Long Hair, I DO Care

I’m a relatively low maintenance girl, emphasis on the relatively. In fact, most days you will find me in some boyfriend jeans, a v-neck t-shirt, Toms, and with my hair in a ponytail. This does not mean I don’t care about how I look, because I do! Not to sound cocky or anything, but I love my hair. It can easily be made straight or wavy, and it’s the perfect shade of blonde for me. Buuut all that styling and dying can certainly take a toll on my locks, not to mention that now it’s summer … there are also threats of sun and chlorine! Ughhh. 

In order to prevent my hair from looking like a bird’s nest made of straw by the time it’s September, I rely daily on two great products. The first being Healthy Sexy Hair Soy and Cocoa Tri Wheat Leave in Conditioner.

As soon as I step out of the shower I spritz my hair with this little guy so I don’t yank my head off my shoulders when I’m combing my hair. It smells like a tropical vacation and works really well. It leaves my hair soft and hydrated.

Next I use Moroccan Oil.

After combing through my hair I pour a tiiiiny bit of the oil into my hands and run my hands through the end of my hair, to disperse the product, and style however you want. This oil makes the ends of my hair shinier, and less frizzy. It also seems like the more often I use it, the stronger my hair gets. And it gets better . . . this oil also speeds up your hair drying time! So fewer minutes spent looking like a wet dog.

These products are hair-savers after a day at the beach and have become a daily staple for me in my hair care routine!

What are your favorite products to help keep your hair healthy and hydrated? 

Wedge Wishes

I’ve been hunting for the perfect pair of wedges for a while now, but as I still haven’t quite found my go-to shoe stores here in Italy and international shipping from the U.S. is very expensive, the search has been a bit more difficult. I’m hoping to continue (and end) the search this weekend and in the meantime, I’m looking online to get an idea of what criteria I’d like my summer shoes to meet. Here are a few I’m currently lusting after:

The black patent leather of these would allow for a wide range of outfits and colors with which they could be paired. They also have just a pop of neon to make them fun and they’re close-toed, which means they’re less likely to be hidden in the back of the closet come colder weather.

I like that these are a little bit different and that they’re nude, a continuous classic. They’re open-toed and allow your feet to breathe, but also have more coverage than other pairs, which again means they could still be pulled off once fall and winter hit.

Once more, the black here offers a lot of options in terms of creativity and is complemented by the brown at the heel. These are more of a summer wedge with the straps and open toe, which is closer to what I’m personally looking for right now.  While these are a great neutral shoe, they also come in two other exciting colors: 

If I were to find a pair like this in the store, I just might be tempted to buy two pairs, the black and one of these colors. They’re so much fun and so great for summer!

If you had a choice between these pairs of wedges, which would you most likely choose?

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I absolutely love all things that are bad for me . . . chocolate, sweets, baked goods, and pretty much every carb on this planet; you name it, I love it. However, I don’t like being fat, and I hate having “thick days.” Ya know…those days where you just feel huge, puffy, and gross? Eww no thanks. So, whenever I find a recipe that’s particularly high in calories, fat, and sugar, I always try to make a healthier version. Yesss ok it doesn’t taste QUITE as delicious as the one that will add a nice tire around your waist, but it still satisfies that craving. Of course, I’ve made some mistakes when attempting to healthify goodies (blackbean brownies—ugh…some things just shouldn’t be changed) however every once in a while I come across a healthy recipe that pleases all who try it. I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe from this website, yet tweaked it a bit to make it my own.

Ingredients

[Wet]

-1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

-1/2 stick of softened butter (the ONE unhealthy thing in these cookies!!)

-3/4 cup of raw honey (or use regular honey if that’s what you have)

-2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

-2 egg whites

-2 mashed up bananas

[Dry]

-1 cup of whole wheat flour

-3/4 cup of peanut flour (if you don’t like peanut flavor, just use all whole wheat flour)

-1 cup of whole grain rolled oats (use a food processor, or a knife to chop the oats up into smaller pieces)

-1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

-1/4 tsp. cinnamon

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. sea salt

[Finishing touches]

-1 package of dark chocolate chips

-Chopped walnuts, peanuts, almonds, any nut really!

-Chopped craisins, raisins, or any dry fruit

-Rice krispies (for a crunch!)

-Toasted coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all wet ingredients in a large bowl.

Chop whole grain oats into smaller pieces.

Combine all your dry ingredients into a smaller bowl.

Then carefully stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Then add in your finishing touches! My favorite is the dark chocolate chips, but a craisin/walnut combo is delicious as well!

Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes (it depends on your oven and how well done you like your cookies).

These cookies are AMAZING fresh out of the oven. They have a very cake-y texture, and are extremely filling! This recipe makes a ton of cookies, so don’t be afraid to throw your extras into the freezer. Whenever you want one, just pop it into the micro for 20 seconds and it’s like it just came out of the oven . . . mmmmm. Enjoy!!

Do you have any healthy dessert recipes? Please share!  

All the Small Things

[Healthy and delicious chocolate chip cookies (recipe to come soon!)]

[Floral dish to hold go-to perfumes, make up & jewelry]

[Learning a new game - dominos!]

[A journal to record thoughts on anything & everything]

[Colorful bangles to brighten up a day at the office]

[New nail polishes]

Happy Memorial Day weekend!! 

Spring & Summer Shows

Usually when I catch footage of a fashion show, I often find myself thinking that the models strutting their non-existent butts down the catwalk look absolutely ridiculous. Designers often go to the extreme when trying to get their ideas across to their audience. I understand that often as these designs trickle down to us commoners, they become more wearable. But the other day, as I was browsing the show footage for Spring/Summer 2012 collections, I found myself thinking more than once “oooohhhh how should I go about saving money for that???”

Here are a few looks I’ve recently become obsessed with…

Marc Jacobs

I love – tailored jackets, neutrals, head scarves, metallics, collared shirts with sweaters, hidden gingham prints, transparent skirts.

Anna Sui

I love – retro vibes, pantsuits, mixing patterns, feminine florals, broad-brimmed hats, red lips, bright purple, rompers, chunky necklaces

Louis Vuitton

I love – ultra feminine dresses, transparency, white lace, nude faces, lush lashes, jeweled headbands, over-sized lace peter pan collars

Are you planning on trying any of these trends this summer?

Frenchie Fun

French manicures are sophisticated and fun, but it can be costly to constantly get them done at a salon. Here's a colorful twist on a classic that's normally neutral.

What you'll need:
Two nail polishes--one light and one dark
Looseleaf reinforcements
Top/base coats

The step-by-step:
1. Paint your nails as you normally would with the lighter color. It's important that the lighter color is the base as it won't show up as the tip as clearly as the darker color will.

2. Let your nails dry completely.
3. Once dry, apply the reinforcements to your nails with just the top of the nails showing.

4. Paint this tip part with the darker color with thin coats. Let them dry completely or the reinforcements will peel off the polish.

5. Take off the reinforcements and apply a top coat. Voila!

Easy peasy! The hardest part was having the patience to let them dry in between steps. And taking pictures of my own nails... way more difficult than it sounds.

Also, a while back Corey and I did a "half-moon" design on our nails using reinforcements. Same steps, just place them a little farther down on the nail before painting the second color.

Do you have any special tricks to doing a french manicure on your own? If you give this a try, we'd love to hear/see how your nails come out!

Margaritaville

Nothing goes along better with the summer heat like an ice-cold margarita. The sweet, tangy, salty flavor is so refreshing once the temperature starts rising. The margarita is also a surprisingly versatile cocktail.

This past weekend I was in New York City and happened to sample three very different versions of the tequila based beverage. The first was consumed while enjoying a show at the Eastville Comedy Club (my first comedy club experience!!!). I saw that they had a “jalapeno margarita” on the menu and could not pass it up. It was delivered on the rocks and sans salt. The flavor was absolutely perfect; sweet, without being sickeningly so – with a slight kick from the juice of the jalapeno which is one of my favorite flavors. It was a perfect cocktail and went down easily. Unfortunately, due to the bad lighting, I was unable to snap a picture of this masterpiece.

The next day my friend and I were strolling along in the East Village. The heat was starting to make us a bit loopy (anyone else know the feeling??) and we decided that some “pick-me-ups” were absolutely necessary. Once again, margaritas sounded like the perfect solution.

We stumbled across San Loco in the East Village. I ordered the standard lime margarita, frozen with salt. It came served in a mason jar – SO adorbs! I’m a sucker for anything in a jar. It was delicious, sour, sweet, with the perfect underlying notes of that liquor I love to hate – tequila. 

[Frozen Lime Margarita]

My friend ordered the cactus-pear margarita, on the rocks with salt. We had NO idea what a cactus-pear could possibly taste like but thought it sounded festive. The drink came out a bright pink color. My friend described it as tangy, tart, and refreshing! 

[Cactus-Pear Margarita]

Needless to say, both were slurped down in a matter of minutes.

What's your favorite cocktail in the summer?  

Tangerine Dream

I visited the U.S. for a few weeks in April and as soon as I scheduled the trip, I also made the decision that a new purse purchase would be in order. Why wait to buy it in the U.S. rather than in Italy?? Because TJ Maxx and Marshalls don’t exist in Italy of course! (And I'm not okay with this fact).

I had strict guidelines as to what I was searching for: a structured square/rectangular shape, two small handles and a satchel strap with chain links, great pockets and any color besides brown or black. I know it sounds like a lot to ask, but I wasn’t about to settle for anything less.

I looked for weeks until one day I walked into Marshalls and lo and behold, the perfect bag for me in four different colors! Deciding between pink, mustard yellow, tangerine and white wasn’t easy and I even made Corey model the different bags for me so I could see how they'd look. Ultimately, I chose tangerine, which coincidentally is the “it” color right now. I’m not normally one for orange and it took a little getting used to, but it wasn’t long before I became fully obsessed.

I also found a small scarf in my closet to tie to the handle and I think it breaks up the tangerine perfectly so the color doesn’t overwhelm. 

Do you usually know what you want in a purse before you go shopping? Would you ever incorporate something tangerine into your wardrobe?

All the Small Things

Oftentimes we’re surrounded by the "little things in life” that, if noticed, effortlessly provide a bit of happiness or inspiration to enhance an otherwise ordinary day. Yet we regularly miss these things; too busy rushing around, unaware of what’s around us. Thus, we’ve gathered a few things making us happy this week:

[Colorful peppers that eventually became the key ingredient in fajitas]   

[A beautiful bridge along the Bisenzio River in Prato]

[Inspirational dark chocolate that becomes oh so necessary 

at approximately 3 pm Monday through Friday]

[A vibrant new eye shadow collection]

[Cor’s favorite Picasso piece lit up by very out of season Christmas lights]  

[A "shakerati", the Italian version of an iced coffee]

What small things add something special to your daily life?

Think Pink

If you asked me when I was 5 or 6 years old, what my favorite color was…I would have replied without blinking an eye PINKANDPURPLE…because back then when play-dough and cooties ruled the playground, you absolutely could not have one without the other. 

My fashion sense has matured since then, and I hate to admit that 75% of my closet is filled with blacks, grays, and neutrals. It was one obscure Saturday a few weeks ago that I decided to relive a part of my childhood by making my first pink clothing purchase in approximately 18 years. I chose Forever 21’s Career Jacket in Fuchsia. I’m not going to lie…the tags are still on the blazer, yet every time I see it hanging in my closet, I find myself daydreaming of the various outfits it would compliment. I can picture it now…a bright pink blazer with dark denim skinnies, or even dressed down with some cut off shorts, not to mention it’d be a perfect cover-up for a summery dress. The possibilities are truly endless. Now I just need to muster up the same fashion bravery I had as a five year old and rip the tags off.

The Forever 21 version is no longer on the website, but here are a couple other options I came across that the five year old Corey would most definitely approve of… 

[H&M]

[Urban Outfitters]

[Funky Town]

Do you find it difficult to incorporate certain colors into your own wardrobe?

Hot and Cold

Summer is around the corner and we’ve definitely felt the first signs of the sunny season here. However, while some days are especially hot and beg for a tank top to be broken out, once the sun goes down, so does the temperature.  Light scarves serve as the perfect transition piece during the change of season, when you can’t be sure what the weather will do. They aren’t overbearing on warmer days, but add just enough warmth during the chillier nights. In addition to being acceptable attire for both day and night, they easily dress an outfit up or down and are great to wear in both the spring and summer. 

Here are some favorites I’ve seen recently:

[Floral scarf: Zara, Cheetah scarf: J.Crew, Striped scarf: Gap]

What pieces do you find essential for transitioning from spring to summer?

Just the Beginning

Hellooo! Welcome to our new pride and joy!! We’ve been discussing starting a blog together for more than a year now and we’ve decided it’s finally time to get this bad girl going!

The Story of Kait & Corey:

K and C first met in freshmen year of high school when K first moved to Connecticut. However, though they shared a couple classes that year, it wasn’t “best mangs* at first sight”. While K adjusted to a new school and began making friends, C resolved she didn’t like K befriending all of her friends. Oh, high school, those were the days, eh?

Anyway, somewhere along the way, K and C realized how awesomely compatible they were and became steadfast friends. When college time came ‘round, they separated to attend different colleges until K realized she couldn’t stand to be away from C for a whole four years and transferred so as to be gloriously reunited.

Since graduating and entering the real world, K and C have learned to live away from one another (K in Italy, C in Connecticut) while still keeping up to date on all aspects of each other’s lives. ((Okay, we’re obsessed with each other, but it’s healthy—we promise))

We hope this blog will serve as a creative outlet, a source of inspiration, and a chronicle on our thoughts in fashion, food, travel and just general matters of lifestyle. We’re excited to see where we’ll take this blog to and likewise, where it will lead us!

*Mang: the greatest word in existence to describe best friendship (ex. "Yo what up mang!")

[Scared-to-eat-lobster-for-the-first-time faces]