Fall / 75 subscriber Giveaway.......CSNstores.com

Happy Fall!!!

September has been crazy busy for me and I've been horribly neglecting my blog:(  I have a back log of OOTD and review photos on my camera so be on the look out for some new posts hopefully up soon!

I am super excited to offer my readers a giveaway with CSN.  CSN is a network of over 200 online stores, selling everything from designer shoes to dining room chairs.  CSN is offering one of my lovely readers a $35.00 gift certificate to use on any of their shopping sites.

Stop by and check out their website:  CSNstores.com

To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this post telling me what you will use the gift card for.  

Be sure to include your email address so that I can contact you and let you know you've won.

This contest is open to residents of the USA and Canada.  (Please note:  extra International shipping fees MAY apply on Canadian orders.)

The contest ends on Monday, September 27th at 12 noon EST.  I will select the winner via random.org.  I will post the winner towards the end of next week.

Any questions....just email me!!

xoxo Lovelies!!!

J.

GOOP: Gwynnie loves JCrew.....

Hey Ladies:

Catching up on some emails and found this GOOP newsletter in my box this AM.  Gwynnie meets with the ladies who own New York's Soho shop Kirna Zabete to talk fall fashion.  The ladies give a shout out to JCrew in the video and many of the GOOP newsletter fashion sets have JCrew items shown and mentioned.  Check it out.....I especially love the black lace dress, although at $595 it is a bit out of my price range, clearly a collection piece.

Click here to check out the newsletter and youtube fashion video, Gwynnie is the model and host!!

PS....I've been crazy busy with work, but I haven't forgotten about my 75 subscriber giveaway, I'm still collecting prices so stay tuned.

xoxo,

J.

Tag and Coming Soon......

Time for a little housekeeping over here at 8 Hour Brunch.  Just a quick catch-up post...I'm back from my business trip and I had a wonderful and amazingly relaxing time.  

First, the lovely Appgal on her awesome blog Musings on the Mountain tagged me...Check out her blog, she does all kind of great clothing reviews and OOTD posts.  She is super cute!

......Here are the questions:

1) What is one of your guilty pleasures, whether it be a food, tv show, or musician? (go ahead...you can choose more than one!)

Celebrity Gossip websites (Perez Hilton, The D-Listed, The Skinny Website) -- pathetic I know;  HGTV ; Food Network and QVC....it helps me fall asleep.  I also like to {shrinks in embarrasment} read Regency Romance novels.....k...stop laughing NOW!

2) What is one outfit or piece of clothing that makes you feel confident and sassy?

A Body Conscious Strapless Dress and a Great pair of heels 

3) What is the most recent movie you saw in the theater? How was it?

Eat Pray Love with my Chick-Flick movie group....it was good...not as good as the book but i thought they did a great job.  It was a little long. 

4) Do you usually like to shop with friends or by yourself?

If I'm shopping for me, I prefer to shop alone.  However, I love to shop with other people if we are shopping for them.  I really missed my calling as a personal shopper. 

5) What animal best represents your personality and why? (i took this question directly from one of my students' journal entries :) )

Probably a cat.  I can be cute and fuzzy and loving.  But I am very independent and a little moody.  And I like my me time.  I also like to sleep:)

And in other news......I discovered this afternoon that I finally reached 75 Blogger Followers....THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!!

So, as promised, I'm going to have a 75 subscriber giveaway which also happens to be my blog's first giveaway.  I'm am still working on the prizes (I'm going to have 3) so check back here at the beginning of next week for the giveaway!

Have a great night!

xoxo,

J.

WOTD: Crazy Patterns, Classic Shapes....

I love a classic Jackie O shift dress.  They are a staple of my work wardrobe.  I have them in beige, gray, black, brown, and navy.  I usually shy away from crazy patterns.  A flamboyant blouse anchored by a neutral colored pencil skirt and cardigan, I can handle.  But, a Pucci print maxi dress, while beautiful, would have running in the other direction.  So I have a few rules for wearing wacky prints:  1.  neutral color palette 2. classic shape 3. minimal accessories

I picked this dress up at Lord and Taylor last summer.  (I don't know the designer and I just dropped it at the dry cleaners this AM so I can't check for you....sorry:)  This is very outside my normal comfort zone.  However, it meets my 3 wacky print rules so I thought I would give it a try.  I always get compliments when I wear it and it is now one of my favorite dresses to wear for work, because it makes me feel good!  It is a very heavy cotton pique and it is lined.  I love the structured shape!  I coupled it with minimal accessories, just my usual rings, my watch, and gold stud earrings.  I'm also wearing my new favorite shoes:  The JCrew Julienne Leather Heels in Bronzed Avocado.  I cannot give these shoes enough praise, they are so comfortable and a fabulous neutral that goes with so much of my wardrobe.  BUY THEM!

Dress:  Lord and Taylor

Shoes:  JCrew Julienne Leather Heels

On another note......

I'll be away for the next week......a bit of work and a bit of pleasure.

I'll be back with regular posts at the end of the week!

Have a great weekend everybody!!!

xoxo,

J.

It's all GREEK to me: Breakfast that is.....

I am a creature of habit and routine.  And part of my routine is to always have breakfast.  Some days it is a protein bar hastily grabbed on the way out the door, others it is an egg scramble with veggies.  But, lately, more often than not, my breakfast consists of Greek Yogurt + Piece of Fruit + Flax Seeds.

I love this combination, it goes great with berries, citrus, peaches, plums, basically any fruit you enjoy.  I usually use the plain 0% greek yogurt (whichever organic brand is on sale that week).  Sometimes I buy a large container and when they are on sale I buy the small individual cups (my local grocery has 10 for $10).  This is a nutritious, protein-packed, refreshing treat to have for breakfast, lunch, or a snack (just adjust the portion size accordingly).  

This is mind-numbingly easy, and anyone can do it!  Here are some pics, well because pics are fun:)

Chobani Honey Flavored Yogurt -- 130 calories, 15 g protein

1 Medium Organic Peach -- 31 calories

Flax Seed (1 Tbsp) -- 55 calories, 2 g protein

Add it all together and tada.....

This treat fills me up for the entire morning and I'm not even hungry until around 1 or 2.  (I have a mid-morning snack of 10-15 raw almonds).  This greek yogurt fruit combo does have a relatively high amount of carbs and sugar, but they are all naturally occurring from the dairy and fresh fruit.

What is your favorite breakfast item?  Please share!!

xoxo,

J.

WOTD: H&M Suiting....Matchy, Matchy!!!!!

Good morning ladies:

Quick WOTD post, H&M dress and jacket combo.  I love this suit.  In fact I think I have another post wearing this exact outfit.  This suit consists of a dress and matching jacket.  The dress has buttons down the back, belt loops and a full skirt.  The jacket is kind of cropped with one button.  I wear this dress with a navy or black solid colored jacket as well.  This suit will also transition nicely into fall with opaque black tights, black heels, and a coordinating scarf/necklace.  The material is a relatively heavy viscose blend....very typical of H&M suiting.  This entire suit cost me $73.00....a great deal for so many pieces that can be worn so differently.

Today it is styled with a patent leather skinny belt from JCrew, and nude pointy kitten heel pumps from Nine West.  I'm also wearing a gold necklace which you cannot see in the picture.  It is easy and professional for a day of meetings with customers!

xoxo,

J.

Kitchen Sink Pasta: Caprese

Good morning Ladies:

I thought I would do something a little bit different and do a cooking/recipe post.  This one is quick and easy which during the work week is vital in our household.  Every few weeks I make what I call my "Kitchen Sink Pasta", basically everything goes in it except the kitchen sink.  I grab whatever veggies, meats, cheeses, or other ingredients are left in the fridge at the end of the week and I put them together into a pasta....sometimes it is fabulous, sometimes it is an epic fail.  This time was fabulous....I give you Caprese pasta.

Here is what I had:

- 1/2 medium onion

- basil

- loads of tomatoes (both cherry and heirloom)

- mozzarella cheese

- small bit of pancetta

- garlic

- box of whole-what pasta (any kind)
-olive oil

And here is how I made my pasta:

-in a small pan, cook diced pancetta until crispy, add diced onion, cook until translucent, add garlic, sautee lightly.  add salt and pepper to taste.

-transfer to large non-stick skillet with a little bit of olive oil in the bottom (I use a slotted spoon to get it out so that I can discard the pancetta grease).  add chopped tomatoes.  bring to a simmer.  add salt and pepper to taste.  cook 5-7 minutes.

-add pasta to boiling water, cook, drain, set aside.

-add pasta to tomato mixture and blend together.  add mozzarella chunks and torn basil.  Toss and serve.

So easy and so good!!!

tomato mixture

whole wheat pasta drained

mozzarella chunks and basil

finished product.  super fast, easy, and YUM!!!

I bought an amazing pair of ballet flats at the Gap.  So look for a review on those coming later today or tomorrow!!

xoxo,

J.