Back to Black

Jeans-Gap
Top-Madewell
Booties-Target
Sunnies-Target
Watch- Michael Kors
Necklace-Lisa Taubes

I can't get over the winter (or should I say lack of winter) we have had here in D.C. Today the high was 68 degrees!!! It was such a beautiful day. Before Jeff and I met some friends for lunch, the pups and I enjoyed some time outside in the sunshine.

My Perfume Collection 2012

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

Trish McEvoy Blackberry & Vanilla Musk

Tom Ford Black Orchid

I decided I would do an updated perfume collection post, since in the last year I have gone through quite a few of my perfumes and added a couple of new ones. I just started working on my second bottle of Flowerbomb, which is my favorite perfume of all time. I love it's flowery sweet scent and what's not to love about the bottle:) My Trish McEvoy perfume is pretty much empty, but hopefully I can get one or two more uses out of it. It is also very sweet like the Flowerbomb. I have a thing for very flowery and very sweet perfumes. One exception to that is my Tom Ford Black Orchid. I love this perfume for special occasions. It is definitely an evening perfume, well at least in my opinion it is. I love the deep musky scent of this perfume. It reminds me of an old fragrance my grandmother would have loved. I would like to add a couple of new perfumes to my collection. I think my next perfume purchase will be Miss Dior Cherie and Gucci II.

My Perfumes

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy

Juicy by Juicy Couture

Trish McEvoy Blackberry & Vanilla Musk

Tom Ford Black Orchid

Couture by Juicy Couture

Chanel No. 5

Gucci Flora

Gucci Guilty

Marc Jacobs Daisy

Katy Perry Purr

Harajuku Lovers G 

Vera Wang

Sunshine Saturday

Brown Sweater-Gap
Jeans-Jessica Simpson
Brown Riding Boots-Target
Sunnies-Target

Today is the first day that I have worn this sweater and boots since I picked them up a couple of months ago. I have no idea why I have not worn them before today, but I am glad I decided to finally put them in my rotation.

Beef Short Rib Stroganoff

I love it when a dish has contrasting textures and depth of flavor. I love the creaminess of the stroganoff sauce paired with the beefy bite of the short ribs. This recipe is a Tyler Florence dish and it is surprisingly simple. The first time I made this dish I was worried that it would be complicated, but nothing could have been easier. The short ribs do require time, but after you get them in the oven you can forget about them. As for the sauce, it takes only as long as the noodles take to boil. I love this plate of food!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/beef-stroganoff-with-buttered-noodles-recipe/index.html



Chicken Night

Tonight I made an Italian feast. We had chicken marsala and polenta all courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. I have made both of these recipes so many times and it always turns out great. The recipes are easy and delicious. I love the creaminess of the polenta and the bit from the chicken. It all works so well together.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-with-mustard-mascarpone-marsala-sauce-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cheesy-polenta-recipe/index.html

Welcome to the Jungle

Sweater-Gap
Jeans-Old Navy
White Tank-Gap
Animal Print Booties-Payless
Infinity Scarf-Anthropology
Parka-Old Navy
Necklace-Tiffany & Co.
Rose Gold Watch-Fossil

So we had to take these pictures inside since it was cold and rainy outside today. Of course Mimi had to get in one of the photos since she loves having her picture taken.

Current Loves.....of the moment!

I realized the other day that I have not done a current loves/favorites post in a while. I always have so many favorites every month that it can be hard to choose, but I narrowed it down to my most used and loved products of the moment.

Urban Decay Naked 2, Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua Foundation, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind, Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Tattle Tail, MAC Chromagrahic Pencil in NW20/NC15, MAC Lipstick in Cream Cup

Burt's Bees Honey and Shea Body Butter, Burt's Bees Honey and Shea Sugar Scrub, Origins Eye Doctor Eye Cream, Bliss Sugar Scrub and Lip Treatment

Victor & Rolf Flower Bomb

Mossimo For Target Ankle Booties

The Help

Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks

Food Network 3.5 Quart Enamel Pot

A little bit of Spring



Orly in Oh Cabana Boy




O.P.I. in Atomic Orange

So I guess I am ready for Spring:) I was excited to paint my nails with bright  fun polish, so I  chose Orly's Oh Cabana Boy and O.P.I.'s Atomic Orange. Oh Cabana Boy is a fabulous Barbie pink with a nice amount of shimmer. Atomic Orange is the perfect Summer at the beach color. I love them on their own or paired together. I think the two bright colors together makes them even more Spring like. I love them!



What's for dinner

For dinner the other night Jeff and I had my baked ziti and garlic bread. This is one of our favorite meals. Besides being very tasty, it is also very easy.

Ziti

Penne Pasta

Jarred Marinara Sauce

Ricotta

Mozzarella

Parmesan

Italian Sausage

All you have to do is brown off the sausage and throw everything in a casserole and bake for 30 minutes at 350. It couldn't be easier.

Garlic Bread

French bread

Garlic

Butter

Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan

Mozzarella

The garlic bread is pretty much the same as the ziti. You just mix everything in a bowl and spread it on the bread. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 and you are ready for dinner. Enjoy!!

January Birchbox

I got my January Birchbox the other day! It is always a nice surprise to open the mailbox and see the bright pink Birchbox waiting for me. If you are not familiar with Birchbox, it is a mail order beauty company that sends you sample size products to try. Many of the samples you get are large and every now and then they include a full size product, like this months Stila Smudge Stick Eyeliner in Peacock. I was also excited to see an Origins Frothy Face Cleanser and a Larabar. I love Birchbox and for only $10 a month it is so worth it!

Gorgeous Grape

China Glaze in VIII

O.P.I in Pamplona Purple

Last night when it came time to paint my nails, I was having a hard time deciding what I wanted to do. I wanted to try out my new Orly Oh Cabana Boy polish, but I also wanted something dark. I picked two different purple polishes and painted four of my nails the dark purple and the other nail the lighter purple. I love the way it turned out!



Shrimp and Grits Goodness

It is time for another recipe! I love Paula Deen. She is fun and full of life, and this is her shrimp and grits recipe. It is a very yummy and easy recipe, a combination I adore.  For the grits, I used a quick cooking type, but you can also use a traditional slower cooking grit.  I added some delicious sharp white cheddar and lots of heavy cream, which of course makes everything taste better. The shrimp part of the dish was just as easy as the grits. You just throw everything into a pan and cook until the shrimp is tender and pink. I found this recipe in a Paula Deen magazine, but there are so many shrimp and grits recipes out there. My favorite place to look for recipes in Foodnetwork.com. Bon Appetite!