Frothy

Good morning! Happy Monday. Did you watch the Oscars this weekend? I did for a bit, and I was eager to see what kinds of gowns would come down the red carpet before the awards. After all the sparkle at the Golden Globes earlier this year, I wondered whether actresses would switch things up. The pretty theme seems to be going strong -- and I love it! Mila Kunis's lacy purple Elie Saab dress was my favorite of the night. And Halle Berry, Mandy Moore, Hilary Swank and Florence Welch all looked stunning in gowns that were flowy, feathery, sparkly and just very, very pretty.

Photos from here.

A Moving Experience

Today, I am grateful for inspiration and the many places it can be found. Recently, I had the chance to see a Parsons Dance performance. During the show, I was completely mesmerized by the athletic and expressive dancers, the music, the imagery on a large backdrop screen -- and the way all three worked so beautifully together. I've long been a fan of dance, but this performance moved me in a new way and left me incredibly inspired. If I have an opportunity to see them again, I'll do it in a heartbeat.

Here's wishing everyone a weekend full of inspiration!

Photo from here.

A Gesture

I've been thinking a lot lately about how people show their love for one another. An ongoing issue between my husband and me is that we misinterpret -- or miss altogether -- each other's signals. He think he's being expressive and I think he's being cold. I believe I'm giving him space and he wonders if I'm mad about something. It's hard!

But one gesture he offers that I actually pick up on is when he makes smoothies. He takes bananas, yogurt and frozen fruit and turns them into delicious concoctions that are the best things I eat. I realize they're sort of a pain to make, so when he surprises me with one in the morning, I know it means something. And I take it as "I love you."

The February issue of Real Simple has some creative smoothie ideas. Check 'em out here.

Photos from here, here, here and here.

Little Things

I'm often reminded of the big impact of small things: the power of a smile, a hug, a letter in the mail, a good meal, a great hair day. And I believe the same approach can be applied to homes. Living with a few items -- and people and pets -- that I love matters more than the size, style or cost of my house. But it's neat to see how much difference a print, pattern or other detail makes in a room.

This Los Angeles home, featured on Apartment Therapy, made me think more about this. The rug in the living room, curtains in the dining room and shower curtain in the bathroom add a lot of impact and interest. And, seriously, how adorable is their sleepy dog?

Photos from here.

Spring Ahead

Okay, that's it, I'm ready for spring to be here! I'm going to ignore the fact that we had another snowstorm today ... and the reality that it's only February and spring's a ways off. No matter. I'm at least going to start thinking about spring fashion. I'm obsessed with the Chloe spring 2011 ready-to-wear collection, showcased on style.com. The flowy skirts and streamlined tops are perfection. The white looks will surely inspire me as the weather warms. But I have to believe the darker, warmer blush tones could work a little sooner.

Here's what I'd love to be wearing now ...

... and wearing a bit later.

Photos from here.

Happy Weekend!

It's Friday at last and the weekend is nearly here. I'm hoping for a few days of relaxing and getting caught up in a new book. Have you read anything good lately? I always love suggestions.

Have a great weekend!

Photo from here. (Isn't M.Fayre's work stunning?)

Girl Time

Today, I am grateful for the small but delightful fact that the E! network has been playing reruns of Sex and the City. I'd forgotten how great that show is, especially the older episodes. Watching Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha navigate love, sex, relationships, friendships and life in New York City feels like reconnecting with old friends! It's making me think about all the adventures I've had with my girls.

Color!

The other day over on the lovely AB Chao blog, a colorful piece of artwork caught my eye. I had to see more so I hopped on artist Meredith Pardue's website. Her work is gorgeous! The forms in her paintings may be organic but her colors are otherworldly. Have a look:

Photos from here.

Love

Love can be grand gestures -- roses and gifts and declarations of devotion. But sometimes the most beautiful signs of love are small, regular moments made special because you're together. The latter was the type of weekend I got to spend with my husband and our dog. A particularly nice point was yesterday when the sun was shining, the snow was melting and we went for a walk. It was perfect.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Photos by me.

Aflutter

Here's to a Valentine's weekend filled with romance, love and a few sexy, sweet and fluttery pieces.

* Tinley Road one-shoulder top

* Kate Spade flower ring

* Forever 21 feather headband

* Anthropologie lingerie set

* Cosabella for J. Crew bra

* Banana Republic ballet flat

* Gap tank

* Badgley Mischka sandals

* Forever 21 peep toes

Reset

It's a sleepy installment of Weekly Gratitude! The past two weeks have been quite hectic at work, but I'm glad to say a big project is done and now I'm enjoying a few days out of town. The extra stress recently has given me a new appreciation for a few things:

* The utterly restorative abilities of a hot bath after a cold, challenging day

* The quiet, check-back-in-with-yourself opportunity of time spent alone

* A fluffy hotel bed with mounds of pillows that encourages rest

* The bliss of curling up with a thick new magazine

* The fun of getting away coupled with a desire to come back home to the ones I love most

Photo by me (and my iPhone).

Chicago Chic

I'm heading to Chicago today, and in honor of this little trip I thought I'd poke around a sleek Chicago home, featured on Apartment Therapy. I love the clean aesthetic and bold artwork, and a pink kitchen isn't something you see every day. Enjoy!

Photos from here.

You Are Here

Wouldn't this print make a great valentine? Somewhere between Kiss Me Avenue and Forever Street, I realized I was charmed.

Photo from here.

Hooray

Hooray for the Packers, for the lessons of hard work and reaching far for a goal, and for the inspiring words of Coach Lombardi.

Find more Lombardi quotes here.

Time to Shine

It's a sparkly dose of Weekly Gratitude this week! With this weekend comes a ball that's held in my city every winter. My husband and I are going with a group of my friends from work, and I can't wait! I love getting all dolled up and seeing my husband looking debonaire in a dark suit.

Although I always love dressing up for this event, I kept myself to a pretty limited budget this year. I decided to go with a short, colorful, one-shoulder dress that I nabbed after the holidays at J.C. Penney, a new pair of sparkly heels from DSW and black accessories I already had. Here's a look:

Wishing a happy, glam weekend to all!

Patterns

Today my city has a snow day. Nearly everyone is tucked in at home. Although a lot of us will probably try to do some work, I suspect our pace will be different. I hope we slip into new rhythms and take note of the patterns around us as our normal setting is altered.

Pattern is what first attracted me to the incredible artwork by Barcelona illustrator Judy Kaufmann. She captures the dance of buildings, quirks of individuals, beautiful growth of trees and the hypnotic, chaotic, wonderful movement all around us (and her blog is pretty great too). Have a look:

Photos from here.

Just Enough

Apparently my yearning for spring was a bit premature. We just got smacked with another snowstorm. But it's actually very pretty and we're happily holed up at home, taking a bit more time than usual to ease into a Tuesday.

I'm not usually one for touches of rustic in design, but this home by m. elle design is pretty spectacular. I wouldn't mind spending a few snow days here.

Photos from here.