Bringing Back the Brooch

This hadn’t occurred to me until I did my daily rounds of my favorite fashion blogs, and Wendy (of Wendy’s Lookbook) popped up in this gorgeous outfit, complete with a stunning brooch. And when I say complete, I mean, it was a fine outfit before the brooch, but the addition of a small tiger accessory made it unique and powerful. Seriously, it’s gorgeous.

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{Photo courtesy of Wendy’s Lookbook}

Which makes me think—what about brooches for fall? If they’re this fabulous on a simple knit sweater, think how stunning they’ll be everywhere else! I included a few faves below, but next time you hit the flea market, keep an eye out for these gems! To purchase any of these gorgeous brooches, visit polyvore.com.

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Marathon Training Week #6

Today we ran hills, hills, hills, at Reseda. We ran 3.1 miles out to Nike Tower and back, and oh man, that was hard. Many, many times we wanted to stop and walk, but not for the reasons you should, such as an injury—we just needed to push through.

And we did! It wasn’t our fastest finish, but it was our best because we didn’t give up. Woo! I snapped a pic from the parking lot, but next time (oh yes, there are multiple hill training runs in our future), I’ll bring my phone to play some motivating music and take advantage of the view from the tower.

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Beauty Buy: Big Girl Cosmetics Lipstick in Yum

Love, you guys. L-O-V-E. I always have the hardest time finding the right shade of lipstick that looks good and feels natural, but still gives me a pop of color. I mean, Big Girl Cosmetics might as well write on the lipstick, “Courtney, we made this shade (Yum) just for you.”

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Product image courtesy of Big Girl Cosmetics

Moroccan Couscous—My All-Time Favorite Vegan Recipe

So, you guys, this is the best. Whether you’re a meat eater or a plant-based-diet lover, you’re going to love this recipe, it’s so yummy and easy. It’s from Alicia Silverstone‘s “The Kind Diet” and so worth trying.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 cubes
  • 2 cups yellow onion, large dice
  • 1.5 cups carrots, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 cubes
  • 1.5 cups zucchini, cut into 3/4 cubes
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Fine sea salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1.5  cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1.5  cups whole wheat couscous
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2: Place the squash, onion, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Step 3: Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.

Step 4: While the vegetables roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.

Step 5: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron and salt to taste.

Step 6: Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.

Step 7: Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl and add the couscous.

Step 8: Bring the vegetable broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once.

Step 9: Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Step 10: Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve

Morning Run and an Amazing View

We are in week #6 of training for the 2014 L.A. Marathon, and I’ve been trying to squeeze in some runs before work. This morning, I finished up and decided I had enough energy to do stairs in my building. When I got to the top of the stairs, which end at the door to the roof, I realized I’d never taken advantage of our top-of-the-building view! I got there just as the sun came up. Beautiful—a great way to start the morning!

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Lovely Links: My Favorite Fashion Blogs

It’s so important to always keep tabs on your industry—you never know where inspiration will pop up. I thought I’d share some of my favorite (and most inspiring) fashion blogs. Love!

Song of Style

Song of Style Aimee Song

Leading the fashion-blogging pack, Aimee (pronounced aw-mee) Song is at the top of the list for most-coveted clothes.

Cupcakes & Cashmere

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Besides modeling cute clothes, Emily gives us some great DIY crafts and yummy recipes.

Wendy’s Lookbook

Wendy's Lookbook

Every look she posts is perfection.

GABIFRESH

Gabifresh

This curvy blogger’s intro says it all: “If you love fashion but you’re sick of being told to wear A-line skirts, wrap dresses, boot cut jeans, and slimming prints, this is the blog for you.”

What I Wore

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The best feature is the ability to search Jessica’s looks by color. Purple, anyone?

P.S. I Made This…

P.S.- I made this

Seriously, guys—Erica shows us how to make the cutest accessories ever.

Fash Boulevard

Fash Boulevard

Anna James blogs her cutest looks and celebs cutest looks—and continues to crush it blogging for Lauren Conrad.

The Daily Savant

The Daily Savant

Double win: Because Signe lives abroad, not only do we get fashion, we also get gorgeous pics of her travels.

What We All (Should) Know: Preparation=Key

Good morning! Just wanted to share with you my snack prep for the rest of the week (I know, I know, I’m a bit late—hello, Wednesday!—but it’s better than never, right?).

This yummy assortment will turn into: veggie bites with hummus; bananas and apples (missing…left at work, oops!) with almond butter; a slice of toast (Ezekial bread) with avocado and sliced tomato; and this “Easy Ass But Not So Pretty Vegan Quinoa Salad” by The Skinny Confidential (we’ll see if I can recreate it. Not pictured: quinoa, plain hummus, chili flakes, lemon and pomegranate seeds).

Snacks

The Power of Pomegranate Seeds

Wow, you guys. Have you tried pomegranate seeds? They are so delicious! And they are packed with tons of fruity goodness: They are high in vitamins C, K and B5; contain lots of antioxidants; and are filled with protein and fiber. But the best part? So yummy! Perfect as a snack or sprinkled on a salad.

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