Review: Hue Leggings

I know.. I am SUPER late to the Hue leggings party. I have been reading about them for well over a year now, and can you believe... I finally bought  myself a pair.

And I'll cut to the chase. They are EVERYTHING they are made out to be!

-See through? Nope.
-Sagging in inconvenient areas (you know)? Nope.
-Digs into your waist? Nope.

-Hold their shape? Yep!
-Wash well? Yep!
-Appropriate for business-casual work environments? Yep!
-High waist band to ensure extreme comfort? Yep!

 

I bought this exact pair from Von Maur during a pre-Christmas clearance.

 

At first, I was a little unsure if I liked the seams down the front, but I have since decided they make them look even more work appropriate. They even have faux slit pockets on the butt!

For me, $48 seems a little pricey for a pair of leggings. I would go ahead and say that they are MORE than leggings, and you will absolutely wear them enough to get your money's worth. And.... if you can find them on a fabulous clearance like I did (hello 50% off) then they are a must!

 

I'm certainly no fashionista, but if you enjoy looking put together at the office AND feeling like you aren't wearing pants, here is your answer.

 

 

Again, I'm probably the last person on earth who hasn't purchased these yet, but if you are late to the party like me, I highly recommend!

 

xoxo

 

 



Shock to the System

Hi everyone and thanks for checking back in after my honeymoon hiatus!

 

It is truly shocking to be back and DOING something. Aside from laying on the beach, I have had zero responsibility for the last 4 days, and it was wonderful!

 

Also shocking is this weather.... and I'm told that it's much warmer than while we were away. For those of you who are not Nebraska readers, it is currently about 35 degrees, but apparently was -10 degrees all weekend. So sorry to have missed out...

 

So, bear with me while I settle back in to daily life. Stay tuned as I have several new products to review, including an exciting finishing powder and an inexpensive home manicure (that won't chip on day 2!!!)  Oh the things I get happy about....

 

In the meantime, I will be catching up in my cozy corner. I've referred to this part of our house before, and while it is nothing special, I swear it just makes me happy.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

See you...

Next week! 

Sweet and Modern is checking out for a beach vacation :) 

Xoxo 

Cast Iron Diaries: Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

Hello! And welcome to the first addition of the Cast Iron diaries.

 

I will be the first to admit it... cooking over a stove is NOT my expertise. In fact, I have no expertise in the kitchen, but I would like to think I typically have more success on the baked goods front.

 

Well, we registered for a cast iron skillet (and received one) for our wedding! Clay uses it to make omelets, etc., but I had yet to venture into this territory. I have always heard of others making cast iron corn bread, but I had NO idea how many recipes you could actually make in the cast iron. The recipes I found inspired me to do a series of things I plan to try to make, solely in the cast iron!

 

First up... Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce. I found this recipe on Southern Living.

 

You will need:

 

4 (3/4-inch-thick) bone-in pork loin chops (about 2 1/4 lb.)

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup red pepper jelly  

 

To Prepare:

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, and cook 8 minutes; turn and cook 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150°. Remove from skillet, and keep warm.

2. Add flour and jalapeño to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until flour is golden brown. Add wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; cook 1 minute or until almost completely reduced.

3. Add chicken broth, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Return pork to skillet; turn to coat. Serve pork with sauce.

Note: We tested with Braswell's Red Pepper Jelly.

 

So, here's the deal. I stopped at Wal Mart on my way home, and couldn't find ANY pepper jelly. Being that it was 10 degrees and I needed to get home to my dog baby, I did not feel like driving another 15 minutes to another grocery store. I figured I would make do, somehow.

 

So here is my adaptation: I followed the instructions according to above, but instead of pepper jelly, I used regular (homemade) strawberry jelly. I also randomly had a few tablespoons of a mango habanero salsa hanging out in my fridge, so I threw that in as well! I also want to add that I did not cook the pork chops as long as it said. They appeared to be  getting done quickly so I shortened the initial 8 and 10 minute cook times. You may want to adapt based on the thickness of your cut of meat.  

 

And... here were the results!

 

 

It was sweet and spicy and the pork chops were tender. When I make again, I will probably cook the pork chops even less. Overall, success! And Clay loved it, too! Win-win!

 

Does anyone have any must-try cast iron recipes? I am a newbie with the cast iron and up for anything!

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

 

A Tinder Tale pt 2

I am SUPER excited to be back with part two of our Tinder Tale…mostly because it will be Clay telling you the remainder of our time spent on Tinder! (You can read Part 1 HERE)

To begin with, I cannot say with absolute certainty how exactly I responded to Gina’s first message.  If I recall correctly it was something along the lines of “hey!”  with a couple of follow up questions that were probably just as well thought out and articulate as the “hey!”.   But, anyway, here we are.   

I would also like to point out the reasoning behind my failure to message Gina first….she was waaaay out of my league and I knew it.  I figured she accidentally swiped right on ol’ Clay after a few glasses of wine or something. Ultimately, I wanted to save both of us the time and embarrassment of sending out the ubiquitous “sup girl….”  But, interestingly enough, after a few days of no activity on the Tinder app, a message popped up on my phone from the megababe that had really caught my attention.   

One thing I know for sure about the first message is I was at work when it arrived.  I was out in the hall when I saw I had a Tinder notification on my almost brand new smart phone (I was way behind the times, sue me).  When I saw I received a message from Gina my first response was “no way.” There weren’t any glitches or anything, though, so then I was like “Sweet.” Surprisingly, after racking my brain over what to say, all the messages and chatting came pretty naturally.  I say “surprisingly” because when a guy somehow gets a golden opportunity with a girl like Gina the first line of thinking is “don’t scare her,” which is immediately followed by scaring the shit out of her.  We, as guys, don’t mean to, but when you’re trying too hard to make a solid impression things happen….   

Anyways, I found out I really enjoyed messaging Gina. She was very interesting,  fun to talk to, and had a great personality.  So the next logical step was to begin texting her, which was kind of a big deal considering personal contact (phone :D ) numbers were going to be involved and we’d never even met.   No big deal, though, I told her one night that I’d like to text her and promptly ended that evening’s conversation without ever asking for, or providing, a  number. Pretty brilliant stroke on my part.  Thankfully she messaged back, pointing out the blatant omission, and even provided a working phone number.    So things were lookin' up!   

I’ll admit that I had to come off to Gina as either a total creeper or, at the least, a bit of an eccentric when trying to get a first date.  My work schedule at that time really limited my social life so when I tried to get Gina to meet me around 11:00 pm at a bar on a weeknight,  the situation probably seemed a bit suspicious.  But, to her credit (and my benefit), she rolled the dice and showed up.   We talked for at least a couple hours over a few drinks and I was pretty ecstatic.  So when we parted I knew I definitely wanted to go out again and luckily she agreed.  And now we’re totally married!   

Honestly, there is so much more I can say about my and Gina’s early relationship, but I think she wanted me to touch a little on the internet dating scene.  As with anything, there are some positives and some definite drawbacks. Even though its 2015, there is still kind of a negative stigma associated with starting a lifelong relationship with someone via the internet.  For some reason, casual dating (or hooking up) doesn’t really seem to strike those same chords, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you why.  I’m not a scientist.  But at first, I was even a little weary to mention we’d met on Tinder.  I felt like it wasn’t something people wanted to hear. But after a while I think we both started to embrace it. 

How Gina and I met is just as fun of a story to tell as people who met face to face for the first time. Whether it was at a bar, a concert, the library, or wherever.  When it comes to how we met, there are still really sweet and romantic parts of the story... as well as humorous and embarrassing ones.  The important thing is that we found each other and connected, and it really doesn’t matter what avenue we utilized.   I’m incredibly lucky.  And I’m still, like, 90% sure it was the “U.S.A!”  chant on my profile page that got her to finally say something.  Gina is a great American :D      

 

And not even two years after the fact, we are happily married! And for the record, I'm the lucky one.

A Tinder Tale

Today I am super excited because it's girl talk time. And every girl talk time isn't complete without boy talk.

"Who is he? What does he look like? How did you meet? TELL ME EVERTHING!" -every girl, ever. Or maybe that is just me. Either way.

I'm inviting you into the story of us (Clay and I that is)!

I am always hesitant to say how we met, primarily because of the negative connotation it sometimes gets, and partially because I sometimes forget it even happened myself. But it did. And I'm here (along with Clay!) to tell you all about it.

In January of 2013, an acquaintance told me about this app called "Tinder" that he was using to go on dates.

At the time, I was single and had recently started dating in the last year. But, as most of you ladies (and guys!) know, dating is HARD! What do you wear? What if the guy/gal is a major d-bag and you are forced to hang out with him/her for the next several hours? What if he/she is a murderer? All things to consider. Plus, it takes a lot of effort to put yourself out there, and most of the time, you really never know what you are getting. And, if you are anything like me, after a few (hundred)  let downs, curling up on the weekend with Netflix and a glass of wine starts to sound slightly more appealing than another first date.

Also, to be honest, I sort of thought online dating, especially this app, was embarrassing. As in...pathetic. I mean, if I couldn't just meet someone the old fashioned way, then it just wasn't met to be. Right? Right. At least that's what I thought at the time. However, after a little encouragement from a friend, I downloaded the app... "just to see what it looked like." That's what I told myself anyways.

I cannot lie... I was instantly hooked. For those of you who do not know anything about the app, it allows you to see profiles of people within a certain mile (set by you)  radius. You can also select an age group and interest group (male or female). From there, it is essentially a completely shallow judgment that you are passing on one person after another. Do you find that person attractive? Yes? Swipe right. No? Swipe left. If that  person also "swipes right," an instant messenger box opens up and you are free to start a conversation. At this point in time, most people understand Tinder, but this part of the backstory is for the "others" who may be reading. Hey Mom!

 So here I am. A traditional "dater" from Nebraska. I am prepared to scroll through and see a lot of creeps desperately hoping to find a date. (Sorry Clay!) Instead, I couldn't believe how many guys were on there. Normal guys! Guys who looked like people I would date... or be friends with. And the difference to me, as opposed  to other online dating sites I had looked at, was that these are people who were potentially a few miles away. It was almost slightly eerie at the time.

So, fast forward past a year of some (awkward, fun, interesting, creepy, confusing) dates and exchanges, to March of 2014. I had accepted a new job and was making the move to Omaha from Lincoln. In that past year and some, I had deleted Tinder. Readded it out of boredom. Deleted it again (because it was a huge waste of time.) Re-added it because what if, right? So in May of 2014 I came across "Clay's" profile on Tinder. Knowing nothing about him (other than his cute face) I swiped right. Tinder allows you to post 6 pictures ( if I recall) and these were some of the photos I distinctly remember Clay  had on his profile. So... it was an obvious right swipe.

                 

"Hey!"

A real positive guy. 

He looks super fun, right? He is. 

Still no idea why this happening but now knowing all three of these guys,
I can certainly only imagine. 

Blurry..  but cute. 




















I wish I could remember the exact details, but to my delight, we were a match!

 But then.......silence.

For those of you who are Tinder experts, you know what I am talking about. If I match with someone, I would prefer to be reached out to in some shape or form. I mean... I may be on Tinder, but I'm still a traditional type and...c'mon...I already swiped right. So say something to me! (And please don't let it be frightening. Warning to those of you now considering Tinder. There really are some creeps on there).

Maybe that was not the right way to go about it, but it was my Tinder style.

But, so it was. Again, I can't remember how long it went on exactly, but I kept checking my profile, day after day,  and wondering why this elusive "Clay" character wasn't saying a word. Not even a simple "hello." Granted, this had happened a lot before. So  many times. In fact, I was considering deleting the app again because..... new city! There would be plenty of time for dating and a new scene. But... for some reason I kept going back to his profile. Something about his eyes and smile seemed so genuine, I really wanted him to talk to me. So much so, that I eventually caved and took matters into my own hands. I sat with my phone in hand, thinking of all the clever ways I could strike up a conversation with this (apparently very busy) guy. I mean, he had swiped right, too, so I really had nothing to lose by seeing what the status was here. After hours of consideration and some elaborate pep talks (with myself), I had arrived at the perfect pick up line.

"Hi!"

*hands over eyes monkey emoji*

Just seeing it there in the instant messaging text box, all by itself, made me cringe. That little "hi!"...looking so lonely and ...well...pretty nerdy I might add. I can't quite recall, but I am pretty sure I threw my phone across the room in embarrassment and busied myself so that I didn't have to see that "Clay" probably wasn't going to say anything back. If he was interested before, my spazzy "hi!" had likely turned his interest level to a zero.

So....imagine my surprise when I had a brand new message from "Clay."

Woohoo! Okay, so I was  in the clear. Sort of. At least he didn't ignore me.

At this point in the story, I think it would be appropriate to let Clay tell you the rest! And he will... tomorrow!

XOXO,

Review: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye

Happy New Year!

Today doesn't feel like Friday at all! I slept in SUPER late, leisurely had breakfast and coffee, got in a killer workout (Happy New Rear Day with Gretna Jazzercise), took down ALL of our Christmas decor, and have been doing casual (fun!) stuff the remainder of the day. So my vacation day was a success, as far as I am concerned!

That being said, I am THRILLED to review this concealer. As in, over the moon about it. I haven't used a concealer I have been THIS impressed with in a coons age.

While doing my wedding makeup, Renee (Makeup by Renee) mentioned that I should try the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye concealer. I tucked that little piece of information away and reminded myself to buy it ASAP. Well, I finally did a few weeks ago, and girls, this is a must have.

I purchased it in light, because…. hi. I am blonde and practically transparent this time of year. And is there anything more embarrassing than using a concealer in the wrong shade? Yes, yes there is. But for the sake of this conversation, we don't want to use a concealer too dark for our complexions. Yuck. Talk about making things worse. Anyways, this concealer also has collagen as well as vitamin C & K. Which explains why it has a very unique, creamy consistency. At first I wasn't sure, but as soon as I started applying it, I could see why it was so effective.

Since getting it, I hate to do my makeup at all without using it. As I have mentioned before, I am just not a liquid foundation kind of gal, and it has went on fabulously under any and all of my Bare Minerals foundation and other products. I actually think that setting it with my Bare Minerals Mineral Veil has been working famously.

I typically don't do this - I am certainly not a professional - but I had to show you all the brightening effect it has on your under eye area! The right side has the concealer applied, while the left side I left bare. It may be subtle, but to me, it makes a huge difference in brightening your eyes up.

Ladies… if you buy ONE product this month, make it Bye Bye Undereye. You will seriously not regret this purchase! And… thank you Renee for the recommendation!!

Does anyone else have any MUST have concealers? Let me know!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

XOXO,