one-piece wonders.

Pretty Ruffles = Touche Sunglow Maillot  |  Defined Waist = Nanette Lepore Tiled Waters Maillot

Killer Keyhole = Nanette Lepore Etienne Maillot  |  Reversible (Really!) = Basta Surf Biarritz Maillot

It's no secret that I am a one-piece convert. After my bout with skin cancer on my stomach, I do everything in my power to keep my middle covered {in addition to wearing copious amounts of sunscreen}. In recent years, I fell in love with the La Blanca line. I can sometimes find it at TJMaxx, if I'm lucky! I am still trying to broaden my one-piece horizons, so when I stumbled upon these beauties from Anthropologie, I decided it might be time for a change. These one-piece wonders are currently winning the race for the next swimsuit in my beach bag. Are you a fan of the one-piece or do you stick to bikinis? Whatever you're wearing, just make sure you're wearing sunscreen--it should be a mandatory beach accessory! xoxo {av}

12 creative chocolate chip cookie recipes.

top row {L to R}: Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Caramel-Filled Cookies via The Domestic Rebel // Cap'n Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies via Oh Joy! // Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies via Indigo Scones

second row {L to R}: Brown Butter + Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies via Rustic Brooklyn // Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies via Two Peas & Their Pod // Neiman Marcus $250 Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies via Gluten Free on a Shoestring

third row {L to R}: Toasted Marshmallow + Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies via Clockwork Lemon // Hot Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookie Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches via Half Baked Harvest // Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookie Dunkers via Yes to Yum

bottom row {L to R}: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Parfaits via How Sweet Eats // Soft Batch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies via Averie Cooks // Soft Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies via Cookies & Cups

This weekend, I'm hosting a little blind wine tasting and pasta night with seven ladies from the {v} family. While I know chocolate chip cookies don't exactly pair well with pasta, a cozy night-in calls for a big plate of these beloved treats. Not only do chocolate chip cookies give our place the best smell, they are always crowd-pleasers. The 12 bloggers behind these recipes gave the classic chocolate chip cookie their own twist--and I can't get enough. They all just sound so yummy that I can't decide on just one. Do you have a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe? I am never one to turn down a great cookie recipe. Have a happy weekend! xoxo {av}

P.S. If you have a sweet tooth like me, you might like my board by the same name on Pinterest ;)

spring cleaning with thredup.

FYI: this post is not sponsored by thredUP, though if you do join, I may receive referral credits. I'm sharing the thredUP knowledge to simplify your spring cleaning!

 

Spring cleaning: I loathe doing it, but I love being done with it. In recent years, my biggest frustration has been figuring out a way to thin out my closet without sacrificing a pretty penny. I tried the eBay route, but I always end up frustrated with the selling and shipping process. Some bloggers successfully juggle separate Instagram feeds for clothing sales, but I don't have time for all of the management. Knowing that it was time to do a serious round of spring cleaning, I heavily researched online consignment and chose to work with thredUP. 

After you request a bag from thredUP, you can expect to find it in your mailbox within a few days. I filled mine to the brim with everything under the sun {within their guidelines, of course}. The only painstaking thing about the whole process is waiting for them to assess your bag. Once they do, it feels like Christmas morning when you receive the email about your payout! You can choose to get thredUP money or get paid cash through PayPal. Pretty good deal, if you ask me!

Though I haven't purchased anything from the retail side of thredUP, I am constantly impressed with how they assemble with boutiques and style shops--some of which have featured my pieces! If you find something you like, they also allow you to click through to see what other items were in their bag. Often, it could mean someone who is similar in size and style to you! thredUP also offers maternity and children's clothes, two genres of clothing which women and kids quickly outgrow. A little patience could help you find some serious diamonds in the rough from brands you love.

As an aside, I used Twice last spring before we made our move across town. I wasn't thrilled with my payout, but the process was relatively simple. Beyond just the payout, I definitely preferred thredUP to Twice by a long shot. thredUP is super communicative. They also seem to take much more care with the photography and choice of items. I have already ordered {and packed} another bag to go back--and my closet feels better than ever. For me, it isn't a stretch to call thredUP the easy way to spring clean. Have you used thredUP or found any other spring cleaning methods that work well for you? I am all ears! xoxo {av}

 

what I learned from Forrest Gump.

I'm sure you have a list of movies which always detracts from your task at hand. My short list includes: You've Got Mail, Notting Hill, and Forrest Gump. {Apparently, I love '90s movies.} Over the course of the last week, I stumbled on Forrest Gump three times. Though I've seen it more times than I can count, I tuned in and caught different portions of the movie each time. I think there is so much to learn from Forrest--beyond his box of chocolates.

Hearing Forrest's mother utter the quote above to him in one of the early scenes of the movie struck me in a way it hadn't before. Like pretty much every teenage girl, I struggled with the whole self-acceptance thing in those dark middle and high school years. I was never good enough--and I fought hard to try and prove myself. It is funny to think a movie could bring this sort of clarity, but go with me here: my teenage self thought it had something to prove to the world, but my late 20s self realizes the person I really had to impress was myself.

I demand excellence of myself. I don't do things halfway. I am definitely a perfectionist. Being out of my blogging groove in the last few months feels...weird. I miss posting more often, but sometimes, I realize that real life trumps the hours I spend crafting a post. With so much going on behind the scenes with our house, I would rather give you two good posts a week than four or five that are mediocre at best. I don't know why seeing Forrest Gump caused a lightbulb moment for me, but it did. I don't need to be like every super human who somehow cranks out twenty crazy good posts a month. Why? I am happy with the few in which I pour my heart and soul.

What I learned from Forrest Gump {or from Winston Groom--the author behind his story} is this: what I create is enough. The game of comparison is not one I enjoy, but it is one in which I sadly participate. If blogging were easy, everyone would do it. With my 29th birthday looming in May, my goal for the coming year is to finally embrace me. Others' stars may rise, but I'll be happy with wherever mine shines.

Thanks for reading this long, somewhat cheesy post. Claiming Forrest taught me anything could be construed as a stretch, but I promise you it's not. I cannot send enough gratitude to those readers who stick by me, through thick and thin. I read each of your comments and cherish them. You keep me encouraged and inspired, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. For those who celebrate, Happy Easter! xoxo {av}

10 no-brush blushes.

1) NARS Matte Multipurpose Make-up Stick 2) Josie Maran Argan Color Stick  3) Smashbox O-GLOW Intuitive Cheek Color with Goji Berry-C Complex 4) Topshop Blush Stick 5) Miracle Skin Tinted Sculpturing Balm Cheek Contouring Blush Stick 6) Clinique Blushwear Cream Stick 7) Tarte Cheek Stain 8) Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Blush 9) Mai Couture Blush Papier Combo 10) Cargo Color Stick

If I could describe my make-up routine in one word, it would be simple. I wear make-up on an almost daily basis, but I like to keep my application to under three minutes. {I value my beauty sleep!} It may sound crazy, but I have it down to a bit of science. When I found blush sticks, I discovered a "grown-up" version of the gel blush from Bonne Bell that I used to wear in 1999. While I do use a brush for my bronzer, I don't want to tote around a separate one for my blush. I love the fact I can concentrate my blush in one particular area with a blush stick.

I have both the NARS and Tarte sticks, which are easy to pack for work trips, vacations, and spontaneous weekends away. I like the NARS stick for everyday use. The Tarte stain is often my date night and special occasion pick for its bold color.  I love the dewy look that both give, but most of all, I love their simplicity. Do you use a blush stick or are you a fan of more "traditional" blush? xoxo {av}

four years.

Alison and Chris from Kate Headley on Vimeo.

Four years ago, I married my best friend. We were lucky enough to have Kate Headley capture it on film. {True story: Kate was the only photographer I approached to shoot our wedding. I knew she had to be the one who captured our day from the moment I first saw her photos.} 

I share this video every year, but I do so because it truly captures the happiness of the day in a way that words cannot. I'm so lucky to share a life with {cv}--one we always dreamed of during our long distance days. In so many ways, our wedding allowed us to finally close the door on those years and open up a life of togetherness. Sorry for the repeat share, but in the very least, I hope it brightens your Thursday like it did mine! xoxo {av}

best google fonts for blogs.

Two weeks ago, I encountered some slow load time in my web browser and was tired of waiting for it to load. I decided to restart my MacBook Pro in the hopes it might bring it back up to speed. Little did I know, shutting down my laptop signaled the death of a certain sector of my hard drive {or so they told me at the Apple Store}. Thankfully, I had purchased AppleCare with my computer and I was still under warranty, so I managed to squeak by unscathed financially. However, my font book did not. 

Low and behold, I was able to recover all of my files {music, photos, design projects, etc.} in safe mode while making myself at home at the Apple Genius Bar. In the hurry to make sure I transferred over the important stuff, I didn't transfer the extensive collection of fonts. It didn't hit me until I opened up a project from my hard drive to discover that all of the fonts I downloaded over the past three years were gone.

At first, I was heartbroken. I am a self-professed font geek, so I didn't take this loss lightly. After a few hours, I had a lightbulb moment: it was time to start new. A font I loved when I first started my blog in 2010 {i.e. Caviar Dreams} was no longer on my top ten list. It was time to start with a blank slate and build a repertoire of new favorites. I started my search using Google Fonts.

I scrolled through all 600+ Google Fonts to download a few which caught my eye. The 27 fonts you see above passed my test, though I haven't had a chance to try them all out extensively. I think it is important to visualize the font in both upper and lower cases, so I gave examples of both. Sometimes, I use a font purely in all caps because I like it better. I'm funny like that ;) Feel free to download a few and see if they suit your fancy!

Do you have any favorite fonts? Have you noticed that your taste in fonts changes too? Thank you for indulging me in a geeky post. The long and short is to always buy AppleCare--and be willing to roll with the punches of a cleared hard drive. In the end, it was refreshing to rebuild my font book, even if it was initially jarring. xoxo {av}

P.S. To download a font file using Google Fonts, simply click "add to collection". A box will appear at the bottom of your screen, on which you'll then press "use". You'll be taken to a new screen and should see a downward-pointing arrow on the right side of the screen {just above something which looks like a speedometer}. Click to download the font as a .zip file. Once downloaded, click on the font in your downloads folder {or wherever you saved it}. Simply follow the prompts to add it to your font book--and always adhere to the font licensing! {NOTE: this is how it works for a Mac; here is a tutorial for a PC.}

friday's fancies: april.

shop the post: ShedRain for J.Crew Black Watch Umbrella - Drybar Money Maker Flexible Hold Hairspray - Ali Ro Three-Quarter Sleeve Anorak - BaubleBar Firecracker Drop Earrings - Michael Kors Slim Runway Bracelet Watch - Madewell Perfect Chambray Ex-Boyfriend Shirt - Rag & Bone The Dre Mid-Rise Slim Boyfriend Jeans - Hunter Original Adjustable Rain Boots

It doesn't take much guessing to figure out this month's Friday's Fancies theme. April showers don't need to spell the end of cute outfits. We're here this month to prove you can be put together in the rain! I have found that a few good pieces can take you through a number of seasons. I invested in a pair of Hunters in 2009 and never looked back. Though I have never taken the plunge, an Ali Ro Anorak has been on my list for ages. {Extra bonus: they still look as good as they did on the day I bought them!} Whether you have a rainy day look or another springy ensemble, you're welcome to add your own links below! What one rainy day item helps you feel cute, even on the rainiest of days? xoxo {av}

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