Favorites Friday: March

Happy April, ya'll! Since it's the first Friday, you know what that means...time for another Favorites Friday! We know you're excited. So sit back, relax, and enjoy Ann and Allison's favorites from March.


Ann's Top Ten:
Man! These months are flying by, March was busy for me and my family so there are a lot of great this to choose from. Here are my top ten for March:

1. The absolute best event I attended this month was the Bon Jovi concert. I am a product of the 80's and was born the same year the band formed, therefore so appropriate that I attend, and besides who ISN'T "living on a prayer". Cheese, cheese, cheese, sorry, I couldn't help it!

 

 

2. My biggest accomplishment for March, I ran the 5 miles for the St. Patty's run downtown. Whew! My time wasn't far off from my pre-baby days either, and that I am proud of!

 

3. My favorite piece of furniture to hit the floors this month was this end table/nightstand. A great example of a redo done well!

4. The best piece of jewelry I added to my collection was from Premier Designs, this is the Leila necklace, it goes with just about everything! Love it!

5. My pick for shoes this month are these dusty purple Badgley Mischka strappy heels with a multi-layered fabric flower. Very fun!

6. My husband and I were lucky enough to have a date night and in our wait for a table we wandered around in Brentwood and I must say, I.O. Metro does it right. Their displays are awesome and their product is dead on. They have the perfect blend of "cool" and "this would totally work in your home" feel. Here is one item I would totally have in my home. It could be in a bedroom, foyer, an accent in just about any room.

7. Maybe it's just the new, fresh, fun, spring items coming out, but I loved SO many things in the most recent Ballard Designs catalog. From adorable chevron totes to indoor outdoor rugs, to lighting! Love it all! Her is just a sampling, I could go on and on...

 

 

 

 

 

8. A new product that I came across, Mariposa Home candles. I found them right next door at Modern Vintage Decor, I also got one of their bath bombs and I'm sure I'll love it as much as the candle. They burn so evenly and nice and fragrant and are soy and handmade.

 

9. The best recipe that came via Pinterest, was a crockpot spinach and artichoke dip. Yummy! It was a hit and NO leftovers, so I will need to double it next time. Try it out.

10. I'll combine my color combo with my outfit since I'm on ten already! Hopefully this nice weather is here to stay, and we can wear something like this. Inspired by sunshine and blue skies, here is my coral and teal!

Photo credits: Ballard Designs, BudgetSavvyDiva.com, Pinterest


Allison's Top Ten:
1.  Alright, so I may be a bit of a thrifting enthusiast.  I've really come to hate buying new things at regular price, so resale has become my favorite way to shop.  There's something about the excitement, the surprise when you find something you love, and better yet, the hunt for an amazing deal.  My friends at Women's Closet Exchange had posted a photo of this GORGEOUS pink dress I spent a day and a half absolutely drooling over...went to try it on, and it unfortunately was a size too big...bummed out, my friends at Clique (the young adult version of WCE) came to my rescue...and I ended up leaving with more than I had anticipated.  My most favorite resale purchase this month was of course these amazzzingggg, sassy shoes by Wild Pair.  When the shoe fits, you HAVE to buy it, right?!  Especially when they're a perfect color, funky and different, studded platform heels....

.....yep.  Shoes deserve to be loved, too.

2.  I swore to myself at the beginning of this year, that I was going to do things I've been wanting to do forever...without letting other people get in the way, stop me or distract me from what I really wanted...So, this may come as a surprise to many, but the furthest west I've ever been was to Vegas...and that was when I was a newbie 21-year-old.  Obviously, I've been dyyyiingggg to make it to California, so the biggest accomplishment for me this month was officially booking my summer trip to San Diego with two of my close girlfriends.  Ahh...San Diego, roadtrip to LA...and the BEST part, I'll be spending my birthday on the West Coast.  July can't come soon enough.

 

 

3.  “I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try.”

4.  Back to my friends down at Women's Closet Exchange...My favorite "Best Announcement" this month was the OFFICIAL news release of their reality TV show "Resale Royalty" airing on Style Network on May 12th produced by the one and only, Rachel Zoe...Needless to say, I almost passed out when I found out she is the producer.  Check your times and be sure to tune in! Here's a sneak peek of what's to come:

5.  Favorite songs this month-Trouble Maker by Olly Murs feat. Flo Rida
I love the beat, it's catchy and a perfect song to listen/dance to while getting ready for a girls' night out...

Oh, Marina and the Diamonds...another song I CAN NOT get enough of is "How to be a Heartbreaker"...if you like it, check out the rest of her music...

6.  A look I am LOVING right now:  The Flower Crowns.  I went on a mad search one day trying to get my hands on one of these suckers with no luck...and the only ones I came across were upwards of $100 online at Urban Outfitters (which obviously wouldn't arrive at my doorstep within a few hours for my Friday night outing)...So, I went on over to Pinterest and found a great Flower Crown DIY tuitorial.



Here's my flower crown...I must say, it drew quite a bit of attention and I got a ton of compliments  :)

7.
Dear Future Fiance, 
Please take note...

This stunning jewelry line I came across:  Le Vian.  All of the jewelry is absolutely breathtaking and I love the unique designs that make a statement all on their own.

I just about died and went to heaven when I spotted this stunning ring:

...but with a price tag of $13,250...what girl wouldn't?

 

 

 

 8.  Rolo Cookies...Probably some of the best cookies I've made in a LONG time...Not only are they absolutely delish, but they were incredibly easy to make!  I highly recommend them.  Recipe here

 

 9.  I'm a huge coffee addict...so here are a few coffee-lover things I got a kick out of...

...yep, pup.  That's how I feel every morning.

 

10.  Last but not least...STLFW was in March, so there were a ton of fun events to attend.  One I attended was the "Steampunked Fashion Show" hosted by South Broadway Art Project.  Their mission is to teach young people and adults how to enhance their own lives and community through art.  They offer art and fashion design programs, which I thought was pretty cool.  The Steampunked Fashion Show featured the young fashion designers from the South Broadway Art Project...so, these kids designed and created their own incredible fashions and then modeled them.  Awesome and cute is by far an understatement as to how this show was.  Here are some pics:

This pin was in my goody bag   :)

My friend, Acasia, and I at the show.

Favorites Friday: January

Allison and Ann here! We're so, so excited about this first monthly blog post.  YAY!  We've decided to do something a little different this time and once a month, we'll post our top ten favorite things from the previous month.  Our favorites are whatever we choose, so topics include pieces we got in store, rooms we fell in love with, fashion, beauty, decorating, music, you get the point...basically whatever we wish.  So, for our first, here are both of our favorites from January!  We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

Ann's Top Ten

1. The most amazing furniture item we got in was this bright green, tufted and studded chair. I may or may not own it.

 

2. My favorite accessory item that came through the store was this large, red charger. It's a great piece but I don't have red anywhere in my home or a place to put it. :(

Modern Dining Room design by Boston Interior Designer Rachel Reider Interiors

3. My favorite room I found on Houzz.com this month is this dining room from Rachel Reider Interiors. I love the variety of color, the texture of the chandelier shade, the artwork, centerpiece, and the aysymmetry of the banquette and chairs. 

4. January's best piece of jewelry is this necklace. It is great, adding a little bling to your outfit and can be worn casual or formal.

 

5.  I will more than likely ALWAYS have a pair of shoes on my top ten.  I have always been a shoe girl and this month, these cobalt blue peep toes take the cake!

6.  This outfit I found on Pinterest is my favorite for January, very classy and no one would be surprised to find it in my closet.

7.  My favorite quote for the month is, "The creative adult is the child that survived".

8.  I was stuck on a color combination of purple and grey.  Here are some great examples:

9.  January's best event I attended was the Ice Festival in the Delmar Loop.  The weather was gorgeous and warm, although not good for the ice.  A great day to walk the Loop with family and friends, see the ice sculpures and live demos.

10. My best recipe that, yes, I did successfully make was this creamy tortellini soup. I pinned it on Pinterest and only omitted the mushrooms. :) Still yummy!


Allison's Top Ten

1. My favorite piece(s) of furniture that came in this January. Alright, so I loved the green chair Ann posted equally as much, but I can't get over these amazing detailed chairs. The curved/scroll back, the tufted arm, chenille fabric, vintage feel, just love, love, love.

2. My favorite home accessory that I came across this month is this handpainted Mexican tequila box. The details and colors are awesome and it is definitely a piece you don't come across every day.

 

 

3. Sequin wall wallpaper from Tracy Kendall. Enough said.

4. Alright, so they had my attention at "cake batter". If anything contains those two sweet words together, I'm more than likely going to attempt creating it. I made these Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies, and I must say they were deeee-lish. Nomz. Want now.

5. I am a bit of an OPI enthusiast and probably have more polishes than one should ever admit to owning...Throughout January, Russian Navy was my go-to color. This deep blue shimmery color makes a dark, bold statement without appearing too goth. Also, navy pairs well with just about any color so it makes for the perfect staple polish.

 

6. Sephora's Long-Lasting 12HR Wear Eye Liner in black. Honestly, this has been one of my makeup staples for years. In January, I made an attempt at being adventerous and tried out a few different eyeliners.  Bottom line, I ended up coming back to this one. It stays put ALL day, the shorter stick makes the application much easier than others and it is highly pigminted. I love trying new things, but some things are better left alone.
(A bit of advice for liquid newbies: Use a dampened q-tip to clean up the messy parts so that it creates a more precise, consistant line, and makes those pretty peepers pop)

 7.  Outfit Picks.  I'm loving the military-inspired look right now and this green is awesome.  It's looks stunning with the whites and metallics.  I can't wait for our chilly STL weather to go away so I can wear the casual-chic outfit on the right...perfection. 

Then this photo above...the girly white dress paired with the bow belt and oversized sunnies just makes me happy :)

8.  So if you know anything about Midwest weather, it's what most of us like to refer to as "bi-polar".  One January day may be 65 degrees and sunny then 2 days later, there's 4 inches of snow on the ground.  During those freezing, possibly snowy days, I would dream and wish for a tropical Mexican-inspired lounge pictured above.  Add in chips and salsa, delicious spicy chiptole fish tacos, and some margaritas and we'll be set.  Dream escape right there.

9.  One of my New Year's resolutions was to attempt at least one of my Pinterest pins per week.  A few weeks ago, the Victoria's Secret Model Ab Workout seemed like a great choice.  Boy, oh boy...Although it was a struggle to get through the entire workout (not to mention it hurt to laugh for a few days), it was well worth it...in the good kind of pain way.

10.  Music.  It was really difficult for limit it down to just 3 songs that I could listen to on repeat all day, every day, so picking choosing just one would have been impossible.  That being said, here are my top 3 music picks from January: