It's Friday...

So I thought I would give you all some pictures that I am currently swooning over. I hope all of you have a great weekend!

images via thatkindofwoman, marionwd

The French 75

I know it isn't the weekend yet, but I woke up this morning dreaming of relaxing and sipping on cocktails. Last year, my friend Kate made me a French 75. I had never had it before, but fell in love with it! It's not too sweet and a little dangerous= obviously, the perfect combination.

Here is the recipe, just in case any of you are dreaming of the same thing:

Prep time: 2 mins Recipe is for 1 drink. Use less or no sugar if using sweet Champagne or Cava.

YOU NEED:
1/4 cup brute Champagne or dry sparkling wine
3 tablespoons gin
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 thin slice of lemon
1 cherry (optional) and not a maraschino!
1 teaspoon super fine sugar or simple syrup
About 3/4 cup ice

DIRECTIONS:
Muddle a cherry slightly and place in tumbler. Pour Champagne over. Combine gin, lemon juice, ice and sugar in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Pour over Champagne and cherry.

Recipe and images via Honest Fare

Shades of Blue

Yesterday, we had a great day in Round Top. There were so many great finds for an apartment that Meg (aka my boss) : ) and I are working on. Though it was sweltering outside, I couldn't help but be in awe over all the eye candy. I have never seen so many wonderful things in one place in my life! It was an awesome day. As Meg, Ms. Mendi and I fought through the crowds our conversations drifted from cow hides, to blue nurseries, to boys (duh). When I got home, my mind was reliving all the things we spotted and as I was looking through some pictures, I stumbled across these rooms in shades of blue. What do you think? I like them!

images via Two Ellie

Good (Early) Morning...

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a great week. I am heading to Round Top for the Antique show with Meg from LeSueur Interiors. It's going to be a lonnng day, but a fun one!

Hope you all have a great one!

PS I am craving fall like it's my job... wishing so much for cooler weather... In the meantime, I am enjoying a pumpkin spice candle and pretending it's cooler outside. That is until I start pouring sweat! All of you in the cooler parts of the US, enjoy it for me! :)

Embrace Messy Hair

So, I'm not going to lie, my hair is always a bit of a mess. I wash it, blow dry it a little and then throw it up in a ponytail while I get dressed and put on my makeup... then I take it down and usually, put it half up/half down or I do something else with it. I desperately need a haircut, and since I love my hairstylist in Arkansas (I get it cut for $20), I am going to wait till I go there in 2 weeks. Meanwhile, I am having a hard time taming these unruly locks, but I've just decided to embrace it. Give me messy, messy hair... I love it.

images via whatannaloves, browndresswithwhitedots

Fall{ish} Streetstyle

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you all have a great one. It's kinda cool here in Houston this morning (not even 90 degrees yet!), so I have decided to rock the denim on denim. I kinda love it.

images via lefurcoat, the sartorialist and the simply luxurious life

Sweet Treat

Yesterday, I felt like baking and while I was planning on making pecan tartlets or pecan tassies rather, I ran out of time (you have to let the dough chill for a couple hours) and instead made banana bread. I love this recipe from Cooking Light. It's easy and yummy! Confession: I do add chocolate chips. I mean why not? I know I talk a lot about health, but... I have to tell you that I eat dessert almost every night. Yea, I don't even feel bad about it.

image via pluckymomo<-- Another great recipe... just a little (less) healthy.

Seriously,

Because in some way, we all do it and once we start realizing that we do it, it's terrible. We realize how many times we have let our own doubts about ourselves, keep us from doing something. It's true that we can be our own worst enemies. We can be critical of ourselves to the point of brutal and sometimes, you just gotta let that go. Sometimes, we have to get out of our own way. It's scary to risk being vulnerable, to risk failing, to risk your own pride, but if we don't at some point let go then we will never know what could have been. Our biggest fear should be the regret of not doing, saying or loving ourselves and others because we're too afraid of what could happen, too afraid of getting hurt. I was reading a passage the other day about surrender, surrendering to our feelings. I thought I would share some of it...

Sometimes we think being strong means not giving in to our emotions. But that's not strength; that's denial and resistance. Real power comes from being vulnerable enough to feel whatever we feel...
If we pay attention to the process by which we grow, we will clearly see that each step of the way-feeling our feeling, accepting it, and then releasing it- triggered the next step of growth. Soon we will see that we are learning a new lesson.

There is magic in allowing our feelings to pass through us, magic in giving in. There is power more than we think in being vulnerable enough to feel what we feel. -Melody Beattie

Amen.

Don't be so afraid to feel. Don't be too afraid to love. Don't be too afraid to really put yourself out there- career, relationships, family, friends. Let people enjoy you and in turn, enjoy others and yourself. : )

Season of Change

When we think of fall we often associate it with the leaves changing, the air getting cooler, pumpkins and the smell of apple cinnamon. What we often don't associate it with is a time to cleanse and detox your body. Since the weather is getting cooler we often yearn for comfort. We want to slow down, and since "detox" is often in relationship with renewed energy and "shedding the winter layer," it may seem a little counterintuitive. Last month I read an article from Yoga Journal about an Ayurveda detox and yoga diet. As it explained the relationships between the body and the seasons, as well as the elements that govern the seasons it all began to make sense to me. In the summer our bodies build up a lot of heat in the tissues and just as the leaves begin to change our body is becoming tired. We often get sick during this time because of the transition, and lack of ability to break down toxins in our body. In order to get our bodies in alignment, this Ayurvedic detox suggests slowing down, eating a simplified diet, cleansing yoga and some self study or self reflection. Sounds pretty plausible, would you agree? You can read the whole article, HERE if you need some more convincing.

The Best Part...

I hope everyone had a great weekend! The wedding in Colorado was perfect. I have never seen my friend look so happy. She honestly was a blissful bride. I think the whole room could feel the peace, happiness and love radiating throughout the entire night. It was incredible and perhaps, when it's someone really close to you that you see that happy, it makes it all the more heartfelt because you know what that person has been through. She had her fairy tale and in turn, I guess it helps people believe and faith that everything does work out. I have always been really terrified of such happiness... but Katie has always believed and I think that's what I admire most about her. She isn't afraid to open her heart. She has never been too afraid of getting hurt and in turn, she found someone who will never hurt her. I saw that in all of my girlfriends this weekend. They all seemed to be blissfully happy, and with someone who would stand by them no matter what. They were all smiling from the inside out and that was the best part of the weekend.

images via musings in femininity

Wedding Weekend

I hope you all have a great weekend. I am off to Colorado for a wedding!

XO!

images via prettystuff and that kind of woman

Kitchen. Love.

I don't know why I have a thing for kitchens, but I do. I guess it's because it's the area where my family always congregates. A good kitchen, makes for a great home. Well, at least I think so! I think this might be my favorite one yet. I am a sucker for hardwood floors and marble countertops!

image via all things elegant

{Happy} Almost Wedding Day...

Happy almost wedding day to my dear friend, Ms. Katie Sutton! I hope the big day is everything she hopes it to be. Are any of you married or engaged? Where would you have your wedding? When I was younger I used to want a wedding in the mountains, either in the winter time so all my friends and family could ski or in the summer. I love the idea of everything in the picture above for a winter wedding. I might add a hot chocolate station, but the milk and cookies are probably my favorite part! Such a cute idea. Imagine a mountain town in the winter time with a white tent and lots of italian white lights. Sounds delightful! In the summer, it would be a little different, but I still might serve the milk and cookies. : )

image via Once Wed

Happy Wednesday!

Hope you all are having a great one! I'm taking it pretty easy today, and going to do a little shopping... perfect kind of day! Yes?

(image via note to self)

Fish Tacos

I had fish tacos last night for dinner and I didn't make them so they were delicious.

Here is a seemingly easy recipe from Rachel Ray, if you would like to make them! Perhaps, I may even have to try...

Staying Connected

Connection is the theme in our yoga class for the month, and with every inhale and exhale on my mat these past couple of weeks, my mind drifts to that word: connection. When I first heard it, I immediately thought about connection in relationships; the one you have with your friends, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, parents, siblings, teachers, co-workers, etc. But, as we began to do some grounding poses, I couldn't help but think about the connection I have with myself. If you would have asked me four or five years ago if I felt truly connected to "who I am as a person," and what I wanted I would have had to say no. In life there are so many things/people/subtexts that tug and pull on us, telling us who we are, what we should be, where we should go and what we should do, and we get lost in these voices. It took me a really long time to dig through the "should be's" of life. All of the "should be's" weren't really working out for me. I was exhausted from trying too hard to be and do something that I thought I "should be" doing. My health, happiness and general well being was taking a toll and the risk of not doing what was in my heart became far greater than the risk of saying "fuck it, I'm going for it." (Excuse my language, please!)
Your health, mind and soul are all in connection with each other. When things are right and you believe in what you're doing it's almost as if there is a shift within yourself and with everything else in connection to yourself. When you become grounded within who you are, you become connected to yourself and the rest of the process. Sometimes you have to ground down, turn inward and face your core and what you want. Stay connected with yourself first and foremost and the rest will fall into place. ; )

All images via inspiration for wellbeing

Casual Monday

Hello to the afternoon! Hope everyone had a great weekend. I am definitely feeling the Mondays. This week is going to be a quick one, so I have to try to stay focused, which has been challenging lately. Ever have those moments?

If not, you're lucky!

Happy Monday!

City Chic

Wishing all of you a lovely weekend! I came across these photos on Haute Design and fell in love with the styling. It's perfect from head to toe! I could swoon over it all day long. Alas, I have to get going on some work. Enjoy every moment of the weekend.

images via Sarah Klassen|Haute Design

Bloggers Block

Sorry for the delayed post. It's been a little bit of a crazy week and I feel like I have ADD. It happens, yes?

Hope you all had a great one. Happy Thursday... tomorrow's Friday. YYYYEAHHHHHH<- Insert massive excitement.

Image via Pretty Stuff

Industrial Kitchen

This is a little different than the traditional kitchens I usually post, but I love it. What do you think?

Crisp Air

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We had a really hot day on Saturday, then it was almost as if the seasons clicked on Sunday and there was a new crisp in the air. This morning I woke up, I actually had to grab a sweater before walking out the door with my pup! It is such a nice relief, considering the fact that it has been one hot summer. I love new days, weeks, months... and I especially love new seasons. I don't think there is much of a fall here in Houston, but at least it's a little cooler here. Hope you all have a great day. P.S. I'm getting really excited for fashion week, and even though I'm not in NYC, I live vicariously through the internet. Awesome.

images via The Sartorialist

Happy Weekend!

This is one of my favorite editorials from Elle Italia, it makes me want to go camping! I had one of the pictures on yesterday's post... but I decided I needed to post more than one picture. Hope you all enjoy the long weekend! : )

images via dress, design, decor

Definitely.

Happy September 1st everyone!

Image via ZoeClaudiatumblr