For my 30th Birthday, I’ve been shopping for BAGS!! I really want a timeless purse that will take me into the next few years and beyond =)
Here is one option that I’m lusting overr…The bags come in GM, MM, and PM sizes, I want the medium or large size =)
I own two etsy stores and one of them (EsQuisite Designs) makes wine cork hearts, letters, veils, etc. The Ombre Heart is a new design that I came up with a while back and it has been FLYING off the shelves! =)
The creative process ;P~ Wine is always a necessity.
The Finished Product!
The Ombre Heart compared to my Small Heart Size
Felt Backing
I went into H&M to pick up a Christmas present last week and ended up leaving with presents for myself! H&M is having an AMAZING sale right now. =)
I scored a gold braided belt for $3, a black crossbody bag for $9.99, and a scarf for $5!!
I love H&M. I can’t wait to see what their after New Year‘s Sale will be like! =)
The gray scarf has light pink lips on them. <^^> oo la laa~~
Here’s my second option for new years eve. This doesn’t photograph as pretty as the gold dress, but it’s still such a gorgeous/elegant option!! I think I’d do the same makeup/hair as the gold dress for this one as with outfit #1.
Accessorized this outfit with…
Pim + Larkin Necklace, BCBG Clutch, DV Black Heels
Dress (click here)~ this is on sale too now!! Darn it…but at least you guys can get it for less!
Can’t wait for NYE ❤
I just got this in from Piperlime and I’m obsessed with this gold dress!! Not only is it incredibly comfortable/stretchy, but the gold really pops out!
I’m thinking I could pair this with hot pink lipstick and some romantic hair? =)
Paired the dress with a beaded black necklace (can’t remember where I got it), black BCBG clutch, bebe heels.
Dress (click here). It’s on sale right now!! I totally bought it before then (boo) but at least you can get it for a discount now!
I am…to put it mildly…OBSESSED with Piperlime. I am such a huge online shopping addict. It’s sad really…I NEVER go to the malls anymore which would probably be a more useful and productive way to spend my time (burn calories and only buy what looks good).
ANYWAYY…here are a few pieces that I’m seriously lusting after this Winter!
Who DOESN’T love online browsing for clothes, accessories, shoes, purses…household goods??
1. Amazon
I have Amazon prime and probably buy something from this site no less than 1x per week. This site is seriously the most incredible .com site EVER. You can buy groceries, books, household goods, craft supplies, clothes, shoes, makeup…EVERYTHING. I swear someday they’ll sell lumbar and delivery it within 2 days. If I could only shop on one site for the rest of my life, Amazon would be it. As an Amazon Prime member, I get free 2-day shipping and it’s just SO EASY to get stuff in a flash. Shopping in LA is so hard with traffic/parking that I rely heavily on prime shipping. My coworkers say that as Mom’s, they buy all their baby stuff through Amazon so that they don’t have to go to a store with a screaming baby (just the hassle of traveling with the baby is avoided). AND returns are really easy!
2. Piperlime
My go-to site for all clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, etc. I even go here for GIFTS! It’s just so easy to order from there because I completely TRUST the brand, the items sold on the site AND you can return it for free. I have a banana republic luxe card and I get free shipping on all the orders as well. Shopping with Piperlime/Gap/Banana Republic/Old Navy/Athletica is SO easy. Plus, shipping is FAST.
3. ASOS
Asos is a site that I go to for everything I can’t find on #1 and #2. Shipping and Returns are fast and free. There are THOUSANDS of products on this site and everything is incredibly trendy and fair priced. I don’t trust everything on this site the way I trust Piperlime, but I’m never afraid to order since I can easily return what I don’t like.
If you’re not used to shopping online or are afraid of it~ start with these three sites! They really make the buying/returning experience easy and each company comes with really superb customer service if you need help. =)
xoxoxo Happy Holiday Shopping!
In my early 20s, I was ALL ABOUT the loud, flashy earrings. I mean the bigger and more obnoxious the better. I liked my hair big, makeup bright, and earrings the size of saucers. As a late 20s (almost 30) gal, I’ve started to wear more flashy studs. I dress up casual outfits for work with statement studs or pair a LBD with big earrings. I’ve found that fancy studs are WAY more versatile. Plus, since they’re not as obvious, you can wear them more often that flashy dangling earrings.
Here are three I ordered from Piperlime. Unfortunately, I only liked the Sabine earrings. The others just weren’t as cute in person as they were online. Or at least they didn’t look good on me. The Banana Earrings were TOO unique, which meant that I couldn’t get a lot of wear out of them, and the Tinley Road earrings were gorgeous but a little too mature for me.
From the top left…
1. Stardust Fan Earring by Banana Republic
3. Circle Cabochon Studs by Sabine
We had a big 30th birthday bash for my boss last week and the decorations came out…PERFECTLY. My other coworker did 99% of the decorations around the music note theme (she works in that department)~ and it made me want to copy it for another party!!
Here are the decorations below~~ the creme flags in the middle are a music sheet pattern. SO CUTE. The entire party was a white/black/cream color theme.
My bad pinwheels on the tables with catering from Fundamental in Westwood (SUCH GREAT FOOD).
Isn’t this sign so adorable?? The letters are made of a music sheet pattern and the little notes on the side add the perfect touch. ❤
This was LITERALLY the only thing I contributed too. Hanging notes and pinwheels. I wouldn’t say these were “cute” or “crafty”…they just sorta added to the music theme that my talented coworker put together.
AND the FINALE~~~A MUSIC NOTE PINATA!!! How incredibly adorable is this??? My coworker MADE IT from scratch!!!! She put the pinata on top of music sheets that had the birthday song printed on it. SO CLEVER, CRAFTY and freaking amazing. She also made the little name sign on top of the cake. ❤
We always try to celebrate each other at work whether it’s a birthday, a celebration, or a great life moment. I love my job and the creative/loving team I work with. This party is just one example of what we do for each other. ❤
Got these two Necklaces from Piperlime and they were super gorg. One is from Tinley Road and I believe the second is from Pim + Larkin.
LOVED both of them and found that they matched everything in my closet. I could wear it with a collard shirt & crew neck sweater or with a cocktail dress. I wore the necklace on the left in Vegas this past weekend and I can already tell these beauties will be staples in my closet this fall/winter!
I went into Target to grab some holiday treats but was REALLY distracted by a few of their home goods items! I’m debating whether I should go back and get em…(would Markel notice?)… I seriously want all of these so bad. I’m not sure if I should wait till the after holiday sale or go grab it ASAP~~~ gahhh
(to store my rings in!)
I know…I’m super late again on my updates. Here’s the update from two weekends ago (11/21-11/26ish).
I’m OBSESSED with tamales. Markel’s work had a guy come through and sell a pack of 3 homemade ones and he brought some home for dinner. ❤ YUMMM
Two weeks ago our small group had a big thai food + game night. My bff and I merged our small groups together and this was our first official meeting as a new group.
Thai Boom in Culver City/Palms is BEYOND amazing. You have to try it if you haven’t!
We played a game called “mike-boo” or as some other people know it as “salad bowl“. It’s SUPER fun but I get a little TOO competitive… >.< I always have to keep my temper in check when we’re fighting for points. lol.
GORGEOUS view of westwood! I’ve been going to training courses for UCLA and this was the view on Friday. It was a bit chilly and gloomy~~ but still so beautiful.
Friday night, Markel and I got free tickets to see the Lakers vs Warriors. SO MUCH FUN. We did a little pre-drinking and started the night excited to be out and doing something special.
LOVE stadium fooood~~ *droool *
We got free tacos!! Every time the Lakers score above 100 points, the audience get free tacos! hehe
My outfit of the night ❤
Saturday I spent the day with my lovely Aemy ❤ We’ve been trying to plan a get together for a while and Saturday ended was an entire day of funnn ❤ We started with a bottemless mimosa brunch at Overland Cafe in Culver City. After two bottles of champagne…we knew the day would be amazing ❤ hehe
In the afternoon we snacked, drank some wine and painted out nails! =) Another girlfriend of ours came over it was quite the afternoon party of reality shows and girl time.
Later in the evening the girls + our sig O’s went to the Disneyland Hotel to witness and celebrate the most amazing proposal ever. There were a lot of tears, laughs, and toasts!
Markel LOVES Earl of Sandwich. He was dyyyying to grab dinner here =P
Christmas is everywhere! LOVE the holidays~~
The newly engaged lady!
We ate dinner at Earl of Sandwich in downtown Disney and Markel bought me this amazing Minnie Mouse Hat! =) xoxo
I LOVE MY HAT!
Sunday was LIFE CHANGING for the Blair Family =) Here’s a longer post about Lucy: Click here
My friend from College is a Vet! He was kind enough to go with us to adopt Little Lucy Blair. =)
Her temporary home until we got her crate (it was a collapsible toy chest). We bought this little Dinosaur for her and it’s become her new best friend. When Lucy first started playing with it, the dinosaur used to win a lot. >.< But now that Lucy’s older, she dominates their play sessions. ❤
It was SO AMAZING to bring little Lucy into our family. I pray that she’ll be with us for 10, 12, 15+ years!
oh man, such a long post!! I have an even LONGER one coming for the Thanksgiving Weekend!! xoxo
I’m getting the house ready for the holidays and picked up a few new decorations =)
I added some subtle touches around the apartment to add a little holiday cheer ❤
ahhh this is so late. the last few weeks have been pretty cray b/c of our littly lucy bear~ this recap is from 11/14-11/17ish
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This is a longggg recap because it covered more than just the weekend =)
First, my awesome co-worker of 4 years got a huge promotion. Friday was her last day in our unit, so we had 2 going away parties for her: 1 baby shower, 1 goodbye party. I wasn’t sad last week b/c she’s only a few buildings away on campus and I know we’ll see lots and lots of her~~ the 4 of us (counselors) do dinner/drinks 1x per quarter so it’ll be extra nice to catch up with her and now see her little one (once she’s born)!!
Friday Night, my friend flew into town from NYC. We had a quick Ice Cream Date at Scoops in Palms (off Overland). This place reminds me of a lot of ice crem joints in San Francisco~ where it’s all homemade and the spoons are real metal (to save on waste). LOVE IT.
The next Morning we all ate brunch at Ktchn105. Everything on the menu had pork belly in it and it was…a fattie’s paradise!!
We are trying to take more pictures together. We always forget!
Then we spent the night with Markel’s old roommie and college friend. We celebrated his big 2-7!!
Shots for the birthday boy!
drinks at fancy bar on Abbot Kinney~ The Tasting Room
A snack before dinner + drinks
Dinner at Gjelina in Venice
Sunday Markel and I hosted a huge Thanksgiving potluck in honor of our friend coming to town!
AND got to celebrate our special friend’s birthday ❤
I got some new owls for our TV =P Love these little babies~
Our new Bar Cart was ready to entertain!
This is a sunrise photo on Monday Morning! I started to train for a half-marathon this week and I wake up at 6am 2x per week to run. It’s been such a cool experience so far and I’m feeling so awesome physically/mentally too!
This has been such a big and fun week~ lots to update later. That’s why this week the weekend recap came on a weekend!! Hope you guys all have a wonderful weekend!
This weekend was a nice and long one. It started off a little sad (I was sick) but by the start of Saturday I was feeling normal again.
Thursday night I had a few friends over for some girl time. xoxo It was nice to hang out and catch up~~ Markel went over to our neighbor’s home (and good friends) were the boys watched the Laker game and the girls chatted over pizza, cupcakes, wine and nails.
Friday I was home sick eating soups/Ramen and watching Sons of Anarchy all day. I’m going through Season 4 right now and totally loving it. I heard seasons 5 & 6 aren’t awesome…so I really hope I’m not disappointed after investing so much! But the more I watch…the more I love Charlie Hunnam.
Saturday and Sunday were awesome. Markel and I spent the day running errands, and just spending time together. We RARELY get weekends to ourselves to hang out and try new things.
Saturday we went to downtown LA looking for a suit, but we didn’t feel comfortable buying anything from the stores we went into. The material was obviously cheaper, the deal was $100 for a suit, shirt & tie…but there was a WEIRD feeling that went with it~ so Markel and I ended up leaving. We also shopped in Ktown for groceries b/c we were hosting Markel’s bro, sis-in-law, friend for dinner. We seriously cooked up a huge feast of Korean food and I was so proud of the new things I’m learning to make!
I made pumpkin milkshakes on Saturday. SOO YUMMYYYY
The FEAST =)
Sunday Markel and I ran all over town getting him a new suit from Zara, shoes from Nordstroms and packing for his big trip this weekend. This is Markel’s first business trip and I couldn’t be more proud of him. He works SOOO HARD at his job~ like 60-70 hour weeks~ and it’s all paying off! He’s been getting more responsibilites/projects at work and these business trips are the start to his budding career. =) I love him so much and it’s so much fun to grow together in our careers and as a couple. We met in our early 20s and it’s been a fun ride as we mature, get settled in our careers, and make big decisions for our future. ❤
A toast to ourselves and our lives =P
Shopping in Century City at Zara~ I found so many cute things I wanted!!
Markel Getting a Haircut =) Such a small and random errand to run together, but I love doing them with him. ❤
Sunday Night we met up with Markel’s college friends that are doing BIG things!! Two are starting companies and it’s so exciting to hear about their adventures. Sort of motivates Markel and I to be passionate about our lives and our careers. We ate at Aroma Cafe (an Israeli restaurant) in Hollywood area. It was tastey! The appetizers were my favorite~~
(no pics to share =( I forgot to take some)
AND THENNNN…the best part?? Markel and I met up with our new neighbors (and good friends) to watch THOR at the grove. I always forget how much I love the Grove and how gorgeous it is. The Christmas decorations were all up~ really put you in the holiday spirit! ❤
Andddd Monday I had the day off for Veteran’s Day. =) It’s a day of purging, catching up on SOA (like Friday) and getting my baby ready for his big trip! Oh…and about ten cups of coffee (my fav treat).
HOW BEAUTIFUL is this fall weather??
This picture below is to celebrate Veteran’s day today. My big bro (and true life hero) has been in the Army since 2002. He has fought for his country in Iraq and served for 11 years and counting… I’m so proud of him and his dedication to the protection of this country. ❤ I’m definitely taking a moment today to remember that. xo
I have babies on the brain! With my friends and coworkers getting pregnant around me, I looked at Nordstrom.com and found the most adorable little things!! I’m far from having a baby myself, but these things were SOOO adorable!! I couldn’t resist posting some adorable things I’m in love with for nurseries and baby shower gifts. ❤
2. Baby Aspen ‘Hug a Lot Amus’ Hooded Robe (Baby)
3. Barefoot Dreams® CozyChic® Stripe Blanket
4. Jellycat ‘Bashful Penguin’ Stuffed Animal
5. MODERN MOOSE ‘Owl’ Pendulum Clock
6. Boon ‘Flair’ Pedestal Highchair
7. Sophie la Girafe Teething Toy
8. Fred & Friends ‘Lips’ Pacifier
10. aden + anais Swaddling Cloths (4-Pack)
Last week Markel bought a Bar Cart from Target (post here) and decorated it with stuff we had at home and things we bought from Crate & Barrel after our wedding. We looked at a bunch of pictures on Pinterest and online and decided what would go on our bar cart and what wouldn’t. We currently have a wine rack, so we didn’t need to keep those things on there…
We still think it’s missing a liiiitle something…but we’ll figure that out later. Probably a plant, or something non-alcohol related. =)
I have major bag envy right now…I really want this!! In a millions years, I probably couldn’t afford the hefty $1895 price tag though…
LOVE the shape, the color, the pockets inside and the crossbody strap it comes with.
A girl can dream right?
Markel brought home the most wonderful surprise yesterday! He bought a bar cart from Target and brought it home. =) I guess he found it online + used a coupon and then picked it up in the store.
We have been searching for a cart for about 3 months now and we finally have it!! I’m so excited to start decorating it this weekend =)
WINGS OF LOVE EARRINGS
designer swag without the designer pricetag 