Thursday, April 28, 2016

♥ the art of transformation: tiffany blue book.

necklace with marquise tanzanites, green tourmalines, aquamarines and marquise and round diamonds,
with a cushion-cut aquamarine drop, $525,000

first published in 1845, the Blue Book catalogue is the annual presentation of Tiffany's 
 most magnificent, show-stopping works of bejeweled art- made from the rarest gems.
this year, they are celebrating the art of transformation:

"transformation happens, as if by magic, in the quiet places that we so easily overlook,
where all is still. but just below the surface, a new and brilliant world unfolds. 
cocooned in silence, shapes shift and transform, slipping from one element into another.
intricate treasures are unveiled. life unfurls, stretching, pushing vigorously up
until stillness bursts into extraordinary beauty."
earrings of cushion cut tanzanites with fish of round diamonds and blue caprian elbaite tourmalines, $50,000

necklace of cabochon and faceted green and blue tourmalines, tanzanites, iolites,
apatites and fancy color sapphires, $1,280,000

emphasizing the unique and exquisite vision of design director, francesca amfitheatrof, 
the 2016 blue book collection showcases the best of the very best in couture-made 
Tiffany treasures- i like to think of it as an embarrassmant of riches ;)

cuff of round diamonds, $275,000

cuff of marquise and round diamonds, $575,000
what is your favorite piece from the new collection??


Saturday, April 23, 2016

♥ play smart, play safe with block island organics.


in highschool, my bestfriends and i would have sleepovers where we would watch romcoms,
play games like truth or truth (who likes dares??), and eat delicious snacks. when it came time
to change into our pajamas, each girl would take her turn washing her face in the bathroom.
all except me. i went to bed with a face of half-worn off makeup, and by morning the other
half had always magically disappeared!

while i am still known to do that every now and again-( hello, motherhood!) i am proud to
 report that my skincare routine has become alot more sophisticated as an adult woman.
this definitely begins with quality products- like this purifying facial cleanser from
local, family-owned company- block island organics.

this cleanser works well alone or with my faux clarisonic (ha!), lathers with even just the
teeniest squirt from the bottle, and leaves my face feeling fresh and not dry. i LOVE that
 the natural ingredients are pretty easy to pronounce (hello rosehip! marigold!
 and coconut!), that its paraben-free, without those fake flowery smells, 
and is made without animal testing!

block island organics' belief is that good skincare starts with good sun-care, 
for both day and night-which is why they offer natural sunscreens to protect during
daytime hours and organic cleansers and moisturizers to refresh and rejuvenate after 
the sun has gone down. i appreciate this company's commitment to educating 
consumers about sun-protection as well as their truthfulness regarding
what goes into making their products! talk about coming clean! :)

* i was provided a bottle of block island organics cleanser-
all opinions are my my own. *

Friday, April 22, 2016

♥ cross your heart.

if i did not just invest all my worldly savings into a new home,
i would definitely find a way to make a mark cross grace bag a part of my life.
not only does it come in a variety of colors and sizes (from mini to overnight!)
but it also is an exact replica of the purse carried by the inimitable grace kelly
in the alfred hitchcock thriller, rear window (1954)

images via google

i love how fresh and modern the vintage handbag looks with updated color and materials!
i want ALL. OF. THEM! (click images for links)







...especially the one grace wore!:

Monday, April 18, 2016

♥ babies and blue skies: life, lately.

hello friends- i am so sorry for falling off the face of the earth- but i am having a very hard
time getting inspired and getting back into blogging after my big move!!


with my mind occupied with trying to agree upon a rug for the living room with a husband
who has a whole lot of opinions- trying to decide whether or not to re-finish or trash 
an ugly blonde wood dining table and a variety of other diy home projects to
tackle-  i feel like all of my creative energies are being utilized for 
other areas of my life, rather than this blog!

the only thing i ever seem to have time for, is stopping to take pictures of
my two favorite things: the glorious sky and henry.
check my insta- and you will know it to be true.


 in the early hours of the morning, when one should be clutching the last remnants of sleep, 
i am always happy to be awake when i see the first sliver of shocking pink light in the sky.
and the 6 am wake ups on a weekend day are hardly a bother when i can drag
henry onto the porch to soak up the sun with me.


..the fact that it is still light out at well past 7pm (!!) is the most wonderful part of springtime.
it can only get better from here! i promise to be back with something
more fashiony soon-but until then, don't forget to look up!


Thursday, April 7, 2016

♥ boy or girl? my sister's big reveal!


last fall, my sister, lissy, and her mother in law went for a psychic reading.
amidst a room full of strangers, the psychic asked if anyone knew a "betty?"
my grandmother, elizabeth, often referred to herself by that name and also told people
that she was a "nurse" (even though she was more of a home health aid in real life!)

anyway, when "betty," "the nurse" came through-it was obvious that my grammy 
had a message to share. and it was simply this: "have you had the boy yet??"

my sister, who has two girls, giada and olivia, had been going back and forth regarding
whether or not she and her husband would go for baby number three. but this turn of
events seemed to solidify their resolve. 


you see, they have had a boy name chosen since before gia and livi were even born,
and have been hoping that they could make it a reality. they took a gamble, 
a "bet" on "betty" if you will :)



we gathered at their house on monday evening to witness the big reveal!
everyone was on the edge of their seats!


their cake read: "pink or blue, i love you" and my sister and brother and law cut
into it was a giant knife. everyone held their breath. and my niece covered her ears!
when they plopped the piece of cake down on the plate, the blue frosting was
exposed! it's a boy! victorious!!


 congratulations, lissy and beejay!!! i can't wait to meet my little nephew :)


Monday, April 4, 2016

♥ keep your faith in all beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the spring when it is gone. ~ roy gilson


happy monday! 
i hope that you had a wonderful weekend :)

we are officially all-moved-out of our apartment and finally stretching our legs in our
new home! it is unbelievable how different the sky looks once you get outside of the city--
(even if its only a few miles away!) i had forgotten what it is like to actually see the stars at night!
i feel so fortunate to be reminded of just how vast the universe is from my little place on
this dear earth. 

we had a small celebration for henry's second birthday yesterday, and after everyone left and 
the boys fell into their respective sugar comas, i took the opportunity to sneak outside in 
the windy cold and snap a few shots in the remaining daylight. i am so looking forward
to spring and the happiness and hopefulness that comes with the turn of a new season.
...if only mother nature would cooperate!



Friday, April 1, 2016

♥ henry turns 2!



today, my little april fool turns TWO. YEARS. OLD.

 i can hardly believe it. but then again, the terrible twos are already upon me-
henry has a loud pterodactyl shriek that is a constant ringing in my ears, he points at 
things he wants but can't always tell me exactly what, he demands to be held and picked
up constantly, and he insists on eating ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
not to mention the fact that i can't get him to sleep through the night
in his own bed! 

but! he is also the most kind-hearted, joyful creature that has ever walked this earth.
he is starting to make sentences, "daddy's in the car", "papa's in the bed", "birdie's in 
the tree," and while most of our conversations generally revolve around what he sees 
out the car window, which tv show he wants to binge watch, or which family member 
he is likely to see that day, we always manage to have the best time together.

i have been away from my blog this week, as we have been moving from our tiny apartment 
into a new condo where henry can have his own bedroom and have lots more room to run around. 
i didn't realize just how stressful moving is, or just how many dresses and books i hoarded
 away in my endless book shelves and oversized closets, but despite the eye-throbbing
strain of clearing everything i own out of one small space and hauling it to another  
(with a near-two year old in tow), i have to say, at the end of the day when i watch
henry bound up the steps into his new home and open and close the screen door five
million times with the same thrilling smile- it's all worth it.

happy birthday, henry!