31 May 2013

TGIF


I had a long day at work and it's painfully hot outside, but it's Friday afternoon and nice out and a lot of my friends are finally in town and I was so excited about it all that I was grinning like a fool on the subway ride home.  There's just something about a warm summer Friday evening, the whole weekend stretching ahead of you, ready to be filled with friends and sunshine and laughter and adventures. Bring it on!

30 May 2013

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: THE BLACK SKIRT


Hey y'all! We're back with another installment of WARDROBE ESSENTIALS. 
Another wear-to-work classic that everyone needs to have: the black skirt.

This option from Nordstom is a great choice - its classic shape and bit of stretch flatters everyone! 

INSPIRATION:
ALL VIA MY PINTEREST








29 May 2013

BLOG LOVE: MY MORNING ROUTINE



Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  
Actually, to be technical, brunch is - it's got all the yumminess of breakfast foods but at a more reasonable hour. (Plus, mimosas are usually involved).  But even on those days of early class or work, I always eat breakfast. As much as I love sleep, I'd rather get up 20 minutes earlier to have time to sit and enjoy breakfast and take a moment to myself - drink some tea or OJ, eat some eggs or cereal, check my email, the news, etc.  It's my little routine, and without it I always feel like I'm starting the day off rushed and flustered.

So it's part celebrity voyeurism, part breakfast inspiration, part thank-god-other-people-like-their-morning-routines-as-much-as-i-do that make me enjoy Bon Appetite's MY MORNING ROUTINE feature so much.  They talk to famous people - everyone from models to singers to athletes - about their morning routines, and specifically their breakfasts.  So even if you don't have a AM ritual, you can read all about what others do - and maybe get inspired for a little morning routine of your own!



28 May 2013

CITY LIVING, SUBLET STYLE

So as y'all know, I'm currently in New York. NYC is the land of many things - street hot dogs, Broadway shows, the Empire State Building, etc. It's also the land of teeny tiny apartments and astronomical rent.  I lucked out and am actually subletting an apartment from one of my friends that goes to NYU. It's a great place - pretty roomy, pretty new, and nice and clean and bright.  Since I'm only subletting, however, there's not a lot of furniture, and what there is is pretty plain. This is the actual IKEA furniture in my living room:

As you can see, it's death by beige. Nice for going with everything, but in an apartment with white walls and brown wood floors, it's major snoozeville. But because I'm only subletting, it doesn't really make sense to decorate - I go back home in 3 months, and NYC is expensive enough as it is without spending a fortune on coffee table books and throw pillows.  My solution?  A few picks from places like Etsy and Target to make the room a little more lived-in - without breaking the bank.

 01. THROW PILLOWS in blue & beige to add some color and pattern to the couch.
02. A cozy THROW for curling up and watching a movie at night.
03. A yummy-smelling CANDLE to add some personality to the space.
 04. A NY SUBWAY SIGN PRINT - to fill up white wall space, add some more color, and pay homage to the city I currently call home.

27 May 2013

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Happy Memorial Day! Raise your beer to all the brave men and women who've fought to preserve our freedom.

22 May 2013

BOOKMARK

These two books ended up in my library bag during my last trip. I'd already read the first Freakonomics book and loved it, and of course, J.K. Rowling is J.K. Rowling.  Superfreakonomics is just what you'd expect if you've read the first book - filled with interesting observations and studies and ideas that you never would have thought of.  Extremely interesting and awesome dinner table conversation material!  

As for the Casual Vacancy, I'm torn. It was really slow in the beginning - not that much action, and so many characters/relationships that I couldn't keep them straight.  Finally, around the middle it got really good. The plot picked up, I got involved in the characters' lives (and because of all that build-up, felt like I knew them really well).  And then I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Something you were lead to believe was important didn't end up being that important, and the end of the book felt a bit abrupt to me. Then again, I'm one of those people that likes a lot of closure, so you never know. I definitely recommend Superfreakomics if you like books that like, and if you've got some time on your hands or are a fast reader like me (it's a thick book), pick up the Casual Vacancy and see what you think!



21 May 2013

FIRST DAY OF INTERNSHIP OUTFIT


The first day of your first internship is a lot like your first day of a new school. You have no idea what to expect - no idea what the culture's like, what's cool or not cool, whether or not they allow open-toed shoes in their business casual dress code...okay, maybe not that last one.  But there are the same first day butterflies, the same anxiousness that causes you to arrive 15 before you're supposed to and then have to loiter in a Starbucks across the street to kill time. And, of course, the same stress over what you're going to wear.

This is what I wore on the first day on my internship (Monday, for those of you keeping track).  This exact blazer, exact dress, and an older pair of heels that are similar in style.  I'm helping out with PR at a fashion company, where the dress code is business casual. I figured the heels would dress things up a bit for my first day, even though I'll probably wear flats/wedges from here on out, and that the blazer would make the outfit more conservative if needed. It wasn't - plus the intern closet (yes, it's actually called that) is sweltering.  But this cute, simple, on-trend dress that kept me relatively cool in the heat (and earned me some compliments!) was the perfect first-day-of-work look.

19 May 2013

SUMMER IN THE CITY


In just a few hours, I'm boarding a plane heading straight for NYC.  (Newark, actually, but let's not get picky.)  That's right kids: this girl's going to New York for the summer.  Why? Because I've got myself an internship.  Come Monday, I'll be getting coffee and making copies and whatever else they make me do at my super sweet PR internship.

And of course, I'll let y'all in on the action.  Prepare yourself for lots of posts on cool NYC stuff, clothes to wear to work, and what a PR internship in the city actually is like. (Though don't get too excited - considering I'm a poor college student/intern, all of this will be more like Girls than Sex and the City). Anyway, so excited for what the summer will bring, and let me know if anyone has any tips or suggestions for New York City!!

17 May 2013

THINGS I PINNED AND LIKED

A new layout to share my fav pinterest finds each week.
Make sure to follow me on pinterest HERE for more spectacular things!

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE

MAKE AN ENTRANCE


I saw these pictures on my Instagram earlier yesterday and had to immediately get on the Glitter Guide on my laptop to take a closer look. Caitlin Moran shows us three different ways to style a small and simple entryway, and I honestly don't think I can pick a favorite. I love the coral-colored x-benches (from Target originally, now unfortunately unavailable), the green lamp, the sunburst mirror, the skull and antlers, and the sheepskin. Such a great mix of colors and texture to get such different looks! Inspired by her styling, check out some of my choices to help you recreate the looks at home!
images via glitter guide



15 May 2013

GET AT ME


Some on-trend beauties that I'd like to have in my closet right now...

14 May 2013

GETTING KRAFTY


Some fabulous little party ideas using the oh-so-humble brown kraft paper (or it's other form - the brown paper bag). Throw a waffle bar (or a taco bar, or an ice cream, or any kind of bar, really), whip up some cute take-home party favors, create a simple menu, or draw out your dream place settings.  It's simple and easy - perfect for outdoor summer entertaining!

01 / 02 / 03 / 04  

12 May 2013

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

ONE / TWO

Shout out to all you baby mamas, including my own. Keeping on doing what you're doing!

09 May 2013

THE GREAT GATSBY

Are y'all excited for the release of the movie? I just finished the book in anticipation, though I've heard some mixed reviews - long on spectacle, short on plot, though I'd have figured as much.  Nonetheless, the spectacle is one of the reasons we all want to see it (at least it is for me), and if the outlandish, champagne-fueled parties that Gatsby is famous for (set to the tune of Jay-Z and Florence + the Machine and wrapped in Prada sparkles, of course) live up to the previews, I'll be a happy girl.

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: THE BLACK PANT


Hi y'all! New column alert here on SPECTACLE. After lugging my stuff across Europe for a semester and then planning on lugging it all back across the country in a few shorts weeks, I realize I'm in need of a major closet clean-out.  You know the drill - getting rid of what doesn't fit, what you don't wear, that sweater that was a gift and you haven't even wore it once, etc.  

And then, the beauty of that is that when you go out with the old, you go in with the new. I'm about to start an internship in a few weeks, and my wardrobe is seriously lacking in both the work clothes department and the essentials. I mean, I don't even own a white button down. (WHO AM I?) So I'll be bringing the twenty-something's wardrobe's essentials to a screen near you in the coming months, complete with inspiration and outfit ideas on the cheap.  So without further ado, the first wardrobe essential!


The whole point of essentials is that you'll wear them a lot and you'll wear them a long time.  So it doesn't have to be designer, but it's worth it to splurge on something with a little more quality, like these J.Crew work pants. Trust me, with the amount you'll wear them to work, they'll more than pay for themselves.

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR

Now that we've got our nice, quality black pants, it's time to mix things up.  I've taken these four outfits from above as inspiration, and add lower-priced items (read: things I can actually afford) to create four outstanding outfits that are ready for anything - and won't break the bank.




08 May 2013

A MATCHBOOK MAY


I just got around to reading this month's issue of Matchbook Magzine, and like usual, they knock it out of the park. I love all of the hostessing advice, the summery editors' round-ups, and all the great travel tips they include in this issue.  Check it out for yourself here!

07 May 2013

OUTDOOR LIVING







ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR 

This weekend was our yacht club's opening day, which, despite being slightly cloudy this year, always marks the beginning of summer for me.  It's got me already dreaming of outdoor barbecues and dinner parties, of cocktails and lunch by the pool, and of sitting around a firepit roasting marshmallows and drinking wine.  
What's your favorite summertime entertaining?

04 May 2013

YOU GOTTA REGATTA


Today is our yacht club's annual Opening Day regatta, and the whole family 
is battening down the hatches for a day on the water.  See you on the finish line!

CINCO DE TACO



In honor of the upcoming Cinco de Mayo weekend, I give you THE BEST TACOS EVER.
Make many, and enjoy with chips and guac, sombreros, and margs on margs.

(clockwise from top left)

And of course, enjoy....

ONE / TWO

02 May 2013

BOOKMARK


Now that I'm on summer vacation, I've got so much more time for reading.  One of the first things I did when I got back was make a trip to the public library (I think I might be the only person under 60 who still goes regularly...). In the coming weeks, I'll keep y'all updated on what's currently on my bedside table.  Start making your summer reading booklists - long days on the beach aren't far off!

HAPPY MAY

Happy May (one day late)!
I've been conspicuously absent lately, due to a whirlwind trip back to school for the weekend to tie up loose ends and see good friends before they descend into the pit of hell known as exam week. 
As for me, I'm now back in sunny California, soaking up some vitamin D and doing some much needed spring cleaning - including here on SPECTACLE!