sweet treat

in the summer i'm all about fruit & sweets.

Normally I'd like to eat every ice cream out there, but I realize that my clothes don't appreciate this and in return like to tighten up around my hips....

so I try to eat a ton of fruit to get my sweet kick. here is quite possibly the easiest fruit dip to make. It's sweet, you can pick your favorite yogurt to flavor it up, and it's low fat. works for me!

so grab some cool whip and a yogurt and get mixing.

see? i told you it was ridiculously simple!

Do you have any summer dessert recipes?

simple & chic

i don't normally wear black to a wedding shower but i fell in love with the idea of a statement necklace and then just let the black dress win.

saturday was b & a's first wedding shower. the food was delicious, the got a ridiculous amount of swag and they were so happy it was borderline disgusting!


i wore a simple black sheath with an exposed zipper. nude patent wedges. and one heck of a statement necklace.

necklace: jcrew
dress: gap
shoes: stuart weitzman

Clinique Summer Products & a Bonus!

As a product junkie I have a lot of brands I stick with and Clinique is one of those brands.

As I wrote about in this post, I didn't love the moisture surge tinted moisturizer. I still needed to find something that had SPF and some color. I opted to just try Clinique's Super City Block. It doesn't have much color in it but we'll see how it goes.

I am also trying their Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder. I'm hoping the oil-free powder will keep me shine free during the Summer months.




The best part of this purchase? The bonus at Nordstrom! It came with an adorable Trina Turk make-up bag and TONS of goodies! I'm in love with the lip stick (perfect shade for Summer, 'A Different Grape') and really looking forward to trying the Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder.



sorry for the blurry phone pic

Marcie posted a great review of Clinique's dark spot corrector. Has anyone else used this and liked the results? I'm incredibly fair skinned so if I get a blemish (which I do, believe me) it will leave a red mark for a couple of weeks even after it's gone. It's frustrating and annoying. So please let me know if you've used this product for that and loved it!

A Girl's Guide to Summer

It's official.
It is hotter than hell in Chicago!

As the Summer starts, wardrobes change, sunscreen is in full force, and anything cold is a friend of mine.

Here's what you'll find me sporting this Summer in Chicago

Cute Totes
Grab a light-weight tote for farmer's markets, impromptu beach & pool visits, and festival galore.

via Target

Headbands
Cute headbands take a ponytail from blah to chic. They also make the 'just out of the water' look pretty darn adorable.

Via Anthropologie


Via Anthropologie

Wear the right shorts.
You can have Cameron Diaz's legs but please, have some taste.
No one needs to see alllll of you.

via JCrew

SPF. SPF. SPF.
I can't stress it enough. As an alabaster Irish/Norwegian girl, I swear by daily SPF. Don't hurt your skin!

via drugstore.com


Cotton maxi dress.
The saving grace of summer. Wear it to your neighborhood street fest, throw on a cute necklace, and boom! you're ready for a night on the town. Super versatile and incredibly comfortable.

via JCrew

What's on your list to surviving the Summer?

Easy Tilapia

When I think of Summer grub I think of all things fresh and light. Fish is a definite part of my summer diet because it's filling without weighing you down.



This tilapia recipe is so easy it can't be called a recipe. Seriously.




I took 4 ounces of tilapia...shook some lemon & herb seasoning on the fish...squeezed some fresh lemon on top and wa-lah. Done.



You can grill, bake or pan fry the tilapia.



What's your go-to grub in the Summer?

the good & bad.

The bad

I wanted to love these sandals so much. They ended up being incredibly narrow and the bottoms were SO stiff and uncomfortable.

Oy. Why did I buy this? Terrible shampoo & conditioner. No lather. Left my hair feeling gross and looking filthy withing 1/2 a day. Pass.

The good.

Statement necklace to brighten up a simple sheath for Wedding Shower #1

Via JCrew 'Crystal Wildfire Necklace' $78

Scoring sandals on major sale for $57 from $115



The unsure

Can I pull this look off? I'm wondering if it's too hipster for me.

thoughts?

lately

Took a bit of time off of the blog because I was feeling incredibly uninspired.

Hoping that changes soon.

In the meantime, here's what's been going on lately.

Oprah finale party with the girls wouldn't be complete without some Sugar Bliss

Nothing like some creepy fog-filled baseball games.

Apples & Laughing Cow snacks. Deelish. Deelish.

Here's to getting back on track and inspired soon!