Let's Run Away….

…to a beach vacation. Or tropical island. Or really anywhere warm and sunny…..and not here! I think we can all agree that this winter was a brutal one and left us all craving warm weather and sunshine. Lately, I have been dreaming about warm sandy beaches and a tropical drink in my hand. Do I need a vacation? You better believe it! But is it in out budget right now? That's to be determined. I'm trying to convince D to convince his boss that a few days off won't hurt anyone. I'd love to go to Hawaii but I know that sort of trip will be too costly right now. I'll settle for Florida or anywhere there is a beach. So until we get our vacation details settled, I'll just keep dreaming and share this little outfit, complete with pretty pinks and corals.

// Details //

Juliet Dunn mini dress, $295 / J Crew swimsuits two piece / J Crew swimsuits two piece / Tory burch shoes, $330 / Tory Burch leather handbag / Gorjana chain necklace / Gorjana chain necklace / Gorjana gold ring / Illesteva round sunglasses / Topshop black hat / Tech accessory / Charlotte Tilbury lips makeup / Nars cosmetic / Bobbi brown cosmetic / Tory Burch travel bag

After this horrible winter, do any of you have vacation plans in the works? Please do share…..I might have to live vicariously through you! :)

Mani Monday: Zoya's "Sansa"

I love a good mani like the next girl, and since getting engaged back in June, it's been that much more fun for me doing my nails and picking up fun and pretty colors to go with my engagement ring. Plus, there's nothing like a new bottle of nail polish that can really perk up your day! For $3.99, I'd say that's a steal if it will give you a smile on your face. Another thing I love about doing my nails is that I feel like it makes me look just a little more put together. I could be wearing sweat pants and a tee shirt, but if my nails are done, I feel like I still have my shit together ;) Am I right, or am I right? 

My current color is Zoya's "Sansa" -- which is my little tribute to the new season of Game of Thrones being back. This color is a really gorgeous eggplant purple with hints of gold metallic shimmer. It's one of those colors that can look different depending on what kind of light you're in. And in case you've never heard of Zoya polish before, it is truly one of my obsessions. Not only do they have endless color choices, and their polishes are considered vegan/cruelty free and are free of harmful chemicals and toxins including Toluene, Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde resin, DBP (Phthalates) and Camphor. And a big plus to all those mama's to be out there, they are safe to use during pregnancy! 

Win, win, and Win!

you can get Zoya's Sansa color here, plus so many other gorgeous colors I have on my wish list for spring and summer. Have you discovered Zoya nail polish yet?

What are your favorite nail polish brands and colors? Please share your polish addiction with me!!

xo Steph

Friday Forum: Thoughts on Instagram, Facebook and social media over sharing?

So today is my first attempt at the "Friday Forum" and I thought I'd start with a topic that is near and dear (literally) to us all, every second of the day. Social Media. As bloggers and blog readers, clearly we all have a connection and desire to WANT to share bits and pieces of our lives. We may all have different reasons to share whether it be to connect with others, as a medium to express yourself, or to have a creative outlet. But regardless, many of us share. While I blog and have a personal Facebook and Instagram page, I have been hesitant of opening up my Instagram to the blogging world. While I know many bloggers do share, I'm scared to do so and I don't know why. I have nothing to hide, and share the same pics on IG as I do on the blog. So why do I feel this way?

With our culture revolving around social media, do you think we are over sharing our lives? Do you over share? How do you think it has impacted your life -- both positively and negatively? Have you ever felt like you needed a social media break? Or did you just delete it from your life all together?Please share your thoughts with me and let the conversation begin :) xo

Healthy Breakfast: Egg & Avocado Toast

In attempts to lose weight for the wedding, and just to be overall healthier, I have been trying to make better food choices (notice I didn't say diet!). For a person who loves to eat, this can be difficult. But for me, it's all about finding healthy meal options you actually like, and sticking to them. 

Enter: the egg and avocado toast.

This breakfast or really anytime meal/snack is so quick and simple, it can be made before work. Now there is no excuse to hit up Dunkin' Donuts drive through. Here's what you need as well as the calorie counts, because counting calories on the My Fitness Pal app has really helped me as well. 

// Ingredients //

1 egg, over easy, medium or to your liking (70 calories)
1/4 avocado  (62 calories)
1/2 Thomas' Whole Wheat Bagel Thin (55 calories)
dashes of hot sauce to your liking (Zero calories. I love Frank's Red Hot Sauce - I really do put that shit on everything!)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook your 1 egg to your liking while sticking half the bagel thin in the toaster. I season the fried egg in the pan with salt and pepper while it cooks. When your bagel is toasted, mash up a quarter avocado onto the bagel thin with a fork. You can obviously use toast too if you want, I just love these whole wheat bagel thins since they are lower in calories. Once your egg is cooked to perfection, place it on top of the avocado, and season with a dash (or more) of hot sauce. Nix the hot sauce if it's not your thing. I love it because it gives it a ton of flavor with no calories. But you could also top it with salsa if you want. And voila! A healthy breakfast/snack option that takes virtually no time to prepare. 

**Also a helpful tip for saving your avocado: keep the pit in the avocado and wrap it in plastic wrap. Your avocado won't turn all nasty and brown and will last you through 4 breakfasts of making this quickie dish**

Are you avocado obsessed like me? What are your go-to healthy breakfasts?

xo Steph

Pretty Little Things is back, with some new changes too :)

Hi guys! I'm back from an extremely long break and I'm ready to blog again. My apologies for going total radio silence on you all. As you can see, my last post was from THANKSGIVING, which is pitiful in itself and I have no excuses other than blogging was not a huge priority at the time. There had been a lot of changes in my life the past few months including moving to a new place in hopes to save money for our upcoming wedding. Guys, I'm getting married remember!? I'm currently making some career changes (that are in the works) as well, so there's that. In addition, my dad had open heart surgery back in January which was a scary and trying time for our family but he's doing better than ever so shout out dad for being one of the only readers still urging me to bring the blog back! When he was out of work and at home on the mend he would constantly complain about how his favorite blog called "Pretty Little Things" just kind of vanished off the internet grid, without so much of an explanation. Well, here I am dad, and readers. Thanks for everyone who is still around and wants to read my daily inspirations, sharing of pretty little things and ramblings.

I also included old pics of me doing style and outfit posts. Just in case you forgot what I looked like ;)

With that being said, while not blogging I've thought about incorporating a few new things on the blog. We'll have a new structure with themed posts based on the day. Here's what the new Pretty Little Things looks like:

Mondays: Beauty! I've been wanting to start doing beauty posts about my favorite products, reviews, and overall love of all things girly. While I'm no beauty maven or expert, I thought it would be fun to share my opinions, personal finds and thoughts on products. I'll be sure to share any beauty inspirations too!

Tuesdays: Style Tuesday. Style and fashion was a staple on my blog for a while now and this will continue to be shared on Tuesdays. I'll include my personal outfits as well as styled outfits and links where to find similar items. Need help getting dressed this morning? The Style tab will be your place for daily inspiration. Consider it an extension of your closet!

Wednesdays: Wedding Wednesday! Ok bear with me guys. For those of you who are nauseated by the thought of women talking about all things weddings, this will be your heads up to avoid me on Wednesdays (but please don't!! Insert sad face here). I assure you my blog will never turn into a wedding blog. However, planning our wedding is a big part of my life right now and I wanted to share details here and there, as well as getting advice from you all. Plus to be honest, it's just a really exciting time in my life right now and I wanted a place to share it all. So there you have it, Wedding Wednesday :)

Thursdays: FOOD. Food has always and will always play a large part in my life. I am a self proclaimed foodie who loves to share new recipes, party and entertaining ideas, healthy and not so healthy food options (life is all about moderation, right?) So I will continue to share food posts because, who doesn't love gazing a delicious food porn pics, right?

Friday: Forum Friday. Ok, this is a new idea I'm excited about. One thing I missed about blogging is the dialogue and conversation I can have with others. I want my blogging interactions to go much farther than the simple "great post, love the outfit" comments. I want to ENGAGE in conversation and topics with you all. Some serious, some silly, and some in between. But on Fridays, I thought my idea of "Forum Friday" would be a great way to discuss topics, share differing ideas and viewpoints, and continue the conversation into the weekend. Almost like a community. Sound good? Yeah, I thought so too ;)

So that's what's been going on with me. What going on with all of you? What are your thoughts on the new blog changes?

xo Steph