Highlights

Posted in Breakfast, Cocktails, Dinner, Explore, Film, Food, Fun, Independent Cinema, Inspiration, Television, Treats by C.

It’s been a rough week where I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting – something I think we all need to do every once and awhile. Aside from the realization that it’s time to make some major changes, I had moments to smile about as well. After all, there’s always something to be grateful for. Here are a few of them.

Have a nice weekend. 🙂

TEA| jin patisserie

Purchasing my favorite loose leaf green tea from Jin Patisserie to take home to make a soothing cup anytime I want.

WATCH| downton abbey season one

Finally joined the Downton Abbey fan club. I sat on my couch for 2 days straight absorbing the complicated lives of a 20th Century British aristocratic family and their mischievous house staff.

VIEW| clear skies

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A few rainy days yielded fresh air and a clear, blue, beautiful L.A. sky which I happily appreciated on the way to yoga class.

DVD| celeste & jesse forever

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A very thoughtful gift that made me super happy – my favorite film of 2012, Celeste & Jesse Forever is now apart of my DVD collection!

EAT| breakfast for dinner

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Sometimes you just need a movie, a magazine, and breakfast for dinner to make an ordinary Monday night, something special.

VALENTINE’S DAY| gift

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A little something I gave to my valentine.

14Feb2013

My Valentine

Posted in Fun, Inspiration by C.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Especially to my Valentine, Ryan!

xoxo

1-Candi

13Feb2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fashion, Film, Food, Fun, Handbags, Inspiration, Treats by C.

We’re in the midst of the week of love! I know Valentine’s Day can be a bittersweet experience for many of us. Either you’re madly in love and totally buy into the tradition, single and fabulous, single and not very happy about it, attached but wonder where your relationship is going on this milestone day, or totally reject the idea that love should only be celebrated on holidays. I, for one, identify with the category that believes love should be a festive experience all year long. Sure, I don’t mind being treated extra special on Valentine’s Day, but would much rather prefer those flowers, to be taken out to a nice dinner, “I love you’s” or a thoughtful handwritten card to come at surprise random times just because it’s Monday or I’m having a rough day. Regardless of what your relationship status says on your Facebook timeline, know that there is always something to love, at any time of the year, for any reason. And if by chance you still can’t get over the fact that Valentine’s Day sucks after that sentiment, sit tight – it’ll all be over after tomorrow.

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

{Look at this face! Tell me you’re not smiling right now?}

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{Michael Kors // Hamilton Large North South Tote. W.A.N.T.}

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{The Fast 6 extended trailer and my brown eyes met recently and it was love at first sight. Yes, I’m proudly OBSESSED with the F&F series! Eye candy, how I wish I could really drive on the 405, witty dialogue, high octane action, stylized film-making, and Paul Walker? Umm…yes, please!}

{Soul.}

{Perfume bottles as vases.}

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{D.I.Y. glitter mouse pads // How to = here.}

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{Words of wisdom.}

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{Mara Hoffman // Beaded Chiffon Dashiki Maxi Dress.}

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{Gold sparkle french tips.}

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{Skinny Chocolate Parfaits // recipe.} skinny-chocolate-parfait

12Feb2013

2013 Grammy Awards: Fashion Hits and Misses

Posted in Accessories, Beauty, Fashion, Handbags, Music, Shoes by C.

Okay team, admittedly I totally dissed the Grammy’s broadcast this year by not watching any of the red carpet or the actual awards presentation. AND I have good reason! I spent most of the weekend sucked into the vapor of early British 1900’s life by indulging in the delicious mischievousness, and as a gal pal so rightly put it “20th century passive aggressive awesomeness!” with those crazy characters residing at Downton Abbey. After incessantly hearing about this show, I grabbed the first season and got to work on seeing what all the buzz about. Within 10 minutes, I knew I would dig it…and where I would be for most of the weekend.

Alas, the beauty of life these days is that you can catch all the re-caps the next day online minus all the commercials and boring speeches. So in salute to all things fashion, here are my top 5 hits and misses from the biggest night in music.

THE HITS

RHIANNA

LOVE everything about her look, super classy, a little showy and what a stunning color on her.

TAYLOR SWIFT

Such a unique dress and she pulls the look together with a braided headband and dramatic cat eyes. Very 21st century Cleopatra.

KELLY ROWLAND

This was a VERY daring choice and if you look closely, might be borderline too much, but she pulls it off and takes center stage because of it. Move over, Bey!

ROSCI DIAZ

Admittedly, I didn’t put two and two together when I first saw this picture (who is this?), but everything about her look is one of my absolute favorites of the night. Simple, sexy, classy!

ALLISON WILLIAMS

Simply put, this is just a great dress. No muss, no fuss and she looks flawless.

THE MISSES

ADELE

LOVE her, but the print on this dress and those shoes…

FLORENCE WELCH

Again LOVE her, but those green turtle/alligator/scary spikes….

Jennifer Lopez

The leg is distracting and the cut of the gown looks messy to me. I love a good top bun, but the pointy ones, I just can’t get into. Sorry J-Lo!

KAT DENNINGS

Not a fan of the color, the fit on her chest (though she has a great one!), or her harsh makeup.

TAMIA

The head cover, deep-plunging strangely shaped dress and it’s color, don’t make me love it. The clutch is cute!

**Disclaimer: Since it’s obvious I wasn’t at this year’s ceremonies snapping high res photos, all pictures are courtesy of Yahoo.com! Photo sources are noted below:

Rhianna

Taylor Swift

Kelly Rowland

Rocsi Diaz

Allison Williams

Adele

Florence Welch

Jennifer Lopez

Kat Dennings

Tamia

11Feb2013

Mixtape Monday

Posted in Music by C.

It’s a new week boys and girls and if you’re anything like me you have a strong belief that Monday is the devil. Okay, strong words. Monday deserves some love to (I guess). A wise person once told me that you can’t spend your life always looking forward to Friday – you’re just wishing your life away. Word.

To help ease those Monday blues and transition into a new work week, I’ve curated a playlist of songs that will ensure you kick things off right with music that’s been making my life all the much sweeter. So log in to your Spotify account, hit play, sit back and relax, or get to work on those emails with this mix in the background perfect for vibin’ out on this beautiful (Mon)day. It’s Gonna Be A Good Day as BLO sings on track #10.

Happy listening and Happy Monday!

*If you like the mixtape feel free to subscribe to it on Spotify:

All That Glitters Mixtape Monday – 2.11.2013

8Feb2013

Highlights

Posted in Accessories, Explore, Fashion, Film, Fun, Handbags by C.

Hello Friday! Very happy to see you. It’s been a week of exploring, trying something new on the blog-front, and a bit of splurging. I finally joined the legions of gals who’ve been raving about the Birchbox and treated myself to a new handbag I’ve been eyeing for weeks. Details below. I’ll be anxiously stalking FedEx.com tracking where my new goodies are in the world until they hit my doorstep. So excited!

Here are this week’s happy highlights. Have a beautiful weekend…

EXPLORE| chemosphere

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On a dreary Saturday afternoon we headed up to the Chemosphere house to see the L.A. landmark perched in the Hollywood Hills. I first saw this unique octagonal home in Brian De Palma’s Body Double (1984) and was struck by how unusual and cool the architecture was and wanted to see it for myself.

FASHION| superbowl sunday

Sporting 49ers jerseys to a Superbowl Party for added festiveness. Since they lost, I’ll just leave it at that.

BEAUTY| birchbox

I’ve heard several girlfriends rave about the Birchbox and this week I joined in. For a $10 subscription fee and after completing a short profile, each month you’ll receive the best in beauty and lifestyle in sample size right at your front door to try out a range of new products. If you love your sample, you can head to the Birchbox Shop to purchase a full size version of your fav new product. The best part? Each box is customized to you. I’m excited to see what comes in a few short weeks. If you’re interested, check out the video above and register to join their wait list. It took me about 3 weeks to receive an invitation. Looking forward to my monthly surprise and exploring new products! I’ll keep you posted.

BAG| urban expressions

My handbag splurge from Urban Expressions, this Sinclair Woven Hobo. I went with the cognac color. It’s perfect for all seasons and looks oh so chic on the shoulder.

7Feb2013

Why I Want to be a Yogi

Posted in Explore, Fun by C.

Have you ever come across those people that are insanely confident, well-toned, and relaxed like ALL. THE. TIME? Those people that take life as it comes, remain at peace, and look amazeballs (with the clearest skin and tightest ass) while they do it? See examples above if you need a visual. This is why I want to be a yogi.

I was first introduced to the practice of yoga about 7 years ago when I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Since then, I’ve experimented with several types of yoga: Hatha, Kundalini, Iyengar. I’ve been on a quest on and off (though honestly more like off) for years to really get to that place of centered-ness, to build strength, to tone my body, and to take the time to just focus and be utterly and completely present.

If you must know, I’m very aware of my ~~issues~~ ~~weakness~~ slight character flaw with focusing and admit that I’m borderline A.D.D. My mind is constantly racing with things that I have to do; things that are coming up; things that are upsetting me; things that I wish I could change; things that I desperately want to do (like be on a plane to Italy right now and not look back); things that have already happened that I can’t change; and things that likely will never happen, but I’m too paranoid to relax because the moment I do, everything will fall apart. Exhausting, huh? Tell me about it. I wouldn’t classify myself as neurotic, so much as needing to learn how to better balance, emotionally and physically.

Enter yoga.

I returned to practice last month after nearly a year off. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a stand on your head yogi, but I do love that whenever life gets complicated and you need to take a step back, that you can take a yoga class and be in a like minded space with others – it just helps. I like being around people that give a damn about their health, their bodies, their minds, and want to take the time to make the most of life and the vessel that carries them through it. It’s contagious! Simply put, I like that I’m doing something good for myself.

I’m turning the big 3-0 in a few months and I’ve decided it’s time to grow up. And when I say grow up, it’s time to find a more mature way of dealing with life and improving that imbalance. Not that what I’m currently doing is immature, but it certainly isn’t serving me.

I came across this article from Self.com that I hope motivates you (as it did me) to find that balance in however it may be lacking in your life for 7 exciting reasons.

7 Life-Improving Benefits of Yoga

A sunnier outlook on life
Say goodbye to those pesky aches and pains
Sleep better
Better sex life
Insane confidence
Top to bottom all over body toning
A sense of calm

All of these reasons are good enough for me. I know I can’t be alone on this journey, so if you too want to be yogi – stop talking about it and join me! Please do let me know in the comments section what benefits or mishaps I should know about as I return to my regularly scheduled yoga programming.

*Image courtesy Self.com

6Feb2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, Beauty, Explore, Fashion, Food, Fun, Handbags, Music, Shoes, Television, Travel, Treats by C.

If you really stop and think about it, there are so many awesome, inspirational, entertaining, thought-provoking, exciting, deliciously superficial, silly, glamorous or happy things that happen around you everyday if you just open your eyes. I’m opening mine! In addition to the posts dedicated to sharing my personal highlights celebrating the things in life each week that made me smile (you can read my most recent Highlights here) – I’ve decided to start a new recurring blog post to share all of the random things big or small that came into my world, said hello, winked, then either promptly turned it upside down, inside out, or made me give a good “ooooh!” Here’s to having your world ROCKED by a little bit of everything with eyes wide open.

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

{God bless the person who heard the cries of so many Sex and the City fans who’ve been going through Carrie Bradshaw withdrawal. This new series follows a 16-year-old Carrie prior to becoming the sex column writing fashionista strutting down 5th Avenue in 5-inch Manolos. Fun!}

{When I’m ready for my big walk down the aisle, I’m taking a cue from Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere fame and hiring these guys! Instead of your traditional long form wedding video, Shark Pig takes a highly stylized approach to immortalize your big day by shooting on Super 8mm film and editing it into a music video inspired montage creating something magical and timeless. You HAVE to check out Emily’s big day and see their work. Enjoy!}

{Words to live by…}

circles

{Insert me here…NOW. Thx.}

{I needed a full day of chill out music earlier this week and I knew Porcelain Raft’s Drifting In and Out was the vibe I was looking for. Hello Pandora and my new Drifting In and Out Radio Station. Set just the tone and mix I was looking for.}

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{Mixing my love of cupcakes and popcorn into one yummy treat? Yes, please! The next time I’m in Union Square in S.F. I’m stopping at American Cupcake for their Pink Popcorn Cupcake.}

{Bar carts as side tables.}

{Well said glitter girls (and boys).}

5Feb2013

Making Progress: A Graffiti Coffee Update

Posted in Explore, Food, Fun, Treats by C.

To all my decaf-soy-2 shot-vanilla-mocha-frappuccino-no whip-latte lovin’ readers:

Ask and you shall receive! I won’t take full credit for this, but apparently the right people over at Graffiti read my post last August (and probably all of the ~~complaints~~ feedback on Yelp) and made some major improvements to how they do things. I stopped in for a pre-Superbowl party caffeine fix this past Sunday and was pleasantly surprised when I was….

1) …asked for my milk choice!?! And not just your typical 1% or 2% options, they even offered me almond milk (which I jumped on and thoroughly enjoyed)!

2) That cash only nonsense? Gone. They take debit, baby! Something that shouldn’t have ever been an issue in the first place and I knew wouldn’t last long anyway.

3) I’ve been here a handful of times in recent months and the very unnecessary valet parking service is seemingly kaput. Thank goodness. I’m all for high glam, but there is a fine line and this totally pushed it.

4) It also looks like we’ve hired an interior decorator, somewhat. It’s still very much a completely stark white and black palette with a minimalist flair; but I had to admit, I loved the new addition to a wall that just needed something. It’s become my new personal motto:

Graffiti went from a B- to a B+ in my book thanks to the improvements, but because 1) I don’t get the really random, huge, and completely misplaced painted portrait of Anne Hathaway on the wall; and 2) I’m noticing in the attire section on Yelp, apparently Graffiti has gone formal and a jacket is required? I’m assuming this is a joke, but if it’s not it’s a step back. Even the baristas are in jeans. Come on.

Now if I can just get them to re-think the name or work with it in a more concrete way – you can’t have a business called “Graffiti” with not one iota of color in the place besides the pastry case.

We’re making progress, people. But as they say, there’s always room for improvement. I’ll keep you guys posted (as I’m finishing my no fuss decaf vanilla latte from Coffee Bean).

4Feb2013

Cupcakes and L.A. Hipsters

Posted in Dinner, Food, Lunch, Treats by C.

Location: 3337 West Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake

I love when cupcakes just appear out of nowhere, when you least expect it, and didn’t even know you ~~wanted~~ needed it. My rendezvous in Silver Lake to try out the grilled cheese place getting a lot of buzz continued when I noticed between bites of my sandwich over lunch the number of people walking in and out of the shop next door. Most importantly, they were exiting with cupcakes boxes in hand. Talk about the universe always working on your behalf!

Simply put, I LOVE cupcakes (you can read my thoughts on some of my favorite L.A. places here, here, and here) and this couldn’t be a coincidence that Lark Silver Lake Cake Shop happened to be a mere 15 steps away. After devouring the best grilled cheese sandwich I think I’ve ever had, we headed over for an impromptu dessert fix.

Lark Silver Lake Cake Shop has all the fixings for a great experience. They display a large selection of cupcakes, cakes, cookies and goodies (even gluten free and vegan options) inside an inviting and charming establishment. In fact, it was so welcoming (and to be quite honest we were just dying to eat dessert by that point) that we sat in the well-dressed interior space and devoured our frosted covered carbs right there.

The Berry Shortcake Cupcake hit my tongue 30 seconds later and my mouth did the happy dance. Let’s just say it was a sexy experience: white cake filled with “Crème Patisserie” topped with a whip creme frosting and a strawberry.

{Berry Shortcake Cupcake – before.}

{After.}

The City of Silver Lake and its small business owners are going to love me because not only am I fully endorsing that you get over to Heywood for the best grilled cheese in town, you have to complete that experience with a trip next door to Lark for dessert.

Here’s to killing two birds with one stone!