meet darling jamie.

I lost my fashion mojo for a bit after having babies.  It was just too. much. trouble.  I couldn't be bothered. (If you are a mom, you understand. If you aren't, imagine the most tired you've ever been, multiply it by a thousand, add that to the frumpiest day of your life and you'll understand too.)  I got back in shape (running) but I'd spend my days in my workout clothes or a pair of juicy sweats.  If I happened to go out at night (which, we know I happen to do a lot =) I wore "the uniform."  The uniform = tank top + jeans + wedges, which is fine, but really, just boring.  Anyway, a while ago someone introduced me to this imaginary world called BLOG LAND, perhaps you've visited?  And I started reading fashion blogs (late at night, prompted by my insomnia.) I became inspired here and there, to add something incredibly drastic to "the uniform," you know, like a long necklace or a blazer.  All this is a rather longwinded explanation of my introduction of Jamie form Work Your Closet.  There are a boat load of fashion blogs out there and somehow I stumbled upon hers, and honestly, I'll be forever grateful because it was really her blog, its simplicity and her adorability(is that a word?) that brought me back to my mojo.  Her ability to put darling creative outfits together from items (mostly) in her closet is inspiring. So thanks Jamie.  I recommend you to all my friends. ;)

glorified jelly sandwich.

Up until about six months ago, if I heard the words "breakfast sandwich," my mind conjured up a savory delight of eggs over medium smooshed between two pieces of perfectly toasted and buttered sour dough bread.  Quite lovely with a hot cup of jo and the morning newspaper. (Ha!  As if any mommy has time to read a newspaper in the morning.)  Well, no more, my friends.  This is because the five year old begs for a different breakfast sandwich just about every day.  I created her breakfast sandwich as a special treat for Valentine's Day morning.  And now this special treat has become a daily request, one which I'm likely to give into because, well, it's the little things in life that matter, right?  (And a bonus-it's a pretty healthy start to the morning!)

Breakfast Sandwich Ava Style: Butter two pieces of whole grain bread.  Spread strawberry jam on the inside of one of the pieces.  Push a layer of sliced strawberries into the jam.  Put the bread together buttered sides out and "grill" over medium heat in a saute pan until golden brown, flip and repeat.  Dust with powder sugar.  Serve warm and gooey with a big glass of milk.

two year old getting in on the action

a friendly reminder.

Target + Gilt = A Very Good Time Indeed

Sale starts at 9 a.m. pacific time! =)

dinner last night.

leftover barbecue chicken pizza using frozen bread dough

Dinner last night actually consisted of quite a bit of leftovers, the star of those leftovers being the most scrumtious home made "everything but the kitchen sink" bbq sauce you ever did drink, ahem, I mean taste.  It is totally worth the effort of making.  There's a secret part of me--well, I guess not so secret now--that wishes simply to guzzle the sauce straight out of the glass jar I have it stored in.  I'm not kidding.  It is that good.

on sale now. (well, starting august 20.)

Gilt group is joining forces with Target to showcase it's newest designer collaborations!  If you aren't familiar with Gilt, it's a fabulous online boutique that features fashion and luxury brands at prices up to 70% off retail.  Sign up to be a Gilt member here or here now!

adrien grenier on sesame street is scrumptious.

If you are a mommy of a toddler and missed Adrien discussing the seasons with Elmo this morning, I'm sorry for you.  If you aren't a mommy of a toddler and missed Adrien discussing the seasons with Elmo this morning, I'm sorry for you.  Aren't you glad I'm such a generous person who's willing to share?

on sale now.

I am on a "spending hiatus" for the month of August.  I wish someone would please buy this dress from Calypso given that I cannot.  It's perfect right now as a beach cover up with flip flops.  Or you could replace the sash with a cool chunky belt such as this one

and add some wedges.  In the fall, when it cools down, you could pair it with a military style jacket, belted on the outside with a skinny belt, tights and boots. (I have a slight obsession with belts right now.) The dress is $49!

Happy Weekend!

a book and its cover

As my friends will attest, I like a good glass (or two) of wine.  I generally lean toward a full bodied cab, but am not opposed to a zin or a chianti (which reminds me of my Italian honeymoon,) just don't ever ask me to drink a pinot noir.  On a hot summer day, my preferences shift to a crisp chardonnay, some bubbly champagne, or a tart fume blanc.  I have my favorite bottles in the $15 range and really, I should just stick with those.  However,  I seem forever to be searching for a darling bottle...but something about my love of beautifully well designed packages does not usually translate into a delicious bottle of wine.  When I choose a bottle solely for its label, the wine is quite often an epic disappointment.  I've poured many an entire bottle down the sink (which is why I don't spend over $15!)  Life is too short to drink even one bad glass of wine in my opinion.  So when I purchased this beautiful bottle the other day, I had decided that I would not even open it.  You can't quite tell in the photographs (which I took with my cool new hipstamatic iphone app!) but the label is the perfect shade of aqua, with gold and black highlights.  I thought this would be a pretty addition to my kitchen decor and I would be DONE with my ridiculous experiments of tasting new wine based on a label.  The problem is that since making that decision,  I've had at least four friends tell me that they love the Sofia line from Coppola Winery.  What to do, what to do...?  To drink or not to drink, that is the question.

Oh, and p.s. wouldn't any of the Sofia line of bottles make darling favors (or even center pieces) at a bridal shower?

dinner last night.

caramelized pancetta and fennel salad

Okay, so maybe this post should be titled "dinner last week" because truth be told, for dinner last night,  I stood in front of the refrigerator eating leftover grilled ciabatta smeared with leftover artichoke dip. Hey, that's the way it goes some nights.  Anyway, I've been looking for some "salad inspiration" of late as I love a good salad, but seem to be in a bit of rut.  I tried this recipe from Giada.  I made a few minor alterations and it did not disappoint.  Sparky liked it too (although I think he might have been thinking, "What's the second course, hon?")  Ice cream is always a good second (third, fourth, fifth) course.  Just sayin'.

wouldn't mind an invite...

Oh, my!  I am loving this first birthday party designed by Melanie of you are my fave.  I might need to have another baby just so I can create and send this darling invitation.

lunch right now.

Lately, I've been roasting an entire container of grape tomatoes drenched in olive oil and sprinkled with plenty of salt and pepper. There is something about roasting a (blah from the grocery store) tomato at high heat that actually makes it taste, well, like a tomato. When this lovely mixture comes out of the oven, I pour it over a large chunk of fresh mozzarella and then sprinkle torn basil leaves all over the top. The heat from the tomatoes makes the cheese all melty and releases the luscious sweet aroma from the basil. Add a little more olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar if you'd like. It's my version of a hot caprese salad. And damn, is it good.