Little did you know!

One of my new blogger friends started this and I think it's a creative way to get to know one another and for our followers to get to know us! Hope you enjoy :) 

There are five simple rules:

1. Post these rules

2. Post a picture of yourself and 11 random things

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post

4. Create 11 new questions and tag bloggers to answer them

5. Go to their blog or twitter and tell them you've tagged them

11 Random Things...

1. I am a girly girl and love clothes, shoes, hair and make-up but I can't do my own hair or make-up very well at all. I've had people helping me since I was in 8th grade. Very sad, but incredibly true. 

2. I've been doing Pilates for almost 9 years. It helps me in so many ways. 

3. Neon pink finger nails will ALWAYS make me smile :) 

4. My Grandmother taught me to enjoy and appreciate the finer things in life at a very early age. 

5. My mom does not like shopping at all, I do all of her shopping for her. 

6. I paint, mostly on large canvases, and when I paint I get incredibly messy. 

7. I like to get pedicures but not manicures. I think my nails look better and the polish lasts longer when I do them. I can give my self a great French manicure. 

8. There is not much in life I feel like I cannot accomplish. Our family friends joke that I could easily run a small country and I think I could. 

9. I find the wind to be magical and calming. There is something incredibly spiritual about it for me. 

10. My Grampsie meant the world to me and there is not a single day that I do not miss him.

11. I am very competitive and pretty athletic, I love running, tennis, hiking and horseback riding.  

11 Questions for Me...

1. Dog person or cat person?

    I'm a dog person, we recently adopted a 2 year old Saint     Bernard :) He's 145lbs of love!

2. If you could interview anyone for your blog, who would it be?

    Rachel Zoe. I love her style. 

3. Drink you're most likely to order in a bar?

    Grey Goose Madras

4. Do you have a phobia?

    I'm afraid of spiders and snakes.

  

5.  Morning person or night?

     Night, I literally do not function before 8:30am

6. Do you collect anything?

    Sunglasses, handbags and shoes. 

7. Favorite guilty pleasure TV show?

    Anything "Real Housewives"

 8. Where did you go on your last vacation?

      London

9. Favorite animal?

    Saint Bernard, or a monkey, I think I would like to encounter a monkey at some point in  

    my life.

10. What is the first thing you would grab in a fire?

      Truthfully, my lovies. I still have my blanket from when I was little and a dog named Woof 

      Woof Woof that my Gran and Grampsie gave me. 

                 

11. What would you do for a Klondike bar?

 Hahaha, nothing! I'm not a huge Klondike fan. Now if you were offering a fruit tart, that would be an entirely different story.          

11 Questions for Bloggers...

1. What is your favorite beauty product?

2. What is your favorite word?

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be?

4. Who is the most influential person in your life?

5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

6. What makes you smile?

7. What are three things that you find to be calming?

8. What would people be surprised to know about you?

9. What was your first car?

10. Beach, mountains or desert?

11. What is your favorite thing to cook or bake?

Bloggers I Tagged

Fuoco nelle Vene

A Southerner in San Francisco

Messy Mimi

* A special thanks to Couture Zoo for coming up with such a great and fun post to share!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

The Dailies

Lady Elizabeth Grace

A glimpse into my childhood and a trip down memory lane...

I can't even begin to count the number of times I've either read or been read this book!

My Gran always used to sing this to me! 

The All Time Classic of my Life!

Pretty much the best advice EVER!

Intorducing the Dailies...

The Dailies

Lady Elizabeth Grace

Dailies - the raw, unedited footage of a film in production collected at the end of each day to be reviewed

The Dailies - Lady Elizabeth Grace - images, quotes, people, places, objects, art...basically anything I see or encounter in my daily life that inspires me or my style

Life can get so crazy busy, but I truly love my blog and I am very grateful for those who follow it. I intend The Dailies to be a quick, easy and fun way for me to share and connect every day! I hope you enjoy :) 

It's been a long day and this looks so comfortable. I love the lamp, the mirrored side table and the neutral colors of the bedding. I believe your bedroom should be your sanctuary, truly a space to relax, recharge and restore and I could easily do that in this room! 

A Not So Lady Grace Adventure...

Yesterday I decided to have a little adventure, and do something I have never done before, garden! While I love to observe the beauty of nature from such perspectives as hiking, laying on the beach or sailing on a boat, I have never become one with the soil and attempted to plant anything. You might be wondering what made me think to even try this in the first place. The simple answer is my husband. I wanted to do something nice to surprise him and he loves plants and gardening. I knew this one would really shock him! Boy did it ever :) 

My adventure began at our local nursery where thank God, a very nice and incredibly patient woman spotted by distressed self and selflessly volunteered to help me. I think she found my helplessness amusing and I was truly grateful for her wisdom and advice. 

After describing the daily conditions and light patterns of our back yard, a conversation that required a phone call to my mom for the answer,  we selected three pretty Camellia plants. I placed one outside of our kitchen and the other two outside of our master bedroom. Never to miss a decorating opportunity I of course had to select beautiful clay pots to accent my newly chosen flowers. I found these simple but striking dark Hunter green pots, which just happen to also be my husband's favorite color. 

 This truly became a labor of love. 

I couldn't find any gardening gloves and forgot to buy a pair so I wore a pair of latex gloves, I think my hands ended up just as dirty as they would have had I not worn gloves. I was also so excited to begin my little project that I didn't think to remove any of my jewelry. Needless to say, I think you get the picture of exactly what kind of adventure this became. In the end though I have to admit I am pretty proud of what I did. Let's just say it's very safe to assume that this will most likely be my first and last gardening adventure. It's back to fashion, design and all things fabulous for me!

Obsessed!

My latest obsession, one I am most certain I share with many of you, is Pintrest! I simply cannot get enough. From fashion, to my style at home, architectural inspiration, and quotes it seems to speak to my soul on so many wonderful levels. Time literally seems to fly by and before I know it I've been glued to my computer for hours. Join me in my newest addiction and follow me on Pintrest!

Here are a few of my latest pintrest favorites...

LOVE this!

Vintage Chanel

If I owned this I would never take it off!

Adorable, delicate, and perfect for Spring!

Love these colors

 Perfection

 One of my personal mantras

So true...

Love this for so so so many reasons :)

I will whisper this to my kids someday!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Last night we celebrated my Dad's 60th Birthday! It was a great party, but the week leading up to it was beyond hectic. Of course I found myself scrambling to find an outfit at the last minute. The afternoon before the party I managed to sneak in a few hours of shopping and I found an adorable dress by Milly. I love its vintage flare, color blocking and classy but sassy style. 

Being that I am only 5'2" I had the dress shortened a few inches so that it now falls a few inches above my knees.  I paired my dress with a simple nude heel. 

I used one of my favorite clutches for the evening. I have used this  Marc Jacobs clutch so many times, as it also has a chain strap and can be worn as a sholder bag. It's a great size and its details complimented my outfit well. 

For hair and makeup we really played up the 1960's edge, with a fun poofed and curled ponytail. We kept my makeup simple but really accentuated my eyes with lashes and liner. I had several people approach me throughout the night and tell me that I reminded them Christina Hendrick's from Mad Men. I have a great makeup and hair artist who I've worked with for quite a while and she's fantastic at bringing that vintage style into my hair and makeup. I was in a bit of hurry so I didn't take pictures, but If I find some I will try to post them. 

Happy Valentine's Day

My sister gave me these beautiful pink tulips.  I just adore them, they are so cheerful and bright. I put them in one of my favorite Tiffany's vases and I love how simple and delicate they look together. 

I hope everyone enjoyed a day of love, friendship and happiness :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup

In the last three days it has really started to feel like winter here in California. We've finally gotten some rain and the sky has that ominous winter glow. Perfect weather for soup and Pintrest! Today I decided that I really felt like Chicken Tortilla Soup. I didn't have a recipe handy and I was already at the grocery store so I grabbed a few things and away I went.

The Basics:

Chicken Broth, Quinoa, Black Beans, Light Sour Cream, Medium Salsa, Avocado

The Soup: 

1.  Bring 1 1/2 boxes of  chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan.

2.  Add 1 can of black beans and allow to simmer. 

3. In a separate small saucepan cook about 1/2 cup of Quinoa in chicken broth. When cooked add into the chicken broth and black beans.

4. In a large saucepan combine 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts and one large can of medium salsa. Bring to a boil and allow to cook at a slow boil for about 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.  

5. Remove the chicken from the salsa, shred and add to the broth, beans and Quinoa

6. Add the left over salsa from the chicken to the soup

Simmer and Serve

Garnish:

Fresh diced avocado, a dollop of light sour cream, crumbled tortiall chips and hot sauce to taste

*While I didn't have any on hand, in the future I think some fresh cilantro would add nice flavoring as well. 

The Cusp of Spring

In California it feels as though we are on the cusp of Spring. The days are stunningly beautiful, bright and sunny and I find myself eagerly awaiting the arrival of Spring. Here are a few favorites and styles that I think will define my Spring palette and that I absolutely cannot wait to wear....

Bright Colors

Panatone's Color of 2012 is Tangerine Tango. I LOVE this color and already have a few pieces in my collection. It's bright and fun and can easily be dressed up or down. It accents well with both black and white and can be paired with florals and stripes too! 

Gold

Not only am I head over heels for the color above I cannot wait to accent it with all kinds of fun Gold accessories. 

Stripes

I find stripes to be classic, effortless, and always chic and I'm only slightly obsessed with them. From dresses to T's, blouses and sweaters I can always work them into an outfit.  

Inspiration II

Capturing what inspires me is something I do without even thinking. My love for photography, design and style become one and I find myself snapping pictures of things I love wherever I go. I've also begun saving images that speak to me when others share them as well. Here are some favorites as of late...

Beautiful roses and delicate flowers

 shared by @MindyWeiss via Twitter

A warm latte on a cold winter morning, while enjoying a quiet Sunday morning 

Silhouettes - life seems to stand still and memories are forever captured

Sunset at the beach - spiritually simple beauty

So Me!

One of my best friends sent this to me. 

She said it reminded her of me :-) 

I love little things like this that make me smile!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Here is what I threw together for this evening. I wish you all a wonderful beginning to 2012, may this be a year of much love, happiness and joy!

I found this very cute French Connection dress on sale at Nordstrom's the other day and I thought it was perfect for this evening. 

I love the back as it has the most adorable black bows! It makes this rather simple dress a bit more interesting, especially since this is a detail that you only see from the back. 

I paired my dress with my Valentino ruffles and bow coat, happily used my new Louis de Paule and I was out the door for an evening of fun!

Happy New Year, 

Lady Elizabeth Grace

Inside My Bag - Part II

Most of my handbags are larger and so it can be tempting to fill them with all kinds of wonderful things! While this has its advantages I generally try to pair down what I carry with me on a daily basis. Aside from my larger Louis pouch and the essentials within it, my cosmetics pouch is really the only other accessory that is most often with me. 

Unlike my wallet, I tend to change cosmetic pouches often. I usually select one based upon what I need, where I am going and what I am wearing. Here are a few of my favorite essentials...

Mac Blot Powder

Love this! Simply an essential. 

Chanel Lip Color

I think Chanel has an excellent line of lip colors both in lip sticks as well in lip glosses. Sunnies and a bright lip can make any day a great day and so I am never without these. 

Band-Aid  Friction Block

A lifesaver! Some of my favorite VERY expensive shoes can require a bit of breaking in. I would not make it without this little gem!

E.O. Hand Gel

I'm a bit of a germaphobe, and I LOVE the lavender scent. This anti-bacterial hand gel makes it easy to keep my hands clean on the go and it smells like heaven. 

Maybelline Line Stiletto

For the longest time I swore by Chanel's liquid liner, until I somehow stumbled upon this. For the past year or so I have been using it and I love it. It's easy to apply, has great staying power and is a heck of a lot less expensive. 

Perfume

The same amazing friend that gave me Louis Paule (my vintage Louis Vuitton from a few posts back) gave me this incredible little bottle of scented oil. It smells like Gardenias and Plumerias and reminds me of my Grampsie and Hawaii. 

Inside My Bag - Part I

I find it interesting and love to see what other people carry in their purses. I thought I would share with you what's in mine, or at least the essentials I am never without...

My Louis Pouch

Truly meant to be a cosmetic pouch, I use this large Louis Vuitton pouch to hold my wallet, checkbook, lip gloss etc...this pouch is really the heart and soul of my purse. 

Tiffany Leather Envelopes

I originally received the large Tiffany blue envelope as party favor at a Tiffany event and for years it sat in a desk drawer. About five years ago I began using it to keep my receipts organized. It's slim profile makes it the perfect accessory. 

I also have the smaller version of this in red and black and I use these adorable envelopes to hold business cards and gift cards. Their patent leather makes them durable and their bright colors make them easy to find. 

My Wallet

I use a small Louis Vuitton sip pouch for my wallet. I found it while on a trip to Hawaii and I have been using it ever since. I don't change wallets often and I like to be able to carry car keys, my phone and my wallet in one hand, so suits my needs quite nicely. 

Keys

My Grampsie always carried his keys in this simple black leather holder. When he passed away I carried with with me everywhere until it was stolen with my purse. Of everything I lost, I was most devastated over this. My sweet husband found this one which is exactly like Grampsie's and bought it for me. Grampsie always used to keep $20 inside for emergencies and my husband always makes sure I do to...just in case. 

Sunnies

Aside from handbags my second largest personal collection would have to be sunglasses. I usually carry at least two pairs with me. Chanel and Oliver Peoples are among my favorites. 

iPad

I am never without it. 

Vintage Love!

Today I was truly left speechless! One of my very good friends whom I absolutely love and adore surprised me and gave me one of her vintage Louis Vuitton handbags. To say that I am over the moon is an understatement. I have not had the opportunity to find out the exact vintage of my bag but I know that it is called the Louis Vuitton Epi Sac D'Paule, and I am guessing that it is from the 1970's based upon stories I have heard. 

I just love how when closed the bag takes on a more structured shape and when open it becomes a fabulous bucket bag!

Inside is a "little Louis" pouch! I use a very similar pouch for my wallet now and I am so excited to use this one as well.

The inside is lined in a beautiful olive green suede. These pictures do not do it justice but it is a gorgeous shade of green. 

The embossed logo set against the incredible texture of the Epi leather. 

My dear friend truly enriches my life. Her life has been and remains an incredible journey and I will forever be grateful to her for bestowing upon me this treasure. I am honored to be able to include it in my personal archives and I will forever think of her whenever I use it. 

Dolls

One of my favorite books of all time is the campy 1960's novel Valley of the Dolls. I absolutely adore it! Dolls, in case you aren't familiar, refer to the uppers and downers the ladies of this novel imbibed in. To say they popped dolls like candy would be a gross understatement. From staying slender to knocking themselves out to get a little rest, dolls always seemed the appropriate and perfect answer.

Naturally when I saw Jonathan Adler's "Dolls" pottery as part of his Vices Collection I knew it was something that had to become part of my collection. I received this gem as a Hanukkah gift and it makes me smile every time I lay eyes on it! 

 Jonathan Adler will forever be my irreverent style hero. His sense of humor and designs captivate and entertain me. The description for this item reads, "Beyond denial, stash your stuff in style."

Tradition and Style : My take on the menorah

Happy Hanukkah! Aside from the traditions, festive food, fun parties and being surrounded by friends and family, one of my favorite elements of Hanukkah is the menorah and lighting the candles.

While menorahs come in all sorts of designs from very simple to incredibly ornate, the majority seem to be rather simple and plain. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm not one who tends to follow others. I relish in discovering beautiful and significant objects, especially those that offer a unique twist on the traditional. As I grow older, traditions become even more important and are something that I honor in my life. 

One of my very traditional but favorite menorahs

I've always liked the symbolism of trees and their metaphorical comparisons to family. Their roots establish them and keep them firmly grounded, their limbs are sturdy and provide shelter from the elements, the bark of their trunk protects them and their delicate leaves provide them energy and nourishment. 

 The latest edition to my collection, not technically a menorah but it will do :) 

I found this candle sculpture at one of my favorite local stores, and while it was not intended to be a menorah it has the perfect number of paces for candles. As it is only the first night its true beauty is not really shinning though :) I purchased this a while ago and I have been saving it for especially for Hanukkah. I can't wait to see how pretty it will be when all of its candles are lit!  

Party Frog!

Today I had the pleasure of enjoying a great girls lunch with my mom and one of our dearest friends. Mimi is one of the most thoughtful people I know and always manages to find the cutest gifts. Today before our lunch she gave me this... 

Meet my party frog!

She is all dressed up complete with a pretty pink tutu, fuzzy white gloves, a sparkly tiara and red high heels! 

I just love this little frog! 

All Wrapped Up!

This year I decided that I would wrap all holiday gifts using the same wrapping. I chose to do this for a few reasons. One, I think keeping things simple is often times more beautiful. Two, I prefer monochromatic color themes when decorating, and I consider wrapping packages a form of decorating. Three, I thought it would look pretty under the tree if all of the packages looked alike. Here's how it all turned out. 

I used simple recycled brown paper as wrapping and accented it with bright white ribbon that has silver stripes. I found adorable sparkly stars as gift tags at Target that add texture and the perfect finishing touch. 

A cute little package :) 

A Warm Winter Meal

Last night I hosted a girls night to watch Pan Am. It was a casual evening at home, a great bottle of wine, fabulous company and a simple meal. I don't consider myself to be very skilled in the kitchen but this was a relatively quick, easy and delicious meal. 

I combined two types of handmade ravioli from Whole Foods, winter squash and sage in sage pasta and goat cheese, pear and arugula. I boiled them and then finished them off in a pan with a dash of olive oil and some blanched asparagus. I topped them with fresh Parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, arugula and toasted pine nuts. Yummy!