3 Years

3 years ago today I married my best friend. Time flies when you're having fun!

Mirror Makeover Fail

This gold mirror has been in my family for a while.  I mean, it's not heirloom or anything, but it was on the wall in our home since I was about 10.  Then my parents moved to a new home about 8 years ago and didn't want it.  I have had in my apartment since.  With the move to a new apartment, I have gone with a modern, casual decor, and the gold doesn't really work with the space anymore.  So I decided to paint.  And failed.

There it is, all taped up and ready to go!  I bought a blue paint to try to match our backsplash and/or curtains...

You will see the blue color is almost gray.  So that was the look I was going for.  The paint I bought was beautiful and I really do love it, just not on the mirror.

While this pic was taken at night, I think the flash on the camera shows you  the true color

 You can see from the picture that the blue/gray color in the curtains, which is what I was going for, doesn't match the blue at all.  Now, I am not trying to be all matchy-matchy and get them perfect, but I think the hue is all wrong.  Oh well!  Live and learn.  I will have to try to find a way to fix it.  I have some leftover silver paint which I may try to lightly cover, but I think I should just resolved by repainting :(

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Dolly Pearl dresses

I have been looking for a dress for an upcoming wedding and came across Dolly Pearl.  Her stuff is so adorable I could scream!  I love the neutral colors as well as the vibrant green and fuchsia. Gorgeous stuff!

GOP Debate

I could care less about the GOP debate tonight, but I just wanted a reason to wear my red jeans and navy blazer today :)

Debate Night by decoranddior featuring chain jewelry

Also, I found these adorable letterpress coasters on Etsy by RuffHouseArt.

The Big 3-0

As I rapidly approach the big 3-0 (ah!!), I am staring to think about what kind of party I'd like to have.  Well, not really a party necessarily, but a celebration of sorts.  I am thinking Napa with my friends and family.  We shall see if the Money Gods will allow it ;)

In the meantime, I came across a birthday invitation kit, aka "Party in a Box" and had to share.  It's by a designer named Amanda Jane Jones, and her work is so unique and adorable.  Enjoy!

Source: amandajanejonesblog.com via Decor & Dior on Pinterest

Source: amandajanejonesblog.com via Decor & Dior on Pinterest

Source: amandajanejonesblog.com via Decor & Dior on Pinterest

Source: amandajanejonesblog.com via Decor & Dior on Pinterest

Pulled Pork Recipe

I really don't like eating salads.  There, I said it.  I am not one of those woman who love veggies.  I mean, I do like veggies, just not as an entire meal. But I force myself to eat it...

lunch salad

that's me, in my office, not happy

I have been trying to find ways to eat more veggies... or not eat all veggies but still eat healthy.  Anyway, I have been using my slow cooker a ton lately and have been trying to eat more pork.  Yes, the other white meat.  It's relatively good for you (as compared to red meat at least) and pretty tasty.  Even made homemade Cuban sandwiches which were crazy good!  But that recipe will have to wait for another time.  

Last week I made pulled pork with baked beans and homemade cornbread.  Now, I know that you're thinking this isn't healthy.  But I was surprised that it was all that bad for you.  Walden Farms makes a BBQ sauce that is 0 calories and 0 fat.  Yes, it's true.  Now, as someone who prides herself on knowing good BBQ, I would never eat this on ribs or actually put it on Pulled Pork after it's cooked.  You need sugar and fat to make it tasty.  But, I used this sauce just to cook the pork in, so I didn't really care if it was tasty.  

So, enough about BBQ sauce.  Let's get to the recipe.

1.5 lb pork shoulder, bone in

1 bottle of BBQ sauce (I used 0 cal/0 fat, but use whatever you like!)

1/2 jar of McCormick Grill Pork Rub

1/2 white onion, minced

Salt & Pepper

Make sure the pork is covered with the rub (you can let it marinate/sit in the rub, if you have time) and also covered in sauce.  Cook low 8 hrs.

Leftover lunch box... to go!

I added some baked beans and cornbread.  The cornbread was a splurge.  But if you only have a slice or two, it's not that bad.  I used Jiffy Cornmeal mix (an entire box) and made a sheet.  The beans were Bush's, and while high in carbs, they are also high in protein. Bang for your buck!  Below is the approximate* nutrition info.

Cornbread	BBQ Pulled Pork	Baked Beans
Nutrition Facts	Nutrition Facts	Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: Serves 12 people	Serving Size: Serves 1 oz	Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories 47	Calores 58	Calories 280
Calories from Fat 8.1	Calories from Fat
Total Fat 0.9g	Total Fat 2.0g	Total Fat 2.0g
Saturated Fat 0.15g	Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 18.08mg	Cholestorl 16.3mg	Cholestoral 0mg
Sodium 37.41mg	Sodium 120.5mg	Sodium 1100mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.78g	Total Carbohydrate 3.3g	Total Cabohydrate 58g
Dietary Fiber 0.52g	Dietary Fiber 0.3g	Dietary Fiber 10g
Sugars 1g	Sugars 2.3g	Sugards 24g
Protein 7.94g	Protein 6.3g	Protein 12g

*Since the pulled pork is my own recipe, I could not find exact data. 

Banana Republic sale

Today only, 25% entire purchase (including sale items)

Use code BRSAVE25

Love this "sweater jacket" in beautiful orange!

Black Flat Boots

Why is this so hard?  I have been trying to find black flat boots for months now.  I thought it was going to be much easier, but no.  Here are some of the "swing-and-a-miss" boots.

Chinese Laundry Women's Triple Play, $98.00

Verdict: The leather feels cheap and the ankle was too slouchy. Immediately returned.

Thought I would set it up and pay more for better quality. 

dv by dolce vita Women's Lujuan, $209.00

Verdict: While these were definitely better quality and the leather was much sturdier, the ankle was still too slouchy. Plus the calf area was too small. I never have problems with boots fitting around my calves... until I ordered these. Immediately returned.

Mia Shoes, Roadster Tall Boots , $99

Verdict: I liked these boots but they were a little too 'biker' for my everyday style. They would definitely look great with jeans or leggings , but I don't really seem them working with tights + dress/skirt.

Kohl's SONOMA life + style Tall Boots, $54.99

Verdict: I don't even want to talk about these. They were a hot mess.

On a somewhat unrelated note (related because it's about boots but unrelated because they are not flats), I found these Steve Madden wedge boots and absolutely love them.  They are so comfortable and look great with skinny jeans.

Madden Girl by Steve Madden, 'Vektor'

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. These are the boots that I really want.

Frye Women's Paige Tall Riding, $349

 They are $350. I am starting to think it's worth the cost though. Maybe it's me being too picky about my boots.  I have a pair of tan boots that I bought from Target last year and have worn a billion times.  They were definitely worth the $40.  But I want genuine leather since I know I will be wearing the black boots more often and, hopefully, to work.  What is a girl to do?!  First world problems (as my hubby always says)!

Happy New Year!

Holiday Cheer

Stockings are hung, shopping is done, gifts are wrapped.... well, not really. I haven't really started wrapping anything yet.  But I think I am still pretty ahead of the game!  I am running to Michael's today to pick up some last minute decorations and saw these beautiful pictures.  Thought I would share :)

Some DIY projects:

Source: craftrookie.blogspot.com via SweetAdeline on Pinterest

Now, I just need a baby... or just baby feet!

Love these cupcakes.  And so easy!

Source: karaspartyideas.blogspot.com via Anna on Pinterest

Source: deckthehalls-christmas.blogspot.com via Anita on Pinterest

Source: instructables.com via Jane on Pinterest

And some not so DIY-friendly projects :)

Source: designindulgences.com via Kristi on Pinterest

Pottery Barn Star Mirrors can be used any time of year.

Source: potterybarn.com via CindyOrris on Pinterest

And now, for my own little Christmas tree and holiday cheer. Happy holidays all!

If you can't tell from the picture, she was not amused.

My Holiday Wishlist

With Christmas only a few days away, I thought I'd put together my holiday wishlist (hubby, hint hint!).

1. Fujifilm Instax Mini (Amazon)

2. Melissa Button boot by Frye (Nordstrom)

3. Michael Kors iPad case (Michael Kors)

4. Florence & The Machine, Cermonials (Amazon)

5. Bare Escentuals Putting on the Glitz set (Sephora)

6. Marc Jacobs Wallet (Polyvore)

75% there

As you may have noticed, I've been MIA lately.  We became homeowners and then went on vacation a week later (not really planned well!).  Then when we came back, it was time to unpack, paint, order new furniture, hang frames, and so on and so on and so on.  And I emphasize 'so on'!  It's been a lot of work over the past 4 weeks so blogging has fallen by the wayside.  But I happy to report that we are about 75% of the way there.  Yahoo!  I will be posting pictures soon.

Still on the list is a dining room table (which we have ordered but has not yet arrived), office desk and chair, rugs and a vanity for the bedroom (still debating this).  My main focus at this moment (and I mean today since apparently I have developed ADD) is getting a rug for the main living/dining area and a runner.  Here are some of the ones I have been eying.

This one is my favorite but it's almost $500 for 5'x8'.  Eek!

Allendale

Much less expensive but not as colorful.

Overstock.com

This one is a little too light, but still could work.

Allendale

Target

The Target rug is the most affordable, but I am not sure how I feel about it.  It's pretty busy.  I did buy the doormat version of this rug this weekend, and while it's a different pattern, it has the same coloring, so I will see if I want to take the plunge and buy the Big Guy.

Holiday Attire

So many holiday parties, no few outfits!  I have 2 parties this week/weekend, and I still don't know what to wear.  Well, I do know what I want to wear, but I don't think I can afford it all! A girl can dream.

Holiday Parties by decoranddior