BlancNoir

Our bathroom

Last Friday I posted that we were staying here, and even though I already had great expectations for this place, they far exceeded them! The location was so charming right in Little Italy in Baltimore and after a huge serving of drooling gnocchi at a Chiaparelli's, it was nice to "roll" into bed. The beds were beyond amazing and extremely comfortable, and the shower was to die for - this might explain why we opted to go to bed at 10 PM. The owners greeted us with wine and fruit options after dinner, and served a full breakfast the next morning. I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone coming to Baltimore. The location was also perfect for a stroll into Inner Harbor or any other destination downtown.

Amazing shower

Little Italy right outside of our window

Our super comfy bed! I loved the modern decor - not something you see in most B&B's

The common area outside of our room which held a mini fridge stocked with plenty of drinks and snacks

Eastern Market

Sunday after my parents left, Shayne and I headed down to the flea market/farmer's market in Eastern Market near Capitol Hill. We usually go to the ones near our neck of the woods but they were all held on Saturday while we were at graduation. There was a ton of great jewelry, produce, and meats at this market (and a great place to grab a bite) so we'll probably try to frequent this one more often. I even picked up some fresh peonies for my sisters for Mother's Day!

Fresh cut Peonies

Crabcake combo

Vintage purses

Peacock Colors

Apples and limes for the flower bowls

Tissue paper flower balls to hang from the ceiling

Scan your craft store for fun notebooks and trinkets to make game prizes

Chocolate covered pretzel rods

Baby Bingo & Who's Your Momma - (make a poster of celebrity babies and have the guests guess who their mom is!)

GINORMOUS peacock cupcakes - beautiful and delicious

We recently celebrated on our best friends Michelle and her soon-to-arrive little girl at a baby shower! The day was peacock themed and filled with many beautiful touches shown above. Most of these projects were DIY, too!

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwiches

The original recipe, found here, was for smashed chickpea and avocado salad but I added chicken to ours. Topped with cherry tomatoes and some pepper jack cheese, it was a light but fulfilling dinner recipe!

Success

Saw this on Pinterest and thought that it fit perfect with life right now. Even though it's constant, ongoing hard work to continue school, working, and all the extras... everything you do day in and out = success!

RELAX

I'm really excited to relax tonight with Shayne and put work and school aside for a little while. We're staying at the BlancNoir Bed and Breakfast in Little Italy in Baltimore for the night and I can't wait to soak up Italian food, wine, and catch a movie. Sunday, my sisters and I are celebrating with one of our best friends Michelle at her baby shower. Hope your weekend is just as relaxing and peaceful.

{IMAGES VIA BLANC NOIR}

Work Wear + Picfx

Obsessing over the picfx app, and wondering how I've missed out this long! If you're a picture-taking lover like myself, this app is worth the $2. Here is another work wear photo session taken with the picfx app. Happy Thursday - almost time for the weekend!

Blazer: F21, Skirt: Zara, Tank: Target, Shoes: Target, Jewelry: H&M {necklace, ring, bracelets},
gifted watch & charm bracelet, Kohl's earrings

Lace textured pencil skirt

Essie: Ole Caliente on ring finger, Essie: Mob Square on rest

Add some volume to your hair and sleek into a pony!

In my bag...

checkbook, Nike Free running shoes, 2 pairs of Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses {plus case},
Target wallet/wristlet, Elago iPhone 4/4S case, Apple headphones, Fossil pill case

H&M sunglasses cases for storage {$2.99 each}

Gifted Fossil pill case

I raved (and raved) about my new work bag, and thanks to my lucky Tuesday, I was forced to clean out my new bag already when my coffee leaked all over the inside on the train ride home.  Aside from the mess, I was able to throw out old receipts, pens, and organize loose change and money. While I was at it, I decided to snap these pics to show you what I keep in my bag. It doesn't look like a lot (most times it is) because I'm usually towing work folders and gym clothes with me as well - but I didn't think you'd be interested in seeing those!

Pie Pops

I think it's safe to say that cupcakes and cake pops have taken over the dessert world, and I was recently exposed to a new phenomenon: pie pops! I read about them on here, here and they came from here. We had a Clinton's Club bake sale this past weekend so I decided to try them out, and they ended up being a hit! They are MUCH easier than cake pops but I still have a few lessons learned:

1. Press your stick far into the dough and almost to the top of the dough piece. A few were not pressed in or up enough and the pie slid right off.

2. Make sure not to over fill them. A little spillage is okay, but if there's a lot of pie filling that overflows it burns to the pan and you may get a few pies stuck!

3. We attempted pumpkin pie filling, but it was too runny - my next try: pumpkin cream cheese filling (for a thicker consistency).

4. Warning: it's hard to consume just one!