Loafer Face Off

Why pay more when you can pay less? The new shoe "body" that seems to be trending is the casual loafer. Nothing fancy, pretty simple in fact. Lets take a look at two similar shoes for two very different prices. 

JCREW

Yes, these are very exciting and extremely cute, but they are also $150.00! I'm not about to open up my wallet for that price, especially on a pair of flats. Lets look at some competition.

Wal-Mart

At only $12.00 these will do! I was browsing online and found a few pair of cute flats from Wal-Mart. For a cute pattern you will only wear on a rare occasion this is the way to go. These are still super cute and will not break the bank! 

Be inspired and create!

Save Money Eating Healthy

Yes, I said save money eating healthy! I saved almost $100.00 on my grocery bill last month! My grocery bill also includes consumable items like toothpaste, paper towels, and pet supplies, which I do use coupons for if applicable. I'm not a crazy coupon lady, just one coupon for one item. There's only two of us in the house, but we've stuck to a planned diet and have seen a positive outcome in weight and our budget! So what did we do and what have we been eating?

The first thing we did was go to Sam's Club and bought the following.

Sam's Club List 

Granola Bars: 60 Ct.

Tilapia

Mixed Vegetables

Green Tea Bottles

Almonds

Tuna: 20 cans

Canned Chicken Breast:5 cans

It's been a month and we still haven't gotten through all of these items. We still have left overs of all the above items except the green tea. We should be able to make the rest of what we have last through February. 

So,what do we get from the grocery store?  For the past month the below items have been regulars on my shopping trips.

Grocery List 

Thin cut chicken breast: Buy the 4 lb packages and bag portions before freezing. 

Steak: Be smart about your steak, you can find really good deals. We've been eating steak as our Sunday Meals. 

Red Potatoes: 1 package will last you a couple meals. Only eat these once a week.

Sweet Potatoes: Buy a few a month. 

Low Fat Turkey Breast

Cucumbers

Grapefruit, Apples, Bananas

Low Fat Yogurt

Egg Whites

High Fiber Cereal 

Black Beans

Green Beans

Lettuce: Keep in Mason Jars to preserve freshness.

Almond Silk

Low Carb Bread

Pickles

Frozen Cauliflower 

Cottage Cheese
Lite Laughing Cow Cheese

You will need to get a feel for how often you will use these things. This will determine how often you will need to buy them.

Meal Suggestions:

Breakfast

High Fiber Cereal with Almond Silk

Egg White Omelet 

Fruit and Yogurt 
Oatmeal

Lunch

Tuna Sandwich with a Pickle

Cucumber, lite laughing cow cheese and low fat turkey breast

Turkey Sandwich with Mustard

Canned Chicken Breast and Green Beans

Salad with Chicken and Vegetables

Dinner

Tilapia with brown rice and vegetables

Chicken Breast with black beans and cooked cauliflower 

Egg White Omelet 

Turkey Sandwich with Cottage Cheese

Steak, red potatoes and vegetables 

Snacks

Almonds

Almonds and Raisins

Granola Bar

Yogurt

Fruit

Banana with Peanut Butter

Pickle

Cottage Cheese: Add fruit if you would like
Rice Cakes


Be inspired and create! 

Inspirational Dining Decor

I, like most people, daydream about my fantasy house. I found the most beautiful bowls and plates and decided they were going to be my dining room inspiration!I've picked out tables, chairs, rugs and accessories based on the color and details of these pieces. 

The Inspiration

From: Vietri.com

Aren't these gorgeous? Light blue and white are two of my favorite colors to decorate with. I love cottage chic decor and these fit in perfectly. I pulled together high level inspirational products that could pull the look I want together. Here's what I found! 

Table Options

From: Williams Sonoma 

From: Pottery Barn

From: Williams Sonoma

Vases 

From: Pottery Barn

From: Pottery Barn

From: Pottery Barn

Rugs

From: Zgallerie

From: Zgallerie

Dining Chairs

From: Ballard Designs

From: Pier One

From: Urban Outfitters

From: Urban Outfitters

Draperies

From: Urban Outfitters

From: Anthropologie

Crock Pot Pasta and Garlic Rolls

I normally don't share recipes, but thought maybe I would give it a shot. We made a delicious crock pot pasta and garlic rolls for dinner tonight! Yum!

Crock Pot Pasta

You will need:

1 package Tortellini

1 lb Pork Sausage

1 package spinach (1/2 the bag)

1 box chicken broth

1 box cream cheese

2 cans of Rotel (Regular or Italian style)

*Cook on low for 4-5 hours

Add shredded Parmesan and enjoy!

Garlic Rolls

You will need

1 package Kings Hawaiian Rolls

Butter

Garlic Salt

I love Kings Hawaiian rolls! They are so soft and have that edge of sweetness. I decided to try something new and turn them into garlic rolls to accompany our pasta. 

Cut the rolls in half and add your butter and garlic salt.  

*Bake at 350 for 5-6 minutes.

Hope you enjoy! Be inspired and create!

Fashion Inspiration

This week its all about color. I've pulled together a few pictures that have inspiring color stories. 

Neutrals

Source: Lookboo.nu

Gold and Coral

Source: Nordstroms

Seafoam and Citron

Source: Lookbook.nu

Cobalt 

Source: Unknown

Be inspired and create! 

Basic Essentials

Every once in a while I get so frustrated because it seems I don't have enough basic layering pieces.  I found some essential basics that need to be a part of any wardrobe. All of these items came from Target so they are sure to not break the bank. 

The Basics

Windbreaker/Rain Jacket

V-Neck Tee

Neon Racerback Tank: Great for working out. 

The Boyfriend Cardigan

Crochet Scarf

The Jegging

Be inspired and create!

DIY: Tab Dividers

I finally found the planner I've been looking for my whole life! All I've ever wanted is a place to write my meals and my grocery list for each week. When I found this one I knew it was a keeper, the only thing it didn't have were tab dividers for each month. So, I made my own. 

The Planner

Grocery Hot Spot

No Tab Dividers

The Project

You will need cardboard, washi tape, paper cutter or scissors, and some glue. 

Cut your cardboard to the size you want your dividers. Mine were about 1.5". 

You should have 12 tiny pieces. 

Wrap your divider with the washi tape. 

When your done wrapping you will have a colorful collection of tabs. 

Finally, glue each tab to each month. 

I love the cute patterns washi tape comes in. You will have way cuter tabs than what your planner would have come with. Be inspired and create! 

Fashion Inspiration

Here are a few looks I love. 

Source: Unknown

Source: Unknown

Source: Lookbook.nu

Source: Unknown

Source: Lookbook.nu

Be inspired and create!