Guacamole Bruschetta

We're having a small office party on friday and I volunteered to make some delicious guacamole. {See below for my go-to recipe.} I plan on making enough so that I can also make guacamole bruschetta. Such a great idea! I'll find any excuse to include guacamole in a dish. Side note—these little bruschettas would make for perfect apps for a football party. Enjoy!

Recipe:
1 loaf French bread
3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400º.
Slice the French bread on the diagonal into ½- inch rounds and place on a baking sheet.
Toast the sliced bread in the oven for 3 minutes, then flip each piece over and toast an additional 3 minutes.
Remove the toasted bread from the oven and immediately rub with the clove of garlic (it works best to first cut a small tip off the garlic clove so that the oils will seep out).
Brush the tops of the garlic-rubbed toasts with olive oil and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix together gently making sure the avocado is well coated in the lime juice.
Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the mixture onto the garlic toasts and serve.

Image and cooking instructions via Just a Taste

Shades of Grey and Purple

As you can see here this color combo is one of my favorites. I love pale grey and purple hues when tied together. Choosing a bright color and pairing it with something more subtle makes for an easy way to wear colors that you wouldn't normally dare. Another favorite of mine is choosing one piece whether it be shoes, an accessory, or a cute top to brighten up your outfit. Below, find some of my top picks.

Pictured above:

Snake print dress $58

Candle holders $14.99

Studded cuff heels $39

Studded leather bag $79

Starry night pillow cover $34

Ruffle dress $58

Bracelet $65

Lace up oxfords $185

San Gennaro

As I mentioned in previous posts I attended the Feast of San Gennaro this past weekend. The food was sublime and I had my first taste of fried oreos—yes, you read it right—fried oreos! They were, of course, absolutely amazing and I'm now tempted more than ever to go out and purchase a deep fryer. While there were too many other foods to mention I had to get my share of Italian cuisine and opted for the fettucini alfredo and calamari. Delish! See below for some additional sights. 

{Fried Oreos!}

Fashion Monday

This weekend I attended the Festival of San Gennaro {post to come} and spent the afternoon and evening enjoying delicious food from all of the different street vendors and taking in the sights. We walked from Houston all the way down to Canal Street and back. The walk back was particularly important so that we could digest all of the fried oreos! I chose a breezy top and cut offs due to the unseasonable warm weekend, and some cute pumps that, despite a slight heel, are actually very comfy. 

Fall Details

When it comes to fashion, its all in the details, and these two looks below are ones that I will be relying on as temperatures slowly cool.

Pairing socks with cute pumps or sandals at first seemed very fifth grade to me, but if you can pull it off like Zoe Deschanel then the more power to you!

Leggings paired with short cut offs are brilliant. My biggest struggle is finding ways to stretch out my summer wardrobe and this is the perfect solution. Paired with some adorable oxfords and you can't go wrong!

Pumps and Wedges

I purchased these Velvet Angels pumps and Rough Justice wedges for my birthday a little while back and am finally getting good use out of them. I recently wore the wedges dancing the night away and loved towering above my normal 5'4 frame and—yes the view is different from up there. While I had a couple of numb toes the next morning, the pain was totally worth it and my feet looked fabulous. I wore the pumps for fashion's night out and fit right in with the entourage of fashionistas. Shoes really do make a girl happy!

Champagne and Sparkles

With fall comes fall colors and as far as I'm concerned, champagne is a perfect color to transition into fall while still keeping things light. Add a little sparkle and you're ready to go from the office to cocktail hour. My picks below!

Flowered Dress $385

Cashmere Sweater $129

Sparkle Purse $395

Crystal Bracelet $50

Shimmer Compact $38

Sparkle Flats $250

Transitioning into Fall

The weather here has been slowly cooling down, however it is absolutely beautiful. It is just getting to the point where mornings feel slightly crisp and I'm tempted to start layering. Despite the temperature change I'm still holding onto summer with subtle details such as fun colored nail polish. The colors below are my current go-to's for showing off cute toes while the weather is still warm enough to wear sandals or wedges. And, a slightly more neutral color is office friendly and perfect for fall!

{Essie: Merino Cool, Turquois & Caicos, and Fiesta}

Blueberry Crumb Bars

While I myself haven't quite been able to whip up any concoctions in the kitchen, my roommate made these fabulous blueberry crumb bars. They were quick and easy to make and are absolutely delicious! Find the recipe here. Or see below. Yum!

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon, if desired. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Get Up And Dance

It's Friday! That means it is time for a weekly wrap up and Friday's finds. I'm so excited for the weekend. I'll be seeing one of my bff's whom I have been missing for a while. She is finally coming into the city to celebrate my other bff's 30th birthday. {Happy Birthday Kristen!} We'll all be celebrating by dancing the night away. So, on that note, I hope everyone has a dance-iful weekend! See below for some great snippets from around the web.

{Little kids dancing is the absolute best!}

Speaking of short hair, yes please!

Take me to Paris

I'll absolutely be purchasing these shorts

Creative cupcake garland

Anchors away!

My obsession with stripes continues with this sweater

I want my office to look like this

Alexa Chung for Madewell

This needs to be a part of my fall wardrobe

A giveaway via Paper Garland not to be missed

Great NYC moment via The Sartorialist

The Short of It

Lately I've  been seriously contemplating cutting my hair into a shorter pixie-ish style, and seeing photos like the one below make me want to book an appointment right now! However, I'm not sure I can go without being able to throw my hair up into a messy pony tail or, perhaps, an adorable little bow? I'm torn! Thoughts? I simply can't decide!

Images via Pinterest

F21 Blog Love

Some of my favorite bloggers are currently being featured with their fashion finds at Forever 21 and I'm loving all of their choices! Be sure to check out their finds here as well as their blogs. {Cupcakes and Cashmere, The Glamourai, and Fashion Toast.}

Fashion's Night Out

With a fun kick-off to Fashion Week, I spent Friday evening parading up and down fifth avenue in and out of more stores than I can count for Fashion's Night Out. From Chanel to Bergdorfs the clothes were amazing and the champagne was flowing. With lots of free goodies and loads of fashion eye candy the night was a blast. Some quick shots from the night below. Also, be sure to check out the Lovely Blog for some of my top pics to walk the runways in the first few days of fashion week!

{Chanel sunnies}

{Some yummy Miu Miu}

{Coach goodies}

{Boys dancing at Louis}

{Quite the scene at LV all the way up the stairs}

{Dior's giant bag}

{The mob scene outside of Bergdorfs}

{Metric playing at Juicy!!!}

{A photo-session with my friend Kristen at Tiffany's}

Time To Relax

It has been a busy week and I am so looking forward to recuperating over the weekend. This picture captures a perfect weekend moment for me! I'm absolutely looking forward to a good cup of tea and diving into the latest fall fashions that have hit news stands. Ahhhh, happy weekend! Enjoy these snippets from around the web!

Loving this straw fedora for fall

Cupcake tiers are so cute!

Are you a Kate Spade girl?

From puppies to kittens, prints you'll want to get your paws on

A really cute prank

This little monster makes me smile

For those who love typography

A collection of really great business cards

Quote Of The Day

My quote of the day is inspired by this wonderful poster found at The Love Shop via Etsy. While things feel a little overwhelming at the moment, I'm slowly learning the ropes and feeling more excited each day about my new job. I'm taking it one day at a time and I'll be printing this out and pinning it up in my office for a little dose of inspiration!

Trend Alert: Oxfords

One of the biggest fall fashion trends is oxfords and the styles are simply adorable. Whether they be flats, heels, or booties, I'm a fan of this trend and can't wait to get my hands on a pair. These Frye stitched oxfords are uber trendy and these J. Crew flats would be a fabulous addition to the daily
work attire!

Boyfriend Criteria

So—it has been a very busy week with the start of a new job {yay} and unfortunately I haven't been able to post anything due to my busy schedule. But, I'm trying to do a little catch up and have some fun things to share including this wonderful Boyfriend Criteria found via pinterist. So cute—and who would disagree with wanting a boyfriend who wears glasses, likes to cook, and has a furry best friend?!

Streetstyle

I often get into moods where I want to throw away my entire closet and start over. I'll tack on an extra thirty plus minutes in the morning simply sifting through my wardrobe and tossing things on the floor. When this happens I find that the best source for inspiration comes from the streets. Of course, in NYC, there are a plethora of uber fashionable women to ogle at just during the morning commute. But, for those who don't find themselves in the middle of a fashion forward rush hour, Lucky magazine has pulled together Streetsyle: Real Girls With Amazing Style. Lucky has taken looks from some great sources such as Vanessa Jackman and Streetpeeper. Enjoy some of my favorites below and be sure to check out the link for more!

The Romantics

When I saw that the cast of The Romantics teamed up with J. Crew I got a little too excited. I love everything J. Crew and the photoshoot with the cast is simply adorable. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out here. And, to see more photos and shop the looks, click here. Also, be sure to watch the behind the scenes video! So cute, and I love the pink sequin dress that Malin Akerman is wearing below. Job well done J. Crew! Now, I just can't wait to see the movie.