Life as of late

Spring trip to Chicago. 

Jumbo Jose Maran Argan bottles- daily necessity!

Patrick's brothers West Point graduation- beautiful view! 

MET exhibit! 

Eataly NYC!

Boat ride in upstate NY. 

Links to love

A fun list of some recent finds. Check 'em out! 

13 Patriotic Manis to Rock 

Why You Need Face Oil

Strawberry, Apple, Coconut Popsicles 

Mignonne Accessories 

Warby Parker Blog 

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Fun 4th Outfit by deyonkera featuring Ray-Ban

I seriously can't believe it's July! This year is really flying by. I know when I was little once the 4th of July hit, the summer seemed to just come and go so I'm determined to make July packed to the brim with fun. I'm currently not off to a good start as I sit at home with the flu, but this adorable fun, festive outfit has me looking forward to this holiday weekend. How will you be celebrating?..With lots of sparklers, BBQ treats and good company I hope! 

Mantra

Staying positive is not always an easy feat- I like to think of being positive as a courageous choice. Through the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives this can become a hard decision to make. One of my favorite pieces of advice I've been give is- "You control your own happiness. Don't let others tell you how to feel." This can truly change your outlook on a situation- believe me! As someone who is admittedly at times over-sensitive I can tell you that this mantra continues to help me. 

Recently, I've been working on keeping perspective in my life. At the expense of coming off corny, I'm at a stage where I'm feeling the pressure to have my life "in-check". I'm feeling some setbacks from a professional stand-point and I'm feeling I'm not making certain mile markers I should have by now, which is something I'm very hard on myself for. I'm reminded, however, to not compare my beginning to someone else's middle.

In my recent endeavors to be more positive I've stumbled on these wonderful MantraBands. 
They are the perfect subtle reminders to stop. breath. be grateful. - check them out here. I'm sporting breathe and choose joy- they've become my go-to bracelets everyday as they mix well with my others- they're light and thin and have a great message! 
On the radio this A.M. someone said that people sense and remember the energy you give off way more than your words- something to keep in mind as we go about our daily routines! 

Do you have a mantra that helps you keep perspective and stay positive? 

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muesli.

It must be something about the spring that has got me thinking of eating cleaner, greener and more balanced overall. I've always been a "healthy eater" by general standards, but I'm vowing to put more conscious effort into eating well-balanced meals. My favorite means of getting delicious, easy ideas comes from...surprise, surprise... Pinterest. I've also recently discovered an amazing blog called Deliciously Ella. Her recipes are clean and fresh and make you feel good. The blogger has come up with some amazing ideas to bring health and fun to the table.

My favorite recipe as of late is muesli- I first discovered it on my Mediterranean cruise this summer and found a great recipe on Deliciously Ella. It's super easy to make and keeps you feeling full! I perfected my personal rendition on it this weekend: 

• Prep oats by soaking them in water overnight. I use two packets of the--- oatmeal - it's great because it has flax seed in it. 
• In the morning, toss in some diced up pear or apple and banana
• Add some chopped nuts- I like walnuts 
• Stir in a bit of honey (optional) and a doll-up of Greek yogurt 
• Add in almond milk 
• And, finally- enjoy!

Simple and satisfying- a perfect way to start your day! 

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monday inspiration

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Little Monday morning inspiration to get you going. I know I need it! Cheers to making it a good one! 

mexico

can't get much better.

bedroom view-  no complaints!

posted up here every day. 

a tan compliments gold jewelry the best. 

just love eating outside. 

Beautiful views, amazing company and great memories! Everything about our Mexican getaway was awesome. It's amazing what a little sunshine and sand can do for the spirit! Can't wait for warmer temps ahead on the home front! 

red carpet stunners

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The Oscars are by far my favorite award show and this year did not disappoint! As always I enjoyed paying homage to film and fashion while indulging in some vino. If you tuned in you'll agree that blush tones, sheer and sequins and surprisingly black were seen frequently on the carpet this year. Ellen Degeneres's hosting skills were of course right on point- between the most re tweeted photo (see above), pizza delivery and her Gilda dress, she's seriously the coolest!  Lupita stole the show for me in the fashion department- her look was everything! My girl Giuliana also looked fabulous.  And I must note that Jared Leto's ombre hair is quite enviable and his acceptance speak was awesome.  Did you tune in?...any particular look or speech that left you  in awe? 

vacation all I ever wanted

Four weeks and counting! Cant wait for the beach vacation me and my boyfriend have planned. This bone chilling weather has left me feeling a bit blue and lacking in some vital vitamin D. Trying not to get too excited as it's not exactly right around the corner, but I can already taste the salt on the rim of my margarita  glass! 

life lessons.

Jenna Lyons is too cool! Check out her life lessons, posted here. I'll save you the "mom" speech, BUT...I will say it's important to keep it all in perspective (this I often forget). 

foodie

These amazing Pinterest finds have left me with no choice, but to make a pit-stop at Trader Joe's after work... Time to spice up the work-week lunches! See more recipe all-stars on my Pinterest boards here and here. 

Bon appetit!  

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vacation on the brain

 My spring fever is alarmingly high in this current state of freezing. Dramatics aside, I swear this has been one of the coldest winters we've had in awhile! My skin, sanity and social life have all taken a toll from this weather and frankly, I'm over you old man winter. 

I have vacation on the brain. Sun, cocktails and the smell of SPF are toying with me these days. It's time to book a trip STAT.

How delicious do these vacay spots look? Any plans to escape the cold in your near future?...stay tuned for my upcoming plans...

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good as gold

all images via

Have you been keeping up with the Soche Olympics? While I'm more of a summer Olympics gal myself I can't deny my love for the winter skating and snowboarding competitions! My favorite athletes to watch this year have to be Jamie Anderson, Sage Kotsenberg and Gracie Gold. Such likeable, down to earth athletes! 
Go USA!