House Envy

I love living in L.A. More than anything. However, the day I came to the realization that I may never own my dream home here, a little part of me died inside. Since then, it's like I have house envy. Even if it's a house I don't really love, I'm still always envious of the home owner.

I found this house on Two Tall Blondes, and I immediately fell in love. Enjoy....

Happy Anniversary.....

This weekend my husband and I will celebrate our one year anniversary. We've been together for six years, but this is the first time we will celebrate an anniversary-- we're not big "anniversary of dating" people.

This picture was taken at our reception, when they announced us as "Mr. and Mrs. Guest." It was such an amazing day, and I can't believe it's already been a year! Thank you to all my family and friends who have been such amazing supporters in our journey. And most importantly, thank you Mr. Guest for being such an amazing husband!

nail done, hair done, everything done

Okay not really. This girl not only needs a manicure, but I need my hair done in a bad way. I have the most amazing colorist and cutter (?), but she is about to give birth to her first baby. Her due date is Monday, and while I wish her the happiest of blessings, I'm completely overwhelmed by the task of finding a replacement. I love my hair right now more than I ever have thanks to Jamie, so I'm even more nervous to just trust any Shmoe with my locks. In order to further prolong in the inevitable, I use my time gathering hair inspiration photos instead of researching replacement stylists.

So yeah...

Inspired by Gossip Girl in Paris

I don't know about you guys, but Monday's episode of Gossip Girl realllllllly made me want to go to Paris. I've never been there, but I love everything Parisian and/or French in general. I especially love their effortlessness. A French girl can be in the most glamorous gown, but just completely cool like it's no big thang. I also love Parisian-inspired home decor. I'm in the process of redecorating my apartment and I'm thinking the pics below will definitely come in handy when it comes time to make my mood boards.

a little outfit inspiration for this cloudy tuesday...

These outfit posts just reminded me of some stuff I already have in my closet that I can take and create my own looks. Which I guess is the point of outfit inspiration.....

Bettie Rizzo Redux

Black leather cropped Isabel Marant pants with red pointy toe Isabel Marant pumps.

The perfect blend of ladylike and bad ass.


Photo: Caroline's Mode

VMA Hottie: Victoria Justice!!

This might be my favorite look that I've done with Victoria. The VMA's are the one awards show where you can always expect people to rock out their most stand-out looks (i.e. Gaga's Meat Dress). We wanted to go with an age-appropriate look (always a priority) that also had that bit of edge and glamour, and I feel like this was perfect!





Her dress is Jill Stuart, shoes are Christian Louboutin, jewelry by Switch Boutique, snake ring by Kenneth Jay Lane.

Let me know what you guys think of this look! I wanna hear it!

September...

The breezes taste of apple peel. The air is full of smells to feel- ripe fruit, old footballs,
burning brush, new books, erasers, chalk, and such. The bee, his hive, well-honeyed hum, and Mother cuts Chrysanthemums. Like plates washed clean with suds, the days are polished with a morning haze.

--"September" by John Updike

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it --the fashion, the weather, the food and holidays. But one of the things I love most about fall is the feeling of new, great things about to happen. Maybe it's all the times I celebrated going "back to school," or maybe it's the changing of the leaves... either way I love that feeling.

I have a whole to-do list for fall, and it starts in September. Below are some of the things on my list for this month:

1. finish making over my dining room, kitchen, and bathroom
2. celebrate my 1-year wedding anniversary with a trip to Palm Springs
3. go shopping for my fall wardrobe
4. finally print some of the photos I've had saved and frame them
5. find the perfect business cards
6. host a Law and Order: LA premiere party
7. set my DVR for all of my favorite shows that I have waited for MONTHS to return

I think that's good for now. We'll see if I actually accomplish ANY of these.

A Little Tip for the Ladies: Ribbon Belt

When Victoria and I decided on this dress for her 2010 Teen Choice Awards look, there was just one issue: the dress had a giant, elastic seam right at the natural waistline that looked rather odd. A lot of dresses have elastic at the waist, and for good reason. Showing off your waist is always figure flattering, especially in photos or on camera. However, these seams, in my opinion, tend to make the dress look a little sloppy. I always like to use a belt on my clients to cover this. It just makes everything look a lot cleaner and more chic.

If it's for a photo shoot or on tv, an easy thing to do is to throw a belt on backwards and clamp it in place. Of course in real life you can't have a buckle with a clamp hanging out in the back of a dress. It also has to be the right width. Too thin doesn't cover the seam, and too thick can cut you right in half.

I searched and searched for days to find the perfect belt to put with this dress, and never found one. The morning of the awards show, I woke up with an idea that caused me to sit straight up in bed. I would go buy a black grosgrain ribbon and sew hooks and eyes on it! And that's exactly what I did.

I took my darling husband to International Silks and Woolens (if you live in LA it is an amazing one-stop-shop) and bought ribbon, hooks and eyes, sticky boobs, and extra top stick for my kit. I had to be at Victoria's house to get her ready by 1:30, which meant I had to leave my house at 1. We got back to my house at about 12:30. I have never watched anyone hand sew anything as fast as Cory sewed this belt together. He measured the belt on me (Victoria and I are almost the same size so we just guessed based on my measurements), hand sewed a hem on each end of the ribbon, and then sewed on the hooks and eyes. When I tried it on her it was perfect!

So ladies, I strongly suggest to you that you all go out and buy a black grosgrain ribbon, some hooks and eyes, and go nuts. A $5 ribbon belt that you will use over and over and over and over again. :)