T-shirt and Jeans

Hello and Happy Friday Everyone! Some days call for something simple and comfortable.  You know the kind of mornings that you wake up and for some reason putting on a complicated outfit just seems way out of the question and like too much work.  This is the day you may settle for a t-shirt and jeans.  There's nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with that at all. Spice the whole thing up with some fun shoes and voila! My cousin Colleen, who you see here had the perfect pair of boots to add interest to this otherwise very simple ensemble.  I love the peak -a -boo of orange on the back of the ankle.  She kept her accessories to a minimum but the pop of blue from the bracelet was perfect.
 It was a construction day at my sister Jacque's house.  Her kitchen was in the middle of a remodel and there was  no way any of us wanted to hang around wearing anything too fancy.  We were all casually dressed mostly hanging out in the backyard enjoying the strong start of the Autumn weather, which thankfully included lots of sunshine.  We also had the company of my sister Erinn's adorable slobbery dog, Schlitz.  He was definitely not shy, but a bit of a ham actually.  It was a jeans and t-shirt kinda day for all of us girls.
X
Kelly

T-shirt - Sol Angeles - find similar via Peper & Parlor
Jeans - AG Stevie Ankle via Anthropologie
Boots - Dolce Vita
Sunnies - Ray Ban
Bracelet - Gorjana - find similar

Man Chili: Strong enough for a man, made by a woman

What else is exciting about Fall besides the Fashion?......  Times up, it's the food!  Comfort food is especially delightful in the cooler months of the year.  Chili happens to be one of my favorite recipes to make because it's easy, delicious and usually a crowd pleaser. Though it's not quite that nippy outside yet, Football season is now upon us. This dish is perfect for Sunday or Monday night football entertaining.  Toss out some tortilla chips with some fixins to add onto the chili and your in business. Though I call it man chili (because of the meatiness and beer) it is certainly edible for us ladies. I think when I call it "man chili" my husband gets more excited about it haha.  I myself prefer chili made with ground turkey, because it has fewer calories but this recipes appeals more to the masses as far as the hubby and our friends go.  I will share the chicken chili recipe for another day. In the meantime I have days worth of this chili leftover so we better get eating.  What are your favorite dishes to serve for football nights or any friendly get- togethers?

x

Jen

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 2 jalapeños, diced

• 1 ear of corn, shucked and removed from cob
• 1 cup cherry tomatos, halved
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt (I used Goya Adobo all purpose seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pinches Chipotle pepper seasoning
• 2 teaspoons green pepper tabasco sauce
• One 4-ounce can tomato paste
• One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• One 11 or 12 ounce bootle of beer ( I used Stella Artois)
• One 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• One 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  For Garnish
• Chopped red or green onion
• Shredded Cheddar or favorite cheese
• Sour cream
• Tortilla chips

Directions

1. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven or an extra large deep sauce pan. Heat oil over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. 
2. Add the onions, garlic and peppers and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  
3. Stir in the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces, and cook until browned. 
4. Drain the beef mixture through a colander. Add the meat back to the Dutch oven and stir in the chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and chipotle pepper seasoning . Cook for about 2 minutes. 
5. Stir the tomato paste into the beef, about 2 minutes.  
6. Stir in the tomato sauce and add the beer stirring until combined completely. Bring mixture to a simmer. 
7. Add the diced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, corn, jalapeños and beans and stir. 
8. Stir in the seasoned salt and the tabasco sauce.
9. Simmer on medium-low for 1.5 -  2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from sticking.
10. Serve with an array of garnish to top off your chili :)
    

My go to garnish bowls from Anthropologie

Simple Black Dress

A few weeks ago I traveled home to PA to visit family.  If I get an early start on my travels by leaving Friday I can usually set aside time on Sunday to hang out with friends.  I find going home and seeing my oldest friends can sometimes be such a great de-stresser for me.  There is nothing like hanging out on the sofa with a coffee or a glass of vino (depending on the time of day) and just catching up with your girlfriends.  This particular Sunday was one of those great laid back days.  I spent a few hours at Kelly's house before boarding my train back to the city.  Kelly got a text from her friend and neighbor, Rose.  Rose was picking out an outfit for a "date night" with her boyfriend.  I know date night sounds so dorky but we love to use this phrase and we agree that dates nights are 100% necessary in any relationship, married or not. We decided to have some fun and help Rose get ready for her fun night out. Rose ended up borrowing Kelly's simple black dress from Prairie Underground found at Peper & Parlor. She paired it with flat black sandals.  The weather was sunny but cool enough to wear this light cotton comfy dream of dress.  Color popping accessories, gold hoops and natural makeup were the few finishing touches.  I thought Rose looked simply pretty and her hair so perfect.
x
Jen

 Dress-  Prairie Underground

Belt - Antthropologie

Shoes - Rag & Bone

Sunnies - Marc by Marc Jacobs

Clutch - Amici Accessories

Hoop Earrings - Anne Klein

Watch - Michael Kors

Thumbs Up for Thumb Holes

Though the first official day of  Fall is not until the 22nd, it sure does feel like Fall is here.  It's funny how quick we are to run towards the sweaters, boots and jeans as soon as September rolls around.  It must be that subconscious feeling that back to school time has arrived or maybe we just love the change of style from season to season. Since the weather is actually still pretty warm and humid here on the East coast, we can't totally take the leap from Summer to Fall fashion but we can certainly get started on the transition. 

In these pics you will see my cousin Colleen. We were off for some shopping and bonding for the later part of the day.  Her outfit is a great example of transitioning your shorts from mid- Summer to September.  First of all I love boots with shorts. These printed shorts can be worn very casually but when  paired with booties it dresses it up just a tad more as she did for an early evening out. I think her necklace was just the accessory that this outfit needed.  I love coral as the accent color with black and white.  As the evening approached so did the chill in the air. Colleen borrowed my light-weight cardigan to layer on top of her tank.  This piece may be my favorite element to this whole look for the simple fact that it has THUMB holes. It is also a new favorite addition in my closet.  The thumb holes make this airy sweater look so cozy and adds a bit of interest.  Thumbs up for thumb holes! How are you evolving your Summer wardrobe for the month of September?

x

Kelly

Cardigan - Alternative

Ikat shorts - Anthropologie

Tank Blouse - Express

Booties - Candies

Necklace - Stella & Dot

Sunnies - Loft