happy birthday to nick!

today's is my hubby's 30th birthday (yes i married a younger man thankyouverymuch). this poster sums up how i feel about him on this very big day. happy birthday.

p.s. the entire freya art collection of prints on etsy is pretty kick ass!

grown up notebook for work

i'm really picky about the notebook i use for work. for the past 8 years i've been using three subject notebooks from mead's five star line and i find myself the constant butt of "how's 7th grade going" type jokes. so even though i love them, i went on a mission to find a grown-up version of the old classic and my local bookstore had exactly what i was looking for. these suzyjack* desk notebooks are made from recycled paper, printed from soy ink, they're made in the ole' US of A and they have some really beautiful designs to choose from. my favorite part is the mead five star-esque spiral at the top. i can't just quit cold turkey...

they're $12 each but worth every penny, in my opinion.

make things new again with something old

one of my friends is really good at this - when she has a dress, pair of pants or coat that she's getting sick of, she replaces the buttons with new old ones (yes, new old ones). stylized vintage buttons can add new life to an article of clothing that you'd otherwise let sit in the back of your closet or give to salvation army. in doing a little bit of googling for my first vintage button purchase, i've found etsy to be the best so far and i especially like these for sale by abandc. i think they'd be a refreshing touch on one of my old cardigans.

next i'll be visiting youtube to learn how to sew a button. i'm feeling so domestic.

photos from abandc's shop on etsy.

baby monogramming (jewelry, that is. not the actual baby.)

my dear friend emma and her husband tom recently welcomed super cute baby grant to their family. i was honored when emma asked me for ideas for a grant-inspired necklace to wear close to her heart. i came across some really nice items in a range of styles so decided to share with you guys, too. after all, you can have any of them monogrammed with whatever your heart desires!

below: this bar necklace from annekiel's etsy shop can be custom engraved for $86. i love how tiny it is - almost like it's your little secret.

below: danielle stevens does a great mongrammed pendant for $78. if you buy through couturecandy.com, first-time buyers get 15% off (promo code "firsttime"). i received one as a gift and i wear it ALL the time.

below: leave it to tiffany to create a classic. i've loved these elsa peretti letter pendants forevs. $165.



below: and if you really want to make a statement, this one is pretty kick ass. jennifer zeuner's Z10 3-initial pendant retails for $242 and was just featured in instyle mag. i haven't found a coupon code but i'll keep looking. it's kinda a less trendtastic nameplate ala carrie bradshaw.

blue suede shoes...i mean toes

warning - if you're freaked out by feet, stop reading. you're about to see mine.

as i've written about before, i adore trying all the new shades of nail polish the second they arrive in my local ricky's store. i tell myself buying a new shade of polish here and there for $9 is much more wallet friendly than getting a mani/pedi on a weekly basis for $25. my latest do-it-yourself trial was o.p.i.'s russian navy from their suede collection. it's blue, it's semi matte and it's swirly. i'm still getting used to the transition from essie's ultra summery punchy pink but so far i think i like it! what do you think of the color?

back from vacation and i'm ready to rock (rock some sequins, that is)

i'm back from the rainiest week at the beach ever and i'm ready to rock and roll! one of the fall trends i'm really liking is sequins...and this son of john heidi sequin tank has caught my eye a few times. unfortch, the $253 price tag makes it a no-go.


so instead i think i'll spring for this version from...wait for it...newport news. it's on sale for $35 and if you sign up for emails you'll receive an additional 15% off (making it $29.75). i think it'd be super cute with some skinny jeans and a boyfriend blazer for a girl's night out.

dealing with combination skin

i probably have the most oily skin out of any human i know, especially during summer or like right now when i'm near the beach. it's really annoying. so i rely on these mineral fusion blotting tissues to get me through the day. they're $8 for a pack of 100 (i get mine at whole foods) and they do an awesome job of soaking up excess oil from my t-zone without removing or smudging makeup. clean and clear makes a good one, too, if you aren't a frequenter of whole foods.