Category Archives: DIY

Highlights: Last Week

Posted in DIY, Explore, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by

What a crazy week as I look back on it.The weather was indeed fickle last week: warm one day, then foggy and rainy the next, then cold and sunny. In the midst of the strange weather patterns, the election, the AFI film festival, and prepping for my boyfriend’s birthday, I always took a moment to enjoy the small things. Here are highlights from last week:

{A very unusual looking L.A. skyline for us. With the weather came my first few cups of earl grey tea.}

{As I mentioned: rainy one day, sunny the next. A beautiful view of Manhattan Beach while out on a surprise birthday errand for my boyfriend.}

{Wrapping presents!}

{Opening one of the presents early to enjoy a chocolate fudge cupcake from Cupcakes Couture. 🙂 }

{The final remnant of my “I Voted” sticker before tossing it. What a great voting and election experience it was for me personally.}

Farmers For A Day

Posted in DIY, Explore, Fashion, Food, Fun, Shoes, Treats by

Location: 9611 Oak Glen Road, Glen Oak, CA

What I’ve come to love most about the blogosphere is how information moves around so freely. Places you’ve never heard of and ideas that wouldn’t have even been on your radar come your way and your world is changed because of it. This was the case when I learned of Los Rios Rancho in Glen Oak, CA – an apple farm in San Bernadino county. I thought it would be a great mini road trip to spend the day learning about apples, picking them, exploring the property and area; and when I heard they had a pumpkin patch, my boyfriend suggested we grab ours from here this year.

A 2-hour car ride on a Saturday fall morning (unbelievably it was 90 degrees!) was a great way to kick off a memorable day. Random fact about me: I like zoning out and staring out the car window on long trips – it gives you time to think and take in the world from a different perspective. I decided to dress the part and have fun with playing the role of a “semi-farmer” from the city, by breaking out my plaid button down shirt and brown riding boots for effect.

{Dressing the part.}

We arrived around 12 noon and the farm was already busting with activity. We had a quick sample of the day’s available apples in the orchard: rome beauties, double red delicious, and red rome, with a few golden delicious remaining; and after learning how things work (with signs posted everywhere to remind you!), we bought a 5-7 pound peck bag and headed out to the fields. First up, finding the best looking apples we could.

{The rules.}

{Straight from the tree.}

{U-pick and I did!}

After our bag was stuffed with apples, we made our way to the pumpkin patch. It was pretty obvious that we were late in the season, being the weekend before Halloween, so the selection was sparse but we found winners! I got a large one and my guy got a small one (we like to break convention like that!) for our carving session the next day. To see how things turned out, click here.

{The rules.}

{The leftovers.}

From the farm, we went into town for a bit. Oak Tree Village is a small, charming community of quaint shops, places to eat, and activities for the kids. A stroll through the grounds landed me the best glazed almonds and cashews ever, and a taste of Andy’s Mini Donuts that made my tongue dance and my stomach tell me – “stop eating!” Good thing I had all those apples to look forward to, I was going to need lots of fruit in my diet in the near future.

When we made it home late that evening, we took stock of the days’ labor in the fields. 16 apples and 2 great looking pumpkins!

Halloween

Posted in DIY, Film, Food, Fun, Treats, Uncategorized by

Happy Halloween my pretties! Halloween has finally arrived. While I didn’t get to everything on my project list exactly, I got plenty accomplished that put me in the right spirit for the festivities!

1. Bake a gluten-free pumpkin pie. – DONE!
Interestingly, this was one of the first things to be crossed off. A simple pre-made gluten-free crust from Whole Foods and Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix was all it took. I added a dash more nutmeg and cinnamon to ensure true sweetness to the mix though it doesn’t call for it. Add a little Cool Whip and you’re ready to pumpkin pie it out!

2. Carve a pumpkin. – DONE!
This year we headed out to Los Rios Rancho in Glen Oak, CA to pick our pumpkins (and some apples). Blog post to come on what turned out to be a very memorable day trip, but here’s a quick collage to capture our pumpkin carving adventure:


3. Decorate my apartment. – DONE!
I decked out my place with simple pumpkin lights I got a few years ago at Target, so admittedly, it wasn’t anything too drastic. They offered the perfect ambiance while watching scary movies all month long, and using my orange pumpkin scented candle created a great final touch and smell for the Halloween season.

4. A scary night out with the girls. – SEMI-FAIL!
The girls and I had a change of plans, while we thought about a night out at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, this never seemed to come together (timing was a huge culprit). We did get together last night for an awesome scary movie girl’s night in complete with pizza, treats, and lots of laughs.

5. Scary movie night at least once a week with a big bowl of popcorn and all the lights turned out. – DONE!
This was the one goal that went without a hitch (though popcorn was only present during one flick, there was ALWAYS a sweet treat nearby). I managed to see a lot of scary/suspense films throughout the month. My top 3 likes and 2 hates to not even waste your time on:
Likes:
1) When a Stranger Calls (1979)
2) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
3) Sinister (2012)
Hates:
1) The Hunger (1983)
2) The Last House on the Left (1972)

6. Read Midnight, by Dean Koontz. – FAIL!
Didn’t finish. I’ve been picking this book up and putting it down all month. Unfortunately, I never found the time to get into it before I moved on when my book club announced the November selection; which has been pretty creepy ironically so I been delving into “Room”, by Emma Donoghue.

Fall Uniform: Night Out On the Town

Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fashion, Fun, Handbags, Inspiration, Shoes by

Dressing up for a night out on the town is tricky as the climate cools. You want to look sexy chic, but don’t want to freeze your booty off or ruin a cute dress by having to cover up and wear a heavy coat. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve endured chilly temperatures in the name of fashion!

The look below came to me while experimenting on Polyvore.com. One of my favorite tricks when getting ready for a night out on the town during this time of year is to pair a dress with leggings and boots. You maintain great style AND added weather protection during those colder fall nights.

A sparkly dress paired with a blazer to keep warm works perfectly in my book and since the dress is quite “showy” I’d keep accessories very minimal and simplistic. Hoop earrings work best at drawing attention to your face, but not competing with the dress; and a small black clutch to hold your essentials adds the final touch for a polished look.

Here’s your fall uniform for a night out on the town with your best gals or that special guy  with link deets on where to buy (hey that rhymes!):

Sparkling Masquerade Dress, Black Crepe Open Front Blazer, Leggings, Clutch, Hoop Earrings, Boots

 

DIY: Make-Up Brush Holder

Posted in Beauty, DIY by

I. Love. Candles. Trouble is when I’m done burning them, I feel a bit guilty but end up simply tossing the glass jar in the trash. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my Pinterest addiction, it’s that there’s usually a great way to re-purpose something and get crafty with its use, especially when it comes to glass.

I’ve been looking for a way to revamp my bathroom counter and thought the idea of putting my make-up brushes out in a nice presentation would do it and I’d get to clean out my make-up drawer some. Win, win. Why go out and buy a brush holder, when I can take a $4.00 candle jar, clean it out, and reuse it!?!

The trick is to remove the remaining wax from the jar. I found a nifty video (thanks YouTube!) to help with this small annoyance.  Since I don’t want any angry comments, here’s my disclaimer: caution when working with the glass jar over the hot stove (duh!). 🙂

Operation make-up brush holder was under way and done within minutes.

{Dirty jar, cleaning process, clean jar.}

{Taking stock of my collection. Clearly I don’t need any more eyelash curlers.}

{Make-up brush holder = done.}

Highlights: Mid-October

Posted in Beauty, Books, Dinner, DIY, Food, Fun, Lunch by

Half-way through October. Someone seems to be hitting the time accelerate button yet again. It’s been a bit stressful this week, but here are some highlights that managed to brighten it:

{The appreciation of a good solid meal. Much pleasure came from some penne pasta with mushrooms lightly sprinkled with parmesan cheese; and the simplicity of steamed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower on the side.}

{The Halloween project is underway, Midnight by Dean Koontz is in hand.}

{Not to brag, but I have been having the best hair week EVER! There’s nothing you can’t handle when your tresses are acting right. I don’t typically use hairspray, but because of the humidity in the air and some major frizzing, I’ve been looking for a solution. Enter L’Oréal Elnett StrongHold Hairspray (unscented). Worth every dime.}

{A very thoughtful surprise from my boyfriend. This beautiful orchid.}

Highlights: Fall Inspired

Posted in Breakfast, DIY, Fashion, Food, Fun, Inspiration, Treats by

Hey there Glitterati!

Took a short hiatus but I’m back with tons to catch you up on! First, some highlights. Much needed smiles came from these recent findings. Coincidentally, they were all a nod to the Fall season:

{Do yourself a favor and go out and get a tub of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Cream Cheese. I had my first bagel with this spread a few days ago and my tongue did the happy dance.}

{The Halloween decorations have begun! If you need an inexpensive way to salute the season, these pumpkin shaped lights from Target are perfect. Similar here.}

{While the heat is still ever-present in L.A. (and even I’m over it at this point), we did get our first Fall rain last week which promoted some candle burning at home and clean air (and mat) outside.}

{This t-shirt I saw in the storefront window at Wet Seal put a huge grin on my face – naughty, naughty!}

So much to talk about with you all, and I’ll get you up to speed. In the meantime, have a great week! 🙂

Fall Uniform: California Office & Interview Chic

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Admittedly, I’m not a fan of personally rockin’ the ultra tailored look to work because I don’t work in a law office (business suits – ugh!); but I can appreciate that high-powered, I’m a “bad-ass exec with my own assistant” look when I see it. (Excuse my French).

In general, L.A. is pretty casual with office wear, especially, if you work in the industry. It’s very common to see short sleeves, opened toed sandals, and jeans walking past women in the halls. Perhaps as I make my way up the professional ladder with my own assistant, my office attire will naturally grow a bit more more tailored (and hopefully I’ll build you a list with more Prada and Gucci and less H&M selections).

Don’t get me wrong, I very much like to look put together, professional, clean, and tailored; but with a casual edge, versus too structured. Thanks to Polyvore.com, I think I achieved an ensemble that screams “Hello Fall!” and would be something I would wear to a job interview or an important meeting at the office.

What I love about this ensemble is that you get to maintain a young fun look by building a base around black skinny jeans. I’ve always been a fan of black jeans to keep it casual (because you’re still in jeans!), but dressier because of the darker color choice. These black cap-toed pumps from H&M offer the perfect edge that prevents the look from being too stuffy. A simple ruffled blouse with a tailored blazer is always feminine and appropriate to easily accomplish a more polished look – but again, keeps it young and fresh because of the skinny jeans.

Jewelry should be kept to a minimum (save the chandelier earrings for when you already have the job!) with simple studs and a bracelet similar to the one I stumbled across from 1928 Jewelry (and is going on my must have list), this vintage silver lace stretch bracelet.

Finally, if you ever need an excuse to buy a new purse (NOT!) what better choice than a black satchel similar to the one from Big Buddha highlighted. This bag offers an expensive look without the price tag.

Either way, sporting this you’ll ace that job interview or kick butt in the staff meeting before you even have to open your mouth. Have a great week…

Highlights: Farewell September

Posted in DIY, Food, Fun, Inspiration, Treats by

The last Friday of the month has arrived. As we bid adieu to September, this last week was filled with lots of smiles in the simple things:

{A little peek at a recently finished wall at home. I’ve always been a fan of wall quotes and finally got an opportunity to put up one that I love to remind myself of everyday. How appropriate this phrase seemed under my new vintage-inspired wall clock.}

{Pink roses.}

{My first homemade cup of coffee using the just released Pumpkin Pie Spice seasonal edition creamer from International Delight. Yum!}

{Finally had one of the decadent chocolate bars I stocked up on from my recent visit to Dylan’s Candy Bar. Grade: A+}

Farewell, September.

The Halloween Project

Posted in Books, DIY, Explore, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by

Believe it or not, October is just around the corner. T-minus 3 days people! I’ve decided to make Halloween a big deal this year. Why should the kids and drunk college students have all the fun? Sure, I’ve done the big West Hollywood Carnaval down Santa Monica Boulevard, your typical costume party, the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, the L.A. Haunted Hayride, and carved a pumpkin here and there – so I’m not a total party pooper. I manage to try to do something festive every year, but I’m committing to the festivities more hardcore to have a bit more fun celebrating this unique season by creating some “must do’s” to accomplish through-out the entire month of October. I’m dubbing it…

The Halloween Project:

1. Bake a gluten-free pumpkin pie.
2. Carve a pumpkin (naturally).
3. Decorate my apartment (which at the very least means putting up my beloved pumpkin shaped lights).
4. A scary night out with the girls. We’re still planning where, but seem to be headed to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.
5. Scary movie night at least once a week – complete with a big bowl of popcorn and all the lights turned out.
6. Finally, I came across this list of the 10 scariest books to read for Halloween. I’m going with Midnight, by Dean Koontz. (Don’t judge!)

Happy Halloween my pretties! May all your October nights be full of terror 🙂