Mother's Day Gift Guide 2013

Mother's Day is right around the corner and I, for one, want to get my momma something awesome. I particularly love the cute pink striped pjs and the blue tods. Moms will love a membership to Birchbox, where they send you new beauty products each month (I've also done wine of the month and cheese of the month memberships, which have been a total hit!) Happy shopping! P.S. HOW cute are those Etsy cards??

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX // SEVEN // EIGHT // NINE // TEN // ELEVEN // TWELVE // THIRTEEN // FOURTEEN

CARDS: ONE // TWO // THREE //FOUR

Essential Cookbooks for Healthy Eating

After lent I decided to let myself have a week to eat whatever (I did abstain from gluten for 6 weeks after all) but that week turned into a month so it's time to get back on track! One of the reasons it's so hard for me to be good is because I am pretty lazy when it comes to cooking. I have to be extremely motivated to go to the grocery store after work, cook and then clean so a lot of times it ends of being me and whatever I find on seamless. 

When I am feeling motivated I turn to the books below for some healthy, wholesome guidance. I recently purchased Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook and I love it. I love that she is such a health nut because I can be confident that she is using the best/healthiest ingredients in her dishes. I'm hoping that a week of clean eating and some workouts will get me right back on track before summer.Happy/healthy cooking everyone!

Cocktail of the Week: Moscow Mule

Now that the sun is finally out and it starting to warm up a little bit, I'm in the mood for  a cold drink outside. Of course gin and tonics or glasses of rosé are old favorites but my new favorite drink is the moscow mule. When we were down at Boca Grande this Christmas break at one of our favorite restaurants, the Temptation, we ordered up a round with fried oysters and they were divine. Below is the recipe and don't forget the frosted copper mugs!!

1/2 ounce of fresh lime juice
2 ounces vodka
4 to 6 ounces ginger beer

Some recipes call for simple syrup or a sprig of fresh mint (whether or not you use either of these is up to you but don't forget the fresh  lime garnish!)

Squeeze lime juice into Moscow Mule mug (make sure the mug is frosty... that's the best part!). 
Add ice, then pour in the vodka and fill with cold ginger beer (not ginger ale). 
Serve with a stirring rod. 

It's as easy as that! Have a great weekend everyone! xo

Original recipe from Esquire.com, Photo from Imbibemagazine.com

Target Home: Threshold

I've always been a huge fan of Target. I've always been a huge fan of budget home decor finds. Finally, Target has started making things for the home that I actually like! Once they started their collaborations with brands like Shabby Chic and people like Nate Berkus, I knew they were headed in the right direction. 

The newest collection of affordable and adorable home products for Target is called Threshold and they have everything from poufs to pillows to accent tables to picture frames. They're right on trend with gold accents and even have an adorable nail head headboard. Below are some of my favorite (and affordable!) pieces. 

Strictly Stripes

I am a sucker for stripes. I haven't met many striped shirts I haven't liked and I'm embarrassed to count how many I have. There is something so chic and pulled together about them. I love that they're gender neutral and you can mix and match with other prints or wear by themselves.

April Wishlist

Art of the Day: Cozamia

One thing that I really miss about high school is art class. Throughout high school I was able to have the best materials and guidance at my fingertips and adored creating a portfolio that was a mix of photography and painting/mixed media/digital. I'm always searching the internet for cool and inexpensive pieces for my gallery wall and for my friends. Enter my Cozamia obsession. I literally want every piece starting with the darling flamingo print. I don't see how I will possibly fit all of these pieces in my less than 800 square foot apartment but I'm going to damn well try!

*Images from Cozamia.com

Quote of the Day

Hope everyone has a great weekend and this horrible stuff in Boston gets resolved... Prayers to those who have lost loved ones and who are recovering.

Technology Thursday: Cute iPhone Cases

Why wouldn't you want to have a cute case on something you carry with you all day every day?? Below are some of the cutest iPhone cases I've been lusting after for a while. Might have to get a new one to switch it up for spring.... Which do you think is the cutest?

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX // SEVEN // EIGHT // NINE // TEN // ELEVEN

Shopbop Friends and Family Sale

Today is the last day of the Shopbop friends and family sale and you get 20% of your orders. I decided to finally get the maxi dress I've been looking at almost every day, a cute striped blue and white tee from Club Monaco and an oversized, adorable pink sweater (so cute for spring!) Click the link below to get shopping!

Fashion Crush of the Day: Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba always looks amazing on the red carpet but what I've been obsessing over lately is her everyday wear. She looks put together and chic every day despite having an acting career, two young children and a booming business. I would trade closets with her in a heartbeat.

 

*Images from Pinterest.com

 

Grasscloth Walls

When my family and I moved into our house in Greenwich almost 8 years ago, I was determined to get the best bedroom. This, in my opinion was the one with it's own bathroom and spiral staircase up to a loft. What wasn't so great about it was the grasscloth walls. They seemed dated and were the wrong color. We decided to paint over them a beautiful seafoamy/light blue color and had to do multiple coats to ensure none of the original color was showing. The finished result was gorgeous especially once we put in a fun shag rug, new headboard and fun ballard design bookcase and desk. Some of my favorite grasscloth walls are not the neutral color that they come in but rather in navy and charcoal and, yes, light blue. Below are some of my favorite uses.

*Images via Pinterest and ElementsofStyleBlog.com