pretty is as pretty does

{image and quotation via} “Style: all who have it share one thing — originality.” —...

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:45:00 -0700

{image and quotation via}

“Style: all who have it share one thing — originality.”

— Diana Vreeland

Love this Instagram post from Billy Kirk: Happy birthday to Dolly Parton who once wisely said,...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:51:15 -0700

Love this Instagram post from Billy Kirk: Happy birthday to Dolly Parton who once wisely said, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” #dollyparton

Pretty is as pretty does! Buy a Goldie Blox for all of the...

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:04:31 -0700

Pretty is as pretty does! Buy a Goldie Blox for all of the little engineers you know, here.

How Downton Abbey is this dress?!?

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 11:19:00 -0700

How Downton Abbey is this dress?!?

anatomy of an outfit

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:47:30 -0700

dress // shirt // tights // flats // earrings // ring

pretty poodles // blue suede shoes

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:58:32 -0700

You cannot see it very well from this angle, but THAT is a pearl poodle on a suede smoking slipper. I. DIE.

words with friends: life coach martha beck

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 23:48:00 -0700

“[My} favorite life coach from literature: Winnie the Pooh. There’s a scene in which he, Piglet, and Rabbit get lost. Rabbit, the frantic intellectual, keeps steering them in circles. Then he leaves, and Pooh tells Piglet: ‘Let’s go home.’ ‘But, Pooh,’ cries Piglet, ‘do you know the way?’ ‘No,’ says Pooh. ‘But there are 12 pots of honey in my cupboard, and they’ve been calling to me for hours. I couldn’t hear them properly before, because Rabbit would talk, but if nobody says anything…I shall know where they’re calling from.’ All I ever do is help people quiet their Rabbit minds until they hear the pots of honey speaking to their tummies. That’s the way to our destinies: Follow what’s sweet, delicious, and calling.”

— Life Coach Martha Beck, O Magazine

pretty little things: live colorfully

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 18:36:00 -0700

pjs // tray // gloves //weight // wallet // box // cookie

pretty little things: november birchbox

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:14:00 -0700

My bff convinced me to sign up for Birchbox, and I couldn’t be more obsessed! For $10 a month, I’m now receiving a curated box of beauty samples and surprises. It’s like getting a Christmas stocking 12 times a year, stuffed by a very hip Santa! I was under the (mis)impression that the samples were all of the make-up counter variety (read: tiny), but my first box included a full tube of mascara worth $24 and a bottle of nail polish. Here are my thoughts:

Color Club “Put A Pin In It” nail polish: I’m in love. The formula glides on smoothly and precisely, and the color is rich, saturated and opaque. This rose gold shade is on-trend and festive, and goes with everything. I usually skew conservative when it comes to polish at the office — sticking to classic sheer, pink or red shades. However, this rosy metallic reads like an amped up neutral — making it appropriate for all but very conservative 9 to 5 environments.

This Lulu Organics Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder is just lovely. It smells delicious — clean yet vaguely earthy, like a high-end spa, and the packaging is adorable. My only misgiving: you apply it with your hands, while I prefer a spray formula for ease of use.

I loved the little pink, net bag that Stella Cadente’s Miss Me perfume sample came in, but unfortunately it was downhill from there. The scent was way too sweet for my taste, smelling almost exactly like baby powder. Pass.

I usually don’t spend a lot on mascara, but this luxe Fibre Lashxtend is pretty fabulous. It has tiny fibers that attach to your lashes to lengthen sans clumps, and the color is a nice, natural-looking black. I wear contacts, and occasionally a little piece flakes into my eye, causing irritation, but overall the formula stays where it’s supposed to (no raccoon eyes). As for the packaging, a little mirror on the side of the tube is cute and helpful for on-the-go applications. I’ll definitely use this baby ‘til it’s gone, although I don’t think I’ll invest in a second tube. Again, I’m just not the type to splurge on mascara, and I haven’t found a spendy formula that significantly outperforms my favorite drugstore option. But who knows — maybe I’ll get hooked!

I’m not much for snack bars, and I haven’t tried this Soyjoy Cranberry Snack Bar yet, but it looks tasty! :)

I can’t wait to get my next Birchbox! Stay tuned…

anatomy of an outfit

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:58:36 -0700

dress // necklace {similar} // shoes

pretty is as pretty does

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:10:00 -0700

{photo via}

“Grammar is a piano I play by ear.” — Joan Didion, Essays & Conversations

Joan Didion was born 78 years ago today. So glad she was.

pretty is as pretty does

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 07:01:14 -0700

{photo by Richard Avedon}

“In a study at Northwestern University, researchers had subjects wear white coats while performing a test that measured attention. One group was told they had on doctors’ coats; the other, painters’ coats. Subjects in the first group outperformed those in the second by nearly 30 percent, suggesting that the effect our clothes have on us may be even more powerful than we thought.”

—O Magazine

Moral of the story: dress for the job (and the life) you want!

anatomy of an outfit

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:24:18 -0700

jacket {similar} // dress {similar} // bracelets

the chipper chicken

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:00:48 -0700

$$ // $

the nest

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0700

Real feathers float inside handblown glass globes in these ethereal Christmas ornaments. Don’t pack them away when the tree comes down — just arrange them in a glass bowl or hurricane glass to display year round.

pretty eats // pumpkin vanilla pudding

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 07:00:41 -0700

I love this pudding for breakfast — it tastes decadent but is kind to the waistline. Like pumpkin pie without the calories! Just mix 8 ounces of fat free vanilla yogurt, 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin, a tablespoon of chopped walnuts, and Splenda and cinnamon to taste. Bon appetit!

anatomy of an outfit // photo bomb

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:06:15 -0700

shirt {similar} // vest // jeans {similar} // necklace // ring {similar} // gold bracelets // silver bracelet

Walter is a BIG fan of anything fur, which is why he decided to photo bomb these photos. He is totally fascinated by this vest; I think he wishes I’d wear it all the time!

P.S. I got that turquoise ring at a souvenir shop in Yellowstone National Park when I was 13, and I still wear it. Don’t you love those pieces from your childhood that have unexpected sartorial longevity? What items do you still wear from middle or high school?

pretty poodles // let's go to paris

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:33:43 -0700

If Walter and I were redheads and Paris-bound… ;)

pretty is as pretty does

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 07:00:40 -0700

{image via}

“Companies with three or more women on the board of directors donate 28x more to charity, as compared with corporations with no female directors. In a study released last year by Harvard University and Catalyst, a research nonprofit devoted to women’s advancement in the workplace, the former group gave an average of $27.1 million to philanthropic endeavors in 2007, while the latter forked over only $969,000.”

––Real Simple Magazine

anatomy of an outfit // poodle love

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:00:38 -0700

sweater // shirt {similar} // skirt // boots

If you can believe it, I wore this sweater, featuring a big, black poodle… while walking my big, black poodle. I don’t think he noticed, but I was pleased. :)