Wednesday Wishlist

While I tend to favor necklaces and bracelets that are more on the clunky side, when it comes to rings, I love dainty pieces.  I came across these Bario Neal rings via A Cup of Jo and am now obsessed!! And the prices are totally affordable on some pieces.  My birthday is still a bit away but I will surely let the hubs read this post around that time :) #spoilingmyselfmoment

  

E-Design: Earthy & Warm

A friend of mine from Aspen, Stephanie asked me if I could put together a collection of pillows for her neutral toned sectional.  She said that she likes earthy and warm tones for her home.  Here's what I put together for Stephanie~ (I threw in the antlers to lighten up the earthy and warm tones, and also because she's in Colorado after all!)

a. sectional// b. grey pillow// c. red white and blue pillow// d. red ombre pillow (sold out but similar here)//  e. stripey pillow// f. faux antlers

Business Casual

Good Monday~ Hope you all had a great weekend. It was one sweltering weekend here in Philly and I totally embraced it by being outside all day on Saturday. More on that later this week.  

This Friday, I'll be traveling for work; a big 3 day conference in Maryland. The vibe will be business casual and laid back as there will be a lot of down time and most attendants will be bringing their family members.  A friend of mine, Kelley is also attending this conference and asked if I could do a post on what to wear. I was happy to receive this request because who doesn't worry about what to wear to a business conference?!

a. Sabine Laurel Embroidered Tank// b. J.Crew Merino Tippi Sweater in Trompe L'Oeil// C. Marc Jacobs Taboo Print Scarf// d. Report Monquee Sandal// e. Soludos grey espadrilles

f. Rebecca Minkoff Jacket// g. J.Crew (yikes - sold out!!)// h. Rebecca Minkoff Bonnie Satchel// i. Kate Spade New York Kiki// j. Rhyme Los Angeles Floral Swing Dress

TGIF - Whatcha Up To?

TGIF!! How was your 4th? Based on all of the fun photos I saw from Facebook and Instagram, I think most of you did enjoy your day off.    

I am so loving the early summer mornings when all is quiet and the sun is as bright as it can be. Today's one of those days. 
It would be all so perfect if I didn't have to go to work! 

Here's a glimpse into my wishful summer menu and wear.
Happy weekending~  

photos:  brunch (my instagram); Cold Soba Noodle Salad; Laicie's (from 1000 Threads) watermelon wine popsicles; Perfect Summer Salad (from A House In the Hills - my latest blog crush)

breezy// comfy// sassy// ooh-la-la pretty

Happy 4th of July~

image via here

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY~  
Hope you guys have a great one!  I may actually try hitting the pool for the first time this summer.  Oy, the fear of wearing swimsuits...  whatever, I'll get over it.

Breathe Through It

image via here

So, I JUST came back from a vacation and I JUST talked about feeling more relaxed, happier, etc.  But yesterday was a tough one as I learned that my dog, Speedz will need further evaluation(s) and additional medicine due to his recent diagnosis of a rare autoimmune disease, pemphigus vulgaris. While Speedz has started to eat again, we noticed that he can no longer jump up to the couch or my car, and has lost weight (almost 3 lbs).  Speedz' doctor confirmed that these were all due to his illness and the meds he's taking.  <sigh>  

The above quote and image kinda hits the spot as far as my approach on how to get through this difficult time.  Just BREATHE through it. 

Oh, btw, did I tell you how badly I'm counting down to 4th of July?  Yeah, it's like the day after tomorrow.  YAY!!!  

Summer in Aspen- part II

So I had this huge ambition to check in regularly with y'all during my vacation.  Yeah, that didn't happen.  Mainly because every day, we were out and about, hiking up a trail, hanging out in town, and going to bed completely worn out from all the fun we had.  We did actually do some work as well.  Such is the downfall of having a smartphone, carrying our laptops, and being able to connect to work remotely.  But I won't complain.  We truly enjoyed every day of our vacation in Aspen.  And I want to thank our family and friends (old and new), for making our stay so much fun. You know who you are - thank you, miss you, and love you all. 

We caught really early flights in the morning both to and back from Aspen.  Needless to say, we were totally out of it. And at times, just darn goofy. 

I have been dreaming of seeing Yo-Yo Ma perform live since way back when I saw him perform Bach cello suites on PBS (like 2000 or even earlier). My dream came true on day 2 of the Aspen Ideas Festival, which I was lucky enough to attend.  I was three rows away from the stage.  Although Yo-Yo only played for a couple of minutes and the session was more of an interview/discussion, I still enjoyed the experience tremendously.  I will see him again in August at the Tanglewood music festival.  I swear, I'm not stalking this guy.

We also hiked the Rim Trail, which wasn't as difficult as the Ute Trail. But it did take us forever to finish. For those who want the short and sweet version of hiking, Hunter Creek trail will hit the spot.  

The above is the sunset on our last night in Aspen.  We returned to the Aspen Music Tent (aka Benedict Music Tent) to watch the Aspen Philharmonic perform.  Man, that was an amazing experience!!  That was my first time attending an orchestra performance. This is somewhat of an embarrassing admission because I grew up listening to and playing classical music (piano)but to this date, never attended a classical music performance. <Feeling Lame-O!> 

Well, all good things must come to an end.  And so our vacation did.  While I spent my weekend in the full trenches of my normal routine, i.e. work, laundry, grocery shopping, etc., I did feel more energized, relaxed, and happier than I've been for some time.  Vacation did done me some good! 

Have a great week~~ and happy countdown to 4th of July!