www.charmedvalerie.com
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Shopping for Spring: Ross finds
I would like to begin this post by saying that not all Ross Dress For Less stores are created equally. Apparently, my Plano store is upper-mediocre, the Lewisville store sucketh, and the Allen store is AMAZEBALLS (these are DFW, TX locations I’m referring to dolls). Check out my latest finds (It’s “Dress Week”, in case you didn’t get the memo):
Exhibit A: The Romeo and Juliet Couture dress
Pay no mind to my black tights and boots (those went with my original outfit) or the child who desperately wanted my iPhone back.
I’m planning on wearing it with tights and my brown riding boots or flat brown sandals.
Is it too ‘polygamist-wifey’? Heck if I care. I will rock this with the proper accessories.
Exhibit B: the Trixxi dress
I did not dare take my phone away from that baby while we were still peacefully shopping so I had to wait until we got home to photograph this beauty.
I’m honestly not sure that I’ve ever owned a red dress. I’ll make up for lost time this spring/summer 2010 when I am wearing this every chance I get.
Exhibit C: Report wedges
Found these last week. There are never any good heels in my big-@$$ size.
Even though they are 4.5″ heels, they are hella comfortable! Happy dance!
I should probably not tell you how much I paid for this stuff or you will surely hate me. Good times were had 
As always, please excuse my ever-awful iPhone photography.
Hair by YouTube
Beauty Tutorials on YouTube are yet another reason why I. LOVE. THE. INTERNETS.
That (above) is me last night before heading out for sushi with my Valentine. I styled my hair using hot rollers with a technique I learned from this video.
It is so awesome that you can learn so many fun tips, tricks, and techniques from the comfort of your own home. Some of my favorite YouTube beauty gurus are PurseBuzz, Michelle Phan, Kandee Johnson, and Heather123. The power to change your look is in your pretty little hands and it is 100% FREE.
So ladies, it’s time to switch it up a little
Snow Chic–’the Uppity Hobo’
Me. Last April in Denver on our way home from skiing in Winterpark. When I posted this to facebook, my sister said I looked like an ‘uppity hobo’ and it still makes me laugh to this day (especially now because in my mind, snow=snow boots + velour).
Layers RULE!
Snowtorius DFW
This Thursday, Dallas got it’s most epic snowfall EVER. We’ve been having a blast playing in the stuff.
This is our backyard (aka “The Tundra”).
My sweet boy!
Playing in the park with all the other hooligans.
Please don’t tell my kid how much his mother sucks at making snowmen.
I’m gonna miss it when it’s gone 
Tops with built in necklaces….meh
I was just reading a Spring 2010 piece that mentioned tops with built in necklaces as a spring trend. To that I say:
- get a top
- get a necklace
While I do think they look very lovely, the less expensive versions are crap and the well made ones have to be dry cleaned. Not to mention the lack of versatility. You’ll wear it a few times and then everyone has seen your necklace-top. So, I prefer to just buy basic tops and big, fun, inexpensive necklaces. And there you have it.
Old Navy Women’s Long Layering Tanks, $8.50
Women: Women’s Long Layering Tanks – Heather Gray, $8.50
Old Navy Women’s Long Layering Tanks, $8.50
Forever21.com – Accessories – Jewelry – 1075382837, $15
Forever21.com – New Arrivals – Accessories, $6.80
Here I am in a necklace top that lasted all of 2 wears and no washes.
Lust Have: Tory Burch ‘Thora’ Cork Wedge
Today whilst killing time at the mall I spotted these beauties in the display at Saks. They aren’t available just yet but I will have them as soon as they are (probably in white or red).
Oatmeal Scotchies = cookie crack
Photo credit: VeryBestBaking.com
Last night I baked up some love for my boys in the form of Oatmeal Scotchie cookies. Mrs. Fields got me hooked on this cookie crack but I have to say that I like my version better (it was a little less butterscotchy that this because my package was minus 1/2 cup of morsels).
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cup natural sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) butterscotch morsels
DIRECTIONS:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Enjoy!
dinner Macgyver….a success story
This afternoon I was playing dinner Macgyver, trying to avoid a trip to the grocery store in this damp cold weather. And the result was a muy tasty success (don’t you love it when that happens?).
I had a giant bag of those frozen raw chicken tenders from Costco that you can cook from frozen in the oven and I remembered a little something I learned while making dinners at Super Suppers.
I mixed up a bowl of bread crumbs, grated parmesan, onion powder, chopped fresh parsley, seasoning, and stirred in a little bit of olive oil (to help the coating stick better). And another bowl of egg, stone ground mustard, and Emeril’s chicken rub beaten together.
Bathed the frozen tenders in the egg mixture and then tossed them around in the crumb stuff and laid them in a pan greased with olive oil. I also drizzled olive oil on them before I put them in the oven and cooked them at 375 for 30 minutes like the package instructed.
The result was terribly tasty chicken tenders and holy hell were they delicous! GO ME!
work it out mama
Old Navy activewear that is as functional as it is adorable. I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to wear capri leggings again….c’mon spring.
