Currently...
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...getting a little R&R in The Bahamas & Miami. Post coming soon!
RA Sushi Leawood
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| Tuna California Roll |
So, Spring has sprung and summer is on it's way. This gets me excited because this is the time of year when some restaurants begin to bring out their summer menus or make some seasonal items available. One of those restaurants happens to be RA Sushi. I had the pleasure of tasting some of the items off of their seasonal menu with my homie, Lashonda of FashionPlateKC, and really enjoyed everything on the menu.
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| Langostino Strawberry Salad |
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| Red Seabream Nigiri |
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| Red Seabream Carpaccio |
I have to say, that I'd never had the fish, Seabream, before. It was delicious. It's a nice, mild and meaty, white fish. I also tried a couple of the cocktails, and I have to say, the Peach Basil Sour was my fave!!
If you're ever in the Town Center area here in KC, be sure to stop by RA Sushi and give the seasonal menu a try! Great food and always a cool atmosphere.
Matchy-matchy
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This was me right before going on a date "day" this past weekend with the hubs. I've already posted on my cute little rainbow flats, and while in my closet I realized that I had this infinity scarf from Target that I'd yet to wear. The colors matched perfectly with the shoes. I'm not usually into being too "matchy-matchy", because I've been wearing those shoes everyday lately with anything really. But, I decided to go a different route and actually match this time.
Anyway, me and hubs finally got around to seeing "Furious 7". My hubs is a car fanatic and loves the Fast & Furious franchise. We enjoyed it. I'm still a bit sad about the death of Paul Walker. He was a real life Ken doll! I'm glad they were able to finish the movie and added a touching tribute to him at the end of it.
Have a fantastic Thursday.
SHOP THE LOOK:
Jacket - Lucky Brand (similar)
Tank - HERE
Scarf - HERE
Jeans - Urban Outfitters (destroyed by me) (similar)
Shoes - HERE
Rainbow Bright
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Happy Friday, friends!
So the other day, I posted this photo on Instagram and the shoes garnered some interest. So for anyone interested, you can get these shoes HERE. They are super cute, comfy and colorful--which is my kind of look. I had to size down a half size, just an FYI. This espadrille-style shoe comes in other solid colors as well.
Have a great weekend!
His Becomes Hers
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I like to wear my husbands shirts at times. It hasn't always been that way. Lately, my hubs has been bitching at me about how much I seem to spend whenever I go to Target. I mean, helloooo, who ever actually only buys the items that they walked into Target to get??! Target gets me every time. I go in for 3 things and leave with 13. It doesn't help that my local Target store has a full on grocery store complete with a big organic foods (meat & produce) section, which saves me from having to drive further away to Whole Foods or Natural Grocers!
So, to butter my husband up a bit, I started keeping an eye out on things for him while in Target too. I happened to pick up a button-up shirt for him that I thought looked good and surprisingly he liked it, and liked how it fit. Prior to this, my hubs never bought clothes out of Target. It wasn't total snobbery or anything, I just don't think he ever considered it an option for some reason. So after that initial shirt, I started picking up more button-ups and t-shirts for him. Lets just say the Target complaints have eased up...a lil' bit. *wink*
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| Shirt - Target // Jeans - Forever 21 // Shoes - Nine West // Necklace - Charming Charlie // Bag - Old Navy |
So now that I'm actually picking out his button-up shirts and choosing
color schemes I'm drawn too, I've found myself rummaging through his
side of the closet at times. He says he likes me wearing his shirts. He finds it kinda' sexy. Hey, we've been married almost 7
years, so whatever adds to maintaining the spark, I'm all for it!
Have a great weekend!
Spring Thaw
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Hey guys! Yes, I am still alive! I know it's been a while since my last post, but I just have to be honest... During the winter, when it's cold--I just don't feel that inspired. So, I decided not to force it. I allowed myself to go into hibernation, if you will.
Well, now it looks like Spring is about to enter sooner rather than later here in Kansas City. We've had high temperatures in the 70's for the past few days! Woohoo! Though we aren't going to stay that warm consistently just yet, I am feeling inspired again! The sun is my muse!
I look forward to posting regularly again. Have a great, and hopefully sunny and warm weekend!
White, Gray & Crochet
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First off, who says you can't wear white during the winter?? Oh yea, you can wear white, as long as you call it "winter white", no? [smirk] I actually like wearing white jeans in the winter. With the right shirt/sweater and a slick pair of boots--it's such a clean look!
Anyway, forget the white jeans, this look is all about this crochet T-shirt. It had me at hello. I like that it still has a casual vibe with the cuffed sleeves and tee material, with the crochet detail kicking it up a notch. It has become one of the "most faves" in my closet!
By the way...HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hope you all accomplish everything your hearts are set on. :)
'Tis the Season
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Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah / Happy Kwanzaa, everyone!!
Elephant Juice
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When I bought this t-shirt, I had no idea that J. Crew seems to have an elephant theme going on in there Fall line-up. It was brought to my attention by someone I follow on Instagram. I will chalk that up to me having a knack in the style department. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Oh, and I guess I should mention the boots! I've gotten a lot of questions after my last post showing just the tops of them. Well these are it. I love them and are my favorite purchase I've made for fall/winter thus far. I like that they have a sort of "hippy" vibe. My style totally. They aren't completely flat. They have a small stacked heel of about an inch, so they are nice and comfortable--which is also pretty much what I go for. Get them while you can!
This post is linking up with Monday Mingle and How I Fall.
Do you Skimm?
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| Shirt c/o theSkimm | Jeans - Old Navy (old) | Boots - Nine West |
So, I'm obsessed with this daily email newsletter called theSkimm. I'd first heard about it from fellow blogger, Vett of the Real College Student of Atlanta blog. I'm a person who likes to stay up on current events, and I like to get it from all angles. But this little newsletter pretty much sums up the daily world news/events into an email that is so sarcastic and witty, I look forward to getting my daily dose of chuckles while sipping on my morning cup. It's become my morning ritual, after I get my kids to school. Word on the street is even Oprah is a Skimm-er too.
Go ahead and keep up with what's going on in the world.
Go HERE to subscribe!
Go HERE to subscribe!
T-shirt courtesy of theSkimm. All opinions are my own.
38
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So, um, yeah. It's starting to get a bit nippy here in Kansas lately. I've started pulling out my sweaters now (for real this time). This sweater was a Forever 21 clearance find. I might have paid 10 bucks. Might. I'd bought it last year when I was experiencing my very first Midwest winter after over 10 years, and I probably bought about 15+ clearance sweaters from F21, H&M, and any other cheap retailer. I ain't ashamed to admit that. *smile*
By the way, this sweater gives me a chuckle because most don't know
(because I don't usually just yell it from the mountain tops) that I
will actually be 38 years old next year. Yes, I'm that old! And to top
it all off, I discovered TWO gray hairs today. I'm not tripping out,
though. It's about time for my occasional Natural Instincts re-up
anyway.
All jokes aside, I'm proud of my age, and my evolution throughout the years. I look forward to seeing the person that I am in another 10 years. I've learned it's best to just embrace time and change, because there ain't no stopping it anyway.
Have a great week, guys. And don't forget to VOTE today!!
More on skincare...
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So, I just wanted to update you guys on my "everyday" skincare routine. Well, basically fill you in on the products I use. I use the word "routine" loosely, as I won't even pretend like I have some day and night time ritual that I follow religiously. I don't. If follow it about 75% of the time, I'm happy.
Anyway, the picture above basically what I use on my skin on a daily (or almost daily) basis. I'm all out of the face wash that I've been using the most recently, which is this one. So, I've been using a liquid African black soap that I'd gotten at my local health food store. I use the facial cleanser with my Clariasonic Mia 2 once or twice a day. After cleansing my face, I use this Valentia Even Glow Vitamin C serum that was sent to me months ago to try. This serum is suppose to even skin tone, increase glow & radiance, and reduce fine lines. I can't attribute all my skin improvements on this Valentia serum, but I can say that it has done well as part of my line up. So, after the serum, I apply a moisturizer to my face, neck, and decolletage. At night, I apply the Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair moisturizer--of which I can't rave enough about. This stuff works WONDERS! Seriously, if you're over 30 years old and are not using a moisturizer at night that contains retinol, you are doing a disservice to yourself. It totally makes the skin look younger, gives it a glow and definitely reduces fine lines and wrinkles. This is the one product that I do make sure to use almost every night. Now, in the mornings after cleansing my face, I moisturize with the Neutrogena Oil-Free moisturizer that has SPF 35. If you do use a moisturizer that contains retinol, it is imperative that you use a moisturizer during the day that has at least an SPF 30. I won't go into why here. Just trust me on this.
Oh and I've still been using the Exuviance peel about once every couple weeks. This has made a big difference in the texture of my skin as well. |
| Non-edited photo. |
So that my friends is my current skincare routine in a nutshell. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have. Be sure to check out more Valentia products HERE.
Have a great weekend!
Stephen Webster Jewelry
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Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Steven Webster's new jewelry line. I had a great time. He told us his story on how he got started and showed us a few pieces from his new line, Magnipheasant.
By the way, he has designed pieces for several celebrities. To name a couple Madonna and Elizabeth Taylor have worn his jewelry.
You can find his jewelry at Tivol here in Kansas City and I believe Neiman Marcus carries him as well.
Have a great Thursday!
Printed Pants
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These pants were a random TJ Maxx find from a month or so ago. I'd forgotten all about them until I was packing for my Vegas trip. So I tossed them in my suitcase, and went. I fell in love with them in Vegas. I love the elasticized hem which gives them a casual "jogging pant" style. I've gotta get more of these in some heavier material for the winter!
Happy Hump Day!
OUTFIT DETAILS:
Shirt - Target
Tank - Bebe
Pants - TJ Maxx (similar, similar)
Shoes - Nine West
Bargain Stripes
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Hey guys! I know it's been a minute. I've been a bit busy lately. Not to mention, me and hubs went to Vegas last week for a few days. I didn't really take many pictures there, but if you follow me on Instagram, there are a few there!
So let's talk about this striped maxi-dress I'm wearing, shall we? So I was at Walmart the other day and while walking over to the "Health/Beauty" section, I passed by this clearance rack that had a big "$5" sign on it. That slowed me down, because right there in my face was this dress. The stripes caught my attention because I liked the neutral color scheme. The quality seemed good, and at 5 bucks, I was willing to risk it! Plus, it's extra-long, which is great for a tall-y like me.
So I threw on these white sneakers and a denim jacket and was on my way! By the way, I have to say that I'm really enjoying this summer-y fall weather we've been having lately. I may have pulled out my sweaters and long sleeves a bit too soon!
::Eat:: Renee Kelly's Harvest
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| photo via Facebook |
It's hump day, ya'll!! This is just a quick post about one of my favorite things (as you know)--food! This past weekend, the hubs and I tried a new restaurant that was recommended to us by friends. It's called Renee Kelly's Harvest. The owner is chef Renee Kelly, and this is a "farm to table" that supports local Kansas and Kansas City area farmers. So, in other words, the freshest food ever.
This restaurant is thee cutest. Cute may not be the right word, but hey, this is me talking. The building looks like a gothic-y cottage style house. A slight castle vibe. Upon entering, however, it has the feeling of a lodge because of all the wood. It's very nice. It has two dining levels, as well as a wine cellar in the basement.
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| Duck tacos. |
But why am I talking about the decor?? This place is all about the food! The hubs and I started out with the duck tacos which were amaze! I was really starving when we arrived, so these hit the spot like nothing else could. For dinner I had a pork chop dish that was served with a savory bread pudding and thee tiniest Brussels sprouts I'd ever seen. They called them baby Brussels sprouts. And I ate those babies too! My husband had the duck breast with polenta and the seasonal veg.
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| Pork chop with savory bread pudding and baby Brussels sprouts. |
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| Pressed duck breast with polenta and seasonal veg. |
The food was amazing!
Instead of dessert, we opted to have a an extra glass (or two) of wine and took a quick little tour of the building. We hung out in the wine cellar for a bit, and then took a peek at the patio and garden outside.
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| Really bad camera-phone pic. Thx to me having the junkiest iPhone ever. |
I have to say, this was one of my favorite meals that I've had in Kansas City so far. I guess I'm just a sucker for fine-ish dining. That presentation, tho.
If you're ever in the KC area, I highly recommend!
Renee Kelly's Harvest
12401 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, Kansas 66216
Exuviance #PeelChallenge
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I get a lot of questions about my skincare regimen. I haven't really shared much, because I hadn't had much of a real regi. I'm pretty lazy with it actually. BUT, I've been on a quest to step it up. I never had skin issues as a teen, nor when I was in my 20's. Things have been a' changing ever since I crossed that 35 yr mark, however. I've notice changes in my skin's texture as well being prone to minor breakouts more often.
So when I got the sample Exuviance Performance Peel in the mail, it was perfect timing. I'd been doing research on light at-home peels and have had a couple sitting in my cart on Amazon for a little while. I've kept postponing because there are so many to choose from--TCA, glycolic, lactic acid, AHA, etc. Since I had the Exuviance Performance Peel in hand--I thought "why not?"
I'm not going to go over the details of the peel. All the information you need is here. I just want to report back that it works. No lie. I even had to go buy more for myself, so that I could try it a second time. The sample I'd gotten was only for one application. All I can say is the second application was the charm for me. It erased some really fine lines I have on my forehead, and tiny laugh lines. I'm not on needing-botox-level with the fine lines yet, but I'm all for trying to prevent them and prolonging the inevitable for as long as possible. It is recommended that you use the peel up to twice a week. I'm using it once a week for now, and will reduced that even more after about a couple more weeks. I've been having an issue with whitehead breakouts on my forehead recently. They've been totally cleared.
So, aside from that, I've tried to be more diligent with my skincare regimen and even bought myself a Clarisonic Mia 2 face cleansing brush. I will be doing a post on that soon as well.
I suggest if you are having some minor skin issues, like like acne, blemishes or fine lines--give a gentle at-home peel a try...even if you don't try this one. Just do your research first. It has made a big difference for me!
HAPPY MONDAY!
This is a sponsored post. I was provided free samples to review. All opinions expressed are my own.
