Fall Wish List

Happy Fall! Today is the first day of fall so I guess this post worked out to post today even though I have been planning on posting this for days now. A pipe in my apartment wall burst over the weekend and flooded my kitchen. So needless to say things have been a bit crazy and my life feels like it is in shambles lol. So glad I am finally getting around to post this. I love cozy fall pieces but this year I am definitely attracted to more loungewear pieces as I am working from home. I am loving all the animal print and tan colors!

White J Crew Factory Blouse // J Crew Factory Cheetah Sweater // Dudley Stephens Turtleneck // Old Navy Printed Blouse // Dolce Vita Sneakers // Old Navy Sports Bra // J Crew Denim Shirt // Impeccable Pig Shorts // Red Dress Boutique Dress // J Crew Factory Printed Leggings // Abercrombie Printed Pullover // Abercrombie White Pullover // Target Black Slides // Target Animal Printed Mules 

How I Adopted My Corgi & Advice After One Year

Yesterday marked one year since I adopted my Corgi Cooper! A few weeks ago I posted my must have dog products but I never really shared the story of how I adopted him. So today I thought I would do just that. I also am going to include some advice I learned along the way in this post as well. 

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale & Wishlist

The Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is tomorrow morning at 8am until Tuesday night. This is the latest it has ever been at the end of the summer. It is also only two days instead of the 3-4 it usually is. They did have a smaller sale in the middle of the summer during quarantine so I am not sure what to expect from this sale. I have no clue what the selection will be like. I also usually go in with a list of items I am looking for after trying on items throughout the summer. I have only been to one Lilly store this summer so I don't have a ton of things I am really wanting. I also didn't wear much Lilly this summer so if anything I am looking for more tops and less dresses. I did create a small wish list of things that I am hoping are maybe on sale! Not all of this I would actually buy but more interested to see if its included. What items are you hoping to get in the sale? 

If you need more info about this sale check out this FAQ page! 

 

Alisa Wrap Dress // Mariella Top // Danette Sweater // Avena Top // Trisha Dress // Idara Top // Captain Popover // Headband // Francis Top // Tatum Cardigan // Crista Midi Dress 

My Go To Dinner Recipes (Dairy & Gluten Free) - Part 2

Back at the beginning of Covid, I shared a list of my favorite go-to recipes that I always reach for when looking for what to make. I have discovered quite a few amazing new recipes that I have added to my dinner rotation. Since Covid I have definitely been eating more at home so I have been able to try lots of new recipes. Just like the last posts all these recipes are easy to follow and can be modified to be gluten & dairy-free! 

Check out my original list here

1. Elevated Hamburger Helper // OMG I have made this at least three times and I love it because it has amazing flavor and is pretty easy to do. I had tried to make a goulash recipe a few months back and it did not turn out it was just too bland. This is the complete opposite of bland. I follow the recipe exactly and use the Jovial brown rice elbow pasta the recipe calls for. Since you are not boiling the pasta in water but instead you let the pasts soak up the beef broth I am afraid to use a different kind of GF pasta in case it would not work with this method. This step I think is key to it having lots of flavor. I usually add a little bit of non-dairy milk and for cheese, I use this Violife non-dairy cheese. 

Image source 

Life Lately (August in Review)

I have a ton of fun blog post ideas coming up that I am excited about! Today I thought I would share some photos I haven't shared yet that are from the past month. I did something similar back in July and I thought it was a fun post to update you on my life and share some pictures. Krista also recently did a similar post that I enjoyed reading. 

August started off very slow and quiet but it turned into a really great month with friends and I tried a few new restaurants. Even though I started off the month feeling a bit off I ended the month excited for the next few months and I am motivated to make the best of what the year has left even though this year has not been what I (or anyone) expected. 

I tried a new restaurant for lunch with a friend out in Frisco. It is called Heirloom Hall and it is a small cafe and lunch spot in with a thrift store. The food was really good and the place was super cute inside. I had a glass of froze and salad/sandwich combo. They had GF bread which was a nice bonus. I also tried their chocolate covered strawberries which were just as good. This place was the perfect afternoon lunch spot! 

August Favorites

Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope everyone has plans to take some time, relax and enjoy the outdoors. I am headed to a friends place for the night. Which I excited to get away from my apartment for the night. Another new month means another new month of favorites... 

 

1. Waterloo Peach // I tried this brand of sparking water in watermelon and didn't love it but when I saw this peach flavor at Whole Foods it sounded very refreshing. This flavor tastes exactly like peach and I love it! I love peach tea but this is a much healthy alternative. 

Book Review: Such A Fun Age

This past month I have been doing a fair bit of reading between sitting at the pool, spending time at the beach and while traveling. I have another book review today for a novel from Reese's book list. I would love any recommendations you have for books I should read next! 

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid 

  
Overview: This is Kiley's first novel which is about a young black woman Emira who nannies part-time for a well off white family. One night at the supermarket Emira is confronted by a store employee because of how she is dressed. While the family tries to fix the situation Emira comes to realize some hard realities about the family she is working for. There are lots of truths that are uncovered on both sides as both Emira and the family struggle with what the truth really is. 
Review: I can't put my finger on exactly why I didn't love this book but I felt it was lacking a bit. While the plot was interesting it kind of moved a bit slow to me. The book kept my interest enough to keep reading it but it didn't get overly juicy I didn't think until about halfway through. I will say that I had no clue how the book was going to end which definitely made me want to keep reading. There were also points in the plot where I didn't know where the plot was exactly going. I will say the author did a really good job of making me feel and see each character's point of view. This story is what I would consider a coming of age store but it has deep roots tied to race that makes it more complex. The race piece made the story very eye-opening and confusing. Every time I thought one thing I would read another character viewpoint on the incident and be more confused about who was in the "right". While I would not say this was my all-time favorite book it did get me thinking of what other books I want to read around this topic of race and how complex it really is. 
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 ⭐