beauty:design:life

It's been awhile since I've done one of these, so let's go for it.

Glade Apple Cinnamon candles

I buy these every fall/winter and burn them pretty much 24 hours a day. Well, not really, because that would be irresponsible. But seriously, I love this candle. It makes my house smell so warm and delicious. I can't get enough.

Birchbox

I received my first Birchbox shipment last week and I can already tell that this is going to be a long and happy relationship. I love getting mail, and I love beauty product samples, so it's pretty much perfect.

If you're interested in signing up for Birchbox, I would love it if you'd use my referral code! 

White Noise app

I've heard a lot about the White Noise app but, like so many things, I was tragically late to the game on it. I finally downloaded it a few days ago and have already been incessantly nagging my friends to download it, too. Love at first listen.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I am insanely excited for this three day weekend. Anyone else? My big plans are to ride my bike, go to the farmer's market, do some baking and gardening, and sleep a lot. I can't WAIT.

Here are a few things I'm loving right now...

 Do you have Pinterest yet? If not, you need it. I just signed up this week and I am OBSESSED.

It's an invite-only website, but I have lots of invitations. Leave me a comment with your email address if you'd like one!

I'm pretty sure this stuff is magical.

I ran out of it last week and my skin completely freaked out. After one day of using it again, all was calm. MAGICAL.

It's a natural product, which I love. It smells good and makes my skin soft and healthy-looking without drying it out. I can't recommend this enough.

Some husbands buy their wives flowers and chocolates. Some give their wives diamonds.

My husband adds new shelves to my dinky hall closet.

I think I win.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Oh Friday. I thought you would never come.

A few things I'm loving this week...

Did you watch the Grammys? Unfortunately, I did. It was such a traumatic experience that I've blocked most of it from my memory, but the one part I remember is what I call the hipster corner: Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and Bob Dylan. I hadn't heard of Mumford before then (totally late to the game on this one) but I loved them immediately. I recently downloaded their album and now I'm obsessed with their bluegrass, folky sound.

Sunday was a weird day. What started out as a brunch date with two of my bffs turned into an all-day, obsessive hunt for the Sweet Valley High books. Although we were initially unsuccessful, we learned that three books would be re-released on Tuesday. Obviously, we went together and bought them. And then we started a Sweet Valley book club. I know.

I haven't had much time to get into the books yet, but what I've read has been pure nostalgia. I loved all of the Sweet Valley books when I was younger, and I think it's going to be crazy fun to read them again.

 As you probably know by now, to say that I am obsessed with lip gloss would be a ridiculous understatement. In recent months, all of my traditional glosses have begun to fail me somehow, which is highly disappointing. So I've been looking for a gloss that a) lasts for more than 10 minutes, b) leaves a light, pretty color, c) is made with at least some natural ingredients, and d) isn't crazy expensive. This new Cover Girl NatureLuxe gloss is all of those things, and I love it.

Have a fantastic weekend!

a few things I'm loving this week...

1. YOU.

As of this morning, I have received 21 amazing comments that qualify for cash for comments. I've decided to double my donation, which means that I'll be donating $42 to the American Humane Association's Japan Relief Fund. My sweet father is going to match my contribution, which means we're up to $84. And that is truly, truly amazing. 

But we're not done yet - keep commenting until 5 p.m. today! And check out the fabulous Ari, who is taking comments for donations until Sunday evening.

 Levi and Murphy say "woof!" which I'm pretty sure means "thank you!"

2. The Lucky Dog Rescue Blog

I swear, I'm going to stop with the heartbreaking animal stuff after this week. But first I have to feature this blog. The woman behind it rescues animals on "death row", rehabilitates and cares for them, and gives them a new life with a new family. So, basically, she is my hero. Her blog is a tear-jerker, but it is also incredibly inspiring. Check it out.

3. Adele

Have you downloaded "21" yet? If not, go do it. Now. I'll wait.

See? It's amazing, right? It's sassy and soulful and catchy, and she is so, so talented, right?

A few things I'm loving right now...

I'm not sure how I came across Holley and her music (I spend a lot of time on the Internet and sometimes find myself in strange places), but when I did, it was basically love at first sight listen. Holley is an unsigned artist from Nashville, and she has one of the most unique, beautiful voices I've heard in some time. Holley has just released a new EP titled "Odd Place to Be" and I highly recommend that you download it immediately. If nothing else, those in a perpetual quarter-life-crisis (like, um, me) will love the title track. Trust me on this.

To preview the tunes, check out Holley's myspace page.

Ah, winter. I can't wait until you're gone. Partially so I can just stop talking about you, but mostly because I am so damn tired of the dryness. My hair is static-y (although less so thanks to Moroccanoil), my face is basically flaking off, and my hands are cracked and painfully dry. Thanks to Aveda Hand Relief, though, I'm remedying at least one of these problems.

Hand Relief is wonderfully moisturizing without being greasy, and a little goes a long way. And the smell is divine without being too strong. I basically wish I could bathe in this stuff.

This was always one of those places that I walked by and said "oh, I want to go there someday" but never actually made good on it. So a few weeks ago, when all of the other restaurants in the fantastic 48th & Chicago neighborhood were packed, Ryan and I decided to give this little Thai/sushi place a try. And we loved it. It is tiny, but the staff is friendly, and the sushi is delicious and not overpriced like so many other sushi restaurants in MSP. We're so happy to have found a little neighborhood spot like this.

Happy Friday! This week has been a long one for me, so it is quite the understatement to say that I am REALLY REALLY HAPPY the weekend is finally here.

A few things I love this week:

Oh, Long and Leans. How I love you, even though I am not particularly long or lean. You're a perfect shade of dark wash, you fit so well, and you run big, so I was able to get a size smaller than I usually wear. It's the little things, right? 

I bought two pairs, one regular and one ankle, and now I have the perfect jeans for heels and flats, which is amazing. I love, love, love these jeans. LOVE.

I heard this on the radio this week and instantly loved it. It's a fun little song.

IDINA!
Idina on Glee
 
Tonight, I'm finally cashing in my birthday gift from Ryan, and we'll be seeing Idina Menzel sing with the Minnesota Orchestra!!!!! I looked at the program online and it says that the song selection will be announced from the stage. If she sings "Defying Gravity" (which I'm 99% sure she will) I will probably die.
And I hope Taye Diggs (her insanely good-looking husband) also makes an appearance, because I really like to look at him.
yes please.

Have a fantastic weekend!!

For as long as I can remember, the holiday season has been my favorite of the year. The music, the lights, the parties, the family time, I love it all. And I am so excited for this year - it will be my first non-law school Christmas in my house and I am going to actually decorate for the first time in, well, ever.

I realize this may be jumping the gun, but I visited Crate and Barrel last weekend and I couldn't help making a few holiday-related purchases. And of course, my holiday season is beginning with cupcakes. No one is surprised by this.

These cupcake stencils will make holiday cupcake (and cookie) decorating so easy...

...as will these holiday cupcake papers (available in regular and mini)!

And since I already have this cupcake stand, I'm looking forward to a holiday cupcake display much like this one:
Pretty AND delicious!

What will be (or has been) your first holiday-related purchase?

A few of my (current) favorite things...

 

Old Navy Ruffled Coat

Isn't this adorable? Old Navy has a bunch of other to-die coats, and they're all on sale this week!

I've never pretended to have good taste in music. But now that I have a commute, I spend more time in my car than ever before, and I've become obsessed with a few deliciously shameful pop songs, i.e. "Just The Way You Are", "Teenage Dream", "I Like It", "Just a Dream", etc. Unfortunately I could go on and on and on.

I know this is totally weird, but I kind of love it. I cross the Mendota Bridge, from which I have a lovely view of Minneapolis and St. Paul and both pretty downtowns. And in lieu of sitting on the always-backed-up crosstown on the way home, I scoot off the freeway and drive along Lake Nokomis Parkway.

So instead of driving in this:

I drive by this.

A definite improvement, don't you think?

Have a lovely weekend!

My favorites for this week, and pretty much all I can think about, are my recently-decided-upon inspiration colors for my bedroom redesign (or I guess I could just call it a design, as it is a big random room full of nothing right now).

I still haven't figured any all of the details out yet, and I'm not sure if I'm going to go crazy and paint my walls bright green (Is that a bad idea? No, seriously, is it?), but I'm glad to have a vision after going back and forth in my head for weeks now.

Stay tuned for more photos of Operation No More Ugly Bedroom 2010!

ALSO: Minneapolis friends, have you heard about the possibility of an uptown CB2? Who's excited?!?

As I've posted before, music is a huge part of my life. Like, I can't even come up with the words to describe my relationship with it. It goes way beyond love. For me, music is like air. I can't breathe without it.
Which is why most of my Friday Favorites posts will include music in some form or another - and today's is exclusively about it! Get excited!

Matt Hires
I first saw Matt Hires when he opened for Kate Voegele back in May '09. I have found some of my favorite artists when they opened for the headliners I've come to see, and this time was no exception. In fact, Matt and the other opener, Angel Taylor, may have been better than Kate. It happens. His song "Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song" instantly became one of my favorites. Ever.

I'm writing about Matt today because I went to his acoustic show last night, and then I was able to meet him! He was so nice, and the show was great. He's playing acoustic shows throughout his current tour, at places like Aloft Hotels and Apple Stores, and I would highly recommend trying to catch one (or 10).

The moral of this (long) story? Download "Take Us To The Start". You won't regret it.

Like the rest of the world, I learned of Sara Bareilles' greatness when "Love Song" was a free itunes download.  Since then, she has become one of my favorites. Ever.

Her album, Little Voice, is one of the only cds that is always in my car's cd player, and I never get sick of it (especially because "City" and "Gravity" make for excellent car concerts). She just released her second album, "Kaleidoscope Heart", and although I've only been listening to it for, oh, two hours now, I can already tell it's going to be another favorite. She's sassy and fun, but can also write a beautiful, touching song. Love, love, love.

My only beef with Sara is that her concerts always sell out in .2 seconds, so I am never able to see her live when she comes to Minneapolis. Hopefully someday soon...

Happy Friday!

This shiny new LG Ally was my "I got a job!" gift to myself.  I'm having so much fun with it.  How did I last this long without a smart phone?  I really have no idea.

The season premiere of Glee is on September 21, which is still a depressing 3 weeks away.  So imagine my delight when the Emmys opened with a Glee sketch, complete with singing, dancing, Sue Sylvester, and slushies to the face.  If you haven't seen it yet, you must. 

Since I've known my pal Kelley, I've been in awe of her ability to find unique and creative paper designs from all corners of the internet.  She's started a blog cataloging these finds (and, as a freelance graphic designer, she promises to put some of her own lovely work up as well).  Definitely a must-see!

Many months ago, I blogged about Studio Mela's inspiring, positive prints.  Imagine my delight (and my credit card's pain) when I swung onto etsy to buy one for my new cubicle and found several new prints for sale!

 I must have this for my kitchen. MUST. 

 

If you prefer to see before you buy, Minneapolitans can also get Studio Mela's work at i like you.

Happy Friday!

I'm sorry for the lack of posts as of late.  I know I promised more when I finished the bar exam, but truthfully, I've been struggling with my blog identity and lack of inspiration lately.  I've been doing more freelancing and other various writing while I job-hunt and at the end of the day, my own little blog is neglected.  I've been thinking about how to make my blog a priority and I have some new ideas.  But more on that later.

This is the first in a weekly series: basically, my favorite things as of that minute.  Sure, it seems like I'm just being lazy on Fridays (okay, so that's part of it) but there is other motivation.  When I find things that I really love, whether I'm the first to discover it or tragically late to the game, I get unnaturally excited about it and want to tell everyone I know.  To spare my family, friends, and twitter followers, I'm going to share these things here.

You've probably heard it in the ads for Eat, Pray, Love.  I went to download it not realizing that I owned it as part of the [500] Days of Summer soundtrack.  If you love the song, too, do yourself a favor and download the whole 500 Days soundtrack - it is quite lovely.

This season has been over for a week now, and I can't stop thinking about a few of the dances, such as Billy Bell's Mad World and Robert's Fix You.  It was an amazing season (and I'm a total nerd)!

This has long been one of my favorite blogs; now its author has given it was she calls "a small cosmetic surgery, the equivalent of calf implants".  The redesign includes a section exclusively devoted to photos of the author in things like stonewashed jeans, and to contrast, a section devoted to her gorgeous DIY wedding (long ago I featured her invitations here).  It is a hilarious and lovely blog, and I highly recommend it.

Duluth (or more specifically, its water)

Last weekend, Ryan and I went up north to celebrate our one year anniversary (related: holy crap! a year already?!) and I took approximately 20138 photos of the St. Louis River and Lake Superior.  I'm planning a full post on our amazing trip but here's a preview.

sigh.  I want to go to there.

Have a lovely weekend!

xoxo, erin