Oscar Love

I don't think I saw one movie in 2012 that was nominated for anything!  Actually, I did see "Brave" and that won for best animated movie.  I'm just at that stage of life. There was a time when Nathan & I saw about every movie.  It's on my bucket list to have an Oscar party, complete with ballots and all the fun party decor ideas below.  One of these years, I'll get out to see more movies and host an Oscar party :) Images are linked on Pinterest.

 I LOVE the Oscars. There's no question that a bulk of style and trends (in the United States) start in Hollywood. That's evident in the fact that celebrities now grace the monthly covers of Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, etc...In the 80's and 90's, these covers were dominated by super models and that's who we looked to for fashion inspiration. I love seeing designers putting their best foot forward, embracing trends and extreme fashion creativity, captured in an exciting night on the red carpet. 

  

I'd sum up the night of high fashion by calling it a return to old Hollywood Glamour.  Designers embraced lace, very full dress silhouettes and rich jeweled colors such as emerald green and sapphire.

 

Here are my Favorites:

 

Glamourous jeweled tone gowns: Olivia Munn in Marchesa and Reese Witherspoon in Louis Vuitton.

 

 Again, more jewel tones and beautiful silhouettes.  Amanda Seyfried in Alexander McQueen, Jennifer Garner in Gucci, Jessica Chastain in Armani.

 

 

Full elegant silhouettes:  Charlize Theron in Christian Dior, Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior, Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta.

Old Hollywood Black & Lace: Sandra Bullock in Elie Saab and Kristin Chenoweth in Tony Ward.

 

 

Finally, my personal favorite red carpet look for the night.  And the Oscar for best dressed goes to...

Giuliana Rancic in Rafael Cennamo.  Huge kudos to her stylist.  I can't say enough about the beauty of her dress and her new hair style.  I hope she keeps the hair.  Here she is again.  She deserves another look :)

 

 

 

Last but NOT Least:

Thanks to those who have entered the giveaway and are following my blog.  It really means a lot :) Click below to see the initial post.  One more week to enter.

 

My first GIVEAWAY

 

I'd love to send one of you some of the goodies from Neiman Marcus beauty week.  The winner selects a bag (either the big blue one or small black or small cheetah one in the pic) and I'll stock it with samples and this DownEast Infinity Heart Scarf. I love the fun colors in the scarf and since my blog is about things I love, the heart motif is fitting. See the rules below.

Rules and Requirements:

1.  Follow me on "Join this Site."  Link is on the right
2.  Leave a comment so I know who you are :)
3.  Follow me on Pinterest & Instagram for an added bonus. Let me know in the comments so I can verify.

Good luck!  I can't wait to send you some of my favorites!

Winner will be selected at random.  I'll ship to the U.S. and Canada. Contest closes on Sunday March 10th at 7pm, MST.  I'll post the winner on this blog.  Winner must email me within 3 days or another winner will be selected.  One entry per person :)

These are my favorites!

Love,

 

Laura

13th Anniversary: Lace

Nathan & I celebrated our 13th Anniversary on February 19th. 

{We were young lings when we got married}

For our anniversaries, I like to incorporate the traditional gifts into our day.  The 13th year is lace.  {Click Here}to see the suggested gift list by year.  It's a fun tradition.

 

The Gifts

I was trying to be creative and think outside the box.  The idea popped into my head to get Nathan "LACES" as in a new pair of shoes.  I set off to Nordstrom Rack and immediately hit the Women's shoe department first ;)  I think I'm on auto pilot to go straight there. Of course I found shoes I love. These Jessica Simpson T-strap platforms.  I then headed over to the men's shoe section to knock out 2 birds with one stone: try on my shoes and looks for ones for Nathan.  I didn't find anything for him :(  I had to get creative and think what else to get.  I bought him a new belt (not pictured), Under Armour running pants, and new socks.  All things he can wear with shoes he already has with "laces."

Big Gifts from Anniversaries Past

11th Anniversary: is the gift of steel.  We bought a new BMW.

 10th Anniversary: This was my favorite.  We love Vegas and went back for our anniversary. It's where we went on our honeymoon so it was fun to return. The gift for that year is tin/aluminum.  We stayed at Trump International (highly recommend~5 star hotel) which is a big "metallic" hotel.  My gift was a David Yurman cuff cable bracelet which also goes along with tin/aluminum.

 

 

Lace & Fashion

Lace was everywhere on the runway for Spring 2013 fashions. Here are clips:

My Interpretation of Fashion & Lace

I'm obsessed with the Nickolas Kirkwood lace heels.  I first saw them on Kelly Ripa (she's wearing a different pair of Kirkwood's in the pic. Aren't they a piece of art!!  Expensive art for your feet at $1800.

 

 

 

I put together this outfit, using the shoes as my inspiration.  If you didn't hear the news, matchy matchy is back!  It's acceptable again to match your shoes to your handbag, and to your belt.  It's also acceptable to wear head to toe lace. 

Top is Prabal Gurung. He's a high end designer who just did a line for Target.

Skirt is Downeast

 Mix & Match pieces I created:

Lace Cardi from Downeast, along with the Skirts. Black lace underpinning is Downeast
iPhone lace case.The SHOES!!  I think they are a great alternative to the Kirkwoods.  I'd like to add them to my shoe "art" collection.  The are also Prabal Gurung for Target.

 

 

Lace etc...

 Lace aviators are Valentino.  I love the mix of masculine & feminine.

Uggs are from their Bridal Collection.  How fun if you have a winter wedding. Not to wear at the actual wedding...maybe while getting ready :)  I like the fluff flops and the blue soles.

 

 

Last but not least...

It's important to look great while working out :)  The lace trend is even in workout gear.  This outfit is Lululemon and from their laceoflage collection (sadly it's about out of stock).

 

I hope I inspired you to do something creative if you have an anniversary to celebrate this year.

 

These are my favorites!

Love,

Laura

Valentine's Week

I can sum up Valentine's week with one word:

SURPRISES

It's no surprise to those who know me that I am not tech savvy in the least.  I was up all night the night before V-day making 60 picture cards for my kids to take to school.  I couldn't get the pictures to turn out right (long story) and the night felt like Christmas Eve.  The feeling that you're never going to get to bed and the feeling that time is slipping away.  I did manage to get it all done by 11:30pm.

 Onto Valentines Day:

For dinner, we had a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphys.  I was surprised at how huge, tasty, and cheap it was (7 bucks).  This will be our new tradition.  After dinner, we loaded the kids in the car and went to Freddy's for their favorite treat; worms and dirt, no surprise there :) 

Gifts:

Two huge surprises.  My Christmas gift finally arrived on Valentine's Day, a lemon citrine David Yurman cable bracelet.  I think it's safe to say my Yurman bracelet collection is now complete.  I love them. 

The biggest surprise of all was an Iphone.  I had a BlackBerry and had a love hate relationship with it.  Most days I wanted to throw it into a river.  It freezes all the time and thought maybe it might meet it's match in a cold icy "freezing" river.   Despite that, I couldnt' seem to get rid of it because it's basic in nature and easy to use when it's not frozen.  I now don't know how I made it this long without the IPhone.  It's kind of like switching from a programmed VCR taping your favorite shows to DVR.  I picked up this pink and gold chevron case for my white phone.

Pay it Forward Gift:

More on this in a post coming very soon but if you're on Facebook, you probably saw the pay it forward status idea last month.  I received a surprise pay it forward gift this week from a high school friend named Amber.  She's a makeup artist and indulged me with some great goodies; a Tweezerman file and buff set and Deborah Lippmann nail polish in Sweet Dreams.  I buffed my nails and painted two coats.  It's a fun bubble gum pink with gold sparkles.  Matches my IPhone case :)  I also painted my little diva's toes.  Painted toes are like brushing teeth for her.  She wants it done at least once per day, sometimes twice.  It wasn't easy to get her busy feet to stand still but she loves the color too.

Last but not Least:

To end the fun week, I realized I had had my share of sweets and not one workout.  Bad surprise realization.  I can certainly feel it.  I redeemed the Lululemon gift card my friends gave me for my birthday with this jacket and striped top.  Hopefully that will give me a little more motivation to get back into the swing of things next week.  I've been doing the Insanity Workout for 2 years and love it.  It's surprisingly very hard but very rewarding. 

Now onto my anniversary in 2 days. Another week of surprises :)

These are my favorites!

Love,

Laura

Laura's 2013 Valentine's Day Picks

It's hard to believe Valentine's Day is this week.  It's also my 13th anniversary this week so love certainly is in the air. Here are some of my favorites.

Classy beautiful outfits for an elegant Valentine's Day. 

 I found these looks on Pinterest but they are exactly something I would've created. 

 Click on my Pinterest Closet for direct links.

 

Fun outfits for a semi dressy night out.  Pinterest

 

 

Valentine's accessories

Ombre Necklace: Anthropologie

IPhone Heart Case.

 

 

I ordered this coat (yet to arrive) for $24 from JCP

Shoes: Charlotte Olympia.  Cute but far from budget friendly

Essie Nailpolish

Tiffany Bracelet: my parents gave me this for college graduation. Perfect V-day gift too.

Cute shoes from Gap

Classic Essentials

ShoeMint Red Ballet Flats.  I'm kind of obsessed with these :)  I can count on half a hand how many red items I have in my closet and it's time to try red.  I'm waiting for these to go on sale.  Don't ever pay full price at ShoeMint. Tory Burch Clutch: great classic bag.  NARS eyeshadow from their Spring Collection.

 

 

Another great Pinterest Outfit.  China Glaze Ruby polish.  Stays on really well and the color is fun.  ShoeMint Jess pumps.  I bought these so I could get the box :)  slight exaggeration. YSL Sheer Candy Gloss in Pomegranate #4.  My current fav lip color. Emily Maynard's too :)

 

 

Comfy Casual Night-in

Pinterest outfit

Ugg Slippers and flip flops

Fun nail idea.  Pinterest

 

 

Wishing you a Fashionable Valentine's Day filled with Love!

These are my favorites!

Love,

Laura

 

Shopping for a Box

I saw this on Pinterest today and I can totally relate.  Actually, my kids can relate and that's why we don't  EVER buy Lucky Charms.

This same thought rings true to shoes and boxes.  The shoes are the marshmallows and the boxes they come in are the cereal.  I keep the shoes and toss the boxes.  I don't save boxes.  Every February, I face the same dilemma when I receive the yearly email from my daughter's teacher to bring in  a shoe box for her Valentines.  Last year, I was "forced" to buy a new pair of shoes just so she would have a box :)  I didn't learn my lesson and was once again left no choice but to buy a new pair of shoes this year too.  No guarantees I'll be prepared next year.  I have to admit I am liking this yearly tradition of "New Shoes February."  It's a win win situation.

 

Last year, I bought these Stuart Weitzman knock offs at Target.

 

And, my pick for this year... these Charlotte Olympia knock offs by ShoeMint.

Stay tuned for my knock off pick next year.  I have no intention of putting a stop to this tradition :)

 

These are my favorites!

Love,

Laura

 

A Few Christmas Gifts

I just wanted to share a couple of things I received for Christmas.

*I didn't received the tree coat form with star but I thought it was a fun fashionable Christmas image to include :)

1. Clarisonic Mia: BEST gift EVER!!  I highly recommend this for every skin type.  I was skeptical for a long time since I have dry sensitive skin but it's a miracle worker.  My skin feels very clean and tightened.  Make up goes on better and I could go on and on.  It comes in a rainbow of colors (I received the Tiffany blue one) and came recommended by my dermatologist too. It was a gift to me from me :)
 2. David Yurman Lemon Citrine Cable Bracelet: I am a Yurman fan.  I have two DY bracelets that I wear everyday so this will be a great addition (it's on order and will be here in a few months).  Gift from my hubby.
3.  Victoria's Secret Thermal Long Jane Pajamas:  They are so comfortable and VS only brings them out at Christmas.  I received these leopard ones and I went to the after Christmas sale and bought two more pairs.  Gift from my kids.
4.  Williams Sonoma Waffle Cone Maker:  We haven't used this yet but it has a multitude of uses and has great reviews.  We are ice cream eaters at our house so this is perfect. Gift from Ann's family.
5.  Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish:  I do use an exfoliator about once per week and this is my new favorite one. Gift from my parents.

These are my favorites!

Love,

Laura

Birthday Favorites

The BIG 35

This was a "BIG" birthday of favorites. 
 Here's some of the party loot I received and I now have some new favorites:

(starting from the top)

 1. Neiman Marcus for Target Diane Von Furstenberg Yoga Mat: This is no longer available so I consider myself lucky. Thanks Blondie :). This mat is a slice comfort.  Namaste!
2.Neiman Marcus for Target Tory Burch lunch box:This was a fun surprise from  and I'll use it as a cosmetics travel tote. Tory Burch is my one of my favorite brands. Look for a future post on TB. It's from my friend since 7th grade, Liz.  She knows my style and taste :)
3. The Birch Box: I'm so excited for this.  For the next 3 months, I'll get a  monthly box in the mail filled with beauty surprises. I can't wait to discover some new beauty favorites.  This is from my sister Ann.
4. Lululemon Gift Card: My friends took me out to dinner at White Chocolate Grill (one of my favorite restaurants) and surprised me with a very generous gift card to Lululemon. I bought this coat and have money to spare. I'm eyeing these pants and this shirt too. Lululemon is a favorite on this blog. Here's Ann's post on it from 2008.
5. Sonia Kashuk Nail Polish in "I Dream of Jeannie." I love this color and it's a pretty pinky/coral and will be perfect for summer. I have a nail polish obsession that I'll talk about more later :) 
6.White Chocolate Grill: My friends took me there for dinner.
7. The Denver Broncos Play Off Game Tickets! Technically, the Broncos are my second favorite. Redskins are my first. Nathan got tickets on the 40 yard line, section 122. The temperature that day was 5 degrees and it took a village to keep me warm. I borrowed a ski coat, snow pants, wool socks, boots, hat, ski mittens, hand warmers, all from generous friends. Sadly the Broncos lost to the Ravens but we can't wait to cheer Manning & Co. on next season.  After the game, we ate at...

8. Swing Thai Restaurant: I was introduced to Swing Thai when I worked at Neiman Marcus. It's my favorite Thai restaurant and I always stop in for take out when I'm near downtown. There's several locations in Denver. I always get the same thing, Vegetarian Mild Pad Thai without bean sprouts. It's delicious and Nathan and I ate there after the game.

 9. Nike TR Fit Training Shoes: These were a gift from my hubby. Funky athletic shoes are all the rage. These keep up with the trend and are very functional. They have to be the lightest shoe on the planet. I wear these to run errands and when I do The Insanity Workout. They offer the needed side support for doing Insanity that I don't get from running shoes so I highly recommend these if you need a cross trainer. They are at Nordstrom.

A few new things I've been introduced to:

My friend Kathy sent me a sample of doTerra Essential Oils.  Hopefully these will keep me feeling young :)

 My friend Ashley gave me two of her favorite things: Washi tape and Baker's Twine. Hopefully the essential oils will rev up the creative juices in me since the possibilities of these are endless.  They have so many fun uses and I can't wait to decide how to use them. I LOVE it when others share their favorite things with me. Thanks, Ash. Here's a link to see some more of the possibilities.
 

Thanks to my wonderful family and friends for spoiling me!

 

Food for thought from a fashion icon:

These are my favorites!

Love,

Laura

Neiman Marcus for Target

I'm baaack :)  I think about this blog everyday and have set a goal to post more often.  I want to start the New Year off with a post about an interesting business venture.  I majored in Fashion Merchandising and Business so this partnership definitely intrigues me! I worked for 3 years at Neiman Marcus and came to know the "culture" of the company.  I would love to read the business proposal behind this.Top designers that sell at Neimans paired with Target to sell some of their items in NM and Target, at a lower price point. I can see how this idea would translate well for the Neimans customer (getting designer items at lower prices) but never thought it would translate well for the Target customer.  I went into Target the day the line was launched and I asked the checker if the collection was selling fast and he had no idea what I was talking about.  LOL.  Most of the items are sold out at Neimans but they can't give them away at Target.  The collection is 70% off and I wanted to share a few of my favorite items.

Eddie Borgo letter opener and box.

I was friends with Eddie Borgo in high school.  He is now a jewelry designer and his collection is sold at Neimans and Bergdorf.
Here we are are back in the good old days of high school.


Tory Burch lunch box and thermos

I received the lunch box for my birthday and I love it.  What's not to love about Tory Burch.  It's perfect for packing healthy snacks or as a cosmetics travel case.



Tracy Reese Dessert Plates
I missed out on these but would take 4 sets.



Diane Von Furstenberg Yoga Mat
I have the feeling one of these is on it's way for me for my birthday.  Thanks, blondie :)



Did anyone else find anything they love?
I hope you didn't pay full price for anything :)

Here's the whole collection:

These are my favorites!

Love,

Laura