Olivia Margaux

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Channeling Mary Kate & Ashley

When someone mentions the Olson twins an image of the cute little girls from Double Double Toil and Trouble might come to mind. But, for the most part, my mind immediately goes to their signature style: big sweater, lots of black and over-sized sunglasses. I love this look, but have often feared that I would get swallowed up in the voluminous fabrics and lack of color. That fear was diminished when Josh and I visited my Mommasita and my Nene over my birthday. My grandma was totally rocking the "Mary Kate & Ashley" look and she looked AMAZING! Even better, she got everything she was wearing from an affordable store that people from small towns will recognize, Cato. I knew I needed her exact ensemble so we drove over to the store. In addition to her leopard sweater, I boughr three new pieces for less than $55.00 total. What a steal! I have received so many compliments on this look and plan to continue replicating it throughout the winter.

This little guy kept photoboming all the pictures. If you want to play "Where's Walter?" his ears make a cameo in several pics ;)

SWEATER: Cato (no longer available but similar here and here)

CAMI: Target

TEE: BCBG

LEGGINGS: Marshall's (best place to buy leggings)

BOOTS: Tory Burch (no longer available but similar here)

WATCH: Michael Kors

SUNGLASSES: Dior (my fave)

EARRINGS: Mommasita

Below you will find my inspiration for this look, my gorgeous grandmother. Isn't she a hottie?

Finally (because Walter looks too cute not to post), I leave you with this VERY awkward picture of myself. Worst pose ever! I am hoping with more practice I will get a bit better at this whole "what I wore" thing. Doesn't Walter look happy though?

Who are your style inspirations?

Monday, January 26, 2015

Weekend Recap: Embracing The Lazy...

Disclaimer: I was SO LAZY this weekend. So unless you like looking at posts that consist mainly of food items (which I do) this might be the time to turn away. When you are lazy all weekend the biggest thing on the to-do list is what to eat next :)

Friday night was rainy, nasty and cold. The perfect night to stay in and watch movies. But, we did the opposite. We met up with some friends for dinner at Lauriol Plaza (the best Mexican in DC proper) and then headed to a fundraiser for Taste of the South (aka DC Prom Night for the Southern kids). Beth was in charge of promoting the event so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: lots of Southern transplants getting drunk on the open bar. But, I had not expected to see such an insane turnout. The place was packed! We danced, drank, and stayed out way past my normal bedtime!

After our late night there was no way we were making it to CrossFit the next morning. I hate skipping Saturday WODs. But since it was still cold and rainy (and the WOD required running outside), it was pretty easy to stay snuggled up on the couch. We watched movies, snuggled our puppy, and ate A LOT!

Pizza and wings for lunch

Pho for dinner

The next morning we resumed our positions on the couch and watched a documentary called Bourbontucky, which is all about the bourbon industry. It was so good! Josh is a big bourbon drinker while I usually pick wine. But after watching that movie, I want to start drinking the Kentucky elixir.

Later in the day, I finally decided to be productive. I went to the grocery store, started some laundry, and prepped dinner. Walter helped.

When we got home from church, I popped our dinner in the oven and we opened some wine.

Cheesy Veggie Chicken Rice Casserole...recipe adapted from here!

We ate dinner on the couch (might as well keep it warm after all of the use it got this weekend) and relaxed some more. It was great!

Sometimes you need a weekend with no commitments and just time at home, and that is just what we got. Now I feel prepared for my busy week!

How was your weekend?

Do you ever have super lazy weekends?

Thursday, January 22, 2015

CrossFit Fashion: Cold Weather Edition

In college and when I first moved to DC, my gym clothes consisted of Soffe shorts and old college tees. Slowly, as I got more into marathon running and then CrossFit, I started to cultivate more "exercise specific" attire. My new clothes made me feel more confident and prepared for my sweat sessions, and therefore a believer in the adage that your exercise performance will improve when you like what you are wearing.

In the summer, my CrossFit attire is pretty basic: shorts, tank, shoes and socks. But during these frigid winter months, I wear a lot more layers and gradually shed them as I start moving and get warmed up.

I wear a variation of three top layers: a jacket, a pullover, and a tank. Linda gave me this North Face Jacket last Christmas and I am OBSESSED with it. Despite being thin and lightweight (great for traveling), it is insanely warm. Plus it is my signature color.

Once I get to the box, I remove my jacket and complete the warm up in my pullover. My body needs time to get acclimated to the cold gym so this extra layer keeps me warm while we start moving.

Sometimes I leave my pullover on for only 5 minutes. Sometimes I leave it on until right before the WOD. But when it is time to start the intense portion of the class, I get down to the bare minumum. CF makes me sweat, so even in these cold months, I need tanks or tight tees. Lululemon makes some of my favorites but I also love Under Armor and Nike.

There are two items that I never waver on brand: Lululemon Run Inspire Crop II Pants and Nike Sports Bras. My drawers are full of both of these items. The pants are flattering (ie make your butt look good). But they are also easy to move in and wick away sweat. As for the sports bra, I like my "girls" to stay put when doing box jumps, running and all things CF. They do not budge when I wear these sports bras so I never wear a different kind. They are the best, they wash well, and they keep they don't stretch out.