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Weekend Picturebook: Las Vegas

FRIDAY

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{view from balcony, The Cosmopolitan}

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{drinks at The Chandelier, The Cosmopolitan}

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BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY! 

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{morning view + coffee}

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{while husband lazes}

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{ lunch: arugula + parmigiano reggiano salad, sausage + peppers pizza, Otto Enoteco – Mario Batali}

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{won my first $100}

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{dinner at Mix, Mandalay Bay}

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{best view ever, Mix}

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{“O” Cirque Du Soleil, Bellagio}

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SUNDAY

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{walking the strip, Monte Carlo}

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{rode the New York New York roller coaster}

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{awesome gastropub, Public House}

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{relax}

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{ready for dinner + drinks}

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MONDAY

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{brunch, The Wicked Spoon}

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{The Conservatory, Bellagio}

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{chocolate shots}

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{world’s largest H&M, Shops at Caesar Forum}

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{until next time … }

xo xo

You might also enjoy: Weekend Picturebook: New York City, Weekend Picturebook: Tulsa & Oklahoma City

Posted by  |  January 29, 2013 | Categories: Travel | Tags: , , , , | 9 Comments

Las Vegas or Bust

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Happy weekend, friends. In a few hours we’ll be off to Sin City to celebrate the big 2-4! Keep your fingers crossed we come back a million bucks richer. See ya on the flip side …

xo xo

Posted by  |  January 25, 2013 | Categories: Travel | 2 Comments

mid-week inspiration.

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What’s inspiring you this week?

xo xo

You might also enjoy: Inspire me. , Fail Better, {words to live by}

Posted by  |  January 23, 2013 | Categories: Inspiration | 2 Comments

happy 84th birthday to my {late} grandmother.

IMG_1215I don’t remember Mary Ann too well, or Marnan as I called her, as I was young when she passed. But she lives on through stories and hopefully will continue to live on through me and my mom. I like to think she and I were similar in several ways. For one, we’re both an Aquarius and say what you will about zodiac signs, but I think it connects us. Yesterday I read three strengths of Aquarius that I think fit us both:

helpful, inventive and witty.

She got her degree in social work from the University of Arkansas and was always looking to help others.

She was a fabulous interior decorator and could host one hell of a party.

She could be stubborn and opinionated (as can I).

She allowed dessert first because why not?

She loved to shop, Neiman’s being her favorite store, of which I apparently had many dresses from as a little girl.

She loved the outdoors and fresh flowers and farmer’s markets.

Just recently my mom found a journal Marnan kept while I was still in the womb. She had drawn a picture of my mom and her belly with me inside writing she just couldn’t wait to meet me. She also wrote she was going to call me Mille no matter what my parents finally decided on (stubborn or what?). I will forever cherish that piece of Marnan’s heart.

In loving memory of Mary Ann McLaughlin

xo xo

Posted by  |  January 22, 2013 | Categories: Family & Friends | 4 Comments

The Three Week Cooking Challenge // Week 2

So I think I’m getting into a cooking rhythm, which is exactly what I wanted to come out of this. Yes, I wanted to save money, but I also wanted to remind myself that cooking isn’t that hard if you plan and it can be fun sometimes. It’s still not my favorite activity, but it’s gotten more bearable. We made some great recipes this week:

Tuesday – Grilled Cheese + Tomato Soup

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Wednesday – Navy Bean & Ham Soup + Cornbread

Thursday – Pasta w/Steak & Roasted Red Peppers + Veggies

Friday – Southwestern Stuffed Peppers {recipe below}

Saturday -We broke our streak, but for a very worthy cause! Husband was participating in a 24 hour hackathon and won 2nd place, so we had to celebrate!!

Sunday – Chicken + Veggies + Sister Schubert’s Rolls

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Southwestern Stuffed Peppers via

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  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
  • 1 heaping tbsp of taco seasoning
  • 2 cups of cooked rice (I used spanish rice, but would typically probably use brown)
  • 3-4 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
  • 1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 (15 -16 ounce) jar of salsa
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Toppings:
  • fresh cilantro
  • sliced avocado

1. Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil and roast in a baking dish about 20-25 minutes just until cooked thru. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow to cool until you can handle them.

2. While the peppers are cooking, cook the ground turkey meat.

3. In a bowl add the taco seasoning, cooked ground turkey, black beans and rice. Add in the jar of salsa and mix well.

4. Carefully spoon the turkey mixture into each half of the bell peppers and place back into the baking dish. Cook the peppers for another 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked all the way thru. Before removing from the oven sprinkle the tops of each pepper with shredded cheddar cheese. Place back into the oven just until the cheese has melted.

5. Remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro and/or avocado slices just before serving.

(My preference: Serve with ice cold Corona)

These turned out amazing! I would definitely make them again. I also had a lot of leftover turkey mixture because I made the entire package of meat (about 1.5 lbs) and mixed it with all of the rice and beans. The next day I used it to make some delicious tacos.

You might also enjoy: The Three Week Cooking Challenge, Update: Week One of The Three Week Cooking Challenge

xo xo

Posted by  |  January 21, 2013 | Categories: Recipes | 5 Comments

Las Vegas Throwback

I’m heading to Vegas in T-minus 4 days. Here’s a look back at some of my other trips to LV …

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{2010: 21st birthday with my bestie}

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{2010: Tao}

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{2010: my paparazzi shot of Paris Hilton}

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{2010: Society of Professional Journalists conference}

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{2012: one of my favorite photos (and best shows) despite the copyright marks}

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{2012: father & son}

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{2012: Tao}

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{2012: chillin’ at the Wynn poolside}

xo xo

You might also enjoy: NYC Throwback 2007

Posted by  |  January 20, 2013 | Categories: Travel | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

life lately

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{reading this// almost done and so so good, but creepy!}

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{playing this // lunchtime hide & seek}

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{wearing this// working from home dress code}

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{and while husband is away … // Rockfish Hackathon – read more here}

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{wife will play// girls night in prep}

xo xo

P.S. 7 days until my birthday! and Vegas! my birthday in Vegas!

You might also enjoy: Life Lately {holiday edition}, Life Lately {12.21}, Life Lately {9.15}

Posted by  |  January 19, 2013 | Categories: Life | 1 Comment

The Three Week Cooking Challenge // Week 1

Recap: Husband and I are in the midst of The Three Week Cooking Challenge as we’re trying to save money for Vegas. Honestly, it hasn’t been as hard as I was expecting … until the weekend. Is it just me, or don’t you just always want to go out to eat on Friday night? But we didn’t. We did however confess to each other on Sunday how badly we both wanted to eat out, something we’d kept mum on all week. But again, we didn’t act.

Our week in dinners:

Monday – takeout leftovers from Sunday

Tuesday – salmon + rice + veggies

Wednesday – leftovers

Thursday – steak + pasta + veggies

Friday – To Die for Pot Roast, recipe below + veggies + rolls

Saturday – appetizer + drinks out (that doesn’t reaaaally count, right? if it helps, it inadvertently became dinner)

Sunday – pizza

Over the next two weeks I’m looking forward to making this (thank you, Megan!) and this (thank you, Erin!) and this (thank you, Mom!) and finding some more deliciousness from my wealth of cookbooks.

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To Die For Pot Roast

1 beef roast

1 pack brown gravy mix

1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch dressing

1 pack Italian seasonings

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1. Place roast in crockpot.

2. Mix all three seasoning packs together then sprinkle on roast.

3. Pour half cup water around bottom of roast.

4. Cook on low 6-7 hours.

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{not the best picture, but if only you could smell through the computer!!!}

We’ve also enjoyed the leftovers as pot roast sandwiches and tonight will be pot roast + rice + veggie bowl.

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Enjoy!

xo xo

Posted by  |  January 14, 2013 | Categories: Recipes | 4 Comments

32 Things You Should Stop Caring About // Thought Catalog

I’ve mentioned once before in my blog how much I love Thought Catalog. It’s a blog of collective thoughts about relatable, relevant non-fiction. Almost every time I read one they are spot on. and hilarious. I read this one this morning and had to share because it is so.damn.true. I always need these reminders, and hopefully you can gain something out of it too.

[Favorites bolded]

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1. Your ex. (Yes, really, once more with feeling.) Your ex.

2. Whether someone thinks that the literature, music, art, film, or any other kind of entertainment you enjoy isn’t cool.

3. When someone looks at the food you’re eating and comments on how it isn’t good for you. (THAT IS WHY I ORDERED CHILI FRIES BITCH PASS ME THE RANCH DRESSING)

4. What the people you don’t like post on their Facebook status (why are you even still friends with them?).

5. Getting/maintaining a tan.

6. Which celebrity’s breasts are exposed this week.

7. Which celebrity is cheating on which other celebrity.

8. The opinions of people who a) will never like you and b) have absolutely no bearing on your life.

9. Whether or not you look as good as some random, well-dressed stranger on the subway.

10. Who is making more money than you, or how much exactly you think that they are making.

11. The fact that you are perceived as not as sexually appealing as a picture of a celebrity or model that has been put through so many rounds of makeup and Photoshop as to be rendered little more than a cartoon.

12. Reality television stars, how much sex they are having (and with whom), and whether or not they decide to start a family.

13. Whether people you know are getting married, having children, or making big life changes when it either hasn’t happened to you yet or you don’t want it to happen at all.

14. The social lives of people who don’t invite you out places.

15. What negative thing a critic has to say about a film you really enjoyed.

16. The fact that friends are going to make harmless decisions that we wouldn’t necessarily make for ourselves. (They are there for your love and companionship, not to have another parent.)

17. What people are going to think about the clothes that we really enjoy wearing.

18. What someone might be saying behind your back (the answer is almost invariably that they aren’t even thinking about you).

19. The path that everyone else thinks that it would be “appropriate” or “practical” for you to take, especially if that path doesn’t make you happy.

20. Whether or not your hobbies, interests, or personality make you “masculine” or “feminine” enough.

21. How many followers you have on Twitter.

22. Being the only one without a significant other at a given event.

23. Having the same IKEA furniture as all your other 20-something friends who have IKEA furniture. We’re all in the IKEA furniture phase, okay? It doesn’t make us bad people.

24. Changing your personality when you hang out with someone who you can feel doesn’t like you.

25. Eating salads on dates. (Can I get this burger literally wrapped in bacon, please?)

26. Not being as well dressed as all of the beautiful models doing impossibly twee activities that people keep reblogging on Tumblr.

27. Not being found attractive by someone who is not even remotely worth your time.

28. Whether or not you cry during movies that are somewhat embarrassing to cry during, such as The Notebook. (Oh my god, but seriously, when they have to subdue her and Noah is crying and, oh my god, the feelings.)

29. Watching your former bullies become train wrecks via Facebook (though I will admit that that shit is pretty satisfying.)

30. Hitting your life milestones at the “right” moments.

31. Proving to people who aren’t willing to listen that you are an okay person who is happy and whole.

32. Trying to convince your friends/acquaintances to start watching Breaking Bad**. If they’re not going to do it, it’s their loss, dude.

** or in my case – Revenge, Scandal, The Walking Dead, etc. etc.

A few other Thought Catalog favorites: How to be a 20-Something, I Went To An Adult Christmas Party, 42 Life Lessons from Mean Girls, I Want To Be A White Girl Rapper

xo xo

Posted by  |  January 13, 2013 | Categories: Life | 3 Comments

Pop Candy {Destiny’s Child Reunion, Blue Ivy’s First Birthday, Kimye Baby Bump}

I wrote my first Pop Candy post this summer {Pre-Weekend Pop Candy} sharing the latest pop culture and entertainment news I’ve been enjoying lately. So I thought it was time to re-visit. What IS going on in the world of celebs these days??

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Destiny’s Child to release new song Nuclear + new album with past recordings, oh my GOSH how exciting. This song better live up to some oldies like Survivor and Bootylicious. But wait, there’s more – HOT off the press: Destiny’s Child will reunite at Super Bowl halftime. This is almost as exciting as the Spice Girls reunion at the Olympics. {Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams}

Beyonce And Jay-Z Vacation In The Mediterranean Sea

 

Speaking of Beyonce, her little one turned 1 year old a few days ago! How cute is this pic with daddy and Blue Ivy?! Fun fact: Jay-Z rents a luxurious basement suite at the Barclays Center for $1 million/year so they can watch the Brooklyn Nets without worrying about little Blue. {Jay-Z, Blue Ivy Carter}

IFP's 22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards - Red Carpet

 

Oscar nominations were announced yesterday, and I’m THRILLED to report Quvenzhane Wallis as the youngest Oscar nominee ever! The 9-year-old was nominated for Best Actress in Beasts of a Southern Wild, as I predicted in my post {Top 10 Movies of 2012} a few weeks ago … {Quvenzhane Wallis}

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Speaking of youngins, thank GOODNESS T-Swift is over this 18-year-old punk. Supposedly she’s already in the recording studio writing about it. Funny tweet I saw for a song name: “You’re Just Not My Style.” {Taylor Swift, Harry Styles}

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Okay, okay, I know this is fairly old news, but honestly I’m still fascinated/intrigued by it for whatever reason. And these photos were just released of the pair in Paris where you can actually see Kim’s baby bump for the first time. {Kim Kardashian, Kanye West}

xo xo

 

Posted by  |  January 11, 2013 | Categories: Pop Culture | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment