Thursday, August 28, 2014

So Long for Now...

“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” 
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

After contemplating this for quite some time I've decided not to continue to publish my blog. I began my blog nearly three years ago and for a very long time it provided me with a wonderful creative outlet and enabled me to share my passions for fashion, decorating, traveling and many other aspects of my lifestyle.  

I don't regret for a single moment what has come from this adventure, what I've shared or what I've learned. The posts that I've written will remain...and as Mr. Barrie so eloquently penned this is not goodbye, it is simply so long for now. 




I wanted to leave you with an excerpt from a post in June 2012 as I think of it often and with great fondness...  


How did you come up with your blog name?

To many Lady Elizabeth Grace may appear to be some silly moniker but it's actually a name with deep and personal meaning. 

Lady : My Grampsie was the most influential person in my life. He was a quiet gentle man, whose voice still guides my life and whose virtues I strive to make proud. Our family lineage can be traced back to English nobility and so my use of the title "Lady" is my way of honoring my Grampsie and our family's rich heritage.

Elizabeth: A family name as well as my middle name.

Grace: A lovely attribute to possess and one of my favorite names. I have a dear friend whose name is Grace who embodies and personifies not only grace, but style and elegance as well. She is one of the muses of Lady Elizabeth Grace. 

*Grace passed away this year, her iconic legacy of style, class and elegance will not be forgotten and I will forever carry her within my heart.  



With love & so long for now,


For those who may be interested you can still find me on


  







Monday, March 3, 2014

My Cozy Corner

Lately it has been raining in California and nothing makes for a better rainy day than curling up with a great book in a comfy spot. Between my bathtub, our bed and my latest cozy corner I've been relishing in the time I have been able to spend quietly reading some wonderful books.


My sister recently moved and has generously "loaned" me this beautiful vintage leather chair that she found a couple of years ago at a local consignment shop. I've always loved this chair and I have to admit that not only does it fit as if it were made for our bedroom it seamlessly blends with our dark furniture and bright white linens.


The tufted curved back of the chair and the slopped crescent shaped ottoman give this chair its charm and character. Paired with a pillow from Target and a Pottery Barn throw we've had for ages the combination of textures and the inversion of the colors on our bed make this chair come alive in its cozy little corner. 



A simple side table with a white top and artistically shaped dark base provide the finishing touches and practical working space for my new favorite nook. And, yes I am writing this post while comfortably curled in my chair. 

xo, 



Saturday, February 15, 2014

Love. Love. Love.

In 7th Grade we had to select a single word to write a research report on, I chose love. It's no secret to those in my life that this word and all that it carries with it plays an integral part of my daily life. I learned through a tragedy very early on how exceedingly important it is to love those you hold close to your heart, to tell them so unabashedly and often and to never miss an opportunity to say, "I love you!"


To know love and to be able to give and demonstrate love to others is one of life's greatest riches. 

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I was truly spoiled. I spent the day with friends whom I love and my girlfriend and I enjoyed a beautiful dinner at our house made by our boys. We're both incredibly lucky as the boys are exceptional in the kitchen!

 

I was so excited for our evening together! Our place settings were simple but festive, red place mats with red and white seersucker napkins...


The flowers were two of my favorites, white hydrangeas and delicate light pink roses, surrounded by candles...


It was a perfect evening!
A stunning reminder of the incredible amount of love in my life and how grateful I am for those whose friendships and presence enrich my life on a daily basis. 

With love, 





Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Well Color Me Pretty!

My incredible girls night out turned into an even more fantastic sleepover and girls day together! Complete with morning coffee, movies, pouring rain & of course doing our nails together.

:: For Our Sweethearts ::

With Valentine's Day around the corner we both wanted to paint our nails pink, but we couldn't decide on a shade. After giving several colors a try we decided what could be better or more fun than painting our nails ombré.

:: Our "carpet picnic" and colors ::

I have to say our nails turned out to be quite adorable! 
I've never painted my nails like this before but I can easily see doing this again with some beautiful pale blues and shades of mint or with lighter shades of pink. More than anything I love the color combination we came up with, the time we got to spend together and that what we ultimately chose is classy and sassy all at the same time! 

xo, 


:: colors, beginning on our pinkie fingers | Essie-Boom Boom Room | Essie-Forget Me Nots | Zoya-Lo | Essie-Flirty Fuchsia | Punki Pink ::



Sunday, February 9, 2014

Girls Night Out!

Friday's are fast becoming one of my favorite days of the week!
I have been royally spoiled and have had the opportunity and pleasure of enjoying some much needed girl time over the past few weeks. Last night was no exception!
 
It's hard for things to go wrong when they begin like this...


A bit of closet surfing, some hair & makeup & we were on our way... 


 All smiles after one awkward Uber ride & our second bottle of champs...


Love. Love. Love. 
Two of the kindest and sweetest ladies I know! 

 I am so thankful for the friendships that I have, I find myself filled with love, surrounded by incredible people and continually amazed at the beautiful life that unfolds before my eyes. 

With gratitude & love, 








 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Give Yourself A Break!

Our lives are crazy! 
Everyone's are, but ours are well, let's just say crazy enough that a reality TV show has been put on the table. Not going to happen, btw! I enjoy my privacy far too much to pop the top on that bottle of bubbly.  And, when things are crazy sometime you need to escape even it's only for a couple of days. On Saturday night I made the decision to surprise my husband with a little break from reality in Napa. 

::  snapped while driving, no filter, just sunshine and fresh air for miles ::

So far it has been stunning and exactly what we both have needed.
 We haven't had a schedule, don't know which vineyards we were going to visit and have simply gone wherever the days have taken us. 

:: Even if we need a break from our day to day lives, one never needs a break from fashion! ::

One of our stops along the way...

:: A great reminder of how important it is to stop and just breathe ::

Today we are going to meet up with some of our closest friends and I can't wait to enjoy another incredible day. 


Never under value the power of giving yourself a break!

Cheers, 




Sunday, February 2, 2014

A Day In My Life...

I've always been fascinated to see how other people live and what goes on in their day to day lives. I've shared glimpses of my life here and there, moments, outfits, accessories that I love but I thought it might be fun to share an entire day from start to finish. 

9:00am
Sleepy head crawled out of bed, brushed my teeth, made the bed and got dressed for my first appointment of the day. 


My favorite Nike hoodie, Zella workout pants & a plain white tank.


10:00am
Grabbed my Venti half-soy, half non-fat, triple shot latte from Starbucks and dashed to my 10:30 appointment, messy hair, yoga pants and all. 


11:00am-1:00pm
My saving grace and glamour on the go arrived! Hair, makeup and a little work while getting my pretty on! Yes, I know it's a bit crazy but my days tend to be pretty jam packed and I end up on the phone, working, typing and hysterically laughing all while my makeup is being applied and my hair is being styled. 


It's hard not to laugh when you look like a Who from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and did I mention that my stylist continually cracks me up and entertains me. She's the absolute best!

1:00-2:00pm
Prepared for 2:00 meeting. 

Not too exciting, but I actually just sat at my bathroom counter with my laptop and worked before I got dressed for my meeting. 

2:00-3:00pm
Four hours later I'm out of my sweats and on my way to a quick business meeting.


3:30-5:30pm
Dashed to a birthday Celebration, no time for an outfit change!


6:00-10:00
Off to a charity gala for an exceptional organization that I am so proud to be a part of.


Did I mention it was cowboy themed!


:: My Boots ::


::  My Buckle of Love ::


:: And the incredible women from whom I learned that it is far better to give than to receive ::  

10:30pm
When I saw this at the gala I just had to have it! It's Champs, says "couture," looks like Louis and was for an excellent cause so of course this cutie came home with me. 


 I also got to come home to my husband! We Caught up on our days since he left before I woke up and I washed my face because as much as I love being pretty and pulled together I actually hate to have anything on my face!

11:30pm
Time for my beauty rest. Night night, sleep tight, don't let those bed bugs bite.

Hope you all had a great day!

xo, 

  



Monday, January 27, 2014

OOTD | Happy Colors!

It had already been a long Friday but I had the chance to actually have dinner with my husband and go to an event that I have been meaning to get to for months now. I dashed home from the gym, jumped into the shower and then my closet and came out with this...I kind of really like it! 


I cannot live without this Oatmeal cashmere wrap, it goes with everything, keeps me warm, folds easily into my purse and I can style it a countless number of ways. Tonight I made it into an infinity loop by tucking and hiding the tasseled ends into the wrapped layers. I picked up this adorable cream quilted jacket with gold accents today while at Target. Not the best quality piece but cute and I am sure I can get a season or two out of it.  


One of my favorite colored tops. I've had this forever, it is such a versatile, happy piece. 


 I just love pairing complimentary colors, blue and orange are my favorite!


Accessories...my staple Stuart Weitzman nude pumps, Hermès belt with hammered gold buckle, and my Louis Vuitton makeup case that has never held makeup but is the heart of any handbag I carry and my go to clutch when I'm lazy and need to crab something small on the go.

I just love the COLORS of this outfit. The belt feeds off the reds and oranges of the top while complimenting the rich blue of the jeans.

 This was a great outfit because while I felt cute in it, and I was comfortable it didn't feel at all fussy. I didn't have a stitch of makeup on, and I there my wet hair into a ballet bun and ran out the door. Another post on the go!  

I hope you all had a good Friday night.  

xo, 



Friday, January 24, 2014

OOTD | BLD

Lord I know it has been forever since I have done a fashion focused post! I have no excuse. I have been busy and capturing my outfits in detail has just not happened. If I had a dime for every time I've run, not walked, but run out the door and thought I should snap a few quick pictures for my blog I would have gotten myself a really great handbag or pair of shoes by now! This outfit is the one and only exception when I actually stopped for 3 seconds and took a few pictures. 


:: BLD | Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner ::

My days and activities vary greatly and so often times whatever I throw on in the morning is going to have to get me not only through the day but sometimes through the evening as well. I call these days BLD's because they have to take me from breakfast to lunch and straight on through to dinner! This was one of those days...

:: An effortless pop of color ::

Comfort is paramount on busy days! 
I remember throwing this outfit on in about 3 minutes. The key to this outfit is accessorizing. I tossed on a pair of plain skinny jeans(J.Crew) and paired them with a simple black top(?). The belt is an easy and effortless bright pop of color, comfy classic flats enabled me to stylishly scurry about for the entire day, while my go to-never let me down Céline sunnies hid the fact that I am not wearing an ounce of makeup and my well tailored favorite leather jacket kept me warm and added a little texture.

:: Delicate bows, comfortable and adorable::

The great thing about an outfit like this one is that I will wear it  or a version thereof hundreds of times in my life!

 A flip of the belt, a change of the top, swap the flats for heels, toss in some colored jeans...While how I wore this particular outfit was rather basic it can easily be transformed into something sassy and far more fun. Experimentation is my fashion muse, you never know how incredible something may be until you try it! 

xo, 





Monday, January 20, 2014

My Life in Music

Many people document their lives in journals or diaries. I've never been any good at that, I've started a few over the years but I've never kept one up. The one thing that I have done consistently over the years is to create playlists of music. One of my favorite movies is Almost Famous directed by the very talented Cameron Crowe. In the  behind the scenes interviews he discusses how he has kept tapes of music throughout his life and how he has been able to go back to those tapes and quite literally replay his life. 



My playlists are titled simply with the month and the year and I too am able to replay various moments of my life with the simple click of my mouse or tap on my iPod. From songs of my childhood to when I first left home to go to college, trips with friends, breakups, parties, when I met my husband, even when loved ones have passed away these playlists and their songs transport me back to moments and memories of my life. 



Most of them make me laugh, some make me cry but all make me smile. 

November 2013

Young & Beautiful Lana Del Rey
Stand Up Five for Fighting
What If Five for Fighting
At This Point In My Life Tracy Chapman
Bruises Train
Love Somebody Maroon 5
Let Her Go Passenger (still on repeat)
Wait for Me Kings of Leon
Wake Me Up Avicil
Oklahoma Sky Miranda Lambert
We All Need Saving Jon McLaughlin
Hero Family of the Year
God Gave Me You Blake Shelton
Demons Imagine Dragons
Bleeding Out Imagine Dragons
Nothing More The Alternate Routes (also on repeat!)

This playlist has been on repeat since I created it. In fact I'm still playing it and last night my husband came home to tell me about this great song I just had to listen to! Funny thing, it's on this playlist and I've been listening to it nearly non-stop, good news he was happy to listen to it more with me. 


These playlists are one of my most treasured possessions because they are quite literally my life in music.  



xo, 




Thursday, January 9, 2014

The Beauty of Kindness

This evening I was touched by the beautiful kindness of an absolute stranger. I was at the gym and had just finished a workout that was intended far more for my mind than for my body. I was quietly stretching by myself, there was no one around me and yet as I sat on my mat and rested my body over my leg to stretch there was a smile and wave from across the way. I didn't recognize the face, nor did I understand the gesture, in fact I was not even certain that it had been a wave at all, but I quickly and warmly smiled back because that's how my heart and head responded. I went about my stretching and finished my workout. As I was beginning to leave the young man approached me. He very politely said that he didn't mean to disturb me but that he just wanted to let me know that he felt I was a very positive person and that he could feel the presence of my positivity. 



That was it. That was all. He smiled again at me and we parted ways. It was just a moment, a brief one at that, but it was a moment that I will never forget and one in which the true beauty of kindness revealed itself.

It was a moment that made me stop. 
It was a moment that reminded me to be grateful for all of the blessings in my life and it was a stunning reminder of how touching and meaningful the smallest of gestures can be. 

"We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do!"

In that moment all of my worries slipped away, I realized that whatever challenges I may be facing will work themselves out and that the power of my positive presence is palpable. 

What a remarkable reminder of what a gift a simple smile can be. 


 xo, 







Monday, December 30, 2013

Oh What a Year!

I have never been more excited to see one year end and another begin! 



This year has taught be some wonderful life lessons. It has revealed to me those who are truly my friends. It has made me a stronger person and has demonstrated to me that grace and dignity always prevail. It has reminded me time and time again how incredibly grateful and thankful I am for the remarkable people I have the honor and privilege to have present in my life. 


I chose the words above with great care for to me they are not simply words, they are action and values. 

:: presence :: grace :: gratitude :: loyalty :: authenticity :: 

These are the values that define my character, my friends and my life. I know they're strong and powerful and that sometimes it may require more work for me to embody them, but I also know that when the day is done these qualities are who I really am and I am proud of that. 

I recently came upon the song, Nothing More by The Alternate Routes. It is a poignant song that seems befitting as this year draws to a close.

To be humble, to be kind.
It is the giving of the peace in your mind.
To a stranger, To a friend
To give in such a way that has no end.

We are Love
We are One
We are how we treat each other when the day is done.
We are Peace
We are War
We are how we treat each other and Nothing More

To be bold, to be brave.
It is the thinking that the heart can still be saved
And the darkness can come quick
The Dangers in the Anger and the hanging on to it.

We are Love
We are One
We are how we treat each other when the day is done.
We are Peace
We are War
We are how we treat each other and Nothing More

Tell me what it is that you see
A world that’s filled with endless possibilities?
Heroes don’t look they used to, they look like you do.

We are Love
We are One
We are how we treat each other when the day is done.
We are Peace
We are War
We are how we treat each other and Nothing More

I wish you all a happy, safe and healthy 2014! 

With love, gratitude & kindness,