Links I Love

1. 12 books to read if you loved "Girl on the Train" that aren't Gone Girl. (bustle.com)

2. The chicest minimal earring. (shopbop.com)

3. The most dreamy moving images of breakfast. (kitchenghosts.carbonmade.com)

4. Plush toy replicas of your pets. (earthporn.com)

5. A fun rainbow arch tutorial (thehousethatlarsbuilt.com)

6. 10 designers share their favorite Ikea pieces. (domainehome.com)

7. How to properly read a recipe. (joythebaker.com)

8. Contour your nose in 3 steps. (byrdie.com)

9. A good grammar rule to know. (joannagoddard.blogspot.com)

Five Things

                                      {This week's milestone: organizing my closets}

I look forward to finally watching The Jinx together (it's gotten rave reviews), enjoying homemade cooking, and sneaking out for a date night. Have a great weekend!

                                               {Putting ripened bananas to good use}

                                                                       {beach day trip}

                                             {Oysters with the cutest Tabasco sauce}

           {Date night necessities: Burberry Military Red lipstick, gold hoops and black lace}

11 Things For A Better Bookshelf

One of the best renovation ideas we have has is adding two built-in bookshelves to our living room. It will immediately bring a balance to the room and provide me with an open canvas to fill with my favorite keepsakes and books. I love interspersing shelves with a unique collection of literature and decorative objects. Here are a couple of items that would add texture to any bookcase.

* images via Pinterest

1. Framed picture ($7.64)

2. Bud vase ($9.95)

3. Figurines ($225)

4. Bookends ($49.95)

5. Weighted rocks/geodes ($22)

6. Small plants or succulents ($34)

7. Candle ($70)

8. Storage boxes ($78)

9. Vintage book ($5)

10. Basket ($84)

11. Bowls ($90)

My Best Friend's Mascara Tips

My best friend looks as though she's always wearing false eyelashes. We were talking about mascara the other day (our favorite is this one from Kevyn Aucoin) and she then proceeded to walk me through her eyelash routine. Though her natural lashes are stupidly long on their own, she manages to make them look even more dramatic with her mascara application process. At first, I thought that the amount of time she spent on her lashes was over-the-top, but after testing her tips out for myself, I’m a total convert. Here are her tips for full, fanned-out lashes.

"I always start by applying mascara to the tops of my lashes first because I've found that this step lays the groundwork for accomplishing both voluminous and lengthy lashes. You're basically going to swoop the wand down starting from the root and then out and away towards the tip.

Then – and this next part takes a little practice – as you are applying your mascara, keep the tip of the wand pointed towards the corners of your eyes at all times. When you're working on the inner and middle lashes, the tip should point towards your nose. When you're applying mascara to the outer corner of your eye, the tip should point towards your ear. This will help you get all the little stray hairs and you'll end up with fanned-out lashes. Do one swoop in the inner corner of your eye, one in middle (with the tip still facing your nose), and then you flip the wand and swoop up the outer corner."

"While the mascara is still wet on the top of your lashes, dip your wand into the mascara again and wiggle the wand upwards towards the tips as you normally would (start as close to your lash line as possible).  You want to work fast while the mascara is wet because the idea is that the mascara will dry and coagulate on either side of the lash adding the elusive curl without using an eyelash curler. Again, when you move to the outer corner of your eyes, don't forget to flip the wand. Trust me, you will get used to the awkward grip over time. Fan the hairs in the direction of their growth because if you pull everything straight up then you lose that natural winged-out shape."

"For my bottom lashes, I avoid pulling the lashes down and just give the wand a quick wiggle at the lash line. Then, I'll bump the wand a couple of times on the underside/ends of the lashes so that they get a little lift. And that's it! I promise, the obscene amount of time I spend on my lashes is totally worth it."

Links I Love

1. Four simple steps to erasing dark circles. (elle.com)

2. I just bought these leopard sandals (that are now on sale) and I've been wearing them nonstop. (jcrew.com)

3. Finding the right rug size for your space. (onekingslane.com)

4. How to create a beautiful vine backdrop. (ruffledblog.com)

5. Clementine rosemary mimosas sound so refreshing. (laurenkelp.com)

6. Google Feud is addictive. (googlefeud.com)

7. It's never too late to start a new venture. (digitalsynopsis.com)

8. What would it cost to get rid of cable and get all your TV online? (theverge.com)

9. Tips to baking the best birthday cake ever. (bonappetit.com)

Luxe Baby Looks For Less

One of the best parts of knowing a friend having a baby is the abundance of really cute things that are available. Tiny shoes, miniature sweaters, and animal-shaped bath wear nearly make me forget that she'll be growing out of things almost immediately. But, more often than not, the cutest stuff can be surprisingly pricey. I’ve done a little research to find some adorable baby things that cost less than $40, but still look incredibly luxe.

1. Bib ($20.00)

2. Mittens ($12.50)

3. Floral Dress ($27.99)

4. Swiss Dot Onesie ($6.95)

5. Headband ($10)

6. Knit Pants ($17.90)

7. Booties ($33.95)

8. Denim Dress ($35.90)

9. Cardigan ($26.95)

10. Robe ($34.50)

11. Mary Janes ($39.90)

12. Hat ($28)

Apple Hand Pies

I like to think my taste has become slightly more refined over the years, but my one weakness is fast food desserts. I don't eat them often, but the smell of a McDonald's apple pie sparks a Pavlovian response. Let's face it, they are pretty bad for you so if I'm going to stuff my face with a syrupy hand pie, I'd prefer to make it myself. This recipe combines a classic dough with a spicy apple mixture, which I changed slightly by adding 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and  1/4 tsp of Angostura bitters.

Mothers And Daughters - Bad Behaviour

I can only imagine, as a new mom that my daughter will always cherish our relationship and love me unconditionally. But I was a teenager once, and a seriously bratty one at that, so I'm realistic about the idea that at one point, I'll embarrass her. Recently my friends and I were sharing horror stories from our adolescence about the mean things we did to our mothers and it was equal parts hilarious and horrifying. The thing that was most surprising, was that we all were able to single out one specific incident that stood out from the rest as the worst of the worst. To offer some context, we were all pretty good kids, but clearly had our fair share of behavior issues. One of my friends took a thick permanent marker to the wall of her closet where she wrote, in capital letters no less, that she hated her mom (it's still there to this day). My other friend shared how one day in middle school, her mom came to pick her up and she pretended not to see her, instead running the other direction, at which point her mom told her how much it had hurt her feelings. Mine was a bit more blunt and it still haunts me to this day.

It was Halloween night my freshman year in high school. That's a particularly awkward time because you're kind of too old to go trick-or-treating (I still went anyway because that's how I rolled), but too young to head to an all-night rager. My mom was keenly aware of this and offered to throw my friends and me a little get-together at home. There were about a dozen of us and the plans were simple - we had a stack of horror movies, fun snacks and decorations that she put together. A few minutes before everyone was supposed to arrive, she got dressed and emerged from her room in a cute outfit, with one accessory that I zero'd in on immediately: a bright red beret (she wasn't in costume). As she was putting the finishing touches on one of her homemade desserts, I asked, in a tone that only an angsty teenager can replicate, "Are you going to wear that?" She could have called me out on being ungrateful or cancelled the whole party then and there, but instead, she started to cry. I can't think of a time when I've felt more ashamed. While my mom and I have had plenty of disagreements since then, I've never felt worse than in that instance.

With any luck, our daughter won't be too much of an insolent teenager, but let's just say that if she is, it'll be well deserved. 

Links I Love

1. Should you do your taxes or hire a professional? (refinery29.com)

2. Love the flower details in this wall hanging. (thekipiblog.com)

3. Whoa - never knew Air Force One had these features. (bussinessinsider.com)

4. Needing this blouse for spring and summer. (nordstrom.com)

5. Amazing looking salted caramel cookies. (dessertfortwo.com)

6. 13 different maps of the US that are worth discussing. (vox.com)

7. Dramatic home design ideas from Roman and Williams. (goop.com)

8. Yoga you can do at your desk. (health.com)

9. The psychology of color in marketing and branding. (entrepreneur.com) 

Five Things

{Baking off frozen chocolate chip cookies}
 The days seem to vanish before they even begin and most evenings I still haven't gotten around to my to-do list (which includes demanding tasks like 'brush teeth' and 'eat lunch'). But we've started to establish a few rules, like going for at least one walk a day and giving each person some alone time, which have made things lot more manageable. Have a great weekend!



{New binge show}


{Ideal for a one-person cheese plate}


{ Downton Abbey puzzle}


{Rye chocolate chip cookie}

Links I Love

1. How Alexa Chung gets her everyday vintage-inspired beauty look. (lisaeldridge.com)

2. Positive thinking doesn't work, but this does. (nymag.com)

3. How to not embarrass people who use your bathroom. (apartmenttherapy.com)

4. The most beautiful beet chips. (kumquatblog.com)

5. How to make your kids smarter. (time.com)

6. Picking up this dress for spring. (shopbop.com) - P.S. They're currently having the best sale of the season.

7. Apparently big cats like boxes too! (twistedsifter.com)

8. The top song the day you were born - mine is UB40's "Can't Help Falling In Love." (playback.fm)

9. 27 designers spill their go-to decorating secrets. (refinery29.com)

Lipstick Tricks For Novices

I wear lipstick on an almost daily basis, but only started using it a few years ago. I found the entire process intimidating - from picking the right color, applying it without looking like a clown, to having it stay put for more than 10 minutes. I've since developed a bit of a routine and while the steps are very simple, hopefully other lipstick novices will find it helpful.

Step 1: The most important step is to prep your lips. There are three ways I'll exfoliate - with a toothbrush, a sugar scrub, or using a wash cloth dipped in warm water and massaging in small circles. Also, I recently tested out this powered lip buffer and it's amazing.

Step 2: Apply an emollient lip balm. This is the first thing I apply when getting ready, so that I can leave it on while I do the rest of my make-up and get dressed. The longer it stays on, the softer my lips become.

Step 3: Gently remove lip balm. Skipping this step will result in lipstick that doesn't adhere well.

Step 4: Apply foundation to lips. This acts as a primer and creates a neutral canvas. Make sure to smile when putting it on to fill in the cracks so the lipstick will apply evenly.

Step 5: Blot foundation.

Step 6: Line lips with a pencil in a shade that closely resembles your natural lip color.

Step 7: Apply lipstick in a criss-cross pattern at the cupid's bow, the outer corners and the bottom of the lip. 

Step 8: Working from the initial starting points, use a "connect-the-dots" method to fill in the rest of the lips.

Step 9: Blot lips and apply one final layer of lipstick.

Step 10: Using a small brush, apply concealer around any areas that need to be cleaned up.

Lipstick used: Burberry 'Military Red'

Paying It Forward

Last week my grandma called me to tell me a story and could barely finish a sentence because she was so excited. Earlier that day, she had decided to treat herself to a nice lunch ("with a glass of wine"), after which point she went up to the counter to pay. The waiter informed her that another couple had seen her dining alone and had taken care of her meal. She didn't quite understand at first and insisted that she at least handle the tip, which she found out had also been paid for. The couple slipped out of the restaurant without taking credit for their sweet gesture, hopefully finding pleasure in the fact that they had made a sweet older lady's day. 

I was so touched thinking about how they had gone out of their way for my grandma that it inspired me to pay it forward in the future in a similar way.