It's Monday

coffee - enough said. here is a little inspiration to start your week off. happy monday!

imagine yourself here 

or here instead of at work...

 

drinking this

or this...yummy!

happy thoughts! happy monday!

with love - P

image 1 | {source}
image 2 | {source}
image 3 | {source}
image 4 | {source}
image 5 | {source} 
image 6 | {source}

Dress Love Of The Week | Alexandra Grecco

so we may or may not be obsessed with tutus, and since Emma is about to have a little girl, we could not resist! here we go: Alexandra Grecco is a Brooklyn-based fashion designer whose clothes are all produced in the New York City garment district. she creates not only feminine, classically inspired wedding gowns that exude a timelessness but also designs ready-to-wear dresses, tops, and tulle skirts (tutus!).

now I know that you may be picturing a ballerina in the Nutcracker right now but these are not it. her skirts are soft and more graceful than that (at least in my mind) - extremely feminine and ethereal. you can dress them down with button-downs, cardigans or simple t-shirts or pair them with a blouse, blazer or sweater for a night out. of course, they always require some statement jewelry and a pair of killer shoes! be prepared to fall in love...

{source}

 

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

with love - P

Back On Track

With the Iowa State Fair winding down today, another year of fried anything on a stick comes to a close.  While it is fun to eat your way across the fair, I can't help but feel miserable the next day thinking about all the calories I took in.  More than likely I consumed a weeks worth of calories in one day on my visit to the fair.  But, I enjoyed every last one of them.

However, now that the fair is coming to a close, and summer seems to be coming to a close as well, it's time to get back on track with eating healthy.  I always say one of the easiest downfalls when trying to keep on track with healthy eating is snacks.  Lets face it, we all get hungry throughout the day and want something delicious to snack on.  Here are several healthy snacking option from the Red and Honey blog, which can be found at redandhoney.com

1. Apples and Peanut Butter
2. Raw Veggies and Hummus
3.  Air Popped Popcorn
4. Cheese, any kind other than processed
5. Hard Boiled Egg
6. Kale Chips
7. Pickles (homemade are best, but look for ones without added sugar)
8. Dark Chocolate 1-2 small pieces
9. No Sugar Added Applesauce
10. Plain Yogurt With Honey

These are just a few ideas, the website contains one hundred healthy snack ideas.

Water is also something to keep around when you are trying to get back on track with healthy eating, or maintain a healthy lifestyle.  If you are like me, water isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I'm looking for something to drink.  While there are times when I crave water, most of the time I don't.   Style Me Pretty provides several refreshing infused water ideas to keep your taste buds on their toes!

1. Lemon Raspberry

 2. Cucumber Mint

3. Strawberry Basil

4. Lemon Lime

5. Orange Lemon and Ginger

*Photo Source


I hope these ideas provided you with a little inspiration to get back on track in the coming weeks.  Happy healthy eating!!

-N

Dress Love Of The Week | Grupo Rosa Clara

I apologize for being m.i.a. last week, but not to worry - here are a few beauties just for you from the 2015 collection by Rosa Clara Parellas, the founder of Grupo Rosa Clara  (I couldn't pick just one!). her designs blend both fashion and bridal into some of the most gorgeous dresses! we are head over heels for these gowns.

 

the lace sleeves can actually be taken off to convert this into a strapless dress. a lot of her dresses have this option, which is amazing for the custom bride!

 

 

beyond gorgeous illusion back

 

 

convertible dress! take the skirt off for the reception - perfect!

 

 

so soft and romantic. would be great for an outdoor wedding - I can definitely picture it

 

architectural and structured but still ultra feminine with the shape and material

 

just love! that is all *sigh*

 

the gloves are such an adorable detail

 

 timeless elegance

 

simply stunning! this is definitely one of my favs by this designer. the detail in this dress is perfection

okay okay so I know that it was more than a few, but I could not pass up the chance to post them.

happy friday!



with love - P

Summer Fun | The State Fair!

we are not just talking about any state fair - it is that time of year for the Iowa State Fair! art, food, the midway, anything you could possibly want on a stick, concerts, food, crafts, food, people watching; so much to do and so little time. people wait all year for this and you only have until sunday to get there so get a move on!

this year the fair is from august 7 through the 17 and the weather has been amazing for it. we went this past tuesday and the weather was perfect! if you know the Iowa State Fair then you know that this rarely happens. i have been there on extremely humid days, days with the heat index being close, if not more, than 100 degrees and even during torrential down pours - since it is Iowa, i would not expect anything less - so i definitely cherished the 79 degree high for that day.

 {source}

 

{source}

besides the big boar (1,273 lbs this year) other various animals and attractions, people are lying if they say they don't go for the food. come on! it's the fair - it is that one special day where calories don't exist! f.y.i. do not, i repeat, do not ever look at the nutritional value of fair food, just saying.

{source}

some of the newest fair foods include:

smoked brisket mac and cheese | macaroni topped with chunks of smoked brisket and apple wood smoked bacon and tossed in a creamy three cheese sauce

brownie blitz | cream cheese brownie bits, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and coconut

 red velvet flurry | chunks of red velvet cake mixed with vanilla ice cream and cream cheese frosting

pineapple inside out funnel cake

mexican grilled corn on-the-cob | lime chipotle sauce

i tried the mac and cheese - super delicious and well worth it for the price and portion (not kidding here). my plan was also to try the red velvet flurry but sadly i had no room left so i will attempt to make it at home. i did say attempt. or there is always next year!

 yummm red velvet funnel cake  

{source}

some of my other go-to's: 

red velvet funnel cake

cheese curds

grinder (lets be clear: jennie's not gizmos)

corn dog

honey lemonade

fresh milkshake from the dairy

salt water taffy 

peppermint log (at bauder's)

there are obviously more, but i will stop there otherwise you will be reading about food for quite awhile, which is probably actually okay right?

 

{source}

anyways, there is so much to do, which means there is something for everyone. here are just a few - see the art and photography exhibits at the top of the hill, walk through the different buildings full of vendors, visit the barns, see the butter cow of course!, eat, enjoy a ride on the midway, catch a show or concert whether on the main stage or the free stage, stroll along and people watch, eat and eat again, see one of the many daily attractions like the talent show and most importantly enjoy the fair and Des Moines! 

{source}

 by-the-way something new at the fair this year is a 25 foot statue of the couple from Grant Wood's American Gothic! pretty cool if you ask me (and pretty huge). i do not know how long this statue will be in Des Moines so make sure to see it before it moves on to the next place. hint: see it before it's gone!

 

 {source}

and of course i cannot leave you without posting a picture of the symbol of the Iowa State Fair: the butter cow. enjoy!

 

{source}

happy fair going!



with love - P

Quick And Healthy Dinner Option

I don't know what it is about summer, but I always seem to be short on time in the evenings.  I think it is because I try to cram as much in during the summer as possible.  I always want to be out in the yard, or out on a patio somewhere.  The last place I want to be on a beautiful summer evening is stuck in the kitchen working on dinner.  Today, I wanted to share a quick dinner recipe that I found on Pinterest.  We have had this a couple of times this summer and love it!  It is super simple to make and can be made fairly healthy as well!







I have made a couple of modifications to the original recipe since I have made this a few times now.  Once, I used canned chicken breast to save time.  Another time, I had cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot over the weekend and had meat left over that was in the freezer.

* Tip for getting more chicken for your money if you are willing to do a little dirty work.  Take a whole chicken without the giblets and neck and place it in a crock pot.  Sprinkle some salt, rosemary, and whatever other spices you would like over the chick.  Put the lid on and let it cook for eight hours on low.  At the end of eight hours, you have a super moist chicken.  The meat I'm able to pull off a whole chicken is enough for two casseroles for us.  What I'm not using that day, I place in the freezer.  I also save the broth that comes off the chicken and use that in recipes as well.  A whole chicken costs around $8 versus two to three chicken breasts which can cost almost as much and only works for one meal. 

Here is the recipe for this delicious spaghetti casserole!

2 Cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 Cups uncooked spaghetti noodles (I usually throw mine in some boiling water for about 5 minutes), broken into 2 inch pieces.
1 Cup sliced celery
1 Cup chopped red bell pepper
1 Cup chopped onion (more or less depending on how much you like onion)
1 Cup less sodium chicken broth (or broth from cooking the chicken)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (10.75 oz) cans of 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese (reduced fat)

The original recipe calls for mixing things in two different bowls and then combining them.  Anytime I can avoid dirtying multiple bowls to mix things in, I do.  So, all these ingredients go in the same bowl and get mixed together.  Then, I pour it into a greased 9x13 baking dish or a 2 qt casserole dish.  I sprinkle with cheese, cover the dish with a greased piece of foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  After 35 minutes, take the foil off and let the casserole bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and enjoy! This makes good leftovers the next day for lunch as well as the flavors have a chance to blend together.

Happy cooking!
-N