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

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.