{Discovered some forgotten jewels while I was unpacking that I can’t wait to wear again!}

{Cute desk set-up at the Target Dollhouse in Grand Central…Now I think I need a magnifying glass}

{Candy bars fried…yes, it happened and yes, they were amazing!}

{So excited to have scored the desk chair I really wanted for only 1/3 of the price! Got to love Craig’s List in the city!}

{Cheesy jalapeno roasted corn at our neighborhood’s street fair}

{Borrowed this from a friend’s Instagram…Don’t forget to do your part to help the relief efforts out in OK…we all know how to text & we all have $10 to spare!}

The post Happy Hour appeared first on Runway Chef.

On any given day, you can almost guarantee that at least one of my snacks will be some version of trail mix. It is, hands down, one of my favorite snacks. And yes, I said one of. So maybe I eat like 5ish 3ish snacks a day. But let’s be honest, if I could eat a snack every hour and not resemble a hot air balloon, you better believe I would!

So now that we have established how much I love to snack, let’s get back on the trail (pun totally intended) of the mix.

One of the reasons I love trail mix so much is it’s versatility. Whether you want salty, sweet, a little of each, something crunchy or mostly fruit, trail mix is the way to go.

Typically, there are 4 main components that I like to have when putting together my mix. As  you probably guessed from the picture, they are- crunchy, nutty, sweet and nutritious. These are some of my favorite items for each category-

Crunchy- Granola clusters, pretzels, goldfish, oyster crackers, popcorn, sesame sticks, bagel chips, cereal, dried peas, rice crackers

Nutty- Almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios

Sweet- chocolate chips (white, dark, milk, semi-sweet, butterscotch, peanut butter, cinnamon), chocolate chunks, m&ms (I like the pretzel or peanut butter ones), mini peanut butter cups, brownie brittle, dried fruit

Nutritious- pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes (so good toasted!), flax seeds, chia seeds

I usually keep a variety of these ingredients on hand so that at any given time I can either throw together a big batch to last all week, or make an individualized serving based on what I’m currently craving. It’s also a great last minute party appetizer, a quick snack to throw together for unexpected guests, or a lovely hostess gift wrapped up in a pretty package. Two of my favorite combos are-

-Tropical dried fruit (kiwi, mango, pineapple, bananas), white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, pecan, peanuts, and coconut flakes

-Dried cranberries, white and dark chocolate chips, sesame sticks and almonds

What is your go-to snack? And if you’re a fan of trail mix, what is your favorite trail mix combination?

The post Trail Mix Creations appeared first on Runway Chef.

Dress: Club Monaco (gifted from a friend), Necklace: gifted, Sunnies: H&M, Bag: BCBGeneration c/o Lockerz (last seen here; available in black here), Booties: Rocket Dog (last seen here; available in dark brown here)

I’m baaaaaack! Did you miss me?! (The answer better be yes!). Although I wish this little break had come under better circumstances, it was actually nice and re-energizing to step away from all things blog and social media. But it was also a reminder just how much I have truly come to enjoy writing, social media, and most of all the blogging community (thank you to all who have kept my family in your prayers and reached out with your support….it has been very much appreciated!).

Of course now that I have said that, I can’t seem to find anything to write……. I also couldn’t seem to find anything to wear…… But luckily for you and the people around me that didn’t last too long.

This easy breezy little shift dress that my friend had given me came to my rescue and saved me from wearing only my birthday suit. It’s comfortable, light, and the details of the gold buttons and color-blocking add just the right touches to dress it up without the need for a lot of accessories. It also made for an excellent traveling piece…I wore it home on the plane yesterday, and other than being a little chilly(why do planes always have identity crisises and think they are actually freezers?!), it was perfect for going from Indiana humidity back to New York City rain.

What is your go-to piece when you have a closet full of nothing to wear?

The post Shift Dress To The Rescue appeared first on Runway Chef.

Grace, like me, is a travel addict, and most of our recent e-mails have been either talks of places we’ve gone, places we want to go, pictures of pretty places, and most importantly, how can we get paid to travel the world? By the way, if anyone can help us with the answer to that question, it would be greatly appreciated! Last time I was dreaming of traveling I didn’t have specific names, just specific things I was dreaming about. But this time it’s different. I want to go to…

{The Seychelles}

{To explore the colors of Morocco}

{Island hopping in the Maldives}

{To stay in an Igloo under the Northern Lights}

{To see the Waterfall Island in Paraguay}

{To bath in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland}

And basically every other place on my Pinterest board! Where are you dreaming of traveling too?

The post Day Dreaming of Traveling appeared first on Runway Chef.

Wedding season is upon….and graduation season….and beach season….and grilling season….and well, you know. I’m exhausted just looking at that list! What’s even more exhausting is figuring out what to wear. But no need to worry! Grace, Jealeyni, Luci and I are back with our monthly series 4×4 Style and this time we’re helping you figure out-what should I wear to a wedding?

Dress: Zara, Shoes: Nine West (similar), Earrings: InPink, Ring: F21 (similar), Bag: Chanel, Nails: Revlon “Mad About Mango“, Lips: Maybelline “Coral Crush“

I have never personally been to a formal wedding (I actually haven’t been to many weddings period), but that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming about all the glamorous things she could wear if she got invited to said wedding. I can envision myself now draped in some form of a Chanel gown and dazzling in Tiffany jewels with pretty red-bottomed shoes on my feet…..back to reality, Alyssa! Back. To. Reality. Oh hey Zara dress! I think you and my budget will get along a lot better!!

So are we all back down from the couture clouds now? Good! Let’s go over a few rules for what to wear to a wedding that requires formal attire—-

-DON’T wear white. I hope this would go without saying (do I even have to tell you why?!), but never the less, I have seen people where white to a wedding. Don’t do it, just don’t!

-DO wear black or other dark shades. Personally, I would avoid bright colors or crazy prints or anything to overpowering for a formal event. Black is always a safe and trusty option that you can’t go wrong with and it instantly makes you look put together.

-DON’T wear anything showy, flashy, or trashy and nothing too short (in a dream world all dresses for a formal event would be floor length).

-DO wear classic silhouettes.

-DON’T overdo it with the jewels. If there is ever a time to limit your accessories, this is it. You can wear big sparkly earrings (like I did) but don’t do earrings, a necklace, and a huge arm party. I think art deco pieces (I’m obsessed with all of these right now) make especially good formal jewelry.

-DO add a pop of color with your nail polish and/or lipstick. For winter, I like to do reds, and for summertime I like coral shades (similar to my nails and lips in the pictures).

Not going to a formal wedding? Here’s some inspiration for what to wear to a wedding that is traditional,outdoors, or at the beach. Don’t forget to show us what you would wear to a wedding using #4x4style on Twitter and Instagram! And make sure to let us know if there are any trends you would love to see in the #4x4style, either in the comments below or by Tweeting or Facebooking us with the trend (don’t forget to include the hashtag!).

The post 4×4 Style-What To Wear To A Wedding appeared first on Runway Chef.