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Three years ago, we arrived in Irvine, California, knowing nothing about Orange County, other than what I’d seen on that Housewives show. I expected to find droves of women with pronounced plastic surgery, caked on makeup, fake lashes and expensive (slightly tacky) clothing. I also looked forward to, namely, the weather and the beaches.

Besides mascara, blush is my other beauty must-have. Even if I don’t have time to do my 5 minute face, I always find time to throw on some mascara and a quick swipe of blush. Blush is a must because it instantly brightens your face.

Last week, I found my freezer chock-full of frozen blueberries. The only problem was, we were moving in a few days (more on that later) and I didn’t want them to go to waste. I looked up numerous dessert recipes trying to find one that would use the most berries–since I had four pounds to use quickly.

As a kid, I always dreaded the end of summer break, but there was one thing I looked forward to—back to school shopping. School shopping was an event. I loved picking out a brand new trapper keeper, backpack and lunch box for the year.

By far, my favorite fashion accessory is a crystal statement necklace. Awhile back, I talked about statement necklaces and why they are so versatile. A chunky or shiny or truly eye-catching necklace is still my go-to accessory because it instantly changes the whole vibe of my outfit.

I’ve mentioned my obsession with all things lemon before. During both of my pregnancies, I craved lemonade, which is odd since it’s not a drink I usually choose. Sure, it’s yummy, but I would almost always order an ice tea or diet coke over a lemonade. But while I was pregnant, I drooled over that combination of sweet and tart and couldn’t get enough lemonade.

Metallics were everywhere on the spring/summer 2014 runways, such as Saint Laurent. Earlier this spring, I shared a gorgeous Saint Laurent gold metallic futuristic dresses in my Oscars fashion post that I would love to own. But if all-over metallic is too much for you, don’t lose hope.

I don’t like giving up my bread and baked goods, but I’ve found a low-carb diet is the most effective way for me to lose my baby weight. When you think low-carb, what comes to mind? Eating triple cheeseburgers with piles of bacon in a lettuce cup. No, I’m not eating that. I’m usually eating lean proteins, tons of veggies and protein shakes. But it gets boring. Fast.

When I saw this look, I fell for the classic black and white floral print dress. Black and white is timeless, and as long as the floral print is fairly simple, this dress style could last for years.

Rocco is at an age where he is constantly trying to assert his independence. Jade and I nurture his independence through free-play and letting him explore as much as we can. Despite our best attempts, there is at least one daily battle, usually more, because we won’t let him get his way.

About four months ago, I got my hair cut and colored by the best stylist I’ve found in Orange County so far. And as the adage goes, you get what you pay for. It was a great haircut and hair color job that I really loved.

In honor of today, National Milk Chocolate Day, I started searching Pinterest for interesting milk chocolate recipes. Surprisingly, a lot of recipes don’t specify milk chocolate in their titles. It seems a lot more recipes use bittersweet or baker’s chocolate.

For one of my first fashion posts, I used flowers as inspiration to create a fashion collage (part 1, part 2). Even after a year of posting, we liked the idea so much, we wanted to repeat it again this summer.

There are a lot of things I love about Southern California — access to gorgeous beaches, great shopping, the most amazing farmer’s markets and fresh produce. But the thing I’m reminded of most often is how gorgeous the flora is here. I officially love Southern California flowers.

My favorite summer fruit is watermelon, no contest. I remember being a kid and getting so excited when my mom would cut up slices of watermelon for a snack on those hot and humid Wisconsin summer days.

I’m sure you’ve seen the ring stacking trend that’s been popular since last spring. I think stacked rings might be a little overdone at this point, but what I love about the trend is taking those delicate rings and wearing them alone. Delicate jewelry is definitely on trend this summer.

I think I might have found my new favorite 2014 trend, stripes and florals together.

Last weekend, our local Orange County Wisconsin Alumni Chapter hosted a day at Zoomar’s petting zoo in San Juan Capistrano. Jade and I haven’t attended any alumni events since Rocco was born. We also haven’t ventured out of the house with both kids, other than a quick trip to the farmer’s market or a walk around the park. Now that Gigi is over her colic, we figured we should try taking both kids out for the day.

We visit the farmer’s market nearly every Saturday. This past weekend, what stood out the most were brightly colored heirloom tomatoes. Jade always gives me a hard time because I’m Italian, but not really a tomato person. More accurately, I don’t like raw tomatoes that much—except for cherry tomatoes.

Colic is Satan incarnate. “She won’t stop crying. I seriously can’t take this anymore. Will this ever stop? Is something wrong with her? Is she ever going to be a normal baby?” I repeated to myself, tears rolling down my cheeks, every day for two months straight. This is life with a baby who has infant colic.

Probably my current favorite fashion trend is the black and white trend (seriously, here, here). I love it because it really is timeless and classic. Black and white clothing, even with patterns or prints, can be worn for many seasons.

One of my favorite parts of summers as a kid were trips to my friends’ cottages in northern Wisconsin and vacations at my grandparent’s lake house in upper Michigan. I loved everything about it (well, except the mosquitoes). Trips to the lake meant boating, swimming, walks on the beach, sandcastles, bonfires, and grilling out. And a weekend up north wasn’t complete without s’mores.

Summer sunglasses are a must. I lived in Arizona for six years and I learned first-hand just how important it is to wear quality sunglasses. If you’ve been to Arizona, you know that sunglasses are a non-negotiable with that blindingly bright sun most of the year.

This Fourth of July weekend, I’ll be chasing this little guy around, spending some time at the pool with friends, grilling out, and playing with sparklers. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July!

I was invited to try out a new fitness studio called the Haute Room. I agreed to review the class and the Haute Room is giving one lucky reader 5 free classes! The opinions in the review are completely my own.

Not sure what dessert to make this 4th of July? These quick and easy peach turnovers will not let you down. They are so super simple to make, and really delicious. All you need is fresh peaches, puff pastry, and a few other ingredients. I liked this recipe for easy peach turnovers so much, I shared it with SheKnows.

The fourth of July is only days away, and I have bbq on my mind. Since many of us will be grilling out this coming weekend to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to find some unique bbq side dishes.

When I saw this printed skirt and top look, I was drawn to the bold patterned skirt in a perfect midi length. The easy chambray tank gives a casual edge to the straight skirt, which could be easily dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.

With so many sunscreen choices out there, I wanted to give you a rundown of what to look for to keep you protected this summer. I’ve mentioned it before, but my biggest health and beauty mistake of my youth was not wearing sunscreen. I have brown spots and skin damage to show for it.

I’m a season late, but the start of this summer seemed like as good of a time as any to clean and reorganize my disaster of a closet.

Summer is officially here tomorrow! If you haven’t already found the perfect suit for the summer, I’ve come up with four different scenarios and swimsuit tips to help you find the perfect suit. If you are looking exclusively for a one-piece, check out 10 one-piece suits under $50.

I miss my carefree summers in the Midwest. When I see corn on the cob, I’m immediately transported back to my childhood. I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When we would venture outside our little suburb, we’d quickly be surrounded by cornfields and dairy farms as far as you could see. My dad would always say ‘knee high by the fourth of July’ referring to the corn’s growth that season. No, we didn’t live on a farm, but the crops’ growth was just a part of the summer time conversation.

I love lace clothing. It doesn’t matter what season, a lace blouse or lace accented dress is always feminine and sophisticated. Those adjectives generally don’t come to mind when I think about shorts. But shorts can be more than just for the gym or lounging around the house.

I’m so excited! SheKnows recently accepted me as an Experts Among Us contributor. Published this past Friday, my very first article talks about how we decided when was the best time to have a second baby.

School’s out for the summer! With graduation ceremonies wrapping up, it officially feels like summer is here. Let’s celebrate the start of summer with these must-try summer sangria recipes.

When Willie Nelson wrote “On the Road Again”, I doubt he did a road trip with toddlers. I’m almost certain it wasn’t in a four-door sedan, with excited children asking, “Are we at the beach? How long until we get to the beach?” every two minutes.

Posh In Progress turned 1 yesterday! To celebrate, I wanted to try something daring, a multiple layer cake with blue ombre frosting and our Posh logo.

I can’t believe it’s already been a year (tomorrow) since we started Posh In Progress. I started the blog as a way for me to share my current fashion obsessions, experiences as a new mom, and my favorite recipes.

Have you ever had a raw baby bok choy salad? Until last week, I didn’t even know you could (or should) eat it raw.

It’s officially beach season, yay! I recently bought a practical beach tote (on sale!) for lugging Rocco’s sand toys to the beach. Although practical, I also wanted to get a cute adult-friendly version to go with my new one-piece (seriously, how cute is this for such a steal?!), so I started browsing for black accented woven beach totes.

My last living grandparent, my Grandpa Richard Vivian, passed away at age 86, less than a week before Giada was born. Yesterday was his funeral. Since I was not able to be there, I wanted to take a minute to say goodbye to my grandpa, to share what he meant to me, and what he taught me.

Have you gotten your dad’s or husband’s father’s day gifts yet? You still have a couple of weeks to find the perfect gift. I’ve mentioned before how many cool and unique gifts you can get on Etsy (for moms). I love that these items have a handmade quality and many of them can be personalized for your dad or husband. Here are eight neat father’s day gift ideas I found on Etsy.

I wanted to make a special treat for the kids in honor of the holiday weekend. Our good friends from Phoenix, Sean and Amy, were in Newport Beach for Memorial Day weekend. They have two kids, Patrick and Ellen, who are almost 3 and 5. I figured homemade bomb pops, made with fresh fruit, were a great way to kick off summer while also being patriotic — they’re kinda red, white and blue, if you squint a little.

Fashionable women in the 1950’s and 60’s, like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, popularized the cat eye trend. The cat eye style seems to reemerge every few years. This time around, there are so many unique and interesting cat eye frames in all sorts of exaggerated shapes, patterns, and colors–many well under $100!. Tortoise cat eye sunglasses are ladylike and have a retro feel.

I made these brown butter cherry bars recipe with fresh cherries a few years back for a dinner party. I liked them so much, I wanted to share them with you.

Plastic flip flops aren’t cute. They serve a purpose at the beach, by the pool or in the gym shower, but that’s it. They look (and are) cheap and they don’t provide any foot support. With so many cute flat sandals for women under $100, let’s do ourselves a favor and bury those plastic flops in our beach bags.

A chambray button-down shirt is classic and timeless. I like to layer mine over cotton dresses, like I would a cardigan. Chambray has a casual, cool feeling and the lightweight material is perfect for summer.

Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so I got to thinking about my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies. My favorite happens to be from La Grande Orange in Phoenix, Arizona. They make the tastiest, giant, chocolate chip cookies with sea salt. I emailed them to ask if they would share their recipe with me. They politely said no, stating it is a signature recipe that they will not publish. I get it, but I was a bit disappointed.

Summer came early to southern California. My car thermostat read 100 yesterday. Taking care of my skin in the summer means I retire my winter standbys (like heavy creams) and dig out my summer skin care essentials, which always includes light-weight, oil free lotions and products with SPF.

I don’t have much time to browse the mall like I did before I had my daughter. Now, I mostly use online retail sites to stay current with what’s new. The other day, I went to Nordstrom’s site and saw this stylish look. I love this crochet top and skort look because the coral is bright and cheery, and the army skort (yes, skort) looks fresh with strappy heels.

This Sunday is my last, first Mother’s day and I’m already nostalgic. This is my first Mother’s day having a daughter, and my last, first mother’s day, since we don’t plan to have any more children. As I reflect on what Mother’s day means to me this year, it dawned on me that there are now three generations of women in my family. Now that I have a daughter, Mother’s day feels different somehow–when daughters become mothers to daughters.

Why are you calling it vegan leather? If it is leather, it can’t be vegan. Why don’t you call it what it is? It’s faux leather, imitation leather, leatherette, fake leather.

I first noticed fruit inspired fashion accessories when I was window-browser shopping Neiman Marcus’ new handbag arrivals. I fell hard for Edie Parker’s orange slice clutch. Why? Because it’s unique, it’s playful, it’s unexpected and it’s fun.

For a lot of people, Mother’s Day means buying flowers and a card. As a child, I always preferred making my mom’s cards. I remember making a few wonky presents as well—like a paper box covered in padded shiny ivory quilting material with a pink paper heart on top. (It was hideous, but she loved it).

Juicy, red strawberries lined nearly every stand at the farmer’s market last Saturday. You know it’s strawberry season when you can get three crates for under $10—we paid a mere $6 for all these gorgeous gems. So what to do with our overabundance of strawberries? We decided on an elevated version of strawberry shortcake by making orange pound cake with strawberry coulis.

I wanted to share these wonderful Cinco De Mayo margarita recipes because, during my coming of age in Green Bay, this wonderful holiday passed us by, which is a darn shame.

It’s time to retire those tweed jackets and wool slacks until next fall. I’ve talked about how suits can be fashionable before (here and here). If you are shopping for a new suit this spring, you are in luck. There are so many stylish, modern and sexy spring work suits for women that are appropriate, no matter your dress code.

If you look back at my recipes, you’d probably think I only eat baked-goods. Seriously. I have a problem. But seriously, I eat a lot of vegetables too. They just usually aren’t as interesting to blog about. I changed my mind when I made this shaved asparagus salad the other day.

I love the midi skirt trend this spring. It is ultra feminine and shows off a trim waist and slim ankles. A sheer white midi skirt is crisp, clean and timeless. White always feels fresh in the spring and summer. Some major designers agreed showing head to toe white on the runways for spring.

“Fresh garlic? Are you sure those aren’t onions?” That’s what I asked the nice lady who stopped us at the farmer’s market to tell us how darling Rocco is. We exchanged some niceties and then she mentioned that we had to try this farmer’s fresh garlic. So we ventured over to the farmer’s stand and were allured by the sweet smell of the fresh garlic. We love trying new things, so we grabbed a few stalks, looking for ones with big bulbs.

Peeps easter candy is are freaking adorable. There is no denying their cuteness, but who actually eats them? The giant chocolate bunny was always the star, while the Peeps ended up stale at the bottom of my Easter basket. So what other creative uses for Peeps could I try?

I recently met a new baby bib designer on Instagram. We got to talking about her new business and Etsy shop. After learning about her fledgling business, I started poking around on Etsy. I quickly learned there are tons of really talented designers, creators and crafters on Etsy.

Women’s jumpsuits are flying off the shelves this spring. Nearly every retailer is carrying them and I’m especially loving all the great printed jumpsuits out there.

Making traditional Italian food is one way I celebrate the holidays and my Italian heritage. I’ve made traditional Italian Christmas cookies before, now I wanted to try Italian Easter cookies.

OK ladies. No more excuses. I know your Uggs and tennies are comfortable, but that is no way to leave the house when there are tons of adorable and stylish flats for spring under $100.

I have a thing for lemons. As if it wasn’t already obvious from the numerous recipes I’ve made featuring lemons (lemon-lime margarita pops, lemon Bundt cakes, and lemon blueberry muffins).

There are so many fashion trends that I’m loving this spring. Some of my favorites are pastels—especially light pink, floral prints, and the graphic black and white trends that are evident in all areas of fashion right now.

Is it just me, or does Pinterest have you trying DIY projects and recipes you never imagined you could do? Pinterest ignites my crafty self that I’ve put on the back burner for many years.

This past weekend, the farmer’s market was brimming with citrus, winter greens, and first of the season strawberries. Of all the striking produce this weekend, the highly stacked, vibrant purple carrots with bright green stalks, were too gorgeous to resist.

Short hair is in for spring. Everything from the asymmetrical pixie cut, to the chin-length bob, or the longer shoulder length lob, short hair is everywhere. Even if you aren’t willing to go short, bangs and shorter layers can give your hair a shorter feel without taking the plunge of chopping it all off.

I’ve had lace espadrilles on my mind lately. Why? Because the month of March rouses college spring break memories of sunbathing on the beach for hours and one too many shots at night. While daydreaming about beach vacations, I started browsing for cute sandal options, and lace espadrilles kept popping up.

I’m not one of those women who loved being pregnant. My body was taken over by someone else, literally. I didn’t like the extra attention from strangers asking me when I was due, or telling me how pregnancy suited me. I counted down the days until I reached forty weeks. Maybe both of my babies and my body sensed how much I wasn’t into this pregnancy thing, since both babies came early.

It was my husband’s birthday this week. I had high hopes of making him a layer cake of his favorite German chocolate cake, but with a new baby in the house, time slipped away from me. Since cookies are my husband’s favorite baked-good, I opted to turn his favorite cake into cookies instead.

When I first saw this look, I was especially drawn to the ultra girly lace blouse and glam necklace paired with more casual cuffed jeans and booties. This spring, both lace and cuffed jeans are very on-trend and you don’t have to retire your booties quite yet since there are lots of ways to incorporate booties into your spring wardrobe.

Most Saturday mornings, you will find my husband and me roaming the abundant produce-packed aisles at the Irvine Farmer’s Market. I mentioned this market last summer, when I featured a peach cobbler recipe.

When it comes to purses, I believe in quality over quantity. If you invest in a high quality leather purse, it can last you for years. For the past several years, I have rotated the same few purses depending on the season or what I’m wearing.

When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, do you think of chocolate covered beer and pretzel caramels? Probably not, but maybe I can change your mind. When I think of St. Patty’s day, the first thing that comes to mind is Guinness, the second thing is the green beer and green long islands they served at the Red Shed, a divey bar I frequented in college.

As I browsed the mall the other day, floral prints overwhelmed nearly every clothing rack and faceless mannequin I passed. The bold colors and often – exaggerated prints screamed, spring is here. I love the floral print trend because bright colors and fun patterns bring life to a wardrobe, especially for those of us who tend to stick to neutrals and solids too often.

Have you ever wanted to give your child the best and couldn’t? What if the best was something that 99% percent of mothers could give but you couldn’t? For me, this happened very early on in motherhood: I couldn’t produce enough milk to feed my first child, my son Rocco. Only 16 months after my son Rocco was born, the breastfeeding anxiety has returned with the birth of my daughter Giada last month.

This spring, pairing black and white is one of the major fashion trends. The best part about the black and white trend is just how easy it is to embrace. Adding interesting shoes, like these black white striped pumps, to your wardrobe is the simplest way to try out a new trend and enliven your wardrobe.

It’s nearly impossible to avoid Oscars talk this time of year. Most media outlets are discussing which movies and actors won awards and what the stars wore.

I’m in desperate need of new jeans, which I learned the other day on my way home from the grocery store. I grabbed Rocco with one arm, the groceries with the other, and slowly trudged toward my apartment. With every step I took, my pants inched further down.

My daughter turns three weeks old this week. With the new addition to my family, I have very little time to concentrate on my normal beauty routine. After a quick shower and slathering on some body lotion and SPF for my face, I might find a minute to dry my hair before I need to attend to my daughter or toddler son.

My husband and I were reminiscing about desserts that reminded us of our childhood. He was shocked that I’d never had his mom’s favorite, a Lemon Jell-O Cake. I had never even heard of cooking Jell-O into a cake.

For my daughter’s first birthday, I made her a funfetti cake from scratch. I made way too much cake though, so I had almost an entire cake and enough frosting left to make funfetti cake pops.

This spring fashion season, I’m loving all the pastels, especially light pink. I previously featured the pink trend, but I had to revisit it when I saw these fresh pink leather biker jackets.

I have a problem, a problem with all baked goods in the bar, blondie and brownie form. Who am I kidding? I could say the same thing about cookies too.

Valentine’s day is right around the corner. Whether you are planning a romantic dinner out, a night in with your man, or you are single and ready to mingle, here are three looks of what to wear for Valentine’s day that are perfect for each occasion.

I thought I had this baby thing figured out. I just had a baby 16 months ago, so the hours of research I did for Rocco should hold water, right? Then, this week, beautiful baby Giada makes her early appearance, and I’m back to scouring the interwebs. This time, I’m in search of information about preemies.

When you are invited to a party and you need to come up with something to bring on short notice, I always suggest checking your pantry to see what you have on hand. My husband has started a rather robust herb garden on our balcony. Since the rosemary is thriving, I took to google to try to find a quick and easy recipe that would highlight the fragrant herb. I found many rosemary roasted almond recipes, but wanted to increase the flavor intensity, so I added black pepper.

I unexpectedly ended up in the hospital last weekend with early contractions. Luckily, my daughter decided to stay put (at least for now), but her near early arrival prompted me to hurry up and get my hospital bag packed.

In the U.S. the Super Bowl is practically a national holiday, and food takes center stage. Nothing reminds me more of watching the ‘big game’ than some peanuts and beer. I’ve never seasoned my own nuts before, so I thought it was something worth trying. I didn’t realize just how easy it is and I love that there are almost endless combinations of flavors I could create.

I’ve never done anything with my eyebrows. I didn’t even pluck them until one of my college friends suggested it (and thank goodness she did! I was oblivious to how caterpillar-like my eyebrows were!). With the resurgence and fashion world’s love for a fuller brow, I’ve decided I need to jazz up my makeup routine and…

I bought a gorgeous loaf of sourdough for another recipe, but before I had the chance to use it, my entire family contracted this nasty, week-long cold/flu bug. Rather than letting a stale loaf of bread go to waste, the only sensible option was to find a recipe that called for crusty bread.

When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I knew I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes because the pregnancy time-frame is so short. For both of my pregnancies, I managed to spend very little money on maternity clothes, by buying some staple pieces and working with…

My husband heard about a slow cooker chicken recipe on NPR that is supposed to rival the flavor of KFC, so we wanted to give it a try. We decided to do slow cooker chicken wings instead of a whole bird, since we had been thinking about Super Bowl recipes.

Floral Print Pumps Spring is probably the last thing on most people’s minds right now, as most of the U.S. is experiencing a very harsh winter. Winter wardrobes usually feature a lot of dark colors and heavy textures, which can start to feel too bundled up and drab. If you are feeling dragged down by…

I’m 33 weeks pregnant and I’m really starting to feel it physically. Chasing around a newly walking 14 month old has preoccupied me to the point where I haven’t had much time to think about welcoming a second child in the next month or two. Somehow though, my husband and I are not that worried.

When I saw this vegetarian lasagna recipe, I thought it would be a hearty winter dish, made even better with the addition of kale. My husband immediately groaned about yet another kale dish, the big baby.

Broken Eyeshadow Is An Expensive Annoyance It is the worst when you buy an expensive eyeshadow, and you either drop it or it cracks while traveling. I recently had two of my eyeshadows end up broken and I wasn’t sure what to do. Given they were expensive, brand-name eyeshadows, I wanted to do what I…