Author Archives: speckledyellow

Love & A Dog

December 12, 2014 By in Fabulous Quotes, Home, Words of Wisdom Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Love & a Dog

 

Happy Friday quote! Reach out to the ones who you love today and who truly love you. And most importantly, don’t forget to feed yourself with self love, compassion, and kindness. All those curve balls and lemons that hit you over the head are just fluff, and fluff is fluffy. Unconditional love is such a glorious thing. That love from the ones who TRULY know and love you and that unconditional love from a dog (any pet really) sure are what can pull you through anything and just make your world a better place!

This past year I have had one of those interesting times in  life when it turns upside down and what you thought you knew and was real, is in fact all types of confusing. I have been grounding myself and focusing on my morals and values and what truly matters in life. Giving positive energy to what gives positive energy back to me, and practicing self love and kindness. You are with yourself the rest of your life, which means you can love and be there for yourself always! But others will do what they will do.

Recently, I learned that I have a choice in my decisions about what I do in my life when lemons are thrown, because I can control myself, my thoughts, and my actions. Others may try to bring you down or disappoint, but this choice that we have is a powerful one, and we can choose who to be around! All I need is my self love and of course my adorable dog who fills me up with beaming lights of love and happiness!

I choose my self love today and I choose my morals and values of kindness, giving back to others, compassion, and love, as a focus of my day. No one can take those values and morals from me, and I can find others who live in a similar way and who fill me with love as much as I put love out to the world!

Love & a Dog

Love & a Dog

 

P.S. Here is a link for some Self Love tips I came across!

Hats Hats Hats

October 29, 2014 By in Fashion Focused, Home, Randomness Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
Fall Hat Obsession at Speckledyellow.com

speckledyellow.com

I have an obsession with hats. Like a true obsession, it could possibly be considered hoarding at this point in time. I loveee them! I have all sorts, but right now I am particularly excited that I can wear these Fall hats like the ones shown above! I am one of those people who gets really sad when summer is over, but thinking about these hats makes it all okay. If I had to chose one accessory to wear at all times it would definitely be a hat. Not only are these hats comfy and stylish, but they also protect your face from those harmful UV rays!  Yes Please and Thank You!

Below you can find the name, brand, and price of each hat. Click to go to the webpage:

I am loving these neutral colors which go great with any hair, eye color, or makeup pallet you have. These hats can also take a simple outfit of jeans and a sweater up a notch and make it stylish, chic, and fun!

I had a little too fun much below wearing the Alexa Panama Hat from Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters so far has been my fav spot to find the perfect shape hats with a great fit and certainly more than fair pricing.

Fall Hat Obsession at speckledyellow.com

speckledyellow.com

Fall Hat Obsession at speckledyellow.com

speckledyellow.com

Cozy Layers and Cashmere in Beacon Hill

October 23, 2014 By in Fashion Focused, Home, Life Adventures, Randomness Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

IMG_4430 IMG_4419Charles Street in Beacon Hill, Boston, is one of the most charming streets in all of the city! It is filled with quaint shops, restaurants, boutiques, and antique stores. Strolling along this street, I can’t help but feel I am walking along a cobblestone path in Europe, with a cappuccino in one hand and a baguette in the other.

Well, I headed over to my favorite boutique in Beacon Hill; Wish. This lovely women’s contemporary boutique is where my dear friend Samantha, the store manager, spends a lot of her time making women feel fabulous and dressed to the nines.

I stepped into this gorgeous store and was greeted by some lovely ladies with smiles for miles including my dear friend Samantha. What a welcoming store with pastel colored walls and a comfortable place to sit and read a magazine, if ya know…you’re waiting for someone to shop (hehe). I asked Samantha to help me find some cozy layers and a cashmere sweater-’cause let’s face it- that’s what Fall and Winter season 2014 is all about with that polar vortex visiting us soon:(  And of course, I was shown some of the coziest, warmest cashmere sweaters and layering pieces. I also spotted casual wear like designer jeans and everything in-between; including some super cute dresses! Check out their website HERE to see a list of the designers they sell as well as their very own blog!

Click  below to see some fashion shots and find out my must have pieces for FALL/WINTER 2014! Sneak peek….

Cozy Layers and Cashmere in Beacon Hill/speckledyellow.com Continue reading →

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

October 22, 2014 By in Home, Recipes, Soups and Stews Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

Healthy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

This soup is like a yummy sip of fresh Autumn air. It has a sweet buttery taste and is oh so fun to make! The buttery scent of the roasting butternut squash filled my kitchen with a lovely aroma. It was almost like I purchased a butternut squash Fall scented candle, but nope, just roasting one up in the oven! The mix of squash, green apple, and sage is just perfection, and the pumpkin seeds on top add a delectable crunch. Usually, you find these soups to have heavy cream, but the almond milk definitely did the trick and no cream was harmed in the making of this soup.

I have been eating this soup for practically the past two weeks. The first time I made it I wanted to drink it like a smoothie, and this week ,I have been dancing around the kitchen as I eat if for lunch everyday! It’s literally THAT GOOD! The husband seriously, seriously….seriously approves! At first he asked for just a little bit but I poured him a large bowl and he was convinced he wouldn’t finish it all. Well folks…he licked the bowl clean!!!!!!!!!

Healthy Butternut Squash Soup!

Ingredients

* 4 pound whole butternut squash
* 2 Tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan Butter (or regular butter if you prefer)
* 1 medium Granny Smith apple
* 8 fresh sage leaves
* 2 large garlic cloves (instead you can use 1/2 medium yellow onion if so desire)
* 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup almond milk (option: you can use heavy cream instead)
* 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (toasted or not toasted)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Grab the butternut squash. Heat it in the microwave for 2 minutes to make it soft. Chop off both ends then peel the butternut squash. Cut the squash lengthwise in half and scoop out the seeds.

3. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Heat 1 Tablespoon of the Earth Balance butter up so it’s melted. Place the squash onto the baking sheet cut-side up and brush the butter onto the squash coating all sides and in the center. Roast until knife tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut the apple into medium diced pieces. Get the garlic ready, or if you do not have a garlic press, chop it up into fine pieces. Melt the remaining tablespoon of Earth Balance butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple, garlic (either the tiny chopped pieces, or use a garlic press), and sage, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. When the squash is ready, take it out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes. After it has cooled, dice it into 1-2 inch pieces and place into the saucepan with the sautéed apples and garlic. Stir gently, breaking up some of the butternut squash pieces.

7. Add the broth, water, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a medium simmer, stirring occasionally about every 15 minutes, and breaking up any large pieces of the squash. Next, remove from the heat and stir in the almond milk.

8. Finally, pour the ingredients into a blender until smooth. You may have to do this in batches if it does not all fit. (quick trick just in case: Remove the small cap (the pour lid) from the blender lid and cover the space with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape and prevent the blender lid from popping off). Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed and enjoy with some pumpkin seeds on top to add a flavorful crunch!

Healthy Butternut Squash Soup!Healthy Butternut Squash Soup!Healthy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

 

Recipe adapted from HERE

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Mango Salsa and Peanut Sauce

October 10, 2014 By in Everything Else, Home, Recipes Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Mango Salsa and Peanut Sauce

I can officially announce that this dish is a slice of tofu heaven! The past week, I kept seeing pictures of chicken lettuce wraps and then of course I started dreaming of chicken lettuce wraps. The delicious crunch of the lettuce and sweetness of the sauce; I just could not stop envisioning taking a massive delectable bite out of something sooo good but at the same time low carb!  However, I had tofu and no chicken at home. Well not to worry, I found this recipe from an adorable blog called, Cookie + Kate. It incorporates everything you could possible want in a healthy meal and  I give this a million thumbs up!

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Mango Salsa and Peanut Sauce

Though I have to admit it, I made this during the summer when mangos were in peek season and oh so delicious. But even though it is Fall, we can still have an occasional burst of some summery food to remind us that summer will come again…..not for a while, but it will someday return! For now, this is a great light meal to have, especially if you have a tropical vacation coming up sometime soon!

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Mango Salsa and Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Crispy Baked Tofu
* 1 (15 ounce) block of organic extra-firm tofu
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil
* 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari sauce
* 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch

Peanut Sauce
* 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
* 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
* 2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari sauce
* 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar or maple syrup
* 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
* 1/2 lime, juiced
* 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

Mango Salsa
* 2 ripe mangos, diced
* 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
* 1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
* 1/2 lime, juiced
* (optional 1 jalapeño, minced)

EVERYTHING ELSE
* Large head of lettuce or even a head of green cabbage
* Optional: peanuts
Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Mango Salsa and Peanut Sauce

Click below for the recipe instructions and more pictures!  Continue reading →

Quick and Easy Seasoned Lime Chicken

September 18, 2014 By in Home, Recipes Tags: , , , , 3 Comments

Quick and Easy Seasoned Lime Chicken

The quickest most perfect chicken ever! It gets me every time how delicious, easy, and quick it is! I’ll admit it, I may make this at a dinner party one day and tell everyone it took me hours to marinate and that I am a serious gourmet cook….Major LIE! These little suckers are like garlicy, zesty, perfectly spiced pieces of chicken. DELICIOUS! It is certainly in my rotation for what to cook each week, that’s for sure.

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
cilantro
2 limes
2 Medium/large garlic cloves
chili powder and/or paprika for sprinkling!

IMG_3631

Cooked just enough so each side has a nice golden color. The seasoning, lime, and garlic somehow add this amazing crispness that is ohhhh so good! This dish is definitely toss and go, and the type of recipe that you can chat, or just drink lots of wine while cooking and not mess it up! Hehe

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken into about 1 inch chunks.
2. Heat oil just enough to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
2. Toss in the chicken and cook on each side (WITHOUT MOVING) for 3 minutes on medium heat (depending on your stove) or until you start to see the cooked white part of the chicken starting to move about half way up the piece. When you flip the chicken it should be lightly browned and golden.
3. As the other side cooks:
a. sprinkling chili powder and/or some paprika to your liking (I sprinkled just enough to coat the chicken).
b. squeeze half a lime of the chicken.
4. Stir the chicken and squeeze the other half of the lime and add the garlic.
5. stir for a moment and then transfer to a dish.
6. Use the other lime to squeeze over the chicken to your liking. Quick and Easy Seasoned Lime Chicken

 

 
Quick and Easy Seasoned Lime Chicken

DIY Wall Art Gallery and Inspiration

September 2, 2014 By in DIY, Home Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Wall Art Gallery

HELLO WALL ART!!!! One of my favorite things about interiors is a collection of art, photos, and graphics placed close together to create what seems like a large piece of intricate art. For me, each framed piece tells a story and holds a memory. My Grandmother on her wedding day, a map of where I grew up, my favorite finds from different flea markets, a page I ripped out of at vintage book about topiary plants, and a picture of my love and me.

This masterpiece is located in our living room, making the room feel put together and cozy while warming my heart with memories and stories. Now, how did this come all come together? Seriously, I am not gonna lie, it can be a headache.  But, with some simple tips and tricks the headache melts away and creativity takes its place!  It also takes careful consideration, patience, and some pretty good measurement skills from a handy person such as a hubby, Mom, or friend.

Wall Art Gallery speckledyellow.com

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR CREATING AN AMAZING WALL ART GALLERY:

1. Think about your frames. Do you want them all one color? Matching? A mix of a few different colors? Our gallery wall has a mix of brown, gold, and white frames.

2. Think about shapes and sizes. You can have all of your art be one size, or mix in different shapes and sizes or objects (mirrors, antlers) like we did.

3. ARRANGE THE ART GALLERY ON THE FLOOR FIRST!!!! lay your art in different designs on your floor first if you can before nailing it to the wall. The only time this doesn’t work is when you decide to continuously add different art/pictures to your wall. If you are constantly adding art/photos to your wall it may help to keep them all the same distance from each other (for example 1.5 inches away from all sides). Also, think about how far apart each piece is from each other. To make it easier, I suggest making each piece 1-2 inches away on all sides.

4. Start in the middle and work your way out. Most likely, this center or middle pic, will be the one that attracts the eye. Meaning when people look at your wall, this will be the first piece they look at so make it a good one (it doesn’t have to be the largest but it should be one of your favorites!)

5. Take photos of the different arrangements on the floor so you can look back at them later.  Even leave the different arrangements on the floor for a few days to see if you still feel the same way about them. I left my favorite arrangement on the floor for a month before deciding to hang it!!!!!

6.  You can even draw up a mock version of your artwork and different ways it can be arranged on the wall. Check out Apartment Therapy blog post for examples and more description of what I mean.

IMG_5233IMG_5254

 HOW TO HANG WALL ART GALLERY WITHOUT FREAKING OUT:

1. CUT OUT CRAFT PAPER IN THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE OF EACH ART PIECE. Write a short description and number on the paper so you don’t forget what paper is for what art piece.

2. Measure your preferred distance between each art piece. Maybe come up with a common distance like 1-2 inches away from each art piece on all sides.

3. Measure the length and width of your floor arrangement. Then Measure the space you want your art gallery to encompass. Draw a small pencil mark on the wall for where you think the top of your art gallery will be placed, the bottom, and each side. Stand back and check it out.

4. Measure where the nail will be placed and draw a pencil mark circle on the cut out construction paper where the nail will be. That way when you hammer in a nail, you can place the nail on the penciled dot in the exact spot it should be!

5. For photo examples and a video to better understand check out this post on Lamps Plus.
Wall Art Gallery speckledyellow.com

Click below for more pictures of our Wall Art Gallery and photos that inspired the creation of ours Continue reading →

Lemony Lentil Soup

July 14, 2014 By in Home, Recipes, Soups and Stews Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Lemony Lentil Soup

This soup reminds me of my Mom. Not that the soup looks like my Mom or anything like that, but she used to make a soup just like this and with every bite it’s a little piece of nostalgia! With her being a Vegetarian and being the main cook in the house, I grew up eating mostly lentils, tofu, beans, and vegetables. Her lentil soup had just the same amount of  zest and flavor as this one!

Lemony Lentil Soup

I thank my Mom for all my ways of healthy eating. My parents just visited us in Boston this past weekend, and my Mom and I got into a long conversation about how “healthy” eating tastes so normal to us. Our taste buds would much prefer that kale salad with tofu and sunflower seeds than a juicy hamburger. I know it’s so odd, right? My Dad would definitely have to disagree as he was rolling his eyes at us during this whole conversation. I guess you can say that if my body and organs could talk, they would congratulate my Mom and I on this healthy food preference, giving us the ‘healthy food eater’ medal of honor.

Well here it is, a healthy delicious soup that doesn’t actually have to taste “healthy” and it’s HUSBAND APPROVED!!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp coconut oil (you can also use olive oil or sesame oil instead)
2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves or 4 small ones
1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 carrots chopped
2 celery sticks chopped
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp curry powder
7 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I use low sodium)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Click to see the directions!  Continue reading →

Bikini’s Best Friend Meets The High Waist

July 13, 2014 By in Fashion Focused, Home Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Bikini's Best Friend Meets the High Waist

And here we have it, the best bathing suit cover up found!!!!! I love those times when you can wear an actual outfit over a bathing suit while keeping in mind comfort, breathability, and the fact that you may get sticky with sweat and oily suntan lotion all over it.

This cover up allows for all things sticky and oily to happen but it’s so comfy that I can stroll around town or grab a  bite to eat after hitting the beach for a few hours and still feel stylish!  Can we also talk about my obsession with anything high waisted? High wasted skirts, high waisted jeans, high wasted shorts, all of them paired with crop tops are amazing especially when I wanna minimize my hips and accentuate my waist!

Lululemon has really been stepping up in the streetwear department, creating breathable items that you can wear all over town versus just exercise clothing! I mean just look at these high waited shorts and seriously they are the most comfortable shorts I own!!!!

1. Ok Hi Short from Lululemon $58.00

2. Crop top from Target $12.00

3. Forever 21 Floppy Brim Raffia Fedora Hat

4. Bag from Brandy Melville (which I purchased a few years ago but find a similar one HERE)

 

Broiled Asian Chicken Skewers with Peanut Ginger Sauce

June 25, 2014 By in Everything Else, Home, Recipes Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
Broiled Asian Chicken Skewers with Peanut Ginger Sauce

Broiled Asian Chicken Skewers with Peanut Ginger Sauce

I love anything Asian and most things chicken. When you put the two together, it’s just a taste of delicious bliss! I am always looking for quick meals and since this one is cooked in the broiler, the cook time just whizzes by in a jiffy. I can also quickly marinade the chicken in the morning or the day before, and then pop it into the oven later to be ready in no time.

Next time we host a small party, I am gonna be breaking out these chicken skewers! You can also place them on the BBQ to mix things up a lil.

Now I paired this with a delicious side of my Simple Shaved Brussels Sprouts Side Salad (recipe to come soon!!!!) and some wild rice. I loved mixing everything on my plate together, so I ended up mixing the rice and shaved brussel sprouts together and put some of the Peanut Ginger Dipping Sauce on them and it was seriously GOOD!

Ingredients:

*12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch slices or pieces
*bamboo skewers (to prevent from burning, soak wooden bamboo skewers in water for 30 min before threading the chicken)

Soy-Ginger Chicken Marinade
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium Tamari Soy Sauce (I use organic and gluten free)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely minced ginger
1 tsp honey

Peanut Ginger Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I use Justin’s all natural peanut butter and it’s PERFECT!)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp reduced sodium Tamari Soy Sauce (I used organic and gluten free)
1/2 tsp finely minced ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 Tbsp water, or as needed according to the consistency that you desire!

 

Click below for DIRECTIONS and some more pics! Continue reading →

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