City Skyline Prints

Hey loveys,

Looking for a thoughtful gift for a friend or loved one?  Why not get them a print of their beloved city?

These city skyline prints are perfect for a friend who has lived in one - or more - of these beautiful places.  I really enjoyed how the artist (Karen Young) put a vintage spin on these select cities.  Fab.com now has the collection for $22 per print - not too shabby. 

Fab.com Loose Petals Skyline Collection

Here are some samples...with a PA shout-out to Philly and Pitt to start us off!

Salad Two Ways (that aren't ho-hum)

Good evening dearests!

The warm weather lately has me craving salad like crazy.  I (Andrea) want to share two of my favorite summer salad recipes with you.  The first I adapted from ideas online and the other is my mother's classic that she busts out for special events (as all moms do).  

Avacado Grapefruit Salad
Boston Bibb Lettuce
Throw in slivered red onion, toasted walnuts, long slices of avocado, and chunks of grapefruit

Dressing: 
1 T dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1 t pepper
1/2 cup EVOO

Mandarin Orange Almond Salad
Green leaf lettuce
Add sliced green onions, chopped celery, and canned mandarin oranges
Toss a cup or two of slivered almonds in a few tablespoons of sugar over a small skillet to candy-coat almonds (careful, sugar can easily burn) and separate with forks on a paper towel     

Dressing: 
1 t salt
dash pepper
4 T sugar
4 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
dash of cayenne pepper to taste
fresh chopped parsley   

*These are not my photos just found similar salad photos on pinterest! I'm no food photographer : ) 

So... any other recipes you guys have?  Let me know - always looking for more!

Enjoy!

"Pulling it Off"

Afternoon lovelies,

If you've ever watched How I Met Your Mother, you know that Ted cannot pull off red cowboy boots. 

I wear a lot of weird stuff to be honest and I am pretty fearless when it comes to style. I just wear things that are fun and that I personally like. One thing I hate to hear girls say is the following phrase: "Oh I love ______ but I could never pull it off!"

Says who?!?

Fashion is about expressing yourself so if you like something what is stopping you? I gathered a few images from bloggers I follow and pinterest that capture a couple of trends girls often seem to shy away from. 

Love a trend? Own it and make it yours. I challenge all of you to find some trend you've always wanted to try and finally go for it. I'm pretty positive that with a little dose of confidence you will absolutely pull it off.

Headpieces/Hair Chains (image via http://www.helloitsvalentine.fr)

Bold lipcolor (image via fancytreehouse.blogspot.com)

Unexpected Prints (image via mlovesmblog.com)

Metallic Pumps (image via brooklynblonde.com)

Overalls (image via pumpskicks.blogspot.com)

Tutu Skirts (image via pinterest)

Bow Bun (image via runningonhappiness.com)

Hats (image via thepinkpeonies.com)

Bold Glasses (image via pinterest)

High-Wait Bikinis (image via pinterest - Anthropologie)

Heels with Socks (image via pinterest)

Loafers (image via pinterest - JCrew)

Day and Night

Why hello there,

Andrea here, sad to say it is already Saturday night!  How do the weekends fly so fast?

Here are a few looks from this weekend, Friday and Saturday.  Now that the weather is nice I live in dresses and skirts!  They are so much more comfortable than jeans if you ask me.  Another great thing about wearing a dress is that not much thought goes into it.  No matching/layering/coordinating necessary.  Throw on and go.  You look put together and it was easy as pie.  

Dress - Marshalls, $20 Shoes - Payless, $16 Parasol - amazon.com $15

Ballet flats - Gap Outlet, $10, Skirt - Forever21, $16, Shirt - Marshalls, $6, Cardigan - Forever21, $18

Earrings - Forever21, $7

Thrifting Jackpot

Hey guys,

I (Andrea) have just come back from the "trenches" of thrifting with some exciting news for the ladies (and gents) of Harrisburg, PA. 

Tonight on my way home from work I felt some inner tug to go thrifting.  It's been quite a while since I did some serious thrift shopping so I popped into Goodwill on the Carlisle Pike.  Due to the new and exciting Community Aid thrift store across the street, Goodwill hasn't been getting much love lately.  As I walked around the store I became confused - why were there so many new items in the store?  Why did I recognize most of them from Target designer lines?  (I follow @targetdoesitagain on Instagram so trust me, I know my Target) 

The more I hunted, the more I found.  Tons of brand new, never-worn items from Target.  Shoes, skirts, dresses, pants - it was crazy.  I finally asked the girl at the cashier what was going on and she said, "Oh - when all the Targets in the keystone area have clearance items that they can't sell or certain products they over-order, they donate them to us.  We get huge shipments of product from them regularly". 

ummm...what?!?

It cracks me up because I loved the Pabal Gurung line, but when I made it to Target most of the items were picked over, and they weren't very cheap either because they were designer.  Goodwill of all places had dresses/shoes/skirts/shirts from this line in multiple sizes and styles.  Without a tear or mark.  At the end of the day I walked away with 7 pieces for $64.  So before stopping at Target, let it be known... when in PA, check Goodwill first. 

I'm too lazy to try all of these on for you but here are my finds:

Prabal Gurung dress - $7 (I left this one at the store but loved it!)

Merona Pants with Belt - $8

Left: Prabal Gurung dress, $8  Right: Mossimo dress, $7

Prabal Gurung tee - $5

Right - Shirt, Merona $6  Left - Shoes, Prabal Gurung $7 Leather skirt - Kirna Zabat $20

Skirt - Prabal Gurung, $5 (sorry this pic is horrible I promise I own an iron)

Red Carpet to Reality: Met Ball 2013

Hi ladies!

So... I am a red carpet junkie.  I love seeing the looks stylists create for celebrities for glamorous events, and one of my favorites has always been the Met Ball.  Also known as the Costume Institute Gala, it celebrates the yearly opening of the New York City Metropolitan Museum's fashion exhibit at the Costume Institute.  Vogue assembles the list of celebrity invites and it is regarded as one of New York City's most important social events.  This year's theme was "Punk: Chaos to Couture".  What does this tell us..um.. down to earth central Pennsylvanians?  Punk is going to be a trend for fall and winter 2013.  I believe that one can still rock red carpet trends in a more everyday style - or at least for special events if not to work or school.  Some themes I noticed:

*Lots of black (obviously)
*Sleek hair, often with a deep side part
*Deep cherry/purple lipstick and smokey eyes 
*Studs/Silver jewelry (silver is making a comeback!)
*Sharp angles on clothing - cutouts, strong shoulders, etc.
*Statement pieces/hair color

On this dreary Saturday, I took several red carpet looks from this past Monday's event and recreated them with my wardrobe.  I realized I had a little more punk in me than I thought I did!  

Ashley Olson's Look : Dress H&M $20, Shoes hand-me-downs from Zara, Necklace Forever 21 $12

Rooney Mara's Look: Dress: Hand-me-down from a friend (bought at a beach boardwalk shop), Shoes: Prabal Gurung for Target on clearance $28, Belt: Free with a dress, Earrings: gifted from a friend

Hilary Rhoad's Look: Shirt - Forever 21, $18, Pants - Zara, $28, Shoes - Nine West Outlet, $26, Purse - Thrifted, $3

Miranda Kerr/Lena Dunham's Look: Dress - Charlotte Russe, $23, Tights - Loft, $9.50, Shoe - UO $30, Earrings - Walmart, $3

Miranda Kerr's Bag Look: Clutch - Forever 21, $17, Bracelet - gifted, Nails - OPI in Lincoln Park After Dark

 
 

Where Do You Go To?

Where Do You Go To My Lovely - Peter Sarstedt

Loveable Chairs

Hey friends,

Andrea here with some thoughts on interior design.  Let's talk chairs.

I became interested in chair design a few years ago when I partnered up with some friends to help design the iHeart Cafe in Thessaloniki, Greece.  We chose to use French metal cafe chairs, but I'd like to showcase another favorite of mine.

The Eames chair is a classic design that is simple, chic, and packs big style. I especially love the black and white versions when contrasted with the opposite color wall. There are some at overstock.com but I am still searching the web for more affordable replicas. This chair was designed in the 50's by Charles and Ray Eames, a pair of American designers. Over 60 years later this vintage design is still relevant.  There are many versions out there, all with wooden/metal legs, and some that rock or have a more shell-like shape.  Here is some pinspiration... feast your eyes!

Sunday Night Dinner

Happy Spring, ladies!

Today is my friend Mackenzie's birthday and we are going to celebrate with dinner on the deck at Duke's this lovely evening.

I'm a little old-fashioned in that I like to dress up when I go out to eat.  Aw heck I use any excuse I can to dress up.  However I am biking to the restaurant which could make wearing heels interesting...better put a spare pair of flats in my basket.

My ride for the evening

One piece of advice I have for you ladies today: If you are going to splurge on an item of clothing, make it a classic that is versatile and fits you perfectly.  For me this piece was my black blazer from LOFT.  It cost almost $50, and for a thrifter like me that is painful.  However, this looks professional at work and can go with jeans or a casual dress over the weekend.  It has more than paid for itself with the amount of times I have worn it.  There are a few pieces like this that every woman should have and if you need to spend a little extra for just the right cut or quality, do it.  

Blazer - LOFT $48

Scalloped Shorts: H&M, $16  Belt: Forever 21, set of 3 $12

Shoes: Forever 21, $20

Feathered Earrings:  Forever 21, $6.50

Nail Polish: H&M, 3.50

Also, I wanted to share with you two of my secret weapons from the makeup bag:  Bronzer and Highlighter.  The Bronzer is by Hoola and the highlighter is Urban Decay in "Sin".  Both from Ulta, and I use them for HAC (highlighting and contouring).  To learn more about how to do HAC, check out this video tutorial via maskara.

 Have a great day friends!  Til next time,

Andrea