Fall Wish List

Happy Fall! Today is the first day of fall so I guess this post worked out to post today even though I have been planning on posting this for days now. A pipe in my apartment wall burst over the weekend and flooded my kitchen. So needless to say things have been a bit crazy and my life feels like it is in shambles lol. So glad I am finally getting around to post this. I love cozy fall pieces but this year I am definitely attracted to more loungewear pieces as I am working from home. I am loving all the animal print and tan colors!

White J Crew Factory Blouse // J Crew Factory Cheetah Sweater // Dudley Stephens Turtleneck // Old Navy Printed Blouse // Dolce Vita Sneakers // Old Navy Sports Bra // J Crew Denim Shirt // Impeccable Pig Shorts // Red Dress Boutique Dress // J Crew Factory Printed Leggings // Abercrombie Printed Pullover // Abercrombie White Pullover // Target Black Slides // Target Animal Printed Mules 

How I Adopted My Corgi & Advice After One Year

Yesterday marked one year since I adopted my Corgi Cooper! A few weeks ago I posted my must have dog products but I never really shared the story of how I adopted him. So today I thought I would do just that. I also am going to include some advice I learned along the way in this post as well. 

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale & Wishlist

The Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is tomorrow morning at 8am until Tuesday night. This is the latest it has ever been at the end of the summer. It is also only two days instead of the 3-4 it usually is. They did have a smaller sale in the middle of the summer during quarantine so I am not sure what to expect from this sale. I have no clue what the selection will be like. I also usually go in with a list of items I am looking for after trying on items throughout the summer. I have only been to one Lilly store this summer so I don't have a ton of things I am really wanting. I also didn't wear much Lilly this summer so if anything I am looking for more tops and less dresses. I did create a small wish list of things that I am hoping are maybe on sale! Not all of this I would actually buy but more interested to see if its included. What items are you hoping to get in the sale? 

If you need more info about this sale check out this FAQ page! 

 

Alisa Wrap Dress // Mariella Top // Danette Sweater // Avena Top // Trisha Dress // Idara Top // Captain Popover // Headband // Francis Top // Tatum Cardigan // Crista Midi Dress 

My Go To Dinner Recipes (Dairy & Gluten Free) - Part 2

Back at the beginning of Covid, I shared a list of my favorite go-to recipes that I always reach for when looking for what to make. I have discovered quite a few amazing new recipes that I have added to my dinner rotation. Since Covid I have definitely been eating more at home so I have been able to try lots of new recipes. Just like the last posts all these recipes are easy to follow and can be modified to be gluten & dairy-free! 

Check out my original list here

1. Elevated Hamburger Helper // OMG I have made this at least three times and I love it because it has amazing flavor and is pretty easy to do. I had tried to make a goulash recipe a few months back and it did not turn out it was just too bland. This is the complete opposite of bland. I follow the recipe exactly and use the Jovial brown rice elbow pasta the recipe calls for. Since you are not boiling the pasta in water but instead you let the pasts soak up the beef broth I am afraid to use a different kind of GF pasta in case it would not work with this method. This step I think is key to it having lots of flavor. I usually add a little bit of non-dairy milk and for cheese, I use this Violife non-dairy cheese. 

Image source 

Life Lately (August in Review)

I have a ton of fun blog post ideas coming up that I am excited about! Today I thought I would share some photos I haven't shared yet that are from the past month. I did something similar back in July and I thought it was a fun post to update you on my life and share some pictures. Krista also recently did a similar post that I enjoyed reading. 

August started off very slow and quiet but it turned into a really great month with friends and I tried a few new restaurants. Even though I started off the month feeling a bit off I ended the month excited for the next few months and I am motivated to make the best of what the year has left even though this year has not been what I (or anyone) expected. 

I tried a new restaurant for lunch with a friend out in Frisco. It is called Heirloom Hall and it is a small cafe and lunch spot in with a thrift store. The food was really good and the place was super cute inside. I had a glass of froze and salad/sandwich combo. They had GF bread which was a nice bonus. I also tried their chocolate covered strawberries which were just as good. This place was the perfect afternoon lunch spot! 

August Favorites

Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope everyone has plans to take some time, relax and enjoy the outdoors. I am headed to a friends place for the night. Which I excited to get away from my apartment for the night. Another new month means another new month of favorites... 

 

1. Waterloo Peach // I tried this brand of sparking water in watermelon and didn't love it but when I saw this peach flavor at Whole Foods it sounded very refreshing. This flavor tastes exactly like peach and I love it! I love peach tea but this is a much healthy alternative. 

Book Review: Such A Fun Age

This past month I have been doing a fair bit of reading between sitting at the pool, spending time at the beach and while traveling. I have another book review today for a novel from Reese's book list. I would love any recommendations you have for books I should read next! 

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid 

  
Overview: This is Kiley's first novel which is about a young black woman Emira who nannies part-time for a well off white family. One night at the supermarket Emira is confronted by a store employee because of how she is dressed. While the family tries to fix the situation Emira comes to realize some hard realities about the family she is working for. There are lots of truths that are uncovered on both sides as both Emira and the family struggle with what the truth really is. 
Review: I can't put my finger on exactly why I didn't love this book but I felt it was lacking a bit. While the plot was interesting it kind of moved a bit slow to me. The book kept my interest enough to keep reading it but it didn't get overly juicy I didn't think until about halfway through. I will say that I had no clue how the book was going to end which definitely made me want to keep reading. There were also points in the plot where I didn't know where the plot was exactly going. I will say the author did a really good job of making me feel and see each character's point of view. This story is what I would consider a coming of age store but it has deep roots tied to race that makes it more complex. The race piece made the story very eye-opening and confusing. Every time I thought one thing I would read another character viewpoint on the incident and be more confused about who was in the "right". While I would not say this was my all-time favorite book it did get me thinking of what other books I want to read around this topic of race and how complex it really is. 
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 ⭐

Happy National Dog Day: My Dog Must Haves

Hey guys the last few weeks I have not been feeling amazing and I was away last weekend but have missed posting! Today is national dog day and I thought it would be fun to share all my favorite dog related items. For those of you who don't know I adopted an older corgi named Cooper a little less than a year ago. Previous to that my family had never owned a dog before so I kind of learned as I went with regards to what products were a must (and I am still learning). Cooper has a very sensitive stomach so most of the items I am sharing are geared towards this. 

PS: Cooper really is not too into plush toys or dog beds so I don't have any recommendations in that department. Covid boredom has been getting to him so if you have any recommendations in that department let me know!

1. Dog Bowl Maze // This is one of the first products I ever bought for him and it is a must if you have a dog that is a super fast eater like Cooper is. He would eat his food in about 5 seconds if he could. This is pretty affordable and makes him slow down at least a little bit. 

Book Review: The Lies That Bind

I am a HUGE Emily Giffin fan and I have read most of her books. I was looking on Amazon and there are still a few older ones that I need to read. I love the plot of each of her books while they are definitely a more girly beach read each one always has a unique plot you never can quite guess. Her books always make me want to keep reading from the very beginning! Which is what I need otherwise I lose interest pretty quickly. 

Overview: This is the newest book from Emily Giffin and it is about a women who moves to New York City to pursue a career in Journalism. After a tough break up she meets a guy and they immediately have a connection. Then 9/11 happens and her whole world changes. Her life she lived, the job she had, the guy she started to fall for and her family are all put into perspective. Everything starts changing as more secrets about the guy she thought she was falling for are revealed. I don't want to give too many spoilers away but man are there a lot :) 

Review: This might be one of my all time favorite books of hers up there with All We Ever Wanted. While I would consider this book a romance novel I really enjoyed it because the story is not your traditional storyline. Just the 9/11 plot alone made this book quite unique but there are so many other parts of that story that you never see coming. She really develops each character and from the very beginning I was hooked. The ending was also really well done. It wrapped up the story but it was not some completely unrealistic ending. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2020 Picks

I normally don't shop the Nordstrom sale for a few reasons. Mainly because it is normally right around my birthday and I also like to save up my spending money for the big Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale that is normally at the end of August. I also feel like a lot of the clothing items are not really worth the price. Yes they are a deal but a lot of the items you could find at Target, Old Navy or J Crew. Everyone has their own preferences on what they want to spend their own money on. I guess for me a lot of the Nordstrom items are not worth it. This year I did decide to go through the site and see what they had. Mainly because you can preview the items this year before shopping. I can't shop until August 13th with my Nordstrom card and it opens to everyone else on August 19th so a few items I found I included here are already sold out! 

Items I Own That Are Worth The Deal: 
1. Patagonia Los Gatos Vest 2. Patagonia Better Sweater 3. Bombas Socks (Currently Sold Out Online) 4. Adidas UltraBoost Sneakers 5. Natoria Bra 6. Natoria Underwear 7. Kate Spade Initial Necklace 
I am not sure if items will be restocked at all but here is all the info for the sale! 

Barefoot Dreams Leopard Cardigan // Barefoot Dreams Light Long Cardigan // Treasure & Bond Crewneck Sweater // Patagonia Los Gatos Vest // Patagonia Better Sweater // BP Joggers // BP Sweatshirt // BP Lounge Shorts // Roller Rabit PJS (Sold Out) // Barbour Quilted Coat // Bombas No Show (Sold Out) // Bombas Ankle Socks (Sold Out) // Adidas UltaBoost Sneakers// Tory Burch Sneakers // Natori Underwire Bra // Natori Cotton Underwear // Kate Spade Initial Necklace // Tory Burch Logo Stud Earrings // Diamond Stud Ring // Quay Sunglasses  

July Favorites

I don't have too many exciting things to share from July it's mainly food but thought I would still share the items! 

Peacock TV // This is a free streaming service that launched in July through NBC. If you are like me I don't pay for cable so this streaming service is a game changer. They have an app on the Apple TV which is how I have been watching. I have been on a major trashy reality tv trend and have been watching lots of Real Housewives. Right now I am watching Dallas. They also have the newest season of Suits! 

Week In Hilton Head Island & Thoughts On Traveling

Last week I took my first full week of PTO since I started my new job last summer. I went to Hilton Head with my mom and sister for the week. We rented an Airbnb and had the best time spending the week at the beach. Seriously one of the most relaxing trips I have had in a long time. Obviously, this tip looked much different than other years past when we have gone to HHI. I wanted to share my experience and thoughts around traveling right now during the pandemic to maybe help others who are torn with what to do. I also wanted to share a mini travel log of what we did during the week because HHI has a special place in my heart. I worked on the island one summer during college and I have never found a beach I love more! 

Life Lately

Hi y'all I feel like it has been forever since I have just sat down and updated you on what I have been up to. I thought today I would share some recent random photos some of which I have already posted on my Instagram. 

My sister flew in at the end of June and her plans changed about three or four different times. Her original trip was going to be a short weekend trip. Then she extended it to the 4th of July. Then when NY came out with additional travel restrictions she decided to stay for the month and fly back after our beach vacation next week. It has been so nice having company after doing nothing for two months. We aren't doing much but eating lots and spending time outside but it has been so nice. It is just so weird not to be able to plan any trips or outings. I had so many fun things planned for the year so it sucks that now I pretty much have nothing going on. The hardest part for me is that I am still relatively new to Dallas and have so much I wanted to explore in Texas and new people to meet! We were planning on going on a weekend road trip for the 4th of July but ended up canceling due to some things that came up. Next week we are taking a trip to the beach which will be my first time away from my apartment since March. I am so ready to get out of town for the week but am obviously a bit nervous. We have no plans other than just sitting at the beach which sounds amazing! 

I am still working from home but I have to say I kind of miss the office and having a routine during the week. I especially miss workout classes and just my daily work schedule. I did try out the gym for one day but decided to continue to put my membership on freeze as TX is not doing great with cases. August is going to be another pretty uneventful month but I am hoping to maybe do a day trip or two with one of my close friends. 

I hope y'all are hanging in there through all of this. It is such a weird year of events I don't know what to even think about everything. 

Target Dress 

A few weeks ago we tried a new restaurant for dinner Bellagreen. The salad I got was so good! It felt great to be able to get dressed up and sit outside. I am loving this dress I picked up at Target.