rewind

I think it was on Twitter where I mentioned I found some old photos I'd forgotten about...and here they are:

• 2001 •

 When I worked in corporate America this was my business photo.

• 2005 •

Our trip to SF (I'd like to think my photography has improved since then)

• 2006 •

Versaille, Normandy, and Deauville, France

• 2007 •

Bachelorette weekend in Vegas (let's not talk about the hair...or my sparse eyebrows)

Bridesmaids for a wedding

My bro and I at the after party

Trip to SF with Maye (they had set up chairs and played Rebel Without A Cause on a huge screen in Union Square...so cool)

More pics to come soon....

anonymous monday | blogger confessional

(weheartit)

• Don't forget to post ANONYMOUSLY
• Don't include any names (or change names, if you must)
• Please play responsibly

(Out of respect, I will not publish your comment if you happen to comment with your name)

Today's question is:

What is your "secret single behavior"?

friday i'm in love: fave things from the past week (03.21 - 03.26)

Every Friday I wake up and I have the same thought - I can't believe it's Friday already. The weeks seem to go by in a flash, leaving me wondering what happened.

Tonight we have friends coming over for dinner and the rest of the weekend I'll be busy editing photos from last Saturday's engagement session. Not much excitement planned but who knows what surprises await us.

Hope you have an awesome weekend! xoxo

• Have you entered my Perricone giveaway, yet?
• Before she was telling you to go cry outside, here's a young Kelly Cutrone (she looks smokin'!)
• NYC seen through a Polaroid
• Free eBooks on design
• OMFG, I thought the Snuggie was bad...how long before bloggers start rockin' these?
• I LOVE everything about this outfit.
• Maegan has an awesome way of organizing and getting rid of clutter.
• Uh...my legos never turned out like this.
• Will you be participating in Earth Hour tomorrow?
• Keep Calm And Snap On? Hell yeah!
• Fashion + Photography = Polaroid scarf
• The coolest bookstore ever.
• 20 dining ideas for L.A. peeps: Top 10 things to eat at the original Farmer's Market (next to The Grove) and Top 10 best new restaurants.

P.S. Honey My Heart and I have been collaborating on a daily photo journal - she captures her life in Santa Barbara and I capture mine in L.A. We only use our point and shoot cameras (and sometimes my Blackberry camera) and the photos are unedited. Please stroll on over for a visit if you haven't already. :)

currently...

. . . finished reading:

The Tender Bar 

(via Amazon)

I loved this book and I really hope you read it. Moehringer's family life is anything but conventional but then again, whose is? He finds solace amongst a group of men who are fixtures in the neighborhood bar and it's their anecdotes, their advice, their examples of who to be and not to be that shape him as he ventures into adolescence and manhood. It's such a lovely memoir and more than that it's a touching tribute to these men. Please add this book to your list.

P.S. I finished all the books from my last Barnes order and I'm going a little nuts not having something new to read...any recommendations??

. . . loving:

My typography glasses

 

  

One of my bff's, Maye, remembered me mentioning how much I loved these glasses so she surprised me by having them sent to my home. They're too cute to be used and abused and touched by boys so my pens and make-up brushes will have new homes.

I really do have the best girlfriends...

. . . wishing for:

Nikon D3s

(via google images)

This monster will hopefully be mine sooner than later. It's so preeeeetty.

Cold Plasma Perricone Reviews Giveaway

When the people at Perricone offered to give one of my lucky readers a jar of Cold Plasma Perricone Reviews, I jumped at the chance. Why? Because I really like this product.

After using this, my skin looked smoother and brighter in the morning and it didn't irritate my very sensitive skin.

And it seems I'm not alone:

• 94% of users said they felt it gave their skin all it needs
• 89% of users said their skin never looked healthier or smoother
• 85% of users reported instant results
• 79% of users said it worked better than anything else they have used

  

One of my lucky U.S. or Canadian readers will get to keep their $150 and win a jar for free!

To enter this giveaway:

•  Leave a comment (duh) and tell me why you need this (and trust me, you do)
• Tweet it for another entry (and look, I even wrote it out for you so you can copy & paste): Win a jar of Perricone Cold Plasma @FemmeRationale http://bit.ly/d8kHZO
• Giveaway ends March 31

anonymous monday | blogger confessional

(weheartit)

• Don't forget to post ANONYMOUSLY
• Don't include any names (or change names, if you must)
• Please play responsibly

(Out of respect, I will not publish your comment if you happen to comment with your name)

Today's question is:

What habit do you want to break?

friday i'm in love: fave things from the past week (03.14 - 03.19)

 
(Some of you have already seen these photos, but I felt like posting this one here cuz I <3 giraffes.)

First time at my desk all day.

Ok, I lied. Earlier I opened Tweetie to check my, um, tweets and to reciprocate the Follow Friday love. (Thank you, again, btw!)

So I just opened my Google Reader, saw the number, and said aaahhh screw it. Sorry bloggies, I'll get to you when I take care of more important things - like figuring up from down.

Today is my aaahhh screw it day - after this post gets blasted into cyber lala land, I plan on plopping myself on the couch and catching up on 2 weeks worth of dvr recordings. Two fuckin weeks...remind me to come up for some air, will ya?

Btw, can I say fuck? Will it offend anyone? Well, speak up...if it offends you, I respect that. I'll just add a f*ckin asterisk.

Anyway, tomorrow is the first official day of Spriiiing and I have an engagement session with a couple who's like family. Expect cherry blossoms in the photos...lots and lots of cherry blossoms.

Have a fabulous, amazing, fun in the sun weekend! Go out and be a trendy blogger and ride a bike...don't forget to take pics but try and avoid fighting with your men. ;)

• A new way to search Etsy.
• Dogs can remind you of typefaces, too.
• When to charge for your blogging.
• Sal shows us alternate uses for jewelry.
• The packaging of the Portus Cale collection is so pretty I would never use the products.
• A school teacher decides to eat cafeteria food for a year and blogs about it. Basicallyshe confirms what we already know (and lived through): school lunches and the lunch period itself suck.
• I dare you not to get hungry after visiting this food blog.
• Like NY-ers and pizza, we Angelenos take burgers seriously. LA-Foodie rates the top 10 burgers in L.A. (I don't agree with the ranking, but I do agree with the restaurants on the list.)
• Can someone please tell me where I can get the milk tea Kit Kat? Actually, I want to try all of the 10 flavors.
• Some pretty Moleskines to get you motivated to work.
• These gorgeous tea containers remind me of the book A Little Princess.
• My favorite streetsyle photographer/blog. I LOOOOVE the photos.
• Mark your calendars: Christian Louboutins on sale next Tuesday!

Vid of the week: Oliver Peoples x Elijah Wood & Shirley Manson = Loverly (thanks Princessimp!)

lacking lookbook

I've been getting a lot of disappointed emails and several questions about it on formspring so I thought I would just address it in a post.

Why you don't see my damn mug as often as before (and other musings): <-- not really, I just thought it sounded better like that

• I can't remember the last time I shopped. I'm not a big shopper to begin with - I'll buy a crap load of things in one sitting and then take a long hiatus. I wish I had a disposable wardrobe like a lot of style bloggers, BUT I DON'T. Plus, I don't shop anymore because:  1) I rather spend my money on other things like home improvement, weekend getaways, and photography equipment and 2) I now work from home...


• ...which means I rarely get "dressed". My work uniform now consists of yoga pants and a tee/tank/hoody. Yup, sexy. And when I go out, it's because I have to run errands and my running errands outfit is jeans, Converse, tee/tank/hoody (yeah, I basically swap out the yoga pants for jeans). I wish I could tell you that I prance around in 3" heels and my latest slutty fashionable outfit to go to the bank or buy dog food, but I'm almost 31...I don't have the patience and the last time I pranced, my age was in the single digits.


• I don't have paparazzi aka bf/husband/brother/sister/lover/dog trailing me with a camera snapping my every move. Mister works...he works a lot. And when I interrupt him in the middle of a conference call to "take outfit pictures", he looks at me like I've gone ape shit lost it.


• And when Mister does take photos of me, we inevitably fight. Not argue, fight. And I'll be damned if my blog is the demise of our relationship. "How many pics do you need...I just want to make sure I have a few good ones...I'm hungry...No, don't get too close and don't cut off my head or feet...Can we go now...Did you get detailed shots...WTF are detailed shots?..."


• Mister sucks at taking pictures.


• I can use a tripod and go that route, but there's nowhere to shoot at our place. We're constantly doing work, adding furniture, moving furniture, so it's a nightmare trying to find a good spot. And my old backdrop? It got completely annihilated in the storms we've had this winter. Ok, just kidding. It fell and we ended up moving it.


• I hate taking photos. HAAAATE. I thought after doing all those lookbook posts, I'd be able to smile into the lens as if it were an old friend. Uh..no. I admire the bloggers who can pose and smirk and vogue a la duck face to rival Snookie, but it's just not in me. I feel awkward, nervous, and plain stupid. Like a butcher at a vegetarian summit. Like, who the f*ck invited you?

Anyway, I'm extremely flattered that many of my readers actually like my outfit posts and have been missing them.  I'm not saying there won't be anymore lookbook posts. I'm just giving you my excuses reasons as to why they disappeared like Lindsay Lohan's career.

You'll see outfit posts here 1-2 times a week...And if I can teach Bruno how to take photos, perhaps more. Also, if you want to see more lifestyle posts (I know, like, wtf is a lifestyle post? But it's what the kids are doing these days, I guess.) shoot me an email or leave a comment here with your suggestion. So far, I made a note to do a desk/work space post and a closet post (<-- Seriously, do you really want to see my collection of yoga pants?). If there's any other part of my life you think might be remotely interesting, let me know!*

*Not guaranteed I'll post about it cuz well, shit, it's my blog and I decide.

And because everybody loves a post with pictures, here's the token photo:

 

(click it)

anonymous monday | blogger confessional

(weheartit)

• Don't forget to post ANONYMOUSLY
• Don't include any names (or change names, if you must)
• Please play responsibly

(Out of respect, I will not publish your comment if you happen to comment with your name)

Today's question is:

If you had a choice, whose life would you want?

friday i'm in love: fave things from the past week

 

Have you checked out my photography site lately?

Is it me or does it feel like the further we are into this year, the more hectic our lives become?

This weekend is daylight savings which means spring is in the air! The cherry blossoms have been blooming all around our neighborhood and it's so pretty walking down the street and seeing them in their full glory. Wait...did I say walking? Why yes, I did. I've continued attending yogilates and have been walking to and from the studio (3 miles total). It's awesome. And since the weather's been beautiful and the flowers are in full bloom, it's total sensory overload. It actually helps me relax...at least until I get to my desk and begin working.

Anyway, Mister & I will finally be able to veg this weekend. We're super excited about the 2010 Formula 1 season kicking off this weekend and being able to catch up on our dvr recordings.

Ok, I'm off...we're going to try and catch a matinee showing of Alice In Wonderland before the evening crowd hits. Have a gorgeous weekend! xoxo

•  A fun way to remind someone why you love them.
• Taylor Tomasi Hill's NYC pad is just as chic as Taylor Tomasi Hill.
• Paul Octavious knows that books are fun building blocks in life.
• A lovely printable blogging calendar to help you get organized.
• Remember the Pantone Cosmetics? How bout Pantone Paint?
• And if you love Pantone like I do, how bout the Pantone app for iPhone? (too bad I don't have one)
• How to transform your hoody into a laptop sleeve (LOVE it).
• Seriously cutest bookmark idea ever.
• Tron Legacy looks like it's going to be frickin' awesome (music by Daft Punk, too!).
• OMG, Bruno so needs a dog-stache.
• For Los Angeles residents: LA City will pay you to recycle. Earn points that you can redeem at local retail shops (up to $400 a year).
• One of my favorite restaurants, Sona, is temporarily closing in May and re-opening next year. :(

Flashback to the '90's...God, I loved Hope Sandoval aka Mazzy Star back in the days...

"be a warrior, not a worrier"

If you...

• are stuck in a rut
• unhappy
• frustrated with yourself
• frustrated with life
• are uncertain
• wish things were different
• need a kick in the ass
• need inspiration
• need motivation
• need sound advice
• need a laugh
• need brutal honesty

or just want a good read...I highly recommend If You Have To Cry Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone.

 (Amazon)

Mama Cutrone dishes brutal honesty but still manages to give you a warm hug and make you feel like everything will be ok.

It's a quick read and I think everyone can take at least one thing from it and apply it to their lives. Personally, this book was given to me at a perfect time in my life - I even went back and read it a second time to make some notes. If you decide to read it, I hope you find it as inspiring & motivating as I did.

P.S. Thank you, My So Called Fab Kelly, for sending me this book...like I said, it's the best gift anyone could have gotten me right now. Love you!

the sky is burning a sea of flame though your world is changing i will be the same

anonymous monday | blogger confessional

(weheartit)

• Don't forget to post ANONYMOUSLY
• Don't include any names (or change names, if you must)
• Please play responsibly

(Out of respect, I will not publish your comment if you happen to comment with your name)

Today's question is:

Why do you blog?...Is it for fame, free swag...or just for fun?

friday i'm in love: fave things from the past week

My friend's dog, Exodus

After months of being a lazy ass, I actually worked out this morning. Took a yoga+pilates class ("yogilates", as I like call it) which also incorporated light weights. O.M.G. I was barely able to lift up my arms to shampoo my hair. But it felt good to actually do something physical than sit in front of the computer all day.

So, my fab friends...any exciting weekend plans? If the yogilates didn't entirely kick my ass then this weekend will officially finish me off. I have dinners with friends & family from the east coast (on separate nights), projects to be tended to with friends, and birthday fesitivities since it's the weekend before my mom's & Mister's bdays. Yeah, hectic. Anyway, please have a drink and a relaxing weekend for me! xoxo

• Get them loving typography early with a Helvetica onesie.
• Or this onesie, instead.
• Stop getting low balled as a blogger.
• Photography 101 - An easy to follow and understand lesson on photography.
• Makeup based on Pantone? I dunno why no one's done it, yet...seems only natural.
• Gummi Bears chandelier...not for the hungry.
• Ten funny reasons & illustrations on why you should avoid talking on the phone.
• Are you a branding and design geek? You'll love this Name That Brand quiz.
• I'm gonna have to agree with LA Weekly's list of Top 10 Food TV Shows (but maybe not in the same order).
• Honey My Heart & I have partnered up for a photo a day project - she shoots her life in Santa Barbara and I shoot mine in LA. Please check it out here! (All my photos will be shot with my Canon point & shoot)

And, finally, here's a song to kick off the weekend - Groove Armada's I Won't Kneel:

banish dry lips

 

(How cool are these lips? LOVE it. thx weheartit!)

I hate dry lips. HATE. And I guess my readers know this because for some reason I get a lot of emails and inquiries on how to prevent or banish dry lips. So here's my trick:

At the end of each shower, I take a washcloth, wet it, and gently scrub my lips until I feel it's smooth (I keep a washcloth in the shower just for this. I make sure to hang it up to dry after the shower so there aren't any unwanted bacteria forming). The hot water and steam from the shower softens the skin on my lips which allows for easy exfoliating. You can also use your toothbrush: after brushing your teeth, take the clean brush and gently brush your lips. I've been doing this everyday for many years and never had an issue with cracked or peeling lips.

Throughout the day I also apply lip balm to maintain the smoothness. Here are my faves:

 

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer w/SPF 15: I have one in each purse and on my desk and night table...I also got my family and friends hooked on it. This has always been my fave.

 

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Products:  These double as gloss and lip treatment and it works really well. I also love the mint fragrance (supposed to help your breath smell minty fresh).

Aquaphor Healing Ointment - When I was on Accutane several years ago, this and Nivea Creme were the only things that helped with my extreme dry skin and lips (yeaaah...fun side effects of the drug). It's not only great for your lips, but for other dry areas on your body.

objects in mirror are closer than they appear

 
 Boy's Lands End flannel, Something Else by Natalie Wood tee, Alexander Wang tank, Levi's jeans, boots from eBay a couple of years ago, jewelry - vintage, inherited, gifts from mom & Mister, Milani nail polish in Vintage

These photos were taken over the past 3 days. Just a motley crew of images.

My desk tends to welcome random squatters when I get a bit overwhelmed with work. Don't ask me how yogurt, Hi-Chew candy & nail polish managed to form a clique in the corner...I plead the 5th.

And lately I've been obsessed with neutral toned nail polish colors. It's hard to tell in these photos but I'm wearing a color that can only be described as beige. Beige...like khakis...well, more like Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream. Yes, actually, exactly that color. It sorta lends a cadaver-like feel to my hands. That sounds a bit creepy but really it's kinda cool. Ok, maybe I should lay off Dexter for awhile.