Kind Regards

In recent months, I have been practicing yoga at Devotion Yoga. For one hour, I let the outside world slip away and silence my scattered thoughts (which is not easy for someone who tends to think A LOT!) While I have yet to achieve the famous Jen Aniston body (maybe it's due to the fact that I don't have a nutritionist and a trainer at my finger tips - or maybe I just have to give up on that dream!), I find this peaceful hour (in a not-so-peaceful day) extremely rewarding. It's a time to step back from the chaos and focus all of my energy on the present.

Last week my teacher Julie shared this quote about kindness prior to class. It really hit a nerve with me. The truth is, most of us overlook kindness. Hopefully this will make you think twice (it sure made me!)

"Kindess is one of the most undervalued commodities.  Which is too bad, because it doesn't take much to turn the day around.  I wonder if we overlook kindness because its so simple.  What's really involved?  Someone needs something, we help.  Someone feels low, we console.  Someone trips, we catch them.  There's a need, we respond.  Then the other person's grateful and relieved,and we're happy knowing we could help. Kindness is a low effort, high return exchange."

Happy Wednesday!

DIY: Oscar Party

Working for celebrity weekly magazines (In Touch + Life&Style), we take award show season very seriously, and of course, the Oscars called for a celebration! For the past week, my team and I have worked diligently to prepare an A-list Oscar Party leading up to Hollywood's most buzzed about night of the year. Take a look at Friday's festivities!

Hosting your very own Oscar Party this Sunday? Check out my tips for hosting a star-worthy soiree.

Create custom invitations  + 
ballots inspired by real Oscar invitations.

Design or purchase a faux Oscar statue and display  
vintage popcorn buckets (sold for $1/piece here) chock 
full of the salty snack. I recommend popcorn from here! 

Treat guests to festive cupcakes or cookies.
Each of these have an iconic movie quote stamped 
on them. Totally obsessed! Purchase here.

Eleni's cupcakes come in a box of 12. A little pricey, but
 they are so worth the look (and taste!)

Toast to the most glamorous night in Tinseltown! 
Purchase an inexpensive bottle of champagne and create
 custom labels with copy that plays off of Oscar lingo.

Don't forget to give the beer drinkers some love!

Purchase a faux red carpet here, and use
 it as a table runner. Sprinkle gold stars confetti
across the table to add some glitz and glamour!

A paparazzi wall (seen here on the back of our 
conference room door) allows guests to pose 
like their favorite celeb as they enter the party!

Festive decorations may include cutouts of 
clapboards, movie reels, movie cameras, 
movie posters and more!

Loving Lately

While it's been some time since I last posted a Loving Lately feature,  I have yet to stop collecting inspiration via magazines, Pinterest, people and places. Without further ado, here is what I am loving lately!

{Laurence Amelie art is my new obsession!}

{The "New Black Pencils"}

{Rachel Roy's Ghana Clutch. Do good + look good!)

{Bungee-cord inspired bracelets}

{An intimate and honest look into the life of American icon, JFK Jr. This Devil Wears Prada meets Cinderella story is a must read!}

TGIF

It's 4:30 pm on a Friday - before a long weekend. This 100% sums up how I am feeling right about now. VT tonight. Have a great long weekend everyone!

What's Love Got to Do with It?

Throughout my single and non-single years, Valentine’s Day has always stirred up certain emotions and expectations, and I 100% blame Hallmark and Disney for that. It’s ridiculous that the girl at the office who doesn’t have flowers at her desk has to go home feeling a little bit sorry for herself on February 14th (and yes, I have been that girl!)

Without the fuss and frill of it all (the roses, the chocolate, and the absurd teddy bears), to me, Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love (for the couples out there), believing in love (for all of the single ladies), not giving up on love (for those of you who are frustrated with the process of meeting someone), and to appreciate the love that you already have all around you (from your friends, family and co-workers).

As a little girl, I always dreamed of the day that I would live happily ever after. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t shocked when the process wasn’t as easy as getting rescued from a tower and being swooped off my feet. I was a bit naive. I have certainly had my own trials and tribulations while searching for my ‘prince charming’. The thoughts of ‘Know one will ever understand me’ and ‘I will never meet anyone who is one the same page as me’ or ‘I am not attracted to anyone in NYC’ or ‘What if he doesn’t like me as much as I like him?’ consumed me at times. Throughout these moments of self doubt, I always collected inspirational quotes about love. Some make me laugh and some make my heart melt.

Today, whatever stage of love you are in, I hope you get some pleasure (no pun intended!) out of these!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Ski Town with Soul

A guy we met on the chairlift said it best. "Telluride (compared to the Aspen's, Park City's and Vail's of the country) is a ski town with soul." I couldn't agree more. After less than a day in Colorado's San Juan mountains, also home to Ralph Lauren's 25,000 acre estate (if you saw him on Oprah, you can understand the 'wow' factor), I was in love. So much so I still contemplate how I could make a living if I moved there? The aesthetically gorgeous landscape and downtown (so breath-taking, I felt like I was on a movie set) paired with over-friendly folks, restaurants glowing with roaring fire places and rustic character, unexpectedly delicious food + cocktails, great skiing (and of course apres skiing), and the fact that we had to take a gondola to get to/from the town at night, put this quaint ski town on the top of my list as one of my favorite (most romantic) places I have ever been.

Oh The Places You (Should) Go: The Chop House, The Sheridan Hotel Bar, Allreds, Al Pino Vino, There, Siam, Tom Boy Tavern, 221 South Oak

Take a look for yourself!