Favorite Things

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Anthony Bourdain, Bath & Body Works, Candles, David Chang, Favorite Things, Gillian & O'malley, In the Mind of A chef, Lancome, Lancome Bienfait Aqua Vital Creme, Lip Balm, Momofuku, momofuku milk bar, Pajamas, Target, Vaseline, Vaseline Lip Therapy

Happy Monday!

This weekend Jason and I made a trip to our local Target and I bought a new pair of pajama pants that I absolutely adore.  With that in mind, I thought I would share a few of my latest obsessions.

1.  Gillian & O’Malley Mesa Grey Sleep Pants from Target

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I just picked these up this weekend, but I’m in love.  I adore the grey color of these pants.  Plus, they are cotton, so they are thick enough to wear around the house with a long sleeved shirt or a sweater and keep me warm but I’m not going to wake up sweaty.

From The Alimentarian: EJ Sushi in Chicago’s West Loop

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Alaska Roll, Alimentarian, Chicago, Cucumber, Cucumber Salad, EJ Sushi, Escolar, Rainbow Roll, Restaurant, Reviews, Sashimi, Spicy Tuna, Sushi, West loop, White Tuna

The Mexican Roll – EJ Sushi

Hello there! –

This was one of my posts from “The Alimentarian” that I’m migrating over to this blog before closing that down.  I reviewed a sushi restaurant called EJ sushi in Chicago’s West Loop.  Here are the details:

Learning to Relax – DIY Pampering Treatments

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Bath Salts, Cinnamon, Coconut Oil, DIY, Lavender, Masks, Pampering, Recipes, Relaxation, Scrubs, Spa Treatments, Sugar Scrubs

I don’t know about you, but relaxation is not one of my strong suits.  I came across this article a few days ago and the author’s situation sounded a little too familiar.

So, this weekend I decided that I would take a little bit of time and pamper myself.  I’ve made these three DIY treatments and I plan to take some time and relax.  I thought I would share the recipes with you.

Readers: How do you unwind?

Striped Sweater Dress – Two Ways

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Blazers, Chicago, Dresses, Fashion, Fashion Blogs, Leopard Pumps, Lucky Brand, Michael Kors, Old Navy, Outfits, Petite Fashion, Sweater Dresses, Tahari, Work Attire

Happy Monday!

Last month, Jason and I went down to North Carolina again for a few days.  Our trip was roughly 2 days long and the goal was to pack lightly so Jason and I could fit everything for both of us in one carry-on, a backpack, and my Michael Kors shoulder bag.  I knew that most of my time during the day for this trip was going to spent working remotely from a coffee shop or hotel room, but at night, we had plans to go to dinner or go out with friends or colleagues.

Starting 2015 Strong – Goals for the New Year

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2015 Goals, 2015 Resolutions, Goals, Holiday, New Years 2015, NYE2015, Resolutions

Hello!

I hope that all of you are had a safe and happy NYE!  Welcome to a new year – full of (hopefully) exciting new times.

I don’t normally set “resolutions” but I do try to give myself some goals to aim for at the beginning of each new year.   Here’s a list of some of my “boons and bummers” for myself and the world from 2014 and then my personal goals for 2015:

An Alternative for New Year’s Eve

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Dresses, Fashion, Fashion Blogs, Formal Dresses, Formalwear, Lace Dresses, New Year's Eve, Nordstrom, NYE, NYE 2015, Sheath Dresses, Tadashi Shoji, Wedding Wear

(There was confetti here – I swear!)

Dress: Tadashi Shoji Lace Sheath Dress (Available in Up to 16 Petite – On sale now for 50% off); Bracelet:  Francesca’s Crystal Stretch Bracelet, Old (Similar here); Shoes: Silver Ankle Strap Heels, Old (Similar here, here, and here)

Grateful

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Christmas, Grateful, Holiday

This time of year it’s easy to get caught up in the spin of gift-giving and commercialism.  In the wake of the torn-up gift wrap and ribbons strewn everywhere, I want to take a minute to be grateful for everyone who I have had the privilege to be around for the past few days. I feel very lucky to have a large family and many friends.  This year, even though I moved away to another city and didn’t know how many people I’d get to see, I had the chance to spend time with a lot of people.  So, with gratitude in my heart, I want to share my holiday wishes and my hope that all of you enjoyed the last few days and continue to have a happy holiday season.

~Nyk

Gift Giving 2014 – A Realistic Approach

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Audible, Audiobooks, Ban.do, Board Games, Candies, Chanukah, Chanukkah, Christmas, Cookies, Dominion, Foodie, Gift, Gift Guide, Hanukkah, Holiday, Hot Chocolate, iPhone, Kwanzaa, Makeup, Recipes, Sephora

Hello all,

I am sorry for my absence – I caught the flu which, needless to say, made blogging a bit difficult.  But (hopefully) I’ll be back now and I’ll have more petite and curvy fashion to share to wrap up 2014 and kick off the new year!

First, I’m going to start with my “Holiday Gift Giving Guide for 2014” – and a short rant. Because I’ve been seeing a number of holiday gift giving guides on other sites and blogs that really drive me up a wall.  Don’t get me wrong, I love looking at pretty, shiny things.  It’s part of why I started a blog!  But… realistically, I’m not going to spend $50 on “hostess gifts” for each party I attend.  Moreover, does anyone actually want thirty holiday scented candles or half a dozen coffee table books about trendy topics for this year?

So, this is my Realistic Holiday Gift Guide for 2014.

For the Workaholic:

Urban Decay – Naked On The Run Palette – $57 at Sephora 

For a limited time, Urban Decay has released this “Naked on the Run” palette. This comes with – 6 eyeshadows, blush, bronzer, lipgloss, eyeliner, mascara, and a giant mirror – everything you need to do quickly throw on some makeup on the go in a single case that’s smaller than a Kindle.  I bought one of these and threw it in my desk the day I heard about it and it’s already come in handy for those busy mornings when I was in a hurry to get out the door and didn’t quite have time to get all my makeup on.

Day to Night – Dressing for the Work Holiday Party

Dressing for an after work party can be challenging – balancing party dresses and fun clothes with professional attire for the office beforehand.  For me, The holiday cocktail party season started early, and my first “holiday” event was on November 5.  So, I started my holiday shopping a bit early and picked up some things to wear both in and out of the office.

As a petite and curvy girl, here are some of the major problems I run into with cocktail dresses:

• Too long – A longer dress might look ok for the office, but for me, it just doesn’t have the right feel for an after work party.
• Too low cut – As a well-endowed woman, I have enough problems being taken seriously without drawing unnecessary attention.  Plus, anything that shows off too much of the “goods” and I risk looking unprofessional, which is the last thing I want to do at a work-related event.
• Too tight in all the wrong places – I hate finding a dress that has a great neckline, a perfect length, and then I try it on, and suddenly it’s like I’m wearing Lululemon yoga pants before the recall. Don’t get me wrong, I love my… assets. But, just like my comment above, too tight and I risk looking unprofessional.

To get me through the holiday season, here is one of my recently purchased items and how I take it from day to night.

Channelling my Inner “Evil Queen”

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Accessories, Belts, Blazers, Coats, Dresses, Earrings, Evil Queen, Fashion, Gold, Jackets, Metal Accessories, Necklaces, Once Upon a Time, OUaT, Outfits, Personal Style, Regina Mills, Sheath Dresses, Silver, Television, Trench Coats, Wool Coats

Happy Wednesday!  Two things have happened lately:

First – I’ve been watching a lot of “Once Upon a Time.”  I don’t watch a lot of television – but this show is is kind of my guilty pleasure.  I like to see how they cast my favorite fairy tale and cartoon characters from childhood – whether they pick someone that looks like I imagined they would.

Second – I got a haircut.  A haircut that was nothing like I thought it would be when I went to the salon.  I had every intention of getting blondish highlights and a trim. But, somehow, the stylist managed to talk me into cutting 5-6 inches off and an all-over brunette color. (Photos Soon to Come.)

Why are these two things related?