Sequins, Sparkles, & All that Jazz...

Tonight is the night, lovelies!  It's time to pour some bubbly, put on your sequins and fake eyelashes, and dance like no one's watching.  Tonight I will be dining at one of my favorite Houston restaurants- Hugo's.  Then, it's off to the Monarch at Hotel Zaza to ring in the new year!  Can you believe it's hours away from 2012?!

Wherever you ring in the new year, I know you all will look fabulous.  

All my love, and a huge thank you for yours!    

Here's what I'll be drinking...

Here's what I'll be wearing...

What I'll be dancing to...

Color Crush: Scarlet

I am crushing hard for scarlet these days.  Whether it be Hunter boots, a shade of Bobbi Brown lip color, or a strappy heel, I naturally gravitate towards scarlet.  

{Daily Cup of Couture}

I love to see interiors with red details.  It adds a vibrancy and plays well when paired with softer colors.  

 {Lonny}

  {Lonny}

  {Lonny}

 {Lonny}

{The Sartorialist}

{On Blue Pool Road}

{The Sartorialist}

{Creamy Life}

{Chinoiserie Chic}

{Crush cul de Sac}

{Flickr}

{Glitter Guide Tumblr}

{Glitter Guide Tumblr}

What colors are you crushing on?

Color Block Decor

Color blocking quite literally (or not so much literally) exploded this past fall.  The idea here is to where a bold color mix with no concern of necessarily matching or pulling the colors together with any rhyme or reason.  For example: Purple skinny jeans, a sea foam green tee, and patent pink heels.  Here are some of my favorite, most fashionable examples of a good color block.

{Sterling Style}

{From Me to You Tumblr}

{La Dolce Vita}

Although color blocking fashion is somewhat "old news", my mind began to visualize a color-blocked interior decor scheme.  Would it look good?  Would it be a fast and fading trend, as color block fashion seems to be?  What would happen if I color blocked my house?  Would I get excommunicated and sent off to the loony bin? I had to investigate this one.

{HGTV}

{Annesage}

{HGTV}

{Decor Pad}

{House Beautiful}

{The Decorista}

{Girls Will Be Girls Tumblr}

{Via La Dolce Vita}

{Paper Bowls n Lemons Tumblr}

{Creamy Life}

Color blocked interiors- can it work long-term or will it be over before the season finale of Parks & Rec?  I think I could get away with it with no one questioning my sanity, don't you?  Unless, I took it to this extreme...

{Kitschy Living Tumblr}

... at which case I am sure I'd have the authorities called on me.   Decorate on, my loves!

Post-Christmas Bliss

How was your Christmas day, lovelies?  I know it has been a few days since the 25th, but I was a little Christmas'd-out and needed a few days to decompress.  I hope you understand?? 


In a moment of honesty I will say Christmas time has been particularly a hard one for me for the last few years, for a variety of reasons.  I often have the urge to jump on a plane, head south to the beach, and completely miss the festivities.  I know it probably sounds rather Scrooge-ish of me, but after losing a close family member a few years back it just hadn't been the same.   As a Christ follower, I know the Lord is well acquainted with my hurts, and celebrating his birth is the focus of Christmas.  I decided this year to focus on all He has provided me with rather than to focus on the loss.  After all, there is always something to be thankful for, even in the hardest of times.


And.... guess what happened?  I had one of the best Christmas celebrations in several years!  I spent my day watching Christmas movies with the family, drinking some Verve, and spending time with my loved ones.   I thought I'd share some snapshots to show off my beautiful iPhone picture-taking skills. :)

My Aussie boyfriend got to experience a "real" American Christmas!

This Design*Sponge coffee table book had me smitten!

So did a bottle of Skinny Girl Margarita Mix by Bethanny Frankel.

Thanks Aunt Jenny!

I was thrilled to unwrap this beautiful monogrammed notebook from Graphic Image!

Design Darling turned me on to the company when she featured some goodies on her blog- how gorgeous is the turquoise leather with gold monogram??  

And if you know me, you know I always take notes in random places and constantly get ideas for decor, fashion, design, my blog, and on and on.  This is the perfect size to fit in my bag and I love how glam it looks.

Here are a few of my other favorite gifts... Parisian Chic, Max & Chloe Monogram necklace, a J Crew glitter iPhone case, and the Rebel EOS Cannon Camera!  

The Rebel is my first SLR camera, and I plan to enroll in a photography class soon to learn how to use it properly.  I am so inspired by all you fabulous photographers out there!  I think that is my favorite part of blogging.... meeting other like-minded individuals who feature their favorite finds.  Just like Mackenzie from the Design Darling featured Graphic Image, LA in the Bay and several of you other fashionistas turned me on to the monogram necklace.  You guys have such great taste!

The Best Parties of 2011

As we bid "goodbye" to 2011 in the coming week, it's important to remember the monumental events of the year.  2011 was a fabulous year for me- full of personal growth and self discovery.  I am forever thankful for the friends who entered my life this year and influenced me in one way or another.   I rang in the New Year with Kim Kardashian at TAO in Las Vegas, got to know a few wonderful people who encouraged me to discover what it is I truly loved, and even visited Africa to see the little boy I sponsor through Campassion International!  It was such a special year.  Was it always easy?  Of course not.  That's life.  But regardless, I had a blast.  

If you know me, you know I can never turn down an invitation to a party- I'm a Sagittarius after all!  I attended some great parties this year!  Recently, Vogue recounted the best soirees of 2K11.  

The Met Gala & After-Party

Matthew Morrison, Ryan Murphy & Gweneyth Paltrow

Jay-Z & Beyonce

Miranda Kerr & Orlando Bloom

Tom Brady & Gisele Bundchen

Karolina Kurkova

Madonna

Grace Coddington's 70th Birthday Bash

 Grace Coddington with Marc Jacobs

The Fourth Annual MoMa Film Benefit

 Elizabeth Olsen, Felicity Jones, & Drew Barrymore

Alicia Keys singing her heart out

Natalia Vodianova's Love Ball

 Valentino & Anne Hathaway

Margherita Missoni, Tatiana Santo Domingo, and Eugenie Niarchos

 The scene at the Love Ball

Allison Sarofim's Halloween Cabaret 

Tory Burch

Michelle Harper, Hamish Bowles, & Sarah Sophie Flicker

Versace for H&M Launch 

Allegra & Donatella Versace

Nicki Minaj in all her glory...

What was the most memorable events of your year?  Whether it was your worst year ever or your best year yet, 2012 is here and so is a fresh perspective.  Ciao, lovelies!