Friday Find: Destino Wedge Bootie

For more reasons than one, I’m absolutely itching for fall to be here, like now. There’s football (fantasy football, to be exact), cooler weather, pumpkin-flavored everything and, perhaps best of all, booties!

I love me some cute fall shoes, and when I saw these wedge booties on Jessie Artigue of Style & Pepper, I instantly fell in love. They’re part of the Nine West x InStyle collab, and they are so chic, I can’t even stand it. One problem: I’m struggling to decide which color I like the best.

Destino Wedge Bootie by Nine West/InStyle Collab

The nude pair would go with nearly everything, but I’m a sucker for leopard print and the burgundy ones are practically screaming my name. Which would you pick?

The Crave: Lucite Chair

I’ve still got a month to find a full-time (or at least part-time) job in Philadelphia, but as it stands, I’ll probably be freelancing/working from home for a least a little while once I move. And instead of doing all my work at the breakfast table, I’m planning to get a desk (but probably not one of these beauties, unfortunately) to put in the bare bedroom corner.

I’m almost certain I’ll get a white desk to match with the light, neutral color scheme we have planned for the bedroom, and I definitely want a desk chair that’s not going to be too clunky and heavy for the feel and size of the room.

So what’s the perfect solution? A lucite “ghost” chair, of course! I was never a huge fan of lucite furniture, but I recently started crushing pretty hard on these pieces—chairs in particular. Perhaps it’s the lightness they bring to a room or the way they blend in to the background as if they aren’t even there. Whatever it is, I want one, and here are a few I’m considering (or wishing for):

Clockwise from top left: Victoria Armless Ghost chair; Honour acrylic armchairs; TOBIAS chrome-plated chair; Whiteline Imports solo chair; and Louis Ghost reproduction.

How do you feel about lucite furniture/chairs? And do you have a favorite from the choices above? Stay tuned to see which one I pick!

What I’m Wearing: Femme Florals

It’s the last week before Labor Day, which (sadly) always feels like the official end of summer. To bring in one last dose of major summer style, I put together an ensemble with floral-patterned pants, peachy-pink lipstick and hot-pink shoes. Romantic waves and gilded jewelry keep the look ultra-feminine—a style every lady needs to rock on occasion!

Lipstick: Covergirl LipPerfection in “Fairytale”; Necklace: New York & Company; Tank Top: Calvin Klein; Pants: H&M; Shoes: Nine West

I adore these pants and want to incorporate them into my fall/winter wardrobe when possible. Any styling suggestions?

I Tried It: Chipotle-Lime Penne

Growing up, my family was never huge on eating pasta. Sure, we had the occasional lasagna or bowl of spaghetti, but my mom didn’t do a lot of cooking that stretched outside of her Southern-food comfort zone. It wasn’t until college—and really until I started dating Harrison, whose mom and stepdad kill at Italian cooking—that I started eating more (and more adventurous) pasta dishes.

I’m by no means an Italian or pasta pro—though I can ace the Capellini with Red Sauce recipe Harrison passed along to me—but I do like to experiment with simple pasta recipes every now and then. That’s why I was super excited to come across this recipe for Cilantro-Lime Penne on Refinery29. It not only uses some of my favorite fruits and veggies (mango, avocado and yellow peppers), but it also combines flavors of Italian and Mexican cuisines, both of which I love.

As you can tell, I whipped up a huge batch of this on Saturday night, and it was both really simple to put together and pretty tasty. Unfortunately, because I made so much of it, I’ve been forced to eat it for lunch and dinner since then, so I’m quickly tiring of it. If I were feeding a bigger crowd in the future, I would definitely try this recipe again.

Check out the recipe below and tell me: Would you try this?

Cilantro-Lime Penne

(via Refinery29)

Yield: 8-10 servings

1 box whole wheat penne

1 avocado

1 yellow pepper

2 medium tomatoes

1 fresh mango (or 1 1/2 cup pre-cut)

Juice of 2 fresh limes

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt to taste

Optional: 1 grilled chicken breast

1. While penne cooks, prepare avocado, pepper, tomatoes and mango. Chop everything into large, bite-sized pieces (including chicken breast, if using), and put in a large serving bowl.

2. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, garlic, spices and cilantro. Pour into serving bowl and gently toss ingredients.

3. Once pasta is cooked al dente, rinse with cold water and add to serving bowl. Toss all ingredients together, adding additional salt and seasoning to taste. Serve immediately or pop it in the fridge until ready to eat. If storing for more than a couple of hours, squeeze extra lime over the top and press plastic wrap directly onto pasta so avocado doesn’t brown.

Closet Clean-Up

In a little more than a month, I’m saying goodbye to Chapel Hill and hellooo to Philly! (And if you don’t get sick of hearing me talk about it by then, you’re seriously a saint.) That means I’ve got exactly five weeks to get my life organized, packed up and moved—and if you think that overwhelms me, then you’re absolutely right. There are few things I dislike more than packing/moving, and unfortunately, I’ve had to do it a few times too many already. But considering that I’m really excited about the move and living with Harrison, it’s 100 percent worth it.

Though I can’t face the idea of actually packing up yet, I did get a little something accomplished this past weekend when I purged my wardrobe. I’ll have less closet space when I move in with Harrison (tragedy), which was the main motivation behind thinning my closet, but a good closet clean-up was also long overdue.

In theory, I know editing your closet is a must and helps you figure out a) what you have way too much of (black dresses, anyone?) and b) what wardrobe staples you’re really in need of. But in reality, I’m typically the type of person who will hold on to a shirt, shoes or bag if I think maybe, just maybe, I might wear it once every year or two. This time, however, I forced myself to think rationally and cut all emotional ties to the clothes that just weren’t cutting it anymore. If I didn’t love the piece, wear it at least once every couple of months, or plan on saving it for a special occasion, it got tossed. I ended up getting three tote bags’ worth of clothes to donate and/or sell; go me!

InStyle has a great closet-purging piece in the September issue (p. 359) that I wish I had read before I went through my wardrobe. But overall, I’m pretty proud of myself!

With fall coming up, are you getting ready to edit your closet? If so, do you have a “method” you use to make it quick and painless?

Weekend Inspiration: August 24-25

What a gorgeous, productive weekend it’s been! The weather has been divine, and I got so many items marked off my to-do list that even I’m impressed. I finally hit the gym (long overdue), caught up with a friend, did some wardrobe purging, started and finished a book, tried out some new recipes and prepared for my fantasy draft (which is tonight; I’m totally going to kick some ass). I think it’s safe to say my feeling of accomplishment is justified.

Here are a few things that kept me going this wonderful weekend:

Clockwise from top left: A beautiful picture frame I’m crushing on; my best buddy, Paul, keeping me company as always; inspiration for the type of workspace I want to create in my new apartment; and the ingredients for a new pasta recipe I tried out last night.

How was your weekend?

Cut A Rug

Like I said on Sunday, I’m officially moving to Philadelphia at the end of next month. And even though I have a million (and one!) things to do before I move, I’m so excited to be living with Harrison again. We’ve decided to stay in his current apartment, but because he didn’t have the best furniture/decor (no offense, Harrison), I’ve decided to almost entirely refurnish and redecorate the place. Fortunately, I have several pieces of furniture from my apartment that I’ll be transferring over, but there are definitely a few new things—both decor and furniture-wise—that I want to purchase.

First up: a new living room rug to go under our coffee table(s). I love the pattern on the one I have now—which I got for an absolute steal at Home Goods and has lasted me well over a year—but thanks to foster dogs who both shed and chew, this one’s a goner.

I haven’t narrowed down exactly what color scheme I want for the living room, but I do know I want a light, neutral couch to pair with the two white tables. Fortunately, that means I have a pretty big range of colors and patterns that could potentially match.

Here are just a few of the options I’m considering:

Blue Beauties

Clockwise from top: Camden rug; Thomas Paul toile rug; Serena & Lily rug; and Mohawk Home rug.

Timeless Touches

Clockwise from top: Hamadan-Malayer rug; Sultanabad rug; Jaipur Fables rug; and Sabine rug.

Classy Colors

Clockwise from top: Rumi rug; Zeno rug; Lulu & Georgia rug; and Mayate rug.

Do you like any of these? And do you have a favorite rug style or pattern?

What I’m Wearing: Timeless Stripes

If there’s one thing last week’s cold/rainy spell showed me—aside from the fact that I should probably get some new rain boots—it’s that fall is right around the corner. And while I love cooler weather, it makes me a little sad to know I won’t be able to wear summer skirts too much longer.

That’s why I decided to whip out this J.Crew baby today and pair it with a lightweight navy blouse. There’s just something about navy and white stripes that feels so classic, preppy and summery to me, and it’s such an easy combo to pull off at the office.

Do you have a favorite striped piece hanging in your closet?

Go-To Recipe: Sliced Ribeye and Roasted Tomato Salad

I don’t know how he does it, but Harrison is seriously the king of grilling steaks (or grilling anything, really). Whether it’s on a charcoal grill or in a sauté pan, he has a knack for cooking any meat or cut to perfection—which is a great thing, because this talent was lost on me.

When I was in Philly last weekend, he whipped up this amazing salad using sliced ribeye, roasted tomatoes and arugula, all topped with a divine balsamic-shallot dressing. Can you say delish?

Sliced Ribeye and Roasted Tomato Salad

Yield: 2 salads

4 plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

Thyme

16-ounce ribeye

Salt

Pepper

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 bag arugula

4 lemon slices

Grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise, then arrange on a cookie sheet or in a shallow pan. Top each tomato with a small amount of olive oil, and sprinkle with thyme. Cook for 1 hour, or until collapsing.

3. Massage ribeye with olive oil, and add a layer of salt and pepper on each side.

4. Heat sauté pan on high until steaming. Drop steak into pan and cook 4 minutes per side.

5. Once steak has finished cooking, remove from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, add a slice of butter on top of steak, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

6. While pan is still hot, add shallots, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Let mixture boil until reduced.

7. On a plate or in a bowl, arrange arugula. Squeeze two lemon slices over arugula and toss with Parmesan.

8. Slice ribeye and place over greens. Add tomatoes, then drizzle with marinade and extra Parmesan, to taste; serve immediately.

We loved this recipe with a bottle of dry Chilean Malbec. What would you pair with it?

Marooned

I’m not sure why, but I’ve never been a huge fan of the color red; in fact, I don’t think I even own a piece of red clothing. But when it comes to maroon, that’s a completely different story. With fall just around the corner, I’ve found myself eyeing quite a few pieces in shades of maroon, burgundy and the ever-trendy oxblood, and I’m ready to make one (or more!) of them mine.

There’s something about the depth of this shade that’s flattering on everyone, and it’s one of those colors that always looks classy. I’m dying for a pair of burgundy shoes, but I’d also settle for a sexy pencil skirt, a tailored dress or a beautiful bag.

Here are the pieces I’m crushing on (or dreaming about, in many cases):

Clockwise from top left: Topshop peplum tank; Jeane Blush sweater; Sara Berman skirt; Madewell pants; Marc by Marc Jacobs watch; Armani Beauty lipstick in Plum; DKNY leather wallet; Rag & Bone dress; Steve Madden wedges; and Essie nail polish in Burgundies.

Clockwise from top left: Jason Wu lace top; Raoul dress; Mouton Collett earrings; Erdem skirt; Giuseppe Zanotti loafers; Jil Sander belt; Burberry watch; Gianvito Rossi pumps; and Henri Bendel bag.

Clockwise from top left: Valentino studded pumps; Diane Von Furstenberg jumpsuit; Burberry Prorsum skirt; Emilio Pucci clutch; Dolce & Gabbana strappy sandals; Victoria, Victoria Beckham dress; Givenchy tote; Marc Jacobs dress; and Alexander McQueen loafers.

Will you be rocking any burgundy pieces this fall?