11 March 2010

Purse crushes

By: Jessica B.

I love shoes but at heart, I am a purse girl. I would rather spend $400 on a purse than on a pair of designer shoes. Mostly because I’ll damage that shoe beauty in about 2 seconds (with my luck).

I wouldn’t even know what to do with a $400 pair of shoes. I would just wear them around my house, to do dishes or water the plants. Money NOT well spent.

But purses are my love. They always fit, look good year-round and are such an easy way to dress up an outfit.

And right now, I’m on the purse prowl.

That’s right, I’m a purse puma/cougar in heat, looking for her next fix.

To fix my purse craving, I went to my happiest place on earth, Nordstrom, allowing myself to gingerly touch the soft leather and imagine how gorgeous these lovely bags would look on my shoulder. Yeah, I went to second base with them :)

Beware, below is unrated, hot, purse-on-purse porn action I have my eye on.

Marc Jacobs Amber and Carla totes. Love the color on Amber and satchel/shoulder straps on Carla – gorgeous!

Burberry Heart Check tote – I love the hearts! But it’s canvas, which means: stains

Steve Madden cross-body bag. Love the color, detail and odd shape. It’s like having a letter on your hip

Valentino Shopping Couture tote – I’ve seen this in a few colors and I am LOVING the paillettes. Such fun!

Just because I prefer purses, that doesn’t mean this post is without shoe love too. So while feeling up purses at Nordstrom, I also found these lovelies in the shoe department:

Report - Love the gunmetal color and the pattern on the toes.

Jessica Simpson Alexandra sandal – Love the contrast on the brass and tan leather. This may be more of a “sitting shoe”

Steve Madden Florale flat – Ruffles + peep toe + bold green? With a pedicure, this is too cute, especially for this weekend!

So many choices. Some that cost as much as two months rent and some that are affordable. What is a girl to do? Sharing these made me feel better too so the purse urge has been met.

What do you love more, purses or shoes?

Share this!

19 Comments

10 March 2010

Kitchen adventures: Rosemary-Garlic Chicken

By: Jessica B.

Tagged: Food

I’ll be honest, meal planning is tough. There are so many recipes to pick from and recipe Web sites/blogs to review that after awhile everything looks the same.

So I’ve been struggling a little bit to look ahead and find recipes that I can make and will work for a week’s worth of meals.

But a few weeks ago I was cruising around RealSimple.com again, after having luck with the Balsamic Poached Chicken, and found a recipe for Rosemary-Garlic Chicken. So I thought I’d give it a try!

Here’s how it turned out!

Three words: food styling win!

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar is another option)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

Using a rolling pin (or bottom of a wine bottle), pound the chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of wax paper until they are of uniform thickness.
Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and the garlic browns. (Don’t burn the garlic.) Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
Add the salt, pepper, vinegar, chicken broth, and rosemary. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes longer or until the chicken is fork-tender. Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm.
Increase heat to high and boil the sauce until thickened or syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter and pour the sauce over the chicken.

The verdict: Not too bad

The chicken was good but the breasts shrunk during cooking so what looked like a good portion, ended up being a little small. The sauce had a little bit of a salty taste too, you definitely don’t need as much as the recipe lists.

So I made few notes to keep in mind for when I make this next time. I give myself a B for effort :)

In fact, despise the size issue, chicken is my favorite protein to cook with. Fish makes me uncomfortable to cook and I’m not a huge pork or red meat fan. I enjoy both when I’m out to eat but chicken is my go-to in the kitchen.

Now I’m off to look for more recipes to make this week. Oh the choices!

What is your favorite protein to cook with? Were there any you were scared of became comfortable with?

Share this!

20 Comments

09 March 2010

Spring reality check

By: Jessica B.

Tagged: Fashion, gym, shopping

Within the last three days, I got two big reality checks. It started when the weather became gorgeous this weekend.

Chicago had its first taste of spring weather, which meant I was out getting fresh air and checking out the stores for cute new spring clothes.

Enter reality check number one. Old Navy was having a big sale on skirts and dresses, both of which are my spring wardrobe staples so I was ready to stock up.

But after a long winter, trying on spring clothes shopping can be a…harsh wake up call.

And the reality check I was written said: get back in shape.

Sure, you can say Old Navy’s clothes are cheap and that styles fit differently, but seeing my fat a** in a piece of jersey was a self-esteem deflator.

So I only bought one of the dresses that fit but was slightly snug and am now using it as my inspiration to get back in a routine at the gym.

This brought me to reality check number two.

I used to go to a bootcamp class regularly at the gym but lately haven’t been able to because of a busy work schedule. But hey, I still go to the gym regularly, it’s a piece of cake!

WRONG. FAIL.

I was down on the ground and I couldn’t get up.

The level of pain I felt was insane. As I laid on the ground, legs and arms aching, I thought, “please God take me now.”

And to add to the misery, there was a “woo” girl in the class, screaming “WOOO I LOVE IT!” Seriously, I wanted to punch her in the face.

But hey, I made it and (hopefully) it’ll get easier again with time. And that dress is going to be good motivation.

Has it started to be spring by you? What are you looking forward to this spring?

Review blog update: It’s not a “formal” review but I took part in an Oscar pool, check out how I did :)

Share this!

32 Comments

08 March 2010

Oscar fashion hits and misses

By: Jessica B.

Tagged: Fashion, Movies, celebrity

Happy Monday everyone!

Normally, I would post a recap of my weekend but due to the Oscars and red carpet glamour, I am mixing up the schedule this week so I can give you a full recap of Sunday’s big show, even if it’s past my bedtime as I write this.

Overall, the celebs did a pretty great job tonight. There were a few hits and misses but nothing totally cringe-inspiring (but close). I was hoping for a little more bold color, but there were still plenty of gowns I fawned over and looks that made me shake my head.

So without further ado, here are my best/worst dressed picks!

Best dressed female: Vera Farmiga

Gorgeous color, flattering and the scallops/ruffles were to die for. Fab! I could not take my eyes off her when she was on camera

Best dressed male: Jeremy Renner

He brought his mom as his date and looked great in a classic suit/tie. Adorable.

Worst dressed female: Charlize Theron

She took a risk by reinterpreting Princess Leia’s buns on her boobs, but that’s all I could focus on and not in a good way. Your boobs should be used for good, not as dinner rolls.

More Oscar fashion winners:

Maggie Gyllenhaal

I haven’t been the biggest fan of Maggie’s dress choices (oy!) but this was simple and had great color. A necklace would have been nice but she makes it work. But damn is she skinny! Eat a burger girl!

Zoe Saldana

I LOVED this look. Vera barely beat her out as best dressed. I love the color, beading and bottom of this dress. Gorgeous and young.

Sandra Bullock

She looks like an Oscar herself. The detail and beading on the top were fabulous and with the simple hair and makeup, it was a great age-appropriate look. Now if only she could give me Ryan Reynolds phone number…

Kristen Stewart

I was shocked at how classy she looks. See how good you can look when you take a shower and put forth some effort? Now she just has to stop looking so pissed off and/or constipated

Gabourey Sidibe

Very figure-flattering and age-appropriate. Plus, she rocked the sh*t out of this on the red carpet. You go girl, fist bump!

Penelope Cruz

The movie Nine was awful, but she looks hot here. That red is very rich and gorgeous on her skin tone and it makes her waist look small and her boobs big. Win, win!

Oscar fashions that get a “see me” note:

Sarah Jessica Parker

Chanel fashion fail #1. Absolutely no shape, and I hate the yellow strap on the neck. I have no idea why it’s actually there. SJP, just because it’s Chanel Haute Couture, that doesn’t make it right!

Diane Krueger

Chanel fashion fail #2. I don’t hate the cream and black colors but it’s that loofah-inspired mid-section that confuses me. But if she brought Josh Jackson with her, that would have slightly distracted me from this mess.

Jennifer Lopez

I don’t totally know why she was here but a hip fabric puff when you’re a curvaceous woman isn’t a great idea. She actually looks a little like a teapot here. Ouch.

Miley Cyrus

You are young, rich and at the Oscars. Stand up straight! I don’t like the bodice of this dress and honestly with that bad posture and bride of Frankenstein hair, I’m not a fan.

Anna Kendrick

I’ve not been a fan of her fashion at award shows this season but the main issue I have with this look is the color. It washes her out and I can’t see the amazing detail on this dress. FAIL!

Other high/low points:

Steve Martin/Alec Baldwin: I thought they did a pretty good job. I still think Hugh Jackman was a better host last year, but they were funny and used dry humor
I really liked the best actor/actress introductions. They were funny, heartfelt and really sweet to watch
Kathy Ireland: OMFG what a train wreck. Her dress/necklace combo was a disaster and her interviews were so painful to watch with her claw-like hand that I had to look away
The random woman who ran up on stage when Music for Prudence won. Who was she? Where was security? Random!

Phew, well that is this year’s reacp. It’s now time to put the fashion judgement hat back in the closet until next year.

What did everyone else think of the fashion and show? Who was your best/worst dressed picks? What did you think of the show?

Share this!

30 Comments

04 March 2010

Treat Friday

By: Jessica B.

Tagged: Random, work

I love Fridays. And no, not TGI Fridays. Okay, TGI Fridays isn’t awful, I thought it would be more like Chotchkie’s in Office Space and was disappointed when the waiters didn’t wear flair.

Back on point! I look forward to Fridays because I walk into my office and yell out, “It’s Treat Friday!” and I hear some of my coworkers mumble back “it’s Treat Friday!”

Before I sat near them, they had no idea what it is and now Fridays take on a whole new meaning in my part of the office.

Actually, that might be a crock, but I like to think it isn’t.

Treat Friday is simple: On Fridays, you eat WHATEVER you want. Calories, carbs, fat grams, sodium, alcohol content (to some extent) don’t matter. AT ALL.

Treat Friday is all about treating yourself.

Why? Well…why not? Don’t we all deserve a treat at the end of the week?

I bring my lunch to work four days a week and now that I can’t eat chocolate candy because of Lent, I am in NEED of a pick-me-up on Friday and Treat Friday is just that.

Hannah’s Bretzel for lunch? SURE! Milkshake from Potbelly’s? GET TWO!

On Treat Friday, it’s whatever you want whenever. So when Treat Friday rolls around, my cubemates and I discuss what we’ll be having for lunch that day as our indulgence.

It’s pretty great. Tomorrow is another Treat Friday and I cannot wait.

I’m trying to decide already how I will reward myself for another week of work :) Plus, I’m taking the day off so it’s like a DOUBLE treat.

What’s your idea of a perfect Treat Friday?

My official Oscar picks: The big show is this weekend and I absolutely cannot wait! So to get in the Oscar spirit, I’ve listed my official Oscar picks in the major categories.

Let me know if you agree or think I’m off my rocker.

Share this!

12 Comments

Purse crushes

Share this!

Kitchen adventures: Rosemary-Garlic Chicken

Directions

Share this!

Spring reality check

Share this!

Oscar fashion hits and misses

Share this!

Treat Friday

Share this!

who am i?

tweet tweet

subscriptions

search my site

recent posts

tags

archives

YOU’RE ON NOTICE!

where to find me

subscriptions

site admin

contact