Friday Favorites

Hope everyone had a fairly smooth week after the long weekend. I can't say I'm fully adjusted after our trip. I didn't overdo it like some people do when in Vegas (well maybe the first night I stayed out wayyy beyond my bedtime), it's just the time difference that wipes me out when I travel from the west coast to the east coast. It usually takes me several days to feel normal again and I'm hoping the weekend will help me accomplish that!

A quick weekend/weekly recap and joining Amanda for some Friday faves.

4th of July
I'm a little late on this but we spent the 4th of July poolside at the Soleil pool in the Paris Las Vegas hotel with some friends. The weather in Vegas was 105+ degrees but we rented a cabana that came equipped with misters, a flat screen TV, lounge chairs, and our own personal server so we were set for the day with a non-stop flow of food and drinks plus complimentary bottles of water and a fruit platter.

Shopping Finds
 Other than some small souvenirs, I really didn't do any shopping on this trip except for finally finding these Michael Kors Chelsea Sunglasses with purple lenses that I've had my eye on for a while now. They're similar to the Ray-Ban Flash Lens Aviators but in my fave color and slightly more affordable.

Summer Drink Recipe
I've been on a serious watermelon kick and this Watermelon Agua Fresca cocktail sounds like the perfect, refreshing drink for hot summer days. The recipe includes an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version for everyone to enjoy.

Summer Outfits
 

Keeping it short and sweet today since I'm lacking sleep and need to catch up with some snuggles with my Lola...

Enjoy the weekend and catch you next week!

Summer Swimwear

A friend of mine recently introduced me to ViX Designer Swimwear and I love the quality and styles they offer. The price point is slightly higher than Victoria's Secret swimsuits which is what I typically purchase but I believe in having good quality suits that will last a long time and withstand chlorine and salt water. The photos don't give them justice but the material of these swimsuits are unbelievably soft plus the patterns and bikini cuts are a bit more mature compared to some other swimsuit retailers out there.

Kai printed bikini bottom * Kai printed triangle bikini top *  Macram trimmed triangle bikini top *  Macram trimmed bikini bottom *  Manteon bikini bottom *  Manteon triangle bikini top *  Pyramid Embellished Bandeau Bikini Top *  Faux Leather-Trimmed Bikini bottom * Stone printed bikini bottom *  Stone printed triangle bikini top 

Vegas 2014 Recap

If you haven't already heard Kerri, Kate and I started a Wanderlust Wednesday linkup which takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of every month so feel free to join us and share your travel adventures.

I wanted to recap K and I's first Vegas trip which was just last year in March. I had to go out for a work conference so we flew in a few days early to explore the strip, sites and scenes. We only had 2 days/night so definitely not enough time to see everything (which warrants our second trip) but we got some decent ground covered.

Hotel:

We stayed at the MGM Grand. I really loved the hotel but the location is quite far down the south end of the strip so this year I opted for a hotel located in the middle of the strip. The hotels in Vegas are ginormous and it requires a lot of walking but different types of transportation are readily available. The MGM Grand is the largest resort complex in the United States and second largest in the world by number of rooms.

 

 

Touring:

As soon as we arrived, we hit the strip to explore all the hotels. We explored New York, New York, Caesar's Palace, The Venetian and several others.

 

 

We went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower in the Paris Hotel to get 360 views of the strip which we thoroughly enjoyed.

 

We then headed over to Fremont Street/the old Las Vegas strip. I really didn't manage to take many photos while there but K played some Black Jack and I tried my hand at the Michael Jackson slot machine in the Golden Nugget hotel and walked out of there a winner!! A whopping $40 but a winner nonetheless since I don't play with big bucks in the first place.

Restaurants:

We went to Toa on the first night for a sushi dinner which was a nice date night but the sushi wasn't spectacular compared to our local sushi restaurants. The second night we ate at Shibuya Japanese located in the MGM hotel with coworkers which was much better quality food but again I managed to take no pictures. We also wouldn't have chosen to eat at a Japanese restaurant two nights in a row but it was a group dinner and not our choice. K left on day 3 and I stayed an additional two nights for the conference. I ate dinner with coworkers and clients at Pampas Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse located in Planet Hollywood which was excellent.

I luckily caught the Bellagio Falls at night while up in the Eiffel Tower for a work event, which was beautiful!

 We're not big gamblers but when in Vegas...I tend to go for the slot machines while K likes Black Jack. Of course, the Sex and The City slot machine took my interest and I played a few games but managing to win nada.

This trip last year was short and sweet giving us enough time to explore the strip but not enough time to fit in any shows or concerts.

I can't wait to share the details of the trip we just returned from but until then I'll be readjusting to East Coast time!

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Travel Linkup Reminder

I'm just returning from my trip and will need some time to get settled back into "real life" but, in the meantime, I wanted to remind you about our Wanderlust Wednesday linkup tomorrow. Feel free to join Kate, Kerri and myself by sharing your favorite travel recaps or travel-related posts.

You can also check out my last Wanderlust Wednesday post recapping my trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for some ideas of what to talk about.

I can't wait to get back on schedule and reconnect with my lovely fellow bloggers!

Holiday Weekend

Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! 

I spent 4th of July lounging by the pool with friends in Vegas although we managed to see no fireworks. Otherwise the trip has been action packed and a huge success. I'm still traveling today so will do a full recap when I return home. In the meantime, feel free to follow my travel adventures on instagram.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

4th of July Inspiration

Happy Friday! 

Since today is a work holiday and I'm on vacation, I'm going to keep this post but I wanted to check in and wish everyone a happy and safe long weekend however you plan to spend it!

I also wanted to share some of my weekly faves and 4th of July inspirations. 

Nails:

Outfits:

Recipe:

Tortellini Kebabs

American Berry Pie 

Enjoy the fireworks! 

Joining the Amanda for her Friday Favorites linkup.

Summer Nighttime Wear

I'm on my way to Vegas this morning so I may not be very in tune with blogging for the next several days but I'm surely going to try to keep afloat. As many of you know, we've been planning this trip for our anniversary for the past several months. While I'm super excited to get away and have some fun with the hubs and some friends, I'm also very aware Vegas is 100+ degrees during the summer so I wanted to shop and pack accordingly for the trip. Light and airy outfits are a must to survive the heat so here's some cute ideas for summer nighttime wear.

Pink Side Cutout Hi-Lo Hem Dress * Mirrored Skinny Strap Heeled Sandal *  Strapless Sweetheart Neck Jumpsuit * Crocodile Rhinestone Heeled Sandal * Contrast Mesh Inset Sleeveless Sheath Dress *  Snakeskin Print Heeled Sandal *  Pink Ruffle Front Romper * Carrini T-Strap Wedge Heel 

And, of course, some cute accessories and quality cosmetics are a must to tie the outfit together....

Colorful Coverup

 

If you follow me on instagram (emilyalisonb), you might have seen my sneak peak post about dabbling in fashion blogging so today I'm bringing you my very first and not very established fashion post! I really don't consider myself a fashion blogger. In fact, I'm quite the opposite ~ I feel fairly awkward in front of the camera, I don't have a signature pose, and I tend to smirk instead of smile but I decided to suck it up and give it a serious try only because I want to showcase some beautiful and affordable summer clothing I recently purchased.

This chevron-print swimsuit coverup is one of my favorite coverups for summer days at the beach or pool. The semi-sheer material is light and airy and provides great coverage and I love the plunging neckline.

Chevron-Print Cover Up * Tory Burch Sunglasses * Alex & Ani Bangles * Victoria's Secret Bikini Top

Slow Cooker Spicy Pork Tacos

I swear I've been killing it with crockpot recipes lately and I'm sure this won't be the last. The original recipe was found here and I changed it up to my liking which turned out great. You can also adjust the heat factor by using more or less chipotle peppers. I usually aim for medium spicy meals.

Ingredients:

1 (4 lb) boneless pork shoulder
1 (12-oz.) can of beer 

1/2 can chipotles in adobo sauce, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp white vinegar
Juice from 1 squeezed lime
1 tsp ground cumin

black pepper (to taste)
small flour tortillas

Optional toppings: shredded cheese, chunky salad, chopped avocado, shredded lettuce.

Cook time: 4-5 hours on high in slow cooker

What To Do:

1. Place pork roast in the crockpot and set timer to 4 hours on high (or 8 hours on low).

2. Add onion, chipotles in adobo sauce, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, chilli powder, garlic powder and black pepper to food processor and puree the mixture.

3. Pour mixture over pork roast and then pour can of beer into slow cooker and toss until the pork is evenly coated.

4. Stir in the beer until it is evenly combined.  Then pour the mixture on top of the pork, and toss until the pork is evenly coated.

5. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours until pork can be easily shredded using two forks.

6. Serve of soft or hard tortillas with optional toppings listed above.

Enjoy!

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