Taking The Plunge

 

I'm so excited to share my first of three looks from my newest partnership with Tobi! If you haven't heard of Tobi yet, you're totally missing out - it's an online women's fashion boutique with the cutest clothes at an affordable price, and the quality is excellent! Plus new customers get 50% off their first purchase! Yes, you read that right - 50% off!!! Shop my summer favorites: crop tops, maxi dresses, rompers!

Plunging necklines are one of those trends that walk the line of sexy and slutty. Being small busted, I love to channel my inner Kate Hudson and rock a deep v (with plenty of double-sided tape!) To dress down this flirty ruffled romper, I paired it with my suede fringe sandals and yellow bucket bag, that I finally managed to scoop up from Zara after it went out of stock back to back!

 

{outfit details}

Printed Tie-Front Romper - Tobi c/o || Yellow Bucket Bag - Zara || Suede Fringe Sandals - T.J. Maxx (similar sandals here) || Honey Wayfarers - Ray-Ban (more wayfarers here) || Lipstick - Maybelline "coral burst" || Nail Polish - Essie "fear or desire"

 

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Peanut Butter Cookies with Reese's Pieces & Chocolate Chips

I LOVE peanut butter! I could seriously just eat it out of the jar with a spoon, so naturally I love peanut butter cookies. When I came across this recipe on pinterest, I almost started drooling - peanut butter cookies loaded with chocolate chips & Reese's pieces (my second favorite candy behind Reese's peanut butter cups!) They turned out so delicious...thick and soft with creamy peanut butter, melty chocolate and crunchy Reese's pieces. I doubled the original recipe, which made about 5 dozen, plenty for my family & my co-workers. See the single batch recipe below.

ingredients

 1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 butter (1 stick), softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup Reese's pieces
1 cup chocolate chips

directions
{1}
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer, combine brown sugar, butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until light & fluffy.
{2}
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add flour, baking soda, salt and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
{3}
Add Reese's piece & chocolate chips. Blend until mixed throughout.
{4}
Using a cookie scoop (I used a 1-inch),  place cookie dough on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Softly flatten the dough with the palm of your hand.
{5}
Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then remove from baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing - or in my case, before I eat them all :)

Elephants



 

Warm weather has arrived in Florida, which means little dresses are the first thing I reach for  when temps go over 80! Newchic sent me a few items to share on my blog, but unfortunately a lot of the pieces were very poor quality. This elephant printed dress however totally worked! The silhouette is simple, the cotton is lightweight, and the built-in mixed prints make it fool-proof. I added a wood bangle (worn pushed up on my forearm), a fringe bucket bag & a messy side braid for a bohemian vibe.

 

{outfit details}

Navy Elephant Printed Dress - Newchic c/o || Cognac Peep-Toe Booties - Steve Madden (cute booties here) || Cream Leather Fringe Bucket Bag - Joie (more bucket bags here) || Brown Leather Belt - Express (similar) || Wood Bangle - Dillard's || Tortoise Sunglasses - Warby Parker (great sunnies here) || Lipstick - MAC "ravishing" || Nail Polish - Essie "big spender"

 

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Cauliflower Fried "Rice"



 I started following a paleo diet about a month ago - not necessarily to lose weight, but simply to live a healthier lifestyle. I love the results: I feeling great, have more energy, and slimming down a few pounds is always a nice bonus. But rest assured, not all of my recipes shared here on the blog will turn healthy/paleo - I will continue cooking delicious pastas & baking sinful desserts to share! I still enjoy my cheat meal once a week (and fully indulge with no regrets!) but my weeknight dinners are filled with veggies & protein. I stumbled across this cauliflower fried "rice" recipe which is ideal for Meatless Mondays. It's so easy to make and tastes even better than Chinese takeout. 

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower (about 2 1/2 cups chopped in a food processor)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 onion, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

6 large carrots, chopped

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (vary depending on taste)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

Directions

{1}

Rinse & chop the cauliflower into florets and put in a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower is tiny and resembles rice.

{2}

Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Drizzle sesame oil and add onion, peas & carrots, and fry until tender.

{3}

Slide veggies around to the sides of the pan and pour eggs in the center. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, combine with the onion, peas and carrots.

{4}

Add the cauliflower to the veggie and egg mixture. Add scallions. Pour soy sauce on top and stir fry until heated through and cauliflower is tender. Serve warm & enjoy!

MC-gram

Little Instagram roundup from the last month. Follow along for more behind-the-scenes & sneak peeks of upcoming outfits! 

Instagram @meghanconard

Snapchat @meghanconard

{throwback to these yellow bow heels - worn in this outfit post}

{weekends were made for enjoying a gin martini in the jacuzzi}

{celebrating my college roomie & sorority sister Erika at her bridal shower}

{cheat meal heaven = sushi at my favorite restaurant}

{this owl mug makes me happy every morning}

{FSU garnet & gold game with Greg}

Frilly & Flirty



My sister generously gave me a Free People gift card for Christmas, which of course I promptly spent by the end of the day. I fell in love with this white lace off-the-shoulder top but it's been taunting me hanging in my closet since December, begging to be worn. Now that it's spring, it's the perfect time to bring out this frilly & flirty little number.

 

{outfit details}

Off-The-Shoulder Top - Free People (more off-the-shoulder tops here) || Printed Silk Shorts - Joie (similar shorts here) || Heels - Herve Leger (last seen) || Bag - Dooney & Bourke (similar) || Blue Mirrored Aviators - Ray-Ban (more mirrored sunnies here) || Watch - Michael Kors (white hot watches here) || Nail Polish - Essie "big spender" || Lipstick - Maybelline "coral burst"

 

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Carrot Cake Smoothie

I love protein shakes for breakfast (see my other versions here & here). This carrot cake smoothie is slightly sweet but still super healthy, with a full serving of both veggies & fruit.

Ingredients

1 cup baby carrots

1 banana

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

8-12 ice cubes

Directions

In a blender, combine banana, baby carrots and almond milk and grate until carrots are no longer chunky. Add protein powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ice. Blend until your desired consistency is achieved. I prefer my smoothie thick more like a milkshake so I use a lot of ice. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top & enjoy!

Frolic

 

I can never get enough of the 70's trends, so the second I saw this bell-sleeve beauty, I knew it had to be mine. I love the peace sign straps on the back which add a unique and interesting detail. I paired the top with denim cut-offs, my studded olive booties, and DIY choker for a casual bohemian look.

This shoot was one of our most fun to date. I mean, twirling in a field of wildflowers is pretty amazing. I don't brag on Greg as often as he deserves but I'm so lucky to have such a supportive man in my life. Anytime I ask him to take outfit photos, his response is always "anything I can do to help." When you find someone who says your dreams are his dreams, you know you found a keeper.

This week was a stressful one and I'm so glad it's finally Friday! Greg and I will be attending to the Florida State spring football game on Saturday, and I'm looking forward to tailgating in garnet & gold and watching my Noles. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

 

{outfit details}

Bell-Sleeve Top - Patrons of Peace (more bell-sleeves here) || Denim Cut-Offs - Zara (similar options) || Olive Studded Booties - Gianni Bini (last worn here) || Choker Necklace - DIY (cute chokers here) || Aviators - Ray-Ban || Nail Polish - Essie "big spender" || Lipstick - Maybelline "coral burst"

 





 

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