Violet Eyes

Today, we remember one of Hollywood's Golden Age actresses, Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor.  Whether you recognize her for her stunning beauty, her eight marriages, or her 40+ year film career, there is no denying that she is a legend. 

"Kitten" trivia:

* Born in London, England, but her parents were Americans from St. Louis, Missouri

* Appeared solo on the cover of People Magazine 14 times, second only to Princess Diana



During a life-threatening illness while filming BUtterfield 8 (1960), she was pronounced dead.  She won her first Oscar for this film, but it is said that she won by votes of sympathy because of the recent death of her husband, Michael Todd, and her near-fatal illness and emergency tracheotomy to save her life.



First actress to earn $1M in a film for her role in Cleopatra (1963)

Two of her eight marriages were to Richard Burton: March 1964-June 1974, and October 1975-August 1976.  The couple starred in 11 movies together from 1963-73.

* Her Bel Air home was once owned by Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy

* Has owned some of the world's most magnificent jewelry, including:



33-carat Krupp diamond



the Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch



the famous pear-shaped 69-carat Cartier diamond from Richard Burton, subsequently named the Burton-Taylor Diamond



* Has broken her back four times



Her measurements during the majority of her film career: 36C-21-36



* Ranked #7 in the American Film Institute's list of the 50 Greatest American Screen Legends

* Godmother of Paris and Prince Michael Jackson

Famous "Kitten" quotes:

"My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked."

"If someone's dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I'm certainly not dumb enough to turn it down."

"I believe in mind over matter and doing anything you set your mind on."

"You find out who your real friends are when you're involved in a scandal."

Hello, Spring

Let me just start out by saying that I had such a fun weekend!  The weather really made this weekend fantastic, regardless of my activities.  Even though Saturday and Sunday were a little cooler than Friday (when I had to be stuck in my office, of course), it was still warm enough to wear a new spring coat and cute flats, and it was comfortable to walk around outside. 

Kris was away this weekend, so I spent the weekend doing fun girly things!  On Saturday, I met up with my old roommate from law school at Arundel Mills Mall by BWI Airport.  I love this mall because it's a huge outlet mall with a lot of great stores.  We had a yummy lunch at a brewing company (I got the Ultimate Grilled Cheese - delish), and then we spent the day shopping 'til we dropped!  And when I say dropped, I mean that I had to limp to Old Navy to get a pair of flip-flops because I had a terrible blister on my heel.  I was a little upset that we never made it to Off Broadway Shoes, but my blister was killing me, and our hands were full of bags!  Here are some of the awesome things that I picked up.



Coral linen blazer for $36.50 at Charlotte Russe



Floral summer dress for $7 at Old Navy



Bright floral print cardigan for $14.98 at Ann Taylor Factory Store



Amazing taupe leather jacket with ruffle trim (it goes all the way around the back!) for $41.99 at Wilson's Leather Outlet

Super cute heather gray dress with ruffled neckline for $44.99 at (get ready for this) DressBarn



Another super cute work dress from DressBarn - $44.99



Black faux leather clutch with rosettes for $19.99 at DressBarn



 As you can tell, I am overly excited about my new purchases.  I was extremely shocked to walk by DressBarn and see all of the cute dresses that they have!  As expected, they have a wide variety of motherly looks, but it's not everything!  It was definitely worth the trip inside.





On Sunday, I spent a fun day in DC with two of my best friends from college.  One of them is getting married in November (Weeeee!!), so we took a trip to Dupont Circle and tried on some bridesmaid dresses.  The bride selected the designer (http://www.ariadress.com/), the color (navy), and the silhouette (knee-length A-line), and each bridesmaid gets to choose the top's style.  If you go to the website, you will see that there are so many options to choose from!  We had a fun time trying on all of the different styles.  My favorite was this vintage-inspired halter dress that ties around the neck. 

Afterwards, we stopped for a treat - froyo!  It's days like yesterday when I miss living in DC the most.  On the way to and from the dress shop, we passed the National Mall, the Capitol Building, and the museums.  There were so many people out and about, sight-seeing and enjoying the beautiful day.  So to end a perfect day in the city, we stopped for a grilled Nathan's hot dog  :-) 

Fashion Friday: Ruffles and Bows

Spring is officially approaching!  The sun is out longer into the evening, and the weather is getting warmer each day.  I don't want to sit still and do any work; instead, I want to shop for new spring clothes!  Luckily, I'm meeting up with my roommate from law school tomorrow to do just that  :-)  Here are some amazingly cute things that I found, just focusing on the much-adored trend of ruffles and bows.  I am a sucker for anything with a ruffle or a bow - it really makes everything very feminine and sexy. 



kelly & katie Sashay Sandal with a satin ruffled T-strap, adjustable ankle strap, and round peep toe
$39.95 from DSW

b.o.c. by Born Women's Arden Flat with a round toe and oversized floppy bow
$49.95 at DSW

Badgley Mischka Calton Pump with an elegant, girlie bow
$139.95 at DSW



Liz Claiborne Fern Linen Pump with a sophisticated patent trim
$54.95 at DSW

Red by Marc Ecko Signature Bow Satchel for a fun and flirty look
$49.95 at DSW

Call It Spring Wayson Clutch with front bow and metal kisslock closure
$29.99 at JCPenney

Nine & CO. Demure Satchel feminine ruffled handbag
$48.99 at JCPenney

Sally Lou Fashions Women's V-Neck Ruffled Sheath Dress
$59.99 at Sears

Aqua Taffeta Strapless Ruffled Dress with a chic sequin waistline
$68.40 at Bloomingdale's

Eliza J Crepe Bow Dress has a pretty bow at the shoulder and a belt to shape the waist
$138 at Nordstrom

Sparkle & Fade Knit Bow Back Dress
$48 at Urban Outfitters

Romeo & Juliet Couture black faux leather double-breasted ruffle trim blazer
$81.99 at Bluefly.com

Herringbone Ruffle Blazer with a sweet ruffled lapel
$89.99 at Banana Republic

Bow Front Blouse
$49.90 at The Limited



Signature by Larry Levine Women's Ruffled Top with capped sleeves and a stylish U-neckline
$34.99 at Overstock.com

MM Couture Ruffle Top with a flattering one-shoulder look
$48.99 at Piperlime

 

Back-Ruffled Skirt
$49.50 at Victoria's Secret

Layered Ruffle Skirt has tiers of silk ruffles
$79.99 at Ann Taylor



Bow Front Skirt has a large accent bow along a pleated waistline and features draped slash pockets
$24.80 at Forever21 

   

Kiss Me, I'm Irish (Today)

Happy St. Patty's Day!  I'm jealous of those who are able to be out and about on this beautiful day, drinking a green beer, and enjoying their fellow lads and lassies.  For everyone else that is stuck in their office (with no window like me), I leave these words of Irish wisdom:

There are many good reasons for drinking,
One has just entered my head.
If a man doesn't drink when he's living,
How in the hell can he drink when he's dead?

This Little Monkey Is One

This weekend was jam-packed with more fun birthday celebrations!  On Saturday, we celebrated Nathaniel's first birthday.  Nathaniel is the son of one of my good friends.  We shared backyards growing up, so we are basically family!  Unfortunately, his mommy was sick, so she didn't have too much fun at the party.  But that didn't stop Nathaniel from having a blast being one!



After Nathaniel's party, we met my parents to celebrate my birthday.  Usually when I go home to visit my parents, we go to Red Robin for a burger - and my birthday is no exception!  This time, though, my burger was free because Red Robin emails you a Birthday Burger during the week of your birthday!  And don't worry, I had my Birthday Sundae, too!

When we arrived home on Saturday, I had the perfect treat waiting for me in my mailbox - my new Us Weekly!  I had been a loyal Us Weekly reader throughout law school, but after graduation, I never renewed my subscription because I was so busy studying for two bar exams (yes, I said two) and planning my wedding.  So for my birthday this year, I decided it was time to start up my subscription again.  When I opened to the first page, I saw Halle Berry in an Elie Saab Haute Couture gown, which is the same designer as Mila Kunis' Oscars gown.  At first glance, I thought it was the same gown in a different color, but it's not.  Halle is smokin' hot and looks gorgeous - I can't decide which I like best!  Both gowns have the sexy lace peekaboos and the cute ribbon waistline - I think it's a tie!

Halle at an event in Beverly Hills February 22nd



Mila at the Oscars

On Sunday, we lounged around the house and decided to make ourselves a nice, big meal.  That's the one thing about Sundays that I enjoy - you have all day to make something really tasty that you can't cook during the week.  We are in love with making rack of lamb, but the grocery store doesn't always have it in stock.  When they do, we buy them all up and store them in our freezer until we can make them.  Lucky for us, the butcher at the grocery store wanted to have sex with me, so we got $3 off each rack!   

   

Here is a modified recipe:

After you trim the fat off of each rack, cover the lamb with dijon mustard, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese.  Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes for medium, a little longer if you like it more well done.  If the outside isn't crispy enough for you, turn the broiler on for the last 5-10 minutes.  To serve, cut the rack into pieces so it's easier to eat.  We make two racks because one isn't big enough to share.  We paired it with some long grain and wild rice and brussel sprouts (I didn't eat those).  YUM!  Honestly, this lamb is better than any steak I have ever prepared at home - and I'm a steak girl! 

Fashion Friday: Luck of the Irish

As St. Patty's Day is approaching next week, I fondly recall celebrating this holiday in college.  I went to a Catholic college, and the majority of the students were actually Irish, so this was a HUGE day on campus.  I can distinctly remember a group of guys walking around campus wearing full-size Irish flags like capes.  Not surprisingly, I was always planning my St. Patty's outfit far in advance because 1) you were about to see every single person that you knew in college, so you had to look really good, and 2) I don't normally wear green for some reason, so I had to shop until I found something perfect.  So in case you have big plans but nothing to wear, here are some fun ideas that I found  :-)



This lengthened tee with stitched front detail and chest pocket would pair great with leggings and knee-high boots.
$30.80 at JCPenney

Here's a cute shamrock scarf to make any outfit Irish.
$7.95 at Amazon.com



This relaxed-fit striped top has a round neck and a mock button placket on the shoulder seam.
$13.80 at Forever21



Accent your waistline with this bright kelly green patent belt with a large buckle.
$9.99 at Amazon.com

  


This ruffled top adds feminine detail to everyday style.
$19.99 at JCPenney

This open-toe sandal is topped with a bow and makes any outfit fun.
$15.99 at Endless.com