Jewelry box: west elm inspired

Picked up this beauty at HomeSense the other day! It's a great new addition to my room and I love that it reminds me of this West Elm inspired Medallion Jewelry box that retails for $79.

the west elm version

my HomeSense find at only $16.99...

Tons of Leopard

I love leopard anything! One year it's in, one year it's out, but to me it is always a stylish statement. I am hoping to add a few more pieces to my collection...

Do you guys have any leopard pieces that you love?

Dee Dee Taylor & Bathrooms

I was watching Steven and Chris today and loved the segment about "gorgeous bathrooms" featuring interior designer and architect Dee Dee Taylor Hannah. Here are the highlights from the show...

and some of Dee Dee's work...

Dee Dee Taylor Hannah 

love all the elements in this entryway

love the print

Dee Dee's own bathroom, that wallpaper is to die for!

Fur shawl = fur throw

As some of you guys know I was recently in my best friend's winter wedding where the bridesmaids wore faux fur shawls. After the wedding was over and I was home getting into my pj's I draped the fur shawl over my desk chair in my bedroom and had an epiphany... what if I turned my fur shawl into a fur throw? I knew I probably wouldn't be wearing it again so why not re-purpose it for my home. I just removed the round pearl closure and the Velcro from the inside closure and voila! Have a look and let me know what you think?

the before...

and the after

 

Beauty Bag: Sara, A Dose of Pretty

Hello Wallpaper Readers!

I am delighted to be here with you today.

I am so flattered that Liz asked me to guest post

on her fabulous Beauty Bag series.

My current beauty bag is a vintage clutch from Etsy.

I actually got the idea from Christine of Bijou and Boheme

whom Liz featured back in December.

Here are the products in my beauty bag.

Starting with my #1 cosmetic:

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat.

It is an eye highlighter and I must wear it everyday.

 And here are the rest in no particular order:

2. Clinique Instant Pore Minimizer

3. Elizabeth Arden 8-hour Cream. It’s awesome!

This stuff is great for super dry skin and a bad sunburn.

4. Rimmel eye shadows

5. YSL eye shadows

6. Cover Girl eye liner

7. Loreal eye mascara

8. No. 7 eye shadow cream – love it. It helps

your eye makeup last longer.

9. Clinique eyebrow shaper. This lasts forever.

10. Nars blush

11. YSL lip gloss – for those date nights.

12. Brushes

13. My most recent addition to my beauty bag is the Mor lip balm.

I absolutely love it!

 And perfumes, unfortunately I am really sensitive to strong scents.

I get horrible headaches so

I have to be very selective when I buy them.

Two of my favorite ones are Chloe and Donna Karen Cashmere Mist.

They are soft and airy.

I am really tempted to buy some classics like Chanel just for looks.

But I haven’t done that yet.

I hope you enjoyed peeking in my beauty bag.

Thank you Liz for having me.

Have a fabulous day!

Sara

Thanks to the fabulous Sara of A Dose of Pretty for sharing her beauty bag with us!! 

A lighter shade of pale

Getting back to regular posting I thought I'd share some pretty pictures to perk us all up!! Enjoy...

images via here, here, here, here, here, here and here

Bridesmaids

Hey everyone, just enjoying family day here in Toronto as I recuperate from my best friend's wedding last night. It was an amazing wedding and fun was had by all. Here is just a little picture of my sister Patti and I at the wedding serving as bridesmaids...

I'll be back to regular posting tomorrow.

Adorned

Just wanted to share my latest purchases this week. I finally received my gorgeous amethyst pendant necklace from blog sponsor Elizabeth Lydon Studio. After the giveaway she hosted on this blog I decided I needed this stunning piece and just had to order it, plus I love to support artisans on Etsy!!

While at the mall I can across this beautiful Marc Jacobs Daisy solid perfume ring and it was on sale so I just couldn't resist!!

This weekend is another busy one for me as I have my best friend's wedding, so I am off to prepare, I hope you all have an awesome long weekend :)

House Tour: Cupcakes & Cashmere

Emily of Cupcakes & Cashmere just had her wonderful L.A. home featured on Apartment Therapy and here are a few of my fav's from the shoot...

to see more head over to Apartment Therapy

images via here

Beauty Bag: Wendy, Desire to Decorate

Hello Wallpaper readers! Isn’t this fun? I love this series, who knew that I too would join in all the fun one day – great timing too – read on!

Truth be told, I don’t have a makeup bag but I do have a makeup drawer. Knowing January was ‘organization’ month in most stores, I was on the hunt for something pretty to organize my makeup drawer. While I was originally thinking pretty pink paper lining with a clear acrylic tray, then I received a HomeSense gift card and that’s where I changed it up.

This is what my drawer looks like…

Since high school, putting on makeup has been a part of my everyday get ready routine. Never a lot of makeup but makeup none the less. I’ve always loved to try new techniques, colour combinations and change it up based on the occasion.

Today, my everyday is moisturiser, foundation, powder, a little blush, mascara and lip gloss. When I’m going into the office I add shadow and sometimes liner. Although my lip gloss isn’t in my drawer, I have them all over the house and in my coat, purse and car! I buy in bulk at Bath & Body Works, love that they’re now in Canada and in the mall near me to boot! My other favourite lip gloss is Bare Necessity by MAC.

Here’s what my everyday looks like…

Moisturizer: Right now I’m using Olay but more often use Viche or L’oreal. If I don’t have anything on my face it gets really itchy so moisturizer is a must for me.

Foundation & Powder: The L’oreal true match line of products is fantastic. I had someone help me out the 1^st time and it’s been a breeze ever since. In the summer, I tend to move up a shade because I tan so easily and my original shade begins to make me look pale. I interchange L’oreal true match powder with bareMinerals every now and then. They both work well.

Eye shadow: A few years ago I won a MAC contest and received a box full of goodies, $400 value, so most of my brushes are MAC as are my eye shadows. When they’re finished I simply purchase a refill and pop it into the holder.

Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Blast is CoverGirl’s newest mascara. It works… but it has a fault. The brush doesn’t taper enough at the end so it’s a little difficult to get the little corners lashes. I often use Smashbox which is great however, CoverGirl’s Lash Blast is a nice budget-friendly deal available at Shopper’s Drug Mart - and Walmart and the Real Canadian Super Store, where I’m more likely to be at some point throughout the week.

Eyeliner: I’m using Rimmel right now. My other go to is a black paste from MAC used with an angle brush, works wonderfully.

So there you have it...my beauty collection. As you can see I'm not attached to one product line-good or bad, that's how it is for me. In an effort to keep my skin clear, I drink a lot of water and I wash my face in the morning and before bed with Pureté Thermale 3-in-1 One Step Cleanser. Oh,and the one item I can't live without...while it's not pretty it's a necessity, it's moisturizer (and lip gloss), especially at this time of year.

Thanks to Wendy of Desire to Decorate for sharing with us!!

All you need is Love

I am a huge fan of the film The Notebook and I always watch it at least twice a year. I think there's no better day to watch it then with the person you love on Valentine's Day. I love the story, the era, the actor's chemistry and the message that love can make miracles...

So I would like to wish my one true love a Happy Valentine's Day!!

my boyfriend and I

And just cause I couldn't resist, have a look at these images, these are a loving couples engagement photos which were inspired by The Notebook...

images via here