It's the Vest Season of All

November is gone and December has arrived! I cannot believe that we have entered the last month of 2016.  The year 2016 is one that has been on my radar for many years because I always knew it was the year I would graduate college.  It is crazy to believe that this month I finish my career as an undergraduate student.  I have a feeling this month will fly by with the end of college, graduation festivities, and the hoopla that comes with the holidays each year. 

December reminds me of cold weather.  As the colder weather gradually arrives, I have been noticing my wardrobe going through a gradual change too. 

 The colder the weather the more layers I seem to wear.  

One of my favorite pieces to layer are vests.  They can make a boring outfit fun and add a little warmth to my daily getup. I got my first vest for my 19th birthday, and ever since then my collection has continued to grow. My first vest was a navy monogrammed one from Land's End.  It's great to wear with more casual outfits or for a run on a chilly day.  J.Crew's Puffer Vests are definitely my favorite. I have the same vest in three different colors. They fit nicely (not too big and not too small), and they seem to match with just about every outfit I wear from athleisure to business casual. I also adore my Plush Fleece Excursion Vest.  This piece is fabulous for extremely cold days.  This is tan fur is great to mix and match with plaids. 

What's your go to winter weather item?

XOXO

5 Pasta recipes

For those of you who know me well, you know that I absolutely love pasta.  Yes it's filled with carbs and definitely isn't the healthiest choice, but for some reason I have a hard time resisting it.  Pasta recipes are probably my favorite thing to make in the kitchen and my go to when I don't know what to eat.  Pasta is 100% a comfort food for me. When I've had a bad day I love a bowl of plain noodles with butter and salt. 

Anyways, the colder seasons of the year are definitely a great time to incorporate some pasta recipes into your weekly meal plans.  Today I'm sharing some recipes that look like good options to try this winter! 

One: Butternut Squash Penne with Chicken

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Butternut Squash has lots of health benefits. It's low in fat and incredibly high in fiber, which makes it a great addition to any meal. 

Two: Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp and pasta- such a great combination 

Three: Winter Vegetable Pasta with White Wine and Parmesan 

The perfect winter feel good meal!

Four: Pasta Carbonara

Giada's pasta carbonara is hands down my favorite. 

Five: Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Kale

This recipe not only looks pretty, but sounds like it would taste amazing too! This seems like it would be an easy weeknight meal-perfect for November or December.  I've never roasted butternut squash, but it doesn't sound like too daunting of a task.  

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Bon Apetit!

XOXO

Brody the Goldendoodle

A month ago Todd and I decided to celebrate our anniversary buy purchasing a puppy. It was a decision we had been talking about for quite some time.. more like me convincing him to agree to get a puppy. I had been doing research for almost a year and had narrowed the breed down to a goldendoodle. After my Yorkshire terrior passed away in early September, I was incredibly lonely and my want for another dog only increased. One weekend in early October we went to a breeder near us to "look" at ten week old puppies. Needless to say looking at puppies turned into purchasing one that day. We just couldn't say no after seeing how cute they were.  

Brody lives with me at my house, which my parents are absolutely loving.  The first few nights we were waking up several times a night to go out, but after that he started sleeping through the entire night.  

Rushing outside to make sure there are no accidents isn't too fun, and training him is a little tricky since I'm not an expert on training puppies.  However, I have been loving everything else about having him. He loves to cuddle, give kisses, and play with his toys. Having a puppy around has just made me so happy. It's great to come home and have someone so happy to see you. 

Be sure to follow along Brody's adventures here!

XOXO

The Shopping Cart

Lately I've been trying so hard to save my money rather than spending it on all the adorable clothes I find.  There is just something about the changing of seasons that makes me want to switch up my wardrobe. Yes, I have swapped out my Lilly Pulitzer shift dresses for blanket scarves and warm sweaters, but yet I still crave those new styles and prints.  

So.. if I can't actually buy anything the least I can do is some online "window" shopping.  It's literally window shopping because if you look at my browser right now I have a window open filed with at least a dozen tabs of trendy fall clothes, shoes, and accessories.  Shopping online is definitely a blessing and a curse all wrapped in one big bundle. It's so easy to just add items to your cart, but it's definitely hard to resist pressing that checkout button.  Anyways, I'm getting much better at adding tons to my cart and smiling as I exit out of the tab without damaging my bank account.  I'm sure many of you can relate to the temptation of online shopping. 

I thought it would fun to share with you some of the items I'd purchase if I had an unlimited shopping budget. 

This adorable long sleeve would pair flawlessly with a quilted vest like this one. 

I've been looking for the perfect pair of booties: which ones are your favorite?

Option one, option two, or option three

Maroon is definitely one of the top colors this season. This long sleeve top would be great to dress up for a business casual day or pair with some jeans and boots. 

Little Black Dress  for chillier weather. 

Peplum tops are so fun and timeless. 

Navy and ivory + quilted vest ... enough said.

Raspberry adds the perfect pop of color to a fall wardrobe, especially when it comes in the form of a wool sidewalk skirt from J.Crew Factory.

Pajama sets are my favorite. I would love to catch up on my sleep in this navy and peony cotton set.

If only a pink blazer was acceptable to wear to an interview. 

Last week I got the Bass catalog and fell in love with the many fun colors of these loafers.

What's in your shopping cart?

XOXO