COPYCATS & STEALS

Here's the deal. 

Other than Friday's Fancies, I clearly don't do fashion focused posts. I leave that to the pros. I love clothes, don't get me, but I am pretty sure I would be the most awkward person alive posing for outfit posts. Who knows, maybe we'll get there someday. One thing I am good at is finding a good deal, which is clearly equally as glamorous. Here's some copycat great deal steals I've found lately:

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I'm sure you've seen the cashmere collection dot sweater from J.Crew. It's been on everyone's dang blog lately. They're all gorgeous, and also $268. Ouch. If you're looking for a [much] more affordable version, stick with these Old Navy dotted pretties. $25! No, they aren't cashmere, but if you're just feelin' like jumping on the polka dot trend for a short time, this is an affordable way to do it. 

find them here:  J.Crew Collection Cashmere Polka-Dot Sweater   ///  Old Navy Boat Neck Sweater (Dots)

In case you don't sense a theme here, I love just about everything J.Crew creates. Just ask Michael- I go in the store and grab just about everything squealing like a child about how pretty everything is. J.Crew nails their dresses, unfortunately most are $100+, so not all are within my budget. Dorothy Perkins is a great place to find dresses with a J.Crew vibe for a fraction of the price! Steal of the year? By far the Dororthy Perkins wide stripe dress for $12. $12!!!!!!!

Find these beauties here:

J.Crew Moondot Wrap Dress in Navy  ///  Dorothy Perkins Navy Polka Dot Dress

J.Crew Nili Lotan Stripe Sweater Dress  ///  Dorothy Perkins Cream Wide Stripe Dress

J.Crew Dree Dress in Deck Stripe ///  Dorothy Perkins Blue Stripe High Neck Dress

Have you found any great copycat steals lately?

Do share!

xo,lp

SCROLL THROUGH TO SHOP THE LOOKS!

Pen and Paints GIVEAWAY!!

Okay folks, it's giveaway time. 

Remember a while back when I told you all about some of my favorite Etsy shops? Well, the lady behind one of those shops graciously offered to do a giveaway for you lovelies. At first I was stoked...but then bummed when I realized that meant I couldn't win... Dang. 

The ever creative Lindsay behind Pen and Paints is offering up an 8 x 10 print of your choice fo' free. Yeah. anything in her shop is fair game. Now can you see why I'm cranky about not being able to win? 

If you haven't seen Lindsay's shop, you must check it out. I've purchased 4 of her prints for our new apartment and cannot wait to put them on display! Here are some of my favorites:

Love the messy, love the beautiful:

Stunning, right?

State & Country Art: 

(totally need MN, WI, & VA...)

"Do small things with great love"

(yep. i've got that awesome blue one)

The Kitchen Series (all colors can be customized- 13 options!)

(i totally own 1, 2, & 3. how awesome is the KitchenAid mixer!!?)

Like I said, her stuff is awesome, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Enter using the Rafflecopter box below.
Good luck to all of you, winner will be announced next week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xo, lp

(yup, all photos from Pen and Paint's Etsy Shop. you guessed it.)

I love sample sales. Last day!

People.

Gorjana Sample Sale. 

60 % off.

Ends today!

Need I say more?

Click & Shop away:

Friday's Fancies #30

I positively LOVE the theme of Friday's Fancies this week. Take your favorite summer treat and have it inspire the outfit you create. Sold. Why? Because I love summer treats and I love pretty clothes. So there.

I know a lot of people are going to be doing fancy shmancy summer cocktails they probably never actually drink, but I'm going to be honest, and base this off something I legit enjoy all summer long.

Bomb Pops.

Red white and turquoise icy magic.

Here's what I came up with:

* This Derek Lam two tone dress is currently Sold Out (ouch), but I think it's the perfect way to channel a bomb pop as classy as you can. Yay? Nay?

* How perfect is the Rock the Casbah Georgie  ($148-worth it for how big it actually is) ? Ugh Kate Spade, you just nail it every time.

* The Elsa necklace from Bauble Bar ($42) is the perfect statement necklace, plus it comes in a TON of colors. I'm loving the aqua, but also pretty sold on the white and black one.

* This ASOS spike bracelet is only $13. I mean, come on. I don't feel the need to justify this to you. As for the red pretties, the simple bangle is BCBG ($38) and the enamel on is Chloe + Isabel ($32).

*To finish it off, these Jack Rodgers Navajos  ($105) are the perfect sandal that I'm kind of convinced go with just about anything. I always see Liz wearing them- and we all know how stylish she is, so I think they're a safe buy.

What's your summer treat inspiration?

Bonus points if it's a popsicle like mine.

xo,lp


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pssssssssssst: i have a giveaway i'm super stoked for monday! also, super jealous for whoever wins. majorly. make sure you stop by next week!

SHOP THE LOOK!

MONOGRAM RECIPE BOX

Here's the deal. In case you live under a rock, I love to cook & bake. Evidenced here.  

Growing up, my mom had old wood recipe boxes overflowing with carefully written out recipes categorized with little index tabs. Controlled chaos, if you will. I know it's easier nowadays to just keep recipes digitally, but there's something sacred about written out cards. 

I decided to make a simple monogrammed wood recipe box and have begun to write out all my favorite recipes, edged with colorful paper.

For a long time I was going to print the monogram out from offline, but thought it would be more personal (&imperfect) to write it out myself. So here you have it:

I started with a plain wood recipe box from Michael's (about $4 after a coupon):

I sanded that baby down, and started sketching out my monogram. I went with an almost-black navy acrylic paint for the letters & circle. A quick seal of polyurethane later the paint finished fully matte!

I kind of love how it's not a perfect circle, which is currently shocking the perfectionist inside of me...

 Not to sound like a cranky,senile old lady- but I think too much is getting "computerized" these days. Some things hold such good memories, and you need to be able to touch them sometimes- not just stare at them on a screen.Overall, I love it and cannot wait until it's like my mom's recipe boxes; bursting with inspiration and tasty food ideas!

You an old-school recipe box fan like I am?

Do tell what your's looks ( or will look) like. 

xo, lp

Oh How Pinteresting #20

Sooo. [notso] Funny story. Last night Carly got me all inspired because she's cool and learning HTML and all that jazz. She was updating her blog and I thought "Heck! I'll do the same". Welllll I had multiple screens up and hit "apply to blog" on the wrong one. The one deleting the pre-made template I had purchased. Fail. Until I mature and figure this all out, you're stuck with this blog, kiddos. Wop-wop.
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This week's OHP is a little bit of everything, sorry for being all over the place...I blame the blog malfunction.

Favorite Shoe [summer bling]:

via

Favorite Bauble [punch bowl]:

via

Favorite Interior [cozy rustic]:

via

Favorite Recipe Idea [sea salt krispies]:

via

Favorite Bag [neon taxi]:

via

Favorite Etsy Find [stamps!]

via

Favorite Outfit [summer meets fall]:

via

Favorite Accessory [braid love]:

via

What's your favorite pin this week?

My vote is for the necklace (surprise, surprise).

xo, lp

Orange Strawberry Fizz Popsicles. Yum.

I don't know about you, but we made popsicles as kids all the time. It wasn't much more than pouring pre-made juice into molds, but it made us feel like we were making something special. Now, these were the days before the amazing Zoku Quick Pop makers mind you, so we actually had to be patient and wait half a day for them to freeze. 

Sorry, enough nostalgia. I saw this cheap set of ice pop molds at Rite Aid and knew I needed them- and my first popsicle was this orange-strawberry beaut:

Clearly making popsicles isn't rocket science, but I'll throw the recipe your way just in case you decide you'd like to give these a try:

What you'll need to make it happen (serves 4):

- 1 medium-large orange

- 6 medium strawberries

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

- 1-2 ounces Sprite 

- 1 teaspoon sugar

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Squeeze your orange juice into a bowl and add your sugar and lemon juice.

Step 2: Cut your strawberries into quarters and mash until in fairly small pieces, adding half to the juice mixture.

Step 3: Fill your ice molds about 1 inch from the top, and add your remaining mashed berries. Top off with Sprite.

Step 4: Freeze 'em, duh.

Step 5: Enjoy these sweet & sour fruity pops!

 As you can see, the bits of strawberries stay mainly in the middle/bottom of the pop. To have them equally spread out, skip the Sprite and stick with sliced berries instead of mashed!

Needless to say, these babies went FAST in the VA heat. 

They're still packed away from the move, but I can't wait to try more flavors, especially with all the Pinterest inspiration out there!

Anyone have recipes they'd like to share?

....or a Zoku? Do they really work?

xo, lp

psssssst: looking for more fun recipes? click here!

brain dump

Welcome to my brain dump friends.

1.  Huge thank you to Lauren, Sheri Ann, Angela, Meaghan, & Shanna for taking over the blog last week while I was camping & visiting home for the first time in 11 months. I owe each of you a biiiiig hug. If you all didn't check out their blogs, make sure you do!

2. "Camping" with Michael's whole family was great. It was a hot one, but that just meant we spent pretty much the whole weekend cooling off in the water. Rough life, I tell ya.

perfect wisconsin sunset // swimsuit print mixing (aka not owning any matching suits)  //  mah man and his new haircut

3. Being back home in MN with the family was magical. I hugged my sister more than was probably necessary. Sorry, Lou. On top of that I got to see some of my favorite friends. Aren't friends from back home the best? 

iconinc MN //  mom & michael on our dock  //  sister time in MPLS

 best soft serve since 1973  //  love me some nordeast  //   yes, michael fished. per usual

4. These things have been making me happy lately:

washi tape from target  //   neon shorts & stripes  // license plate wall in our garage dad is working on. epic.

garage sale finds mean new art for our new place  //   best summer treat  //  after a month's wait, BB/ RPM earrings!

5. To everyone posting new pictures from the Fall J.Crew collection: you're killing me. Since we moved I haven't been getting their catalogs, which means a lot less unnecessary drooling and sighing...but seeing all these pictures has forced me to peruse the website. All the cashmere kills me. And in rainbow order, J.Crew? STOP. (p.s. I'll take this. Please.) 

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What's been making you happy lately?

(see more of mine on Instagram - @lpodlich)

xo,lp

Carry me away with Shanna of BSSS

I hope you all have been enjoying the guest bloggers this week! As not to disappoint, today I've got Shanna from Because Shanna Said so here. If you don't already, make sure to check out her sweet blog- filled not only with a lot of fashion, but plenty of hilarious stories of her two little girls. Shanna's here today to share her favorite summer bags, so take it away Shanna!
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Oh hi, Beauty & the Beard readers! I am Shanna from Because Shanna Said So. I blog about fashion (a.k.a. my personal outfits), beauty obsessions and random life happenings. I try not to take myself too seriously and from time to time, have no problem making fun of myself.

I was so excited when Miss Laura asked me to fill in for her while she is off on her camping adventures. She is one of my most favorite bloggers and I can always count on her to give me the scoop on the cutest Esty shops, styling ideas or dee-lish recipes.

Since the summer months typically mean vacation time, I thought I would share with you a few fun and affordable traveling bags I found at my most coveted store, Forever 21. If you know me, you are well aware that I have a slight problem, borderline addiction and almost monogamous relationship with this store.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

I just had to let you ladies see for yourself all the adorable bags they currently have online and perfect for your next travel adventures. All of the ones featured have a cross body option which is super convenient for airport travel, especially if you always run late like me and have to race to catch your flight. Want to know the BEST part? They are all $35 or less. So, go ahead and scoop up two or three!

Which one do you want to carry on your next trip? I must say, the orange and creme color block weekender stole my heart from the get-go!

Thanks again, Laura, for inviting me over today! I hope each of you stop by and see me sometime! 

I love making new friends and discovering new blogs!

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Blog

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See, what did I tell you, the girl knows her stuff!


Which bag would you like for the summer?
I'll take the one with the polka dots please!


xo,lp

summer [link] lovin' with Meaghan of District Sparkle

Okay, okay. Let me just preface this post from Meaghan (District Sparkle) with a little kudos to her for her patience with me. I asked her to do this guest post a few weeks back, which she happily agreed. Between being busy for work and a few computer/email malfunctions, I didn't get the post until yesterday- which for Type A me freaked me out. Rather than throwing in the towel, she put up with me frantically worrying and got this lovely post to me (and in turn, all of you). On top of that, I had won a Spike the Punch necklace from a giveaway M did, and because I've been in 14 states in the last 3 weeks, haven't gotten it yet. Now that I'm home I won't be such a to-do list burden for you Meaghan, I promise!!!! So let's just take a minute to give her a round of applause for her patience!

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My most fashionable giveaway winner & your favorite blogger, Laura, asked me to contribute to her blog whilst roughing it in the wilderness. & for that I am extremely thankful. I'm incredibly excited to hang with you fabulous readers for the day, & have got to give my girl props. I'm not sure I remember the last time I went camping...but glamping? Now that is a weekend I can get on board with! 

Today, we're talking about summer. The heat, the long weekends, the delicious recipes, & most importantly, the fashion. These links are just a few of the things about summer that I'm loving at the moment. 

[photo c/o Atlantic Pacific]

1. Blair has got this summer's pattern mixing trend down to a science. Stripes & florals never looked so good.

2. In the mood for a quick & delicious meal on these hot sumemr nights? Laney's got you covered.

3. A potential front-runner for a big birthday right around the corner.

4. Fellow DC blogger, Abbey, takes red, white & blue to a whole new level over on District Dress Up.

5. Stocking up on summer essentials for the workplace? Belle covers all the basics.

6. Still searching for that perfect summer dress for any occasion? Helena kills it in this [super affordable] ASOS number.

7. My summer crush.

Love what you see? Head over to District Sparkle for tons of outfit posts, summer inspiration, & must-haves.

xo Meaghan

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Why can't I mix stripes and floral look so good? Not fair.

Thanks for the round-up of summer link love Meaghan! Make sure you all go and check out District Sparkle and her AMAZING G.L.A.M project. This lady is pretty kick butt, people.

xo, lp

Necklace Must Haves with Angela of HTTC

Another day, another great guest post!

Today you all are lucky enough to hear from Angela of Head to Toe Chic. I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely lady in person before Michael and I moved away from Virginia- and I can assure you she's as sweet and fun in person as she is on her blog!

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Hi everyone! I'm Angela from Head to Toe Chic and I'm so excited to be guest posting for Laura today while she's camping!

 Laura and I are jewelry twins and have a serious addiction to statement necklaces. I wanted to share with you today my favorite necklace styles and colors for the summer. Even though some people might think it's too hot to wear jewelry in the summer, I definitely disagree and I don't feel like my outfit is complete until I have one of my many baubles on. This summer I'm absolutely loving bib necklaces in blue, pink, orange/coral, and purple. I've had my eye on numbers 6 and 7 for quite some time. Let's see how long I can hold out before I place an order.

 Thanks for having me today Laura!

1. Kendra Scott, 2. Nordstrom, 3. BaubleBar, 4. Forever 21, 5. H&M, 6. Modcloth, 7. BaubleBar, 8. BaubleBar

Which is your favorite statement necklace? Don't forget to stop by my blog and say hello!

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Naturally since I'm a bad influence I'd say GET  6 & 7 NOW Angela! 

Me? I'll take 3 & 8....

Now go over and say hi to Angela!

xo,lp

Avocado Fries from Sheri Ann of S&S

Happy Tuesday! As you all are used to, Tuesday is my recipe day, and while I'm out of town Sheri Ann from Sprinkles & Style is here to share one of HER delicious recipes!! If you haven't checked out her blog, make sure to do so! Her "Eat This...Wear That" series is so creative!!!

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Hello lovely Beauty & the Beard readers! I'm Sheri Ann from Sprinkles and Style and I am absolutely thrilled to be guest posting here today while Laura is on her camping adventure!

I spend an awful lot of time in the kitchen whipping together cupcakes, cookies, and other fun dishes for my friends and family to try. During these summer months, my favorite foods to incorporate are grapefruit and avocados. These avocado fries are incredibly tasty - buttery and crispy at the same time that I promise you won't be disappointed! And the best thing to wash it down with? A grapefruit sparkler that is deliciously tart and refreshing.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

1/4 cup flour

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cups Panko

1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut your avocado and remove the seed.

3. Slice your avocado into several segments. {I do this step with the skin still on because I find it's much easier to peel this way.}

4. Make yourself an assembly line of flour, beaten eggs, and Panko. Coat the avocado slices in that order.

5. Spread on a cooling rack that has been placed on top of a cookie sheet and spray with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt.

6. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until they are golden brown.

These are great to dip in mustard, hot sauce, sour cream, or salsa!

And that grapefruit sparkler is quick to make. To make one drink, stir together 3 oz. grapefruit juice, 2 oz. cranberry juice, 2 oz gin, and a splash each of Campari and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Strain into glass rimmed with salt and filled with ice. Top it off with some seltzer and lime wedge.

Both of these will definitely be making appearances at some get togethers. They are sure to be a hit at a summer party!

Thanks again for having me Laura!

Oh my gosh, I need that grapefruit sparkler NOW. And avocado fries...why have I never thought of that? Genius.

Thanks Sheri Ann!!

xo,lp

What to wear: Summer shindigs with Lauren of LPF

Happy Monday everyone! I'm off camping most of the week, so I'll have some lovely bloggers filling in for me! If you're looking for a new blog to read that is full of a little bit of everything, you have to check out La Petite Fashionista. Lauren covers everything from fashion to food & decor. We've actually met and now live in the same town- so of course I'm biased at how awesome she is...

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 One of my favorite things about summer is that you don't need an excuse for a party. All you need is a little summer sunshine, craft beer and a few friends for a fun evening. I've got you covered for outfits for any occasion; a wine tasting party with friends (http://lapetitefashionista.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-host-wine-tasting-party.html), an all american summer cookout, or just a get together with friends with a bonfire and some beer.

What to Wear: Summer Shindigs by lapetitefashionistablog featuring party shirts

  The key to dressing for summer parties is staying stylish & comfortable. If your party is outside, save the heels for another night. Stick to breezy sundresses and cute crop tops to beat the heat!

 Thanks for letting me guest post Laura, hope you're enjoying your camping trip!

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Thank you Lauren! On a side note- Lauren is the brains behind LPF magazine-and the first issue comes out soon..and you might even see an article in there by yours truly :) For updates check out @LPFMag on Twitter!


I'm loving the Saturday Cookout outfit, which is your favorite?


xo,lp

Friday's Fancies #29: Wedding Guest

It's Friday, and I am off "camping" for the next week with Michael's extended family (If you can call staying in an awesome cabin, boating, and pool going as "camping")! 

Next week I am THRILLED to say that 5 lovely ladies will be taking over for me while I'm camping and travelling back to my parent's house in Minnesota.  Get ready for a week with Lauren, Sheri, Angela, Meaghan, and Shanna!

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Okay, it's Friday's Fancies time! I loved the theme this week: Wedding Guest Attire. I love summer weddings because it's completely acceptable to wear bright, fun colors without looking like you're trying too hard to be a standout. Michael and I had to miss 3 of our friends' weddings while we were in Virginia, and now that we're back there is NO way we'll be missing any more. I already have a bold little number for an outdoor August wedding, and it inspired the collection below:

In my book, there's nothing like a bright yellow dress, and this pleated Giambattista Valli one is so perfect. If you're not looking to be little miss sunshine, this cobalt skater dress might just be the ticket. I don't usually go for animal prints but in my book Kate Spade can do no wrong, so these Show Your Spots studs are okay by me
Now you've got a bold dress- why stop there? A magenta Michael Kors clutch with either this yellow Kate Spade beauty or this cobalt stunner would take it to the next level. Since you've got enough color going on there, stick with some classic J.Crew gold bangles and tan Kate Spade pumps!

 What's your take on bold wedding attire?

Do you go bright, or stick with a good old LBD?


xo,lp

trip via instagram

Don't worry friends, after this, you won't have to see any more Instagram pictures from the trip. 

We're currently in Minnesota (YAY HOME!) catching up with family and friends, and I am probably too busy hugging everyone to take any pictures. Enjoy your break from the picture overload...

1-3: CT: mystic seaport (aka nautical heaven)

4. RI: beer at julian's in providence

5: RI: outfit for meeting the lovely {av} for dinner

6: RI: the best taffy every in newport

7: MA: boston, baby

8: MA: old north church. love me some paul revere

9: MA: delicious homemade raspberry pecan waffles

10: ME: holy gorgeous, maine is pure trees

11: NH: rainstorms 

12: VT: moose crossing signs EVERYWHERE

13-15: NY: gorgeous skies and niagra falls

16: IN: intense sun

17-18: necessary road trip snacks

Am I the only one who rainbow organizes their gummy bears?

Yeah, I'm sure I am. That's cool guys, whatever.

xo, lp

Oh, How Pinteresting #19

Holy crap people, it's July 10th.

For those following along, we are back in the Midwest! WOOHOO! We'll be spending the next few weeks seeing apartments, camping, and jumping back and forth between MN and WI. I would love to use a heck of a lot more exclamation marks right now, but I'm working on calming my inner 12 year old, and using them sparingly. 

Okay, OHP time...

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Favorite Print [yes I own this]:

via

Favorite Party Idea// mimosa bar [best idea ever?]:

via

Favorite Interior [a little bit of everything]:

via

Favorite Shoe [glam slippers]:

via

Favorite Recipe Idea [zucchini + feta tart]

via

Favorite DIY [tie dye splatter]:

via

Favorite Bauble [pretty pastel]:

via

Favorite Outfit [oh, kendi]:

via

Which pin is your favorite this week?

I vote mimosa bar all the way...

xo, lp