Closet Fashionista

{food} What I'm Baking - Part 42

2026-05-14T07:30:00.000-04:00

Baking time! We've got a mostly beige lineup this time, and the brownies are pretty close, ha ha! Most of them were winners or winners with some tweaks, so I will be making them again at some point. Not shown in this roundup is the two Whipped Cream Dream Cakes I made last month. I made one for a friend who just had a baby and one for Christian and I because he was jealous, ha ha. Watch me make one in this Reel!

Strawberry Jam Sugar Cookies (using raspberry)

I've made these a couple times before and they're always tasty! I just haven't figured out how to store them without them getting sticky yet. I used raspberry preserves instead of strawberry this time, because that was the catalyst for making them - using up the preserves! I imagine they'd work with just about any type of preserve because the base is a simple sugar cookie. Delicious!

Almond Croissant Cinnamon Rolls

I don't remember how I found this recipe, but it is from a creator I had not seen before. They sounded and looked great so I decided to give them a go! The recipe took me a couple days because I started on Friday and formed them into rolls before bed so I could bake them first thing in the morning Saturday. I took them out of the fridge before we went to the grocery store and baked them when we got home. It did take about double the baking time because they were probably still cold from the fridge, so next time I'll leave them out a little longer before baking. Christian and I looooved the frangipane filling, and Christian went as far to say these are his second favorite "rolls" after my maple sticky buns! I also gave one to my mom and she said it was delicious! Will definitely be remaking these.

Wild Blueberry Crumble Bars

These were my contribution to Easter dessert. I had saved this recipe last year and finally got around to making it. It's super easy and not many ingredients! We keep frozen wild blueberries on hand for Christian's breakfast and if I want to make blueberry muffins so we had everything in the house already! Before we left my Dad stole a bunch to have for breakfasts. When Dad takes something for breakfast, that's a success! Ha ha.

Quaker's Best Oatmeal Muffins

We bought quick oats on sale a while ago because I needed some for a recipe and they were buy 2 for $3 so we got 2 containers. Christian figured he would use them for his morning oats but then decided he didn't like the texture of them. So I hunted for a few recipes so I could use them for my own breakfasts. These muffins were the first one I tried! They baked up beautifully so I was excited to try them! They were pretty good, but I think next time I will add some cinnamon to add a bit more flavor. Overall, a great quick breakfast option!

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

This one is a little more like dessert than breakfast, but still tasty thanks to the coconut topping! The texture of the cake was a little off for me, but that is to be expected when using oats. I probably wouldn't make this one again because it's not healthy for breakfast, but maybe I'll use the topping on some muffins!

Easy Fudge Brownies

With the price of chocolate not going down I'm always happy to find a recipe that uses less of it. Jenna formulated these brownies to be made with cocoa powder instead of melting chocolate but still uses chocolate chips in the brownies for added texture. They were really rich and fudgy, yum!! In the future I may try it without adding the chips to really make it without those expensive nuggets of deliciousness, but we'll see.

{recap} Wardrobe Update - April 2026

2026-04-30T07:30:00.028-04:00

I got a few basics this month with two $10 J.Crew coupons that were floating about. I was going to get a purple tee and the blue v-neck but then I ended up getting a second blue tee to see if either would match one of my favorite tees from Everlane that I had to get rid of last year. One is also a men's tee, why do they get nicer shades sometimes? The men's color is closer to what I was going for, but still a little darker.

We also went to the last opening day for the Eddie Bauer outlet at the Westbrook Outlets by chance after a cars and coffee event we went to where everything was at least 80% off. Christian had discovered he loved their tees so we wondered if they might have some left. They did not, but he got a couple fleecey long sleeves for $30 total (this one and this one.) I ended up finding some things for myself too for camping/workouts. There were mostly just super small and very large items left on a couple racks but I managed to squeeze into a pair of fleece-lined pants, leggings and got a large tank that will be nice and loose for Summer, ha ha, all for $40.

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

None yet

Basics:

*NEW!* J.Crew vintage relaxed v-neck in Evening Shadow ($9.50, retail $34.50, used ad money)
*NEW!* J.Crew broken-in t-shirt in Bellport Blue ($9.50, retail $36.50, used ad money)

Shoes:

None yet

Handbags:

None yet

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

Eddie Bauer Polar Fleece-Lined Pants in Black - similar ($18, retail $90)
Eddie Bauer Tank Top in Grey ($5, retail $25)
Eddie Bauer Trail Tight High Rise Legging in Grey - similar ($19.80, retail $99)

Gifted from Brands:

Aurate x Marilyn Monroe: Lab Grown Red Marquise Earring Threader c/o Aurate
Pearl Drop Necklace c/o Aurate

Spent in April: $42.80

Spent in 2026: $42.80

Spent in 2026 - counting ad money: $61.80

{recap} Wardrobe Update - March 2026

2026-03-31T07:30:00.003-04:00

This month went by pretty quickly, didn't it? I wasn't really in a shopping (or window shopping) mood this month so I didn't add anything to my closet.

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

None yet

Basics:

None yet

Shoes:

None yet

Handbags:

None yet

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

Aurate x Marilyn Monroe: Lab Grown Red Marquise Earring Threader c/o Aurate
Pearl Drop Necklace c/o Aurate

Spent in March: $0

Spent in 2026: $0

Spent in 2026 - counting ad money: $0

{food} What I'm Baking - Part 41

2026-03-11T07:30:00.000-04:00

I took a bit of a baking break before and after our cruise but now we're back in the game! In this roundup I was able to use my Le Creuset tarte dish and classic pie dish, items I don't use often because I'm not a huge fan of pies or tarts, haha!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

I have had this recipe saved for quite a while to make and just never got around to it. Finally decided to make it for a somewhat last minute "big game" get together. I don't really care about football but I go for the food, ha ha. This was fairly easy to make, but I had some difficulty with the crust at first because Christian and I are used to making pie crust, not tart crust, so when the recipe said to keep pulsing the dough in the food processor until it came into a ball it seemed like it wasn't working and not coming together. But we just had to leave it going for a whiiiiile. This was my first real time making caramel, so that was fun. And ganache is old news at this point, so easy to make (and so good!) This one came out a little thin, but I went with it.

Life Changing Chocolate Pie

This was our Valentine's Day dessert. It was super easy to make, no baking involved, but very expensive becasue of the price of chocolate these days. Worth it for a special occasion though! I needed to make the whipped cream a little stiffer and the filling was a little loose overall but it was delicious! We still have one slice left each as of writing this paragraph...yum!!

Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Yogurt Muffins

These popped up on Instagram and Christian always has Greek yogurt on hand for breakfast so I decided to whip these up. I DO NOT like yogurt, but luckily you can't really taste it in this recipe. I could tell something was a little different but it didn't gross me out too much so I call that a win, ha ha! The recipe uses maple syrup and extra virgin olive oil as well, very interesting! I will definitely be keeping these in the rotation, super easy and "healthy."

Whipped Cream Dream Cake

This is the second time I have made this cake, it's so easy and a great way to use up some heavy cream. I doubled the filling this time because we like chocolate. Fun fact - Christian forgot I had made it previously and was freaking out at how delicious it was. He proclaimed it a top 5 dessert and when I reminded him I had made it before he was incredulous! So amusing. Needless to say this will remain on rotation whenever I have heavy cream.

Date Night Chocolate Fudge Cake for 2

Made this to use a little bit more of the leftover heavy cream from the other bakes! They were easy and pretty tasty. I still prefer chocohotopots because they are even easier and I love the texture of them more. These got a little too cakey for me, which is what they're supposed to be so nothing wrong with the recipe, just my preference.

Madeleines

I got myself a madeleine pan just after Christmas and have been trying to find the perfect combo of recipe and method to get the perfect bake with tall humps. I trolled reddit for tips and even watched a youtube video where someone tried a ton of recipes. I decided to do orange zest instead of lemon for all my attempts. So far I have tried recipes from Daniel Boloud and Sally's Baking. I have been starting them at 450 and then lowering the temp to 350 after they start to puff up a bit.

My first attempt was Daniel's and I overfilled them so I think that contributed to them not having humps; a few of them had small ones. The first time I tried Sally's recipe exactly as written they didn't get humps and were very light in color. The next time I followed tips I had found for cooking the batter in the fridge, filling the molds and then freezing the pan before baking. When I did that method her batter was too crumbly after refrigerating BUT the did have humps! My next attempt will be Daniel Boloud again and I will fill them less and freeze for longer before baking.

{recap} Wardrobe Update - February 2026

2026-02-27T07:30:00.002-05:00

2 months into the new year already, wow... No new clothing items purchased this month, but I may be going to Roundabout tomorrow after an appointment so that might change and I'll update, haha! I did do a sponsored post that resulted in a couple new pieces! A pair of gorgeous Marilyn Monroe inspired earrings as well as a pearl necklace that hasn't arrived yet (made to order)

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

None yet

Basics:

None yet

Shoes:

None yet

Handbags:

None yet

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

Aurate x Marilyn Monroe: Lab Grown Red Marquise Earring Threader c/o Aurate
Pearl Drop Necklace c/o Aurate

Spent in February: $0

Spent in 2026: $0

Spent in 2026 - counting ad money: $0

{outfit} A Valentine's Day Lunch Date

2026-02-17T07:30:00.056-05:00

Christian and I don't usually go crazy for Valentine's Day, especially on the actual day. Normally I just make one of our favorite dinners and a fun dessert and then we might go out for a fancier than normal dinner on the weekend. Since Valentine's Day was on Saturday this year we went out for a lunch date in Mystic.

Before we get to the activities of the day, let's talk about my outfit! I decided to pile on some of my favorite jewelry from Aurate. They have everything from dainty diamond necklaces and gold rings to pearls, gemstones and more! There's something in every price range and style. My favorites are their earrings. 90% of the time I'm wearing a pair of Aurate earrings, I wear them in the shower, to sleep, everything!

For those of you that are new to Aurate, here's a quick intro. Their mission is to offer sustainable, ethical handmade jewelry at affordable prices. They use recycled gold, ethically-sourced diamonds, and sustainably harvested pearls. The pieces are handmade by artisans, not a machine churning out hundreds a day. I've been a fan since 2018 so I have amassed quite the collection and gifted pieces to family members as well!

It's still very cold around here so my coat was the major part of my outfit, ha ha. I wore my Burberry coat since it is bright red, perfect for Valentine's Day (and Christmas.) Normally I'll wear some form of red as part of my outfit to be festive but this year I just wore a comfy sweater, jeans and loafers since my coat took care of the red. I got these shoes for Christmas and haven't really had a chance to wear them because of all the snow and slush.

On our day date we headed to Mystic, one of the cutest towns in Connecticut. We decided to try a new restaurant this time and headed to The Port of Call. But before lunch we took a stroll around Old Mistick Village, there are so many cute shops we love to stop in - especially the olive oil & honey store, Sticky Situations. We made it out without spending any money in that store but we did walk away with donuts from Deviant Donuts.

Sweater: Rachel Zoe (Marshalls)

Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop)

Bag: Chanel Classic 2.55 Double Flap (Madison Avenue Couture)

Shoes: Sam Edelman Kyana Loafer in Plum Wine Suede (DSW)

Coat: Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red via Marijane Boutique

Jewelry c/o Aurate: Crossover Ring, Pearl & Gold Bar Stud Earring, Pearl Stud Earring, Simple Pearl Bracelet, Medium Paperclip Chain Bracelet, Toi et Moi Gemstone Mini Heirloom Ring with Citrine & Amethyst, and Pearl Lariat Necklace (no longer available)

Shop the outfit:

A look at the rest of our day:

*This post was made in partnership with Responsival.*

{recap} Wardrobe Update - January 2026

2026-01-31T07:30:00.001-05:00

The end of the month sure snuck up on me! I didn't make any new clothing purchases this month, but I did pick up some new undergarments from Soma and Victoria's Secret during sales. Always nice to start the new year fresh, ha ha. I almost bought a couple pairs of pants (jeans + cargo pants) from The Outnet earlier in the month but when I went to actually make the purchase later in the day the price of both items jumped up in my cart but not on the product page, very annoying! Chat was of no help so I stood my ground and resisted because they weren't necessities. At the extra sale price they would have been worth it.

I had my eye on a few pieces to add to my wardrobe last year, but this year I don't really think there's anything specific I want. I may get a couple new bathing suits, because all of mine are years old, and Summer dresses/tops, but otherwise I think I'm pretty set. Of course there will probably be a few random things that catch my eye. It's hard for me to say no to a really cute sweater.

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

None yet

Basics:

None yet

Shoes:

None yet

Handbags:

None yet

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

None

Spent in January: $0

Spent in 2026: $0

Spent in 2026 - counting ad money: $0

{outfit} A Walk at the Zoo

2026-01-15T07:30:00.021-05:00

Last September after I went to the zoo with my best friend and her daughter I upgraded my ticket to an annual pass for Christian and I! We've always talked about getting a pass for this zoo because it's close to home and the perfect place for a morning walk on the weekends. We went the weekend after New Years to get some steps and fresh air.

I put some comfortable arch support inserts from PowerStep in my favorite Winter boots. I have walked miles and miles in these boots and the inserts really help make it painless. They fit in so man of my shoes so it's nice to be able to move them to whatever pair I'm waring for the day. To make them even cozier (and warmer) I added some fur FlatSocks!

We spent a couple hours walking around the Beardsley Zoo and saw some of our favorite animals! The American Red and Mexican wolves were enjoying a snack so they were super active and we spent a lot of time with the adorable Red Pandas! I also finally got a good view of the Brazilian Ocelot, it's always been napping out of view when I'm there. It may have been cold but the zoo does have a few indoor areas so we could warm back up while still enjoying the animals.

Sweater: Mīere the Label women's cotton knit sweater in terracotta

Jeans: J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral (Gilt Groupe)

Boots: Vintage Snowland Moccasin Ankle Boots (from Grandma - their first appearance)

Bag: Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red classic calfskin

Purple Coat: Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple (Anthropologie)

Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop

Scarf: Madewell Houndstooth Patchwork Scarf

Ombre Hat: Disney World

Shop the look:

Here's a peek at my shoe insole stack!

{recap} Wardrobe Update - December 2025

2025-12-31T07:30:00.002-05:00

Happy end of December and end of 2025. Let us hope that 2026 is a better year.

In the meantime, I got a couple new items of clothing for Christmas! A purple cardigan top and some purple loafers!

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)
*NEW!* Rachel Zoe purple cardigan (Christmas gift)

Basics:

Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)
Marled brown cardigan via Marshalls - similar option ($29.99)

Shoes:

Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)
*NEW!* Sam Edelman Kyana Loafer/Kyana Bit Loafer in Plum Wine Suede (Christmas gift, retail $150)

Handbags:

Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

Nood No Show nipple covers - use code MEGANB for 15% off!

Spent in December: $0

Spent in 2025: $1,144.92

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,659.94

{food} What I'm Baking - Part 40

2025-12-29T07:30:00.008-05:00

Hello!! We've got an interesting assortment of bakes for this roundup! Some holiday bakes and random "I'm in the mood for this" items. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is ready for New Years Eve! We will be having jukn food at home on the evening and then depending on weather will smoke some meat or make pizza on New Years Day!

Fudgy Brown Butter Brownies

I wanted to make something quick-ish and easy and these brownies fit the bill! I don't think I had the right type of dry milk powder, because my mixture was a little chunky, but the flavor was still amazing and the texture worked itself out during baking.

Moelleux au Chocolat

This was a recipe I randomly saw on Instagram. Usually I'm weary to trust things that I'm just served on the algorithm, but the recipe was simple enough that I could tell it would work. While it is only 5 ingredients the process is a little fussy because you have to be careful not to deflate the egg whites. The process of baking 2/3 of the cake first and then adding the last 1/3 to get that molten center is so smart! Delicious!! Definitely a cake to make if you want to show off without spending all day baking.

Apple Cider Cake

I have made this cake multiple times and it always comes out great. The first time in a loaf pan and some mini cake pans, the next few in my bundt pan. I made the glaze for the first time, normally I skip it to make it a little less sugary, ha ha. They always came out a little short because my bundt pan is a 12-cup capacity and the recipe is for 10-cups. This time I decided to scale up the recipe to see how it would turn out. That did the trick, obviously. Now I'm going to have to scale up all my other bundt cake recipes!

This is the bundt pan I use and, as mentioned above, its a 12-cup capacity. Note: I bought a bundt cake keeper a few years ago and it comes in really handy for storing and taking the bundt with me somewhere. I also put other baked goods in it to keep them air tight.

Gingerbread Cookies

Confession: I have never made gingerbread before. I just don't really care for the flavor or super crunchy texture. I decided to finally try Jenna's recipe because she said on Instagram that it wasn't too "spicy" and wasn't dry. I actually kind of enjoy them! Plus they were fun to decorate.

Raspberry Frangipane Bars

I have had this recipe in my "to make" folder for a while and thought it would make a nice Christmas treat! It was fairly simple to make and I really enjoyed them! There were so many desserts at our celebration that we ended up with a bunch leftover. Fine by me! Ha ha. I didn't get a great photo of the finished bars because we were crazy with celebrations, so we'll have to go with these.

Pizza (King Arthur Baking Class recipe)

I'm going to count this as baking, because it went in an oven! But not the regular oven... my parents surprised me with an Ooni Koda 2 pizza oven for Christmas! I wish my mom caught my face on camera when I opened the box because I'm sure I looked nuts. Of course our first order of business the day after Christmas was heading to BJs to get a propane tank and fill it up so we could use the oven!

Our first pizza was a bit of a fail because we don't have a pizza turner yet (this was a test to see what accessories we actually needed, haha!) and it was too big to turn with a small grilling spatula. So we split the next ball of dough I had made in four to make mini pizzas that were much more manageable! I can't wait to try a bigger pizza once we get our tuner!

{outfit} A Dressier Thanksgiving

2025-12-09T07:30:00.005-05:00

For our second Thanksgiving I was able to dress up a little bit more since we'd be at my Aunt's house with no dogs to jump on me, ha ha. I had wanted to wear this outfit back in October for my birthday trip to Woodstock but figured it would be impractical for walking around and saved it for Thanksgiving!

For holidays - or any day really - I always love to break out my Aurate jewelry! They've got everything from beautiful gold rings and gemstone jewelry to diamonds! For this look I stacked a couple of my station necklaces and wore my pearl studs. If you're still on the hunt for the perfect gift for a loved one I highly suggest checking on their offerings! There's something for every budget and I am always complimented on my pieces. I grabbed my sister a cute pair of pearl drop earrings!

This is my first time wearing these booties since I got them fixed at the cobbler! When I bought them over 10 years ago they had some wrinkles in the insole so I got them "cheap" and thought I could get past the annoyance. But I found the more I wore them the wrinkles were too big to ignore. So they sat mostly unworn until I finally brought them to the cobbler this year! They aren't perfectly smooth now, but much better than before! Excited to wear them more often again!

Also broke out my vintage leather skirt. I found a very similar skirt that you can buy, it might actually be exact. When I bought this skirt in 2013 (for $10 at Coco's on the Green!) it was actually midi length but I had my Mom shorten it because it overwhelmed me. The skirt I found looks much l like my original and could be shortened to get the same effect!

I expected it to be a little chilly on our drive home so I grabbed my Burberry coat too! This and my Prada bag are two of Christian's favorite pieces I own. He likes to say he talked me into buying them, ha ha. I almost didn't buy the coat because I didn't need one, but I did really want it. So the fact that he really liked it pushed me to splurge. So he did make me feel less bad about my decisions ;)

Sweater: Marc by Marc Jacobs cropped sweater (The RealReal)

Leather Skirt: Sienna Studio (Coco's on the Green)

Lace-Up Suede Booties: Gianvito Rossi 'Finlay' lace-up boot (Marshalls)

Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)

Coat: Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red via Marijane Boutique

Earrings c/o Aurate Pearl Studs (rose gold)

Necklaces c/o Aurate Organic Pearl Station Necklace & Endless Gemstone Station Necklace in Rose Quartz

Shop the look:

{outfit} Cozy for Thanksgiving at Home

2025-12-02T07:30:00.049-05:00

We had a couple different Thanksgiving celebrations this year, as we do most years. First was at my Mom's with just my siblings; this year we also had my sister-in-law's brother and girlfriend over. Since there would be dogs and lots of food at this gathering I went with a comfortable outfit of jeans and a sweater.

I've been wanting to break out these old Free People flares for a while but I need to wear them with tall shoes so it had to be for a special occasion. They are so fun and always make me feel very tall! I think the last time they made it on the blog was 2019, yikes! Their first appearance was September 2011, so they're 14 years old! I was able to find a couple on eBay and linked them below if you want a pair!

Funnily enough, the major pieces are all from Marshalls throughout the years. Funny when that happens!

Sweater: Marled (Marshalls)

Jeans: Free People (Marshalls)

Pumps: Coach 'Nacie' pump in burgundy (Marshalls)

Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)

Necklace c/o Aurate Aura Beaded Necklace

Necklace c/o Aurate Toi et Moi Gemstone Heirloom Ring

{recap} Wardrobe Update - November 2025

2025-11-28T07:30:00.020-05:00

I added a new basic to the closet this month - a cozy brown cardigan I found at Marshalls. I've been keeping my eye out for a great brown sweater or cardigan for a while now and just happened to flip past this on the rack at Marshalls. It was the only one and was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't find it online, but it is very similar to this sweater, also on their website and this wool & cashmere option.

Earlier this month, Nood sent me a couple of their products to try out. This is not something I usually talk about on the blog, but as someone who hates to wear bras I love when I can avoid that. I had been using another brand of non-adhesive nipple covers previously, so I was curious to see how Nood's covers differed. I received both their non-adhesive and adhesive covers. The smaller size made them stay on easier and just like my other brand, they were invisible under my clothes! I wear the non-adhesive ones under tighter shirts and use the grippy with looser shirts. I'm interested to see how wearing them for a longer period of time goes, I've only had them a couple weeks at this point but I am very happy with them. The adhesive ones take a bit more maintenance, but it's worth it!

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)

Basics:

Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)
*NEW* Marled brown cardigan via Marshalls - similar option ($29.99)

Shoes:

Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

Nood No Show nipple covers - use code MEGANB for 15% off!

Spent in November: $29.99

Spent in 2025: $1,144.92

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,659.94

{outfit} An Autumnal Birthday in Vermont

2025-11-11T11:45:00.091-05:00

Only sharing this a month after my birthday, no big deal, ha ha. Christian and I took our annual trip to Vermont for my birthday. Instead of camping in the car like we usually do, we stayed at Jackson Gore Village in Ludlow, VT to try out a new area. We always make a stop in Woodstock because it is so pretty and this year was no different. I'll share our itinerary for the day after the outfit photos!

Sweater: Burberry beaded owl knit (eBay)

Jeans: Mother Denim 'The Looker Crop' in True Hollywood Lies c/o Marshalls

Ballet Flats: Chanel caviar leather Cap Toe/Cambon Ballet Flat in burgundy and purple (more here) via eBay

Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome)

Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)

Originally we were going to go to the other side of southern VT to explore but one of my favorite bakers, Gesine Bullock Prado, had a new book coming out and was doing a talk and signing in Woodstock so we just had to go. ;) Her book, My Harvest Kitchen, is a mix of gardening and recipes. Christian is the gardener in our household so he was very excited to hear some of her tips and tricks on the subject! After the chat we had her sign our book and thanked her - while also telling her one day we'll take one of her baking classes!

Now let's rewind to the beginning of the day. We left the house around 6am and parked around the Woodstock Green right at 8:55am. There were tons of parking spots when we arrived but just 10 minutes later it was full up, crazy! After taking obligatory photos in front of the covered bridge (with no crowds and no cars, thankfully!) we headed to Mont Vert Cage to have breakfast because we've always wanted to stop there and never did.

Unfortunately, we were very underwhelmed. The process of having to wait in line to order food and then find a table and wait for the food was not the most enjoyable. People were also holding tables for family that were still in line so that made it hard for people who already ordered to find a table. The food was also overpriced for what it was. Neither of us were really satisfied with our meals, so this will be a skip from us from now on, unless there is absolutely no line.

After that we window-shopped through the local spots and then took more touristy photos with the mums in front of the Woodstock Inn. One day we'll stay here, but it is very expensive and always booked up. Then we headed to the library to wait for Gesine's chat. That ended around 2 so we did some more walking around town and visited Faulkner Park to try and get some animal photos with Christian's new lens, but they were shy.

Before we left we stopped at Woodstock Scoops for an amazingly delicious Maple Creemee. SO GOOD. They use local dairy and Vermont maple syrup. Once we finished our ice cream we drove over to Plymouth Cheese on the way to our hotel. Christian picked up some of their Vermont Cheddar and I grabbed some "jamples" of jam.

We checked into the hotel at 5 and headed right back out again for dinner at On the Rails. I was a little scared to try Vermont pizza but we actually really enjoyed it! The onion rings were also delicious. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the grocery store and picked up a mini birthday cake to end the evening!

{outfit} Sightseeing in Vermont

2025-11-05T07:30:00.076-05:00

What I wore for our second day in Vermont for my birthday weekend last month! We started our day having breakfast at The Hatchery in Ludlow. We checked in around 9:15 and then walked around the conveniently located farmers market on the street directly next door until our table was ready. I had the most amazing cinnamon bun french toast and Christian had home fries poutine! Delicious!

After that, we were going to check out a local Cider Festival but we had too much time to kill before it started and it was in a very small town with not much else to do. We decided to skip ahead to a quick walk through The Vermont Country Store. Unfortunately it was full to the brim with leaf peppers and was the busiest I've seen it since the 90s! We have been going every Summer during our camping trip since the early 1990s so to see it this busy in the Fall was crazy! Since it was so crowded we left pretty quickly, took some outfit pictures in front of the store and at a nearby gazebo and moved on to Hogback Mountain and the 100-mile view. Even though we missed peak foliage, it was still very pretty! After enjoying the view for a bit we grabbed a maple creemee (the one we had in Woodstock was better) and began our drive home.

These are actually one of my most worn pairs or shoes in Fall and sometimes Spring because they are so easy to just slip on and off when I'm running to the grocery store or somewhere fast. They don't often make the blog, but they deserve to, ha ha. I brought them on this trip as a backup pair of shoes if my other pairs hurt my feet. Spoiler: I killed the top of my heels (the part where the top of a flat rubs against your skin) walking too much the day before so I needed backless shoes.

Sweater: Polo by Ralph Lauren cashmere waffle knit sweater (Marijane Boutique)

Jeans: Free People 'Jax' Patchwork Jean in black

Shoes: BCBGeneration Yerra slip on sneaker (DSW)

Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome)

Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)

{recap} Wardrobe Update - October 2025

2025-10-31T07:30:00.023-04:00

Happy Halloween!

No new closet items this month. I did get a gift from a promotion Hulu/Gilmore Girls help on Instagram - an "I am an Autumn" sweatshirt that has become my comfy around he house top, ha ha. I also finally posted my closet update from September! Go check it out to see what I added and improved.

Was pretty boring around here this month except for my annual birthday trip to Woodstock, Vermont. I was also supposed to go to Disney last weekend but my best friend wasn't able to work it out so we cancelled. Let's hope I can get back there soon, the withdrawals are real!

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)

Basics:

Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)

Shoes:

Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

None

Spent in October: $0

Spent in 2025: $1,114.93

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,629.95

{food} What I've Been Baking - Part 39

2025-10-28T07:30:00.018-04:00

It's almost Halloween! We've got a couple on-theme bakes in this round-up, but I didn't do much "Halloween" baking.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

When Tessa of Handle the Heat posted a preview of these on Instagram I knew I would have to make them. She said it was like a brownie and cookie had a baby and that is the perfect description. They are AMAZING. I don't usually like milk chocolate but the mix of different types of chocolate was perfect here. Will definitely be making them again soon.

Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

I needed to make a quick breakfast for a trip I was taking with my parents and since we still had a bunch of zucchini these muffins seemed perfect! I didn't make the glaze before we left because I was freezing them, so imagine some glaze on top! Everyone gobbled them up so I only had 2 myself, ha ha!

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake

I saw this on King Arthur's Instagram account and knew I had to make it with the wild blueberry jam we bought in Maine! The recipe has you make your own, but I used the pre-made. That might be why my color isn't as vibrant. It was still delicious! I only had a few slices and left the rest for Christian - I made it for him to have when I was away.

Brazilian-Style Chocolate-Glazed Carrot Cake

While I had my membership for Milk Street I went through the site looking for fun recipes I'd like to try. I'm not a carrot cake fan because of the cream cheese frosting and general texture but this recipe looked amazing! We had carrots leftover from a few dinners so I whipped this up over a weekend and it was delicious! The carrots and wet ingredients are put in the blender so it comes out really smooth and bright orange. Such a fun bake! I'm probably going to remake it for one of our Thanksgiving gatherings because it's dairy-free and one of my aunts is lactose intolerant.

Slice & Bake Ghost Cookies

These were a cute, easy bake for a night where we didn't have any desserts left. I started them in the morning and then baked them up before dinner. They're a great shortbread cookie with a fun Halloween twist!

Monster Brookies

I was very excited when Jenna shared an updated version of her monster brookies to go along with the regular brookie recipe I love. I swapped out Reese's Pieces for Halloween colored M&Ms because we don't love RPs, ha ha. I think I prefer the regular cookie recipe for the top vs a monster cookie. The peanut butter and oats were a bit much for us in combination with everything else. So if I did this again, I would use her regular brookie recipe, add the Oreos in and still add M&Ms!

{halloween} Asha Costume for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

2025-10-24T07:30:00.001-04:00

I shared this over on my Instagram earlier this month, but Christian and I went to Orlando in September to visit my brother-in-law and we did Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party one night! Christian decided he wanted to be a pirate to match his new Peg-Leg Pete parrot shoulder pal so I decided to build a costume around my Star shoulder pet from Wish! Obviously that meant I would be Asha!

We decided a few weeks before the trip so that didn't give me much time to get something together so I decided to try and find a ready-made costume. I saw one that looked great on eBay and was only $20. There were other costume options as well, but the one I found looked the highest quality and better design. Sadly, what arrived was one of the uglier costumes I really didn't want. Apparently the seller never even opened the package they had and just assumed which costume it was and used those photos for the listing. They gave me a refund and told me to keep the ugly costume, which was nice. But now what was I going to do?!

Luckily, my Mom has been sewing since she was a teenager so I enlisted her help to transform the ugly costume into a great one. I found a purple tank dress to use as a new base, it was the perfect shade and had pockets!

How We Did It!

Mom shortened the skirt and gave it an elastic waistband so it was more comfortable. We also removed a little bit of the fullness so I wasn't carrying around heavy fabric all night.

Another thing we did in anticipation of heat was put the sleeves on to a tank top so I could go to the bathroom and take it off if I got too hot (we had a green one handy otherwise I would’ve gotten purple to match.) We cut the sleeves and gave them a vent so it would be a little more breezy in the Florida heat.

As for the dress, rather than me having to pin it to get Asha’s gathering effect, Mom made a small square piece of fabric to act as a button and sewed in the ruffle.

I didn’t want to lose out on the neck details so we cut that off the inferior dress and fused it to the tank dress. Then I used fabric paint to add the “beads” and hide the sewn edge.

The last touch was fixing the horrible belt that came with it. I used gold fabric paint to make the stones and my mom made some suede squares for the buckle part.

I grabbed a beaded necklace from Etsy and we were good to go! The beads I got were actually not the color I ordered - I ordered Magenta and received Light Red, but they still worked with the costume so I dealt with it, ha ha. Unfortunately in our rush to leave for the party I forgot to put on the necklace, ahh!! At least I'll have it for next time.

I also forgot to take a photo by myself in the costume at the park and only did a video. We were literally "go go go" from the moment we walked into the party so at least I got that, ha ha!

The Party!

We got into the park at 4:45 and I wanted to take photos/my video in front of the castle, so we did that. Then we headed to Columbia Harbor House for one of the Halloween treats I wanted that was only available during regular park hours. I assumed that meant we were safe until 6, turns out the restaurant closed at 5 and we walked in at 4:58...talk about last second! But I got my S'mores Cup, so all was well with the world. Although I was ashamed of myself for not knowing it closed at 5, almost lost my Disney expert card!

This was the first of many close calls of the evening, ha ha. We also made it to the Carousel of Progress right before it closed at 6pm, ha ha. Can't miss one of our favorite attractions!

I was able to snag reservations for The Beak & Barrel, a brand new Pirates of the Caribbean themed bar for 10:55pm! At one point before the trip I had 2 reservations for 1 person each, so we could at least go inside and see it separately, but then miraculously I snagged a reservation for all 4 of us the day before! This is why you always keep checking for reservations at Disney restaurants, even the crazy popular ones.

We really wanted to go here because 1. It was new and we love pirates and 2. Christian was dressed as a pirate! We tried both of the non-alcoholic options: Cursed Treasure, an indulgent blend of Coconut Milk and Cookie Crumbs topped with Vanilla Foam and Pirate’s Gold and Treasure Trove, a mysterious Ube, Lemon, and Coconut Concoction served with a Vanilla Cake Plank, Chocolate Cannonball, and Golden Caramel Popcorn!

After leaving the bar at 11:30 we literally speed walked - no running! - across the park to ride Tron before heading home for the evening. We almost got stuck by the passing parade but found alternate routes and made it at 11:48, still 12 minutes to spare! We were walking out of the park by 12:30am and then on the boat to the parking lot at 12:45. My phone battery was at 7% because I brought the wrong charging cord, so that was fun too, ha ha.

{home} My 2025 Closet Update

2025-10-20T10:42:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since my last major closet update in Summer 2023. This time my upgrade was kind of an impulse purchase. We went to IKEA to get some new pieces for Christian's office and while we were there I decided I wanted to add a third bookcase to my closet and glass doors on one of them to protect my bags and some shoes.

Previously I had 2 Billy bookcases and a Kallax shelf unit (with a couple Target shoe racks on top) to house my sweaters, shoes, bags, etc. With this update the wall is now made up of 3 Billy bookcases. We sold the block-y shelf and one of the shoe shelves remains in my closet in case I need more space, which at this point I should not, ha ha! I also bought 5 extra Billy shelves and have 2 leftover so I can make shorter shelves in the future.

In this process I purged a few items, but not as many as I wanted. It's always so hard to get rid of things, even if I don't wear them often. The closet within my closet had the most removed, but then I hung all my Disney tees in there (they were on the cube shelving previously) as well as putting my travel bags on the shelves, so it's still very full. There's some space on my new bookcase for more pieces, which is nice.

Products:

Angelica 70.08" Metal Clothes Rack

Dikoaina white Faux Fur Rug

BILLY Bookcase, white 31 1/2x11x79 1/2"

BILLY shelves, white, 29 7/8x10 1/4"

OXBERG Glass door, white, 15 1/2x75 3/4"

Adjustable Shelf Divider, clear

Shoe Slotz Storage Units in Ivory

Peryman Velvet 71.6" Square Arm Sofa in Eggplant (similar)

{recap} Wardrobe Update - September 2025

2025-09-30T07:30:00.007-04:00

We've got a successful no shopping month. Probably because I was away for half the month, ha ha! I took 2 "working" vacations to North Myrtle Beach and Orlando - where I worked during the day and did vacation stuff during the evenings and weekends.

I had my eye on a few pieces but waiting for some good sales to add them to the closet because I really don't need anything.

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)

Basics:

Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)

Shoes:

Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

None

Spent in September: $0

Spent in 2025: $1,114.93

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,629.95

{food} What I've Been Baking - Part 38

2025-09-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

We've got an interesting mix this week, including some garden grown eats! We don't have a lot of variety growing in our garden this year (a lot didn't make it) but we've got plenty of basil, cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini!

Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal

We were getting a lot of zucchini in the garden so I decided to try out this baked oatmeal recipe for breakfasts! The hardest part was grating the zucchini (aka - the recipe was very simple!) After I made one batch I went ahead and made a second and froze individual squares to reheat on demand. I don't usually eat breakfast during the week but I could definitely see myself making this a regular thing.

Pullman Loaf Bread / Pain de Mie

I got a Pullman loaf pan for Christmas this past year and have been trying to make a perfect loaf. The first few times I used a King Arthur recipe but it just wasn't working for me. I thought it was because I was making errors somehow or it was too cold to rise properly, but I tried this new recipe and it worked perfectly! The flavor of the King Arthur version was great, it just never filled the pan for me. I could probably adjust the recipe to make more dough but now that I found this recipe I don't really need to.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

I saw someone post these on reddit and they looked simple and tasty so I decided to try them out! They were a little messy to portion out because it is super liquidy, but they came out tasty! It's also a small batch of only 8 cookies so good if you don't want to make a ton. Not sure I'll make them again because they were tough to get off the parchment, but the flavor was good.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Shortbread

I have had this recipe saved for a while and finally decided to make it! Brown sugar pop tarts are definitely the best flavor, but I always hate how little frosting they had on them. This recipe solved that by having every bit frosted, plus its easier than making pie dough.

Milk Street's Stovetop Chocolate Cake

I don't remember where I first saw this recipe mentioned, but it sounded fun and easy so I gave it a shot one night before making dinner! Christopher Kimball, formerly of America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated/etc., started Milk Street in 2016 to continue his culinary career. If you don't have a membership you can also find the recipe here (I signed up for 12 weeks for $1!)

I only had an 8in pan instead of 9 so I knew I would have to steam it a little longer. It ended up taking 60-ish minutes instead of 23. It was delicious! Christian thought the texture was weird, but I enjoyed how steaming made it soft and light!

Mini Loaf Pan Focaccia

Our garden was in tomato producing mode so I decided to make some focaccia with them. I found this small batch recipe a while ago (I think I posted it once already) and find it's easier for us since there's only two of us. I make one for each of us and we can eat it all at once or in 2 servings. Along with the tomatoes I used basil from the garden! I almost could have used garden rosemary too but I had to buy some a couple weeks before when ours wasn't ready so I wanted to finish that up. I went a little extra and put our initials on them, ha ha.

{recap} Wardrobe Update - August 2025

2025-08-29T07:30:00.024-04:00

We had a big purchase this month. The Chloe Alphabet Saddle bag in brown and red colorblock leather! It's been on my list (see blog sidebar) since I first saw it on Net-a-Porter in 2022 and then on Italist for a little bit cheaper. I regretted not buying it from Italist for $700 and had been hunting for it ever since. I finally got lucky and one popped up on eBay for about $515 all the way from Australia!

I also got a couple new pieces during tax free week here in CT. For those that don't know, we do a tax free week around back to school time for all clothing items under $100. My Mom & I headed to Marshalls and found a few things each, ha ha. I ended up returning one of mine at a different Marshalls but then found a replacement item I liked more so still ended up spending the money. Unfortunately I couldn't find either one online.

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
*NEW!* Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)

Basics:

Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
*NEW!* Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)

Shoes:

Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
*NEW!* Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

None

Spent in August: $556.98

Spent in 2025: $1,114.93

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,629.95

{food} What I've Been Baking - Part 37

2025-08-05T07:30:00.028-04:00

We've got a lot of bar desserts this update! Apparently I was in the mood for "easier" bakes. I also have two birthday desserts in the mix for my brother's birthday and my Dad's!

Brookies

I first made these when they were a newsletter subscriber exclusive, but she has since posted the recipe on the blog! Jenna of Butternut Bakery shared herself testing these on her Instagram stories in May and I knew I would have to make them the moment she posted the recipe. Sadly, for me, she said in the post that they wouldn't be posted until after her maternity leave. THEN she got so much love for them that she decided to release the recipe for email subscribers only before she created the full blog post. I was missing one ingredient so I had to wait until after our next grocery store trip to make them. They were so easy to make and super delicious! I slightly underbaked them (my pan was a little smaller than what the recipe called for) at first so I threw them back in the oven for about 10 minutes the next day and that fixed them up! The brownie layer is super fudgy and the cookie on top had almost a brownie-like crackle on top. So perfect!

S'mores Fudge Bars

We hosted a smoker/grill party with my immediate family in May and I decided to make these s'mores bars for dessert to usher in the warmer weather! We had been having a LOT of rain and cold days. The day of the picnic was nice but then we went back into chilly weather. GRR! The hardest part of this recipe was the marshmallow topping. I lost a lot of my melted sugar/corn syrup to my kitchenaid's bowl and whisk, it just hardened on contact. Everything else was super simple! And it's always fun to use a kitchen torch. They were a big hit with everyone, especially Christian.

Easy Blueberry Muffin Cake

I made these to have as my breakfast for a week when Christian was away at a charity event. The recipe was super easy to follow although mine took a lot longer to bake - I suspect because I used frozen wild blueberries instead of chopped regular. The addition of cinnamon sugar on the pan and sprinkled on top after baking was a nice touch, although it absorbed into the cake after being stored, as is to be expected.

Birthday Cake Confetti Cookie Bars

My brother's birthday was during our annual family camping trip so I decided to make him a little birthday treat! This recipe is from Handle the Heat's The Ultimate Cookie Handbook. I increased the recipe to fit in my large Le Creuset dish because there were 12 of us. They were quite a hit with our whole group, almost everyone had two. Christian and I had the last few for breakfast the next morning, haha! It's such a fun, colorful and easy birthday treat to make instead of a cake.

Moist Chocolate Cake (aka Matilda Cake)

On the opposite spectrum, I made my Dad Butternut Bakery's version of the Matilda cake (scene from the movie.) A lot more involved and more things to go wrong. I last made this for Christian's birthday in 2023 and it came out great, so I wasn't super worried. My siblings and I took my parents to Maine as their Christmas gift for this year and planned it around my Dad's birthday weekend. I made the cake the day before we left and had to carefully transport it to the house we rented, scary! It melted a bit on the 7 hour drive but I put it back in the fridge and it firmed back up, ha ha.

Buckeyes

We had some chocolate melting wafers I bought on clearance at the craft store and I was trying to think about what to make with them and remembered I haven't made buckeyes in FOREVER. Christian had never heard of them so I figured I may as well whip up a batch! I followed the recipe for the peanut butter part and then simply melted my wafers (because they are already ready to coat anything you want!) I may have created a monster because he LOVED them. Might be part of our regular rotation of desserts soon, ha ha. I need to get better at coating them though, I'm very messy.

{recap} Wardrobe Update - July 2025

2025-07-31T07:30:00.010-04:00

July really went by in a flash! Probably because the first half of the month we were in Missouri visiting Christian's Mom and then last weekend we took a trip to Maine with my family. We were only home for one weekend of the month, ha ha!

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)

Basics:

Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)

Shoes:

Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

None

Spent in July: $0

Spent in 2025: $1,072.95

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,072.95

{recap} Wardrobe Update - June 2025

2025-06-30T07:30:00.017-04:00

After last month I didn't plan on buying anything this month. Sales almost got me a few times but nothing really called to me. I still would like some new Summer dresses that are easy to throw on, but haven't found those magic pieces yet.

I spoke too soon when writing this post. On Saturday Christian and I were a little early to a lunch spot we wanted to visit and there was a Marshalls next door so we popped in for a quick look. I found a few things but ended up just picking up a pair of light purple linen shorts.

THE (modified) RULES

Be mindful of purchases
Quality over quantity
Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)

Basics:

Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99)
*NEW!* C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)

Shoes:

Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)

Accessories:

None

Activewear/Swimwear:

None

Gifted from Brands:

None

Spent in June: $16.99

Spent in 2025: $1,072.95

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,072.95