Daily Inspiration: Lilly Love!

I've always liked Lilly Pulitzer and the style of her dresses . . . I would say, however, that most of her fabric choices were usually a bit too pastel or bright for me!
.
This year - however - she has some fantastic new fabric choices. . .check them out!!.
One of my favorites for a bridal luncheon, baby shower or maybe even an afternoon wedding. . . The Betsey Dress in wave jacquard. . . isn't it lovely?

.

.

This next dress, the Goldy Dress would be lovely with a nice thick navy ribbon around the waist - cinched just perfectly! Love it!!

.

.
Lastly, check out this fabulous navy and white dress, called the Bowen Dress. . .its a bit short for me, but with flat shoes, it could be adorable!!

.

.
Check out the rest of the new Lilly Pulitzer line, you just might find a few pieces you are in love with as well!!
.

Daily Inspiration: Why, Oh Why?

Why, oh why. . .

.
Every year I fall into the trap and I watch the bachelor or bachelorette on ABC, every season!

.

.
This year was no different. . . and the long and short of it is that I'm obsessed!
.

Usually this show doesn't seem to work out, but I think its that small little twinge in my heart that always hopes it will. . .
.

Looking forward to a great season finale . . . in a few short weeks!! (Go Tenley, I don't care what anyone else says, Vienna is C.R.A.Z.Y!!!)
.
Enjoy your night. . .

Blogger Inspiration: NieNie Dialogues

I take the time each day or every two days to read a few of my favorite blogs. I've decided to start showcasing these with so many of you! It's a great way to brighten your day and also increase the bloggers readership too!

.

Now most of the blogs I follow on a daily basis are design, fashion or food oriented. I do have a couple that I read for other outside inspiration, The NieNie Dialogues is of of these.

.

.
Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson lived through an almost fatal airplane crash. She writes her blog from Utah where she has four children and a lovely husband. She is happy to be blogging and recovering on a day to day basis. Her blog is both powerful and motivating.

.
For some daily inspiration check out The NieNie Dialogues. She has started a number of other blogs, one called CuisineNie - a with a great focus on simple and elegant cooking. It chronicles the cooking that happens in her house, provides recipes from other readers and brings the reality that NieNie can't physically cook everyday, depending on how she is doing with her recovery.

.

.

NieNie started another blog called Nie & You - a look at mornings from Nie in Utah and a new friend, a graphic designer from Munich, Germany! Check them out - they certainly serve as inspiration. . . and it brings a smile to your face with simple photos, snapshots of life and reality.
.

.

I hope you enjoy these fine reads. . .Have a blessed day and enjoy. . .
.

Favorite Recipes: Greek Yogurt Chicken

.

I've been on the hunt lately for some new delicious recipes. I stumbled upon this great Greek Yogurt Chicken recipe that I just had to share!

.

Ingredients:

-4 Chicken Breasts

-1 cup of Greek Yogurt

-1 teaspoon Oregano

-1 teaspoon Basil

- 1 clove Garlic

-1/2 teaspoon Salt

-1/2 teaspoon Pepper

- Juice of one Lemon

.

Directions:

Mix Greek Yogurt, Oregano, Basil, Garlic, Salt, Pepper and Juice of Lemon. Clean Chicken Breasts and coat with 1/2 of Greek Yogurt mixture. Marinate in refrigerator for 1-4 hours. Place coated Chicken Breasts into baking dish. Bake Chicken at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Then turn on broiler and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve Chicken Breasts by placing a dollop of additional Greek Yogurt mixture on each chicken breast.

.

I served this Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and a Greek Salad. It was a quick alternative to our usual of marinated Chicken Breast, and it was delicious!

.

Enjoy. . .

Daily Inspiration: Simplicity is Key in the Workplace!

I've been on the hunt for small, simple stud-like earrings. Sure I've got my pearls and my diamonds, and I own a ton of neat chandelier earrings - but I need some more simple stud earrings that I can wear to work or on weekends for a simple alternative! I work in a fairly conservative environment, so I always watch the jewelry I choose to wear Monday - Friday!
.
So where did I turn. . . to Etsy of course! I stumbled upon a great and inspirational jewelry designer out of New York. My favorite part about Etsy art is reading the profile of the designers! Michelle Chang has such an amazing story. Michelle has worked as a fine artist, and interior designer, and an illustrator. She has a BS from Cornell and a BFA from SF Academy of the Arts. She has lived in NY, Korea, Denmark, Japan, San Francisco, and she has now most recently moved back to where she calls home, in New York. Check out her fabulous designs on Etsy, they are all handmade and each is equally as unique as the other.

.

.
Check out these adorable 'Flat Circle Studs' - they are lovely, small and great for any outfit! Here they are shown in sterling silver and cost a mere $36.00.
.

.

Can't you see why I love these. . .
.

.
This pair is called 'Tiny Branch Earrings' and they are another alternative for every day wear. They cost around $42.00 and are another great alternative.
.

.

Lovely pieces, wouldn't you agree?

.

If you are a colts fan make sure to check out her horseshoe jewelry, looks like something some of you Hoosiers would love! If not, make sure to check out her pieces, they are lovely and extremely affordable!

.
Enjoy. . .

Daily Inspiration: Missing, but in ACTION!

I'm so sorry I've been so MIA . . . Life has been hectic and crazy to say the very least! I'm eager to share some of the things I've been working on, but some are surprises and some are ideas I'll share soon!
.
Over the last few weeks I've been in South Bend, Chicago, Mexico, Oklahoma City and I'm heading to Maryland at the end of the week, and then another trip to Mexico is looming on the horizon after that blustery trip!
.
A few weeks back I had the opportunity to partake in an excellent volunteer opportunity here in Indianapolis. I volunteered to serve as a 'small group facilitator' with a fraternities national organization, in a program called 'Recruitment Bootcamp,' which was lead by Campuspeak.
.
This was an interesting opportunity as I worked with all men. I'm a good old sorority girl, so that alone posed an interesting alternative! This session was targeted at goal setting, creative networking and overall, increasing recruitment and retention. This weekend proved to be a fantastic opportunity for these young collegians.
.

Check out this crazy group shot, they told us to look crazy - clearly we weren't prepared! HA!

.

.

I not only had a lot of fun during this intense weekend but I also made friends with the photographers who were capturing the sessions! They are a local photography team, called Captured Art Photography. Their work is impressive and they were loads of fun to chat with as well! Check out their photo of the week and website for more information - they would be a fantastic choice for wedding, engagement, boudiour, modeling, senior or family portraits! They were sweet enough to take this neat headshot for me! I love it and wanted to share with you all!
.

.
Thanks for reading along . . . looking forward to reigniting my personal goals over the coming weeks! Enjoy your day. . .
.

Daily Inspiration: Inspiration is Everywhere

We just returned from a recent trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. Each year we are blessed to visit this lovely place a couple of times as part of my husbands travel for business. He works closely with a fantastic Phi Psi Alum who lives in Cabo San Lucas and an organization called the ALA - American Leadership Academy.

.
On most of our trips I end up spending the majority of my time with the ladies who are also a part of the trips and each and every year we visit a unique store, called Artesano's.

.
This year I took Ben along for the ride and we poked around this gigantic bit of inspiration for nearly an hour, stumbling upon neat items around every corner.

.
The photos speak for the vast array of material in this unique locale. . . check it out and see for yourself!

.

Artesano's is located in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It's a bit off the beaten path, but highly visible from the highway into town! Just look for the purple logo on the side of the building, you can't miss it!

.

.

I found this great metal piece of art - a cowboy and a horse - outside of Artesano's near all of the amazing pots, wooden outdoor furniture and outdoor art pieces. The cowboy a horse a whopping 1500 pesos, that's under $15o dollars. . . can't you just picture him in your backyard?

.

.

One of the reasons I love Artesano's. . . you can find anything you find in any other store in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo at Artesano's for nearly 1/2 the price! Check out these flowers! Love them!

.

.

The main reason I wanted to venture over to Artesano's on this trip was to take a look at these neat Moravian stars, they have thousands of different ones, all under $75 US dollars! Can't you just picture one, or maybe three, hanging from my porch around Christmas time? I can. I will soon too!
.

. This store helps you dream of a day when you'll own your own Mexican villa and when you can choose your tile for throughout your vacation home! An entire wall of Mexican tiles - I. die. Each tile at less than 3 cents a piece. Incredible.

.

.
Check out this amazing assortment of large glass decorative balls. I just love the way they are strewn about. . .what an amazing shot . . . if only I were a real photographer!

.

.
More of the incredible lanterns. . . these were only 250 pesos, yes kiddos, that's less than $20 a piece! Can you even breathe? I couldn't.

.

.
Check out this wall of sinks - they had hundreds of various designed sinks. I love and want them all for my dream home on the Mexican shoreline. I can dream, right?
.
.
Check out this huge assortment of all of the Mexican dishes you could ever want! They are lovely, if only I wasn't already at my 50 pound limit in my luggage. . . Next time, right?
.

.

Can you see why I'm obsessed with this store. . . this was only a sampling. Artesano's is four floors, with a huge assortment on each level as well as on all four sides of the outdoor portion as well. Make sure to stop by if you take a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - it is a truly a must do.

.

Enjoy your week. . .I'm recouping from our recent trip and spending my week training in South Bend, Indiana. . . a close relation to Mexico, for sure!