Yellow Sweater With Pockets!

Love Winnie James Sweater c/o || Olive Green Jacket || AG Skinny Jeans || Karen Walker Sunglasses || Tignanello Bag c/o || Tory Butch Riding Boots || Jackie Kennedy Cascade Ring ||

Good morning and happy Wednesday, friends! I'm pretty excited about this yellow sweater as it has not only a beautiful color, but pockets on the front (enter the heart eye emoji here)! I'm a sucker for pockets and find this sweater to be quite unique. Everyone is used to a hoodie having the front pouch, but having a sweater with pockets not only has the same feeling, but also has an overall chicer and more refined appeal. I've had my eye on many yellow/mustard colors for fall too. The color pairs wonderfully with midnight blue, olive, camel, and burnt oranges. This sweater does have a loose fit. Very comfortable, but not form fitting if that's what you're looking for. I'm wearing a size small. 

Don't forget to use the code LOVEAMANDA for 15% off of your Love Winnie James order! The code is good until October 21st.

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xo, Amanda

Lace on Lace

Lace Crop Top c/o || Similar Lace Shorts and HERE || Sunnies || Saddle Bag, Great Chloe Dupe! || Lace Up Heels || Olive Leaf Bangle c/o || Olive Leaf Earrings c/o || Jackie Kennedy Unity Band || Jord Wood Watch c/o ||

I adore wearing fabrics that are especially feminine such as lace. There's something that feels quite special about donning the pretty fabric. I wanted this look to have softer colors to exude loveliness and romance. The lace crop top has a floral leaf pattern on it with a three quarter sleeve and cuts above the belly button. I do wish it were just a tad longer, but can simply pair it with higher a higher waisted skirt or shorts. I'm wearing an XS for reference. The white feels crisp and fresh for summer. I can't seem to get enough of it! The olive leaf bangle and earring set are darling for everyday use. I love how the earrings aren't tiny studs, but rather are a bit longer than your regular dainty items.

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xo, Amanda

Style London

Style London Dress c/o || Polette Sunnies c/o || Urban Expressions Bag ||  Similar Sandals || Rumba Time Watch c/o || Jackie Kennedy Unity Band ||

Stripes seem to be a print that dominate my wardrobe. They have that cool preppy chic feel about them and they always pop. I can't help but to be drawn to them! This dress from Style London is a mixed media with stripes on top and swirl of blue and red on the bottom. The skirt actually reminds me of the sky right after the sun has set when the colors are rich and saturated. I love how this dress stands out from the crowd. For whatever reason their website seems to be down, but here's a link to their Facebook. I'm wearing a size small, but found it to be slightly big on me.

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xo, Amanda

Dasie Dee Dress

Lurap Blush Dress c/o || Bag- Different Color and Similar Here || Leopard Heels || Edge-I-Wear Sunnies c/o || Blush Crystal Ring ||

A very happy and relaxing Tuesday! I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful Labor Day weekend and got some good deals on all of the sales that were going on. I recently wore this blush dress from Lurap over the weekend. I adore the soft color with the fit and flare style. The sheer fabric at the hem gives it an extra boost of femininity. I'm such a sucker for any romantic look, especially delicate dresses! I love these sunnies from Edge-I-Wear also with their classic style. The clear frames go with just about any outfit you can think of.

Lurap offers regular and plus size clothing along with the option to customize each garment to fit your specific body. All pieces are manufactured when you place your order meaning there are not any bulk stocks being kept. Each piece is specific to you! Definitely give them a try.

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xo, Amanda

Travel Log

3 Year Wedding Anniversary to the Finger Lakes

Today marks my three year wedding anniversary and what better way to celebrate than by looking back at some wonderful memories from our trip to the finger lakes a couple weeks ago. Justin and I decided to take our anniversary trip a little early this year and it turned out to be spectacular. The finger lakes have beautiful sweeping landscapes to gaze upon, which comprises of what Justin and I do while visiting. We love to simply drive around and relax while taking in all of the scenery around us. Of course we do visit our favorite winery Bully Hill and stock up on Ravot 51, our favorite wine that has pineapples in it and quite a sweet flavor. Other than that we love to have little picnics around the lakes, do some antique shopping, and try the local cuisine. The golden rod was flourishing and added an Autumn feel to the gorgeous views. Let's not forget the fabulous waterfalls the finger lake region has to offer as well. This year we got to see a new one for us, Ithaca Falls, pictured last. Also, you'll see I made a new little friend while having our picnic. All in all we had a wonderful time with so many memories filled with love. I feel so luck to be married to my best friend.

A quick little history for us, Justin and I took our "mini moon" to the finger lakes the weekend after we were married. I had started a new job and was not able to take any time off. We still wanted to go somewhere to celebrate so we chose a small weekend trip to the finger lakes. We eventually took our big honeymoon trip six months later to Florida, but have always had a special place in our hearts for this New York region. We also took our one year anniversary to the finger lakes and now our three year as well.

This is from our mini moon in 2011

Celebrating our one year anniversary in 2012

Sweet Treats

Blueberry  Crumble Cake

My sweet treat indulgence for this week is a delicious blueberry crumble cake. Keeping true to my retro roots, the recipe comes from a Retro Baking book with a healthy update, while still keeping the flavor and decadence alive. Enjoy this treat while taking a break from the day and sipping on some tea of coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup truvia baking sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 2 eggs, seperated (reserve the whites)
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries

Grease and flour the bottom of a 12x8x2 inch rectangle pan. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour and sugar. Using a fork cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Measure 3/4 cup of flour mixture and set aside. To remaining flour mixture beat in baking powder, salt, egg yolks, and milk; beat about 2 minutes. In a small mixing bowl beat egg whites until stuff and still moist. Gently fold into batter and pour into pan. Spread blueberries over batter and sprinkle crumb mixture over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Simple Pleasures

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

When it comes to dessert time, that signals all sorts of warning bells in my head. Basically, how bad the sweet treat can be for my body and health. One thing I have learned though, like most things in life, is moderation is key. I always watch the sugar content in all types of foods be it the appetizer, main course, or dessert, due to the toll it takes on the body. Sugar can literally make you look older, yikes! Cutting sweets completely out of the diet would be ideal, but as I have learned in the past, cravings can come on strong and take over, leading to an eventual dessert fest of all sorts. To keep the cravings at bay moderation comes into play. Either make healthy comprises like swapping milk chocolate out for healthy 70% dark chocolate, which is filled with flavanoids and becomes more like fiber at 70%, or treat yourself to one dessert a week so as not to completely limit yourself, but also keeping the sugar at bay. This way, you can have your cake and eat it too, the best of both worlds being had.

Finding that balance can be tricky, but simply takes some planning and good decision making. Instead of bleached flour, buy whole wheat flour, and instead of white rice, try the ever healthy quinoa. I've used whole wheat flour and quinoa in many of my recipes for cooking and baking, and they come out fantastic. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips from the vending machine, try to pack an apple instead or bring some berries and almonds to munch on. Having that one dessert at the end on the week, or whenever you prefer, will not seem so bad after all of the healthy choices being made. Not only that, but it gives you something to look forward to, a nice reward for all of your hard work!

Elegant Easter

My Classic Easter Look

In my mind, Spring does not officially arrive until Easter. The whole basic meaning of Easter is the renewal of life, which, perfectly co-insides with the events going on all around us at Spring time. White has always been the classic Easter look, just take a look at the fabulous Judy Garland in "Easter Parade" or in "Meet Me in St. Louis" when her whole family is going to visit the Louisiana Expedition in the Spring, all are decked out in head to toe white. For me, I chose a white embroidered dress that has the best bow detail around the collar that I got from Modcloth. The nude clutch with crystal bow detailing works perfectly to keep the outfit classic. Get this, the clutch is from Cracker Barrel! Never would have guessed that, but it shows how pretty finds can be found where you least expect it. I decided on a slight pop of color with my shoes from DSW. They have a blended floral print on them with the majority of the color being blue. A sock bun pulls the polished look together and the beautiful earrings are from the Jacqueline Kennedy collection. Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter!