Friday Favorites Undergarment Edition

Linking up today with Andrea at Momfessionals for my Friday Favorite on one of my favorite topics.

Time to Talk About Undergarments!

As many of you know I worked in a lingerie department for years so it only makes sense that I am slightly passionate about my undergarment choices.  I don't have just one favorite bra but I definitely have a favorite brand of underwear.  

Hanky Panky Low Rise Thong

Almost any day of the week under pretty much any outfit you can find me in some version of a Hanky Panky thong.  Most of the time I wear the low rise thong since I am super short waisted so they are actually not as low as you would think.  When I am wearing a dress and not wearing tights with it I do sometimes wear my original rise version for a little more coverage in case my dress takes a cue from Marilyn Monroe's.  The retro thong is also a great alternative under dresses or dress pants that gives just a little bit of tummy smoothing without digging in anywhere.  I do wear non-thong underwear every once in a while but then I remember that all underwear turn into a thong on my butt anyway so I might as well just start with the thong in the first place.

Hanky Panky Original Rise Thong

Hanky Panky Retro Thong

As much as I do love underwear I can't leave out bras.  I cannot stress enough how much it is so important to wear the right size bra.  So many woman wear the wrong size bra and it causes so many problems.  Problems ranging from your clothing not fitting as well to back problems from not enough support to it not supporting your breast tissue well which can lead to premature sagging.   If you have never been professionally fit for a bra please let this be my public service announcement (PSA) to you!  Go and get fit for a bra and you won't regret it!!!

I love the Wacoal sports bra and almost all Chantelle bras along with Natori Feathers but what bras work well for people really depends on so many factors it is hard to say what works well for one person may not works the same magic for another

PSA again!  Get fit for a bra to make sure you are wearing the correct size!

Wordless Wednesday!

A few fun pictures I had floating around my computer from the last few years! Just the way to start your day!  

Valentine's Day Decorations

A couple of weeks ago I finally took down my Christmas decorations.  Our cute little condo just looked so naked after having it all decorated for Christmas for the last month that I had to do something to decorate it.  I thought about doing something generically wintery for a few weeks with snowflakes and silver and blue colors (since we all know the Bay Area is so wintery) but I decided to just jump right into Valentine's Day.

My Valentine's Day Centerpiece

  

I have this wooden bowl/cake stand thing that sits in the middle of our eating table that is perfect to decorate for every season and/or holiday.  I have had this bowl since this past summer and it has already held gourds during the fall and a variety of round glass Christmas ornaments.  I may or may not be already planning what to put in it for all the other seasons of the year.  I found a sparkly heart garland but there really wasn't anywhere in our condo to hang it without it taking over an entire wall. It ended up looking really good in my wooden bowl draped around a white pillar candle.

Door to our washer/dryer closet

 I wasn't sure if this heart wreath would survive on the outside of our front door so I decided to put it on the door to our laundry so I would be able to see it all the time.

Don't mind the messy counters!

 These cute towels brighten up our kitchen and they are useful too!

Hooo do you love?

I found this little Valentine's owl at Target the other day and thought he would be the perfect addition to my decoration collection.  Someday when I have a mantle he will be able to hang out there but for now he is sitting on our wine cabinet along with a random collection of other things.

Taco Seasoning

I love making turkey tacos as an easy and fast weeknight meal.  One day I was reading the back of a package of taco seasoning and realized that the first ingredients in many taco seasonings is corn starch.  The companies use it as filler to add weight to the packages and I decided I don't need that in my food when I can easily make my own taco seasoning at home.  Here is the recipe I use:

 Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you want it spicier)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (or more if you want it spicier or can be left out completely if you want a mild taco)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt (I like sea salt)
1 teaspoon pepper

Put all of the spices in a small bowl and give them a good stir.  All of these measurements are approximate and I just eyeball all of them usually.  I usually store any extra taco seasoning in a little container for next time.

I use between 1/2 and 3/4 of this mixture and about 1 1/4 lbs of ground turkey for my tacos along with some taco shells, chopped up lettuce, a little cheddar cheese, a bit of nonfat greek yogurt and good dose of Tapatio.  If you prefer you can use sour cream but I find that nonfat plain greek yogurt tastes the same as sour cream in these tacos but has fewer calories with more protein.  

An added bonus to making your own taco seasoning is is actually cheaper than buying the packaged stuff at the store.  The whole meal feeds my fiance and I plus another meal of leftovers for about $10 Enjoy!

What is this all about?

I am sure everyone is just dying to know what this blog is all about and who I am.  Ok maybe not but...

This blog will probably be kind of all over the place.  A little bit cooking and recipes.  A little bit fashion with a few rants (on ill fitting bras among other things) on things I see people wearing thrown in for good measure.  A little bit arts and crafty with maybe a bit of wedding planning in there too.  A big mix of everything I like to talk about and the happenings of my everyday life.

Who am I you are wondering?  Let me tell you!  I am a girl in her early 30's, newly engaged (on Christmas Eve) living in Silicon Valley with her fiance.  I work in an office now but prior to that I worked in retail while getting my masters so don't underestimate my love of fashion.  I am working on building my career, planning a wedding and looking forward to having kids a few years down the road.  Life over the next few years should be an adventure and I might as well share this adventure!

I leave you with a picture of my current favorite pair of shoes.

Bought at Nordstrom Rack about 4 months ago

-- Cathy

Here Goes Nothing!

Ok world I have been reading all kinds of fun blogs for years so I have decided to give blogging a try myself this year.  Wish me luck!

-- Cathy