Homemade is so much better

I grew up having a salad with almost every meal and  we never used bottled dressings like all of my friends.  Mom dressed it perfectly with oil & vinegar.  She would use different types of vinegar depending on the result she wanted.  My Mom is an amazing cook, but  I haven't learned how to duplicate her recipe yet so I bought a gadget that I must tell you about.  

Chef’n Salad Dressing Emulsifier

I love that it has recipes on it or you can create your own.   The hubs is on a veggie kick and last night I made a Dijon & garlic vinaigrette for our salad.  I can not imagine going back to buying it in a bottle after having such fresh and delicious dressing.   I highly recommend this gadget.  I bought ours at Williams-Sonoma. 

Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

To shop or not....

Now that The Redbud Ride is behind us, I can start concentrating on the cruise we booked in July that leaves on May 6th.  I must confess that I'm not very excited about my first ever cruise.  I'm normally a very positive person, but for some reason this trip has me feeling blah...   So, I was wondering if adding a few new pieces to the old wardrobe would help. 

JS Boutique Dress

Aidan Mattox Dress

 I think I better make a trip to my local mall and check out the offerings.  Maybe a new dress will be just the thing to get me into the mood to cruise.  I wonder if I can hire someone to go through my entire wardrobe and pack for me.  That would be fabulous!

Photos from Macy's & Nordstrom

Spring Showers

The hubs and I are off to London, KY for The Redbud Ride.  I will ride 23 miles to his 103.  It is going to be cool and rainy.  Not what we were hoping for, but I will make the most of it.  The town looks super cute and I plan on doing some shopping while I wait for the hubs & his bro to finish.  Hope y'all have a great weekend.

Spring Showers by blondegigi featuring umbrellas

Seafood Saturday

On Saturday we bought some scallops to go along with the butternut squash raviolis that were already on hand.  I knew I wanted a simple brown butter sauce and thought capers would be a good addition.   So I did what I love to do - I googled the ingredients I wanted to use.  And to my delight, I found the perfect recipe.

We dined alfresco and the first word out the of  hubs upon tasting was... "Wow".   This recipe will have to be made again.  I may try it over a different pasta.  

Saw this in hanging an antique store in my town. 

The owner said it was the only worthwhile thing she received from her ex.  It is too cute not to share.

Friday finds

I love this cute bag from Kate Spade New York currently on sale for $173.00

This Ann Taylor mixed stripe scarf is perfect for spring.  I love how they styled it on their site.

or

Now to decide between these Nine West Lookglobal shoes in pink/grey or orange/natural....

Decisions, decisions! 

I hope y'all have a fabulous Friday and find something great too.

photos from Kate Spade, Ann Taylor and Nine West.

Sandal Savvy

I need something for wandering around the islands when we go on our cruise next month.  I love my flip flops, but I want to dress it up a bit.  What is your fav for traveling?

Sandal Savvy by blondegigi featuring gladiator sandals

Thrifty trends

Some trends I avoid and others I embrace with abandon.  Neon & neutral has me intrigued.   I have decided that this is one that I will keep on the thrifty side.  I'm not going to break the bank just to wear one season.  I ordered these online, on sale, free shipping and through ebates for some extra cash back.

Canvas-Strap Mid-Wedges

This bracelet from Tory Burch is the perfect balance.  I do not want to look like I'm trying to recreate the 80's!

Woven rope bracelet

I think this dress is super cute.  It may be perfect for the cruise.

Color block dress

I hope y'all have a wonderful Easter.  We are hosting, so I doubt I will have to time blog this weekend.

Thanks to Old Navy, Tory Burch & Piperlime for photos.

Proper polish

Did y'all know that in many jurisdictions nail polish needs to be treated like paint upon disposal?  Yup, that means you are not to just throw in the trash unless it's dried out, similar to how you let a can of paint dry out before tossing.

I had a few top coats that crack my polish and a pink polish that was super gloppy & I decided it was time to 86 them.   I used a piece of tissue paper that was in the recycle pile, went out on the porch - you need proper ventilation - and got to work.

I dumped out the polish and let them dry while I ran some errands.  A few hours, and some pollen later.

 All dry and ready for the trash can.

  

 I did a quick Easter mani last night before bed.  I have a Nutra Nail top coat that dries it instantly.  Perfect for those of us that polish in bed.

Hope y'all have a wonderful day!