Pop of Color: Neon Belts!

It's officially been March for a week now and I am absolutely loving it. Spring just around the corner and I'm so ready for it to be Spring again! I love to embrace color year around but I feel like you can get away with it more during this time of year than any other. If you're afraid to be too bold with color, here's a simple solution: a bright belt! Easy and oh so fun!

Gap is on point with these adorable bright neon belts for under $30! A steal! My problem is I LOVE color so much - I don't know which to choose to buy! Yellow is my absolute favorite - but this year I am seriously loving pink and green! And orange is so fresh for summer! Ahh!

Help a girl decide... which color belt would YOU buy?

High VS Low - Bow

I love Kate Spade. You know I love Kate Spade. But most of the time I can not justify spending $500 on a bag that I could outgrow, can be too small or big eventually, could tear or rip or get stained in some way! You just never know. When I found this bag at ASOS I couldn't believe the similarity. Not the exact same bag but still... bow in front, handle on top and the ASOS bag seems a little bit more versatile with that long strap. 

Which would you go? Low or High? 

Leather, Suede & Printed Loafers!

When I recieved the newest J.Crew catalogue in the mail, it was like any other day. Until I turned to page 56 and literally gasped out loud of the sight of two fun and perfect looking loafers... than quickly shared it on Instagram :) 

And now I am obsessed. I need these shoes. At least one pair. My long time followers know my absolute love of loafers. They are incredibly comfortable, flattering and so cute! And they don't seem to be going away anytime soon. This is my "investment pair"... thats what I keep telling myself to justify the purchase :) 

Buy Your Own Below!:

Which color would you buy?

I'm completely in love with the stripes! 

The night my dreams came true...

I pretty much almost fainted when Jose and I were randomly walking through HomeGoods [a store we haven't been to in over a year! We haven't had a home to fill with goods :( ]. There it was. All alone and gorgeous, like it was planted there for me.

A beautiful white pouf. In the exact color I've wanted it in for years. At only $128 dollars! WHAT!? I threw it in my cart and literally started jumping up and down. If you know me - you know the little things in life make me happy and I was ecstatic over this pouf! 

Jose is trying to get me to put it in our storage facility until we get our house in a few months. But hell no. I waited this long for a pouf, I'm not going to tuck it away now! 

Just a few images I've pinned through the years with a pouf in them... dreaming one day!

They might seem like a "trendy" piece to some people but this baby is mine forever and ever and right now, I'm a happy camper :) 

Outfit: Red Riding Cape

I love this cape. I blogged about it not too long ago... and not too long after that, I purchased it. It feels so nice and almost luxurious that I only pull it out on special occasions. And now it's my lucky cape. I wore this cape when we went house hunting and... we think we found it! Keeping mum on the details so we don't jinx ourselves but just keep your fingers crossed! This cape is magic I swear!

And these shoes are the absolute most comfortable shoes EVER. 

cape - anthropologie

jeans - the gap

bag - urban outfitters

shoes - sole society [hurry! on sale and almost sold out!]

sunglasses - anthropologie [similar] 

bracelet - oia jules 

Disney Stole my heart [vacation recap photos!]

We have been back for a week now from Disney World and it was great! Of course I miss it... I swear I can work at Disney World and my heart would be filled with happiness. This trip was fantastic and I keep going back to the word magical. It was! Just Jose and I. Cold and rainy at times but it never stopped us and we really enjoyed ourselves :) Instead of bombarding the blog with a TON of photos I'll just share a few :) And if any of you are planning a trip to Disney and need help planning let me know! This is my SEVENTH time there and it's not the last! [more on that soon] 

 we just LOVE ratatouille :)

being in the west wing with the beast's rose... little me was screaming inside!

the beast's castle is breathtaking!

 us by cinderella's coach on Valentines Day!

 love these balloons so much

"now as they say... "look alive!" 

pride rock 

a MUST do at Animal Kingdom - Kilamanjaro Safari! 

we conquered Everest... twice! Love that rollercoaster

EPCOT! 

 I sat there for 10 minutes waiting to get this photo of the Monorail passing by :)

 enjoying wine flights in "France"

 the only person we found that new how to work a DSLR! :) 

gorgeous blooms at the Magic Kingdom

Pongo at our hotel! [which we'll never stay at again, even WITH kids!] 

In-Flight Essentials!

Tomorrow we leave for Disney! I'm so excited to get away from cold, snowy New Jersey and enjoy sunny Florida [and no work or pet duty!] with my love! While I'm running around doing last minute errands for our trip, I figured it'd be fun to share my in-flight essentials. I LOVE to fly, absolutely love it! And packing for the flight is so much fun for me because I really enjoy being on planes. Here are some of the things I absolutely NEED with me when I fly!

InStyle magazine - for as long as I could remember it is a flying tradition for me to go through security, find my gate than go back and buy some magazines for the flight and I MUST get InStyle [my favorite magazine!]

Comfy Flats - this is a must for any trip to the airport but especially for this trip as right after we check in at Disney, we are going straight to one of the parks! So comfortable flats is always a must.

Rosebud Salve - years ago when we flew to Las Vegas, my sister in law introduced me to this! [if it's not this product Esther, correct me if I'm wrong!] but since that trip I always carry it with me to keep my lips hydrated.

Vichy Eau Thermale - Planes are notorious for carrying so much dry air in it, with no air coming through and it stuffed with people. This spray is always refreshing but especially on stuffy plane rides! And Jose is never a fan of planes as I am so anything to help him relax is always good!

Thick scarf - I always carry this one crazy thick and long scarf with me on planes for as long as I could rememeber. It serves double duty! I look "fashionable" but mostly, it serves as a warm blanket when I get cold on the planes and in the airport!

Socks - I'm ALWAYS cold on planes, especially cos I wear flats, so I always make sure to carry a pair of socks with me so I can wear them thru the flight and be comfortable :) 

iPad - I JUST got my iPad last year and am SO EXCITED to bring it with me as an extra "to-do" in flight to keep the time going fast :) 

Large Carry On - I always carry my purse [which will be a camera bag this time around] and a second carry on bag [not luggage] to keep with me at my seat. This bag holds all the stuff above, plus any prescriptions and chargers we need. That way if we check our stuff and happen to lose our luggage, I have everything we absolutely need on hand with me! And I don't carry THIS particular Kate Spade bag with me, but I do carry another :) 

Oh this was so fun to write and made me 10x more excited for tomorrow! :)

 I'll be back next week to cram this blog with photos from our trip! Have a great week everyone!! 

Valentines Gift Guide [For Her]

With Valentines Day next week, it's time to start planning! Dinner and drinks? Quiet & cozy night at home? Movie date night? It's also to start daydreaming of what we'd love to be receiving as our Valentines gift [didn't anyone ever tell you Valentines is a girls holiday? meaning, guys do the buying. girls do the receiving. yeah i never followed that rule either] My ideal Valentines gift? This year, since we'll be at Disney, would simply be flowers and some champagne :) THAT would be awesome! Maaaybe a cute pair of Mickey Ears too to celebrate the occasion? :) 

Aren't you DYING over the raspberry colored KitchenAid Mixer?? Me too! 

In my neck of the woods

Things have been REALLY hectic over here with me so sorry for being so quiet lately! Work has been insane and I'm just dying for this week to be over with. The plus side is We leave for Disneyworld in 7 days!! Even more of a reason to let this week go by quick at work. Not only that but working full-time than trying to get a full-time photography business on the side up and running is nuts. Saturday was my first actual day off all year with absolutely nothing to do and that's exactly what I did! I NEVER do that and it was fantastic. I need more days like that. 

So anyway! Here's just a little of what's been going on over here :) 

I never drank coffee.. until this year. Now it's completely necessary.

buying lots of pink to wear to Disney with rings & necklace from BaubleBar 

we had an epic taco night and I can't wait to host one when we have our own place :) 

my newest beauty obsessions - benefit erase paste and garnier bb cream

treated ourselves to our favorite macarons from NYC in this adorable little bowl :)

Sun & Sand

Does anyone else have a serious case of winter blues? Though we'll be in Florida in 2 short weeks - I can't help but wish we were going to be staying near a beach. I'd just like to close my eyes for a second and imagine I'm by the ocean, drink in my hand, breeze blowing through my hair, sunglasses & smile on my face. That is pure heaven & what I am seriously needing. Hoping to take a beachy vacation or weekend away to ANYWHERE this year! For now, daydreaming will do :) 

Anyone else with me? Who could use a nice warm vacation right about now? 

Nothing says I love you like a card...

There is no shortage of great paper goods out there - and with any holiday, I find it HARDER to chose a cute card for more and more. I can't explain why I love paper goods so much but I simply do. Something as simple as a card makes me smile - but a pretty card? You've stolen my heart. Throwing a big hint out there to my husband. No we are not exchanging gifts for Valentines - Yes I still want a card. And don't think I didn't notice you "forgot" to get me one for Christmas. You owe me. 

All cards found at Paper Source. 

The Perfect Outfit: Valentines [Dinner Date]

Our Valentines Disney trip for two is fast approaching and I'm so excited! I'm looking forward to a vacation of just the two of us [we haven't taken a vacation alone since our honeymoon!] and warmer climates. It's freezing up here in Jersey lately - and I can't help but imagine what my Valentines Date night outfit would have been if we didn't end up taking this trip. 

Enjoy this mock up of my imaginary Valentine's Day Outfit :) We'll be walking around all day in the Magic Kingdom before our romantic dinner near Cinderella's Castle - so I highly doubt an outfit like this would work that night. 

And shop the look below for yourself! 

Shop my Closet!

Have you heard of Poshmark? If you aren't using it, you're crazy! It's a GREAT free iPhone app you can use to buy and sell trendy fashion items - and I'm obsessed! You can follow other ladies & their closets [I like to follow them by my shoe & top size :)] and see what they're selling, they have endless themed parties - example: Jackets, Blazers & Layers Party! [which is actually happening today at 3!] and so much more!

I have actually been able to sell a lot more than I expected to on Poshmark so I love it! They email you the postage [with fees paid!] All you have to do is ship it out and voila! Seriously - I can't exaggerate anymore how great it is. And I'd LOVE for you to come shopping with me! You can check out my closet HERE <-- nbsp="" p="">

Here's just a little bit of what I'm selling :) and I'm CONSTANTLY adding to it! 

This was post was not sponsored or endorsed by Poshmark. I simply love the APP and suggest you give it a try :) 

Getting Domestic!

As I said in my New Years post - one of my resolutions is to cook more for my husband! I'm so excited because after our Vacation next month we'll be kicking apartment searching into high gear and I can not WAIT to have our own space again! I miss all our things and furniture in storage and can't wait to be reunited :) Not only that - but time to cook! The only way I figure I'll REALLY get motivated about it is if there's something to really get me excited - and what's more exciting than having a cute kitchen [one of my apartment musts!] and looking cute doing it? Bring in Anthropologie and their adorable line of aprons. 

Yup - just what I need. Totally unnecessary but just what I need! 

Shop them below:

Michie May Paperie!

I am absolutely obsessed with the fringe garlands we see everywhere. But when I saw these banners from Michie May Paperie I knew I had to have one! They are so festive to have hanging year around - and I'm so torn over which saying to get! Plus - you can have a customized order! Too cute! 

Head over there to check em out yourself, along with other fabulous Party Goods! :) 

Current Obsessions

I've come to terms with the fact that this blog will never be a weekly thing. There's just too much on my plate these days and something has to give. The good news is I have another blog I write at, our photography blog which you can find and comment on HERE. The bad news is I have another blog. But nevertheless, this blog is MINE and about what I like so every once in a while when the inspiration hits - I'll come back and share what's new  :) And I felt it appropriate to start with what I'm loving these days.

- We literally got these Nivea lip butters into our store on Saturday. I took them out of the box, put them on the counter and promptly put two aside for myself to buy. And when I tell you it is THE BEST lip butter out there - believe me! It is

- If you aren't watching GIRLS, you're crazy. It is the best show on TV right now & so real and of this time. THIS is what our generation is! It has filled the void in my heart that has been empty since Sex and the City went off HBO - and with the second season now on, I'm a happy camper :)

- These Maybelline Color Whisper lipsticks are great - because they aren't your normal lipstick. They are sheer and light and the perfect hint of color for the lips without being too heavy. 

- Target is on point lately with their flats and these flats are THE MOST COMFORTABLE. I didn't even get blisters breaking them in! That says a lot! They come in a few colors and almost look like ballet flats :) 

- I am obsessed with this bag. Mostly because I don't have it - but I keep telling myself I need it especially for our upcoming trip to Disney World. What makes carry ons cuter? This bag! 

2013: Making it my best year yet!

Truth be told, when 2013 hit - I kind of freaked out. I instantly thought of how many challenges there would be ahead of us this year [moving into house or apartment/money/our first weddings in photography]. I needed a few days to really think about 2013 and what it is going to hold for us and myself personally. Than I realized that there was nothing bad but all good and new experiences coming our way. Everything we have been preparing ourselves for in all aspects is coming to us in 2013.

Now I'm excited. And I can't wait to get things started! I kept thinking of all these goals and tasks I wanted to get done this year - and how I really want this year to be the best! I want to look back at this year with nothing but the happiest memories and thoughts thinking "wow! I did all that!" Here are some of my "resolutions" if you will :)

This year I was so happy to be able to rebuild my old broken friendships and start a lot of new ones. Now, it's time to make them stronger. I've always had a ton of girlfriends and all different in their own way and over the past few years, it seems I've had less and less. And I'm sick of that. Though Jose is now my absolute best friend [aww], I want my girlfriends back! Sure we always get coupled off and enjoy nights with our couples - but I want to be able to hang with just the girls too! And not just that but build the new friendships I've made with my new peers [aka, photographers!] 

As positive as I try to be, and seriously I am really positive - I let a lot of things get to me more than I should. I look at every little thing people do and say and just take things way too personally. It's time to stop that. In all ways. Stop thinking people are out to get me. Stop being around negative people. I have realized who are the people that want to see me be successful and the people that don't. And I can't be around that anymore. It just brings so much unnecessary stress into my life. Not only that - but I just care way too much when I shouldn't! Buh bye!

Not that I'm a bad wife! I'm a really good wife... but I know I can be better. Probably the person that sees the MOST of any negativity I have is my husband. And a lot of the time it's to him! And I should NOT do that. Instead of pointing out his faults and what he doesn't do, it's time to praise him for what he does do. And it's time to cook for him! This year we will FINALLY be getting our own space together [alone! just us and our furbabies] and it's time to OWN that kitchen and make sure when my husband comes home, there is food there waiting for him :) So that goes under my "learn to cook" resolution too! :)

This is something Jose and I both agree on. We want to find our quality of life, the way we live and do it comfortably. How we "make things work." We want to be healthier and be happier. What I like to add to it is something I feel SO Strongly about and that is ENJOYING life. I don't want to spend my days just working, making money, paying bills and buying "things". That doesn't make me happy. Its the experiences that TRULY make me happy. THATS why I like to throw parties! THATS why I like to travel! And go to sports events and concerts, and see shows on Broadway! Sure it costs money but in the end you forget about the money and only remember the experience! In fact we had this discussion last month & Jose completely agreed and then we booked our trip to Disney! So we can go and enjoy ourselves! 

I have lots of other goals but am not gonna sit here all day listing them. I'm just glad to get these out there into the "void" and look back next January of what I wanted out of this year - and I better have accomplished it all! I'm so excited for this year now!! It will be AMAZING!! :) 

all images by me :)