Today, I'm sharing a few treats and trinkets I've recently acquired that have earned 5 gold stars in my book! 

Feast & Dwell candle // I picked this up at my sweet friend Jen's amazing newly opened shop, Moulton. Curated to perfection with lots of artisan goods, I couldn't resist taking home the sandalwood and birch candle.

Dr. Jart Water Drop Moisturizer // This lightweight moisturizer arrived in my Sephora Play! box, and I love how it melts into my dry skin without an overly dewy finish. Nobody's got time to run errands looking like a greaseball! 

Herbivore Jasmine Body Oil // I don't have much time to go beyond the basics when it comes to personal care these days (my ratchet hair and ragged nails can attest to that), but this natural body oil I picked up at Cove makes me feel like a million bucks. The smell is out of this world yummy, which offsets the 'eau de spit up' that I am usually wearing.

The Champagne Gypsy Feather Necklace // The perfect necklace that dresses up my basics for everyday, and is a staple in my layering game. Bonus points that Astra, the maker of these pretty baubles, is one of the kindest souls I've ever had the pleasure of (virtually) knowing.

Lemon Glaze Ceramics Texas Dish // Handmade in Texas (obviously), this dainty dish holds my rings and earrings and other trinkets when I call it a night....at like 8pm. I'm such a granny, which is exactly who this dish reminds me of with its pretty pressed lace pattern. 

I copped this photo from the beautiful Jesse Coulter...she's the fox in the middle. Michelle and Sara are to her left, Celine and some ridiculously tall weird chick with a strangely named blog to her right. ;)

 

Thanks to Becky Murphy - a multi-talented (and pint-sized) author/illustrator/designer/friend here in Austin- this handy flow chart makes me feel validated about my answer usually being 'no.' This new one is also rad, and deserves some equally awesome wall real estate.

If you are looking for holiday gift ideas (props to you for not being a procrastinator like moi), I'd definitely hop over to Becky's print shop. It's full of quirky and motivational handmade gems that'll give you a little chuckle or pep talk whenever you look at them.

PS Of all the dry shampoos out there, this one is my ultimate favorite. Just in case you were wondering.

I'm talking breast cancer awareness and giving a sneak peek into my home for the Pretty In Pink column on the lovely Aquahaus blog today.

Cha-cha-check it out, and be sure to catch the stories of Austin babes Elizabeth Mollen, Kelly LaPlante, Kim West, and Killy Scheer too.

Thanks for having me be a part of this rad column, Cel! You da bomb. xoxo

PS Want to help save lives? Donate riiiiight here. 

 
 
Cute fair trade bags curated by local lady Jen Lewis of the fab online boutique Purse & Clutch? Sign me up. It was super fun collaborating with this dream team of talent (you are all welcome to dress me/make me pretty/take outfit photos any time you want) and showing off Purse & Clutch's fab fall arrivals. I think this little Hmong beauty was my favorite....I loved the mix of neutral and neon, and the grab-and-go size is perfect for day and night.

Big thanks to Candice and Jen for inviting me along, and Katherine...you are a magician for making my groggy self look decent that early in the AM! So, shippity bippity bop over to the shop and snatch up these fall essentials. You'll be helping artisans earn a living wage for their region by rocking P&C's latest designs....it's a win-win. 

Stylist & Location Scout: Candice DePrang Boehm // Make-Up Artist: Katherine Iwans // Photographer: Jen Lewis // Models: Hanniel John and Kirsten Stoddard

John and I picked up this sad, stinky, shabby but very sexy mid-century lounge chair the very same day we adopted our little lovebug (who happens to be casually lounging on the sheepskin rug....Miles loves a good photobomb). After sneezing our way home on the hour long drive with a very musty chair in the backseat and a dirty little dog on my lap, we set out to clean up both of the new additions to our home.

Miles went to the groomer, and I headed to Bolt Fabrics. A locally-owned little gem of a fabric store on S. Lamar, it was practically impossible to pick just one fabric to choose since there were so many beautiful and affordable upholstery options. Good thing the Bolt team and my friend Sara was there to chime in! The team at Bolt were a dream to work with - they gave me lots of advice about pattern, scale, and helped reign in my design ADD. We ended up going with this 'modern with a touch of mod' tribal zig zag pattern, which was so graciously gifted for this project.

After securing the perfect fabric, I went to work ripping off the crusty old upholstery, moldy foam, and removing the 245435515484631574584684654864684 nails that the previous 3 upholstery jobs had punched into the wood frame. A few days and a prayer that I was up to date on my tetanus shots later, I had cut, stapled and upholstered a chair that John and I were absolutely smitten with.

Thank you so much, Bolt Fabrics and Sara! Austinistas, be sure to check Bolt's gorgeous selection of fabrics out for any upcoming interior projects and follow along on their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see the latest and greatest. Or just pop in and say hi...it's such a fun little shop with lots of inspiring colors, patterns and prints!

"Wait, what?! Wait. Oh my gosh. Woah. Wait. OH MY GOSH! I just won diamond earrings from the Benold's Selfie contest," shouted the luckiest girl in the world.

If you haven't yet guessed, yes...I am that girl. A girl sitting pretty in a super sparkly pair of Lazare martini diamond stud earrings courtesy of Benold's Jewelers, Austin's sparkliest jewelry shop. Suffice it to say, it was love at first sight.

Any brides-to-be or babes looking to add some serious bling to your jewelry arsenal, go say hi to Milton at Benold's. He's probably one of the sweetest gents in town, a legit diamond expert, and has a stunning collection of bridal and special occasion baubles to boot. I even spotted a souped up version of my engagement ring that was totally drool-worthy! Choices upon choices upon choices.

Thank you so much, Benold's Jewelers and Lazare! I feel like the luckiest gal in the world. xoxo

J.Crew Printed Silk Snood // I can't wait to get a little more bundled up...I'm counting the days until the Texas temps dip below 90! Scarves are one of my most fave fall accessories, and the little fringe poms on this round-about style is too cute. 

TooFaced Bulletproof Brow // Since we aren't all blessed with Cara Delevingne's epic brows, this budge-proof brow pomade looks like a pretty rad way to get some power brows. 

Frends with Benefits 'Layla' Headphones Oil Slick // You know when you are at the gym pounding the pavement on the treadmill, and those silly little earbuds just won't. stay. put. no matter how hard and deep you shove them into your ears? Yeah...I've had just about enough of that. These seem like a super cute solution to blast my tuneskis on. 

Hydrangea Hello Boxed Card Set // The perfect little notes to say hello to pals near and far. 

BTWN Wind + Water Crossover Bag  // A rad cross body bag in one of Austin's newest boutiques, this carry-all is the epitome of sophisticated boho with natural indigo tie dye on ultra-soft goat leather. When open, the bag fits an iPad. Shop it at Hacienda on 204 Colorado St. 

Cynthia Vincent Eloise Flats //  Cute little flats with a design to go with grey skinnies and a crisp white shirt for fall.  

Moulton // My talented friend Jen is launching 40 (!!!) new jewelry styles on September 15. If you want to get in on a discount code and first peek at new jewelry, sign up for her newsletter by Sunday night. Homegirl makes the best minimal jewelry - so great for piling on. Mo' Moulton, mo' better!

Kinda smitten with this fantastic collection that Jamie Rosenthal, owner of LA shop Lost & Found, curated for Anthropologie. Those stunning indigo dyed coverlets and that cute bowl full of cherries are my favorites from the line!

The 30 piece collection - which includes macramé hanging planters and wheel-thrown ceramics - is available online, but us lucky Austinites can hoard it in person because the Lamar location is one of  the five selected national stores that will carry the full collection (the others are NYC, SF, Miami, and Tigard OR). ATX for the win!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have spotted some serious love for a little bit of silver and gold bling I've been sporting lately. These jewelry-inspired metallic temporary tattoos are the coolest....stick 'em on your elbow, feet, hands, shoulder, nails, face, whatever floats your boat for a touch of glitz. Flash Tattoos, I think I'm in love.

When Jessica, the creative genius behind J.Hannah Co, asked if I wanted to attend one of her workshops, I was all "Hell to the yes!!!" because what's not to love about a cool girl creating beautiful, custom, and natural fragrances in Austin. Every morning, I spritz myself with one of the bottles on my vanity that I have been wearing since high school and it was certainly time for a change-up. A scent soul-searching, if you will. So, I headed out to her studio last Saturday, and I can't recommend the experience enough.

After walking up to her door and being greeted by her cute pup Julep on the balcony, she led me to the most cozy and cool studio space. Light filled the corner that held her precious oils - all super high quality and made with care. I'm talking hundreds of gorgeous bottles filled with oils derived from moss, fir, rose, jasmine, lavender, cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, and some sort of cat-pee-harvested-from-a-particular-rock scent (I don't recommend that one) tucked neatly in rows, ready for the picking. She literally has a collection that would make Ariel from The Little Mermaid wicked jealous. We had a little chat about perfume-based murder mystery movies, career insights and just generally being two Chicago girls that wear cool glasses in Austin, and then got right to the nitty gritty: perfume 101.

So, all perfumes are comprised of three notes: base, middle and top. Base notes are typically those deep, heavy and long-lasting scents that ground the scent. The "dirt," you could call it. The middle is the heart of the perfume, where all the pretty florals and fairy dust live. Then, just like the cherry on top, you have a top note - a burst of scent that introduces the fragrance with a bang, then quickly evaporates. Jessica, being the wise sage she is, did point out that all these lovely scents are influenced by one 4th element: you! Everyone's body chemistry and natural scent is different, so the same perfumes will smell totally different on someone else (which was very much the case with my blend!).

We went down the line, sniffing and sampling pairings of the bases, middles and top notes that I was attracted to. You know, one of the most interesting things that I learned was just how different different species of plants can smell. Take lavender, for example. We tested three of Jessica's lavender oils out and I was shocked by how different each variety smells - one was very savory, the other sweet, and another I would not have even known had it been a blind smell test.

Anywho, I was really drawn to a fancy bouquet of vetiver, labdanum, a hint of frankincense, ylang ylang, jasmine, rose, lavender, pink grapfruit, cardamom, and ginger so that's what Jessica blended up, carefully dropping each precious oil in the vial. It's tangy and earthy, with a bright floral burst in the middle with just the right amount of nostalgia swirled in. I chose cardamom because it reminds me of our Swedish Christmas celebrations, pink grapefuit in homage to the boxfuls that my Dad doles out on behalf of our generous family friends in the valley, and lavender because it makes me think of my mom. So, there you have it.....eau de Triple Max Tons. I think it's pretty much the next Chanel No 5. ;)

Many, many thanks to Jessica for hosting me, and I can't encourage you all enough to visit her for a workshop or private session. Jessica is such a gem, and you'll not only leave feeling like a bona fide betty thanks to your uniquely tailored scent that conjurs up all your sweetest memories, but you'll also leave with some new-found knowledge. A smarty pants that smells good...all in a good day's work. Sign up yourself and a friend, host your very own perfume birthday party (how fun would this be for a bridal shower or birthday gift!?), and start blending the day away!