The Cardigan that Keeps on Giving

August 31, 2016

Cardigan: Nordstrom. Top: Topshop via Nordstrom. Jeans: J. Crew Factory (similar). Shoes: Steve Madden (similar). Purse: Kate Spade
I wore this outfit to work the other day and received several compliments on my outfit, much to my surprise. People like casual I guess :) so I snapped a few quick photos to share with you today! They're not the best quality, but you get the point. This sweater is not only great with dresses, but works well dressed down with jeans too.

This week has been flying by, thankfully! Mark and I have a fun weekend planned so I'm anxiously counting down the days. I'm also being extra social this week, which is unlike me. #introvert So I'll be ready for the long weekend!

Thank you for stopping by!
xo Catherine

2 Tops in One

August 29, 2016


 
Top: J. Crew Factory. Jeans: Gap. Shoes: M. Gemi. Purse: Tory Burch (similar). Necklace: J. Crew Factory (very similar). 

This top was on backorder for over a month and finally came in the mail last week! Love it when that happens. The unfortunate part is that it sold out over the weekend :( so I linked a ton of cute layered 2 in 1 sweaters below because they're the best. Seriously, it looks like you put way more effort into your outfit than you actually did, and who doesn't love that? I had a similar one a few years ago that I loved for that exact reason, but it shrunk in the wash. Womp womp. So needless to say I was psyched when I stumbled across this one at J. Crew Factory. 

The highlight of our weekend was the Minnesota volleyball game at Stanford yesterday. Unfortunately they lost, but it felt like a little slice of home here in the Bay Area <3 other than that we lounged pretty hard all weekend. My favorite!

Hope your week gets off to an amazing start!
xo Catherine


Frosé Recipe

August 26, 2016

Today's post is a good one! I love Grace's blog and was very intrigued when she posted a frosé recipe last week. I've been on such a rosé kick lately (because summer, #duh) and knew I had to give this recipe a try, although I did a little adapting. 
-1 bottle of rosé - I used a bottle that was mostly full that I didn't really like because it was too sweet. I thought it would be perfect for a mixed drink though!
-1 cup of raspberries - Grace made hers with strawberries, but I'm allergic, so I made a swap. I also used frozen berries to speed up the freezing process
-A spoonful of sugar (really depends on however sweet you want to make it)
-2 oz. vermouth, optional - Grace used 3 oz, but I knew I didn't want it that strong. Honestly next time I'd either skip it or use something like St. Germain 
-1 oz water
-1 gallon ziplock bag
-A bowl or container to set the bag in inside the freezer
Literally I just blended everything together, put it into the ziplock in the bowl in the freezer, waited an hour and served! Simple as that and you have a delicious end of summer treat!

Hope you can enjoy this or something else that's fabulous this weekend!
xo Catherine

Kate Spade Surprise Sale!

August 24, 2016



Nothing makes a Tuesday morning better than waking up to a Kate Spade Surprise Sale in my inbox! There are a ton of beautiful pieces for really excellent prices. This deep plum bag below is actually drool worthy and currently in my cart. I'm thinking I may need to treat myself to a new fall bag, especially since I'm not shopping for the month of September! Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the sale:
      

Happy Wednesday!
xo Catherine 

Black Dress at the Pink Wall

August 22, 2016

Dress: Loft. Shoes: Banana Republic (similar). Hat: Anthropologie (similar). Necklace: J. Crew Factory (similar). Purse: vintage Coach (similar new style).

This dress = pure comfort. The material is incredibly soft and stretchy and it's nice and loose fitting so thumbs up all around. I did, however, struggle to figure out what accessories to pair with it because I rarely wear black! Crazy, I know. I'm trying to branch out, remember? Anyway, you can find me in this dress from now until April, it's that good.

I'm so sad that this weekend is over because it was one for the books. Last week I was feeling like I wanted to do something nice for Mark and I found an amazing deal for massages at the Four Seasons, so I booked it and surprised him on Friday! I didn't tell him where we were going and he really couldn't figure it out. I just love surprising people :) so we spent the night relaxing and sipping champagne by the pool. Then Saturday I spent the day with a girlfriend, which is always good for the soul. Then yesterday was brunch and mall perusing with Mark. Time with my favorite people makes my heart happy!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
xo Catherine 

Fall Pieces Under $100

August 17, 2016


Even if you don't want to think about fall yet, it's still coming! I usually kick off fall shopping right around the 4th of July or the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and then patiently wait to wear my sweaters and booties. I know that even the most die-hard summer fans are starting to shop for fall, so you should too ;) here are some pieces I'm lusting after that are all under $100 (some need a promo code so it may show as more in the widget above)! May or may not have ordered a couple of these things or have them in my shopping cart just waiting to pull the trigger.

We're half way to Friday, guys! You deserve a reward for that, so get shopping!

xo Catherine

The Perfect Blush Dress

August 15, 2016

Dress: Ann Taylor. Clutch: Anthropologie (similar). Shoes: Jessica Simpson (similar). Earrings: Old Navy (similar). 
It was love at first sight with this dress. It has everything that I love: sleeves, lace, blush, and isn't tight ;) I've already worn it twice since I bought it last weekend. It works both casually with flats or sandals, or dressed up like it is here. The above styling would be perfect for date night, or even a wedding. I think this is going to be the summer version of my green lace Banana Republic dress that I've had for years and wear over and over again. Hope you enjoy that throwback ;) 

I wore this beautiful dress on Saturday for lunch and a movie with Mark. Other than that we hung out at the pool a little bit and I went to a coworkers housewarming party. It was a really good weekend!

Hope your week gets off to a good start!
xo Catherine 

Recent Reads Vol. 7

August 12, 2016

I didn't realize how much time had gone by since my last Recent Reads post so there are more than normal this time around but there are some really good ones!

First up is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I chatted about this briefly on Snapchat the other day, but overall I enjoyed the script. I went into it trying to think of it as its own entity and not a part of the book series so that if I didn't like it I wouldn't be disappointed and that helped a lot. For some reason when it comes to Harry Potter I get very emotional, probably because it was so intertwined with my childhood. Anyway, I tried not to go in with high hopes, just in case, but I just knew it was going to be different since it was a script. I enjoyed it because I missed the wizarding world so much, but it felt kind of like fan fiction because you're missing all of J.K.'s descriptive imagination since it's a script. I would say worth a read, but just don't expect it to be an 8th book. 

My sister recommended So You've Been Publicly Shamed and after a couple conversations about recent public shamings, like the whole Cecil the Lion debacle, I was intrigued. It was a quick read and I would recommend that everyone read it in the age of social media. Jon Ronson does a deep dive of social media shamings and interviews some recent victims to get their side of things and see where they are now. He also looks back at the history of public shamings. It's all such an interesting concept and it really makes you think a lot more before jumping in on a social media witch hunt. It also makes you second guess everything you post on social media, which isn't necessarily a bad thing! 

Luckiest Girl Alive was not what I was expecting it to be. I thought it was going to be a creepy thriller like Gone Girl, but it was just a story that was dark at times. It's about a woman who was involved in a traumatic event when she was a teenager but picked herself up and made a name for herself. Then she's asked to be in a documentary that makes her revisit her past and that drudges up issues. I enjoyed this book a lot, but it wasn't as suspenseful as I was expecting it to be. 

I did not like The Widow at all. It was just straight up creepy and disturbing and not in a enjoyable way. I won't give anything away, but everyone is saying this is the next Gone Girl, but I really don't understand why everyone loves it so much. 

Judge me all you want for this one, but I loved See Me by Nicholas Sparks. The man knows how to write a love story. I think I've read almost every one of his books and this was a favorite. Every time a new book of his comes out I tell myself I'm not going to read it because they're cheesy, but then I end up reading it and loving it because I am a sap. Plain and simple. This one is not just a love story, but there's a little bit of a thriller in there too which I enjoyed because it gives the story more layers. 

And finally is After You which is the sequel to Me Before You. Overall it was fine, but it felt a little forced to me. I loved the first book so much and I think it should have just been left at that without the sequel. I love everything that Jojo writes though, so I enjoyed it anyways, but just not as much as the original.

I'm currently reading The Swans of Fifth Avenue and liking it a lot now that I'm halfway in. It was a little slow at first, but it's picked up now. It tells the story of Truman Capote and all of his socialite friends from the '50s. I honestly didn't know anything about Truman Capote so it's been a fun read!

What are you reading or have you read recently?
xo Catherine 

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