Friday, November 30, 2012

♥ signed, sealed, delivered.

it's that time of year when you need to start using your free time very wisely.

do you use the few precious hours after you get home from work to
go to the gym, prepare a nutritious meal, read books, watch tv,
stare at blogs...or maybe write out holiday cards?
which is a priority for you?

if you have chosen the latter,
then may i suggest a personalized stamp
for your return address from etsy shop, lettergirl.

they're too cute and might make the time spent licking envelopes
a little more entertaining. here are some of my faves:








Wednesday, November 28, 2012

♥ there is no sincerer love than the love of food.

is there any food quite as comforting on cold days as pasta and cheese?

if you agree, baked ravioli may also be for you.

i tried this recipe from martha stewart last week and loved!
it was super easy to make and even easier to eat :)




ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
  • 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 pounds store-bought frozen ravioli
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

directions:

1) preheat oven to 425 degrees. heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. add thyme and tomatoes. bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced
 to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

2) meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). drain pasta; return to pot.
 
3) toss sauce with pasta. pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. cool slightly before serving.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

♥ a successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

last week, my cousin, jaimee turned 30 and eloped.


you may remember that she was the gal who asked her beaux to marry her 
 in celebration of this past leap year, and now i am excited to announce
 that she and will are happily husband and wife! :) :)


i am obsessed with the variety of textures and knits worn by the beautiful bride
and the gorgeous up-do that she threw together at a pit stop along the way.



and while i wish i could have been there to celebrate with everyone in person,
i am thankful for digital cameras, phone devices and facebook, which provided
 a very close simulation of the actual event :)



here is what the new bride had to say about her big day:

the day started when will got up to walk bruin and returned with breakfast in bed for me
and a home made birthday card. then he told me to take a closer look at bruin's collar and when i did,
 i noticed there was a ring tied to it with some string. the ring was his grandmother's ruby ring she had given 
him for me when we first got engaged in feb. ahhh...so sweet. then he told me to relax, enjoy my coffee and
 food and finish my book we didn't have to get ready to leave till noon. (I finished in cold blood that morning)
we drove to linville falls and drove up the side of the mountain to wiseman's view.
it was will and i, his dad who did the ceremony, his mom made my bouquet, my bf josie who was
 my witness and gets to sign the certificate (she is so excited!) his friends, cody and andrew 
and his brother, sister and her boy chris.
linville falls is right outside of asheville, so afterwards we drove in town and got
dinner at tupelo honey cafe. so delish!
then we went to see a funk jam band before we split up with everyone and headed to our hotel
we stayed at the grove park inn, where the obamas stayed when they came here.
we had a huge breakfast buffet and sat with a perfect view of the mountains!
and the plan is to go and stay there every year for our anniversary, 
so will can golf and i can relax at the spa!




congratulations on your first week of marriage, jaimee and will!!
i wish you every happiness ♥


Monday, November 26, 2012

♥ frocks on film.

this weekend, i was happy to discover that netflix added take this waltz (2011) 
to their endlessly changing array of mostly unwatchable & sometimes good films
  available for instant watch. michelle williams stars alongside my celebrity crush,
seth rogen, in a very believable story about a happy marriage ruined 
by a strong desire to be with someone else.

 while the film is not exactly light and uplifting, i found michelle's character, margot's
 retro-inspired wardrobe to be simple, colorful and cheerful despite the sadness 
and complexity of her circumstances in the film.  i definitely recommend you
watch it for the summer-dress inspiration alone! ;)






Friday, November 23, 2012

♥ have a cozy weekend!


having survived black friday at forever 21, i plan to snuggle up & cat nap
 with nick & this cutie pie as often as i can this weekend! :)

did you do any late night shopping last night/this morning?? 

Thursday, November 22, 2012

via jennifer lyons
i saw this quote today on tales of me and the husband,
and i thought that it was worth repeating.

happy thanksgiving, all :)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

♥ wishful thinking.

i wish i had the presence of mind (& wallet!) to buy each of my sisters
 and bestfriends & blog friends one of these to celebrate the 
upcoming thanksgiving.

hopefully, they will read this and know that it's the
thought that counts ;)
xo

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

♥ giveaway from printcopia!



this week, i am happy to host an amazing giveaway on behalf of photo printing company,
 printcopia. offering a range of options from canvas prints & acrylic prints to panoramic
 images and framed photos, and giving you the ability to print directly from facebook or
 instagram in a few simple steps, printcopia is an easy way to take the world you see
 around you and make it art.
 printcopia did a gorgeous job enlarging one of our favorite pictures
 from the wedding onto an 11x14" canvas, and i am excited to share the
same opportunity with one of my readers!

to enter the giveaway, simply:
1) follow this blog via google friend connect
2) leave me a comment with your email address & name.
3) describe for me which photo you would like to print on canvas.

a winner will be chosen next monday!! GOOD LUCK!

ps. printcopia only ships to the continental US! sorry international peeps!

Monday, November 19, 2012

♥ golden girl.


images via 
these beautiful images of asian super model shu pei from the latest issue of
 glass magazine have me seeing gold! i cannot believe the makeup used for
this editorial is maybelline- it makes me want to hit up a drug store
for some chic & cheap holiday makeup ;)


Friday, November 16, 2012

♥ covergirl (put the bass in your walk.)

so with all my love for fashion & styling, you would think that by now
i would have considerable behind the scenes runway experience,
 right? wrong.

last week i had the opportunity to pull looks and style my adorable co-workers
 for an impromptu fashion show, and while there werea few snafus
  (everyone had to get dressed in complete darkness! with no time for hair 
and makeup changes, as planned!),  i must say my models looked fabulous
 and felt comfortable & looked exactly like themselves in their outfits, 
which makes all of the time and effort so worth it.


how cute are they??

images via annie polvinen 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

♥ creativity takes courage.

via.

while i am still a bit skeptical about the whole law of attraction and the 
power of bringing what you want to your life just by putting it out there,
it seemed quite magical one day when i received an email out of the blue
 with the offer to review a book that feels as if it were written just for me.

in her latest book, the 12 secrets of highly successful women, local author
and creative coach, gail mcmeekin writes, "so many people show up in my office
upset that they didn't have a miracle in their lives where a voice told them at a young age
what kind of work ot creative expression they ought to pursue. we do a terrible job in
this country of helping young people trust their inspirations and pursue work that truly 
fascinates them." (17-18) and after reading those two simple sentences, i knew that
gail knew exactly how i felt. about life. about creativity. about everything.

up until the beginning of this year when i started my new career as a stylist,
i felt as if i was walking around this world with a big question mark on my forehead,
the question mark, of course, standing for what on earth i was meant to do with my life???
friends were moving up in their companies and continuing their education and i
was staying where i was, overwhelmed with a desire to express myself,
but without a real place to focus my energy, filled with curiosity
and without a real mentor to bounce questions off of.

starting my blog in 2009 was a wonderful place to start- but what is a girl
with an english degree, a background in interior design and luxury sales,
 and a genuine sense of style to do with her life?
 and besides me, who really cares?

desperate, i reached out to everyone i know- (even a psychic
who told me to go into real estate. ha!) what i really should have done,
and what i have been working to do now- is to think about
what fascinates me and go from there.

in her book, gail asks you to define your own idea of success, to think about
what you want to leave as part of your legacy, and find a way to create
a path where day after day you feel excited, inspired and most
important- in love- with whatever you decide to do.

like a true portable life coach, the book offers amazing strategies for:

  • organizing your ideas and picking out the projects that you should try to pursue first.
  • dealing with fear of rejection and self-defeat and moving on.
  • clearing your life of things & people that waste time and energy and make you feel negative.
  • surrounding yourself with like-minded people who will support and nurture your dreams.
  • visualizing the path you want to take and finding the courage to go travel it.
  • dealing with burnout, pressure and stress- which often lead to quitting.
  • marketing yourself as a one woman entity with an ever-expanding resume. 


"when we know our life purpose and tell the truth about what we love to do, 
we find our rightful place in the world and are able ti make our unique an creative
contribution. too many women chase security or obligation until their soul starts screaming
at them to change. we each have a gift and a chance to focus on the field or the ideas that make
us want to get up in the morning and begin every day with joy and an agenda." (35)


do you enjoy a creative career?
what are your thoughts on unconventional career paths?


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

♥ forever your girl.

images via lucky.

hello kitty forever is launching at forever 21 this friday,
and so far i have feasted my eyes on nearly everything except
what i really want to see most-- the jewelry collaboration between 
forevs + crazy/cool jewelry designer, onch movement.

if they are anything as fabulous and over the top as his colorful
signature collection, then we hello kitty lovers are in for a treat!