Hot Picks from Sephora

Hope you all had a great weekend! Katie and I did lots of spring activities this weekend including a spring festival in Philly and a 5k in Greensboro! I also took a trip to Sephora this weekend and was surprised to find out I’ve spent enough to become a VIB—a very important beauty insider. Oops! Katie told me she’s not too far behind, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite finds from Sephora.

sephora

Katie’s Picks: Amika Mighty Mini Ceramic Styler, Benefit Posietint, Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer Alison’s Picks: Bumble and bumble Surf Spray, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow WizClinique Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask

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Totally Tassels

I dont know about you guys but I am totally into this tassel thing that’s sweeping the nation right now. They’re so much fun and bright and perfect for summer. Are you accessorizing with tassels?

tassels

1. Elephant Bag Charm, Furbish | 2. Tasseled Strands Necklace, Antrhropologie | 3. Small Ornament Hoops, Steven Alan | 4. Pueblo Tiles Scarf, Kate Spade | 5. Bijouteire Layering Necklace, Anthropologie 6. And if you’re feeling like a DIY, check out this ombre tassel placemat tutorial on Design*Sponge

Hope you’ve got fun plans this weekend. I see food trucks in my future at the Brewerytown Spring Festival!

alison

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Patio Sneak Peek

One of the first items we purchased for our house was patio furniture. We have the perfect backyard for hanging out and relaxing. With warmer temperatures, magenta garden roses. and a new barbecue grill, we have been spending a ton of  time in our backyard retreat.

Katie's patioAs you can see, there is no lack of color in our backyard. We picked up our furniture from World Market last season. They have a similar set, the Laguna collection, this year. I’m loving these chevron throw pillows, there might be a few in my future. We also picked up our bright yellow and red rug from World Market. It is a woven mat that dries easily and was inexpensive for my ever changing taste.

Katie's Patio 2To make our patio even more comfortable, we picked up a few inexpensive throw pillows from Ikea, a reversible chicken pillow and  a colorful bolster pillow. To add some color to our coffee table, I love to place fresh roses in a ball jar. When the sun goes down, I light a few lanterns to add a twinkle. I also have some globe lights that I cannot wait to hang overhead.

Hell or High Watermelon BeerOf course, no evening is complete without a tasty beverage and snacks. Lately I have been loving 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon beer, or a cherry gin and tonic. What is your favorite beverage to enjoy on the patio?

katie

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Happy Mother’s Day!

So Mother’s Day was technically yesterday, but we wanted to dedicate today’s post to our Mom’s and all of the other wonderful women that have inspired our lives over the years.

Katie - Mother's DayKatie: I want to wish my mom, grandma, mother-in-law, Alice, and new mother, Michelle, a wonderful Mother’s Day! My family got together yesterday to grill out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. I missed being there with all of you chatting and enjoying a glass of sangria. I look forward to spending time with my mom in Ireland in a few short weeks!

momAlison: Happy Mother’s Day to my wonderful Mom! Yesterday they celebrated by taking Bojangles (a NC fast food delicacy) to the beach! I wish I could have been there to celebrate. I sent her one of the items of the digital gift round up for mother’s day—the Rifle iPhone case! I did get to celebrate yesterday with another one of my favorite moms, our family friend Kim, who took me in last summer when I first moved to Philadelphia. We had brunch and walked around Chanticleer Gardens.

We hope all the moms out there had a fantastic day! signature

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Great Gatsby

If you’ll remember back to last summer’s issue, we’ve been excited about The Great Gatsby movie for a while now. Check out Lindsey’s piece, “The Carraway Party” for some Gatsby inspiration.

Great GatsbyThe theme of the book and film is extravagance, so let’s doing a little daydreaming shall we? Here are a few item we can only dream about wearing to the premiere.

gatsbyIf you’re feeling extra fancy (and have an extra 220k laying around), treat yourself to Tiffany’s line of jewelry that was created specifically for the film. And if you think Leo and Tobey are the cats meow, you can dress up your beau in Brooks Brother’s exclusive Gatsby collection. A sparkly dress and shoe can’t be beat and this combo is to die for—a sequined dress from Anthropologie, appropriately named the Gatsby Paillettes Dress and the Miss Dodo Pump by Oscar de la Renta.

If you’re like me and don’t want to break the bank, but still want to get gussied up for Gatsby, try a ban.do headpiece and this awesome Great Gatsby book clutch from Kate Spade. Will you be heading to the theaters this weekend?

alison

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Farmstand: Strawberries

farmstand logoFarmstand is a new series Alison and I are excited to introduce. We will highlight seasonal produce and delicious recipes.

As soon as the weather begins to warm up, I visit the farmers’ market once a week. I try to support the local economy as much as possible and nothing is better than food straight from the market. If you are a farmers’ market newbie, be sure to checkout Kim’s Guide in the spring issue of Twin Stripe.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved berries, strawberries in particular. Strawberries are grown in most states, but they are only in season for around four weeks. In North Carolina the growing season is the end of April through May, so I try to pick up as many as we can eat.

farmers' market strawberriesWhen buying strawberries, select bright red berries. Remember, they will not ripen any more once picked. Make sure the container is dry, a stained container may indicate the berries are not fresh. One of the farmer’s I frequently buy from suggest you sample a berry before you buy. Keep the berries unwashed and uncut until ready to eat to ensure the fruit stays fresh. Wondering what to do with all the strawberries you purchased? Try these season-inspired recipes

strawberry recipesClockwise from top left: Strawberry Brie Salad, Camille Styles  |  Strawberry Nutella Poptarts,
The Novice Chef  | Strawberry Pretzel Parfait, Dessert for Two  |  Strawberry Rosemary Sangria, A Cozy Kitchen

Alison and I are looking forward to sharing more of our farmers’ market adventures with you this summer and beyond. Be sure to let us know what some of your favorite fruits and veggies are so we can feature them in future posts.
katie

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