Favorite Thing #230 - Stella & Dot Charm Necklace and Jewelry Clean Out

I recently bought a bunch of Stella and Dot jewelry (thanks to my friend Kim who's now selling it) and had to share with you my favorite piece.  It's actually three pieces and it reflects the recent birth of my beautiful daughter.  I love Stella and Dot's charm collection and was so excited to see these three pieces paired together and had to have it.  The bottom piece is her Zodiac sign (Gemini), the second is her initial and the third is her birthstone.  I love all three together.  And I can mix and match if I want.  I wear a lot of gold so I'm excited that I can add the Zodiac charm to my Favorite Thing #94 necklace.  Here's how it looks on my neck.

Stella and Dot has so many cute charms, check out the collection here.  And if you are interested in doing a party in person or online be sure to reach out to my friend Kim.  A couple of deals Stella and Dot is having include

I personally own the Rio Triple Strand necklace and coordinating earrings...both at great sale prices.

Also extended is 50% off any of the items shown on this ad if you spend $50!  In my recent order I took advantage of this great deal and picked up the Eleanor bangle (in the orange/pink), Lindsay bangle (in pink) and the Nahla necklace.  LOVE them all and I couldnt' pass them up at 50% off!!!

Because I got myself some new jewelry I decided to do a long overdue clean out and posted some of the pieces on ebay.  There's even a Stella and Dot piece.  Check it out here.  I'll be sure to share the other pieces in future posts.  :)

Banana Republic Fall Finds

I keep pursuing some of my favorite stores websites for fall fashion ideas.  Next on my list is Banana Republic.  Here are some pieces I have my eye on:

Print silk tie blouse

Very versatile with different style black pants (cropped, trouser, etc) and also pair with a suit.

Heritage Gia silk blouse

Love this color!

Dolman sleeve sweater

Simple and cute!

Dark wash denim trouser

Perfect for Casual Friday

Trench capelet

Not practical but super cute!

Back to Tweeting...Need App Advice

Now that I'm going back to work I'm going to start Tweeting again...mainly sharing my OOTD since I won't be living in yoga pants and t-shirts anymore.  I've got an iPhone and wanted to know from the iPhone experts...what's the best Twitter app to use?  Thanks for your help!!!

Pinterest Wednesday - Great Organization/Design Blog

I discovered Eat Sleep Decorate through Pinterest pin about organizing your laundry room.

I was instantly hooked on her posts.  She's got great design style and posts often about ways to organize rooms, closets and other nooks around your house.  She's also in the process of flipping a house so its fun to see everything she's doing.  Definitely check her blog out.  It's one of my go to reads for inspiration on design and organization.

J.Crew Fall Wants

I'm getting down to post baby weight and finally getting ready to start shopping for clothes again and I'm so happy fall season is right around the corner because its my favorite clothing season.  I want to add/update some of the staples in my wardrobe and here are some of the things I've been eyeing at J.Crew.  What are some of your favorites?

Tippi sweater

I became obsessed with the Tippi sweater last season.  I bought it in several different colors.  It's the perfect sweater for work and pairs so nicely with the Minnie pant.  I've got it in black, orange and purple so this season I'm thinking about picking it up in neon fuchsia, marled camel and retro jade.

Schoolboy blazer in wool flannel

I love a nice blazer in the fall.  I've got several in my closet and feel like a simple navy one would be perfect and get a lot of wear.  Big fan of J.Crew's School Boy one.

Etta patent pumps

As part of updating the staples in my wardrobe (plus I think my feet grew a half size during pregnancy), I'm needing some new simple black work shoes.  I'm loving the Etta pumps in black patent.

Classic merino long cardigan

I love a good cardigan and in my opinion J.Crew has some of the best.  Love their long merino wool ones.  I definitely have it in a ton of colors and need to add more to my wardrobe.  This season I'm thinking byzantine blue, modern red and marled camel.  

Favorite Thing #229 - Dill Bread Dip

I've been making lots of new recipes during my maternity leave and I would say 99% of them have turned out amazing.  Another one to share with you is a simple dip recipe.  I tried this dip at my good friend's baby shower and had to have the recipe.  It's super easy and definitely a crowd favorite.  There really isn't a name for it so I'm just going to call it Dill Bread Dip.

Ingredients
16 oz sour cream
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp dill (I used fresh)
2 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp garlic salt
2 tbsp season all salt

Directions
Combine all ingredients together and then refrigerate for a few hours before serving.  You can serve it with pretty much anything.  I prefer veggies or fresh bread.  Enjoy!

Pinterest Wednesday - Slutty Brownies

I first had these brownies at the beach with my step SIL made them.  They are AMAZING but definitely full of calories.  Essentially one brownie combines some of my favorite desserts - chocolate chip cookies, oreos and brownies.  The recipe is simple, easy and they are quick to make.  Sure to be a crowd favorite at your next gathering.  Thanks to Blog is the New Black for posting the recipe.

Slutty Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 box of cookie mix, prepared as instructed or 1 sleeve of cookie dough
• 1 box of brownie mix, prepared as instructed
• 1 Box Oreo Cookies 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare both the cookie mix and brownie mix as the package instructs.  (You may want to make your cookie dough a tiny bit “wetter” due to the longer cooking time.  Personally, I did not try this but wish I had!)
3. Cover the bottom of the baking pan with your cookie dough, patting down to cover entire surface. 
4. Top with a layer of Oreos.  Fit in as many as you can.
5. Pour your brownie batter over Oreo layer.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until brownie layer is cooked through. 
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
8. When completely cooled, use a sharp knife to score brownies. 

Favorite Thing #228- Falesco Vitiano Red Wine

Now that I'm not pregnant I'm back to drinking wine.  I stumbled upon this amazing red wine when I made a quick run to Trader Joe's to stock my wine rack.  If you like red and you like blends then you will definitely like this one.  Falesco Vitiano blends equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.  It's medium-bodied.  Not over powering and I feel like it could go with almost anything you would prepare.  The best part was I got it for under $10!!!

Thrifty Thursday - Ebates and Diapers.com

I am constantly blogging about my love of Ebates and now that I'm a mom and have less time to shop at stores...I've been online shopping a ton...especially at Diapers.com.  Here's why I love this pairing for online shopping.

I participate in Pampers Gifts to Grow program and when I accumulate enough points I get a $5 off coupon for Diapers.com to use on any Pampers product.  Plus I can use manufacturer coupons (usually another $1-3 off) and I get Family Reward points that will ultimately end up in $$ off a future Diapers.com purchase.  All that combined with up to 4% cash back from Ebates = a very happy mommy who got to shop conveniently from home and saved money!

For those of you new to the blog or don't know about Ebates - it's by far the easiest way to earn FREE money by shopping online.  All you have to do is go to Ebates.com, sign up/log in, search for the store you plan on shopping at, click the link and voila you are taken there and all you have to do is shop.  Each store has corresponding percentage of cash back.  Just watch the money add up (especially around the holidays).  Every quarter Ebates will send you a check and all you have to to is cash it.  I definitely recommend signing up...you get $5 for just signing up.  Click here to get started.

Pinterest Wednesday - New Fashion Blog

Thanks to Pinterest I've been finding lots of new blogs to follow.  This one is one of my favorites.  What She Wore 365 chronicles one woman's outfits for an entire year.  This blog is FULL of outfit ideas and inspiration.  I highly recommend you add it to your blog roll!!!!

Remember to follow me on Pinterest by clicking here!

Small Closet Clean Out

I'm trying to organize my house/life before going back to work.  I've got a long laundry list of things to do and one was to do a spring/summer clothes closet clean out.  Not much stuff to go through this year since I've been in between sizes and not shopping.  I did put a few things up on ebay including Kate Spade shoes and Missoni for Target dress.  Check out the stuff here.

Organization Monday - Kitchen Command Center

I consider myself a very organized person but there are a few areas in my house that could definitely use some organization.  One big area is the kitchen clutter.  All the extra paper and "things to take care of" end up on the kitchen counter.  I wanted to find a way to keep it clutter free and organized.  Thanks to Pinterest I have found a way to organize the mail and paper clutter.  This Pinterest post was my inspiration.

This is how it turned out.  I found the file bin at Target and the calendar is just a print out from Word templates.  I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

Hubby, Ella and myself all have a folder.  Everything is so organized and now I have counter space back!!

Remember if you want to follow me on Pinterest go here.

TWO Months Old!?!?!?!

I can't believe my baby girl is TWO months old already.  Where has the time gone?

NEW FEATURE - Pinterest Wednesday

I want to be able to share my Pinterest finds with you so I decided to start Pinterest Wednesdays to showcase my new discoveries.  First up a new recipe for slow cooker pot roast.  Having a newborn at home I'm trying to find easy recipes and this one was perfect!  The meat was super moist and the vegetables full of flavor!  It took all of five minutes to put in the crock pot and all day to cook.  Very yummy!!!

Favorite Thing #227 - Pinterest

I have become OBSESSED with Pinterest since being on maternity leave.  I have the app on my phone and I'm just pinning away.  It's such a great way to get inspiration and different ideas for everything you can imagine.  I've gotten amazing recipes, ideas for photo shoots and great organization tips.  If you aren't already doing it highly recommend and if you'd like to follow me click here! Come back to the blog tomorrow for a new feature involving Pinterest!