{Dreamy Dressing Rooms}

When I think of having my own place, I often imagine what "my space" will look like. My current room isn't big, but everything is well organized & colorful...and I enjoy spending time in it. From reading a book to painting my nails to catching up on my latest reality TV obsession, I like the environment I have created for myself. It is also my dressing room, and therefore it is the most fun space I have! I don't think I will need a very big area to call my own (unless I live in loft, then I'll take it all!) but these pictures include different elements I would love to incorporate into a fabulous space for myself, along with basic & affordable inspirations from IKEA...

The mirrors make this room look huge!

I love the idea of having wall length mirrors and a colorful throw rug.

Songe Mirror

Stockholm Figur Rug

Fab doors...

Birkeland Wardrobe

DIY? Obvi.

A chandelier adds a pop of elegance!

I also like the variety of drawers, hanging space & shelving units.

Kristaller Chandelier

Antonius Storage System

It's nice how casually the desk fits into this room...

...along with a comfortable chair!

Expedit Desk

Ektorp Tullsta Chair

The mannequin adds a touch of femininity next to the vanity!

Hemnes Dressing Table

Porties Hat and Coat Stand

  A simple space 

Basic furniture

Colorful decor

+  A DIY approach

------------------------

= A fabulous room!

Images (non-IKEA) via Google

{Flippy Floppies}

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day! It's great to celebrate our parents; my dad is such a strong man, encouraging father & honorable husband. He doesn't hear it enough, but he is the best male role model I have ever known.

Thank you, Dad, for your unconditional love & support,

For seeing the best in me when I do not,

For being the friendly voice of reason when I need it,

For embodying the faith that you believe in,

For being there...always.



Sunday was a nice day out, which means it was flip flop kind of weather! When I was younger (okay...like three years ago) I had this habit of matching my flip flops with e•v•e•r•y outfit I wore. I'm talking mostly about my high school & early college years, when hot pink & neon blue flip flops were more acceptable when paired with the same colored top. I'm not going to lie, this may happen again...but probably only when visiting the beach. There is something to be said about having a few fun & bright pairs of flip flops in your closet during the summer.

Colin Stuart Double-Strap Flip Flop

I got a pair of these as a gift & I love them!

How about taking it up a notch and designing your own flip flops? Since the 1960's, Havaianas have been a leading shoe brand known for dressing both celebs and non-celebs in hot flip flop styles. Currently, they have teamed up with Missoni to bring you a few brightly patterned sandal options. And while they used to only custom design flip flops for celebs, now you can make your own!

Missoni for Havaianas

Make Your Own Havaianas!

First you pick out your gender and shoe size. Next you pick out a base color followed by choosing a strap color. As it stands now, the final step gives you the option of adding up to two pins on each flip flop strap; while they offer a few cute choices, I hope they expand their selection in the near future! I am also crossing my fingers that they will soon let you choose a pattern for the base color versus only a solid color...but then again, my bank account might highly disapprove of this. Check out the site & have some fun!

Make Your Feet Pop!

Looking forward to sunny weather!

{Beer Shower}

Beer showers. For those of you who don't know what this means, let me fill you in. Often, a beer shower refers to the time in college when one would drink (or, to keep it even classier, shotgun) a beer while taking a shower. This would likely occur before a tailgate, party or venture out to a nearby bar...or just because you didn't have class at the time. Yes, I'm sure many of you know what I am talking about...and some of you may continue to hold on to this ritual of sorts even as an adult...

Well, interestingly enough...there is another good reason to bring a beer into the shower! The other night my sweetheart and I shared a couple of brewskies over some delicious grilled stir-fry...and I found myself with almost an entire beer leftover and no desire to finish it (shameful, I know). Now, I'm not really the beer drinking kind; I tend to stick to champagne, wines & cocktails...but every now and then you just gotta drink one, especially on a hot day. So here I am with an almost-room-temperature beer and I'm full...so I decided to save it for my shower...to rinse my hair with...

See, another great benefit of beer (for all of you non-drinkers & drinkers alike) is the fact that it leaves your hair soft, shiny & frizz-free! Once (or so) a month, simply shampoo your hair like you normally would and then do a final rinse with a can of room temperature beer! Beer contains high levels of vitamin B and natural sugars that help hair become thicker & more voluminous. It is also a great, natural way to rid your hair of product residue. Pour the beer from the forehead, rub it into your hair (not scalp), let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse completely with cold water. I like the scent of beer, but for those of you who do not wish to smell like a frat house...no worries, it will dissipate quickly. Try it out!

It's true...all girls can learn to love beer!

Images via Google

{A Cool Summer's Day}

Today is one of my ideal weather days! It is beautiful out. Cool enough to throw on a cardigan but still warm enough to dress it up with a pair of wedges. My outfit inspiration for the day:

A Cool Summer's Day by Chateau de Victoria

Nothing like a little Fall wear on a Summer day!

{Birchbox}

Do you often wish you could take a handful of samples home with you from Sephora? Want to test run the latest beauty tools, cosmetics, hair & skin products before dishing out a lot of green for the full-sized item? Well, I've got a gem to share with you ladies today! After running across several blogs raving about their Birchbox goodies, I needed to check it out for myself...

Thanks to two Harvard Business School girly girls, we have an online company that sends you a pretty packaged box with 4-5 samples (often including one full-sized sample) of makeup, hair, skin & body products once a month for a flat rate of $10! It is a genius idea, not only because it is inexpensive, but because it allows you to test out several different brands to discover what really works for you & what is worth splurging on!

{Sample Box}

When you sign up, you fill out a personality questionnaire to help the girls pick out products that fit your style! You can change your answers at any time, just in case you want to receive a different range of samples. You can receive up to 10 loyalty points by filling out a feedback survey on the products you have tried out; for every 100 points you earn, you will be given a $10 reward to put towards purchasing a full-sized item you love! Not sold yet? Check out what I got in my first (June) shipment:

Archipelago Pomegranate Soap

Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten

Deborah Lippmann Lavender Nail Remover

Sircuit Skin Molecular Mist

Kate Spade Twirl Perfume

Obviously, I got my money's worth...my second item was definitely full-sized! What I like about Birchbox is the fact that I will always have great travel-sized items to take with me when I'm on-the-go (which is pretty often). This box seems perfect for a weekend beach getaway...which makes sense, considering each month has an overall theme. If you love an item, buy it through the website (you will receive free shipping for a limited time) and you will earn a loyalty point for every dollar you spend! Not satisfied? Cancel your subscription at any time free of charge. Try it out!

Thanks Hayley Barna & Katia Beauchamp!

Who doesn't love coming home to a box full of surprises once a month?!

Do you receive Birchbox goodies? Let me know what you think!

Images via Google

{A Bird's Eye View}

We did it! Friday afternoon, my sweetheart & I took a scenic route to Lancaster, PA to enjoy some city dining (I had no idea this college town would be so lively & fun!) and try some delish homemade ice cream. After checking out some art exhibits and shops, we decided to hit the hay for our early hot air balloon flight the next morning. It turned out to be a beautiful sunrise!

Our balloon!

Excited for the takeoff :)

Up, up & away we went!

We had a fun group of people with us and our tour guide, Dar, was quite the entertainer. He had to beat the other balloons (naturally) so we ended up at 6,000 feet in the air! I must have looked nervous for a little while because my sweetheart kept asking me if I was alright. I just had to take it all in!

Everything got so small...

Wouldn't you be a little nervous too in nothing but a wicker basket?

Amish Country

We ended up doing a little tree skimming action, got pretty close to some farm animals (who were not so thrilled by our loud mechanism) and failed at figuring out just how fast we were flying on the guys' smart phones (probably 5-7 mph).

So pretty!

Thankful for a gorgeous day...

So, because hot air balloon flying doesn't have the luxury of a landing strip, we were instructed to crouch down, lean into the basket dividers to our left and hold onto the rope handles inside of the balloon when landing. Naturally, there is always a risk involved in something I do. See, the hot balloon will "skid" along the ground a couple of times before stopping. This means that you run the risk of tipping or, in our case, skidding the ground only to catch a gust of wind and therefore using a 5 foot embankment to stop our balloon. I was ready for the hit against our balloon, but not prepared for my sweetheart's head to slam into the back of mine. Ouch. Balloon Flyer's Beware: follow the guide's directions and stay low (this means you, sweetheart). I still love you!

Down she goes...

Our flying mechanism!

Champagne toast to celebrate!

I highly recommend this experience to anyone! It was quite fun and enjoyable...and I thought it made for a nice anniversary gift :-) Afterwards, we hit up the nearby outlets, had lunch & headed back into the city to visit the local brewery. Nothing like a little hometown brewed beer to end a fabulous day! I have no clue why we decided to go home after that...we realized afterward that we probably should have stayed another night since we were having so much fun. Now I can't wait to go back!

All images courtesy of © 2010 Chateau de Victoria

{Time to Fly}

It's finally here!

In just a few hours I will be leaving work, enjoying this beautiful weather out and on my way to a little town with my sweetheart...because tomorrow morning we will be watching the sun rise while doing this:

Image via Google

Cross your fingers for great weather for our flight!