Happy Thursday!

It's a stretch, but hang in there, the weekend is almost here!  Whether you're planning on staying in and staying warm by the fire or going out for some champagne bubbles, here's some inspirational photos on the pending weekend...

Happy Thursday!

Photo from Vogue

Photo by Paul Bellaart

Photo by Corina V. Photography

Purple and gray

I'll admit, I love purple and gray so much that it's all over my house - literally.  Our upholstered dining chairs from Scandinavian Designs, Room and Board sofa, and our satin living room curtains are in variations of gray.  And when we decided to get rid of all the dry rot and re-paint the exterior of our home, we went with Sherwin Williams' color of the year, poised taupe, which resulted in a beautiful mauve-gray-muted purple.

Now if only I had the means to work on the master bedroom, I would be lucky if I could make it look as heavenly as these photos.

I'm so Blue

I seriously can't get over everything in this photo - the peppermint sticks, the crystals, garland, and the fireplace.  Can't miss that bottle of champagne bathing in ice.  Oh and the soft glow of the elegant, slender candle sticks...Don't mind me.  I just put away our Christmas tree and decorations today and all of a sudden the house feels ordinary.  Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and I always feel a little sad as it comes and goes. One thing's for sure, my husband is so relieved he doesn't have to come home from work to find Christmas songs on repeat from Spotify, each and every day of December!  And not have to turn his car radio on, only to discover I changed the station a to 24-hour Christmas music channel the night before when picking up our daughter.

Aside from my love of Christmas, I love these varying shades of blue; from tranquil blue in the bedroom, to iridescence in the living room/sun room, and intense blue for the dining, each shade suits the mood of each room perfectly.

Sweaters with bows

With the crazy amount of posts I write about bows, I really should change the title of my blog to Life in Bows or Bowed Over.  Currently J. Crew is having a sale and I've had my eye on this striped sweater for quite a while - it would look really great with those green satin Manolo Hangisis' that I've seen Lady Gaga wearing in the holiday Barnes and Noble commercials I see every year.  I still dream of those Hangisis'.  Shopbop also had this gorgeous Joseph cashmere sweater, but sadly it was out of my reach.  I must be the only person loving this cold, cold weather enough to have an excuse to shop for such irresistible sweaters.

Tippi tie-neck sweater from J. Crew

 Joseph Tie Back Crew Neck Cashmere Sweater - sold out but similar style, different color.

Pretty hair

Photo from Anthropologie

If you read my blogs, you probably already know bows are my thing.  There's nothing more feminine or elegant than a lovely bow and when it's grosgrain, even better.  I found a few of these photos on Vogue and Pinterest and fell in love with the look of a bow nonchalantly tied around loose hair. It's also a great way to re-purpose those Chanel ribbons that come packaged with that new, exciting purchase. 

  Photos: Laura Bailey @laurabaileylondon and Gianni Pucci | Vogue  

Not So Basic Black Blazers

I still can't get over how incredibly chic this outfit worn by Lauren Santo Domingo is.  It has all the elements of my staple pieces - a classic black and white striped shirt, an elegant feathered skirt, and of course the black structured blazer which pulls it all together.  One of the items I'll be keeping my eye on for the new year is a structured black blazer.  It's so versatile in that it can be worn with the chunkiest of sweaters or light-as-air blouses.  

Balmain - Wool-twill blazer

Smythe Duchess blazer 

Saint Laurent - Classic blazer in wool gabardine 

Glowing Skin for the New Year

I scored a Sephora gift card from my Elfster this year and made a beeline for the products I've been coveting for a while and favorites I had used up.  Ever since I saw Olympic Gymnast Aly Raisman's enviable glowing face (and her amazing feats against gravity) during the Games, the more obsessed I've become with illuminating (or highlighting/strobing - whatever you'd like to call it).  A short list of the tried and true:

Becca and Jaclyn Hill in Champagne Pop for its creamy, luxurious texture
(who wouldn't want a little champagne in their every day life?)

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in Luminous Almond for erasing dark,
under eye circles - perfect for new moms.  Also a little goes a long way

Nars - The Multiple in Orgasm for it's super easy application; just swipe and go.

Also pictured:  Tarte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit

Chanel - Wallet on Chain

Here's to a Glowing, Healthy, and Happy New Year!