Weekend Links.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! In case you didn't hear, or were living under a rock for the last few days, Boston is set to get hit with an EPIC snowstorm in just a few hours. I, for one, could not be more excited! I know, I know, we are all supposed to be panicking and buying out the food from every aisle at the grocery, but as someone who has now been an east-coaster for over 12 years, I've learned that as long as you are safe, and inside, these things really can be a lot of fun. My little man (and husband) are pretty much jumping out of their skin, having waited over two years for a storm of this size! Our sleds are dusted off, snow clothes cleaned and ready, and Saturday morning you can bet that there is going to be some serious shredding done but the Anderson family. 

Here are a few links from around the web to keep you warm and toasty while you watch the snow fall. 

This made me laugh out loud, and is spot on when it comes to the media coverage around here!

In his spare time, my husband wrote a book. It's too bad I can't understand a word of it. 

The must have snow boot. I may only wear these a few times a year, but every time I slip them on, all I can think is thank goodness I have them!

In case shoveling snow isn't enough of an exercise, this 15 minute workout from Goop is awesome! I turned my mom on to it, and she's been sore for days!

The older I get, the more I find this to be true.

This is such a great read about the dining habits of french women v New Yorkers. Turns out French women can get fat too ;)

Continuing with my denim obsession, these jeans are haunting me. Pure perfection. I can promise you that they will be my first purchase when my year of not shopping is up. 

Speaking of ombre, I wonder if this at home coloring kit does what it says? I would be too chicken to try it, but I love the look!

Last night we watched Bourdain's Layover in Seattle, and now I am dying to have a party with a "real" cheese plate. This really simplifies things!

My friend sent me this a few months back, and I swear I have read it about a dozen times! Such a great reminder!

The card I expect to get from my hubby next Thursday.

In case you appreciate the holiday more than my love, here are a few gifts that any lady would be happy to receive. *feel free to email to partners everywhere!

a perfect nightshirt

forget chocolates, the key to a woman's heart is always in a macaroon

a candle that makes the whole room smell like roses

a cd to melt her heart (pssst my mom is going to see him on Valentine's day! Me = Jealous!)

P.S. My bestie and I JUST figured out we were in the same sorority in college! How cool is that? Go ΑΧΩ! 

Oh, and for God's sake, stay off the roads! Thundersnow is no joke (and may just be the theme of my next Halloween costume ;) Happy snow day! BE SAFE!

(photo via my pinterest)

7 Asian Inspired Dinners.

We are in that part of Winter where I like to say mother f&*^er a lot when I walk outside, and at the end of the day there is nothing I seem to crave more than a hot meal. By hot, I mean *hot* and spicy. Lately, due to my Pinterest obsession, and the fact that my boys will only play quietly, and together, if I am in the kitchen, I have been cooking up a storm, and I now tease my husband that he got the personal Thai chef/ masseuse that he has always dreamed of. Okay, okay, I don't really give massages, but I make a damn fine bibimbap, if I do say so myself!

Here are 7 Asian inspired dinners,  in our current rotation, that are sure to warm you up on these cold Winter nights.

Bibimbap

Thai Steak Noodles (I used pre-marinated teriaki tofu from Traders)

Soba Noodles with Ginger Scallion Sauce


Vegetarian Udon Soup

Quinoa Veggie "Fried Rice"

Dragon Noodles (I added some king crab the other night, and this was AMAZING!)

   

   Spicy Thai Noodles (again, great with tofu)

Stock up on ingredients, my friends... snowmageddon may be coming on Friday!!!!  

 

DIY EASY Lucite Tray!

 Let me start this out by saying that I am not one for DIY projects. Sure, I find inspiration and projects online, but unless it involves just paining, the majority of my home fixer uppers are done by my very hardworking, and talented carpenter. So, when I say a DIY project is easy, you can definitely trust me on this one and/or rely on your 5 year old to get the job done. 

So, a while back, I found this insane lucite tray, through this equally awesome blog post about how to make an at home bar. I LOVED the tray, but was completely unwilling to throw down that kind of cash on something that is basically a piece of plastic. I also have to say, I am a huge fan of making vignettes on lucite trays throughout our home, and luckily enough I had a few from here, that I picked up on the chhheeeaaappp last year. 

As I was gawking at the gorgeousness that was the original tray, I began to wonder if this was something I could do myself. Sure, it isn't quite as professionally done, BUT if you do it my way, then you can change it out whenever the mood strikes, for under 10 dollars, and then you can pat yourself on the back for saving 800+ dollars, while you and your friends have a wine party on your new tray and talk about all the people who blew their hard earned dough on something  that you did for 30 bucks!  Uh huh, now you're with me. ;)

Since I am not a regular DIY'r, I didn't take those awesome pictures as I went along, but I can tell you that if you take this

source

+ this

source

+ this

source

you can end up with this!

Yep, it's that easy!

In case it's not, you pick out your favorite paper (Paper Source is my absolute go to) and put the tray on top. Trace out the size you need to cut, and place the paper UNDER the tray (this way you don't have to worry about spills.) Place one CLEAR glue dot in each corner of the tray. Lay the paper on top, flip over and viola you have your very own custom lucite tray.

I know it's hard to see in the picture, but I went with this Japanese wave paper, because I'm trying to incorporate more gold in to our room (as an aside, I'm kind of obsessed with mixing metals right now) but I'm thinking in a few months I may switch it out for something with a little more pop (read neon.) That really is the beauty of this project. You could do a party tray with seasonal paper underneath, or a bar... really the possibilities are endless. 

For me, I think my dresser is "officially" tchotchked out (sans a gold frame I'm waiting on for the middle) meaning that if I bring one more thing in to our room, my husband is going to loose his mind.* 

There you have it. An actual DIY yourself project from moi! 

*Geesh, men really don't understand layers, do they? Don't even get me started on our pillow fights. Yes, a fight over how many we have in the house. Don't think the man hasn't counted them!

(for some reason the paper in the above photo looks bubbled in the corners, but I can assure you in real life it is invisible, just in case you all thought I was losing my mind) 

Denim on Denim (on Denim on Denim on Denim)

 After receiving the latest edition of the J. Crew style edition, I'm pretty sure it's now been put to rest whether denim on denim on denim on denim on denim, is, or is not, a fashion faux pas. For me, the answer is clearly NO and not only do I like it, but I am planning on wearing some version of this, every day this Spring. 

GAH it's so good!

For the look to be more this:

than this:

the key is wearing different shades of denim together (stone wash not included) with well cut pieces, and you must never ever EVER wear it head to toe. Honestly, what were those two thinking????? (RIP Brittney and Justin)

What do you think? Are you a fan of this look? I really can't get enough of it!

Denim on Denim?

Please sir, can I have some more?

P.S. The best denim shirt on the planet, and my favorite pair of white jeans.

Weekend Links.

 Hello Friday! What's happening in your world? Today is "the best day EVER" according to the LM, because after school his "girlfriend" is coming over for a play date and dinner. Santa has nothing on this girl, and I've never seen him more excited about anything in his life. My husband again has to work quite a bit this weekend (poor guy) so we have another dinner play date lined up tomorrow, and Sunday I'm taking my big dude skating in New Hampshire. You know, that I didn't even know the Superbowl was this weekend until a few hours ago? That shows about how much we watch football. I went to law school in Baltimore, so I guess, go Ravens? Hope you all have something super fun planned, and if you are watching the big game, have a few beers for me!

Here are a few links from around the web to kick off your weekend! (no pun intended ;))

This song!!! I have BEEN obsessed ever since I heard it on last week's GIRLS. Which, by the way, was by far the best 30 minutes I've ever seen on TV. Sunday nights are my new reason for living.

I just received this new iPhone case, which is the coolest one I have ever owned. Too bad it came the day AFTER my boys dropped and cracked my phone. FAIL. Psst mine is black.

The Loeffler Randall spring shoe collection is out. I'd get these or these if I wasn't holding strong on my pledge.

What a great V Day manicure.

... and this sweater perfect for the big day! I actually got these patches a few months ago to fix my favorite sweater, and plan on wearing it for my boys on Valentine's day!

Now that the velvet couch is almost a done deal... my next question is how many nailheads and where. ;)

I've been making this salad every day this week. It tastes almost like a Cesar, but much healthier!

Now that we are getting the tile, I've decided to forgo this wallpaper in the upstairs bathroom (for now). I honestly had no idea how expensive wallpaper installation is, and how many rolls you need. It sure makes me appreciate it a lot more when I see a whole room done in it. This would be the dream! Yowza!

I've been seeing chic women all over the internet wearing baseball caps as a fashion accessory. At first I thought it looked odd, but now I'm really in to it. 

This is so true for me. I feel like 2000-2010 didn't really exist. 

I need to do some serious work in Gray's closet. It's pretty small, but I would love for it to look like this when I open it. I swear we have the exact same built-in design.

I've never been very good at dying eggs, but I would LOVE to master this, this year. Almost too pretty to eat!

P.S. The above quote made me laugh, because it's something I totally would have said! (just not this year, of course ;))

TGIF party people!

The No Shopping, Shopping Challenge.

 At the beginning of the year, I made a promise to my husband, and mostly to myself, that for the next 365 days I will not purchase another piece of clothing (shoes included.) I know what you are thinking, why the hell would one do that? On paper it does seem a little drastic. Well, embracing my "less in more" motto, I finally decided to put my money where my mouth is. I'm always preaching to friends, and justifying purchases, with the whole "only buy timeless / high quality/ investment pieces" and someday you will get to a point where you will have a complete wardrobe that will only need minimal updates. The truth is, that I have reached that point. Someday was January 1, 2013.

 I began to notice, at the end of last year, that I was purchasing duplicates of things because they were "timeless and perfect" but in reality how many timeless and perfect things does one need? If there are only 7 days in the week, and you aren't a celebrity (which I only am in my head ;)) then there are only so many things that one can wear in a month. A few weeks back, I did a complete closet clean out, and with my shopping free year in mind, I actually GOT RID of quite a bit of clothing. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but for me, I find, that I really wear the same few things and I will always chose something that I "love" over something that I just liked. I realized that i'd rather someone else get use out of some of my things, than for them to sit there, unworn, looking kind of sad. Yes, sometimes I treat my clothes like they have feelings ;). This is easier for me, because I have a sister in graduate school, who lives around the corner, so I actually get to see some of my things that I am still emotionally attached to, out in the world, rather than in the back of my closet. 

Now, I know what you are thinking, does this mean a year without fashion posts? Absolutely NOT! In fact, I think this means there will just be more! Because I am not buying, I find myself looking at things more than ever, and right now my favorite thing to do when I find something I love is to put it in my online cart, think about what I have that is close to it, taking hints from the styling, and then DELETING the whole cart. I swear, every time I get just as excited as if I had bought said item, and I feel like I'm actually making money back. (Yeah, my husband thinks I'm nuts too but you should  try it!)

That being said, I have to tell you all how much I am loving the Liberty prints at J. Crew right now! If I  didn't have self control, I swear I would be snatching up a few of these in a second! So so perfect for spring, I would pair them with harder pieces, like distressed skinny or boyfriend jeans, or a great army green fatigue (again, a must have for spring) and with a motorcycle or clog type boot. Feminine yet cool at the same time! 

Here are a few of my favorites! I'm relying on you all to hold me to my pledge, so please do all the shopping for me ;)

365 days? I can TOTALLY do this!

Wardrobe Lust: Mara Hoffman.

 The other day, while dreaming of Summer, I stumbled upon this bikini work of art, by Mara Hoffman. 

How is it that I have never heard of this designer before????

 Every piece I found was more beautiful than the last, and although I need a new Summer dress, like a hole in the head, I just had to share this amaziness with all of you!

Stop it.

Stop it right now!

 Bananas.

BANANAS!!!!!

Too cool.

 I can't.

 I really can't.

Be still my heart. 

Nothing can beat the bathing suit above...

... but these are gorgeous nonetheless!

And, this bag is going to haunt me all Summer long.

Mara Hoffman: serious wardrobe lust.

Only 144 days until Summer. GAH!

Weekend Links.

Brrrrrrrrrrr it's still freezing where we live, and to make matters worse, my hubby is on call this weekend. That means it's just the boys and I All.Weekend.Long and with almost no time outside, we are already driving each other nuts. Is it Monday yet? I hope you all have something better than us planned, and that you have some warm sun where ever you are. Here are a few links from around the web, for those of you, like me, who could use a little mental break right about now! Happy Saturday!

The boys and I have been rocking Bob Marley all week, while dreaming of Summers in Costa Rica. This song is still my favorite. Don't you already feel warmer?

What would you wear to an interview with Anna Wintour? I'd probably do what #1 did, but in all actuality I'd cancel the day before because I was too scared. #keepthetagson

I've recently come to terms with mixing metals, and just ordered these pendants that I've been dreaming about for a year. How great will these look with a navy velvet sofa? ;)

Go forth and submit your photos! Can you even imagine being chosen? I can guarantee you that even at my finest, I could be out styled in a minute! Damn, some people are so chic!

My girlfriend and I were talking about this the other night, and this is my new goal in life. (Remember in high school when being bitchy was considered "cool?" What a waste of energy!)

Speaking of cold, how long until we can wear bare legs again? Summer, I miss you. P.S. Isabel Marant, I love you.

The LM and I have been reading a few pages of this, every night for the past week and we were both sobbing at the end. Tonight, we are starting all over again. I can guarantee you, tears will again be shed.

I'm absolutely going to surprise the boys with this for breakfast onValentine's Day!

Question? Do we think Gray is cool enough for this cut, this Summer? I'd like to say yes, but I think this may be better suited for the LM. I have to say I love it!

My soul belongs to Apple, but this commercial has my heart. 

My most favorite purchase of last year. These pants have literally changed my entire wardrobe, and I hope you don't think I'm gross when I tell you I wear them at least 6 times a week. (With regular washings, of course :)) They are absolutely worth the investment!

What a chair!

I've been trying to make this all week, but Whole Foods is having a roccoli rabe shortage (go figure.) I'm absolutely attempting again tomorrow, it looks so yummy!

(Photo via Pinterest, I wish I could source it, given how amazing it is, but alas I could only trace to a broken link)

Photo Bomb!

 Is there anything in this world, that is funnier than a good photo bomb? I can just imagine, seeing the look on someones face, when they get their newly developed picture, and see that some creeper (aka David Hasselhof) made his way into the frame. Here are some of the greatest photo bombs in history, borrowed from the huffington post. 

Now, I would like to submit my own photo bomb for consideration. This summer, at a party for my best friend's son, I saw my moment, as a family picture was being taken, and instantly jumped in front of the lens. When she showed it to me last night, I almost died, and then realized that I had stumbled upon one of the greatest profile pics of all time.

Behold, the YM photo bomb. 

 If only I had been behind the camera... can you imagine the look on her face when she got the print?

I'm pretty sure this is why God invented digital cameras. 

Go forth my friends, and bomb away!