Cute Art from Paint Chips

I've been following Jessica who blogs at How About Orange for at least a year now, and she always has fun projects and "How To's."   Her most recent one was so simple and cute that I had to share.

She showed how to take these:  

And make this darling little aret piece:

All she did was cut the paint chips into triangles, arrange them in a pattern she liked and pop it in a frame.  (read the full How About Orange "how to" here)

This would totally work with any colored paper, but I love the texture  and saturation of the paint chips!

(I take no credit for the idea or photos.  This is all re-posted from How About Orange. I just loved it and had to share!)

Oops! Lots of Loot from a Quick Shopping Trip

A friend mentioned to me that Forever 21 was carrying sweatshirts for my alma mater and with the impending football season, I couldn't resist stopping by to check them out. Despite my age, I often stop in to Forever 21 for a couple trendy (and extremely affordable) pieces. And, this time I figured I'd share what I picked up. Not only did I grab a Stanford sweatshirt, but I also picked up my first maxi-dress (I saw it on a friend and couldn't resist),  a great polka dot top for work, a sleeveless trench, and some fun earrings, all for under $100!

Here is my loot:

Only expecting to pick up a sweatshirt, I was surprised when I also found a few pieces at H&M; taking home an awesome pleated polka dot skirt and a fun "stone" bracelet (in the top photo).

I guess I'm going to have to avoid spending for a few weeks in order to save up for some key fall items I have in mind.

How I Wore it: White Jeans, 3 Ways

I've gotten feedback that you like seeing what I wear, so today's post is a triple dose.   I have a closet full of clothes, and I love to mix and match all of the pieces I've collected over the years, but sometimes you need a reminder that you don't always have to wear the same item the same way.  I definitely latch on to a couple favorites each season, and with the summer weather in San Francisco (ie. cold and foggy),  white jeans are the perfect fit for me.   They feel "summery" but still keep me warm.  Here is an example of 3 different ways I've worn them over the past couple of weeks.

1. Light neutrals - In an apparent attempt to match the morning fog, I paired an H&M sweater, over a light pink J.Crew blouse, with J.Crew suede lace-up booties (picked up on eBay)
2. Black & white - Black and white  is such an easy and crisp color combo.   Here I threw on an old favorite polka-dot Forever 21 blouse, Forever 21 necklace and Zara wedges for an easy work outfit
3. A bit of sun -  I topped of a ruffled silk Forever 21 tank top with a J.Crew blazer, a pile of bracelets, and Madewell white and grey oxfords

I hope this helps provides some inspiration for mixing and matching your own pieces!  Happy Friday!

West Elm Takes a Cue from Anthropologie

I just had to share... You know I love colorful dishes, and these new West Elm dishes are the latest on my wish list. (I actually need to pick up some coffee/tea mugs, but I'm having decision anxiety.)

They remind me of this set that I have had my eye on at Anthropogie.  I love the price point at West Elm so I'm hoping this is a sign that they will be coming out with more fun and colorful decor items. 

Quick and Tasty Asian Summer Slaw

During the week, I'm a huge fan of one-dish dinners.  In the summer, this means a lot of chopped salads.  I'm in love with peanut sauce, so  when I saw this recipe that combines peanut sauce and fresh veggies,  I knew it would be perfect.

By replacing the home-made dressing with a similar Trader Joe's version that I had in the fridge, and making a few adjustments I was able to whip this up in 15 minutes without a major trip to the grocery store.

Here is the adapted recipe that I used:

Asian Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing

1-2 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups chopped spinach

1 cups shredded carrots (I bought the pre-shredded version because I don't have a food processor)

1 red pepper, thinly sliced into bite size pieces

1 cup edamame (I quickly boiled the frozen Trader Joe's version)

1 cucumber, thinly sliced into bite size pieces

2 medium scallions, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cooked chicken breast (A great way to use leftovers, mine was teriyaki)

Red pepper flakes and salt (to taste)

Dressing:  I used Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette but if you want to make your own,  this recipe is also delicious.

Directions:  Add everything to a bowl and toss.   This is the type of salad/slaw that gets better when everything soaks in the dressing so don't hesitate to toss ahead of time.  

Enjoy!

P.S.  Thanks for reading!  If you  want to stay up on my posts you can subscribe to the RSS feed here or with bloglovin here.