Friday Favorites

photo credit

One of my sweet bridesmaids is coming to visit today, and I imagine we'll be whipping up our go-to meal for dinners together: Ina's Spring Green Risotto.

I'm easing into the coral lips trend with the affordable {4 bucks at Target!} Maybelline 'Coral Crush'. It's definitely an adjustment for me, but after seeing it on every model in J.Crew's gorgeous new catalog, I had to try it out!

 I bought this dress to wear to some beach weddings we have this summer, and now I'm wondering if there's too much white in it to be wedding-appropriate.  What are your thoughts?

 

I picked up two of these C. Wonder pillow covers from HauteLook's sale last week.  I missed out on them when C. Wonder was selling them, but since they were seriously marked down on HauteLook and I had some credits, I'm glad I waited!

 

And last, but certainly not least...Our city has a huge festival every year that features a parade. Along with one of my colleagues, I'm in charge of our company's parade.  My colleague e-mail me this morning with this little tidbit.  Now I was always a Zack Morris girl myself, but you better believe I'll be trying to get a picture with the one and only A.C. Slater!

Happy weekend!

Menu Monday

After a two-week hiatus, Menu Monday is back in business.  Things are crazy busy at work right now, so last week was all old-standby recipes {with one new "clean out the fridge" salad recipe for good measure}.  At the end of a long day, I was too tired to make a meal that I wasn't 100% sure would be 100% yummy.  These are meals that I know will deliver time and again.

 Mango Shrimp Salad {moi}

 

This was an off-the-cuff salad composed of what was in the fridge.  Arugula, red pepper, mango, pistachios, cucumber, and Old Bay-steamed shrimp.  The dressing was lime juice, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Very fresh and clean.

Ancho-Rubbed Flank Steak with Avocado Relish {Cooking Light May 2009}

 

 My adjustments: I add a little garlic powder to the rub mixture.  I use flat-iron steak instead of flank {it's cheaper, but very similar}.  After I rub the seasoning on the steak, I let it sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.  Same goes for the avocado relish.

Four-Cheese Roasted Vegetables and Simply Grilled Chicken {Sargento and Melissa D'Arabian}

 

 This meal is just so warm-weather friendly and it reminds me of my mom.  She always made these veggies for us growing up, and now I make them for my little family.  Let's face it: anything smothered in cheese is good! I don't use the full amount this recipe calls for. Two cups is a lot, even for me.  And my mom introduced me to this grilled chicken recipe last summer.  It is so simple, but SO flavorful! 

Spicy Black Bean Burgers {Eat, Live, Run}

 

 I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how frequently I make these burgers.  They are just so delicious and easy and good for you!  I think the key is letting them chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes; otherwise they tend to fall apart in the pan.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy {Cooking Light November 2010}

For last night's Mad Men premiere, I wanted to make something a little retro.  I picked this meal out of my recipe binder.  My only edits were to use herbs de Provence instead of generic mixed herbs in the potatoes {delicious}, I just steamed peas in the bag and tossed with butter, and I found that the patties needed to cook almost double the amount of time the recipe called for.  That part was kind of annoying, but otherwise, a very satisfying meal.  I also made Old-Fashioneds.  I think Don would approve.

Bon appetit!

Friday Favorites

 

I thought I'd try my hand at one of these Friday Favorites posts that seem to be so popular these days.

 Thank you so much for your sweet comments on Our Wedding post!  Because I can't help myself, here's one more picture.

I'm starting this workout on Monday. Although I'm skeptical as to whether or not I will lose an entire size in 2 weeks, it's a great way to get my booty in gear for spring and summer clothes.

 J.Crew

Hopefully said workout will have my legs looking hot in these cuties I picked up last weekend!

I'm a total The Hunger Games fangirl {M is taking me to see it on Sunday and I am so excited!} This Letterman interview solidified my girlcrush on Jennifer Lawrence. Doesn't she seem like someone you could totally be friends with?

 And since weekends are all about being a little decadent {but I still want to fit into those short shorts!}, here are some droolworthy Texas cheese fries, courtesy of Skinnytaste.

Happy weekend!

Blue and White Bedroom

 

When I saw this image in the April issue of Country Living, I'm pretty sure I audibly gasped.  Like many of you, I am a blue and white lover and this bedroom just looks like heaven to me.  The linens are so pretty and I assumed they were D. Porthault or something else out of my price range.

 

D. Porthault Coeurs Blue

 

D. Porthault Jete de Fleurs Blue

 

D. Porthault Trefles Blue

So imagine my delight when I discovered that they are from the Country Living for Sears line and a queen set {comforter, dust ruffle, and shams} was only $169.99! The magazine says it's not available for purchase until April 1, but I went on the Sears website anyways and discovered it's already for sale. And if you order today, you get an additional $10 off + free shipping with the code SAVEMORE. Done and done.

I've been trying to decide what to do with our bedroom for quite some time, and I'm hoping this is the answer. I can't wait to get these and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they're as pretty in person as they are in the magazine!

Neon Lust, Part Deux

Nine West Lookglobal Sandals

A much more budget-friendly version of last week's to-die-for Michael Kors sandals!  These are a great way to get on the neon bandwagon without spending a lot of money on a trend. Sadly my child-size ankles require adjustable straps, so these are a no-go for me.  If you get a pair, I'd love to see how they work for you!

Tote Bag

 

Embroidered Jute Tote by The Groovy Mommy

I gave each of my bridesmaids one of the above tote bags as their bridesmaid gift.  I purchased them in navy blue {one of our wedding colors} and had them embroidered with each lady's monogram in the Diamond Box font and Ivory thread color.  

I SO wish I had a good picture of the finished products, because they turned out beautifully and my gals loved them! They have a great coating on the inside of the bag that easily wipes clean and the size is perfect for everyday use.  At $28 including shipping and monogramming, these are a steal!

I finally got around to ordering one for myself with my new monogram this week and can't wait to use it this spring and summer for groceries, beach trips, etc.

Our Wedding

Menu Monday is getting ditched today in exchange for something much more fun {in my opinion}: our wedding!

Our wedding was featured on Snippet and Ink last Thursday, but I thought I'd share more pictures from our wonderful day.  Prepare yourself for photo overload!

 

It was truly our dream wedding!

*all photography by Cramer Photo and Lemon and Lavender