Easter Breakfast Recipe Ideas

A big breakfast on Easter Sunday is a tradition in my family, as it gives us some time to catch up and enjoying a relaxing meal (most of us are still in our PJ's) before we all head to my grandmother's for a late afternoon lunch with extended family.

These are some of my favorite breakfast recipe ideas for large Easter Sunday:

Citrus Platter // Blueberries 'n Cream Danish Braid // Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter

Fresh Berry Bruschetta // Smoked Salmon Waffles // Eggs Benedict Bake

Spinach-Gruyere Gateau de Crepes // Brie & Mushroom Breakfast Strata // Challah French Toast

Candied Bacon // Potato Galette with Smoked Salmon // Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake

My Top Picks from the Lilly Pulitzer for Target Collection

The long awaited Lilly Pulitzer collection for Target doesn't arrive in stores or on your computer until Sunday, April 19, but the Look Book is live on the Target website, so its time to start plotting out your game plan. I went through and started "saving" all the items that I wanted and 35 items later, I'm in some deep shopping trouble.

These are my top picks from the Women and Home collections.  What's on your Lilly for Target wish list?

Monday Morning Pick Me Up: Forget the Haters

Spring/Summer Steals from J. Crew Factory

Shorts // Cardigan // Dress // Top

On my way home from work on Friday I stopped at my local J. Crew Factory to finally start my spring/summer shopping. I did a major closet clean out last fall and donated about half of my warm weather clothes that either no longer fit or I simply didn't like. That's all well and good but now that it's March and I'm starting to switch out my winter clothes for spring stuff, I realized how little I had.

I walked into the store determined not to come out with anything black or grey. I adore black clothing and will never give it up, but I really could use more color in my wardrobe for spring.  I ended up leaving with two pairs of perfectly fitted shorts (they come in a bunch of colors) that I can dress up or down, a classic navy cardigan (also in tons of colors), a super comfy dress in my favorite shade of green and a simple sleeveless top to tuck into skirts and cropped pants for work.

My Factory trip is just the first of many on my quest for new spring/summer clothes. I'll keep you posted on the rest of my finds.

The Week in Fashion

What to Know About the Changes at Marc Jacobs - Style.com

Kendall Jenner Is the New Face of Calvin Klein Jeans - Fashionista

Target Unveils Beach Ready Lilly Pultizer Lookbook - Fashion Gone Rogue

All About Celine's New Headquarters and Why They Won't Enter the E-commerce Space - WSJ

Stella McCartney on Building a Sustainable Luxury Brand - The Business of Fashion

Amazon Is Reportedly in Talks to Buy Net-a-Porter - Fashionista

Can Fashion's Big Boys Keep Up with the Moment - The Cut


Happy Saturday!!

Save or Splurge: Spring Transition

Splurge:  Button Down // Jeans // Booties // Belt // Bag

Save: Button Down // Jeans // Booties // Belt // Bag

March Wish List

It still feels like winter here in Boston but I am in full-on spring mode when it comes to my current fashion wish list. I saw these dresses from Lilly Pulitzer and Sail to Sable on a blog that I follow and they are perfect for work and play once the weather warms up. Until then, I will keep pairing my daily outfits with a light scarf, like this one, that I can wear during the winter-spring transition. Another key transition piece on my list is this classic trench as my current one has seen better days.

I saw this Kenneth Jay Lane necklace a while back and the gold disks reminded me of the ones on Elizabeth Taylor's famous charm bracelet, which I love. I also fell in love with these great Warby Parker sunglasses that I first spotted on Sarah Vickers of Classy Girls Wear Pearls.

Beige and cream accessories are always good neutral options for spring but this pink cross-body bag and these Ferragamo flats will also pair well with my spring clothes.

I have a closet full of blazers but I can only think of one that is suitable for warm weather. This linen one from Boden is perfect for spring/summer and also comes in white, navy and raspberry. I also need some tops that I can wear both in and out of the office. The first one on my to-buy list is this one from Madewell.

Navy Dress // Necklace // Flats // Bag // Sunglasses

Scarf // Top // Trench // Blazer // Pink Dress

Monday Morning Pick Me Up: Amy Poehler

The Week in Fashion

The Top 25 Stylists of 2015 - The Hollywood Reporter

Giuseppe Zanotti Announces Beyoncé Collaboration - Forbes

Exclusive: Inside Balmain’s Digital Revolution - Business of Fashion

Peter Dundas for Roberto Cavalli: Get Ready for Some Maj Prints - The Zoe Report

Dolce and Gabbana Try to Clarify Their Views on 'Tradtional Families' to CNN - Fashionista

Cara Delevingne's 'Paper Towns' Trailer is Here - The Fashionista

Pharrell to Get CFDA Icon Award - Women's Wear Daily

Anna Wintour on the Decline of Trends - Style.com


Happy Saturday!!

Cashmere Care & Storage

Spring is officially here and it's time to start packing away the heavy winter clothes, including the cashmere sweaters, scarves and knits. Many years ago my sister bought me a beautiful cashmere dress at a sample sale and I made the mistake of not storing it properly over the spring/summer season and when I pulled it out in the fall it had several tiny moth holes in it. I never made that mistake again.

These are my tips for cleaning and storing cashmere:

• Before storing cashmere away, it's best to wash it before hand. Sweat, perfume and stains can increase the likelihood of getting moths. Most cashmere labels will say "dry clean only" but I try and avoid the cleaners for two reasons. One: It's expensive! and Two: Consistently using chemicals to clean cashmere isn't good for it. Domestic maven Martha Stewart recommends hand washing cashmere (see directions) but I don't always have the time for that (who does?). Instead I place all my knits and delicate items into the washer and, using gentle Woolite detergent, wash the items on the "hand wash" cycle, which takes about 20 minutes. 
• Post wash, I lay each items between two towels and gently press down to remove any excess water. Don't try and wring them out, it can stretch them out.
• Now it's drying time! Some people use a clothing rack to dry cashmere but I prefer placing everything out on a table so that the sweater keeps its correct shape. If you don't have the space for that, try using a pop up sweater rack. It's small, inexpensive and you can place it on the floor if you don't have room anywhere else. 
• If your cashmere has a few wrinkles post-dry, you can use a steamer or gentle iron to remove them. I don't own a steamer so I lay out my sweaters on a towel and set the iron to wool (sadly there isn't a cashmere setting on my iron). If you're really concerned about using too much heat, place the cashmere underneath a towel and then place the iron on top of it.
• Cashmere is known to pill (it's totally normal) so a fuzz removing is always good to have around to remove anything after washing and drying. I like this one from The Container Store because it has three blade choices to use for different fabrics. 
• When storing cashmere away for the season, the key is to have something airtight to place it in. I use Container Store bins because I can stack them on top of each other in the back of my closet. If you prefer bags, try these ones from The Container Store. 
• Like most people, I hate the chemical smell of moth balls and moth repellent so I place several cedar blocks inside each bin to help keep the moths away. I gently fold each sweater and place a couple of blocks in between them as I place then in the bins.
• Once you've got everything packed up, place your bags or bins in a cool, dry place. No damp basements or hot attic storage spaces because this only helps to attract moths. I keep mine in back of my closet where it will stay dark and cool over the summer.

Gentle Woolite Detergent // Pop Up Sweater Dryer // Sweater Bags

Fuzz Remover // Sweater Bins // Cedar Blocks

Once we've got all the cashmere put away, it will be time to bring out the spring/summer wardrobe. I can't wait to break out my sundresses and espadrilles!