Springtime Lusts

Take a peek at a few pretty pastels (and some fun extras) I wish would find their way into my closet this spring!


Shoshanna ruffle shoulder romper


Kate Spade coin purse


asos Jovanna scalloped dress


J. Crew deerskin moccasins


EmersonMade little blouse


Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air nail lacquer


J. Crew ruched bandeau tank

What are you coveting this spring?

A Taste of Home

I wish my mom were here and we were baking cookies together in my kitchen. I love spending time in the kitchen with her. After all, she's the person responsible for showing me the ropes. And cookies always taste better at home, when baked in a rowdy kitchen with too many people involved.

It's hard to believe that just a month from today I'll be back home for my littlest sister's college graduation. I cannot wait!

Currently Dreaming Of...

coffee and chocolate.

And more specifically, how I'm going to celebrate by incorporating them back into my life in just over two weeks. Sixteen more days and counting!

all images via we heart it.

Gimme a Break

There's nothing better than taking a night off from cooking and picking up some takeout, especially after a long week and a tough workout. Every couple of months, I like to head back to my old neighborhood and grab sushi from Tokyo. It's a casual spot where college kids and hipsters can rub elbows with professors from Brown. I like low-key places like that where the service is friendly and the food is consistently good. Plus, no washing dishes or kitchen to clean up after!

Spring Staples

I'm excited for these new additions to my spring wardrobe from Anthropologie and Madewell, especially the striped maxi dress. Now I just need the weather to break to be able to wear them without a parka on top!

Channeling Summer

I can't wait to grill outside every single night as soon as it gets warm enough. I'm hoping that making some barbecue-inspired dinners will get the weather to cooperate sooner! Tonight we had burgers (on the indoor grill pan) with these baked sweet potato fries. They were amazing!

Berry Good

I feel like I've been eating my weight in blackberries lately. They're easily one of my favorite fruits, but I prefer eating them at room temperature rather than refrigerated. Guess I'm weird like that.

Inspired By June Cleaver

I loved checking out the retro kitchen displays in Anthropologie's housewares section! They had an old wooden dining room table with piles of flour, margarine packaging, cookbooks, and appliances strewn everywhere. It was so clever and the perfect 50s layout, complete with polka dotted aprons. It made me want to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and down a cold glass of milk. I'm just a little excited that Anthro finally opened up a store in Rhode Island!

Just For Fun

Inspired by an article in this month's In Style magazine (the color issue), I opted for a non-traditional manicure to start off my weekend. I used Chanel's Riva (one of my favorites) on all of my nails, except for my ring finger, where I used Essie's Chinchilly. The verdict: I really like the look! I think it would be fun to choose colors in the same family, like hot pink with a pale pink accent finger. It was fun to change it up a little and I definitely got some compliments while out running errands. In other news, I am totally obsessed with the new way they brew chai tea at Seven Stars. It's spicy and frothy and it's making not having my morning coffee pretty bearable.

What do you think, would you experiment with this trend?

Switching It Up

On Sunday night, I made the impulsive decision to join a group of bloggers who are calling themselves the "shred crew" and motivating one another to complete Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred workout every day for, you guessed it, a month. I snatched up the DVD on Amazon before I could give myself time to change my mind (and for the super cheap sale price of $7.99)!

Well, it finally arrived this afternoon and I'm about to do day 1 of the level 1 workout. I've never watched the Biggest Loser and I don't know much about Jillian's style, but the reviews were all fantastic. People are really seeing results with this routine, which is very encouraging. While I don't think I'll be one of those people who drops 20 pounds in 30 days (let's be realistic here), I'm all about switching my workouts up as much as possible to keep my body guessing and working extra hard. For a complete list of bloggers involved in the challenge or if you're interested in jumping on board, click here. Wish me luck!