|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Fashion, Food, Inspiration by C.

Ladies, we all know and can agree that being “female” certainly has its perks (hands down, when it comes to shopping we got it made – have you ever gone shopping with a guy? It’s literally the exact same shirt in different colors?) but in all seriousness, its challenges. Pressures to fit into picture-perfect airbrushed magazine standards of beauty being arguably the greatest of them if you ask many of us. I won’t go into a rant about my personal thoughts about the challenges of being a woman in today’s world; but I will share something that resonated with me, perhaps because it’s from a male point of view literally stepping into a woman’s shoes. I came across this clip yesterday afternoon after I’d seen it posted a few times in my Facebook feed and watched it wanting to know what was causing a mini viral craze. It warmed my heart to see such vulnerability and compassion from a man, and not just any man, a “Hollywood” man. Dustin Hoffman said it best. Now if only we could somehow manage as both women and men to collectively shift our perspectives on how we value people. Honestly, I really couldn’t begin to even say how. The conundrum we’ve gotten ourselves into is pretty complicated.

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| Highexistence.com’s 30 Challenges of 30 Days.||

||Cream on cream with a splash of gold. Perfect for Summer.||

||Mod Cloth’s A Dot a Day Flats.||

||Holy sugar rush! Birthday Cake Pancakes. // full recipe here.||

||10 Fabulous Scotch Tape Manicures.||

|| Kitchen.com’s Cabinet Cookware Organizer. Love this idea! ||

||Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Chipotle Black Bean and Corn Salad. // Recipe here.||

*click photos for image sources.

3Jul2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Fashion, Food, Holidays by C.

I cannot tell you how excited I am for the 4th of July weekend. I think of it as the epitome of summer: being around good food and good company, with a vibe of casual laziness in the air that’s completely acceptable. Personally, that’s how I intend to enjoy the festivities.

It’s going to be low-key on my end with a pretty consistent relaxation theme happening over the next 4 days. There will be lots of time on the beach with a good book in hand and I’m very much looking forward to a cocktail, followed by plenty of time on the couch sifting through my Netflix queue. There’s also been a jewelry project that I’ve been wanting to make that’s been sitting on my desk for 2 weeks now that I am resolving to finally finish.

I expect it to be very busy around town all weekend – people out and about enjoying the sunshine, fireworks, and all the holiday sales, so once the necessary celebrations are over and I’ve gotten my vitamin-D fix, I plan to hibernate a bit. To further enhance my lazy/relaxation themed plans, I’m taking some time off from blogging, so this will be my last post for the week.

Wherever you find yourself and whatever find yourself doing this holiday weekend – play safe and play happy.

Everything I’m lovin’ right now involves all things 4th of July. This week’s list was curated with a nod toward all things nostalgic to summer holidays. I’ll see you next week! xx

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| Homemade Honey Peach Frozen Yogurt / Recipe Here.||

||BCBGeneration Bright Red Multicolor Print Open-Back Romper.||

||Cost Plus’ Retro Popcorn Maker.||

||Helen Kaminki’s Provence 12 Raffia Straw Hat. Expensive, but fab!||

||Oprah.com’s 11 Ways to Have Your Best Summer Yet. ||

||Grilled Lemon Chicken, Berries, and Feta Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing //

Full recipe here. ||

||Straw Studios Straw Woven Tote.||

|| This stunning villa in Oia, Santorini just made my bucket list.||

||Paradise Inspired Cocktails (with an umbrella, of course).||

*click photos for image sources.

26Jun2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Fashion, Food, Television by C.

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For the past week or so, I’ve spent nearly every night that I’ve been home addicted to what I think might be one of the greatest comedies on TV since Sex and the City! Of course, I’m just now realizing this… and it’s been off the air for 6 months… after 7 successful seasons.

What was a simple night at home perusing Netflix looking for something to keep me entertained, but wouldn’t require a 2 hour feature film length commitment, lead me to 30 Rock (which Netflix kindly noted under my recommendations so I thought I would take their advice).

Interestingly, a similar pattern for this new addiction is exactly how I got into SATC. The series had been off the air for 10 months and after hearing about it incessantly, I spent one Christmas vacation in college watching the entire series in 2 weeks. Ah, memories. For my 26th birthday, I bought the complete series on DVD as a gift to myself and it was worth every single penny. To this day, I can watch an episode if I’ve had a bad day and find it as refreshing and funny as ever. I still have a secret dream of moving to New York City; developing a Manolo Blahnik fetish; meeting my version of Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda at our favorite place for brunch every weekend; while living in my fabulous rent-controlled apartment; with a great writing job.

I often find when watching “sitcoms” in recent years – that I’m either disappointed or I don’t invest in them the way that I would a good juicy one-hour drama. Then again, over the last 2 years or so I’ve stopped following any type of television programming religiously. If I met myself today, my 17-year-old self would be very disappointed – that’s how much I used to abide by a strict television schedule. People knew not to bother me on Wednesday nights from 8:00pm on. That night was for me, Kelly, Brandon, Brenda, Dylan, Donna and the rest of the 90210 gang ONLY (even though I was a baby at the time and my mom probably should have been monitoring my TV choices more closely.)

So while I’m only 30 episodes out of 138 from catching up on all the 30 Rock awesomeness, I can’t think of anything that I’m lovin’ more right now. Then again…

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| “Pup in a Cup” gives me a big smile every time I look at it. Adorbz!||

||10 Summer Snacks Under 200 Calories // Watermelon salad pictured.||

||Light denim chambray + denim cut offs = perfect for summer.||

||Sweetapolita’s Rich & Ruffled Chocolate Celebration Cake //full recipe here.||

||Black french tip manicures.||

|| Lifed.com’s Bucket List: 225 Things to do Before you Die // Warning: some of these are “out there” but I’m all for #13!||

||Gaby Dalkin’s Absolutely Avocados Cookbook features 80 recipes using avocados //

This Cajun Shrimp Guacamole looks delish.||

*click photos for image sources.

19Jun2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, Beauty, Food, Home Decor, Inspiration, Travel by C.

With the official start to summer only 2 short days away, I’ve been excited at all the fun to come. I can’t say that I have an absolute favorite time of year, because I’m usually ready for the change in season at the exact time the new season joins us (and this can’t ring more true right now). While fall and winter both have their unique traits and celebrations, I’m NOT a fan of being cold. At all. So if I had to pick, there’s something about summer that makes me happiest. Perhaps it’s because I’m a California girl through and through. I love sunshine, warm weather (if we can keep it around circa 80-85 degrees), the beach, long days, 4th of July, outdoor movies, the Hollywood Bowl, sundresses, sunnies, sandals, fruity cocktails and iced lattes. So the plan this particular summer season would be to channel as much of what you see in the picture above for the next 3 months.

love & light,

Candice

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| Kate Spade’s Alyx sunglasses featured on Keiko Lynn’s blog last week. WANT. ||

|| These 14k Gold Peach Wire Wrapped Earrings from Diamblond’s Etsy Shop. ||

|| Homemade Frozen Strawberry Lemonade // Recipe here. ||

|| Ryan Gosling’s very wise and very true words. || 7b04ce5c55ab76db9a3211a4637a4614

|| Vintage inspired door knobs as curtain tie-backs // Details here. ||

|| Revlon’s Plum Seduction Nail Polish (currently on my toes and perfect for summer!). ||

|| What’s inspiring me to want to drop everything and take a summer adventure.||

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|| Mushroom, Asparagus + Prosciutto Pizza with Balsamic Glaze // Recipe here. ||

*click photos for image sources.

12Jun2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Beauty, Fashion, Food, Home Decor, Inspiration, Life by C.

Blend

This quote from Lao Tzu speaks to me because I am the first person to admit that I have a hard time being present. The good news is that I’m very aware of this complication in my personality, the bad news is that I still struggle with it…often. My mind frequently wanders throughout the day to the next thing. It’s always about what I have to do next, where I have to go next, and when I have to get it done by. The trouble is, this usually happens while I’m dead in the middle of doing something that should already require my full attention.

Essentially, I’m almost always in a state of forward thinking, forward planning; forgetting to just stop, breathe and just enjoy what is. The important part to note is that during all this forward thinking, day-dreaming, and yes, even backwards reflection (but that’s another post for another time) – is I’ve somehow trained myself not only to not be 100% in the moment a large chunk of the time, but that I can somehow continue this train of thought AND get whatever needs my immediate attention in the present done in a manner that still suits my perfectionism. I call this unique ability “multitasking.” You might call it, crazy.

Needless to say, I realize there are times that I am missing out on the simple joys in life because my thoughts are elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong, I’m much better at this than I used to be. Yoga has been a great outlet for me (but I admit that have been known to mentally make my Trader Joe’s grocery list while in downward dog). Getting older (and ideally wiser) has helped. Blogging is one of things that forces me to be present (though you’d still be amazed at what I can do at the same time I’m writing). And I think I’ve picked up some of my boyfriend’s completely relaxed energy (where he annoyingly has absolutely no problem being totally and completely present almost all of the time – while I’m still festering over something that happened 2 days ago :)).

So this little gem of a quote I stumbled across this week was a concept that instantly hit home for me and I’m sure many of you. We live in a time where GO, GO, GO – DO, DO, DO – BE, BE, BE inundates us from the time we wake up forcing us to always be thinking ahead – because if you don’t, you’re not in the game, right? I’m not so sure about this anymore.

As with everything in life, there is a journey. Perhaps mastering this is part of mine.

What’s yours?

I hope you’re lovin’ this quote as much as I am and it gets you to think about your own journey… and making sure you’re present enough to enjoy every single step.

love & light,

Candice

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| Tbags Los Angeles’s Layers Mini Dress from Shopbop.||

||Light and airy bathrooms with stand-alone tubs. Insert me with a book here like ASAP.||

|| Alternating nail polish. The perfect solution when you can’t decide between two colors! ||

||Sweet Potato Veggies Burgers with Avocado. // Recipe here.||

||The perfect office space.||

47791ad6e8f10cd9c7595097e4d2457c || The NEW “happily ever after.” ||

||Spice racks as office supply storage. Genius.||

||The video causing an internet sensation. Ladies, it’s time to Lean In.||

*click photos for image sources.

5Jun2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, Beauty, Fashion, Food, Handbags, Inspiration, Travel by C.

“Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything.” – unknown

On a rather ordinary day when I was desperately trying to get something done but not seeing the results that I wanted, this quote popped up in my Facebook news feed…at just the right time. I instantly took a deep breath and told myself to just “keep going, keep trying, have patience.” I think what is often disappointing when trying to build anything is when you feel like you’re making this great big effort, but not seeing it actualized as quickly as you would like. It’s especially frustrating when you see others already in the realm of the type of success you’re after, and then it spirals downhill from there. So today, I thought I would share these 17 words from an unknown source, but words that recently made all the difference in my day.

Since I know I can’t be alone in this: be patient, if you too, are struggling with anything today. Just keep going and do the best you can. Since persistence and patience are usually the factors that ultimately drive you to success, it’s only a matter of time. And when you do get there and have everything you’ve ever wanted – be mindful – your attitude defines you as much as your patience once did.

love & light,

Candice

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| Nikki Montoya Jewelry // Mayan Necklace.||

||Cupshakes = Cupcakes Blended with a Milkshake.||

|| Madewell’s Transport Tote in English Saddle.||

||Infinity scarves with shorts.||

||Alternate uses for your muffin pan // Lemon infused ice cubes (great for summer) & Pancake bites.||

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|| Makeup.com’s How to Cover Up Acne Scars.||

||I’ll see you someday soon, Paris.||

*click photos for image sources.

4Jun2013

Center Stage: The Blazer

Posted in Fashion by C.

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If you asked me not too long ago if I was a believer in the power of a structured blazer; I would’ve likely rolled my eyes, thought you were a bit stuffy and moved on. I suppose it’s because when I heard the word “blazer” in my earlier years, the NYC pin-striped power suit with matching pants would come to mind. Not that there is anything wrong with rocking the power suit (and kudos to you if you have the high-powered job to match), but being that I am and will always be a California girl at heart, I’m a huge fan of looks that are equally polished, trendy, and relaxed (it’s the beach in me).

What I have come to learn as I have gotten older (or perhaps “stuffy” myself – who knows!) is the importance of having the right blazer in your collection. Throw on your classic blazer and a simple jeans and t-shirt ensemble instantly take you to dinner at the newest hot spot, or turn a sweet summer dress into a more crisp look if you need a professional touch. Currently, I have one great black blazer from H&M that I’ve gotten my money’s worth from. While it’s still hanging in there, I have been casually eyeing something new to add to my closet. So, I did a little research.

What I love most about the blazer, is how “un-power suit-ed” they’ve become to give that old stuffy perception a fresher feel. These days, you can play with cut, shape, color, pattern, texture and price point – there’s a little something for everyone.

From Right to Left:

Flowered Blazer // Emma Leopard Flower Print Blazer

Peach Blazer // Peach Rayon Boyfriend Blazer

Black and White Striped Blazer // Savannah Striped Boyfriend Blazer

White Blazer// Silence & Noise Boyfriend Blazer

Navy Blazer // Schoolboy Blazer in Navy

Black and White Print // Isla Monochrome Aztec Print Blazer

Basic Black // Lindsay Ruched Sleeve Blazer

Blue Striped // 19 4T Blazer in Blue Stripe

29May2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Books, Fashion, Food, Fun, Inspiration, Shoes, Treats by C.

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I am what you call a late bloomer. Suffice to say that I’ve always been this way across many areas of my life. What someone accomplished at age 16, I didn’t until 18. What someone achieved at 28, I probably won’t until…well, I couldn’t say. The one area it seems I crossed the finish line “on time” or before many others, was that I graduated from college (cum laude!) with my Bachelor’s Degree at age 22 and had a full-time job offered to me as soon as I walked off the stage practically (but even this began another 2 year journey toward finding my dream job in the industry). The point being that blooming later in life can be disappointing or liberating depending on what subject we’re talking about at the time.

What I find most fascinating as I get older, is how much more I find myself embracing my femininity. This could open a world of debate about what is defined as “feminine” and whether or not women should even be boxed into such stereotypical terms. So for the sake of opening that can of worms, I’ll acknowledge this off the bat and share my story anyway.

While I’ve always managed to keep myself looking presentable when it came to style (though mine was of the jeans, t-shirts, and even overalls variety in college), I wasn’t one of the first girls to embrace bras, make-up, and dresses as some of my peers were during my developmental years. While yes, I eventually ~~was forced~~ learned to become friends with bras (and now consider them BFFs, in fact), my relationship with dresses didn’t really take off until recently. Unless there was a special celebration (or I was 5 with pigtails) you wouldn’t catch me in a dress too often.

Somehow, very likely due to mass media, fashion blogs, magazines, films, TV…Society…The Man!…I feel like I’m finally embracing a new style and it’s turning out to be much more feminine that I’ve ever experienced personally. There were a lot of reasons looking back that it took awhile for me to be comfortable enough in a casual dress while running errands or getting to a place where I even wanted to wear a polished dress to the office. That’s another post, for another time. The interesting thing is that while I have grown of love the perfect summer dress or a great skirt, I find that I’m still slightly more conscious of myself than if I were in a pair of jeans. Perhaps there is still part of me fighting “The Man.” This means, you likely won’t ever see me go full Zooey Deschanel – though she totally rocks that look.

When I came across these awesome looks above*, it got me to thinking more about how to incorporate my new evolving style as we move into the warmer season where dresses are a great piece to have handy. My number one rule in anything I purchase moving forward is function and comfort.

Cheers to embracing whatever your definition of femininity is (or is not) while still managing to fight “The Man.”

And to all you late bloomers out there, our time will come. xx

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| ShoeMint’s Lindsey Heels. Though I, personally, could never walk in them.||

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||Being you.||

|| PopSugar Fitness’ Lightened-up 7 Layer Dip.|| cf202f84c3870fc5895c6a52feec4f02

a5045eaf81108dece7a04f52372063f7 ||A clever and easy way to store reading glasses or your favorite sunnies.||

||Daily Candy’s 19 Books That Celebrate L.A.|| e13b06087dd777f3209308075df7f6f6

||Martha Stewart’s Italian Fries.|| 9b8dde564653afb92f9e647a5c1b251e

|| Intricate pink manicures.|| 6d600fbdf189afe8b3eb23e76e64b88b

*sources to dress images: out & about, office, beach, brunch.

23May2013

Let’s Do Lunch

Posted in Food, Handbags, Lunch by C.

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A goal of mine has been to stop the bad (and expensive) habit of buying my lunch most days of the week. While I eat pretty healthily overall, I find that when I bring my own mid-day meals, I’m eating better portions and healthier options more consistently.

Not to sound like a complete infomercial, but I have found the perfect solution to transporting meals on the go that I just had to share with you! As the perfect Christmas gift (that I didn’t know I even needed) from last year, the Sachi Market Tote has made taking my lunch to work a stylish breeze. This insulated tote conveniently folds down when not in use, so much so that when I first opened this gift, I thought it was a make-up bag. The insulation keeps food or beverages placed inside hot or cold longer, which means if I forget to put my food in the fridge once I get to work, ideally everything should be a-okay.

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What I think we often forget about when taking our own lunches to work, is the flexibility to customize meals however we choose. While I’m one of those strange people who actually like salads, they can become pretty mundane after a while (paging: caesar salad). I’ve been experimenting recently with easy and yummy ways to invigorate the classic salad and I’ve gotten lots of satisfaction with simply adding berries to mine. (In general, my rule is fruit and nuts do wonders to enliven any salad).

So, the aim of today’s post? One, part of the fun when making the “responsible decision” to take your lunch to work is that it should be functional and stylish, insert referenced tote here. And two, change it up! Eating the same thing everyday is not only totally boring, but unnecessary. In my experience, if I don’t change it up, I’ll happen to glance at the café menu at work posted online daily and say “Ooh, they’re serving mac and cheese today!? Well, I can save what I brought for lunch today and eat it tomorrow…” (Somehow I justify this, don’t judge.)

So, let’s do lunch! My new favorite, super delicious, and easy to make salad if you’re in the market for a quick suggestion?

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22May2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, Breakfast, DIY, Food, Home Decor, Inspiration, Treats by C.

Collage

As a gal who had a birthday recently, I was bummed that I didn’t come up with the awesome idea myself to incorporate my love of donuts into the celebration! Now that I think about it, I haven’t even had a big birthday cake, donut-inspired or otherwise, on my actual birthday since I was a kid. But don’t feel sorry for me, I make it a point to enjoy frosted covered carbs more often than I probably should – and this is a year-round phenomenon. When stumbling across this super cool concept, I looked up other donut cakes (oh, the joys of being unproductive on Pinterest) and made a collage of ideas before instantly experiencing the worst donut craving of my life. (It was a rough half hour!) Suffice to say, I’ve decided what I want to see next year on my birthday (candles and all) and it fits somewhere in the range above to give you a visual reference. Who says birthday cakes are just for kids? I’m going with the argument that if they are, I’m one at heart…and that counts. So there!

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| Everything about this room…even though I tend to lean more toward dark, dramatic spaces.||

$RM26KI6