Weekend Whereabouts

This weekend was the perfect break to recharge those batteries. Of course it's never long enough but I had no big plans so I took advantage of sleeping in and being productive around the house. On Friday night K decided to play chef and cooked up a nice dinner at home so it was a relaxing night.



Saturday morning was spent cleaning and organizing the house before heading out to Target, Home Goods, and a few more stops to get some last minute shopping done for our trip this week. I love all the pride clothing that Target is now carrying.

 I didn't go too crazy shopping but I did get a gorgeous pair of rose gold sling-back sandals along with a matching crystal headband and a Stila Lip Gloss in Rose Quartz for my cousin's beach wedding on Saturday.

We all know shopping builds up an appetite so K and I went to Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen for some lunch and shared this delicious cocktail called a painkiller. I don't usually drink rum but all of the other ingredients hid the rum taste and it was so good!

I also bought these super comfortable dupe Michael Kors Espadrille wedges from Target that I've been eyeing for months now. They were 30% off so it was finally time to pull the trigger.

Before heading home for the evening, we stopped off at Publix to stock up on some groceries and I stumbled on this new blueberry beer from Abita. I always rave about Abita's Strawberry beer and this one was equally as good. Strawberry and blueberry happen to be my favorite flavors when it comes to pretty much anything. 

Sunday was another relaxing day. K left for a work trip around 6 am so Lola and I slept in a bit. Well more so her than me!

Then it was time for some breakfast, coffee and, blogging. I also got laundry and cleaning done, food prepped for the week, and put together this Jamaican Curry Chicken recipe in the crockpot to let dinner cook itself.

If you've been following my blog, you might already know that I recently bought a new house and posted that our previous house was sold pretty quickly. Well I spoke too soon and things ended up falling through with those buyers so life has been a little crazy trying to get it sold asap. Nobody wants two mortgages! Well not me at least!

We've had to put decorating and fully furnishing our new home on hold until we can get it sold which explains why I haven't posted many house photos. I'm praying that will change soon!

There's always the good, the bad and the ugly in life but the weekend was a good one and I'm counting down to our little vacay,

Have a great week!


Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekend linkup.

Festive Rice Krispies Treats

This is seriously the easiest dessert recipe I've ever tried and it goes a long way for entertaining guests. I made a pink and blue batch for Kate's gender reveal party and then another festive batch for the 4th of July weekend.

The Original Rice Krispies Treats recipe on the back of the cereal box is more or less what I followed but I doubled the ingredients since it was for a large group and added a few more marshmallows. Of course the colorful topping is optional but adds a festive touch for certain occasions.

Serving Size: approx 30 bars

Ingredients:

25 oz large marshmallows

12 cups Rice Krispies cereal
6 tbsp butter

Pearlescent sugar or sprinkles

Cooking spray

Two 15-inch baking sheets

What To Do:

Melt butter in a large nonstick saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir frequently until completely melted and then remove from the burner.

Add Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal to the mixture and stir until the ingredients are well mixed together.

Use cooking spray or butter to grease the baking sheets. Also grease the spatula or spoon you will be using to prevent the mixture from sticking as you transfer over to the baking sheet.

Carefully transfer the mixture over to the baking sheets and use greased wax paper to press mixture evenly.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes before adding the topping of your choice.

Side note: I'm not a baker and rarely make anything of the dessert variety so my initial thought process was to use food coloring to do a batch of pink and then a batch of blue treats to go with the gender reveal theme. Thank goodness I couldn't find pink food coloring and I stumbled on those gorgeous pink and blue sugar crystals because everyone's mouths at the party would have been "undelightfully" colorful.

 

Once completely cooled, cut into 2-inch squares and they are ready to be served!

What I love the most about this recipe is that is takes just under 30 minutes to complete because it requires no baking time. And, not to mention, they are a light and delicious treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Enjoy!

Life Lately

Hello friends and happy Monday! I know I've said this before but life has been so busy lately that I can't seem to find much free time for blogging. I've settled into my new job and pretty much settled into our new house yet my days seem to be packed full. Quiet Sundays at home have been my saving grace for getting caught up and organized for the week ahead.

I love my new job and the people that I work with. I have the cutest, bubbly intern that cracks me up and the projects that I'm working on are so much more fulfilling than anything before. Last week Wednesday the CEO of our company got tickets to a private event at the Amway Center for the Orlando Pro Summer League so I got to tag along and network with local business people which was really fun.

Since the shootings at Pulse Nightclub, Orlando has really come together as a community and it makes me happy to see all the signs of support and little reminders as I make my way around town.

On Friday evening I made it home from work feeling more than exhausted but agreed to go out for dinner with K to try a new restaurant close to home.

 

I'm so happy we decided to try Canvas because the food and lakefront atmosphere was amazing plus we caught a beautiful sunset while eating dinner. I can't wait to go back to try their brunch.

It started storming as we were leaving the restaurant so we just headed home to have a quiet night. This is how we were greeted by Lola when we got home and, honestly, I couldn't wait to join her! lol
 

Most of Saturday was spent getting errands done and cleaning up around the house. In the evening we entertained some friends and made Fresh Watermelon Martinis with cucumber infused vodka (a copycat recipe from Bonefish Grill) which were so light and refreshing.

Our guests brought us this amazing basket of goodies for a housewarming gift which was so thoughtful and unexpected.

 

The four of us then headed out for dinner at 310 Nona and spent the evening chatting and catching up over a nice meal.

 Sunday was spent relaxing at home and getting all the things in the land organized which was a great end to the weekend. Lola got her tan on in the backyard while I hid in the shade from the unbearable 100 degree heat we've been experiencing.

The countdown is on for our trip to Jamaica - 11 days to go!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Faux Fashion

When it comes to faux fashion I automatically think of faux leather or fur vests but there are so many other cute styles out there that are worth taking for a spin in the dressing room. I've always loved faux leather tights but they are not flattering on my body type yet I do love how they look on women in general. The relaxed fit of faux suede has been on my radar along with some other faux pretties under $50:

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten / eleven / twelve

I've only just begun dipping my toes into faux fashion but I hope to add some of these cute and affordable pieces to my closet when the prolonged shopping freeze comes to an end.


Do you have any faux favorites?

The Lazy Long Weekend

I hope everyone (in the US) enjoyed the holiday weekend and the extra day away from work. A quiet weekend was much needed around here so I didn't pack any big plans into the weekend like I tend to do. Lots of lounging, laundry, and food prepping happened at home along with some fun out with friends.

On Friday I got out of work a little early so K and I went for a quick happy hour and dinner at a restaurant close to home.

On Saturday I had a hairdresser appointment to redo my highlights. It was raining for most of the afternoon so I didn't bother to get it styled and looking fabulous so no photos to show for that. I ran through the rain to get some errands done and decided Saturday night was going to be another quiet one at home. 

On Sunday, K and I cooked up some brunch at home and then went to a BBQ pool party at a friend's gorgeous lakefront home. We enjoyed a few hours at the party catching up with friends.

Since spent a good portion of the weekend relaxing at home, Lola was excited to get all the extra attention and snuggle time on the couch watch movies.

On Monday I met up with a friend and her mom to get our nails done. We had fun chitchatting and getting pampered at the salon and then headed over to Panera for some lunch.

After lunch I did some errands and then retired home to cap off the long weekend. K and I grilled some steaks for dinner and caught up on some TV watching. Needless to say I'm feeling refreshed for the week ahead and even better that it's a short one!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Red, White & Boom

Happy Independence day to the US. I hope everyone is enjoying the extended weekend and is celebrating safely with their loved ones. I'll be back tomorrow with a quick weekend recap.

xo Emily

Fourth of July Faves

Laughter really is an amazing medicine and being happy is so important for the soul. I forgot what that felt like for a while there but life has become so fulfilling and even more rewarding than I knew was possible.

This long weekend brings family and friends together to enjoy fireworks, food, and fun which is also good for the soul but we must remember the reason for this holiday. The United States gained it's independence and essentially it's own "soul" 240 years ago. That's definitely a reason to celebrate the country we love and live in and I hope you have a wonderful time doing so this weekend.

When it comes to the 4th of July these are some of my faves:

Fashion

Andrea amazes me week over week with her flawless sense of style and well-thought-out outfits she shares on her blog. I adore the cute yet patriotic outfits she featured this week just in time for the 4th of July.

Food

My boss is throwing a party this weekend and I offered to make a festive dessert. Of course I immediately went on Pinterest for some ideas and I settled on this delicious looking Angel Food Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream and Berries.

Decor
Even though I don't consider myself very crafty I do enjoy an easy DIY project and I think these Mason Jar Lanterns are very cute for nighttime celebrations. 

Nails
Truth be told my nails are a hot mess. I haven't had a manicure or nail polish on my nails in a couple months but holiday weekends remind me to be adventurous. I'm hoping to get a much needed mani and pedi this weekend and sprinkle some patriotism in there.

Hydrate

Because that's important in the summer. I thought these Red & Blue Ice Cubes were a cute idea to make a refreshing fruit-infused water for 4th of July which tends to be one of the hottest months of the year.

Enjoy the holiday weekend and be safe!
xoxo


Joining Amanda for her linkup.

Lace Looks

Lace is one of those fabrics that automatically adds a feminine touch to any outfit. I have a handful of lace-detailed dresses that I bring out for special occasion but I've been browsing some more casual looks for the summer. There are so many affordable and cute options out there from lace-back tops to shorts with a subtle lace trimming as well as rompers and even swimsuits. These are some of my top picks:

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight /  nine / ten / eleven / twelve


Do you have any favorite lace pieces in your wardrobe?

Weekend Whereabouts

After some busy weeks prior I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time this weekend had to offer. K and I had planned to go out for dinner on Friday but after my long commute home, I really didn't want to get dressed and head out again so we ordered Chinese food and relaxed at home catching up on Orange Is the New Black on Netflix.

On Saturday morning I woke up entirely too early for my liking but I sipped on some coffee and started on a design project for work that was really scheduled to start today. The project took more hours than I expected so K did the grocery run and then we headed over to Home Goods to buy some curtains and random home decor. After some shopping & errands it was time for some happy hour at Graffiti Junktion.

We had a quick bite for dinner at Toasted (known for their fancy grilled cheese sandwiches) and the rest of the evening was spent at home relaxing.

On Sunday morning K and I cooked up some Crab Eggs Benedict and relaxed at home watching the news. I then got to work in the kitchen to make some pink and blue Rice Krispies Treats for Kate's Gender Reveal party. (recipe coming soon)

I arrived to the party dressed in pink even though I was mentally undecided. K dressed in blue and Kate and H dressed neutral.

Team Blue + the parents

Team Pink + the parents

It was then time for Kate and H to cut the cake to reveal their baby's gender.

It's a GIRL!!!!

I can't wait to  shower baby S and Kate with gifts in the months to come. Girls are so much fun to shop for.

After leaving the party we stopped by a local brewery to have a beer to cap off the weekend.

It was a nice refresher of a weekend. I hope this week treat you well and I'm looking forward to the long weekend ahead.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.