the dress.

My apologies if you were hoping to find a picture of my wedding dress here! No dice. 

But what I do have for you is the dress I'll be sporting  at my shower this weekend. I figured that after my blog posts and tweets asking for advice, it's only fair that I show you what I wound up with. It's pretty perfect - so bright and cheery, and yellow is one of our wedding colors... so its meant to be!

So that is the dress. It's from J.Crew, but not available online {in store only friends}

I've spared you any of my own attempts at modeling... you're welcome. 

I'll be trying my very best to style it as well as these lovely ladies this weekend :)

thank you to: liz {late afternoon}, emily {cupcakes and cashmere}, kater {all this happiness}

TEMPTATIONS

temptations, temptations, temptations. 

every trip to the grocery store involves a grueling walk through the seasonal aisle

where candies and sweet easter goodies are calling out to me. 

just begging to give me a stomach ache from over consumption. 

so far i've made it the entire spring season without one ...

jelly bean

marshmallow peep

or chocolate candy

wrapped so perfectly

in pastel foil.

my three favorites!
just one more week to go... 

it's going to be a rough one. 

COLOR CRAVING: teal + tangerine

This color combo is so obviously a match made in heaven. While both teal and tangerine are bright and bold, their opposite spots on the color spectrum makes them perfect compliments. Sometimes opposites attract, right? Case and point: teal + tangerine. I scooped up those salt and pepper shakers from Anthropologie, and could not get over the gorgeous colors... so I went searching for more. Too many goodies to pick favorites - so I'll just love everything equally :)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

can you pick a fave?

SPRING EATING

I don't know about you, but when it's warm and sunny outside, the last thing I want to do after work is spend the remaining hours of sunlight in the kitchen. Instead I'd rather take a walk, go for a run, or enjoy a drink outside. With that said, I'd still like to be able to enjoy a homemade meal. With the below to recipes you can have the best of both worlds. Prepare an awesome, fresh, dinner + a dessert with just the right amount of sweetness. Both recipes can be made with less than twenty minutes of hands on time. It seems impossible - but I promise it's not. Give it a try!

SPRING PASTA SALA

(inspired by Julia's post)

here's what you'll need...

1 lb bowtie pasta

1 zucchini, chopped

1 head broccoli, chopped 

1 cup chopped heirloom tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup fat free feta cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper

here's what to do...

Cook pasta according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking, prepare all vegetables and set aside. Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. Strain pasta and allow to cool. Mix in vegetables, cheese, and dressing. Toss to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer. 

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

here's what you'll need...

15 strawberries

1 cup semi sweet chocolate

1 cup white chocolate

assorted sprinkles (optional)

here's what to do...

Melt milk chocolate in double broiler. Once melted, dip in strawberries and coat with chocolate. Set on plate prepared with parchment paper. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over chocolate covered strawberries. Top with sprinkles. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate sets. 

yum. 

FRIDAY

it's kind of a rainy, cloudy, foggy.. friday. 

but it's friday, and we've had nothing but 80 degree sunshine for a week.

so no complaints here. 

sorry for the blog silence yesterday, 

and the late post today.

the blog has fallen to the bottom of my to do list.

but it's back on the rise to the top :)

promise.

aside from the fact that it's friday, here are a few things that are currently making me happy. 

1. my shower is next weekend! so happy for girl time with family and friends.

2. i'm getting stronger! i'm no longer sore for days after barre class

3. dress fitting number two tomorrow at vera wang. i wish i could try it on daily.

4. followed by a girls brunch with a good friend - much needed. 

5. food network sent me a bottle of their new wine - entwine. can't wait to try it!

6. i think i can sleep in on sunday!

7. i think i have nothing to do sunday!

8. i got my tax return :)

9. 64 days until the day. 

10. it's been a really, really, great week. 

HATS & HANDBAGS

two summer must have items:

a beach tote & a happy hat. 

here are some of my favorite finds. 

beach totes: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 

happy hats:  1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

Last year I got a Panama hat from J.Crew and I just adore it. Such a fun summer accessory. I'm also sporting that same Marc Jacobs glasses pattern on my iphone cover right now - it makes me feel like summer is here every time I see those bright glasses! Still in search of the perfect tote - something that can carry a book, magazines, a beach towel, a snack & drink, ... ya know all the necessities :)

Homemade Basics: Hummus

This is one of the best things I've whipped up in under five minutes in a long time. Seriously five minutes and seriously delicious. I'm trying to undo some of the damage from last week & the weekend {lots of eating out, a little too much celebrating, and not a lot of working out} with a healthy lunch option for the week. I opted for a fresh sandwich of sorts: whole wheat bagel, hummus, a slice of muenster cheese, tomato & cucumber. Instead of buying homemade hummus I decided to make my own and it truly makes a difference! So smooth, creamy, and flavorful. 

Here's what you'll need...
15 oz. can of chickpeas
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons tahini sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Here's what to do...
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. Store in an airtight container. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top before serving (optional).

Weekend Recap

This weekend was absolutely fabulous. 

FRIDAY we woke up bright and early with so much anticipation to find out where yt matched at 11am. It was a long morning and one of the most intense experiences ever. At 11:01 we opened yt's match envelope to find out some very exciting news - his residency will be at Northwestern (five more years in Chicago)!!! It was his first choice and we are so very excited and I am so very proud!! We spent the rest of the day celebrating :)

SATURDAY was all about more celebrating. We began our St. Patrick's Day festivities early and soaked in the gorgeous weather. 

SUNDAY we were all in serious need of rest and coming off of our high from the weekend. I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure, finally bought a dress for my shower (it's bright yellow and so fun!), and enjoyed a nice low key dinner. 

So ready for the week ahead - I know it's going to be a good one! 

luck of the irish.

hoping that at 11am this morning we will have some irish luck :)

In addition to celebrating yt this weekend, we will also be celebrating St. Patty's Day. I've lived in Chicago for three years and have always been traveling on the celebratory weekend. I'm so excited to experience my first St. Patty's Day in Chicago - a place where they take this holiday pretty seriously! We are starting the festivities early with an Irish breakfast and some green beer at a bar - then I'm determined to make it downtown to see the green river. I'm sporting a green tee and a big orange hair bow from American Apparel to show my support of the Irish. What are your plans friends? 

flats - clutch - polish

shorts - sunnies - case

scarf - earrings - trousers

Green is SUCH a fun color. I'm kind of in love with it all. 

tomorrow.

tomorrow is match day for yt. 

in short - we find out where we will be living for the next five years -

and what {two} hospitals yt will be completing his training in

no matter where we wind up

I am beyond proud of yt

for all of the seriously hard work he has put into this career

for all of his insane accomplishments

he deserves endless celebrations

{which I'm sure he will take full advantage of this weekend}

wish us luck, friends!

I'll likely be tweeting and posting about the verdict if you care to stay in the loop :)

Spring Has Sprung

It seems that Spring has arrived this week. It's early, but so very welcomed. I want to eat al fresco, soak in some sun with a book on a park bench, take a long stroll through the city, and enjoy every extra minute of daylight + every extra degree of warmth. I can't help myself from craving some spring worthy items to go with these plans. 

a darling dress +  a poppy polish + fun flip flops    

  over-sized shades + a happy hat + a bright belt + a sunny scarf

a refreshing beverage and pretty flowers would also be lovely. 

WHY?

This is what I like to call wedges gone wrong (I initially just typed weddings gone wrong). That is where my head is at friends. Anyway... can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?! Why are designers like Burberry, Jimmy Choo, and DVF creating such hideous stilts? That is what these are. Glorified stilts. That last pair is being sold at Bergdorf Goodman for $1,500. Yes, you can pay $1,500 so that your feet look like they were attacked by straw. When I sport a pair of wedges, I'd like to be able to a) walk b) not twist an ankle c) look like a normal human being. 

Is that too much to ask!?

seasonal recipes {for everygirls}

happy monday friends!

 today I'm directing traffic 

over to the everygirl

where you can find five recipes 

utilizing the below seasonal ingredient - 

blood oranges. 

here's a sneak peak:

pretty pictures

tasty treats

delicious dishes

all around. 

go buy a bunch of this bright, bold, fruit... 

and whip up something special this week!

one day.

A little reminder that sometimes it's necessary to take life one day at a time.  Sometimes looking at the bigger picture can be a bit much. Don't you agree?

Lately I've been feeling a smidge overwhelmed {lots going on over here!}. But oddly enough, the overwhelmed feeling has been passing and I've been able to regain a sense of calm rather quickly {with a little help from yt who is never phased by anything ... I seriously don't get it}. I'm realizing that I can only control so much and I can only do so much in one day. So for the next few months this will be my motto - one. day. at. a. time. 

This weekend I'm mixing work and play. I'm also shooting another Everygirl feature!  

I'm not sure what category that falls under. 

Probably play because I get to cook + eat yummy food whilst hanging out two stellar ladies :)

Hope whatever you are doing this weekend, it is wonderful. xo.

source

bathing beauties

So this morning I posted about my love for the one piece bathing suit. I have yet to own one (or even try one on for that matter), but I think that will be changing very soon.One of the comments on my earlier post was from the lovely Taylor saying that she has been loving Anthropologies swimwear. I immediately wandered over to their site - and man was she right! Seriously cute suits all around! Since the focus was on one pieces in my first post - here are some gorgeous bikinis that anyone could rock this summer (okay, and one full piece suit cause it was too cute to resist posting!)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Is it wrong to ask for bathing suits instead of china in a gift registry? 

I'm seriously considering it. 

suiting up

I don't know if it's the warmer weather, the fact that we are nearing spring, or my upcoming honeymoon, but I can not stop scooping out all of the gorgeous bathing suits that have recently been introduced with Spring/Summer collections. I only own bikinis. I have never even looked twice at a one piece bathing suit, but this year I feel like I need one. I used to think they were so matronly looking ... far from youthful, but now I'm seeing them in a different light. They are so romantic and leave a bit to the imagination (wink wink). I have a feeling most men (yt included) would probably take my old stance on these suits, but what to they know!? I am in love. 

1 (Miu Miu), 2 (J.Crew), 3 (Tori Praver), 4 (DVF), 5 (Madewell), 6 (Etro), 7 (Karla Colletto), 8 (J.Crew)

Are you a bikini girl? 

Or a fan of the one piece look? 

Or do you mix and match?

celebrating!

It was a coworker's birthday yesterday and I volunteered to bring in a celebratory treat. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies so I figured that was a good way to go but I wanted to make them extra special. I decided to stuff them with Oreos ... again, who wouldn't like such a creation! The first time I made these, I used double stuff Oreos and wound up with HUGE cookies. To make them a little more approachable, I used mini Oreos, and they were the perfect cookie size. Little did I know that in addition to my coworker's birthday it was also Oreo's 100th birthday! Meant to be? I think so. So Happy Birthday Chad, Happy Birthday Oreo, and happy day to me ... I consumed an undisclosed amount of cookie dough and mini Oreos in the baking process. It was bound to happen. The cookie recipe is straight off of the bag of mini chips (mini Oreos + mini chips = match made in heaven). Also, I got distracted by those pretty purple tulips and snapped a photo - this has nothing to do with cookies in the least. 

Here's what you'll need... 
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups semi sweet mini chocolate chips
1 bag of mini Oreos

Here's what to do... 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Take one mini Oreo and cover with a small amount of the chocolate chip cookie dough (just enough to cover the cookie). Place on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 45 cookies.

Weekend Eating.

On the weekends, I like to take advantage of having more than an hour to whip up dinner. Having a Sunday or Saturday dedicated entirely to cooking and baking is one of my all time favorite ways to spend the day. This Sunday I started the process early, allowing for my pork shoulder to braise slowly in the oven. I used an incredibly easy, five ingredient recipe. The result? Super tender pulled pork sliders. I served the pork with some classic barbeque sauce, a simple slaw, and sweet slider buns. 

Pulled Pork

Here's what you'll need...

1 pork shoulder (3-4 pounds)

1 large onion, sliced into quarters

4 whole garlic cloves

2-3 bottles of root beer 

barbeque sauce

Here's what to do...

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and position one rack towards the bottom of the oven. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear each side of the pork shoulder until the entire exterior is browned. Add root beer to the pot (enough to cover 3/4 of the pork), onion, and garlic. Cook pork shoulder about 3-4 hours until extremely tender. Remove pork from liquid and use two forks to shred meat. Add desired amount of your favorite barbeque sauce. 

Sesame Slaw

Here's what you'll need...

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon cider vinegar 

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pinch of ground ginger

2 cups of shredded cabbage

1/3 cup shredded carrots 

Here's what to do... 

Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, oil, sugar and spices. Add in cabbage and carrot. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best if made up to two hours in advance. 

COLOR in your kitchen.

The obvious fashion trend for spring is color, color, and more color. There's no denying it. Why not extend the trend from our closets to our kitchen? Sounds like a great idea to me! I think drinking my morning cup of coffee from one of these colorful mugs would help brighten my day immediately. I am also so in love with all of the brightly colored Le Creuset pieces. The orange might be my fave! 

mugs: Crate & Barrel, Jonathan Adler, Kate Spade - bowls: West Elm, Kate Spade, Anthropologie, Jonathan Adler - bakeware: Spatula, Utensil Crock, Skillet Grill, Au Gratin Bakeware, Mixing Bowl, Pie Dish, Measuring Spoons, Retro Bowls

Is your kitchen clean and white or have you incorporated some POPS of color? 

a list of happy

Life has been crazy lately - a really good crazy though. The days have been going by so quickly and I am in complete awe that it's already March. I'm not quite sure how that happened. It feels like it was JUST January. When life is moving at such a quick pace, sometimes it's necessary to stop, think, and take it all in. Here is a list of a few of the {little} things that are currently making me happy.

1. I'm slowly learning to be a city driver. It's amazing how much you miss in the backseat of a cab.

2. Warmer days. Spring is coming!

3. A free day on Sunday. I'm dreaming up an afternoon of cooking + movies on the couch.

4. 85 days until our wedding.

5. I'll be "home" in New York at the end of the month. Flight is booked!

6. yt let me sleep in on Wednesday instead of waking me up for my workout. 

7. Date night tonight!

8. Daylight savings is next week. Sunshine after work!

9. The feedback from my recipes on The Everygirl has brought me so many smiles. 

10. The Adele Pandora station. I'm convinced I'll find our first dance song here. 

11. It's Friday. 

What's making you happy today?

Two Things I'm Loving.

ONE - {My New Kate Spade Planner}

This was my birthday present from yt - let's all applaud the man for a job well done. I got the classic black, which I love, but every color is pretty perfect. I know that this planner is above what any normal person might spend on a {gorgeous} calendar, but I love it and think it's well worth the investment. The quality leather will last for years to come and I'll get to update it with new inserts every January! 

Tudor City Debora - Large - $198

Tudor City Debora - Small - $168

Green is on sale!! - $84

Another {affordable!} Kate Spade item to help you organize your busy schedule...

I've heard rave reviews about this planner. 

find it here!

TWO - {J.Crew's Entire Spring Collection}...

J.Crew needs to stop coming out with clothing like this. Or I'm going to spend every single dime I earn on pretty colored, awesomely textured, and oh so preppy items - like the ones below. It's dangerous stuff. {Enter at your own risk}. Keeping my fingers crossed for some BIG sales in the near future.. or a winning lottery ticker. Either or ...

Are ya with me?