The August Love List

When Tori and I started our blog, we used to do a "Sunday Love List" that listed things that Tori and I were currently loving. I thought I would bring back the Love List each month to share with everyone what my favorite things for the month are! Enjoy!

1. Hair Accessories
I've been wearing my hair up a lot because it is so FLIPPING hot outside! And August is just going to be even hotter! Something that adds some fun to my hair when I wear it up are cute hair accessories! I'm loving bobbies to pin my bangs back and think the wider ones add some great pops of color to your outfit! I bought some great ones at Target recently (sent some to Tori for her birthday!) and I also found these at Anthropologie online! Check them out!

2. Sheer Blouse
I am obsessed with sheer blouses! What is so wonderful about a sheer blouse is that it is work appropriate (with a cami underneath, of course) and cool enough to wear in the August heat! I found the cutestest sheer blouses online at ModCloth! Click here to check them out! Here are some of my favorites I saw:

3. Grilling Fruit
 Summertime is the best time to grill! My favorite thing to make on the grill is corn on the cob, but I have found a love for grilled fruit! I had eaten grilled peaches before, but have discovered a love for grilled strawberries! They are delicious with some brown sugar on top! Try it!!

4. Mini Desk Fan
I found this mini desk fan at Target for $8.99 and it has saved my life this summer! I am always so hot at work and I love having this little guy to cool me off! And I'm one of those people that loves fan noises, so it's really nice having it to help block out the sounds of my loud office!

5. The Olympics
Duh, this one is self explanatory. Who isn't loving the Olympics right now? Go Team USA! P.S. Swimming is my favorite! :)

Pic found here

Happy "Let's hope August is over soon!"
xoxo- Aly

Pretty, Prettier, Prettiest: Chambray Shirt Dress

There is something about chambray that I love. It looks so stylish, and laid back. I actually just purchased the "pretty" shirt dress from Old Navy this weekend. I think I am going to love chambray for the fall. Paid with riding boots, or tights will make the chambray dress perfect for fall. Speaking of...is anyone else ready for it to be fall? I am over summer!

Pretty: Old Navy's Women's Chambray Shirt Dress ($32.00)

Prettier: Sparkle & Fade Tie-Waist Shirt Dress ($69.00)

Prettiest: Anthropologie Fremont Shirt Dress ($148.00)

3 Easy and Delicious Recipes!

I always get extremely busy in the summertime, so I find myself eating out a lot. Lately, I've been trying to cook more and I thought I would share 3 easy and delicious recipes that I've made recently!

1. Chicken and Cabbage Salad

This is a quick and easy thing to make for lunch! I used leftover chicken that my boyfriend and I had made for dinner the night before, so it didn't take me long to throw it together!

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts (I marinated them in soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, and honey and then we grilled them)
Shredded cabbage mix
Shredded cheese
Soy sauce & lime juice for the dressing

Directions:
Grill or reheat grilled chicken, then cut into pieces.
Add chicken to shredded cabbage.
Top with shredded cheese.
Add soy sauce and lime juice for "dressing".

2. BBQ Brisket Nachos

This recipe is delicious! My family found this awesome BBQ place in Seaside, FL this summer and I had BBQ Brisket Nachos that were to die for! My boyfriend and I attempted to recreate them when we got back from vacation, and I have to say we were pretty successful!!

Ingredients:
BBQ Brisket (We just bought pre-made brisket from the grocery store)
BBQ Baked Beans
Chopped onions
Corn tortilla chips
Nacho cheese sauce
Sour cream

Directions:
Cook brisket as directed.
Cook beans as directed
Lay chips out on a plate and top with all ingredients!

3. Thai Peanut Chicken in the Crock Pot

This isn't a recipe that I came up with, but it was so delicious that I wanted to share! I bought a super cute crock pot (yes, I said my crock pot was cute, just look at it!) at Target over the weekend, so I was looking for good crock pot recipes to test it out!

Click here to view the Thai Peanut Chicken recipe! The only difference was that I put mine over rice instead of noodles and used gluten free soy sauce! I also added peanuts on top for that extra crunch!

All of these recipes are gluten free if you use the right ingredients too!

Hope you enjoy these easy and delicious recipes as much as I do!

Happy Cooking!
xoxo- Aly

Outfit of the Day: Hiking

My boyfriend and I really enjoy hiking. It is a fantastic form of exercise, but we find it more fun than a workout. We are working out way up to longer, more difficult hikes so we can do day-long and multi-day hikes in the Appalachian Mountains...one day. Usually we will go to Great Falls, Virginia or up to the Appalachian Train in West Virginia. We decided to mix it up today and go to the C&O Canal in Maryland (you can hike in Maryland and see the falls in Virginia!) the C&O Canal runs 184.5 miles from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, MD. We walked 2 miles down the trail and then hopped on a side hike that goes along the banks of the Potomac River.  After the River Trail, we walked the Outlook Trail so we could see the Beautiful falls and wave home to our home state of Virginia. Because of the beautiful setting, I found it to be a great photo-opt! Check out what I wear when I go hike. What is your favorite workout?

On the banks of the Potomac River. 

What I wore:
Capris: Old Navy (similar here)
Gray Top: Nike (old...but I got it from Macy's)
Neon Top: Target
Sneakers: Sacony (purchased from Off Broadway Shoes...they don't put stuff online)

xo,
Tori

Outfit Inspiration: Pop of Purple

I love the color purple! It's feminine without being overly girly like pink can be sometimes!

Love this neon purple nailpolish! Can be bought here.

How cute is this pop of purple on the leopard print flats?

LOVE the purple door! Picture found here.

This is my favorite type of necklace right now! Beautiful! Found here.

Pop of Purple in the the Painting! (That's a lot of P's)

All of this pretty purple inspired me to add a Pop of Purple in my outfit! Check out this awesome neon purple sheer blouse I found at Forever 21!

Where did I find my outfit?
Blouse: Forever 21
Tank: Marshalls
Jeans: Old Navy
Shoes: Shoe Carnival
Necklace: Dillards

Where do you like to add your Pops of Purple?

Happy Purple!
xoxo- Aly

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag: Work Edition

Earlier this week I was in Denver for work. I am on a beauty kick this week, so I thought I'd share what kind of make-up I pack when I go on business travel. The items I pack for a work trip are very different than if I am going on a personal trip. Most of my work trips are very short, I left for Denver on Monday morning and came back Tuesday night (btw, East Coast to Denver for 30 hours is exhausting.)

So...here is my make up bag:

I got the Sephora bag a few years ago during a Beauty Insider giveaway. The yellow Philsophy bag was a gift with purchase at Ulta. I keep items like: tweezers, make up removers, cotton balls, and qtips in the smaller bag.

When I travel for work, I tend to bring the basics items that will give me a polished look. When I am on the road, I am usually around c-level executives from financial institutions and I want to present myself in a positive light.

Let's take a look inside:

First, items for my eyes:

When I travel I like to bring one eye shadow pallet. The Naked Pallet from Urban Decay provides all of the colors needed for a neutral day or night eye. I'm thinking about treating myself to the Naked Two Pallet soon. I threw in a benefit base shadow, but i didn't use it. I also have my Elf Mascara, Cover Girl Lash Blast, and an eye lash curler. I have a liquid and pencil eye liner (for night time looks and day time) and my eye brow pencil.

Now, for the face:

This is my basic everyday routine. Laura Mercer foundation, with Malani Powder to set it. I use Benefits Erase paste on my eyes and Glamoflauge by Hard Candy on any pimples. The Aveeno under eye roller is a life saver during work travel!

The o-so-important, cheeks:

I love blush, when I go on vacation I tend to over pack. For a work trip I pick one blush and one highlighter and stick to it. I don't usually wear bronzer. The highlighter on the left I picked up during the Victoria Secret Semi-Annual sale, and the blush is a favorite, Gingerly by Mac!

Lastly, the lips:

Sorry for the crappy picture. I always pack one neutral and one fun lipstick. The neutral one is Crem d' Nude from Mac and the fun is a hot pink from Kate Spade. I bring one neutral gloss, this one is a pretty pink that I got in my Julep Maven box in June. I also have a Korres Lip Butter.

So, that is what I pack beauty-wise when I travel for work. I also use my makeup back to hold any hair clips, ties, and my comb. The bag is compact, and can easily fit into my suitcase or carry on bag. What beauty products do you like to travel with?

xo,
Tori

Gold Medal Beauty Products

The opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics is just days away! My boyfriend and I are making some delicious bbq, and watching the opening ceremony on his oversized tv.

I thought I would be cheesy, and put together a list of my "gold medal" products. There are some products I know I will use for life. I trust them, they always look good, smell good, or do good. Why would I want to leave them?

Starting from the top:

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation is defiantly a splurge item for me. It is around $40 at Sephora but it is amazing. It is a full coverage foundation that hides all of my flaws, looks natural, and stays on all day...even during the hot and humid summer. If you are willing to splurge on a foundation, and are looking for good coverage I highly recommend it.

The Korres Lip Butters have been a long time favorite of mine. They are incredibly moisturizing, and the tinted ones give off a beautiful color. These run $12 at Sephora, which some might think is pricey for a lip balm but you get a lot of product and they are worth it. Pomegranate and Guava are my favorites.

Purity by Philosophy is an amazing, every day moisturizer. When my skin isn't acting out, I like to use it day and night. When my skin is being picky, I like the Philosophy Clear Days Ahead.

The Elf Studio Line lash extending mascara is $3 and hands down one of the best mascara I've ever used. I have short and stubby lashes. Using this Elf mascara, plus Cover Girl Lash Blast gives me super long lashes and I love it. Did I mention it is $3. I get mine at my local Target, or you can find it on www.eyeslipsface.com.

When I parooze the nail polish aisle I always stop at Essie. They have a great range of colors, a good formula (most of the time), and a moderate price at $8.00. I like OPI, but for my small nail beds, the brush on Essie polish is easier to work with. Hint: Ulta always has Essie on their sale rack! I've gotten some great colors for as low at $2.99.

Twirl by Kate Spade is my go to day time fragrance. It is light and airy. I received the roller ball for Christmas a year or two ago and recently purchased a full size bottle at Marshall's. I LOVE Marshall's for perfume purchases!

I had never heard of Jouer until I joined Birchbox. I received a cream eye shadow in one of my boxes and my life changed forever. The formula is great, it had just enough shimmer to be perfect for a brow bone and inner corner highlight. The color I have is Feather. The Jouer tinted moisturizer is fantastic too.

I love the entire Tarte Amazonian Clay line. The foundation provides fantastic coverage, the concelar is great for under eye circles, and the primper minimized pores. But, their blushes really stick out to me. They give off a beautiful, pigmented color. They go on smooth and are buildable. They come in a range of colors from bight, hot pink to bronze, cool pinks. I own exposed and blissful.

What are you GOLD MEDAL beauty products?


xo,
Tori