Obsessions

{MARC JACOBS WATCH}

I am in the market for a new watch and this one is at the top of my list.  I love the sleek look and leather band that is the perfect shade of brown.  I tend to gravitate towards gender neutral watches.

{GAP HEARTS POPOVER BLOUSE}

Remember this Equipment Blouse I blogged about a few weeks back?  Well I found an almost identical version at the Gap for like 1/4 the cost!  I love the red/blue color combo it is so fresh.  It would look great with white jeans in the spring.

{WEST ELM SHOWER CURTAIN}

I am in the process of planning our hall bathroom makeover.  It is Sterling's bathroom but also our guest bathroom so I want it to have a masculine yet grown up feel.  Really love the simple details at the bottom.  Actually kind of dig the wall color too.

{DV BY DOLCE VITA STRIPE MAXI DRESS}

I am already dreaming about Maxi dresses for Spring and Summer. Always my favorite summer attire. I love the look of a maxi dress now paired with a chic leather jacket and this dress would be perfect for that look.   Great for now and later- and any pregnant ladies  this would be cute too because it is stretchy and long enough to cover the bump.

{KELLY WEARSTLER RHAPSODY}

I scored this book for Christmas and could not be happier.  It is the best coffee table book filled with so many inspiring images.  Kelly Wearstler rocks my world.  Her designs are always creative perfection.

{YSL SWEET HONEY LIPSTICK}

I am big on nude lipstick.  I don't like to wear too much color during the day. I have heard this is the best nude lipstick there is.  The perfect neutral shade for anyone.  

Mondays Randoms

Happy Monday friends!  Hope you had a great weekend!  Ours really good,  my brother and his wife came in town and Sterling basically potty trained himself- more on that later.

Today I am so excited about a few things:

1) I just found out my girl Gwyneth is coming out with a new cookbook in April.  This made my day.  I love her can't wait to check out her new cookbook.  This makes me so excited!

2) The new season of the Bachelor starts tonight.  This show is my happy place.  I can not get enough of all the crazy girls that participate in this madness.  Nothing makes me happier than a Monday night curled up on the couch sipping my wine watching all the embarrassing things these women do to get a rose.

3) I finally started watching Homeland.  Matt got the DVDs for Christmas and we watched 6 episodes this weekend.  It is sooooo good.  I just want to hole up and watch the rest of the season. It is all I can think about.  Addictive.

4) I just found out that Theory makes a dress version of the purple blouse I blogged about Saturday.  Need it and love it.  And it is on sale which tempts me even more. 

Now lets chat about our weekend.  Thank you for all the cold remedy recommendations.  I am not a hundred percent better but I don't feel like I am slowly dying anymore.  For those of you that are curious I used Emergen C + Cold Eeze + Alka-seltzer Cold and I drank plenty of liquids.  All worked great.  Also thank you to Chimmey for your ginger tea recipe- I made that and drank it all weekend, so good! 

Saturday night we were lucky enough to get a night out downtown with my brother and his wife.  My in-laws are the best babysitters and always so helpful!  Here is what I wore:

{Cashmere Dress and Leather Jacket both Banana Republic both are old.  Similar sweater style dress HERE, HERE, and HERE.  Similar Jacket HERE}

Gotta love a versatile dresses.  I had to laugh because I wore this same dress the night I went into labor with Sterling.

Pretty big difference from that to this.  It was basically a shirt on me while I was pregnant but a staple in my closet obviously that has lasted awhile!  Hence why you don't need to buy maternity clothes while pregnant you can just squeeze into things you already own!

This weekend Sterling decided he was ready to be potty trained- well really there was no training involved.  He told me Saturday he needed to poop in the potty and has been doing it ever since then.  Although we still rock diapers at night.  I am sure we will have some accidents to come but so far so good.  I guess he was just ready. Probably helped that I kept putting it off because it scared me!   And just like all men he likes a little reading material while he goes.

Afterwards he got a trip to the park for his stellar bathroom skills.  So proud of himself.

I will leave you with this- so true!  Love Charleston.

Purple Blouse

So,  I have gotten alot of email asking about the purple blouse I was wearing in the post about my Missioni scarf.

 It was a Christmas Gift from the rents but lucky for you it is on sale right now.  Here you go:

{Theory Blouse}

Double R: Remedy + Recommendations

I had big plans to do a great blog post today but guess what I am sick again.  I feel like the past three months I just keep getting sick.  Probably has to do with the fact that my little man wipes his snot all over me and sneezes and coughs right in my face.  I was bound to catch something.

 Achy, runny nose, sore throat kind of sick.  I want to just crawl back in back.  I need some help what are your remedies when you are sick?  I prefer not to take medicine.   I will result to that if I have to but would rather not.  So dish what should I be doing to vanish this quick?  Like real quick being sick with a child sucks.

I also want some recs on what book I should read next.  Pass along your favorites I am making my list for 2013!  I am just finishing up Valley of the Dolls and need something new lined up!

I am thinking of reading Grace Coddington's Memoir.  Has anyone read this?

I promise I will be back next week with more exciting posts plus the winner of the A-Thread Giveaway!
Have a great weekend!
xoxo
Natalie

Bring it 2013.

If you are anything like me then the New Year really excites you.  A new year always brings so much promise and hope.  A time to start fresh and get things done.  I am really not a resolutions girl.  Why make resolutions that you break and then beat yourself up about it??  I like to make life changes.   

This year most importantly I want to be more thankful and grateful.  I am bad about complaining and wishing for things.  I want to savour my life, each moment, most importantly all the little things and know that my life is good. 

I also want to work on being a better mom, wife, friend, daughter and sister.  I need to be less selfish and more selfless.

This year I also plan on accomplishing alot of house projects. I think you all know I am lazy when it comes to projects but this is my year to get some stuff done.  I plan on doing one project a month- lets not get too crazy right?  Here is my list I am writing it down here to hold my self accountable!

1) Finish Gallery Wall with Family Photos for Hallway

2) Paint Family Room and Hallway

3) Paint Hall Bathroom- This involves attempting to paint the tile as well

4) Paint Front Door Interior Black

5) Get up to date with all my photos- print them and put in books

6) Mount TV in Bedroom

7) Organize all my jewelry

8) New Light Fixture for Sterling's room

9) Paint Hutch in Dining Room

10) Recover Wingback Chairs

11) Clean and Organize our Garage- it is one hot mess

12) New Coffee Table and Ottomans for Den

So there you have it a few life changes, nothing crazy- hopefully I can stick with my plan. 

...........................................................................

We had such a fabulous NYE Monday.  This is our third year of hosting a little party with our friends and their kids.  Always a good time.  Our Mason tradition each year is we burn our Christmas tree- out with the old and in with the new.  Our best friends from Raleigh also came in town for the weekend and we had a blast with them!  Here are a few pictures from our New Years. 

While we are on the topic of New Years and new beginnings, please go to Earthfare asap and pick up this salad.  It is called the Energy nut salad and it was amazing!!  I have officially started my New Years Detox.

On another completely random note my favorite Christmas gift was this Missoni scarf my mom surprised me with.  Usually I like to pick out all my gifts but this was a total surprise.  It is my first infinity scarf and I am hooked.  I have honestly worn it everyday since I got it.  It looks cute with everything!

Good news for you ladies the scarf is onsale right now at ShopBop for 60% off.  And you can get an additional 20% til midnight tonight with code EXTRAOFF.   Such a steal for a Missoni piece!

It comes in these other two colors as well.

{Missoni Infinity Scarf}

You must check out my girl Caycee's blog today.  She is hosting her first giveaway and it is a great one with Tiny Prints!

 

Happy First Thursday of 2013!

My Top Ten Best Buys of 2012

With 2012 drawing to an end, I thought I would share a few of my favorite new finds this year.  From beauty to clothes these items all entered my life in the past year and I love them and can't imagine my life without them!

RAG AND BONE JEANS

I am obsessed with Rag and Bone Jeans.  They are my everyday jeans and fit like a glove.  I swear they have spanx in them because they suck you in and make your legs look like toothpicks.  This year I got the "Legging Jeans in Midnight" and the "Skinny Jeans in Kennsington Wash."  Both changed my life.  Best jeans ever.

TWO FACED 3 WAY EYELINER

This is the best eyeliner.  I have tried so many eyeliners it is funny, I am never happy with them but this one is different.  It goes on super easy and doesn't smear.  Always creates a precise line.

BREVILLE JUICE FOUNTAIN

This was technically a Christmas gift from last year because I exchanged a few gifts for it but I am counting it under 2012 because that is when I started using it.  This juicer has changed my life, I swear by it.  I am so addicted to starting my morning with fresh green juice.  It gives me more energy and helps me get in lots of veggies for the day.  It is easy to use and clean.  Hard to imagine life before the juicer.  Sterling loves it too and in the summer we use the juice to make Popsicles- added bonus!

LULULEMON WORKOUT GEAR

Quite possibly the best workout clothes ever.  I am hooked.  I wear them even when I am not working out (which is more often that I like to admit as of lately). They are the most flattering workout clothes.  They look chic for daily wear. The Run for Your Life Crop are my favorite pants.  They suck you in and lift you up- enough said.

JCREW SATURDAY PANT
In my quest to find the perfect lounge wear I came across these beauties.  The best lounge pants I promise you.  They are flattering and comfortable.  I like that they don't look like baggy sweatpants, they are cute.  Looks like they are sold out online right now but the stores may have them or I am sure they will restock online.

CHANEL VAMP NAIL POLISH
I am not one to buy alot of nail polishes.   I lusted after this Chanel for so long that I finally bit the bullet and bought it and I am so glad I did.  I wear it all the time.  Such a great nail color.  A classic to add to your collection.

GAP STUDIO SWEATER
In keeping with my loungewear quest I found this sweater from the Gap.  It is so soft and looks great paired with my JCrew Saturday pants.  Loungewear that you can wear out of the house and still look cute!  Double bonus they are on sale right now for $24.99!  I have the black and royal blue ones- love them!

HAPPINESS PROJECT/
JESUS CALLING
Both of these books are the perfect read for the new year.  I started the Happiness Project last New Year and it inspired me so much to clean out and organize many areas of my life.  Great tips on marriage and relationships as well.
Jesus Calling is a fabulous devotional.  Today will mark my final entry to read for this year.  It has provided me with alot comfort this year during personal struggles.  It is easy to relate to and easy to read.  I can't say enough great things about it.  I think I ear marked every other page I related to it so much!

MADEWELL PERFECT CHAMBRAY SHIRT

I had wanted a denim shirt forever but it was hard to find one that didn't make me look too butch.  I tried on many and this Madewell shirt is definately the most flattering.  It is soft and light weight so you don't look bulky in it.  I wore it all summer with shorts and now I have been rocking it with colored jeans this fall/winter.  A great staple for any closet!

ANTHROPOLOGIE ETCHED STEMMLESS WINE GLASSES

I am in love with these adorable wine glasses.  Stemmless glasses are always my favorite because you can put them in the dishwasher.  These make me happy while sipping my wine, always a good thing!

So, there are you have it, my favorite purchases of 2012!  I highly recommend all of them!

I hope everyone has a fabulous NYE tonight, see you in 2013!

xoxo

Natalie