Mr. & Mrs. and His & Hers + Sponsor Spotlight

First today, I'd like to wish my mom a very happy birthday! She's the biggest fan and supporter of this blog as well as all I do (and my best friend, shopping buddy and someone I occasionally wear matching outfits with) and I love any chance we get to celebrate her!

With the day of love right around the corner and wedding season not too far off I thought it would be a good time to share something I've been meaning to for a while.  When Derek and I were engaged I wanted anything and everything Mr. & Mrs. and His & Hers.  It was such fun to use at that time and to this day I'm still a sucker for it.  These items make the best little addition to a wedding/engagement gift or even just a gift for a couple or a gift from husband to wife.

Mr. & Mrs.
The glasses (tall version) are used quite frequently around our house and we actually still have the Mr. & Mrs. towels on one of our towel rods in the master bath for decoration. Had the Mr. & Mrs. balloons of been out when we were getting married, I would have most definitely used them for something.

{left to right, top to bottoms} one | two | three | four | five | six | seven

His & Hers
I love these items because they can be great for any couple.  I have a weak spot for cute  luggage tags as well as wine glasses (just check out our cabinets and you'll see).  I think the pillows would be a great addition to any home.

{left to right, top to bottom} one | two | three | four | five | six | seven

His and Hers for Valentine's Day
Originally we were going to lay off the Valentine's gifts since we're heading out of town shortly after the holiday but as things got closer and everyone was getting hyped up on the day, we changed our minds BUT kept things focused on spring, thinking ahead and possibly thinking pink to stay in theme instead of getting a gift just to get a gift.  It's the perfect chance to get a little something special you've been eyeing without going crazy.

The Miller Sandals are my go to for spring/summer and the "fun" colors go quick - Valentine's Day is the perfect time for the pink pair and why not consider a matching clutch?  Lilly Pulitzer wine glasses always make the perfect little gift (especially with newly released patterns) as does a DIY pedi system so you don't always have to go to the salon (and possibly have been eying for a while).

Valentine's Day shopping for a guy is always harder I feel but luckily mine isn't opposed to the bright colors AND picked up the Valentine's Day vineyard vines shirt himself at the mall while I was in a different section so I guess it's not too much.  These bathing suits Derek swears by and yes, they are all as bright as this one.  Any holiday is a good excuse for a Vineyard Vines shirt especially with a new season on the horizon.  Some reading material would be there perfect little gift for the upcoming trip or just because.

Sponsor Spotlight: A Little Bit of Emily
I'm also excited to share a new sponsor today, Emily from A Little Bit of Emily. She's shared some delicious recipes like mini quiches (my favorite!) and chocolate coated buttercreams - yum! You can find out a little bit more about her posting style here where she shared her top five reader picks.

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Hey all!  My name is Emily Dunham.  I am a 28 year old living in the Midwest - the St. Louis area to be exact.  A few things to know about me - I absolutely love to read, getting lost in a good book, especially one with a happily ever after ending will always be one of my favorite past-times.  I am constantly on the look out for new recipes, as cooking is another one of my favorite things to do.  I am also an avid movie-goer.  Give me some movie theater popcorn, loaded with butter and salt, and a great movie and you will have one happy girl.  And of course, spending time with family ranks high on my list of favorites.  Since we are all spread out from each other, many of my weekends are spent traveling to get in that together time.  After being a blog reader for years, I decided to start my own.  You can find me over at a little bit of emily, where I share bits and pieces of my life from my favorite fashions, books, recipes and just some of my everyday.

Quick Facts… 
Favorite food:  My all-time favorite food is my mom's spaghetti.  Growing up, she made her own sauce and it was (and still is) the best thing ever!  I now make it myself, and I always try to make sure to have some on hand for whenever I am craving spaghetti.
Place I want to travel:  Greece or Italy...gorgeous scenery and amazing food!  State-side, I would love to check out the East Coast.
Favorite cocktail:  Margarita, on the rocks, no salt
Favorite TV shows:  Way too many to count, but right now Madam Secretary and Modern Family.  Friday Night Lights will always be a favorite, too.
Favorite store:  Nordstrom or Loft
Favorite sports team:  I grew up loving the Chicago teams, but after living in St. Louis for a few years, I am slowly becoming a Cardinals fan.
Favorite holiday:  Thanksgiving.  I used to think Christmas, but I decided this year that Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite.  I love that Thanksgiving is all about family and good food.  It kicks off the start of the Christmas season, which is my favorite time of the year.  

Yum, margaritas are a favorite of mine too - but with the salt and going to Greece?  Yes please! I hope everyone enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Emily and make sure to stop by her blog to say hello.

*If you're interested in being a future sponsor, click here for more information.
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Linking up with Thoughts for Thursday today.

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Looks & Life Lately {14)

Life lately basically looks a lot like this; just the three of us hanging out at home trying to beat the winter cold/blues.

It's no secret that we love Mexican but a lot of recipes we like end up being too much for just the two of us so we either try to scale it down, freeze some or host and on this night we decided to go with hosting - such an easy meal for a group! {taco stands, similar tortilla holder, similar salsa bowls}

We got a new mirror for our bedroom at Christmas so we were able to get rid of the one behind our closet door (with terrible lighting and little space) so Derek was nice enough to hang this towel bar for me to layout my clothes each day.  (It stops me from setting them out on HIS side of the closet)

A great way to beat the cold - vacation plan! We're headed down to Palm Beach later this month and we don't usually travel during the winter so I'm looking forward to trading out the snow for the sand. {my planner is sold out I believe but this one is the same kind just with stripes}

Another favorite of mine to get through winter is baking! I've had fun trying some new recipes (ex. almond sugar cookies) and old favorites that we never have - we whipped up some chocolate chip muffins for the snow storm.

I've been getting all the use out of my favorite scarfs recently.  And this dress too - I wore it one week with one scarf and then the next week with a different one. {scarf in red & on sale, purse, dress}

Trying to brighten things up inside each week with some new flowers; these are definitely my favorite so far. {monogram cutting board, vase - same style, different design}

My heart went pitter patter when I found these perfect pillows in Lilly Pulitzer - new releases and I'm so glad I could convince Derek to add a little "Lilly" touch to the deck. {pillows & getting this one to accent them next time I stop in}

As usual, we've been enjoying weekly date nights and really enjoying being treated to some meals with gift cards from Christmas.

Like I shared Friday, it was the one year mark from when we got Stella.  I cherish having my little side kick around each day.  The house is so empty (and quiet) when she isn't there.

The weekly dose of Stella...

 

And last but not least... Today is National Signing Day! Another step closer to the 2016 season for everyone.  We've lost a few recruits that flipped their decision at the last minute this past week but also gained a few new ones - interested to follow along closely today...

*affiliate links used.  See sidebar for more details if wanted.

Linking up with Jenn & Jessi for "What's Hap-pinning Wednesday"

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Almond Sugar Cookies

When I heard we were going to be snowed in the weekend before last, I knew I wanted to take the opportunity to finally try out some of the endless treats I'd been saving on Pinterest (you can follow my boards here).  Anything with almond and/or vanilla always peeks my interest as well as anything easy so I made some almond sugar cookies that did not disappoint. 

The dough was ready in minutes and they only needed about eight minutes of baking time so I whipped them up while our appetizers were cooking so they could cool while we had a happy hour for the two of us.  The recipe yields about probably between 40-50 cookies so if you need to make a bunch quickly, this is for you.  I ended up pouring out some of the batter just so we weren't tempted with too many extra cookies lying around.

The house smelled great, the warm cookies tasted delicious and I'll definitely be remembering and reusing this recipe.  If you're still looking for something to bake for Valentine's Day you could throw some sprinkles on these and be good to go. 

I was moving quickly and missed the part about the cake flour in the ingredients list (the recipe I followed without it is below) so mine weren't quite as fluffy and were more flat but I loved the taste so I'd probably not change a thing again next time.

Ingredients:
+ 1 1/2 cup white sugar
+ 2/3 cup butter
+ 2/3 cup shortening
+ 2 eggs
+ 2 teaspoon almond extract
+ 2 1/5 cups flour
+ 2 teaspoon cornstarch
+ 2 teaspoon baking powder
+ 1 teaspoon salt
+ sugar for dipping

Directions:
1. Mix together the sugar, butter and shortening.
2. Add the eggs and almond extract into the mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch and packing powder until blended
4. Pour the dry mixture into the eggs/butter mixture.
5. Roll dough into small balls, rolling in sugar before placing on the baking sheet
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees
7. Allow to cool and enjoy!

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Weekend Whereabouts: Hoboken

Happy Monday, all & Happy February! Even after the short week with the snow days, we welcomed the weekend with open arms.  Friday night we grabbed dinner at Sullivan's - love those steakhouse sides! Followed by some drinks at the bar next to our house.  We took off Saturday for Hoboken to visit one of our friends for her birthday - at under two hours, it's an easy trip!  We got there in time to grab lunch and relax a bit before heading out for Mexican followed by drinks with a bunch of friends to celebrate.  We enjoyed a total lazy day yesterday (with one of my favorite winter meals - beef tips & noodles) although with the warmer temperatures I got Stella out for a nice walk.

Today is the last day to enter into the New Years resolutions giveaway with a fit bit and other fun workout items.  You can enter via the rafflecopter below…

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Linking up with Biana & Meghan this lovely Monday.

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