Author

Shalice Noel

FOODIE FRIDAY

by Shalice Noel June 24, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

Foodie Friday

Breakfast Party of 9

I’m introducing a new addition to the blog, Foodie Fridays, to share a few fun recipes, tips and tricks for feeding a family of six that I’ve picked up over the years.

Today’s recipe comes from my sister. We recently stayed with her and her five kids in Chicago and between our families we had nine children under one roof. Nine. Hungry. Kiddos. How do you feed all those kids breakfast without losing your mind?

Amy’s Puffed Pancake

What I love about this one is that it’s something you can prep the night before, then just toss it in the oven in the morning and bask in the rave reviews.

What You’ll Need:

6 Eggs

1 C Flour (If you’re gluten free, I’d chose a flour blend that has already done the math on which GF flours combine to imitate the fluffy texture you get with wheat flour. I’m a fan of King Arthur, but comment if you have another favorite)

1 C Milk (can use almond milk)

1t Salt

1T Butter (to grease the dishes)

Toppings of your choice – we like agave, maple syrup, lemon curd, or powdered sugar

How You’ll Do It:

1 – Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, and salt together. If you’re prepping this the night before, cover your bowl and put it in the fridge until you’re read to bake.

2 – Preheat the oven to 425°

3- Melt the butter in two 9×13 pans

4 – Pour the mix into the pan and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. It will puff up and create some crazy wavy textures in the oven, then it will settle and flatten out once it cools. So if it looks a little wild, you’re doing it right.

5 – Serve with your favorite topping and enjoy the satisfied faces on all nine kids.

June 24, 2016

Fourth of July Inspo

by Shalice Noel June 23, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

Whether you’re planning on spending the fourth of July on the water, the rooftop, or behind the wheel of the Volkswagen bus (my personal favorite), we have the outfit for you. Thankfully, these items happen to be crazy versatile and can be worn well into September 4th. Summer weekends, long nights (and oh so tiring days) here we come. Watermelon and sunscreen not shown.

1. Hat

2. Necklace

3. Striped Top (I also like THIS)

4. Red Bandana

5. Cutoffs (I also like THESE )

6. Platform sandals

Outfit 2 / /

1. Long necklace

2. Edge leather bracelet

3. Tassel bracelet

4. W hite dress (on sale!)

5. Red sandal (I also like this black heel)

Outfit 3 / / /

1. Necklace

2. Fringe Bag

3. Playful blue romper (also like this one in white)

4. Weekend Sandals (on sale!)

June 23, 2016

Outfits Style

A Little Red Dress

by Shalice Noel June 21, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

“One is never overdressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress,” said the one and only Karl Lagerfeld. I think the same goes for the red dress. That pop of color not only always looks great, but it is invigorating to wear. Think of it as the modern power suit, suitable with a wrap heel or black gladiator sandals. And the great Anna Wintour reminds us that “If you can’t be better than your competition, just dress better.” For me, it’s just a great date night dress that involves little thinking and huge results. Now, talk about invigorating.

Felicia Lasala Photography

dress (sold out) SIMILAR SIMILAR ($60) I just ordered THIS ONE / MAXI VERSION / heels SIMILAR (LOWER HEEL) NORDSTROM / sunnies MARC JACOBS

June 21, 2016

Outfits Style

First Day of Summer in Red & Paisley

by Shalice Noel June 20, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

After a weekend at the beach, getting brunch, and filling up the small pool on the deck, we are exhausted. Father’s Day weekend was packed but the good kind of packed. The kids insisted on getting daddy a robe which was probably a poor choice considering it’s over 100 degrees today. Speaking of, nothing spells first day of summer like paisley and a pop of red. And a babydoll dress is my go-to to stay cool. I kick myself every time I don’t wear a dress for church, like yesterday, I chose jeans. Wrong move. It was hot and sticky and I was handing out snacks, waters, and breaking a sweat! Not only does this dress have pockets but can be worn over leggings or jeans. It’s all about options. And staying cool.

Happy first day of summer!

dress SEA NY / longer version HERE / hat Zara SIMILAR /

wrap heel FARYLROBIN and SIMILAR

Felicia Lasala Photography

June 20, 2016

Outfits Style

What to wear with Banana Republic

by Shalice Noel June 17, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

The fastest way to change up your work wear is to add a couple twists to the classic look, aka your wear-to-work rut. Sound familiar? I too am guilty of finding a favorite that seems to work, like those same black wide-leg pants, and sticking with it over and over because a) it works and b) I’m too busy to change it up.

However, realization is the first step to changing. I personally am a fan of the classic look; you can never go wrong with well made trousers, right? But to add a little twist, what about knots and a pop of chartreuse? Instead of a white button down, consider it knotted, or instead of the standard black or brown pump, consider chartreuse. If you aren’t yet convinced, all three pieces are under $250 and can be worn multiple time with jeans and shorts! For more outfit inspiration, check out their 10 pieces, 10 outfits.

Thank you BANANA REPUBLIC for partnering on this post

logan TROUSER /tie front TOP (0n sale!) I also like THIS / heeled SANDAL (I also like THESE and THESE)

all from BANANA REPUBLIC

Felicia Lasala Photography

June 17, 2016

Outfit Style

Summer Basics: Off the Shoulder and Vest

by Shalice Noel June 16, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

Marc Jacobs once relayed, “To me, clothing is a form of self-expression, there are hints of who you are in what you wear.” I tend to agree. For me, what I put on or style for someone else, is always an expression of creativity and artistry. Thank God for this outlet!

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those off the shoulder dresses and blouses you’ve accumulated? I’m obviously a huge fan if you follow me on Instagram, but a bigger fan of some alternate styling tips such as pairing it with a military green vest. Viola! A super easy look that works with a little game of basketball on the deck with my 5 year old, (minus the heel, thanks grandma for the mini hoop!) and planning father’s day weekend. Now I ask you, what do you want your clothes to say about you?

Felicia Lasala Photography

white OTS top Zara SIMILAR or THIS and THIS / jean LEVIS / wrap heel FARYLROBIN / military green vest old Zara SIMILAR / sunnies MARC JACOBS

June 16, 2016

Style Travel

CHICAGO (West) Loop

by Shalice Noel June 14, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

While most of our Chicago trip was spent in the suburbs with family, Reid and I got one night away in the Loop. With only one night to get away, we chose to stay at SOHO Chicago. We loved going to Allis for coffee when we lived in Chicago and had always wanted an excuse to check out the hotel upstairs. This night out was our chance.

We took the Metra from the burbs to the loop and jumped in an Uber that took us to the front door of SOHO. It was still early, so we sat in the Allis and drank coffee and ordered the nuts and grain oatmeal. The magnificence of that bottomless cup of Chicago’s own Intelligentsia coffee cannot be downplayed! After checking in, we headed upstairs.The service was friendly, the atmosphere was elite and the décor was like the Restoration Hardware catalog. If only I could have product numbers – the light fixture and chairs at the end of the bed was major bedroom inspo!

The new Billy Reid store is nearby, so we meandered there where they offered us whiskey and champagne. (Why don’t more stores do that??) We then headed to dinner at a new West Loop spot call Duck Duck Goat, which is “reasonably authentic Chinese food.” You gotta love that. I had the veggie fried rice with duck egg and Reid had the Don Don, both of which we loved. Apparently duck is the new chicken.

After dinner we scored ice cream at Bar Sienna. The ice cream was great, but the service was well below par and the smell of trash drifted across our noses as the wind blew. We decided to walk back to SOHO with our cones in our hands.

We got back to our room and went to take the sim card from the camera only to find that the corner of the sim card had broken off. This was definitely the low point of the night. But with the help of a tooth pick and some super glue, not to mention some impressive surgical skills, Reid pieced the card back together like open heart surgery. With a sigh of major relief, we headed upstairs to the roof deck to celebrate. It ended up being a beautiful night, overlooking the city that we once called home. And that was our night without kids J

What are your favorite things to do when you have a night away?

June 14, 2016

Beauty

AVON skincare

by Shalice Noel June 14, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Since moving to a warmer and drier climate 3 months ago, I’ve found myself reaching for the moisturizer way more than usual. My skin was drying out, especially my face, and it wasn’t pretty. I’m short on time most days so I wasn’t interested in a lengthy process. Recently I’ve been using the AVON ANEW regimen, including products from the Vitale, Platinum and Ultimate lines, and have been pretty impressed. Slowly but surely I’ve been cleansing, moisturizing and rejuvenating my skin to a more nourished state. It also looks loads better, which is kind of the point, right? In addition to my daily skincare routine, I’m also trying to get the recommended 8 hours of beauty sleep, drinking H20, eating well, taking a multivitamin and, ahem, avoiding stress. Practically speaking, I’ve started to workout with a trainer and the hubs has been perfecting his kale green smoothie, I highly recommend his new kale, pineapple, coconut water and cayenne pepper combo. So yum. Between sweating and adding smoothies to my daily routine, I’m slowly making positive changes for my skin in 2016. And if I have a particularly hard day, which always manages to show up under my eyes, there’s always the ANEW Vitale Eye gel cream to de-puff tired eyes. After all, beyond clothing, beautiful skin is the best accessory.

Click HERE for more information about AVON ANEW, share how you’re making changes in 2016 with the hashtag “#ANEWYOU”

In Partnership with AVON

June 14, 2016

Outfits Style

Flared and Floral

by Shalice Noel June 13, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

The cold shoulder tops aren’t going anywhere and here’s a fresh take on it. I’m loving the romantic floral print and breezy movement of this one. Don’t forget to check out the Elizabeth and James line up. It’s both inspiring and wearable–perfect for a mom on the go.

top ELIZABETH and JAMES / jeans SEAFARER SIMILAR on sale! / Hand Bracelet KENDRA SCOTT and THIS on sale/ wedges AGL

Photo’s by TEK STILES

June 13, 2016

GIFT GUIDE Shop

Father’s Day Gift Guide

by Shalice Noel June 9, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

1. LEGO Darth Vadar alarm clock AMAZON

2. New Balance sneakers (on sale!) FARFETCH

3. NAIL CLIPPERS and BEARD TRIMMER to keep that beard trimmed because God forbid he cuts it off.

4. CLASSIC WAYFARER SUNNIES

5. LA Tee

6. Diesel Flip Flops

7. Camouflage Holdall – so fetch

8. Plush Slippers (I may steal)

9. Adidas Sport Watch

Isn’t it crazy how ideas for your special guy are plentiful and awesome all year and then June hits and they disappear? So, this list is for you. If you want to go beyond the weed-wacker and grill, give him something for his closet. I like to think of it as a wardrobe face lift. And I secretly want that Darth Vadar alarm clock too. Win -win.

June 9, 2016

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