Fashionably Sweet: Popsicles and Lace

I fell in love with this dress because of the lace overlay on top as well as underneath, making it have a swirly, twirly party kind of feeling. It’s by the White House Black Market brand but I found it on http://www.thredUP.com for 70% off the retail price. 

I love to pair black and white with a ‘pop’ of color and this time I decided to add a purple necklace from http://www.jcrew.com. I have to admit it is my daughter’s and from the children’s store. The color reminded me of a grape Popsicle, which led to the addition of this Betsy Johnson keychain. 

The keychain, hat , and handbag were all from http://www.macys.com. Shoes are Isaac Mizrahi New York , but found on thredUP.

My lipstick is actually a gloss with Martha Stewart glitter from http://www.michaelscrafts.com on top. It’s such a great quality glitter to blend easily with makeup and also washes off easily. 

“Self confidence is the best outfit, rock it and own it.” 

I came across this quote the other day and it got me to thinking about self confidence. We tell our children and those we love to believe in themselves, we support their successes, and we encourage them to keep trying when they struggle. 

Is all that enough to make someone feel confident enough so they can truly be themself in a world that seems to want people to just fit into some sort of mold? 

I know that my own mom and dad encouraged both me and my sister to choose careers and make life decisions that we truly desired and taught us to not let others affect our decisions. 

I think that both at home and in the classroom it is important to allow children to do as many things that they can on their own. As much as I want to jump in and help a child with a task , I know it is in their best interest to let them try , even if they struggle a little bit. 

True self confidence , I feel, comes from a collection of experiences in which a person is successful at reaching a goal or expressing themselves in a way that makes sense for them, and only determined by them. 

Cooking with kids is a great way to encourage self-confidence. I try to emphasize the fact that we want our food to be good for us but it can also be fun and delicious at the same time. 

I love Guy Fieri’s theory –

Teaching them to take control of their own health and also the skills to prepare something on their own is something I believe in. 

This is one of the first recipes I made with Angelina. She always loved berries and yogurt and was fascinated by the blender so it was a natural choice to share this cooking experience with her. 

Berry Yogurt Popsicles

Make 3 separate smoothies:

Purple: 1 cup blueberries 

               1/2 cup blackberries 

               6 oz blueberry yogurt 

                1 cup crushed ice 

White: 14 oz vanilla yogurt 

               2 tablespoons sugar

                1 cup crushed ice 

Pink:     3/4 cup raspberries 

                3/4 cup strawberries 

                6 ounces strawberry yogurt 

                1 cup crushed ice 

Blend each color smoothie separately in a blender and set aside. Pour 1st color into mold 1/3 of the way down and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and insert sticks. Freeze for 1 hour. Add white smoothie , freeze another hour. Add purple smoothie and fill to top of the mold. Freeze until ready to eat. 

Hope you enjoyed this post. It includes  one of my favorite dresses and one of my most adored summertime treats, so thanks for allowing me to share these things with you!

Your time and attention is great appreciated , as always. 

Yours truly, 

Jennifer 

Xoxoxo 

 

Uno Giorno Dolce Elegante- One Stylish Sweet Day

Spring couldn’t get any sweeter here in Rhode Island with this long awaited sunshiny weather. 

I thought I’d share some equally sweet stylish deals and one of my favorite, most simple desserts in case you were craving a bit of easy indulgence today. 

This is another Cache brand dress I found at http://www.thredUP.com and I paired it with the Aimee statement necklace from http://www.facebook.com/luluavenueAlana. Yes, it’s the necklace I wear all the time. I really love it. The bracelets were $1.00 each at Joe’s Place on Atwood Avenue in Cranston, RI. ( Facebook – Joesplace) 

I added this little short sleeve cardi from http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com to make the outfit appropriate for work. I found it recently in the junior department and they had every color imaginable for less than $10.00 each. 

My shoes are Isaac Mizrahi New York and just like the dress, found at thredUP. The bag was less than $40.00 at http://www.marshalls.com.  

I do have a bit of a sweet tooth , and often like to use sugary , candy scented bath products as a non- caloric indulgence. 

Rinse Bath and Body chocolate soaps, Laura Mercier Creme Brûlée Sugar Scrub, and Philosophy French Vanila bubble bath are a few of my favorite go-tos and also make great gifts. 

However , sometimes you need the real thing , the real decadent goodness of a rich, almost too good to be true, dessert. 

My suggestion would be not to wait until after dinner. 

And here is is –

Gelato Affogato 

All you need is 1 pint of premium quality vanilla ice-cream and 4 shots of hot espresso, unsweetened. 

Chill your glass or bowl and make sure your ice-cream is extremely cold. Mold it into a 2 oz. scoop that will hold up to the heat of the espresso. 

Carefully pour the espresso over the ice-cream , essentially “drowning” the ice-cream.

It’s as easy as that, and it’s great to add caramel sauce, nuts, or chocolate chips too if you desire. 

I can’t post this without saying that my mom would never , ever serve this without an abundance of homemade cookies. 

Hope you have a day full of sweetness ! 

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.

Your time and attention is greatly appreciated!

Yours truly,

Jennifer 

Xoxoxo

Dinner And An Outfit -Monday Motivation

There’s just something about Monday. It can be tough, even when you love your job, to go from an unstructured and hopefully relaxing weekend, back to the daily routine of work and life. 

Or , we can look at it like it’s a fabulous new day , new week, full of new possibilities. 

Or, we can just put on an outfit we love, plan a delicious , easy dinner for later, and hope for the best! 

This is a total and absolute look for less , with the entire ensemble , including shoes, bag, and jewelry, costing less than $98.00! 

I found this Cache dress at http://www.thredup.com ($21)last year and I’ve worn it so many times. During the winter I wore it with an ivory scarf, black blazer, tights and knee high boots. 

I’m glad the weather is finally warm enough to wear it with just a few accessories and sandals. My pearls are from http://www.target.com ($8/necklace, $5/bracelet)and the snake bracelet is from http://www.d.alexandercollections.com ($12.00).

The sandals are quite old, but my most comfortable for work. I like to wear them because they are so durable out on the playground. The brand is http://www.mydeliciousshoes.com but I found them at http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com for $14.99. 

This bag was a recent purchase , which I bought with Kohl’s Cash , and still available at http://www.kohls.com ($35).

I like to save money when I can, because although I kind of agree with SJP “Carrie”- 

We do need money for other things , such as dinner. Right ? 

So , that brings us to another way to make your Monday not so Mondayish. 

Plan an easy but delicious meal that you can look forward to making and eating all day long. 

I am Italian , as some of you might remember, and I grew up with a mom that believed in simple food , but high quality ingredients. 

This is a super simple meal to create and even suitable for company when you choose ingredients mindfully , depending on tastes of guests.

Pasta Al Forno

You will need :

1 pound rigatoni pasta

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large eggplant, cubed

10 large sundries tomatoes, chopped 

15 large infornate olives, pitted and chopped

2 dried chile peppers, crushed, optional 

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 jar (25 ounces) tomato puree 

Salt

12 ounces freshly grated mozzarella 

Smoked scamorza cheese, as much as desired, roughly chopped 

Freshly grated parmigiano cheese 

Easy steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook rigatoni in salted boiling water.

2. Prepare the sauce by heating up olive oil, eggplant, sundried tomatoes, olives, chili peppers, and garlic for a few minutes.

3. Add the puree and salt and let cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

4. Drain rigatoni, add pasta to saucepan, sprinkle with parmigiano and cook for another 30 seconds. 

5. Place half the rigatoni in a baking dish, adding half the scamorza and another sprinkle of parmigiano cheese over the pasta. Add another layer and finish with final layer of all the cheeses. 

6. Bake for 30 minutes.

You could also add a loaf of bread , salad , grapes, cheese, antipasto favorites and wine to make the meal complete, especially if you have company. 

There’s only one problem with Italian food: 
 

Wishing you all a beautiful Monday and happiness throughout your week ! 

Hope this inspires you to make the most of each day and have fun with your wardrobe and meal selections ! 

Thanks so much , as always , for your time and attention. It is greatly appreciated! 

Yours truly,

Jennifer

Xoxoxo

Classy, Elegant, Versatile – Every Girl Must Have a Little Black Cat

Are you at all superstitious? Don’t mean to alarm you , but tomorrow is Friday the 13th, and instead of avoiding black cats, I think I’ll do the opposite and wear one. 

I fell in love with this adorable bag from unique-vintage.com and thought it would be the perfect piece to go with my #nofilter tee from whimsyfashion.com. Use my code: MTFSHIPFREE for free shipping when ordering any item from http://www.whimsyfashion.com. 

Want to add a feline touch to your wardrobe ? You can make an evening look playful and still sophisticated with a beaded clutch.

Compliment a sparkly necklace with a bag that shines just as bright and adds even more personality to an outfit. 

Try a really eye-catching cat bag with a simple , yet bright , summery style that will look just right for any ocasssion. 

I love how the beautiful Taylor Swift styled her cat bag.Or maybe you are not into cats …

Mice are cute, right ?

 Or maybe you prefer puppies , like me? I’ve gotten a lot of use out of my Marc Tetro bag I found at zulily.com. 

Or maybe you do like cats , but not in a bag ? Maybe a Black Cat Cocktail is more your style. 

You will need: 

1 oz. blue curaçao 

1 oz. vodka

3 oz. lemon lime soda

1 oz. cranberry juice

1/2 oz lime juice

Lime twist for garnish

1. Fill shaker halfway with ice.

2. Add Curaçao, vodka, and lime juice. Shake until mixed well.

3. Add soda and stir.

4. Pour cranberry juice into a tall glass.

5. Over the back of a spoon, gently stir the mixed ingredients over the cranberry juice, being careful not to completely mix the two for presentation. 

6. Serve with a cocktail stirrer and a lime twist for garnish. 

Thanks so much for visiting my blog !!! 

I appreciate your time and hope you found it worthwhile. 

Wishing you all the best, 

Yours truly, 

Jennifer 

Xoxoxo 

Ps. If you need any shopping information, let me know in the comments and I’ll get right back to you 😉 .