Sunday Brunching

This Sunday, a group of us blogger gals got together for some brunch at Cuchara Restaurant. I can't say I loved the food and tiny menu, but the amazing company more than made up for it. 

From left- Bethany, Jamie, Magen, Mishelle, Meg (with baby Kennedy) and moi.

Also, I got to look at this adorable face all afternoon:



Kennedy is seriously the best baby.  She was so good the entire time and eats like a champion.  Yay for awesome babies!

It was a little cooler in Houston today (thank God) so I opted for dark jeans, a dress shirt and cardigan for warmth.  Of course I had to add a bubble necklace for good measure.

 It was SO windy when we shot these. Hello crazy hair!

Cardigan- J.Crew (buy it here)

Shirt- GAP (buy it here)

Jeans- 7FAMK Dojo (buy them here)

Shoes- Ivanka Trump (similar flats)

Bag- Kate Spade (buy it here)

Necklace- c/o Groopdealz

Hope everyone had a great Sunday!

Shaping Up on Saturday: Bella Shares Moves to Tone Your Muffin Top!

A few weekends ago, I met one of my readers, Bella, who happens to own a fitness studio here in Houston called Bella Body Fitness.

I asked Bella if she could contribute to my blog once in awhile because I know you ladies are always looking for new workout moves.  This one is called "Tone Up Your Muffin Top Workout," and I love it because your love handles can be a tough area to target.

Move: the Mermaid 
1. Start on your side, arm extended, hand behind your head and ankles crossed.
2. Raise legs and squeeze your oblique at the top. Lower legs and repeat
10-15 Repetitions

Move: Hip Dip 
1. Start in low plank position on your forearms
2. Tilt your torso to the right, lowering your hip down until hovering slightly above the mat
3. Return to plank position and repeat on the other side.
10 Repetitions on each side

Move: Starship 
1. Start on your palm (to modify: start on forearm) legs stacked, top knee slightly bent
2. Tap the top knee to the mat, keeping your hips up, balancing.    Careful not to put any weight on your knee
3. Bring knee up to starting position
4. Extend top leg
5. Bend knee back to starting position and repeat.
10 Repetitions and switch sides.

Let me know how it goes for you and thank you Bella for contributing!  If you're in Houston, check out the classes Bella Body Fitness offers here.

UPDATE FROM BELLA FOR ALL OF THE HOUSTON GALS: Veronika's readers, I'd like to give you a week of free classes at my studio! Just email me and say you saw this workout on Veronika's blog. If you have any questions about any of these exercises or would like me to create a workout for your trouble zones, email me at Bella@BellaBodyFit.com. Your feedback is always welcome!

xo.Bella

A Sweater (In September)

Thought I absolutely love it, I felt weird about wearing my polka dot Tippi sweater because it was still so hot here. But it's so freezing in my office that I decided to go for it this Friday.

Sweater- J.Crew (buy it here)

Skirt- J.Crew (buy it here)

Belt- J.Crew (similar)

Shoes- Nine West (buy them here)

Necklace- c/o Stella & Dot (similar)

Happy Friday!  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend :)

The Navy Pencil Dress

Every time I take photos outdoors, I'm reminded by how much better they look. I'm contemplating stationing my tripod at the front door so I can quickly bring it outside, snap some shots and tuck it back into the house. I'll try it next week and if it's feasible.

This navy blue dress is one of my favorite, classic pieces. The best part is that my friend Kari gave it to me so I think of her each time I wear it!

Dress- Banana Republic (similar, similar, pretty peplum version)

Blazer- Artizia (similar)

Belt- J.Crew (similar)

Shoes- Nine West (buy them here)

Necklace- c/o groopdealz.com

Have a great night!

Polka Dot Parade

I just can't get enough of polka-dots. Please don't go out of style ever.  The pattern is versatile and feminine without being too child-like. It's perfect.

Blouse- GAP (buy it here)

Skirt- J.Crew (similar, similar)

Blazer- Aritzia (similar, similar)

Shoes- Nine West (similar)

Necklace- Banana Republic (love this!)

What's YOUR favorite print? Happy Wednesday!

Lace For Lunch

I had a luncheon to attend today so I wanted to dress up a little more than usual.  I wore my trusty White House, Black Market lace dress that I got at their outlet store for about $30 (total score for such a classic piece!)

It has a pretty cool back too---sheer black with a keyhole.

...and with a jacket:

 Blazer- Gibson at Nordstrom (similar)

Dress- WHBM Outlet (similar, similar, similar)

Shoes - Zara (buy them here)

Gold Initial Necklace- Overstock.com (similar, also love this)

Belt- J.Crew (similar, similar)

Hope your week is off to a great start---can't believe it's Wednesday tomorrow! Every week seems to just ZOOM by!

A New Fall Neutral

This burgundy skirt from Target was a steal at $22---and I'm loving the way it mixes with various prints and color combos. It's almost like a neutral for fall.

I decided to add a tiny polka-dot blouse and a striped blazer in the same colors.  If you're scared to mix prints, try using prints in the same color family to ease into the trend.

Skirt- Target- mine is a size 6, for reference (buy it here!)

Blouse- GAP (similar, another cute option, also very cute)

Belt- J.Crew (similar)

Blazer- Express (similar, similar)

Shoes- Zara (buy them here)

Necklace- c/o Stella & Dot (similar, similar)

Hope everyone has a great week and thank you for your patience as I was battling a virus this weekend. I am finally feeling like myself again :)

What I've Been Eating & Other Randoms

I had an incredibly busy work week this week so as the weekend starts tomorrow, I'm planning to take naps and just relax and run errands.  Sometimes it's nice to just kick back and do next to nothing.

Here are some of my favorite meals I ate this week:

Berries with Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread and Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter

Garden salad with grilled chicken and balsamic dressing

Chobani Greek yogurt with berries

Salmon with store-bought mango pico de gailo

A Shipley's strawberry-filled donut (YUM!)

an outfit I didn't post this week (um, look at our messy bed!)

Pretty flowers from the hubs

Flower arrangements my co-worker and I made for a party at work!

Have a great weekend everyone!

In Her Shoes

I'm very much a die-hard pencil skirt addict. But everyone once in awhile, I like to switch up my silhouette.

I think it's my new Zara shoes that inspired me to wear a fuller skirt this week.  I also had a luncheon to attend and wanted to look a little dressier, which I think a fuller skirt can sometimes accomplish.

Dress- Club Monaco (similar, love this version with sleeves!)

Necklace- Regina Pierallini

Blazer- Express (similar, similar)

Shoes- Zara (buy them here)

By the way---the Zara shoes---wore them ALL day and walked around A LOT and they passed the comfort test! I was expecting them to be quite uncomfortable and was pleasantly surprised. Yay for heels that can be worn for an entire day! (especially ones this cute!)

Green As A Neutral

Green pants are turning into a new neutral for me. I am finding them easy to pair with so many colors.  I love that they can be dressed up for the office and dressed down for the weekend.  Plus, these ones are buttery soft.

Pants- GAP (buy them here)

Shirt- GAP (buy it here)

Blazer- Artizia (a cute option, similar)

Shoes- Ivanka Trump (old)

Necklace- c/o GroopDealz

Do you wear colored pants or do you stick to black, gray and navy?

Pretty Pink.

A coworker of mine told me my makeup looked really great on Monday---and I hadn't changed anything, so I knew it was the pink shirt I was wearing that I got at GAP over the weekend.

Isn't it great when a color brings out the best in your skin?

Shirt- GAP (buy it here)

Skirt- Zara (similar)

Shoes- Nine West (buy them here)

Necklace- c/o GroopDealz

I have been working like crazy so I am trying to catch up on blogging! Wishing everyone a great week!