Heavy Metal Floral

Hey there lovebugs,
Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. As spring inches it's way here, I'm feeling floral. But we've covered the floral patterns not so long ago. Let's look at some floral jewelry. But not just any floral, I'm thinking some heavy metal. Something not so sweet and a little more structural.

Piperlime, Tinley Road Multi Strand Chainlink Flower Bracelet, $23

This bracelet is just beautiful. I love the different textures of chains as well as the various sizes of flowers.

White House Black Market, Crystal Flower Necklace, $98

I'm sure this will go on sale, but if you need a statement necklace that's a bit understated, this is your go to. Suit, LBD, or button down. Goes with it all.

Max and Chloe, Allison Daniel Double Flower Rose Ring, $50

I really love the lack of bling in this ring, it has an antique but expensive feel to it.

Forever 21, Bejeweled Flower Collar Necklace, $24

A great piece for under $30. This would go well with a high neck sleeveless spring dress like this.

Floral=sweet. So why not change up the medium and go for something a bit chillier. Skip the neons, the pastels, and the bling and try on something with an edge.

Be fabulous today!

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs!

Here are some great recipes for this week.

The Breakers 75

c/o The Five O'Clock Blog

Ingredients

Champagne, about 3 to 4 ounces

1 ounce gin

1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Pour gin and lemon juice into the bottom of a champagne flute. Top with your bubbles. Down the hatch.

Tasting Notes: In addition to using the best gin and capital-C Champagne you’ve got, I highly suggest shaking the lemon juice and gin together in an ice-filled shaker tin to get them nice and chilled before building your drink.

Chicken Marsala Casserole

c/o Stephanie Cooks Blog

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
10 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
1tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper
1 cup long rain rice, uncooked
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (or any cooked chicken)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions

1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the flour and stir well to coat.
3- Stir in the marsala wine and cream, allowing to cook and thicken, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
4- In a 9x 13 dish, spread the rice in an even layer over the bottom of the dish. Top with the chicken.
5- Pour the mushroom gravy over the chicken and rice mix. Cover tightly with foil.
6- Bake 35 minutes, until bubbling.
7- Remove foil, sprinkle on parmesan cheese, and bake 5 minutes uncovered.

Nutella Cream Cheese Turnovers

c/o Country Cleaver

Ingredients

1 sheet Puff Pastry, thawed
¼ cup Cream Cheese, softened
2/3 cup Nutella, divided
2 Tbsp Flour, for dipping fork to crimp turnover edges
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Water
2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
On silicone baking mat, or floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a 12x12 inch square. Cut into 9 equal square shapes.
In bowl, whisk together cream cheese and ½ cup of Nutella until smooth and evenly mixed.
Drop 1 Tbsp of cream cheese/Nutella mixture into the corner of puff pastry. Leave a small edge on the puff pastry so when you fold the squares over the edges can be crimped together. Fold opposite side of the square over the Nutella/cream cheese mixture. Using a fork dipped in flour press the edges of the turnovers with the tines of the fork to seal the edges together.
Places the turnovers onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. In small dish, whisk together egg and water to make an egg wash. Brush each turnover with the egg wash.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with additional warmed Nutella. Serve warm.

Flowers, for Me?

Floral is so easy for spring, we looked at some just a little while ago. Today we're searching for floral pumps. I love this trend because it combines the sometimes severe stiletto with the soft pattern and colors of a floral.

Loft, Petra Mutlicolored Floral Printed Pumps, $79

Look at how the patten continues down the heel. This is perfect with jeans or a sundress.

The Limited, Patterned Mid-Heel Pumps, $69

I LOVE these colors. Tan legs or pale legs, it works with them all.

Macy's, Betsy Johnson Bonnie Pumps, $57

A little Grease sock hop but in a Cha Cha DiGrergorio kind of way. Hot.

DSW, Nine West Elise Floral Pump, $59

This pattern should be stretched onto a canvas. Just lovely.

Floral pumps, a little sexy, a little girly, a lot easy for any style. Pick a hue, pastel, purples, reds, you name it, you will find something in your taste for this trend.

Be fabulous today!

Shifting Gears

Shift dresses are the epitome of simple. They can be boxy, which is a great look paired with some stacked heels, or you can belt the dress to accentuate the waist. So many of these dresses are sleeveless though, and that's not always work appropriate. Today let's look at some shift dresses with short sleeves.

Loft, Placed Floral Print Dress, $79
I love this cascading floral pattern, I would dress it down with a denim jacket.

Express, Short Sleeve Colorblock Shift, $29
These peachy colors are perfect for spring. It also comes in a navy hue!

Modcloth, Camp Get Enough, $89
Check out this adorable graphic landscape! This is just asking for a skinny braided belt and some flat sandals.

The Limited, Colorblock Dress, $79
A work appropriate shift that is needing some red pumps. I love placement of the black band.

Shift dresses can be styled to fit any shape or size. The short sleeve adds just a bit of class vs the sleeveless option.

Be fabulous today!