Diet Friendly Dinner Night

When I cook during the week I'm usually cooking for my dinners during and in between work. I like to try and make something healthy that I can grab from the fridge and pair with rice/pasta and veggies.

I had a can of black beans that I was dying to find a simple and healthy recipe with. Lately I have been eating too little or not enough filling foods so halfway through the night, after I have had dinner and a piece of fruit, I'm starving which just leads to binge eating at home (never good). So I wanted to use these beans as an experiment and see if beans mixed with meat would fill me through the night.

I found this recipe on Health.com. The recipe called for canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. I have never used this ingredient and couldn't even find the chilies in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store, but I did find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce so I went with that. On opening I just had to try some of the sauce and was BLOWN AWAY by the heat. I love spicy, but daaaaammmnnn was this hot!!!





Everything went into the skillet as one big and happy (diet friendly) family,


And there is dinner my friends!


The adobo peppers went so beautifully with the rest of the meal, it actually needed that kick or the meal would have been dull. And successfully I stayed full through work!

Calories: 266
Fat: 7.3g
Fiber: 4.6g

Midge. xoxo

Designer Makeup VS. Drugstore Brand

Have you ever wondered like me if drugstore makeup is the same as designer makeup just less expensive?

Well I took the test when my Laura Mercier blush, Wild Bouquet ran out. Sometimes I feel like maybe I am getting ripped off when I head to a department store to buy my $15 and up "special" makeup when I could possibly buy drugstore brands in the same shade and save some change.

Don't get me wrong, I love going into Sephora and having fun with all the possibilities, but for every day use why not save a little $$$ and get more bang for my buck?

Instead of buying one blush for $24.00 I tried to match the color of my Wild Bouquet Laura Mercier to Covergirl's products.

Here is what I look like with the Laura Mercier blush on:


The Covergirl blush I found is called Rose Silk. Not exactly the same deepness but it was the best color that matched, not too light but also peach colored.



So far I am really loving the Covergirl blush! I honestly love it more because its brighter, happier, and the peach seems to really look natural on me. Here is my final look wearing the Cover girl product:


And like I said, because the Covergirl products are not expensive I treated myself to a new lipstick by Covergirl as well, Roseberry!


Yay for saving a little change but finding two great products to add to my daily makeup routine!

Midge. xoxo

L'OREAL EVERPURE

Everywhere I look some magazine is talking about how great the sulfate free new shampoo and conditioner is from L'oreal. I have been using it for a 2 weeks and in and out of the shower I don't feel that impressed by it.

My hair is usually dry and I gravitate towards moisture shampoos and conditioners, but I feel like with this conditioner I need more of it than usual just so that my hair feels soft. My hair styles fine and I haven't seen a change with that, but the more conditioner needed in my hair means the greasier it gets the next day. That means I have to wash my hair again in the morning or at least run it under water which most women will know eventually fades our highlights. That is not fun when you pay for highlights every couple of months hoping the color will last a little bit longer then usual.

Also, when reading the ingredients I noticed there are a few I was worried about. The shampoo and conditioner claim to an anti-fade system, have no drying salts, has natural botanicals and is 100% vegan. So when I saw names like "Sodium Cocoyl" and Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate" I got a little worried. I found out that those ingredients are found in other beauty products and are used as fillers. I then googled the name L'oreal EverPure and found a review that I thought was really honest.

The price isn't so bad, $5.99/each and is found at most regular shopping stores so there are no expensive trips to Sephora or fancy salons.

So to sum it all up, for the price and convenience of the products OK I will give it to them, but since I have a choice and hopefully money in my pocket I wouldn't buy it again.

If you have tried L'oreal EverPure please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Midge, xoxo.

JERSEY LIVIN'

I wanted to show everyone my friend Catherine's apartment because as you all have seen I am trying to put my apartment together and I really admire her style. She lives in a new apartment in Jersey and I think really did it up beautifully, used all the possible space in smart ways and kept the lines of the apartment clean and sophisticated.

I also asked Catherine some questions,

M: What do you think your idea/theme was for your living room?
C: " Past apartments were shabby chic and comfortable and I still like that, but because this is a new building I wanted cleaner lines and I wanted something more adult with feminine touches."

M: What made you choose your colors?
C: "I loved the Tiffany blue color. I don't think its too girly of a color but still has a feminine quality."



M: What is a good tip when starting a room?
C: "The arrangement of furniture is where I start when walking into a space. The couch was hard to figure out where it should go. I played and moved thing around."

M: When designing did you stay comfortable or reach out of your comfort area?
C: " I grew into a new comfort zone. I wanted a Marilyn Monroe feeling but some pieces to ground it"



M: Do you believe the room is about the details first?
C: " Definitely details. I hate to turn the lamp on because it doesn't produce the best light, but I think it adds a great texture to the area. The pillows are a base, a neutral and the curtains locked in the color but if I changed everything and just kept the curtains I could have so many different options"





M: What did you build your room off of?
C: " Target mirrored stuff first. I thought it was modern with out being cold, feminine without being over the top. Also organization. What do I have the most of? what works best for my things? When moving in I tried to find storage where I could. I found these leather bins and thought they would look great on top of the bookcases. It holds texts and hides everything away. I live in an apartment with high ceilings and I built up. I think people forget to go up."



M: Where did you get your pieces from?
C: " Target except the 2 lamps and sofa. I got the sofa actually from Pottery Barn outlet. The dangle lamp is from Pier 1. The drapes are from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and are probably the most expensive element in the room. I love them though, they cover the extra wall space to make the windows look like one long window."



M: Do you find this space is good for entertaining?
C: " I want things to look nice but people still feel comfortable. I love how open the space is, I can entertain or have a night in with my boyfriend. He's a great cook so I make the salads!"



Thanks Catherine!

Midge xoxo

Fall Clothes Taken To The Tailor

So as I promised, here are some of the other fall fashion pieces I bought recently. But, because I have my own shape and body type, most of everything I have needs to be tailored in some way.

I took a a few pieces to my friend Claudia to help me play around, take in, and replace certain parts on the clothing.

This is Claudia...she's amazing, talented, and such a sweet person :)


This is a beige blazer I bought from H&M.

The reason I took it to Claudia was because it has the WORST lining inside that when you put it on you just want to take it off again. So Claudia is going to help me replace the lining, we both decided on a fabric that is kind of crazy and fun but I want it to feel like silk when I put the jacket on, so we are going with a silk charmeuse. Here is us playing with a piece she has in the studio.



This is a dress I bought from the store Jacob in Canada. I loved the print and shape, but the neckline I felt needed to be lowered because anything that is to close to your collar bone just makes your chest look bigger.


If you can see it, there is a chalk line that Claudia made to show her where to cut and make the new neckline.


I highly recommend seeing a tailor and it really doesn't cost that much, but it makes everything fall nicely on your body and fit you better.

Midge xoxo

In honor of NJ

So lately I have been watching a lot of reality TV focusing on New Jersey and since I live in the state (please don't close this page now) I wanted to honor the area. If you have ever been to New Jersey you would know that everywhere you look there is a diner. Though these diners usually make the best breakfast known to man, I also really enjoy their chicken cutlets, random I know, but seriously they are soooo good. So I decided I wanted to try and make my own, yay! (don't tell my trainer) yay!

I used this recipe and went to work:


The ingredients were all in my cupboard and the recipe was pretty easy.





The frying of the chicken is crazy fattening, seriously I couldn't believe the oil AND the butter...but it turned out delicious!

Tunic Tops for Fall

I recently stocked up on some fall fashion (some of which will be in a post later) at my favorite stores H&M and Jacob (Canada). This top from H&M is paired with Ann Taylor Loft Jeans, Forever 21 bracelets, and my Zara gold flats (seen here and here). Tunic tops like this are found everywhere these days, but I find them so versatile for fall and winter. I can add a scarf or a knit sweater and be warm enough for any gust of wind that finds its way down to 42nd St.

These bracelets were given to me as a gift and they seem to really go with anything.

This is a great outfit for me to wear to work because I feel fashionable, but I am able to walk up and down stairs with my flats.

HELP!

I need advice/help on making my TV room feel like me. I want to re do everything...can you guys offer any suggestions?



I am planning on keeping my futon for right now because of $, but am looking for quality futon covers, pillows, and a throw. I also use the area not just for TV watching, but it houses my art supplies too and I would love to have shelves (that go with the theme of the room) and all my art supplies out for the grab.

PLEASE HELP!

Fashion isn't just work

Sorry I have disappeared for 2 weeks. Week one I went to Canada for some family time and a friends wedding and week two I was involved in Fashion Week Spring 2011. My regular job is a dresser on Broadway, but sometimes I get other exciting jobs in between the hours that my show needs me. Fashion week is a major highlight for me.

I love walking up to the backstage door, checking in with security, getting my Mercedes Benz id tag and walking into the chaos of everything backstage.

Immediately when you walk through the doors you see hair and makeup area lit up by big bright lights. The hair area is usually getting a quick re look at the lead hairstylist showing them how to do the hair design.

The makeup area is usually prepping a few girls/guys before the big rush of models come in, also the girls get their nails and any bruises or blisters covered with makeup.


and the wardrobe department is setting up racks and waiting for the clothing to show up. That's me!

This season I was sooo fortunate to work on 2 shows that I have never worked on, Bill Blass and Isaac Mizrahi.

Bill Blass was a preview, which means that instead of the models walking down the runway they would be shown on a set and photographs and editors can look at the clothing multiple times instead of watching the model walk past them. Bill Blass' head designer is Jeffery Monteiro who use to work for other designers but came to Bill Blass and worked with the original colors of past collections: Red, White, Black, and Navy. I thought his collection of 27 looks was so beautifully tailored and incorporated menswear and long and short dresses. These are some looks I dressed:




Isaac Mizrahi's show was so filled with beautiful colors that I could see them worn by beautiful women on the polo fields of the Hampton's. He also did classic tailored suits and evening dresses. Everything was so girly with sequins and prints, simply stunning and beautiful. I did not actually dress this show, but prep the clothes for the runway. I steamed many dresses and jackets and was able to see all the beautiful stitching and handwork.




(All images are from Zimbio and Style.com)

Midge. xoxo

Drew Barrymore

STYLE LOOK-A-LIKE: I am loving Drew's look while in London promoting her movie, Going the Distance. Its a rocker edge, but so easy to actually put together. Everything is under $100

Drew Barrymore by MidgieD featuring a black belt

A take on a look Drew wore in London

"These boots were made for walkin' "

This post is dedicated to my cousins lovely fiance, Natalie.

I am currently in Toronto and met them and some other special family members for dinner. While on our walk back Natalie told me she is looking for a classic pair of riding boots for fall, so I thought I would try and help and possibly help some of my readers too :)


Madewell, The Archive Leather Boot, $298
(A great brand with a classic take on a riding boot)


Banana Republic, Hero over-the-knee boot, $250
(It also comes in black, but grey is a good choice if there are a lot of color options you want to wear the boots with)


Frye, Jane Topstitched Leather Boot, $298
(A great heel to add some height)


Ann Taylor Loft, Peter Over the Knee Riding Boot, $198
(From the description the website gives, this boot can be folded over so its not as high if that bothers you)


Aerosoles, Mezzotint, $110
(A cheaper take on the classic Frye boot, but with added comfort from a company that's known for cushion and flexibility)

Midge xoxo