Real Life is for March

Happy Leap Day to all!

I hope that Leap Day Williams trades your tears for candy! I also hope you're wearing your blue and yellow to show your holiday spirit (or I'll have to kick you in the knee, stomp you on the foot - Yankees suck, go Pats).  

 

Have fun, stay in the holiday spirit, celebrate your hardest tonight, and remember - you can  do anything you want today because 

what you do on Leap Day doesn't matter.

 

(Unfortunately, I am still going to my night class because I don't think my professor observes this special day.  Perhaps Leap Day Williams will provide a Leap Day miracle of a snow-related cancellation...but I doubt it).

Everyday Essentials

There are just some products that I cannot live without (well, I could, but I never want to know what that's like)!  I'm a firm believer that a bad hair day can put a damper on the best of days, but I have an arsenal of products to ensure that bad hair days are prevented.  Here are some of my everyday essentials:


1) Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Pure Abundance Conditioner

I don't have thin hair, but there are few things that I hate more than when my hair is flat.  I have gone to an Aveda salon (Tu Moda Spa) for many years now, and I've grown to love Aveda products.  The Rosemary Mint shampoo leaves my hair feeling clean (without feeling stripped) and removes whatever residue has built up, whether that be from heat-protection products or hairspray.

While I love the shampoo, it's the Pure Abundance Conditioner that works the real magic.  It is clay based an adds more volume to my hair than I ever thought a conditioner could.  Whether I am wearing my hair curly, straight, or leaving it natural, this conditioner gives my hair fabulous bounce and flounce.

2)  Aveda Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother and Light Elements Smoothing Fluid

 

Before I blow dry or style, in my palm I mix two pumps of the Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother with two pumps of the Light Elements Smoothing Fluid and run it through towel-dried hair.  I like these products because they protect my hair from the heat of the blow dryer and flattening (or curling) iron, but they don't weigh my hair down.  Also, I've found that some heat-protection products make my hair feel greasy at the roots by the end of the day, but that's not the case with these.  The Smooth Infusion is the primary heat-protecting product while the Light Elements mostly just adds shine.

3) ghd Classic 1" Styler

 

For years, I used a Chi 2" styling iron.  I had my first Chi for about 6 years and loved it, but it died in 2011 of old age so, naturally, I ordered the same one.  However, I found that the quality just wasn't the same and I went through three different (and rather expensive) Chis in less than a year.  Finally I learned my lesson, researched some reviews, and made an emergency trip to Sephora to buy the ghd Classic 1" Styler.  I was wary at first because I had always used a 2" iron, but after one use of this 1" ghd, I've sworn not to go back to anything else.

For straightening, I only have to pass this iron through each section of hair once which saves valuable time in the morning and is something that I could never say about my Chi.  What I love even more about this tool is that in the same amount of time it takes to straighten, I can have a whole head of natural-looking curls.  I often feel that curling irons make hair look phony and too "done-up," but the curls this iron creates are quick and natural - appropriate for both daytime and nighttime looks.

4) Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

When I was in high school, I worked at Abercrombie and Fitch (something I'm not proud of, but it happened).  We weren't allowed to wear makeup, but some of the girls I worked with suggested I use clear mascara so the managers wouldn't notice.  While I don't think it did anything for my eyelashes, I discovered that Great Lash Clear Mascara works like a charm on fly-aways.  Most days after I straighten (or curl) my hair, I comb this through on each side of my part to tame those pesky hairs that stick straight up.  Even if I'm just wearing my hair in a ballerina bun, I use it along my hairline to keep the look clean and sleek and in my bun if there is a stray hair sticking out.  Clear mascara works better than hairspray because you only use it on the few hairs that need it, not your whole head.  Even better? It stores perfectly in any size bag for touch-ups throughout the day.

What are some of your everyday essential hair products?

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

A while ago, I stumbled upon this recipe and thought it seemed like an interesting new pasta dish worthy of trying out.  While the recipe doesn't call for it, I added prosciutto (I stirred it in with the asparagus as it roasted)...and I'm glad I did because it added a little something extra to the meal.  The recipe makes a lot so next time, if it is just my boyfriend and me eating dinner, I would cut the recipe in half, but for now I'm glad I have some leftovers for the school week ahead of me!

While the recipe suggests pairing the dish with a Sauvignon Blanc, I opted for a Riesling.

S'more, Please!

Thanks to Pinterest, I am always finding new recipes (but I never have time to make them all!).  Before Valentine's Day, I found a recipe for s'mores bars but didn't get around making them until last night.  Besides the fact that the bars looked absolutely delicious, what attracted me to this recipe was that they were so quick and easy to make.  With just a few simple ingredients and about 20 minutes, you can have yourself a sticky, sugary treat! The recipe can be found here.

Ingredients

Finished Product!

Figs on February Fourteenth

While the semester is still young, it seems like I have been busier than ever!  I am not crazy about Valentine's Day, but I definitely do not hate it and still wanted to do something with my boyfriend, Nick, on Tuesday evening.  I had school and work, so we opted for a late, casual dinner at Todd English's Figs on Charles Street. 

We kept things informal, but I still wanted to dress for the holiday.  I decided a casual dress and some boots would be a good option.  Luckily, a couple weeks ago I bought a perfect dress for the occasion.

 

 Forever 21 dress, Steve Madden boots, Madewell thigh-high socks, 

Ralph Lauren gold necklace and gold studs, Madewell gold bangles

After school, work, and my late dinner date, I still had homework to do, but it was nice to take part of the evening to celebrate the fun of February 14th.

Double Stuf Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

For weeks, my boyfriend has been asking (begging) me to make cookies...chocolate chip cookies with an Oreo in the middle, to be exact.  Over the weekend, I gave into his request and we were both pleased with the results.

These are just as easy to make as any homemade chocolate chip cookies, but the final product is a subtle spin on an old classic.  I found the recipe here, though you can take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, put the dough around an Oreo, and end up with the same deliciousness.

With a glass of milk, these were the perfect snack for a Sunday evening!
 

*One piece of advice:  the recipe says to use a "scoop" of cookie dough on each side of the Oreo.  A picture shows an ice cream scoop being used on each side of the cookie, so I followed the picture.  I ended up with a batch of 8 cookies the size of a baby's head.  Next time, I would use enough cookie dough to just cover the Oreo, and I suggest you do the same! This will cut down on the baking time and give you more cookies.

Cords & Cortadas

This past Friday was gorgeous, and I wanted my outfit to reflect the sunny day.  While jeans are generally considered the go-to bottoms for casual-Friday ensembles, I opted for vibrant flame colored cords.  I paired them with a black boyfriend cardigan layered over a chambray shirt and for shoes, leopard print flats.  Because of the color of my pants and the print on my shoes, I decided to keep my jewelry and accessories to a minimal and wore just a simple pair of pearl studs.  On their own, each piece I wore can serve as a basic (in fact, all of these articles are some of my most frequently worn pieces), but they can also work together to create a casual, yet stylish, outfit.

Gap cardigan, J. Crew chambray, J. Crew cords, BP. flats

After Friday's classes, my boyfriend and I grabbed some coffee from Render Coffee and went for a stroll in the South End.  Render, on Columbus Ave., has been open for a few months now but Friday was my first visit.  My Cortada (below) was delicious, and the chai latte that my boyfriend ordered was undoubtedly the best I've ever had.  While Friday was our first visit, it will most certainly not be our last.  Luckily it is just steps from our apartment, and I am looking forward to becoming a regular.

What's in a Name?

Before creating Fully Fed. Finely Fashioned., I knew what types of things I wanted to post, but I never imagined that naming it could be so difficult.  I wanted the name to capture the essence of my page, but I didn't want it to be limiting.  I came up with a list of possible names but none of them seemed quite right.  "Behind Clothed Doors" was a top-runner, but I felt it limited me to a blog just about clothes - not one about clothes, food, entertainment, daily experiences, and everything in between.  Also, I Googled the name to see if it was already being used, and sure enough, Rachel Zoe had an article using the term.  I'm not Rachel Zoe's biggest fan, so I decided to move on to the other names on my list. 
Some of my options were:

• Eat, Drink, and be Shannon (like eat, drink, and be merry - get it? Would've worked better had my parents named me Mary)
• Adored & Adorned (taken)
• Fabulously Average (taken)
• Ensembles, Edibles, Etc. (got the "essence" perfectly, but I didn't like the flow)

After a day of brainstorming, I finally settled on Fully Fed. Finely Fashioned.  I shouldn't say "settled", though, because I don't feel as if I settled on this name; actually, I'm quite happy with it.

And so a blog is born! I'm excited to start posting outfit ideas, makeup tips, recipes, photos from my Holga camera, and other musings (and I'm sure more than one picture of my cat, Milo, will sneak itself into my posts).

See what I mean? Sneaky cat.