Does anyone else feel like April is one of the busiest months of the year? For some reason, the holidays and beginning of spring are always booked solid for me. This month we are celebrating Alex’s birthday (yay), attending the wedding of two good friends, spending time with family, and a million other things in between. When we cleaned out our closet last week, I quickly realized I needed something to wear to our friend’s wedding (and honestly everything else).
I looked at this olive slip dress online, but really loved it when I saw it in person at Anthopologie. It also comes in a beautiful dark orange color, but I liked the olive color better with my skin tone. I love that this slip dress has adjustable straps because it does run a bit large (wearing an XS). I paired the olive slip dress with simple black sandals (similar), and my favorite clutch. After looking at these photos, I think I will add a simple necklace to this dress in the future. I have linked this entire look and some similar dresses below! xoxo
I haven’t watched Tidying Up on Nextflix, but have a feeling that this past weekend would have pleased Marie Kondo. It could have been the spring weather, or that fact that I missed The Container Store, but I completely reorganized our closet this weekend. The steamer, sweater shaver, and label maker were out in full force as I decided I no longer needed half my clothes. As I made piles to trash, give away, or post on Poshmark, I realized I needed some more basic pieces for spring. One of pieces I was missing most from my wardrobe was a classic white tank.
I saw this Cloth & Stone white tank while looking for a dress in Anthropologie, and it was an instant purchase. I keep going back to the Cloth & Stone brand because their material is so incredibly soft. This tank fits true to size (wearing a small) and also comes in red and petite sizes. I do feel like I need to iron this top (especially the tie) after every wash, but it will stay pressed throughout the day. I have linked my favorite white tanks for spring below! xoxo
I know decorating a home is a process, but we have been living in our house about 9 months and I feel no where near done. We have made some major improvements and I promise to share each room as we finish them. The first room I feel ready to share is our guest bathroom before & after. Our guest bathroom was one of the easier and least expensive rooms to update. We have painted every wall in our house (no joke) and it was an easy decision to lighten this smaller bathroom with fresh white paint. After painting I decided to remove the added storage above the toilet (there is plenty under the sink) to continue to open the room. I found this beautiful circle mirror and light fixture at West Elm and paired it with black hardware from CB2. I wanted to keep our guest bathroom clean, simple and practical. Everything in our guest bathroom is linked below! xoxo
Whenever I have friends visit me in Dallas, they are always dying to go shopping. Since I have lived in Dallas my whole life, it is easy for me to forget that not everyone city has a NorthPark Center! My list does not cover all of the shopping centers, but I have listed my favorite places to shop in Dallas. xoxo
NorthPark Center – If you have ever had a conversation with me, I can guarantee that NorthPark has come up at least once. It has and always will be my favorite place to shop in Dallas (even with wild Saturday crowds). NorthPark is full of so many childhood memories. From lunch at Neiman Marcus, visiting the ducks while sliding down the planters, and listening to a puppet scrooge at Christmas, this mall has a special place in my heart. I like to park at the Neiman Marcus and Tiffany & Co. entrance and walk a full lap around the mall to enjoy all the artwork. A trip to NorthPark Center always includes a stop at Neiman Marcus, Tory Burch, lululemon, Anthropologie, J.Crew, Outdoor Voices, Zara, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Sephora, Rebecca Taylor, Kate Spade, and Williams-Sonoma. If I work up an appetite while shopping, I can be found at the Juice Bar (level two by AMC) or the Neiman Marcus Mermaid Bar enjoying a cookie (level one). If you have time to kill, enjoy the CenterPark Garden and my favorite works of art: Washington Island Gadwall (by Dillard’s fountain), Five Hammering Men (between Neiman Marcus and Dillards), Myths (on the north side of Dillards), and Flowers (above Tiffany & Co.).
Highland Park Village – HP Village is a great place to go for high-end shopping including Theory, Veronica Beard, Cartier, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Draper James, Tory Burch, Hermés, rag & bone, and Vince. If you ever need a handbag or pair of shoes repaired, I highly recommend Deno’s in Highland Park Village. They have repaired two Louis Vuitton handbags seamlessly for me. Post shopping be sure to grab coffee at Royal Blue Grocery or a cocktail at Bistro 31.
Galleria Dallas – The main perks of the Galleria are the ability to get in and out quickly as well as the ice rink. My favorite stops at the Galleria are Nordstrom, Zara, J.Crew, Sephora, and Banana Republic. All these stores also have a NorthPark location with more merchandise, but the curbside pickup at the Galleria Nordstrom cannot be beaten. If you have young girls, the American Girl Doll store is located adjacent to the Nordstrom parking garage.
Neiman Marcus (downtown) – The downtown location is much more than a department store, it is also the Neiman Marcus flagship and corporate offices. You will hardly be able to make it past level one’s beautiful cosmetic counters and shoe displays, but a ride up the escalators is a must. Enjoy the perfect lunch and a view of downtown at The Zodiac Room (level six) (also listed in my Favorite Restaurants in Dallas). Keep in mind that Neiman Marcus is closed on Sundays and be sure to stop by at night during the holidays to admire their Christmas lights.
Forty Five Ten – Just across the street from the Neiman Marcus flagship, is the flagship location for Forty Five Ten (the second location in Highland Park Village). The four-story building houses corporate offices, two restaurants, and three floors of over 400 designer labels. Spoil yourself and drop a pretty penny or enjoy either the No Aloha café or Mirador (also listed in my Favorite Restaurants in Dallas).
Inwood Village – A trip to Inwood Village always includes a stop at Neiman Marcus Last Call, Rich Hippie, Saint Bernard, Paper Affair, and Trader Joe’s. If you have kids, I recommend stopping by Doodle and Stinker and KidBiz/TheBiz. When shopping works up an appetite, enjoy brunch/lunch at Bread Winners or dinner at Rise No. 1.
Snider Plaza – Just across the street from SMU, this long-standing shopping center has something for everyone. Be sure to stop by Cotton Island, Hip! Hip! Hooray!, McCartney’s University Spirit (for all sorority/fraternity needs), Suzanne Roberts, The Ivy House, Impeccable Pig, Warron Barron Bridal, and Culwell & Son. If you are shopping around lunchtime, stop by Buda Juice, Bubba’s, or East Hampton Sandwich. I never leave Snider Plaza without grabbing an M&M cookie at JD’s Chippery!
Image via Alex Phillips.
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I actually owe this recipe to my dad, who came up with this on the fly one night for dessert. These choco tacos have been a family favorite since and are so simple to make! I like to mix milk and dark chocolate in my choco tacos, but occasionally I add other flavors for a different filling. My favorite fillings include peanut butter (with chocolate), raspberries (with chocolate), blueberries, blackberries, coconut (with chocolate), and peaches. Enjoy! xoxo
Once the puff pastry sheet is thawed (instructions on package), lay flat and cut the sheet into four even squares. Place about 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips in the center of each square. Fold the puff pastry diagonally over the chocolate chips to form a triangle. Crimp the edges of the puff pastry (I use a fork) and score the top of the pasty with a sharp knife. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and use a brush to apply egg wash to the top of the puff pastry. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 until flaky and golden. Best when served warm.
Meet Winston! If you follow along on Instagram, you know that Alex surprised me this Christmas with the sweetest Golden Retriever puppy! Since then, we have had a few accidents on my favorite West Elm rug, the backdoor is always covered in muddy paw prints and there are bones and toys all over the house. Okay, maybe he is not always sweet, but we have loved having a dog in the house. The second we picked up Winston my brain started running with a million questions. We always grew up with dogs but owning one on your own is a little scary. I am answering some of the questions we had going into life with a puppy!
Where is the best place to buy pet supplies? We have loved using Chewy to buy just about everything for Winston. Alex hit a Black Friday sale on Chewy before I even knew about Winston, and he ordered food, treats, toys, a kennel and a collar. Since then we have ordered heart worm prevention and more food through Chewy. It is so easy to price compare online and nothing beats having a heavy bag of dog food delivered right to your font door. Pro tip: don’t order multiple bags of dog food at once if you want to be able to pick the box up off your porch (speaking from experience).
How do I find a good vet? We asked friends, read reviews on NextDoor and online. We ended up taking Winston to CityVet at their Preston Park location, but they have locations all over Dallas. The staff is so friendly and Dr. Tucker is extremely knowledgable. He had some great tips to deal with a teething puppy and talked us through all the shots that we had the option to give Winston. We feel like Winston is in good hands and we are not being taken advantage of or up-sold.
What do I do with the dog while I am at work? One of the first things we did was kennel train Winston. When we leave for work he goes in his kennel for a few hours, and I am fortunate enough to be able to come home during the day to play with him. We have been looking a few daycare places but have not found one we love. We would like for him to be able to play with other dogs some days to release that puppy energy!
Should I have my dog trained? Some breeds are easier to train than others, and puppies are even easier to train. It took us about two weeks to get Winston comfortable in his kennel and house trained. I was not about to allow another stain on my rug so with enough praise and treats (and racing him outside), house training happened quickly. We used meal times as an opportunity to teach him sit and he has kind of learned shake. We still need to work on not jumping on people, walking on a leash and staying put. We have not taken Winston to any training classes, but are planning to take him.
I have linked some of my favorite dog accessories below and be sure to follow @sirwinstonphillips on Instagram to see more! xoxo
