Happy Weekend // Flower Friday

Happy Friday readers! This week flew by, probably because I decided to take Friday off from work. As exciting as it is to not have to go to work on a Friday morning, sometimes I feel like it's more work to prep and make sure everything is squared away for my day off than just going into work itself. Regardless as you are reading this, I know will be beyond thrilled to not be sitting at my desk and instead venturing up to my favorite city of all time - New York - to celebrate the birthday of two of my nearest and dearest. It's going to be a fun filled weekend seeing best friends, catching up with newer ones, and soaking in all the creative energy New York fills me with. I feel like it's been quite a while since I've been there [I know, I know I'm sure you all are rolling your eyes at that comment]; but I can't wait.

What all do you have fun planned for this weekend? Are any of you going anywhere or are you taking the opportunity to relax at home?

ps : How amazing is the color of these roses?! Roses aren't as high on my list of florals as peonies or tulips but this color was so amazing I couldn't resist :)

Mango + Mint Smoothie

As promised in yesterday's post I am here to share my new favorite smoothie combination/recipe! I was browsing online when I saw the idea of adding basil or mint to a fruit based smoothie, and I started to research what might work nicely with either of the two. I was in luck when I came across fresh mint at Whole Foods, and I decided to branch out from my usual "green smoothie" or strawberry banana. I picked up some frozen mango and orange juice and got to blending!

What You'll Need :

1] Handful of frozen mango

2] Half cup of orange juice

3] Three table spoons of plain [or vanilla yogurt]*

4] About three sprigs of mint leaves

Toss everything into your blender and mix up.

What smoothie combos have you been loving lately? Do any of you like to add fresh mint to smoothies like this?

*I tend to like to add more yogurt to my smoothies because of the texture but you can add more or less depending on preference.

Straws from Target

Currently Loving

Happy Wednesday readers! Another week absolutely flying by. This one is a short currently loving, but here it is!

1] Like I mentioned on Monday I haven't been feeling too well. Along with tea and cough drops I've been trying to take in lots of Vitamin C. This smoothie has been my go to the past couple of days. It is so good. I can't wait to share the recipe with you tomorrow.

2] Ashlyn introduced me to this candle by Archipelago [which can be found at Whole Foods]. Not only is it gorgeous it smells amazing!

Also, can you tell I've got a thing for pink lately?! Must be craving spring that has me wanting pastels and pinks.

3] I scooped up this little lip balm on a late night CVS run recently and it has been my go-to. I love to layer it on thick right before bed to help with chapped lips from all this winter weather. [Perk, it's also super, super cheap.]

ps : My nail color is Essie Polish's Lilacism - but more on that to come next week ;)

A Little Heat Wave

NARS lipstick : Heat Wave // Urban Decay Lipliner : Bang

Ever since I saw Taza sporting NARS Heat Wave over on her blog I knew it was a color I needed in my makeup bag. It has been on my wish list for ages and I finally bit the bullet and snagged it the other weekend [along with this Urban Decay lip pencil to go with it]. It has most definitely become a number one staple in my makeup routine. It's punchy & bright without being too orange or too red. It does exactly what I feel a lipstick should; make me feel instantly pulled together and little more cheerful. 

Do any of you have a beauty product that does that; or a lipstick that is your go-to?

Homemade Tea Bags

This past week/weekend I was feeling pretty poorly. I don't often get sick so when I do feel bad it seems extra worse. Along with plenty of ice cream and Vitamin C I have also been drinking loads of mint tea. While at Whole Foods I grabbed some fresh mint & since I wasn't up for too much this weekend I decided that a DIY would be the perfect way to spend my Sunday. 

To make tea bags at home you'll need a few easy supplies. 

1] Coffee filters

2] Sewing thread & needle

3] Fillings of your choice [I chose mint but lavender & chamomile is next on my list as well as sage & thyme]

It took me a bit to get the project started but once I got the hang of it the whole thing was really simple. To make the bags I folded one coffee filter in half and then cut off excess material to make a little rectangle. I then stitched the sides around [leaving the top open] and flipped the bag inside out - much like you do when making a pillow. I then filled the bag with torn pieces of the mint leaves and then folded the top down and sealed it with a little stitch. I made sure to leave a little excess thread on the top. 

Have any of you made homemade tea/bags before? What are your favorite tea combinations?

Happy Weekend // Flower Friday

Baby's Breath... so simple, so elegant, so often overlooked. I think I glance over at the Baby's Breath almost every week at Whole Foods and think how pretty and delicate; but I always move on to the tulips or peonies or anything else really. I always thought they felt like a filler flower, something extra to add to a bouquet. The other week though I really gave them a good look and realized just how full one bunch was, and how inexpensive! I left with a nice pure white bunch in hand was so excited to go home and set them up in my vase. The effect was incredibly spring like with just enough of a nod to winter that they felt so right and seasonally appropriate.

Enough of my rambling on about Baby's Breath! I hope all of you had fantastic weeks and something fun and/or relaxing planned for this weekend.

Sunday Brunching OOTD

Ann Taylor Nude D'Orsay Flats // LOFT Lean Boyfriend Jean [Similar] // LOFT Textural Sweater // LOFT Striped Trench [Similar idea HERE] // Philip Lim for Target bag // Kate Spade NY Gramercy Crystal Watch // Kate Spade NY Pavé Bow Bangle // Nail Polish OPI Cajun Shrimp

This past Sunday I met up with Ashlyn for a fun brunch of made from scratch pop-tarts, donuts, and coffee at Ted's Bulletin. After brunch we decided that since the weather was far more cooperative than it has been, we would take advantage and wander a little bit. We found this perfect white washed brick wall on the cutest street and couldn't resist snapping a few photos.

It was also the perfect chance for me to be able to share my third favorite nude find from Ann Taylor; the D'Orsay Flats above. If you've followed for a while you'll know I absolutely love my Jenni Kayne look-alikes from Chinese Laundry so when Ann Taylor launched these patent leather ones, I couldn't resist [especially since they have a peach lining and gold mini heel!] Paired with my trusty Loft lean boyfriend jeans; they are the perfect transition into spring.

*All outfit shots taken by the incredibly talented Ashlyn*

Currently Loving

Happy Wednesday everyone! This week turned from rather calm to busy in a matter of .2 seconds. Even with a busy week I always enjoy sitting down to put together these Currently Loving posts. They make me take a moment to sit, scroll through my images, and put together events and items that have made me smile or have me excited. It's a nice little reminder of all the small, positive, and pretty things that occur on a daily basis.

1] Dr. Brandt Pores No More - Birchbox sample : While I am a firm believer in the fact that pores are genetic and you cannot change them with any cream or product; I am definitely enjoying this sample. It serves as a nice light base to my makeup and gives just a tint of overall coverage. It has a unique texture that I find really nice and refreshing to put on in the mornings. 

2] Crate & Barrel Canvas Laundry bag : My mom and I discovered this adorable laundry bag over the holidays and I fell in love. She knew that I wasn't going to scoop it up for myself so she went back without me and grabbed one. She sent it along with my Valentine's box and it was such a fun surprise. It is now happily hanging in my house.

3] I met up with the incredibly lovely Naina from over at STYLE'N for a lunch date earlier this week. We had wonderful food and a great time chatting. I'm really excited to be working with her and her brand very soon!

4] Last week I had the rare chance to work at home during the snow storm. I thoroughly enjoyed working in my pjs at my little white desk and whipping up a full breakfast.

5] As mentioned above my mother sent me a Valentine's package. She has done this for years and I always look forward to her little box arriving filled with sweet treats and little goodies. Along with her box I received some really lovely Valentine's from my good friends Stacy & Jordan. 

Hope all of you are having great weeks!

The New Neutral

Dot Blouse // Pencil Skirt [in stores currently]

While nude certainly isn't a new or revolutionary neutral it is finally finding it's way into my closet. Most of the time I stick with black and throw in a little white/cream. Blush/nude tones [while I love them and use them in many other ways] haven't exactly been prevalent in closet. Maybe it's because I'm fearful of messing up such a light color. However, when the new store set began to roll into Ann Taylor and the primary color was blush/nude I couldn't help myself. I ended up scooping up a few pieces. They felt like such a nice, light departure from winter without straying from my neutral uniform. 

Along with these two pieces I'm also seriously loving this bag and very Audrey Hepburn-esque classic trench. What have you been loving lately? Are you into light neutrals or still wearing/buying darker winter shades?

ps : Be sure to check back Thursday for a fun new post to check out the third nude piece I added to my closet! 

We Resolve // The Print Shop

Italian Artichoke print // Black & White Coffee Cups print

In the blogging world I have been incredibly fortunate to meet some of the sweetest and most creative people. Some of them are in different countries  and even across oceans [which will always amaze me!] 

Today's post is to introduce to you to Lucy & Nate, the dynamic husband and wife duo behind We Resolve. [Click HERE to read about their blog, how it got it's name, and a little more about them!] I have been following their blog for some time now and when I learned that Lucy was opening up an Etsy shop to sell prints I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. Lucy kindly let me pillage through all of her posts and customized the print above for me. We decided that the shot looked fantastic in black and white [which would match my little black and white house] and I was sold! I also received the sweetest surprise when I opened up my print. Lucy knew that I was torn between her gorgeous Italian Artichoke shot and my custom Coffee Cup image so she included a little print of the artichokes for me. 

ps : Lucy & Nate just re-vamped their entire blog and it is stunning so please be sure to head over that way and check it out! 

This post is not sponsored // All opinions are my own

A Fabulously Beautiful Valentine's Day

The other weekend I got together with the fabulous Ashlyn [from over at Let It Be Beautiful] for a girlie Valentine's Day themed party. We dressed up in our frilly-est, pink-est outfits, made champagne based cocktails, and decorated cookies. What more could one ask for?!

To make our cocktail you will need :

1] Pomegranate Juice

2] Pear Nectar

3] Triple Sec

4] Bottle of Champagne

Combine 2 parts Pomegranate juice, with 1 part pear nectar, and 1 part triple sec. Top with Champagne and enjoy!

Be sure to head over to Ashlyn's blog to check out details of what we wore & for her super delicious homemade icing recipe!

Straws // Target
Sprinkles // Target
Heart bowls // Borrowed from Ashlyn
Heart decorations & glitter // Target