Royal Oak Brunch Bites

My bestie Jen and I spent this past Saturday having a blast at Royal Oak’s Brunch Bites event and I thought I would share all of my fun pictures with you. Brunch Bites is a walking food and drink event where you get to check out 12 of Royal Oak’s brunch destinations and sample food and drink at each location.

Brunch Bites

We started our adventure at Bigalora with a Bigalora Waffle (Strawberries, Whip Cream, Pine Nuts) and a Provatelo (Tito’s Vodka, Aperol, Lemon Juice, St. Germain).

Bigalora

Stop 2 was at Pronto! with Stuffed French Toast (Blackberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Cream Cheese Filling and Caramel Maple Sauce) and Sinful Sparkling Sangria (Blood Orange, Kiwi, Mango, Strawberries, Triple Sec & Bubbles).

Pronto

Stop 3 was at Cafe Muse with an Apple and Gorgonzola Quiche and a Sparkling Spritzer.

Cafe Muse

Stop 4 was at Lily’s Seafood with a Bayou Breakfast Fritatta (Andouille sausage, crawfish, peppers and onions with a Tabasco lime hollandaise) and Milk Punch (Cognac, milk, syrup and vanilla). I didn’t try the fritatta because I’m not really into seafood, but I LOVED the milk punch!!

Lily's Seafood

Stop 5 was Gayle’s Chocolates with Mini Cookies (Oatmeal cherry pecan cookies with milk chocolate chunks and dark chocolate chip cookies with sea salt) and Organic and Fair Trade Mexican Altura Coffee. As you know I’m not a coffee drinker, so Jen got two samples of coffee.

Gayle's Chocolates

Stop 6 was Ale Mary’s Beer Hall where they served my favorite thing Candied Bacon (Thick cut bacon candied with sage maple syrup, brown sugar) and Rochester Mills Blueberry Pancake Milkshake Stout (Fuller body and sweeter palate, flavored with blueberry). This bacon was the thickest I’ve ever had; it was unbelievable!

Ale Mary's

Stop 7 was at Mesa Tacos and Tequila where they served Corn Pudding with a warm fig compote and Mas Tequila (El Jimador Reposado, Aperol, St. Germaine, Lemon). The drink was awesome but definitely strong.

Mesa

Stop 8 was at Lockhart’s BBQ where they served The Hangover (Buttermilk biscuit loaded up with scrambled eggs, bacon, bell peppers, shredded jack cheese and smothered in sausage gravy) and accompanied with a Peach Bellini (Sparkling wine with white cranberry peach juice). The Bellini was delightful! I could have drank that all day long.

Lockharts BBQ

Stop 9 was at Andiamo which had a Ciabatta Breakfast Panini (scrambled eggs layered with peppers bacon, cheddar cheese, Italian sausage gravy. They were supposed to have Bloody Marys, but they ran out and gave us a Screwdriver instead.

Andiamo

Stop 10 was La Dulce where they served a Belgian Waffle (Maple syrup and violet foam) and a Spanish Mimosa (Sparkling Wine and Citrus Juice).

La Dulce

Stop 11 was the Red Fox English Pub where they served an English Trifle (pound cake, raspberry puree, creme anglaise, and whipped cream) and Hot Maple Butter Rum (Goslings Black Seal Rum, complimented by pure maple syrup and a healthy tab of unsalted butter).

Red Fox English Pub

Last but not least is Strada with a Short Rib Hash (Braised short rib with diced potatoes, onion, green pepper, and a natural bourbon reduction) and a Serrano Gooseberry Margarita.

Strada

So after we crushed it at brunch, we decided to celebrate by stopping at Hamlin Pub, where they have my favorite M. Lawrence bubbly on tap.

Hamlin Pub

We had a blast at Brunch Bites! I hope they do this again next year!

Brunch Bites1

Next up is the Royal Oak Wine Stroll on May 14, which is the same concept but with wine. Sign me up!



Five on Friday: Mother’s Day Gifts

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to spend some well deserved time hanging out with my mom. I love gift giving and finding ways to surprise people, so I figured I would get a little creative with some fun Mother’s Day gift ideas this year.

1. Mother Daughter Jewelry Set ($115)

I’ve been eyeing this set for a long time. I think it is so cute. My mom would get the circle and my sister and I would each get a tiny heart. It’s sort of like a modern take on a best friends necklace.

Erin Pelicano

2. Mother & Daughter Letter Book Set ($40)

I thought this was something fun and different. It’s a letter writing kit that you give to your mom and then you both write letters to each other throughout the year to get to know each other better. Since I am so busy I thought this might be a fun little project. Plus you get a nice little keepsake book to keep all the letters in.

Mother Daughter Letters

3. Plum Deluxe Organic Tea of the Month Club ($10/month)

My mother LOVES tea so I thought this would be a really fun gift. I wanted to do something a little off the beaten path so she would get teas that she’s never tried before from all over the world.

Plum Deluxe

4. Chamilia Beads ($45)

My mom LOVES Chamilia! She designs her own bracelets and has a coordinating bracelet for every outfit. Seriously, if you want someone to design a fantastic bracelet for you, she’s your gal. This Radiant Blooms bead is so cute and perfect for Mother’s Day.

Chamilia Bead

5. Valek Rolling Pins (2 for $63.95)

I thought these were really cool and different. I like getting my mom something that nobody else has. These are embossed rolling pins that she can use to make fun cookies or pie crusts or anything really.

Rolling Pins

Bonus Gift: Spoiled Rotten Dog Sign ($14.95)

We can’t forget Sport’s gift! He occasionally visits my parents’ house and they love him so I thought this would be a fun gift to come from Sport.

Spoiled Rotten Granddog

What are you getting your mom for Mother’s Day this year?

For more Five on Friday/Friday Favorites posts, click here.

If you would like to join the Five on Friday with A Liz AdventuresThe Good Life BlogHello Happiness and Carolina Charm just click the button below for more details.

5 on Friday Logo - Final

You can join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

I am also participating in the Friday Favorites Linkup with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. You can click the button below for more information and to join the linkup.

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Spring Giveaway with Meijer Beauty

Disclosure: I received sample products and a gift card from Meijer in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Brace yourself ladies! Meijer Beauty Perks are coming! Get ready to stock up your cupboards with the latest and greatest beauty tools and products for Spring and Summer. Meijer Beauty Perks runs through May 7, 2016 and can help you save up to $100 on your favorite beauty products. As if that wasn’t enough, Meijer has also given me a $25 gift card to give away to one lucky reader, so make sure to enter below!

Meijer Beauty Perks

If you don’t know what Meijer Beauty Perks are, read my previous post all about mPerks and how to sign up. There are some great deals here. The key is not to wait until you are at the store, but to do your homework in advance. Here are some of the great deals Meijer has going on as well as a highlight of a few of the new fun products they sent me.

Meijer Gift Card

First up we have the Amope Pedi Perfect. I’m pretty sure I audibly squealed out loud when I opened up the box to find this. I have seen the commercial dozens of times and did not expect to see this. I immediately opened this up and charged it for a second (you are supposed to charge it for 3 hours normally) so I could see how it works. Well let me tell you – make sure to introduce your dog to the Amope first because Sport definitely did not like it. He was barking up a storm until I stopped and let him sniff it for a while. As you can see, they are now friends, haha!

Sport Amope

I LOVED the Amope! This little tool does the trick on sloughing off the dead skin on your heels. I usually get regular pedicures, but am very ticklish, so the more I can do myself at home the better. mPerks is currently offering 15% off of Amope refills.

Amope Meijer Beauty

As I am writing this post, I literally can’t move because I recently did the P90X abs video and EVERYTHING hurts! Thank goodness Meijer sent me Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts to help soothe my sore muscles. I had no idea of all the benefits that Epsom Salts had for your body, but this video pretty much sums it up. They also sent me the Lavender version which is a great relaxer before bed. I haven’t taken a bath yet in the new house, but this with a glass of wine could definitely convince me! mPerks is now offering $1 off 2 of Dr. Teals products which is nice because you need to use two cups of salts for your bath so you will probably go through each bag pretty quickly.

Dr Teals

I also got to try Loreal’s new EverPure Cleansing Balm which is a 6-in-1 hair treatment. It’s all natural which means it contains no sulfates, parabens or silicones. This is pretty simple to use, just apply 6-8 pumps to your hair, I like to do it at the beginning of my shower and then leave it there until the end, and then rinse out. Simple and easy. The one thing I hate the most about shampoo and conditioner is that you always use more conditioner than shampoo so you end up having to buy an extra conditioner bottle. This way you just have have one bottle.

Loreal Everpure Cleansing Conditioner

I’m usually not surprised by new beauty products, but when I got this Dial Miracle Oil Restoring Body Wash with Marula Oil I had to take a pause. What the heck is Marula Oil? I had never heard of it before. Well you can read this article from Cosmopolitan for more details, but Marula Oil trumps Argan Oil by having 60% more antioxidants. It’s harvested in South Africa from the nut inside the marula fruit. It protects against free radicals and hydrates instead of just sitting on top of your skin.

Dial Marula Oil

Have you tried any of these fun new products? If not, enter my giveaway for a $25 Meijer gift card and pick these up for yourself.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more Meijer posts, click here.



Splurge vs. Steal: Tiffany T Square Bracelet

I’ve wanted to build my collection of gold bracelets for a while now and when I saw the Tiffany T Square Bracelet, I couldn’t resist! I’ve been a huge fan of Tiffany & Co. for years starting when I had the amazing opportunity to work with them early in my career. The Tiffany T Collection has been seen on Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Karlie Kloss and blogs like Song of Style and the Brooklyn Blonde as well as InStyle and Vogue.

Tiffany T Bracelet

As much as I love Tiffany, the T Square Bracelet is $5,200 and completely out of my price range. I found a great look alike with this T Wire Bracelet from Humble Chic for only $24.

Tiffany T Square

Do you have a splurge that you want me to find a steal for? Let me know in the comments. Or let me know if you find another steal for the Tiffany T Square Bracelet.

For more Splurge vs. Steal posts, click here.



Bachelor 20 – After the Final Rose

I figured I would write a separate post to talk about After the Final Rose and all of Lauren’s looks from Jimmy Kimmel, Good Morning America and Live with Kelly and Michael.

JoJo comes out first looking like the epitome of what you want to look like when you see your ex for the first time. She wore the T by Alexander Wang Cutout Stretch Knit Bandeau Dress ($450). Nordstrom also has more sizes available in Navy. I found a few similar looks in this Charlotte Russe Cut-Out BodyCon Dress ($29.99) and this Black Long Sleeve Cut-out Asymmetric Dress ($20):

Alexander Wang

After Ben and JoJo got to catch up, Chris Harrison announced her as the next Bachelorette! Thank goodness! I can’t wait to see more of her style next season!

Finally Lauren and Ben were reunited in public to live happily ever after. While they did not get married on TV, they seem to be doing well. I like that they both had their families present. I don’t think previous couples did, but they may have and just not showed them on TV. Lauren looked like the perfect bride in Jonathan Simkhai’s
Tower Lace Dress ($1,195). This ASTR Samantha Floral Lace Dress ($109) is similar:

Jonathan Simkhai

Once they finished taping After the Final Rose, Ben and Lauren stayed in LA to do Jimmy Kimmel. You can check out the clip below:

Lauren wore the Lovers + Friends Heart You Dress ($148). You can also rent it for $50 here:

Lovers and Friends

What you don’t realize is that immediately following Jimmy Kimmel, Lauren and Ben had to fly to New York to get ready for Good Morning America.

Lauren wore the Sunset Dress from The JetSet Diaries which you can rent for $60. This Stylestalker Lani Lace Mini Dress ($179) is similar:

JetSet Diaries

After a quick wardrobe change, Lauren and Ben were ready for Live with Kelly & Michael.

Lauren wore the sold-out Dixie Cutout Mini Dress from Nightcap. You can rent it for $60 here. This J.O.A.
Lace Dress ($88) is similar:

Nightcap Lace Dress

Later that week, Ben and Lauren made their way to the Today Show.

Lauren wore the Dixie Lace Catsuit from Nightcap Clothing ($396). You can also rent it here for $75. It looks like they modified this a bit for Lauren to be two pieces. This Adriana Lace Jumpsuit ($82.60) is a similar look for less:

Nightcap Jumpsuit

And there you have it, hopefully these two crazy kids live happily ever after. Were you happy with Ben’s choice? What about JoJo as the next Bachelorette?

If you missed After the Final Rose you can still watch it here.

For more Bachelor posts, click here.



April 2016 Pinspired

It’s time for another edition of Pinspired! Now that it’s finally warmed up in Michigan I can look at some fun spring/summer looks. I love romper looks, but as a curvier lady, wasn’t really sure I could pull them off. When I came across this look on Pinterest, I had to pin it for later. The color combination was right up my alley! Here is the original pin.

April Pinspired

I found four romper options to recreate this look and decided to include them all because this is something we definitely need to try on first. The first, a Muse Sleeveless Double V-Neck Romper from Soma ($39.98), the second a BCX Juniors’ Cold-Shoulder Necklace Romper ($49), the third a Tank Romper from Gap ($59.95), and the fourth a Tall Floral Jacquard Tie Back Romper ($79.50):

Navy Rompers

I really liked these Rampage Happy Platform Wedge Sandals ($35.40) and they are a great price:

Rampage Wedges

I found this awesome MG Collection Marissa Top-Handle Doctor Shoulder Bag ($35.50) which looks more expensive that it is!

MG Collection

This will be a fun summer look that you can dress up or down depending on the event. If you have any ideas for my next Pinspired, let me know in the comments below.

For more Pinspired looks, click here.



Wine of the Week: Chateau Chantal 2013 Ice Wine

I was thrilled to hear that a Michigan wine was selected for the White House state dinner for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chateau Chantal’s 2013 Ice Wine was selected to pair with dessert, Maple Pecan Cake with Cocoa Nib Wafer and Butterscotch Swirl Ice Cream.

Image Credit: 9and10news.com

Image Credit: 9and10news.com

Chateau Chantal is a winery and bed & breakfast on Old Mission Peninsula. The winery was founded by Robert Begin, a former Catholic diocesan priest and Nadine, previously one of the Felician Sisters. How cool is it that they both decided on a different life and got married in 1974? They ended up following Robert’s dream of building a European style winery chateau.

Chateau Chantal

There were only 500 bottles made of the 2013 Ice Wine. It comes in a special wooden box and is made from grapes frozen on the vine, and then pressed while still frozen. It is described as having “incredible sweetness and fruitiness, with all the delicateness of a fine Riesling wine.” It has notes of decadent apricot, toasted caramel, and baked apple. The wine retails for $70.

 

ice with box bottle

The wine graced a stunning tablescape:

A place setting during a press preview ahead of the state dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room of the White House, on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A place setting during a press preview ahead of the state dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room of the White House, on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The full menu and details of the evening can be found here.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 09: A display of bite-size sweets uses a photograph of the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop for the state dinner honoring Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room at the White House March 9, 2016 in Washington, DC. The White House chose the colors, flowers and menu with 'an ambiance that reflects the scenic beauty of our shared border and celebrates the coming of spring.' The son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, Trudeau is visiting Washington this week for the first state dinner for a Canadian leader in almost 20 years. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A display of bite-size sweets uses a photograph of the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop for the state dinner honoring Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room at the White House March 9, 2016 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Have you tried any presidential wines? If so, I would love to hear the details! I have mentioned the Casa Nuestra Chenin Blanc wine before that was featured at a White House picnic. Maybe someday I will try them all!

For more Wine of the Week posts, click here.



Bachelor 20 – Finale

Here we go people, the Bachelor 20 Finale! I think this might be the first time I’ve actually made it to the end with my fashion recaps before a new season started, so I’m pretty pleased with myself!

Up first are both Lauren and JoJo lamenting about how they feel much more confident now that Ben has professed his love…but wait a minute, both of them wonder if he has also said the same thing to the other. JoJo’s white off-the-shoulder top is on point. I found this similar Velvet by Graham & Spencer Off-the-Shoulder Lace Top ($138) to recreate her look:

Velvet

To meet the parents JoJo wore the BB Dakota Amina Romper ($60.99). This Jack by BB Dakota Aerona Floral Haze Printed Crinkle Chiffon Romper ($62) is similar with more sizes:

BB Dakota

On Ben and Lauren’s last date, Lauren wore Victoria’s Secret Surf Teeny Triangle Top ($19.99) and The Surf Bikini Bottom ($24):

VictoriasSecret

During JoJo’s last date, Ben reveals that he is confused much to JoJo’s chagrin. JoJo wore the Vitamin A Neutra Bralette Limelight ($129.95AUD):

Vitamin A Nuetra

Unfortunately, poor JoJo got her heart broken by Ben. She still looked unbelievable in the Mac Duggal Cassandra Stone – Style 4365A ($498):

MacDuggal

Lauren and Ben lived happily ever after…or at least for the next six months. Only time will tell. I loved watching their proposal. They might be one of my favorite couples in a while. I hope they beat the odds. Lauren looked beautiful in my favorite color. She wore Badgley Mischka’s Odessa Halter Gown ($462), you can also rent it at Rent the Runway for $100:

Badgley Mischka

What did you think about this season of The Bachelor? How long do you think Ben and Lauren will last? Or do you think they will make it to the altar?

If you missed the Finale you can still watch it here.

For more Bachelor posts, click here.



Five on Friday: Fifth Anniversary

John and I are approaching a milestone anniversary this year! Five years as husband and wife! This fall will also mark 16 years since we first met. What an adventure we have been on these past few years! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.

Wedding Comerica Park

Every year of our marriage, I’ve always given John a traditional gift:

  • Year one was the paper anniversary and I made a date book with a pre-planned date for each month of that year.
  • The second year was the cotton anniversary and I got John a really cool Michigan recliner. Unfortunately, that got trashed in our sewage flood.
  • For year three, the leather anniversary, I got John a pair of Johnston & Murphy leather topsiders that he had been eyeing.
  • For year four, the fruits and flowers anniversary, I got us a lemon tree. The tree is still alive and actually has a lemon growing on it now!

The fifth anniversary is the wood anniversary and I came up with some fun gift ideas to commemorate the occasion:

1. Jord Wood Watches ($275)

What better way to commemorate our five year anniversary than with this beautiful wood time piece? This one in particular caught my eye, it is stunning!

Jord

2. Nambe Butterfly Salad Bowl with Servers ($199.99)

I originally had a wood salad bowl on our registry, but we didn’t end up getting this. Five years later I think this would be a beautiful addition to our table.

nambe

3. Personalized Wood Postcard ($18.95)

This would be so fun to send to your beloved as an anniversary surprise!

wood postcard

4. You Make Me Happy Wood Wall Plaque ($48)

I really love this and it definitely speaks to our relationship. I love that it is something we can get for the house.

you make me happy

5. Piccadilly Wicker Picnic Basket ($85)

I love the idea of a romantic picnic at the park or by the water somewhere. We don’t have a picnic set and this would be perfect!

picnic basket

Let me know if you have any other fun wood gift ideas.

For more Five on Friday/Friday Favorites posts, click here.

If you would like to join the Five on Friday with A Liz AdventuresThe Good Life BlogHello Happiness and Carolina Charm just click the button below for more details.

5 on Friday Logo - Final

You can join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

I am also participating in the Friday Favorites Linkup with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. You can click the button below for more information and to join the linkup.

Friday Favorites



Spring Bucket List

Ahhh, spring in Michigan…looks a lot like winter unfortunately. I worked A LOT this winter, between my day job, teaching and blogging I didn’t spend much time having fun or working on my winter bucket list. I would like to change that this spring and spend a little more time enjoying life, so step one is to create some fun goals.

Spring Bucket List

  • Go to Opening Day

Opening Day 2016

  • Spring clean the house
  • Refresh my windowsill garden
  • Plan a picnic date
  • Visit the Toledo Zoo to see the elephants
  • Brunch on the patio
  • Go for a bike ride
  • Make homeade ice cream
  • Go to Flower Day at Eastern Market
  • Go to Michigan’s Spring Game – We didn’t go to the Spring Game, but we did go to the special practice at Ford Field

Michigan practice 2016

  • Shop at the Farmer’s Market
  • Go to Pewabic Pottery’s Garden Party
  • Go on a bike ride
  • Use the grill
  • Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
  • Take an outdoor yoga class
  • Take a Memorial Day weekend trip
  • Make limoncello
  • Pick berries from a local farm
  • Go to a Mother’s Day tea

What are your favorite spring bucket list activities?

I will add to this list throughout the season so let me know your favorites.



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