Some Notes + This Weekend

My oh my what a week it’s been. To say that I was overwhelmed by all of your support after Monday’s announcement is an understatement. You guys. I can’t tell you how much your comments, emails and tweets mean to me. Truly, I am so humbled by your words of encouragement. And I feel honored too. I told Joe that the part about all of this that means the most to me is that I am inadvertently inspiring so many of you to keep chasing after your goals. I am promising you now that I will continue to do everything I can to inspire and encourage you. Let’s start with this: Don’t settle. KEEP GOING. Have faith in yourself and in your future. Okay?

Now, on to a few other notes and ramblings (including the winner of the Refinery 29 + Herringbone giveaway, and why the above photo references Friday when it’s Thursday…):

It Girl: Hanneli Mustaparta

Are you following Hanneli Mustaparta’s self-titled blog? I wasn’t. In fact, I didn’t even know who she was until I spotted her fresh face on WHO WHAT WEAR last week. “Who IS that girl?” I thought to myself. A quick Google search, and I had stumbled upon one of the most gorgeous street style and inspiration blogs I’ve come across in a while. But apparently, I’m waaaay behind the times (like, embarrassingly so), because Hanneli is hot. In more ways than one!

Hanneli is a blogger, photographer, and of course, model. She contributes to Vogue every now and again. And she has style. Oodles of it. And it’s attainable. I’m loving seeing how she mixes fairly basic pieces throughout the seasons:

Click through to see even more Hanneli fabulousness…and a familiar surprise I came across on her blog (Austin friends, this may interest you):

Behind the Scenes with I Love Your Crazy

I’m lucky enough to have met today’s BTS girl in real life! Shannon and I both attended Alt last month, and trust me, the energy and passion she conveys below? Totally authentic. Yup, she’s equally as genuine and lovable in person. Shannon, who writes the blog I Love Your Crazy, was also one of my “test clients” for Vivaleur late last year, and has been a wonderful friend to have when I need to bounce ideas around, get friendly advice, or just listen. I adore her and I know you will too!

Viceroy; Adirondacks; Giraffe Manor

1. 
The Viceroy Palm Springs – My inner glamour girl is dying to lounge poolside.
2. Adirondacks in the fall … just look at those colors.
3. 
Amalfi Coast – The colors and culture are so inviting.
4. Champagne, France (wine region) to celebrate life.
5. I’ve said this before, but it’s my number one pick! Giraffe Manor in Kenya. I would go tomorrow if I could.

Roasted Tomato and Chicken Stew with White Beans

It’s no secret that I love soup. What’s not to like about it? Easy to make, you can use scraps from your kitchen, they’re usually healthy, and make great leftovers. Win, win, win, WIN in my opinion.

Two weekends ago it was cold here in SF, and I was craving an Italian-style soup, but one without any pasta (I’ve been continuing to lay off the refined carbs). This Minestrone inspired soup, thick with shredded chicken, lots of vegetables, and a light garnish of salty parmesan cheese did the trick. To amp up the flavors, I roasted some fresh tomatoes and garlic — each tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar — and beyond the extra richness it added to the soup, the smell alone made this step worth it. While they were roasting, Joe kept drifting in and out of the kitchen, until he finally came in and asked, “Why does it smell so GOOD in here?”

Need I say more?

Get the recipe (and more food pics!), after the jump!

Globetrotting…

It’s been waaaay too long since we took a proper vacation. There have been the weekend getaways, even the short road trip we did last October through California, but not a REAL vacation. I’m talking passport packed, gone for two weeks, thousands of miles away from home vacation.

We’ve decided we are going to make this type of trip happen this year, perhaps in the very late spring or early summer. But here’s where we get tripped up — every time we start trying to plan what we want to do and where we want to go, we can’t decide if we’d rather visit the gorgeous coastal cliffs of the Amalfi Coast in Italy, or if we’d rather do a tour of Southern France, hitting up the lovely countryside in Provence and ending by the sea on the Cote d’Azur.

If we did Italy, we’d likely fly into Rome, train it down to Naples, then make our way from town to town along the coast. Capri is an option too, though I hear it can be touristy. If we did France, we’d fly into Paris and spend a few days (and yeah, that gives this itinerary bonus points, because hello, it’s Paris), then train down to the south. We’d tour the countryside for a week or so, then spend several more days in Nice, Antibes, Cannes, the works.

So if you had two weeks off and had to choose between the two…where would you go? And if you’ve been to one or both, share your thoughts in the comments for sure. I have a feeling Italy might be a hit with many of you, so Francophiles, put in your two cents!!

PS — My column ‘Double Take’ is up over at Young Sophisticates! Check it out here.

{Image Credits: Amalfi Coast 1 2 3; Provence 1 2 3}

Feeling a little regal and…

I loved this color post so much, I was inspired to do another one! I’ve never really gravitated towards purple, even though I’m often told it looks good on me. Lately though, for whatever reason, I just can’t seem to get enough! Isn’t it funny how we go through color phases like that? My favorite purple piece as of late has been this silk shirt I was gifted for Christmas. I’ve been mixing it up with turquoise and even red accessories. Perfection!

Cardi, Target | Snood, InterMix | Earrings, Banana Republic |  Gloves, Target | PS1, Barneys | Dress, TopShop | Cami, Rebecca Taylor | Ring, Stephen Dweck |  Denim, Yoox

And if you’re here to read about my big news…just scroll down a bit! The announcement went up earlier today! (Squee!) I’ll go into a bit more later this week, but let me just say: thank you ALL for the overwhelming support this morning. I won’t even lie — I got a little emotional at work reading through everything. Big hugs!

{Image Credits: Stockholm Street Style; The Sartorialist; Furnishism}

Introducing…

This weekend…

Today I’m also going to try switching up Friday Link Love a little bit, and instead of featuring a longer list of things to check out, I’m going to share my favorite blogger, blog post, article, whatever. Less to sift through, and you’ll know I mean business — each Friday’s link is definitely a fave!

This week, I was blown away by this DIY ‘melting heart’ tutorial from Erin. How pretty (and easy) is this? And can you believe it’s actually made out of crayons? So neat.

A little announcement that’s leading up to a big one: be sure to check back in here on Monday. I have some very exciting news to share with you! That’s right…the project I’ve been alluding to for months is about to be revealed! Get excited. I know I am.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend, and enjoy the Super Bowl!!

{Image Credits: Project Foodie, The Galley Gourmet, Daily Mail, Jose Villa, Greg Considine Flickr, Jamie Beck}