Trend Report @ Arundel Mills & NM Last Call

It takes A LOT to get me out of bed in the morning during the week.. multiply that amount by 12323598345 and that's how hard it is to get me out of bed before 9AM on the weekend!! However, when that early AM wake up call is centered around trends, shopping, breakfast, & goody bags it makes it a whole lot easier to rise & shine :) This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend a Fall Trends run through at Neiman Marcus Last Call at Arundel Mills. It was such a wonderful morning filled with tons of beautiful pieces & fun with other bloggers!

Generous GC from NM Last Call // Yummy Pastries // Goody Bags :) // Trend Reports

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It was so great meeting new bloggers & seeing old friends!

Fun Colorful Bangles // Dressing Room Shenanigans // Pumpkiny Fall Sweaters // Trendy Manequins

So much gorgeous sparkle & bling over at Ultra Diamonds

Ohh you know a few quick behind the scenes snaps of what it is to be a fashion blogger <3
L to R: Vivi, Erika, & Keonté

Ok, so let me drop some knowledge on all of you jkjk .. I just wanted to do a quick little recap on some of the Fall trends that they touched on as well as some great new stores I was introduced to. First we started off at Neiman Marcus Last Call where they briefed us on some of this Fall's current trends including, but not limited to:
Cozy Chic- Chunky knit over-sized sweaters.
Leather Report- It's everywhere from leggings, to skirts, to jackets.
Into the Blue- Whether it be the darkest of navy or the lightest baby blue it's all good.
Fancy Pants- Metallics, Brocade, Studded, Ombre .. jazzing up an old school classic
Finishing Touches- Pins, Brooches, the perfect clutch .. little pops that add something special & unique.

After NM Last Call we went to several other stores to hear about new products & different ways to style them (one of my favorite parts)! The first place we stopped by was the DKNY where we learned how to style 1 sweater a million different ways .. ok maybe not THAT many, but you'll hear more about that later :) Next up was Ultra Diamonds where they showed us their huge selection of jewelry which included the gorgeous sparkly "disco-ball" bracelets pictured above. After the bling, we ventured over to NYDJ (Not Your Daughter's Jeans) which I was a little hesitant about since I wasn't familiar with the brand & the name lead me to believe that it was a store more suited for my Momma. Boy am I glad that I gave the store a go because I bought my new favorite pair of jeans there!! Let me tell you they have so many cute pairs of jeans including colored, patterned, & waxed denim in an assortment of sizes sure to fit almost anyone. I'm going to do a separate post on the pair that I bought later, but make sure to check out NYDJ next time you're at Arundel Mills (BTW did I mention that all of their jeans are under $80, mine were only $30)! Last up on our tour was the Vince Camuto Outlet where they sell not only shoes but jewelry & clothing as well .. aka daaaangerous. At the moment they have so many different pairs of boots from over the knee riding boots all the way to the cutest little pair of booties, so if you're on the hunt make sure to check them out. It's hard to cram the entire morning & all it's events into one blog post, but I tried my best :) I just wanted to send another huge THANKS out to everyone who put together this event especially Dan Grossman from NMLC for the trend report & Elizabeth Natwick for giving us a fantastic tour of the mall!! If you want to see more pics of my outfit you can here<3 I really can't believe that tomorrow is already Friday (not that I'm complaining) do any of you have fun plans for the weekend?

Tasty Tuesdays: Bacon from the AM to the PM

Over this past weekend a lot of BACON was consumed :) My husband & I both love bacon so I decided to stock up on some since I figured we'd be stuck at home thanks to Sandy. Of course I love bacon for breakfast as much as the next person, but I love finding ways to combine it in other dishes (which usually isn't too hard lol). While I was at the store getting the bacon I was excited to come across Peppridge Farm's seasonal bread "Pumpkin Spice" which ended up being deeeelicious especially when slathered with cream cheese :)

 Bacon, a Fried Egg, & Pumpkin Spice Toast

While trying to use up left over veggies in the fridge tonight I ended up coming up with a new favorite pasta! It was so simple, colorful, & flavorful which was more than I was expecting to end up with :) You can pretty much use any vegetables (peas, mushrooms, corn) you have lying around for this dish. I never use exact calculations when cooking, but below is a general idea of what steps I took to make the pasta.

1 Yellow Squash

1/2 Orange Bell Pepper

1/4 Small Red Onion

I sauteed the vegetables with a little salt & pepper in a bit of olive oil for several minutes until they started to soften.

Meanwhile I boiled some fettuccine in salted water.

Right before you empty the water from the noodles pour a little of the "noodle water" into the pan with the vegetables.

On low heat add a couple generous splashes of cream or half & half to the pan along with several cubes of mozzarella cheese.

Combine the cooked pasta to the pan and mix all the ingredients together & stir for several minutes on low heat until the sauce starts to blend.

I also had some avocado in my fridge so I sliced it up & through it on top for some added creaminess :)

Ohh yeah and the most important part was that I chopped up some cooked BACON and added that to the mix. I only had 2 pieces of cooked bacon left for this recipe, but in the future I will definitely make sure that I have more bacon on hand for it!

Stripes & Shadowland

Hey everyone, I hope that you're at home bundled up safe and warm!! I'm at work right now writing this blog post from the squad room and chomping on donuts (yes, the stereotype is kinda true). This is a quick outfit post from Saturday's Arundel Mill's trend & shopping event. It was such a wonderful morning filled with fabulous clothing & great company (more on that later). 

Blazer & Shirt- THRIFTED, Necklace-FRANCESCA'S COLLECTION, 

Leggings- TARGET, Heels- STEVE MADDEN 

I thrifted this gorgeous striped blazer almost a year ago, and I'm so glad that I finally got to take it out for a spin! It's definitely a statement piece that attracts a lot of attention so I decided to pair it down with a casual vintage tee and other black basics. Of course since this was an early morning event I opted for the effortless top knot bun and simple makeup. I had to take advantage of the beautiful weather so I decided to do my outfit shots outside the mall. A huge thanks to Erika of The Fab & Frugal for taking my outfit shots, didn't she do a great job?! :) It's definitely a lot easier having another blogger take your pictures because they already know all the different types of pictures you want haha. Anyways, I hope that everyone stays safe and that we don't lose power!

Zina Boutique

Happy Sandy-Sunday everyone, I hope you've stocked up on necessities & are prepared for the storm! I wish I could say that I get to stay home tomorrow, but part of working for a police department is that you sometimes have to work when other people don't. One good thing is that I get to go in a couple of hours later than usual, so I can still sleep in :) Anyways, back to fashion news .. last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending an intimate "Sip & Shop" at Zina Boutique on U Street! As soon as I entered the stylish boutique I met the owner, Valeria. She was so sweet & inviting which made me feel right at home & ready to shop :) Not only does the boutique have gorgeous pieces for sale, but it also has a beautiful interior decorated with the most fabulous red chandelier & cool paintings! Below are a TONNN of pictures that I snapped throughout the evening.

Warm Reds & Cozy Neutrals // Plenty of Bubbly :) // Blogger Action

So much fabulous jewelry, I picked out a pretty silver & turquoise bracelet!! 

Fashionably Broke Sisters // Sara, Tammy, Myself, & Emily // Cheralee

Valeria & Jenna spoiled us with never ending champagne, sweet strawberries, & lots of cheeeese <3

I thought that these 3 ladies did an excellent job of showcasing some Fall trends!

Natalie [Denim on Denim] // Ashley [White after Labor Day] // Cheralee [Leather & Burgundy] 

Amaaaazing pieces, I especially loved the emerald one <3

Champagne+Strawberries=Perfect // THE RED CHANDELIER!! // City Scenes & Sweaters

Thanks again to our Fantastic Hostesses for the Evening, Jenna & Valeria!

It was such a fun night filled with great friends & shopping .. what could be better?! I will definitely be going back to Zina boutique before I go on vacation so I can stock up on cute pieces :) This boutique is so adorable & has so many great pieces perfect for updating your wardrobe. I'm so glad that D.C. has another boutique that offers unique pieces at affordable prices! Below is a quick pic of what I wore to the event .. Yes, I'm still obsessed with my scarf :)

Shirt & Skirt- TOBI, Scarf- D.I.Y. (see how I made it here), Wedges- JESSICA SIMPSON

D.I.Y. Scarf with Trimming

Several weeks ago I came across this post & thought to myself why don't you ever think of this cool stuff, but that folks is what's so amazing about the internet! I love that there's so many wonderful D.I.Y. projects out there & with the click of a mouse we can have access to all of them :) Sometimes it's almost overwhelming because I want to do ALL of them, but that would take a longggg time not to mention lots of mulaaaah$. Anyways, several weekends ago I went thrifting & came across a perfect plaid throw blanket begging to be made into a scarf! I made a little video to try & explain it .. it's pretty entertaining. There's also a funny "blooper" around the 21 second mark, see if you can catch it :)

If you make your own scarf leave me a link so I can see it :) 

I can't believe tomorrow is already Thursday, do any of you have any cool Halloween plans?!

I don't have any yet, but on Saturday I'm participating in the GLOW Run (sooo excited) <3

Tasty Tuesdays: Comfort Food

Happy Tasty Tuesday everyone!! Today's recipe isn't very extravagant or fancy, but it's the perfect solution for a Sunday night dinner at home. As I'm sure you've guessed from the picture below I made Tuna Noodle Casserole & it was definitely a hit :) I decided to try and make it from scratch since I already had all the ingredients & I figured it would taste better anyways using fresh ingredients. Unlike the picture below I did NOT use the peas per my Husband's request (he doesn't like vegetables mixed in, he'd rather have them on the side). I used this recipe as the basic guideline for the dish, but made a couple small little variations. 

1) Chop up all the mushrooms, 1 celery stalk, 1/2 an onion, & 2 gloves of garlic.

2) Start boiling water for the pasta (I used the entire bag of noodles).

Yes I Play with my food .. still 

3) Saute celery, garlic, & onion for about 5 minutes then add in the mushrooms for another 5 minutes.

4) Boil your noodles in salted water for approximately 8 minutes.

5) Preheat-oven to 375

6) I followed the recipe's instructions for the sauce
7) Butter baking dish & combine cooked veggies, pasta, & 2 cans of tuna in it.
8) Thoroughly mix in the white sauce, then top with shredded cheese & Italian style bread crumbs

9) Pop in the oven for around 25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted on the top.

10) Take it out of the oven & eat all the crunchy cheesy noodles off the top :)

11) Taaa-Daaa the final product in all it's caloric greatness!

This recipe might not be the prettiest, but it's a great go-to recipe for those times when you just need a fool proof dinner. My husband who said he wasn't "that hungry" went back for seconds, so I'd say we have another winner :) Make sure to check back tomorrow for my newest D.I.Y. Tutorial & Video <3

PS: I know that last week I said that this week's post was going to be about "oink", but unfortunately that dish didn't come out quite as planned to say the least sooo ... you got Tuna Noodle Casserole.

New Purchase: Vince Camuto Heels

Happy Monday peeps :) I hope all of you woke up refreshed & ready to take on the week ... haha just kidding we still have 5 more days to fight through til the weekend. Anyways, on a much brighter note if any of you follow me on facebook or twitter you already know that I ordered not one but TWO new pairs of shoes last Friday!! Why should you be excited that I'm getting new shoes?! BEEEECAUSE the amazing sale is still going on & you can get a pair too :) Just check out Shoebox. I can tell that this is going to be a dangerous new friendship filled with lots of pretty shoes <3 To give you all just an idea of how great this sale is I got TWO pairs of Vince Camuto heels brand new for under $50.00, & originally they were each priced at over $100!! In a couple of months (83 days to be exact) David & I are going to be flying off to Miami for our first full on vacation since our Honey Moon. We are both pretty freaking excited & I'm already thinking & plotting about what outfits to bring! Needless to say my two new pairs of shoes will also be making the journey :) Below are two dream outfits I've whipped up to pair with the heels. If you want to see the shoes up close & personal you can see them here & here.

Do any of you have a favorite shoe site?! If you do I'd love to hear about them, especially since I'm thinking about compiling a list of all the best online sites for fashionable deals :)

***UPDATE I just got an email from Shoebox saying that both heels are already sold out & they made a mistake ... wahhhh don't they know that I already had the perfect outfits for these shoes?!

Camo Jacket

Happy Friday Everybody :) A couple weeks ago while thrifting I came across what I thought was an "Army Jacket" but as you can see it says Air Force so I've decided just to call it my "Camo Jacket". Whewww now that we've got that important matter out of the way we can focus on the real problem! How in the World do I style this so that I'm not mistaken for a soldier?! It seems like Camo Jackets have been popping up all over the blogosphere so I decided to start there for inspiration :) Speaking of Military, my uncle is being honored this weekend for serving in the Korean War. I'm sure he wouldn't believe me if I told him that I'm writing a post on how his old uniform is now a "trendy" item haha. 

PHOTOS 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Do any of you have Camo Jackets & if you do how do you style yours?!
I'm thinking that I'm going to stud out the shoulders or the back of it :)

Tasty Tuesdays: Ichiban Birthday Dinner

Last week I went out to dinner to celebrate my dear friend Ashley's Birthday :) Ashley was one of my first friends that I made when I moved to Maryland four years ago & I seriously don't know what I would do without her! We decided on sushi (of course) & ended up grabbing dinner at Ichiban in Bowie, MD. It was such a wonderful evening full of laughs, smiles, & TONNNNS of sushi <3 I've only done a "review" style post once before [here] when I had brunch at 18th Ammendment. I'm thinking about adding more review posts of some of my favorite restaurants every once in a while, what do you guys think? Is that something you'd be interested in reading?!

Review: First off this restaurant really is a gem hidden in a strip mall. The inside of the restaurant is beautifully decorated with both a dining room & a separate bar area. You can also see the sushi being prepared fresh for you behind a glass counter by their chefs. I've dined at Ichiban several times before & I've always really really really enjoyed their sushi. We started off with some of their plum wine (Ashley's favorite) & chicken lettuce wraps which were so scrumptious (I definitely recommend starting off with them). Another thing that Ichiban has over the competition is their "Ichiban Salad" which is made up of shredded crab meat, seaweed, cucumber, bread crumbs, sesame seeds, eel sauce, & spicy mayo. The combination might sound a little strange at first, but give it a chance because the flavors really do compliment each other. Now on to sushi, they always have several daily special rolls listed on the wall & this time we decided on the lobster roll :) Drum-roll pleeeease .. this is the FIRST time that I've gotten a lobster roll where I didn't have to go on a scavenger hunt to find the lobster meat!!! I was also pleasantly surprised to hear that they cook the lobster on site at the restaurant which is probably why the lobster meat was in nice big chunks as opposed to sad little shreds like at most restaurants. My other favorite roll of the night was the mango roll pictured above to the right. The roll consisted of smoked salmon, fresh mango, & tempura fried shrimp wrapped in a mango soy wrapper. This was my first time having mango in a sushi roll, but since I'm obsessed with everything else mango I figured why not try mango in sushi?! Verdict- YES, mango can definitely go in a sushi roll & the sweetness adds a lot of dimension to the rest of the roll & goes great with the tempura shrimp!! 

I also have to give our server of the night an A+ because he was so patient with us (we hadn't seen each other in a while so lots of talking & laughing) & was such a good sport taking our picture for us :) Don't worry I gave him a slice of the birthday cake that I'd made for Ashley. Overall, I would definitely recommend Ichiban to anyone looking for great sushi in the Bowie area. Just make sure to order an appetizer if you order a specialty roll, because sometimes those rolls can take a while to be prepared. 

I made Ash a heart shaped strawberry cake <3 Cake is definitely better when it's in a cool shape :)

Blouse, Necklace, Booties- THRIFTED, Leggings- TARGET, Purse-CHLOE (gifted)

I through this outfit together last minute, but I'm pretty happy with it. This is the first time that I've worn this leopard blouse long as opposed to knotted up in the front. These leggings were perfect for a night full of face stuffing thanks to their stretchy waist & this shirt did a great job of camouflaging my food baby :)  

PS: I'm already working on next week's Tasty Tuesdays post, I'll give you a hint "Oink"