Currently Loving: Glitzy Flats

As much as I'm obsessed with high heels, I rarely wear them. While they're a joy to look at and I covet the ones I have, I find myself praying to the fashion gods for relief after an hour of wearing them, which is why I find myself most days on the complete opposite end of the shoe spectrum: flats. They're comfortable, easy to slip on, and don't require a plethora of band-aids to save my feet. Because flats are understated in comparison to heels, I love pairs adorned with sequins, covered in prints, embellished with jewels, and any other component of pizazz that will bring the shoe to life. Here are a few pairs I'm currently loving:

1. Nine West luminarie 2. Giuseppe Zanotti spike cap toe 3. Jimmy Choo glitter cap toe 4. kate spade ny noelle flat 5. Sgt. Pepper 6. Sam Edelman blaine flat 7. Vera Wang lucie flat 8. Vera Wang jeweled peep toe 9. Bourne robyn flat 10. Bourne britt peep toe 11. Steve Madden i-dentfy 12. Nine West lemon flat

Holiday Gift DIY: Homemade Vanilla

Giving or receiving a homemade holiday gift truly makes this time of year most memorable. Whether it's a simple card made from scrap paper, or something a little more elaborate, a gift made with love will surely be treasured by the recipient long after the season ends. These homemade bottles of vanilla extract would be the perfect present for anyone on your list, and, if made in larger batches, can be quite cost effective as well (Madagascar vanilla beans can be bought in bulk here).

photos

For full directions, and to print the vanilla labels, go here.

Sharon & Ozzy's LA Home designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

I instantly fell in love with designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard's work after seeing him on the hit reality show Million Dollar Decorators. Grand eclecticism at it's finest, Martyn's work entails pulling elements of mid century French decor, country antiques, and vintage Americana to create this wonderfully perplexing yet masterful design esthetic that is fit for royalty to design-enthusiasts alike. Here, he puts his classic touch on Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne's Los Angeles home, making into nothing short of a masterpiece:

photos

Cyber Monday Fashion Deals - Bloomingdales, Rachel Roy, Elie Tahari + more

Black Friday is not for the faint of heart. It entails endurance, determination, and focus (a bit of maniacal instinct doesn't hurt, either) all of which I can't seem to muster up for a shopping experience which takes place at hours that should never be seen on a clock. With that said, I do go weak at the knees for a good deal, which is why Cyber Monday is right up my alley. Here are a few of my favorite 2011 Cyber Monday Deals:

photo

Elle, Country Living, Cosmo, etc. via LivingSocial - $5 for 1 year subscription **Best Deal**

Bloomingdales - $50 off $250 or more + free shipping - Use code: FREESHIP1

French Connection - Up to 40% Off + free shipping on orders of $125 - Use code: FCBFFS

7 For All Mankind - Extra 40% OFF Sale Items. Use code: CMONDAY4011

Click below for more deals- including Rachel Roy, Elie Tahari, Juicy Couture + more

(please link back if reposting)

BlueFly via LivingSocial - $25 for $50 to spend on BlueFly

Gilt Groupe - Cyber Monday Madness every 3 hours - $5.95 shipping all day

Cole Haan via Rue La La - Up to 50% OFF Womens, Mens, and accessories.

Elie Tahari via Rue La La - Up to 60% OFF Womens and Mens. (The Kearney gold sequin dress is gorge)

Juicy Couture - 30% OFF entire site all day.

Rachel Roy - 40% OFF Rachel Rachel Roy and 20% OFF Rachel Roy today only.

J.Crew - 25% OFF + free shipping today only. Use code: SURPRISE (Thank you, Viv!)

Piperlime - 20% OFF today only. Use code: HUGECYBER

Banana Republic - 30% OFF today only. Use code: HUGECYBER

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and your family all the best this holiday. Today I'm thankful for all of you; your wonderful blogs, sweet comments, and continued support all bring me happiness throughout the year. I'm thankful we have a platform like blogs to connect and share together. Many blessings to you.

photo via Eddie Ross

A few helpful links on this holiday:

Thanksgiving table setting diagram - 2011 Black Friday Deals - Hostess Gift Ideas

Hostess Gifts for the Holidays

Bringing the host or hostess a small gift in exchange for all their preparation and hard work is something I like to do, especially during the holiday season. Whether it's store bought or homemade, having a gift in hand is a nice gesture and will surely start the night off on a nice note. Here are a gifts I'm sure a hostess would love:

Studiopatro tea towels - Anthropologie milk bottle measuring cups - Rifle Paper Co. recipe cards - Studiopatro kitchen apron

Wishing safe travels to everyone on the road today and tomorrow!

*Brunch at Saks is currently running a Sachin+Babi rose gold bracelet giveaway. If interested, click here to enter *

2011 Black Friday Deals - Target, Best Buy, Macys

Another holiday season filled with family, friends, good food, laughs, and memories-to-be-made is among us, which can only mean one thing: Black Friday is on the horizon. While I prefer my shopping outings to be more of the leisurely sort, I completely understand the desire to hit the stores before the sun rises, as finding a good deal is nothing short of Super Bowl victory status in my book. I took some time last night to scour through the 2011 Black Friday ads for Target, Best Buy, and Macys, and wanted to share my favorite deals with you.

photo

Click below for my favorite 2011 Black Friday Deals. (Full page ads linked via prices)

(please link back if re-posting)

Target
doors open 12am fri. november 25th

Book lovers: Amazon Kindle $85
Music: Buy 8GB Apple iPod Nano $129 and get $15 Target gift card FREE
Gamers: Games for Wii, Nintendo 3DS, XBox 360 etc. $5 - $27/each
Movie watchers: DVDs $1.99 - $5.99 Blu-Rays $7.99
Travelers: 5-piece Luggage Set $39
Kitchen: Buy Mr. Coffee by Keurig brewer $79 and get $30 Target gift card FREE
Home Decor: 10-piece Picture Frame Set $12

Best Buy
doors open 12am fri. november 25th

Apple fans: Save $60-$200 on MacBook Pro and iMac computers + Apple iPad 2 on SALE + $100 iTunes gift card for only $80
TVs: Dynex 24" LCD 1080p HDTV $79 - 46" Insignia LCD 1080p HDTV $499
Appliances: LG Front Load Washer & Dryer $549/ea.
Appliances: Whirpool Stainless Kitchen Bundle: Refrigerator, Over-the-Range Microwave, Electirc Range/Oven, Dishwasher $1699
Movie Watchers: DVDs $0.99 Blu-Rays $4.99
Gamers: XBOX-360 Console Bundle $199

Macys
shop midnight - 1pm fri. november 25th and 7a - 1pm sat. november 26th

Kitchen: Bella Coffee Maker, Black & Decker Waffle Maker + more $9.99 (after rebate)
Kitchen: KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer $179
Home: Twin Sheet Sets $5.99 - Queen Sheet Sets $29
Holiday Decor: 7.5 ft Christmas tree w/ clear lights $99
Fashion: Cashmere Sweaters $39

For all the 2011 Black Friday ads, click here.

Thanksgiving Table Settings + Place Setting Diagram

One of the things I love most about the holidays is decorating the table. While I'm not a fan of over-the-top fancy place settings, I do find it quite fun to celebrate the day with nice plates, silverware, and glasses. As for the accessories, I like to keep the centerpieces, place cards, and scattered decor rather simple, allowing the food to be the center of attention. Here are a few Thanksgiving table settings I'm loving, complete with a place setting diagram to assist those of us who are in charge of that particular duty this year.

I foresee a lot of dishes in the future:

photos 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 (original)

Hair Love

Usually, a small portion of my weekend is reserved for trying new things with my hair and makeup since time for mistakes and re-do's is abundant. I'm thinking of trying these two looks today or tomorrow: a messy, updated version of the oh-so-classic topsy turvy ponytail, and a front braided updo. Both are simple and won't require me to heat up my curling iron; a win-win in my book.

photos 1 - 2

Office Organization

If there is one thing I crave during the holidays (besides all of the yummy food), it's organization. While this time of year is by far my favorite, I can't help but be overwhelmed with the furniture out of it's normal order, storage bins constantly being moved around, and the endless amounts of decorations being sorted through. For this reason, I'm always looking online for storage and organization ideas, which is how I came across these perfectly coordinated and composed offices that I wouldn't mind emulating. Here are a few of the spaces I found the most motivating:

photos via BHG here

DIY Chocolate Cups + Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipe

How amazing are these chocolate cups? Click here to see the entire DIY.

I love nothing more than a cup of hot chocolate at night this time of year. Below is my favorite recipe, which is gluten free and vegan.

Click below for recipe.

1/4 C. cocoa powder (I use Ah!laska)

3/4 C. sugar

pinch of salt

1/3 C. boiling water

4 C. coconut milk (I use SoDelicious)

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Add in boiling water and coconut milk. Stir in vanilla extract. Top with whipped cream (gluten free and vegan whipped cream recipe here)

Adapted from this recipe.

Peek Inside a Stylist's Home

Curiosity about others and whether or not they live their life according to what they preach (or in this case, do) plagues my mind quite often. For instance, when I'm at the dentist, I wonder if he too flosses, avoids candy, and brushes religiously. Or, if my doctor takes her own advice and sticks to her 'one glass of wine a day, thrice weekly cardio sessions' schpeel. Similarly, I often wonder what the homes of stylists and designers look like. Do they save their fanciest design tricks for themselves, creating an at-home masterpiece, or does conjuring up endless ideas for clients leave them worn out and in turn, their houses are simple and void of much flair? For this reason I love taking a peek inside designer's homes, like this one owned by stylist Jennifer Jansch, who has designed each room to be equally as fabulous as that of her portfolio.

photos here

20 Pieces to Update the Look of Your Bedroom

I'm over at Houzz today sharing 20 pieces to give your bedroom a quick and simple makeover. These are a few of the things on my list:

1. IKEA maskros pendant 2. Williams-Sonoma floral block pillow 3. Pottery Barn lattice chair 4. West Elm mirror side table

To read the full article and see all 20 pieces for a simple bedroom makeover, click here.

A House Filled with Flea Market Finds

I didn't become a fan of flea markets until after I moved to Los Angeles. Between the Melrose Trading Post, Rose Bowl Flea Market, and a few others held around the city, it's hard not to see the charm and opportunity flea markets present. While browsing the outdoor aisles, I can't help but notice that everything for sale seems to be only a short DIY step away from becoming a better version of what it once was, which in turns fills my mind with this grandiose vision of me spending afternoons refurbishing said items and putting them somewhere in my home with the satisfaction of knowing I saved money and recycled. But alas, my dream stops there, as more times than not I walk away empty handed for fear of ending up with a house filled with odds + ends that don't make any sense. However, after seeing this home, which is mostly filled with flea market finds, I'm certain I need to step up my game and make a purchase (or two) the next time I'm there.

photos via Skona hem here

Dream Kitchens: Part Deux

Out of all the rooms in my house, the kitchen is by far the most used. Whether it's for a quick snack or a marathon cooking fest, I can never seem to stay away for more than a few hours at a time. Since I spend so much time in there, I often find myself dreaming about building a kitchen exactly to my liking, which is somewhat fun and helps the time pass when doing the more mundane tasks (ahem, dishes). I've posted a few of my dream kitchens before, but I'm adding these to the list:

I love the idea of using wallpaper in a kitchen:

photos 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

For more kitchens, check out my 'kitchen' Pinterest board here.

Elizabeth Olsen: Hair Crush

photo

Love the cut, style, length, and color.

Clutch Bags

Confession: for years I've scoffed at clutch bags solely due to their size. Being that I prefer to keep everything except the kitchen sink in my bag, the possibility of a relationship between myself and the miniature, hand held accessory was dim, at best. Fast forward a few years and I'm here to say I was wrong; completely and utterly wrong. They're no fuss, convenient, easy to secure under your arm during obligatory handshaking and mingling at events, and best of all they have just enough room for the essentials. Needless to say, clutch bags and I have many years of catching up to do. Here are a few I'm loving:
1. Anthropologie polka rounds clutch 2. J.Crew invitation clutch 3. Marc Jacobs classic q karlie 4. Michael Kors jet set berkley clutch 5. Ashely M. wooden clutch <-- BEST BUY! Only $30! 6. Rebecca Minkoff mac clutch 7. Kate Spade sparkler missy mini clutch 8. Miu Miu nappa leather clutch

DIY: Branch Candle Votives

After seeing this tutorial on Fossil's website, I've suddenly become obsessed with gathering relatively decent looking sticks/branches to make a few of these candle votives on my own. Since our front/backyard is somewhat void of such materials, I've been on the lookout for them during our morning walks, which has been semi-successful. I think I may need to make a trip to Griffith Park to complete my stick collection for this DIY. One way or another, I will complete this before season's end. It's too cute and simple not to try.

- photos and DIY by Fossil -

Classic Knits & Stripes

The weather is finally holding steady at fall-like temperatures in Los Angeles, so I took a few minutes yesterday to switch out the bedding from summer quilts to down comforters, duvets, and knit blankets. In the master bedroom I have my favorite bedding of all time, Pottery Barn's Katherine duvet, and in the guest bedroom I have a more gender neutral but equally as lovely duvet, Jayden Stripe (it looks like PB is sold out but the Mathieu Stripe is similar). Here are a few other classic stripe duvets and knit blankets I'm loving:

1. Pottery Barn classic stripe duvet 2. Coyuchi striped wool blanket 3. Coyuchi willow weave blanket 4. West Elm stripe sheet set 5. West Elm monogrammed stripe duvet 6. GAIAM cable knit throw 7. Coyuchi two tone stripe duvet 8. West Elm printed sheet sets

Gossip Girl by Romeo + Juliet Couture

Last Thursday a few Los Angeles bloggers and myself attended the launch party for the the new line Gossip Girl by Romeo + Juliet Couture at the Writer's Room in Hollywood and it was so much fun. Gossip Girl has been a part of my Monday night routine since the day it premiered (seriously, I don't go anywhere on Monday's at 8pm when it airs unless it's an emergency!) so I was ecstatic seeing this collection. The line features everything you would see Serena, Blair, and others wearing, including tops, leggings, dresses, handbags and more. Thank you to Romeo + Juliet Couture for the tops and a fabulous event. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the collection:

How gorgeous are these pieces?! You can shop this collection at Kitson LA here.

Be sure to tune in to Gossip Girl on Monday night's at 8/7c for even more stunning fashion!

GG links I love: Facebook - Twitter: @CW_Network (Seriously- if you love GG, Vampire Diaries, Hart of Dixie, etc. follow them! Fun tweets, photos, clips, etc!)

*This was not a compensated post, nor was my time at the event. Everything expressed is personal opinion only.