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

I gave the Reilly in whiskey tortoise, the Raglan in pearled tortoise, and the Cliff in striped olive a try so I wouldn't be Mrs. Squints-a-lot any more. Texas sun doesn't mess around, you know. After lots of rounds of eenie-meenie-minie-mo, the Cliff - complete with my prescription - came out the triumphant winner. Confetti toss!

I also tried cheating on my beloved Huxleys with the Chamberlain and the Winston, but I ended up also re-ordering my tried-and-true Huxley style because they are just the best. What can I say....after 4 years of solid togetherness, they're my frames through and through.

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.

Kyle Schuneman for Apt 2B // Following the smash success of his first upholstery line, this small-living-big-style expert has a new summer upholstery line that just made its fancy debut on Apt2B. I am particularly smitten with that cheery robin's egg blue sofa...though that rich navy will always be calling my name. Uh oh....dare I say it's time to redecorate?

Mara Hoffman 'Cosmic Fountain' Lace-Up One-Piece Swimsuit // I've been intrigued by one-pieces. This one is rad. I officially dub Mara the queen of cool prints. I have a weird obsession with every piece of clothing and swimwear she creates.

Warby Parker // I've been rocking the Huxley glasses for 4 years now, and I just got the ol' eyes checked out and have a couple new styles on order to try out because I have absolutely trashed my poor lenses. I can't wait for the home try on box to arrive. I'm curious if I'll stick with my trusty Huxleys or go with something different, plus it's time I got some rx sunnies because squinting is so last season. We shall see! 

Kérastase Resistance Ciment Thermique //  I effed my long hair up so badly with curling irons and blow dryers that a good ol' fashioned chop was the only remedy. This stuff came with stellar reviews from my co-workers, and let me tell you....I definitely notice a difference when I blow dry with and without it. It's sleeker, softer and protected from the heat. It is legit and worth every penny. Adios, damaged hair.

Reverse Through The Meadow Kimono // Kaftans, kimonos, or whatever else that is flowy, begins with a K, and is perfect for casual days at work and hot summer afternoons at the pool....I'll take one in each color, thankyouverymuch!

J.Crew malta mirror metallic sandals // Simple, classic and just modern enough with a gilded finish. These would be super cute with everything from jean shorts and a tee to a little sundress. Or a kimono. Obvi. 

Austin Maker Pop-Up // Three super talented and local ladies will be debuting their latest collections at West Elm this weekend. As you all very well know, I love me some crafty goodness from jewelry designer Christine Fail, the super cool illustrations from Leah Duncan, and leather trinkets from Natalie Davis of Canoe. Be there or be square on June 14th, 12-4 pm at West Elm Austin, 1011 W 5th St.

Cacti Party Print // So adorable. It's a cacti party, and all of the cutest and most colorful ones are invited.  

Heather Benjamin White Feather Ring // I love this line of earthy, bohemian jewelry. They are unfussy, yet super elegant. Considering the pieces I  r e a l l y  like are in the $500+ range, this feathered ring is a pretty piece that is actually in the budget. 

Nyx Cosmetics Butter Lipstick in Lollies // Ever since Olivia Wilde hit the red carpet at the Oscars looking like a modern Brigitte Bardot, I have been on the hunt for a light coral lipstick. I found the ones that her makeup artist used, and they were totally yuck in person. So, the hunt continued until I found this moisturizing option that I absolutely LOVE right now.

Metallic Leather Hexagon Coasters // These are freakin' sweet. Pop a cold mint julep on one of these, and you are golden. Or copper. Or silver.

Alexis Russell Pave Diamond Bar Rose Gold Necklace // Alexis just launched her new spring collection, and this rose gold beauty instantly caught my eye. It's perfect for everyday...and diamonds are a girl's best friend, after all.

'Love Is The Best Medicine' Tea Towel // They say the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. What they didn't say is that the fastest way to get me off the couch and slaving over a hot stove is cute kitchenware.


RabLabs Aro Medium Photo Frames // If you've been to our house, you know I have a thing for agates and the brass animals, so this one is pretty much a shoe-in for something I'd love to have displayed on our fancy new bookcase.

Hatchery // Put on your chef hat for Valentine's Day and cook up a restaurant-worthy meal with the help of a Tasting Box from Hatchery, a brand new monthly subscription service that sends you a handpicked selection of locally-sourced gourmet condiments, sauces, spreads, jams, honeys, etc for just $20. I mean, Chef John? That's totally hot. Sign me up! 

Love Wrap Front Maxi Dress With Thigh Split // Holy hotness...this red little number packs some major wow factor and is only $22. I'd say this is the perfect dress for the day of amour. 

Gabriel Candleholder // A snazzy, modern addition to a romantic dinner tablescape set to candlelight.

Balenciaga L'eau Rose Eau De Toilette // Because a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

Next up on my holiday gift guides series for Citygram magazine, we've got some seriously cool covetables for the gents. 


In between your holiday shopping sprees, be sure to download the free Citygram app on your iPhone and iPads. It's an essential interactive online read for any Austinite!

I curated some holiday gift guides for Citygram magazine, sourcing some inspiring gift ideas for her, him, home, and kiddies from a few of my favorite local shops and makers here in Austin. Here are some things I'm sure most ladies (myself included....ahem!) wouldn't mind sitting under the tree this year!


In between your holiday shopping sprees, be sure to download the free Citygram app on your iPhone and iPads. It's an essential interactive online read for any Austinite!

I've been seeing super reflective lenses cropping up everywhere lately, and I must admit I am 100% on board with this trend. I love the metallic element the mirrored finish adds to a basic pair of sunnies, and bonus points that you can be a people-watching creeper without anyone ever knowing. I bought this clear and silver mirrored pair that looks way more expensive than they actually were for a cool $14 at Urban Outfitters this past weekend (but they aren't online, booo!), and haven't taken them off since. Here are a few other pairs I'm digging if y'all want to jump on the bandwagon!

1. Super long hair // I decided to grow my hair out....Rapunzel status. It's a slow and arduous process, and I started taking some biotin vitamins to help speed things up. Bonus that my nails will also get a healthy boost. Here's to hoping my palm tree-like split ends don't annoy me too much, and make me beg for a chop chop chop before I reach 'mermaid hair' lengths. (Image via Pinterest)

2. Madewell D'Orsay Black Flats // I need to get some new black flats for fall....a cute pair that goes with skinny jeans and dresses, and can easily be dressed up or down. With the basic shape but cool details like that heel cut-out and two-textured toe, I think these lovelies fit the bill!

3. New Earrings // I couldn't resist any longer. These earrings would literally taunt me with their simple lines and cute triangle penants every time I walked by them at Co-Star (which is quite frequently). I finally made them mine, and have been wearing them non-stop.

4. West Elm Marble Print Pillows // I am constantly on the hunt for lighting and pillows. The lighting situation is a hot mess in our house, but we are pretty ok on pillows...so says John. I don't think you can ever have too many. I inherited that mantra from my mom. So, with that in mind, this marbled delight in a pretty blue is definitely on my wish list.

5. Trader Joe's Lavender Salt Scrub // Whenever I am in close proximity to a Trader Joe's, I stock up on this super affordable but ultra luxe salt scrub. It's like a moisturizing spa treatment from the south of France for $6....can't beat that. Or the intoxicating scent and uber-soft skin afterwords. Literally counting down the days until TJ's opens up in Austin!

6. Recent Reads // I love me some Jim Gaffigan.  I also love me some Greetings from Texas. It makes 100% sense that my two most recent reads brought on some major belly laughs. Get Dad is Fat and 99 Problems But A Baby Ain't One ASAP.

7. CAS Handmade // My super sweet sister from another mister (sister-in-law if you want to get technical) picked up this adorable handmade painted linen clutch by CAS Handmade at a farmer's market for my birthday. Thank you so so so much, Christy and Elizabeth - I love it!

8. The Perfect Pink Polish // A whole lot of neon, orange, metallic silver and blue has donning my digits as of late, so my hunt for the perfect soft pink began. The reqs? No shimmer, no sparkles, and not too sheer. With family photos in a few hours and my nails in a horrendous state, I ran into CVS when we were in Connecticut last week and wanted to get something cheap that I wouldn't mind tossing if TSA wouldn't allow my already overflowing bag of liquids through the security check when we headed back home. Turns out, this pink hue for a cool $2 is my new fave.

Loving the ethereal hand-dyed linen and silk scarves by Miranda Bennett. Very Mark Rothko meets Texas sunsets. Excited to see her wares in person at Feliz this year...hurry up, November!

The hat. A miracle cure for horrendous hair days. A wunderkind that shields your precious face from the sun. An instant way to add some swagger to your style. Every girl needs a good hat in her closet.  My trusty panama hat is definitely my go-to, but I'm definitely eyeing a few others that definitely need to be on my noggin' sooner rather than later....check out my faves by scrolling down to the hat section here.

PS My other fave hat here...oh how this post brought back some memories. Humpy the Squirrel. Awesome.

Ladies, start mulling over the perfect polish color for your pedi because these open-toe wonders are going to be all you'll need for your summer styling. As you can see, I favor mostly neutral shoes because they are just so easy and versatile, but a few pairs are turning up the spice with some neon pops, cool textures and metallic shine. I literally could just have these in my closet, and be perfectly happy. I'm one step closer to that goal, since I did just order these because I'm Swedish and I felt I had to represent. Oh ya!

1. Madewell 'The Bazaar' Mini Wedge // 2. Joie A La Plage Sable Two Band Sandals // 3. Reiss Geometric Flat Sandals // 4. Swedish Hasbeens Peep Toe Super High Sandals // 5. J.Crew Elsa Piped Metallic Sandals // 6. Report Metal Bar Sandal // 7. Madewell Lace-Up Gladiator Sandals // 8. J.Crew 'Lillian' Mirrored Silver Low Wedge Sandals // 9. BCBGeneration Fabeena Flat Sandals //10. Madewell Lace-Up High Heel Sandal

How can you not get a little happy whenever you wear this hue? It's bright, it's a little shocking, and it's totally awesome. Pale yellow, no siree. I'm staying far away from that hot mess of a color. But the saturated yummy yellowness that can't help but brighten up any room you walk into? Oh yes. It's a good thing Viviana and Olivia approve, too....I mean, hello gorgeous!

Oh, and that whole schtick about blondes not being able to wear yellow? So not true.  Case in point here, here, here, here and here. Booyah. Wear it we shall!

I'm off to LA today for my best friend's wedding....hip hip hooray, a happy weekend celebration indeed! While the weather couldn't be more perfect for the weekend (I've checked compulsively), it's predicted that my eyeballs have a 99.9% chance of precipitation when I see KP all dolled up in her pretty white dress. Wishing you the happiest of marriages and best of weddings, Mr. and soon-to-be Mrs. S! Love you guys!

I'm jetting off to the West Coast today to get wild in celebration of my best pal's upcoming wedding, and I am literally jumping for joy that I get to see my college girlfriends. I miss them all like woah, and reunions are always super fun. Though the whole point is to shower the bride-to-be with jaw-droppingly sassy gifts for the honeymoon, I'm curious what type of 'souvenier' I'll come back with this time. Last time I flew out to visit them all, I came back to Texas with a raging addiction to seaweed snacks (thanks, Kristin). Seriously. Seaweed snacks. How weird are we???

A snapshot from the weekend. Just me and my jewelry (or as I like to say, "mah jooree"). Ain't nothin' coming between us. Most of the goodies I'm wearing I scored at flea markets, thrift shops or "borrowed" from my mom...but luckily, fashion goes in cycles and there are some similar all-star stand-ins begging to be on your fingers, wrists and neck. #1 and #2 in particular are eerily similar to what I'm rockin' in these pics. Oh, and #4 is on mega-clearance...those three pave and gold bangles clock in at $22. Heck yes.

Springtime pastels punctuated with smokey gray and girly pops of pink (in any shade...but I'm particularly loving light and bright hues). Is there a color palette more pretty? I think not.