Friday, December 19, 2014

DIY: Recycling Your Christmas Cards



Have you ever wondered if there was a way to use your last year Christmas cards??  Well last year I saved all my Christmas cards and cut out all the fun pictures and messages to do my own DIY cards this year- ALL with materials that I had on hand!

Materials:

Blank Notecards and Envelopes
Washi Tape
Old Christmas Card Pictures/Messages

Simply use the washi tape and tape the messages to the blank notecards.  You can then write messages on the other side of the cards.  Easy as pie!  Well I take that back- making pie isn't that easy- so it's WAY easier than pie :)

And cute too!

What do you do with all your old Christmas cards??


Luves,
Laura

Monday, December 15, 2014

Phone Photo Fashion Upload

I've been sooo busy this holiday season- photo shoots, kids, family gatherings, work parties, etc.  I  haven't had time to get some GOOD outfit photos in for awhile.  Here are some fun things I've been rocking the past few weeks (sorry for the phone pictures):

Top Left: Gap Sweater- Thrifted, Target Plaid Sneaker Flats and skinny jeans
Top Right: Same Gap Sweater, Houndstooth Coat- Thrifted- Stacked Rings both from Overstock
Bottom Left: Red Dress from Gojane.com worn over Talbots Houndstooth Pencil Skirt- Thrifted- GX by Gwen Stefani Heels
Bottom Right: GX by Gwen Stefani Heels- from Shoedazzle.com

Top Left: Coat- Thrifted, Plaid Sneaker Flats- Target.com
Top Right: Stacked Bracelets- Fruit Bracelet from Jewelmint, Watch is Fossil Relic from eBay
Bottom Left/Right:  Top- Express Thrifted, Alloy Skinney Jeans, DV by Dolce Vita Ankle Boots in Olive Green

Outfit: Purple Skinnies are Ann Taylor Loft- Thrifted, Aztec Sweater from eBay, Black lace up ankle booties from eBay

Old Navy Plaid Button Down shirt, Kendra Scott Skylar Earrings

Left: Vigoss Jeans from Alloy, Adidas Samoa in Grey with Neon, Grey sweater Forever21, Neon Striped top Old Navy
Right: Vigoss Skinny Jeans from Alloy, Leopard Booties from Victoria's Secret, Striped Sweater Forever21

GAP Parka

Old Navy High Low Sweater

Black Calvin Klein Skinnies- Thrifted, Polka Dot Top Thrifted, Grey One-Button Sweater Coat from Victoria's Secret bought on eBay, Mossimo Grey Patent Pumps- Thrifted


Breckelles Boots from Amazon, Red Skinnies Thrifted, Striped top from Delias, Aztec Sweater from Forever21


Coming soon: Smoked Turkey Chili Recipe- and MY take on what to do with all those Christmas cards you get each year :)

Luves,
Laura

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Green Herb Salad with Hummus



Whoever said clean eating doesn't have to taste delicious was all wrong!  Today I whipped up this salad with a few things that I had on hand from last weeks dinner recipes- and it was GOOD.  Brody actually wouldn't eat what I gave him for lunch because he wanted salad... and that boy rarely eats green stuff unless I hide it in smoothies or come up with other ways to disguise it.

I like to eat hummus with my salads instead of using salad dressing.  It's a healthy delicious alternative and provides protein which keeps you feeling fuller longer.

Green Herb Salad with Hummus
Feeds 1- as shown in photo above

Ingredients:

1 large handful of spinach- chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill- minced
1/4 of a large cucumber- cut however you like
1/3 cup fresh parsley- chopped
1/2 avocado sliced
2-3 Tbsp prepared hummus

Make It:

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well so the dill and parsley stick to the cucumber pieces.  Pour into your salad bowl, garnish with avocado on top.  Serve it with hummus on the side.  Enjoy!

I like to dip my fork into the hummus so each bite gets a little bit of that flavor- and it lasts longer too so you don't eat as much.

Hope ya'll had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  
Luves,
Laura

Monday, November 24, 2014

Tuscan White Bean Soup


Last week I whipped up a huge batch of this delicious soup and we LOVED it!  This recipe was from the April/May 2014 Issue of Clean Eating magazine but I made a few changes to the original recipe.  We will definitely be making this again.

Tuscan White Bean Soup
Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine
Serves 2 (Which is why I actually quadrupled the recipe to serve 8)

Ingredients:

Drizzle of Olive Oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into rounds
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 15 oz can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
3 oz all-natural Turkey Sausage - I got small breakfast turkey sausages and used the whole 12 oz package in my huge batch
1 1/2 cups packed baby spinach, chopped a bit

Instructions:

In a dutch oven heat drizzle of olive oil on medium.  Add carrot, celery, onion, and saute, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.  Add garlic, rosemary, fennel, red pepper flakes, and saute for 1-2 more minutes.  Add broth and 1 cup of water.  Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Stir in beans, cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer until veggies are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile drizzle medium skillet with a little olive oil and heat on medium-high.  Remove sausages from casings and add them to skillet.  Crumble with a wooden spoon as the cook.  Cook until lightly browned- 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside. I like to put my sausage on some paper towels to absorb as much oil as possible before adding to the soup.

Remove soup from heat and transfer 1 cup to a blender.  Remove plastic stopper from blender lid and hold a kitchen towel over the lid to allow the steam to escape.  Blend until smooth, then return to dutch oven.  Heat the soup again on low and add the spinach. Simmer until the leaves are wilted.  Stir in sausage and remove from heat.

Enjoy!
Luves,
Laura

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Mom On the Go Fall Edition

Now that the temperatures are getting colder as Fall turns into Winter- Layers are a necessity!

This outfit is warm, cute, and comfortable.  It's so easy to pull this together quickly too!

I'm wearing a black and white checked button-down shirt from Old Navy, a tank top over that to hold it in place under my thrifted Old Navy striped tunic Sweater.  Old Navy has great button downs all the time and you can find similar tunic sweaters here. Don't be afraid to mix prints!  Usually it's best to mix a small print with a larger scale print like I did here.

I wore these tops with some thrifted bright blue skinny pants that are Mossimo Brand.  
I pulled the look together with my brown Breckelles boots here, a statement necklace from eBay, Fossil watch, Jewelmint bracelet, and plain gold ball studs.

Totally also did my hair in under 10 minutes using a new fast method.  I loved the messy curls I ended up with.






Getting excited for the upcoming holidays!
Luves,
Laura

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Motivation



I've been struggling lately to take on so many responsiblities- there are so many things to be done- and it never stops.  This thought popped into my head today and I thought it might encourage you- so I whipped up this little photo/quote above.

What a cool thing to know we aren't in this life alone!

Luves,
Laura

Good Morning Green Smoothie




Green smoothies are probably one of the best things you can drink for breakfast in the morning.  They are packed with all sorts of vitamins and nutrition.  And if you struggle to eat lots of veggies throughout your day they are perfect for making sure you get that little extra.  Today's smoothie is a great one for everyday!

Good Morning Green Smoothie
From: Laura's Luves
Yield: Apx. 28-32 ounces

Ingredients:

1/2 Large Cucumber
3 Small to medium size carrots
1/2 Lime
1 cup water
2 stalks celery
2 handfuls spinach
1 small apple- cored
1 Banana
5-6 stalks of fresh parsley
1 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

Using your juicer- juice the following ingredients in this order: Cucumber, carrots, then lime.

Take the juice from the juicer and pour it into your blender.  Add 1 cup of water to your blender with the juice. Add the spinach and blend,  then add the celery and blend, then add the parsley and blend, then add the apple and blend , then add the banana and blend until smooth.

Pour smoothie into a large glass and stir in the chia seeds.  Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir and enjoy!

It's very important to not juice every single ingredient.  The veggie/fruit pulp has a lot good stuff in so that's why I do both the juicer and the blender.

I'm going to go enjoy my smoothie now :)
Luves,
Laura

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Immune Boosting Green Smoothie




The littles and I just got over a 24 hour stomach bug... Yuck!  I woke up today feeling a lot more like myself and little B told me his belly was feeling good!  W is also acting like his normal self.  I wanted to make sure we all replenished our bodies with lots of vitamins and nutrients this morning so I decided to whip up a green smoothie that is packed with good stuff!  Little B drank his right up and I'm feeling energized since drinking mine.

Immune Boosting Green Smoothie
From: Laura's Luves
Yield: Apx. 28 ounces

Ingredients:

1/2 Large Cucumber
3 Small to medium size carrots
1/2 Lime
2 inch piece of ginger
2 stalks celery
2 handfuls spinach
2 small apples- cored
5-6 stalks of fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

Using your juicer- juice the following ingredients in this order: Cucumber, carrots, celery, ginger, lime.

Take the juice from the juicer and pour it into your blender.  Add the spinach and blend.  Then add the parsley and blend, then add the apples and blend until smooth.

Pour smoothie into a large glass and stir in the chia seeds.  Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir and enjoy!

It's very important to not juice every single ingredient.  The veggie/fruit pulp has a lot good stuff in so that's why I did both the juicer and the blender.

Drink up!
Luves,
Laura

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Mommy on the Go

So because I am a mom of 2 kids under the age of 4 I thought if would be fun to do a regular post on my "Mommy On The Go" outfits.  The first outfit I posted as my go-to mom style was posted a few weeks ago.

Here is another one of my go-to styles.  Basically I wear skinny jeans rolled up with a loose shirt, ankle booties since it's the fall, and lots of fun jewelry/accessories.  I've been teaching the hubby to take my pictures/pose me so don't be too hard on the photos :)









The top was one of my recent thrifted finds and is from Express- similar adorable top from Forever 21 here for only $13.80- I would just buy one size up to achieve the over-sized look.  
Jeans are from Alloy- these were flare jeans that I made into skinny jeans and I wear them all the time now! I really like these destructed skinny jeans from Alloy and they aren't too expensive.
Ankle booties are Dolce Vita Paden Boot from Amazon.  These were a splurge for me but I wear them all the time and they are super comfortable for everyday wear.  Mine are in Olive Suede.
I grabbed the large crystal necklace on eBay for $1.99 awhile back and the long apple pendant is the "Apple a Day" Pendant from Jewelmint.  The tortoiseshell watch is Fossil Relic but I got it on eBay for $15.00, green wrap bracelet was bought at a beach shop, and the tropical fruit bracelet is from Jewelmint.

I also paired my outfit with one of my favorite new coats from Forever 21-
Its warm and has a hood which is amazing.  It also won't break the bank at only $49.80- I waited until they had a sale and snagged mine for less than $30.00.  They are sold out in the light tan but the black one is also super cute!






I've got two photo shoots this weekend and lots of family time planned.
Have an amazing weekend!

Loves,
Laura

Friday, November 7, 2014

How to Thrift Better



I get asked all the time how do I find such great stuff at thrift shops? Or on eBay?  So I thought I would share the thrifting tips that I swear by.  And believe me when I say I've been extremely successful.  The photo above is 3 tops I thrifted last weekend by sticking to these rules below.

1- Have a plan. 

This is by far the most important thing about thrifting.  If I go to a store with no plan I usually don't find anything.  I now have a list of my wardrobe wants/wishes and when I go thrifting I try to stick to my list.  So for instance if I really wanted a great blazer- why waste my time looking everywhere when I can just go in, look at just the blazers and see if I find anything.  My list is usually pretty long on my clothes wish list so I will look in several spots in the store to see if I can find anything that meets my desires.

2- Don't Waste Time

Having two little boys it's hard to be in the thrift store for a long time without one of them getting a little restless so by having a plan it helps for me to stick with it and move quickly so I don't take too long in the store.  Don't waste your time looking at other racks just "because".  Be efficient by sticking to your plan.

3- Know what you like

I know for me I have certain colors/prints that stand out to me so I can easily glance down racks and see if anything "pops" out at me.  I love neon, leopard, floral, stripes, plaid, neutral colors, and aztec print to name a few so when I shop I quickly look to see if any of those jumps out at me.  If it does I pull it out and see if its my size, style I want, etc.

Sticking with my prints- stripes, polka dot, color blocked


4- Don't be afraid to go home empty handed

Sometimes I go to the thrift shop with these grand ideas that I'm going to find everything I need/want in that one trip.  And then I leave disappointed.  It's always better to be prepared to not find anything that way when you do find something is extra exciting!

5- Try stuff on

Don't be afraid to try things on.  I've found especially in thrifted clothes that have been washed, etc. that my size isn't always "my" size.  I've been surprised many times to find an XL sweater fits with the oversized look that I am going for.  So even though it takes a bit more time- always try things on.

Those are my top thrifting tips.  I hope these will help you to be successful with your own thrift shopping.

What are your favorite ways to thrift shop??

Loves,
Laura

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Leopard Ankle Boots

So you already know that in my boot Leopard print is a neutral.  I pair it with just about anything and everything.  One of the most important leopard accessories is a good pair of leopard heels and/or booties.  I personally would like to own both and finally ordered a pair that I got for a killer steal.  I just got the shipping confirmation today!  Woohoo!!

I cannot wait to share them with you guys!

Here are the looks I was inspired by:

Original sources here and here

Original Sources- Left source not available- Right here
I am looking forward to styling mine- let's just hope they fit!

On another note I whipped up a delicious Quinoa Salad tonight for dinner.  Clean eating never tasted so good.

Loves,
Laura

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Glasses, Hot Tea, and my Fur Baby

I LOVE my funky frames- Cute and functional.  Since without them some days my vision is just not the best.  Editing photos from a recent photo shoot with a mug of hot mint tea, and my fur baby Sierra keeping my lap warm.  It doesn't get much better than this :)




Happy Tuesday!

Loves,
Laura

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Fall Wedding Style

Hubs and I got to attend a wedding this past weekend- where I wasn't the photographer!... so nice to finally relax and enjoy the union of 2 friends.

The weather was gorgeous but a bit breezy so I threw together this fun outfit that was warm, cute, and comfortable.

Orange shift dress was a $5.00 thrifted find at our local Goodwill a few years back, grey long sleeve thumb hole top from Forever 21 that is no longer available, stacked bracelets from Target, various rings Vintage finds, Necklace is J. Crew found on eBay, Earrings are Lydell NYC snagged at TJMaxx another cute pair that would also look cute with this look here, and the Strappy Heels are Izabella Rue from Shoe Dazzle and were only $15.00 on clearance! They still have these heels available and they also come in a grey with blue strap color- also super cute!  And I wore these heels from 12 noon to 9 p.m. and my feet didn't hurt- Totally serious! 














This outfit is super easy to put together with items that you already have in your closet- think shift dress in any color, and then add an oversized long sleeve top over it, and then choose your accessories to match.

What would you wear to a fall wedding?

Loves,
Laura

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Rainy Day Style

We had a rainy week about 2 weeks ago... and I'm totally only getting around to posting this now!  Life has been crazy, but when is life not crazy??


When it's rainy and not the best weather outside I like to be comfortable and stay warm and dry when I'm running errands with the kids... that is if I even go outside the house when its yucky outside.  It's a rare occasion.



For this look I paired a pair of Calvin Klein black skinnies that I thrifted for $5.00 at our local Goodwill- one of my favorite recent finds... with a black tank, gray long sleeve thumb-hole top from Forever 21- no longer available, Blue Raincoat from Target- old, Blue Plaid Scarf from eBay, my Kendra Scott Danielle earrings, Kamik Rainboots, and a messy bun.










These rainboots are cute and affordable- mine are in Charcoal and I got a size 9 which is perfect!

I've literally waded in a few feet of water in these boots and have stayed completely dry.  They also come in lots of other cute colors.


What do you wear when it's rainy outside?  Do you have a cute pair of rainboots?



Loves,

Laura