A Fabulous Fit: Sundresses!
PIN IT!
Dear Summer,
Thank you for deciding to grace us with your presence. It is almost May after all. So thank you for the high 80 degree weather this weekend. I know the perfect way to thank you, with a vast new sexy collection of beautiful and affordable sundresses!
So to thank summer for finally showing its face up here in DC, I’m showcasing all of the gorgeous little sundresses I’m salivating after. Get out, shop and thank the weather gods for gracing us with a little bit of warmth and a lot of sunshine!
Donna Morgan Cotton Eyelet Dress, Nordstrom, $118
Diane von Furstenberg White Jaelle Halter Dress, Saks Fifth Ave, $365
Maggy London Ruffle Trim Jacquard Dress, Nordstrom, $138
Calvin Klein Print Strapless Dress, Nordstrom, $118
Ralph by Ralph Lauren, Macy’s, $150
Kensie Dress, Sleeveless Ditsy Floral Chiffon, Macy’s, $58.80 (love the boots too!)
Broomstick Gauze Sundress in tropical sunset, Old Navy, $29.50
GREAT DEAL! Exploded Rose Print Dress, Arden B, $34.50
Belted Ruffle Dress, Arden B, $59
GREAT DEAL! Fab Solid Maxi Dress, Forever 21, $14.50
Pleated Floral Dress, Forever 21, $24.80
Mini Market Dress Shells in Fishstripe, Revolve Clothing, $204
Free People Freebird Dress in Citron, Revolve Clothing, $148
Pretty Ruffles Jersey Dress, JCrew, $88
Painted Silk Bridget Dress, JCrew, $168
What better way to celebrate this season of skin?
Claire
Tags:Fabulous Fit, shopping, spring styles, summer, summer fashion trends, summer shopping, sundresses
Days 11-13 [Wedding]: Allow imperfection
Let me just preface this by saying I’m not a perfectionist in any other aspect of my life [other than my wedding]. My house is not always clean, I often leave important details out of things, my desk looks like a tornado ripped through it and nothing is ever where it needs to be. The best way to classify my everyday life? The words chaos and disorder.
One would think that my method of madness would certainly carry over to my wedding. However, that is very far from the truth. When it comes to my wedding, everything has to be perfect. The colors have to match the theme and the venue, the flowers have to match the colors, the cake must be ornately decorated, the wedding party has to look perfect, food has to look balanced and artistic on the plate, not one eyelash can be out-of-place and everyone has to be on their best behavior and have perfect conversations in their perfect outfits. I’m an insane, over worried, crazy stressed perfectionist when it comes to my day on March 25.
Although my perfectionism has given me insanely superb organization skills, it’s taken a severe toll on my body, my mind and my sanity. Trying to be perfect and trying to plan a ‘perfect’ event is exhausting and takes such an exuberant amount of effort to keep up. I’ve already had more mental breakdowns than I should. And trying to keep everyone and everything perfect adds even more stress to my already stressed life. Added stress + constant breakdowns + keeping a facade? That’s an equation for a heart attack or trip to the loony bin. However, it took an outside party to really make me realize that.
At work one day, during a weekly touch base with a colleague, I mentioned my “perfect wedding” visions and how it was a lot harder than it seemed. She looked at me and told me, point-blank, that my wedding was not going to be perfect, despite how hard I tried to make it that way. I was a little taken a back and thought “bitch, how dare you, my wedding will be the most perfect event in history!” I think she could tell I was a bit offended so she quickly clarified. [I paraphrased her wonderful words.]
No one has a perfect wedding because no one is perfect. Something will happen, whether it be something like your crazy aunt shows up after she RSVP’s no, or big, like the caterer forgets the cake. Something will happen. That’s just life. You can’t expect it to be perfect or else you’ll beat yourself up over every little thing that happens. Your wedding is a party, a celebration. Just relax and understand that.
That was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. From a bride who was recently married, she went through the same dilemma. As much as I want my wedding day to be perfect and flaw-free, I know that it will not be. There will evidentially be a slip up, something will go awry, and I need to be prepared to handle that. You have to prepare for a problem or else you will not know how to handle it. And folks, I’m not perfect. How can I expect this entire day to be? I just need to learn how to relax and let things happen. [Unless someone knocks over the cake, then someone is getting a beat down :)]
One of my “wedding nightmares”
Now, You notice that this mini-lution is more than just one day. Letting go of that perfect idea and my perfect day was hard and I needed to give it more than just 24 hours. I’m a human being and I can’t be expected to just change my way of thinking in a day. I’m no super hero, after all! Just a girl looking for her happily ever after. And now, I can handle if it doesn’t turn out picture perfect.
Claire
Tags:allow flaws, chaos, fun wedding, imperfect world, imperfection, perfect, perfect day, perfect wedding, wedding day
Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Healthy Pizza
This recipe is for all the pizza junkies out there, like myself, who are desperate for a lighter version of this notoriously fatty dish. Dig in and add in ingredients to suit your tastes!
Spinach, Chicken, Mozzarella pizza
What You’ll Need
- 1 container of Pizza Crust
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup seasoned tomato sauce
- 1/3 package (10oz) frozen whole leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
- 2-3 green onions, chopped
- 10 grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup of freshly grated fresh mozzarella
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
How to Make It:
-
- Preheat oven with pizza stone to 350ºF degrees.
- Drizzle 2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil on crust, lightly coat all the crust evenly with fingers, then sprinkle with pepper.
- Coat crust with tomato sauce. Don’t completely drench it, though.
- Layer on spinach, chicken, tomato halves, onions and chopped artichoke hearts. Sprinkle on salt and pepper, being sure to hit the spinach and tomatoes with salt.
- Spread Mozzarella all over.
- Bake on pizza sheet 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool a couple of minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts per slice: 281 calories, 20g protein, 8g fat (3g saturated), 2g fiber
Superfood of the Week: Cheese
How can a food that is associated with pizza, nachos and mozzarella sticks possible be a super food of the week? Cheese has gotten a really bad rap, and honestly, its not the cheese’s fault. What makes cheese so unhealthy is when it is deep fried or covered in grease! Cheese has endless health benefits that are often overlooked due to the plethora of unhealthy dishes that use it’s flavor and consistency to compliment them. We all need to stop associating cheese with ONLY unhealthy foods and rid that negative connotation that goes along with it. Give cheese a chance, you’ll be surprised at how healthy this creamy dairy product really is!
Bone and Dental Health
As you all know [or should] cheese is a part of the dairy family. Which means that cheese, along with it’s cousins milk and yogurt, is very high in calcium. You need calcium to maintain strong and healthy bones. A diet rich in calcium also helps to prevent osteoporosis, which weakens your bones. Along with calcium, cheese also contains Vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining your bones and cartilage. Why? Vitamin D allows the calcium to be absorbed by your body properly.
The calcium found in cheese not only helps strengthen your bones, it also works to strengthen your teeth! The added vitamin D helps to prevent cavities, tooth decay and gum disease! Another added bonus of cheese is it is relatively low in most sugar and lactose, which is easier on sensitive teeth and gums. [You need a good set of chompers to eat, obviously!]
Smaller waist
A study that was recently completed found that those who consumed the most dairy [cheese, yogurt, milk] were less likely to have enlarged waists than those who did not. There is also increasing evidence that proves that people who followed a diet rich in dairy are more likely to regulate a health weight and lose weight than those who forgo dairy products.
Building muscle
Dairy foods like cheese are naturally high in protein, the nutrient that works to help you build lean muscle and burn more fat. For example, just 1 cup of cottage cheese contains up to 26 grams of protein, which is 65% of your daily protein intake! Along with building muscle and burning fat, protein also helps to strengthen your muscle cartilage and tissue, which will help to prevent tears and muscle damage.
So friends, grab a wedge of your favorite cheese and dig in! Just be weary. Not all cheese is created equal. A piece of pizza with mozzarella is not interchangeable with just a few bites of fresh mozzarella! Visit my Eat Skinny Be Skinny recipe on healthy fresh pizza for a great way to healthily eat cheese and still enjoy your favorite pie!
Happy Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day! Today is a day to turn off your lights, your computers and your gadgets and head outside to enjoy the fruits of our beautiful planet. If you, like myself, are stuck at work, find a way to incorporate this day even if you can’t be outside. Some examples include turning your computer off during your lunch break, turning off your office lights when you are not in there, printing on recyclable paper, eating organic, unprocessed foods for lunch, using a reuseable tote bag instead of a plastic bag, recycling all old paper and plastic supplies and taking public transportation, biking or walking instead of driving!
Help keep our cities and towns beautiful by planting a tree.
Protecting our Earth is more important now than ever. Do your part to keep our planet beautiful!
For more information on Earth Day and how you can help, visit http://www.earthday.org/. Also, check out my post on becoming more eco friendly for ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and keep our planet beautiful.
