Girls Night Out DRESS to Impress at Any Price Point

Every girl enjoys a girls night out. Weather that means you are going to be at Ultrabar in DC, or Coastal Flats in Fairfax Corner, It is important to DRESS to impress. As a sorority girl and Northern Virginia girl all my life the thing that I remember the most is that its always important to dress to impress!

DRESS To Impress at Under $51... Had to go SLIGHTLY over my intended $50 budget in order to complete the look

Flounce Ruffle Dress w/ Belt in Fuchsia

$19.80

Carved Roses Stretchy Bracelet in Black

$4.80

Round Flower Earrings in Black

$2.80

Distressed Leatherette Strappy Wedges in Black

$22.90

Grand Total:

$50.30

DRESS to Impress Under $200

Sparkle and Fade Colorblock Strapless Dress

$59

Marc by Marc Jacobs Candy Logo Bangle in Black

$32

House of Harlow 1960 Sunburst Button Earrings in Black

$30

CARLOS by Carlos Santana Glint in Black/Gold

$66.75

Grand Total: 187.75

DRESS to Impress for Under $350

James Perse Camisole Dress in Black

$135

Cole Haan "Village" Double Ring Belt in Red

$62.90 at the Nordstrom Half- Yearly Sale Starting TOMORROW

Enamel on Copper Black/Red Earrings from Chile

$12.99

Alisha Hill Betty Heel in Red/Black

$108

Grand Total: $318. 89

What looks will you be trying?

-Chrissy Yimei Ching

A HEALTHY Snack a Day Keeps the Pounds Away

Every single dieter has a weakness.. SNACKS.

These monsters are sometimes more calories than a meal and can often prevent weight loss candidates from achieving their weight loss goals. As a person who LOVES to snack, I will be sharing four of my favorite recipes from Spark Recipes for diet-friendly snacks.

Spark Recipes is an awesome source for weight loss recipes that are still yummy. Sometimes they feature weight watcher classics and user originals are hit as well. The best part of the website? They have calorie/nutrition information on the page! Check them out!

Coach Nicole's Yummy Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup water
1/6 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 2-3 lemons (about 3 Tbsp)
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cumin powder

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor (or blender) and process until very smooth. Refrigerate in an air-tight container for 7-10 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/6 of dip

Calories per serving: 215.9

Grams of fat: 12.8 g

cCyandPearls tips

- Serve with pita chips if you are not on a strict diet

- Serve with carrots, cucumbers, or celery if you are on a stricter diet

Apple Strawberry Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:

Salsa:
2 medium apples (Fuji or Gala preferred), chopped and peeled
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 medium Kiwi Fruit, peeled and chopped
1 small orange, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 Tbsp Splenda (or to taste)
2 Tbsp sugar free Strawberry or Apricot jam

Tortillas:
8 whole wheat tortillas
2 Tbsp melted Light butter or buttery spread
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
Pam buttery spray (optional)

Directions:

Mix the fruits together with the Splenda and blend in food processor or chopper until consistency of salsa. Add the sugar free jam and mix. Chill.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the butter, honey, & cinnamon together.
Spray the tortillas with Pam spray if desired, and spread the buttery mixture on each tortilla and stack in 4's. Cut both stacks into 8 sections each.
Place carefully on cookie sheets which have been greased or sprayed with Pam spray.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes or just until slightly crisp. Watch very carefully so they don't get too crisp.
Cool slightly before serving with the chilled salsa.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/8 of salsa

Calories per serving: 203.9

Grams of fat: 4.8 g

cCyandPearls tips

- Experiment with different fruits

- Forgo the buttery mixture and sprinkle tortilla chips with cinnamon sugar to reduce calories and sugar

Rice Pizza-Cake

Ingredients:

6 rice cakes
3/4 cup tomato sauce
6 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

Spread 2 tbsp of tomato sauce onto each rice cake, sprinkle each with 1 tbsp parmensan.
Bake in oven at 350* until cheese begins to melt or heat in microwave until cheese bubbles.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 "cake"

Calories per serving: 65.8

Grams of fat: 1.7 g

cCyandPearls tips

- Switch out the cheese for Cabot's 75% reduced fat sharp cheddar (you have to shred the cheese yourself

- Sprinkle some garlic power, oregano, and basil over the "cake" for flavor

Cocoa Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups plain soy milk (or almond milk if you can get it)
2 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 banana, peeled and frozen
2 tbsp. no sugar added creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Put all ingredients into the blender and mix until smooth. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/2 of recipe

Calories per serving: 294

Grams of fat: 14.7 g

cCyandPearls tips

- Using skim milk will reduce the fat and calories but reduce the protein value

- Smucker's Natural chunky peanut butter will add texture to the recipe

Happy Snacking! What websites/recipes do you use to keep your snacks diet-friendly?

-Chrissy Yimei Ching

Prom Dresses Fit for a Pageant Princess

West Springfield High School Prom 2009

As a pageant girl, I absolutely LOVE prom season! Here are my top 5 picks for prom 2011 this year! All these dresses are found at my FAVORITE online prom website CB's Limited. They have a wonderful website with a great selection! You can order from almost every single major prom designer at competitive prices!

I'll be showing you something trendy, something elegant and timeless, something full (ball gown), something short, and something flashy

Something Trendy

Tony Bowls Paris Style # 111729--$550

This dress is amongst my favorite prom dresses to ever grace the prom market... EVER. It is stunning and trendy with the beads tastefully throughout creating a glamorous, yet classy approach, and one shoulder appeal. Many people tend to think that a full bottom like that would make someone with a short frame appear even more petite but let me tell you, my 5'3 frame supports the full bottom very well and it tends to elongate my appearance!

Something Elegant and Timeless

Alyce Designs #6441-- $338

This dress is absolutely timeless with it's appealing sweetheart neckline and small broach right below the bust. This will not only make your prom pictures gorgeous now, but will make a relevant approach to fashion for many years. The dress is also available in azure blue, orchid, and white (pictured in watermelon). Ordering it in azure blue or white will ultimately make this dress even more timeless for your prom princess!

Something Full

Jovani Prom #159777-- $370

This dress is everything a modern princess needs. The little florets on the dress add a touch of Spring and brightness to the dress. The deep cup sweetheart neckline also creates a sense of maturity that these dresses often lack because of it's full bottom. The demand for these fuller gowns has decreased in recent years, however, as a pageant girl that never wore ball gowns (my mom said they made my 5'3 self look way too short) I have a soft spot for them. This dress, pictured in light pink, is the perfect color, however, it also comes in royal and dark green if you want to take a darker approach.

Something Short

Mori Lee Prom #8750-- $422

This dress is not only gorgeous, it is versatile. It has an exposed floral cape that is removable. The dress can either be fuller or tight and sexy depending on how you want to rock it at your prom. Better yet, if you are a junior, you can even wear the cape to prom and remove the cape and tulle skirt to reveal the short and sexy number underneath for your senior homecoming! This dress is available in Purple Craze or Pink Pizazz! Both colors are equally stunning and would be a great asset to your formal wardrobe collection!

Something Flashy

Tiffany Designs #16576-- $338

This stunning gold dress will make you prom queen upon entrance. The one shoulder look is totally in right now and that plus the fully sequin bodice up to the skirt is absolutely stunning. If you look at my prom picture from 2009 at the top, you can probably guess that this would be my choice for prom! I absolutely love this dress and would wear it to prom if I was still in high school! This champagne color is perfect, however, Olive is also available if you do not want to be a golden beauty.

THE Shoe

Johnathan Kayne "Austria" Shoe-- $163

This shoe goes with everything and I absolutely love it! I think every girl should have these shoes in their closet and it literally matches everything! This shoe's platform is not only ridiculously comfortable so you can dance the night away, but it can be used for more than just one occasion. I have three shoes from this Line and I absolutely LOVE it. NOTE: I highly advise for you to buy this from a retailer in store.. this line seems to run about a half size smaller than other brands.

Before you buy a dress remember something very important:

1.) Make sure your website you are ordering from is very reputable and not just a copy from China. If the price of the gown is significantly lower than other places then it probably IS NOT LEGITIMATE!

2.) Also, standard department stores have a wide selection of gowns, however, can often times be JUST AS EXPENSIVE as these premiere designers.

3.) Finally, make sure you take accurate measurements! Make sure you purchase a size based on your biggest measurement. Ex: If your waist is a "2," your bust is a "0" and your hips are a "4" BUY THE 4! Maybe one in a thousand people will fit into these gowns without any alterations. In fact, the majority of ladies who purchase these gowns will need some sort of alteration (do not skimp on this! get the alterations you need done or you will be miserable all of prom) So make sure you budget for alterations!

What will you be wearing to your prom?

HAPPY SHOPPING AND HAPPY PROM!

-CHRISSY YIMEI CHING

Top 11 Grad Gifts for 2011 Grads $25 and under: Girls Only Edition

High School graduation is just around the corner and lets be honest... 18 year old girls are IMPOSSIBLE to buy for. Not only are they difficult to buy for.. lets be honest. THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM. So the question easily remains.. What should I get for them? Should it be practical? and What if I can't afford something AMAZING... Well here are 11 ideas $25 and under for our 2011 graduates

1.) totes Poppies Bubble Umbrella $11.89 ON SALE!!

If you live anywhere near VA you know its raining men... okay not really but that would be nice considering how much rain we are getting this week. So I thought I would start with something very relevant right now. I have this umbrella and it is AMAZING. As someone who has lived on campus for two years (One in a dorm and another in my sorority house) it is a pain having to walk everywhere. Well, this umbrella is THE UMBRELLA to do the trick! It makes sure that your precious college freshman stays dry.. and those $500 books in their book bag do too! It encompasses the entire person/items and is definitely adorable with the gorgeous floral print! This is a MUST HAVE for every college student, especially the freshman who will be living on campus :)

2.) Tervis Tumbler-- Collegiate Style $12-16 plus $5 for personalization

This is the best cup I have ever had.. EVER. Not only does it not leave a soppy mess (It doesn't sweat!!!!!!!) It is also easy to clean and dishwasher safe!! You can even personalize it with a monogram to make your gift even more personal! This is perfect for any student entering college because it celebrates their achievement by displaying their university, but it also, adds the personal touch so their jealous friends will not be inclined to "permanently borrow" their tumbler, especially in an environment where everything seems to be communal. Below I have a picture of a pink JMU Tervis Tumbler.. I have to support my alma mater :)

3.) Times Square Watch in White-- $18

This watch is not only practical, it is absolutely stunning! The white band is rubber so it is durable (which if you know me at all.. is COMPLETELY necessary). I bought this watch for my mom for Mother's Day and she LOVES it. My mom only wears "real" diamonds but this faux crystal watch is so fashionable that even she could not resist it! This is a gorgeous accessory that any college graduate will appreciate.. After all diamonds are a girl's best friend!

4.) Spring Street Design Group Handbag Hanger-- $24

This handbag hanger is awesome.. and I bring mine everywhere. A few weeks ago I was at one of those crowded booths with the new retro chairs at California Pizza Kitchen where I could NOT find any space to hang my handbag, or any room in the adjacent boot to place mine and my friends so I pulled out my handy handbag hanger and put it the table and without taking up more than a few inches of space I was able to hang my handbag! A high school graduate headed to college where the dining halls are crowded and dorm rooms can get messy (do not even get my started about the mess I created at times) this handbag hanger is the perfect gift for everyone. Not only will it keep a handbag visible in a messy room, but it is a nifty tool to have just in case. This fab find is also under $25 and fashionable to use anywhere with its adorable butterfly an enamel design!

5.) Lilly Pulitzer Thermal Mugs-- $14.95

Realistically, college is the best and worst time of your life. Not only do you get to have the time of your life, you also have to study and keep up with your classes. This leaves very little time for sleep. In order to supplement sleep, coffee becomes your BFF! I am a Lilly FREAK and this mug is an awesome deal and is as cute as can be. Also, many times on-campus dining locations will give you a HUGE discount if you bring in your own mug in an effort to add to the eco-friendly campus environment. This is not only a great, AFFORDABLE gift, it is an absolute necessity.

6.) Vera Bradley Medium Cosmetic Bag in "Twirly Birds in Pink" -- $23

Every college freshman needs to learn one skill: How to pack and unpack.. OFTEN. My freshman year, I went home a lot during my first semester because I hated my roommate, luckily, I was able to switch roommates by second semester so I could finally put my suitcases away for good. This cosmetic bag is easy to use and stylish enough for any college freshman and is an essential for trips home on break, visits to friends on the weekends, etc.., the reason I like the "Twirly Birds in Pink" print is because it is stylish, chic, and dark enough that spilling a little bronzer on it won't turn the bag into a bronze mess. Ladies, NEVER NEVER NEVER get a WHITE make-up bag. You will regret it.

7.) Ruffle Towel Wrap-- $10

This towel wrap is the ideal for any college freshman. Its adorable and it beats the typical towel wraps that sometimes fall down. Before every sorority date function I have ever had I walk around in a robe and get ready so I do not have to be in a stuffy dress for hours as I get ready and risk getting make up all over it/ my dinner/ whatever else my destructive-self can get my hands on. As a result, my mom bought me a velcro towel wrap.. wellllllll add a Victoria's Secret Push Up Bra and suddenly my bust was too big for it and it fell down over and over and over again as I tried to get ready. These straps are perfect and practical, not to mention adorable enough to wear around the halls of a dormitory. This towel wrap is perfect for any college girl, whether they are getting ready for class or getting ready for a big date.

8.) Johnathan Adler Desk Dock Organizer -- $24.95

Johnathan Adler did it again! They have this GORGEOUS desk organizer perfect for storing many things on a small desk. Not only can you store pens/pencils on top and notecards/sticky notes, etc., in the pull out drawers, you also have the ability to use this organizer to charge up to two of your iphone/blackberry/android/ipods through invisible wire docks. This product is so wonderful that even Oprah has written about it in her magazine.

9.) CamelBak Water Bottle-- $25.00

This gift is perfect.. It not only filters water from the dorm's water fountain, but it's cool mouth piece is so fun to drink out of even the most pessimistic water drinker will not be able to resist. This gift is perfect to accommodate the lifestyle of a college student!

10.) Acrylic Cosmetic Tray-- $14.99

This tray is an awesome asset to any dorm/apartment/ sorority house. The organizational capabilities this provides is unlimited and every female college student needs this NOW. I have had mine for two years and can not get enough of it.. even better... When my mineral foundation starts to get all over it, I simply place it in the dish washer and it is as good as new! The container store also has many other products that will compliment this one so if your budget is a little bigger do not be afraid to look around and see what else you can add to your high school grad's organization collection.

11.) The one and only, LILLY PULITZER LARGE AGENDA-- $24.95

This planner is THE planner. Every single girl needs one of these, This planner is equipped with cute stickers and tons of room ro organize everything.. and you know what? The price of this planner is not only below $25, but is also, not any more expensive than a plain planner of the SAME magnitude. if you buy any of these for your grad, THIS WOULD BE THE ITEM!

What will you be getting your high school graduate in 2011?

- Chrissy Yimei Ching