insta-update

a room full of wine and cheese. love.

the aerialist...i've decided i need to learn how to do this

me (in my new H&M jacket featured here) with my friend Patrick (in costume!)

the go-go dancers on top of the wine bar

last friday night the boyfriend and i attended Napa Gras before heading to Sonoma for the weekend with friends.  the event started last year as a way to celebrate Premiere Napa Valley and showcase some of the wines that were being auctioned off.  we both had an incredible time watching the aerialist, trying the different wines + yummy food, and exploring the different parts of Raymond (recent winner of Winery of the Year).  trust me, if you're traveling to wine country, this is a must-visit.  it is so different from any other vineyard in the area.  that's all i'll say...just go see for yourself!

after the event we made our way toward Sonoma to meet up with some friends from college who we were staying with for the weekend.  saturday involved more wine tasting (with trips here and here, and back to Raymond to show everyone else) and some delicious food at Gott's Roadside.  when you take the trip to Raymond, be sure to stop here for lunch and get the ahi tuna burger...yummmm! then to wrap it up, we headed to Point Reyes on sunday to enjoy oysters and the beautiful scenery at Tomales Bay.

poppies at Robert Mondavi

freshly laid eggs from the farm at Raymond

three-week old lambs at Raymond

the cutest little guys around!

this weekend we'll be staying in the city and enjoying the amazing weather.  i'm hoping to get in some yoga and hiking...and maybe some paddleboarding and horseback riding (i'm learning, so i need as much practice as possible!).  and if all goes well, i'll be breaking out some warm-weather clothes and taking advantage of the sunshine!

bloom

<floral looks from the Spring 2013 runways>

from left to right: Moschino, Chanel, Prada, Ralph Lauren

<translating the runway into everyday>
Tibi Daisies Sleveless Yoked Tank / Rag & Bone Cambridge Jacket/ Preen Ella Printed Skirt / Gap Printed Legging Skimmer Jeans/ RED Valentino Strawberry Field Print Dress/ Madewell Painted Lacebloom Dress

one of my favorite spring trends straight off the runway is florals.  i love that they can be completely feminine, like the pretty and pink Moschino look above, or toughened up-case in point: the Rag & Bone floral + leather jacket.  Alicia from Cheetah is the New Black wore this jacket recently here and it looked amazing the way she styled it!

another great thing about this trend: you probably already have at least one floral-printed piece in your wardrobe!  to freshen it up a little bit, try pairing it with a print or leather (extra points if it's pastel!).  i plan on wearing a silk floral dress that i already own with my leather jacket to add a little edge.  hopefully it'll be warm enough this weekend to be able to wear it...photos to follow!

will you give florals a try this spring? how will you wear them?

weekend wear: the basics

top left: H&M Leather Sleeve Military Jacket

top right: Jimmy Choo Motorcycle Boot

bottom Left: Zara Basic T-Shirt

bottom Right: Zara Faux Leather Leggings

i'm heading to wine country this weekend (yay!) and need an appropriately stylish yet comfortable outfit for vineyard-hopping and wine tasting (again...yay!), so i've decided to freshen up the jeans and tee look with some updated basics.  with the exception of the jimmy choo's (a girl can dream, right?), i already own the other three pieces shown here.  i'll definitely be adding some oomph to this outfit with accessories, but the real focus is on these pieces.  they'll be perfect to wear while sipping on some chardonnay (and pinot, and cab, and...well, the list goes on). 

have a great weekend! xx

eye candy

i recently decided to treat myself for valentine's day and have my make-up done by a sephora professional before my date with the boyfriend last week.  now, for some background, i don't really "do" my make-up (my boyfriend may disagree, as i do take just a littttttle bit of time to get ready).  my basic routine includes tinted moisturizer, some concealer, blush/bronzer combo, and some mascara. done-i'm out the door! so i didn't really know what to expect when i went to my appointment last week...will she paint my eyelids purple with sparkly eyeshadow? will my face look orange from bronzer? will i get raccoon eyes? AH! 

thankfully, i was so happily relieved with the result and thrilled with what she did.  i've never had my make up done that well.  she really listened to what i wanted and kept everything pretty natural, just enhanced.  in fact, she did such an amazing job, that i ended up buying the eye shadow palette and liner that were used (i've even successfully used them since!).  

here are a few of the main products she used on me.  i can honestly say that i think the Urban Decay Naked Palette would look gorgeous on anyone, no matter what skin tone.  the colors are beautiful and allow you to come up with so many different combinations for day looks and night looks, plus it comes with a mini shadow primer! i also loved the Laura Mercier Cream Eye Liner and bought a pot for myself (seriously, it glides on so smoothly that even i can draw a perfect winged liner).  so go out to your local Sephora and schedule an appointment with one of their artists (maybe even ask to try some of these products in your session!), trust me, you will not be disappointed!!

Urban Decay sparkly eyeshadow / Tarte blush / Laura Mercier eyeliner / Yves Saint Laurent yves saint laurent mascara / Bobbi Brown Cosmetics colorful lipstick

just shuck it

i've been completely consumed with everything and anything other than this blog for the past few weeks unfortunately, but at least it hasn't all been work! the boyfriend's parents were in town recently and it just happened to be his dad's birthday, which gave us an excuse to indulge every night at a new restaurant. toward the end of their stay, we planned a surprise trip to hog island oyster in point reyes for one more chance to celebrate.  it was absolutely gorgeous that day, and we enjoyed shucking our own oysters (my first time! surprisingly, it's not as hard as it looks-but i was definitely skeptical going into it), sipping white wine, and savoring possibly the most delicious cupcakes i've ever made.  if you need to make a sweet treat for something coming up...maybe valentine's day, hmm?...i strongly suggest giving this recipe a try!

we're kind of cool...stamps we needed to shuck our own oysters.

the spread.

the finished cupcakes...seriously, make these now. you will not regret it!

speaking of valentine's day, i need to go pick up my gift for the boyfriend. he's surprising me on thursday and friday and i couldn't be more excited!!! yes, that's right, he's amazing. what will you be doing to celebrate? eating chocolate cupcakes, you say?? well i think that's just a grand idea!