artsy {plus a giveaway!}

For a girl who was a little apprehensive about prints just a year ago, I've definitely warmed up to them a whole lot. While I'm a huge fan of the classics {polka dots and stripes, I'll never leave you!}, lately I've been loving the unique, artsy-ish, prints. They make a stylish statement, and still fit seamlessly into your wardrobe. This dress from The Impeccable Pig immediately stuck out to me with it's lovely pink and peach abstract design. It's in an easy shift dress, perfect for running around town on a beautiful day!

dress c/o The Impeccable Pig, jacket J.Crew, shoes ShoeMint, purse Brahmin, bracelet Karen London, sunglasses Karen Walker

The Impeccable Pig is giving one lucky reader $50 to spend in their online store! So if you want you can put it towards this very dress! 

To Enter:

1). Must be a follower of M Loves M 

2). Visit The Impeccable Pig

For extra entries

3). Blog/tweet for extra entries, tagging @maraferreira

4). Follow along on Bloglovin', Instagram, or Twitter {tweet tweet!}

I'll be picking the winner next Thursday, May 29th! Good luck!

xox

spring kale salad with apricots and goat cheese

I usually love ordering kale salad at restaurants. They make it taste so good/so much better than I could make it. That was until I learned a little secret. You need to let the kale sit with the lemon juice for at least 15 minutes so the acidity in the lemon can break down some of kale's bitterness. Since learning that, I've been making kale salads on a weekly basis. I love the salads with dates and blue cheese, but apricots and goat cheese seemed a little more fitting for spring. If you want to give it a little kick I'd definitely recommend adding the red pepper flakes. SO good and healthy!

Spring Kale Salad with Apricots and Goat Cheese

makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 bunch of kale lettuce, stems removed, rinsed thoroughly and dried

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 shallot, minced

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper (or red pepper flakes if you want a little kick!)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 apricots, sliced

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons slivered almonds 

DIRECTIONS

Whisk lemon, shallot, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add kale and toss well. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. Then add olive oil. Refrigerate for up to a day, or serve immediately with apricots  goat cheese and almonds.

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It seems slightly silly writing out this recipe because it's so simple, but hopefully it's a new variation, that you might not have tried before. What are your thoughts on kale salad? Have you had them in restaurants or made them yourself? If you have any favorite combos please share below!

xox

color-blocked maxi

I've had my eye on this maxi skirt for awhile. I love the blue green color-blocking and thought it would be perfect for our trip to Sanibel. Unfortunately I didn't get to wear it while we were there but I did when we were in San Diego last week. The skirt is a little sheer so I have to wear a slip under it, but since the top I was wearing was a little longer I thought it could do double duty! 

top Nordstrom, skirt Revolve Clothing, shoes ThreadSence, sunglasses Karen Walker {also here}, necklace JewelMint, hat J.Crew, lipstick MAC Overtime

Shop this Look:

This weekend felt like summer! The weather was absolutely beautiful and all I wanted to do was be outside. Matthew surfed both mornings; he's pretty excited about his new board. I caught up on my book The Likeness {so good I have to force myself to put it down}. We had a double date on Saturday and Sunday we cooked dinner for my parents. Not ready for the week ahead, but looking forward to the long weekend coming up! Have a great Monday everyone!!

xox

grecian-inspired

I'm a big fan of this pleated white dress from Tailor & Stylist. It has a sort of a Grecian feel to it, which I love. It seemed fitting to wear this dress the morning I woke up singing Mamma Mia songs. I love the leather-like details in the belt and straps, and it was perfect for a warm LA day, where all I wanted to do was hide in the shade!

 dress c/o Tailor & Stylist, bag c/o Tailor & Stylist, shoes Seychelles, bracelet Karen London

Tailor & Stylist was founded by a husband and wife team, so cool! The husband was a tailor (one of the youngest on Rodeo Drive) and the wife a stylist. Match made in retail heaven? I think so! Tailor & Stylist is offering 10% off all orders with code MLOVESM10! They offer free shipping on all orders and exchanges too!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! Any fun plans?

xox

dress love for Refinery 29 My Stylist

Have you had a chance to check out My Stylist on Refinery29? I'm really proud of all that we've done and the projects we're currently working on! One of my recent stories is all about my love of dresses. For the shoot I wore this pretty, ruffly mint blue dress. To dress it down I chose a light denim jacket- a major must have for spring/summer!

dress c/o Lace Affair, jacket Raven Denim, shoes ShoeMint {another cute mint pair}, bracelet J.Crew {similar}, necklace Riffraff {similar}

Dresses are always my go to when I don't have time to figure out what top and bottom I should wear. Do you have a go to outfit or style? Share on Twitter using #R29MyStylist and @maraferreira to be featured on the site!

xox