Boston Strong

crazy. horrific. harrowing.  By now you've heard countless reports and news coverage describing this stressful week in Boston.  Our hearts broke when we heard about little Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu, Sean Collier and all the victims that were severely hurt and still recovering.  My adopted city was on the world stage and I'm proud to say that its law enforcement, medical personnel, and residents really came together and helped one another through this week.  Even through all the hatred and evil we witnessed, the camaraderie and support I saw from the community as well as the rest of the nation, gave me hope that there is more good than bad in this world.  And really the people who deserve the most gratitude are the first respondents from day one of this awful week. We don't say it enough and we really should because these are the men and women who keep us safe and risk their lives every day to do so.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Tropical Paradise: St. Martin

I just came back from St. Martin for my best friend's bachelorette party weekend extravaganza and it was a taste of paradise.  So wishing I was back there right now!  The island is gorgeous and it was much different than I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be the typical commercialized island destinations like Puerto Rico or Jamaica where there would be a slew of resorts in one area and tons of commercialization but surprisingly the island has a very local vibe with a touch of European charm.

We stayed at an amazing villa on the French side which we booked through Rental Butler (we were a bit skeptical about but turned out to be a legit company and we had a very pleasant experience with them.)  The weather couldn't have been better and the highlight of our trip was the private speed boat snorkeling trip.  I highly recommend this destination for your next tropical getaway!

Bachelorette Survival Kits!

Me & the bride to be!

Beautiful beaches of St. Martin

dusk time view from our villa

daytime view from our villa

Our bridal crew!

on our private speed boat!

  

Academy Awards (my superbowl event)

Every year I eagerly await my superbowl event...the Academy Awards! Its so exciting to see all the beautiful, glamorous people of Hollywood get all dolled up, looking perfect and making us regular people wonder if these people are really human.  But aside from the glitz and glamour, it's a night to celebrate the talented people that make us happy, sad, scared, laugh, cry and move us with their works of art. As someone who loves (borderline obsesses) movies, this award night is always special and I absolutely love every minute of it.

This year's 85th Academy Awards should have been called the GLITTER awards! Everything and everyone was all sparkly & sweet! 

Starting with the stage design...the production designers incorporated 1500 POUNDS of Swarovski crystals!   Stunning! 

Now onto the beautiful ladies of the red carpet (Image credits: Getty)

Halle Berry in Versace

Naomi Watts in Armani Prive

Jessica Chastain in Armani Prive

Alicia Vikander in Elie Saab

Stacy Keibler in Naeem Khan 

Zoe Saldana in Alexis Mabille

JCP teams up with Georgina Chapman!

While watching the Academy Awards this evening, I saw a commercial for "pearl" the newest designer partnership with Georgina Chapman from JC Penney.  Georgina Chapman is the co-founder of one of my favorite design houses, Marchesa. Their designs are absolutely stunning -  the epitome of feminine style....It would be a dream come true to actually own one of their gorgeous gowns.

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Georgina Chapman is coming out with an affordable line at JC Penny. Although its targeted for prom season, the designs are so fresh but classic that you could definitely wear some of dresses to a wedding or party.  Check the collection out! 

NYFW Fall 2013 Faves

New York Fashion Week was this past week where designers showcased their awe-inspiring Fall 2013 collection.  My faves from this season - all beautiful figure-hugging silhouettes. So gorgeous and glamourous!

Badley Mischka

Carolina Herrera

Rafael Cennamo

 

J. Mendel

 

Naeem Khan

Monique Lhuillier

 

Pamella Roland

Reem Acra

 

(All photo credits: Getty Images. Found on Mercedes-Benz Fashion site)

Weekend Project Inspiration: Life Album

On the weekends,  I spend most of my time with family and friends but then there are also weekends that I like to spend some alone time. Sometimes its just catching up on "my" shows, reading, experimenting on a new recipe and then other times I  find a project that requires more time and has no expiration date (kind of like this blog!)  I recently came across this post from A Beautiful Mess and I fell in love with this idea.  Now, personally I really do not like anything about scrapbooking but this totally changed my view on what a scrapbook could be. It's like a modern combination of a photo album & scrapbook with an instagram feel!

Soo cute!  This is perfect for personal albums but what a great idea for a really amazing and thoughtful gift!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year 2013 - Year of the Snake! Gong Xi Fa Cai which translates to "wishing you prosperity."  Chinese New Year is celebrated following the Lunar calendar and it's the most important holiday in East asia. Traditions vary in different countries and cultures but for the most part its about spending time with family, eating lots of delicious foods, and of course collecting red envelopes.

Unfortunately I no longer receive red envelopes; following tradition, you only receive these coveted red envelopes from your elders until you're married. Now that I'm married, I have to start giving red envelopes out and let me tell you, it sure makes me feel old not to be on the receiving end any longer.

While I was prepping my red envelopes, I came across some really beautiful and super sweet Chinese New Years paper goods:

Unique Handmade red envelope

HelloKitty Red Envelopes!!!