B is for blush!

My favorite blush for summer is a cheek stain.  If you find the right one- it gives you that perfect flushed summer look!  Plus, finding something that stays put in sweat and humidity is worth its weight in gold!  I love Tarte Cheek Stains!  It comes in a stick form (kind of like a deodorant stick and a little goes a long way.  Just swipe across your cheeks and blend and you have a great summer blush!

It comes in a assortment of shade for all skin tones.  Additionally.... each shade has its own fruity scent!

Check out Tarte Cheek Stain for yourself!  You can get at Sephora, Amazon,  Drugstore.com ... to name a few.  Until next time...xoxo

S.T.: Shopping Tip.... Seltzer Studios!

I stumbled across a cute website recently and thought I would share!  I had never heard of Seltzer Studios before- but they have so much cute stuff!  It is the perfect place to find cute kitchen items, shower gifts or neat nick-nacks.  I thought I would share some of my favorite finds!

Check this stuff out!  

Salt and Pepper Shakers $48

Camera Case $24

Frame Place mats $38

Farmers Market Porcelain Fruit Baskets $15-$60

Silver Milk Carton $20

Scarlett Roses Apron $37

Check out Seltzer Studios for yourself!  Until next time.....xoxo

D.S.... Design Style! What is yours?

I have helped many a friends and family members with design and home decor questions.   Very few people can really say what their design style is!  Do you like traditional?  Modern?  Eclectic?  If you are really stumped on what your style is there are many online quizzes that will help you!  


Check out this quiz from Sproost!  This quiz is a quick series of questions that promises to help define your home design style.   It works by gathering your responses to a series of designed rooms.  By knowing what you like and don't like... they can pinpoint your own style!  


I took this quiz and it told me I was French Eclectic!  Which I will say is fairly accurate (although I don't like gold)!  What is french eclectic?  Here is how they define it!

French Eclectic

Parlez-vous français? Even if the answer is no, you can confidently say your home does! French Country, like its name, somehow manages to both be formal and casual, classy and unassuming at the same time. You like your spaces to feel inviting from the moment you (or your guest) opens the front door and this feeling should continue even after you've entered your most formal room. Even though there are French antiques here and gold details there, the rustic elements provide a balance and warmth that seems to say, "come in, relax and stay a while." Your love of antiques leads you to flea markets, garage sales and hours of eBay hunting.

Here are some French Eclectic Photos from the Quiz!

What is your style?  Sproost will give you a good idea!  Until next time....xoxo

F is for Frames! Empty Frame

One of my favorite and inexpensive wall decor looks is empty frames.  That is right.... buy picture frames and hang them with nothing in them.  You can buy new or old, have multiple colors or paint all one color!  The options are endless, but this look is chic and affordable.

Check out these inspiration photos!  

Photo via a Soft Place to Land

Photo via Discovery Interior Design

Photo via Decor Pad

Photo Unknown

Photo Unknown

Photo via Country Living

Photo Unknown

Photo Unknown

Go get yourself some frames... quick!  Until next time....xoxo

R, W, & B.... Red, White, & Blue!

As I mentioned last week, I have a festive fourth of July "Commodore's Dinner" in my future and it requires a red, white and blue outfit!  The outfit I shared last week was very cute, but a girl needs options!  Additionally, I need something that works with my expanding pregnant waistline! :) 

This cute number works pregnant or not (just switch up the jean skirt)! 

Red, White, and Blue 2 by lifeandstyleatoz featuring Juicy Couture tops


I think this sweater is do darned cute!  Don't you think so?  Happy red, white and blue to you!  Until next time....xoxo

M + P = Meal Planning

I hate hate hate having a long and tiring day at work only to come home and here "What should we have for dinner?"!  Grrr.  When I come home at 6:30 I don't want to have to then head to the grocery store.  I think when two people work it is important to "share" household responsibilities like cooking or at least planning dinner!  


A little less than a year ago I implemented meal planning.  I was inspired after visiting my friend "L" in D.C last year who has her own meal planning routine in her house!   How does it work you ask?  The husband and I each rotate weeks.  The week you are in charge it means you have to plan the meals for the week and buy the groceries.  We typically cook together.  


Menu Planning has had a great impact in our house.  When it is my week, I plan it all out on Sunday or Monday and buy the groceries for the whole week.  This is great as it allows you to utilize particular ingredients in a few recipes.  My husband who is not really a planner plans each day one by one and grocery shops throughout the week.  At times this is annoying but in short, I don't care.  If I don't have to decide and "be in charge".... I just let him do his thing!


You can get even more advanced than we do and include breakfast, lunch, etc.  We focus just on dinner for now.  I used to just plan on notebook paper but eventually got around to designing an template.  There are also a lot of great templates on the web if you google meal planning or menu planning. 

Here is my template:  

You can get as sophisticated or not as you want.  I don't create a fancy meal every night.  Sometimes BLT and salad is my designed dinner.  On other nights I whip out my favorite cookbook and try something new.  Still other nights are "On Your Own Night" if one of us is going to be out or home late.  


This has been a huge thing in our house and has saved us money as planning allows us not to have to eat out as often and also we bicker less because we take turns!  Check out Organized Home for some menu planning tips!


Project Girl also has some downloadable meal planning forms you should check out including this one:

  


Try it for yourself!  Until next time...xoxo

F is for Floors! Cool Floors!

I recently stumbled across some very cool floors.  I know you don't always think floors are cool, but they can be!  We are a finished room in our basement that needs an identity (currently is a very rarely used "Man Town").  I have dreams of taking this room over and my first project would be to paint the worn wood floor to create a checkerboard!  You can learn how to paint a floor from This Old House! 

Check out these very cool floors for inspiration in a variety of materials and styles!

Photo via unknown

Photo via Design Sponge

Photo via Young House Love

Photo via Making it Lovely!

Photo via County Living

Photo via Ranch Dressings

Photo via Ranch Dressings

The options are endless!  Until next time....xoxo

A is for Ace! Hotel!

Last week I was asked for fly to New York for work.  It was really last minute (48 hrs notice) so finding a hotel in the area I needed to be proved to be slightly challenging.  I wanted to stay near where I had to be for work and could not spend a ton of money.  After perusing Orbitz, I discovered that the most afforable and not sketchy option was the Ace Hotel.

The "bunk bed" room was the cheapest at $280.... figuring it was just one night, I said fine!  The "queen" was another $180 more a night which seemed unnecessary!    Upon check-in they upgraded me anyways (for free)- so it all worked out.

Upon arriving at the Ace it was clear that I was simply not cool enough!  This hotel is cool.... really really cool!  They apparently only have locations in New York, Portland (Oregon), Seattle, New York and Palm Springs.  Each are cool and unique in their own way!

When I got there the lobby was FULL of hipsters drinking coffee and working on their laptops.  This is clearly a hot spot for artists, poets, musicians, etc!   Later that night even more of that same crowd was having a alcoholic beverage of their choice.

The Ace is so cool that it was just on Gilt Group's Jetsetter last week (Palm Springs) which is a true sign of cool!  Check it out to see the hip CA version of this hotel.  Very retro!

Here are some photos so you can check out the cool factor for yourself!

Photo via Archdaily.com

Photo via Hotel Chatter

Photo via Apartment Therapy

Photo via me!

Photo via me!

Photo via me!

It was  fun, cool, and affordable experience!  Check out the Ace for yourself.  Until next time..xoxo

M.H is for My House!

So, I am not sure if anyone has noticed the new tabs I added to the top of my blog!  New pages include; "About Me", "Contact Me", "My House" and "My Wishlist".  The "My House" page is a work in progress, but I will debut just a little bit today!  I am super into Young House Love's blog and they used Floorplanner.com to share their house!  Inspired, I got myself a free Floorplanner.com account and went to work.  The problem, this task was not really my are of expertise.  My very analytic husband agreed to step in and and did an AMAZING job creating a floor plan of our house!  We are still fine tuning bits and pieces of it, but I wanted to share our first floor layout!  Did the hubsand not do an amazing job or what?

We LOVE our house.  It is a 1940's Royal Barry Wills Colonial that has lots of historic charm, which I love.   If you have read this blog, you know we have done some improvements including a new breakfast nook, new kitchen backsplash,  updated half bath, and  Board and Batten in the Master Bedroom.  I am not short on ideas so there is plenty more to come!

Keep an eye out on the "My House" page as I hope to make progess on this section over this summer!  Until next time.....xoxo

EH.... Embroidery Hoops = Wall Art!

Embroidery hoops equals easy and affordable wall art.   I had saved a photos into my "Courtney Files" not too long ago and was reminded of how cute it was just the other day.  Using embroidery hoops to make wall art is so cute and and so easy!  Buy some hoops and some colorful fabric and voila.  You want to get extra creative, spray paint the embroidery hoops a bright and colorful color!

Check out these inspiration photos.

Unknown

Crafty Rachel

My Artsy Fartsy Life

Scissors, Paper, Glue

Apartment Therapy

Need some instructions on how to do this, check out this site.  The options are endless.

Until next time...xoxo

Red, White and Blue!

So, this 4th of July I am headed to a "Nautical Event".   Known as the Commodore's Dinner- it is an event that requires a red, white and blue outfit and a nautical name (with alliteration).  The name will take a while, but the outfit... the options are endless!    Over the next few weeks I just might share some of my outfit ideas!
  

What do you think of this patriotic ensemble?

Red, White and Blue #1 by lifeandstyleatoz featuring DKNY Jeans jeans


I am IN love with drape cardigans these days- so versatile!  I cannot get enough.  And... if you know me at all, you know I love a bow... any bow! :)   You have to click on this photo to see the tiny little anchors that are on the bow (so cute) that perfectly coordinate with this awesome bracelet. 


Until next time.....xoxo

PS- I am only 7 followers away from my 50 follower goal.  Thanks so much to those who have become followers.  To those who have not, I I know you are out there!  Become a follower... pretty please!  You will not get emails- it is just a sign of support.  You just have to enter your email address or account name, and your you get a little square up there with my other 43 followers.  You are all the best!  Thanks for reading.

P is for Passport!

Even your passport needs a cute outfit!  I stumbled across these super cute passport covers the other day on daily candy!  How cute are they?  They are made out of old ties.  They are super reasonably priced at $24 and would make a great gift for yourself or someone else!

Here are some of the adorable options!   

(They make wallets and bracelets too.)

Want to buy one for yourself or a friend?  Check out Nar Whale Company!   The selection constantly changes as they are made with recycled ties. :)

Until next time...xoxo