Happy Memorial Day

Well, lovelies, Memorial Day is the first sign of summer and what better way to celebrate then with a three-day weekend.  I wish they could somehow bottle the excitement felt before a long weekend and sell it. One could make millions.

Carl Christensen via Etsy

Zee Longenecker via Etsy

Elgarbo's Art via Etsy

What do you have planned for the start to your summer?  Trips to a local fair? Trip to the beach?  Maybe a mellow weekend spent in the sun or shopping the sales? When I was young I remember lots of trips to the county fair, arts and crafts time with mom, but mostly, my days were spent splashing around in the swimming pool.


Whatever your plans are for this long weekend, I hope they are wonderful.


xo, 
L

LSL {Foodie Friday} - Carrot & Cilantro Soup

Today, I would like to give a warm welcome to the lovely Miss Kim to Look So Lovely.  Kim will be helping me with the food and cooking portion of the blog (since I love the idea of cooking, but usually find myself at the Whole Foods salad bar instead.)  I am thrilled to introduce her. Kim is a cross-country friend of mine (hailing from DC) and I am beyond happy that she was excited about contributing with her knowledge (and creative take) on the subject of cooking.  

So without further ado, Chef Kim!

We all reap the benefits of cooking, but how many of us actually make homemade meals on a regular basis? We created this space as a bit of inspiration to those of you who are either novices to cooking and want some guidance on where to begin with easy, but nonetheless delicious and impressive meals, or for you veterans who need more foodie ideas to add to your plethora of cookbooks. (If the latter is the case, then we encourage you to share your tasty treats with us!) I view a recipe as a starting point. Now that you have it, what are you going to do with it to make it work for you? With all due respect to the author of the recipe, I take great liberty in omitting and adding ingredients as my taste buds see fit. You should too. 

Here is one of my favorite recipes. I hope you enjoy it, and the process creating it. Bon appétit!

Roasted Carrot & Cilantro Soup {Adapted from: Guilty Kitchen}

Yield: Approximately 1 liter of soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. carrots, peeled and uniformly sliced

1 tsp. veg oil (I prefer olive oil, but that's up to you)

Salt & pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp. cumin

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp. veg oil

3 small potatoes (I left this ingredient out)

3 2/3 cups low sodium chicken broth (I made this from scratch, but store
bought is fine too...I'll share my recipe for that very soon!)

1/2 bunch cilantro (I use leaves and stems)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss sliced carrots in 1 tsp. veg oil, salt, pepper and cumin. Roast in the center of your oven for 30 minutes, turning once during cooking. Remove when slightly caramelized or blackened (don’t worry, they aren’t burned!). Set aside.

2. In heavy bottomed saucepan, sauté onion on medium heat in 1 tbsp of oil. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into large chunks.

3. Once onions have turned slightly translucent, add potatoes and sauté for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the stock and crank up the heat. Once boiling, lower to a more manageable simmer. Keep simmering until the potatoes are almost done, then add the carrots that you roasted into the pot. Cook just enough to warm the carrots up, then remove from heat.

5. Pour soup into blender or food processor in batches (or use your immersion blender you kitchen gadget freak you). Add in your cilantro at this point as well. Blend it all up until it’s as smooth as you like.

6. Return soup to saucepan and reheat. Serve with crusty bread for dippin’ and maybe a swirl of sour cream or crème fraîche for you fancy people.

via my phone

What are your favorite recipes? Do you have meals that you make for parties? Or favorites that you prepare for Sunday dinners?  We would love to hear them and maybe open 'Foodie Friday' to other friends that would like to put on that chef's hat.

xo,

K

Lovely Life Series

What a wonderful weekend it was.  Saturday my dear friend, Miss CT, and I met for lunch at the most wonderful French restaurant, Cafe des Amis, on Union Street in SF. It is such an amazing find, the food is incredible (hands down the best quiche I've ever had!) and the staff was delightful. I highly recommend making your way to the Marina to check out this gem.  I am not so secretly hoping and praying, that someday they will decide to open one closer to say, the South Bay? (I'll help get the word out) Needless to say, my love affair for all thing French just went up a notch! *Swoon*

Following food, we decided to then fill up on our fashion fix; we headed to the De Young museum to see the Balenciaga and Spain exhibit. Boy oh boy did it impress!  There were probably 50 dresses to check out from all different periods in his designing life.  It was so hard not to lean over and just touch all the fabric, definitely a feast for the eyes.

After leaving the museum I couldn't stop thinking about where Christobal  Balenciaga spent his days designing. Which of course leads to "what if I where a designer, what would my study/office look like?"  Would it be light and airy? Cozy and comfortable? Or a mix of old and new?

Designed by Miles Reed, photo - Thomas Loof

Designed by Joe Nye, photo - John Coolidge

Designed by Albert Hadley, photo - Christopher Baker

Designed by David Kaihoi, photo - Ngoc Minh Ngo

Designed by Craig Schumacher & Phillip Kirk, photo - Nathan Schroder

Designed by Markham Roberts, photo - unknown

Designed by J. Randall Powers, photo - Luca Trovota

Designed by Myra Hoefer, photo - Victoria Pearson

Designed by Alessandra Branca, photo - Thilbault Jeanson

Designed by Lindsay Bond, photo - Jonny Valiant

Designed by Ellen O'Neill, photo - Thomas Loof

It's fun to pretend and the one thing I know for SURE, it's gotta have a chandelier.  Have you ever dreamed of designing a space all your own? What would be a must for that room? Book shelves? Lots of light? Comfy chairs? 

xo,

L


PS. There is some exciting news coming Friday!  Check back then for a new LSL contributor!  Can't wait for you to meet...

*Credit - all images via House Beautiful


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The Beauty Deptartment

Lauren Conrad, a la Hills fame, has teamed up with her personal stylist, Amy Nadine and her personal hair and make up artist, Kristin Ess, to start The Beauty Department.  It is a fun website chalk full of good hair, skin, and makeup tips. It is about to celebrate it's one month anniversary and so far, I have really been enjoying it. It's been my go-to site for learning new tips to freshen up my everyday look.  

photo credit - angela+ithyle via TBD

What I like about it is that not only is it filled with pretty pictures (that give a girl some inspiration on new trends) it's filled with lots of helpful video tutorials for a semi-challenged beauty (especially in the hair department) gal like myself. There is the how to for the "Hollywood Glam" make-up look.

And my favorite...how to get LC's signature look, the 'I just got out of bed with these beautiful waves' waves. 

I suggest you go and check it out, if only because it's an easy read filled with lots of girly loveliness.

via pauladeen.com via TBD

Now if only they could incorporate some tips for us girls with shorter hair. Well, I'm off to make my "when life gives you lemons" salt scrub.

Ta ta

xo,

L

LSL {Thoughts & Quotes} - Daily Reminders

I stumbled upon this "lovely" list of advice that I am seriously considering fancying up (i.e. pretty font and framing) and including it as a part of my daily routine.  Maybe hanging it by my bedroom door to take a moment to read before jetting out the door.  Life gets so hectic it's nice to remind yourself that it's really just the little things that you shouldn't forget to appreciate so you can be your truly lovely self. 

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did in 2010.
7. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
8. Sleep for 7 hours.
9. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

1. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
3. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
6. Dream more while you are awake.
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
8. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more.
14. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

1. Call your family often.
2. Each day give something good to others.
3. Forgive everyone for everything.
4. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
5. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
6. What other people think of you is none of your business.
7. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

1. Do the right thing!
2. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
3. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
4. The best is yet to come.
5. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

And remember, "the best is yet to come."

xo,

L

*Credit - via Elements of Style via Alis Volat Propris

Here I go again...

I am off on another road trip. This time visiting Southern California to partake in another very good friend's wedding festivities.  


Since we are driving I'm planning to pack the car to look a little like this...

Anyone who knows me at all knows I have a very hard time with the term "packing light." Those two words together are simply not in my vocabulary.  Since I will be on a much deserved vacay with my guy, I am planning on being offline for a little over a week. Yikes! Whatever will you do without me?  


So, to let you live vicariously give you an idea...I'll be busy watching two of my friends 

say "I do!" 


Will be drinking my fair share of champagne. In large quantities, looking a little like this, jewels and all.

There will be

visiting the beach and hopefully getting some sunbathing in. 


Meaning I may even get to break out this for the first time this season...

Yes, a cute little bikini.  I will not look this good or this tan in one, but a girl can dream. I would even love to get my toes wet in the ocean.  

However, chances are I will most likely be living in something like my staple

long maxi dresses. (while looking so seductive and pose-y, no doubt) 

And even break out my

new floppy hat. (which I think I look oh so cute in).

There will be sightseeing, we'll be hitting Santa Barbara, LA and San Diego. Planning on lots of visits with friends and family, and hopefully I will come home a little "heavier" 

...in the closet.  

I hope you lovelies have a fabulous week.  Wishing you all sunny, beach-going weather to enjoy where ever you are.

xo,

L

*Credits - all photos via pinterest

This Just IN

Matchbook Magazine is at it again, Issue No. 4 is live...

Annnnd, for the most exciting word on the street: Missoni is next in line for a collaboration with Target! 

*serious swoon* 


The world may now end.


xo,
L


*Credit - Hot tip via Matchbook Mag facebook, Missoni ad via Curiouser & Curiouser

Calypso for Target

Today is the day! I'm so happy to announce that the best resort-style brand (in my eyes) is at Target. Ever since I worked at a small boutique right out of college, those many moons ago, I saw first hand what a great brand Calypso is and how I needed to buy ever single piece. However, the price tag didn't help in my affording anything new from this beautiful brand. 


From what I saw today (when I had to drag myself to the nearest Target as soon as I got up this morning) it did not disappoint. The Santa Clara Target on the other hand did not fare so well in my eyes. I practically had to accost the employees to 1.) find out where it was located (all over the store, by the way) and 2. harass the very nice employees setting up Calypso displays to hurry up and put all the product out already! (in my nicest, sweetest voice, of course).  


Here's a look at some of LSL's favorite things...

Very fresh scent

Love the tan and white with lime accents

Ombre + tasseled scarf = wishing I saw this one this morning 

If only I was this trending as a little girl

Again, too bad this number wasn't at my Target, I would have scooped this one up for sure

Took home two of these turquoise votives and for only $2.99!

Tried this one on. Very cute

I absolutely LOVE this one.
I'm thinking it would look great in a little girls room with coral walls with light blue accessories

I was thisclose to taking this guy home in red

So, head to your nearest Target (or go online) and enjoy this collection for yourself.  There is the "Reef" collection (red, orange and yellow), the "Sea" collection (navy, turquoise and white) and the "Shore" collection (tan, white and lime). They all are fabulous in my eyes and you can do no wrong with anything you pick up.  Again from one frugal fashionista to another I had to share.


xo, 
L