Friday Happy Hour // Simple Skinny Margarita

Happy Friday Y'all! We made it to the end of the week! And it's a THREE DAY WEEKEND!!

Whoo hoo!

If you follow me on IG you know I love a good margarita on a Friday night. 

Well, I like a good margarita almost any night but that's neither here nor there. And as much as I love them I try not to indulge too much at restaurants as they are laden with calories but lately I have gotten into the whole 'skinny margarita' craze.  

Red Robin makes quite the delicious classic skinny marg and recently I found out they have a strawberry version as well. Yum!

So when I found this recipe on Pinterest I was immediately intrigued but never bothered to take the time to try it out.

As I found myself with some free time Sunday, and a new camera to play with, I decided to whip up my own version of this tasty treat.

Used:

1/2 tbsp Triple Sec

1tbsp Tequila

Sugar

Margarita Salt

Lime

 1 1/2 scoops Raspberry Sorbet (it's what I had on hand)

I loosely followed the recipe provided as I was only making one and I basically wanted to use what I had on hand and I didn't use a full tablespoon of tequila as I didn't want to be on my ass by the time my people came home from the park.

The sugar/salt rim mixed with the hint of lime added just the right amount of sweet & tart to an already tasty beverage.

I couldn't believe how simple this drink was to make and how delightful it was to drink! I did add the Triple Sec to round out the flavoring and that proved to be an excellent move.

Perfect drink for chilling on the veranda this long weekend!

What are your plans for the long weekend?

Cheers!

Daily Style : Hippie Hippie Chic

Y'all, I think I may have found my new favorite article of clothing. No lie, these are pretty much the most comfortable shorts I own. Seriously. It's like wearing pajamas. Only cuter. And much more acceptable in public.

Y'all know I was mad for these shorts last week and I was happy to take them for a test drive this past weekend.

Everyone at my niece's prom party was just as excited as I was. I got so many compliments I felt completely validated about my splurge on both pairs. I know I'm going to get a ton of wear out of them.They give effortless dressing a whole new meaning. I threw this together like it was nothing and for some reason just knew it would work. I love it when my closet works with me not against me!

Denim Shirt: Target (similar) / V-Neck Tee: Target / Shorts: Free People via T.J. Maxx (similar) / Sandals: Sam & Libby / Headband: Forever 21 / Necklace: c/o DogEared 

It was pretty warm today but there was still a bit of a breeze so this ensemble was perfect for being out at the park with the boy and still looking chic for errands. A bad hair day also called for reinforcements in the form of a sparkly headband to perk up an otherwise dull head of hair. Not a bad find at Forever 21 if I do say so myself.  
I felt like somewhat of a hippie what with the flat sandals, beaded headband and lace shorts and I loved it. Felt like I was channeling my inner Nicole Richie a bit.

I played around the other after noon and discovered about six other ways to style these shorts (and the ivory ones) and can't wait to wear them more. You're going to get sick of them I'm sure. I already want to wear them everyday and if I could figure out a way to pull that off and not get some questionable looks, I totally would.

Same goes for the shoes. I have been wearing them non-stop since I bought them a week ago.
Suffice to say it's been a good shopping month for me. I think I'm pretty much done for a while though....I think. Until something else strikes my fancy.

But I've actually done pretty good when it comes to quality over quantity and fast fashion versus wardrobe staples. I'm really enjoying marrying the two concepts and can't wait to do another closet purge soon (stay tuned for an InstaSale!) to see how it's really coming together.






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Talk Tuesday // Birthday Wish List

Yesterday marked the unofficial countdown to my birthday. I had a childhood friend who's birthday was May 20th and for me that was always the marker for it being close to my birthday!!
If you don't already know I pretty much love my birthday. It's my favorite. Because I love any excuse to have a party I'll be hosting an awesome giveaway the week leading up to it so make sure you follow the blog on Bloglovin (----->) and the FB page for updates!
We all know I love to shop and being an avid magazine reader, social media junkie and blogger I constantly have my eye on things to write about, lust over and wish for. Therefore I am perpetually adding to my Amazon wish list but it's rare that I get to check it off fully. Sure I've been able to score some of my spring wish list items in recent weeks thanks to some savvy shopping but there are many other things that strike my fancy and I'm just not able to budget for them all!
Now, of course I don't expect anything but lots of love from my family and friends on my special day but a girl can dream right? So, on the off chance that any of my friends / family are reading this here's a few things that would just make my day.

Birthday Wish List by ambs32 featuring high heels

I am a total book nerd and have several on my shelf that I'm currently in the process of reading and several others that I am dying to get to. I just haven't made the time but I vow to change that this summer.
1. I've heard great things about Mindy's book and would love to get my hands on that.
2. I saw Niecy on The View last week and had forgotten how funny she was. I had no idea she wrote a book but I love the title and since I am committed to having a kick-ass marriage this definitely needs to be added to the bookshelf.
3. We all know I have a major style crush on June so of course I need her book on effortless style! It's something I'm perpetually trying to achieve so yeah....need that for sure.
4. Because who doesn't want a multi-colored cork clutch? It will go with everything and be the perfect neutral all summer long.
5. Speaking of effortless style in addition to my awesome lace shorts I want to add a fun romper to the wardrobe and think this might work.
6. It comes in gold now. GOLD people!! I need this for my couch. Now.
7. Macbook Air this would change my life. No longer a slave to the desk top for uploading photos and editing it would be a game changer. Once I figured out all the bells & whistles.
8. Pretty shoes are a must on a birthday list. I mean.
9. I drink coffee pretty much every morning and tea in the evening (weather permitting) so a fun and flirty mug is just the thing I need to jump start my day.


Of course I also love cards (they are my absolute favorite), flowers, gift cards (they are the gift that keeps on giving) and balloons but mostly I just love spending the day with family and friends!

How do you celebrate your birthday?

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Beauty: Freshly Picked for Spring

One of the draws of attending Lucky FABB was that Drew Barrymore was on the last panel of the first day. As you all know she is AMAZING and is just as pretty in real life as she is on screen.

We were lucky enough to receive a few products from her new beauty line FLOWER COSMETICS in our swag bag and I am so thrilled to be able to post about them!

Y'all know I love my beauty products (hello makeup artist here) and am a sucker for trying out a new line but hate to shell out the dollars for a potentially sub-par product.

Fortunately, this line is pretty awesome.

I received two eyeliners, two eye shadows, a mascara and a tinted moisturizer.unfortunately the moisturizer is about 12 shades too light so I'll be passing that off to a lucky lady in the near future.

The packaging is clean, simple and elegant yet compelling enough to catch your eye as you roll through the aisles on the way to get Q-tips.
The rose gold accents add a not often seen touch of glamour in your average 'drugstore' beauty brand.

Tinted Moisturizer:
Although the shade is much too light for me I did test a bit on my hand to check out the formula and the wear-ability. The consistency was nice and not to heavy and seemed to hold up to the elements (hand washing, flitting about). I would definitely like to try this out in my own shade to see how it works in a real life situation.

Eyeliner:

The aubergine eye pencil is my absolute favorite. Purple and blue shades make brown eyes pop more thank your everyday black liner and this is the truth!
(Unfortunately this pencil met with an untimely demise at it was inadvertently thrown in the trash shortly after I tried it for the first time. Awesome.)

The khaki green liner is just as fun and has been my go to liner of choice for the last week. I love the flecks of gold and green and how they add just a hint of sparkle to my lower lash line.

Mascara:

The formula is light and non clumping which is great for a contact wearer like me but it didn't quite give my lashes the oomph I'm used to. Definitely going to try layering it  and see how it measures up.

Creme Eye Shadow:
Once again the packaging on this is fabulous for the price point.

The twist off tops make for easy opening and closing and no need to worry if you accidentally lean on the top. No breaking off!



While these shades are a bit to frosty for my personal taste the creme formula makes it easy to put on and take off.

Overall, I think Drew did an excellent job with this line and am excited to see what more she has up her sleeve. In my opinion the quality is a bit higher than what you would expect for the price point which will keep this brand higher on the list of 'celebrity makeup' and the fact that it is available at Wal-Mart means more access to the mass public, which in beauty is always a good thing.

Have you tried Flower Cosmetics? If so, what did you think?
If not, would you consider purchasing it?

Friday Happy Hour: Real Talk Edition

This would've been up hours ago but yesterday was not one of my better days.

It all begin well enough but thanks to some roadwork being done literally right next to our house it ended up with an overtired cranky baby who could/would not nap for more than 30 minutes throwing a monkey wrench in our daily routine. 

This contributed to us both being cranky and frustrated. Every time he got settled and fell asleep a machine or truck would start up and jolt him awake.

Did I mention his room is in the front of the house? So yeah. 

We took it outside for bit to clear our heads and enjoy nature and I must say that was refreshing. 

We used to take walks often but stopped when it grew cold. Must start that up again.

So I was a little short and cross and Baby Bear was trying to be his playful self it just came out  whiny and tired which is just an all around bad combo.

Later, I sat alone for awhile in the evening painting my nails (and subsequently undoing said paint) while reflecting on my day and my emotions. 

And I realized where I had failed as a mother and a wife and what I could do in the future to either prevent days like this or just how to better communicate my frustrations. 

Hmmph. Who knew a little alone time and reflection would amount to me noticing my faults.

Thank goodness not everyday is like yesterday most days are like this

and we are allowed to start fresh each morning.

Which is what I did today - with a nice cup of coffee.

In other news - taking the lace shorts out for a spin this weekend (weather permitting) check back next week for the full look. 

I don't want to leave things on a heavy note so here's this week's drink and a few fun links!

*************************************

* I recently discovered StylePantry and her Instagram account. Needless to say I am obsessed.

 I mean

source

* I fell in love with the looks of Besty Burnham thanks to La Dolce Vita 

* Because I totally used to feel like this when I worked in an office. Hilarious.

*Have a drink for me!

Lemonade Sparkler

source

Doesn't that look refreshing?

Happy weekending! 

Style File: The Long & Short of It

In recent weeks (as the weather has gone from cool spring days to sweltering pre-summer mornings) I've had shorts on the brain.

I'm a huge fan of dresses (as evidenced here & here) for everyday wear.
Particularly when the weather gets warm, but sometimes....sometimes I just don't want to wear a dress.
Sometimes I want to rock some shorts and not have to worry about a strong gust of wind. 

And not just bummy shorts (like my favoritest evah cut-off's) but something a little more classy and refined.
Enter the dressy short.

My friend Andrea of For the Love of tends to pull off effortless dressing with a style and grace I  lack but I fell in love with how she styled these shorts for a day to night look.
One of the things I love about Andrea and her style is how she works her wardrobe.
She makes sure if she's spending her money on something it's going to work several different ways and I can totally dig that.
For day:

source

For evening:

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Laura from Ascot Friday also pulls of the effortless look well and hello fancy shorts! 

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Laura of Hollywood Housewife fame actually kind of kicked things off for me when she rocked an all white look last week. I thought - "Ok, maybe I can do this. She looks sophisticated AND cool."

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The Stylish Housewife Jenn also pulls the shorts off really well. Even though she says she's not a shorts person

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I love the idea of the great fitting short as both a day or night time piece however, it's kind of hard to find any shorts these days that aren't butt skimming or thigh hugging and at my age post kids - the last thing you want is to be/feel self-conscious in your shorts.

And can we get three cheers for these stylish mamas?! I mean..... 

Having kids is one thing, maintaining a sense of yourself, developing your personal style and incorporating all that into your daily life is a horse of a different color.

So yesterday morning I started a conversation on the C2C page about my latest obsession and of course my stylish mama friend Heather hipped me to a Free People pair that was available at T.J. Maxx.

Let me just say that Heather is a for reals #maxxinista. She always gets the best stuff for her and her kids there and I'm always wondering why I never see that stuff! 

But my last two trips have been fruitful so I loaded up the kids and we headed over after lunch.

Upon entering the store there they were...front and center: ivory and black lace shorts.
With an elastic waistband. Holla!!

Found the exact shorts in both ivory and white and for a fraction of their retail price! So what to do? Buy both or just think on them?

I came home and started playing around on Polyvore to come up with some looks and was still hemming and hawing over an hour later.

styling lace shorts by ambs32 featuring fitness shirts

And then.... I caved.
  ( I mean...what if they were gone when I went back later in the week?) 

I'm such an impulsive shopper (hence the oft felt buyers remorse and trips to make returns) but I have to say....I think I might be winning with this one.

I played a little dress up when I got home and even though I was still unsure I easily pulled 3 outfits for each and as per my floral blazer style guide I paired it with the black shorts and metallic pumps!

Voila! Two outfits for the price of one and I feel good about the purchases!!

Whew! 

I will now not be shopping until my birthday as I have been a little OOC the past few weeks. 

What styles have caught your eye lately?









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