♥ earth mother// a visit to ASH & ROSE.

if you follow my instagram- you may have noticed that made a little announcement

 a few weeks ago: i'm pregnant!! the boys and i are expecting a baby girl in 

early june and we could not be more excited :) 

photos by lei ann!

at 26 weeks, my bump is definitely poppin'- looking much fuller (and feeling a whole lot heavier)

the second time around! i am not sure if this should be attributed to it being a girl this time

or it being the second pregnancy, but either way- i am enjoying my changing shape

and the lively kicks and jabs i get throughout the day. i feel so blessed.

tired and blessed, ha!

anyway, last night i had the joy of attending chic beat's  blogger mix & mingle 

at the south end's lovely boutique, ash & rose. a brimming jewel box of  sustainable/ethical 

clothing and accessories, many of which are made by nea--half of the mother/daughter duo

who own the shop, ash & rose is nestled among design showrooms and art galleries 

in the famous sowa district. the shop is managed & curated by mary, who is coincidentally 

expecting a baby girl in june!!, and who also made this rad floral selfie wall for

our picture-taking pleasure!

pictured here with my favorite gals, lei ann & bridgette

♥ a visit to the new TONI & GUY HAIR SALON at Hingham's Derby Street Shoppes!

sandwiched right between kate spade and mini luxe, the first massachusetts-based

TONI & GUY  hair salon has opened at hingham's derby street shoppes!

known for their cutting-edge hair designs, which come out in annual collections 

and seem to set the tone for the hairdressing industry across the globe--

one may never guess that the TONI & GUY brand has been around 

for over 50 years!! (talk about forever young!)

this amazing british brand, which began in 1963 with the four Mascolo brothers,

 has expanded to include sons, daughters, nephews and wives, as well as expanding

across the globe to over 500 locations, is fully committed to:

"upgrading the hairdressing industry 

one stylist, one salon, one academy

 at a time."

with their inimitable business model, TONI & GUY is not just a salon- but an academy.

providing their stylists with continuous education & training  in cut & color means that 

they are constantly evolving and responding to client needs, 

creating trends as they go.

the salon itself reflects the always-contemporary TONI & GUY aesthetic, with lots of stark

black and white against a vibrant wall of TIGI professional products (which i had no idea

they had a hand in creating!)  and an awesome wallpaper collage made up of the brand's

creative photographs and images! LOVE!!!

before sitting down for my haircut, my hairdresser, leonor pilsmaker, 

(remember my interview with her here?), and i brought up pictures of what we think

would look good this time around and were surprised and delighted to see that

we were on the same page!

the haircut i selected is on TONI & GUY'S latest billboard (heading into boston!)

 and is called the "OLIVIA." it's a razored shag with the brand's signature

square layers. LOVE!!

and here's how it came out! i am so excited to play around with it

 and style it with different products, like TIGI's texturizing molding wax,

 manipulator matte! :) i feel like a new girl!

TONI & GUY is located at 92-98 Derby Street
Hingham, MA 02043

**i was provided with a complimentary haircut from TONI & GUY,

but all opinions expressed are my own. **

♥ GIVEAWAY: serums from TREE OF LIFE!

wintertime is hard on the skin.

 the combination of dry heat and alternately biting cold air makes it nearly

impossible to maintain a balanced complexion- without a bit of help!

thankfully, for the past three weeks, i have had the luxury of coating my face
with multiple layers of spa-quality, organic products from tree of life.
specifically: the anti-aging serum combo pack, which includes
the trifecta of "flawless" skin: vitamin c, hyaluronic acid & retinol serum,
as well as the ultimate age-defying night serum.

just adding a few drops of each life-giving elixir before my morning/evening
moisturizing routine has given my skin new energy and vitality-
and a certain glow that usually fades in the dark winter days.

for a chance to win,  follow the prompts below:

Win a selection of the Tree of life beauty products #14 , 
 a winner will be chosen by february 26th,
and the products will be shipped directly to you! good luck!

♥ keeping a stiff upper lip.

as a self-proclaimed lipstick addict, it is funny for me to admit that i have never 

worn a lip stain before!! while i usually lean towards creamier matte formulas in bright colors,

there is something about a berry-stained lip that looks so effortless and appealing to me.

thus, when given the opportunity to try a lip product from younique, where my friend, jill, 

offers a unique array of absolutely gorgeous makeup and skincare products, 

i had to go with the stiff upper lip stain in the color sultry.

(check out jill's facebook page for the latest offerings!)

giving the effect of having eaten a juicy red popsicle, (in the middle of winter no less!),

this lip stain is a bright rinse of color that clings to the lips and lasts a long time,

without needing to be re-applied! i made sure to exfoliate my lips beforehand,

so that the color would not seep into cracks and crevices, and i am happy

to report that the lip stain does not stray outside of the lip line, 

as you may expect from a more liquidy product. 

with all the extra time on my hands spent not thinking about my lipstick-

i am wondering what other must-have products i need to pick up from younique?!

stay tuned! xo