Target Goodies

You know when you are on the way home from work, or you're at the gym, and you realize 

that you are out of orange juice and chocolate frosting...(yes, I think about dessert when I'm working out)....and there just happens to be a Target conveniently located nearby.

And so, you run in, think briefly whether or not you even NEED a basket, end up grabbing one "just in case," and march straight to the refrigerated foods aisle.  Except somewhere between the baskets and the food, you subconsciously (almost magnetically) turn towards the clothing section, just to make sure you aren't missing any new designer collab or hot-off-the-rack Xhilaration floral romper.

Fast forward an hour later, and you're in the dressing room trying on maxi dresses, swimsuits, and 3 infinity scarves.  I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why this happens to me on a weekly basis  every once in a while, but it happened this week.  

So, besides the OJ and frosting, this is what else made its way into my overflowing basket, 

from good ole Tarjay :)

bikini top

 $14.99

these fringe bikinis are pretty trendy, so I definitely won't spend a lot of money on them - this top will be perfect to mix and match with simple bottoms (I'm thinking black or turquoise)

striped maxi dress

$29.99

this knit maxi will be perfect for spring and summer - it's so soft and I love that you can wear a regular (not strapless) bra with it.  I'll be able to wear it in the fall too - just add a denim jacket or a cardigan!

cat eye tortoise sunglasses

$16.99

I've been on the hunt for a pair of cat eye sunnies - and these are perfect!  simple, chic, and the tortoise color is beautiful.

coral watch

$12.99

I needed an inexpensive watch for work, that could get worn and scratched, and I love the color of this one!  It's also so lightweight!

tunic hoodie

$22.99

soft, cozy, long, pockets....done.

perfect for the weekend, for running errands, and lounging around.  

peplum top

$22.99

I mean.  Striped, sleeveless, coral, AND peplum.  Adorbs.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Have you found anything great at Target lately that I need to go back for?  Just kidding ;)

but seriously.  what did I miss?

Monday Musings

Is it really Monday already?  I feel like this weekend was just WAY too short!  

We had a fun one though - we celebrated a belated Valentine's day, caught up on some of our favorite shows, went to a dinner party, and of course watched the Oscars last night!

Pics from the weekend:

A new decorative frame for the house - courtesy of Aubs and Matt (our recent house guests!)  I absolutely love it - it definitely helps us embrace our new state - still can't believe we live in Jersey - what?!

Ok - so for our Vday, we decided to make pizzas from scratch, which we have done before, but we LOVED this recipe!  We used this crust, and this sauce.
And then added fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, chorizo, and roasted red peppers.



....and the picture looks a little rough.  But I swear it was so yummy!!


John had a "beery" nice surprise waiting on him when he came home from work, too :)



I decorated the bottles with fun beer related phrases such as:
I love you "beery" much
"Ale" you need is love
Pale Ale for my favorite male
"Beer" my valentine
and "Ale" always love you.

It was a hit - it's beer, beer is always a hit ;)

John sent me off for a "me" day - I did a little shopping,
picked up these goodies...



Striped Peplum Top




Pave Stud Earrings

(and got a few Victoria's Secret unmentionables - that I won't mention)

.... and I got a luxurious pedicure!   Aren't they just the best!
I got Essie "Funny Girl" on my tootsies.








I caught up on one of my favorite shows - Smash!
Is anyone else in love with this show?  I think Katharine McPhee is just everything.




And before I go - a few of my own Oscar awards:

Best All Around:



Jessica Chastain
old hollywood perfection!


Best Dress:



Naomi Watts
it fits her like a glove, and is truly one of a kind


Best Couple:



Jen and Ben
I just LOVE these two :)


Best Performance:



Jennifer Hudson
she was spectacular - her voice is simply the best


Best Hair and Makeup:



Zoe Saldana
perfect makeup, perfect hair.
also I love the neckline of the dress, but not the rest of it

Best Speech:
Anne H.

Best Group Performance:
Cast of Les Mis

How was your weekend?  Who was your best dressed at the Oscars?

Shine Your Light

Happy Sunday, Loves!

florence, italy

"You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, 

let your light shine before others, 

that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

Easy Taco Soup

This Taco Soup recipe is one of our favorites, and super easy for a quick weeknight dinner.   It's also great when you're having company - because it can simmer as long as you want (while you serve appies or cocktails).  It is basically a pour and stir type of recipe - once you get your meat browned. 

It initially came from here, but I've adapted it some.  And somehow I always forget to take pictures 

of this!  So sawwwwy.  But you can probably imagine what it would look like - 

most taco soups look the same :-)

Easy Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lbs Ground Beef or Ground Turkey

1/2 cup diced onion

1 packet Taco Seasoning

1 15oz Diced Tomatos undrained

1 15oz Pinto Beans  undrained

1 15oz Light Red Kidney Beans  undrained

1 15oz Whole Kernel Corn drained

1 10oz Rotel with Green Chiles  undrained

1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix

Directions:

Brown ground beef/turkey with onion in pan.  Drain excess fat. Now for the complicated part....combine all remaining ingredients into large pot.  Stir in meat and onion.  Stir occasionally on medium/high heat.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips.  

Enjoy!  :)

Shopping, Soho, and SNL

Over this past weekend, our good friends (Aubrey and Matt) were in town...see our Princeton post here... and of course we had to take the train into NYC for one of the days!

We definitely made the very most out of that day (we were there for 12 hours!), and we had SUCH an amazing time!  

Here we are with our tickets before the train!

First stop - Times Square!

After shopping around, and exploring new shops, we took the Subway to Soho for the first part of the afternoon :)

Had a delicious lunch at Fiat Cafe

And shopped around there for awhile!  

Next up was our afternoon treat - Magnolia Bakery - so yummy!  

(The banana pudding was everyone's favorite hands down)

After waddling out of Magnolia's, we got to get the after-hours backstage tour of some of the NBC studios - thanks to Aubrey's good friend who works for the Dr. Oz show!

Dr. Oz studio!

Jimmy Fallon studio!

And much to John's delight - we even got to go up to the SNL floor - and peek around while they rehearsed for the night!  And guess who walked by, while we tried to act cool....?

Oh just these guys....

It was so much fun - and such a great experience!!  Thanks again Jen!!

Outside 30 Rock :)

What's a trip to the Big Apple without stopping by FAO Schwarz?

For dinner - we had a fabulous meal at Uva in the Upper East Side - amazing!

We loved the prosciutto and mozzarella platter, the pesto pasta, and the Nutella cake for dessert. 

Definitely recommend :)

Thanks for the wonderful visit, Aubs and Matt!!

It was the most amazing weekend!!

{big congrats to ELLEN H for winning the Erin Condren gift card!  and for those of you who didn't win, there is a $20 off coupon code right now online!  hurry over!  use "XOXO20" at checkout!}