This & That: No. 81

 

 

From Broadway to Target, some wonderful ways to save money and remain chic and stylish as well as satiating your appetite and your daily dose of art. 

~Apps

1. Dashlane

A safe place to store all of the passwords you need on any given occasion to live and maneuver through our technological daily lives. Accessible on your computer or your smart phone, Dashlane is a free option to keep your online wallet secure. You can also program it to know which passwords to autofill. Certainly something to look into if you have to keep reseting your password, which I am guilty of more often than I'd like to admit.

2. POACHit

As savvy shoppers, looking for the discount is often just knowing where to look for that coveted coupon code. Use the POACHit bookmarklet to save items you want to purchase should the price be reduced. When a coupon becomes available, an email will appear in your inbox alerting you to the sale opportunity. 

 ~Book

3. The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style: Secrets to Shopping Cheap and Looking Chic by Lilliana Vazquez 

Next month (November 5th), budget fashion blogger Lilliana Vazquez (founder of the blog Cheap Chicas) will release her first book The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style which focuses on how to dress stylishly without breaking the bank. A wonderful resource, I was able to get my hands on an advance copy for review, and I was impressed with her specific details - where to shop, information on flash sale sites, and helpful quizzes that will guide you toward the best places to shop on your budget. 

~Broadway

4. Betrayal

One of my favorite experiences when it comes to art is experiencing live theater. Whether it's the Broadway stage or the theater district in London, being part of a shared experience with a select few as the gifted actors display their talents without the aid of editing is exhilarating. One play that has been creating quite a buzz in the Broadway community this season is Betrayal starring real life couple Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz and directed by award winning director Mike Nichols. Currently in previews, the play officially opens today, and at this point is scheduled to run through February 2014 at the Ethel Barrymore theater. Click here for tickets. 

~Decor

5. Target Threshold Wood and Brass Finish Bar Cart

The Threshold decor line from Target continues to offer stylish furniture and details for your home that won't break your budget. Just in time for the holiday entertaining season, no matter what size your entertaining space is, this bar cart is perfect for displaying the available drinks for your guests as they arrive.

~Magazine Article

6. Ina Garten (aka Barefoot Contessa) in Instyle US November 2013

If you are looking for failsafe recipes for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Barefoot Contessa offers a dinner's worth of savory and scrumptious recipes in the most recent issue of InStyle (US). Her balsamic vinegar brussel sprouts with pancetta is shared (as seen here on TSLL) as well as other certain to impress side dishes, main dishes and desserts. 

A Simple Decor Idea: Shape & Color

One of the lessons that I have learned as I have tried my hand at many different decor adventures in my home and previous homes is that when you have larger items, you need fewer items in any given space. While keeping things in proportion is always important, I try to buy the largest item that I am looking for that fits within my budget.

A simple way to change up the decor in any room is to add flowers, but that also means you need a vase. Now, while any vase may work, the type of vase you choose can make all of the difference. Choose a vase that makes its own statement due to its shape, color or size. When I happened upon this vase from Target's new Threshold collection I was intrigued. Their large blue square vase fit what I was looking for beautifully – statement making with a touch of modern simplicity.

Not someone that gravitates towards lots of color, I love how the vase makes a statement without being overwhelming or intrusive. I chose to place daffodils inside as it is spring, but I think a single white hydrangea bloom would be a fantastic choice that would allow the blue of the vase to pop with even more volume.

P.S. Like the white comforter set? It’s also from Target’s Threshold collection and comes in a variety of colors – click here to learn more.

~While the four part simple, home decor series has wrapped up, click on the following links to see the three previous parts in this new series.

*Part One

*Part Two

*Part Three

~In the interest of full disclosure, Target via Style Coalition reached out to me to choose items from their Threshold collection and style them in my home. While we did work together, the items in this series were all hand-selected by me and the opinions expressed are my own. It is sponsors like Target that allow me to continue to write and share ways to create a simply luxurious life.

All Images by TSLL - (1) source (2) source (3) source (4) source

A Simple, Luxurious Brunch Decor & Recipe Idea

When spring arrives there are certain flowers and food I like to enjoy as they will only be in season for a short amount of time. Daffodils, tulips and asparagus.

Mireille Guiliano reminds her readers in her French Women Don’t Get Fat books that the healthiest and most frugal way to live is to buy items that are in season. Daffodils are one of the most inexpensive flowers to pick up when they become available early spring, and fresh asparagus is scrumptious roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and dash of salt and pepper (400 degrees – 10-15 minutes).

Keeping simplicity as my guide, I’ve been wanting to try Barefoot Contessa’s recipe of roasted asparagus and prosciutto topped with egg and hollandaise sauce. I do not joke when I share with you, the recipe took all of 15 minutes from start to finish. While it is a show stopper for brunch with family and friends, it could also be served for breakfast or dinner.

And the Threshold goblets from Target . . . would you believe they are plastic? I had no idea when I purchased them to be honest. So when they arrived I was shocked, but quite impressed. Perfect for meals that are less formal and require guests to move about, this affordable set of eight looks chic, but doesn’t even come close to breaking the bank.

~Do stop by next Tuesday as the series continues (see part one here and two here). I’ll be showing one more glimpse into my home as I incorporate simple ways to add a touch of effortless style. And to view all of the items I hand selected, check out my Spring Home Decor Ideas pinterest board here.

~In the interest of full disclosure, Target via Style Coalition reached out to me to choose items from their Threshold collection and style them in my home. While we did work together, the items in this series were all hand-selected by me and the opinions expressed are my own. It is sponsors like Target that allow me to continue to write and share ways to create a simply luxurious life.

Images by TSLL -   (1) source  (2) source (3) source  (4) source