Great Outdoors

From top left: Morning view of Fence Lake; Rex and I getting ready for a boat ride; 
the three amigos; Wisconsin tap handles before a wonderful meal

For Labor Day weekend, we went to my in-law's cabin to celebrate the last hurrah of summer. And even though I prefer every possible amenity to roughing it... there truly is something you get from experiencing the great outdoors in its rightful place in nature that can never be replicated in the city, suburbs or in front of any screen. Like disconnecting from technology and playing board games (although we did have to Google the rules)... Waking up, throwing on sweats and not even thinking about hair and makeup... Looking up at night and seeing thousands of stars in the sky (nothing beats the beauty and wonder of a diamond filled sky).  And the best part is the way time slows down, just enough to help you enjoy every sip of coffee, every wave in the lake, and every crackle of the campfire. There is a reason for the saying "life is better at the lake".

And my personal favorite is trying to get Rex out in the water... Click here for the video :)

Date Night

Dress (Calvin Klein, Macy's); Shoes & Bag (Target)

For our latest night out we opted for the classic dinner and a movie date night.  So I decided on a classic date night wear; LBD (this one is of the more casual hooded variety) and shoes that scream something fabulous is happening below the ankle. I don't wear these gold loafers nearly enough, although my husband may have banned them after noticing the amount of glitter left in his car. But like I told him, he now has a sparkly reminder of our latest date night that should instantly make him happy :)  

And PS. Straight Outta Compton is an awesome movie - if you haven't seen it, you have an excellent reason to get a dinner/movie night of your own on the calendar!

Friday Find

Carmex Varieties - Vanilla, Lime Twist & Pomegranate

I have had a love/love relationship with Carmex for as long as I can remember. I have tried Vaseline, Neutrogena, Nivea.. you name it. And I always come back home to Carmex.  My only beef with Carmex is that I was limited to the original, and sometimes a girl needs a fun flavor now and then... so when I stumbled on these three versions I was literally doing the happy dance.  My favorite is the vanilla - but each one is a great spin on the original. So if you are also a Carmex lover - you have to check these out. Oh, and they all have 15 SPF - BONUS!

Okoboji, Iowa

Front top left: Beautiful lake view; Free little library; Swinging on the bar chair; Sunset view

When I found out a work trip had me going to Okoboji Iowa, my first reaction was "Oko-huh?"... I had never heard of the place, and I had no idea Iowa had a chain of Great Lakes.  Well let me tell you about this charming little lake town in northwestern Iowa. It's known as Iowa's #1 vacation destination, and it's not hard to see why.  Between the breathtaking natural lakes, amusement park, and fun bars in between (like the outdoor bar with swings for chairs) - it's the kind of place that makes you want to grab onto summer with both hands and never let go.  Truly a hidden gem in the midwest that I will have to put on repeat... 

And check out these amazing lake homes I spotted during my morning walks - each one prettier than the next.  Another find from my walks is the "free little library" (pic in upper right)... I have never seen anything like this! The sign reads "take a book, borrow a book, share a book, enjoy a book".  Could this town be any cuter!?

100 Years of Fashion

100 Years of Fashion (Mode.com)

Have you seen Mode's 100 years of fashion in under 3 minutes?  It's an awesome recap of the biggest trends that created each decade's most iconic fashion. It's amazing how some decades drove the trend for the next (like 1955 to 1965), while some move in an entirely different direction completely (like 1975 to 1985).  I love looking to past trends for current inspiration... why reinvent the wheel when there are so many gorgeous looks waiting to be modernized?  My personal faves are 1955 & 1965... I love the nod to Hollywood glamour and the idea of dressing up for every occasion. 

Not to mention it was in the 1960's when the women's liberation movement started, and there was a strong cultural change with more of women entering the paid workplace. Can you even believe in the 1960's a bank could refuse to give an unmarried woman a credit card?  Women also couldn't get an Ivy League education (Harvard didn't admit women until 1977), and we earned $0.59 to the dollar that men made. So while we have made progress (women now earn $0.77 to the dollar) - we have a long ways to go... and I feel a personal duty to maximize the opportunities that women of the past made possible. We need to continue to fight to be seen as equals so we can all celebrate the day when women earn $1.01 to a man's dollar :)

For the Mode.com video click here

Friday Find

Shoe-Pourri (Amazon)

The real and stinky reality is that your shoes are going to get funky. And not a good funky.  In the past I had tried putting baking soda and dyer sheets in said funky shoes, and even had tried some of the deodorizing sprays. Truly nothing worked and there were some beloved heels I avoided wearing for one very smelly reason.  And then I heard about Shoe-Pourri... it's a shoe odor eliminator that really works! It's less than $15 on Amazon, and has a nice cedar smell that truly zaps the funk out of your favorite shoes (and the shoes of any other stinky feet in your life)... So you can leave the funky to your style and music ;)

Glazed Salmon & Asparagus

My husband did all of the work on this one... but his accomplishments are my accomplishments, right?  Typically when we grill it's safe to assume it's either chicken, burgers, or chicken.  Fish gets a little scary - it can quickly go from cooked to overcooked, and eating undercooked fish just doesn't work unless you're eating sushi... but we're adults right?  We can handle grilling salmon! That's exactly what we told ourselves.  Tom found a recipe that included a salmon glaze made with maple syrup (and it was amazing).  We grilled up some asparagus on the side and it was one of the easiest and delicious meals we've had in a while.  And we felt like bonafide adults mastering a chef worthy meal :)

For the salmon and glaze recipe click here