That ONE skirt.

  I finally slipped into this H&M maxi skirt I bought last month for my Mom's birthday breakfast yesterday! I was so stoked to finally wear it && am so in love with it :)

(skirt-H&M, top- LC Lauren Conrad, blazer-thrifted, booties-random, jewlery-made by the Navajo Indians)

Happy Monday! 

Peace. Love. Joy.

Snow.....in October?

I woke up to snow falling from the sky--and it's October....ahh, crazyiness! It was a pleasant surprise, as it definitely brought feelings of the coming seasons along with it. I just hope it doesn't destroy the beautiful fall leaves, and we can enjoy a couple more weeks of that too :)

My sister snapped these pictures right before we went out and ran some errands for my Mom's birthday tomorrow :)

                                              

                                     (sweatshirt-Grandmother's closet, skirt-merona, booties-random)
 Also, did I mention, I made a wicked Reese Cup Cheesecake last night, and have decided that Reese Cups are glorious things indeed. :)

Peace. Love. Joy.

Wedding Obsessed.

I love weddings, and recently have become obsessed with wedding gowns....maybe, it's because I can't stand the cliché-ness that wedding gowns have become (you know, strapless, strapless, oh hey--strapless!). I have always wanted something elegant, victorian inspired, and just plain creative! Not that I am getting married any day soon, but here is some amazing inspiration I've found:

How gorgeous are these dresses?! Ahh--brilliance!

Here's to having Vera Wang design my dress one day...

one can wish ;)

Peace. Love. Joy.

Stalking Kate && Versace.

The one and only Kate Middleton stepped out the other day to attend a charity event, solo, in the place of Prince Charles. I just had to post pictures, because she of course looked effortlessly gorgeous, and her dress was to die for.

And, in other news....Versace is coming to H&M! Woo Hoo! Here are some of the items from the collection to get you prepared & lusting!

It hits stores November 17th, so get prepared ;)

Peace. Love. Joy.

Tom Ford

Sunday night OWN presented their series, Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind....this week it featured Tom Ford. To be honest, I hardly knew much about the man (I know, sad)--maybe it's because I am too obsessed with Karl Lagerfeld haha ;) Alas, after watching the program, I can now officially say Tom is on my list of top 10 designers. Not mearly because, he in fact is a brilliant designer, but because he has got some wisdom when it comes to life as well. I love, and respect people with depth, and could be won over instantly to ones cause (or art), with just a little conversation about what makes them do what what they do, and what they live for.
My motto: if you're going to do something--do it with purpose. No better way to live life.

Here is the video look book for Tom's Autumn/Winter 2011 collection, and below are some of my favorite quotes from his interview on OWN.

“Fashion for me isn’t just clothes. It can be a mirror of where we are culturally at a moment of time. Or it can be an indicator of where we are going.”

“We convince people they aren’t perfect enough….we promote materialism, which ultimately ins’t something that brings you happiness in the world.”

“The most important things in life are your connections to other people.”

Style for me is someone who figures out who they are, what works on them; what they feel good in. And, develops that…. develops their character. The outer expression of their character is their style.”

“You’ve got to figure out what you love in life. You’ve got to do what you love.”

I, for one, walked away extremely inspired, and a total fan of Tom Ford.

p.s. I wasn't able to take pictures at the performance of Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center (and trust me I tried!). It was brilliant though--I LOVE that story. Such a classic :)

Happy Hump Day!

Peace. Love. Joy.

Ray of Hope.

Here is a story of a girl who was rescued, not once, but twice from the grip of sex trafficking, by IJM.

On December 8th, I will be at a benefit dinner in D.C. to support this wonderful non-profit, who are risking their lives to see justice done, and rescue innocent victims of trafficking.

The dinner is $125, but well worth it! I am trying to fill up a table of 10 people, so please contact me if you're interested :)

Enjoy your day! Make a difference where you can today--the simple things change the world.

Peace. Love. Joy.

Random Blessings.

Happy Sunday! Today, I am blessed to be able to go see Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center in D.C. I am really excited to spend time with my Mom and sister and enjoy an incredible performance :)
(I'll make sure to post pictures later this week!) For now, here is some Pinterest inspiration:

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day!

Peace. Love. Joy.

Simplicity.

 Today I spent my morning in one of my favorite spots in the mountains, overlooking my city. It's the most gorgeous place. Especially in the fall, when all the leaves have changed into their beautiful colors. I have long been a fan of the great Thoreau, and so every moment in nature first brings me back to God's beautiful artwork, secondly to the deep philosophical words of Henry David. It brings me back to the place of simplicity. And, simplicity is where I often find the most joy.

                                                              (Poncho-Forever 21)
Photography done by the great Katelyn Smoot, featured here. Check her out, she is phenomenal.

                    "In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity."
                                                                    (Henry Longfellow)
Peace. Love. Joy.

Spotlight: Kate Winslet.

Kate Winslet is the new face for St. John, and I am a longstanding fan of the brilliant woman, thus she is the spotlight for this month :) Kate is not just a brilliant actress; standing out in the swarm of cliche acting that has become Hollywood these days, but she is all together a brilliant person as well. I love her sense of identity and love for herself, her ability to not become jaded in such a shallow industry. Kate promotes such a healthy body image in a world polluted with dysfunctional messages about how a woman's body should be. She stands out in the crowd, and for that I applaud her. And, I mean, seriously the woman is just plain gorgeous!

Here is a behind the scenes video for the St. John Fall 2011 ad campaign:

Kate, if you're out there--I'd love to do coffee someday ;) Dream come true right there--what an incredible woman!

Have an amazing day everyone, tomorrow's Friday, that is reason enough to have an incredible day!
Peace. Love. Joy.

IJM.

Hey guys! Hope this Tuesday is treating you real good :)

I know you've heard me talk about IJM before, and here I go again, they are certainly one of my favorite non-profits and I am in love with their hearts, vision, and courage.

I'd like to encourage you to go to their website and browse, learn a bit about human trafficking, as well as what IJM is doing to end it and see justice served. And, maybe if you've got a few extra bucks lying around every month, become a supporter, and help them to do what they do.

Also, for those in the D.C. area, there is a benefit dinner on December 8th, if I can get 10  people to go we can fill a table, and enjoy a night of fun as well as benefitting something wonderful. Tickets are a bit pricey--at $125, but so worth it. If it's in your heart to attend, let me know and I can send you the information.
In the meantime enjoy this video, friends!


IJM - Introduction Video from International Justice Mission on Vimeo.

Here is some inspiration I've been feeling lately--I so love Victorian-esque things, as well as classy, royalty inspired things! (maybe, it's all this Kate Middleton talk--who knows!)

Stay classy, my friends!
And, make sure to check out IJM
Peace. Love. Joy.