Leap Day

Happy Leap Day everyone! Take this bonus day and do something memorable ... 

Wed Day

I love the idea of wearing a shorter dress and some standout shoes for a day time Spring wedding. Any takers?

Strawberry yummy-ness

How pretty are these baked strawberries? They're like heart shaped chewy fruit snacks - such a good idea. Make your own here.

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks

We talked about daily go-to make up routines here, now use the photo above as inspiration to build on a basic day time look and mix-up your eye liner. Have fun, go crazy! If you don't love the way a certain style works out, you can always wash it off. ;-)

Oscar Beauties

Some of my faves ...

Gwyneth in Tom Ford

Meryl in Lanvin 

Kate Mara in Elie Saab

Rooney Mara Givenchy

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton 

Emma Stone in Valli (also my fave presenter) 

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

All so lovely. I wish I had an excuse to dress up more often. Which beauties (and dresses) were your faves? 

Monday's Mantra

I am adding this to the list of "lessons for my future daughter"

The 2012 Oscars!

Happy Oscar viewing luvies!

Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly backstage at the Academy Awards on March 21, 1956 photographed by Allan Grant

Happy weekend!

Have a dreamy weekend.

So friends, what are you all up to this weekend? If the weather around here holds, I'm hoping to get in some good park time, and maybe a little brunch action while I'm at it. Meet me back here Monday?    Enjoy these links until then. xo.

Watch NYFW fly by

Preview Alexander Wang's new object collection

A beautiful typographic map

Hair stars at Rodarte

A gold DYI runner is a great way to make an impact on a budget

Switcheroo

photo: Au fil de..photostream - Béatrice Lechtanski

Friday finds

I have always loved gilded flatware. Quirky and glamourous at once.  Maybe someday I'll convince the hubs we need a second golden set. It's doubtful, but you never know.

(Faux) fur

I'll admit it - I love (faux) fur. Throw it on and even the simplest outfit feels a bit unexpected. If it's chilly enough, I plan to run all my weekend errands in a little number like the one above.

Thursday's Tidbit

Tattoos! Do any of you have a tattoo (or tattoos)? I happen to have two - I'm a bit rebellious beneath this demure exterior. ;-) My first tattoo is a starfish on my left foot.

I got this tat one rainy day in Pacific beach, San Diego. I was 18, fresh out of the nest for my first year at UCSD. A friend and I were out for a drive, got lost, and in a whirl wind ended up at a well known tattoo parlor. It was a fun and exciting spur of the moment decision. This tat isn't so much about the image of the starfish, but about the freedom I felt for the first time in my life; it was about marking a significant and formative period of my life. Looking at it still makes me happy almost 10 years later. (yikes!)

My second tattoo is of a swallow on the back of my right hip.

I just got this tat last Sunday - four days ago. This one was a bit more thought out, after much discussion, I went to this local tattoo parlor with my friend Val. Sharing the experience of getting tattooed with a friend was really special (last time I was the only one getting tatted up, my friend did hold my hand though). It was exciting, and more painful than I remember, but I'm really glad we pulled the trigger and did it. I was drawn to this classic tattoo symbol for many personal reasons. Mostly though, I just wanted to mark this special time in my life. Like before, adding an exclamation point to this new chapter feels like a personal way to celebrate what's to come. 


I think my next tattoo (if I get another) will be after we have our first baby ... in a few years. But we'll see. 


Do any of you have tattoos? Did you feel the image was the important part? Or was it marking a significant chapter in your life? Tattoo stories are so fun, I'd love to hear yours. 

Coffee table

That coffee table scape - I love the wood, horns, and metallic touches. Sophisticated, rustic, casual, and elegant at once.

Home of Monika Of The Doctor’s Closet. Photographed by Ellen Ho of Hong Photography

Wed Day

It really is the little things, isn't it? An unexpected cup of tea after a long day, a foot rub before bed, a sleepy morning smile. These are the things I need to drink up.

Champagne Jello

I am a huge fan of all things bubbly, so I am super excited to make this Champagne Jello. Courtesy of Martha Stewart. Cheers!

Ingredients

• 12 cups brut Champagne or sparkling wine (4 bottles)
• 2 cups sugar
• 8 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• Whipped cream, for serving
• 
  
• Directions

1. Bring 6 cups Champagne and the sugar to a boil in a medium pan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat; let cool. Mix remaining 6 cups Champagne and gelatin in large bowl. Let stand until softened. Stir in sugar mixture. Chill until set, at least 6 hours or overnight. Scrape gelatin with a serving spoon, and place in serving bowl; serve with whipped cream.

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks

Make-up! So we've talked about beauty routines, here, here, & here - now let's talk about make-up. The photo above is actually pretty close to my every-day look - make-up wise - and is actually pretty easy to re-create.

1. After your moisturizer has set in, apply primer (I love this one). Primer is great even if you're not going to use foundation, it smooths everything out and helps with shine
2. If you're going to use a foundation, apply it next and look for an option that matches your skin type. I like a sheer, light weight foundation, or tinted moisturizer for everyday. Laura Mercier has great options for both, while Make Up Forever has this amazing foundation for when you'd like more coverage 
3. Next, conceal. I have dark circles so I focus mostly under my eyes and then dab a bit around the "corners" of my nose. Benefit has some great options, as does Laura Mercier
4. After all this hard work, I set everything with a tiny swirl of this powder (if you wanted to skip foundation / concealer, you could even just use this over your primer)
5. Brows are up next. they are key to keeping your look polished (see this guide to shaping them). I naturally have dark, thick, eastern European brows, but I still like to use a pencil to define and create symmetry and then a gel to set them
6. For a day time eye I usually just brush a little medium brown eye shadow into the crease of my eyelid, followed by black eyeliner along the top lash line (winged out a bit at the outside corner) and smudge a tiny bit along the lower lashes
7. Then I add a bit of blush on the apples of my cheeks, and a bit of bronzer on my forehead, beneath my cheek bones, and where the sun would naturally hit (bridge of nose and chin), not all over the face. NARS has great options of both blush and bronzer, including the famous orgasm, but I also really like the options at Benefit - especially hoola
8. Apply mascara after you are finished with all your powders so you don't end up with dusty lashes, Benefit and Smashbox have some great options. I (almost) always curl first and apply a LOT of coats
9. For lips, I usually wear a chap-stick of some sort, and recently started using the tinted Sugar Plum lip treatment by Fresh - it moisturizes and adds a bit of shine plus natural looking color
10. Highlight! 

For night, I usually pump up the eye like this, do a cat eye, or a red lip. Plus you can never go wrong with fake lashes and lining your eye's upper and lower water line. What's your routine?

President's Day

Hope you all are enjoying this President's Day off - Monday funday! xo.

Monday's Mantra

Preach it sister!

Happy weekend!

Hi darlings! What are y'all up to this weekend? The hubs and I went out last night to celebrate his birthday (a bit belated) with friends, and today we are getting massages to celebrate our 6 month anniversary! I hope you all have a lovely long weekend.

Skating in Amsterdam (one of my most favorite places in the world)

Fireflies - I miss them so much living on the west coast vs. back east

NYFW Trends


Wedding fashion by the NYT

The Venus Project - hooray for hips!

Awesome fonts

NYT art

Friday Finds

How amazing are these pieces by Diana Delgado? I would love to buy multiple and hang them down a long hall way, or create a gallery wall in a living room. {sigh} Someday, maybe ... a girl can dream.

Just because

If only the top of my dresser were this organized (and color coordinated!) - maybe it's time to invest in some nice trays like these.

Thursday's Tidbit

Highlighters are an amazing way to brighten your face and wake-up your look (especially when you're less than rested). Done right this can be an extremely flattering touch. Into the Gloss has a great review / tutorial. Check it out and prepare to turn heads.

(Top photo of Adele)

Another thing

This is another thing that's important to remember to say in a marriage ;-)

Wed Day

So as it's the day after Valentine's Day - I think I'm allowed to be a little mushy. Today I just wanted to say something I think it's so important to remember to say in a marriage: thank you. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget how powerful these two little words are. So today I am remembering to say thank you -- for doing the laundry, for taking out the trash, for watching my trashy Bravo shows with me, for introducing me to sushi and other "exotic" foods, for going to the wine bar with me even though you prefer beer, for making me laugh, for all that you are, for all we'll be together, and for all that's yet to come. 

Day to night

Valentine's day is great, but Valentine's night is where it's at. ;-)

({V-Day})

Since today is V-Day, please take a moment to learn more about the the V-Day Movement and the amazing work Eve Ensler (my hero) and Co. are doing to end violence against women and girls around the globe. This may inspire you to get involved as well.

Performances of The Vagina Monologues raise money and awareness each year to support the movement. If you've never read or seen a performance of The Vagina Monologues, do so right away! I was in a performance of The Monologues durring college, and it was one of the best experiences - formative, eye opening, and inspiring. My monologue was I Was There in the Room.

Happy V-Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

How sweet is this photography retrospective by Lauren Fleishman? It's titled "Love Ever After" and features couples that have been together 50+ years. Amazing. I'm going to meditate on this all day.

xo!

From the weekend

I did a fair amount of Birthday breakfast making this past weekend:

Cinnamon rolls, for the birthday morning.

Homemade hollandaise sauce on Saturday morning for ...

eggs benedict! The hubs' birthday request.

What weekend would be complete without mimosas? None.

This was my first time making hollandaise sauce and it was easier than expected. To make your own, you need:

3 egg yokes
1 stick of butter (cubed)
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
dash of salt
pinch of cayenne
peper to taste

Whisk the yokes, water, and lemon juice over low heat until the mix bubbles slightly
Add the butter cube at a time, continue to whisk until all the butter has melted in and remove from heat
Stir in the seasonings and serve
Ta-Da!

Monday's Mantra

Eye on the prize people: relationship, half marathon, promotion, new shoes, whatever it may be.

Whitney Houston

Oh, Ms. Houston I will always love you.

Happy Weekend!

I hope you all have a blissful weekend loves. We will be taking it easy. What do you have planed?

Meet me back here Monday? I'll leave you with some links to encourage your return. ;-)

Some Valentine's Day beauty tricks here via Refinary29
(plus a long wearing lipstick guide here for the big moment)

A silly v-day gift guide

I did the Vagina Monologues in college, learn more about the VDay Movement and be inspired

Yikes.

Goop's Valentine's Day ideas.

Pretty pretty

How pretty is ink blot print? Found here.