Girls night in

For the 1st time since Ryan & I moved in together last summer,he has never spent a night a way from me..he is off in Chattanooga on a photography trip so me & Ellie Jane are having a girl's night in...
Tonight just a Chick flick, some wine, hummus, & a delicious strawberry cupcake from my favorite bakery Bread & Co.YUM!!!I also managed to make a trip to the local goodwill with a $20 budget to see what vintage dresses I could find...after 2 hours & alot of trying on...I left spending $30 with a few new fun pieces for my wardrobe...Here is one of my favorites...A blue Ann Taylor jacket with some vintage details for a mere $8!! I also found these sweet roller skates in my dressing room & desperately wished they were in my size!!!

Soup & Sledding on a Snow day

We got about 4-5 inches of snow in Nashville, which is by far the most snow I have ever seen here in 5 years...It was great at 1st, but for someone who constantly likes to be on the go...it took me a min. to figure out what to do with myself! I have made batches of popcorn with olive oil & sea salt..we have plenty of movies to watch & today Ryan, Ellie & I ventured outside for a sledding adventure in our neighborhood... afterwards coming inside for a hot bowl of my favorite soup from Trader Joe's Roasted Corn & Red Pepper, & a piece of yummy sesame Ezekiel toast....the only thing I add to it is cracked black pepper. It's nothing fancy, but simply sweet & a little spicy. It is not at all chunky, but great to dip some toast or a grill cheese into...I also thought I'd include some fun pics of the sledding...My boyfriend was not on board until we got outside & he couldn't resist flying down the hills...We used the plastic top of a storage container since we don't have a sled, which worked somewhat well. Ellie had no problem zipping all over the place playing in the snow!!!

Hair Do

I am always looking for unique wedding styles for the brides & bridesmaids I am working on...I love this simple,yet complex, sleek & elegant style....may have to create this for one of my brides!

Dream dress for Cape Cod Wedding

I want this dress NOW for my boyfriend's sister's wedding in Cape Cod in July!! Now I say Now!!! WAY out of my price range...gonna see if I can find something similar for a smidge cheaper;)


Denim Short Hitched Dress
$250 - coggles.com

My current favs

This may change next week;) but these are my current shoe wants...I would wear the strappy heel in the summer with a flirty summer dress...the booties...I would wear with a skirt or dress in the winter with tights...They also come in black..so not sure which color I would get yet...To make these choices even more tempting...they are both under $25 each @gojane.com!!

Dreaming out loud...

I wanna run around in a floral frilly dress in the yard outside this window...run thru the sprinkler in the heat...come in once you can hear the crickets outside & see the stars in the sky to grill out a fabulous summer dinner fresh from the garden then sink into this tub with vanilla candles galore lit & climb into a warm bed under a luxurious down comforter surrounded by fluffy pillows & head off into dreamland...That's what I wanna do right now...

Dear Gym

Dear Gym,

Look Gym we have a love-hate relationship..When I'm there I love you & you make me feel amazing ...When I'm away from you my thoughts are pure hate, I forget all the good memories, & I dread the next time I will see you...This delicious plate of Ghirardelli choc.chip cookies...is totally on my side & would love for me to end my relationship with you & spend some time with their delicious, hot, still gooey in the middle goodness.. Love, Me

Furr-tastic

So yes it's totally fake,& was a mere $27 at Target on the clearance rack... but so warm,& I feel really fancy pants when I wear it...I mean it's not for everyday wear, but just to add a little zing to your outfit!I wore this to my best friend's 30th bday party & her husband joked it looked like an animal with Goodyear tire marks on it!Ha! Thanks Beau!!...laugh all you want but I'm still gonna pull it out every once in a while when I want to feel fabulous!!!
Charles pull the car around...

Goodness Gracious Goodwill!

Oh how I love Goodwill...It used to be one of my favorite places! Then as I got older I became too sophisticated to thrift shop;) every once & a while...I think I have got to hit up a goodwill for some cheap vintagy pieces to add some character to my now J.Crew & forever 21 closet(nice mix eh?) I got this dress FOREVER ago at a local Goodwill...sometimes I wear it with shirt under it(like this white button-up shown here) or without...sometimes with tights & boots sometimes just boots...depends on how I'm feeling...It is the perfect fall weather dress with the warm tweed bottom...It's still one of my favorites & has held up so well!! Which is why I plan to make a trip this weekend to check out the selection at Goodwill & see what unique items I can find &/or revamp;)Note:ridiculous look on my face

Polished

I suck at painting my own nails...great at giving manis on others, just not my own...so I've been treating myself every once & a while to a whole $7 polish change at a local nail salon...It takes 20 min., it's cheap & I feel like a new woman!! Here are some of my fav. colors lately....Here's the lineup...(from left to right)passion,vodka & caviar,play till midnight,midnight in moscow,strawberry margarita,russian navy

yummy in my tummy

So I have a confession to make...I have been claiming to be a "vegan" now for almost 2 years...BUT...I still eat fish(no chance I'm giving it up) & I've been dabbling in some dairy recently(woops!), so for lack of a better word for my wierd food rules...I just call myself a vegan...Anyway...as a foodie it gets tough sometimes coming up with creative menu items...so I am constantly searching for new recipes & scanning every aisle at Trader Joes like inspector gadget to make sure I don't miss a single new item;) Here's an oldie but goodie recipe I got from real simple magazine...I tend to jazz it up from time to time by adding a can of corn & some rotini pasta...Eat up!!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, including liquid
kosher salt and pepper
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts, chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
crusty bread (optional)
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, 2 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Add the chickpeas and beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Combine the garlic, pine nuts, parsley, the remaining olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
Divide the chili among individual bowls and top with the pesto. Serve with the bread, if desired.

A bun in the oven

My sis just found out she is pregnant & although she may kill me for posting the news on here...well I just can't hold it in!!! This is her 2nd time around & the pic shown is how I received the news...an adorable pic of her 1st, my sweet nephew Jackson!(I apologize for the pic quality)Congrats baby sis!!

The Nook

This is my little "nook" if you will...my secluded safe haven where I can finally divulge all of my creative ideas, recipes, fashion faves, unique wedding ideas, hairstyles, and anything that catches my attention, I'd like to share.....I am a hairstylist who conveniently travels to friends & anyone I come across in need of a fun & creative hairstylist, who's not afraid to tell clients the truth about how to better care for you hair, & what will work best for their face shape, hair type, and lifestyle....I also work for a company called I do weddings as a wedding hairstylist & wedding planner....That's all I got!!! SO without further ado....Let's get this party started!

Above is my fav. little chandelier...that will be mine once I can get a minute to race to IKEA... http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20089464...I've been looking for an inexpensive antique looking chandelier for over a year now & this one is right in my price range ($39.99)...and simply adorable! I'll be sure & post pics once it's hung(by my handy boyfriend;)