LATELY

This last week has been challenging in many ways, but sometimes it's those difficult times that allow you to stop and think about how truly blessed you are. I feel like I have mentioned before how my life has been in a state of flux over the last year. There have been so many changes, and for someone who thrives on routine it has thrown me for a loop. I must admit, I've had moments of feeling sorry for myself. When I start to go to that place, it's the little things that pull me out, like a friend dropping by to bring me fresh bread from the farmer's market, my boyfriend doing silly dances around the house or a hilarious game of charades. As much as I adore beautiful things and write about them here daily, it is really laughter, learning and a human connection that make life truly "sweet". Here is a little look into my life of late and a few of the things making me smile...

• A trip to the newly opened West Elm. Being so close to my house, I have a feeling I will be spending far too much time in here.
• The most beautiful kantha and measuring cups {you might remember these from here} that came home with me.  

• A perfect evening celebrating Miss Lauren's birthday with a game of charades, champagne and fabulous conversation. Isn't this card gorgeous? It was made by Lili and photographed by Lauren.
• The guinea feathers I ordered from Etsy to adorn this year's Christmas gifts.

• A brunch date with my guy at Casita Del Campo for juevos rancheros and the most delicious chips and salsa.
• Indulging in my favorite blueberry pancakes from The Black Cat Bakery on a rainy day. 

Happy Weekend! xo

LATELY

Today I am writing from Marin, where the boy and I are spending the next few days with his family. It has been such a pleasure to spend quality time with his three nieces. Babies are so full of wonder and excitement, which is completely infectious. I know James and I will both be sad when Sunday rolls around and we have to head home. In the meantime, here are a few things of late that have made me stop and smile... 

• Weekend trips to two of my favorite places, Ojai and Marin.

• Rediscovering my vintage 1920's gold purse in the attic. 
• An autumnal bouquet of fuchsia and burgundy blooms. 

• Persimmons making their way into markets.
• Baking popovers {recipe here} to go along side my favorite butternut squash soup {recipe here}. 

Happy Weekend! xo  

LATELY

These last few days have started to feel fall like in LA which is a nice change from the 90 degree heat of last week. The colder temps have got me craving dinners at home, movie nights with the boy and hot tea. Here is a little look into my life of late and a few of the things making me smile...  

• Taking a moment to enjoy the autumn light shining through turning leaves.   
• My new glasses from Bonlook that have not left my face since they arrived. 

• Buying pretty cards for some upcoming birthdays and baby showers at Urbanic. They have the best selection of cards, wrapping paper and gifts. I spend way too much money here!   
• Trying to make the best of the recent heatwave, by spending the day at a friend's pool (yes I have the chubbiest feet ever).

• Ingredients for a comforting, homemade pasta dinner with one of my oldest and dearest friends. 
• Listening to some of my favorite records with my favorite guy.

I am thrilled the weekend is finally here because I am headed up to Ojai for Lilly's baby shower. I can't wait to spend time with my family, some of my favorite ladies and celebrate Little Miss Walton of course. Happy Weekend! xx

LATELY

This week has been quite chilly and rainy in LA, which has been exactly what I've been longing for. It also ended up being a nice mix of both work and fun. I had a couple photo shoots, the boy and I started to rearrange the house a bit and more importantly I had one of the most incredible meals of my life, at Michael Voltaggio's newly opened restaurant Ink. Let me just say, if you are a foodie of any sort- make a reservation now. It will blow your mind. The meal alone made it hard to get rid of the grin on my face, but here are a few other things making me smile...

    

•  Drinking my first pumpkin spice latte of the season and hiding out from the rain. Fall has finally arrived in LA, which hopefully means more rainy days and seasonal coffee's in my future.  

•  Getting cuddle visits from the neighbor's cat. Ever since I had to put my little Eloise down a year and a half ago, my life hasn't been the same. She was the love of my life. I still don't feel ready to adopt another pet, but getting weekly visits from Pussy {yes her name is really Pussy} has made me feel just a little more open to the idea.
• Snuggling up on the couch with the boy, a beautiful bottle of rosé {a birthday gift from a friend} and re-watching the movie that made us realize we liked each other more then "just friends"-- 500 Days of Summer. 

• Finding this brass table lamp at a thrift store on the 40% off table. Serious score! 
• Finally re-organizing "my" picture wall and making it "our" picture wall. Ever since the boy moved in we have been talking about rearranging things and making them feel more "us." But of course life got in the way and we put things off...until this week! 

Happy Weekend! xo

LATELY

This week has been busy and wonderful with a little bit of sad thrown in. My friend Teissia {wedding planner extraordinaire} who recently moved to NYC has been staying with us,  which is always a pleasure. James and I got to see two of our favorite bands in concert-- bliss! And my dear friend Lauren, who has decided to move back to DC had a going away dinner. I must say it is quite a strange time in my life. There has been a lot of change in a short period of time-- Three of my close friends have moved away, some are traveling the world for work, some are getting married and some are pregnant. I guess this is what happens in your late 20's. It's unpredictable times like these when you need to find comfort in the little things, so I will focus on a few that made me smile this week...   

• Seeing two of my favorite bands- Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver in concert. Also feelin' lucky to share it with my guy who loves the same bands as I do and is as passionate about seeing live music as I am. 

 

• The Loeffler Randall loafers and Madewell bracelet I've been eyeing-  birthday gifts from my mom and one of my friend's. 
• The Moroccan pouf I ordered back in July has finally arrived and looks so happy in my office.  

• Working on a crafting project with Teissia for an upcoming wedding she planned.
• Rocking Sally Hanson Salon Effects gold sparkly nails for the week. Love these- they are so fun, just wish they weren't so hard to remove. 

Do you have any fun weekend plans? My week has been pretty jam packed so I am looking forward to staying low key and going to see Drive tonight with a few of my friends. Happy Weekend! xx

LATELY

This week was extra special because it was my birthday week. I ate indulgent food, I listened to a few of my favorite bands at FYF Fest and I went to a fun pre fashion night out party at Soho House. It was full of smiles and here is a photographic look at why... 

• A perfect birthday brunch with my guy at Gjelina- Crispy fried eggs with romesco, prosciutto, arugula and lemon and strawberry rhubarb crisp with amaretto ice cream.  

• Surprise balloons and a hand drawn card from Miss Lauren waiting in front of my house on my birthday.
• A homemade pop up card from the boyfriend. He loves to make me cards and I treasure every one of them.

• Memories from our amazing day at FYF Fest. Broken Social Scene, The Cults, Future Islands and Glass Candy were some of my favorites. 

• A gift off my birthday wishlist from my sister Merry. I have a feeling this will be an everyday ring. 
• Opening up the mailbox to find the latest Lucky Magazine. I can't wait to flip through all the cozy fall fashion.

Any fun plans for the weekend? A bunch of my friends will be picnicking and watching A Rebel Without a Cause at the Cinespia screening tomorrow. Have you ever been? It is one of my favorite things to do in LA. On Sunday I will be going to a girls get together where we have to bring a mix cd for each guest. Such a fun idea! In fact, I better start putting it together. Happy Weekend! xx 

LATELY

It has been a quiet week so far- very different from the last, which has been nice. I went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market alone, which is when I tend to do my best shopping. Well, to be honest none of my friend's are as passionate about flea markets as I am. At least not enough to get up at 7am on a Sunday. I must say I quite enjoyed going through at my own speed and stopping to look only if I wanted to. Other than a few mini outings, I have stayed in most days and focused on work. Tonight I am looking forward to my friend Kerry coming over for drinks and some always therapeutic girl talk. 

Here is a photographic peak in to my life this week and a few of the sweet things that made me smile...

• A green Vena Cava top I bought on Gilt I few months ago that I can't stop wearing with Revlon's orange flip lipstick. 

•  A vintage brass standing lamp I found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market for $20. Missing a lightbulb, but I have plans to change out all the bulbs to these beauties. 

• Taking my bike Pepper {mint} out for a ride. I had forgotten how much I love feeling the wind in my hair and treating myself to a delicious brunch afterwords. 

• And last but not least...finding out my oldest friend Lilly is having a GIRL! Best news ever!!! 

LATELY

It's time to take a deep breath 'cause the weekend's here! I find that on particularly busy or stressful weeks it's important to take a moment and think about all the little things bringing a smile to my face. Last weekend while my guy was away I got so  many things checked off my to-do list, which for this virgo resulted in lots of smiles. My office/dressing room finally started to come together thanks to a few new additions. Now all I need is a tall bookshelf, the Moroccan pouf I ordered from Joss & Main, and this garment rack I hired a friend to build. I can't wait to share the finished product with you all. For today, here's a little photographic sneak peak in to my life of late and a few more things bringing me smiles...

• The perfect mid century dresser found at Hernandez Appliance & Furniture, the Nate Berkus Orbit Lamp {mine found on ebay for $80, available in rose gold here} and the Urban Outfitters Zig Zag Rug. 

• Wire and paperclips holding up what's inspiring me right now on my office wall {thanks to lauren's suggestion}.

• My bestie Teissia, who recently moved to New York City in town for the week. There is nothing better then morning trips to starbucks and late night chats with a dear friend.  

• Ingredients for my favorite cocktail the 19th Century: bourbon, créme de cacao, lillet rouge and lemon juice. 

• A book on vintage scripts that's keeping this typography lover seriously inspired.

• A set of graphic thank you cards from Target. Sending a card means so much, especially these days when most correspondence is through the Internet. 

Do you have anything fun planed this weekend? I plan on spending time with my friend and house guest Teissia, taking a bike ride and cooking meals in my sweet house. See you next week! Happy Weekend! xx

LATELY

Things have been more than busy over here, between getting ready for the launch of Glitter Guide, moving the boyfriend in, doing photo gigs, blogging and trying to keep up any semblance of a life. But guess what? I kind of love it and It's important to remember that. Ok, I don't love how some days I am lucky if I get to brush my hair, but I love spending my days doing exactly what I feel passionate about. But don't get me wrong, it's not always a passion/inspiration-fest. Sometimes I have "bloggers block" and nothing seems to get me going and other times I feel like I might explode I have so many ideas. And every now and then, I just don't have time to make my ideas come to life. That is kind of what I am dealing with now. So please bare with me for the next week until we launch. For today, here is a little photographic look into my life of late, and the sweet things that are reminding me to smile...

• My favorite flower- peonies, brightening up my living room along side "my issue" of Martha Stewart Weddings. 
• Macaroons from our double date night at Bottega Louie and First Fridays at the Natural History Museum. My favorite flavors are salty caramel and rosewater. 

• A little vignette on my entry table, greeting me when I come home.

• Summer fruit, like apricots that have started filling up my kitchen.
• His clothes. A reminder that the boy actually lives with me now! {big smiles on that one}

• My new office/dressing room. So far from being decorated but already has changed my life having a proper work space. 

• My new clothing rack {a stand-in until I find the right one}. It has been so amazing having space to get dressed and to be able to see my clothes! I have re-fallen in love with clothes I forgot I had. Now I just need a dresser so I can show you the other half of the room. Right now it's just a messy pile of clothes. 

• A fun discovery in the back of my garage. Some photos of me taken by my father, draped in my grandmother's costume jewelry. Yes I was a glitter girl even then. {i also had just woken up, hence my awesome hair}

• The beginnings of my inspiration board that will hang behind my desk and keep me feeling creative. Now I just have to figure out how to hang them all. Ideas???