For the Love of Floppy Hats

This is a continuation of last week's summertime fun which featured cover-ups. Today is all about floppy hats. All women should be concerned with protecting their skin. Especially us fair skin girls. As a natural redhead with fair skin and freckles I know the perils of spending too much time in the sun. My advice to all women is to invest in good sunscreen, wear hats, and replenish your skin with a rich lotion post-sun. SPF in your daily makeup is a good idea too.

Last summer my family took at trip to Grand Cayman and by far the best investment I made (besides a well fitting swimsuit) was a floppy hat. I will say, packing that thing was a pain, but completely worth it.

HAT: Charming Charlie | SWIMSUIT: Victoria's Secret

1. Charming Charlie 2. Charming Charlie 3. Forever21 4. Nordstrom 5. Nordstrom

Hats don't have to only be worn at the beach with a swimsuit, Andee over at The Honeybee is always rocking hats. She is gorgeous and so stylish! You should go check out her blog if you get a chance.

Olaf's Summer Song from Frozen

Enjoy prepping for summer! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Favorite Pin Friday | Volume 4

Friday.....hallelujah! This weekend will be a busy one because our good friends are getting married. A post about that is coming! Let me dive right into Favorite Pin Friday. Hope you've been keeping up, we are on week 4.

As mentioned before, I'm trying hard to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Not to say I don't eat bad things because it happens, but overall making better choices is my goal. Wanted to add something new to the mix so asparagus it is. Found a recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Bacon from Natasha's Kitchen. So easy! Since it's just the hubs and I, I cut the recipe in half and we still had leftovers.

 

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Summertime Fun

It's Texas and it's hot which means summer is around the corner. Been thinking a lot about the pool, floating the river, and spending time at the lake this summer. Swimsuit season...ugh haha But here are some fun swimsuit cover-ups I'm digging right now. Price range $20-$60.

Macy's | Nordstrom | Target

Nordstrom | Target | Nordstrom

Old Navy | Loft | Old Navy

Happy shopping! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Why Blog

As many of you now know, I have a blog. Thanks to my hubby he has shown me great support in building up my readership through Facebook. If you haven't had a chance to "Like" the Lexi & Lady Facebook page, I ask that you do it now. The question I have been asked from family and friends just finding out about my blog is why? Why did you start a blog? So here I am to explain a little about the why...

I'm a person that thrives when my plate is full and I'm under the pressure of deadlines. Being stressed to the max seems to be where I find both thrill and comfort (weird I know, but I have other friends like this so I know I'm not crazy). Until recently I always had a full plate, whether it was work, event planning, grad school, or countless other things that filled my calendar. Then I hit a slump....I was bored and wasn't utilizing my skills and creativity. Friends and colleagues kept telling me how much potential I had and I needed to find a way to use my abilities more. I also began noticing more and more people were coming to me for advice, ideas on gifts, fitness topics, and recipes. Friends started asking me to go shopping with them to help find the perfect outfit for an occasion. All these things are little passions of mine and I was glad to do it.

After realizing how stagnant my world had become, I decided to investigate this world of blogging. Believe me...I am a newbie and it is scary as hell to put yourself out there. But I reminded myself of all the things people kept telling me and I knew I had more to share with the world.

This little space in the blogosphere is my creative hub, the place where I can communicate with people about my passions or maybe spark someone else's creativity. It's a place that challenges me to be brave, creative, and step outside my comfort zone.

I'm glad you've made it to Lexi & Lady and hope you continue to follow my journey and share in the excitement of something new.

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Favorite Pin Friday | Volume 3

Got to keep up...this is week 3 of Favorite Pin Friday. Read week 1 and week 2 to see what they're all about.

This week is a project or gift idea. On one of my many random hunts around Pinterest I came across Yellow Bliss Road's DIY Christmas Gift Idea. First off, what a cute way to package up a few cookie cutters as a gift! The printables make it so easy to tackle this DIY.

Yellow Bliss Road

With my sweet tooth I knew this needed to be an addition to my kitchen and I decided to print and frame the 8x10s. On the hunt for the perfect picture frames now...

If you want to take the gift giving one step further, fill the jar with all the dry ingredients needed for the recipe and hang a cookie cutter on the outside for added detail! Happy gifting!

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Restaurant Review: Hubbell & Hudson Bistro

One thing you'll quickly learn about me is I love to try new restaurants. It's almost like a game to discover new places and take friends along. Friends contact me often for restaurant recommendations, which I love to give...so just ask! :)

Last week we celebrated a close friend's birthday at Hubbell & Hudson Bistro. None of us had been so it was a fun experience. Hubbell & Hudson Bistro is located in The Woodlands on the Waterway. Another fun place to explore if you ever get the chance. The executive chef is Austin Simmons and was recently named, by Houston Press, "Up and Coming Houston Chef" at the age of 28! Side note, anyone feel like they need to work harder on their career goals right about now?

A reservation got us a private dining room which we will always request from now on. The privacy gave us a chance to talk, laugh, and stand and walk around to take pictures or step out onto the semi-private patio with fireplace.

Private Dining Room A

Since our group of 6 had never dined here we each opted for different drinks at the bar, appetizers, entrees and desserts. It's important to note, these friends are more like family so sharing and tasting each others drinks and entrees is completely normal! Having a variety of entrees worked out perfectly because it gave me the chance to try lobster, grouper, and duck. As a non-seafood eating person I attempt to try seafood at every opportunity. You never know when your taste buds will change!

For appetizers, we ordered the Akaushi Beef (tenderloin tartare) and Artisan Bread Board. I have never tried tartare, something about raw meat is unappealing. However, since we were on an adventure I went for it....oh my goodness...it was so delicious and had a citrus flavor to it. The bread board was also a stellar piece. From homemade butter with black sea salt to garlic hummus it was all to die for. I'm also a carb lover so this is right up my alley.

Artisan Bread Board

For my entree I ordered the Braised Short Ribs, this dish was voted by the group as the best. Think spaghetti with braised short rib in place of ground beef. AMAZING! I also tried the Maine Lobster Risotto, Peking Duck, Black Grouper, and 200+ Day Midwestern Dry Aged Steak (more on this below). All very good, least favorite would be the lobster risotto. Again, I'm not a seafood person, but the risotto had an interesting flavor I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Dessert is always a must right!? The birthday girl received complementary creme brulee and the rest of us decided on Carrot Cake and Bread Pudding. The cheesecake that accompanied the carrot cake was light and flavorful. The carrot cake and bread pudding were my least favorite aspect of the entire meal.

Now what is dry aged steak...It's a relatively new concept and Chef Austin has been working to perfect it at Hubbell & Hudson Bistro. After dinner we took a tour of the kitchen and dry aging area. I'll be honest, when I saw the meat it reminded me of a large fossil. It was gray and looked like a rock, but after seeing how red and marbled the meat on the inside is, it's no wonder the steak tasted amazing. The hub's review, "Hands down the best steak."

Overall the restaurant, the service, and the menu is top notch and we will be back (in the private dining room).

Birthday girl's fiance, the hubs, and I

Birthday girl and I #twinning haha

Birthday girl, her mom, and I enjoying the semi-private patio

My outfit details:

CARDIGAN: J Crew Factory | TOP: Banana Republic | SKIRT: Rachel Roy, Macy's

EARRINGS: Kendra Scott

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Favorite Pin Friday | Volume 2

It's week 2 of Favorite Pin Friday. If you missed last week, you can read it here. I was browsing through my Backyard Ideas board and came across a cute painted pot. Growing up my mom and I would do this to dress up plain terracotta pots and I hadn't thought about this memory until seeing this pin. It's really a project to be creative with! Big, small, metallic paint, stencils, chalkboard paint, the possibilities are endless. Dress up your indoor or outdoor plants. It's spring and it's time to go crazy with color!

Besides being a project for yourself or your children, this would also be a fun housewarming gift. Stick a plant in it or provide a package of seeds. 

Hand Painted Flower Pot

I found this hilarious! From Nicest Things

Until next post...xoxo Becca

To Have and To Hold

On Friday the hubs and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. The time has definitely flown by and we've both grown immensely since saying I Do. He's my best friend and biggest supporter!

He surprised me with gorgeous flowers at the office. A date night was in order so we went to Texas Longhorn Steakhouse and had some delicious food and drinks before heading off to see Furious 7. Action packed movie!

My outfit for the night was so comfortable. The dress is from Target at a great price! Fabric is comfy (does snag easily, beware), the fit and flare shape is very flattering, and the front zipper detail adds a nice element. Add a pop of color with fun shoes, handbag, or clutch.

DRESS: Target | HANDBAG: JCPenney (old) | HEELS: Nine West

Until next post... xoxo Becca

Easter Weekend Report

Why is it when a 3-day weekend happens you need extra days to recover? Soooooo busy!!! I took Friday off to run errands in preparation for Easter; hair cut, Lexi got groomed, I had to get my nails done (thanks hubs), and picked up last minute items for Sunday's tablescape. This was the first time we hosted Easter and it went really well. Saturday was full of time in the kitchen and celebrating a good friend's birthday (restaurant review coming soon). Sharing lots of pictures today.

Let's start with the tablescape. I wanted a fresh "spring" look so I could use it for the next few months. I considered a fresh tulips centerpiece, but as we all know, fresh flowers only last so long. 

Simple strawberry topping for my cheesecake. 1 pint of fresh strawberries, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. Mix it all together, cover, and store in the refrigerator over night.

A few Easter dinner shots

Pear wrapped in prosciutto topped with goat cheese

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Mom's famous cheesecake recipe. It was a hit!

I bought confetti eggs for the hubs because he's a big kid at heart. I knew a war would be sparked! This is my family and why I love them!

 Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and Passover weekend. Until next post...xoxo Becca

Favorite Pin Friday | Volume 1

Going to start something new...every Friday I will pick one of my favorite Pins and share it with you. It could be a recipe (like this week), pinspiration for a new outfit, or something I think it cool! Here goes week 1...

I share this recipe with everyone because it's stupid simple and makes a ton. Since it's just the hubs and I, I'll use the leftover chicken to make Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Tasty Kitchen & Chocolate Therapy

1 Envelope Taco Seasoning
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, thawed
1 16oz jar Salsa

Place all ingredients in a crockpot and stir to blend the seasoning and salsa. You do not need to add water. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos | Chocolate Therapy

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas | Campbell's Kitchen

 Until next post...xoxo Becca