Up, up, and away!

I'm so excited that we are off to Portland, Oregon this weekend!  It will be the Peanut's first plane trip so I'm a little nervous, though.  I'm generally terrible at packing for trips so I've been determined to think ahead this time.  Usually, I pack way too many things and yet I still feel like I have nothing to wear.

So... I'm thinking that I will try to bring a few key pieces and base all of my outfits around them.  First, my go to fav Roxanne skinny jeans from Seven:

I love these jeans so much I have two pairs in blue and another in black!

 
Next, probably a simple pair of black leggings:

I'm loving these leggings from Target right now!

 My black suede over the knee boots:

I just got these for Christmas and they were a great buy at only $100.  I wasn't sure about the over the knee boot trend so I didn't want to spend a lot but I've been really happy with these!

A cute, versatile pair of flats:

Gotta love Revas and these pink one's are my favorite!

Then, I just need a few comfy tops and sweaters:

These are just a couple of the sweaters I got during a recent F21 shopping spree!

Finally, I am so excited about the new dress I got that I'll be wearing to the wedding we're going to on Saturday:

The dress is really gorgeous and I don't think the picture does it justice.

Tomorrow the Peanut's packing list!

 

Ouch

We had such a fun time last weekend hosting a few couples for a Texas Hold 'Em party ... a little too much fun maybe.  I rarely drink more than a glass of wine or a margarita here or there these days so I was definitely feeling my several drinks the next day.

We started the party at 8 so I didn't serve dinner but had a selection of chips and dips instead.  I bought most of the dips from the always fabulous Central Market, but I tried a new recipe for Caramelized Onion Dip that was amazingly addictive and very popular!

Caramelized Onion Dip
From Ina Garten and the Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onion (I diced it just so the dip would be easier to scoop with chips)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• I also added about 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper just to give it a little kick
• Potato Chips (I used the 'salt and pepper' variety)

Directions

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and sage. Cover and cook until onions are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
 
Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in the cooled caramelized onions, salt, and pepper. Cover dip and refrigerate until flavors blend, about 2 hours.

Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget

I don't know about the rest of you ladies out there, but I love fashion and I really love a great deal!  Some of my favorite places to shop are Target, Forever 21, Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack.  Don't get me wrong, I love Nordstrom, J Crew, Neimans, you name it... but as a mom, most of the time those aren't practical places to shop.  So, I'm always excited when I can find real fashion at more affordable prices.

A couple of my latest discount fashion finds were at Costco, no less!

Jeans for mommy!

And super cute Hannah Andersson PJ's for peanut!

Then just this morning I snapped up this cutie patootie little outfit on Zulily.

How about y'all?  Any great budget fashion finds lately?

Intro

So I already have a blog that I write about eating and cooking gluten free in Houston, but I've been feeling constrained and wanted a personal blog as well.  I really enjoy reading about others and their day to day lives and great finds so I'm hoping to share pictures and updates on the family as well as random thoughts and things that inspire me.

A little background on me:  The hubs and I met in college and we've been married for 4 and a half years.  I'm a third year (yes!!!) law student and he works in sales for a chemical company.  We have a precious little boy, Phillip, who is truly the light of our lives.  Our dog Miss Pitty Pat is every bit the princess her name would lead you to believe.

Thanks for reading!