This Week of Outfits

Here is what I wore this week!

Monday – President’s Day
Skinny jeans – Loft
Purple tshirt – Gap
Cardigan – J Crew
Boots – Steve Madden

Tuesday
Blouse – Zara
Pencil skirt – H&M
Tights – Hue from Nordstrom Rack
Shoes – Steve Madden

Wednesday
Pencil skirt – Express
Tank top – Anthropologie
Cardigan – J Crew
Navy pumps – Target

Thursday
Wide leg jeans – Loft
Ruffle tank top – Coup de Coeur (New York boutique)
Cardigan – Ann Taylor Loft before it was just Loft
Belt – J Crew
Boots – Aldo

Friday
Skinny jeans – Loft
Tshirt – Urban Outfitters
Blazer – Ann Taylor
Suede Heels – Nine West
Rain Boots – Hunter from Nordstrom

Fat Tuesday

Happy Fat Tuesday, gluttons! I have been mulling over what to give up for Lent during the past few weeks. I traditionally give up junk food, which in my mind I don’t eat a lot of, so it makes me feel like I could take it a step further. Also, giving up junk food is a vain sacrifice, not something that makes me rely more on God or that promotes spiritual growth. For this yeah, I have been considering:

Junk food
Bread & Potatoes
Facebook
Drinking everything but water
Eating out
Meat
Cheese

Some of these things, as much as I would like to do them are just not a reality for me. I have decided on a combination of junk food, bread, potatoes, and cheese. Yes, this is in the same vein as the junk food vanity thing, but I LOVE cheese and ice cream and this combination will really be a sacrifice, rather than just a stricter diet. I am going to make a conscious effort to say a prayer every time I am faced with a temptation. and I’ve found cheese is in pretty much everything I eat, so it will be tough. No pizza, no sandwiches, no ice cream, no chips and salsa, no cheese on my salad, no fried, no mashed potatoes. Let the 40 days begin!

Oh, and speaking of prayer, I have also downloaded the Magnificat Lenten app and intend to read/do it each day.

I’ll miss all my friends who are giving up Facebook. See you all in 40 days!!

Cooking Class

This week, as a networking/team building/fun outing, my team from work went to a cooking class. We made our dinner and then enjoyed it. We had butternut squash ravioli for the appetizer, chicken pot pie for our main course, and apple pie for dessert. Of course, this was all complimented by wine and candles.

The first thing I noticed when we arrived was that the room the tables were set in was covered on three walls with cook books. I noticed some I have and really enjoyed looking at them. I definitely took down the name of a few I would like to purchase.

Here a some pictures from the night of the team making pot pie and then the finished product!

A week’s worth of outfits

I have recently started doing two things.

1. Picking my clothes out at night. This saves me time in the morning and allows me to be more creative with my outfits.
2. Started taking pictures of my outfits.

I think I’m going to start trying to post these on Friday or Saturdays. Enjoy!

From left to right
Blazer: Target
Shirt: Express
Skirt: J Crew
Necklace: Anthropologie
Shoes: Valentino

Worn on Valentine’s Day:
Shirt: H&M
Cardigan: J Crew
Jeans: AG from Anthropologie
Shoes: Aldo
Bracelet: Necklace my mom made

From left to right
Dress: H&M
Cardigan: H&M
Belt: Express
Tights: Hue from Nordstrom Rack
Boots: Steve Madden

Dress: Zara
Cardigan: Banana Republic
Belt: Express
Tights: Express
Necklace: made by my mom
Shoes: Aldo

Shirt: Zara
Skirt: Express
Tights: Hue from Nordstrom Rack
Shoes: Steve Madden

Casual Friday

Loving my outfit today! Happy casual Friday!

Shirt: Zara
Leggings: Express
Boots: Aldo
Necklace: Anthropologie

No conference rooms at the office

This is what happens when your company converts all the conference rooms to offices.

Chris Brown should NOT have performed at the Grammy’s

What is wrong with our society, y’all? How is Chris Brown back on top? Sunday night while watching the Grammy’s, I expressed to the hubs that I hated that Chris Brown was performing at the Grammy’s. Why?! Why did his album debut at number 1? Why do people love him still? I LOVED him about 5 years ago. Loved. That all changed that night before the Grammy’s that he beat Rihanna up. I’m sure she’d like any attention to that night to go away and for people to forget that it happened, but I can’t. I won’t. I cannot stand for people to support a woman beater. Not only support, but idolize. Just look at these reactions from Twitter to CB at the Grammy’s. They make me ill.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Sasha at Hello Giggles seems to have broken into my mind and put my thoughts out on her blog for all to see here. Well, all except for the supporting Planned Parenthood part. (There are plenty of other organizations that provide cancer screenings for women, but don’t provide abortions.)

Also, so glad celebrities spoke out against the Academy. Chris Brown beats women.

Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! I decided to try to go festive and mixed my pink and red. I quite like it. What do you think?

Have a lovely (no pun intended) day!

A very New York night

Friday night I spent the evening with two girlfriends and had a night you could only experience in New York. We hopped in a cab and headed to the Ukranian Institute after work where we went to watch the St. John fashion show.

We ended up sitting front row and I was 3 people away from Gloria Estefan, who was incredibly nice, incredibly gracious and incredibly tiny.

The show was fantastic. There were these amazing red pants that I wanted, along with a brown sequined pencil skirt. I would wear them every day…or every other day.

On the way out we caught sight of Kate Winslet who is apparently the face of their line. She was wearing red tights – my favorite.

After the show, we headed over to the Carlyle where we grabbed a table at the bar, got a round of drinks and caught up over the jazz of the bar piano player. The woman sitting at the table next to us happened to be an opera singer. She joined in to sing a few of the songs. So amazing.

Seriously, where else can someone have a night like this. So iconic!

Oh, and yesterday at brunch with my girlfriends, I was checking out this girl’s amazing pants. She turned around and it was Eva Pickford. Only during fashion week.

Birthday

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. I have now begun the last year in my 20’s. I’m officially older that what I thought was old when I was little. 27 was my age for whatever reason. Of course, at 27, everyone was married and had children. Well, at 29, I am now married, but no children yet. Eventually.

Last week, I in the mail, I got a postcard from Starbucks telling me that if I stopped by on my birthday, they would make me any drink I wanted as a birthday present. Yes, please. Hey Dunkin…looking for loyal customers? Hint, hint. So, I stopped by in the middle of my meeting packed day with a co-worker to get a skim, chai latte. Always a skim, chai latte. Being a non-coffee drinker, it’s all I get there. My free drink had two adorable surprises that really brightened my day. The first was very simple. You know when the barista takes your order and you give them your name? Generally, they scribble some name that is entirely different than what you said. On mine, in perfectly patient handwriting was: Happy birthday Melissa! With a smiley face. So simple, but made such a big impact on me. The second was, Starbucks apparently has Valentine’s Day cups now and I have to say, I am pretty sure I like them more than the holiday cups. I want to go back every day just to see their adorable Valentine’s Day cups. Starbucks, I was never a brand ambassador for you, just someone who stopped by when I was given a gift card. For this week, if not more, you have convinced me to tell everyone I know how much you’ve pleased me…and I will probably always boast that you gave me a free drink on my birthday. Bravo.

I ended up having to stay late at work last night and when I got home, my sweets husband was halfway done making me chicken parmesan. He had also picked up a cupcake from Magnolia for me. He’s so thoughtful. Dinner was fantastic and I have saved the cupcake for today. Can’t wait to bite into that buttercream frosting!