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Author Archives: Karen
4th of July Outfit Idea
Hello Hello and welcome to Friday! It’s has been a crazy, busy, and fun week. Work has been really busy which I never really mind because it makes the work day go by faster. Wednesday night, my boyfriend and I went to a tasting event at McCormick and Schmick’s to sample their new menu. We ate so much good food that night. I’m now craving their chocolate silk pie!
This weekend is going to be pretty busy too. I’m heading to the lake on Saturday, and then Sunday I’m hosting a shopping party at Loft. If you are in the Houston area, I would love for you to stop by on Sunday, so we can meet and talk fashion. It’s going to be really fun!
Can you believe July is just around the corner? Do you have any 4th of July plans yet? I’m heading to Colorado with friends. I’ve never been, so I’m excited to travel somewhere new. I’m not quite sure what I will be wearing for the 4th, probably going to lean towards pretty casual. If you are heading somewhere a little dressier, I have the cutest 4th of July outfit idea for you.
This blue and white striped top is a subtle way to dress up for the 4th. It has the stripes and blue and white, but isn’t too over the top festive. I love the lace and ruffle details to add a little feminine flair to the look. I paired it with my white skinny jeans and my taupe block heels sandals for a dressier outfit. You could pair this top with white shorts and flat sandals or wedges for a dressed down look. If you want to make this look even more festive, you could change out my pink earrings for red ones.
I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, and I hope to see a few of you this Sunday at Loft!
| OUTFIT DETAILS |
c/o Blue Striped Top | White Jeans | Taupe Block Heel Sandals | Similar Clutch | c/o Pink Ball Earrings | Silver Bangle | Links Bracelet | Nails: Essie Minimalistic
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Clean Skincare Routine for Morning & Night
Hello friends! I’ve been hearing more and more about clean beauty products lately. As someone who always reads food labels and opts for foods with real ingredients, it was only a matter of time until I took my love for clean eating to my beauty drawer. With food labels it’s pretty easy to tell if it’s food or not, beauty products are not as easy and requires a little more research. I’ve slowly been trying different brands and products out to see how my skin responds. Clean beauty products feature ethically sourced ingredients without any proven or suspected toxins. They are made with the health of or body and the environment in mind.
A little over a month ago, I ran into a lady who worked for Drunk Elephant (which is Houston based) at the nail salon. We started chatting about her results switching to a full clean skincare routine. I decided to be my own test subject and go 100% clean with my skincare routine. For 30 days and 30 nights, I only used skincare products from brands I believed fit the clean guidelines like Drunk Elephant, Derma-E, and Cosmedix.
One of the most interesting things I noticed was how over the 30 days, I started using less product. The first few days I would use 3 pumps of the different serums and moisturizers, and my skin would soak it up. After just a few days, I noticed only needing 2 pumps. I felt like this showed how much my skin needed the goodies provided by these products, but also how my skin was over time able to hold on to the moisture and not need as much. I noticed an improvement in fine lines and lightening of some sun spots. My skin also feels hydrated, softer, and smoother. I feel like my skin glows a little bit more, and I’ve been happily going makeup free for pool days and grocery store runs.
Now that my 30 day test run is over, I do plan to continue incorporating clean beauty products into my beauty routine. My love for always trying the latest new products will probably keep me from going all in right now. It’s something I would consider for the future. I’m breaking down my day and night routine for you below. For my morning skincare routine, I did the same thing everyday. In the evening, I would mix it up every other day.
(All products are c/o Drunk Elephant)
MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE
STEP 1: After my morning workout, I wash my face with the Beste No9 Jelly Cleanser.
STEP 2: I apply 2 pumps of the C-Firma Day Serum to my entire face.
STEP 3: I allow the C-Firma to soak in a few minutes, and then apply the Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense to my entire face.
STEP 4: I allow the Daily Defense to soak in for a few minutes and then apply my makeup.
(side note: I also use the Daily Defense as my face sunscreen for the pool.)
NIGHT TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE 1 (3-4x per week)
STEP 1: Wash off makeup with the Beste No9 Jelly Cleanser.
STEP 2: Apply 1-2 pumps of the Protini Polypeptide Cream & 1-2 pumps of the B-Hydra Intense Hydration Serum to palm of hand. Mix and apply to my entire face.
NIGHT TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE 2 (2-3x per week)
STEP 1: Wash off makeup with the Beste No9 Jelly Cleanser.
STEP 2: Apply 1-2 pumps of the Protini Polypeptide Cream & 1-2 drops of the Marsala Oil to palm of hand. Mix and apply to entire face.
NIGHT TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE 3 (1x per week)
STEP 1: Wash off makeup with the Beste No9 Jelly Cleanser.
STEP 2: Apply the Baby Facial to face and let sit for 20 minutes, then rinse off. (FYI – this mask does tingle a bit for the first few minutes.)
STEP 3: Apply 2-3 drops of the Marsala Oil to entire face.
Have you tried any clean beauty products? Drop your favorites in the comments below!
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Workwear: Striped A-Line Skirt
Hello ladies!! How was your weekend? I had a pretty good one enjoying some yummy Houston restaurants. Friday night, we headed to one of Houston’s hottest spots, Nancy’s Hustle. We made the reservations like a month ago, and I was so excited to finally check this place out. The food was so good, and I definitely plan to go again! Saturday we enjoyed a healthy lunch and then followed it up with a stop at a chocolate store to keep it balanced. LOL. We wrapped up the weekend enjoying Mexican food with the family for Father’s Day. It was a fun and very delicious weekend!
I’m kicking off this week’s posts with a little workwear for you. I’m loving this mauve and navy color combo. You can also pair this top with a pair of navy cotton shorts for a dressy casual summer day look. This top is a go to of mine for office clothes, because they usually don’t need to be ironed. I own some long sleeve versions and decided to pick up this sleeveless blouse version for summer. It was their perfect piece to pair with my striped a-line skirt.
This full skirt is so cute and fun! I paired it with a thin striped tank for a friend’s baby shower about a month ago. I really loved the play on stripes. This skirt pairs perfectly with button down tops for the office. Because of the fullness of the skirt, I do recommend pairing it with something a little more fitted to keep your proportions balanced. One thing I like about both of these pieces is that I can continue wearing them in fall and then again next spring. This top is perfect to layer with cardigans, and the skirt will pair great with fitted sweaters.
I hope you all have a fabulous week ahead! Also for all my Houston area ladies, I will be hosting an event at Loft in Sugar Land this Sunday evening. I’ll be sharing summer outfit ideas and helping with a little shopping. You can get all the info on the Facebook Event page HERE, be sure and RSVP so I know you will be coming. I hope some of you can make it out, so we can meet and chat fashion for a bit!
| OUTFIT DETAILS |
Sleeveless Blouse | c/o Striped Skirt | Nude Colored Heels | Similar Clutch | c/o Nashelle Necklace | Sophee Earrings | Similar Gold Bangle | Links Bracelet | Nails: Essie Minimalistic
Photography By: Banavenue
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Asian Style Brussels Sprouts
Happy Friday!! I’m back with another recipe post for ya’ll! This Asian Style Brussels Sprouts recipe is one of my favorite side dish recipes. It was inspired by a few local Houston restaurants who serve crispy brussels sprouts as sides and appetizers. I decided to try and re-create this look at home, and I think I came pretty close!
It’s a pretty simple asian inspired sauce with only 4 ingredients! I love to use this sauce as a marinade and on other vegetables too.
Two key things for creating this dish – chop the brussels sprouts thin and preheat your baking tray. The preheated tray and thin pieces gives the sprouts a little extra crispiness. For a shortcut, you can buy shaved brussels sprouts and leave the chopping to someone else.
I bake them until they just start to brown, so that I have a mix of crispy and soft pieces. You can let go a little longer for more crispiness, but keep an eye on them. These sprouts can go from crispy to burnt quickly.
I toss the sauce on at the end to coat every piece and then serve immediately. I love to serve this as a side dish with salmon or as part of vegetable bowl with sautéed cabbage and roasted cauliflower. If you try out this dish let me know what you think!
Asian Style Brussels Sprouts
Crispy Brussels Sprouts topped with an asian inspired sauce perfect as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 1/8 cup coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp fish oil
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place baking sheet in oven to preheat.
- Finely chop brussels sprouts. I chop off bottom and discard stem, then chop in half, and then chop each half into 3-4 slices.
- Toss brussels sprouts in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Once oven is preheated, pull baking sheet out of oven. Be Careful it will be hot! Pour brussels sprouts onto pan, and spread out evenly with spatula.
- Bake brussels sprouts for 20-30 minutes. Stirring about every 10 minutes. Remove Brussels sprouts when they reach the desired crispiness.
- Toss brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl with fish oil, sweet chili sauce, sriracha sauce, and coconut aminos. MIx to combine, serve immediately.
Notes
Serve alongside Salmon or as part of a vegetable bowl.
