Links You’ll Love
Health & Fitness:
Here are some GREAT things to keep in mind as you’re working through your list of New Years Resolutions for 2013 - The Things Successful People DON’T Do.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been shivering my way through this recent cold front in Northern California. Rain in December I’m used to. Wind & air so cold it feels like it should be snowing? That’s new. If you’re in a similar boat these simple tips can save your booty this Winter – Stay Warm!
Keeping your energy levels up during the way can seem impossible sometimes. Day-to-day you may feel changes due to diet, the amount of sleep you got, stress levels… And while you can’t always control every aspect of your life, there are some things that you can keep an eye on to help with this – Fatigue Facts: 5 Things That Make You Tired.
While I enjoyed all of the “round-up” style posts during December to celebrate the end of 2012 I have to say that this was one of my favorites so I just HAD to share – Best of 2012: My Favorite Vegan & Raw Recipes.
Staying inspired and positive about your body is an important step towards being happy and healthy! See what The Huffington Post has to say about keeping your attitude in check – Seven Ways To Be More Body Positive In 2013.
Fashion:
There’s nothing quite like a flashy new campaign to get you in the mood for some serious shopping. That’s part of the reason we adore fashion magazines, right? Well Fashionologie has the low-down on all the killer campaigns for Spring here.
Finding stylish but simple new updos that’s keep my hair out of my eyes is a new mission so I was thrilled when I stumbled upon this fabulous tutorial – Beauty How To: Braided Bun Tutorial.
Need some inspiration to get creative with your hair this Winter? Check out Rebecca Minkoff’s 2013 Ushers In A New Wave Of Hairstyles for some serious tips.
I ADORE Winer outwear & accessories so this Glitter Guide post had me in raptures. If you’re similarly inclined head over for their Style File: Chic Winter Wear and prepare to swoon!
If you’ve been trying to find a fabulous statement necklace but have come up empty so far, why not make your own? This DIY Charm Necklace from I Spy DIY is to die for!
Links You’ll Love
Happy Sunday!
Fashion:
Wedding season hasn’t come to an end yet and will be back again before we know it, so why not brush up on the Do’s and Don’t's for these memorable celebrations? Olivia Palermo’s Etiquette Guide: Weddings is a great place to start.
While I love a fun DIY project, I think I might love the fun, embellished collar trend even more… So why not combine the two with Refinery 29′s Rodarte-Inspired DIY Lace Collar That’s One Part Prim, One Part Sexy?
As far as I’m concerned a little dose of positivity and a reminder to be grateful for what you have is ALWAYS a good thing. Gala Darling – Things I Love Thursday & Little Things That Made Me Smile.
Have trouble wearing red lipstick? You’re not the only one. Believe me. Check out what Miss Garance Dore has to say in Rouge – Red Lipstick, I Hate You.
I adore Summer, but I have to admit that I’m starting to get pretty excited for all the great styles coming for Fall 2012/Winter 2013. And one of the things I’m most excited for? Pants! Patterned, metallic, faux leather, richly colored, tweed, skinny, wide-leg, Baroque… So. Many. Choices. In The Mood For: Fall’s Best Pants.
Health & Fitness:
Not sure whether you should be buying/growing fresh herbs or using the handy bottled variety? You’re not alone! The City Cook – Oregano: Fresh vs. Dried.
Tabata. Intervals. These are great ways to add an extra kick to your workout. Why not take some advice from The Fashionista on just how to go about making the most of your gym time – Tabata Thursday.
While I don’t subscribe to the enthusiasm surrounding “superfoods” I do strongly believe that there are foods chock full of healthy benefits that you should absolutely make part of your diet on a regular basis. Spinach, ginger, strawberries, blueberries… And beans! Don’t believe me? Check out this piece from The Huffington Post – Beans: The Undervalued Superfood.
If you want a healthy, tasty snack you should give kale chips a try. They use minimal ingredients, mostly things you have on-hand, are packed with nutrients, and are totally delicious. Here’s a collection of fun new recipes for testing, from cheesy to spicy to sour cream & onion – There’s something for everyone’s taste buds. The Family Kitchen - 11 Amazing Kale Chip Recipes!
- Chili Bean Veggie Burgers from Scout Sixteen
- My Top 5 Salads This Week in NYC from Organice Your Life
My weekend was spent packing & preparing for this coming week and I’m currently en route to New York City – Gotta love airlines that offer wi-fi! 
How has your weekend been so far? Were you in the mood for relaxing & savouring your downtime or were you a social butterfly this weekend?
Listing…
Everyone seems to be in the mood for lists right now. A handful of bloggers that I adore have published list posts lately: The Life & Lessons of Rachel Wilkerson’s What I’ve Been Eating, What I’ve Been Reading, What I’ve Been Writing, What I’ve Been Wearing, Holly Would If She Could’s 16 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me, and SnackFace’s This Week’s Sounds, Scents, Sips, Snacks & Sights…
And with my hectic schedule lately, both at work and personally, I’ve been living and dying by my daily To Do lists. First thing in the morning I make a list of all the things that need to get done that day and before I leave the office for the day I take the list of tasks and put them in chronological order. Don’t worry, I’m not going to share my daily To Do lists with you. I thought I’d take a cue from my blogging idols though and share some of the details of what’s going on in my life these days.
What I’ve Been Eating:
I didn’t do a great job following a healthy diet in April or May, as I confessed, so I’ve been doing my best to rectify that over the last few weeks. Tons of fruits and veggies, and smoothies galore. Green smoothies, berry-based smoothies, and even peanut butter smoothies. Yum!
What I’ve Been Reading:
My boyfriend’s mother insisted that I read The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato, and I ended up reading all 544 pages over the course of a weekend because I couldn’t put it down. Botticelli’s Primavera has been my favorite painting of his since I saw it in Florence when I was 21 so I was especially drawn to the storyline. I’ve also just finished Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink and was stunned by how much I related to each and every study that he discussed. Definitely keep an eye out for a Book Report on this! I’ve also just started Add More -Ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein, which isn’t a self-help book – I swear – it’s a self-transformation book. I’m looking forward to seeing how it impacts my daily approach to life as part of my #1 2012 goal to Be Positive.
Oh, and I have a serious fashion magazine problem. Like a - I need a 12 step program type of problem.
What I’ve Been Writing:
One of my goals for 2012 is to publish a piece of my writing and while this has been a personal goal for years, this is the first time I’ve officially written it down. Not to make excuses, but as a result of my spinal injury and my laptop dying earlier this year, I haven’t worked on this goal much so far in 2012. Hopefully this post will serve as motivation for me to start editing my first novel, I started writing it when I was 20 and wrote a large chunk of it while I was traveling around Europe by myself when I was 21.
What I’ve Been Wearing:
During May I submitted a handful of looks to a fashion challenge run by Definitely RA, you can so you can check out some of those looks – Mission: Put Together 2012 – Part I and Mission: Put Together 2012 – Part II. The challenge was great and I wish I’d had time to participate more, but even putting together a few looks was fun. And as part of my goals for June I wanted to make an effort to wear less black, especially on sunny weekends, so that’s been a major factor in choosing my daily looks. Definitely an adjustment not to automatically reach for the black pieces!
Some Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me:
- I don’t actively follow astrology but I’ve always believed that I embody many of the traits of my Scorpio sign - Determined, loyal, suspicious, discreet, introverted, dramatic, passionate, possessive…
- I originally hurt my back springboard diving in college when I was 18
- If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life it would be sweet potatoes. There’s an endless number of ways to cook them… Chips, fries, baked, mashed, in pudding. They can be sweet or savory. Hmmm… Now I kind of want to spend a weekend eating only sweet potatoes and blog about all the recipes I come up with!
- Sometimes I forget that I don’t really “know” bloggers. I begin to feel like I’m friends with people whose lives I read about every day. Does that happen to anyone else?
- I have three tattoos.
And so that we can continue to get to know each other, I’m going to re-start my short-lived Les Confessions series, where I post some “confessions” about myself and my life on a regular basis.
Sounds:
I’ve been listening to 70′s and 80′s music non-stop. From vintage Bon Jovi, Kenny Loggins, and Twisted Sister to fabulous 80′s movie soundtracks – Footloose, Pretty In Pink, Breakfast Club. The upside is that it’s really upbeat music that wakes me up and makes me smile every morning, the downside is that I dance at my desk. A lot.
Scents:
I’m a peppermint junkie! Candles, air fresheners, essential oils… Whatever I can find. I’ve also been baking up a storm and I love the scent of raw cacao and carob powders as their heating up.
Sips:
Peppermint tea – duh – and I have to confess that my guilty pleasure these days is Cherry Coke Zero or Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper. My boyfriend is horrified by the red color from the syrup but I treat myself to one a week! I’ve also rediscovered the Synergy Kombucha drinks, and I laugh every time I get carded buying them!
Snacks:
I seem to have almost forgotten about hummus when the weather was cooler but now that it’s warming up I’m craving hummus daily. Carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, and radishes dipped in spicy hummus is favorite after-work snack. I’ve also been eating my bodyweight in fruit on virtually a daily basis – pounds of grapes, cherries, apples, and bananas. Just can’t get enough!
Sights:
This Spring was amazing with weekends in Sonoma, San Diego, and Sea Ranch, but June has been a gorgeous month in San Francisco and I’ve been really enjoying spending time in my favorite city. Walking everywhere, trips to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, lazy days spent shopping and wandering around the sun-drenched streets… Amazing!
So tell me, what have you been up to? Do you like to make lists to ensure that you get everything done that needs to be done each day?
Links You’ll Love
Happy Monday everyone!
Here are some fun links to get your week started right. Enjoy!
Fashion:
When I saw this shot I was pretty intrigued. This is quite the vampy, sexy manicure! DIY Nail Art: A French Manicure That Fades To Black.
How you style a look is nearly as important as the pieces itself. Want some new ideas and tips on how to mix the pieces in your closet? WhoWhatWear to the rescue – June Styling Tips.
Does the ethics of a brand affect how much you like it? Vogue – Style Ethics: Olivia Wilde’s Bag for Alternative Apparel + Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Picks.
Did you enjoy all of the 2013 Resort Collections? Well Eat, Sleep, Denim has a must have a list from the shows for you – Denim Trends: A Wishlist.
Health/Fitness:
I don’t know about you, but I’m at a loss without music. Can’t work out. Can’t run. The right playlist not only gets you amped up for your exercise routine, it can keep you going when you’re ready to quit! These gym-regulars have just the play list for you – Victoria’s Secret Angel Erin Heatherton, Dutch model & Organice Your Life founder Lonneke Engel, and model slash DJ Harley Viera-Newton.
I don’t know about you, but fresh veggies and colorful salads are always a highlight of the summer for me. I love crisp, bright, refreshing recipes full of farmer’s market fare. If you agree check this out – Sweet and Savory: 3 Ways to Enjoy Summer Carrots.
A raw diet is something that I tried when I first went gluten-free and vegan a few years ago, after reading Carol Alt’s Eating in the Raw: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Slimmer, Feeling Healthier, and Looking Younger the Raw-Food Way. While I don’t follow a 100% raw diet 100% of the time, I definitely appreciate the health benefits and continue to eat a high raw diet – usually I eat raw until dinner. Well, luckily for us Miss Alt is back with a new book called Easy Sexy Raw: 130 Raw Food Recipes, Tools, and Tips to Make You Feel Gorgeous and Satisfied. Check out the review on Amazon or the piece on her new book in the NY Daily News.
It might not be news to you, but studies show that Sleepy Brains Are Drawn To Junk Food. Which means that in addition to introducing major health problems, reducing concentration, and causing forgetfulness, sleep deprivation can cause weight gain. Are you getting enough sleep? Check out my post on sleeping – Confessions of a Former Insomniac.
Just as I love braids for summer, there are certain makeup looks that just scream Summertime to me. From dewy skin to bronzed perfection, find the perfect look for warm weather days. The Zoe Report’s 10 Summer Beauty Wants – Hot Topic and Gala Darling’s beauty obsessions on Beauty Bender.
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Are you as sick of skinny jeans as I am these days? I love the silhouette of a slim pant with a tunic, oversized sweater or cropped jacket on top, but the worn-to-death trend of skinny jeans is making me mad! The Stylist is here to help though, with 7 Alternatives to Skinny Blue Jeans.
Looks like I’m not the only one in awe of Poppy Delevingne’s personal style, see FabSugar’s One To Watch: Poppy Delevingne’s Fun, Fearless Style Has Us Hooked, Hello!’s Fashion Week favourite Poppy shows off her street savvy or Harper’s Bazaar – BAZAAR Boards: Poppy’s Chic Coat Tricks.
Ever wondered just how Chanel does it? Take a look at Lucky Magazine’s Watch the Chanel Team Make a Little Black Jacket. Or if you’re more interested in the man behind Chanel check out the Harper’s Bazaar piece My List: Karl Lagerfeld In 24 Hours. What did I learn?
Ready for Spring shopping? Watch Prada’s new “Real Fantasies” video lookbook staring Jessica Stam, Ginta Lapina, and Lindsey Wixson or H&M’s Spring 2012 campaign featuring the beautiful Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly, Isabeli Fontana, and Anais Mali.
Health/Fitness:
March is National Nutrition Month so take a look at some great articles that will give you new perspective on what eating healthy means to you:
- FitSugar’s A Daily Look at How Much Fat, Sugar & Salt You Should Be Eating
- Robb Wolf’s To Eat or Not to Eat, That is the Question on intermittent fasting and meal frequency
- Mark’s Daily Apple’s How Fasting Aids Weight Loss
Need some motivation to get you moving? Literally? Check out Holly Would If She Could’s 5 Jedi Mind Tricks For Kickstarting A New Fitness Routine.
Smoothies are a great way to pack protein and nutrients into your breakfast and start your day right – see my Smoothie Love post for my favorite smoothie recipes and a breakdown on some of the great, healthy ingredients you can add. If you’re not a fan of bananas and think that limits your smoothie choices, think again! Check out Gena from Choosing Raw’s Avocado and Berry Smoothie: Banana-less Smoothie Take I. Need more ideas or inspiration? Read FitSugar’s Green Juice & Smoothie Recipes and Vega creator Brendan Brazier’s Smoothiology 101: Saving the Planet 1 Smoothie at a Time.
The Huffington Post’s 8 Ways To Become An Optimist and Marc and Angel Hack Life’s 30 Things To Start Doing For Yourself both seem to support my personal decision to Be Positive this year. I’ve also been trying to read and/or participate in Polish My Crown’s Thankful Thursdays. Do you think positivity and optimism can improve your enjoyment of life?
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
It’s that time again… Time for all the new ad campaigns for Spring 2012 that make us swoon and wish the weather would hurry up so we can throw on sundresses and gorgeous resort wear. Sigh. Tom & Lorenzo have the lowdown on Valentino, Harper’s Bazaar previews the fabulous Burberry video featuring Poppy’s younger sister Cara Delevingne, Mama’s A Rolling Stone has gorgeous photos from the 2012 campaigns for Lanvin, Chloe and Balenciaga, and My Dress.My High Heels.My Style shows off the Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2012 Ad Campaign with the lovely, tan Natasha Poly, a breathtaking Mila Kunis for Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2012 and great mixing and matching of prints in the DKNY Spring/Summer 2012 Ad Campaign where Ashley Greene giving great face on New York rooftops.
Looking for something light and entertaining to read this weekend? Try Simon Doonan’s Gay Men Don’t Get Fat, see Harper’s Bazaar’s review here. Not your typical fashion tome, that’s for sure.
Need some ideas for comfy clothes and cozy accessories as this latest cold weather front moves through? WhoWhatWear has the breakdown on outerwear worn by everyone from Ashley Olsen to Rooney Mara, Frugal Fashionista has the lowdown on snowboots under $100 and FabSugar has 5 ideas on how to mix and match your feminine, warm-weather wear with cozy pieces for winter.
Need some extras to finish up your daily looks these days? 10 sweet winter accessories under $50, China Glaze creates a Hunger Games inspired line of nail polish, 7 pairs of nerd-chic glasses and leopard print scarves.
Health & Fitness:
Personally, I don’t own a scale, I’m much more interested in how my clothes fit. One reason? Muscle mass is important for your health. Is bulking up at the gym one of your fears? Fit Bottomed Girls discuss common fitness fears.
The girls over at Tone It Up give great daily updates - check out their great suggestion to keep you healthy and moving all day at work. Need some more motivation to get you going? FitSugar has you covered with quotes and mottos to get you up and out the door.
I can’t decide what I want to make first next weekend: FitSugar’s black & white bean sweet potato soup, The Wannabe Chef’s tofu stirfry or The Hungry Hungry Hippie’s clean food cornbread.
Looking to add some new foods to your diet to increase your health? You could try hemp seeds, antioxidant-rich foods, green monster salads, “cheesy” veggie quinoa Quiche and some of the newly popularized superfoods of 2011.
Hope you had a great weekend!
Be Positive
You know those shiny, happy people who make everyone around them feel like a dark, ominous cloud? Well, I’ve never really been one of them. While I wouldn’t call myself a pessimist, I might not be the most positive person there ever was. Cards on the table. I’m a high-strung, Type A personality who works 12+ hours a day in a high stress, fast-paced environment. I don’t like to wait. I don’t like people who walk slowly. I don’t like it when things don’t go exactly according to my carefully laid plans.
It has been pointed out to me that perhaps my outlook could use some refreshing. Oh, and that I need to relax.
Fine.
While the responsibilities and obligations of adulthood may make being completely carefree a challenge for many of us, it may still be a worthwhile goal.
So with that being said, I am going to embark on an odyssey to improve my quality of life by being more positive on a daily basis. Changing how you initially react to things isn’t easy, but I’m committed to trying to make this change.
And what - you ask - does this entail?
(1) Be grateful: How can you appreciate things as they come into your life if you don’t acknowledge what you already have?
- I have an amazing family – They’re completely insane, yes, but they’re also warm, loving, supportive and loyal.
- I have unbelievable friends – I have met some truly amazing people in my life, from my best friend in junior high & high school who I don’t get to see as often as I like, to the girls that adopted me in college and without whom I wouldn’t be who I am today, to my work friends who make my daily life so much more enjoyable.
- I have a great boyfriend – He’s ridiculous but hysterical, loving, affectionate and loyal.
- I live in a gorgeous city that I adore - Just seeing the views from my office building puts a smile on my face.
- In an awful economy where jobs are scarce, I’m lucky enough to have a great, challenging job in an interesting field where I’m surrounded by bright, well-educated, hard-working people.
(2) Realize what matters: Does it really matter if you wait a few minutes for a friend to meet you for dinner? Does it really matter if every little detail of a weekend is planned out or goes according to those plans? No! What matters is being able to enjoy yourself and when you’re filled with stress and anxiety about everything you can’t control, you’re not enjoying yourself. You’re giving yourself ulcers.
- Accept what you can and cannot control.
- Realize that the journey, even filled with roadblocks & speed bumps, is just as important as where you end up.
- Find joy in the little things. Singing along to a great song. Sharing a meal with someone. Laughing with a friend. Finishing an amazing book. These are just as important as the big things and deserve to be savored.
- Make time for love. All of the songs can’t be wrong, love is worth fighting for. Whether you’re having dinner with your family, falling in love for the first time or just filling your day with people and experiences you love, make sure not to underestimate how important this is.
(3) Find Inspiration: Find something that reminds you to cherish what you have. It could be different for everyone, but for me, I love hearing what other people have to say. Reading a great writer talk about how grateful they are for the things in their life or watching a hilarious motivational video will make me appreciate what I have all the more. Here are some to get you started.
- Rachel Wilkerson is one of the funniest, no-nonsense bloggers out there and in this video, she talks about how women need to stop “hating” on their lives and think about how good they have it – Stop Being A Hater. She also tells you that sometimes its ok to just SHHHHH yourself.
- Everyday Life Lessons - This website is nothing short of inspirational, it’s a community of people sharing life’s little lessons. A little cheesy, but I think we all could use some cheese in our lives!
- The blog Polish My Crown is great to get yourself out of a funk, the About page simply says: “Polish My Crown is a go-to guide to encourage and inspire you to live your life to the absolute fullest by being your fabulous, magnificent self.” It’s unabashedly sweet and optimistic, but not nauseatingly so.
“There is nothing to hold you back except yourself. There is only one question to ask yourself here: “What would you do if you were not afraid?” Think about it.”
