BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS – PROGRESS REPORT AND CONFESSION

Here’s to accountability! I’ve been very self-reflective lately, finding myself a full six months into 2015 and not feeling fully secure in the progress I’ve made against what I set out to accomplish this year. There are some resolutions that were on my list that I’ve really nailed and are now a part of my everyday life – like religious skincare practices. There are some that I’m still working on that just don’t seem as relevant anymore – like taking better care of my belongings (I do the best I can). And then there are those things – well, namely one thing, my health – that I’ve completely ignored to the true detriment of my well-being. That stops today. 

WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT IDEA – HORSE RACING FUN

This past weekend several friends and I got all dressed up for a (rainy) day at the Arlington Park racetrack in Chicago, and it was so much fun. I highly recommend this weekend activity if you’re looking for ideas to change it up as the weather gets warmer. And if you aren’t near a racetrack, this would be THE weekend of all weekends to host a racing viewing party – it’s the 2015 Belmont Stakes

BLACK TIE WEDDING IN FRANCE

My recent trip to France culminated in a black-tie wedding at a chateau outside of Paris – it was amazing! And I got to wear this most beautiful dress from NewYorkDress.com that totally fulfilled my all my wildest dreams of an old Hollywood glamour look – complete with vintage rhinestone earrings, red lips and side-swept curls. There aren’t many words to describe the beauty and great friends I encountered along the way on this adventure, so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves (mostly) on this post!

SAVE MONEY ON CLOTHES: HOST A FROCK SWAP

This weekend I went to a frock swap with several girlfriends, and it was such a blast! I have to admit I was a little skeptical since I love every single item hanging in my closet – I have a hard time parting with anything. Plus I was worried I wouldn’t find items that would fit my style in return. At the same time, there were definitely a few things that I needed to say farewell to that no longer fit my body or my style anymore. At the end of the day, we and our wallets all went home happy! Read on for ideas on hosting and attending your own frock swap!

HOW TO PREPARE FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

The countdown is on – it’s T-minus 8 days until Belle’s take off to Paris! I’ve been working very hard to be prepared and organized well in advance of my departure so that there are no surprises along the way, and I’ve got a slew of tips that I want to share with you today. From luggage tags to voltage converters to travel-skincare routines, read on for all the advice you could possibly need to get you ready for your upcoming travels!

MOTHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS

Can you believe it’s already May and that Mother’s Day is Sunday?! Me neither! Lucky for me, there are several moms in my life – my mom, my grandmother, my boyfriend’s mom, friends who have babies – so I needed to come up with a pretty diverse set of gifts to give across that group of women. And just in case you’re looking for a little inspiration, I thought I’d share these Mother’s Day gift ideas with you too. Let’s just hope my mom doesn’t read this before Sunday, and if she does – Happy Mother’s Day, and one of these gifts is on the way!