Editorial: Tough Girl Glam

It's time for another editorial, guys.  I wanted to style a killer look for y'all today so I went with a strapless ruffled gown and paired it with a fab moto jacket from BCBG.  To finish off my look, I threw on sneaker heels and carried a studded clutch.

I'm kind of obsessed with ruffled pieces...

...and moto jackets:

A closer look at my shoes courtesy of Guilty Soles!  If you're a fan of the sneaker heel trend, you need to pick these babies up STAT.  Use code Sensible30 at checkout to get an extra 30% off!

A huge thanks to Dennis aka DCP New York for taking such fab photos of me and Yotel for letting us shoot in their baller space!

Dress:  Chicwish || Clutch:  Handbag Heaven || Jacket:  BCBG || Shoes:  c/o Guilty Soles

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Top 10 Healthy (and Quick) Snacks

Alright everyone, the topic of today's post is healthy snacking.  If you're like me, you're most likely running from place to place all day, every day because you're busy hustling.  It's important to find the time to eat right though, especially if you're looking to keep your body in check.  It's easy to indulge when you're on-the-go, but there are plenty of other quick and delicious options out there that'll fuel your bod so you can always bring your A game. Here are a few of my favorite healthy snacks:

1.  Banana Shake:  Take one ripe banana and blend it with low-fat milk.  Yeah, it's the easiest smoothie ever.  It's not creative by any means, but it's delicious and quick.  I do this whenever I have bananas that are about to go bad!  The drink's naturally sweet so I make it when I'm craving dessert. TIP:  rinse your blender out quickly to minimize your cleaning efforts.  To see more recipes, make sure y'all browse my smoothie pinterest board.

2.  Whole Grain Chips + Guacamole:  I pretty much buy everything in bulk (to get the most bang for my buck) so I'll be talking about Costco a LOT today.  Purchase individually packaged containers of guac from 'em and pick up whole grain tortilla chips for a solid midday snack. I always make sure to grab a bag of Luke's Organic Sweet Potato, Hemp & Buckwheat multigrain & seed chips their because they're healthy AND delicious.  Make sure you guys pay attention to serving size though - it's easy to go overboard so don't eat from the bag.

3.  PopChips + Salsa:  PopChips are yet another fave of mine!  I'm a potato chip junkie so these are a godsend when I'm in the mood for salty morsels of deliciousness.  They're available in a slew of different flavors, but I'm all about sea salt.  Eat it with some chunky salsa - Jack's Special Garden Fresh Gourmet is my fave - and you'll be good to go.  Oh, and like no. 2 above, pay attention to serving sizes.  Salsas aren't usually high in calories, but you want to pay attention to sodium and whatnot.  Be mindful of nutritional labels!

4.  Assortment of Nuts:  Fat intake is crucial to your diet!  Contrary to popular belief, eating fat does not MAKE you fat.  In fact, you need a solid amount of unsaturated fat in your diet to fuel your body and absorb key nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K & antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene.  The only fat you don't need? Trans fats.  A handful of nuts will give you a good dose of vitamin E, fiber and magnesium so grab your favorite kind and get your munch on!  Oh, and if you prefer peanut butter, you can enjoy a spoonful of that instead - just make sure it's natural peanut butter.  You know, the one with the oil at the top?  That's where the party's at!

5.  Almond Flour Banana Bread:  I know this may sound disgusting, but I'm all about almond flour. I'm not going to lie to you and say this taste's better than "regular" banana bread, but it'll grow on you.  I've been using Live Simply's recipe, and it's super on point, but instead of walnuts, I mix in dark chocolate chips!  If you decide to try this, let me know what you think.

6.  Bare Fruit Chips:  I can't even begin to tell you guys how awesome these chips are - I even got my dad hooked on these babies!  They sell a good number of flavors and carry a bunch organic options as well if that tickles your fancy.  I recommend the toasted coconut chips, fuji & reds organic apple chips, and simply banana chips.  

7.  Tomato & Feta Salad:  This is hella simple, but super nutritious and seriously nomtastic.  Take a bunch of grape tomatoes and slice them in half!  Toss them in EVOO + balsamic vinegar and add sliced basil (as much or as little as you want) and a bit of feta cheese to add that extra dimension of flavor.  If you're looking to cut calories hardcore, skip the cheese - trust me when I say it's not necessary!  The salad still tastes delish without it.

8.  Grapefruit Cups:  Costco's Kirkland Grapefruit cups are the bee's knees.  I purchase a box of these every time I go because they're so freakin' yummy.  Yes, they're packed in light syrup, but that's ok - just don't drink all of the liquid, ha. 

9.  Low-fat Yogurt with Fresh Fruit:  I pretty much love all things yogurty - I'm not really sure if that's a word, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that you know exactly what I mean - so I couldn't resist listing this.  I've tried to get into low-fat plain greek yogurt, but I just can't do it because I think it tastes awful.  Lucky for me (and you), fresh fruit and honey swoops in to save the day.  Adding healthy mix-ins make all the difference in the world!  I like to buy yogurt in large containers to save $$$, but Costco sells individually packed containers for much less if you find yourself constantly on the go.  NOTE: they almost always have coupons for them so keep an eye out.  Oh, and one last thing, make sure there isn't a ridiculous amount of sugar listed on the nutritional label.  Remember, we want to stick with healthy options!

10.  Oatmeal n' Berries:  I don't know about you guys, but I'm a fan of both sweet and savory oatmeal dishes.  In fact, when I was in college, I used to eat Quaker oats with kimchi every day for breakfast. That may sound gross to you, but it was all sorts of yum for me.  Nowadays I'm all about oatmeal with frozen berries...which I also purchase in bulk at Costco, ha.  Yes, I get fresh ones when I can, but if not, I just toss a handful in when I'm cooking up a storm at my stove.  If I feel like treating myself fully, I throw in some brown sugar as well!  I'll make sure to write a post featuring my fave combos soon, but until then, enjoy these recipes.

Alright folks, that's it for today!  What do you guys like to snack on? Do any of these sound good to you?  For more healthy snacks and recipes, make sure y'all hit up my pinterest account.  I'm obsessed with the platform so I update it pretty much 24/7.  Here are some boards you may be interested in: Avocado Love, Let's Eat Clean, Healthy Body, Healthy Soul, and Healthy Breakfast Foods.

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Draped Maxis FTW

Channeling my inner goddess for today's editorial-like post!  I'm sure y'all have picked up on this by now, but I have a serious thing for flowy dresses.  I purchased this gorgeous drape maxi at the BCBG Factory Outlet a while back, and it's a closet fave for sure.  For today's OOTD, I styled it with a light knit and lace-up sandals for a romantic look and accessorized with a slew of my favorite Trollbeads jewelry.  They're currently available for up to 35% off so make sure y'all take advantage!

Other maxis I'm currently lusting for:

A closer look at my new Giselle sandals courtesy of Maumero.  I'm such a huge fan of their shoes! They were actually in DC not too long ago for a fabulous pop-up event. I was really looking forward to attending, but I was too sick to go.  That week was super stressful, and I was functioning on like, 4 hours of sleep.  I was hitting up 2-3 events each night so by Friday, I was totally out.  I came down with a severe cold so I needed a day to recover.  I really do hope they come back soon though!  Their kicks always ooze quality, and the fact that they're socially responsible is just the cherry on top.

A closer look at my necklace from Trollbeads.  Their "Falling in Love" collection is everything.  Do yourself a favor and elevate your jewelry collection tenfold with their composable baubles.  

Photo credit:  Corey Yagesh

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Find of the Day: The Tee Shirt Dress ($29)

I'm pumped to tell you guys all about my latest find on SS.  I recently purchased this online at ASOS for $29.  If you're a fan of the lace-up trend + comfortable garb, this is an absolute must-have.  As you all know, I'm all about dresses because they're quick!  I know that's a strange adjective to use when describing clothing, but what I really mean to say is quick to style.  You don't really have to do much to look cute.  

If it's warm out, simply wear the dress with cute sandals and grab your fave investment bag or everyday tote before walking out the door.  If it's cooler out, throw on a jean or moto jacket with leggings and boots, and you're good to go.  The fit's relaxed so you don't have to worry about sucking in, and the lightweight fabric's made up of viscose, polyester, and elastane.  I got a size XS, and it fits me perfectly.  Make sure to comment below if you have any questions regarding the piece!

A close-up shot of today's shoe game!  These sandals are seriously everything - available at Guilty Soles.  Use code Sensible30 to get an extra 30% off your purchase.

Bag:  Chanel || Shoes:  c/o Guilty Soles || Dress:  ASOS ($29)

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Earning Stripes on the Daily

I'm super excited to tell you guys all about my new dress courtesy of Dezzal.  I actually partnered up with them on SS not too long ago - I'm not sure if y'all remember, but this two-tone dress was from their online boutique.  For those of you wondering, their collection is indeed legit.  In addition to selling pieces created by talented in-house designers, they carry the merchandise of carefully-selected brands.

I centered today's OOTD around my new mini-dress.  I totally fell head over heels in love with the design at first sight.  The ruffle is too cute, and what can I say? I'm a sucker for empire waists!  I mean, can you really blame me though? They create the illusion of a killer hourglass figure and elongate my stems like whoa.

To top off my look, I carried a pale orange crossbody from Coach (an old factory outlet buy) and threw on gold wedges to capitalize on the whole casual vibe.

Feeling slightly scandalous sharing this photo, but whatevs!  The wind was blowing slightly too hard that day, ha.

Unfortunately, the striped number I'm wearing here is currently out of stock at Dezzal.  No worries though, as always, I got your backs.  Here are some other fabulous options for your browsing pleasure.  Oh, and for the record, I'm pretty much obsessed with every dress they sell so I had a freakin' hard time compiling this list, but here we are!  My top 6 faves:

 LEFT || MIDDLE || RIGHT

LEFT || MIDDLE || RIGHT

A HUGE thanks to the wonderful Jiyang Chen for taking these amazing photographs.  If you haven't already, make sure you all check him out!  He is a true artist in every sense of the word.  Not only is he a brilliant photographer, he's an amazing pianist as well.  

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Golden Hour Glow

Pumped to tell you guys all about my new dress from Gentlefawn.  I've been a fan of their designs for years now, and it's easy to see why. Their line is completely and utterly effortless.  If you're looking to ooze casual cool on the daily, check out their collection stat.  Their clothing's of the highest quality, and their craftsmanship is always on point.

I centered my latest post around their Ariel dress.  This stunning piece features a y-back and an asymmetrical flutter hem.  I paired it with a slouchy cardigan with nude accessories to match to keep things simple. 

Other floral dresses I adore:

A closer look at my monogrammed crossbody from Gigi New York!

Shoes:  Amiclubwear || Dress:  c/o Gentlefawn || Cardi:  Deb (similar) || Necklace:  c/o J Wholesale || Bag: Gigi New York

Shot by brilliant NYC photographer, Jiyang Chen.

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The Infatuation x Amex Gold Private Dinner Party

Good eats, delish cocktails, and great company? Uh, it really doesn't get much better than that.  My blogger bestie (La Belle Mel) and I hit up Maketto to celebrate Infatuation's DC launch.  They partnered up with American Express Gold for the occasion, and the event was Night Market themed with stalls placed all over the space.  The dishes presented showcased the following five major flavors in Asian cuisine: hot, sour, salty, sweet, and bitter, and they had awesome beverage pairings that reflected similar tasting notes.

Everything was absolutely delish, but the Jja Jang Myun was by far my favorite.  I can't even begin to tell you guys how nomtastic it was.  The chef made it fresh in a wok right in front of my eyes, and it was like a flavor explosion - just the right amount of spicy with tons of pork and greens.  I don't know if you guys have ever been to Maketto, but their space is sick.  It's super hip - think cafe, store, and restaurant all fused into one - so if you're into cool shops (which we all are, let's be real), make sure to check this joint out.

Photos taken by Johnny Hugel.

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