Cure For The Summer Time Blues

What better way to cure the summer time blues that giving back to your community??  If you are down and out because the heat has you staying indoors, then perhaps you should get out there and volunteer, preferably in air conditioning.

I am in Junior League and this year, I have the honor of being Community Chair for Faith In Action Caregivers-West Austin.  The good news is, that they are a NATIONAL organization.  Training is only an hour and half and you get to pick how often you want to volunteer  You can even sign up for shifts the day before if your schedule is sporadic.

What is the great non profit you ask?  Well, you get to drive the elderly to their appointments or assist them in grocery shopping. It really is designed to help them maintain some sort of independence.  Some of these people have no family in or around Austin.  Some have no family at all.  Sad, I know.  Not only are you helping them run their errands, but you are giving them companionship that we, as humans, so desperately need for sound mind.  

You can drive around the same person each week or month or sign up for a different person each time.  I plan on volunteering for this organization long after my placement is fulfilled.

No matter where you are reading this blog from, you are likely able to find a branch near you.

For more information on Faith In ActionCaregivers, please visit:  http://driveasenior.org

There are so many great places to volunteer during the summer.  And places will even let you bring your kids, if you have them, to teach them to get involved while they are young!  Some other great places to volunteer in the summer are:

SunShine Camps on Austin http://www.sunshinecamps.org

Big Brother, Big Sister  http://www.bbbs.org

SPCA  http://www.centraltexasspca.org

Girlstart http://www.girlstart.org

Just to name a few.  If you have any spare time this summer I strongly encourage you to give back.  It's the right thing to do and you get back what you put out there into the world.  If you are always helping others then you will always find others helping you when you need it most.  I believe that we are put on this earth to help those who are unable to help themselves!! Happy volunteering!

Xoxo,

B

Writing Thank You Notes…A Lost Art

It saddens me to hear that cursive handwriting is becoming a lost art.  Along with it has gone the art of writing Thank You notes.  Call me old fashioned...I have written thank you notes for as long as I can remember.  It's disappointing to me how often people DON'T send them. I have been to two weddings where the bride never sent a thank you note.  Is this a new trend?  Well it certainly isn't one I will be following nor encourage.  It's manners people, those are NEVER out of style!

Late notes are better than no note at all, however, the proper etiquette is to send one either the day of or at least within a few days after and event or receiving a gift from someone (except after a wedding obviously).  In even more formal situations I will even send a thank you to a host who invited me to a nice event and let them know how nice it was or send one to let someone know it was nice to meet them. 

Help to keep Thank You notes alive. It only takes about 1-2 minutes to do so and the recipient will appreciate you for it.  Send one out to someone who has done something for you lately.  Even if it was just a nice visit with a girlfriend for happy hour cocktails.  My closest and best friends, we all send each other sweet nothings in the mail on a regular basis.  Another perk to doing so... it helps the people who work at the USPS to keep their job!

A few great places to pick up some Thank You stationary:
Target
Paper Source
Paper Place
Barnes & Noble
Book People
Papyrus

My favorite Stationary brands:

Crane & Co:  http://www.crane.com/search?searchTerms=thank+you

Kate Spade: http://www.katespade.com/cute-stationery/stationery-paper/99-thank-you-cards/TC7111,default,pd.html

Papyrus:  http://www.papyrusonline.com/stationery-1/boxed-thank-you-notes.html

Every time I am out and find some that I like, I buy it…you can never have enough of those laying around! 

Xoxo,
B

Europe Observations….

When traveling to another country you never quite know what to expect.  You can do all of the research in the world (as I did to be over prepared)  and still be a bit taken a back at what you find once you arrive!  If you have traveled to Europe, reading this post may be a huge waste of your time because you already know everything I am posting.  This is more for those who haven't so they can have realistic expectations when they visit.  Also, everyone has a different experience when traveling, so it is possible that I experienced things you may or may not!  Also, please note that these are not in any particular order...

Here are a few observations that I made while traveling through Europe:

• Women,  no matter how wealthy wear simple gold bands as wedding rings or very petite diamonds (when I say petite I mean .25 carat or less!  I found it to be very classy and understated, since getting home, I have even been wearing a simple stack of gold or gold and silver bands as my wedding ring.  They just aren't flashy over there like we are here.   It's refreshing.

• I was a bit disappointed with most of the fashion that I saw or didn't see in Paris.  Although there were a handful of outfits that I would have killed to blog about.  Those handful were the type of people I went there to see.  When I saw them I said to Chris, "I need a picture of her or him for my blog".  Unfortunately, they walk so quickly, that by the time my camera was out, all I could capture was them walking away :- /. To get a picture I would have had to stop them in their tracks and ask them for a photo and risk looking  like a "stalker-azzi" or a "fashion creeper". I'm just NOT there yet! Oh my goodness, and this one guy was wearing the most French outfit I had ever seen on a man. He even had a French Bull dog to go with it!  So I really do apologize for not being able to get you fashion lovers any Authentic French Fashion Photos. C'est la Vie!  (sorry for my fashion rant)...

• Italy and the South of France look very similar.

• They don't bleep out curse words on the "Telly."  Which was shocking but awesome at the same time.  Reality TV in London was "REALITY TV" thanks to being able to watch an uninhibited curse fest!!

• Knowing their language really does make them treat you better.  I don't speak it fluently, I only had three months to learn it.  Luckily it was good enough to get us by!  Also, they really do appreciate it when you come to their country and try.  They get annoyed if you "EXPECT" them to know English.

• The women there don't appear to bleach their hair, over Botox or have dramatic surgeries (says the girl with a BA). Very natural looking.  And most women are brunettes.which I tend to love since I live in a sea of blondes in the states!  They also all have a very small bust and are extremely thin, in a healthy looking way.

• They wear their scarves in the most gorgeous of ways that I have never seen done in America.  And they all look different, there isn't a "staple" French way to wear it.  Being the scarf lover that I am…I really appreciated this detail.

• They love American culture,  they even have Judge Judy... They could have left that one across the pond!  However, they think of us as tacky and uncouth.  They don't dress or act like us, just watch our entertainment and listen to our music!  Except for Converse…they LOVE Converse.

• British commercials are awesome,  like watching Super Bowl commercials all the time only better and wildly inappropriate!

• British Telly is very low budget but good, goes to show it's not how much you spend but the quality of the content.

• Things aren't over edited there.  Again, things seem so authentic, which I love.

• People are incredibly friendly! You get what you put out! In Paris and London.  Except in the South of France, they are just rude and seem miserable!

• You must ask for the check,  they don't rush you and will not bring it unless asked to do so.  They think it's rude that we do that in America.

• Everyone looks at your feet to see if you're American.  They all looked weirded out when I would speak French with my American accent, they look at your feet to see if you are dressed American.  They got confused when I wasn't.  By the end of the trip they were even bringing us French menus because we blended so well.  Doing your research is always a good idea:).  Very glad I did that!

• They drive on the same side of the road and car as us in France..in case you were wondering.  However, I almost got run over by a double decker red bus in London because I am so used to looking the opposite way when crossing the street.  I learned my lesson VERY quickly our first day.

• Toilet flushes are all unique.  Every single toilet is neat and like any I have ever seen in America.

• They literally smoke everywhere in Paris.  It's gross at first but you really do just get used to it and eventually you like the smell…very strange, especially for this dramatic cougher when someone near me lights up!

• They force desert and cafe  (coffee) on you!  You order desert, they bring you a desert after desert, so don't waste your money ordering desert because no matter what, they will bring you something sweet at the end of your meal and it's always delicious.

• They eat so much bread, not sure how they stay skinny, it must be all of the walking they do.  

• People cross the street even when cars are coming and cars are expected to stop.  They will walk right in front of cars with their noses up in the air, it's scary!

• No honking ever in Paris.  At least not while we were there.  They are very patient with one another and respectful with each other.  We could learn from their good communication with each other.

• French couples argue in public, a lot. They yell loudly too..it's quite awkward at first.  We never saw the British do that, they spoke very softly.

• Homeless people here are actually quite destitute.  No legs, missing limbs.  It's very sad but you don't see many of them.  Make our homeless people look pretty fortunate.

• Service is amazing here contrary to popular belief!  We had better service in London and France than we have ever had in the states….it was a pleasant surprise.

• Fashion in Nice is terrible (thats not fair to say,  its just not my taste) .  I'd compare it to South Beach or Jersey Shore. Yikes!

And that's all folks!

Xoxo,

B

It's Been A While...

I apologize for my absence lately, LIFE has been happening!  Since we got home from Europe, things have been CRAZY!   When you leave town for three weeks, you pay for it severely once you get home.  The fun part is having lunches, dinners and happy hours with friends to catch up!

I have been so bad about taking pics before I go out so I only have a couple to share with you today.  To make up for my lack of posts lately, I am putting a lot of looks and links in ONE big long post!! 

 I am in the midst of figuring out a solution to my embarrassingly low quality self portraits.  I am thinking weekly photo shoots with the clothes and having a photographer (aka my darling husband) take them for me and post one every day or so.  That way I can give you guys better quality on here.  I appreciate you bearing with me ;).

I was so excited to come home to these gems...I ordered these shoes for our Europe trip and they didn't arrive in Austin until two days after we landed in Europe.  Luckily I have the Hamptons coming up so I can sport them there, after wearing them here, it's a bit too hot!  Aren't they EVERYTHING?!?!  Again, we know I am obsessed with all things monogram, so of course I got my initials placed on the top.  These shoes are custom  and hand made from Germany.  Ordering them was a feat in and of itself!  Then they took 6 weeks to make and another 3 to get to me…totally worth it though! They come in so many colors that I am definitely going to have to order more colors.  If you order them, keep in mind that the price is in Euro's..not dollars!  http://www.blissany.com/schoshoes-helene.html

Here I am wearing my new shoes on my way to chop my hair!  No more top knot tutorials for me for a while!  Loving white and neutral colors this season, they look so clean and cool together.

Shirt: Zara

Necklace: Alexis Bittar

Earrings: Kendra Scott

Ring: Kendra Scott

Jeans: J Brand

Shoes: Scho Shoes

Here I am right after chopping off my locks…10 whole inches!!  It took some getting used to, once I got the hang of styling it.  Hair by Farah Reid at I Love You Pink Salon.

About to go to dinner with a girl friend, feeling sassy in red!  Maxi's are a great way to dress up an outfit but still be super comfy and cool in the summer.  It's all about comfort in our Texas heat!  However, you don't have to compromise style for comfort, you CAN have it all!!

Top: Zara

Ring: Kendra Scott

Earrings: Kendra Scott

Belt: Target

Skirt: Etsy

Shoes: Tory Burch

A few months back I was asked to judge a pageant.  Luckily I had the perfect dress for the occasion.  While we were in London, Chris bought me this great Ted Baker dress at Harrod's as one of my birthday presents!  This dress was so awesome that I didn't even add many accessories to jazz it up, it was designed with the perfect amount of flare!  Those built in modern shoulder pads and peplum ruffle are rockin'!  Can we please talk about that bright gold zipper that you can use as a teaser?  Show as little or as much as you please.  Zip it to match your style!  Find it here: http://www.tedbaker-london.com/store/womens/zip-detail-dress-GD06-WS3W-JAMTHUN-00.html

Earrings: Chanel
Dress: Ted Baker
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Bangle: Neiman Marcus Cusp

Grabbing coffee with a  friend , running errands and then volunteering, needed to be comfy and look nice for my little old ladies I drive around!

Sweater: J Crew

Pants: J Crew

Pearls: Nordstrom

Shoes: Chanel

Here I am on the lake..we are trying to enjoy our boat a little more often.  Ordered this suit 4 months ago and it finally came in while we were in Europe too!  Came home to so many goodies :)  Get your monogrammed bikini here:  http://www.tinytulip.com/monogrammed-bandeau-bathing-suit-tube-top

Suit: Tiny Tulip

Earrings: Tiffany & Co.

Sunnies: Chanel

Off to dinner with friends.  Mixing a classic peplum top with some fun bright colored pants adds a modern touch to a timeless look.  And I cannot stress enough how important red pumps are to own!  They add so much sass to any outfit! Business at the top, party at the bottom…or something of that nature!

Top: J Crew
Necklace: J Crew
Pants: J Crew
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Still crazy for polka dots and cork!  BTW, I wore my pearl earrings with this to go with the polka dot look.  One of the many weird things I think of to complete my everyday looks.  It's a beautiful Saturday outside and it's expected to be a scorching 106 today…needless to say, I am dressing for the occasion!  And boy am I feeling some East Coast Inspiration...

Earrings: Tiffany & Co Pearls
Necklace: MK Designs
Shirt: Zara
Shorts: J Crew
Cork Belt: J Crew
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Cork Bangle: J Crew
Feather Ring: J Crew
Watch: Kate Spade


Stay tuned for my "Europe Observations", I made a list while I was visiting just for YOU!

Xoxo,
B

Channeling Princess Grace

Yesterday we drove to Italy (my motherland) and drive to Grimaldi.  it was beautiful but didn't look much different than the South of France.

Dress: J Crew

Belt: BCBG

Scarf: Hermès

Car: 1956 Mercedes SL190 ;)

After Italy,  we ventured back to Monaco.  I love this city,  under our hotel were all of my favorite shops. (Prada, Cartier, Chanel, Hermès to name a few...)  We did some shopping and exploring before going to dinner at le Vistamar on the Terrace of the Heritagehotel.  It was a beautiful ending to our Eurotrip!

Sunnies: Chanel

Dress: Madewell

Belt: BCBG

Scarf: Hermès

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

So we woke up in Monaco at 2:30 AM this morning and just landed in Chicago it's 2:30 PM Chicago time and my body thinks its 10:30 pm!  We have a three hour layover,  then we are off to Austin!  By the time we get to bed I will have been awake 24 hours....Cannot wait to get home, see our dogs and sleep in our own bed!  Europe was amazing but so happy to be back on US soil!

We took this pic leaving the hotel early this morning.  My travel outfit...

Top: Twenty

Leggings: J Crew

Shoes: Tory Burch

Super comfy but ultra American with my sailor stripes;)!  Too tired to type anymore.  I'll be back to blogging about fashion as soon as I get some rest! 

 Xoxo,

B

Spontaneity Is the Spice of Life!

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post.  We have been changing cities almost daily since being in the South of France, so there's rarely time to blog!

Here we are, heading to the train station in Paris.

Sunnies: Chanel
Scarf:  Shop in Paris
Top: Zara
Bangle: Hermes

Since my last post,  we have visited Nice, Cannes & St Tropez.  We rented a sweet little 1956 Mercedes SL 190 and have been cruising to nearby hot spots!

Cruising our ride to the city of Grasse to visit the Fragonard Perfumier Museum!

Sunnies Chanel

Earrings: Chanel

Scarf: Tory Burch

Trench: Burberry

Top: J Crew

In Cannes!

Bikini: Vix

When Chris and I travel,  we are known for driving an hour or two away from our hotel to a cool spot and deciding to stay with nothing but the clothes we wore to town! Yesterday, we drove to St Tropez and laid out on the beach all afternoon.  We then decided to stay the night.  It's an hour and a half away from our hotel in Nice,  so staying the night sounded more fun than driving back at the end of the day!

In St Tropez

Fedora: J Crew

Top: Zara

Pants: Nordstrom

Beach Bag: Bought in a shop in St Tropez

In St Tropez

Bathing Suit:Vix

Fedora: J Crew

Sunnies: Chanel

Luckily St Tropez is known as a tiny city with big city amenities.  They have to be with the kind of people that frequent there. So since all we had were the clothes on our backs, we had to do some shopping to buy all of the comforts of home for the night.  Unfortunately for Chris,  I'm not low maintenance!

By the end of our shopping trip  to buy toiletries, perfume, makeup, clothes & undies, it was time to shower and hit the town.

We enjoyed a late dinner and walking through the tiny streets of this vintage town!

We woke up to the most beautiful ocean view and had breakfast over looking the Mediterranean!

St Tropez, view from our room.

After that, we headed back to Nice to catch some sun and spend the day on the beach here.

In Nice

Bathing Suit: Robin Piccone

Back in Nice.

We found all of this amazing Sea Glass!  I was obsessed,  the ocean just happens to producer glass in all of my favorite colors!:)

Off to bed now,  I'm sun burned, tired & we are heading to Monaco and Italy tomorrow!  After that,  we are heading home to see our furry babies!! 

Xoxo, 
B

Queen of Versailles & Maison Chanel

Today we woke up early to go visit Versailles.  It was quite the place.  Seeing the Hall of Mirrors in person was really neat.  They are restoring the fountains and a portions of the Palace.  I honestly could have done the gardens alone and skipped the inside!

Our main reason for going was to ride bikes through Versailles.  That was worth the trip alone.  The weather was warm and sunny.  Not a cloud in the sky!  It was like something out of a dream!  Drinking champagne and enjoying a picnic on the great lawns of this grand palace!

You may recognize my dress?!  I'm all about repeating outfits,  just switching up the jewelry or shoes.  Even just changing your hair can change the look of an entire ensemble.  Last time you saw me in this I dressed it up for our restaurants opening.  This time I wore my cork peep toe flats and a cardigan with my hair half up.  It changed the look entirely.  It couldn't have been a better outfit for visiting such a grand place (in my humble opinion;))  I wanted a timeless look with a touch of class!  I may wear it again in Monaco,  I'm on a lengthy vacation and options are getting slim at this point!!

Sunnies: Chanel

Clutch: Christian Louboutin

Cardigan: J Crew

Dress: Moulinette Soeurs

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

Now can we please get to the BEST part of our day (for me)?!  I got to go to the House of Chanel.  Here,  I am photographed sitting on the famous steps up that go to the second floor of her apartment!  She walked up and down these steps every day!  Pretty freaking spectacular getting to pose on them like the great Mademoiselle Coco Chanel!!!  A little history lesson,  when Chanel first began,  she was a hat maker.  The House of Chanel is the same place it was when she first began: 31 Rue de Cambon!!

This is a picture of the Happiest girl in the world!!! :-)  

After this,  we walked to three different Cafés and had a glass of Bordeaux.  Then enjoyed a break in the shade on some lush green grass.  Now we are back at the hotel about to grab dinner.  Tomorrow,  we head to Nice (the South of France)!  Our Tour de France officially commences at 6 AM! Au Revoir!

XOXO,
B

Vintage Wine, Buildings & Clothes

So apparently I was too tired to post this yesterday.  I wrote it and saved it but didn't finish it.  So this and my previous post are out of order....sorry!

Today we went to the Louvre, stopped by some water fountains on the way. 

Sunnies: Chanel

Shirt: J Crew

Trench: Burberry

Belt: Hermès

Ring: David Yurman

Jeans: J Brand

Shoes: Tods

Purse: Tory Burch

Sport Coat: Bonobos

Shirt: J Crew

Pants: Bonobos

Belt: 1901

Shoes: Zara

You may not see it,  but that's a picture of me at the Louvre taking a picture (towards the right).  Chris is quite artistic when he wants to be!

After the Louvre,  we stopped in at Didier Ludot at Palias Royale (vintage shop that Roger buys Rachel's present in on the Rachel Zoe Project), ate lunch at a cute outdoor restaurant called  Muscade Palais Royal right by the vintage shop. 

Then we went to Fragonard Perfumier and got some fragrances that you can only by here and in Nice.  On the was we saw the Opera House.  A highlight for me was the Hermès Flagship store.  It was the biggest one in the world.  Floors and floors of gorgeous hats, scarves and Purses!  By this time,  we were super tired so we grabbed a pedi cab to take us back to our hotel.

We rested up for a short while,  then went to Le Bistro Marbeuf for dinner.  It was more of a local spot.  I'm not sure why,  but I seem to finish every bite on my plate here.  Must be the amazing food.  It will be hard to eat in America after eating here.  

FYI:  for those of you who have food allergies....they will possibly be better if not non existent here.  I can't have dairy, sugar or corn.  They don't put corn or corn syrup in anything here.  Food is extremely unprocessed and pure.  Even the chicken tastes differently. My mouth waters just talking about it! Mmmmmm!

Anyway,  then we retired to our room,  I took a very HOT bath and now I'm going to bed. Sooooo sleepy! Bonne unit!

XOXO,
B

Key to my Heart!

Today was an incredible day!  The weather was perfect.  It was so warm that I got to wear a dress.  

We went to Notre Dame,  right in front is the padlock bridge where you and your soul mate put a lock and throw your key into the Seine River!  

It was super romantic.  Then we enjoyed lunch and wine outside of Notre Dame.

Hat: Target

Sunnies: Chanel

Earrings: Chanel

Dress: Glam

Purse: Tory Burch

Arm Candy: David Yurman, Hermès

Watch: Michele

Necklace: DKM Designs

Belt: J Crew

Shoes: Gianni Bini

After that, we went to the Musée d'Orssey.  Then we went over to the Eiffel Tower to take a break under the trees.  We rested under there a few before going back to the hotel to change for dinner.

We took this picture before dinner,  I'm missing my dogs and one of them is named Winston.  There happens to be a Harry Winston in the ground floor of our hotel.  So this photo had to be taken in honor of him!

Sunnies: Chanel

Necklace: Tasha

Watch: Kate Spade

Purse: Tory Burch

Arm Candy: David Yurman

Cardigan: J Crew

Blouse: Lush

Camisole: Zara

Jeans: Joe's

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

We had dinner at Chez Francis.  After dinner,  we moved tables and enjoyed a glass of wine before retiring to our room. 

Tomorrow we are going to Versailles so we have to get to bed early!  Bonne unit!

Xoxo,
B

30 in Paris

Yesterday was my 30th birthday....what a day!!

I felt as though I was dreaming,  everything went flawlessly,  even my favorite songs played on the radio while I was getting ready!

Unfortunately I didn't get a single good picture of a full outfit on my phone yesterday!  I was too distracted by the many things going on.

We started the day off with room service overlooking the Eiffel Tower.  Then we went shopping,  directly across the street from our hotel (The Plaza Athenée) the street is lined with high end fashion, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Valentino...the list goes on!  Then we wandered over to Champs-Élysées,  this is the road with the Arc de Triumph.  On this road is one of my favorite sweet stops...Ladurée!  It was a destination on our list for sure! OMG,  so delicious and beautiful.

Then we walked over to find my Aunts old apartment, which is right across from the Arc, she lived here about 10 years ago. 

There's Chris posing in a picture for her.  From here we walked over to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.  This street is known as being one of the most fashionable streets in the world.  It has the top designers of the world: Christian Louboutin, Dior, Lanvin, Chanel...the list goes on! 

After that we worked up a hefty appetite and had lunch at a chic Parisian spot called L'Avenue right by our hotel!  Holy poached Salmon,  that place was delicious.

Then we came back to the room and took an afternoon nap.  It was much needed after all of the walking and staying up late the night before :)! 

Then I woke up and got ready for my birthday dinner.  Luckily it was a good hair and makeup day,  I needed it to be for my birthday ensemble!

Again,  I didn't get a full body shot on my phone, but you can get the idea:

Earrings: Chanel

Necklace: J Crew

Dress: Ted Baker

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Clutch: Christian Louboutin

I'll post a better picture once I arrive back in the states.  

We hoped into a car and it took us right over to the Eiffel Tower where we were met by an employee of the restaurant.  We were then escorted to a private elevator and taken up to the top to enjoy our dinner at Le Jules Verne. It was the BEST meal of my life.  It even tops French Laundry in my book!  The view was breathtaking and every thing from the wine, to the service to the food was perfection!  We took this picture when we were leaving the restaraunt...

After dinner we came back to the hotel and had another glass of wine in the hotels ultra chic corridor.  

We retired to our room and enjoyed a few laughs and more wine!  The wine here is so good but I never seem to get typsy, it's the strangest thing!  So that was my perfect 30th birthday.  It was such a milestone birthday that could not have been celebrated in any better way for me! 

We're off to explore the city! Bonjour!

Xoxo,
B