Friday's Fancies - Picnic Primped

This week's Friday's Fancies theme is Picnic Primped, which I love because I love picnics (and eating outdoors in general).  There nothing like hanging out on a soft blanket under a big shade tree and relaxing with some food and music or something good to read.  A choice enough location would also allow for people watching, which is just as fun too (at least in my eyes)!  Here's what I would wear on a picnic:

1. I always think picnics call for easy breezy dresses, which actually aren't too practical if you're sitting or laying around at a park.  A maxi dress fits the bill though, with enough coverage to avoid any overexposure, and this one, with its fun colors and print, is perfect for a beautiful summer day.

2. A fedora looks chic and keeps your hair at bay while shielding your face and eyes from the sun without the "loss of color" effect wearing sunglasses brings.

3. I always carry around a scarf or sweater because I get cold easily.  In my ideal picnic world, there is enough of a breeze to allow me to be comfortable in a soft, thin cardigan.

4. I wanted to throw an actual picnic basket in the mix because I love the idea of going all out for a picnic - with actual (real) plates, utensils and cups, and an actual picnic basket of course.

5. Finally, there's nothing like being able to kick off your shoes and relax while hanging out - so easy to do when you are wearing flip flops!

Head on over to Long Distance Loving to see the other Friday's Fancies posts!

DIY Neon Planter

via

How awesome is this DIY neon planter via The Proper Pinwheel?  When I saw it around the blogosphere, I immediately knew it would be perfect to house my container herb garden sink-side in my kitchen. 

First up, materials. A brown/concrete pot from IKEA ($2 in as-is, I think it is slightly bigger than the inspiration picture), acrylic paint in Caterpillar and terracotta pot saucer from Michael's , a foam brush, and 3 herbs from Home Depot - Mint, Cilantro & Parsley. Total cost, under $10.

Tape around the pot, around 1/3 of the way from the bottom and paint away.  I think the saucer took 4 coats, while the pot took about 5-6.  I really wanted to make sure I got the color fully pigmented, of course my life would've been so much easier had I used spray paint like in the inspiration picture!

And the final product.  Not perfect, but I think it adds to the charm.  And my herbs are already massive, even versus this picture.  I will need to start cooking much more soon before they take over the sink area!

In the Kitchen - Gadgets Wishlist

Do you read Centsational Girl?  It is one of my favorite, daily reads, chockfull of home decor inspiration and DIY projects.  Kate is hosting a “Fair Weather” theme party for the summer, with different “out of the box” blog post ideas for every third Tuesday starting today and I thought it would be fun to participate! 

This week’s theme is In The Kitchen: Gadgets: Good & Bad.  I’m pretty sure I had a million ideas of my favorite and least favorite gadgets to share when I first saw the theme, but then I realized that since I’ve only recently started spending more time cooking in the kitchen than eating, my tool set is still pretty basic (a chopping knife, a cutting board and a skillet basic).  In fact, I often joke to Esposito that one of the primary reasons I’d like to have our wedding already is so that I can register for new gadgets!  So instead of going through my list of “must have” kitchen tools, I figured I’d compile a list of kitchen tools I don’t have but desperately need want.

1. BrevilleIkon Juice Fountain – Juicing is all the rage these days, and it seems like such a healthy, quick and easy menu option that I’d love to try juicing myself.  Mayra over at Life is Bananas makes juicing look amazing, and has shared some of her favorite recipes that look very enticing.
2. StainlessSteel Mixing Bowls – A staple of any working kitchen.  Mixing bowls seem so utilitarian to add to a wishlist, but if I told you that I only have a set of Pyrex dishes that I use for serving, mixing, and storing I think you would be more likely to understand their making it on this list!
3. StainlessSteel Salad Spinner – Whenever Esposito and I are close to a vacation, we go on a crash diet of salad and grilled chicken.  The diet works wonders, but my salads would taste so much better if I had a handy dandy spinner to keep my lettuce clean and crisp.  Or so I tell myself.
4. GarlicPress – Have you ever tried to mince or chop garlic with a chopping knife?  I think my fingers will thank me for this.
5. EmulstirSalad Dressing Mixer – It makes no sense to juice and spin salads if you’re going to use store bought dressing that’s been loaded up with preservatives and who knows what else.  A dressing mixer takes the guesswork out of creating your own dressings.
6. SlowCooker – It seems like every other recipe I pin calls for a slow cooker.  Can you imagine the gourmet meals I will be able to make with a slow cooker slaving away all day when I’m at work?
7. FoodProcessor – Last week I tried to make my own Tahini (because my local supermarket didn’t carry any) and had a GRAND time trying to puree toasted sesame seeds in a blender.  And by GRAND I mean once there were sesame seeds all over the kitchen, I traveled to three additional supermarkets in order to find a pre-made bottle of Tahini.  Just one example of where a food processor comes in handy!
8. FoodScale – I’ve come to the realization that eating healthier foods is pointless if you are still eating a lot of them.  And since the concept of protein being the size of a deck of cards means nothing to me, one quick and easy way to assure portion control is to weigh the food directly.

Head on over to Kate’s blog to see the other Kitchen Gadget posts!  Are there any kitchen gadgets you can’t live without?

My Weekend in Pictures

Another Monday, another work week! Here's a glimpse of what this past weekend looked like for me.

Met up with an ex-colleague for drinks on Friday to discuss exciting potential new business opportunities!

Worked on a little neon & neutral DIY

The final product - full post coming tomorrow!

Horrible picture of my Saturday night outfit - can't go wrong with a LBD and nude pumps!

My girls and I celebrating April birthdays in Hoboken on Saturday night

The beautiful weather inspired us to take our bikes out for a (4 mile) ride yesterday!

How was your weekend?

Friday's Fancies - Pretty in Pastels

Pastels have been all over the place this week - it's the Everybody Everywear challenge, and of course a natural choice for the just past holiday.  It's also the theme for this week's Friday's Fancies, and though I displayed my own pastel outfit earlier this week, I figured I'd go in a slightly different direction for this Friday's Fancies post - a monochromatic look in pale pink/blush tones complemented by colorblocked accessories and rose gold accents.
 

Friday's Fancies Pretty in Pastels by wpolanco featuring button down collar shirts

Head on over to Long Distance Loving to see the other Friday's Fancies looks! How do you wear pastels?

Side note - this is my 100th post!  Woohoo!