So nice, I bought them twice. And then a couple more times.

Anne Klein Buttons Ballet Flats

For the love of ballet flats! A couple years ago I found this great pair of black suede ballet flats with a black patent leather cap toe. They were beautiful and ever so comfortable. I started wearing them ALL THE TIME! These pretty ballet flats got salt stained, coated in rain water, and lost some luster with daily wear. They are not so beautiful anymore. But I still wear them constantly.

Needless to say, I felt the need to buy a replacement black pair. I spent minutes on amazon and found a replacement. Then I found other colors. I was smitten/a total glutton. 

With that cute capped toe, who could resist?

 

Certainly not me. The different colors and textures were irresistible!

I am a firm believer that if a pair of shoes is both beautiful AND comfortable, you should buy more than one pair. Buy them in different colors and sometimes the same color. Well now you've discovered that I am crazy when it comes to shoes. Guilty as charged. But at least they all fit neatly into my closet.

Labels facing out so I know which is which color. Neat and helpful. I do however need a step stool to reach them. Details, details.

Thank you Anne Klein Sport for such a perfect ballet flat!

Per the usual, Hank had to get involved in the photo shoot.

My Lip Gloss is…Overwhelming

I have a bit of a weakness for beauty products, especially lipgloss. There is just something about a brand new glossy addition to my collection that makes me really, really happy. Clearly this is an addictive feeling…

My embarrassingly extensive and unorganized collection for your viewing pleasure or horror. 

The sad part is that this isn’t even all of it.

Some of my favs.

From left to right, then front.

Tarte duo of Cleopatra and Anthony

Clinique colour surge impossibly glossy in Beach Bunny (one of my all time favs)

Philosophy Pink Frosted Cookie

Nars Orgasm

Nars Easy Lover (I’ve actually bought 2 of these, one for my apartment in Lansing and one for my boyfriend’s apartment in Detroit so that I always have one on hand.)

Mary Kay Nourishine Lip Gloss in Sugarberry

Goldie Whip It (from Bath and Body Works, and I am not even sure they make it anymore but it looks amazing with a tan)

Not pictured because it was in my purse, but it deserved an honorable mention…Lancome also makes amazing lipglosses, Juicy tubes, that I have been obsessed with since high school. My favorite is this perfect light pink called Spring Fling!

I am notorious for carrying several at the same time. There are currently 4 different lipglosses and 2 lipsticks in my purse at this very moment. I highly recommend doing this, because frankly you never know when you may need to change your look from a demure light pink to a girl on the town fuchsia.

Hank felt the need to get involved. He clearly thinks my lip gloss is poppin. 

Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, but Pearls are Classy

Pearl earrings have been a staple in my wardrobe since I can remember. My father used to spend a lot of time in Japan, and would bring my sister and I back these beautiful Mikimoto pearl earrings. I became an expert at losing one perfectly matched Mikimoto pearl earring at an early age. Going through my jewelry even now I still find the occasional lonely pearl stud. In high school I discovered the beauty of different sizes and hues pearl earrings came in, and in college I put this to use. My theory in college was this; the less pretty you feel, the bigger pearl earrings you should wear. Not kidding. If I was hung-over, not wearing any makeup, or couldn’t be bothered to put together a cute outfit, huge pearl earrings were necessary. If I couldn’t dazzle you with my appearance that day, I would distract you with my earrings. Looking back I cannot decide if this was absolutely ridiculous or unbelievably brilliant.

Lately, I have found my earlobes are in a rut. I wear the same, modestly sized, beautiful, dainty, white pearl earrings daily. They go with everything. They look good with my hair up or down, and I am convinced they make my teeth look whiter. Yet still, I wear the exact same pair of earrings almost daily. Of course I change it up with hoops once in a while, or the occasional pair with sparkle for special events, but I needed a change up in the daily routine. I found the most beautiful pair of Kate Spade earrings that are definitely different and beautiful, but I think slightly understated enough to throw into the line up. I am hoping these will keep me out of my pearl rut these days.

Just a hint at my pearl collection. The one on the far right is obviously for those total hot mess kind of days.

Kate Spade New York Big Time Lever Back Earrings, the latest addition to the line up.

Life Lessons from Bethenny Frankel and Tina Fey

What you should be reading:

A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life by Bethenny Frankel and Eve Adamson

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I highly recommend these books, both currently available on Amazon OR do what I do and just borrow them from friends…they were both best sellers. They will make you laugh, think, and inspire you to keep working at whatever it is you love. I will forewarn you, while Bossy Pants will be a quick read that makes you laugh and appreciate Tina Fey even more as a real person, Bethenny’s A Place of Yes will make you want to take time to digest each rule. I am a fast reader. I read Bossypants in less than 24 hours. A Place of Yes took me a little while, because it was very thought provoking. I actually wrote down some of Bethenny’s Rules to remind me to use the lessons Bethenny doles out through her thoughtful vignettes. I loved both of these books, and they made the blow of finishing all three Hunger Games books less sad.

Sunday Night Dinner at the Scully House

As if I did not eat enough Saturday evening at Nanny's, I got another amazing meal at my parents' house Sunday night. Steaks, potatoes, veggies, and salad, yum! Sunday night dinners are a big deal in my family, and if you are a family member within 60 miles, you are expected to attend. Even as an undergraduate student at Michigan, living in Ann Arbor (which is an hour from Grosse Pointe) I still drove home often on Sundays for dinner with the fam. It's a great time for us all to catch up and share a great meal, while my mother lectures us on the appropriate amount of salad dressing. My dad hits the market early Sunday mornings (he goes very early so that he can beat all of the Italian mothers to the produce), and then cooks amazing meals in the evenings, normally after watching hours of hunting shows and sports. My mother...well she sets a mean table.

Dan, the grill man

Peggy's pretty dining room table, before we all came in and messed it up, while eating way too much salad dressing.

Big benefit of coming home for dinner, my dad buys me groceries to take back to my apartment!

Nanny's Guinness Irish Stew

As promised, I have gotten my Nanny Nell to pass along her amazing recipe for Guinness Stew. She insisted I warn ahead of time that she is a "pinch of this and dash of that kind of cook." (Read, add more of what you like, and taste test frequently.)


Take 2-3 pounds of boneless chuck roast, flour and season it with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Then cut it up into bite sizes pieces.

In a very hot pan with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive, brown meat for about 2-3 minutes.

Add: 1 medium onion, cut in small pieces

4 carrots, diced into small cubes

2-3 stalks of celery, diced small

4 medium potatoes, diced small

1 can of whole tomatoes, diced small (almost pureed) but leave some in pieces and juice

1 small can of beef broth

1 tablespoon of worchestershire sauce

fresh or dried parsley, to taste

1 bay leaf

1 package of onion soup

1 cup of frozen corn

1 cup of frozen peas

1 cup of Guinness beer

Bake in 350' degrees oven for 3 hours until meat is tender with tight covered lid.

*If you like it thicker at end of cooking time, just add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1/4 cup cup of cold water in a small bowl, and whisk until smooth, then add to broth whisking it while simmering it for 2-3 minutes.

Time to dig into a little "bite" of Ireland! ENJOY!

Thank you Nanny!

When Irish eyes are smiling

This Saturday afternoon was close to perfection! Had my mother not informed me that all of my things in my closet at home need to be removed, it would have hit perfection for sure. The woman takes up all of the closet space in the whole house, and yet mine has a target on it, but this is a story for another day...back to the perfect Saturday. My Nanny Nell has been like my second mother since I was three months old, she started taking care of me on St. Patrick's Day of '86 and we're both Irish, so we take it as a sign. We were meant to be! This year to celebrate she made me the most amazing Guinness Stew. It was incredible! We had to celebrate a week late this year, but the weather really cooperated since today it was kind of cold and overcast, which made a nice, hearty stew taste even better! It was so amazing, I made her promise to email her recipe, so I will pass it along as soon as I get it. In the meantime, here are some photos from this afternoon.

 

Guinness Stew, Pistachio Salad, Baguette

As if dinner wasn't enough, she had a Cannoli Cake from Bommarito Bakery in Saint Clair Shores

Singin' in the rain

It has been unseasonably warm here in Michigan lately. Normally in March there is still snow outside, but it has been warmer here than in southern California this past week! Although it is slightly off putting that there has been an extreme jump from chilly weather to 80 degrees, I am welcoming the excuse to wear skirts and sandals again. Even if it does make it painfully obvious that my legs (and the rest of me) are in desperate need of a tan. 

Kelsey Asbury

Kelsey, one of the girls I work with, showed up in the most inspirational outfit today, truly embracing the balmy weather. The neat navy v-neck and simple white tank paired with such a flirty, flowing skirt was too adorable not to snap a photo! Not to mention the killer wedges.

Glossy Black Hunter Boots, Vera Bradley Umbrella

Unfortunately we had a drastic change in weather and got hit with a thunderstorm randomly in the afternoon. I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life, you would think I would be used to it by now… Regardless, it seems that I will be spending a little more time in my Hunter boots in the next day or two and not so much time in wedges. I am however so excited for the opportunity to use my bright Vera Bradley umbrella that my boyfriend’s sister got me for Christmas this past year. This umbrella is hot pink and has such a fun print, I am hoping it will keep me happy, even in the rain.

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s to come, not to mention a rather embarrassing insight into my shoe obsession. I am sensing a future post on organization, and dare I say going through and getting rid of some of my shoes… 

These are the shoe boxes currently stacked outside my bedroom door, because they don't fit anywhere else at the moment. I tell people I put them there for easy access, but I dare you to fish out a box and call it easy...

The beginning is the most important part of the work. -Plato

He looks the way I feel about starting this blog...not sure where to start.

Where I have so many things to share, I think Hank here was just trying to figure out which shoe box to open first. He loves the tissue paper! Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite parts of new shoes is opening the box and unfolding the crisp tissue paper, but Hank takes it to a whole new level.

Here's to new beginings! Welcome to Shoes and Red Velvet Cupcakes!