A Blonde's Moment

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February 15, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

^^NYFW packing^^

dress, sold out {similar style} | ankle booties {leather version} | Chanel bag | MIMI Chatter Beauty Bag

Francesca-Liberatore-fw-2016-fashion-show

^^A peek at Francesca Liberatore‘s FW 16 show! More to come later this week!^^

^^A sweet treat Saturday morning with Laduree^^

^^#ootn for Francesca Liberatore‘s show^^

dress {similar style} | jacket c/o | ankle booties | Chanel bag | sunglasses | lipstick {#9}

^^Even though it was nearly 0 degrees, we had to stop at Milk Bar!^^

Happy Monday! I’m just home from New York Fashion Week and I wanted to share a quick Instagram recap of the weekend with you! I will be posting a full overview of a few shows, including Francesca Liberatore‘s amazing show this past Friday, later this week and next! It was a non-stop, bitterly cold, fabulous weekend, and I can’t wait to share every moment with you!

I hope you all have a wonderful start to the week! I’m actually off today for President’s Day and have a lot of catching up to do from the weekend away! See you tomorrow!

Citron x Navy

February 11, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

cabi ditsy skinny jeans c/o | navy sweater {comes in 5 colors!} | necklace, old {similar style & these beads would be fun to wear with it too!} | Karen Walker sunglasses, also here | citron pumps, last season {LOVE these} | Tory Burch Robinson bag {updated style} | Lancome lip crayon {#200}, NARS lipgloss {turkish delight}

I have a confession: I love printed jeans. Super fun to style, most can be worn year-round and they instantly jazz up an outfit, something that is often difficult to achieve with regular denim. For those reasons, it was completely necessary to add these cabi skinny jeans to my already extensive collection! My philosophy is when you find something you like, stick with it!

With so many colors featured in these jeans {navy, citron, blush pink and orange!} it was difficult to decide which color route to take. One thing was for sure, I wasn’t going to wait until spring to wear these colorful jeans! {P.S. did I mention how soft and comfortable they are?! That’s reason in and of itself to make these jeans a must-have!}

Since navy was a little more season/weather appropriate for our current weather situation, I went with this cute split back nep yarn sweater with a fun, confetti-like color {comes in 5 different colors!} and I couldn’t resist adding a little bit of color to the look with my citron pumps — one of my very favorite purchases from last spring {unfortunately, they are no longer in stock, but I linked another pair that I absolutely LOVE and would go fabulously with these jeans too!} As I mentioned, there is also that speck of blush pink, and if you caught yesterday’s post, you can bet that I will be pairing them with something blush really soon!

I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and Valentine’s Day! I’m heading to New York tomorrow for fashion week and couldn’t be more excited! Be sure to follow along on Instagram {rach.mccarthy} and Snapchat {rach.mccarthy7} for all my NYC and NYFW adventures! See you back here Monday!

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Spring Fever

February 10, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

crew neck sweater | cat-eye sunglasses | envelope clutch {available in 8 colors!} | blush & gold statement earrings | blush lipstick {bare} | blush nail polish {brill} | pave link bracelet | lace-up suede pumps | floral midi skirt

Happy Wednesday! After waking up to snow yesterday morning, I most definitely have spring fever! Granted, it wasn’t nearly as much snow as we had a few weeks ago, but this light coating of snow solidified that I’m ready for spring. Unfortunately, we are still in February and the true spring temperatures are still over a month away. So in the meantime, I will just have to keep dreaming of spring colors and patterns!

When it comes to a spring color, for me there is nothing better than a blush pink. I think blush details are the perfect way to complete your look, especially as we start to prepare our spring wardrobes. How cute are these statement earrings?! They are a perfect match for the blush lipstick and nail polish. I just love these colors!

I’ve had my eye on this floral midi skirt for the last week or so. Not only is the length perfect, but it’s also an a-line shape, my favorite fit! With so many pretty colors in this skirt, it would be easy to style now through spring! I love it with this crew neck sweater {one of my favorites and it basically comes in every color of the rainbow!} but it also would be cute with a blouse when the temperatures begin to warm up!

What are your favorite colors for spring? Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and see you back here for an all new outfit post tomorrow!

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Conversation Heart Puppy Cookies

February 9, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

Can you believe Valentine’s Day is already this weekend?! Last week, I shared a sweet treat for all the humans in your life and today, I’m sharing a treat for all the dogs! I love making Ella homemade treats — not only does she seem to enjoy ever bite, but by making them myself, I know all ingredients going into them. We are pretty particular about the kind of food and treats we feed her — besides being crazy puppy parents, she has quite the sensitive stomach. When I found this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, I thought it definitely had potential! Two of Ella’s favorite cookie ingredients happen to be chicken and peanut butter and although that combination might sound gross {super gross!} to humans, she loves it! I modified this recipe slightly by skipping the Parmesan cheese and cutting the cookies into hearts to recreate the conversation heart Valentine’s Day candy, which is all too appropriate! This recipe made a lot of cookies, so you could easily freeze any leftovers or send some to your dog neighbors!

Conversation Heart Puppy Cookies

{what you will need}

2 cups whole wheat flour, additional for dusting

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 cup creamy peanut butter, plus additional 2 tablespoons for frosting

{directions}

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the whole wheat flour, old fashioned oats and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken broth and peanut butter until a crumbly dough forms. Lightly flour your work surface and knead the dough until smooth. Roll the dough out into a circle, with a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Cut dough into desired shape and place on baking sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable oil or you can also use a silicon baking mat. Bake for about 20 minutes until slightly golden. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. For the frosting: mix about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with about 1 teaspoon water {you can play with the consistency by adding more water}. Place the peanut butter mixture in a frosting bag and, using a tiny circle decorating tip, pipe on desired sayings for your conversation hearts!

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Thanks so much for dropping by and have a great Tuesday!

70s Prep

February 8, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

novelstyle shop blouse c/o {20% off & free shipping with code RACHEL20} | Free People flared denim {morrisey} | Tory Burch Robinson tote | ankle booties, old {similar style} | Karen Walker sunglasses | earrings | Kate Spade watch, old {similar style} | David Yurman link bracelet, one-station bracelet | Lancome lip crayon {#200}, NARS lipgloss {turkish delight}

Happy Monday, friends! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed watching the Super Bowl! I spent most of the game editing pictures and writing this post, but I did catch the halftime show. I had my doubts going into it, but I thought it was pretty good! What were your thoughts?! As for commercials, how cute were the dachshunds in the Heniz commercial!! That definitely was one of my favorites.

You may remember last week when I shared the geometric necklace from novelstyle shop {you can see that post here}. And today I am sharing another piece from novelstyle — how cute is this blouse?! I love that this blouse is so easy to wear — whether it’s to work with dress pants or a skirt or even out to dinner with jeans — and it’s so soft and comfortable! Although, what I love most about this blouse is the peter pan collar. It adds the perfect amount of prep to an otherwise 70s look with these flared jeans. And a 70s look wouldn’t be complete with out these Karen Walker sunglasses!

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! Stop back tomorrow for one last Valentine’s Day themed post! Thanks for dropping by!

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Spring Poncho

February 4, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

cabi Siesta Poncho c/o | basic white tee {true to size, size up for baggier look} | distressed jeans, last season {this season here} | Tory Burch Robinson tote | Karen Walker sunglasses | red Hunter boots | earrings | Kate Spade watch {similar here} | David Yurman ring | David Yurman link bracelet, cuff | red YSL lipgloss {#9}

There is no question ponchos are one of my staple pieces for the fall and winter. They are easy to dress up or down, cozy, comfortable and cute! What’s not to love?! So when I saw this SPRING poncho from cabi, I had to have it! Our weather can be so tricky here in the D.C. metro area this time of the year. One day it will be cold, the next it’s warm! It was actually in the 60s yesterday…granted, we had a ton of rain, but still warm! And since we can have a few early spring days, with still the touch of a chill in the air, this poncho couldn’t be more perfect.

And with so many pretty colors in this poncho, it was hard to decide how to style it first! But, since I wore this look last Saturday while I was running errands, skipping through melted snow puddles, the laid back look of distressed jeans, a basic white tee and my Hunters were definitely a must! Did you notice the cute, decorative fringe? So on-point with style, too!

Do you have any fun plans for Super Bowl weekend? We will probably watch the game and I will make some kind of food, but no plans yet! I really need to come up with some recipes and make my grocery list…this Super Bowl really came up quickly for me! Have a fabulous weekend!

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Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her

February 3, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

fuzzy heart pillow | “three rows” bracelet | rosebud iphone case | pink retro sunglasses | “hearts of pandora” ring {also here} | red roses bath oil {larger size here} | MICHELE deco watch | jeweled drop earrings {only $14!} | valentine candle | pointed valentines ballet flat {also available in pink/white} | 3 piece pancake set | YSL mini monogram crossbody bag | pink d’Orsay sandal {available in 5 colors – love the gold linen!}

Happy Wednesday! Another Valentine’s Day inspired Wednesday Wishes for today’s post {you can see last week’s Valentine’s Day outfit inspiration post here} and this one is all about gifts for her! I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t be happy with any of these cute Valentine’s Day-inspired gifts, especially the watch and pink bag, right?! 😉 But, as much as I love both of these splurge worthy items, it’s often unrealistic to spend that much on Valentine’s Day gifts! So I came up with some fabulous gifts in all different price ranges to provide you {and your Valentine} a little inspiration!

One of my favorite gifts on this list is this fuzzy heart pillow. Not only would it make for the cutest seasonal accent pillow, there is a great story behind it. I found this while browsing Etsy {isn’t it just the best?!} and loved the concept: the heart comes in several different colors and is priced at $29, but $1 of each sale is donated to the charity of your choice. From the Humane Society to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are a variety of charities to pick from. What a great way to give back on the holiday of love!

As for the rest of the gifts, they are definitely more traditional: I love these blush and grey jeweled drop earrings {can you believe they are only $14?! } and the “Hearts of Pandora” ring with the heart detailing on the side. My engagement ring and wedding band have similar detailing so this ring especially caught my eye! And of course shoes are always a fabulous gift idea and these pointed toe heart flats are just way too festive!

Hope this gives you {and your Valentine!} a little gift inspiration before next week! Have a wonderful Wednesday and see you back here tomorrow!

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White Chocolate Valentine’s Day Popcorn

February 2, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I had a busy Sunday of recipe post cooking, including this sweet treat! With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I wanted to share with you a simple, fun and perfect for any age treat! Popcorn is the ultimate snack food and when mixed with white chocolate, conversation hearts and Valentine’s Day M&M’s, it turns into the sweetest snack ever!

Growing up, I remember my mom making carmel corn popcorn balls around Christmas and how delicious they were. Although this uses white chocolate instead of carmel, it’s just as sweet, delicious and addicting! This makes for such a cute Valentine’s Day treat for children or even your co-workers, like I did! And the packaging is totally up to you. I used clear treat bags and tied them off with pink ribbon, but you could easily display them in cute cupcake wrappers or use Valentine’s Day themed candy boxes!

**A few notes: Just a warning, the conversation hearts are considerably harder than the popcorn and M&M’s so be careful when chewing! And if all the popcorn didn’t pop in the microwave, be sure to remove any kernels that are left over before adding the candy and white chocolate 🙂

White Chocolate Valentine’s Day Popcorn

{what you will need}

1.5 bags popped popcorn

8 ounces white chocolate baking bar

12 ounces white chocolate morsels

8 ounce bag conversation hearts

11 ounces Valentine’s Day M&Ms

Pink food coloring, if desired

{directions}

Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. Place in large mixing bowl. Once cool, add the conversation hearts and M&Ms. Meanwhile melt the chocolate. You can do this in the microwave or oven. Here are my instructions for the oven: heat the oven to 300 degrees. Place all the chocolate in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish {break up the chocolate bar into smaller pieces so they are close to the size of the morsels}. Place the baking dish in the oven and leave the oven door slightly ajar. Cook for approximately 8 minutes, or until completely melted, stirring every 2 minutes to check the consistency. Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove from the oven and add desired amount of food coloring to tint the chocolate pink; continue to stir until fully incorporated. Add the chocolate to the popcorn and candy mixture and stir with a rubber spatula from the bottom up to make sure the chocolate sticks to all the popcorn and candy. When the chocolate is fully incorporated, place popcorn mixture onto rimmed baking sheets, smoothing into one layer. Allow to dry completely or speed up the process by placing in the freezer. Once dry, break into pieces and package with festive treat bags or candy boxes, if desired. Enjoy…it’s addicting 😉

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Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow!

Geometric Blanket Scarf

February 1, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

Lush tunic {on sale – only a few sizes left!} | Shein blanket scarf c/o | Zella leggings | novelstyle gold geometric necklace c/o {use code “Rachel20” for 20% off & free shipping!} | Stuart Weitzman OTK boots {similar style under $100!} | Tory Burch tote | Kate Spade watch {similar style} | David Yurman bracelets: here, here | earrings | Karen Walker sunglasses c/o Ditto Endless Eyewear {get your first month free with code ABLONDESMOMENT} | YSL lipstick {#9}

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I had a super busy Sunday with lots of cooking — there will be some delicious recipes coming your way in the next few weeks! On the snow front, as you can see, it is melting slowly but surely, which means that I can finally break out my OTK boots again! The OTK boot season seems to be relatively short for us — it’s still too warm in October and early November to wear them, and December through February means the possibility of snow and anything after that, well it’s spring! Let’s just say I like to find every opportunity to wear these boots — when the weather cooperates! And that also goes for finding new ways to wear them. When I saw this blanket scarf, I just knew these boots were the perfect accessory. And blanket scarves aren’t just for the fall! This cozy scarf works for any chilly day and can be worn SO many different ways! I always love the versatility of blanket scarves.

How cute is this geometric necklace?! I love to pair a dainty necklace with this v-neck tunic, it’s the perfect match! So when I saw this cute and fun shape, I knew it was made to be worn with this tunic. This geometric necklace is definitely a hit for me, even though that wasn’t the case for the subject of geometry in high school 🙂 I will be sharing another look from novelstyle next week, but until then, use the code “Rachel20” for 20% off and free shipping!

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday and see you tomorrow for a brand new Valentine’s Day recipe! Thanks for dropping by!

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Black & Winter Whites

January 28, 2016 by Rachel McCarthy

Shein black furry coat c/o {true to size} | black turtleneck | white jeans | black OTK boots {similar style & under $85!} | monogrammed clutch | Sparkle & Whim statement earrings c/o {sold out, love this style} | Prada cat eye sunglasses | David Yurman ring | Lancome lipstick {Drive To Pink}

Happy Thursday, friends! Hope you are all having a fabulous week! Our week was slightly shorten since the Federal government was closed Monday and Tuesday from the blizzard and we couldn’t get out of our street! We ventured out Sunday morning to take these pictures literally right in front of our house because we couldn’t walk anywhere! As you can see, the sun has been coming out, so hopefully that will help all this snow melt more quickly!

And since we had all this snow and this pretty backdrop, I figured it was the perfect time to break out the winter whites! And since black and white is the perfectly classic combination, I couldn’t resist pairing it with this black furry coat! Although it’s definitely a fashion coat, I must say it’s pretty warm too! Cozy and cute is always a great combination 🙂 Can you believe it’s under $25?! This is definitely a steal!

I mentioned a few posts ago how I have been using this Lancome lip crayon {#300} as a base for an everyday look {you can read the post here}. I tried another color from the collection {Drive To Pink} for today’s post and it is the perfect bright pink! I have quite a few pink lipsticks, but I have to say I love the creaminess of this Lancome lip crayon and that it’s super easy to apply. Oh, and it’s a perfect match for new bright pink clutch!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Not much planned on our end. Hoping I can get caught up on some food posts to share with you in the coming weeks since that wasn’t an option last weekend! Thanks for dropping by and see you Monday!

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