my love affair with j. crew

if you know me, you know i love clothes. more specifically, you know i love j. crew. at the green hills store, they recognize me when i come in (which i haven;t decided if that is a good or bad thing yet). i am fortunate enough that the majority of my clothes are from j. crew. nonetheless, some people still poo-poo the crew. why? obviously i couldn't tell you. yes, sometimes the prices can be high, but you are paying for quality clothing that will last a long time if taken care and styled properly. my love for j. crew is hard to put into words which sounds superficial and shallow, but its the truth. so, just for y'all, i'm going to try my best to explain why i love the brand so much...

1. j. crew's very personal stylist: i cannot tell you how much help they are. i meet with katie ferrell at the green hills mall j. crew and she has literally been a lifesaver. i lost a lot of weight and completely had to rebuild my entire wardrobe and she was able to help me do so and save my mom and i from many dressing room fights. luckily, her style and mine are quite similar, but she has the ability to put outfits together that are absolutely perfect for me. another benefit from having worked with her for a few seasons now is that she knows my previous purchases and is able to pull pieces from new collections that go with pieces from past collections. she also always emails me about new collections and specials. i always email her and let her know that pieces that i love and she will pull them for me in my size and have them waiting for me at my appointment, with accessories to match! i can't say how much help she has been. the appointments are free and the stylists are always on the floor to help customers in need, whether it be from styling to ordering from the red phone.

katie and i at a j.crew styling session

2. j. crew credit card rewards: i must say having a j. crew credit card can be dangerous, but good things do come with having that little piece of plastic. for every $500 you spend (which adds up quick), they will send you a $25 reward card to spend. i just got one in the mail the other day and it is burning a hole in my pocket! j. crew also offers cardholder only perks such as collection previews, preorders, and special sales that are nice to take advantage of. 

3. j. crew college/educator discount: j .crew offers 15% off to college students and teachers with ID on all purchases in store or made on the red phone. it may only seem like 15% but any little bit helps when on a college girl budget and rebuilding a wardrobe!

4. mickey drexler, j. crew's CEO, and jenna lyons, j. crew's creative director: both geniuses in my humble opinion. mickey drexler has built j. crew up to be the company that it is today, now expanding it have stores around the world. he really cares about j. crew's customers and has even been known to respond to customer service calls himself. jenna lyons is my idol. the way she dresses herself and how she stiles everything for j. crew is a dream. she has a sense for fashion unlike anyone else and it can be seen through j. crew. she is the reigning fashion queen of america.

5. j. crew's classics: along with on-trend pieces that are beyond gorgeous and glamorous, j. crew always offers its original basics that are the company's foundation every season in the season's "it" colors. i always am able to mix classics in with my new items and they pair perfectly. j. crew is on-trend every season, but they are still able to maintain the casual-preppy vibe that they are known for. this combination of styles mirrors my style perfectly which is one reason why i am so drawn to the store.

6. j. crew's wedding collection: i'll say it now and i'll say it again: j. crew has some of the prettiest wedding dresses i have ever seen and at affordable prices. i would be beyond happy to wear a j. crew wedding dress when i get married. they are classic, stylish and always beautifully done with the finest materials. their bridesmaid dress collection is gorgeous as well, offering a wide array of dresses in varying lengths, fabrics, cuts, and colors all at affordable prices (and you could actually wear them again). my bridesmaids had better be prepared for a j. crew dress. shoot, everyone better be prepared for a j. crew wedding if i'm the bride. 

now that i have talked on and on about j. crew and could still go on for days, i hope you see why i love j. crew so much. what i listed above is really just the tip of the iceberg. all in all, i have found a brand that fits me (and celebrities and others all over the country). it fits my body and my style aesthetic. their customer service is top-notch, especially their personal stylists, and they put their customers' looks first. they offer quality clothing at reasonable prices. christmas comes early each month when the new catalog is delivered at my house! 

image from j. crew's august 2013 catalog, courtesy of jcrewaficionada.blogspot.com

xoxo from a girl in love with j. crew,

clp 

weekend recap: murfreesboro adventures and a recipe

i love weekends like this weekend. staying in murfreesboro all weekend really makes me appreciate what it has to offer.

saturday started off with the weekly trip to the murfreesboro saturday farmer's market on the square to get fresh, local fruits and vegetables with my mom. we love going to the market each week not only because the products are amazing, but it is also a social outing! i have yet to go to the market and not see someone i know! this week we loaded up on green beans, crowder peas, corn, peaches, blueberries, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe and bell peppers!

my mom, dad and i also toured Mayday Brewery on saturday! it was a really cool, laid-back local brewery with four different beers with names like boro blonde and angry redhead (my favorite for obvious reasons). the brewery also has live music at night and a deck and a food truck that makes it a fun place to hang out!

the "angry redhead" herself... 

inside the brewery...

saturday night was a favorite in our house: tamale night! mom buys authentic tamales from a lady who makes them for a church fundraiser and they are beyond good! between my homemade guacamole, salsa from la siesta, and chicken tamales, its safe to say we ate well! 

today i have deemed "birthday sunday" to celebrate my mom's birthday even though it isn't for another two weeks. i won't be home on her actual birthday but i still wanted to do something special. today will consist of some of her favorite things: her "cruise ship" breakfast (salmon, capers and cream cheese), laying by the pool, my homemade pimento cheese for lunch (recipe below), tomato gnocchi and salmon (chicken for me, the non-seafood lover) with salad for dinner and her strawberry cake for dessert! 

healthier pimento cheese

1/2 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

1 4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained

1 tsp finely grated onion

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp ground red pepper 

1 8 oz block Cabot Extra Light White Cheddar cheese, finely shredded

1/2 8 oz block Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, finely shredded

stir together ingredients and serve.

(adapted from Southern Living's Classic Pimento Cheese) 

tomorrow starts my last week at home before heading back to school! i do really miss my friends and sisters in knoxville and can't wait to see them, but i am really going to miss being home too. this week will be spent getting everything ready to go backs to school- from hair appointments to getting my emissions checked. i can already tell my clothes are going to be a real problem when it comes to packing. in addition to packing, i am going to cram every last minute fun thing i wanted to do this summer into this week! wish me luck!

xoxo, 

clp 

p.s. its shark week y'all! 

fabulous friday: cooking, shopping and workouts

what a fabulous friday i have had... between working out, cooking and shopping, today was particularly enjoyable! since i had such a lovely day, i thought i would share with you what made it such a fantastic friday...

my morning started out with one of my favorite pre-workout breakfasts: homemade peanut butter granola (recipe below), strawberry kefir, fresh sliced strawberries and a sliced banana. beyond being delicious, it provides me with enough energy to power through my workout.

peanut butter granola

1/2 cup homemade peanut butter (to make homemade peanut butter, simply toss unsalted, roasted peanuts in a blender and turn on high until a butter forms) or peanut/nut butter of choice

1/4 cup honey

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. put the honey and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds, or until peanut butter and honey can be whisked together until smooth
3. mix in vanilla and oats
4. stir mixture until oats are evenly coated. transfer onto parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread evenly
5. bake for 8 minutes
6. let cool completely, then crumble up large pieces and store in an airtight container for up to one week

(modified slightly from something swanky)

this morning's workout was my usual friday MAC workout: body pump and spin. these are my favorite two group classes and i love the trainer so i am really going to miss it when i go back to school. as elle woods said "exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy..." it's definitely safe to say that i have plenty of endorphins to go around after my friday workout. 

i also ventured to green hills today to brave tax-free weekend. surprisingly, the mall at green hills was not terribly crowded and i got to shop at leisure and go in my favorite stores! a trip to green hills would not be complete without a visit to j. crew (is it a problem that they recognize me when i come in?) and to see my personal stylist there, katie. i could go on for days about j. crew, so i will just leave that for another post another day. a trip to whole foods at hill center ended my trip to nashville and you could say i was in heaven. i could walk the aisles of whole foods forever! 

i had a surprise waiting on me when i came home from nashville today! we had an old chair that i repainted and got reupholstered this summer and it was finally ready today! it turned out even better than imagined and i can't wait to see it in my room in my apartment! 

from horribly drab...

... to totally fab! 

i will share more apartment pictures later on once i get all moved in and settled! 

supper tonight was tasty if i do say so myself. we had grilled thai curry chicken served over spaghetti squash with peas, carrots and edamame, garnished with green onions and chopped peanuts and my homemade thai peanut sauce. i also grabbed some sushi today at whole foods we had on the side. for dessert, i broiled fresh georgia peaches from the peach truck sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with atlanta fresh apricot honey reisling greek yogurt cream cheese! a healthy dinner with a healthy dessert was the perfect end to my perfect friday! 

more tomorrow!

xoxo,

clp 

OOTD throwback thursday

it's thursday which only means one thing... throwback time! this thursday i'll be sharing some of my past OOTD's (outfit of the day) with y'all! i live and breathe fashion and when i'm not in the typical college uniform of an oversized sorority t-shirt and norts, i try to look my best. so without further ado, here are some of my favorite OOTD's from the past year!

j. crew skirt and sweater, ivanka trump booties

tory burch leopard scarf, j. crew chambray shirt, orange cords, mcalister wedge booties

j. crew sweater and leggings, tory burch riding boots

rabbit fur vest, j. crew plaid button-down and pixie pants, tory burch riding boots 

trina turk sweater, j. crew skirt, sam edelman booties

rabbit fur vest, j. crew bubble necklace, turtleneck and cords, tory burch flats

vineyard vines fleece vest, j. crew flannel and cords, l.l. bean boots

michael kors scarf, j. crew jacket, white shirt and pixie pants, tory burch riding boots

j. crew shirt and seersucker shorts, tory burch sandals 

la roque tank, leona linen pants, tory burch sandals 

just a few favorites from days i actually remembered to take a picture! hope you like!

xoxo,
clp