Casual Friday

It’s funny how a certain type of clothing can be associated with a day of the week, whether we participate in the stereotype or not.   I often view Friday as the finish line before I can wear my favorite go-to baby blues. Regardless of how we incorporate jeans into our wardrobe, I would venture to guess that the majority of us know exactly how we want to look in them.  Am I right?

There are so many facets to the adorability factor of jeans, but the one I am particularly fond of is the trouser jean.  This style is something I find myself wearing to work more than I care to admit, but what I love about it is the versatility it allows.  Pair it with a gorgeous feminine blouse, chandelier earrings, and nude pumps and any lady is set to appear more than appropriate.  Maybe not for a business meeting, but most certainly for a day full of routine desk work.

Kelly Ripa and Lauren Conrad demonstrate the perfect look one can achieve in a pair of trouser jeans.

Stella McCartney models one of the qualities I love most about trouser jeans, the elongation of the leg.  Her legs appear to go on for days, seriously!

Okay, okay, enough with work already . . . it is after all, Friday.  So if we’re in the mood to play and want to look even better doing it, the often misunderstood skinny jean and the the trusty standby – bootcut jean are here to help us all enjoy the weekend a bit more.

No matter how many jeans I have in my closet, it seems I can never have too many, and currently I am on the look out for another pair of dark denim skinny jeans.  The truth that I am continually finding out about dark denim is that it is slimming, appears much more pulled together than a lighter wash and it goes with everything from t-shirts, sweaters to my uniform go-to cami and cardigan.   A few of the brands that I have found to work for me due to my long inseam are Rock & Republic, Notify, Citizens of Humanity and every once and awhile Banana Republic. If you know of any others that I should look into, I would love to hear.

Hopefully your weekend ahead is full of a few moments that require you to don your favorite pair of denim, as well as a good night out all dressed up.

Enjoy window shopping by taking a look at a few more ways to dress up (or down) the jeans that I know will always be in our closets. Cheers to all of my readers and thank you sincerely, for stopping by. You all are continually brightening my days with your wonderful thoughts and comments.

Audrina Patridge demonstrates how skinny jeans can be worn. 

If we had gams like Cameron Diaz, who wouldn’t be wearing skinny jeans all day, every day?

Mariska Hargitay pulls off a very casual, yet finished look with denim.

Jessica Alba takes a stroll in what looks like a pair of very comfortable jeans.

Bootcut jeans are wonderful for bringing balance to a woman’s body and are one of my favorite choices when I want to slip on some heels, but don’t want to wear a dress.

What would a discussion be without allowing Giselle to model what jeans are meant to do?  I just had to do it, please don’t hate me.  I love this picture simply because the bootcut jeans are being worn with their namesake. 

Penelope Cruz’s dark demin jeans are exactly what every woman should have in their closet.

A pair of jeans taking Jennifer Lopez out for a night on the town.  Looks fabulous!

One last example of a great bootcut jean and their ability to be worn during any season and look smashing.  The yellow and blue color combination is eye catching, isn’t?

And to wrap up, boots worn over skinny jeans.  After all, we aren’t officially in the spring season, so don’t put those boots away just yet.

Images: (1) Instyle (2) The Frisky (3)Denim Blog (4) Denim Blog (5) Denim Hunt (6) Celebrity Style Guide (7) Instyle (9) Elle UK (10) The Jeans Blog (11) My True Style (12) Style Bakery (13) Denim Blog (14) Fashion Update

Dinner in Fifteen

Friday has arrived!  Hopefully it finds you reflecting on a productive week and getting giddy about the weekend ahead. I don’t know about you, but more often than not, I am in the mood to stay in, cook a great meal and enjoy some good company.  The only catch is that I want a delicious meal, something that preferably pairs well with a glass of wine.  Come to think of it, what doesn’t pair well with wine?  Oh, I’m sure there’s something.  Back to what to cook.

Last week, I was flipping through the latest issue of House Beautiful magazine, with whom Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) is a contributor, and I came across her recipe Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil (recipe below).  Count me in!  I quickly made a list of what I didn’t already have in the house and dashed to the grocery store. Total time in the kitchen – fifteen minutes.  One tip, splurge on quality Parmesan.  The rest of the ingredients are fairly inexpensive, and it really strengthens the dish.  

It was exactly what I was craving, and the red pepper flakes add just enough heat (feel free to not include them if you are a fan of milder flavors, the dish will still be delicious).  I cannot wait to make this in the summer with fresh off the vine cherry tomatoes, I have a feeling the flavor will be all the more flavorful. 

Oh, and as far as wine to pair it with, I poured a glass of Isenhower Cellars’ Rara Avis Grenache which also has a spicy kick to it to complement the pasta.

Have a wonderful Friday staying in if that is what your plans allow, and if a night on the town is calling your name, keep this recipe in mind for a busy week night go-to meal. Enjoy!

(House Beautiful for both images)

CAPELLINI WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Serves 6

½ cup good olive oil, plus extra for the pasta pot

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

4 pints small cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

18 large basil leaves, julienned

2 tablespoons chopped fresh curly parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¾ pound dried capellini or angel hair pasta

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Extra chopped basil and grated Parmesan for serving

1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add two tablespoons of salt and a splash of oil to the pot.

2 Meanwhile, heat the ½ cup of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan. Add the garlic to the oil and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, thyme, two teaspoons salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for five to seven minutes, tossing occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften but don't break up.

3 While the tomatoes are cooking, add the capellini to the pot of boiling water and cook for two minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.

4 Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, add the tomatoes and Parmesan, and toss well. Add some of the pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. Serve large bowls of pasta with extra basil sprinkled on top and a big bowl of extra Parmesan on the side.

Celebrate!

Friday has arrived and with it hopefully a feeling of contentment as we reflect back on all that was accomplished. Whether it be  having worked out almost as much as we had planned on (and if this amount was exceeded, a HUGE high five is more than well-deserved!) or having wrapped up the latest project or completed a task before the deadline, or maybe some of us were finally able to get caught up enough so that we didn’t feel guilty for taking some time to enjoy ourselves with friends/co-workers outside of the office, or maybe we were simply able to, at last, carve out some time to take a moment for ourselves.  Whatever your success was this week, congratulate yourself. 

No matter how big or small the victory, we too often are overly critical of what we could have done better, when what we need to do  is appreciate what was done well, and I know we all did that this week, even if we have to take a good, close look.

Often times though, despite how successful the week may have been, I find myself needing to take Friday down a notch and save up my energy for going out on Saturday. 

One of my favorite cookie recipes to enjoy with a cold glass of milk (an overused cliche, I know!) on a cuddly Friday night  when I’m low on energy, but feel a little sweet tooth coming on is a recipe I found in a magazine too many years ago.  Five ingredients and twenty minutes later, you have what I like to compare to a Reese’s pieces cookie.  Delicious . . . seriously lovely to the tastebuds.  And the good news is that it only makes twelve cookies ,and it doesn’t require you to lug out the Kitchen-Aid mixer.

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together:

*1 cup brown sugar

*1 cup Adams Crunchy peanut butter

*1 tsp baking soda

*1 egg

Then add:

*1/2 cup Ghirardelli’s milk chocolate chips

Mix together, then place on a cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Upon removing them from the oven, they won’t look done.  Trust me, they are!  Let them cool for about 15-20 minutes and then bite into the most delicious, moist, decadent cookies you ever whipped up in twenty minutes!

Here’s to what I hope you all can say on Monday was a fabulous weekend!  Cheers!

Happy Friday!

Friday finally has arrived, and with it the opportunity to savor the coming of the weekend. What a simple pleasure that is something to look forward to even if everything else has failed us. Hopefully the upcoming weekend is full with much anticipated plans, the company of great friends and just enough time for everything you want to do and get done.

One of my favorite ways to put a bow tie on this weekly event is to make Giada DeLaurentiis' Lemon Shrimp Linguine (see below). It is simple, but takes just long enough for the benefits of therapeutic cooking to kick in. There is truly something calming about making a meal. Not only do you feel as though you have accomplished something, but you also feel as though you've nourished yourself and others, and what could be a better combination? Cheers to a wonderful weekend!

Lemon Shrimp Linguine

Ingredients:

*Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*1 shallot

*2 cloves of garlic

*1 lemon

*1/2 lb linguine pasta

*2 cups arugula

*1/2 lb raw shrimp (shelled and devained)

1. Combine 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil with the zest of half a lemon. Set aside.

2. Bring salted water to a boil and add linguine until al dente.

3. While water is coming to a boil, chop garlic and shallot. Bring a saute pan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, add the shallots and garlic, followed by raw shrimp. To the shrimp mixture, add the zest of 1/2 a lemon and the juice of one lemon. Cook just until the shrimp have turned pink, but haven't entirely curled tightly up. Turn off the heat. Add roughly chopped arugula, al dente linguine, and the lemon infused olive oil. Mix and enjoy!