Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! It's a short weekend for me (I'm traveling for work on Sunday) but I'm still so glad the weekend is here. Here are my favorites for the week.

1. In honor of National Coffee Day (I joke that it's my second birthday), I had an iced pumpkin spice latte. It is finally Fall, after all, but I had to get it iced because it was 90 degrees out today.  To see which chains are offering free coffee and other deals in honor of the day, click here.


2. Voodoo Doughnuts. Guys, I don't even like doughnuts, but these are amazing. They are a Portland-based doughnut shop that opened a small shop in Hollywood recently. I have no idea the flavors of the ones I purchased (they were recommended by the cashier) but they had peanut butter on them. And anything with peanut butter is a go for me. Bonus: the cute pink box they come in.

3. This cologne. It's a unisex scent that is amazing. Sadly, this will have to go on my Christmas wish list because it's so pricey.

4. For those who love natural beauty and hair care products, this special formula tea tree shampoo from Maple Holistics is amazing. I will do a separate review of the product soon, but if you'd like to get a free sample, click here.

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Recap

I attended a bridal shower this past weekend and thought I would share some pictures from it because it was so beautiful. The theme was a rustic garden tea party that was held in the backyard. I wore this dress which was perfect for the outdoor occasion and the weather (it's not quite Fall-like here in southern California).

How cute is this photobooth background?  The bride made it herself from an idea she saw on Pinterest.

This was my favorite touch...an ornament cookie tree.  Some of the cookies had the initials of bride and groom on them.

I even brought a cookie home with me, but it's still sitting on my counter because it's too beautiful to eat.

Friday Favorites - Fall Edition

Since it's now official Fall, this Friday Favorites post is a Fall edition. I love this time of year-- the cooler weather, the pumpkin decor, and of course, ALL THINGS PUMPKIN SPICE! Yes, I am one of those annoying people who is #allthingspumpkinspice. So without further ado, here is my Fall Favorites list.

1. Pottery Barn's Autumn Lodge diffuser. For some reason, I can't find it online to share the link with you guys, so here is a picture of one that I bought. The story behind this diffuser is interesting. I had recently visited the Crystals Mall in Las Vegas (it's a high end mall featuring mainly designer shops) and the mall interior has the most amazing scent EVER. It's a mix of warm vanilla and I don't know what else, but it smells heavenly. I ended up going to the mall management office to inquire if I could purchase the scent, and they informed me that it's complimentary if you purchase a $500 mall gift card. What? I was so sad. Fast forward to two weeks later when I am in Pottery Barn and I get a whiff of this diffuser. While it's not exactly on point to the scent at the Crystals mall, it's pretty darn close. So I ended up purchasing three of these because I'm afraid the scent won't be available after Fall.

2. Fall wreaths! I bought my wreath last year after much research because I refused to spend crazy amounts of money on one (I saw one on Wayfair for $250-- I kid you not). My usual favorite store (Home Goods) didn't have the exact kind I wanted, so I ended up finding it at Home Depot. Random, right? I would have never thought to check there. And the best part was, it was under $15. You can purchase a similar one here. There's also other affordable options here and here.

3. Pumpkin biscotti from Trader Joe's. Go buy these stat. They are pumpkin happiness in the form of a small, bite-size biscotti. I enjoy mine with my iced coffee. #win

4. Fall scarves! I love this one and this one. I will be heading back east in a few weeks so I can finally bust these out (it's not sweater/scarf weather here in southern California quite yet).

5.  Fall TV shows!  One of my favorites, Dancing with the Stars, began yesterday.  I'm rooting for Niki Bella (I'm an avid watcher of Total Divas and Total Bellas).  You can also participate in a dancing fantasy league this year by going here and signing up.  My friends and I have a bet going for our league so it should be fun.

Happy Friday!

Summer Recap

Hello blogger world! I have been MIA for quite some time...since January, actually. I miss blogging! I have been MIA due to work commitments that have kept me very busy and also traveling more than usual. While that may sound exciting to some, traveling for work after a while can be a bit tedious. It ends up being the same hotel, the same food, and the same schedule. Plus the time difference and jet-lag don't help either.

I thought for my first post back in a long time, I would recap my summer. Here are some tidbits of what I did.

June

Traveled for work but got to spend a few extra days back east sight seeing.

Visited Universal Studios Hollywood because I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. It did not disappoint-- you walk through a replica of a part of Hogwarts to get to one of the main rides. And the butter beer (I recommend the frozen one) is quite good.

July

Played L.A. tourist even though I am from here and finally went to Laduree in Beverly Hills for macaroons.

Traveled to Las Vegas for a trip down high school lane. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I saw the Backstreet Boys in concert. I may have been singing along to every song and reminiscing about my teenage years.

Visited the Hollywood Bowl with friends to see a live orchestra performance of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (with the movie playing on a gigantic screen). The Hollywood Bowl is always a treat in the summer because you can picnic outside prior to the show.

August

Traveled to Las Vegas yet again with good friends and saw the Michael Jackson One show by Cirque du Soleil. It. was. amazing. Go see it.

Traveled to Palm Springs to stay at the JW Marriott Resort. The grounds are AMAZING! And they have flamingos on the property! Is that not insane? They are such beautiful creatures.

Celebrated my birthday with family by having Brazilian food at a yummy new restaurant. And there was cake...lots of cake.

 

 

September

I wrapped up summer in Las Vegas (no more Vegas for a while!) and saw the Jennifer Lopez show. Let me just say, that woman is in shape. She ran around stage, danced, and sang without missing a beat. And she looks amazing for her age.

 

 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I am SO looking forward to the long weekend. It has been raining non-stop here in southern California (which we need), but I'm looking forward to some sunshine. As always, I'm linking up with Shay for my Friday Favorites.

1. In my quest to eat healthier (see related post here), I have been trying different salads from Trader Joe's for lunch daily. I had this Sriracha tuna salad yesterday and it was amazing! I love spicy foods, and most foods I come across that are labeled as "hot" or "spicy" rarely are to me, but this one does not disappoint.

2. I am in the middle of researching kitchen remodeling (I will be putting in granite counters and a backslash), so I have been in the middle of Pinterest-pinning mania. I came across the cutest idea for the kitchen-- a little coffee bar! How perfect is this?  I also fell in love with the three jars pictured, so I broke down and ordered them. What can I say...although they are pricey they are too pretty. You can find them here (they come in three sizes).

 

Photo credit:  farahmerhi_ 

3. For those of you who live in L.A., DineLA starts today through the 27th. It's a great opportunity to try fabulous restaurants for lunch and dinner at a reduced price (lunch prices are $15-$25 per person; dinner prices are $29-$95 per person). Some of my favorites that I'd recommend are: The Little Door, Red O, Rock Sugar, Osteria Mama, Bouchon, and Pizzeria Mozza. For a complete list of participating restaurants, go here.

4. And speaking of restaurants, I had brunch at Le Petit Paris, which is located in downtown and is featured as part of DineLA. I love all things French (I studied abroad in Marseille for 6 months my senior year of undergrad), so I was super excited to try a French brunch place. It did not disappoint. If you are there, you must try  the truffle omelette and the French toast (pictured below).  YUM!

5. And finally, Nashville is back...but this time on the CMT channel. I am so glad CMT decided to pick up the show. Although the story line is sometimes a bit too soapy for my taste, I LOVE the music.

Have a great weekend!