This Thanksgiving...

It's hard to believe it's already Thanksgiving and the year is nearing an end. This Thanksgiving is my first ever in which I'm traveling a far distance to get home to my family (during college it was a simple 45-minute drive), and it's the first time I've been home since moving out of state in April. With that being said, I am thankful for my parents for booking me a flight home for the holiday, and the family and friends I get to enjoy it with. I'm also super excited to be reunited with my best friend Rachael, who I haven't seen in over a year, because she's been around the world living out her dreams of becoming a dancer!

Needless to say, I'm so excited to come home -- even if it only is for a couple of days! 

Have a happy Thanksgiving,

xxo

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Are dinner parties a normal thing for 20-somethings to do nearly every weekend? Currently, my girlfriends and I have had this almost-every-Saturday-thing going on, where we all bring food and wine to contribute, and then meet up with everyone else to go out for the night. A few weekends ago, my friend Sarah invited us over, and she made this shrimp dish with lime and cilantro that was so, so good. I couldn't wait to replicate it, so I made it this past weekend. Served over rice, it's an easy (and relatively cheap) meal to make.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp (recipe makes enough for two)

- 1 T butter

- 1 T olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped

- 1/4 t. red pepper flakes

- 1/2 t. Mexican oregano

- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped

- 1 lime, zest and juice

- 1/2 t. salt

- 1/2 t. black pepper

- 1 pound shrimp, split and deveined

- 2 t. chopped cilantro

1. Melt the butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add the garlic, onion and jalapeno. Cook, stirring until the onion begins to wilt, approx. 3 minutes.

3. Add the red pepper flakes and oregano.

4. Continue cooking until the onion becomes translucent, approx. 3 additional minutes. 

5. Add the tomatoes.

6. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft.

7. Add the shrimp, zest and lime juice, salt and black pepper.

8. Cook until the shrimp are just opaque (be careful not to overcook).

9. Remove the pan from the head and stir in the cilantro.

Currently loving: Pink Coats

Fall weather always comes with a change of color in our wardrobes. We switch out our white dresses, bright prints and pastels for blacks, browns, navy and neutrals. One of my favorite ways to bring color to a fall wardrobe is a bright coat. I've always been a fan of light pink, so I splurged toward the end of the last winter season and bought myself this coat from J.Crew. Different from the typical darker colors of fall and winter outerwear, it's the perfect pop of color.

PB Teen: Gold + White

If there were any color scheme I could identify as my go-to look, it would be white and gold. I've had a mild obsession with white over the past year, and adding bits of gold here and there to my decor has given way to my love for the color combo. 

Enter Emily and Meritt for PB Teen. Before you liken my taste to that of a tween or child for choosing PB Teen, scroll through these pictures. The white and gold polka dotted sheets, bunny-eared alarm clock, vintage inspired dartboard and gold detailed garment rack are my favorites, but ideally I want it all. This collection would make for one stylish teen or 20-something, no?

Chic Kiddos

Is it just me, or are kids these days more stylin' than ever before? My go-to outfit when I was little was a GAP hoodie, jeans and a head band. I can't say the same for these kids at all. The launch of J.Crew Baby a few weeks back just gives you the excuse of starting even earlier with petite Sperry's, little cashmere sweaters, and rugby striped onezies. I'm definitely not foreseeing any of this in my near future, but I think any 20-something could take a little fashion inspiration from these kiddos.

I'm already wanting to re-create the adult version of the last photo!

Monday Motivation

Good morning and Happy Monday! Work has been so busy lately so I've taken a long leave of absence here. But now that I'm on a new work schedule, I wanted to take advantage of having more time (and a lot fewer late nights!) to get back on the blogwagon. I have a few lot of new recipes I've been wanting to try out and post, as well as a few DIY projects. Until then, here's a few words of encouragement to get your mind moving on this Monday. 

Military inspired vest + dress

I recently bought this dress from H&M and it is my new favorite piece in my closet (not to mention a great deal) . I've had a love for lightweight, long sleeved dresses for a while now. They're a good transition piece for summer to fall, and I think one of the ways to perfect the look is with a military style vest. The military green color is a good autumn hue, and it's perfect for those cooler autumn days that are right around the corner. 

I haven't found a vest yet, but it's at the top of my fall wardrobe list. Any suggestions?

Crab Bake

This past weekend, my friends and I went to a crab bake just outside of D.C. It was a little out of my comfort zone, because the only crab I'd ever eaten was in the form of crab cakes, so I was a little intimidated when I sat down in front of a pile of crab and had to use a wooden mallet and my fingers to dig out the meat. It was all you can eat style, and although I cracked open at least a dozen of those sea critters, I think I the amount of crab I consumed only amounted to one full crab -- it was a tricky job, but a good time with a bunch of friends! 

 

Sharp Objects

I, like many others girls throughout the past year, read the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I'm typically a fan of thrillers, especially the ones that end every chapter with the realization that you're not moving from your couch for the next couple of hours because you have to turn to the next page. Such was the case with Gone Girl, but with Flynn's other book, Sharp Objects, the thrill just wasn't there.

However, the nightmares definitely were. I've never read a book that would affect my dreams so often. The plots reads as a typical suspense novel with a little bit of horror wrapped in: Journalist girl in a big city returns home to her small town to cover the murder of two little girls, but somehow gets wrapped up in solving the mystery and learning a few not-too-pleasant details about her family and childhood.

The ending was mostly predictable and I grew to hate the main character, as well as strongly question the sanity of Flynn herself (as if I didn't already from reading Gone Girl). All in all, I'd recommend Gone Girl any day, but Sharp Objects was definitely subpar.

Have any of you read this book?

Throwback denim

Yesterday my good friend Alex texted me a screenshot of a jumpsuit she'd recently purchased online, asking my thoughts on the piece. I loved it, and then she proceeded to tell me she's thinking about buying overalls too. I can remember Carrie Bradshaw donning dungarees in more than one episode of Sex and the City, but she never exactly styled them to my liking. 

I would probably pair it with a white tee and a statement necklace, but I also really like how the girl below wears a gingham button down underneath. Asos has a few options that I really like, such as this pair and this one as well. 

Would you wear overalls this fall? 

Carrabba's Chicken Bryan

One of the things that I miss most about home since moving away is my favorite restaurant, Carrabba's. It's a chain restaurant, but there is not a close location in relation to where I live, so last weekend I took to looking up the recipe of one of my favorite dishes, Chicken Bryan, and attempting to replicate it.

I was a little nervous that it wouldn't taste anything like Carrabba's, but was surprised at the outcome-- almost an exact replica (all that was missing were the garlic mashed potatoes!). It's a simple recipe to follow, and doesn't take too many ingredients.

Any Carrabba's fans out there?

Carrabba's Chicken Bryan recipe (Makes enough for four people) 

- 2/3 tablespoon minced garlic

- 2/3 tablespoon minced yellow onion

- 1 1/3 tablespoons butter

- 1/3 cup dry white wine

- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

- 1/2 cup cold butter, sliced

- 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

- 1/3 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1/3 teaspoon white pepper

- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

- 2/3 to taste extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

- 1/3 teaspoon salt

- 1/3 teaspoon black pepper

- 5 1/3 ounces caprino goat cheese or 5 1/3 ounces other goat cheese, room temperature

Saute garlic and onion in 1 1/3T. butter in a large skillet over medium heat until tender. Stir wine and lemon juice into skillet, increase heat to medium high, and simmer to reduce by half. Reduce heat to low and stir in cold butter, one slice at a time. Stir in tomatoes, basil, kosher salt, and white pepper; remove from heat; set aside. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Grill chicken over hot coals 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through (I grilled them on my stovetop, as I don't have a grill). A couple of minutes before chicken is done, place equal amounts of cheese on each breast Spoon prepared sun-dried tomato sauce over chicken.

Laser cut

I have a few pieces of clothing in my closet that are actually real leather, but a lot of my faux leather items have come from Forever 21. I have two "pleather" black jackets from F21 that I wear all the time over dresses when I go out, and, while fake, they always get compliments. The store recently came out with a few new faux leather pieces, including this top. There's something about a laser cut leather top that has always caught my eye. Paired with white jeans, or a matching black [faux] leather skirts and heels for a night out, and I think this piece would be well worth the mere $23 it costs!

Menswear Wednesday: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Normally I don't really post much about sales on my blog, but I did want to fill my male readers (if there are any out there!) about the amazing sale at Nordstrom going on right now. Here are a few of the best finds, in my opinion. The best deal? Probably the Sperry Gold Cup 2-Eye ASV's that are on sale for nearly 50% off!

1. The North Face rain jacket, $73.90. These almost never go on sale. I have the women's version in red and use it all of the time. It's the perfect light-weight raincoat. Find it here. 

2. I'm a stickler for light blue and/or gingham anything, so of course I found this shirt to be really attractive. It's on sale for $38.90.

3. Polo Ralph Lauren Dot Socks, $8.90. No one wears funky socks like former President George H.W. Bush, but you can at least try to be as cool as he is with these fun orange polka dotted socks from RL. Find them here. 

4. Timberland 'Wodehouse Lost History' Boot, $189.90. I've always been a fan of this style of boots, and really think Timberland makes great quality shoes. Find them here. 

5. Again with the checkered shirts, I know. I just think they look great on all men! Peter Millar's shirts are usually on the more expensive side, so a sale price of $76.90 is a good deal in my eyes. 

6. Sperry Gold Cup 2-Eye ASV boat shoe, $109.90. These are originally $170, which is on the high end for Sperry boat shoes. My friend has this pair, and he's probably kicking himself right about now wishing he'd waited for the sale. 

Girl to Watch: Olivia Pope

On the recommendation of my new roommate, I recently started watching Scandal. I've only heard great things about it, and the fact that it takes place in Washington, DC makes it all the more alluring. I've been a loyal House of Cards fan, so at first I didn't want to add another DC show into the mix, but I'm sure glad I did. I've read in fashion magazines that the style of Scandal's main character, Olivia Pope (played by Kerry Washington), is to die for, and I can totally attest to that now that I'm through the first season. Her character wears a lot of neutrals, mostly white (her Tory Burch trench from one of the first episodes caught my eye immediately!) but also nudes and pastels. Here are a few of my favorite Olivia Pope outfits.

Do you watch Scandal? 

A Pop of {cheap} Style: Forever 21 scarves

I have a love/hate relationship with scarves. Some days I find them to look fashionable on me, and others I think they look awful. Lately I've been loving pastels, and really love the look of lightweight scarves paired with a laid-back outfit such as white skinny jeans, a tank top and a denim vest. J.Crew sells perfect summer scarves, But I just can't seem to justify $150 for one accessory.

This is where Forever 21 comes in to save the day. Recently in stores are scarves that are of similar weight, and cute, pastel summer colors. I'm loving the light blues and pinks with subtle stripes. And with prices ranging from $7-$11, who could pass that up?

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