J.Crew Factory

Girls Weekend and Indy’s Bacon Fest!

~ reallifesparkle ~ Leave a comment

There’s nothing better than a weekend with your besties, am I right? The weekend kicked off at my house on Friday night with wine, cheese, masks, nail painting, and all sorts of other girly fun together.

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I love a good spread of meats, cheeses, hummus, fruits, and veggies. They’re easy to pull together, and they never fail to look fancy without too much effort (you know, when you actually bother to put the hummus and salsa in bowls instead of leaving them in their plastic Trader Joe’s containers – whoops). This ended up being our dinner for the evening, paired with a few bottles of wine, of course. Then came face masks, painting our nails, and a Hulu marathon while my husband hid out at let us do our thing.

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We knew Saturday would be full of food at Indy’s Bacon Fest, but that didn’t stop us from starting it off with a breakfast of toasted bagels, avocado, and a lesson in poaching eggs from my friend Erin. I can’t wait to see how many eggs I ruin trying to recreate this little bit of heaven, but I’m obsessed with a good runny yolk and anything avocado, so it’ll be worth the effort.

The main event for the day was Indy’s Bacon Fest, an event featuring bacon and “pork inspired” products from 20 local restaurants, beer from a local brewery, and so much deliciousness. It was the second year of the event, and I’m SO PROUD of my sister’s best friend, who has organized the whole thing both years. Baconfest-SarahKristiBaconfest-shirtBaconfest-MeSarah2Baconfest-girlsfood

Have I ever mentioned that one of my husband’s favorite things is a photobomb? All. The. Time. The day included samples like BBQ Sorghum Glazed Bacon from Bent Rail Brewery, Bacon Glaze Donuts from Jack’s Donuts, a Potato Bacon Terrine from Union 50 (my favorite of the day), and so many other amazing things. We were absolutely stuffed trying everything, but luckily it was a perfect 60 degree day that allowed us to go sit outside on the patio and enjoy an afternoon in the sun – so rare for Indianapolis in January!

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Don’t worry, that Indiana Pork tattoo on my sister is temporary…even though we may have tried to tell our mom it wasn’t. Our beers for the day were from Tow Yard Brewing Company, and I was a big fan of the Goldie Hops Golden Ale.

My striped shirt is on sale for less than $15 at Gap, my blanket scarf is probably one of my most-worn accessories, and of course, I think I’ve made my feelings about my Pixie pants pretty clear by now. Kaitlin’s buffalo plaid vest is also on markdown right now at J.Crew with an extra 40% off, and I love it so much I may need one of my own.

After Indy’s Bacon Fest, we took a nice (long) walk in the gorgeous weather to Hotel Tango, a craft distillery that’s one of our favorite places to grab a cocktail. Although we intended to go out to dinner and out on the town Saturday night, we ended up ordering in Thai food and keeping things pretty low key. We did learn that the whole use white wine to get out spilled red wine thing really does work though. Life lessons.

Our weekends together are my favorite, and it felt like forever since our last visit after the summer full of wedding festivities meant lots of play dates. Weekends with your college girlfriends are like food for your soul. Can’t wait for the next one!

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OOTD 1.20.2016

~ reallifesparkle ~ 2 Comments

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Wednesday in January calls for some fuchsia gingham, don’t you think? We woke up to a winter wonderland (and all sorts of traffic), so I figured a little bight pink couldn’t hurt. My top is an old one from C.Wonder (sigh, still sad they aren’t around anymore), but I’m a big believer that gingham is always in style. I’m also a big believer in cardigans, as evidenced by the drawer I have with a full rainbow of them. I worked at Ann Taylor Loft right after graduating from college, which both fed my addiction and gave me a solid collection to build on that’s still going strong. My skirt is a winter go-to wool mini from J.Crew Factory – this one is a little darker, but pretty close and on solid markdown. Add on a sparkly necklace (an oldy-but-a-goody from BaubleBar) and earrings, cable knit tights, and my beloved over-the-knee boots, and I was good to go.

Despite the crazy weather, I thought it’d be a good idea to curl my day-two hair, but it seems my hair had other ideas, so into a ponytail it went. My hair is super straight and baby fine, so figuring out just the right way to curl it has been a battle I’ve been fighting for most of my life. When we had to have a full head of curls for show choir in high school, it required sleeping in hot rollers the night before to get the curls to last through prelims, and even then, a touchup was required before finals at night. A battle, I tell you. I’ve found I have great luck when I use my tapered curling wand, but when I want bigger curls, my standard 1.5 inch barreled curling iron just doesn’t seem to hold the curls. I’ve eyed a few 1-inch wands, but can’t bring myself to bite the bullet on price. I know I will, it’s just a matter of figuring out which one is really worth it. Do you have any favorites?

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I’m SO excited that these beauties showed up in the mail today (with a little help from my Mom – thanks, Mom!), so it looks like I’ll be finding a way to work in some hot pink tomorrow too…and maybe even the day after that…

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Slow Cooker Sunday and A Day Off

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I mentioned yesterday (That’s right, yesterday. Two days in a row, look at me go!) that my sister and her fiancé were coming over for dinner. The temps outside were single digit with an even colder wind chill, so I was determined to not leave the house and make something that would feel warm and cozy. I’m a HUGE fan of the slow cooker. It’s a great way to make a stress-free meal that’s cost-effective and delicious, and the leftovers are great to freeze so you don’t have to worry about dinner some night in the future. There’s nothing better than coming home to your house smelling like someone’s been cooking all day, and the only real effort expended was dumping in the ingredients before you leave for work that morning. Easy, right?

A big batch of red beans and smoked sausage sounded like the perfect meal for the bitter cold day. I like this recipe courtesy of Plain Chicken, and you’ll probably have most of the ingredients around already. I know, I said we ate red beans and rice last Sunday at our friend’s restaurant, it’s just that great for when it’s cold out.

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You may notice the bell pepper from the recipe is missing. We didn’t have one, but as I mentioned, I was determined to not leave the house, so we did without. It still tasted amazing, even though I realize this was probably a cardinal sin of cajun cooking. Also not pictured is the hot sauce I added. We like the extra heat, so how much you add is up to you. Instead of dicing the onion, I threw it in the food processor with a clove of garlic (not required, but garlic is never a bad addition), so it would all just kind of melt together. The recipe says andouille sausage, but we had smoked sausage and that’s what we used.

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There’s no pre-soaking needed for the beans, so it’s just everything in for 8 – 10 hours on low. If you’re around, give it an occasional stir, but if not, it’ll be just fine until you get home. Much to my Texan husband’s delight, I also took this opportunity to make my first ever round of cornbread in a cast iron skillet. Seasoning the cast iron was an adventure of a story for a different day, but we survived, the oven survived, and the cornbread turned out pretty great too.

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Throw a pot of rice on the stove, and you’re good to go. My husband even made a pitcher of  sweet tea for good, extra-Southern measure.

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Amazing. We still added extra hot sauce on top, because like I said, we like the heat. So stick-to-your-ribs perfect. Normally we have lots of leftovers to eat on and freeze, but sharing cut down on the extras a bit this time. Don’t worry, the company was worth it!

Today, I went to lunch and shopping with my mom and sister since we all had the day off, and it was another COLD day. A freezing-doesn’t-even-begin-to-cover-it day.

It was a day of layers upon layers, and then a vest and a scarf on top for good measure. My jeans (look – no leggings!), flannel, and sweater are all J.Crew Factory. The flannel and sweater aren’t exact links, but are pretty close, and the pearls are now at J.Crew Factory and on sale. My vest is the ever-popular herringbone vest from J.Crew Factory (mine is gray, but it looks like black is all that’s left), and my scarf was a steal from Forever 21. It’s no longer available in the cream, but it’s so cozy, I’d definitely recommend the gray. My earrings are a fun monogrammed favorite from Marley Lilly.

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Today’s post was written to the sounds of the Eagles in memory of Glenn Frey. Our house was always full of music as a kid, and the Eagles were a staple. I’ve known the words to almost every Eagles song for pretty much my whole life. My husband loves music, although he isn’t much for knowing the words to any song, and comes from a similar background in terms of a childhood full of classic rock and the Eagles. Their music is a constant in our own house, we introduced our parents at a summer performance of Eagles music by the Indianapolis Symphony at Symphony on the Prairie, and we incorporated Eagles music into the seating playlist at our wedding. My husband was lucky enough to sit front row at an Eagles concert in high school, but unfortunately, I’ll never get my bucket list experience of seeing them live now. A true loss to the music world. Take it easy.

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One of those weeks…

~ reallifesparkle ~ Leave a comment

You know those weeks when you have big plans laid out, then life kicks your butt, and you’re just happy if you can pick out clothes that sort of match? Yeah, it was one of those.

Working late every night meant blogging took a serious backseat, but then again, that’s part of why this one has “real life” in the title…it’s going to happen. On weeks like this, my priority is to actually find time to have real conversations with my husband, preserve my sanity, and get some sleep. During these weeks, I try to remind myself that I’m lucky to have a job that has allowed me to pay off my car and for us to by a house, and just give myself a lot of room for grace.

I had every intention of doing a post or two this week, took pictures and everything…they just never made it up on the blog. I never really intended for OOTDs to all be on one giant post, but since I haven’t had time, this will unfortunately be another week of grouped pics.

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I was nervous about the over-the-knee boot trend at first, but when I found a pair at H&M for $60 this fall, I decided to give them a whirl. Short answer: I’m obsessed. Seriously, some OTK boots and red lipstick, and you’ll feel like you can rule the world. Pairing them with black tights, a tweed skirt, a “sweater set,” and my favorite pearls from J.Crew (they’re at J.Crew Factory now, on sale!) helps tone them down enough for the office without being too over-the-top.

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Polka dot pants are a good way to add fun to your work wear, and Old Navy’s Pixie pants are a favorite. I know, I know, another pixie pant…it must be the name! I have a few pairs from Old Navy in solid colors and these polka dot gems, but the price can’t be beat and they’re so versatile.

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The Friday of a long week meant I was ready for a comfy swing dress, faux fur vest (not sure this is my exact one from H&M, but its a steal nonetheless), my OTK boots, and another Kendra Scott favorite. My swing dress was from Old Navy this past fall and doesn’t seem to be around anymore, but I’ve seen them around from other brands/stores for pretty cheap. My outfit was intended to be a day-to-night date night outfit…but then we both worked too late and ended up at Five Guys instead. It happens.

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Our only Saturday plans were to pick up patio furniture my aunt and uncle were getting rid of (high five for free furniture!), so leggings, a boyfriend tee, comfy cable sweater, and boots were all I needed. I’m still working on not washing my hair every day, and let’s be honest, who hasn’t hid their day-two hair with a headband? This one was beaded, so it makes me feel like it at least looks like I tried. Flowers in the background courtesy of my sweet husband who knew I was having a rough week…working on actually decorating our room is a project on the agenda for this year.

Today is a slow cooker Sunday, and my sister and her fiancé are coming over for dinner, recipe to come. I’m off tomorrow thanks to a girl’s weekend that’s since been rescheduled, so here’s hoping this week benefits from a slower start thanks to a long, relaxing, and snowy weekend.

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OOTDs and De-Christmas-ing

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We took down all of our Christmas decorations today, which means we’re officially counting the days until the warm weather returns. The house feels naked, so I guess that means I better start getting my decorating and DIY on to fill our very blank walls and mantle. Projects and results, coming soon.

I also had every intention of finishing up some grocery shopping today, but after a New Year’s party at our friends’ AMAZING Cajun restaurant, the only thing we were ready for was a nap. Winter officially hit Indy with our first “big” snow of the year, and what better way to spend a snow day than with a tummy full of hush puppies, red beans, and shrimp étouffée. After all of that, we weren’t exactly feeling like a trip to Trader Joe’s or Coscto like we’d planned, so a nap was necessary. If you’re ever looking for good Cajun/Creole in Indy, hit up Mudbugs in Carmel. You won’t be disappointed!

Luckily, my husband has tomorrow off and volunteered to take care of the rest of the shopping, so look for recipes to start making an appearance. Until then, I have OOTDs that I had every intention of posting this week, but as can happen around here, the week got a little too busy, and I didn’t get a chance to share.  OOTD 01072016

Thursday was a glimmer of warm hope before the cold hit, but those are sheer tights with a little bit of texture, not bare legs. My skirt is an old find from the J.Crew sale room, but you can find the same style either at J.Crew or J.Crew Factory pretty much year round (I linked one that’s almost identical – and on sale!). I’m OBSESSED with J.Crew Factory, and when you sign up for their emails, you can often get things for 50% off, so there are some pretty great bargains.

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My office doesn’t do casual Friday, so the closest I can get are skinny black chino-esque pants (I promise they aren’t leggings) that were another amazing J.Crew sale room find last year. They don’t seem to be around anymore, but searching the J.Crew website for the “Dannie” style leads me to these, which makes me think they’re the replacements. Watch for them to go on sale or buy at full price, because if they’re anything like these, they’ll become staples in your wardrobe (I also have mine in navy). My top is a tunic from J. Crew Factory that I loved so much, I also bought it in cream. It also appears to be on clearance right now. My camel blazer was another sale find at Gap a couple years ago, but luckily a good camel blazer never goes out of style. The Kendra Scott earrings are such go-tos, I’m very seriously thinking about investing in another pair, because you’ll notice I wear them A LOT. My other jewelry staple you’ll be seeing a lot of is my monogram necklace from Marley Lilly. It’s so much of a staple, I had this one with my married initials ready and waiting to replace my old one literally as soon as we walked down the aisle.

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Freezing cold and snow today meant I was back to my beloved Pixie pants in charcoal and a cozy sweater from Old Navy. When it comes to finding things at a great price, I’m a big fan of Old Navy. And of course, there are my Kendra Scott earrings again. The one thing I don’t wear my heavy earrings like these without are these little guys to help take some of the weight off of your lobes. They make a HUGE difference in keeping me comfortable when wearing a statement earring, and help protect your lobes from tearing.

I’m starting an experiment with trying to get away from washing my hair every day. My hair is baby fine, so it’s always seemed like if I didn’t wash every day, I just felt like a big greasy, stringy mess. My hope is to cut down on the static and dryness this part of winter seems to bring, so we’ll see how this goes. My hair on Thursday was actually my first time intentionally wearing day 2 hair to work, and I feel like it was a success. I’ll share my results and products used soon.

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