C'est belle

black label from bando.com

a little bit of sunshine

Today reached 85 and sunny! Summer is finally here in Minnesota. Nothing says summer like these cute dresses from Roxy.

Morning!

Images from Jan/Feb Lonny magazine

Don't these patios look lovely? The weather hasn't been nice this spring but already I think I'll miss my patio once it does become nice. I guess that is what vacation and my families homes in the suburbs are for. I find the porch with the city view as energizing as a I find a quiet back little porch surrounded by greenery. I think they are both spots I like to spend my time because they energize me and recharge me in different ways. This weekend I'll be spending time in the latter, I am headed to see family in WI and I think it will be nice to get some time with family, time to read my new book and enjoy time away from the city.

Happy 30th Anniversary Ma & Pa!

I made a black magic cake with triple fudge chocolate chip frosting and a chocolate heart for every 10 years they've been together. I think this cake is a keeper... my sister requested this same cake for her birthday coming up next month. :) If you're looking for a good salad, I also really like the Nutty Strawberry salad with homemade dressing. 

Zooborns

something that will cheer you up on a rough day

Zooborns

disco birthday heels

 For my birthday this year,  there was one thing on my mind to prepare for the event and that was to make myself a pair of shiny diso ball heels. What inspired it all.

 After my birthday, the trend continued with my friends making each of themselves a pair for a recent trip to Vegas!

Necessary? Absolutely!

via Cup of Jo you can buy your very own from Walnut and Architecture & Design Studio

Looks like my kind of picnic... my friends and I were driving in the car the other day and we were talking about what things remind us of each other. My friends think of me when they see trendy bike stuff. Awwww, cute! haha. Can't wait to get out on my bike this spring!

Original Artwork for your laptop, iPhone or iPad

I've had my eye on Valentina Ramos's artwork on Etsy for awhile now & I was excited to see it on Print Shop here. You can choose original artwork for your laptop, iPad or iPhone. 

out with the old in with the new

via David Erickson's Stuff

I was not happy packing for a recent trip to LA. I had no denim that I liked. Ugh! I had to ask myself what I was thinking the last couple times I went shopping for denim. Here were my three biggest mistakes. 1) I bought a pair of wide legs that are too short to wear with heels... not a good look. 2) I bought them a size too big... another not so good look. 3) I bought a pair of skinnies that are a real puzzle. When I first put them on I find it very difficult to sit down and then I spend the rest of the day pulling them up. They have ZERO retention. I was so disappointed with how the denim wore and washed that I got into this funk of not wanting to shop for denim at all. In the mean time, my younger sister gave me a couple pairs of jeans so I wore those to avoid wasting money on another pair of bad denim. This weekend, I am finally going to rid my closet of the bad denim. Life's too short to wear ugly denim! My favorites as of lately have been skinnies but I feel my go-to outfits have become a bit too predictable and I've been wanting to switch it up. So now after my long rant I want to say I found something really fun and exciting... I bought myself a pair of Seven for all Mankind bell-bottoms!!!!!! My first pair since 7th grade and I couldn't be more excited!!! Oh, and just FYI the key to buying jeans that will fit you after you leave the fitting room is go with the ones that are a little too tight. Are you a little uncomfortable in those? Well do they button? If so, that's your size. They will stretch! I recently learned this from a couple of co-workers when we went on a shopping trip.

In a re-cap, love Bell-bottoms for spring! Very flattering! 

Love, love, love denim from Anthropologie

And finally, a couple suggestions on  how to wash new denim from Nicholas Morine.

Turn the jeans inside out while washing them – not only does this reduce strain and abrasion of the facing material but it also covers metal portions of the pants such as the buttons or zippers.

An old helpful hint passed down from many experts in the fabric care industry would be to include a cup of white vinegar in your first two washes to seal the colour and dye within the fabric – minimizing fabric bleeding and helping to set the dye into the jeans, improving colour retention.

As always, cold water wash is the best, and is recommended for nearly all articles of clothing that do not need to be professionally laundered. A cold water wash ensures retention of size, and a reduced likelihood of colour bleeding.

Read more at Suite101: Fabric Care – How to Wash a New Pair of Jeans: Retain Colour, Tint, and Indigo Dye in Consumer, Designer Denim http://www.suite101.com/content/fabric-care-how-to-wash-a-new-pair-of-jeans-a134278#ixzz1GV49qB8t

Charm Sandal by Kate Spade

The last pair of sparkle shoes I posted were fun but I had no idea where you could buy them. Here is a pair of glitter shoes from Kate Spade. I like!