Promises, Promises!

That's the name of the Broadway show we just saw today! We took the train into The City (haha! Hey, thats the lingo around here.) The show was great! So much fun. We had awesome seats, 5 rows from the stage.

The male lead is Sean Hayes, or as you guys may know him, Will from Will & Grace. The female lead is Kristin Chenoweth - I also saw her in Wicked, and of course, Glee! She plays the alcoholic blonde chick on Glee. She's too cute! I love her! And Sean Hayes was amazingly funny in this role. Anyway, the show was great, really funny, and I recommend it if you are looking for a Broadway show to see. I love seeing shows when I come to NY! I wish I could share pictures with you guys but we forgot to bring our camera. Bummer!

A couple days ago I was browsing J. Crew and saw a necklace that was on sale for $30. I liked it a lot but debated buying it or not. It was the last one, but I put it down and left. Yesterday I went to a different J. Crew and saw the same necklace, again the last one, so I figured it was meant to be, and now its mine! I love the multi-layered look and I have some dresses this will be perfect with.

Yeah, I know you can totally see my bra here, but its only from the camera flash and you really can't see it in person at all, I promise! I would never walk out of the house otherwise! ha.

Anyway imagine my happiness when I came home and saw that this same necklace is being sold for $58 dollars on J. Crew's website. Score!

I also received the Linea Pelle bracelet I posted about a few posts back. I am super happy with it, the first day I wore it two girls complimented me and asked where I bought it. :)

And lastly, yesterday I went to my mom's hair colorist and I loved her. I think she did an awesome job of fixing what so many stylists in California couldn't! (Its a long story but about a YEAR ago I tried to go brunette, it was an absolute disaster, and my hair hasn't been a nice shade of blonde since!) Anyway, my mom's stylist seriously restored my faith that there are good hair colorists out there (and of course you, too Andi!) Now my hair is just a pretty color blonde, no orange, no grey, no ashy, just pretty light blonde, with subtle lowlights that actually match!

As the colorist said, its still a work in progess - one time can't undo so many months of bad color jobs! I wish I had more time with her! But I'm really happy with it, and I have a good formula to bring with me to China! The salon I've been looking at in Beijing also uses the same brand of professional color that this girl used, so it should be easy to translate. AND no matter what I do to the font here, it won't change so its uniform to the other text, which is driving me nuts, but I'm done & can't deal with it anymore.

And... by the way... I leave for China in 4 days.

XOXO, thanks for reading guys!

On its way to me: Linea Pelle Bracelets; A Couple April Favorites & tonight is your LAST chance to enter the giveaway!

This week, we were trying to think of something to do, and because the weather wasn't so great we decided to see a movie... nothing was really playing, but The Back-up Plan with Jennifer Lopez looked sort of cute, so we decided to see it. I thought it was a cute chick flick over all! Sure there are some super cheesy parts and its not going to win any awards... but we were entertained and we laughed and I think thats all you can ask of a decent chick flick on a Tuesday afternoon, no?!

Anyway, getting to my point, J. Lo (yeah yeah, I know she goes by Jennifer now... hah) was wearing a super cute leather bracelet in the movie and I loved it so much I just knew I had to have it.


This was the only pic I could find, but, check it out! Look at her leather bracelet - super cute, no?! I love it! I searched around a little bit and finally found a site claiming that this bracelet is one of Linea Pelle's Double Wrap Sliced Leather Bracelets.


I don't know if its the exact bracelet, but it looks pretty similar to me! I think gold is a great neutral so I bought mine in gold. You can also find it at Luna Boston where you can receive 25% off (on everything except sale and Rebecca Minkoff) by using the code FACEBOOK.

The bracelet comes in several different colors including black, a dark chocolate brown, a lighter brown I call "camel," vintage gold (what I bought), and vintage silver (very pretty!). I keep imagining all the different things I can wear it with and can't wait until it comes in the mail!

It also comes in another (and cheaper) version called the Sliced Leather Bracelet.



I'm actually really glad I stumbled upon these bracelets because Linea Pelle makes the coolest leather bracelets!



Uh oh. I think I found a new obsession!

I have also seen on a few blogs some "Favorites of the Month" posts and thought they were cute & fun and decided that I DO have a couple new favorite things to share with you guys.

MY FAVORITES FOR APRIL

1. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Um, love? How did I ever live without it?! It really curls my lashes and makes them look longer! If you aren't using an eyelash curler you are missing out!

2. CeraVe Moisturizer

Seriously, its like I was blind to the possibility that anything other than something expensive could work on my sensitive skin. I kept trying ($$) product after ($$) product, to no avail (other than my daily moisturizer which I still love, La Roche Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizer with SPF). Anyway, I love this. Its gentle, doesn't cause breakouts or clog pores, and isn't greasy... its just an awesome moisturizer! I have dry skin and it keeps me hydrated (no small feat!)

I wish I had stocked up on THIS for China.

3. La Roche Posay Physiological Scrub (thanks to Veronika for recommending it!)


This is a fantastic scrub. Its great for sensitive skin (I have it) but at the same time its a really great exfoliator. It leaves my skin feeling clean and amazingly smooth and fresh. I replaced my DDF Acne Pumice Scrub (because I am suddenly allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide) with this scrub, and I think its a great alternative!

4. MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer

I am REALLY liking this concealer! It doesn't settle into fine lines and its moisturizing enough so that if your skin is dry the concealer doesn't accentuate it, it helps it even.

5. Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Dream Bath Sleep in Lavendar Chamomile

This stuff is seriously amazing. It smells SO good and is so relaxing! I love taking a bath with this stuff ... I've taken a bath in my mom's huge jacuzzi bath tub every night since I've been visiting. I really recommend this bubble bath!

And lastly, not fashion/beauty (well, in a roundabout way it is!)

6.Chobani Greek Yogurt


I love this yogurt. I am not a big breakfast person - I can't eat cereal because I can't drink (straight up) milk, but I can eat greek yogurt, and its awesome because its FULL OF PROTEIN! and low in fat. Chobani is amazingly delicious, comes in great flavors, and is overall just a great thing to add into your diet! Its an easy way to get 15g of protein! Great for breakfast or after workouts, and its all natural, too.

Well, thats it! Those 6 things are my favorites for this month! And GAH I know I am so wordy, I'll try to curb that.. lol.

DON'T FORGET! If you want to enter the giveaway you have until tonight at midnight Pacific-Standard Time. Link is at the top right of the page.

Steph

Make Pie Not War: My Favorite Etsy Shop

I recently just discovered Etsy. I can't believe I didn't know about it for so long. Or, actually, I'd heard about it, I'd browsed it, but I didn't actually buy anything until fairly recently.

I forget how I stumbled across the Etsy shop Make Pie Not War... but I am so glad I did! I think her designs are just absolutely gorgeous! I seriously want so many of them, its hard not to buy everything.








Little Pillows of Goodness, $68
A Little Gaudy and a Little Dainty, $52
All Things Fabulous from Old, $43
Black Lotus Baubles, $29 *I have these in turquoise
Sweet Crystal Heaven, $60
Athena is Missing a Bangle, $54
Sparrow on my Wrist, $29

These are just a few of her many gorgeous designs! I'm hesitant to share because I don't want to miss out on things I want... but I believe in sharing pretty things! (And how cute are the names she comes up with for her pretty pieces?)

Check out Make Pie Not War here.

What are your favorite Etsy shops? (If you are brave enough to share!)

Steph

WANTS! My Top 10 Wants for Spring & Summer

These are my top 10 wants (not necessarily gets!) for Spring & Summer.


1. By Cousin Claudine, Wood Crystal Bracelets, $145. Available at Intermix Online.

I love these wood & crystal bracelets! They are so gorgeous and entirely capture the perfect spring & summer look. At $145, these are a little steep for me for fashion jewelry, so I'll be scouring Etsy and other sites for cheaper alternatives. Let me know if you come across anything similar!

2. By J. Crew, denim shorts, $72. Available here.

I think shorts are perfect for summer (when not wearing dresses!) and I am loving all the denim styles that have been seen so far this spring. I can take these off my wish list, though, as I just turned it into reality when I scored on HauteLook this morning and purchased this super cute pair of Joe's shorts.


3. By J. Crew, Vintage Zebra-stripe Skirt, $68. Available here.

What is there to say about this adorable skirt from J. Crew? I love it. Its apparently been very popular and is sold out in all sizes except 2 and 10. Hopefully they will get more in! I'm not quite ready to pull the trigger on this one, because of all the money I've been spending stocking up for the move. Though, I do have a J. Crew reward card to that needs to be spent soon! Maybe this pretty little skirt will be mine, after all.

4. By Banana Republic, Lyra Castaway Necklace, $69.50. Available here.

I don't think I need to explain why this necklace is so fabulous. I love multi-layered necklaces and this one is just what I've been looking for.

5. By Anthropologie, Chantico Tank, $88. Available here.

Man, do I love this tank. Its gorgeous. It reminds me of something a Grecian Goddess would wear! I absolutely love the draping on this top. It also comes in white & baby pink. Its on backorder right now until April 6, hopefully I can snag this tank before I leave for China. Probably while I am visiting my mom in CT - she has several Anthros to choose from right by her house!

6. By J. Crew, Reese zip-back Gladiator Sandals, $118. Available here.

I absolutely love these strappy gold gladiator sandals. I love that they give the gladiator look but are still dainty and feminine. The zip-back is also a detail I love not only for how cute it looks, but also for the convenience of putting on the sandal! I may have already fulfilled this wish, though, in another strappy gold sandal I will blog about later this week.


7. By Dolce Vita, Hayden Criss-Cross Wedge Sandal, $174. Available at Shopbop.

These wedges rock. The leather looks so smooth and buttery, the criss-crossing is perfect, the straps are not too chunky not too thin. For me this shoe comes close to perfection for a spring and summer wedge.

8. By Ella Moss, Jackie Strapless Dress, $153. Also comes in Navy. Available at Ella Moss Online.

Ok so I love dresses. And I love stripes. Sometimes I get scared of horizontal stripes, even though I love them - and that is why this dress rocks. I still get the stripes I love but because the stripes go in different directions and aren't straight up horizontal, I don't have to worry about the stripes making me look wide or big or just unflattering to my figure. And I love how they styled this - simple, long gold necklace and strappy gold sandals. A++! BTW, right now if you go to Ella Moss online, you can receive $20 by inviting your friends.

9. By Kris Nations, Deco Leaf Earrings, $55. Available at Kris Nations.

I've been wanting these earrings since last year. I love the earthy vibe they give off and the earrings are perfect for about 75% of my summer looks! I think its time to make them mine. 'Nuff said.

And finally -

10. By Velvet, Elle Short Sleeve Dress, $152. Available at Velvet Online.

I own several dresses by Velvet and these things are made to last. They are made from beautiful, high quality materials. They tend to drape beautifully. And they are basic, but at the same time, anything but. I love the pockets and zipper detail on this dress. At Velvet Online right now, first-time buyers receive 15% off for signing up.

Velvet also has an adorable romper if you are looking for one!

I'm always looking for basic cotton dresses for summer, under $100. If you've seen any you love, be sure to share! I'm always on the look out for similar but better priced items, too. Like, these dresses I love... I'll probably wait for a good coupon code or snag them on sale! I bought a gorgeous Velvet dress on sale 50% off last year at Anthro.

What is on your spring & summer wish list?

Steph