♥ goodbye, 2015!

as 2015 draws to a speedy close, i cannot help but reflect on the great aspects of the year.

namely: watching henry blossom from a wobbly and determined baby into a curious

 little boy with the biggest heart and a vocabulary made up of thomas the train characters; 

shaking off the heavy burden of an old job that didn't quite fit and starting a new one that i love (!!), 

beginning the process of house-hunting after dragging my feet FOR.EV.ER, 

and finally beginning to feel like my old (well, new) self again after being in motherhood 

hibernation for 21 months. 

for any of you who are still out there reading--thank you, 

and have a happy, healthy 2016!

i can't wait to see what it holds for all of us.

♥

♥ introducing thirdlove + an exclusive discount!!!

it is a universally known fact that most women wear the wrong bra size!!

according to the huffington post- (who did the research last year!) 

of 10,000 women surveyed, 64% were found to be wearing the wrong size

and shockingly, of that percentage, a whopping 29% were fully aware 

that they were making the mistake!!

as a female human who has had breasts most of her life and

has watched them grow, expand and contract with the birth and

subsequent feeding of a child, i can tell you that there is nothing more

uncomfortable than an ill-fitting bra. it can make the skin crawl,

and can throw off the whole day's equilibrium.

...which is why i am loving the philosophy behind  thirdlove,

 a new and innovative lingerie company which offers virtual iphone fittings

to help you find the best bra. 

according to the makers at thirdlove:

"the best bra is one that you don't have to think about" 

and i could not agree more!!

offering up to 30 sizes, which run A-F (and triple D!) as well as half-sizes,
(oh you're bigger than a B but smaller than a C? there's a bra for that!)

the bras are designed using real women's measurements and along with their
thirdlove bra sizing app, they offer100% fit guarantee- which includes
free exchanges and returns!


here are a few of my favorites:

the 24/7 classic t shirt bra looks like you could live in it!!

the plunge perfect bra is definitely the perfect answer to all those wrap dresses that i own..

and how about the 24/7 strap happy bra??

 it sounds too good to be true... but it is!

and finally a full coverage lace bra for ladies like me with a little more on their rack..

third love is offering last minute holiday discount codes for my blog readers!!!

* $15 off orders over $100 with TL15100SHIP

* $30 off orders over $150 with TL30150SHIP

*$60 off orders over $250 with TL60250SHIP

all images via thirdlove.com

**every coupon includes upgraded shipping that guarantees delivery in time for
christmas eve if orders are placed before 12 pm PST on 
december 21st!**

♥ kitties are a girl's best friend.

i celebrated my 32nd birthday (!!) this past weekend, and aside from 

my fabulous new camera lens, one of my other favorite gifts

is this gigantic gold cat necklace from etsy shop, i like cats. 

it is the spitting image of my chunky little kitty, talula!

now i am obsessed with everything else in the shop, which is why i must 

present you with some purrrrfect present ideas for the kitty lover in your life:

this pinnnnnnn is everything.

i loveeee this white cat print. and this grey one too :)

this notebook completes me.

these black cat prints would be a beautiful addition to my a gallery wall! (hint, hint! ;)

and this t-shirt had me at meow!

♥ christmas, my child, is love in action

♥ pucker up!

the other night, henry fell asleep in the car and stayed asleep (!!) for most of the evening.

it was like the old (pre-henry) days when i could troll around on the internets for an

unfettered period of time, pick out my outfit for the next day without my little

monkey tearing through all of my necklaces, and i even had a chance to try out

a new product for review!

the product that i spent my free time testing is one of the best lip enhancers out there-

candylipz is a lip-plumping device created to naturally enhance the size your lips-

without surgery! using an ancient chinese cupping-method plus advanced 

candylipz technology, this handy lip plumper suctions to your lips and

shapes/contours and enhances them in minutes, naturally!

**i don't really have an issue with the size of my lips, but i was interested in

giving this product a try and was sent a sample for review. **

after reading and watching countless video reviews on youtube, i was nervous to give candylipz 

a test drive. there is a lot of talk about the hickies that occur around lip area due to the suction

at first, but after reading the extensive f.a.q, i decided to bite the bullet and give it 

a whirl.

 i received the licorice style lip plumper because my lips are already pretty full- 

(i hear that the apple shape is for smaller/thinner lips) 

and i received the single lobe tester. 

i thought that the lip enhancer would work by sucking the air out of it, 

the way you may have done as a kid when you pull a cup to your mouth and hold it there

with no hands (ha!), but it actually works by squeezing the air out of it and letting it

suction right onto your lips!

the suction feels very strange and tingley, but i quickly got used to the discomfort

and kept it on for nearly two minutes. if you are a big drooler- keeping it on for a while

could be an issue! 

i don't believe that it added much to my already-full lips, but i did like how candylipz

accentuated the points of my cupid's bow. 

it wasn't until the next day that i noticed the bruising...

ha!!! of course i got a hickey just in time to see all my favorite blog friends

for the first time in 20 months!! here i am with kristen & kara at the tiffany's holiday event.

as the f.a.q. states, there is typically a few days of bruising when one first tries

candylipz lip enhancer, but after allowing the skin to recuperate for up to a week,

there is less and less irritation with each time it is used and it can be used 

multiple times a day! the effects last for a couple of hours or

in some cases, a whole day :)

are you interested in a fuller, poutier lip?

look no further than candylipz!

♥ a night at the nutcracker.

last friday, the boys and i put on our most festive outfits and ventured into the city

for a magical evening at the cutler majestic theater!

we were invited to see the jose mateo ballet theatre's 28th annual production 

of the nutcracker, and my friends, it did not disappoint!

i have seen the nutcracker before, but could honestly not remember what the storyline was,

so it really was as if i were seeing it for the first time all over again :) plus, we had little henry 

with us, so it added another element of child-like wonder to the whole experience.

henry's favorite part of the show was before it started and during intermission

 when he could run up and down the aisles at top speed.

 that child has so much energy. he spun my skirt into a rosette while sitting in

 my lap during the show! he also enjoyed calling out, "tree, tree" at the gigantic christmas

 tree on stage. and flirting with the girls seated in front of us.

did you ever notice how there are no words in the nutcracker? 

well, there were that night! my apologies if anyone reading was sitting near us!

i could not get over just how "majestic" the cuter majestic theater is (see better pictures

on my friend, feda's blog!) what a beautiful place to watch something beautiful!

nick and i earned a parenting high-five that night because we made it through the whole

performance without throwing in the towel and taking henry home! ** yay!

now, onto the show...

all images via jose mateo ballet theatre

hailed as an "intimate, dance-focused and affordable holiday experience," the jose mateo

 ballet theatre's production of the nutcracker is just that. 

unlike the boston ballet's rendition of the nutcracker, this one feels like a secret that you've 

been let in on--a pared down version that contains all of the richness and quality of a

large scale production, but on a much smaller level.

the sets, which are new from set designer, laura c. mcpherson, provide a colorful,

cozy and quaint backdrop to the timeless tale and are the first thing you notice as

dancers fill the stage.

 the costumes, (some of which debuted this season!) provide context, shimmer,

 graceful movement across the stage.  i was particularly smitten with these

tulle skirts:

the children in this nutcracker were plenty. their energy was palpable and they were

a true joy to watch on stage. over 200 children were cast as partygoers and mice throughout

 the play.

did you know that jose mateo ballet theatre's nutcracker is the only production to hold 

auditions for dancers outside of its school ?? which means that key characters --like clara-

 are played by dancers in your community. LOVE!

"for the past 30 years, cuban-born founder/artistic director, jose mateo has developed his

unique vision to create a new model for an inclusive and socially responsible ballet

organization that engages today's diverse audiences." (source)

is there anything more beautiful than a theatrical performance that celebrates diversity

at every turn? i think not. go see the nutcracker at the strand theater in dorchester for 

the remainder of the season. (december 11-20) 

you're welcome :)

♥ introducing: revel revel!

meet revel revel- a fabulous new website featuring the colorful quirky printed 

works of boston textile designer/ illustrator, amanda williams galvin.

i met this talented lady ages ago at a fashion swap in boston and have

keeping an eye on her work via facebook ever since!! (slightly creepy, i know ;)

from her gorgeous patterns to her inimitable illustration work to her timeless designs 

for local brands,  i can honestly say that i love everything this girl touches. 

i had a chance to ask the lovely amanda about revel revel, 

and here is what she had to say:

" revel revel is something i've been planning and dreaming  about for a while now. 

its definitely a very print and color heavy brand with a lot of vintage influence (of course!)

 and focus on illustration. my goal is to make something that would make me go, "ooohhh!"

 if i saw it at a store or online. i want to make happy things that people enjoy having 

around them. the cards and art prints are my starting point, but i'm looking forward to 

expanding into some printed fabric products in 2016."

revel revel products can be found locally at three stones gallery in west concord

as well as easy chairs in cambridge and online any time! :) enjoy! revel!!