Search Results


The Super Bowl is less than a week away. We aren’t going to a party this year, since it’s a school night, but I plan to create a few fun recipes to celebrate the big game. For inspiration, I pulled together 12 party appetizers that are bite-size and perfect to bring to or serve at a Super Bowl party.

I’ve owned this red asymmetrical jacket for several years. It rotates in and out of my closet every few months. I literally move it into a storage closet when I get tired of it, and then a few seasons later, I’ll grab it to add to my current wardrobe. I only get tired of it because it has such a specific style, I can’t wear it too often.

“Mommy, my legs hurt,” Rocco whined. It was a Monday evening after the long holiday break away from school. I didn’t think much of it, until he continued to complain throughout the evening, and woke up crying, complaining of leg pain, several times in the middle of the night. Since I was awake anyway, I Google searched “toddler leg pain” and was bombarded with articles about toddler growing pains.

Wide brimmed wool hats are the must-wear fashion accessory for winter. Even the Wall Street Journal says they have replaces scarves as the accessory of the moment. I like wearing fedoras in the warmer months, so this winter I decided to try out my first wool fedora.

Today is National Cheese Lover’s Day! I love cheese, so I felt compelled to create a cheese-based recipe. So, I had left-over puff pastry from this baked brie recipe and mascarpone from the holidays. After a quick Googling, I came up with this puff pastry and mascarpone cheese danish recipe.

I can’t believe my baby girl is turning two next month! Time really does fly by. I’m still deciding what theme to try for her second birthday, so I’ve been searching all over for girl birthday party ideas.

In live in Phoenix, which means there are few days each year when I actually need a winter coat. The mornings can be a bit chilly though, so I opt to wear leather jackets or lighter-weight fall coats. I was pretty excited to find this pink car coat at a great price.

I’m always on the hunt for snack ideas for my kids, especially ones that aren’t overly processed. I’ve only made homemade granola bars one other time (these pumpkin spice ones) and they turned out pretty well. For the second time around, I searched for recipes for no bake granola bars to keep it even simpler.

The lace up neckline has been popping up all over my social media lately. It seems like every fashion blogger and model is rocking a lace up neckline. To be honest, I’ve been on the fence about this trend. I really don’t like when the neckline is too low and other times, the look skews a little too hippy for me.

Are you ready for some football, or at least, some football tailgating or homegating? I’m from Green Bay, Wisconsin, so let’s just say I’m very familiar with football and cheese. I figured out that this Baked Brie with Fig Jam recipe is a great way to enjoy both! Here’s the story.

My mom posted this cute DIY handprint Christmas ornament on her Facebook page and I thought it seemed like a really fun activity to do with the kids. So last weekend, we set out to try this DIY baking soda clay to create handprint ornaments the kids could hang on our tree. I used this recipe as the basis for my baking soda clay DIY Christmas ornaments.

If you had asked me a year ago if I would ever own a Christmas sweater, I’m pretty sure my answer would have been no. But all of a sudden, these not so ugly Christmas sweaters are everywhere, and I like them! I’m thinking the ugly sweater parties have infiltrated the fashion industry so much that these ugly(ish) sweaters are cool again.

Our living room was in desperate need of a redo. When Minted contacted me to see if I wanted to select some of their original artwork, I was pretty excited to see what they had to offer. I also immediately thought it seemed like the perfect time to create a DIY gallery wall tutorial.
.jpeg)
I’ve had these mini marshmallows in my pantry for at least 6 months. For some reason, anytime I have a bunch of random ingredients like that, I feel compelled to create something. Mostly, because it seems wasteful not to use them before they get all stale.

Finding cool gifts for my husband is usually my biggest Christmas shopping challenge. I tend to give him sweaters or other clothes, which is just so boring. To find some inspiration, I searched all over to find unique gifts for men under $50. The list I developed has a wide range of options including things for outdoorsy, handy, or techy guys. When I showed it to my husband, he got really excited about the mini – drone.

I love wearing dresses, especially cocktail dresses. Unfortunately, my busy work and family life very rarely call for dressing up. When I saw this black lace party dress, I instantly knew it was something I needed in my closet.

I love the holidays for many reasons — spending time with family, decorating our tree, finding the perfect gifts for my loved-ones — but one of my absolutely favorite parts is finding and trying new Christmas cookie recipes.

I love December—full of holiday baking, parties and decorating. I also love the opportunity to buy a flirty and feminine holiday dress for Christmas parties or New Years Eve. At the same time, I try to find reasonably priced party dresses because I hate spending a ton on something I’ll probably only wear once or twice. Plus, most of us need to watch our budgets during the holidays with all the added expenses with buying gifts and traveling to spend time with family.

During the holidays, I always search for Italian-inspired recipes to try, as a way to connect to my heritage. Last year, it was Italian wedding cookies and Florentine lace cookies. This year, it’s homemade chocolate peppermint biscotti.

I love wearing gem tones because they work really well on my olivey complexion. When I saw this top, I was excited to try it on because I really love lace, and I liked how the lack mock neck top had the scalloped detail around the neckline.

How this Green Bay, Wisconsin girl came to make Sock It To Me Cake from scratch is a bit of an interesting story. Jade and I were chatting about recipes that remind us of the holidays. He mentioned how Sock It To Me cake became a holiday tradition for his family because his mother loved it so much, his family often made it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other special occasions. They even left it out for Santa one year!

Have you noticed neoprene and scuba clothes everywhere the past few seasons? I personally love these pieces because of the architectural nature of the stiffer fabric. I recently found this scuba biker jacket (on sale!) and chose it for a couple reasons.

Whenever I’m looking for interesting recipes, I always turn to Pinterest for inspiration. The other day, I pinned these pumpkin donut muffins and got pretty excited — the taste of a donut without the grease of frying and not having to buy a special pan to bake donuts. Awesome.

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. I can’t believe it. As most of us are planning what we’re going to cook or bring to your family’s dinner, it’s about time you think about what to wear on Thanksgiving.

For me, Thanksgiving dinner is really about the sides. The turkey gets all the hype, but I could not care less about the bird (even though my hubby has a magical ability to make it really tasty). I’m a side dish gal all the way. As a kid, I would fill my plate with mashed potatoes (extra butter) and the fresh from the oven, still warm, dinner rolls. Yes, quite the healthy dinner plate.

Vests have remained one of my favorite trends since last fall, when I first featured them. I love vests because they make great transition pieces for cooler weather, without the bulk of a winter coat. In Phoenix, I rarely need to wear anything heavier than a fall jacket.

My mom came to visit last week so she could spend Halloween with my kiddos. Just two weeks before she came, our friends at Toyota asked if we wanted to try out the 2016 4Runner. It couldn’t have been better timing, as it is pretty tough to fit five people comfortably in our Camry, with the two car seats in there. Having the 4Runner for a long holiday weekend was perfect because we had more space for the five of us to cruise around Phoenix.

I generally don’t advocate for buying inexpensive footwear because I believe shoes (and purses) should be quality investment pieces that will last you for years. But there are exceptions to my rule. The exceptions are 1) you can’t afford the quality pair you are eyeing, but you still want a cute new item for fall; 2) you want to try out a new trend, but don’t want to pay too much because you aren’t sure you’ll wear it or think the style might only be cool this season.

My husband and I don’t eat very much candy. Our kids don’t eat much candy either — not just because we limit it, but mostly because they don’t like it. Crazy, right? This lack of candy-eating means that trick-or-treating yields a ton of leftover Halloween candy that we don’t really want around the house.

Making DIY Halloween costumes is a for our family. In mid-September, my hubby and I started brainstorming ideas of what the kids should be for Halloween this year. Since Gigi is old enough to walk on her own this year (I carried her in the Bjorn last year), we immediately began thinking about ‘couples’ costume ideas — in the sense of having two children, close in age, of both sexes (in case you’re looking for couples costume ideas). We finally settled on a homemade lion costume for my son and a Dorothy costume for daughter.

When October rolls around, I’m so ready for fall and all the flavors fall brings — especially all the pumpkin spice recipes I can find. I like me some pumpkin. I’ve shared my favorite pumpkin spice cookies, pumpkin nutella bars, pumpkin scones and pumpkin pancakes before, but I’m always on the hunt for different pumpkin spice recipes.

I feel bad. I feel like the worst mommy in the world because I wasn’t in town for my son’s third birthday. I wasn’t there to wake him up, give him a giant hug, or wish him a happy birthday. I feel worse that we had to celebrate it on a day that fit better into my busy travel schedule.

I feel very lucky that I get to travel to some pretty cool places for my job (Dublin, London, Paris, San Francisco, New York…). This week took me to Montreal. I haven’t been to Canada in a couple years; my last trip was to Vancouver back in 2012. I didn’t have much time to actually consider what I would do with my free time because I was so busy prior to leaving for the trip. But the day before I left, I managed to check out trip advisor for the top tourist attractions. What made my list? Notre Dame Cathedral and Mount Royal.

I love an embellished top. I wasn’t even looking for this gorgeous Elie Saab top, but it popped up during one of my online window (browser) shopping trips. When I saw the black embellished top, I think my jaw actually dropped. No, I could never fathom spending THAT much on any one piece of clothing, but, come on, it IS gorgeous.

When I saw this quilted drop waist dress, I initially wasn’t going to bother trying it on because the 1920s silhouette doesn’t usually look very good on my figure. I have a much smaller waist and very wide hips, which doesn’t usually jive with a drop waist dress. But I grabbed it anyway and proceeded to the dressing room.

The Fendi Monster is iconic. Whether you like their furry monsters and bag bugs or not, they are a status symbol for the ultra cool and stylish. There has literally been a Fendi frenzy, with Kendall and Kylie out in front as Fendi’s informal (and formal!) models, regularly toting the little fur balls.

I can’t believe it’s October already. But I’m happy it’s October because, in Phoenix, that means fall is here — the nights are the perfect temperature and days are a lot more bearable. Fall is also my favorite time of the year because it means Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner!

You know that one item in your closet that you wear and instantly feel fabulous? Well, for me, that’s my little red a-line dress. We know that red is color that elicits power and confidence. It makes you feel sexy and the opposite sex finds red appealing. If these things actually make you shy away from red. Stop it! Everyone should wear red.

My go-to fall work ‘uniform’ is some version of cropped pants with a blouse and a layering piece. I never thought I could wear printed pants because of my wide and curvy hips, but I’ve found that printed pants are quite flattering (remember these black and white ones?).

There is a ton of potty training tips for boys out there, but a lot of those didn’t really work for us. I already wrote about our early adventures in potty training with our two and a half-year-old, Rocco. The standard ‘sticker chart’ was a big flop, and using a training potty seemed to inhibit rather than help Rocco learn.

Fall is my favorite season. Staring at the changing leaves and bundling up in knit sweaters are some of the things I miss most about living in Wisconsin. Last week, I noticed just the slightest coolness to the sun-drenched Arizona morning. Maybe ‘chill’ is even too strong of a word, but it wasn’t the same level of oppressive heat you feel here in the middle of summer.

I never thought this day would come, that my parents would sell my childhood home. Yes, my dad had been talking about it for several years, but something always stopped them from moving forward with the sale. This summer, they finally decided it was time to move into a new place, with less maintenance and more convenience as they grow older. I (not so secretly) hoped something would happen so they would keep our home, but the sale went through last week and they are closing on their new place later this month.

It’s not quite fall weather in Phoenix, but I’m looking forward to breaking out my booties and sweaters. While checking out some of the fall lines, I noticed tunics with turtle necks are very popular this season. I noticed this Anthropologie tunic over skirt look because the layering is done so well and the pop of color in the skirt against the neutral tunic and duster coat was striking.

Last week in Paris, at the Notre Dame Cathedral, I experienced the strangest thing that made me question whether or not I believe in spirits or an afterlife. For the two weeks prior, I had visited loads of museums, castles, palaces and churches in Paris, London and Dublin all renowned for their beauty and magnificence.

Almost 13 years ago, I traveled to London and Paris to visit a friend who was living abroad at the time. With all the time that has gone by, I have kept distinct first impressions of London and Paris in my mind from the first time around. Paris was white, beautiful and immaculate. London was rainy, bitter cold and not at all pretty.

I’m in Paris for work this week and I’ve seen several Parisians wearing lace tops and other clothing with lace accents. I noticed these women because they look ultra chic. Plus, lace is one of my favorite textiles. I love clothing with a lace accent because they are so feminine and timeless, which tends to be the direction I take my style.

My work took me to Ireland last week (I know, I’m a lucky girl). I’ve never been to Ireland before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I had my list of touristy things I needed to do while I was there, but some of the things I liked best had nothing at all to do with being a tourist. Here are the 8 things I love about Ireland.

I’m in London for work this week and I’ve seen more creepers in the last few days than I’ve ever seen in the U.S., which makes sense given their origin here. I’ve seen creepers popping up on fashion blogs for the past few seasons, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere. To be honest, I generally don’t like creepers, especially if they are extra thick and ridiculously chunky. But there are exceptions to everything.

I’m always about timeless pieces. Yes, I do like to follow some fashion trend every now and then, but generally, I stick to the basics with a few trendy pieces thrown in. I’ve searched to find the perfect gold chronograph watch for women, and I always end up at the same place. For the price and style, you just can’t beat Michael Kors’ versions.

When the ladies at 5 O’Clock Fashionistas contacted me to create a signature cocktail for my current state of Arizona, a few ideas immediately came to mind – limes and tequila were a must. I’ve lived in Arizona on and off for 7 years now and one thing I’ve learned is that Arizonans love their tequila and lime.

I’m a total school nerd. Growing up, I loved school and I still love school (I work at a university). I also loved summer breaks, but I always looked forward to getting ready for another year to start in school. I looked forward to back to school shopping so much–I used to make up lists of items I needed to buy (pink trapper-keeper, check).

I love my kids more than anything, but there are times when I miss some aspects of my pre-kid life. I try not to dwell on the negative aspects of parenting, but I got to thinking about this yesterday after one more absurd attempt to use the bathroom in private. Here are the 10 things I miss about life before kids.

My friend was telling me about how her son started kindergarten this week, which got me thinking about Rocco. In just a couple years, I’ll be preparing to send him to his first day of school. I can distinctly remember my first day of kindergarten. I was so excited to start school and I absolutely loved shopping for back to school clothes for kindergarten — and every year there after.

I am so tired of store bought, rotisserie chicken and a roasted veggie – our default, go-to, weekday meal. Needless to say, my husband and I have been on the hunt for new healthy recipes, that are relatively quick and easy. This Eggplant Tomato Pie hits all of those marks!

I’ve been on the fence about the slip dress trend. It reminds me so much of ’90s grunge that I just wasn’t sure it was a trend that should come back around. Whether you like it or not, the slip dress trend is back in a big way.

The hunt to find the perfect little white dress is always at the top of my summer shopping list. Nothing says summer fashion to me quite as much as a little white dress. Shorts, sandals and swimsuits are a given, but finding the perfect white dress can sometimes be elusive.

Like most moms, I’m often too busy to find time to pamper myself. My weekends are too jam packed to fit in a professional manicure, and weeknights are full of caring for the kids and dinner prep. If you’re a busy mom like me, you know that an at-home manicure is usually the only option.

So I’m still totally smitten with midi skirts. When I saw this J. Crew denim jacket white skirt look, I was drawn to the contrast between the crispness of the white midi skirt and the casual faded denim jacket. Then, they dress up the look with fashion-forward black and white printed lace-up heels.

It’s 5 pm some random weekday afternoon and Rocco’s daycare teacher asks if we’ve thought about potty training. Rocco asked to use the potty at school, so she thinks he’s ready. I wince, but admit that he’s asked to sit on the potty at home several times (with his pants on). I concede that he is probably ready to potty train, but I’m not at all prepared. I thought boys usually learned later. He’s just over 2 and a half, I thought I had more time with my baby boy.

I’m on the hunt for the perfect summer cocktail recipes. Why? Because my new friends at the 5 O’Clock Fashionistas asked me to create an Arizona cocktail. I still haven’t put my finger on what I should make to represent the state of AZ. I decided to look for interesting summer cocktail recipes for inspiration.

Have you noticed how cut off jean shorts are everywhere this summer? It seems like the more tattered and worn, the better. Ironically, cut off jean shorts remind me of my dad because, in high school, I stole an old pair of his Levi’s and made them into cut-offs I wore with this old 70’s belt. I’m not saying it was the best look, but it totally fit the 90’s grunge style at the time.

If I’m honest, I generally do my own pedicures at home or visit my local strip mall for the $20 standard pedicure. I never get the add-ons –no sea salts or flower decals for me. When it comes to pedicures, I just never really thought there were that many benefits of a spa deluxe pedicure that would make it worth the high price tag.

Who’s headed to the beach this weekend? I wish I was–instead, we’re staying home and continuing potty training. Fun, fun! I’ve been missing the beach lately, which is the biggest negative of leaving California. Since I’m not actually getting a beach vacation this holiday weekend, I decided to daydream about all the things I’d bring with me. Here are my 20 summer beach essentials.

Certain prints always seem to be in style–namely, some version of dots, stars, hearts and flowers. I love the star print fashion trend because stars give a youthful vibe, but can still look chic and modern.

I found three new best beauty finds under $10 — a great lip tint, ultra rich lengthening mascara, and a fun minty nail polish. My makeup routine in the summer shifts to lighter and more sheer lotions and concealers. I also stick with lighter eyeshadow colors and very simple lip moisturizers. With the start of summer, I wanted to add a few new beauty products to my arsenal. Mineral Fusion Sheer Moisture Lip Tint – Shimmer – $9.99 June best beauty finds under $10I’m mostly a lip gloss or chapstick girl. Every now and then I’ll throw on a lipstick, but that’s rare. For summer, I especially like to keep my lip color light and sheer. I love this Mineral Fusion lip tint because it’s light, has subtle shimmer and the peachy-pink shade is perfect for summer. Essie Mint Candy Apple Nail Polish – $8.50 June best beauty finds under $10 I usually don’t wear nail polish in the winter, so I wanted to find a new fun shade for summer sandal weather. I already have lots of pinks and other pastel shades, but I thought it would be fun to try something totally different. This mint color is so fresh for summer and looks great on my toes. Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara – $8.99 June best beauty finds under $10 I’ve been a Rimmel London fan for quite awhile, but I usually stick with the standard brushes. When I ran out of my old faithful mascara, I wanted to try this Lash Accelerator mascara because it has a smaller and thinner brush that I thought would add extra length. I love the ultra rich black color and the thin brush really delivered on giving me ultra long lashes.

How are you celebrating this 4th of July? We’re planning a pretty low-key long weekend at home with trips to the local splash pads and a few dips in our pool. We will definitely throw some burgers or brats on the grill and make some yummy side dishes, but I want to make some fun and festive.

You know when you have a bunch of leftover baking ingredients sitting around? I realized the other day, I had all these leftovers from previous recipes (phish food brownies). With extra marshmallows, chocolate chips, and toffee chips, I searched for a recipe idea and came up with an everything cookie recipe.

A quality wrap dress is one of my wardrobe staples, especially in the summer. I own a black jersey one with a giant beige palm leaves print that I’ve owned for at least 5 years, if not closer to a decade. It’s one of those pieces I choose to wear on days when I want something comfortable, but that still looks very put together and always chic.

To make it through my work day, I rely heavily on iced coffee. It’s become something of a morning ritual to walk over to my local Starbucks and grab a venti iced coffee. At over 3 bucks a pop, my monthly coffee total is really starting to put a dent in my disposable budget.

What’s your current go-to summer sandal? I’ve been on the hunt for some new ones because I’ve pretty much worn-out my old gladiators. Even though my husband hates how they look, I really love gladiators because they are much more stylish and supportive than basic flip-flops.

I’m a bad mommy. I dress my daughter in her brother’s hand-me-downs. The shock, the horror, the embarrassment! In all seriousness, I only put her in his old jeans (that appear unisex) and his old pajamas (yes, they have trucks and dinosaurs on them, but no one sees her but me and her dad).

Happy Blogiversary Posh In Progress! I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for two years already. In some ways, it feels just like yesterday that we started the blog. But wow how things have changed in the last two years. We lived in California, Rocco was only 7.5 months old and Gigi wasn’t even conceived yet.

This is my first summer back in Phoenix after a five-year hiatus. I recently realized my standard work outfit that worked great in California – even in summer – just won’t work in Phoenix. Looking more closely at my wardrobe, I own way too many fall and spring-friendly cropped pants and blouses and not nearly enough summery dresses.

I was confronted by my own mortality the other day. Long story short, it got me thinking about what would happen if I wasn’t here. In a flash, my eyes welled up at the thought of not getting to watch my kids grow up, to not be an integral part of their young lives and help mold who they will become.

One of the perks of my job is that I get to travel quite a bit (follow along on Instagram). Last week, I visited New York. My days were packed with meetings and taxi and subway rides to meetings, but at the end of one of the days I found some time to duck into a Paul Andrew shoes sale.

Have you tried sunscreens that claim to be ‘natural’, ‘organic’, ‘cruelty-free’, ‘vegan’, ‘gluten-free’? I had the opportunity to test out six different natural and organic sunscreens for an article I wrote for SheKnows.

Stacey’s Look: Banana Republic Dress (similar); Anthropologie Cardigan (similar); Ann Taylor Bracelet (similar); Gap Belt (similar); Prada Clutch (similar); Manolo Blahnik Heels (similar)

Of all the different types of women’s sunglasses, cat eye sunglasses are one of my favorite styles to wear (like here). I like cat eyes because they help add some width to my face and draw attention toward my face. They help to balance out my long, angular face.

I really love heels, but they don’t work into my lifestyle very often anymore–chasing around two years olds, and all. Since I don’t get to wear my heels very often, I want to make sure the flats I wear are both super stylish and ultra comfortable. I’m also traveling a lot for work, so besides the perfect cross-body bag, I’m always on the hunt for great flats.

If you read fashion magazines or frequent the mall, I bet you’ve seen mesh everywhere. It’s one of the hottest clothing trends of the spring, for sure. My old memory of mesh clothing takes me back to cheesy 80’s muscle tops. But today’s mesh clothing is not at all cheesy.

One of the biggest fashion trends for spring is fringe–fringe shoes, fringe handbags, fringe vests. I really love black suede fringe heels because they are playful, youthful and visually interesting. I prefer black heels because they are versatile and would look equally cute with shredded cut-offs or a party dress.




















