OOTE 5.28.10

Date night! My OOTE:

Anthropologie Whirl & Wind Cardigan in White, Anthropologie Nexus Top in Pink, ATL black pants, Nine West Bonfire Pumps in Natural

Happy Weekend!

xoxo

OOTD 5.27.10: Muted Colors + Gold

Anthropologie Circled Adornments Tank, J Crew Jackie in Desert Brown, Merona denim, Jack Rogers Navajo in Gold, J Crew Crystal Coletto Bracelet in Pale Buff

xoxo

Today's Target Find: The Evelin in Tan

These have been out awhile, but I just now really noticed them (they are featured in the latest People Style Watch - which I learned from this post over at J Crew Aficionada).

For my basic thong sandals -- gold, silver, white and hot pink :) -- that I plan to wear all summer, I have TB Millers and Jack Rogers, but these will be fun with certain outfits, and you can't beat the price.

Target Merona "Evelin" sandal in Tan - $15.00

...and today's Puppy Pic:

Winnie in a blur of fluff, jumping up to the camera

xoxo

Yes to Carrots {with spf}

I've been a fan of Yes to Carrots for a while and use their shower gel and lip butter tubes often. Recently, I came across (at Target, of course) a couple of their products which offer chemical-free spf. Now, Seattle is not known for its bright skies or need for sun-shielding but we can get too much exposure even here.

Last Spring my husband was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma. It was luckily a teeny tiny not-very-deep spot and they removed it all and he is fine - but it resulted in a huge scar and he now has to go for checks by a dermatologist every three months.

I'm definitely guilty of tanning. Yes, as a teenager I may have been out there with only baby oil (yikes) and quite possibly in high school even used tanning beds (double yikes). But I am seriously reformed and most certainly am concerned about protecting myself and my family. But I've also heard safety concerns about certain chemicals used in sunscreens so am always on the lookout for effective non-chemical versions.

Recently I purchased Yes to Carrots Daily Facial Moisturizer with spf 15. Now, that is not the spf number you want for your beach vacation in Hawaii, but I am happy with it for daily use. Unlike many zinc oxide formulas, it glides on smoothly and doesn't leave any whitish film on your face. It doesn't have any petrolatum or paraben and is cruelty free. I am definitely looking forward to trying more of the YTC spf products. Available at stores like Target and Walgreens.

Anyone have any good chem free spf product recs? I'd love to hear!

xoxo

Tory Burch Friends & Family Sale!

I'd been waiting, waiting, waiting and this morning a happy email arrived from Shop It To Me: code FRIENDS2010 takes 30% off at Tory Burch (there are some exclusions - I found the list on examiner.com: Revas, Eddies, flip-flops, eyewear, TB foundation products, and gift cards). That leaves quite a lot of gorgeous shoes, bags, accessories and clothing. Free shipping, too! Ends tomorrow. (And don't forget 3.5% cash back through ebates.)

So this little bag I've been eyeing for a couple months is finally on its way:

Tevin Mini Bag in Tan

Tory Burch's bag, Tory Burch's pic

xoxo

OOTD 5.20.10: Yellow Gingham + Pink

Anthropologie Swathed Gingham Blouse in Yellow, ON tank, ATL cardi, Merona denim, Jeffrey Campbell Flapper flat in Raspberry Crinkle (years ago)

Happy Weekend!

xoxo

Panzanella Salad from Teresa's Skinny Italian

I ordered Teresa Giudice's (of RHONJ fame) cookbook Skinny Italian from amazon recently, and let me tell you, there are some great ideas in there. The premise of the book is more "Healthful, Enjoyable, Fun Italian" than "Skinny Italian" but as "skinny" is such a popular buzzword right now... (jeans, margaritas, in the kitch)... it probably is a good title to help sell the book.

If you're a fan of the show, you'll enjoy all the family photos and chatty narrative. If you're not a fan, but you don't mind, this book is loaded with fun tips and history about Italian cooking: How should you store garlic? How do you pronounce all those fancy specialty pasta names? What exactly is canola oil? ...and some really great recipes.

The first thing I made, about a week ago, was Milania's Marinara Sauce and it really did feel GREAT to make my own sauce rather than just open a jar from the grocery store shelf. It was so easy and the house smelled amazing. I felt like a real cook!

Last night I made the Panzanella Salad from page 214 - again, it turned out great and the kids loved it (they picked out the olives, but I knew that was going to happen). I did a search on this Italian bread salad and discovered it is quite popular and there are lots of versions out there. This is definitely one to try.

So, here's what you need (adapted from the recipe in the book):

1-3 day old loaf of French or Italian bread for croutons - you'll cube this and coat in a whisked mixture of 1/3 c olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves and 1/8 tsp salt (I drizzled a little more olive oil in)

and for the salad:

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 c olive oil

4 or 5 tomatoes (book calls for 4 large, I used 5 medium - next time I'll probably do one more), diced

4 oz fresh mozzarella (I think I used more)

1/2 cup kalamata olives (I just cut in half, book calls for chopped)

1/2 red onion, diced

fresh basil leaves torn into pieces

1 Tbsp capers, drained

After you coat the bread cubes, spread them out on a pan and pop in the oven at 400 F for about 10 minutes:

Meanwhile, get everything chopped and diced:

When the croutons are done, Teresa has you combine it all, but we had to head out for piano lessons soon and I knew I'd be rolling in a couple hours later at 6pm with three hungry kids, so I combined everything but the croutons in a bowl and put it in the fridge.

When we got home, I added in the croutons and let it set for about 10 minutes while I cooked up a little pasta with butter (just in case the salad didn't go over with the little ones - but it most certainly did - they loved it).

I'm looking forward to whipping up more of the sauces, pasta dishes, maybe a pizza or two, and the delish looking Bellinis. Salute!

xoxo