03/17

What am I missing?

Is there a secret I don’t know about? I see all these cute dresses & tops where the back or sides are cut so low that a bra would show and I think, are these only made for the young/paid-for perky boobed chicks or is there a way to wear them while also being supported.

This is the dress that prompted this internal debate today…
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But for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to wear it.  Okay, TMI, but after two kids, my girls need  support when I leave the house.  I’m not 18, I can’t go braless and look as cute as the model does.  It’s just sad looking when I try to do it.

So, help a girl out.  Is there a way to wear something like this if you need to be supported?

And a flattening tube top is NOT an option!

Maybe you wear a bra and just plan to keep a sweater or jacket on the whole time?

I usually look at pieces like this and quickly dismiss them since I know I can’t go braless, but today I’m wondering if I maybe dismiss them too quickly.

Or maybe the answer is the exact thing I’ve been telling myself, “nope, you can’t wear that and get away with it.  Move along!”  🙂

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Filed Under: Fashion, on my mind Tagged: ,
03/14

On my mind this week // Five on Friday

Geez.  My week has flown by!  Why is it that when we’re younger, the days/weeks/years seem so long and as we get older, time passes so quickly?!

*sigh*

Speaking of time passing quickly…my baby boy turned 11 yesterday…ELEVEN!  Holy moly, how did this happen?  It feels like just yesterday that he was this little…

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We celebrated by taking him to jui-jitsu (his request!) and having dinner at Carrabba’s.  Unfortunately, our night wasn’t as pleasant as I would have liked.  We were tired and hungry by the time we got to dinner and the restaurant was on a slight wait, when we finally got seated we had a not so great experience due to having a new server.  I didn’t even bother telling the guy it was his birthday because he sucked at his job and I didn’t want to make it any harder.  Then it was late and he was too full for dessert so there was no singing of “happy birthday” and no cake.  🙁  He did get to open presents though.  He seemed fine with how his evening turned out, but I wish it would have gone a little better.  We were rushed because of jui-jitsu, but that was his choice and he loves going.  I told him we’d do dessert today and then tomorrow is his birthday party so there’s still time to make up for what went wrong yesterday.  🙂

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Have you heard of oil pulling?  I’ve seen it floating around the internet for the past several months and I’m super intrigued.  My only issue is that I have a crown and some people have had issues with their crowns coming loose or off completely.  Maybe because of all the swishing?  But maybe the crowns were just old and bound to come off anyway?  I don’t know. Maybe I’ll try it for a week or so and if I want to keep doing it I’ll double check with my dentist.

benefits-of-oil-pullingimage via Fashion Lush

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Am I the only one who over thinks rating books on Goodreads?  I fret over not wanting to give it a lower star than it deserves.  I don’t know why this matters, but every time I go to rate a book, I go through this whole thought process of what it should be rated.  This last time I decided to write down my rating process so that I don’t forget.  This rating scale is much more lenient than my last one, but it fits me better.

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I fall down the rabbit hole often.  It’s one little thought, one crumb, and I get lost for hours.  Last week, it started with my new blog design.  I was looking for a possible font for the heading and I ended up searching for all types of calligraphy.  I love all the modern styles that are everywhere right now.  I landed on a page that suggested a book to learn and the next thing you know, I was on Amazon with it in my cart.  It arrived on Wednesday last week, but I didn’t get around to gather a few supplies until this week.  My mom writes beautiful classic calligraphy and she tried to teach me when I was younger, but I quickly moved on. I’m hoping I can last a little longer this time.

bohobabybumpINKImage from Boho Baby Bump. I love her calligraphy. I originally bookmarked it so I could commission her to design a tattoo for me.

While traveling down the rabbit hole, this was the post that led to the ordering of a calligraphy book…Besotted and here’s the book I ordered.  I waited to gather supplies until I got the book and I didn’t want to spend too much money getting started, but I’m almost ready to begin!  I bought a pencil and sketchbook to start, but then realized I needed some kind of real pen and now I’m realizing I want a lined sketchbook to practice instead of a blank paged one.  Geez oh man!  I just want to start practicing all right already!  Spring break is next week though so with any luck I’ll be able to find a lined sketchpad locally and  properly start soon.  Then it will be easy to just spend a few minutes a day practicing!

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If you have reward points at Sephora, you should order something NOW!  They have awesome goodies in their points shop.  I had been saving my points for awhile so I was able to get all 3 of these…

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I almost ordered the rollerball size (the PERFECT size for me b/c I only wear it occasionally and the rollerball makes it super easy to put on) of the Tory Burch perfume, but then I saw that it was in their points shop for 250 points so I just ordered that instead.  I really like the scent, but it’s strong so a little goes a long way.  Which is why the rollerball or this little sample is perfect.

I have a big version the GlamGlow SuperMud, but they just recently came out with YouthMud and I told myself I didn’t need to buy it since I had a full tub of the other version, but I really wanted to try it.  Problem solved!  This one was only 100 points.

If you have been wanting to check out the new Naked Lipglass from Urban Decay, you can buy this sample for only 100 points.  I tried it out in the store and really liked it, but talked myself out of buying it.  After getting this sample though, I feel like I should have bought it.  I really like that it’s glossy and moisturizing, but not sticky.  The sample color is a little on the pink side, but it’s sheer so I think anyone can wear it.

Just FYI, I’m betting these points products are going to go quickly so they might or might not be available in the store.

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Okay, this post took me way longer to finish that it should have.  Now I’m off to do some cleaning and finish getting ready for the party tomorrow!  Happy Friday!  🙂

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03/11

One more…

If you read my previous post, you would have seen my favorite new chambray shirt that I’ve been wearing the heck out of.  Well, after I posted last night, I remembered that I took photos in an outfit with yet another way to wear the best chambray shirt ever.  Did I mention I love this shirt?

2014-03-11_0001It was rainy for the umpteenth day in a row and pretty frigid (for this FL girl), but instead of wearing my usual sweatshirt and tennies, I opted for my rain boots and vest!  I was chilly during pics so apparently I didn’t think to vary my hand position.  Whoops!  Just ignore that, k?

2014-03-11_0002Chambray Shirt // Jeans //
Vest (old from GAP, similar, similar, similar) // Hunter Original boots

2014-03-11_0003And because my photographer (aka the teenager) didn’t want to stop taking pics, I made a face at her.  😉

2014-03-11_0004Do you have a favorite chambray shirt?  What’s your favorite way to wear it?

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Filed Under: #whatiwore, Fashion Tagged: , ,
03/10

Now & Later // Link up

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MK over at Outfit Posts is hosting a link up.  The challenge is to show how you would use one piece now (when the weather is still sometimes a little chilly) and later when the weather gets warmer.

I felt like my neon pants weren’t quite summery enough so I added a shorts outfit, even though I don’t wear shorts a ton.  And, I’d probably wear sandals in the two outfits on the right, but my toenails aren’t painted so I kept them covered.  😉  **please excuse the unfocused pics – I don’t know why I’m having issues getting it in focus with the remote!**

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I got this chambray shirt at Loft and it is by far the best one I’ve found!  I have one from J Crew Outlet and a denim one from H&M, but this one blows them out of the water.  Like, I love it so much, I want to go buy another one just to stash for when I undoubtably mess mine up somehow.  It’s soft, just the right length for me and the perfect color for the denim on denim trend.

DSC_1010-Editchambray shirt // jeans // cardigan

DSC_1042-Editchambray shirt // neon distressed chinos (GAP)

DSC_1026-Editchambray shirt // mint shorts (The Limited)

Outfit Posts
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03/07

A room without books…

roomwithoutbooksimg source

I don’t think I would have considered myself a big reader when I was younger.  The Babysitters Club series sticks out the most in my mind from my pre-teen/early teen years.  But once I grew out of them, I don’t remember reading much after that.

When I was 15, I went to visit my sister and her husband in New Jersey, and it was there that I began to get the itch to start reading more.  Since they’re both big readers, there were a ton of books around the house, so one day while they were at work, I browsed the bookshelves and picked up Dragon Tears by Dean Koontz.  I started reading and could not put it down!

It wasn’t until I married my husband that I started exploring my love of reading more.  It was difficult at first to find books that I liked (there’s only so many Dean Koontz novels! ;)).  Sometimes when I would try to read a book, it would take me forever and I wasn’t comprehending what I was reading so then I would get bored and not finish it.  If it doesn’t grab my attention pretty quickly, I can read until I’m blue in the face, but I won’t retain any of the information.  In the beginning I mostly stuck with authors I knew I liked.

I’ve branched out some since then.  I’ve learned what to look for in a book to see if it’s a good fit for me and for awhile I thought I only liked murder/sci-fi/mystery books, but as it turns out I like romance, drama and memoirs too.  Thanks to the internet (where I can read reviews) and the Kindle (where I can try before I buy), I’ve been enjoying reading a lot more lately.  I still have my lulls where I won’t read for months at a time though, so one of my 2014 goals is to read more…14 books to be exact.  14 in 2014…ha! I’m so clever, eh?  I know, it doesn’t seem like a lot, but I’ve probably averaged 10 (or less) over the last two years so I think 14 is a pretty good start.

We’re only a quarter into the new year and I’m happy to report that I’m almost halfway to my goall!  Woohoo!!

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Now that I’m reading on the Kindle most of the time, I found out that there’s a downside to digital reading.  A screenshot of books doesn’t give me near as much satisfaction as a stack of real books.

To remedy this, I took a little trip to the bookstore…roamed around, gathering up as many books as I could find and snapped a pic!  I could only find four of the ones I read, but I was happy seeing them all together. 🙂

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My favorite of the ones I’ve read lately is probably Glitter and Glue.  It’s a memoir about the relationship between mothers and daughters.  There were so many parts that resonated with me as both a daughter and a mother of a daughter.  I really enjoyed this book.  Almost enough to buy a hard copy of it!

While I liked all of the books and don’t regret reading any of them, my least favorite is probably The Story of Beautiful Girl.  It was a nice story, but I didn’t like how they dealt with certain characters and it had it’s slow moments.

Brain on Fire, The Fault in Our Stars and the Husband’s Secret were all great reads!  One for the Money was a fun easy read and I’ll likely read more in the series, but some of the 80’s references I just couldn’t relate to.  For example, when she got dressed for the day she wore bike shorts with a big t-shirt, big slouchy socks, sneakers, big hair and a headband and that was an awesome outfit to her.  I know it’s typical 80’s, but I just couldn’t take her seriously!

I’m currently on my 7th book,  Eleanor and Park.  An easy read about the romance between two teen outcasts.  I’m liking it a lot so far!

I’m always looking for books to add to my want-to-read list so tell me, what good books have you read lately?  Anything on your to-read list that you can’t wait to start reading?

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Filed Under: My life Tagged: , ,
03/06

It’s here! It’s here!

Welcome to the new and improved “Food, Sweat and Inspiration”!

Obviously, not only does it have a new design and web home (no more katiehigg.wordpress.com!), but I changed the name.

I started my blog in 2011 after I quit the photography business.  I was never in love with my blog name, but I didn’t end up blogging that much so it didn’t really bother me.  Until now.  In 2013 I started blogging a lot more frequently and the blog name/design were really starting to irk me.

So, last week, I took the plunge…

Food, Sweat and Inspiration is now

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I know what you’re thinking.  What the heck is a freckled latte?  Well, I won’t bore you with my brainstorming thought stream, but basically, I have freckles and I like lattes so I put them together and wham!  Freckled Latte was born!  I was hesitant at first, asking friends/family what they thought, testing the waters, but the more I thought about it, the more it grew on me and now I absolutely LOVE it!

As far as the content, I have all the old posts & photos on here and I will be posting the same type of randomness.  😉

The old blog will stay up for now, but all new posts will be over here, so you’ll need to subscribe/follow/like this page or you won’t see any of my new content!

*gasp* None of my new content?!! Don’t let that happen!

Follow/like/subscribe now so we can stay friends!  I love my readers and I don’t want to leave any of you behind.

subscribe via email —–>

Follow Freckled Latte on Bloglovin’ —–>

Add my RSS feed to your reader —–>

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are all still the same so if you are following there, you are good to go!

My new blog home makes me absolutely giddy!  I hope you love her as much as I do.  I’m so excited to finally post here!  I’ll still be making tweaks here and there, but for the most part….

Welcome to my new home!  Grab a latte, get cozy and stay awhile!

*p.s. if you notice a link that doesn’t work or some other technology fail, please shoot me a message! I tried to check everything, but I have links everywhere! 😉
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Filed Under: My life, Personal, Uncategorized Tagged: , , , ,
02/26

Turnin’ this dreary day around…

It’s looks like this outside today…

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and to make matters worse, my hair is so oily I have to hide it under a hat (because I’m too lazy to wash it :P)

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Considering the weather and my hair, I contemplated snuggling under a blanket and reading all day

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but I also decided I didn’t want a dreary mood to go with this dreary day, so I brightened up my day by painting my nails a summery coral color (Essie // enuf is enuf),

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then I got dressed in my favorite rain boots, drank a hot cup of java from my favorite mug and hung out with my sweet Lucy!

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To top it off, when I hopped in the car to get lunch, “Happy” by Pharrell was blasting through my speakers. I’d say the universe agrees with my plan to turn this dreary day into a (internally) sunny one. 😉

Hope your hump day was as sunny as mine!

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Filed Under: My life Tagged: , , ,
02/24

Because everything tastes better in a Vitamix

*drumroll please*

I am now the proud new owner of this gorgeous Vitamix!

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I’ve been using my faithful Ninja blender (which I never had any complaints about!) for a couple of years now

But, I always had a twinge of the “i-want’s” whenever I saw recipes that used a Vitamix

For probably a little over a year I’ve been coveting this beast of a machine, but I always told myself that it was way more machine than I needed and I don’t use a blender near enough to justify the cost, blah, blah, blah.

You know, all the responsible stuff you’re supposed to tell yourself when debating a big purchase

*insert Amex rewards fairies*

My American Express points had recently been burning a serious hole in my pocket and after drooling over the Vitamix for the millionth time, it suddenly dawned on me that I might have enough points to buy one!

Turns out I had just enough! While researching different models, I ran across a blogger who said that everything taste better when blended with her Vitamix.  I laughed and thought it was a bit overkill, but that didn’t keep me from using it as an example of why I needed one when telling my husband that I was going to order it (even though he didn’t care what I bought).

7-10 days later, my new BFF arrived on my doorstep!

Let me tell you, I am definitely drinking the kool-aid! The first thing I made was almond milk.  My husband uses it in his cereal in the morning and I use it in my smoothies so I was excited to make my own. Holy cow.  The Vitamix was scary powerful and grinded the shiz out of those almonds!  However, as much fun as it was to pulverize some almonds, I came to the realization that for me, it was too much work to do for the milk to expire in a few days. Plus, my husband prefers the consistency of the store bought milk. A fact that almost had him sleeping on the couch!

I mean, “hello, I just soaked premium almonds for 8hrs, blended the bajeezies out of ’em, separated the “milk” from the almond meal by squeezing it through a specially bought nut sack (yes, a nut sack!) and you’re telling me that you prefer the store bought processed crap over my freshly-squeezed-made-with-love almond milk?! You take it back right now mister!”

After I calmed down though, I accepted that the store bought and homemade did indeed taste a little different and deep down, I’m kinda glad he didn’t like the fresh one better. Otherwise he would have had me making this stuff every few days and then it would have resembled work and taken all the fun out of it! 😛

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I haven’t used the blender a ton yet.  I need to tackle a soup or something big, but last week I made my first smoothie in her (yep, she’s a her. That may be a little sexist of me, but she just seems like a her). Um, all I can say is…that blogger chick was NOT lying when she said EVERYTHING tastes better in a Vitamix!  I used to love the consistency of the smoothies in my Ninja.  I never had a problem with big chunks or anything and I still think it did a decent job, but, wow, the smoothness and melding of flavors from the Vitamix was uh-mazing!

I know it doesn’t look very appealing, but here it is before blending.  Before you ask, YES, it was delicious!  Tasted like an orange creamsicle!

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I threw in…1/2 avocado, 1-1.5 cups orange juice, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder and a dash of honey

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As if you needed more of a reason to own a Vitamix…during my research of the different models I found the holy grail of selling points. Did you know that to clean the blender, you just put warm water with a few drops of dish soap and blend it for 60sec?! What?! Yes, my friends, it is indeed as awesome as you are imagining. If you ever thought about buying one, DO IT! You won’t regret it!

And just because it’s half “OMG” and half “Whoa, I can’t believe it blended that”, check out one thing that may taste better in a Vitamix, but you probably shouldn’t drink it.  😉

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Filed Under: Foodie, My life, Recipe Tagged: , , , , , , ,
02/20

Stitch Fix Review #2


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Happy Valentine’s Day to me!  I was excited to get my second Stitch Fix shipment yesterday and it did not disappoint! Conveniently, I was all showered and ready to play dress up when my box arrived.

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Colors & patterns galore!  There was only one piece I wasn’t immediately drawn to, but we’ll get to that in a sec. 🙂

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Let’s get started!

Tart Yusuf Embellished Shoulder Striped Top, $58

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Initial impression: Ooooh, navy stripes! Mama likey!

Thoughts: At first glance I was super excited about this shirt. It had some bling on the shoulders so it was different than any of my other striped shirts. I was a little leery about the thin shoulder pads that were under the bling, but after trying it on, I barely noticed the pads.

Ultimately: Sending back. Sadly, this shirt was a little snug and not quite long enough.

<<<<<  >>>>>

41Hawthorn Moni Stud Detailed 3/4 Sleeve Blouse, $58

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Initial impressions: Oh no, gauzy material shirt again. Not sure about this one, but I’m willing to keep an open mind.

Thoughts: I liked the color and the interesting details. The sleeves are very unique and I thought the shirttail hemline was flattering on me. When I first slipped it over my head I was worried it was going to be a little tight, but once I got it on all the way, it was a perfect fit!

Ultimately: Keeping! I don’t have anything like this in my closet and the fit combined with unique details, make it a WINNER!

<<<<       >>>>>

Sanctuary Rizzo Skinny Ponte Pants, $88

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Initial impressions: Meh, black pants. With my luck they probably won’t fit.

Thoughts: Sorry for showing you my buttocks up there, but I wanted to show that the pants have fake pockets so they look like jeans (click photo to make bigger), but they are comfortable like leggings. The material is quite thick so there’s no sheerness to it at all. They’re a teensy bit long, but they can easily be hemmed or rolled up (please ignore my uneven roll job above. :P).

Ultimately: Keeping. The cost was a bit on the high side, but I could tell that they were good quality and they fit me like a glove! I foresee these being worn a LOT.

<<<<       >>>>>

Lily Josefina Knit Chevron Pencil Skirt, $68

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Initial impressions: This skirt was the one thing that I was not feeling at all, but I reserved complete judgement until I tried it on.

Thoughts: It’s made of a stretchy material so it’s very comfy to wear, but not only was I not digging the print or the color, it was a little longer than I like and maybe just a smidgen too big.

Ultimately: Sending back

<<<<       >>>>>

41Hawthorn Lara Bicycle Print Infinity Scarf, $36

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Initial impressions: The first thing to catch my eye. Great color & print!

Thoughts: It’s a light weight summer scarf and the bicycle print is to.die.for! I super duper duper love it, BUT…I’m not a summer scarf girl and I’m just not sure how often I’ll wear it.

Ultimately: Sending back. This one actually makes me really sad to send back. I haven’t packed it up yet so I may still decide to keep it. I don’t know that I can part with these adorable bicycles! Thoughts? Yay/Nay?  Am I crazy to love it so much?  Update: I begrudgingly sent it back. 🙁

<<<<       >>>>>

SO, there you have it! The unboxing of my second Fix.  I thought it was amusing that the two items that I wasn’t sure about were the ones I ended up loving and keeping. Which is why I love Stitch Fix!  I get to try on pieces that I wouldn’t normally have tried on before.

Just to refresh your memory…

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  1. Sign up and fill out your online profile/questionnaire
  2. Schedule your Fix ($20)
  3. Wait (impatiently) for your personal style selections to arrive
  4. Play dress up in the privacy of your own home
  5. Decide what you want to keep/send back
  6. Check out! (your $20 Fix fee gets applied to anything you purchase)
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Filed Under: Fashion, review Tagged: , , , , , ,
02/10

Listening to…

I heard this song in a restaurant over the weekend and I am officially obsessed. It is hauntingly beautiful and I was horribly disappointed to find out that I couldn’t get the MP3 version of her album since she’s from Denmark. So, I just hit the buy button on an overpriced copy of the album on eBay, because I love it THAT much.

Enjoy! 🙂

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt6hIh2wuJ0&w=560&h=315]

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Filed Under: On my ipod Tagged: , , ,