Monday, February 28, 2011

SPRING FEVER

Is anyone else getting sick of winter? I am! I miss wearing lighter clothing..I wore a skirt without tights for the first time in months yesterday. It felt nice! I felt a bit ghostly, but nevertheless..it was nice. I stopped into Forever 21 the other day and picked up a few items of clothing that have Spring written all over them! I think my Spring wardrobe this year will be filled with a 70s vibe..hippy/boho look. I love Rachel Zoe and 70s fashion. I picked up some items with flowers, turquoise and tie-dye. I also picked up a few items from the beauty supply store- new nail polish and navy eyeliner that I am loving!

 These necklaces totally reminded me of the YSL arty rings. Of course they are an 80th of the price of one..but still ;)



I think the top will look really cute with cuffed jeans and flip flops or really flared, worn jeans. I also love the tie-dye scarf. I wore it all weekend and loved it! The cardigan is an emerald green color, but the lighting in the photo doesn't really show the true color. 

 These are my favorite lashes. I love how they flare out on the edge for a cat eye effect. 
Saturday night I did a navy smokey eye. It's a refreshing break from my typical browns and blacks.
 I love this OPI polish- Jade is the new black. I can't get enough jade in my wardrobe/jewelry/polish. I love that color. 


I am dreaming about shopping again already. I just can't get enough! At least Forever 21 and the beauty supply store is sort of guilt free shopping! ;) 

Saturday, February 26, 2011

I HEART NEW YORK

I'm BAAACCCKKKK! I had THE MOST AMAZING TIME OF MY LIFE in New York! I could write a novel about my experience..literally. So I will keep it short and sweet on this blog and will probably write another one about all of my experiences while there. I went with two of my friends that I met my freshman year in college..Leo and Amanda. The three of us are so different, but together we work well and we know how to get down and have a fun time! :)

 Leo, Me & Amanda- The Collective, Meat Packing District 

Here is a quick rundown of some key moments: Planes, trains, taxi-cabs, subway, cold weather, hot weather, snow, statue of liberty, empire state building, wall street, china town, little italy, soho, meatpacking district, times square, rockefeller center, the marriot, st. patrick's cathedral, natural history museum, central park, long island, guidos and guidettes, greenwich, nightclubs, foreigners, bar-hopping, drinks at 3am and an experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life! :) 


 Bryant Park
 Lemon Drop in Chelsea
 Amanda and I- Natural History Musuem

 Wall Street- If I turned around and shot the picture, you would see a movie being filmed.
 View from our Room- We stayed one block from Times Square
Times Square
Statue of Liberty- It was 66 degrees and warm this day
 This is how it looked outside the last morning we were there! Thank you weather for behaving during our vacation!

 Onto the goodies I bought while in NY

CANAL STREET:




No trip to NY is complete without a trip to China Town! "Watches ..purses...jewelry" I bought a Chanel and a Louis Vuitton from uh...the street. We followed a little Chinese lady into a store with blacked out windows, where she proceeded to unlock suitcases and inside were the goods. They are really good quality fakes..I am totally happy with them..even though it wasn't totally legal to get it. But, hey - that was part of the fun! 

SOHO: 
 I can never have too much jewelry! I love these rings! These were from the cutest jewelry store  in SOHO. The prices were really reasonable too! They do have an online website..I just need to find the card with the website that is buried in my luggage..I definitely plan on ordering some online! 
I thought these letters were too cute to pass up! I got one for my name and one for the BF. I'm going to hang them somewhere in the house. 

TIMES SQUARE: 

Of course I had to pick up some typical New York souvenirs! Noelle- one of the mugs is for you! The other is for my Mom :) 

I am already planning my next trip back to New York in the fall. I have crossed one of the to-dos off my bucket list! I made it to New York by the time I was 25 years old and it certainly didn't let me down! New York- Thank you for showing me the time of my life. I will see you soon! :)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

HRH COLLECTION And Other Pretty Things

Hey Gals! I received my HRH Collection necklace that I asked Alex to custom make. It is similar to the Majesty necklace in that it has the same swarovski crystal, but I had her put it on a long chain. She used the brushed gold ultra sleek chain. I just prefer longer necklaces on me, which is the only reason I asked her to modify it. I told her when I was leaving for New York and she made sure to get it to me before then. Thanks so much Alex. I absolutely love it! :) 



Isn't that crystal just gorgeous! The chain is such good quality too. It is heavy, but I like heavy. It feels like it will stand the test of time. Such a beautiful statement piece! I will most definitely be ordering more pieces from her collection. :) 

I also picked up this jade ring from a boutique near my work. I love it! Jade is one of my favorite colors to wear in jewelry. I think it is so rich looking and stands out against black, white, coral, royal blue..pretty much any color clothing! 



And lastly, I picked up this navy and white bandage skirt from Forever 21. I think it is a great spring/summer piece to pair with white, off white, beige, blush, coral, green..etc...It was only $6.50! I can't wait to be able to wear a skirt sans tights again! I do need to tan my legs before showing them to the world! ;) Oh..and also a pair of lashes for New York....
Well Ladies- This is my last post prior to leaving to New York! I will miss this little blog world over the next week but I will do a post when I get back of my amazing adventure in the big city! 
Adieu for now! 

Monday, February 14, 2011

Love Is All Around

 I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! I celebrated mine over the weekend and had a lovely time.  On a holiday that focuses so much on romantic relationships ...I think it is important to remember and celebrate all relationships in your life. Carrie Bradshaw illustrates this perfectly: 

 "Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous"


This little man loves me even on my bad days <3 
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Sugar and Spice and Everything Girly!

Hey Gals! I went shopping this past weekend and am finally getting around to posting about it! Let's just get into it..no chit chat today ;)


H&M:
I have been wanting a lighter wash (not too light!) jean for a while now. All of mine are dark denim. I also wanted a pair that looks cute cuffed. I was so excited to stumble across the pair below. The dressing room line was horrendous at H&M the day I went so I decided to get them without trying them on. I know! That is scary to do with a pair of jeans. But it ended up working out and they look adorable. I wore them on Superbowl Sunday cuffed with flip flops, and the top below. Casual, yet cute! 

I promise I will get a full length mirror soon! ;)

I also picked up these adorable earrings: 

NORDSTROM: 


Issey Miyake Perfume: L'Eau D'Issey:


This perfume is gorgeous! It is my favorite next to Ms. Dior Cherie! This scent is not similar to any other out there and it is such a yummy, rich scent. You will receive compliments galore if you wear this one. Several of my friends have worn this perfume and I finally got it for myself and I can tell I will always have a bottle on hand now. It just makes you feel pretty ..if that makes sense. It is expensive..but totally worth it!

Good ol' Nordstrom even polished my Tory Burch flats for free while I was there :)

MAC:

I picked up another MAC NW25 foundation because I was running low and I can't say enough good things about this foundation. It goes on so smooth, covers well and I swear my skin feels better after wearing it. It is really creamy and moisturizing. Everyone's skin is different so it might react differently to your chemistry, but it works wonders with mine.

Cream Cup Lipstick..(A back to Mac item):


I picked this up at the recommendation of my bestie. I do really like it! It is a really good nude-pink. Great for an everyday lipstick. Straight nudes just do not work on me..DO NOT WORK..I feel so washed out, so I love it to have a peach or pink tone to it. It looks great under the Gaga lipgloss.

Lady Gaga Lipgloss..:





I have to say I do like this lipgloss better than the lipstick. It is loud, but I like loud on my lips. It is good to mix with another lipstick because it can be a bit purpleish alone. I did buy a very bright neon pink lipstick (featured below) and this lipgloss looks adorable over it. Perfect bubblegummy, fun look. (It is the same lip combination I had on in my last blog post and in the top picture of this post).


EXPRESS:
A girl can't have too many pairs of tights. I picked up a plain black pair and this adorable heart pair. I am wearing the heart ones this weekend when the boyfriend and I celebrate Valentine's day. I am pairing them with an olive green lace mini skirt, black off shoulder top (what else is new) and gold and blush jewelry.

I also think these tights will be so cute with: over the knee socks, knee high boots, bandage skirt, sweater, scarf and military coat in NY!

DRUGSTORE: 
I picked up a couple lipsticks from Revlon. I love both of them. They are BOLD. But as you know, I love bold lips. It is great for that neon lip trend and the fucshia is great for spring and summer...any time of year for me really! I love them. A little goes a long way! Alex (HRH collection had the fucshia one on in one of her videos, which is what sparked my interest in it.):

Fushia:


Persian Melon:

Swatches of all the lipsticks/gloss:

Top to bottom: Fucshia, Persian Melon, Cream Cup, Gaga

OPI nail polish in Alpine Snow and Essie nail polish in Chastity: 


The perfect nail combo for Valentine's Day.

Also, I didn't buy any of this jewelry recently, but I think any of it would be adorable for Valentine's Day:


Well..I hope you enjoyed this haul! Let me know if you have any questions about any of the products. Happy shopping as always :) 

Monday, February 7, 2011

Locks OF Love

So I didn't end up with the Jessica Biel highlights as I wanted...The lady I went to works out of La Jolla, which the best I could describe it as is the Beverly Hills of San Diego...When she told me the price she was charging for highlights..I said "forget it!" So I got an all over rich, espresso brown color. I love it AND I also cut off some major inches for Locks of Love. I wasn't planning on it, but I went for it anyway. I closed my eyes..and snip..snap ...it's gone! I looked at how short it was in front and thought, "that has to be just a layer". I went to grab in the back and nothing was there.."Oh my Gosh..what did i just do?!" But you know what...it has "grown" on me..no pun intended.. and I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it!!...

It is so much lighter and bouncier...I have volume without trying. It sort of reminds me of a Tiffani Amber- Thiessen haircut. To my pleasant surprise, I didn't get the terrible reactions I was expecting. Even my most critical co-worker, told me she loved it. It was all in my head. I do plan on eventually growing it out again to enjoy it longer while I'm young and for those moments when i do want my really long hair, I am looking into high quality human hair extensions, but for now I am embracing it! :)





Sometimes, people can see a look on you, that you would never expect to like. Hairdressers have always told me I have at least 3 people's hair. Now, my hair really is for 2 people and no length of hair feels as good as that :) 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

CARAMEL AND CHOCOLATE

I am finally getting my hair cut and colored on Saturday and decided to do a chocolate brown all over and caramel highlights...not too many, just a few here and there. This is the cut and color I am going for, except with my side swept bangs of course! (Thanks Jessica Biel- I am bringing these pictures to the hairdresser) =)



I'll post pictures once I get it done! 
Also...sneak peak to an upcoming blog: I ordered a piece of HRH COLLECTION'S Jewelry tonight. I can't wait to get it! I asked her to custom make a piece and she agreed! It is an early Valentine's Day present from James <3 

J'adore Decor

If you know me personally, you would know that I LOVE <3 to decorate! It definitely comes second to fashion and makeup, but it's right up there. I get the "itch" to rearrange/redecorate every few months. I always go to Z Gallerie. It is by far my favorite decor shop and every time I go, I know I will undoubtedly find more than one thing I just can't live without. My house screams of Z Gallerie. It has taken me years (literally) and a lot of money to acquire a lot of my pieces, but I love them. They make me happy and take me to that "zen" place while at home. LOL.

I recently bought a few new palm plants and other items for the house, but I have a few more items that I want before I post a blog with pictures of my little house. :) Some of the things are major..some minor. The following are a few items that I have on my "To Buy For The House" list and I plan on crossing them off the list slowly, but surely as soon as I get back from New York!

BEDDING:

I love this pearl white bedding! I would add color with a pretty throw and printed and textured, oversized pillows.

I love this Peacock colored throw. I would lay this on top. 


I love these pillows. The leopard would add a touch of flair to the overall appearance of the bed. 

ACCESSORIES:

I have gobs and gobs of decor accessories, but a few more items wouldn't hurt. It's fun to switch things up! 
I love this stool. It would go perfect with my Vanity. This would also work as a killer plant stand! One important thing to remember when decorating is an old life lesson: "Don't read a book by it's cover"- Many design pieces have way more than one use! (I have a few other items around the house with this type of crystal design)

I also love this crystal bathroom set. So elegant.
How Gorgeous is this?! I would put a huge bouquet of white and yellow roses in the vase and starfish and seashells in the bowl. Can never have too many star fish or flowers for that matter!

I adore this bar tray. It reminds me of the late 1960s and some fab pool party.

Hopefully in the next couple months, I will have quite a few of these items and I will do a post of how I decorate once I have everything in order and in place as I want it! Are there any items of decor you are lusting over lately?