life. love. lilly.

Revenge: Fire & Ice

2012-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

I cannot say this enough: I LOVE REVENGE.

(If you've yet to watch Revenge and plan to, or if you haven't seen last night's episode yet, STOP READING HERE.)

So, in last night's episode "Chaos", we discovered that the person on the beach was not Daniel. Tricky, tricky Revenge writers!

Here are my theories:

Who is the killer?

Daniel, either in self defense or because Tyler revealed to who Emily really is, and Daniel wants to keep that information to himself (Probably too obvious. But he did have blood on his tux...)

Amanda, because she realized Emily had her back the whole time and didn't want Tyler to ruin Emily (Also, probably too obvious.)

Tyler shot himself to get his own Revenge on Daniel/Emily (But wasn't he shot in the back?)

Mr. Takeda shot Tyler to get Emily back on track (but why would he stick around and pick up Amanda?).

Did Emily hire someone we haven't even met yet to kill Tyler?

Or it's possibly someone totally off the wall. Because what we do know for sure with Revenge, is to expect the unexpected.

What's next for our favorite scheming Hamptonites?

Scenes from next week make us think Daniel is going on trial for Tyler's murder. I'm positive Victoria will never let anything happen to her Daniel and Conrad would never let the Grayson name be tarnished.

Will Daniel still be head over heels for Emily after Tyler told him what she's up to? Will Emily tell Daniel the truth and try to convince him to join her, or will she tell him Tyler was a crazy liar (believable).

Why did Nolan give his iPad back to his head of security before seeing Jack actually set sail? And why did he rewind the tapes? Is Nolan still on Emily's side?

And what about Amanda. She knows everything, and she's getting closer and closer to Jack. Where does she have Mr. Takeda take her? And will she EVER actually leave town?

What's next for Charlotte? Seems both her and Daniel are unhappy being Graysons at the moment, but will she ever get to know that Emily is her sister? And can Emily really marry her half-sister's half-brother?

Was the killer the same person that snatched Emily's photograph of the 1993 Grayson Global Retreat?

Side Note: One of my favorite moments was when Jack dropped off Sammy at Emily's house and Nolan grabbed her and told her to go with Jack and "make little volunteer babies." I really do love Nolan. And please, let's see more of the WhaleCam.

(photo: ew.com)

Grammy Awards Worst Dressed

2012-02-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

Worst Dressed is always more fun than Best Dressed.

There was most certainly not a shortage of contenders.

Of course, one of our Worst Dressed staples: Nicki Minaj (who managed to look worse than Lady Gaga).

My worst dressed "normal" pick: Fergie.

Runner-up: Katy Perry.

Second Runner-Up: Rihanna. (Didn't your Mother ever teach you to only show *one* part of your body at a time? And the hair...ICK.)

(photos: people.com)

Grammy Awards Best Dressed

2012-02-13T09:42:00.001-08:00

I was less than impressed with last night's Grammy Awards.

The Grammy's are billed as "Music's Biggest Night", and I thought that was pretty evident, as there were several performances and very little actual awards ceremony.

So, without further ado, my Best Dressed:

Hands down, Carrie Underwood.

A view of the back cutouts:

Runner-up, Adele.

While I would love to see Adele take a break from wearing black, I think she looks seriously glamorous.

photos: people.com

No. 1 Jenny Packham for Debenhams

2012-02-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

This may be a total DUH announcement, but I'm pretty obsessed with The Duchess of Cambridge.

Everything she does is perfect! And the hair...*sigh*

Kate's closet also sparks some serious envy in me. One designer she has worn on a few occasions is Jenny Packham. (She wore Jenny twice in North America last summer!)

Sadly, Jenny Packham designs are not the most economical. But fear not! UK Retailer Debenhams (the British equivalent of Macy's or Dillard's) is going to do a collaboration called "No. 1 Jenny Packham". This is just ULTRA EXCITING for me, and I will for sure snap up some Duchess inspired frocks!

This is the only picture I've found so far from the collection, and I think this dress is just stunning!

Save the date! The collection comes out in April and will feature clothing and accessories!

photo: dailymail.co.uk

The Thrill of the Hunt!

2012-01-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

When it comes to home decor, I love shopping sales so I can find unique pieces. Sale stores (HomeGoods, Tuesday Morning, Garden Ridge, etc.), garage sales, Craigslist, thrift stores, Etsy, you name it and I'll shop there.

Some of my best sale scores:

Mint Green Garden Stool. $40, Craigslist.

Chinoiserie Mirror. $4, thrift store.

Funky Queen Elizabeth Pillow. $20, Etsy.

Sunburst Mirrors. $10-$60, Amazon + CL + HomeGoods.

Greyhound + Tassel. $55, HomeGoods.

Campaign Desk. $40, Craigslist. Ikat Bench. $13, estate sale (was a gift to me!).

Blue + White Large Vase. $14, HomeGoods.

Elephant Stool. $25, Craigslist.

Chandelier. $20, Craigslist. (I added the beads and will paint it navy.)

Metal Crown Serving Tray. $15, Tuesday Morning.

Navy + Gold Frame. $1, garage sale.

Brass Bar Cart. $30, Craigslist (was a gift to me!)

Inspiration Replication

2012-01-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

I spotted this framed Hermes scarf in a little shop when I was in Monte Carlo.

Isn't she a beauty?

I wear my Hermes scarves on a fairly regular basis, so I needed a stand-in. I ordered this one from Forever 21. It's a purple and gold equestrian print.

As soon as Hubs is available to help (no powertools for this girl!), I plan to make my own frame and get this art up on my wall!

Obviously, I'm not the only person framing scarves. Here, a framed Hermes scarf in Ivanka Trump's dining room.

photo: forever21.com, flickr.com

Dreamy Outdoor Space

2012-01-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Everything about this room is perfect.

Rustic setting, check.

Ghost chairs, check.

Funky chandeliers, check.

And the table set for friends.

I'm in love.

photo: dhome.dmagazine.com

Dallas Modern Home Tour

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait for this home tour. I love home tours in general, but the pictures I've seen so far, and knowing the location of most of the homes on tour has me worked up into a serious tizzy!

I cannot wait to spend my Saturday exploring modern homes and their sure-to-be-incredible decor.

The homes are:

5916 Timber Wolf Trail

4445 College Park Drive

4311 Middleton

9839 Rockbrook Drive

8627 Midway

4214 Shorecrest Drive

5706 Watson Circle

4420-A Holland Avenue

3315 Miro Place

2963 Magnolia Hill

3602 Hillside

8637 Redondo

The tour is on Saturday, January 28th and tickets are available here for only $25. If you are in or around Dallas, and love design, come join me on the Modern Home Tour.

photo: dallas.modernhometours.com

TxSC

2012-01-12T12:34:00.001-08:00

I am very excited to say that I will be in attendance at this year's Texas Style Council's Blogger Conference down in Austin! Not only is Austin one of my favorite cities, I am attending with three of my great friends, whom you all may know: Southern Vogue, Champagne & Cupcakes, and KappaPrep.

I cannot wait to see what happens when all the creative genius gets crammed into one room!

If I were going to spend $475 on a pillow...

2012-01-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

...I would get this monogrammed beauty by Queen of Cashmere.

Resolutions

2012-01-01T15:27:00.001-08:00

Here are my resolutions for 2012. Oh, and to blog more often!

CHEERS!

2011-12-31T16:46:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve has been a quiet night in for me these past few years, and I'm just fine with that. I actually like New Year's Day better. I love waking up early and getting a fresh start to a beautiful brand new year, full of possibility. As we move into 2012, I thought I'd recap a bit of my 2011 (WARNING: picture overload!).

On January 29th, I married my best friend, JPK:

I also traveled quite a bit. To Paris:

London:

Several trips to Colorado (our second home!):

Nice, France:

Several trips to North Carolina (where my parents live):

Austin:

Monte Carlo:

Winstar World Casino in Oklahoma with my amazing Book Club:

A Christmastime girl's trip to NYC:

And time enjoying our first full year in our new city, Dallas:

In September, I celebrated my 25th Birthday:

In late November, we bought our very first home:

I spent a lot of time with fabulous friends:

And finally, we spent Christmas with my family in Dallas:

I want to thank you all for being readers of LLL, and wish you a very very Happy New Year. I hope 2012 brings you all you could every wish for! xoxo

Sunday Blues

2011-11-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

My sweet husband is the best man in a wedding in August in Colorado. The groom is his best friend from elementary school and we couldn't be more excited. The groom has also asked me to help him pick out a pair of gorgeous wedding shoes as a surprise shoes for his bride-to-be for Christmas! Her favorite color is pink or he likes the idea of blue shoes. While I put together an email filled with links to simply stunning shoes, I thought I'd share with you all my own blue wedding shoes!

Happy Sunday! xoxo

Words to Live By

2011-11-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes we expect more from others because we would be willing to do the same for them."

happy weekend! xoxo

Murphy's Law

2011-11-12T06:58:00.001-08:00

Why is it that when you're on a self imposed shopping hiatus, you only see completely adorable things, but when you're looking for that perfect piece, it takes forever to find it?!? I call it the Murphy's Law of Shopping. Before you ask, yes, it has been scientifically proven.

My recent finds are from UK based website Asos.com. Being a die hard anglophile is enough to make me want to shop Asos, but free shipping to the US doesn't hurt either. Here's what's in my cart right now (I will probably give in soon!):

Oui Non Mittens, $21.56

Orange Envelope Clutch, $28.75

Double Bow Pointed Ballet Flat, $35.94

5 Before 26

2011-11-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Every year on my birthday, I make a list of 5 things I want to have accomplished by my next birthday. I'm a little late in posting this, as my birthday is in September, but better late than never.

1. As always, eat better, exercise more.

2. Go on a spectacular vacation.

3. Personalize this blog.

4. Throw a truly fabulous party at our new house.

5. Go to the dentist.*

*The dentist is on every single one of my lists. It is my biggest fear in the world, so I have to force myself to go.

Garden Stool Goodness

2011-11-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

Palmer Stool in Aquamarine, Z Gallerie, $129.95 (also available in white and black)

Even though I am on a self imposed spending hiatus (going to my parents' place in North Carolina for Thanksgiving, Christmas in New York City, and then Palm Springs in January really drains a bank account...), I wanted to share with you a steal of a deal from Z Gallerie. These garden stools can be very expensive. This one is a great price, and a fabulous color.

Winter Decor

2011-11-04T10:38:00.001-07:00

It has finally gotten cold in Dallas. After our hottest summer on record, I am more than welcoming the change. Winter is my favorite season and if the husband wouldn't have a "you're neglecting Thanksgiving" fit, I would celebrate Christmas from Halloween until Valentine's Day.

How do I get around this pesky Husband? I decorate for "winter", which really just means, you decorate whenever the temperatures drop below say...50 degrees. Here are my favorite winter decor ideas, from my Pinterest:

P.S. I wanted to say hi to my amazing friend Dylan, who wrote me a very sweet message yesterday regarding this blog. I didn't know she read LLL, so it was very happy surprise! xoxo

Preppy Gifts!

2011-11-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I haven't been in a JCPenney in years. When my good friend Hopsy told me about the purple skinny jeans she scored at JCP, I thought it was a good time to revisit the store. While the jeans didn't flatter my body, there were several other things that were just to die for! I know where I'll be holiday shopping!

The Smile Shop Hand Warmers, $11

Arizona Knit Animal Hat (available in several super cute animals!), $21

TGIF Mini Flask, $17.50

Set of 3 Travel Bags, $15.50

Chevron iPad Case, $15.50

Silicone clutch, available in pink or green, $21

Kenneth Jay Lane Emerald Earrings

2011-10-30T19:35:00.001-07:00

It's no secret I LOVE huge jewelry. Most of the large jewelry pieces that I wear are costume jewelry, and the king of costume jewelry (in my opinion) is Kenneth Jay Lane. Nearly everything he makes is totally lustworthy, but the once piece I've been wanting for almost a year now are these large teardrop emerald earrings. Kyle Richards, Kelly Ripa, and Nicky Hilton have all worn these earrings, and I just HAD to get my hands on a pair! (In the picture below, Angelina is not wearing KJL, she's wearing genuine Columbian emeralds. Unfortunately, the hubs puts my jewelry limit at only $1 million, so I'm still a little short for those ;)

I was a bit reluctant to pay the full $150 price tag, but was going to bite the bullet. Lucky for me, ideeli came to my rescue. (If you haven't shopped ideeli, here's your invite. I'll take my thank you gift in the form of macarons.)

My earrings should be here on Wednesday, I'll be sure to let you know just how fab they are in person!

Sunburst Mirrors

2011-10-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sunburst mirrors are included in several of my favorite rooms. I love the way they look, especially clustered together, such a statement! However, if you've looked lately, you know that they can be expensive. Over the past month, I've gotten my hands on 2 sunburst mirrors to start my cluster. This first one, I found on Amazon for a really great price and free shipping, which always seals the deal! The picture is small and the color is bright gold instead of the dark silver the picture makes it look like.

The second one I found on Craigslist for a whopping $18. When I bought it, it was a rusty iron color, but I just quickly spray painted it my favorite shade of gold (Krylon Brilliant Gold Metallic) and it looks great, in my opinion!

Now I'm on the lookout for a larger mirrored one like in picture 2, and a smaller one like picture 4.

New Accoutrements!

2011-09-18T13:26:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, I posted the 10 things I wanted for fall/winter. In the past couple of days, I've already crossed 3 things off that list!

I got these pave hoop earrings at Forever 21. Since hoops are not really my style, I don't anticipate wearing these much, so I was totally excited when I found them for only $6.50.

I also got a large barrel curling iron at Target (I also found some more Missoni items, including a romper and bobby pins while I was there).

On Friday, several of my girlfriends (including KappaPrep, Southern Vogue, Champagne & Cupcakes and Kelsme03) and I left Dallas and headed up to Oklahoma to go to a casino and concert! It was SO FUN! Anyway, inside the casino was a little store that we loved! They had so many goodies and at super reasonable prices. One of the things I picked up was a leopard pashmina!

What did you do this weekend?

Winter Wish List

2011-09-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Winter is BY FAR my favorite season. I love the cold, ice, snow, holidays, and especially the clothing to go with it! Here are 10 things on my wish list for winter:

Knit hat with big fur pom pom. Not a huge fan of the brown with my dark hair, but love the style!

May seem like a simple thing, but my large barrel curling iron sizzled out and I have yet to replace it. Want to do waves in my hair!

Essie polish in Midnight Cami

A leopard print scarf is a must for winter! Leopard is the new black!

Silver pave hoop earrings. I am not usually a hoop kinda girl, but Kyle Richards makes it look so chic!

Biotin pills to grow out my hair. See curling iron above.

A nice and roomy winter bag. Doesn't have to be a Birkin, but hey, it's my WISH list.

A pair of long leather gloves to wear under all my swing style coats.

Chunky, loose sweater dress to wear with tights and boots.

Any and EVERY thing in faux fur. I just can't get enough!!

What's on your list for winter? What's your favorite season?

My Missoni for Target experience

2011-09-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting MONTHS (since it was first announced in May) for the Missoni for Target line. I started following Target and Target Style on facebook and twitter in order to get regular updates. I made a plan of attack to get all the things I wanted most (the throw, flats, candles, hair accessories, towels). I was going to shop online in the morning and be at my local Target when it opened. Several weeks back, the Target Style facebook page said Missoni would launch at midnight. A few days ago, they changed their story. We would be able to browse items and add them to our carts starting at 3am CST and be able to check out at 7am CST. Since yesterday was my birthday, I decided to take today off so I could shop all day!

I got up bright and early (NOT 3am though!) to shop online. I was able to browse and add items to my cart, but all of a sudden pages wouldn't load and soon I just got an error message. I logged on to facebook and twitter and apparently it wasn't just me! Target.com crashed and was down for hours. Even now, I am getting an error message. I hopped in the car and went to my local Target. I waited in line outside and as soon as the door opened, women started RUNNING toward the Missoni clothing! I just got a cart and made my way over to the bedding. This Target was decently stocked, but didn't have everything I wanted. I went to 4 Targets this morning and still did not find the throws! I called my mother in North Carolina and asked her to run to her Target. They had the throws! She got one for me and one for one of my friends.

Now, I got everything I wanted, but what about those people who were so excited for this collaboration and wanted to shop online before heading to the office. And what about people who don't live near a Target, or don't live in a large city like Dallas where I could hit several stores within 20 minutes or so of each other. Target was NOT AT ALL prepared for this. I feel like they should absolutely know this collection was huge and should have made sure their website could handle it. And even in stores, employees were still opening boxes of Missoni at 11am! One store employee said they only got one shipment of items to start with, but there was more Missoni on the trucks coming this afternoon. Might be worth it to go again this afternoon. Poor job, Target.

While I'm very happy with how things worked out for me, but I know others are not so lucky and very upset. Especially since it seems that people were allowed to buy the entire stock of some items and are now selling them on eBay for 4 or 5 times the Target price.

Anyway, I thought I would share my Missoni experience because we all know Target will have another collaboration soon (We can only HOPE it's Lilly or Trina Turk!) and I want people to know the full story!

Photo Overload!

2011-07-17T17:02:00.001-07:00

I have a million photos in my iPhoto that I look at every once in awhile {ahem, daily} for design inspiration. I wanted to share them with you. I don't have a clue where these came from, so if you know, please please please let me know!!

a new direction

2011-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

This blog seems to be veering into a simpler, Things-I'm-Loving-At-The-Moment-Blog. Which I'm totally ok with, as I'm not much of a writer. If you're ok with it too...let's go!

Today I'm loving...

...this {sorta trippy} rainbow keyboard cover. Ordered.

{6.18} i'm loving...

2011-06-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

...this art piece, "Homage to Music #12, Don't Stop Believing" by Matthew Heller. I love the scale of his pieces, which you can see in this room from TradHome. This piece is the lyrics to Madonna's "Little Star", perfect for a child's bedroom. {Think I could make one myself??}

{6.17} i'm loving...

2011-06-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

...this canvas clutch by Jessica Kagan Cushman.

loves to throw dinner parties, but has been known to burn the roast.

2011-06-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

Although a newbie, I can already tell you I've fallen in love with Matchbook Mag!

In their own words:

Welcome home

2011-05-22T05:15:00.001-07:00

We're back from honeymooning...taking a couple of days to relax and recharge.

And to do laundry...

I may never come home...

2011-05-07T08:01:00.001-07:00

I may never come home... by lifelovelilly featuring bow shoes

OMFG-Hurry up, September!

2011-05-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

Rodarte.

Tucker.

Liberty of London.

Zac Posen.

Thakoon.

Calypso St. Barth.

Proenza Schouler.

Miss Trish of Capri.

What do all of these designers have in common? They've done collaborations with my FAVORITE place ever--Target! So who's next?

MISSONI.

AHHHHHHHHHH...

I. CANNOT. WAIT.

The line is launched September 13th (the day after my birthday! we know what I'll be gifting myself!), and we should see previews starting this summer. This collection is reportedly their biggest collaboration yet, with some 400 pieces including Men's, Women's and Children's clothes, Dinnerware, and my dream: BEDDING. I SO look forward to waking up in those Missoni zig-zags every morning....

One more thing!

2011-05-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day?! EEK! Instead of just adding on to my last post, I've added another. I ordered these glasses today...So Tory Burch! LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

Checking in!

2011-05-03T17:34:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm well aware I promised a Part 2 to my travel essentials list. But I've been preparing to actually travel, which can be exhausting.

Along with part 2, I have several other posts in the works, including several about my new obsession Pippa Middleton (don't even get my started on Pippa + Harry...) and one about my recent craigslist finds. But for now, I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures of a normal girl, who became a Duchess before our very eyes. I hope to replicate this look in Aspen this winter!

P.S. My FAVORITE part of The Wedding Day? When the newly married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got into the Carriage to make the trip to Buckingham Palace and our Kate turned to her Prince and said, "Are you happy?"...I teared up (and I NEVER EVER tear up!). So amazingly sweet.

Travel Essential Part 1

2011-03-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

In honor of our {quickly} upcoming honeymoon, I wanted to share my favorite travel essentials.

The eye mask. Oh my god, the eye mask. I've had TONS and this one from Target is simply the best. I got mine monogrammed and still made it out for under $10.

Cute passport cover. Jaunting around the world should be fun!

Lightweight layers. I pack a lightweight wrap {even in warmer months} that serves several purposes, starting with being a pillow on the plane.

A travel converter, of course. Nothing is worse than realizing you can't charge your iPhone. After all, Google Translate can't work on a dead phone.

Speaking of phones, I ALWAYS download apps for the cities/countries I'm going to. There are apps for everything now, my favorites being the "2Go" series.

A pair of giant, cheapie sunglasses. I recently lost a pair of Valentino sunglasses and swore never to take nice sunglasses anywhere again.

Evian Facial Spray. It's not expensive {as you may have noticed, I'm all about the cheapies so it doesn't hurt so much when your luggage gets lost or the bottle bursts mid-air}.

Flats. Here's where to splurge! Cole Haan makes their flats with Nike Air technology, which totally rocks for traveling! Revas work too, but only if they're broken in already.

Fun accessories. I take cheapie jewelry {usually from Charming Charlie}, my giant sunglasses, and this fedora I got at Nordies. It is surprisingly versatile, providing shade and an air of mysterious chic-ness while you prance down the cobblestone streets of Europe.

A pair of shoes for dressing up your look for nighttime. Choose wedges for summer, sexy heels for cooler months.

Ok, this list is getting long...let's call this Part 1 and I'll finish it tomorrow!

BOOKED!

2011-03-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

We booked our honeymoon! We didn't go right after the wedding because frankly a honeymoon was just something else to plan, and it probably would have pushed me right over the edge!

Anyway, in mid-May we are going to FRANCE! YAY! We are flying into Paris, we're Chunnel-ing it up to London (eeeeee! I'm getting Royal Wedding tea towels!), and ending our trip in Nice. We may go over Monte Carlo too, but that's up in the air for now.

It's going to be impossible to pack! Paris, London, and Nice all require a different "style"...Good thing they're are 2 months to shop!

Stay tuned for Polyvore's GALORE!!

Hipstamatic

2011-03-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

I'm BEYOND OBSESSED with the iphone app Hipstamatic!! It takes amazing pictures in different lights and lenses. I take all my pictures this way now!

Another wedding shot!

2011-03-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

Wedding Pictures Teaser!!

2011-02-26T13:14:00.001-08:00

JPK and I have been married exactly one month today! Of course, I have tons of pictures (non-wedding pics) to post and tons of updates, but that can wait just a touch longer! For now, here is one of our professional wedding pictures we've gotten so far...I can't wait to see all of them!!

Goodbye, 2010!

2011-01-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

I always seem to feel a little down after the holidays are over. It's time to take down the lights, pack up the ornaments, and the end of holiday parties (the worst part!).

Making a list of things I'm looking forward to in 2011 always helps:

My first outrageous party dress of the year arriving

A brand new Gossip Girl (I've missed you Blair!)

Touching down in gorgeous, perfect, cold, snowy Colorado

My new kate spade "place snowball here" mittens

High tea at The Brown Palace Hotel

My wedding, bien sur

Finally getting to wear my sparkly wedding band

Our mini-moon at our beloved Broadmoor

The first newlywed Valentine's Day (I'm going super cheesy this year!)

Personalized stationery of my new little family

Pulling out my pink and green tennis bag

First polo match of the season

Giving Baby's First Tiffany to a special little boy

The Calypso/Target collaboration!!!!

A year of travels (Colorado, Carolinas, the Hamptons, London, Costa Rica)

H&M coming to Dallas

Connecting with the Junior League ladies

Buying, no, decorating a house

Warm enough weather to wear this Lilly dress

Getting Mon Monogram LV for my birthday (navy and white stripes of course!)

JPK's father's suite for the Denver Taylor Swift show

Encore Taylor Swift show in Dallas

The new puppy I've already picked out for JPK's birthday gift!

I am such a lucky girl, there are amazing things in my future!! Hope you have wonderful things to look forward to as well!!

What 2011 will bring

2010-12-31T14:43:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in over a month. That was on purpose. I'll spare you how busy I've been, how stressed I've been, the holiday craziness, etc.

A brand new year starts TOMORROW! New Year's Eve is the day most people like to celebrate but New Year's Day is my favorite. I love knowing there is a fresh new start for everyone. I can't remember where, but I heard a quote that said, "There are years that ask questions and there are years that answer." 2010 was absolutely a year that asked many questions for me. I'll also spare you a million stories on that, but I know that 2011 will be a year of answers. So, instead of resolutions, I'll share a few things I'm looking forward to this year:

1. JPK and I are getting married a month from tomorrow. Not only is he my best friend, but he's one of those people who lights up a whole room, and oh so funny! I feel very lucky to be having an amazing wedding (and so thankful for my wedding planner who eases much of my stress!), and I cannot wait to share our pictures with you all.

2. I will turn 25 in 2011. I think everyone imagines themselves at 25 and wonders where they'll be, what they'll be doing. In several ways, I will have accomplished my goals and in other ways, I'm far from where I thought.

3. I will start my Junior League Provisional Year in 2011. The Junior League has been a goal of mine for awhile now and I'm excited to get started!

4. JPK and I are going to begin 2011 by getting ready to buy a house. And I promised him that when we get a house, he can finally get that bulldog puppy he's be dying for!

5. I have been working for about 2 weeks at a new job. I worked retail part time through college and transitioned into running my own stores after graduation. I loved working retail, clothing and accessories and shoes were amazing (not to mention the discounts!) but hated the hours. It's hard to imagine myself being a wife with a suburban home and soon children but working weekends and nights and crazy holiday hours. My new job is in a corporate setting and much more suitable for me. I am REALLY enjoying it! Hopefully there are big things to come career wise!!

At the beginning of 2010, I made several resolutions for myself, and I have to say that I can't believe I've stuck to most of them. While 2010 was not a year I'll want to really hold on to, I have so much to look forward to next year!

Happy New Year, friends! I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us!

Stocking the bar!

2010-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

As we all know, WASPs love a well-stocked bar. JPK is no exception. Our small apartment-sized wine bar is his favorite piece of furniture. I always joke that he seems 80-years-old instead of mid-20s because he loves sipping scotch with a cigar in his flannel Brooks Brothers pajamas!

I've been searching for a Mad Men-esque gold bar cart for him, but I haven't found one yet. I want one very similar to the one in the picture above. Actually I'd like the whole room above! Monogrammed pillows, a framed family crest, a plaid couch, oh my my my!

So far, I've gotten him these Skull and Crossbones Double Old Fashioned glasses. They are so great, he will love them! I don't know if you can tell, but they say "Name Your Poison" at the bottom.

I also got him some plain crystal glasses and a set of stainless steel martini glasses. I'm planning to throw some bottles of scotch, whiskey, and gin to the mix when I can find a bar cart! Any ideas where I should look?

Also, we are getting married exactly 2 MONTHS from today!

You better BELIEVE I'm picking up a copy or two of this!

2010-11-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Today was one of the worst days I have had in awhile. You know how if you wake up late you are just off track all day? Basically, I played catch up all day, and honestly I still don't feel "caught up".

HOWEVER, during lunch at Whole Foods, I read my daily dose of news and found out that Kate Middleton and Prince William officially announced their engagement!

This makes me BEYOND ECSTATIC! Like excited enough that I haven't even thought about our Christmas cards in a good 10 hours! :)

A sign of the season

2010-11-12T18:35:00.000-08:00

Guess what I bought today!!!! Unbelievably excited!!!!!!

CHRISTMAS CARDS!!...can you tell I'm excited!?!

2010-11-10T18:43:00.001-08:00

When it comes to making decisions, I am a touch indecisive. Actually, indecisive is the wrong word. I just need to weigh all my options and have all the details and be as organized as possible. When it comes to Christmas gifts, throughout the year I make little notes on the notepad on my phone when gift ideas come along. Like today, I bought JPK a golf ball monogram stamper, something he saw months ago and is sure to have forgotten until he opens his new toy!

However, when it comes to Christmas cards, it's a whole other story. It's not that I can't find anything I like, it's that I find SEVERAL, and I really mean several, styles that I LOVE. I knew I wanted photo cards, probably just one photo on the card, and script writing. And I knew I wanted them to be flat instead of folded and preferably be red and green. I threw around the idea of plaid, which I thought would go nicely with one of our black and white engagement photos.

Until I was on Shutterfly. I've heard of their website before, but little did I know there are SO MANY OPTIONS. They have Christmas cards, Holiday cards in case you prefer that to Christmas, New Year's Cards (an idea I'm loving!). I'm liking cards that are far from red and green, flolded, flat, blue, snowflakes, Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, collages of pictures...My little mind is just going crazy! So I poured a glass wine and got to work choosing.

I've narrowed it down to 4 contenders:

These are gorgeous. Simple colors, simple writing, and the picture is the focus.

These are pink and green! What's better than that?!?

Love white and green together, like these cards. It would really make our black and white photo pop!

These are classic, classic, classic. A beautiful card all around.

Which one would you like to see in your mailbox?

Would you like to send out Shutterfly Christmas cards of your own? Well, good news! YOU CAN! Shutterfly is generously giving away 50 free photo cards to bloggers who write a post on their favorite cards. I did it, and you can too, click here (a few other bloggers I've noticed have participated too!)...and I won't even be mad if you pick a card that's not in my top 4! :)

Updates!

2010-11-09T19:39:00.001-08:00

Hello, hello! I feels almost like I should start saying "Happy Holidays" already! The weather turned slightly cold here for us in Dallas the past couple of weeks, but it's warming up so I'm afraid it's not going to be winter for awhile. It snowed in Denver today, which only makes me miss it more!

I sent out our wedding invitations today! Hand cancelled, of course, so as not to ruin the beautiful custom stamps I used. As soon as I'm sure they have been delivered, I'll show you what they look like! I'm so pleased with our designer, Laura with By Invitation Only.

I also have been searching for the perfect Christmas cards. Now that I have discovered custom stamps, I have been on a mission to find the photo we will use for our cards. We have two options, one a more casual shot of us at a basketball game, and another is one of our black and white engagement photos, which I think is appropriate for the last cards we'll send as a non-married couple.

What have you been up to this week? Have you started Christmas decorating?

Single Digits

2010-10-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today marks the COUNTDOWN going from triple digits to DOUBLE digits! Only 99 more days to go until JPK and I tie the knot!

Pointless post, but it made me smile!

True Prep Event

2010-10-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Monday night, I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Lisa Birnbach and Chip Kidd. They were doing a book signing here in Dallas at the Sperry store. Not only did Lisa and Chip sign my copy of True Prep (I left my copy of The Official Preppy Handbook at home on the counter, I was SO upset!), but they were both such dears. And so funny!

I wasn't really looking for new shoes, but since we were in the Sperry store, it was only right that I try a few pairs on! Once I saw these boots, I knew they had to be mine! Quilted, lined with fleece, and totally equestrian is everything I look for in a shoe!

Of course, I had to have my new boots monogrammed! The talented Rodney White is an artist from Brooklyn and was set up to make everyone's new shoes special! He did my monogram in navy and white. He also mixed a specific color of pink paint for those that wanted pink!

Aside from meeting Lisa and Chip and having our Sperrys monogrammed, my favorite part of the night was spending time with other bloggers and great friends!

Hopsy, Tickled Pink and Green, KMW, Cassie

Mint Julep, y'all?

2010-10-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

As you all know, JPK and I are tying the knot on January 29th! Along with cakes, parties, caterers, and invitations (which are *almost* ready, I will give you all a sneak peek once they are done)!

But I also make time to focus on myself. I get enough sleep, work out daily and have been eating much better. I do deep conditioning treatments on my hair, get consistently primped, and I started to use Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I had heard several other bloggers comment on how great it works, and I wanted to try it for myself. I was a touch apprehensive at the beginning but it did not sting, I liked the minty smell, and it did not dry my skin out.

All I have to say is seriously RUN RUN RUN to buy it for yourself! I LOVE this stuff! It clears any breakouts, evens texture and tone, shrinks pores, the list goes on and on.

And the best part? It's only $5! I buy mine at Ulta, but they sell it at most major drugstores too.

Stubbs & Wootten

2010-10-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

I have started thinking about Christmas, because there are only 64 days left! Can you believe that?!? I love to start early on my Christmas preparations. I am getting almost everyone in my family Stubbs & Wootten slippers.

For my mother, the equestrian, I thought this Horse Brown pair would be perfectly appropriate:

For Father, the Devil Navy:

For JPK, the Skull Black:

For my brother, BWW, Flotilla Navy:

For myself, the giver of fabulous gifts!, the Honey Brown (I am obsessed with these!):

For the True Prep in all of us:

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet? xoxo

Updates!

2010-10-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

What I have done for the wedding:

--ordered invitations

--found bridesmaids dresses (a convertible style which can be tied 100 or so different ways, each girl and find her most flattering look)

--found Mother a dress that is GORGEOUS

--found traditional tuxedos for the groomsmen

--found engraved humidors for groomsmen gifts (our venue has a cigar tasting room)

--found monogrammed fur scarves for my bridesmaids gifts

--essentially planned my whole bridal shower (which is NOT allowed, as I am not the hostess and should not stick my nose in, but I cannot help it, I'm just a compulsive planner!)

--found a band and a DJ for our reception

--made a Do Not Play list and a Must Play list and a Must Photograph list

What I have not done but need to do ASAP:

--find an officiant

--find a baker to make our cake and groom's cake

--book rehearsal dinner

--book spa appointments and hair and makeup team

--order table numbers, place cards, menus, cocktail napkins

--think of a cute and convenient way to keep track of RSVPs

--this list could go on for about a mile!

JPK and I just finished the 3rd season of Mad Men. I cannot put my obsession into words! Every time I see Betty, I die over her outfits. The baby blue fur ensemble she wore to Roger's daughter's wedding nearly made me hyperventilate! And JPK and I have both been searching for a fabulous bar cart a la Don's office or the Draper's living room. I think I may get him one for Christmas and set it up before he wakes up!

Terribly boring, nearly all wedding post! Sorry! xoxo

Wedding Update!

2010-09-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today I decided I cannot wait any longer to get married. JPK and I have been engaged since January 2009, and with a wedding date of October 2011, I am just too antsy for my own good. Patience has NEVER been one of my virtues.

So I moved our wedding up. To January 29th. As in FOUR MONTHS from today.

You may think I'm crazy, but I have the *best*best*best* planner (even The Knot says so!), Heather, and she is handling everything. Today, I met with an Etsy designer here in Dallas who is getting busy designing our invitations. So here is where I am so far:

Stationery: By Invitation Only

Venue: Crooked Willow Farms

Event Planner: Table 6 Productions

Cocktail Hour Entertainment: Steven St. James

Catering: Catering By Design

Photography: Vesic Photography

Accommodations: The Broadmoor

I made an all encompassing To Do list and it is 2 full pages long. I have several things crossed off already, so I think things are well on their way! How long did you take to plan your wedding?

Also, I know that my pictures from yesterday's post about TV are not showing up. But I am too involved with wedding stuff in my head right now to worry about changing them! :)

TV Breakdowns

2010-09-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

Before I started blogging, I rarely watched anything on TV except old Jeopardy's. However, everyone (bloggers and IRL friends) started chatting about all these great shows that I was missing!

I started watching Gossip Girl at the urging of best friend KAC, and I am purely addicted. Oh my my, I love Chuck Bass! And their jaunts in Paris are to die for, it only makes me wish for a holiday very soon! Most of the outfits are also to die for (except Blair's first day of Columbia outfit last night. It was brown and blahhh), and I love to see the apartment sets. Serena gets on my nerves sometimes, but I think she has a good heart. And of course I always enjoy the juicy previews of the next week, and Blair's headbands!

JPK and I have also started Mad Men. We are through seasons 1 and 2 and halfway through season 3. Thank god for Netflix! I love Don Draper's character. At first, I disliked Peggy, but she has gotten much more complicated and they are really developing her into a character I like. Joan is so pretty, I love her red hair, even if it isn't natural! And my my, how much would you love to dive into Betty Draper's closet...all those dresses are fab! Also, Roger Sterling is so funny, he is one of my faves too!

As much as I may be reluctant to admit this, I watch Jersey Shore. It's such a trainwreck, I just DIE with glee. I don't know how many of you out there will also admit to watching Jersey Shore, but if you do, you know how hard it is to tear your eyes away from the poofs and fist pumps!

One of my favorite shows of all time is Dexter. It is so compelling and thrilling, I love it. What I really like is the complexity of emotions that the show makes you go through. You know Dexter is a killer and what he's doing is wrong, but you root for him to have a family and be happy and not get caught. Another show that drives me crazy until the next week!

What I don't watch: Glee, Real Housewives of anywhere (although I did watch Bethenney Getting Married, I'm a sucker for a girl who gets everything she wishes for), the Bachelor/ette, Lost, The Hills (it's just not the same without LC).

Oh, and nothing beats Law & Order. There's always a marathon on USA, so when I want to watch something, L&O it is! What are your favorite shows?

Where does the time go!?

2010-09-13T13:43:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe it's been nearly a MONTH since my last post! What a month it's been! A recap, bullet point style, since it's Monday and I can't think of much anything else besides Gossip Girl tonight!

-JPK and I started watching Mad Men. We are done with Season 1 and are about halfway through Season 2. So if any of you are doing Mad Men recaps on your blog, I'm sorry but I can't read! The same way with Dexter and the Real Housewives.

-In late August, JPK and I went to his best friend's wedding in Charlotte. This was the one I wasn't looking forward to. Let's just say I am still trying to pull my foot out of my mouth, nearly a month later. I'm not perfect and I can sometimes get catty and hold on to things for far too long. That was the case here, and I had to be the bigger person and admit that I had been a bit of a witch, and move on. Also, the bride unexpectedly found out she was pregnant 5 days before the wedding, and was still absolutely composed. I would have literally had a meltdown, so I admired her level headedness.

-We also went to a wedding for our dear friends M & M in Denver last weekend. The wedding was at the groom's family's golf club, and the view was AHHMAZING! The sun set over the mountains as the bride walked down the aisle. We ALL cried! And then we danced all night!

-The place I originally wanted to have our wedding is notoriously hard to book (2 or 3 years in advance, jumping through hoops to reserve your date, etc) and very inflexible. They are not being easy to work with, and I'm getting frustrated. There is a certain window of time because of family obligations that we can get married in, and I'm starting to consider other venues. I'm confident in my wedding planner, so I'm trying to leave it all up to her and relax!

-My birthday was yesterday, and my friends came down from NC and Denver for the weekend to celebrate with me. We had an amazing time, I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends who want to celebrate my special day with me!

-While RJG and KMW were here to visit, we went to tons of vintage stores (we also went to the new Christian Louboutin boutique!). In one crammed vintage store was a PERFECT HIDDEN GEM! A light gray fur stole in perfect condition with silk lining and a monogram inside for FIFTY DOLLARS! I nearly passed out and snapped it up! The monogram is MJB, it must have belonged to Mary J. Blige!

-Did you watch the VMA's last night? Lady Gaga is a total nut when it comes to fashion, but I do love that she isn't afraid to speak her mind. And of course, I love Taylor, but her performance seemed a little melodramatic.

Sorry there aren't any photos! I'm feeling a touch run down after going all month, and I don't have the energy to find the camera cord! xoxo

Where does the time go!?

2010-09-13T12:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry there aren't any photos! I'm feeling a touch run down after going all month, and I don't have the energy to find the camera cord! xoxo

The new weekender is packed!

2010-08-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

Our bags are packed and we're ready to go! I've got this weekender filled with dresses and 4 different clutches! I have searched high and low for a tan/light brown leather weekender, but I haven't found one I loved. And I want one that isn't $600, because I want it to hold up for years but wear nicely and I feel like I would just be too careful with one that costs so much. So Target steps in and saves the day until my perfect weekender comes along! I'm actually HIGHLY impressed with this $40 Target one. It is croc embossed black patent leather, with light gold hardware and looks so much nicer and more expensive than the picture makes it out to be. When you go on lots of mini trips like we do, a weekender is the thing to have! Just enough space for 3 or 4 days!

I cannot wait to spend consecutive days with JPK. He works crazy hard and there always seems to be something happening at one of his accounts! I am busy too with a weird schedule, so for us spending 4 consecutive days together without too many other obligations is going to be amazing! Seeing how quickly D&L's wedding arrived (they were engaged in December 2008), makes me very optimistic and excited that the time will pass oh so quickly and JPK and I will be at our October 2011 wedding day before we know it!

I hope everyone else has a fabulous weekend, filled with dresses too!

(photo: target.com)

craigslist does it again!!

2010-08-16T07:06:00.001-07:00

I am a BIG fan of Hollywood Regency style decorating. Kelly Wearstler, Jonathan Adler, many of the pages of Elle Decor. My favorite things about HR style is the mixture of unexpected pieces. I love the fabrics of all different colors and patterns, textured and printed wallpaper, mirrored and lucite tables, and collections from what seems to be a life of travels. I also have a little Palm Beach style in me too, as I like all my furniture to be white, and I will never like bright blue foo dogs or ikat like so many HR fanatics do. Of course, I love Dorothy Draper's touch of girly-ness too! I also have a serious thing for bamboo furniture and fabrics.

One of my favorite hobbies is scouring craigslist or yard/estate sales and finding a piece with good bones. If it needs sanding and a paint job or new upholstery, new knobs, whatever, I will take on the project! So yesterday, I was on craigslist and I came across this vintage dresser. I almost died! Wicker doors, brass knobs, and BAMBOO!!! For only $50, I snatched this dresser up! (Actually, my wonderful JPK drove an hour into the middle of nowhere and loaded it into his SUV, then moved it upstairs. He's amazing.) Here is what it looked like in the ad:

We are leaving for vacation in a few days, but as soon as we get back, I plan on sanding and giving this beauty a fresh coat of white paint. I'm lining the drawers with Hermes scented drawer liners (yes, the are expensive for paper but I do not care. Some people want the perfect shade of Chanel red lipstick, I want icky mornings to be as luxurious as possible!) I'm debating on the original hardware. I'm thinking I could keep it and paint it a bright gold for a Hollywood Regency look, paint it turquoise for a bit of Palm Beach, or trying to find a variety of crystal knobs for a touch of Shabby Chic. JPK even suggested we look for tan bamboo style hardware for a light Palm Beach look that keeps with the HR theme. The man moves furniture and has a decorator in him! Yes, please! Here are some pictures I'm inspired by for my new dresser:

(photos: craigslist.com, mattersofstyle.com, thefrenchprovencialfurniture.com)

Yummy in my tummy

2010-08-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

I got an e-mail from a blog reader who wanted to know what I eat every day. As of today, I have lost 2 more pounds, for a total of 7 pounds in 44 days. JPK and I are going to that wedding (the one I am not so thrilled about) in 6 days and I had a goal weight for myself. I am now 1 pound away from that goal with 6 days left! I think I can do it!

Anyway, on to what I eat. I am definitely not saying this is what everyone should eat to lose weight. It is working for me, so I do it. And I don't work out. I walk my dog short distances a few times a day and then if it is not too hot after the sun goes down, we will walk her around the lake about a mile or so.

For breakfast, I drink a vegan fruit and vegetable smoothie. In the smoothie is apples, banana, kiwi, mango, and pineapple. Also, broccoli, spinach, blue green algae, garlic, barley grass, wheat grass, ginger, and parsley. In the morning, I take bee pollen supplements and biotin for my hair and nails.

Between breakfast and lunch, I have a snack. My snacks are usually one of a few things. A string cheese, a handful of organic "cheddar bunnies" (essentially goldfish, but organic and shaped like bunnies!), a few yogurt covered pretzels, or organic dried mango.

The next time I feel hungry, I make lunch. My lunch every day is the same. I get a big bowl and fill it with organic spinach. I add wasabi peas (not too many, as they contain small amounts of MSG), almonds, broccoli, sprouts, and goat cheese. Sometimes I add grilled chicken or tuna. I make my own dressing with a little olive oil, white vinegar and a touch of soy sauce. Mix it all together, you have a very tasty salad!

In between lunch and dinner, I have another snack. Sometimes it's chips and salsa, sometimes I make guacamole, sometimes I eat a peppermint Luna bar, which is an organic granola type bar but doesn't taste like cardboard.

For dinner, I eat whatever JPK makes, I just make sure he has a large portion and I have a small one. Last night, he made pork tenderloin and parmesan zucchini. If he has to work late or has to stop by one of his accounts after leaving the office, I make myself some "bruschetta" (baked bread with cheese and salsa), another salad, or some chicken and rice.

One of the things that really helps me out is that JPK and I don't have a microwave. This is on purpose. I can't make Lean Cuisines or Hot Pockets. I can't make microwave pizza or heat up queso. Sometimes I miss having a microwave to heat up leftovers or make those bags of steamed vegetables, but the feeling quickly passes.

All it takes to eat healthy is just a little planning. We make a grocery list throughout the week and do our shopping late on Sunday night. It is not very busy late on a Sunday, and we find managers specials on things that didn't sell during the day. I know this is a terribly boring post but I'm happy to share what you all want to know!

(photo: queenofkaos.com)

Live the List

2010-08-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your suggestions on the dress drama. I'm going to do what I can to exchange the dress and cross my fingers for that to go well. If it doesn't, I will go from there.

Today, I picked up a copy of Dallas/Houston magazine, Papercity. Their cover is so cute! It's Back to (Old) School, and the bottom says, "The Preps come roaring back." (It bears repeating that we never went away. But whatever.)

Perhaps my favorite part of this issue is their Old School 101 List. "Some things will never, ever go out of style. Herewith, those things. Embrace your inner Thurston and Lovey. Live the List." Here is there list for you (I took out things that were Dallas specific, as well as several food items because it was getting excessive with the mayonnaise references):

Lobster thermidor (or Oysters Rockefeller, my fave!)

Nantucket lightship basket purses

Bermuda bags

Skotch Koolers

The Printery (I'm going further and saying the handwritten note)

Fair Isle cardigans

Argyle, madras, plaid, pastels

Chipped beef, crab cakes, beef stroganoff, King Ranch chicken

Embroidered whales on anything (this makes me miss old J.Crew more)

Monogrammed everything

Choate Rosemary Hall, The Hotchkiss School, Exeter Academy

Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown

L.L., Ralph, Lilly

Goyard (I am not a big fan)

Stubbs & Wooten

Dooney & Bourke (also not a big fan since THIS)

Steve and Eydie

Vineyard Vines (Love them, but shouldn't a "classic" have been around longer than since 1998?)

Tretorns, Weejuns, Top-siders

Greenwich, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard (I'd argue the Cape too)

Pearls (duh)

Sailing

Lacrosse, rugby, squash

Floral chintz

Needlepoint

The Junior League

C.Z., Babe, Jackie (no list would be complete without Jackie)

F. Scott, Truman, Sargent (favorite book: The Great Gatsby)

Slim Aarons

Sister Parish

Lester Lanin

Bay rum

Eau Sauvage (I prefer YSL L'Homme. Less headache-y)

Nantucket Reds

Jack Rogers

Bernardo Miami's (I like McKims better. Or Jacks above all.)

Barbara Hutton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Brenda Frazier

Mystic, Waldemar, Longhorn

Black Point Beach

Gant (their newest Home campaign is The House that Kennedy Built!)

Lacoste (BEST headbands around!)

Muffy, Buffy, Bitsy, Topsy

Skip, Chip, Kip, Trip

The Hampton Classic (equestrian activities in general, I'd say)

La Plates melamine plates, monogrammed

J. Press

The Strand Book Store

The Official Preppy Handbook (True Prep! September 7th!)

Love Story, The Great Gatsby, The Graduate

Range Rovers, Land Cruisers, Grand Wagoneers, Volvo 240s

Any Mercedes-Benz, pre 1990

Pink

Green

*I love that they ended with P&G. Tomorrow I'll share with you their preppy choices for fall!

(photograph: The Fullers by Slim Aarons, circa 1970. Gettyimages.com)

Bullet point are better than nothing!

2010-08-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to pull together my thoughts into one coherent, flowing blog post, so bullet points it will be.

*What is it about the end of summer that makes everyone go a little off the deep end? Is it that we've had enough of the 100+ temperatures (I know I have), we all get tired of our same old sundresses and metallic sandals, and we're ready to cuddle up with someone we love under a fur blanket with a seasonally appropriate deconstructed s'more (I watch entirely too much Top Chef)? I feel like drama just escalates this time of year. Or maybe it's just with the people I know. And maybe I'd like to feel like Gossip Girl for a half second.

*Our wedding planning is going great. We are using Table 6 Productions out of Denver, and I may be slightly obsessed with their website. Their attention to detail is out of this world. We are still in the very early planning stage, so I'm not going to name our venue or photographer or anything too specific, just because I seriously don't want to be jinxed!

*I am so excited for fall clothes. I have no idea when fall starts here in Dallas, but I can't wait. I obviously love Lilly during the spring and summer, but I'm not that big into their fall/winter lines. I like the clothes, but during the fall/winter I want to dress a little more Ralph Lauren-esque. I prefer a lot of earthly solid colored pieces layered to printed dresses.

*What did you all think of the Real Housewives of DC? I thought I liked Cat, but then she seemed a little too brass. I certainly don't care if anyone has opinions, or if they chose to voice them, but I think she could have been a touch more tactful. I like Stacie a lot. And no wonder Michaele is so skinny, she is a ball of energy! I don't think she slowed down once! But I do miss my favorite Bravo character of all, ANDY COHEN! I'm obsessed with him!

*That's totally all I have. Nothing is new here. I work, play with my puppy, try on dresses for the bazillion weddings we have coming up, and each spinach salads (seriously, I literally eat a spinach salad twice a day). Oh, and I have lost 5 pounds.

xoxo

Easy Peasy

2010-07-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

I have been interviewing wedding planners for a couple of days now. I heard it was a good idea to narrow your vendor choices down to 3, then interview them all and pick the one you like. So that's what I did! I have decided on one but I'm going to let JPK and my mother look over their proposals and see if they agree with me. So far, wedding planning has been a breeze, I'm sure that will change when it's time to make more decisions, but for now, all I am is super excited!

JPK is making homemade beef jerky. It smells amazing, but we will see how it tastes. I'm sure beef jerky is NOT in my all-natural diet, but oh well. If JPK makes something, I should at least try it! For those of you that may be wondering, the all natural diet is great for my energy levels and weight loss, but it is not so great for my skin. I was hoping it would help with that but no such luck.

I met my friend Taylor at the Grand Hyatt at the airport today. She had a layover on her way back to Denver, so we shared a bottle of wine and a caesar salad. It absolutely made me miss my girlfriends!

What are your favorite websites for wedding inspiration? I've tried Martha and the knot, any others? xoxo

A planning period

2010-07-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

I am blogging again from North Carolina! My mother had a second surgery, and I came home for awhile to take care of her. JPK went on his bachelor party right before I went so we haven't seen each other in quite awhile. While I LOVE being home with my parents, I can't to get back to JPK and our puppy and back into my normal quiet life.

Except that one thing will be different! I have started planning our wedding! I started to plan right after we got engaged, but I really wanted time to just enjoy being together and relish in the decision to spend our lives together. Then my brother started traveling and my mother got sick and the last thing on my mind was invitations or color schemes. But now, my brother is on a stable schedule (finally!) and my mother is doing very well, so it's time to have a wedding!!

One of the most helpful resources I have used so far (and remember I am still in the very early planning stages) is Etsy. I know you all know about Etsy and I'm sure you love it as much as I do, but I thought I'd share a few of the fab finds I've made so far. What a wonderful resource for us brides-to-be!

{This would be so nice around the waist of a traditional dress or as a thick headband with a more flowing dress}

{These are so sweet! What a simple, yet beautiful, place card!}

{Our wedding will be more formal than these invitations are, but if we were having a chic garden party, I would absolutely send these out!}

{These are more than perfect for the preppy wedding, or any preppy occasion at all! Cupcakes are one of my favorite things and when they are in pink and green cups? Well, that's just fabulous!}

(all photos: etsy.com)

Today is a new day!

2010-07-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am MUCH more upbeat today! I fixed the whole EasySaver issue and got all of my money back. Thank goodness!! I was more than prepared to get a little feisty with their customer service but she was more than sweet and resolved everything for me in about 10 minutes.

Anyway! Today I am spending time by the pool! The rain has stopped and the sun has finally come out in Dallas! I hope you all are having a wonderful start to your week. That is about all I've got for now, there is nothing much going on besides getting a tan!

xoxo

Ughh, scams!

2010-07-05T13:01:00.001-07:00

We had such a fab holiday, and I hope you all did too. But this weekend wasn't all fun and games. I was checking my bank account to make sure an autopayment went through and discovered a charge for $14.95 from a company called EasySaver with a phone number. I called the number and they are closed until Tuesday. I googled this company and apparently if you order from a number of websites (one of them being ProFlowers.com, the one that got me), they they ask for your email address and zip code, and it signs you up for the EasySaver program. They charge you a one time $1.95 sign up fee to try the services for a month, then give you the option to cancel, and if you don't, they charge you $14.95 a month. I don't remember agreeing to this one time fee and I checked my email account up and down and I cannot find any confirmation emails or welcome emails or anything. My bank will only let me search back to June 2009, and it has been happening since then. (I know what you're thinking, I should watch my bank account better, but whatever, I need to vent about it and I will watch like a hawk from now on.)

I discovered SO MANY message boards and websites where people have documented this happening to them too! I can't believe it. I always read fine print carefully so things like this don't happen, which is probably why I'm not as attentive to my online banking as I should be. Many people said that they called EasySaver and got their bank's fraud protection department involved and got their money back. That is exactly what I plan on doing when they reopen tomorrow. I will let you all know what happens and if I get my money back (which I totally better, it's almost $250 and I'd love a new dress!). The reason I am posting this is because I don't want this scam to happen to any of you! Search your accounts for EasySaver charges, as I don't know how many websites are letting a scamming company benefit from their customer's information. I will NEVER use ProFlowers.com ever again either! Learn from my mistakes and watch your bank account very carefully!

P.S. on a totally unrelated note, can you BELIEVE it is JULY already? This year is really flying by but then again, I say that every year!

Free Agency

2010-07-01T06:16:00.001-07:00

It is free agency time. For those of you that may not revolve your life around SportsCenter and the NBA season, as JPK does, it means that players are free to be courted (haha, pun intended!) by other teams. This year, there are SEVERAL big name players who are potentially leaving their teams and going to some other team in hopes of winning a championship. So what does that mean to us? It means that I am extremely lucky to have use of my laptop. I made JPK take the iPad to work instead so I could get a little computer time in!

Anyway, the hurricane in the gulf has made it very rainy here in Dallas. But I don't mind the rain, as I have a super cute umbrella and it cools things down a bit. It's not so good for my new raw beauty diet. The rain makes me want to curl up, pop in The Talented Mr. Ripley or Rear Window and eat salty sweet potato fries and lemon curd cookies. But I've been strong. I did watch sexy Jude Law and a slightly creepy Matt Damon in Italy in Mr. Ripley (please tell me you all have seen this movie!) and had one vegan peppermint patty (that actually was really really good!), but other than that there have been no french fries around here! My hair is looking a little shinier I think, and one side of my face is looking good. The other side is still acting up, who knows why only one side is getting better? And I have lost 1.5lbs. A positive side effect I'd say. But I'd still really love for both sides of my face to work together here! And for my hair to hurry up and get The Hills-girls-esque.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far, and it is almost the weekend which means 4th OF JULY, one of my favorite holidays ALL YEAR!! What are your plans?

I hate doing this...

2010-06-28T07:07:00.001-07:00

...but here's what I've been up to! The reason I hate doing this is because it means I haven't been up to blogging! (This picture is one I found when I was at home. JPK says this is the same face I still make when he is asking me if I having been buying handbags!)

In the past few weeks, I have been back and forth to North Carolina, and I am headed back again in about a week and a half. My mother is sick and she needs her baby girl to take care of her. It's the most time I have spent at home in a long, long time and it's nice. It's nice to not have any responsibilities for a little bit, except to go out into the garden and cut roses for the dinner centerpiece.

I am also on a new diet. While I could absolutely stand to lose a few pounds, this diet is more "beauty related". Since living in several different states with different climates in such a short period of time, my skin has really rebelled. In North Carolina, it was hot and VERY humid, but my skin stayed tan all year and that really helped even out my skin tone. In Colorado, my skin didn't get much color and was extremely dry. Now, in Texas, it is hot but not dry and not quite as humid and my skin is freaking out again! So I've spent some time talking to a dermatologist friend and researching online and I have found that eating a somewhat "raw" diet may be my answer.

I haven't been doing it for very long, and I can't tell much of a difference in my skin, but I feel a little bit more energetic. Eating well also just makes me feel better in general, because I know I have a dress ready for an August wedding that is a touch tight, and I'd like to look pretty! I also take bee pollen, fish oil, and biotin but I have been taking those (with the exception of bee pollen which I have only been taking for about 6 months) for years. Basically, I try to stay away from anything that needs to be cooked. There are some raw foodies that literally will eat EVERYTHING raw (fish, veggies, fruit, some meats, etc.), and absolutely nothing that has even been warmed up. I'm not that hard core! I have been eating a small amount of bread, and crackers even though they are baked. We also went over to a friend's house last night and of course I ate the meal they prepared. Better to not be rude than follow this new diet to a T, I think.

I will keep you all updated on how it goes. I'm mainly interested in this new diet for beauty reasons, and I will let you know how my hair and skin looks! And I won't be sad if there are a few pounds lost along the way!

I am also going to try to update more often. With my mother sick, I have been so busy traveling back and forth, JPK is going to 3 bachelor parties (whew!), our puppy needed an emergency dental visit, my brother broke up with his girlfriend and went off to Canada, you know how these things all pile on at one time! I would really appreciate some of your positive sparkly thoughts going out to my mother. I'm confident in her doctors and that everything will be fine. But sparkly thoughts never can hurt!

xoxo

P.S. A week or so ago, I was looking at a house JPK and I were interested in. I was inside taking a video to send to my parents, and was upstairs in the theater room (i.e. where it is insanely dark) and I walked backwards out of the room and literally fell ALL THE WAY DOWN the wooden stairs and landed on my face in front of the realtor. And it was all caught on video. I would post the video on here for you all to see, but I can't figure out how to do that first of all, and second I am embarrassed and it really hurt! I twisted my ankle pretty bad. But it was good for a laugh!

A woman I absolutely admire

2010-06-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

I ADORE Town & Country magazine, as I'm sure many of you do too. This month's issue arrived in my mailbox today, and I have absolutely devoured it! This month, they focused on philanthropy. Many of you are also familiar with this, as sororities put tons of focus on this and many of us are involved in post-college philanthropy as well. Donna Karan is T&C's cover girl, but I wanted to talk about Lauren Bush. I LOVE Lauren. She is not only adorable, but she seems modest and sincere too. And the thing I adore most? She is passionate about feeding children and she is doing her part. In 2008, LB launched her FEED bags, which are eco-friendly bags that help feed children in Haiti, Kenya, and all around the world. For example, if you purchase the $35 FEED Haiti bag, 50 meals are provided for Haitian children. FIFTY MEALS! Seriously!

LB could so easily rely only on the family name, have a "job" that requires staying out until 3am in Vegas, prance around NYC/East Hampton, and she doesn't, at least not too much! She doesn't have terrible style either as she is a former model for our beloved Lilly!!

P.S. Do any of you all watch the USA summer series? I watch sporadic Law & Order on USA, and LOVE Royal Pains and White Collar during the summer. On tonight's Royal Pains, one of the character's was wearing a Lilly silk pantsuit. Love seeing our LP on tv!

Go to feedprojects.com for more information.

(photos: marmeladeevans.typepad.com, foodchannel.com)

Her first time

2010-06-04T07:51:00.000-07:00

While I am home, my mother and I have been planning a redecoration of her bedroom. She has picked a piant color and some new furniture. Today we are going to HomeGoods. She has never been! Can you believe it? I cannot wait for her eyes to light up just the way mine do when we get inside!

Real posts coming next week, with pictures!

A nice, tidy list

2010-06-02T17:12:00.001-07:00

I have been away for so long! I am in North Carolina at my parent's house! My father made his famous Cheerwine slushies, my brother got the week off too, and my mother has adorned the house with hydrangea arrangements! All seems right with the world! Since it has been so long, I thought I'd entertain you with a little bulleted list of things I've been up to:

*I saw Sex and the City 2 before I left. The storyline wasn't quite as good as the orignial, but I didn't expect it to be. The fashion was just as fab as always, but this time the girls' style was very bohemian, lots of flowy dresses and headscarves. I will always have a special place in my heart for the SATC ladies and I don't care what any critics have to say!

*One of my best friends, and future bridesmaid, KMW (we share initials! love that!) is coming to stay with us for the weekend. We are going to go out and have an amazing time, just like in college! What should I wear??

*My mother and I hit the shops! We went to Banana Republic, Talbots, White House Black Market, Ann Taylor, Francesca's, Rebecca & Co., and of course, Lilly. I've picked up some really cute pieces that are perfect for the scorching summer that I hear is coming to Texas! And I finally got a pair of white pants, thank goodness! And a couple pairs of Lilly shorts!

*I've become even more obsessed with designing! I can't wait to get my grabby little hands into Hobby Lobby and Homegoods these days. I'm loving the picture that people have been putting up on their blogs of Kate and Andy Spade's guest bathroom, decorated in green, white, and black, with green zebra wallpaper! What a wonderful surprise for your guests!

*Lastly, I've decided that "A woman I absolutely admire" will become a weekly feature. I have been so inspired lately with all the wonderful women out there doing amazing things. In the coming weeks, look for some women who have impaced our lives in big and small ways!

Hope your Memorial Day was great, and you got a chance to remember the reason we all get a 3-day weekend. Because, as they say, freedom isn't free! I'm going to spend all this week with my family and see you guys on Sunday!

A woman I absolutely adore!

2010-05-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

JPK has been spending all his time at the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament (it ends on Sunday, so perhaps we'll see each other then!), and Lilly and I have been holding down the fort! This morning I found a little piece of paper I tore out of an issue of Bazaar last year. I was so happy to see this article in the magazine, because it is a short profile of a woman I just adore! Deborah Lloyd is the fabulously chic, British born Co-President and Creative Director of kate spade. Before kate spade, she was with Banana Republic and before that was credited with bringing Burberry back into the mainstream (by putting Kate Moss in a plaid bikini). And her yellow Dior dress in the article is to die for! She also shared some of her essential pieces with Oprah, which you can see here. They include a trenchcoat, structured bag, macarons, designer sunglasses...It is easy to see why I adore Mrs. Lloyd so!!

If you can't read the quote I tore out: "For me, it's never about saving things. It's about using the good china every day and the silver cutlery. It's about handwritten thank you notes." Well said, Deb! Love you!

(photo: street-spotted.com)

Why I've been gone

2010-05-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

My wonderful parents have been in town for the past week or so, which is why I've been blog absent. We made our way around Dallas (Rockfish, The Porch, Society Bakery, 6th Floor Museum, Northpark, M Streets...), over to Fort Worth (zoo, a tea room and the Amon Carter Museum to see displays on 2 western artists that my father loves). I wanted to wear my Pandamonium shift to the zoo, but I didn't even think about it and wore it the day before! My mother also brought her nice camera so I could play around with it! Here are some pictures from the zoo:

We also did our fair share of this:

Hope you all have been having fabulous weeks!

P.S. 8 Days Until SATC2!!!

Birthday gift

2010-05-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

Last night at our blogger meetup, a couple of girls had nice cameras. I've been using a plain jane digital camera for years now, but I think it may be time for an upgrade. I can really see the difference between my camera photos and the photos from a nicer camera. My mother has a great camera, and even though she's technology challenged, her pictures always look great! My birthday isn't for a few more months, but I already know what I'm asking for!

For now, you'll just have to look at my grainy regular pictures! We went out to dinner at Coast and I snapped these

Maybe a new camera will help me figure out how to post pictures that are right side up! What are your preferences? Canon, Nikon?

What a fun night!

2010-05-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

I met with the Dallas blogger girls tonight, which was amazing! I had so much fun meeting all these wonderful girls, it's great to meet the people you read so much about! Being new to town, it's been a lot of hanging out with JPK or his co-workers, who are mainly men, so it was also nice to get some girl time in.

They also gave me the little bump I needed to start blogging more. I've been a little sparse with my posts because I think to myself, "Nobody will care that I went grocery shopping today, or watched the SATC2 trailer another 10 times and squealed because I'm SO excited." But they assured me that people do like to read what you've been up to.

So, I'll update more often. Tomorrow, I'm going to check out the Lilly store that's a little closer to my house! And lay out if the weather cooperates, it's been cloudy lately. Anyway, thanks Dallas ladies for having such a great fun night with me, I had a blast!

Just a quick hello

2010-05-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

We thought we'd stop in and say hi! Hope you all are having fabulous weekends!

P.S. If you haven't yet, stop by and see Erin at my heart belongs to me. She takes all her own pictures and the cupcakes she made today are to. die. for!

A Sunday Funday!

2010-05-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday is my favorite day of the week! JPK got up early to go check on one of his hotels, so I slept in! He came home and we went to lunch at Babe's Chicken. It was delicious!

(I look a touch preggers, but don't worry I'm not!)

Then we changed clothes and went to the driving range for a bit.

Next, back home for a quick JPK/LCK mid afternoon nap while I did a bit of laundry.

And finally, out for a drink at the NYLO Hotel bar. Their decor is very modern, which is not my taste, but they have some fun quirky chairs and killer martinis.

Mother!

2010-05-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of one of my favorite holidays, Derby Day, I wanted to share with you all some photos of my lovely mother and a few of our horses.

Can't resist that face! Sweet Pizzaz

Practice (in pink!) makes perfect

Show time on Kiss Me Kate!

Christmas Eve ride

Miss Worthy shows her spirit for our holiday party

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! xo

Rare Opportunity

2010-05-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Before we all dash off to our Derby parties in huge fabulous hats and pressed dresses, take a minute to let this information soak in. On May 5th in NYC, Judith Leiber is hosting a cocktail party to benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society. The highlight of the event is the rare opportunity to purchase a bag by Ms. Leiber for a mere $100. Did your jaw drop? Mine too! 100 lucky party guests will get the chance to purchase one of the $100 bags. All the proceeds benefit the WCS.

If you live in NYC (or are SERIOUSLY contemplating hopping on a plane for this event, like I am) and would like to attend the party, all RSVPs should be sent to Anna at the Judith Leiber flagship store. Her email is anna (at) companyagenda (dot) com.

(photo: luxist.com)

The most exciting 2 minutes in sports!

2010-04-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

All the long lazy mornings in pastures of green

The sun on your withers, the wind in your mane

Could never prepare you for what lies ahead

The run for the roses so red...

Of course, Derby Day is Saturday, and many of us are hosting/attending a fabulous party. Or going to the Derby! My mother is an avid equestrienne and she is hosting a party as well! Wouldn't you just love to have a pink and green outdoor space like this one to celebrate the Run for the Roses?

(photos: polandracing.com, fineliving.com)

Katie Holmes to play Jackie O.

2010-04-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

According to people.com, Katie Holmes is set to play our beloved Jackie O. in a new mini series called The Kennedys. The series is going to be 8 hours (I'm assuming in installments) on the History Channel. Bad news is we have to wait until 2011 to see it. I do like Katie Holmes and her adorable daughter, as they have a place in Telluride, one of my absolute favorite places on earth. I love her style (I've managed to forgive her for bringing those awful boyfriend jeans in style), but I'm still a little unsure about how she'll do as Jackie. Big shoes to fill!

Greg Kinnear will play JFK, with Tom Wilkinson (he was Benjamin Franklin in John Adams) as Joe Kennedy Sr.

Will you watch? I know I will!

(photos: sovereignstate, demandstudios.com)

Quote!

2010-04-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

I spent today looking for a Mother's Day gift for my darling Mother who will be here in 2 or so weeks! Since she reads this blog on occasion, I can't tell you what I looked at! That is all that is new with us (except that I am SO SO SO excited about the Dallas blogger meetup), so I thought I'd leave you with one of my very favorite quotes:

"If you're lucky enough to be different, don't ever change."

Taylor Swift

PS, I love you!

2010-04-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

PS=Porch/Patio Season! While I'm sure I didn't coin the term Porch/Patio Season, I did shorten it to PS years and years ago, spread it across 2 states so far (NC and CO, TX to come) and declare it the best season ever.

Tonight JPK and I sat on the gorgeous patio at Mi Cocina in Las Colinas, right down the street from our new apartment. It makes me nostalgic for the rickety deck at Dockside or Bluewater in Wilmington, NC. Recently, the majority of my texts include/are about PS. "Margs out front at Gov's, wish you were here!", "@ Steuben's, PS in full swing!", "PS! PS! PS!", "ps+mimosas=miss you!", etc.

In Denver, we went to Kona Grill's reverse happy hour (9pm-until) almost every night, and we always sat on the patio! I remember sitting out there next to the fireplace when there were ice-cycles hanging off our table! Our Kona nights will always be one of my best memories from Denver. You better believe I bundled up on those cold nights, but now Lilly dresses are my obvious choice for PS outfits!

Are your ears ringing?

2010-04-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Many of us tend to wear simple jewelry, pearls or a thin necklace. Maybe a T&Co charm bracelet. I am the same way. I have a few simple pairs of earrings that I interchange every so often, and basic necklaces such as a small diamond K necklace. (I do have a 3 strand turquoise necklace like the one in my last post, and I do wear it with more outfits than just my swimsuit!) I rarely and I mean rarely wear bracelets. I probably haven't worn a bracelet in 5 years, no lie.

However, lately I have been craving new fun earrings! I bought a pair of large gemstone studs with little diamonds around the edge and some dangly coral earrings, also in gold. I wore the coral ones with a Lilly shirtdress and white sandals and now I can't get enough! I don't use them for everyday wear but for a night out or summer bbq, they are perfect! Here are a few of my favorite variations on these two styles:

earring must haves by lifelovelilly featuring Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry

What are your favorite earring styles?

My summer essentials!

2010-04-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

by the seashore by lifelovelilly featuring J Crew bags

...the right accessories. I understand that not everyone accessorizes a bathing suit, but I sure do. My fave suit is black with white stripes. Black because it makes me look skinny and tan. Wide brim black hat, 3 strand turquoise necklace, metallic sandals, iPhone.

....some juicy reading. Nothing too heavy for the summer reading list. Lauren Conrad, Sophie Kinsella, Candace Bushnell, etc. Also, Vogue, Town & Country, Elle Decor, 5280.

...a killer tan! None of that 100+ SPF sunscreen for me! I wear 15 until I get a good tan going, then switch to 4. Also, continuous spray is the best because it will spray upside down to get the middle of your back and back of your legs. I use Jergens Natural Glow lotion on my face, arms and legs to keep my color.

...the right polish colors. My Chihuahua Bites or Lost w/o My GPS by OPI for toes (both an coral-y pinkish orange color) and Tie the Knot by Essie (pale pale pink) or I Need Space by OPI (sheer natural) for fingers. Sometimes when very tan I wear My Chihuahua Bites on my fingers.

...and of course, a seasonal playlist. My summertime faves: "Heads Carolina, Tails California" by Jo Dee Messina, "Summer Girls" by LFO, "Sweet Tea" by Cravin' Melon, "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson, "Corona and Lime" by Swayze, "Boat Drinks", "One Particular Harbor", "Southern Cross", and "The Wino and I Know" all by Jimmy Buffett.

I'm still here!

2010-04-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. Goodness. I cannot believe it's been so long since I've posted!

We are finally in Dallas! The weather has been great except the past few days, it has been rainy and chilly! Good thing I kept some of my sweaters out. I laid out one of the first days we were here and fully intend to keep that going too! It would be another couple months until I could lay out if we were still in Denver.

I miss my friends ALOT but of course I knew that was going to happen. I feel a little sad knowing they all get to hang out and go to Kona Grill happy hour, just without me this time. My friend T came down to Dallas with us to help keep me company for the ride and help unpack/decorate. Instead we mostly shopped, drank our signature pomegranate martinis, and shopped some more! We also visited Cowboys Stadium and took a tour. I wasn't really interested (Colts fan!) but T loves the Cowboys. Here are a few of the adorable things I've picked up in the past week:

(Nine West petal clutch)

(Miss Trish of Capri Turquoise Seahorse sandals. To Die For!)

(Lilly Pulitzer sandals with gold fish!)

(blue and white large vase. So great, thank you homegoods!)

Today, I found out that I got a job. I wasn't desperate to find work until I got here. I really wanted to take my time and find something that I really wanted to do. However, I have been so bored! I don't watch that much TV and it's hard when you don't know anyone or your way around the city. I am going to try this job for awhile and see how I like it, who knows, maybe it will be great!

My parents shipped my car out to me, and it arrived on Thursday! Father has always taken care of car related things for me, but now I have to find my own insurance, and it is a little stressful. Also, a few days ago when I was taking pictures at HomeGoods of all the wonderful things I wanted to add to our home and share with you lovelies, my phone completely died! But Apple at Northpark and their wonderful customer service just gave me a brand spankin new one! Father and Mother spent last week at the beach house with my brother B and this week they are in Las Vegas. Then in 3 or so weeks, they are coming here to see JPK and I. They are just having oh so much fun spending all this QT together!

Last night on our balcony, I planted lilys, lavender, some herbs, and a lemon tree! I have wanted a lemon tree forever and finally we have one. I'm excited for some homemade lemonade! Whew...I think that's about it for now, but I promise now that everything is unpacked and our internet is hooked up, you can expect a lot more updates from me!

xoxo

Quote of the (Beautiful) Day

2010-04-04T07:52:00.001-07:00

"In the end though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying 'thank you', forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices."

-Eat Pray Love

2010-03-24T19:00:00.001-07:00

Things are moving so quickly around here!

We are leaving for Dallas in 16 days. Last night I started packing, and have 2 huge bags of clothes to give to my girlfriend Kelly. And some other bags that are for goodwill. Our apartment is a MESS! Boxes, bubble wrap, and tape are everywhere!

While I'm super duper out of this world excited to move to Dallas, it's stressful to move so fast! I have a giant "To Do" list, and it seems like things don't get crossed off as quickly as I'd like. Today, I called and made arrangements to cancel all of our utilities. I also changed the addresses on all our magazine subscriptions, and arranged to take my last vacation days at work! (Side note: yes, I'm grateful to have a job, and one where I work with some of the most fun and amazing people I've met in Denver, but I am so ready for a new, more challenging job.)

I'm also happy to be moving to a city where the weather is WARM almost all the time! Yesterday, it was 20-something degrees and snowing. Today was more of the same. At least this time I didn't fall on my butt in the middle of downtown Denver. Thank god for small miracles ;)

If any of you all live in Dallas, please please please let me know everything. Things like:

-best neighborhoods to live in

-best place to get my hair done

-best brunch spots (bottomless mimosas a plus!)

-best place to shop other than malls

-best romantic restaurants

-best place to buy a car (I'm in the market!)

-even things like roads I shouldn't take at certain times or a dentist

Thanks so much girls!! xoxoxo

(photo: weddingpaperdivas.com. Not our moving announcements, but from the website ours are ordered from!)

Colorado, you're such a tease!

2010-03-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I raved about Colorado and how much I loved it here. 300 days of sunshine, etc. Except today, it's 21 degrees and POURING snow. Doesn't the state know that tomorrow is the first day of spring?! Spring and snow just do not mix! Lilly dresses and snow do not mix either.

And I'm co-hosting a Spring Soiree on Easter Sunday poolside so I'm really going to need this weather to start cooperating!

P.S. I may have fallen on the sidewalk. I was walking to get lunch and momentarily forgot to keep shuffling my feet, and I fell so hard! My knees are red and swollen and some people stopped and laughed at me. Awesome.

Random Recap Thursday

2010-03-18T21:25:00.001-07:00

1. This morning I gave JPK a ride to the golf course, just so I could play with my new Garmin GPS. The voice is a British man, and I find myself saying, "Thank you, James!" whenever he successfully gets me somewhere.

2. I went slightly crazy for Liberty of London. I got an ahhhmazing Sparkling Grapefruit candle, a serving platter, serving tray, 2 tier stand, umbrella, teapot, cups, and headbands. See, overboard.

3. If you watch Top Chef on Bravo, you remember Josea. He is the executive chef at Jax Fish House in Boulder, CO. JPK and I went there on Wednesday night, and they had the BEST oysters rockefeller I've ever ever ever had. I wanted about 17 plates of them. But that would have been a bit ridiculous.

And last, but not least,

4. JPK and I are moving on April 9th. We are leaving here (Denver):

for here (Dallas):

JPK got an incredible promotion at work, and their corporate offices are in Dallas, so off we go. This will be our 3rd state in 2 years (NC, CO, TX) and I have to admit, as much as I am so excited for my wonderful fiance to be so successful, I'm really going to miss Denver. Before we came here, I was worried that I might not like it, but I have so many sweet friends that I'm really going to miss. And the weather here CANNOT be beat! 300 days of sunshine and that fresh high-altitude air! JPK was born and raised in Denver and has only lived away from Colorado while he was in college in NC (where we met! but a post for another day...) so I'm a little sad for him because I know how much he loves it here as well. But when you get an opportunity like this one, you can't pass it up.

While I feel sad to leave this city I've come to love and the wonderful friends I've made (and JPK's friends he's known since he was 5), I'm excited for this new step in our lives. We will be moving on the 9th and JPK will start his new position on the 12th. His company is generously getting us a suite at one of their hotels for a couple of months until we can familiarize ourselves with the neighborhoods and buy a house. (My first thought was, Oh so Eloise! Hopefully we'll be on the "tippy-top floor"!)

And let's be honest, I'm not UNhappy to be moving to a city with a Lilly store!

(photo: dfwlimobus.com, citysearch.com)

She'll never keep earrings on her bedside table again!

2010-03-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Per Luxist, the impeccable Kate Middleton (j'adore!) was given a pair of antique pearl earrings by her boyfriend Prince William. He personally found a private dealer to track down the earrings for her birthday this year. However, before she could even wear them, her doggie (a black cocker spaniel named Otto) ate them right off her bedside table! Wills thought the whole thing was very funny, supposedly saying KM would have to wait until the earrings came out the other end!

Let's hope she has already found a safer place to keep her jewelry!

(photo: jolienadine.com)

Random Recap Thursday

2010-03-11T18:05:00.000-08:00

Many bloggers do a recap in a bulleted fashion, which is what I decided to do today:

1. I am RIDICULOUSLY excited for Liberty of London to arrive at Target. I will be there 9am Sunday morning (I will make a game plan before as I need to finish my shopping before it's time for brunch!) I must pick up a dress, tea pot, dessert tiers, oh dear probably much more!

2. I ran around town after work today trying to find a copy of Up In The Air to rent for JPK. In the movie, Gorgeous George uses Brooks Brother's leather luggage, which just so happens to be the exact same luggage set JPK just purchased. Neither one of us have seen the movie yet, but it's a small claim to fame!

3. Gossip Girl returned on Monday, which is super exciting! Except, my DVR taped a completely different channel and I missed GG. (Eeee...I just realized the CW has the full epi online!)

4. If I never saw another picture/heard another thing about Beyonce for the rest of my life (ok, at LEAST the rest of 2010) I would be thrilled.

5. JPK downloaded a Taylor Swift app on my iPhone. Love him!

Enjoy! xoxo

Does anything hold its value better than a perfect day?

2010-03-07T19:42:00.000-08:00

JPK and I are going on a mini vacation on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are heading down to Colorado Springs to the Broadmoor. I booked the room for us, as I thought we needed to get away from jobs, responsibilities, cell phones, etc. The Broadmoor is the longest-running consecutive winner of both the AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards. They are a Five-Star winner for the 50th year in a row! They are also pet friendly so we can take our darling Lilly with us.

Now, what to pack? Tennis whites, check. White cable knit cardi, check. Revas, check. Mini makeup bag and mini hair straightener, check. 10 Calorie XXX Vitamin Water, check. (Some people like neck pillows, I never travel without my 10 calorie XXX. Don't judge.)

Also...my pick for Best Dressed at the Oscars: Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham. The color, the nails, the hair, GORGEOUS!

My runner up: Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel Haute Couture.

And Worst Dressed: Charlize Theron in Dior Haute Couture.

(photos: broadmoor.com, people.com, dailymail.co.uk, stylelist.com)

Rue La La does it again!

2010-03-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, at Nimi's (QBS speak for Neiman Marcus) I found the most adorable pair of Taryn Rose flats. They were suede with a touch of sparkle and a rabbit fur puff with a jeweled center on top! They didn't have my size in the store, and my puff flats fell to the back of my mind. However, Rue La La has saved the day again! Taryn Rose is coming to RLL tomorrow morning and in the preview, there are my puff flats!

I've got my alarm set (a couple of minutes early natch, to make some hot tea) and tomorrow hopefully the puff flats will be mine!

(photo: tarynrose.com)

My exciting life

2010-02-26T21:05:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I have not updated in awhile. Nothing much is happening lately. JPK is still in negotiations for his new job, so no news there. I haven't found any new houses I love either. I did receive my Pandamonium and Rue La La dresses! I wore the Pandamonium dress today with a black shirt underneath and black tights. And a pink scarf!

However, today, I got quite the surprise. I was at Starbucks and who was in front of me? Vanilla Ice! He ordered an iced vanilla latte. I may have laughed out loud, but what did he expect? The Starbucks girl laughed too! As I'm sure you're dying to know, yes, he was wearing a flipped up hat.

2 posts in one day! But necessary

2010-02-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

The view from my beach chair in the caribbean over the holidays. I never posted any pictures on here of our trip, and on a night as cold as this, we could all use a little tropical pick me up!

Lent

2010-02-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure you know, Lent started today. I am giving up shopping, like many other bloggers. As my last purchase, I got a light blue silk Armani skirt for $45. No, that is not a typo. A few days ago, JPK and I were at Off Saks and I found the skirt. I didn't buy it and was kicking myself! Then what pops up in my inbox? A 50% off any clearance item! I definitely had to pick up the skirt. Armani for $45 is BEYOND a steal. I'll post a picture for you all soon, as I left my camera in the car and don't want to go out in the cold to get it!

Also, I am planning a trip to New England this summer. Having lived in Colorado for his whole life (with the exception of college in North Carolina), JPK never made it up to New England. He has never been to NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, or Washington DC! Crazy, huh? So I am planning a New England trip for us this summer. My best friend lives in Rhode Island, so we will stop there first. Then...what? I'd love for him to experience NYC. I also have to take him to all my favorite places on the Cape (Sundae School Ice Cream, anyone?). And also possibly Nantucket or MV, but I prefer Nantucket.

I need New England suggestions! We'll hit all the main spots, but I'd love to go to some new romantic places!

(photo: maverickchartersltd.com)

Happy Tuesday!

2010-02-16T17:45:00.001-08:00

Today, I got my pink swap package! Thank you so much Little Pink Magnolia! She sent it to my work, which really brightened up my work day. Then, I came home and did my usual routine. Walk the dog, make a pomegranate martini, search for homes online. We have several great options in homes so far, but I don't want to post them on here in fear of someone loving them as much as I do and stealing them from me before I can properly deliberate!

I also watched Julie and Julia last night. If you haven't seen the movie, STOP READING. I liked the movie, I thought it was adorable. However, I was a little disappointed that they made Amy Adams look so dowdy. I also was really upset near the end when Julie found out that Julia didn't like her/her website! How upsetting! I would have just fudged the end and made Julia LOVE Julie and have them meet! And how perfect was Julia's monogrammed dresses and hats. I have a serious thing for hats.

I also got the new Nordstrom catalog, and I may have to have this dress:

(photo: shop.nordstrom.com)

Have a Beautiful Day!

2010-02-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

It's finally snowing in Denver! It's nothing like you East Coast girls got but still, oh so romantic! I hope everyone enjoys time with the friends and family and significant others!

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share with you a picture of JPK and I after a midnight walk on the beach circa 3ish years ago:

Be mine. Because my heart is already yours.

Thanks a lot, Mother Nature!

2010-02-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

Today, I am very very sad. JPK and I were supposed to spend this weekend in Dallas for NBA All-Star Weekend. However, THIS happened! They cancelled 1,500 flights (ours included) and a ton of people are without power. We were staying with our friend Mike, but his house doesn't have power, and they don't think he will get it back until sometime next week! I had our bags packed with some super cute outfits and we were to leave late this afternoon and come back Monday morning. I was so excited to see the all the celebrities and All-Star game, and most importantly the Slam Dunk Contest!

Now what am I supposed to do this weekend?? Oh, yeah...laundry. :(

(photo: thetruthsports.com)

Will you be my Valentine?

2010-02-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

Just as the Calypso boots I showed you in my last post would make a superb Valentine's Day gift from your boyfriend (or from you to yourself!), these gifts would also be excellent choices.

Pour homme:

(Tod's Brooklyn Loafer in Black Italian Leather, Neiman Marcus $395)

(Hunting Dog Bow Tie, Vineyard Vines $45)

(Weston Leather Cigar Case with Stainless Steel Cutter and Lighter, RedEnvelope $60)

and for you:

(Cashmere Tank top and Shorts pajama set, RedEnvelope $110)

(Tory Burch Miller Flipflops, Nordstrom $115)

(Argyle Hearts Knit Scarf Nordstrom, $14)

(photos: all photos found on respective websites)

Perfect pink boots!

2010-02-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

It's no secret we all love Calypso. I posted about the seersucker jumper I got a few weeks back, and now I may need these boots! These light pink suede knee high boots are PERFECT for the winter with a cream colored sweater and jeans, and for the Spring with a frilly floral dress!! Perhaps at the Taylor Swift concert in April?! (I would show you all what I'm thinking, but I can't use Polyvore either. See yesterday's post.) They have most sizes left and are marked down to $99 from $725! Snap them up soon!!

(photo: calypso-celle.com)