Doggy Chic

I have always loved dogs. Their loving nature, their ability to show emotion, their sweet warm kisses on your cheek, and of course that bum that won't stop wiggling from excitement as soon as you walk through the door. Yes, dogs are truly a girl's best friend.

Just three years ago, my boyfriend and I adopted a baby of our own, Laila. We discussed getting a dog for months and kept our eyes open on puppies for sale. They were all adorable, but none that I really thought were a good fit for us....until Laila. One morning in May, I felt the inclination to visit our local Humane Society in search for the perfect pooch. This particular morning, every cubby was filled with puppies! Laila was the first dog that caught my attention. The volunteers had named her 'Longitude', which definitely would have to go if we brought her home as our own.

I'm not sure how everyone else goes about choosing their new dog, but I had developed a method of my own. 

Step 1. See how 'needy' she would be.

Garrett & I both have to go out and about during the day for work, and we needed a dog that had a bit of independence.  I tested this by petting her for a number of minutes and then walking away. If she cried for an extended amount of time, I assumed she may not get along well with our lifestyle. She passed.

Step 2. See if her energy level was calm.

Everyone who has ever owned a high-energy dog knows it can be extremely tiring. We needed a pooch that would, with exercise, could be calm around people when they came over. My test was by taking her into the play room to play and then shifting her energy by holding her in my lap. If she was wiggling like crazy to get back down, I assumed she may be a bit too high energy. Here again, she passed. She immediately calmed as soon as I held her....and as a bonus, she laid her sweet little head on my shoulder.

Step 3. How responsive to people would she be considering she was so young and had no training. So I called her over and put my hand down. She immediately responded and came right to me! Three-for-three she was going to be ours!

This was Laila on the way home from the Humane Society! Isn't she just adorable?!

My only concern was getting all the dog accessories to fit my home decor and not look cheesy. This is where I bring you my chic dog finds.

Chinoiserie Dog Bowls from Harry Barker / Tweed Dog Bed from Harry Barker / Hermes Orange Collar with chic gold equestrian detail / Champagne bottle toy (my dog loves this!) / Mungo & Maud dog itch relief spray (essential)

Why I love these: the toile dog bowls look refined and as through they are a casserole from my china cabinet rather than a dog bowl. They seem to blend into wherever I put them and I always get compliments. The tweed dog bed is both refined and practical. It is machine washable and and very soft, so my dog loves it. Sometimes I'll even through a sheepskin on top of it for an extra ounce of 'chic'. The orange dog collar with gold equestrian detail is oh-so-chic. I've yet to find a dog collar that looks quite as dashing as this....now if only I could find a matching bracelet for myself.

What started off as a bit of a joke having Laila trot around with a faux champagne bottle, has actually become her favorite toy! It is the same size as an actual wine bottle and every time she chomps down, it gives her a delightful squeak that she finds intoxicating....(see what I did there?)

Finally, the Itchin' for Relief spray is wonderful during those winter months that dry out her skin. No house guest likes being in a room with an itchy dog. Regardless of if they have a little dry skin or fleas, it makes people feel a bit germaphobic to be around. The spray is all natural and smells like rosemary! It works almost immediately, and lasts for hours to relieve her.

Have any of these products? Have a story of how you picked your dog? Let me know in the comments!! 

Skinny Mojito Recipe

Any hint of warm weather, and I'm ready to break out my skinny mojito recipe! This past weekend it actually got up to 80 degrees outside! So, to celebrate, I decided to show you all how I make my skinny mojitos - the classic kind. In this recipe, I create a mint-infused skinny simple syrup so you can enjoy the mint flavor without getting the leaves stuck in your teeth! :)

What you'll need: mint, white rum, club soda (I used the sodium free kind), truvia (be sure to get the kind that comes free from the little packets....or this will take you forever), limes, mint, and straws.

Start by adding one full package of mint (about 1 1/2 cups) and water into a pot. I add enough water to slightly cover the mint. Cook over medium high heat and bring to a boil. 

While the water is heating, add in your truvia. I used 3/4 cup of truvia, but you can add a little more or less depending on how sweet you like yours.

Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and wait for the mint to cook down. You'll know it's ready when the mint has wilted like the photo above (about 5 minutes or so). After the mint has wilted, remove the simple syrup from heat, and with a slotted spoon remove the leaves. I kept them attached to the stem so it would be easier to remove.

You should be left with a semi-thick liquid that looks like this. 

Refrigerate the simple syrup.

While the syrup is cooling, start juicing your limes. I like to use the citrus juicer from Amazon. It saves so much time!

You may now begin making your drink! Start by pouring a shot of your white rum over ice in a tall clear glass.

Once you pour the rum, add a few thin slices of lime using a mandolin slicer and a few tablespoons of lime juice. I used 5 tbsp because I love lime juice.

If you'd like your garnish to look like mine, cut a lime slice about 1/2" thick like the picture above.

Take a sharp knife, and starting at the center of the lime, make one cut being sure to cut through the peel.

Place the lime on the rim of your drink.

Once your simple syrup has cooled, add 1/8 cup of the liquid into your drink, followed by a pour of club soda until the drink is full. (You can add more simple syrup if you like it really sweet)

Finally, garnish with a sprig of mint! 

Ladies' Night - Wine & Oysters

Ahhh ladies' night. My favorite time of the week...and yes it has become a weekly occurrence. Time with your girlfriends is essential, or at least to me it is! 

My friends and I are all in relationships and spend most of our time with our significant other. I wouldn't trade the time I spend with my boyfriend for anything...he's my best friend, after all. However, once we have been around one another with no breaks and no girl time, I find myself losing my sense of femininity. I start dressing more casually, not wearing makeup, and replacing white wine with a great seasonal IPA.

What's the complaint, right? ..well, for me, I have always been a huge girly girl. 

I just so happened to land a very manly man...the ultimate dude. I still laugh about the fact we get along so well despite how polar opposite we can be! 

While I can get along with the guys when I'm with my boyfriend by rocking a backwards Braves hat and throwing a football, you won't find him sipping a 1997 Sonoma County Chardonnay discussing clothing and our favorite new TV shows to gossip about. That's where my essential girls' night comes in.

We recently found a great spot for ladies' night called The Big Ketch in Atlanta. 

Why are we so in love with this place? Half bottles of wine during happy hour, amazing oysters, live music...do I need to continue? Even if this venue didn't carry such great food and drink specials, I would still go because of the ambience. Between the braided jute on the tables, string lights on the patio, and live acoustic music strumming Jack Johnson songs, you feel like you've been taken of the city and transported oceanside.

 Topic of conversation this evening: plans for our annual summer trip to Nantucket Island. 

Have any of you been there? 

If not, buy a plane ticket, get the ferry ticket and bring all the stripes you own. Nantucket is AMAZING! 

Growing up, my parents enjoyed traveling to beach cities. I've been all over California, south Florida, and a few spots in South Carolina to enjoy the beach. Nantucket is so much different than any of the other beach towns I've experienced. It's a small island with a ton of charm.

Above are some of the photos we took from last year's trip. We usually stay at one of our family's houses there, although if you're interested in a hotel I have heard great things about the White Elephant Hotel. Just as a warning, I highly recommend if you decide to go, rent a car or bring it via ferry to the island so you can get around. I will be writing a much longer post about things to do on the trip when we go this summer so stay tuned.

 Cheers from ladies' night! Thanks for reading! If you'd like to hear more about travel, let me know in the comments!

Coffee Shop

 Location: Corso Coffee | Atlanta

I love coffee....everything about it. Growing up, my family enjoyed a strong brew of Starbucks coffee in the mornings, the afternoons, and decaf in the evenings. I got spoiled with coffee when I was in high school. The coffee shop in my hometown was the usual hangout spot, and to make matters worse, my sister was frequently the Barista. [Enter high maintenance coffee order here]

Yes, my sister created a monster...a highly-energized espresso craving monster. I was always the first to know about the newest syrup flavor to hit the market...remember when Peppermint Mochas came out? Those are just straight sinful...

While I've had my fair share of brews, from light roasts to dark, espresso to cold press, I can firmly say the cappuccino I enjoyed at the newly opened Corso coffee in Buckhead ranked among my favorites.

I've heard chefs say that we as humans eat with our eyes first, and if that's the case, my taste buds were dancing as soon as the elegant, perfectly coiffed cappuccino heart arrived at my oh-so-chic marble tulip table. 

When I grab my morning coffee, I always like to wear something relaxed and comfortable. Not to mention, I don't think I could trust myself to pick out a coordinated ensemble before coffee hits my system. 

I'm a huge fan of Lululemon workout tops to wear around town when I have a day off. They are just so flattering! Remember the days of the minimal color options for workout clothes? They all came in red, black, grey or white. I have been so excited to see the variety, not only by Lululemon, but a handful of other retail brands with female workout attire recently.

The one I'm wearing is from a season or two ago, but you can find a similar fit and color here.

A second trend I've been interested in is the minimalistic jewelry trend. My necklace is from Nordstrom and is similar to ones worn by several celebrities recently. While chunky jewelry looks great on most women, I have never been a big fan of it on me. When these delicate pieces hit the market I immediately had to have one! They're so versatile too.

Stay tuned for an exciting post coming up later this month. If you're hosting an Easter Brunch, you'll be interested to read it!

Stir Fry Recipe

Hello everyone! So even though it is only the beginning of March, we do know that thanks to our friend Mr. Groundhog, we are to have an early spring/summer this year. What does that mean? Time to shed those Christmas pounds, 'Just Say No' to the Girl Scout cookies, and start eating a little better to fit in to that oh-so-cute and oh-so-teeny bikini. 

When I was in college, I wanted a recipe that helped me eat healthy, shed weight, taste great, and cost next to nothing. That's when I developed my own version of stir-fry. Ladies, just a warning: this recipe is slam-packed full of fiber and protein which is wonderful for your waistline, but not so wonderful for staying at your boyfriends' house overnight. :)

For this recipe, you do not need to be an advanced cook. This might be one of the easiest, cheapest, best-tasting recipes out there for slimming your waist and impressing your taste buds!

This is the vegetarian version (which also helps with short-term weight-loss), however, sometimes I will cook chicken separate on the stove with a little asian stir-fry oil. 

Just a quick note - liquid aminos you can find at a Whole Foods or Kroger in the organic section. This is a great, low(er) sodium version of soy sauce that is all natural and tastes great! They also make a version with a spray bottle so you use less and still achieve the flavor you are looking for! Pictured below:

Enjoy!! Can't wait to see all your cute swimsuits!

Currently Loving...

Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope you enjoyed my first piece on home essentials every chic homeowner (or renter!) should have. Today I wanted to speak to my recent obsession....shagreen. I am borderline addicted to this material!

Some of you have probably never heard of this material....ahhh what a shame. So, I wanted to dedicate an entire post to this beautiful leather. As a little history lesson, shagreen is made from shark and stingray skin and the collection of it has been around since the 17th century. Used quite popularly in France as a leather for book binding and trinkets, shagreen was vastly seen as a luxury item. The material itself consists of a beaded texture with a distinctive 'eye' at the end of the back. There's even some historical evidence of the material being prized by pharaohs during the Chinese Han Dynasty!

Detail of the material shown above.

Some of my favorite finds, zig-zagging left to right from above:

1. Match striker 2. Jean Micheal Frank Style Shagreen Coffee Table 3. Galart International Grey Shagreen Desk 4. Kara Ross Stringray Earrings 5.  Atlantis Console Table 6. Shagreen Domed Boxes

This material can be pretty pricey if you buy the real deal, but you'll be happy to know there are a lot of options for capturing the look without the price. They make a faux material that you can find at certain fabric stores as well as knock-off luxury home stores, such as Home Goods. Keep your eyes open for this stuff the next time you go shopping!! It acts as a beautiful accent piece. Like this post? Let me know in the comments!

Little House of Chic Favorites

Welcome to Little House of Chic! This blog is all about keeping your home beautiful and chic on a dime, including entertaining guests, cooking, decor, DIY and so much more. For my very first post, I wanted to introduce a few products you may or may not be aware of that I swear by!

1. Niven Morgan Jean Baptiste Candle / 2. Sonos Play 1 Speaker / 3. Marble Silicone Macbook Case / 4. Mint Automatic Hardwood Floor Cleaning Robot / 5. Antica Farmacista Room Spray in Orange Blossom, Lilac, & Jasmine

Why I like them? The Niven Morgan Candle will make your entire place smell amazing. The candle is a bit pricey, but the life of the candle is much longer than other candles I've been used to (and trust me I've tried a ton of candles! :) ). 

The Sonos Speaker is one of the best one I've ever owned! I've always been a bit of a gadget person, and these are definitely some of the best on the market. What I like about them is that you can play the music through an app on your phone, and unlike most speakers that will ping when you get a notification, these will not. You can also play different stations in different rooms of your house, which is perfect for entertaining! 

Electronics are all over the house here at LHOC, but that doesn't mean that they can't look chic! I am oozing over these marble covers for laptops. They come in black and white and an array of plain colors.

If you're like me, you enjoy a clean house but hate putting in the time to maintain it. The Mint Floor cleaner is similar to a Roomba, but instead of vacuuming it sweeps and mops. You can even set it up on a timer! This little robot will save you countless hours cleaning your floors and maintain your beautiful hardwood floors! Truly a great investment.

Last but certainly not least, the Antica Farmacista room spray smells like a botanical garden and actually covers up bad scents. When I'm in a hurry to make the house smell great and mask the smell of my pup, I give a squirt or two of this magical spray in each room and it does the job. A little goes a long way, and for $28.00 it's a steal!