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, 

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, 

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 ::

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, 

Falling in love...

This Fall has been absolutely breathtaking, one of the most stunning that I can remember. The trees have changed colors and the leaves have begun to fall but in California most of our days have remained in at least the 70's. Because of the warm weather I have just not felt like wearing the darker typical shades of Fall. That was until I discovered Zoya's Pixie Dust Collection.  

:: Dahlia :: London :: Godiva :: Electra ::

This special edition textured nail polish is simply divine! My three favorite colors London, Godiva and Dahlia, are each as rich and decadent as they sound and they look incredible.*Electra is a discontinued color but I've been combining it with these and it sort of fits right in. I've been wearing them or a combination thereof for about two months straight now and I have never gotten so many compliments on nail colors. 

:: London & of course my trademark pink toes ::

This past week I created a color I've named Paved in Gold. It's a combination of layering London and Godiva. The Godiva brightens the already stunning London and adds just a touch of warmth. 

 :: Paved in Gold ::

One of my favorite things about this collection is that it is like super glue and lasts for a good two weeks! I wore Godiva for our entire trip to Hawaii and it stayed looking incredible even when being slathered in sunscreen, and going between the beach and the pool! 

xo, 

Parabal Gurung

A few days ago the Parabal Gurung collection for Target launched. Following the incredible success of the Missoni | Target launch there have been a handful of of designers that have attempted to follow suite. I'm not including the entire Neiman Marcus disaster, I think it's just best if we put that behind us and pretend it never happened. 

Personally, I am not sure if there will ever be another partnership like that with Missoni. To date not a single collection has maintained their brand with the quality and level of design that Missoni clearly invested. Not to mention the Missoni collection was insane with the number of incredibly diverse products they offered. 

I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, but I've certainly lost a great deal if interest in these pairings. I shop at Target at least a few times a week and so I figure I'll stop in and see the collections when I can. 

I perused the collection online nothing had jumped out at me. Yesterday I stopped by and found two cute items! 

At first I wasn't so sure about this dress. I was initially drawn to the bold colors and thought it could be a cute dress for Spring and Summer. I tried it on and it is cute! It will be great for running errands or having lunch with my girlfriends. The dress is mostly made out of cotton and is sort of like a t-shirt dress except that it has fun ruffles at the bottom. The ruffles are actually another much lighter weight material which gives them a bit of bounce and movement in person. 

My next little discovery was these! I love shoes especially colorful shoes and these fit the bill. They are actually comfy too! I can already see pairing them with jeans, tailored shorts, skirts and dresses. They are a great accent piece for any outfit and since they have nearly every color in them you can choose whichever color you like and they will really make it pop! I even bought my sister a pair for Valentine's Day :)

Overall, I think this collection fell into the rut as well :( Most of the pieces were not well designed and the quality of construction was poor. I think like with most of Target it's really about finding those few pieces that standout from the rest.  What did you think of this latest collection? 

:: Sparkle ::

Sparkle and my name might as well be synonymous. It all started with my original iPhone case back in college and well let's just say that over the years the sparkles have expanded. 

:: The Daily Sparkles ::

I know it's often hip and trendy to change phone cases but believe it or not I've had the same phone case (I exchange them for new ones on a regular basis, but same design) for literally years now. 

:: A Petite Addition to the Original Sparkle ::

When the iPad first came out I didn't even think about what case I would select it just seemed obvious to me that of course my iPad would sparkle too! I'm literally attached to my iPad it goes with me everywhere. At first I was concerned about how my sparkly iPad would be received, especially at work, but guess what, not a single person was surprised. In fact most people commented that it was perfect and now people both professionally and personally know me for and by my sparkles. 

:: Signature Sparkles ::

 In the last few months I've added a couple of "little" sparkles to the collection. When I first spotted this Jonathan Adler pouch I knew I had to have it. I use it in my purse to keep my cosmetics organized and I can't tell you how many people ask me where they can get one. 

:: Sparkles Jonathan Adler Style ::

 I've always said that hot pink nails and sparkles make me happy, so when I was walking through our local hardware store and discovered my key chain disco ball my previously boring errand had just become fabulous! Obviously I use my keys many times throughout the day and while it may only be a key chain I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to look down and see it sparkle! 

:: Because Everyone Should Have a Miniature Disco Ball Somewhere ::

 Do you sparkle?

xo, 

Cleopatra

I'm always experimenting with color, especially nail color! I'm currently obsessed with my latest color combination - Cleopatra. Known for her ornate and stunning gold and often depicted with colorful accents of jewelry including turquoise this latest color story immediately brought Cleopatra to mind. 

 :: Essie | mint candy apple :: OPI | designer series (really really old) :: Essie | good as gold ::

:: Cleopatra ::

A base layer of  mint candy apple, a light dusting of designer series finished with good as gold french tips

In darker lighting it appears almost as a light grey & in brighter lighting the depth of the mint & sparkle of the designer series sparkles right thought. The delicate the gold accent gives this combination it's refined finishing touch. 

Hope you enjoy!

xo, 

:: Memories :: Traditions :: Love ::

Slowly, incredibly slowly, things are beginning to come together. One space that makes me smile and that I see and walk past nearly all day long is the entrance to our master suite. 

My favorite painting "The Depth of Peace" & a beautiful vintage bottle adorn the entrance and serve as daily reminders of peace, tradition & love 

I delight in the hidden symbolism of these objects and enjoy how this space combines old and new. It is a reflection of our personal style, a reminder of love and honors my childhood memories and traditions.    

Everyday as I walk past, I smile and think of Grampsie

Growing up my Gran and Grampsie always had a beautiful ceramic vase, more sculpture than vase, that sat at the end of the hall by the entrance to their bedroom. As little girls my sister and I would take turns dropping coins into the vase. We were told it was our "college fund" and so we delighted in adding to it. My Grampsie however was the primary donor as he would empty his spare pocket change daily before entering into their bedroom. The vase of my childhood remains at the end of my Gran's hallway, but since my Grampsie is no longer with us I don't think it's been contributed to in quite some time.  

From the Rocky Mountain Water Company I was drawn to the texture and design of this bottle

 My husband and I love tradition and it's important to both of us to carry on and continue those of our families but also to create new ones of our own. I love seeing this old glass bottle with coins whenever I walk by. While it may not be the stunning ceramic piece of my childhood, it's vintage flair is mine and my husband's modern day adaptation of this memorable and very special childhood tradition. I love passing by and look forward to filling and refilling this bottle many times in the years to come.  

Do you have any favorite traditions?

xo, 

Champagne Rain

I am never indecisive. I always know what I like & usually I make decisions quickly, with little effort & without second guessing myself. Well not lately! With projects galore & more on the way, our home, backyard & lives are a little on overload. I've literally been wanting to paint my fingers for the past two weeks but between being exceedingly sick for over a week & attempting to get the house ready for Thanksgiving that didn't happen until tonight. 

:: Playing with Colors ::

When I was finally ready to sit down for what I had anticipated to be a quick manicure at 12:30am I suddenly found myself unsure of what color I wanted to paint my nails. I didn't even have an idea of if I wanted to choose a light color or a dark one? 

:: I literally painted ALL of my fingers before deciding on a color ::

Why not try them all & every combination in between? What I love most about fashion & style is the ability to take mainstream pieces or products & transform them into your own. I've always had a propensity for mixing & layering nail polish & tonight was no exception. I like to be different than others, not in a I need to dye my hair black and rebel against everything kind of way, more of I've just never been one to follow the crowd. And so tonight I finally settled on a color...

:: Champagne Rain | An Original by Lady Grace ::

:: 1st Color | Drops of Champagne | OPI Bring On the Bling ::

 I had painted my nails a soft gray earlier in the month and the tone suited me then but I either wanted to go dark or keep things on the lighter side. I'm kind of in love with this delicate creation. What I fancy most about it is it's depth. It completely changes colors with the light. In bright light it is exceedingly demure, appearing sheer and literally like the bubbles in champagne. In quieter lighting it transforms into a metallic heather gray. 

:: 2nd Color | Slick the Champagne with a Light Sheen of of Rain | Essie Mochachino ::

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love, 

The Sunday Social - The 4th Edition

   What is your favorite store to shop at?

Nordstrom, it happens to be really convenient and they carry many of my favorites :) 

     If you could afford anything and everything, which designer

    brand would you covet? 

Chanel 

Must have closet staple?

A great nude heel

Favorite kind of shoes? 

I must give Mr. Stewart Weitzman some major credit, of all of the wonderful shoes I own, his tend to consistently be the most comfortable. I love, love, love any heel 4" and higher :)

Best clothing deal you've ever gotten? 

I have to admit I have never had incredible luck at finding wonderful things on sale, but I did fall madly head over heels in love with my Valentino coat and dress! 

Style you'd love to try?

I like to vary my style, somtimes I lean to boho chic other times I like to keep it simple and conservative. If there's a style I fancy I give it a go, that's the FUN of fashion!

Sassy, classy & colorful :) 

Much love, 

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