Pop of Green

Spring is almost here, but we still have snow on the ground. I am finding myself stuck in two worlds with one foot firmly planted in the winter side of the closet, while the other is inching its way to the spring/summer section.

And so this explains today's OOTD.

Happy Tuesday!

Best,

H.

So excited to whip out some heels.
Shoes: Tahari. Find similar here. 

Pants worn in previous post. Cardigan: Premise. I love the pleather patches on the sleeves. Find similar here.
Blouse: Laundry. Find here. 

Bracelets: J. Crew and groopdealz
Ring: Brighton

Choker: Sabika, How Fun Sweet Choker. Find similar here.
Cross necklace: Mariana. Find similar here. 

Earrings: Sabika. Find similar here. 

Sapphire and Beige

It's definitely a beautiful day in the neighborhood...so crisp, refreshing and slightly above freezing. More important, no need for a Mr. Rogers' sweater. 

I'm feeling much better than I had been feeling a couple of days ago. And best of all, the J. Crew pieces that I ordered when I needed a pick-me-up are finally here, and I am enjoying them.

Hope the sun is shining where you are.

Best,

H.

I bought this dress last year from Macy's but wasn't super crazy about the sapphire color. I like the way it fits and its retro feel. Macy's.com has a ruffled tunic that is very similar to the dress. Find here. 

So I have found a new photographer who is more patient (than the hubster), excited to snap shots of his mommy and doesn't think I am wasting time. Yep, my sweet David. 

Here's one of the J. Crew items I purchased. Find here. 

Textured hose from Walmart. George brand. Shoes: Franco Sarto. Find here and here. 

J. Crew crystal necklace. Sold out online. Find similar here. 

I bought these Kenneth Cole earrings last year. They have become one of my go-to pairs.

Koshari and the Copt

Starting tomorrow, Coptic Christians will be observing the third week of lent. And you know what this means, we are running out of ideas for lenten meals! And as I finish typing that last sentence, I can not help but remember what our Bishop said a couple of weeks ago (when he was visiting us to celebrate the start of the Fast of Ninevah or what some call Jonah's fast) in regards to fasting. He said that to fast means to control all desires...desires of the ear, eyes, mouth, etc. Fasting is not only abstaining from food but abstaining from that which distracts us from God, and with fasting comes prayer.  And here is the real kicker:  he said that if you feel that after fasting nothing has changed, then you did not really fast. How true! I am sure that he has reached a level of spirituality that empowers him to be completely "full" while abstaining from all earthly desires. 

But because I am on the bottom rung of this spiritual ladder, I still care about things like food, clothing and sale items from J. Crew. Someday. Someday.

I wanted to share with you today how to make a delicious and fulfilling staple found in all Egyptian homes during this fast. Yep! You guessed it...Koshari. And if you didn't guess right, don't be disappointed. It just means you are not Egyptian. 

When I taught in Cairo with expats from Jersey, California and Maryland, I remember them bringing koshari for lunch the majority of the time. I would chuckle and tell them that koshari had an expiration date. That they just couldn't buy it from an eatery on day one and think it would last until day five. Surprisingly, they never got sick, but I did. I got sick of seeing them eat koshari. They LOVED koshari.

This is how I make koshari. And there are many different ways to make it. 

Let me know what you think.

Best,

H.

I get my lentils from El Nouri in Patterson, New Jersey. I took my kids once, and they said the area reminds them of Egypt. No kidding. Almost everything is written in Arabic. If you miss the homeland, El Nouri is a good substitute. Rinse the lentils in water to remove all the impurities. And I don't measure anything. 

I render enough onions in oil (again, I don't really measure) to bring me to a full-fledged cry, not just tears. And then add the lentils. The lentils are cooked until they are almost tender.

Then add the rice, spices (cumin, salt and pepper) and enough water to cook the grains.

This is what it looks like when it is done.

Cook any kind of pasta you like. I like to use ditalini by Barilla. 

The koshari sauce is the key to a tasty dish. You need to render two or three garlic cloves in oil, and when they are golden, splash them with vinegar and add the tomato sauce. The sauce is seasoned with salt, pepper and allspice.

Dust sliced onions in flour and fry in oil. 

This is what the onions look like when they are done. In eateries, they refer to the fried onions as "el waard" or the flowers that decorate the mountain of lentils and pasta.

This is what it looks like when it is plated. Delicious...

And fulfilling!

A Little Bit of Color with Triple Black & White

Hope you had a great workday Tuesday. I heard someone say once that the longer couples are together, the more they start looking like each other and dressing like each other. Yikes! I love and respect my husband (and even purchase his clothing), but I can't imagine what he would look like in my Sabika black diamond golf necklace (even with its "manly" name) or what I would look like in his Haggar no iron, pleated front slacks (Oh, no. Not I). 

Having said this, is there any study about office mates who start wearing the same color schemes on THE SAME DAY?  See below. At the office today, someone commented that Angela and I have on the same color scheme. And as we walked into my office and Diane walked out of hers, it became very evident that she, too, had on the the same color scheme. Does this mean that we are spending waaay too much time together?

But the goal of today's post is to highlight Kayla and how great she looks. She is part of the human resources department. So you know what this means? I have to watch what I say around her. :) But I can definitely say this about her outfit and I know I will not get in trouble...very fun and definitely adds color to this black & white trio. 

Best,

H.

Here's Kayla's look:
Cardigan, shirt and skirt: All from Ann Taylor Loft. Find skirt here. Find similar shirt here.
Find similar black cardigan here.
Hose: tjmaxx
Shoes: Coach. Find similar here.
Purse: Coach. Find similar here.
Necklace: Vera Wang via Kohls. Find similar here.
Bracelet: Michael Kors. Find similar here.
Ring: brand unknown

The black and white trio below.

Angela looking totally adorable in her black& white with a splash of seafoam green.

Great picture of Diane in her black & white with a splash of Sabika. Funny thing--Diane has never seen this blog!

Here I am in my Calvin Klein Houndstooth knit sweater dress in black & white. No clue why I am raising my hands like that. Find similar here and here.

Stripes on Stripes

TGIF! I worked both jobs today, the non-profit and the animal hospital so I had to dress for both. At the non-profit, I had a long, lunch meeting  at Panera Bread with a local school district administrator. I ordered the vegetarian garden vegetable soup with pesto. It was delicious. I could have opted for an apple instead of the baguette, but since it isn't a creamy soup, I needed something of substance with it. Meeting went well.

At the animal hospital it was CRAZY! We've been getting ready for our AAHA evaluation which is in April. And for you who don't know, this is a voluntary evaluation that hospitals sign up for. The association evaluates the hospital on 19 standards...from HR to housekeeping. Statistically, only about 15% of small animal hospitals in North America are AAHA accredited...fingers crossed. We've been AAHA-accredited since 1958. 

Between interviewing for vet techs and revising the necropsy protocol, I am tired! 

On a completely different topic, I am still waiting for my J.Crew purchases. And last night, in a moment of complete weakness, I made a "facebook" Sabika purchase. How could I pass up a "software error" that extended the 50% off fall & winter 2013 collection? Well,  I didn't. Can't wait to get my juxtaposition 6 stone choker. Find here.  Will show you when I get it.

As for now, I'm going to get a cup of coffee, relax and watch some "reality" t.v.

Hope you had a fantastic Friday.

Best,

H. 

Here's the look:
Dress: Gap. Find similar here, here, here and here.
Shirt: Jones New York. Find similar here.
Hose: George c/o Wal-Mart
Boots: Bandolino. Find similar here. 
Necklace: no name
Watch: Michael Kors
Bracelet: groopdealz

For a "no name" necklace, I get a lot of compliments on it.

Bundled in Pink and Red

Another snowy, snowy day in the Keystone State..cold, snowy and miserable. Thank God I have a job (or rather jobs) that doesn't allow me to wear yoga pants and a sweatshirt to work. I can't imagine how I would feel or be if I got up in the morning, stayed in my pj's and spent the day looking at this awful weather. Ahhh! I needed a bright color today...this is becoming to be a trend...bright colors, Vitamin D gel caps and pictures of tropical resorts. 

There's definitely a link between clothing, make-up and mood--at least in my mind. A smoky eyeliner and a sparkly lip is all I need (and a piece of jewelry) to temporarily forget that I am living in Antarctica. 

What do you do to tackle the winter blahs?

Best,

H.

Here's the look:
Sweater: a.n.a. c/o jcp (old). Find similar here, here and here. 
Shirt: Ralph Lauren Oxford. Find here.
Pants: Ellen Tracy Wide Leg Trousers. Find here.
Shoes: Madden Girl. Find here.
Purse: Fossil. Find similar here. 
Necklaces: groopdealz. Find similar here. Sabika. Find similar here.
Earrings: Sabika. Find similar here.
Watch: Michael Kors
Bracelet: Brighton
Lip: Estee Lauder in Plum Divine Shimmer.

Order Has Been Shipped

It's amazing how a few words (4 to be exact) can change a sullen mood. I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days, and so I decided to do something about it last night. Yep, I got out the credit card. Well, my husband's credit card. Surprisingly, the credit card sheriff  (a.k.a. my husband) did not come after me. Nope...not a warning, citation or arrest. This episode could be explained by either one of two things: he wasn't feeling well, or he wanted to make me feel better. Such a sweetie.

What did I do?  I went to J. Crew Factory and ordered three pieces (find here,  here and here) I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. TO. GET. THEM. 

I did get confirmation that my order has been shipped...words that made everything feel better. 

Hope you had a wonderful workday Wednesday.

Best,

H.

Lace & Chains

Date night never happened yesterday...no fault of my hubby's, but I wasn't feeling well. It's a major let down when you wait all week for a night out (in this case it was trivia night) and end up not feeling well. I probably could have pushed myself to get ready and get out, but when something is supposed to be fun, I want to have fun...not feel miserable and make those around me wish that I had stayed home (I know, me not being fun? Hey, it happens). And you know, that is the difference between going out and going to work. I push harder when I have to go to work.

Today was different. I didn't have to push myself to go to church...my haven. Tomorrow marks the start of the Great Lent, 55 days of fasting, praying and giving alms. At least, this is what is supposed to happen. Of the three, praying is definitely the most challenging for me but when I do it, it provides me with abundant comfort. 

On a different note, I'll have to share some of my lenten meals in the upcoming days. 

Hope you saw the sunshine this Sunday.

Best,

H.

This is what I wore to church today.
Blazer: Kasper. Find similar here.
Lace blouse. Find similar here.
Velvet Pants. Find similar here. 
Necklace. Find similar here. 
Bracelet: groopdealz

These are the most comfortable pants I bought this year. I am obsessed with stretch velvet.

So delicate. I like that I can change the cami underneath with other colors depending on what I am wearing.

I love my Brighton earrings. I'm wearing them in brushed silver. Find similar here.

Greener Pastures

Oh, how I long for spring! Another snow/ice day for the kids. By this rate, they'll be in school until the 4th of July. 

I needed another pick me up today, so I went straight for green slacks and flower print blouse. But because it is still winter and not spring, I needed a blazer to keep me warm.

The work week is almost over, and I am excited for a Saturday outing with my husband.

Hooray for Wednesday!

Best,

H.

Velvet Blazer: Old Navy (super old). Find similar here and here.
Blouse: Calvin Klein (old);
Slacks: Chaus (last year)
Shoes: Anne Klein (last year). Find similar here and here. 

l

Watch: Fossil (birthday gift from hubby like 10 years ago);
Brighton bracelet: Find here.
Beaded bracelet: no name
Sabika gold shadow fun bracelet. Find here.
Gold bracelet: my grandma's

Brighton gratitude earrings. Gift from my friend. 

Necklace: no name
Ring: no name