oscar fashion picks!

the oscars have come and gone.  the speeches, the awkward moments, and the tears are only but a faint memory but the fashion remains here for us to revisit over and over again!  there were some scary moments, which dress did you think was the most egregious??!  what were your favorites?!  here are some of my instant love at first sights…

stacy keibler in naeem khan

stacy keibler in naeem khan

jessica chastain in armani prive

jessica chastain in armani prive

naomi watts in armani prive

naomi watts in armani prive

charlize theron in christian dior

charlize theron in christian dior

reese witherspoon in louis vuitton

reese witherspoon in louis vuitton

kristen stewart in reem acra

kristen stewart in reem acra

cutest pregger style, jenna dewan in rachel roy

cutest pregger style, jenna dewan in rachel roy

catherine zeta jones in zuhair murad

catherine zeta jones in zuhair murad

fabulous dresses and the women who rocked them!  so elegant, so ethereal, so fancy!

and didn’t you just love the passion and emotion behind ben affleck’s speech?!  that was just precious!!

more to come tomorrow on hair and make up!  see you tomorrow lovies

[photos popsugar.com]

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a special thanks to my dear friend, andrea, for hosting us at your oscar party tonight!!  fabulous food, drinks, and plenty of stout opinions! :p

happy beurffday dick!

it was mr. richard heintz sr.’s birthday!!!  yay!

we kicked off our day with a lovely start at church.  for some reason, mass today just flew by…it was weird.  it felt very ephemeral.  like i was in fast forward.  maybe it was because we didn’t sit in our usual ‘spot’??  it was quite packed by the time we got there {um, maybe it was because i was totally running late…causing us to be late, therefore causing hc a very difficult time in the parking lot because it was filled to the gills…oops!!}, most of the pews were full, so i was ushered all the way up to the front side rows.  hubby charming almost didn’t find me!  so, therefore {phew!  am i longwinded???  nah!} mass was over before i felt it began!

anyhoo, after that, we did our usual run to starbucks & off we went, over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go [literally]!  brunch, presents, cake, oh my!

hb dick, we love you lots!!  xoxo

my outfit for the day

my outfit for the day

pretty colors

pretty colors

hello

hello, bad angle

family

family

mimosas

mimosas

purty wrapped

purty wrapped

for his railroad

for his railroad

the unsigned card ;)

the unsigned card, hee

gift from misse, john, + daniel

gift from misse, john, + daniel

grace + daniel

grace + daniel

hb dad!

hb dad!

hb dad!

decadent

make a wish!

make a wish!

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my ice cream stacking abilities!

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delicious!

 

style décontracté

temperamental weather.  chicago – one day it’s 60 degrees, the next day it’s 19 degrees.  when it’s warm, i’ll take advantage of it!

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my accessory of choice: starbucks americano
jeans: seven for all mankind
purse: vintage louis vuitton – richard prince watercolor speedy 35 – ebay it
gold dotted shirt: target
necklaces: vintage jcrew – something similar here
vest: vintage urban outfitters – something similar here
turquoise earrings: vintage anthropologie – something similar here

achats heureux!

a few of my favorite things

here are a few of my favorite things {of the moment}…

1. shawna sunglasses // kate spade

1. shawna sunglasses // kate spade

2. tray // s

2. lucite tray // pencil shavings studio

3. sparkle an interest // modcloth

3. sparkle // modcloth

4. cake trays // bhldn

4. cake stands // bhldn

5. tandem // bhldn

5.  bowery tandem bike // bhldn

6. necklace // j.crew

6. golden gears necklace // j.crew

7. ag jeans // antropologie

7. ag jeans stevie ankle // antropologie

8. rifle // anthropologie

8. rifle botanical labels // anthropologie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. love me a pair of red sunglasses.  so lolita!  so chic!
  2. spice up your home with a modern lucite tray ~ oh la la.
  3. add a little sparkle into your step {eye catching!}.
  4. who doesn’t love cake trays?!
  5. amaze tandem bike.
  6. a lovely gold necklace that would top off any outfit.
  7. i die for these jeans…LOVE.
  8. brighten up someone’s day with a pretty, wrapped parcel.

cupid’s day

happy valentine’s day!

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ahhhh, the day of celebrating love.  i spent a wonderful day with the hubby doing much of nothing.  we relaxed and said a lot of i love you’s.  well, we really say that phrase a lot in general but it’s cupid’s day…it’s extra special!

we got all jazzed up {time to dress festive!} and skedaddled to one of our favorite restaurants, roy’s.  it’s always consistent in service, food, and flavor.  it’s also an extra perk to know the managers, sommelier, servers, and bartenders {loves them}.  we started with the confit pork belly & rock shrimp ceviche appetizer [whoa].  onto our delicious wild mushroom bisque soup.  my entree was the hawaiian sea salt crusted scallops, braised korobuta pork cheeks {amaze}, + okinawan potato puree.  hubby charming had the smoked pepper crusted bone in rib eye {medium rare} fromage blanc, braised escarole, + truffle mac + cheese.  redic.  seriously.  and finally…sensational sweet endings: pineapple upside-down cake + red velvet cake + cream cheese ice cream.  sounds freakin’ over the moon divine, right?!

my roses

my roses from cattails

hee

hee

i really had to dress the part...c'mon, it's v-day!  cupid shot me with his arrow!

i really had to dress the part…c’mon, it’s v-day! cupid shot me with his arrow!

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well, after imbibing + gorging like we haven’t eaten in days, we were ready to go home and put on our drawstring sweatpants!  it was a beautiful day.  happy love day!  xoxo

jodi’s baby shower

my wonderful friend, jodi, is having her first baby!!!  baby boy s. will be here in mid-march.  oh boy oh boy…a baby!  so life changing!  i am very excited for her & she is definitely meant to be a mommy.  i was so excited to shop for her gifts, well, shopping in general is my favorite pastime no matter what the occasion is!  baby stuff is just so stinkin’ cute!  her shower theme was so adorbs!  an animal theme through and through, from the animal cookie favors to the cute little elephant sign holder.  so many thoughtful touches executed by her step mom, kelly!  we can’t wait to meet the cute little bugger {yay!}; see you soon!!

mommy to be, jodi, me, and kt

mommy to be, jodi, me, + kt

write a wish for baby boy s.

write a wish for baby boy s.

kt + moi

kt + moi

cute little details

cute little details

purty wrapped gift

purty wrapped gift

the goods!

the goods!

another mommy to be, kim!

another mommy to be, kim!

what a sweet time it was!  so excited for the baby boom going on around me!  we are all so very blessed.

children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.  Psalm 127:3

lovely lazy day

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coffee and quiche.

after a day and night of being icky sickly, i awoke to a doting hubby charming!  voila, breakfast was awaiting me.  he had prepared a quaint breakfast spread {coffee, mimosas, quiche, and fruit}.  i was still feeling a bit under the weather but it was quite nice to be able to sit together; spend our time talking, eating, and relaxing.  i love spending quality time with him since he’s been traveling so much for work {insert sad face}.

broccoli quiche // 6 servings

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, melted

directions

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
* Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into crust and sprinkle with cheese.
* Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.
* Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

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later that day:  i was feeling much better, thanks to the meds [although i’m not a meds type of gal]!  anyhoo, i pulled out my new shoes {love!}  they are soooo comfy!  i am not a sneaker kind of girl but i love how it has the hidden heel [love the height], it’s a little bit funky, and the street feel of these shoes are rockin’.  it was a part of my ‘click and buy’ streak of late.  prancing around in these chaussures makes me smile.

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[some delicious, spicy stew // not for the timid tastebuds]

we wanted a cozy night in and the hubby charming really wanted to cook up something to eat.  he put together a beef stew in our fabulous slow cooker.  we debated on just a vegetable stew but we succumb to the cow :p

slow cooker beef stew
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika [we replaced this with cayenne!]
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

directions

*Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
*Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

we both want to abate not so good foods from our diet and strive to balance out a healthier palate {cross our fingers}.  i am in awe of folks who are so resolute with always eating healthy, organic, and fresh!  i love sweets, although i have somewhat diminished my intake by the pounds/per year {heh}.  i think ordering the 20 boxes of girl scout cookies might negate the above positive thinking {yikes!}.

don’t be mundane

sometimes work clothes, for me, can be so mundane.  my utilitarian uniform is your basic black.  for some, it’s their staple color; for me it’s sooooo boring.  i know it’s a classic, stylish choice {i do think black can be so sophisticated} but when it’s a forced everyday option, it can be quite trite versus putting in the effort to be creative.  i try at times but usually fail.  i was particularly loving this shirt.  i don’t wear it often but when i put it on today {i usually don’t wear flow-y type tops}, i was feeling like it was going to be a good day!  throw on an accessory and bam! you’ve got yourself an outfit.

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 so, at the end of the day…it was a great day.  thanks to my nifty, flow-y top and necklace.  sometimes, it’s the little things, huh?  you made me feel a bit more chic today, merci.