June 2015 – Page 2

Design Darling & Top Picks

Posted on June 8, 2015June 8, 2015 by KSSBelle

Have you heard of the boutique Design Darling? I discovered it a little over 3 years ago. It’s a really cute and chic online boutique. This boutique features everything from candles to tassel earrings and even home decor. All of her stuff is happy and bright (two of my favorite things to be), definitely a perfect place for the typically “girly girl,” which I just so happen to be. Mackenzie has exceptional style and that’s exactly what she passes onto you in her online boutique. She also has a great blog, too. Another great one to add to your daily reading list. Her dog is precious too.

Here are my top picks from the Design Darling boutique! Some of these things may or may not be on my birthday list.

Happy Shopping!

Scalloped Desk Organizer – Pink Waves

How cute is this for your desk? It would be a great addition to my desk upstairs!

Ginger Jar Guest Towel

This guest towel would be perfect in our half bathroom downstairs!

Le Pen – Periwinkle Set of 12

These would be a colorful addition to my desk for writing notes in my planner, thank you notes, etc…

Camera Print

I took photography in high school, and to this day I still love it. This print would be a nice addition to my office gallery wall I am building.

Pearl Tassel Earrings

These would definitely be a “splurge” item for me, but I know I would love these for many years to come. Classic tassel earrings in my opinion.

Jonathan Adler Zebra Dish – Navy Blue

This would be a welcomed addition to my nightstand. I constantly have loose odds and ends like earrings and my watch on my nightstand. This would at least keep them organized.

Note Taking Queen Notebook

My love for elephants continues…I am constantly writing “to-do” lists, adding things to my “dream list” and so this notebook would be a happy one to open anytime I need to jot a thought down on paper.

The Best “Apple Crisp” Recipe

Posted on June 5, 2015 by KSSBelle

This is hands down the best apple crisp I’ve ever had in my life. Before I share this recipe with you, I first need to give full credit to my best friend of 27 years. This recipe has been passed down in her family for years. I asked her for her recipe shortly after I got married, and she gave it to me (thankfully). Since then, I have made this for several house warming gifts, dinner parties and just because…it’s that good.

It’s so easy to make with such simple ingredients – that’s my kind of recipe.

6 Large granny smith apples
2 Cups sugar
2 Cups all purpose flour
2 Sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 Tablespoons water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Start by grabbing your 9 x13 baking dish. Wash and slice the apples into very thin half moon slices. Slice the half moon slices in half. Layer the apple slices in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle your 4 tablespoons of water over the apples evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the apples.

Next, get a large mixing bowl ready for the “good stuff” otherwise known as the “crisp” part. Add your 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, then your 2 sticks of melted butter. Stir these 3 ingredients together well with a spoon.

Pour the crisp ingredients onto the apples in your baking dish evenly. Place your apple crisp in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy – and don’t worry, you can thank me later!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Loving Lately

Posted on June 4, 2015 by KSSBelle

It’s always fun to discover things that other people are loving right now, so I thought I would share with you some things that I’m loving lately. These are random, so bare with me. What are some things that you’re loving lately?

Smoothies

I feel like they start my day off on the right foot. I will make them for my husband and I most mornings now, but we’ve found that our little one likes them just as much as we do. I typically mix up one granny smith apple, 2 or 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, one banana, 4-5 strawberries, 1/2 cup of milk, a handful of ice and sometimes I add flax. It’s a great way to get your fruit in for the day.

Roku

This has been an awesome investment for us. Between my husband working late in the evenings and the little one’s bedtime, we just can’t seem to catch our shows during the actual time they’re on air. So, we use our Roku. It’s awesome. You decide when you want to watch it. We also have Netflix streaming on our Roku as well (thanks to my brother adding us to his share plan! Thanks big bro!) It’s really convenient for us, and we love it.

Patio Dinners

When the weather is nice, my husband and I will take our dinner and a glass of wine outside. We plug the baby monitor in, and talk about our days. (We also do this on the weekend mornings too, just with our coffee). It makes for a great date night for us at home, just outdoors! We definitely are lighting our citronella candle these days, but it is so worth it to see the sun go down in the evenings together. We do go on date nights occasionally, but we’re such homebodies, so the ones at home are perfect, too!

Gardening

This year I’ve finally had time to do a little bit of gardening. My Mom is the only reason why I know what I’m doing though. She is my go-to when it comes to plants, where they should go in the yard, and how to take care of them. I even enjoy watering all of the flowers/shrubs in the evenings, too. I hope I can be half as good as my Mom is one day in the garden. I remember as a kid, dreading going to the nurseries with her because I would have rather been playing with my friends at home, and I thought to myself “I’m not going to do this to my kids.” Well, I have to say, I’ve now taken my little one to the nursery several times, and I am so turning into my Mom in so many ways! I laugh about it a lot, but turning into my Mom is the best thing in the world. I now understand her love of gardening. The pretty blooms make me so happy.

Blogging

I knew in my heart that I always wanted to start a fashion blog, and after I quit my job as a Senior Copywriter in the fashion world to be at home with my little one, I decided it was time. It was well overdue in fact. I love that I get to continue writing, and combine my creative side in photography/fashion. It’s the perfect outlet for me, and hopefully I am inspiring others along the way. I am excited that I’ll be adding more “Outfit Posts” soon, too! I love styling outfits. So stay tuned my friends.

All images in this post via

J.Crew Factory – The June Edit

Posted on June 3, 2015 by KSSBelle

As I mentioned in this post, I want to bring you my “top picks” from what I consider my more budget-friendly shops, especially when they’re having great sales.

As I have said many times before, when I shop, I like to buy things that will last for more than one season (more like for many years my friends), and that I’ll truly love for a long time.

Since J.Crew Factory is offering an Extra 30% off Everything online only (Use Code: SPLASHYSALE), plus free shipping today only, I thought I would give you my “June Edit” for J.Crew Factory.

Happy Shopping!

Factory Laser Cut Swing Tee

The laser cut sleeves is what really drew me to this top. It’s unexpected, but welcomed to what would be just an ordinary top. This top would look great with any pair of jeans and shorts right now.

Factory Long Sleeve Eyelet Shirt

I really love the eyelet detail on this shirt. I also love the long sleeves. I am not opposed to wearing a long sleeve top in the Summer months since it does have such a lightweight look about it. It would look perfect with a great pair of white jeans (I am a big fan of an all white outfit in the Summer) or shorts.

Factory Flared Skirt

These flared skirts caught my eye at J.Crew during the Fall when I was expecting. I fell in love with the look, but needed to wait until post baby to wear it. Now that I can wear this skirt, my color choice is ivory. It will look great in the Summer with a classic button up and sandals, and even better in the Fall/Winter with black tights, boots and a sweater. V.E.R.S.A.T.I.LE.

Factory Boyfriend Boatneck Sweater

There’s nothing better than throwing on a Summer weight sweater to keep you cozy on those cooler evenings. It’s the perfect baby blue hue, too.

Factory Maxi Dress with Pom Pom Trim

This maxi is gorgeous. I was sold with the pom poms, but the embroidery detail is pretty too.

Factory Printed Pleated Short

This print is both bright and abstract, which just screams Summer to me. Put on a crisp, white button up and cute sandals and “hello Summer chic!”

Factory Rattan Clutch

Kate Spade had a similar design, but this one is a fraction of the price, which makes it even better. I would love to have this clutch for a date night or girls night out.

Be Squared – Gingham

Posted on June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 by KSSBelle

Gingham is quite possibly the most popular pattern in fashion, well, that and stripes. It’s timeless which is probably one of the reasons why I love it so much. You can wear it year round, you can decorate your home with this pattern, and you can even eat off of adorable gingham plates, monogrammed if you so desire. I simply love gingham. I love the fact that it’s also so simple, too. It’s an incredibly wearable pattern for women and men of all ages. You can literally wear it from the time you’re a baby to the time your 92. You’ll find this pattern in so many rich colors, which is what makes it fun. Besides the gingham clothing my family and I wear, we recovered some bamboo chairs in a cranberry, yellow, green and gold gingham pattern 4 years ago. These chairs are just happy, preppy chairs in our living room. To this day, I never tire of them. So, whether or not you want to wear gingham, decorate with it or even tote the pattern around town, know it will never go out of style.

All above images via

Here are just a few things in gingham that I’m loving right now. Do you love this pattern? What are your favorite gingham pieces these days?

Giselle Gingham Top

This top is amazing. It’s a little bit dressier than a classic button up, which is a nice change. I love the 3/4 sleeve length. This top would look great with white jeans in the summer or a cute pair of shorts, too.

The St. Anne Tote

Barrington Gift totes are my favorite. This gingham print is new for Summer. I have the St. Anne Axis diaper bag tote, and it holds everything we need very well. This new navy, gingham tote just might have to be added to my collection.

Melamine Monogram Salad Plates

Have you seen the “Preppy Paper Girl” shop on Etsy? Everything in her shop is incredibly chic. If you need a gift for someone preppy, this is the only place you need to shop. These salad plates come in so many beautiful colors, and would look great for everyday or if you’re hosting a party. These plates would make a great hostess gift too.

Staffordshire Folded Notecards

Another great pick from the Preppy Paper Girl shop. Call me old fashioned, but I am a big fan of snail mail. I was raised to write handwritten thank you notes. I will be instilling this same tradition in my children, too. These gingham notecards make writing your thank you notes so much more fun in my opinion.