This past weekend was one of the first weekends where we didn’t have a lot of commitments.  This allowed for a night out with great friends, which just so happened to be a few of the ChiChi Collections models as seen here. We started the night off at a Wine and Beer Fest in Bonita Springs and sampled some delicious drinks. We then headed off to this great bar called Lansdowne Street.  It’s a cozy neighborhood pub with so much character. Definitely need to do a photo shoot here sometime. We had some great beer, played darts and had some great laughs!

{Us girls just hanging out watching the boys play darts and catching up! Note:  Jamie is wearing the famous rosebud earrings.}

{I had to share this picture as I highly recommend this Banana Bread Beer. Tastes exactly like it! Yum!)

The photo shoot went amazing on Saturday! The weather was perfect, the girls looked fantastic and we just had a blast. It’s amazing what kind of stories are made up in order to get our models to laugh .  We’ll do anything to see those beautiful huge smiles!

This shoot was all about the spring season and bold colors! We loved that we were able to capitalize on the weather being so awesome, so we took many photos outside.

We were able to get a glimpse at a few of the pictures and they look simply amazing, but they are not quite ready to be unveiled just yet. We can’t wait until we can share them with you! In the meantime here are a few behind the scenes shots I took during the photo shoot.

Today was one of those days that started off terrible. These are the days where I try to focus in on all things that make me “Happy”. Here are a few of those things!

1. A cup of my favorite Starbucks medium roast coffee usually helps!

2.  A handful of these Dark Chocolate Pomegrante’s! Yum!

3. My favorite sparkles! I love to add this touch to my ring finger to add a little bit of sparkle!

4. This Classic in Stripes top from ChiChi Collections. I am loving stripes right now and the combination of comfort and cuteness is a win-win for me.

What makes you happy when you feel down?

Thanks to Rochelle for sharing this photo with us!  Do you ever find that your outfit is missing something? Maybe a bold necklace or a cute floral hairpiece.  I know we all have those days, occasionally. Well Rochelle chose to pair her outfit with this bold feather belt from ChiChi Collections to add a little something extra.  We love how this feather embellishment creates a statement of its own.  So next time you feel like your outfit is missing something, try a bold accessory that will make you stand out!

I am a huge fan of Pinterest, so when I came across this DIY project to store your jewelry I decided I had to try it myself.  I have a jewelry armoire that ideally should be big enough to store all my jewelry, but honestly I have run out of space. Plus, I have a lot of long necklaces that just wouldn’t fit right. It’s frustrating when they are tangled up in a ball because they are just too long. So this DIY jewelry organizer project has now allowed me to store all of my special and more expensive jewelry in my armoire and organize all of my costume jewelry in this “organizer” on my closet wall.

So while at the store I picked up these bamboo cutlery trays for $7 each, a pack of hooks for $3 and a can of white spray paint for $3.

First, my husband helped out by spraying them white. It took a few coats to get them white! Then, we screwed holes in the appropriate spots and started screwing in the hooks. It was important to screw the holes first, as bamboo is a very hard wood and can crack easily. Once all the hooks were in, we were ready to hang them on my wall and begin to organize.

Here are a few pictures of the process in making my DIY jewelry organizer…Enjoy!

Easter is always one of my favorite holidays!  It’s a perfect reason to dress up in pretty colors and celebrate with family! The weather could not have been any more perfect as we spent most of the day enjoying it outside. I had picked up this paisley dress when I was back in Chicago from H&M a few weeks back. It was love at first sight and I knew it would be the perfect Easter dress!

This week has been full on prep for our upcoming Photo Shoot. Between planning outfits and accessories for the models to wear and scoping out locations, it has been busy! We couldn’t be more excited to have Matt Steeves of Matt Steeves Photography capturing it once again. He is amazing to work with and his work is stunning! We always joke that he is our “Family” photographer. He has shot everything for us from my wedding to my nephew’s 1st birthday party and many family photos and of course all of ChiChi Collections work.

{Matt from Matt Steeves Photography}

Jodie and I always have a blast styling all the girls and love how Matt helps capture their beauty wearing apparel and accessories from ChiChi Collections. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because….this is work! A special thanks in advance to our beautiful models for their continued support. You are all gorgeous inside and out! Especially when wearing ChiChi Collections. love you!

We can’t wait to share these shots with you all!

Delish zucchini stuffed with your favorite ingredients!  This zucchini boats recipe makes for a great side dish or a light meal.

Zucchini Boats Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 slice white bread, torn into small pieces
• 1/4 cup bacon bits
• 1 tablespoon minced black olives
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 3 tablespoons diced green chile peppers
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped tomato
• 6 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• chopped pepperoni to taste
• 1 pinch dried basil
• seasoned salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat you oven at 450.
2. Place the zucchini in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes. Drain, cool, and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp to about 1/4 inch from the skin. Chop pulp.
3. In a bowl, mix the zucchini pulp, bread pieces, bacon bits, olives, jalapeno, green chile peppers, onion, tomato, and Cheddar cheese or pepperoni .

(Add anything you would like) Season with basil, seasoned salt, and pepper.

1. Stuff the zucchini halves with the pulp mixture. Seal each stuffed half in aluminum foil.
2. Place foil packets in the over and Cook 15 minutes, until tender.

Enjoy these delicious Zucchini Boats!

A big thanks to Jessica for sharing this photo with us.  She paired this charm necklace with a black tank and gray skirt, pulling off a captivating look for a busy days work in sunny Florida. Simply throw on a jacket for a complete business casual look!  This necklace features accents of lovely black beads, metallic gems, rhinestones and pearls that hang from the link necklace. This charming necklace will make your day!

{Attractive Black & Silver Necklace, $33}

Easter and Mother’s Day are both fast approaching. I love both of these days because it means time spent with family. I also love that it’s a great excuse to dress up all girly! Plus I love pastels. Wouldn’t you agree?

Here are a few of fav’s items in sweet pastel colors.

{I love the softer hues and fabric on this dress! Try pairing it with this sweet headband.}

{Not a dress girl, pair these adorable cabaret leggings with a simple tank and jacket and this pastel necklace.}

{This dress is great for Easter morning church. It’s super trendy yet a little longer in length which makes it appropriate for many occasions.  Try pairing it with these adorable earrings.

{Simply Elegant Hair Accessory}

{Mint to Be Handbag}

{Mint Cuff Bracelet}