The Color Run Richmond

 

This past weekend me and a few friends participated in the Happiest 5K on the Planet, The Color Run in Richmond, VA and had the best time! 3.1 miles of color madness is designed for runners/walkers, people of all ages, shapes, sizes and speeds.

You begin the race in your clean white t-shirt and by the end you have been plastered with various colors. Each kilometer of the event is associated with a designated color: yellow, orange, pink, or blue. As you go through the COLOR RUN Zones, you are sprayed with colored corn starch. By the end of the race you are a colorific mess! After the race, participants take part in a color extravaganza where you throw your color pack in the air and and have a good ole time.

Afterwards we went on a Canal Tour and learned a little bit about Richmond. For dinner me, Steph and Alison went to the most amazing restaurant, Edo's Squid. I think I had the best meal of my life. We split the mussels and conch salad for an appetizer and for our entree we had the ahi tuna and grouper. We could not stop talking about how good the food was. If you are in Richmond, I highly recommend you try this restaurant. Be sure to make a reservation, otherwise you probably won't be able to get a table.

Enjoy the pics!

So fresh and so clean, clean

Sea of white!

Waiting to start the race!



Action shot!

After the race!

Colorific!

 

A Colorific Mess!

 



After race beverages at Buffalo Wild Wings

 

Historic Canal Tour

 



Alison and Stephanie, who gives the canal tour a thumbs up.

More canal tour...
 

Libby Hill looking towards the James River



DIY - Monthly Onesies

My good friend had a baby girl a few weeks ago and I thought that the monthly onesies would be a perfect gift for her. I always see these on other blogs and love how they turn out. I ordered the iron-ons from Simple Printables Co off Etsy. They were super easy to apply and I love how they turned out.

I purchased plain white onesies from Target in sizes, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 month and 9-12 months. I got 2 packs of long sleeved ones for the upcoming colder months and 2 packs of short sleeved ones for spring/summer.

Step 1. Wash onesies.

Step 2. Cut out each month, leaving a little edge.

Step 3. Put a pillow case underneath the onesie and place the iron-on in the center and iron. Make sure you are moving the iron the whole time. I applied the iron for about a minute or two.

Step 4. After you are done ironing, let the iron-on cool before removing the paper to reveal the cutest thing ever!

How cute is that little onesie?!?!?! This project was super easy and probably took me 20 minutes at the most. The hardest part was finding the onesies. Can I just tell you how hard it is to find a pack of 3 onesies?? I must have gone to 3 different Target's!

And here is a photo of little Olivia showing off her onesie!

DIY - Faux Anthropology Metal Letters

For a few years I have followed Kristen F. Davis Design blog. She does amazing decorative painting and can turn a run down dresser into a beautiful piece of furniture with a fabulous distressed finish.

I have wanted to try her DIY - Faux Metal Letters. They look just like the Anthropologie letters that sell for $18+, which is pretty pricey. So Friday night I went to the craft store and got all the supplies; Apple Barrel black acrylic paint, Folk Art Metallic paint in "Pearl", chip brush (they come in a bag of 3) and the letters. Here are 5 EASY steps to your own Anthro-like letters! 

1. Lay out all your materials. I used a brown paper trash bag. 

2. Paint each letter black. It's okay if you have brush marks. It doesn't have to be perfect!

3. Let the paint dry. It dries very quickly!

4. Now it's time for the "metal" paint. I followed Kristen's tip on dry brushing the pearl paint. You just take a dry paint brush, dip it in the pearl paint and dab it on your paper towel and paint in an up and down direction to create a more aluminum effect. You just paint until it looks right to you.

5. Wait for everything to dry and you are all done!

I did D & S for me and the boy. I think they turned out amazing and really do look like metal. My boyfriend went to pick one of the letters up thinking it was going to be heavy. He was surprised that they were cardboard letters. 

I think I spent around $14 and had a 40% off coupon. All the supplies were purchased at Joann Fabrics.

J. Crew Clearance Stores - JACKPOT!

This past weekend I made a visit the two J. Crew Clearance stores in Lynchburg, Virginia. If you are a J. Crew lover like me, it's worth paying a visit. I have been once before and didn't have much luck. This time, I hit the jackpot!!!

Everything isn't perfect, so you have to check for snags and other flaws. From what I hear most items are online or store returns. The first stop was 25 Millrace Drive, Lynchburg, Virginia. You pull into an industrial area thinking, what the heck, but once you go into the store, you will be greeted with amazing finds and prices! The store looks like a typical J. Crew store, full of shirts, shoes, pants, cashmere sweaters, dresses, etc. They even have a small men's section. Prices range from $10 for a long sleeve t-shirt to $90 for a pair of boots. Cashmere sweaters are $50, shoes are typically $50-$70, pants are $20 and blouses range from $20-$30.





Via

I must have spent an hour looking around the store making sure I didn't miss anything. I couldn't get over how many current, in season items they had. The hardest part was deciding on which shoes to get!!

I ventured over to the second store which is 2 miles away and located at 101-A Northwynd Circle, Lynchburg, Virginia. In my opinion, this location had a much better selection. I must have spent 45 minutes looking through all the racks. This location had Crew Cuts and Madewell clothes and dresses from J. Crew's bridal line. The prices were ridiculous! I think one of the bridal dresses was a couple hundred bucks!

I had one item on my list that I was hoping to get, a pair of navy Minnie's. I looked and looked and nothing in my size. I happen to look over and I saw a pair on one of the mannequins. I ran over and guess what, they were my size!!!! It was fate! And guess what, they were $20!!!!

In the end I scored two pairs of Viv patent flats, black and tan for $70/pair, navy Minnie's for $20, Cafe capri's in warm jade for $20, and a Blythe blouse in a light blue for $30. In the end I got almost $700 worth of clothes for less then $230! I was so happy with my finds!



If you are up for a road trip and a J. Crew lover, I suggest making a day trip to Lynchburg. It's definitely hit or miss, but so worth it. And there are a ton of wineries in the area too!



Fifty Shades of Annoying

After 3+ months I have finally finished the first installment of Fifty Shades of Grey. I was so annoyed after finishing it because now I have to read the second one to see what happens. I found this link online and I think it has to be the funniest review. Pretty much sums up how I feel about the book!

Pinning and Winning - Recipes

Like everyone else, Pinterest has consumed my evenings! I could spend all night looking for house ideas, recipes, fashion inspiration, etc. Here are two recipes I found on Pinterest and made. I recommend them both!

For a 4th of July party I made Red, White and Blue sangria. I think it was the star shaped pineapple that reeled me in. It was super easy to make and was DELISH!

Red, White and Blue Sangria

Ingredients:

• Strawberries, sliced
• Blueberries
• Pineapple, cut into star shapes
• 2 bottles dry white wine
• 1 cup Triple Sec
• 1/2 Cup berry-flavored vodka
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup simple syrup

Combine the ingredients in a large pitcher and stir. Chill in the refridgerator for at least four hours.

This past Sunday we decided to make grilled pork chops. I had Pinned this recipe from the website, A Spicy Perspective for Firecracker Pork Chops with Pineapple Kiwi Salsa a while back and thought it would be the perfect meal to grill on a summer night. It was easy to make and it was delicious.

Ingredients:

For the Pork Chops:

• 4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 – 1 inch thick (1-1.5 lbs)
• 4 Cups soy sauce
• 2 tsp. mesquite liquid smoke
• 1 Tb. sriracha hot sauce
• 3 Tb. honey

For the Salsa:

• 1 cup fresh diced pineapple
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup diced kiwi (about 4)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 2 Tb. chopped cilantro
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sriracha hot sauce
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Pour the soy sauce, liquid smoke, hot sauce and honey in a large zip bag. Shake to mix, then add the pork chops. Marinate for at least thirty minutes.
2. Preheat the grill to high heat.
3. For the pineapple salsa, mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Once the grill is hot, grill the pork chops for 3-4 minutes per side. You want the pork chops to be slightly pink or just barely cook through, but not dry.
5. Cover the chops with foil and allow them to rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
6. Serve warm with fresh salsa piled over the top.

Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 8 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

I hope you all enjoy!





Asian Noodle Salad

Last night I made this easy and really tasty Asian Noodle Salad which I found on the website, For the Love of Cooking. It is the perfect summer pasta salad. I forgot to pick up peanuts, so I didn't add them, but it is still just as delicious!

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Let sit for at least 1 hour to let the flavors combine.

Salad:

• 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 handful of basil leaves, chopped
• 2 green onions, diced finely
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup of toasted peanuts
• 1/2 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions

Prepare all the vegetables, set aside. Once the spaghetti has cooked per instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Once the noodles are cool, add the vegetables and peanuts. Mix the dressing again thoroughly then add to the noodles and vegetables. Stir until well combined and serve. Enjoy.

Photo via



Skinny Taste - Chicken Enchiladas

I stumbled upon the website, Skinny Taste a few months ago and finally made a dish and it was AMAZING! I love mexican food and Gina's Skinny Chicken Enchiladas were seriously as good as a restaurant, yet healthy. I love that the recipes are low fat, have all the calorie count information and they are guiltless! It def helps the waistline with pool and beach season quickly approaching!

Side Note: I used Trader Joe's Pork Carnitas since I didn't have time to cook and shread chicken via the crockpot. While not as healthy, these enchiladas were delicious!

Skinny Chicken Enchiladas Recipe:

For the sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
• 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the chicken:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 8.5 oz (2 breast halves) cooked shredded chicken breast (I used Trader Joe's Pork Carnitas)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

• 8 (7-inch) reduced carb whole wheat flour tortillas (la tortilla factory)
• 1 cup shredded low fat Mexican cheese
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions or cilantro for topping

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, spray oil and sauté garlic. Add chipotle chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it. Place on baking dish seam side down, top with sauce and cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Top with low fat sour cream or scallions if you wish. (Extra points) Makes 8 enchiladas

I forgot to take a picture, but here is what they look like! SOOOO GOOD!!!

VIA

For those of you counting calories:

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 enchilada • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 159.5 • Fat: 5.9 g • Protein: 16.2 g • Carb: 17.8 g • Fiber: 8.3 g 

Tuna Cakes Recipe

I found this blog, Healthy = Happy the other week and have found it quite inspiring to get healthier. My eating habits aren't the best and I need to start working out. Beach and pool season is right around the corner afterall! The other night I made these Tuna Cakes and my boyfriend LOVED them! It is super easy too!

Ingredients

• 3 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together tuna, egg, cilantro, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and jalapeno. Mix gently until ingredients just hold together.
2. Using a packed 1/3-cup measure of tuna mixture per patty, shape into 8 cakes.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Working in batches if necessary, cook cakes until golden brown and crisp on the outside, about 2 minutes per side. Serve hot, accompanied by salsa, and garnish with cilantro sprigs

I put the tuna cakes on potato rolls, added some tartar sauce and tomato. These are delicious!

Photo Via