Weekend Recap & the cutest J. Crew sweater!

Happy Monday! This Monday feels a bit worse than usual, maybe because it's the first full week after all of the Holiday celebrations? I need an extra shot in my latte today!

My weekend was the perfect mix of relaxation & celebration! I have been battling an awful cold, I got it just after Christmas and I thought I was turning the bend but it hit me again last Tuesday pretty hard, which also happened to be the day Oliver left for Australia for two whole weeks! I am warning you now please excuse the "bathroom selfies" I am seriously missing my photographer/husband..subtle hint for him to come home early ;)

After generous doses of NyQuil/DayQuil I finally felt better so Saturday I had a lunch date planned with an old friend. I hadn't seen her in so long so it was amazing to catch up on life, love & real life jobs! We went to The Local which I know I have mentioned before it is one of my absolute favorites in the area!

Saturday night I headed over to my cousins house for drinks (my cousin is one hell of a bartender as well) &

appetizers. We had an absolute blast hanging out and catching up! My cousin and her partner just bought an amazing apartment in Boston- I have serious real estate envy every time I walk in the door!

Case in point, that fireplace and woodwork is original to the house and we are talking over 100 years old...amazing!!

For a hostess gift I spiced up the usual bottle of wine gift with this awesome bottle coozie and corkscrew. I found these at J.Crew Factory just after the holidays and bought several. I loved the Polka Dot & Chevron mix and so they did they!














On the topic of J. Crew we can talk about my outfit, it is pretty much head to toe J. Crew! I got this sweater for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I like the fit, it isn't super fitted but it is short enough that I think the boxy look is really flattering! I also love the little sparkle along the neckline. The pants I have raved about before, they are the Winnie Pant and I am absolutely obsessed with them! You can get both of these items on sale for an extra 40% off with the code EXTRA40!

The flats are old from Gap, I love them at really like the pointy toe. Here are a few other similiar styles: Gilt: Elyse Pointed Toe flat, Steve Madden: Elusionl  use code SMFREE50 for free shipping!

Mostly work & a little play

My schedule is pretty variable, but one thing I can always count on is my every third weekend rotation! Not too bad to be honest, I have worked places where it was every other weekend, so I have no complaints about that. However it can be a bit of a drag when all your friends are headed out and you're headed into work. I always try to get out at least Friday night before I spend the weekend working. This weekend I worked night shift so I apologize that I am a day late on my "weekend recap" as I essentially slept through Monday ;)

This Friday we had plans with great friends so it helped to get me through the Saturday/Sunday night shift! We were dog sitting this weekend for my sister which has been fun but also a good reality check of what life would be like with two dogs... yikes!

We have gotten past that stage of puppy ownership where you are constantly asking yourself "what were we thinking?" Clo is pretty well trained, no accidents indoors or chewing on everything in sight, so we have been telling him he needs a little sister. Then my Sister's sweet boy came over and we quickly realized we are so not ready for another dog. They have been having some fun but Clovis is a puppy & Bailey is not loving all of his energy. The one thing you can't deny is they are so cute!

Bailey is a total snuggle bug so he was on the couch with me. Clovis was watching longingly from the floor, he was very patient but clearly not super happy about his place on the floor!

Friday night dinner was amazing! We met up with our friends first and headed over to Cassarino's Ristorante in Federal Hill (Providence, RI). My friend Ashley's cousin owns the place so we go there pretty frequently with them.

Family connects aside, this place is an absolute must visit if you're in the area! Rhode Island has a special place in my heart, being URI alums, Oliver & I often talk about moving back someday, but until then we enjoy dinners at our favorite spots & weekend trips.

 I loved the Holiday decor that was up, you can't go wrong with white lights and greenery! Well actually I think you can, but Tyler definitely did not! :)

This place was super busy Friday night, it looks empty in this picture because we stayed well beyond close chatting & playing heads up at our corner booth!

I was grateful for the opportunity to snap some shots after everyone had left, especially of the bar and those copper mugs!

I totally texted Ashley before dinner to let her know the fur vest that we both own was making it's debut! :) I could have easily been a cast mate of Mob Wives that night, faux fur, leopard belt, red lips & lots of red wine-I loved every bit of it!

When you go, you must order the Calamari with the sweet balsamic reduction, I literally could have did eat it all! They also just got these awesome Moscow Mule cups so we may have had a few of those as well! How great do they look on the bar?

The finale was no short of amazing as well, Espresso Martini's, Espresso cheesecake & Chocolate Lava Cake! I was so grateful for the stretchiness in my pants that night ;)

 Saturday & Sunday (& clearly Monday) were a blur of being up all night and sleeping all day! Back to day shift next week! Wohoo!

What did you get up to this weekend?

I am a firm believer in maintaining "girls nights" on my calendar. Getting dolled up & going for a night out with your girlfriends is good for the soul! My ladies nights usually entail dinner, drinks, dancing & lots of girl talk.

When I have a night out coming up I find myself scanning my closet for the perfect outfit, which is some variation of a skirt or dress and always heels!  I can't tell you how many stories I have heard about my insistence to dress up as a child, there are countless photos of me with my Mother's shoulder bags, heels and jewelery on. Many years later absolutely nothing has changed, and luckily those heels of hers are actually my size now! :)

For this look I went with an ultra feminine tulle skirt, this one is from The Loft (last season) however check out this Lauren Conrad version, and RED Valentino find! To give it a bit more edge I went with a faux leather sleeved shirt and black leather booties. I am wearing a statement Crystal Necklace currently available on J Crew Factory! The earrings are a staple in my wardrobe, I often find myself wearing them to work! - Overkill I know. They are Nancy Studs from Stella and Dot

I would love to hear what your favorite look is for a girls night out- leave a comment below to share!