Red Carpet Style: Oscars 2016

The Oscars red carpet is always my favorite. It's the most glamorous event and last night's fashion did not disappoint! I loved all the color, plunging necklines & cut outs, but the jewelry sealed the deal for a lot of the looks. There were quite a few gowns that made my heart skip a beat but I managed to narrow them down to my Top 5 for Best Dressed. Check out my picks below - the last star was a huge surprise for me! Who was your fave?

{Charlize Theron in Dior}

{Naomi Watts in Armani Privé}

{Cate Blanchett in Armani}

{Rooney Mara in Givenchy}

{Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell}

images via

Olive Green

 

My go-to weekend outfit always involves a great pair of cut-off shorts. While my style is casual by nature, simple substitutions (such as a button down rather than a v-neck tee and peep-toe booties instead of flip flops) can completely transform a look from grocery store grunge to casual chic. I think of olive green as a neutral and this shirt is one of my favorites, mostly because it makes my hazel eyes look really green. What is your weekend uniform?

{outfit details}

Olive Green Button Down - Zara (similar / last worn here) || Cut-Off Denim Shorts - Forever 21 (similar) || Tortoise Sunglasses - Warby Parker || Brown Leather Belt - Express (similar) || Leather Satchel - Dooney & Bourke (new version) || Cognac Peep-Toe Booties - Steve Madden (similar / worn here too) || Tortoise Watch - Michael Kors || Lipstick - Revlon "siren" || Nail Polish - Essie "petal pushers"

 

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{How To} Bed Head Waves

 

I get so many questions from followers & friends about how I style my hair so I thought I should share a tutorial!
Read my steps below on how I achieve my everyday bed head waves.
You will need a 1-1/4-inch curling iron, dry shampoo. hairspray, and about 10-15 minutes to complete.

{Step 1}

Start with second-day hair - it's easier to style and will likely hold a curl longer. Add dry shampoo to the roots and work throughout by massaging scalp with fingertips. I like Dove's Dry Shampoo, which volumizes and doesn't leave that white residue.

{Step 2}

Wrap 1-inch sections of hair around a 1-1/4-inch curling iron. Curl it away from your face, and hold for about 30-50 seconds - my hair needs closer to 50 seconds since it doesn't hold a curl well. I took the clamp off of my curling iron to use it more like a wand (see the quick tutorial of that here!) I do the left side first, starting with the piece closest to my face and working my way to the back. Leave the bottom 1/2 inch of hair out to avoid damaging and causing split-ends.

{Step 3}

Spray the left side of curled hair with a medium to strong hold hairspray, depending on your hair type/preference. I've been using Pantene Anti-Humidity hairspray since moving back Florida! Then repeat Steps 2 and 3 on the right side of your hair.

{Step 4}

Next, I run my fingers through the curls to loosen them up a bit.

 {Step 5}

Lastly, I flip my hair upside and shake it by running my fingers through my roots to give it some volume. Flip hair back up for perfectly undone bed head waves.

Shrimp Penne with Mushrooms & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Three of my all-time favorite flavors are garlic, basil & sun-dried tomatoes. This pasta dish combines all of those plus baby bella mushrooms, plump shrimp and a creamy sun-dried tomato alfredo. It's so easy to make and pairs perfectly with homemade garlic bread to dunk in the sauce. 

Ingredients

1 box of penne pasta

1 bag of frozen shrimp, peeled & deveined 

3 garlic cloves, chopped

basil leaves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 package of baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 bag of sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut

2 cans of Classico -dried tomato alfredo sauce

olive oil

grated parmesan cheese
salt/pepper

Recipe

Cook pasta as directed on box. Heat up alfredo in a saucepan over low heat.

In a large skillet, sauté onion, mushrooms & sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil over medium-high heat.

In another pan, drizzle a little olive oil and throw shrimp in to cook over medium heat just until they become pink & tender. Season shrimp with salt & pepper. Add garlic & basil to the onion, mushroom, sun-dried tomato mixture and stir together until all flavors are combined. After pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and pour into a large bowl. Add sauce, shrimp, and veggies and mix everything together. Top with fresh parmesan cheese. Enjoy with a glass of wine!

Tied Up

 

I love black & white just as much as the next girl, but to make an outfit feel unique, it's all about the details. This white lace up shirt from Choies kicks classic up a notch with a sexy spin. I'm obsessed with all of the 70's fashion trends and lace up is no exception. I scored these faded black jeans at a sample sale while I was living in LA. I randomly picked them up while digging through the racks and threw them onto the rapidly growing pile in my arms. As soon as I zipped them up in the dressing room, I swear I could hear "hallelujah" playing from the heavens - they fit me perfectly, almost as if they were made for me with my exact measurements! I've always struggled finding jeans (petite, small waist, big booty) but Current/Elliott denim fits me in all the right places! To keep the rest of this look streamlined, I added barely-there strappy heels and a matching lip & bag.

 

{outfit details}

White Lace Up Shirt - Choies c/o || Faded Black Skinnies - Current/Elliott (similar / last worn here) || Aviator Sunglasses - Ray-Ban || Red Leather Satchel - Tory Burch (similar / last seen) || Black Strappy Heels - Zara (similar / worn here & here) || Lipstick - MAC "vegas volt"

 

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Red Carpet Style: Grammy Awards 2016

I always look forward to the Grammy red carpet since it's typically the event that stars take the most fashion risks. While I wasn't completely wowed with the gowns from Monday night, there were some looks I loved. I was disappointed that Rihanna didn't show since she usually slays! Check out my picks for Best Dressed below. Who was your favorite?

Best Risk

{Ciara in Alexandre Vauthier}

Best Glam

{Carrie Underwood in Nicolas Jebran}

Best Color

{Taylor Swift in Atelier Versace}

 Best Jumpsuit

 {Kaley Cuoco in Naeem Khan}

Best Couple 

{Chrissy Tiegen in Yousef Al-Jasmi & John Legend in Gucci}

Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

What I look forward to most on the weekends is enjoying a cup of coffee with Greg in the morning. It's such a simple thing, but I took it for granted when we lived together. Since moving back to Florida, we landed jobs in different cities and are currently enduring what I call "short distance." We see each other only on weekends, which is tolerable compared to our previous year-long stint of California-Florida long distance where a date would consist of watching a movie & eating dinner through Skype (romantic right?) 

We aren't big on Valentine's Day and always opt for something low key. To make our usual Sunday morning routine a little more special, I made a cinnamon crumb coffee cake using this recipe. The cake was fluffy and light with sweet cinnamon & brown sugar crumbs - so delicious!

Check out the amazing health benefits of cinnamon & more here!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon flour, for coating the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 and 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, firm & cold
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
{1}
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle the bottom with 1 tablespoon of flour and tap out the excess.
{2}
Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter in very small pieces using a fork until the mixtures resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup of the flour mixture.
{3}
In a stand mixer, add baking powder and baking soda to the remaining flour mixture. Add the buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Vigorously mix everything together until the batter resembles frosting (about 2 minutes). Spoon batter into the prepared springform pan, smoothing the top.
{4}
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the reserved flour mixture. Toss with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle the crumbs over the batter, pressing lightly so they stick.
{5}
Bake the cake for 50-58 minutes until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean - mine took 55 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove sides of the springform pan and allow cake to cool completely before serving. Enjoy with a cup of coffee!

Stripes + Maxi

 

 When most people think of a maxi skirt, they automatically relate it to spring & summer, but I think they work equally as well in the cooler months - just mix up a few of the style elements. Florida isn't that chilly, so I swapped my usual crop top for a long-sleeved striped tee. You could also add a denim jacket, plaid scarf & ankle booties to make this look more cold-weather appropriate.

 

{outfit details}

Long-Sleeved Striped Shirt - Zara (similar / last worn here and here) || Black Maxi Skirt - Express (similar / seen here too) || Tortoise Sunglasses - Warby Parker (last seen) || Orange Bucket Bag - Choies c/o (last worn) || Brown Leather Belt - Express (similar / last seen) || Cognac Gladiator Sandals - Forever 21 (similar / worn here too) || Lipstick - MAC "kinda sexy"

 

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