Greige Dreams

Breakfast Parfait

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:49:00 +0000

I am always trying to cook with ingredients that are in season, because they taste better.

Grapefruit is in season now, and soo yummy. I am obsessed. Rather than just eating them plain, I made up this non traditional yogurt parfait.

There really isn't an exact recipe, but here is how I did it.

Grapefruit Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:

About 1/2 Cup of Non Fat Plain Greek Yogurt

One Whole Grapefruit, Sectioned

Honey

Cinnamon

Walnuts

To make this, all you do is layer the ingredients in the order as you see above. The hardest part is sectioning the grapefruit, and if you don't know how take a look at this video. Once sectioned, I like to squeeze the rest of the juice out of over top. Depending how sweet your grapefruit is, will determine how much honey you will need. Usually I just use about a tablespoon. Omit the cinnamon if you tend to get heartburn, but I like the flavor it adds. All you need is a sprinkle, and then crush a handful of walnuts over the top.

Just like the banana pancake recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago, you can substitute with any fruit. I have tried it with oranges, and that is really good too. Choose fruits that are in season, and it will always taste better!

Hope you are out enjoying this beautiful Sunday!!

Sunday No Guilt "Pancakes"

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:30:00 +0000

I pinned this recipe a few months ago, but was waiting until I had some ripe bananas to try it.

The best part is...it's only 4 ingredients!

Just mash together 1 ripe banana, 2 eggs, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract.

I used coconut oil to cook them, and just a sprinkling of powered sugar to finish it off. It really is sweet enough on its own, but you could top it with yogurt, nut butter, or anything you are feeling!

This recipe definitely filled my craving for pancakes without the guilt.

I may experiment with other fruits, like blueberries too.

Excited for tonight, the Oscars are on!! Anyone having an Oscars party?

Spring Trends Debuted at The Golden Globes

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:28:00 +0000

After a looong break of blogging, I was inspired to get back on the horse again by the kick off of the awards season, the Golden Globes.

Two reasons why I LOVE awards season...

1. I am a huge movie and tv buff.

2. Most importantly, the fashion. It gets me in the mood for spring!

Here are the trends I saw:

Black & White

Coral

Ice Blue

Cut-Outs

Peplum

Statement Jewelry

I really liked that some of the celebrities tried multiple trends in one look.

My favorite of the night was Jessica Alba.

All of these trends can easily be incorporated into your wardrobe. Some you may already have in your wardrobe.

Which of these trends is your favorite?

All photos from www.huffingtonpost.com and www.harpersbazaar.com

Guy Gift Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:02:00 +0000

Guys are the HARDEST people to shop for! Not us, them!! :) All of these gifts are under $50, and perfect if you are looking for one more "little thing" to complete your gift!

1. Eggnog Moose Mug(from Christmas Vacation!)$20

2. Tartan Scarf $28

3. Kiehl's Skin Care Kit $42

4. Casio Watch $40

5. Tablet Case $28

6. Travel Kit $20

7. Slippers $40

8. SALUT Flask $28

9. Vans iPhone Case $28

Hope you all had a great weekend! I had a Christmas Party, and got lots of shopping & baking done. Post soon on some great food gifts that I made today!

Gift Guide for Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Did you ask your friend what they wanted for Xmas, and they told you that..."they don't need anything", or that "they don't know what they want"?

No worries...this gift guide will help you. There is something for everyone, "the cook", "the social networker", "the fashionista", etc... and all under $50!!

1. 3pk Adorable Notebook Set $12.95

2. Oversized Leather Clutch $46

3. Instagram Photo Magnets Set of 9 $14.99

If you want to use your friends Instagram photos, it is a bit tricky, email me for details. Also, must order by December 9th if you want by Xmas.

4. Ikat Print Tea for One $38

5. Tiny Gold Initial Necklace $25

6. Dipped Wooden Utensils with Glass Container $25

7. Faux Leather and Knit Gloves $26

GOOD LUCK shopping!

Keep and eye out for my guy gift guide coming later this week.

Tees and Leather Skirts

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 02:20:00 +0000

Three things that make a perfect outfit??

Vintage Tees, Full Leather Skirts and Booties!

This look keeps popping up all over, and I am in love...

It is chic, effortless and I MUST recreate soon!

Source

Here is a perfect full leather skirt to start your look, at a great price from Urban:

The ladies in the inspiration photos have bare legs, but this look goes great with tights for the cold weather.

If you want to get creative, go with a different color leather skirt, like gold or red!

Taste of Vintage

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:48:00 +0000

Do you LOVE fashion, food and fundraisers??

Goodwill Industries of Akron is hosting their 7th annual Taste of Vintage

on Thursday, November 15th.

Part of the event is a restaurant tasting (14 local restaurants/caterers participating), and a silent auction including designer bags and jewelry donated by Goodwill.

The evening culminates with a Vintage Fashion Show. All items are from Goodwill's unique, permanent Vintage Collection.

Individual tickets are $50, all for a good local cause, and can be purchased HERE.

Round up your friends, and hope to see you at one of the best Akron events of the year!!

NOTO & Pawsibilities Fashion Night

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Last month, I attended an event for a great organization,

PAWSibilities the Humane Society of Greater Akron at my favorite Akron boutique, NOTO.

It was $10 to get in, and all ticket proceeds went to PAWSibilities.

The night was filled with great shopping, snacks, drinks, and a fun dress up photo booth!

Photo of NOTO's very own Pumpkin Spice lotion, which smells so yummy.

Wall of cute fall dresses.

This is the sweater dress that I bought, and absolutely LOVE.

It was a great event, and will let you all know when the next one is!

Make sure you check out the PAWSibilities website HERE for more info on the organization and their events.

If you live in the Akron area make sure you stop into NOTO boutique! They get new merchandise all the time :)

Oh, and....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Dear NY

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Dear New York, I love you!

In September I got to spend a long weekend in NY with my best friends, shopping, eating and going out.

Here are a few snapshots from the weekend...

A few things I found shopping, good basic riding boots from Macy's, and interesting belts & a cobalt blue hobo bag from Anthropologie. In the photo on the bottom left, these my friend Jen wore necklaces styled by me.

Bought a great fall skirt from the Rachel Roy collection for Macy's. I wore it to work recently styled with tights, boots and a denim shirt.

I stumbled upon an AMAZING macaroon place on the upper east side, called Laduree.

The macaroons are flown in from Paris daily, and are quite heavenly!!

This was a gorgeous day in Central Park that I spent with my friend Ann Marie.

Best friends obviously have matching Ray Bans :)

I just love the top picture of people "sailing" mini sailboats in the pond. Days like that make me so happy!

Just another wonderful weekend in the books.

Dear New York,

Until we meet again!

xoxo

Peplum Craze

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:48:00 +0000

FIRST of all, just want to apologize to all of my followers that I fell off the face of the earth! I was traveling a lot the past month, but no excuses, won't happen again!!

The Peplum is a trend that started in the spring, and has exploded everywhere this fall.

The flare at the waist can be very flattering on many body types, and give you that hourglass appearance.

I wore this look for a date night. It was rather warm that night, so wore wedge sandals (would now rock this with booties and a cardigan).

Peplum Shirt (TJ Maxx, cute one here), Denim (Levi's Curve ID), Wedges (Aldo), Chain Strap Handbag (similar here)

A closer look at the shirt details and necklaces...

Arrow Necklace (stella & dot), Choker Necklace (vintage, but similar here)

Thank you SOO much for reading! There is much more to come this week on my trips in September to NYC and San Fran. Also a post on a great event I had the privilege to be invited to for a great cause, PawsAbilities!!

Grilled Peach Dessert

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:54:00 +0000

This is an easy, low-fat summer dessert with only 4 ingredients!

For one serving, you will need a peach, cinnamon, agave nectar or honey and low-fat vanilla ice cream.

First, slice the peach in half.

Next, grill the peach for five minutes each side, on a preheated grill.

I start with the cut side down, and don't mess with it until you flip it.

This will ensure that you get grill marks.

When the peach is done, it will have slight grill marks, and will be soft to the touch.

Place in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream. Lastly, sprinkle with cinnamon & agave nectar.

This is a great, easy dessert, and can be made for any amount of people! Guests will love it, and be very impressed!!

Outfit Inspiration - Rene Russo

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:50:00 +0000

Images from Google Images

One of my favorite movies of all time....Major League was on TV when I got home today.

I never realized how beautiful Rene Russo was in this movie! What a babe!!

Her outfit in this scene is casual 80's style with a sexy librarian feel.

Also, loving her messy, natural looking ringlet curls.

Here is my modern day take on her outfit :

Cable Knit Cream Sweater here or similar here

Button Up Skirt here or similar here

Oversized Round Glasses here

You can't see her shoes, but I imagine her wearing these...

Lace-up Booties here

Oxford shoes would also be so cute with this.

See my post on oxfords and loafers here.

Thanks for reading, and hope you have a great day!!

Loafers and Oxfords

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:03:00 +0000

I am sad that summer is almost over, but excited to enter my favorite season, fall!

I have already started making my wish list, and favoring these menswear inspired shoes, loafers and oxfords.

Dolce Vita has nailed this trend with fun colors and embellishments.

You can find both of these at Free People.

Novelty Loafers from Zara

Moccasin Inspired Loafers from AE

Neon Sole Oxfords from Alloy

Heeled Oxfords from Lulus

Trend - Rhinestone Necklaces

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:59:00 +0000

Rhinestone Necklaces are a trend that I have been following/coveting for the past few months.

These necklaces are not just for weddings and special occasions anymore!

Here are a few blogger looks I found on Refined Style:

Neon on watercolor floral

Fancy mixed with a basic staple, a denim shirt

Spray painted white. You could do this with any color, for a great inexpensive

statement necklace!

Loving this layered look

Not sure where the blogger necklaces are from, but here are are some I found, if you want to try this look.

Mixed trend of faux collar with rhinestones from Asos

Vintage from Etsy

This one would look great spray painted!

Neon from Etsy

What are your thoughts on this trend? Is it something you already have or will try??

Gourmet Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Tasting - Olive My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:31:00 +0000

A local blogger friend Lyndsey, from A Lovely Little Blog set up a blogger night at an amazingly cute new gourmet olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting room and shop called Olive My Heart.

This shop is local for me, in Hudson, Ohio

Image from Olive My Heart

The night started out with a perfect table of amuse bouche, from a restaurant I love, Nosh Eatery. The chef prepared an assortment of appetizers that incorporated different oil and vinegar from the shop.

My favorite was what you see on the little spoon tower, which included a type of fruit, cheese and topped with a flavored vinegar. Yummy and so cute!

Dessert was a Dark Chocolate Brownie made with the Blood Orange flavored Oil. Very good and different! I think they have the recipe on their website here.

Since it was a private event, we got a fabulous tour from the owner Linda, and were able to taste anything and everything we wanted. Such a great little event to do with a group of girls or couples! All you need to do is contact them to set it up!

The array of Olive Oil and Organic Balsamic Vinegar was truly amazing. They had any flavor you could imagine from Fig Balsamic Vinegar to Wild Mushroom and Sage Oil, which tasted like a Thanksgiving meal :)

Actually narrowing down what to buy was the hardest part, but very helpful that you can taste before you buy!!

If you aren't into the private party thing, don't worry, just drop in during their open hours, 7 days a week!

Olive My Heart is a great place for entertainment and gourmet food shopping!

This is a place I would love to take my mother, and return to soon.

Picture of the vinegar dispensers

Part of my dinner tonight...Tuscan Herb Oil made into dipping oil with fresh garlic, Italian seasoning and fresh bread to dip with.

Cannot wait to try out the Fig Balsamic Vinegar I also bought!

Summer Wedding Style

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 23:35:00 +0000

When attending a summer wedding you need to be aware of two things before selecting your outfit, the weather and the setting.

Assume that the weather is going to be hot, and dress in something comfortable and breathable. Also, if you have wavy/curly hair make sure to wear it so it can stand the heat and humidity.

Footwear is important for the setting of the wedding, because you will want to wear flats or wedges if it is outside. Otherwise your heels will be sinking into the ground!

I attended an outdoor wedding yesterday, and as you can see I wore a breathable dress, wedges, and did my hair in beachy waves.

dress Piperlime (similar here), shoes Aldo, clutch Francesca's

Here is a better close up of my accessories

watch Nixon, and bracelet gifted

Hope you had a great weekend, and find these summer wedding tips helpful!

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:32:00 +0000

I was at the grocery store a few weeks ago, and bought a Thin Crust Boboli Pizza Crust.

I knew there had to be a way to make a grilled pizza out of this.

By just googling "How to Grill a Boboli Pizza", I found these instructions on how to grill it.

They suggest that you use the thin crust when doing this.

After that I found a great BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe from blogger Pioneer Woman.

She makes her own crust, but who really has time for that??

See below for my fusion of the Boboli grilling instructions, and the recipe from the Pioneer Woman.

Make sure that you slice the mozzarella as thin as you can, and coat the chicken with the BBQ sauce.

Here is the finished product!!

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Olive Oil for Drizzling

Salt for Sprinkling

10-12oz, fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly

A Few Very Thin Slices of Red Onion

Dried Parsley, or Chopped Fresh, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt chicken breasts on both sides, and place in an ovenproof dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the breasts, and make sure to coat both sides. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until done. When you put the chicken in, preheat your grill to high heat. Remove chicken from oven, dice finely, and set aside.

Brush olive oil on both sides of the crust, and grill each side 2-4 mins.

Assemble the pizza...

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of BBQ sauce on the crust

Layer the cheese in a single layer on the bottom

Sprinkle the diced chicken on the cheese, and then the red onion

Lastly sprinkle the parsley on top

*Note that the grill does not really cook the onion, so if you don't like it crunchy, I would slightly grill or saute it before putting on.

Put the pizza on the preheated grill for 10-20 mins(depending on your grill, and how hot it is).

Pizza will be finished when the cheese is melted, and the crust is golden.

This whole recipe does take a bit of time, but well worth it! My BF still raves about it, and asks when we can make it again!

I love using the grill in the summer!

What is your favorite summer grilled recipe??

Budget Friendly Find(BFF) Ray-Ban Clubmasters

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 23:50:00 +0000

Happy July!!

I have been super busy this month, with parties, cookouts, and my birthday, which was yesterday :)

I have a lot of good posts coming up, so thank you for hangin with me during this busy time.

Today I am bringing you a Budget Friendly Find(BFF) for the Ray-Ban Clubmasters, which are both from Nordy's.

Ray-Ban $145

Nordstrom's Brand $12

At almost $130 less, and free shipping, I'll take them!

Love this style, and the price!!

Nashville Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 02:10:00 +0000

Last week I had a great opportunity to travel to Nashville for work.

This was my first time, and I loved it!

Just wanted to share a few images from a restaurant I ate at and

the Country Music Hall of Fame.

These are some images from the bar at a super cute restaurant called City House.

City House is in Nashville's German Village, and a place where you can often spot celebs. Walking by you would never realize that it was a restaurant because it looks like another one of the cool renovated houses in the area. The menu was small, but really great fresh recipes. The bar offers a variety of very different, yummy house drinks. Above, the drink I got was the Bandit, which is averna liqueur, grapefruit juice, ginger ale and lime.

I like their idea of using mason jars for their bar garnishes!

Left - FUN novelty cowboy boots that I would totally wear!

Oh and by the way...EVERYONE wears cowboy boots in Nashville, so if you are visiting you must bring a pair. I didn't, and felt left out!

Right - A really beautiful dress worn by the legendary Patsy Cline. The photo washed out the top of the dress, but it was something that I would shorten and wear now!

Taylor Swift's stage costumes from her tour. This was the featured exhibit. I thought it was really cool to see the actual dress and then a photo of her wearing it. How about that blinged out guitar??

Between the fantastic weather, food, music scene, and history, Nashville is a place that I would definitely go back and visit!

Have you ever been? If so, what was your favorite place??

Pop of color with a Bright Blouse

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:24:00 +0000

Just love this pop of color added to an outfit with a bright blouse!

Image from Sincerely, Jules

Here are a couple you might want to try...

Great Work Blouse from tobi

Sleeveless from Nordy's

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I was traveling for work,

and went on vacation to Siesta Key, FL.

Here is an image of me watching the sunset on the beach <3

Retro Summer Look

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 14:15:00 +0000

I created this look based on something I re-pinned on Pintrest.

I just love the maxi skirt over a retro bathing suit. Perfect look for Summer that you can easily re-create with some key pieces!

Sun Free Summer Bronze

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 30 May 2012 01:14:00 +0000

If you are like me, your time in the sun is rare!

Here are a few of my favorite bronzing products to help you fake a summer tan.

Nature's Gate Glow Lotion

This is a great paraben free lotion that you can use everyday. There is virtually no smell, and it has great moisturizers. Tan Towels come in two shades, one for light skin tones and one for medium skin tones. You will see results in about 3-5 days. The ONLY downside is that when I workout with a white tee shirt on, the lotion comes off of you shirt. I have found this happens with all gradual daily lotions. Just wear a dark top, and you will be good!

Tan Towel

These are my absolute favorite! They are great for a quick fix for a special event or weekend. The name literally speaks for itself. It looks like an over-sized wet-nap, and comes in two shades, fair to med, and med to dark. All you do is rub the towelette all over your body in a circular motion, and in two hours will be perfectly bronzed. I use it after I shower, and about an hour before I get dressed. Be cautious to get every spot on your body. Color lasts for about a week, but gets lighter everytime you shower.

Clinique True Bronze Pressed Powder

This is a lightweight powder bronzer that comes in three different shades. I use this product every day, and one compact has lasted me almost a year! Some bronzers can get cakey and make you look orange, but this doesn't at all. It is also long wearing, so will only have to put it on once a night.

Hope you like these products as much as I do! Happy "tanning"!!

Summer Essential - Denim Cut Offs

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:58:00 +0000

There are a handful of items that I consider essential for summer,

and Denim Cut Offs are one of them!

Here are a few to fit everyone's style.

Basic from AE

Dip Dye from UO

For those of you that aren't into the shortie shorts...

Mid-Length from Asos

Loving...the Colored from AE

Printed from Asos

Stay tuned next week for my post on How-To Make Your Own Denim Cut Offs!!!

Sunday Night Healthy Mexican

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sun, 20 May 2012 22:27:00 +0000

I love making Mexican food at home!

There is so much you can do with some simple ingredients, and make it healthy!!

Here is a simple recipe that I made up for a waistline friendly, Sunday Night Meal.

My take on a Fajita Salad.

Ingredients:

Black Beans, Lettuce, Tri-Color Peppers, Onion, Grape Tomatoes, Avocado

3 Easy Steps:

1. Wash, Prep, and Cut your lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and avocado.

Slice avocado, tomatoes in half, and peppers and onions in strips.

2. Saute peppers and onions in canola oil. After veggies are soft, add blacks beans into skillet to heat up. At this point you can add some seasoning of you liking to the veggies and beans.

I added a sprinkling of cumin, chili power, salt and pepper.

3. Assemble you salad with the lettuce on the bottom, then the veggies and beans, and lastly the tomatoes and avocado.

You could just eat the salad like this, with maybe some salsa and a bit of light sour cream.

I made a simple vinaigrette with the juice of half a lime, 1/4c. extra virgin olive oil, and a squeeze of honey.

Yumm! There you have an easy, healthy Sunday night meal!

FYI...I used a half a can of black beans for one salad, but a whole can would be perfect for two.

Hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend!!

Trend to Keep - Grunge

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:29:00 +0000

You may have seen my earlier post HERE for a great summer trend, Modern Grunge.

Well, according to the Women's Wear Daily April cover story,

this trend will be sticking around for Fall 2012!

Hang on to those lace items, plaid, denim, black tights and combat boots!!

Happy Tuesday! Hope you are having a great week, and enjoying this beautiful weather!

XOXO