August 30, 2011

Jones Street Station

If I've ever told you about music that I love, these guys always make it into my permanent list. I accidentally stumbled upon Jones Street Station when I first moved to NYC (they were called Jones Street Boys back then, if you are interested in a little back catalogue).  They serendipitously played a set after a friend of mine at the Knitting Factory (when it used to be in Tribeca).  They are so energetic and can carry off a sweet harmony or two.  One of the band members even has a harmonica belt!  That's right... a belt full of harmonicas in different keys.  I never knew such a thing even existed! 

Today, this Brooklyn bluegrass band has released their music video for "The Understanding."  In my opinion, they've definitely captured a part of the New York spirit in this video.  It makes me want to move back. Like, now. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!


August 26, 2011

Come on, Irene.


NYC friends - I'll be thinking about y'all this weekend!  Go buy some boardgames, sundries, etc. and enjoy the slumber party in your tiny apartment.  You know? That place where you normally only sleep ;).  And if you must leave, don't even TRY to use an umbrella.

August 24, 2011

Fall Nail Polish

I love love love nail polish.  As I'm packing up my toiletries to move into our new house, I'm quickly realizing my obsession may be somewhat unhealthy.  But you know what? I don't care. 

I love Refinery 29's round-up of Fall Nail Polish today.  I think my first purchase will be in the "Rust" realm.  Here are a few examples from the hip color guide, but head over to Refinery 29 for the whole shebang.





August 19, 2011

Missoni for Target.

I've seen bits and pieces about this line - coming to Target stores on September 13th - for a while now.  But I finally found a site that shows all the items in one place! Woooohoooo! 

Surprisingly (or maybe not),  I want the accessories more than any of the clothing items.  Here's my current wishlist....

Cute dress for Fall/Winter

Love these scarf patterns - how cute with a white top and trench coat?!

Adorable laptop sleeve to go with the new Macbook that I desperately need

I need new luggage too.  This would be so easy to spot on a baggage carousel!

If I had a bike this cute, I might actually learn how to ride it ;). THERE, you know my secret.

Adorbs!

Adorbs again!

I'll see y'all at Target in September.... have a great weekend, loverbeans.

August 18, 2011

Dance 'til you feel better!

This little vid is making the blog rounds... I will say, it definitely makes me smile today.  Amid all the life stresses we have going on right now, this montage and trivia tonight at Westport Flea Market are making my day a wonderful one.  So, get up off a that thing...


Dance Trailer from Chris Poole on Vimeo.

August 16, 2011

Currently (and can not stop) listening to...


Jay-Z and Kanye's new album Watch The Throne.  Even if you aren't the biggest hip-hop fan in the world, you can still appreciate the creativity in this album.  I could have gone without a few of the auto-tuned hooks, but at least they keep it to a minimum.  Here's the video for "Otis." Can you believe what they did to that Bentley?!?  I guess Jay-Z is allowed....




August 15, 2011

Unique Bachelorette Gifts

My new cousin-in-law asked me a couple of weeks ago for some bachelorette gifts ideas that weren't the same-ole thing you see at every shower.  Having just been a bachelorette myself AND a maid of honor,  I felt pretty confident in answering this question.  So, I decided to put all of my suggestions into this blog entry.  Who doesn't love a fun gift guide?!  You could probably take most of these ideas and adjust for all different occasions too!

#1 The first idea I can take no credit for - a few years ago, my friend Pam got our other friend Meagan an embroidered velour track suit with her new last name on it - "Mrs. Hamblen."  We all thought it was a genius idea, so when Pam got married this last April - of course, Meagan got her one.  I think it's such a great gift - especially if the couple is taking their honeymoon right after the wedding because it makes for the perfect plane outfit!  Plus, you can personalize the colors to something you know your friend would love.



#2  There are tons of cute things over at Kate Spade's Wedding Belles site.  My favorites are these little necklaces that a bride could wear for showers, the honeymoon, and even after they are married.  I, personally, feel like someone would get more wear out of the "mrs." necklace, but the "i do" one is pretty damn cute too!  Mrs. Spade also has similar style necklaces that are not wedding-related for all of your gift giving needs :). And at $78 each, they sure don't break the bank.



#3  The next idea is a gift I wanted to buy my best friend Pam for her bachelorette party, but she beat me to it! Dagnabit!  And she also got me one too!  So, what was this fabulous idea we both had for each other?  A personalized hanger for your bachelorette's wedding dress.  Here's a photo of Pam's...


#4  One thing I was actually able to get Pam for her bachelorette weekend in NOLA was this adorable little bag with the saying "For Like Ever" on it.  It also comes in poster form, which is totally amazing as well.  She was able to use the bag on her wedding day to carry all her stuff around in too!


Let me know if you have any fun gift ideas you've used in the past.  There are plenty of more weddings (and bachelorette parties) in my future!

August 12, 2011

Friday Earsnack.

Remember how I mentioned Feist is coming out with a new album??  Well, Pitchfork just posted the new single...

How Come You Never Go There by Feist

J'adore!

Enzyme Peel?



Yes, enzyme peel.  I was at Sephora the other day picking up a new bottle of Benetint, when the saleswoman offered me a free sample of AmorePacific's Treatment Enzyme Peel.  She told me it would remove about 5 or 6 layers of dead skin.  Say what?! It's just a powder that you mix with a little bit of water.  Then, you rub on your face for about 45 seconds.  Easy peasy.

And um, it's AMAZING.  My skin felt tremendously soft, and I could see an immediate difference after I used it.  Also, the product didn't feel the least bit abrasive like a lot of "peels" do.  So, needless to say, their little sampling ploy worked for me!  It looks like the sample bottle will last me a while (you only have to use about a dime size of powder for each use).  So, $60 for the full size bottle sounds like a steal!

Happy Friday!  I'm going to see The Help this weekend.  SO EXCITED.

August 10, 2011

Ombre Hair Trend

I have an appointment at the end of this month to have my hair color blocked in an ombre effect.  Here's how it usually looks when people do this type of dye job:








But of course, I want to do my ombre hair in RED!  Here are some fun examples...




I don't think i could pull off the red to blonde one, but it looks awesome.  Maybe I'll get the guts to do that next Summer... might be a little to light for Fall, anyways.  I've dyed my hair many colors, but this is something completely new and different.  I'm sure it will only trend a year or two more, so I need to hop to it!

August 09, 2011

Pinterest (ing)...

I'm recently obsessed with Pinterest.  It's such a great way to organize, save, and find great new links on the web.  I'm currently using it to log furniture finds for the new house we have a contract on (yay!) - more on that when it's all a done deal.  I also have a board full of recipes I want to try!

Here are a few things I've pinned....
















So, yeah. BIG FAN.  Follow my pins here!

August 08, 2011

Currently listening to...

NPR's First Listen of Beirut's new album The Rip Tide.  Beirut is one of my lasting favorites - fingers crossed they come through KC on this album's tour....  Listen here.


August 05, 2011

Seeing Red.

Red pants, that is!

I want red pants bad. Real bad.  How chic do these ladies look?!



And look at these in red LEATHER....


Happy Friday, everyone!

August 02, 2011

Feist (y).

Eeeeeeeep!  The new Feist album Metals is being released on October 4th!  It's been far too long, girlfriend.