Archives for June 2013

Building UP MY New Closet

June 18, 2013

HI,
Closet cleared out & now the fun part – building new wardrobe! I am a lucky girl in that @ home I have my office/ TV room & attached is a little piece of heaven my dressing / spa area. (pictures on my Instagram) Here is where I get to let my creativity shine! Play with all my things mix and match… take pictures – try new products – dress up – paint etc… So it is the perfect spot to really see what works on me and what doesn’t. As time goes on – obviously what I wore 10 years ago mostly doesn’t work …yet i want to stay trendy, confident & sexy. By now we know our bodies & hopefully making piece with it ( work in progress for me – LOL ).

I am petite only 5″3 so this requires specific tricks key word… tailoring! However I feel tailoring is key for all women – as our bodies change we want to highlight our positives. It can be the success or failure to your look. Having a trusted tailor is a must at my age quite frankly. It can make an inexpensive TJMAXX find look designer. As well as that great piece you acquire fit like a glove.

So what i do is tuck, trim, cut and alter a large portion of my wardrobe, including jeans, dresses, T-shirts… You get the idea.

Below are some Spring/Summer things I just added to my newly cleaned closet – I went to Lord & Taylor and stumbled across a great sale. Good pieces that don’t break the bank. Yet fit my age and body type – This is the start of my “short list” of wardrobe essentials… classics with a modern twist. ( gonna skip the LBD white shirt etc… goes w/out saying) –
PS.I’d love to hear what your “GOTO” pieces are

Trench coat – 1black / 1 tan http://www.lordandtaylor.com/fs/double-breasted-belted-trench-coat.shtml Wonderful deals today!!!!!
Dark dress jeans – slight boot cut – dress up or down
Shirtdress – white / black/ chambray – perfect casual sexines

Fitted denim jacket – perfect for all ages / seasons
White jeans – http://www.victoriassecret.com/clothing/?ProductID=91078

Wrap dress – different colors Black of course but ck out MUST of week – just ordered it – color is fantastic

More pieces to come – check back later today for a great @home facial mask – that De-Puff’s , exfoliates, and makes you glow – Hint – Do right after your morning coffee….

Escarole Soup

June 17, 2013

Posted picture yesterday on Instagram and got several recipe requests for my Healhty Soup – Thank you by the way & here it is.

I adore soups! – they are filling and a sneaky way to get your veggies. This is such an easy, healthy soup & great anytime of year – I make it often.

1 bunch of Escarole – bottom cut off discarded – rough chop. Place in a clean sink filled with cold water and rinse 2x’s ( Escarole is often sandy and gritty – needs washing )
1/2 Lg chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic finley chopped
1/4 tsp S&P
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
Saute using 1/4 cup EVO and 1Tb Butter until translucent
Add your clean Escarole
Cover 3/4 the way up with bottled water ( I use bottled water in my soups – not tap – but your choice )
Stir and cover the rest of the way with Vegetable Stock – (no MSG – Low sodium is best )
S&P again ( season in layers to build on the flavors)
Bring to a boil – reduce and simmer at least 45 – 60 min

Top with fresh grated Parmesan Cheese & Croutons ( red pepper flakes too – if you like the heat )
Little Extras

I take part of the rind from the parmeansean cheese and to toss in when cooking to add great flavor and salt)
For added protein – saute chicken thighs cleaned and skin removed with your onions/garlic until brown than add escarole etc…..
Depending on my mood – I may add a chicken bouillon cube letsmakeknorr.com

Hope you enjoy,

Thanks for stopping by,

xoxo Lori

June 17, 2013

Hi Everyone,
Hope you all had a great fathers weekend. Love to all the DAD’s out there – Especially my dad Ron! Love you tons!
Day 6 of elimination phase of cleanprogram.com – feeling a lot lighter have more energy & sleeping like a baby! However I am still doing 2 cups coffee in a.m. & really craving sugar. I just caved a little with Welch’s Fruit Snacks yesterday & Twizzler”s cherry bites – I read some people stay on the elimination part for more than a week – Ummm Hello Dr. Junger I think that’s gonna be me…. I had no idea my sugar cravings were going to be so strong. Dairy easy to give up – red meat no problem – bread etc…but not my SUGAR…..

Closet clean out going really well – the Sgt. Pepper jacket gone, sold @ yard sale. The size 0 jeans i have been holding onto – you know the one’s you have – they mock you all the time lurking there. You think yeah i’ll fit into them again one day….GONE! BTW I tried them on one more time as some sort of last ditch effort and taking them off was no small feat. It was like wrestling a monkey!

Anyway, all the stuff I’m not using is out of the house today and was sold at our humble little yard sale. Seems my closet cleaning & elimination diet – inspired me to get rid of all sorts of things that were takng up space in my house & head. So I’m starting off the week cleaning and taking stock of things. Im headed to the Mecca of organization the containerstore.com later. I get so inspired there. Also check out an online store i came across http://www.wardrobesupplies.com/categories/hangers-and-storage for some other great options. Updating more later.
Later today posting new product review for the Derma-Roller ….One word…. “OUCH”
Have a super Monday…..

Thanks for stopping by,

xoxo Lori

https://www.urablankslate.com/2013/06/hi-everyone-hope-you-all-had-great.html

“PEACH, PALE, PINK OH MY! “

June 13, 2013

Today was the perfect day to be “stuck“. I just dropped my oldest son off at Union Station on way back to VTech & it was pouring rain. I mean buckets!!! Thank goodness for my new Hunter Boots – Thank you, Alicia L Boutique www.facebook.com/AliciaLFrederick

I figured if i couldn’t be in my comfy bed with snacks & a movie….what better place than the Mall? Besides, keeping myself busy – headache setting in from ELIMINATION DIET. (see yesterday post) I had the cosmetic department of Neiman Marcus all to myself. Talk about a kid a candy store.

So I have been on the look out for a new pale pink lipstick. Sometimes as you age they say you cant wear pale lips – NOT TRUE… You just have to be careful – more smooth & shiny than matte. I have been wearing a lot of the trendy coral red/orange’s lately – love them ! I mean the MAC lip pencil LASTING SENSATION http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/167/340/Products/Lips/Lip-Pencil/Lip-Pencil/index.tmplis so great! I line my entire lip and than just put balm over – or NARS in LOVE DEVOTION & dont even get me started on TOM FORD in WILLFUL – pale eye make-up…. I could go on but lets get back to task at hand –

Today it is pale pink lips – for summer

YSL Rouge Volupte #7 Rose Lingerie yslbeautyus.com THIS IS THE BOMB – I ADORE THIS COLOR THIS WAS THE PURCHASE OF THE DAY!
Tom Ford 01 Spainish Pink tomford.com
Bobbi Brown Bikini Pink bobbibrown.com
Laura Mercer Arabesque lauramercier.com
MAC Hug Me maccosmetics.com
MAC High Tea maccosmetics.com

Also received sample of Perricone MD – COLD PLASMA EYE – heard great things im excited to try…. perriconemd.com

More later…….

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO, LORI

Cleaning out not just my closet – and it feels good!

June 12, 2013

Hi there – just checking in….with all this closet cleaning it has inspired me to pull out my copy of Dr. Alejandro Junger’s book CLEAN – not ready to fully dive in yet – however am starting the elimination diet – page 151 (my books copy)
Not sure if you are like me but over time i found i can’t eat the same way – or if i do i know i am gonna pay the price for a few days – i have developed a lot of food sensitivity / allergies etc… so when i follow this i feel TONS better – i still have my coffee in the a.m.
(shhhhh don’t tell Dr. Junger) but eliminate the dairy, corn, peanuts, alcohol, and Nightshades. (eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, pimentos etc. associated with inflammation & pesticides)
Go to youtube.com/cleanprogram and listen to Dr. Junger – and his team. It makes a lot of sense, he is smart and it becomes easy to understand why we may feel not up to par. BTW he is pretty cute too. I giggle at some of the video’s you can tell he is definitely “European” Very nice!!!!

So check it out – I encourage you to try it as well – i think you will be very surprised at what does and does not upset the balance of your body. www.cleanprogram.com

Closet cleaning moving along – pictures – posted later – follow me on instagram to see!

Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo Lori

Spring Cleaning – My Closet

June 9, 2013

The beginning of Spring means new life – new routines – all things are possible! This month I am going to focus on looking and feeling my very best! This is going to start with cleaning my closet.
Quality over Quantity. So that means getting rid of all things that do not fit, i don’t like, are out of style, never worn.… get the idea? It is time to be brutally honest. Evaluate my things. Take pictures of myself in outfits and see if it looks good or is it time to say “Sayonara Baby!” This will include shoes, hats, worn out bags & especially that Sgt. Pepper Jacket I wore one time! What was I thinking????? Along with my vanity area. This is your invitation to come along with me! After that we shop & re-organize. “Container Store here I come!” Follow me on Instagram as well & watch the progress. BTW I’d love to hear your feedback.

Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo LORI

CEW Beauty Awards 2013

June 8, 2013

Hi Everyone!

Here is my first
post – I thought it would be great to start off with some of the 2013 CEW
Beauty Awards winners!!!! Award ceremony was held May 17^th 2013
in NYC. To
say these women know what they’re talking about would be an
understatement. Running across every segment possible from body care to
cosmetics, the CEW named the best products 36 awards were given in 30 different
categories. See small preview of list –
for all details go to www.cew.org