Friday Favorites

New Kate Spade case for my iPhone

Happy Friday everyone! Below are some of my favorite things I've purchased lately. I'm hoping to start some video blogs soon to give you my "face-to-face" opinion on purchases (such as the Aveda products and any new makeup I receive). I'll be spending this weekend with my family celebrating my brother-in-laws birthday!

A new multivitamin

Aveda's new hair thickening system, Invati - dieing to try!

Black, white, & clear beaded necklace with ribbon tie from H&M

Obviously bought this because of the name but it was refreshing and not too sweet!

Essie Spring Colors (from left to right): Plumberry, Navigate Her, Playdate

Chicken Rollatini

Skinny Taste does it again!  I'm an Italian food junkie so I'm always trying to find healthier alternatives to the seemingly "heavy" food group. I found different versions of this recipe on Gina's site and decide to try this classic "Spinach alla Parmigiana" version.  I didn't have 3 oz. chicken cutlets on hand so I cut regular chicken breasts down in thinner smaller pieces.   I was also a little weary of the skim version of ricotta cheese - there's just some things you can't do fat free/less fat (cough cough, cream cheese - hate that!).  But all ended well (I made it last night) and it was SOOO delicious and definitely hit my Italian food spot!

If time could be bought...

I've been in need of some p'inspiration when it comes to our office. The little nook in the back of the room is nicely settled with our desk and organizational pieces but the larger section of the room stares at me with its blank walls every time I round the corner at the top of the steps. Most of my ideas revolve around turning that half of the room into a little sitting area that could be converted into a possible sleep station for guests (with a day bed or some version of a non-tacky pull-out couch). Our busy schedules have deterred us from moving any further than the blank space but until we finally have time to pick out some pieces - here are my pinterest thoughts.

Images < via >

Max'd Out!

Obsessed with maxi dresses and their timeless comfort that can transition from Spring to Summer to Fall.  I'm on the hunt for a backless one, like the white one seen below on ASOS. AHHHH, summer!

Max'd Out! by pixelsandpumps featuring wayfarer shades

Snap dress
$298 - anthropologie.com

Long dress
$12 - alibaba.com

Aso
$38 - asos.com

Emilio Pucci embellished sandals
£695 - net-a-porter.com

Wet Seal wayfarer shades
$7.50 - wetseal.com

Lipstick
$25 - lancome-usa.com

Workout Update Part 1

In my attempts to prepare for Warrior Dash and bathing suit season, below are some of the new workouts I've been doing courtesy of Women's Health. I like that these workouts do not take up a lot of time, but they're intense when done back to back with a very small break in between sets. I like to combine some of them in one workout day to make it extra challenging, and as always I throw in some running days in between doing these.  

For specific details on how to do each workout and the recommended reps from Women's Health you can find Legs/Butt here, Slim Down here, and Total Body here. As you can see most of these target lower half and abs, so I'll be sharing my other favorites in the weeks to come!

I try to do 2 or 3 circuits of all three with 12-15 reps of each workout. (*note I am obviously not a professional, so do what works best for you without hurting yourself!)


       LEGS/BUTT                                                   SLIM DOWN

                                                                             
                                          TOTAL BODY/No Equipment

Rosemary Chicken Skillet

 I feel like I've been on repeat of saying "another pinterest inspired idea" - but hey, that's what's it for right?! I think all of us that have a pinterest account are most inspired by the food and whether or not you like to cook, it's nice to drool over. This recipe kept floating onto my main page so I finally pinned it and decided to make it for dinner one night. The only thing I wish I would've done differently was to NOT use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. I know that's much healthier and maybe that's your preference but I think bone-in chicken thighs would have been way better.  The skillet gave everything a char-grilled taste and although unhealthy - I would've liked the crispy skin. Lesson learned.

Crafting for Clinton Part 2

Crafting for Clinton was a great success! We made a bunch of no-sew fleece blankets to take to the Ronald McDonald House, and all the girls painted wine glasses and made magnetic makeup boards. The night was filled with good food, drinks, and a great cause. Instead of everyone paying for all of the supplies, my sister and I bought them and had everyone donate their share to Clinton's Club.  Check out some of the pictures from the night, which I'm sure many of you already saw on Facebook!

Small bowls to hold different sized magnets!

Assorted paint for painting wine glasses

Delicious Drinks (strawberry soda, moscato, and vanilla vodka with fruit!)

Elyse making her blanket!

Jessica's makeup board

Dana's makeup board!

Must Haves

My sister and I will be spending our post-craft day (Sunday) shopping for new spring and summer clothes. I've already compiled a list of must-haves on my iPhone (lace shorts, black romper, colorful jeans, and light sweaters for cold nights) and here are some of my inspiration photos I've been pulling together for summer.

What are your favorite spring/summer trends and will you indulge in them on your next shopping trip? 

Girls Night Out

Tuesday night a few of my girlfriends and myself ventured downtown to DAR Constitution Hall for Shecky's Girls Night Out! Jewelry, clothing, and handbag designers gather throughout the halls to display and sell their beautiful merchandise. You can also find makeup artists and vendors, manicurists, and businesses selling their services as well as allowing guest to enter for free wins! We snagged our tickets off Groupon  a few weeks earlier to get a better deal and the night ended up being tons of fun. Not to mention you get free goodie bags stuffed with sparkling water, hair and nail products, and a book. They also had a bar room where you could indulge in free cosmo's and beers! Definitely a worthwhile night out and I can't wait to do it again.  

Crafting For Clinton

A few weeks ago I told you about my new membership in Maryland's chapter of Clinton's Club and the work we'll be doing to help families whose children suffer from a pediatric cancer.  My friends and I came up with the idea - months ago - to have a crafting and wine night, and after we started our chapter of Clinton's Club, my sister and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to join the two. (This event will be taking place this weekend!) Hence, "Crafting for Clinton". One of our crafts will be making no-sew blankets to donate to the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore. The other crafts were Pinterest inspired (you can see all of our collaborative ideas here). Below are some of the projects I can't wait to work on! Most of them are "frame" inspired but we might have time to squeeze in a few more!