Monthly Archives: April 2013

My Staple

Today I decided to wear one of my favorite outfits. You’re probably not surprised that it included my chambray shirt. My other favorites are the black blazer and the leopard print belt (or anything I own that is leopard print). And those black flats. And white pants. And the necklace. Ok, I love it all, which might be why it’s my staple.

I got the inspiration about a year ago from Pinterest and love to recreate it a lot.

Model White Pants Chambray ShirtWhite pants Chambray Shirt

 

Jacket: Lands End Canvas; Shirt: J.Crew Factory (this season); Necklace: Urban Peach Boutique (this season); Belt: J.Crew Factory; Jeans: Levis; Shoes: Lands End Canvas

The Best Chicken Salad EVER

Do you want to try the best chicken salad ever? And, one that is super easy to make? Of course you do, even if you don’t realize it yet. I decided to make this for lunch a few of the days this week. I used to think I didn’t like celery – now I realize you just mix it in with other things so you don’t taste it. Now, I’m not really sure if you’re supposed to chop the grapes up like I did, but I actually really like it this way. It had the right amount of crunch with the perfect consistency. This will now be a staple lunch for me during the week. Per the recipe it’s a “skinny” version. Whatever it is, it takes delicious! (Sorry I don’t have a picture of it mixed together, or on one of my delicious sandwiches. I’ll add one once I make some more!)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup chopped grapes
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
  • 3/4 cup reduced-fat miracle whip
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  1. In a large bowl, mix chicken, celery, chopped grapes, and green onion.
  2.  In a small bowl, mix together miracle whip, salt, black pepper, and onion powder.
  3.  Cover chicken mixture with dressing and stir until well mixed.
  4. Cover and chill chicken salad until ready to serve.

Chicken Salad

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

On Sunday, around lunchtime, I put our dinner into the crock pot to cook while we shopped. When we got home, exhausted, we had this tasty meal to enjoy. Does life get any better than that?

Bad Cilantro

What is the weird black stuff you get on cilantro? No worries, I picked it out.

This recipe is super, duper simple and ridiculously tasty. The prep time was maybe 10 minutes. Maybe. And that was probably because I talking or dancing or something while I was cooking. Not because it takes very long. You literally chop up the cilantro and jalapenos. One thing that wasn’t super clear on the recipe was if you should use 4-6 chicken breasts or 4-6 chicken breast halves (meaning 2 or 3 breasts). To be safe I put in 3 chicken breasts, but I decided to put a crazy spin on it and cut them into quarters. (GASP!) Now, I don’t know if our consistency was correct or how it was meant to eat, but we like to make things up as we go. We decided to cook some rice to put with it, along with some tortillas and plain greek yogurt that we like to pretend is sour cream (and tastes absolutely no different, I swear!). The dish was amazing and the perfect amount of spice to make your lips feel botoxed, but still be able to eat it. And the best part? Leftovers!

Ingredients:

  • One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa
  • Juice from one lime
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)
  • 3 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces (completely defrosted) 
  1. Mix together in the slow cooker and coat chicken with the salsa mixture.

  2. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cilantro

Step 1 – Put it all in the crock pot

Chicken Cilantro

Step 2 – Eat it!!

Holka Polka (Dot)

Well, things didn’t exactly go as planned. Last night I was supposed to be staying at a Hilton for a work dinner and training. After I got into the office they had to change the dinner to the following night, which meant I got to go home for the evening and spend the night tonight instead. I was a little bummed since I’d planned out my outfits and was going to wear dresses. I decided I probably wouldn’t want to wear knee-high  boots three days in a row or schlep them around if I wore another pair of shoes, so I gave in and wore jeans today and packed pants for tomorrow. I’m sorry if I disappointed anyone.

This weekend I decided to restyle some clothes to make them fit better (I’m considering blogging some tutorials on that as well. But, no promises in case I don’t get to it). One of the things I refashioned was a white, polka dot shirt I had made in China. I looked everywhere for a picture of me in the shirt prior to the refashioning, but I couldn’t find it. Essentially, it was big and billowy, and I decided that I wanted it more form fitting and flattering, so I took it in this weekend. I like it much better now! And, I had two forms of inspiration (1 and 2) for the outfit.

Model Mint and White Polka Dots Model Mint and Navy Polka Dots Mint Jeans Polka Dots

 

Cardigan: Loft; Tank: Old Navy; Top: custom made; Belt: H&M (this season); Jeans: Gap (this season); Shoes: Lands End Canvas

Knights in Argyle

Last night my knight in shining armor decided that he wanted in on this blog as well. Ok, so I took his picture against his will and posted it. But, none-the-less, he was really styling. For work today he had to dress up as a “golfer” and they requested they wear a gray sweater with khakis. Naturally he wanted to look good as well and asked for a suggestion on how he should pair it with a collared shirt. So, I looked to Pinterest for inspiration. I saw this argyle sweater mixed with a plaid shirt and decided that he had to give it a shot. Personally, I think he looks really good! But then again I always do.

Argyle & PrintRandy Argyle

Trendy School-Teacher

On Thursday I’d found inspiration on Pinterest for an outfit…and then promptly lost the pin. I thought the outfit was cute – a trendy school-teacher looking thing, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember how I decided on the outfit. That is until today. I finally found it, embedded with other pictures! Enjoy.

Model Gray SweaterGray Sweater, Black Pants

 

Cardigan: Loft; Top: custom made; Belt: The Limited; Shoes: Lands End Canvas

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No Biking = Dresses!

This week we have a new hire training at work that I’ll be attending. Included in this is dinner tonight with the group. Since it’s a bit of a commute to stay late for dinner tonight, take the train back up to SF, and then take the train early tomorrow morning for the training again, it made more sense for the company to put me up in a hotel. And, the Hilton at that. (Not too shabby, eh?)

Since I’ll be staying in the valley for two days I didn’t want to keep my bike at the office. I instead took a taxi to the train station today and then took the light rail from the train to my office. This meant I wasn’t going to be all sweaty and gross like 100% of the days when I bike. It also meant I could do my hair and make-up AND wear a dress and tights. Whoop, whoop! I love being girly and have been missing it the last couple of months. So, I wore a dress today and packed a dress for tomorrow as well.

The dress was a Christmas present from my knight’s brother’s girlfriend (did you follow all that)? I really, really like it. The only problem was that I felt like it looked too much like a going out dress to wear to more casual occasions and therefore have only worn it once, when we went out for a night on the town in Chicago. Well, oh boy did Pinterest have a solution for that!

Model DressMe, Dress

 

Cardigan: Lands End Canvas; Dress: Express; Belt: Old Navy; Tights: Old Navy; Boots: Aldo

The Sweatpants vs. Yoga Pants Debate

Randy and Me Leggings

Our “yoga pants”

My dad likes to wear sweatpants all the time, regardless of if company is coming over. My favorites are a pair of teal ones he wears with a hunter green sweatshirt. Naturally, my knight in shining armor picked up on this and would beg me to allow him to wear sweatpants when we’d go back to my hometown to see my family, pointing out that my dad did so why couldn’t he. He did make a compelling argument, but I never gave in. Well, now he points out that I wear “sweatpants” all the time, but I just call them “yoga pants”. (I don’t correct him and tell him they’re leggings in knowing that would only confuse him more.)

Yesterday when we were getting ready to go shopping for dress shoes for him I threw on my leggings with my favorite chambray shirt to head out. He noticed this and declared he too was going to wear his “yoga pants”. (I should mention that while he put them on to prove a point, he thankfully changed into jeans before we left the house.)

The ironic part in all of this is that he also teases me about my chambray shirt that I basically live in and will keep track of if I wear it twice in the same week (it’s the same as jeans, just air them out and they’re instantly clean again). I told him once that we should get him one, but he declined, saying he would feel like he was in 4th grade again, which apparently was the last time he owned one. During our shopping trip he was on the second floor while I was on the first floor and checked out without me. When we got home I looked in his bag…and found a men’s chambray shirt. I guess now we really can be twins in our “yoga pants” and chambray shirts.

Here was my inspiration for the day:

Model ChambrayMe, Leggings

 

Shirt: J.Crew Factory (this season); Tee: Hanes; Leggings: Target; Shoes: Nine West

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