of bittersweet chocolate, melted (I subbed with dark cacao - 60% so the bitterness of the chocolate would balance the sweetness of the coconut)


1) Pre-heat oven to 325º.
2) In large bowl (I recommend your Kitchen Aid Mixer), mix together all ingredients until throoughly combined. Press dough into a soup spoon or small ice cream scoop and release onto baking sheet. 
3) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. 
4) Dip one side of each macaroon in melted chocolate and place on a tray lined with wax paper. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes before serving. 
*Tip - I melted my chocolate in the microwave for 90 second and it worked brilliantly. 

So there you have it. An ULTRA easy, delicious recipe. If you like coconut, I strongly recommend that you make these immediately and share with those you love. I guarantee you'll be a hero. 

 

 

Maxi Dress

For the longest time I have been afraid of the word maxi. For me, maxi invokes images of women who easily scale 5'7" and can pull off a full length dress. Does it matter that Nicole Richie - who is 4 inches shorter than me - wears maxis all the time? No. I just knew that I would never be able to pull it off. 

 But I took the leap and got this maxi dress during an Ann Taylor sale a few weeks ago, and you know what? I was wrong. So wrong. I feel like this dress makes me look like I've suddenly sprouted a few extra inches. Plus the chevron stripes are slimming. Everything about this dress is just right. And because everything was so right about this dress, I figured there was nothing better to wear for my first day in the city. And you know what? I got complimented on the T! Bonus! 

Dress - Ann Taylor

Jacket - Swapped

Gladiator Sandals - Target

Necklace - JewelMint

Earrings - Shabby Apple

Ring - Kate Spade

Is there something you always thought you could never pull off, but then you take a risk and it realize it works brilliantly? I'll admit when I'm wrong, and in this case, I was really wrong. But, I've luckily realized the error of my ways can assure you that I'll be stocking up on maxi dresses moving forward.