A Blonde's Moment

the perfect fall outfit

October 14, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

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**lip color: plum lush**

Happy Wednesday! Can you believe we are just about halfway through October?! I definitely noticed a chill in the air this morning and I couldn’t be more excited about it! Today, I am sharing some fall outfit inspiration, and for me, I would consider this to be my perfect fall outfit. You can’t beat a cozy sweater, jeans and boots! I have this sweater from last season in the cranberry color and I absolutely love it. It comes in several colors, but I have had by eye on this neutral heather latte color for fall!

Have you checked out the Shopbop Friends & Family Sale yet? I’ve included some of my favorite pieces below — this is one of the best sales of the year so be sure to check it out! Take 25% off with code INTHEFAM25. Sale ends tomorrow {10/15} at midnight!

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creepy cocktail: the dark & spooky

October 13, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Happy Tuesday, everyone! So sorry that I didn’t have a new post for you yesterday. As I mentioned in Thursday’s post, we spent the weekend celebrating my cousin’s wedding out of town. The plan was to photograph what I wore to the rehearsal dinner on Friday and the wedding outfit from Saturday, but it was such a cluster and a rush, we ran out of time!

Last Tuesday, I shared with you a simple Halloween treat that was perfect for all ages. Today, I am continuing the Halloween preparations and talking about a creepy cocktail! My husband is not only the wine connoisseur, but also the mixologist in the family. He has been experimenting with different cocktails as of late, so I enlisted him to help create a creepy cocktail that is perfect for a Halloween celebration.

The Dark & Spooky is a play on the Dark & Stormy — a simple, yet delicious cocktail with only three ingredients: fresh lime juice, ginger beer and rum. It’s easy to create a spooky effect by pouring the dark rum {a lighter rum is used in the traditional Dark & Stormy} over a spoon into the glass.

Dark & Spooky

{what you will need}

Juice from 1 lime

6 ounces ginger beer

1 1/2 ounces dark rum

Ice

{directions}

{1} Squeeze the juice from 1 lime directly into a glass filled with ice.

{2} Add the ginger beer into the glass.

{3} Pour the rum over a spoon into the glass which will allow the rum to be suspended on top of the ginger beer and lime juice mixture creating the creepiest of contrasts!

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

fall casual

October 8, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

chambray top | green utility jacket {longer style here} | black leggings | red Hunter boots, also here | tote bag | earrings | sunglasses | lipstick, lipgloss

Happy almost Friday! This week sure did fly, didn’t it?! This should be my last post with my Hunter boots for awhile. I apologize that you have been seeing them so much — with all this rain, I was literally living in them for the past two weekend! The one thing I can take away from all this boot wearing is that Hunter boots are definitely a wardrobe necessity. I had always wanted the red boots, but in the back of my head, I always wondered if I would find enough things to wear with them. After wearing them for the past two weekends, I can say that it a definite YES!

I wore this look last weekend and it was the perfect casual Saturday look for fall. I bought this jacket during the spring and was so happy with the purchase. Although, our spring was pretty short and the warmer temperatures moved in quickly, I wasn’t able to wear it all that much. Needless to say, I was counting down the days to the cooler fall temperatures to break it out of the closet. I am so happy that those temperatures are finally here!

This easy, comfortable look also incorporates one of my favorite pieces in my closet: the chambray shirt. There are SO many different ways to style chambray and I love that it can easily be dressed up or dressed down. I find myself gravitating to pieces such as this because I am always needing something that is 9-5 work appropriate, but also easy to throw on for a weekend. The chambray shirt fits the bill perfectly.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! We are off to my cousin’s wedding this weekend, so it’s time for me to get packing! Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Snapchat {rach.mccarthy7}!

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how to style silver & jewels for an everyday look

October 7, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

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Happy Wednesday, friends! Today I wanted to share some outfit inspiration for this week’s Wednesday Wishes. I have been drawn to jeweled accents and silver colors as of late and, as you can tell from this set, I’m obsessed with them in a big way! Usually thought of as perfect for a night out on the town, jeweled accessories and shades of silver can easily be added to your outfit to subtly glam up your look.

When I first saw this skirt in the new arrivals section, I was in love. Not only do I get super excited for anything tweed in the fall, but the skirt has the most perfect double zip that is totally on point for this season. And how about these flats?! You may remember I shared with you a few weeks ago my favorite fall shoe trends and one of the categories was menswear. I love that these silver flats are menswear-esque, yet with the pointed toe, there is a definite sense of femininity. And they can be styled with anything from jeans, to dress to skirts. Super versatile!

I’ve linked to some other jeweled pieces I’m currently loving below. Each of these items can be incorporated into your everyday look {even for work!} for some added sparkle!

Have a wonderful Wednesday and thanks for dropping by!

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witches’ hat cookies

October 6, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

It’s officially October, so it’s time to start thinking about Halloween! I know we are still a few weeks away, but these are so cute, I wanted to share them with you now. But don’t worry, there will be a few more Halloween ideas as we get closer to the holiday too 🙂

It’s hard to believe it’s almost that time, but it’s better to think of Halloween than Christmas. Has anyone else noticed Christmas items popping up in stores?! When I ran to the grocery store to get the ingredients for these cookies, I saw an ENTIRE Christmas cookie section. Unreal. It’s just the beginning of October!!

Anyways, I saw these cute cookies while searching for Halloween cooking inspiration and I just had to make them. With only a few ingredients, this is a fun and easy treat that can be done at any age. The only problem with this recipe is that if you are anything like me, you won’t be able to stop eating the Hershey Kisses once the cookies are complete. What are you suppose to do though, you have almost an entire bag of Kisses?! They should really make half bags for smaller recipes like these 🙂

Witches’ Hat Cookies

{what you will need}

1 package Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix

{plus ingredients on the back of the package}

Ready to use icing tubes {I used purple and orange}

15 Hershey Kisses

{directions}

Prepare cookies according to package instructions. Allow the cookies to cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooking rack. Be sure the cookies are completely cool before adding the frosting. Make a round circle of frosting in the center of the cookie and top with a Hershey Kiss. Makes about 15 cookies.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

the cape

October 5, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

plaid cape {under $40!} | black turtleneck | black leggings | red Hunter boots | floppy hat | Chanel bag {love this similar style for under $20 } | silpada necklaces {love this necklace too} | black onyx ring | watch {on sale!} | bracelet: here, here | lipliner {cherry}, lipstick {le orange}

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We had a super productive two days and even attended the Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival Saturday night. This was our third year attending, and even with the wind and rain, it was still fun to try some new Virginia wineries and visit a few favorites!

I wore this look Saturday evening, and it was fitting for a chilly and rainy fall evening. This cape was so warm and cozy and with it priced under $40, it was a no-brainer! And the hat was definitely a necessity — even with the hat on and under a tent for the majority of the evening, my hair began to frizz and curl. Also, I will apologize ahead of time for the excessive wearing of these boots. I have literally been wearing them for the past four to five days with all this rain. But, look at it this way: they are super versatile and the red color can go with SO much!

Hope you all have a fabulous week and see you tomorrow for a fun Halloween recipe!

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70s vibe

October 1, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Blouse: Lush via Nordstrom | Flares: Free People {on sale!} | Boots: Franco Sarto, old {super similar here} | Bag: Tory Burch, also here | Hat: Nordstrom | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Bracelets: here, here | Earrings: Nordstrom | Watch: Kate Spade | Ring: David Yurman | Lipstick: YSL {#26}

Happy Thursday, friends! Wow, can you believe another week is almost in the books?! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? We had some outdoor plans for Saturday, but that is looking more and more unlikely with the potential arrival of Hurricane Joaquin. Let’s hope we can have a little sunshine this weekend!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, flares are back! Flared jeans have always held a special place in my heart. In my middle school days, I was always wearing them. Although, the bell bottom leg is a little more present in this year’s trend than it was in the early 2000s. A quick, funny story for you: I saved a pair of flare jeans from the last time they were in style and wore them to work last Friday. I hadn’t worn this Free People updated version yet and was desperate for a trendy casual Friday look. Let’s just say I should have waited to wear the Free People flares. The last time flares were in style, apparently low-rise jeans were as well. Needless to say, I was pulling up my jeans all day and was super uncomfortable. All I could think of was “why were low-rise jeans ever a thing?!”

Thankfully these Free People flares have a MUCH higher waist and are super comfortable. From my experience, Free People jeans tend to run small, but these flares have a little stretch to them. I ordered my regular denim size and they fit perfectly!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and if you live on the east coast, try to stay dry!

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it’s all about the cape // splurge vs. save

September 30, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Splurge: 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8.

Save: 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8.

**splurge lipstick is #36 // save lipstick is chili**

Save and splurge is back! This is one of my favorite series here on A Blonde’s Moment. Not only do I love finding a good deal, but these collages are so fun to put together because it’s always my goal to find as close of a match as I can!

I’ve been talking about a lot of fall trends lately {exhibit A, exhibit B} but one piece I have had my eye on for a few months now is the cape. To me, the cape seems so Parisian and chic — and super practical for fall and early winter in Virginia. What I love most about this particular look is that black and white is always chic, but with the added pop of the leopard boots, it takes this outfit to a new trendy level. And you can never go wrong with red lips!

This is definitely an outfit I could see myself wearing this fall and early winter. I know this save cape is running low on stock {it was just on sale yesterday 🙁 } so here are a few more affordable capes I’m also loving: Mango Wool Blend Cape and Pinar Checked Wool Cape.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

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cinnamon apple banana bread

September 29, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

There was a fall chill in the air this past weekend and it made me so excited for the cooler temperatures to arrive. I get so excited each week when it’s time to make the grocery store list — I love looking through fall recipes I made last year and remaking and reworking some of my favorites.

Most of the time, I have my posts planned out ahead of time, but this recipe actually came on a whim on Sunday and it was just too good to not share with you! I’ve made this banana bread recipe before — it starts with a cake mix and a couple ingredients and 50 minutes later, you have a mouth-watering banana bread. But since I’ve had fall on my mind lately {and my bananas were about to go bad!} I incorporated two seasonal flavors to this bread that made for a delicious fall treat: cinnamon and apples. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing our house smelled when this came out of the oven!!

For those of you who have been following along for awhile now, you know I love cooking and coming up with recipes, but sometimes it’s not realistic to make a “from scratch” banana bread with our busy lives. Substituting the cake mix in for the sugar, flour, etc. is a great time saver 🙂

Cinnamon Apple Banana Bread

{what you will need}

1 yellow cake mix

2 Gala apples, diced

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 bananas, mashed

3 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cooking spray

Flour, for dusting

Butter, for serving if desired

{directions}

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dice the apples into small pieces and place in small bowl. Take about 1/3 cup of the cake mix and pour over the apples {just enough to coat the apples so they don’t sink to the bottom of the bread}. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the cake mix, mashed bananas, vegetable oil, eggs and cinnamon; stir to combine. Fold in the diced apples until completely incorporated. Spray a 9×5 pan with cooking spray and dust the pan with flour. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until the bread is set and golden brown {my bread took about 55 minutes}. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Serve with butter, if desired.

Have a great Tuesday and thanks for stopping by!

red plaid

September 28, 2015 by Rachel McCarthy

Scarf: SheIn c/o | Turtleneck: Nordstrom | Leggings: Zella | Boots: Hunter, also here | Bag: Modalu, similar under $200 here | Ring: David Yurman | Earrings: Nordstrom, under $40 here | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Lipstick: YSL {#13}

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! It was a little cooler here in DC this past weekend and it was the perfect opportunity to incorporate this fall scarf into my weekend wardrobe! I have always had an obsession with plaid and it only seems right to wear it during the fall months.

One of my favorite ways to style a larger scarf is by converting it into a sweater/jacket. It is such a cute and comfortable way to add a pattern to your look. And speaking of patterns, I love that this scarf is reversible! You can see the black and white plaid print in the one picture above as the wind was blowing, but stay tuned, I will be featuring that side on the blog soon 🙂

Lastly, this scarf is under $20, so snatch it up before it’s gone. It’s definitely too good of a deal to pass up! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Monday!

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