Wednesday Funday?

Oh my. Today was filled with craziness! One of the attorneys that I work with took me out to lunch and the rest of the afternoon was so crazy! I had such a fun outfit today that I absolutely LOVE and reminds me of my fun, skinny days of 2010-2011.  And not that sickly skinny I used to be during that time! I love finding fun ways to change up my outfits and wearing some of my all time favorite pieces from my closet! Here's what I wore today:

• Blazer: LOFT
• Dress: Target
• Double strand pearls: Christmas gift from the now defunct Carlyle & Co.
• Earrings: birthday present from momma
• Watch: Rolex
• Bangles: Malani Jewelers
• Rings: VT Class Ring & David Yurman Petite Wheaton in Black Onyx
• Shoes: BCBG via Marshall's

I'm pretty obsessed with this dress. It doesn't look as flattering in these pictures as it is in real life but it is incredibly comfortable and feels great paired with my favorite LOFT blazer!

Love love love these heels!

Rusty did NOT want to go to school today.. just look at that face!

he was more than happy to be home today though!

 

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry that just boosts your mood?!!

Playlist Wednesday!

SO this week was the start of my Detroit International HM training! My body is definitely feeling it and my shins/ITBS are killing me on my left side but hopefully using my foam roller and The Stick will help my sore muscles.  I am working with my 5 mile base so hopefully that I have my endurance down, I can work on my speed.  Detroit is a long ways away so I know I have plenty of time!

Here is what I'm loving on my playlist this week! 

• Heartless- Kanye West
• I have been on an old school Kanye binge lately and I am LOVING his 808s & Heartbreak album from 2008! 3 songs from that album are on this week's playlist especially thanks to my Ursher pandora station for bringing those songs back into my life! This one is definitely one that I have to be in the mood to listen to when I run but once I'm in the groove, this is perfect.
• Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)- Kanye West
• This is another great Kanye song but I have to be in the perfect running mood for me not to skip/shuffle this song!
• Love Lockdown- Kanye West
• Again, another Kanye favorite of mine! Definitely check this one out- it was probably my favorite on his 808s & Heartbreak album.  I definitely needed this one during my 5+mile run last night!
• Aint it Funny- JLo & Ja Rule
• Ahhhhhh I wish so bad Ja Rule didn't play with guns and paid his taxes so he could make pure gold music like this song with J.Lo again. I love this song- definitely from JLo's sassier time in life and sometimes, I think this song is like perfect for the stage of life I'm going through.  Early 2000s JLo really spoke to me and still to this day I have the majority of her first music album on my running playlist (these remixes too!).
• Hips Don't Lie feat. Wyclef Jean- Shakira
• This one definitely takes me back to college when my bff drunkenly serenaded me after one too many margaritas at our favorite Mexican restaurant! Seriously, we had fun in college. Haha ANYways- I love this song on my running playlist- I know all the words so it's not uncommon to hear me singing this during a particularly long run!

proof these playlists are doing their job-- stats from my very first training run last night for the Detroit International Half Marathon

What are you listening to this week??

My Favorite Suit

Sometimes, wearing just the right outfit can change the entire direction of a day and I knew that yesterday was just the perfect time to pull out my favorite suit! I've worn it before and it's been on here for an OOTD post but I felt the need to share it again since it's literally a game/day- changer for me and definitely did the trick yesterday!

• Suit: Ann Taylor
• Top: Ann Taylor
• Jewelry: David Yurman Black Onyx Earrings, Necklace, & Petite Wheaton Ring & VT Class Ring of course!
• Shoes: Nine West via DSW

Everything is way too big so I'm going to need to get some things tailored. I still love this whole outfit nonetheless!

You can really see the Yurman necklace here- I love how simple it is yet classic.

Only the best day ever- the new Backstreet Boys cd from Target with 2 bonus tracks!

Do you have a lucky outfit or a favorite work outfit??

Tuesday Thoughts

Ahhh Tuesday.. this is an interesting week and a lot went down today that could change a lot so I'm going to keep this short and sweet!

we all have plenty of happy accidents in life, right??! ILY Bob Ross.

single girl forever. 

keep the toxic out- Amy speaks the truth about life.

I feel like this SO often/everyday.

Story of my life Michelle Tanner.

LC speaks the truth once again!

Happy Tuesday!

OOTD

Oh what a day! Surprisingly, today wasn't as crazy as I expected and had a pretty interesting day! I am usually exhausted and cranky on Mondays but I had a pretty good day other than my fancy watch falling apart and a quick trip to Schiffman's to get it fixed! I loved today's outfit but it was pretty hot today so I spent the majority of the day with my suit jacket off! It was fun nonetheless and who doesn't love wearing something new?!!

• Suit: Ann Taylor
• Shell: Ann Taylor
• Pearls: birthday present from momma
• Shoes: Nine West via DSW
• Rings: VT Class Ring & David Yurman Petite Albion in Garnet
• Bangles: Malani Jewelers
• Watch: Rolex

I LOVE orange, this is definitely one of those colors that automatically brightens my mood!

Rusty was so confused in the car to daycare! He is always so sleepy on Monday mornings!

but so perky when I pick him up everyday after work!

my healthy dinner tonight! Cafe Carolina Veggie Wrap with Side house salad with the house red wine vinaigrette!

 

What's your go-to healthy meal out??

Weekend Roundup!

So much as been going on! I had a great weekend, albeit too short! It was fun, relaxing and I even had 6 hours of sleep straight in one night!!! I wanted to share Friday's outfit too since Friday my grand-little from my sorority came to visit so I never got to share my last Casual Friday! I also was able to get in my long run on Sunday--5.3 miles in 60 minutes! Getting ready to start my Detroit training!!!

Friday's OOTD:

• Skirt: Tahari
• Top & Cardigan: Ann Taylor
• Belt: White House Black Market
• Jewelry: Hawaiian pearls (I changed from the black onyx/coral since it didn't exactly go with my amazing maroon belt)
• Shoes (not pictured): Nine West via DSW

my new running shoes! Nike Lunarelite +3 with my new red Lock Laces

Grandlittle Emily and I had such a fun night with wine, gossip, and catching up!

my Saturday afternoon was just like this.. LAZY.

my sweet little watchdog! We love our weekend walks!

Sunday post-run treat-- new smores Luna Bar & red wine!

How was your weekend??

Sunday Recipe- Banana Milkshakes

Ahhh I am perpetually late with my Sunday Recipe posts! Maybe I should just rename them Monday's Recipe? Oh well, at least it is here! I love making these banana milkshakes since they remind me of when I was little and my mom would (force) have my brother, sister, and I all drink a glass of milk before we were allowed to leave the house in the mornings before school. These ended up being a special treat my mom and I would make for my sister and I to have some change to our usual chocolate and strawberry milk, respectively.  If we were being extra good around that time, then my mom would add a little vanilla ice cream to the milkshakes to get us to drink our 12 oz glasses of milk every day! Maybe this is why I have an aversion to straight milk these days? 

OK so here is what you need:

• Milk- any variety, I prefer 1% or skim but the rest of my family only drinks 2%
• 2 (very) ripe bananas
• 1 scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream (use your favorite brand- I love blue bunny or bryers)

Here's the Method:

1.     Measure the amount of milk you want to use (I always do half of the size of mug I use- or do the whole mug for 2 servings)

2.     Add the bananas and scoop of ice cream to your handy blender (I love using my Oster blender for these milkshakes and my kitchenaid one for margaritas).

3.     Blend all of the ingredients together until desired consistency.

pretty mug from Disney World!

4.    Pour into mug and enjoy!

Thoughts

I think this would be great using a vanilla protein powder instead of the ice cream if you are trying for something a little healthier! You can always omit the ice cream all together as well but I find it to be a nice treat and extra sweetness in addition to the ripe bananas!

Do you use protein powder? What is your favorite brand/variety/flavor???

Another Slow Wednesday

This is turning out to be another super slow week! I haven't really been feeling that well all day and haven't kept anything down so it hasn't been a fun day at all! Today's outfit was literally thrown together in a matter of minutes and was my 3rd outfit selection this morning! Crazy right? I just couldn't settle on anything so I went to my default of grey/black, festive right?

• Top & Blazer: LOFT
• Skirt: jcp
• Necklace & Earrings: David Yurman in Black Onyx
• Rings: VT Class Ring & David Yurman Petite Albion in Garnet
• Watch: Rolex
• Bangles: Malani Jewelers
• Shoes (not pictured): my favorite Nine West wedges via DSW

For some reason, I just felt off today- couldn't pick an outfit, couldn't get my rhythm going at work, sick to my stomach all day long! Hopefully after a quick shower and Benadryl induced sleep will yield more than 5 hours of sleep and I will wake up feeling like my usual peppy self! PS the worst thing about being sick and single/living alone= no one at home to take care of you/make you feel better! LAME. No matter how I'm feeling though, Rusty always brightens up my life! Seeing how happy he is to see me when I pick him up from daycare is priceless! 

I swear he's happy to see me but he's more excited with what was going on outside while we were at a red light on the way home today!

How do you get yourself out of a funk??

PS new Franklin and Bash & Top Chef Masters Season Premiere tonight! 

Wednesday Playlist!

So I've been back and running more consistently the past couple weeks and I start my Detroit International Half Marathon training plan next week (look out for a post coming with my training plan) sooo I really need to get my playlist updated with some more/new songs.  I updated my old playlist over the weekend to add some of the new songs I downloaded but I'm still hoping to make some changes in the next few weeks! Here are some of my new (&old) favorites this week:

• Little Black Dress- Sara Bareilles
• love love love this song! One of my girlfriends told me about Sara Bareilles' new album streaming on iTunes last week and told me about this song so I naturally became obsessed and now have it on repeat! Love it for building my speed up on my runs!
• Remember the Name (feat. Styles of Beyond)- Fort Minor
• So I heard this on Pandora for the past few weeks and I have been meaning to download it and finally did over the weekend! I know this isn't technically a "new" song but it is to me- perfect beat for running and keeping me going during my longer runs!
• Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• AH I love this song.  I've just recently discovered Macklemore (I'm behind on the times, right???) but I am obsessed. I love this song to run to and it really just keeps me motivated and my spirits up during a longer run because after the first 45 minutes, I am always ready to quit.  Usually once I get through 60 minutes, the time/distance doesn't seem overwhelming but that sliver of time between 45 minutes and 60minutes is always the hardest for me for any run/race, etc.
• Fantasy (Remix)- Mariah Carey & ODB
• This has literally been a staple in my life since I was what, 9-10 years old? MC's Daydream album was the first tape I ever got (didn't start getting cds until I was 16) and I played it so much that the tape eventually wouldn't play. I think I still have the old tape case in my old bedroom at my parents' house! So this remix- it's pretty much amazing. I love the remix especially because it includes some classic 90s rap and parts of one of my all time favorite songs! Definitely add it to your playlist- your running/workout life will never be the same!
• The Fear [Explicit]- Lily Allen
• Oooh another older song! I just love the beat of this song.  It's a nice break from my rap/r&b heavy playlist.  I love the femininity of this song and Lily Allen has an amazing voice! Definitely check out the link and see if it's something that would mesh well with your playlists!

What are your favorite songs of the moment??

Tuesday Thoughts (and other things..!)

Some random Tuesday Thoughts and my OOTD! Enjoy!

how I feel when I come home from work everyday...

seriously, what single female HASN'T experienced this???

truth.

Song of my life right now:

• Skirt & Blazer: jcp
• Top/Shell: Kasper
• Shoes: Calvin Klein
• Pearls & earrings: Hawaii trip 2010
• Bangles: Malani Jewelers
• Watch: Rolex
• Rings: VT Class Ring & David Yurman Petite Wheaton in Black Onyx

I LOVE these shoes! one of my all time favorites!!

my sweet baby!