Marfa, TX | Camp Bosworth

So, you may have heard of Marfa, TX because of this little gem...

Yep, it's the little town with the Prada store art installation (the store is actually never open). In addition to this quirky foray into Land Art, the town of Marfa, TX has become quite the artist enclave. You can watch a recent 60 Minutes piece on the town here.

One of the art galleries featured in the 60 Minutes vignette was the artwork of Camp Bosworth - I was told to watch out for them, since he used to be roommates with my cousin back in his Dallas days. Well, excuse my language - but his shit is dyn-o-mite!  Check out these gun carvings that double as bars...

I also found his online shop of great little art pieces here. There are a few I might be able to afford!  Here are some of my faves:

 

Adding Marfa, TX to the travel list pronto!

Gift Guide: The Animal Lover

I'm sure everyone is smack-dab in the middle of their Holiday shopping!  I know I am.  I'm currently in the middle of reading this amazing non-fiction book about the history of the Ostrich, and it is fascinating!  This book gave me the idea of pulling together a few great gift ideas for the animal lover in your life.

 

First, I'll start with the book I'm reading - Dreambirds by Rob Nixon.  This book was really popular back in the late nineties/early 2000s.  You can tell by how many cheap used copies you can find on Amazon : ). Dreambirds chronicles the effect ostriches have had on fashion and culture throughout the centuries, along with stories of the "Plume Boom" and "Feather Mansions" in South Africa. Nixon also uses the history of ostriches to share some of his autobiography about growing up with an immigrant family in South Africa. This really is one of the best books I've read in quite a while!

Also, I am loving these photographs from The Animal Print Shop!  I'm usually adoring the baby animal prints for the nursery of the kid we will probably have some day, but this buffalo print just blows me away.  I think it would look so stunning above a bed or couch.  Also, they have a nice little Holiday Sale going on!

And next on the reading list, which I also think would make a great gift, is a book called The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony.  Lawrence Anthony rescued and rehabilitated elephants on his wildlife preserve in South Africa.  He and the animals were so in tune.  When he passed away this year, multiple herds of elephants could sense the loss and they traveled miles across the preserve to Anthony's home where they remained for days to mourn. Aren't animals amazing?

Another great gift would be a donation to Heifer International.  Buying a goat or heifer for a family in need helps a family be more self-reliant by providing food and milk for years. I wholeheartedly agree this company's view on sustainability and charity.  I'm sure any animal lover would appreciate this gift of giving!

Grain Eyewear

Grain Eyewear makes handmade sunglasses from wood in their Philadelphia workshop.  And I have to admit, these are some of the dopest shades I've seen in a while!  I want The Lola (pictured above) for myself - love that honey wood color (I'm guessing that's the Cuban Mahogany). 

Here are the rest of the current designs that are equally as cool.  I can't wait to see what other eyewear and accessories they come up with!

 

Featured on Planned Spontaneity!

Big THANKS to Tara at Planned Spontaneity for featuring my store in her round up of Kansas City Etsy talent!

There are some other great shops included, and I'm so honored to be among such great company!  Check the post out here.

Grand Opening!

Last night, I opened my first Etsy shop - White Buffalo Trading Co.!  Here's the story behind the name.

Currently, the shop is filled with naturally shed antlers that I've painted in an 'ombre' style.  I'm hoping to get some vintage goodies in here soon, as well!  Here's a preview of what is currently up for sale - I will be adding new styles regularly.  Please let me know if you are interested in special ordering a specific color combo!

Coming Soon | White Buffalo Trading Co.

I've decided to begin a little side project and open up an Etsy store! The store will be called White Buffalo Trading Co., and I will be selling ombre antlers hand-painted by yours truly.  I chose the name White Buffalo because the antlers come from the Gunnison Valley, where my family has vacationed for years.  In this valley, there used to be a White Buffalo that roamed a local ranch.  I used to look for this buffalo on every drive between Crested Butte and Gunnison. So, it seemed only fitting to make a little tribute to this iconic figure of my youth.

Hope you enjoy the teasers you see above!  I'm hoping to have the store open by the beginning of next week.  And trust me, y'all will be the first to know!  Feel free to comment if there are any special colors you would like to see.

Threadsence

I discovered a great new online shopping source I wanted to share called Threadsence!  I purchased the below pieces yesterday - I'll let everyone know how the quality turns out. But there appear to be some great designs at very reasonable prices.

Oh, and for a limited time, the site is offering free shipping for orders over $100 (don't worry, their other shipping fees are rather low if you don't want to spend that much).

Cutout Triangle Necklace, $19

Be Amazed Blazer, $36

Meet Cute Mint Dress, $48

Put a flower in your hair...

I was in lovely San Francisco all last week for work.  I definitely got to see many different parts of the city thanks to my local friends and coworkers who gave me rides everywhere!

The first night I was there, I poked around downtown Burlingame - my home base for the week.  I found this great shop with unique (but affordable) clothing called Therapy.  They have several locations, so you should check them out if you're in Cali.

The next night, I went to a Giants game. I made it a point to ride The Guzzler (a Coca-Cola slide usually reserved for children).  It was totally worth it!  They also had a Fist Pump Cam that I thought was pretty genius.  Everyone got really into it!  Please notice the brilliant graphic...

I had the wonderful chance to hang out in beautiful Sausalito!  We had the most delicious meal at Fish, a seafood restaurant right on the water dedicated to serving sustainable fish.  The crab roll was absolutely splendid.  It melted in my mouth... like butta'.

After spending the afternoon in Sausalito, I spent my evening in the Marina District.  There was some great shopping - including a whole Benefit store.  A WHOLE STORE of the stuff!!  If you know me, you know my love for Benetint (see here and here).  I stopped in and fell in love with their new lipstick shade for Fall called No Competition.  It's a nice berry color, but not toooo dark that it scares me.

After I finished my shopping, I met a dear old friend and her lovely family at a taco place in the area called Mamacita. It was wonderful!  I had the fish tacos (I couldn't get enough seafood on this trip), and my friend raved about her carne asada tacos.  Here's a cute pic her husband took of us outside the restaurant (notice all the shopping bags I'm holding. Oopsies!).

All in all, it was a fun trip!  It reminded me how much I love true urban life. Can't wait for the next time I'm back in this blissfully foggy metropolis - hopefully, I can bring the hubby along (he was super jealous of all the amazing asian food and seafood I was having).  There's just so much more to do and see!  Alcatraz, anyone?!  

Scotchy scotch scotch scotch....

Not the liquor.  But the nail polish from Scotch Naturals!  I love nail polish. We know this. Non-toxic and eco-friendly nail polish? Even better.

Plus, Scotch Naturals nail polish comes in some amazing colors. And isn't the packaging super stylish?! You can visit their website to order (free shipping over $35) or find a distributor near you.

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.

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!

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.

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....

Source: laylagrayce.com via Adrienne on Pinterest

Source: arhaus.com via Adrienne on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Adrienne on Pinterest

Source: ezrapoundcake.com via Adrienne on Pinterest

Source: natalieskillercuisine.com via Adrienne on Pinterest

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

I miss H&M.

One thing about NYC that I'm definitely missing right now is H&M.  And WHY, God why, do they not allow you to order online?!?  Here are a few shots from their Fall 2011 Lookbook that I'm just loving.  Perhaps, I need to make a weekend field trip to St. Louis...

Also, don't you just love the dark lipstick? I bet Chanel's Rouge Noir would do the trick!