Floral & Gingham

As you can see, I'm pretty obsessed with patterns over here! I'm also really excited about my new Kate Spade cross body bag that Joe surprised me with last week :) I've been talking about getting one for Ireland and this is perfect! With all the different colors, I can pretty much wear it with anything which makes it perfect for traveling and packing! I can't believe we're leaving in less than two weeks already... May passed by so fast! 




jeans- J. Crew, shirt- J. Crew, sneakers- Keds via DSW (similar in gingham), belt- J. Crew, bag- Kate Spade (similar in stripe), bracelet- J. Crew, necklace- J. Crew Factory (similar), sunglasses- Ray-Ban, lips- Bobbi Brown in Cosmic Raspberry

As usual, the weekend went by way too quickly... I'm so not ready for Monday! I was supposed to start packing this weekend... and clean my house... which I didn't do but I did do some shopping, baking, and lots of gardening :) There are so many cute things out right now- it was really hard to pick and choose what to buy. I love this Topshop pineapple print sundress, this Shop Ruche polka dot top, and these melon wedges by Seychelles on Zappos.  What is your favorite?


❤Britt

Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Bites

At the risk of telling you something you don't already know, this is the best appetizer ever (and it's so easy!)! While you all know that I love to bake a good (and sometimes even painstaking) cake or whatever dessert it may be, I also enjoy a good, simple recipe. To be quite honest, I rarely have the time (or ingredients) for many recipes I find, and I'm sure many of you can relate to this... buttermilk, anyone? Plus, fresh tomatoes are perfect in the summer... especially if you're able to get Jersey tomatoes! 





Ingredients:
2 tomatoes (I like the vine ripened tomatoes and got about 1 tray full per 2 tomatoes)
Basil leaves (1 per tomato slice)
Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt (I think sea salt tastes best)
Pepper

Directions:
Slice the tomatoes and lay flat on a tray. Slice the mozzarella next (if your tomato slices are thin, you may want to cut the mozzarella into smaller pieces so that it doesn't overpower the other flavors) and place over tomatoes, one piece per slice. Top each with a fresh basil leaf and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over top, following with the olive oil (I tend to be generous with my drizzling but I like to be able to taste the vinegar and oil). Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and serve!

I first learned this recipe from my sister-in-law a couple summers ago and I've been making it ever since! The great thing about this recipe is that you can really tailor it to your own tastes and add or subtract whatever ingredients you'd like. Another fun twist on this for appetizers is to use cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls and put everything together on a toothpick :) It's a fun presentation and still tastes just as good (you may want to leave off the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil this way, though, as they can be a little messy). I hope you all have a great weekend! Any fun plans?

Enjoy!

❤Britt

Anchored

I love any opportunity I get to wear this knot necklace from C. Wonder and it was a perfect fit for these anchor shorts :) This sailboat printed bag was a natural addition in keeping with my nautical theme. This would be a perfect outfit for going to dinner down the shore or for sitting on the dock having a few drinks. I don't usually tend towards nautical-inspired items (I'm more into floral prints and stripes) but sometimes it's fun to dress to a theme and who could resist with these anchor-printed shorts?! What pattern or theme do you tend to buy?




shorts- J. Crew (similar), shirt- J. Crew (similar dress), belt- J. Crew, flats- Sam Edelman, bag- Juicy Couture, necklace- C. Wonder, sunglasses- Ray-Ban

Happy Thursday! We're almost at the weekend!! Has anyone seen The Great Gatsby yet?!? We're planning to see it this weekend :)

❤Britt

Chambray

This chambray top may be one of the most worn pieces in my closet :) It goes with absolutely everything and can be either dressed up or dressed down with ease. I've worn this with pencil skirts, leggings, jeans, heels, sandals,... you name it... it's so versatile! I think it is one of the best investments in my wardrobe (along with my navy blazer). What is one piece in your closet that you can't live without?




pants- Kut from the Kloth via Nordstrom, top- J. Crew, flats- Sam Edelman, bag- Kate Spade Outlet (similar), watch- Fossil, sunglasses- Ray-Ban, necklace- Lia Sophia, lips- Bobbi Brown in Cosmic Raspberry

How cute would this bag be with this outfit?!?

Have a happy Wednesday loves!!

❤Britt

Totally Dotty

I feel like almost everything I've been wearing lately has had some sort of print or pattern on it... clearly I think it's more fun that way! Mixing prints or wearing print on print has been a great way for me to get creative with my outfits this spring. This is also the first time that I've been able to wear shorts this season and so, naturally, I opted to bring out my polka dotted ones first (and couldn't resist pairing them with this ruffled polka dot top, of course)! I love this outfit because navy, polka dots, cream, and pearls are all such classic elements.





beach pictures by my cousin, Allie 
shorts- J. Crew Factory (similar), top- Ann Taylor Loft (similar 1, 2), necklace- a gift from my sister-in-law, shoes- Sperry Top-Sider,bag- Juicy Couture, sunglasses- Ray-Ban, bracelet- J. Crew Factory

I'm really missing the sun and this water view this week. Waking up to a water view is probably one of the best feelings ever... I'm absolutely fascinated by open water. My grandparents have a house on the beach and it is one of my all-time favorite places to be... there is just something about the way the ocean makes you feel small... it's great for putting things into perspective :)

❤Britt

Muted colors

I've been trying to dress a little out of my comfort zone lately... whether it's by choosing colors that I wouldn't normally wear or putting pieces together that I wouldn't otherwise think of pairing. In this case, I mixed multiple colors that I typically wouldn't mix but they work in this outfit because they are all muted shades of their respective color families (with the exception of the saturated green of the cardigan). Nothing in this outfit is overly bright or overpowering which helps the various colors to mesh and make a solid statement instead of numerous ones. What is a color or piece that you wouldn't normally choose to wear but might like to try?





jeans- J. Crew (similar), tee- TopShop (similar), cardigan- J. Crew (similar), belt- J. Crew, bracelet- Forever 21 (similar), sunglasses- Ray-Ban, shoes- Target (similar), necklace- vintage (from my great aunt) (similar color)

I hope you all had a great weekend! Ours was a lot fun if not very relaxing...

My sister-in-law got engaged on Friday (congratulations Tara and Mike!)! Also,  Joe played in an alumni lacrosse game on Saturday but we did get some down time that night... and Sunday we had both of our mothers at our house (one side came for lunch and the other for dinner)!

Happy Monday everyone :) Thanks for reading!

❤Britt

Mango, Berry, & Pecan Salad

Ok, so I have a confession to make: I'm a huge procrastinator. Anything that I can push off to do at a later date, I do just that. So when it comes to holidays, birthdays, events, etc., I have a hard time planning ahead and being prepared when the time arrives... and even though I'm typically very organized and I like to have things planned out, I still procrastinate when it comes to actually doing whatever the task may be. Knowing this about myself, I try to have an arsenal of quick meals, gift ideas, etc. so that I'm not rushing and pulling my hair out when something important comes around :) Cue this simple, quick, and yet still delicious salad...





Above: a bouquet of fresh parsley and hyssop from my garden :) If you grow herbs, this is an alternate (and quick and inexpensive) gift idea instead of buying flowers. While I do love flowers, sometimes it's nice to give someone fresh herbs that they can use in their kitchen... especially if they don't have any in their own garden. Herbs are also a nice addition to a floral bouquet (think Mother's Day!)

Ingredients:

Spring mix
Fresh strawberries
Mango
Mandarin oranges
Candied pecans
Fresh parsley
Raspberry vinaigrette (I used store bought because I was short on time, as usual)

Directions:
Wash lettuce and dry well. Layer spring mix first and top with fruit and then the pecans. Add the fresh parsley (or any herbs you like) last. Pour dressing over the top, mix, and serve.

This is a really good salad to have for lunch, as a side at dinner, or in bulk for parties... I like to make this for lunch or dinner a lot because it helps me get my daily servings of fruit, which I have a hard time getting otherwise... I will usually pick up a granola bar as a snack before a banana or a handful of berries... it's just easier for me. I also want to note that because of this, I try to keep frozen fruit in my freezer (I somehow always seem to forget that I have fresh fruit when I do buy it so it ends up going bad) and that I used frozen strawberries and mangoes in this salad but I'm sure it would be better with the fresh version! And thanks to my lovely friend (and avid gardener), Sarah, I have strawberry plants blooming in my garden right now!!

Enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

❤Britt