While I will be spending a lot of time in my office this summer, I'll also be frequenting Austin, Texas. I can't wait for weekends this summer with the Lawyer Man!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Friday Favorites
While I will be spending a lot of time in my office this summer, I'll also be frequenting Austin, Texas. I can't wait for weekends this summer with the Lawyer Man!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
What Every Bride Wants {to entertain}
The extent of my entertaining these days is having a couple of friends over for dinner, or hosting my parents for the weekend. However, Reagan and I can't wait until we throw more parties. Here are some recommendations of what every bride wants to entertain!
2. Placemats and Napkins: I received several sets of pretty placemats and napkins from a store I registered at in my hometown. However, you find pretty table linens anywhere from Crate and Barrel to Anthropologie or Pottery Barn.
3. Snack Bowls: We eat A LOT of chips and salsa in our house, so naturally these Fiesa Fruit Bowls are used for salsa as opposed to fruit.
4. China: To register for china or nor to register for china? Granted, picking a china pattern is "old-fashioned" and not for everyone, but I just couldn't help myself. We always ate on my mom's china during special events or holidays, and I couldn't imaging not having my own.
5. Pottery Barn Classic Stemware: I thought long and hard about where to register for stemware. (Wine glasses are important, ok?) Finally, I decided on Pottery Barn due to the fact that all the glasses are sturdy and I don't feel like they will break easily.
6. Screwpull Wine Pump Set: Another Rebecca recommendation, "Perfect for people who have husbands that don't want wine every night. Pour a glass, put the rubber cork on and pull the air out and it stays fresh!"
7. Specialty Food Items: Perfect for a foodie or cook. For example, specialty spices, sauces, coffee or drink mixes.
And that wraps up my gift-giving recommendations. Did anyone get a gift (wedding related or not) that everyone has to know about?
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
What Every Bride Wants {for the home}
Continuing with my lists of "What Every Bride Wants", the next installment is for around the home!
1. Bedding and More Bedding: Now that I live with a boy, I had to get rid of my "girly" bedding and try to make our bedroom look more gender neutral.
2. Wedding Date Pillow: My sister got me this burlap pillow from Etsy as a Christmas gift, and I absolutely love it.
3. Anything monogrammed: I'm a total sucker for a monogram. Canisters, napkin rings, towels, you name it - I want our initials on it! If you know my husband, he loves to monogram things as well.
4. Pretty Bathroom Towels: Nothing makes you feel grown up like having nice, pretty towels in your bathroom.
5. Picture Frames: You need something to put all your wedding pictures in!
1. Bedding and More Bedding: Now that I live with a boy, I had to get rid of my "girly" bedding and try to make our bedroom look more gender neutral.
2. Wedding Date Pillow: My sister got me this burlap pillow from Etsy as a Christmas gift, and I absolutely love it.
3. Anything monogrammed: I'm a total sucker for a monogram. Canisters, napkin rings, towels, you name it - I want our initials on it! If you know my husband, he loves to monogram things as well.
4. Pretty Bathroom Towels: Nothing makes you feel grown up like having nice, pretty towels in your bathroom.
5. Picture Frames: You need something to put all your wedding pictures in!
6. Candles: I am obsessed with candles. I have them all over the house, and they are burning from the time I get home until the time I go to bed. My favorite candle is WoodWick in Biscotti.
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Wednesday, May 09, 2012
What Every Bride Wants {for the kitchen}
Reagan and I were more than blessed to have three wedding showers, and packages arriving on our doorstep almost daily. Registering for gifts can be fun and/or stressful. For example, my husband registered for two different bacon presses and every type of grilling utensil imaginable. I stressed out over a china pattern.
I consulted with my fellow newlywed best friend Rebecca and came up with a ton of gifts we love, love, love. Here's the first of a few buying guides for anyone attending weddings this summer, and I know there are a lot of you out there. First up, the kitchen!
1. Crate and Barrel Mixing Bowls: I didn't register for mixing bowls from Crate and Barrel, but after two sets of mixing bowl disasters (i.e. breaking); I decided to go with these. I have the white set, and I've been happy with their durability and the way they stack to save room.
2. Veggie Chop: Rebecca says, "Small enough so that it's easy to store, but it can fit a good chunk of an onion or bell pepper."
3. French Press with Illy Coffee: This would be a good gift for the coffee snob. After getting this as a gift, we have officially crossed into "coffee snob" territory.
4. Grind and Brew Coffee Maker: Rebecca says, "I leave the coffee beans in the airtight top and in the morning you just put how many cups you want and it grinds the amount you need. You can also pick the strength so it will do more or less. Awesome."
5. Kitchen Aid Mixer: I swear the food you make in a Kitchen Aid just tastes better. Reagan took a picture of me the first time I used my mixer because I have been waiting all my life (ok - actually just the 6 months between registering and our first shower) to own one. There are also a ton of attachments (meat grinder, ice cream maker, etc. that make great gifts!)
6. Taste of Home Cookbook: I have said it before, and I will say it again - I cook 75% of our meals from recipes in this cookbook. I call it my cooking Bible because it has recipes, cooking and food preparation methods, and detailed information about almost all food. For example, I didn't know how long to grill a pork chop, but I looked it up in the "Pork" section. It's nothing too fancy, just normal people food.
7. Texas Cutting Board: Our house wouldn't be complete without Texas kitchen accessories.
Now, I'm interested to hear, what's the most used tool/accessory in your kitchen?? Pin It
I consulted with my fellow newlywed best friend Rebecca and came up with a ton of gifts we love, love, love. Here's the first of a few buying guides for anyone attending weddings this summer, and I know there are a lot of you out there. First up, the kitchen!
1. Crate and Barrel Mixing Bowls: I didn't register for mixing bowls from Crate and Barrel, but after two sets of mixing bowl disasters (i.e. breaking); I decided to go with these. I have the white set, and I've been happy with their durability and the way they stack to save room.
2. Veggie Chop: Rebecca says, "Small enough so that it's easy to store, but it can fit a good chunk of an onion or bell pepper."
3. French Press with Illy Coffee: This would be a good gift for the coffee snob. After getting this as a gift, we have officially crossed into "coffee snob" territory.
4. Grind and Brew Coffee Maker: Rebecca says, "I leave the coffee beans in the airtight top and in the morning you just put how many cups you want and it grinds the amount you need. You can also pick the strength so it will do more or less. Awesome."
5. Kitchen Aid Mixer: I swear the food you make in a Kitchen Aid just tastes better. Reagan took a picture of me the first time I used my mixer because I have been waiting all my life (ok - actually just the 6 months between registering and our first shower) to own one. There are also a ton of attachments (meat grinder, ice cream maker, etc. that make great gifts!)
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| It's love |
6. Taste of Home Cookbook: I have said it before, and I will say it again - I cook 75% of our meals from recipes in this cookbook. I call it my cooking Bible because it has recipes, cooking and food preparation methods, and detailed information about almost all food. For example, I didn't know how long to grill a pork chop, but I looked it up in the "Pork" section. It's nothing too fancy, just normal people food.
7. Texas Cutting Board: Our house wouldn't be complete without Texas kitchen accessories.
Now, I'm interested to hear, what's the most used tool/accessory in your kitchen?? Pin It
Friday, May 04, 2012
Friday Favorites
After Diana posted her favorite bridal beauty products, I got to thinking about my own beauty routine. She said she was a loyal Bobbi Brown girl, and I thought "I don't think I'm loyal to any one brand."
Think again.
I opened my makeup bag to see a Clinique explosion. I credit my frequent Clinique buys to two things. First, I have sensitive skin and all of Clinique's products are gentle and unscented. Secondly, it's one of those brands that my mom always used, so I buy it too. (Kind of like, Folgers coffee. Please tell me someone else knows what I'm talking about!)
Onto my favorite Clinique products!
1. Long Last Lipstick ($15) - Dubonnet is my favorite red lipstick. It's red enough to be powerful, but not harsh-looking on my fair skin. I think the color is universally flattering because my mom wears it and my best friend, Rebecca, wore it at her bachelorette party; we all have very different skin tones.
2. Moisture Sheer Tint ($27) - My mom loaned this to me for my honeymoon, and I immediately bought my own when I got back. (Are we noticing a theme here - I steal makeup from my mom??) I love it for summer and the weekends.
3. Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel ($24) - I have incredibly oily skin and this keeps it under control!
4. Liquid Facial Soap ($16) - Gentle and unscented. Enough said.
5. Bronzer ($25) - I'm not a huge bronzer fan (I think it looks funny on me), but this is what I use when I need a little color on my face!
6. Chubby Stick ($16) - Yes, that's really what it's called. Whole Lotta Honey is my favorite fall/winter color, and I'm loving Mega Melon this summer.
7. High Impact Mascara ($15) - I have worn this mascara since high school, and I doubt I will ever stop. It doesn't smudge, and I always get compliments on my long lashes.
8. Quickliner for Eyes ($15) - I used to always have trouble with my eyeliner coming off during the day, but this stays put pretty well.
9. Superbalanced Makeup ($23) - I just recently switched from mineral powder makeup to the Superbalanced liquid. This was also a recommendation from my mom, and I'm already sold! It isn't to greasy and looks natural.
There you have it! I'd love to hear what other makeup/brands everyone uses!
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Thursday, May 03, 2012
What to Wear: To Work
One of the (many) harsh realities of being a grown up is having to adopt a "business casual" wardrobe. I worked for two years in college as a marketing intern and had to dress business casual when I went into the office. However, my two-hours-a-day-intern wardrobe did not translate to a full-time-professional wardrobe. Thankfully, I work in an environment where there is not a strict dress code, and each department gets to determine their dress code based on their specific role within the organization. That being said, I work under a Vice President, so I have to dress the part. Likewise, some computer programmers in my building can wear jeans.
So, you land a job; learn the dress code, what's next? Well, if you're like me, you have a whole closet full of clothes but you're standing there saying, "I have nothing to wear!" (Reagan's favorite words...)
1. Take inventory. Since I majored in business, worked in college, and participated in a business club in high school, I had most of the "basics." I had black pants, pencil skirts, and the basic white button down. Also, before I started interviewing, my parents bought me a real, live suit. Once you start working, however, you realize that what you seldom wore in college, you have to wear every day at work. I had to figure out what exactly I needed to have a complete business casual closet.
2. Find a balance. I'm 23 years old, love to shop, play with make-up and tease my hair. Not everyone in the work world appreciates neon pink lipstick and the top not. I've had to find the middle ground between dressing my age, looking trendy, and not getting weird stares around the office. I am by far the youngest person in my office, and I don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention. My "balance" generally means wearing solid colors (I don't wear a lot of prints anyway) with flashy shoes or jewelry.
3. It doesn't happen all at once. I've been employed full time for almost a year now, and I still think "I need (insert item here) to wear to work." Every time I shop now I have to ask myself, "Could I wear this to work?" No matter how cute the jewelry, blouse, or shorts are, if I can't wear it to work it's not worth it. (Outfitting my law school husband is a different story because all of a sudden he has competitions! internships! speaking events! and needs 15 suits. That's a different post, a different time.)
I will be in the office most of the day this summer, but I can't wait to break out the bright colors. Neon lipstick included!
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So, you land a job; learn the dress code, what's next? Well, if you're like me, you have a whole closet full of clothes but you're standing there saying, "I have nothing to wear!" (Reagan's favorite words...)
1. Take inventory. Since I majored in business, worked in college, and participated in a business club in high school, I had most of the "basics." I had black pants, pencil skirts, and the basic white button down. Also, before I started interviewing, my parents bought me a real, live suit. Once you start working, however, you realize that what you seldom wore in college, you have to wear every day at work. I had to figure out what exactly I needed to have a complete business casual closet.
2. Find a balance. I'm 23 years old, love to shop, play with make-up and tease my hair. Not everyone in the work world appreciates neon pink lipstick and the top not. I've had to find the middle ground between dressing my age, looking trendy, and not getting weird stares around the office. I am by far the youngest person in my office, and I don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention. My "balance" generally means wearing solid colors (I don't wear a lot of prints anyway) with flashy shoes or jewelry.
3. It doesn't happen all at once. I've been employed full time for almost a year now, and I still think "I need (insert item here) to wear to work." Every time I shop now I have to ask myself, "Could I wear this to work?" No matter how cute the jewelry, blouse, or shorts are, if I can't wear it to work it's not worth it. (Outfitting my law school husband is a different story because all of a sudden he has competitions! internships! speaking events! and needs 15 suits. That's a different post, a different time.)
I will be in the office most of the day this summer, but I can't wait to break out the bright colors. Neon lipstick included!
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