5 on Friday!

Happy Friday Y'all!!

Sorry for the lack of posting this week but with working the past 2 weekends and getting ready for the move today and tomorrow... life has been a little hectic! Let's get right to it with this weeks...

{One}

This past week my mom sent me this sweet picture of Corduroy back at home. It completely melted my heart but also gave me a great picture for National Dog Day!  Next week I will be heading home for a few days and can't wait to see this sweet face.

{Two}

I am proud to say that nearly everything I own has been packed away in these boxes for the big move today and tomorrow. I am beyond thrilled to get to the new place and can't wait to share pictures!

{Three}

Here's a sneak peak at part of the new place...my lovely new balcony. I have always wanted a place to sit outside, soak in the morning sun, and drink my coffee and I think this little gem will do just fine! Not to mention all the great patio furniture that's on sale right now... major score!

{Four}

Today is officially the first day of Paint It Purple Fridays! I am beyond sad to be missing the first home game of the season but will be cheering on my Pirates from the new apartment wearing my purple and gold!

{Five}

That's right y'all... its back! Run to your Starbucks and get one now because it will start your whole weekend off on the right foot!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Yours truly, 

Emily

Needing for Fall...

Every morning for the past 2 weeks, I've walked out of my apartment and been hit with a slight chill of Fall upon us. Much like everyone else, I absolutely love fall and am anxiously awaiting when I can throw on skinnies, boots, and a sweater. Over the next few months, I plan to work extensively on budgeting so that I can buy myself a few timeless fall/winter pieces that I will have for years to come. In the mean time, here are some more practical fall items I have my eye on...

Gap Cap-toe pointy flats

Originally when I saw these flats, I was smitten with the beautiful emerald color. However having thought about it, the tan and pink could easily be worn through different seasons. I love the warm soft suede look with the pop of color at the end!

Forever 21- Geo Goddess Cardigan

Every once in awhile I can find a few great pieces at Forever and I am loving these sweater. I love the loose slouchy fit and think it would be perfect with leggings and boots or booties the way she has it paired here. 

J.Crew Factory- Straight and narrow Cords

In fall and winter when it gets a bit chillier, corduroys are great to throw on for work with a sweater or button down. I love love that I can wear them with flats or tucked into boots. Navy is one of my all time favorite colors and I absolutely loved this pair. 

H&M- Blouse with Beaded collar 

This blouse has a ton of versatility and could be thrown on to run errands around town or pair with some skinnies and booties for a night look. Anyone else loving they can shop H&M online?!

H&M Wool Blend Jacket

I love the military style of this jacket and think it could be worn as an actual jacket for winter and also as a blazer thrown over a tee with a long necklace. Definitely a steal for only $40!

Gap Striped Jersey Raglan Dress

I am a lover of all things strips and absolutely love the side paneling detail of this dress! I think it would be super slimming and great to dress up with booties. 

Forever 21 Essential Shirt Dress

How perfect is this dress and for just $27! It comes in both navy and tan but shocker, I am all about the navy. I will be running to my local F21 to see I can find this!

What will you be wearing this fall?

Yours truly, 

Emily

Monday's Montra

Not much to report from this weekend as I was at work both Saturday and Sunday. Friday night I met up with some friends at Hardywood Brewery (surprise surprise.) It was a rainy and chilly night so it was perfect to sit inside and enjoy some yummy beers. I was home relatively early and decided to tackle the show everyone has been talking about...

Orange Is The New Black.

So far I am on episode 4 and absolutely loved it! If you haven't checked it out, I highly suggest you do so. 

Sunday after work was also pretty uneventful- grocery shopping, packing, and more Orange is the New Black. This week will be a bit with going back to work tomorrow through Thursday and then off Friday to move!  

Here's this week's mantra:

Hope everyone has a great week!

Yours truly, 

Emily

5 on Friday!

Happy Friday loves! 

Like last Friday, I am off again today before heading back into work tomorrow and Sunday.  Nothing too big planned for the day other then a gym session, laundry, a funeral, and a few errands. Oh and one other thing... see announcement below. Last week I did not participate in 5 on Friday but I am excited to be back at it this week!

{One}

Monday I had the day off, from working the weekend and decided I need to get on the ball about this whole grad school thing. I am due to start classes January of 2014 and while the deadline for turning everything in seems far away, it's only in a few weeks! I decided to start my day off by grabbing a coffee and heading to the library to buckle down and get some work done... not fun but definitely productive!

{Two}

This week I finally got my butt back to the gym and working out. Monday I also caught a barre class and can't even describe how great it felt to be back! Tuesday was a cardio session while catching up on Mistresses, Wednesday cardio+ barre arm routine, and today another cardio session! Please please please check out the barre arm routine, Sarah is one of my favorite fitness gurus and this workout will have your arms burning! 

{Three}

 

Y'all I am still living off these egg cups I made last week! They are definitely my new obsession and I can't wait to make them again this weekend. Also, after reading April's post on the Chai Latte K-cups I knew I had to give them a try! It was absolutely delicious and definitely something I will be making again. 

{Four}

Thursday I grabbed happy hour at Jorge's Cantina in the fan. It was break and how can you beat that happy hour?! It was little meeting of sorts about...

{Five}

I'm moving!! As of next week I will officially be a new resident in this darling apartment. It all happened a bit fast but I have decided that I have had enough time living alone and will be living with 2 other girls, who I grabbed happy hour with on Thursday to discuss furniture and logistics. I can't wait to move in and also to start decorating- more pictures to come once the move is finalized!

That about does it for this week! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Yours truly,

Emily

Wednesday Eats: Breakfast Made Easy + My Chili Recipe

Last week I mentioned that I whipped up an easy grab and go breakfast, this recipe is absolutely amazing and has supplied me with breakfast for going on the second week! Both are super easy and require very little ingredients, aka my favorite kind of recipes. 

Egg Cups:

1 dozen eggs

Chopped frozen spinach

Feta cheese

Spray muffin tin with a generous amount of nonstick spray. 

Crack in egg into each muffin mold- I mixed some of the eggs but also left some in tact.

Sprinkle a bit of spinach and feta in each mold.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350

Banana Oatmeal Muffins:

3 overripe bananas

2 cups of rolled oats

Walnuts

Chocolate chips

 1 cup of almond milk

Begin by mashing your bananas in a bowl, you can add the almond milk while breaking down the bananas to make it easier.

Add oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips- Stir together

(When I originally made these a few months ago, I used an 2 eggs to bind everything together, however this time, I used all my eggs when making the egg cups. The recipe still turned out great and I honestly count tell a difference.)

Line muffin tin with liners and fill with mixture 3/4 full. 

Bake for about 15-20 at 375!

I actually packaged the egg cups and the muffins together, one of each in a ziploc bag and grabbed them as I was heading out the door each morning for work. Lucky for me I had enough last week to freeze and use this week!

Now onto my yummy Chili recipe!! I made this last night when the weather was cold and rainy and it was perfect! A few of my girlfriends ended up stopping by and we enjoyed it along side some yummy wine...perfect way to end the weekend. 

Ingredients:

2 cans of Kidney beans

1 can of Chili beans

2 can of Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies 

1 packet of Chili seasoning 

Half a can of water

I'm a vegetarian so I do not use meat in mine but you could easily add in some ground beef or even some other veggies like corn or peppers. 

I used my crock pot to make mine and couldn't be happier with how it turned out! Simply dump all ingredients to crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. I chose to serve mine with blue corn tortilla chips, chopped onion, and of course shredded cheese! I neglected to take a picture but can assure you it did not disappoint!

What are some new recipes you've tried out?

Yours truly, 

Emily

Topics for Tuesday

While having the day off yesterday, I did quite the bit of online browsing at a few of my favorite magazines websites. You all know me and know there's nothing more I love then heading to Barnes and Noble, grabbing a coffee, and a stack of magazines. And while I did manage to fit in a B&N trip, I also like checking out some of the magazine's websites to see what other fun articles and I can read. Here's a few of my favorites:

(One)

Nine Beauty Junkies You Must Follow via Instragram

via Lucky Magazine

(Two)

Perfect Makeup In 8 Steps

via Glamour Magazine

(Three)

50 Life-Changing Cooking Tips

via Women's Health Magazine

(Four)

Life Lessons From- Orange Is The New Black

via Shape Magazine

(Five)

Which Is Worse- Dilemmas Solved

via Self Magazine

What are you favorite magazines to catch up on?

Yours truly, 

Emily

Weekend Report

This past weekend I actually worked so not a whole lot to report about but I did fill my time away from work doing a few fun things...

Saturday I had a quick half day at work before heading to meet a friend at Dogtown Block Party. It was a fun little beer festival that was going on in Manchester. They had BBQ, a beer truck, and live music... what more could you want! After having a few drinks, we headed for a walk along the floodwall. I had never heard of the floodwall but am so glad I was able to check it out, definitely one of the best views of the city I have seen.

After walking along the wall, we headed to Legend Brewery to grab a quick appetizer and a few more drinks. Legends is one of my favorite Richmond spots, they have a great view of the city and their brown ale is by far one of my favorites. 

View from Legends at night. 

We weren't quite ready to head in the for the night and kept with the theme of the day and headed to Hardywood Brewery.

 If you've read my blog before, you know that I am a frequent flyer at Hardywood and absolutely love it there. We were lucky enough to catch more live music as well as hit up the grilled cheese cart... absolutely amazing. 

Sunday it was back to work for a bit but home in time to have a relaxing afternoon, including chili in the crock pot, fresh clean sheets, and lots of movie watching. 

Lucky for me, I am off today and plan to hit up the grocery store, do a little meal prep for the week, return some books to the library, and fit in a workout. 

Here's to starting off this week on the right foot!

Yours truly,

Emily

Sunday Sayings...

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Yours truly,

Emily

This Friday Needed a Laugh

Hey Y'all for some reason my blogger is being extremely annoying today and will not allow me to upload my 5 on Friday post! Overall this has just not been my day and I have chosen to post this video...

Work sucked today and was sad and frustrating and stupid and this video was a complete game changer. 

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Yours truly,

Emily

Wednesday Eats- Experimenting with Gnocchi

Happy Wednesday Friends! Thank goodness we are half way through this week, these past few days have been too long! 

Last night I tried a new recipe that I am super excited to share! I saw the recipe when I was flipping through the latest Real Simple and could not wait to try it out! Let's not waste any time and get right to it...

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil, and Feta

( I changed the original recipe a bit but stuck to the basics- the link above will take you to the directions recommended by the magazine.)

Ingredients: 

Gnocchi

Yellow Squash (1-2 depending on size and how much you are making)

Half a yellow onion 

Garlic

Olive oil

Chopped Frozen Spinach

Salt and Pepper

1. Chop zucchini and onion, toss in olive oil and salt and pepper- roast at 400 for 20 minutes. 

2. While you are roasting your veggies boil water for gnocchi. Gnocchi only takes about 2-4 minutes to cook. Once the water is boiling add the gnocchi, once they begin to rise to the surface they are finished. 

3. Cook frozen spinach according to directions. 

4. Once veggies and gnocchi are finished, toss together, and top with feta!

Enjoy!

Taken from Real Simple. 

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Yours truly, 

Emily

Let's Talk About A Sale...

Some of you may have already seen or heard about Piperlime's End of Summer sale but if you have not... I suggest you check it out. They have so many great pieces at such a steal right now, here's a few things I have my eye on...

Tinley Road- Mint Pave Earings 

LA Made- Cami Maxi Dress

AG Jeans- The Stilt Jeans, loving for fall!

Hive and Honey- Raglan Tee

Kate Spade Pueblo iPhone cover

Make sure you take advantage of this awesome sale! Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday!

Yours truly,

Emily

Weekend Report

Happy Monday Y'all! 

I have quite the update after the amazing weekend I had.. lets get to it!

Friday, I left work at 12 and headed to Baltimore to throw my best friend a surprise birthday party! I hit some major traffic on my way and got there a little later than I wanted but got right to work when I arrived. I had loads of decorations and brought a ton of yummy food to make and some easier things to throw together like cheese and crackers. Everyone arrived around 7:15 and Alison arrived around 8:30. She had absolutely no idea and was so surprised, here's a few shots from the party...

Just as she was coming in the door

So great to catch up with old friends!

Aaron (Alison's boyfriend), The birthday girl, and me!

The rest of the night was spent taking too many shots and heading out to the bars in Federal Hill. 

Saturday morning I woke up feeling slightly under the weather and thought about hanging around Baltimore for the weekend but decided to rally and head back to Richmond. Being that I've been away every weekend for the past month... I was itching to get back to my apartment to have a quite Saturday night in. 

On my way back to Richmond, I couldn't help but stop at Potomac Mills to do a bit of shopping. I planned to also hit up Ikea while I was there but did a bit too much damage at the mall and decided I better head home. In my shopping spree I picked up these goodies...

How adorable is this dress I scooped up from Marshalls?! Gotta love a good Marshalls/TJ Maxx find and a steal at only $34!

I also picked up this gauzy summer top from Forever. While I know summer is ending, I have one more trip to the beach and though it would be perfect with some shorts and wedges. 

If you saw my post last week about Fall favorites, you might remember that I have seriously been eyeing up some utility jackets. I found this great one at a boutique for a great deal. I can't wait to wear it come fall with some skinnies and booties!

Saturday night was spent in at my friend Lauren's eating pizza and watching Playing For Keeps. Not an eventful night but it was exactly what I wanted post Friday shenanigans. 

Saturday morning I was up early to enjoy a little "Emily" time...

Coffee and mags in bed... perfect Sunday morning in my book. 

I didn't let myself lay around too long and actually managed to catch a barre class! I haven't been in weeks but it felt so good to be back and definitely left me a little sore today. The rest of my lovely Sunday went a little bit like this...

Catching up on DVR of Devious Maids, pinterest, and a good 'ol Coke

Being that I had so much time on my hands yesterday, I decided to get a little creative with my meal planning and made egg, spinach, and feta cups alongside with banana oatmeal muffins (recipe to come!) I had enough goodies to have one egg cup and one muffin every morning this week, and also enough to freeze for later! 

The rest of Sunday evening was spent making my homemade veggie enchiladas and watching Summer Catch... a pretty good Sunday I would say!

How did you spend your weekend?

Yours truly, 

Emily

5 On Friday

Happy Friday Y'all!

 I am so happy to be back this week for 5 on Friday and definitely missed it last week!

 This week absolutely flew by with being off on Monday and working long days the rest of the week. I managed to fit a ton in, in just a few days and am even more excited to be off this weekend and celebrate my best friends birthday! Shocker that I will again be traveling, for the 5th weekend in a row but it will be totally worth it because this girl is throwing her best friend a surprise party! I will be sure to have all the details on Monday but for now, lets review this past week!

(One)

 Monday my week started off still at the beach soaking up the last few bit of rays before retiring for the summer. It was the most perfect beach day spent relaxing in the sun reading my new book- 20 Something, 20 Everything. 


(Two)

This week I was in the mood to whip up something yummy and decided on sesame quinoa, roasted asparagus and mushrooms AND a yummy fillet of salmon. Alongside a glass of white... it was the perfect night in catching up on Devious Maids. 

(Three)

Sorry about the quality of the picture but it was too cute not to share. As most of you know I work in a Children's Hospital and this past week, one of my patients decided a royal tea party was in order. The tea party included formal invitations, dressed up teddy bears, real tea and cookies, and streamer wands... it was quite the event. 

(Four)

This week was insane crazy but I managed to fit in a couple good workouts, including a killer new spin class and great run. I finished my run with a little green juice which left me energized and ready for the day. 

(Five)

Today marks the day of my best friend, Alison's birthday! I have hardly seen her all summer and little does she know that tonight I am throwing her a surprise party! I am beyond excited to see the look on her face and get to spend the night celebrating with her!  Expect a full report after the weekend. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Yours truly, 

Emily