Best Secret Santa Gift

Last night was an awesome outting with my coworkers! And I had the best secret santa gift ever...as you can see I got the fab sequin LeSportsac cosmetic bag, a starbucks gift card (bc who doesn't need their caffeine fix!) and jars!! G knows me so well, a few peeps asked me why the the jars, but seriously, they're brilliant. I def have to get creative in my tiny NYC apt, and since everything is out in the open for all to see when they come over, I want it all displayed in the prettiest way. What I put in jars:

Nuts

Flowers

Red vines

Ground flaxseed

Chopsticks and utensils

Jewelry and watches

Coins

Tea Bags (although I heard it's bad for the tea bags not to be able to "breathe")

the list just goes on...

Obsessed! And a side note, if you can see in the background of the pic, there are flowers in jars! ha Thanks BFFL...xo, B

Looking a Bit Too Familiar

(Rebecca Minkoff Covet bag picture from Shopbop, Marc by MJ Ozzie Smith bag from Zappos)

Not sure where these bags got their inspiration from...but both Rebecca Minkoff with her Covet bag and Marc by Marc Jacobs with his Ozzie Square Smith bag, debuted these bags with quite similar shapes, materials and hardware this season. Very peculiar...just sayin, xo, B

LeSportsac Steps Up Their Game

Just doing the usual Shopbop check for what's new, and found these cute and very reasonably priced Le Sportsac bags. Le Sportsac has definitely stepped up their game from the usual functional nylon totes with cheeky prints. They're totally practical and fab...this sequin cosmetic bag is only $28, a perfect gift for the holiday...hint hint. And the Christmas shopping continues...xo, B

LeSportsac Black Opal Drawstring Cross Body Bag found on Shopbop

Kitty Lovin

Yooo...hello again...I know I know...I'm trying to get back into blogging, but work has been consuming my energy and has left me feeling sorta boring and blah. I flipped through my mags and catalogs this weekend to get some inspiration...what I did think was cool were all the cute little kittys popping up in all the ads. There was this sick Cartier ad that had just a baby tiger against a white background, but I couldn't find a good image of it, so all I have is this old Cartier ad from a few years back...still super cute...you get the idea.

But, what I love is that Bulgari and JCrew have also jumped on the kitty bandwagon. And they're so freaking cute...just thought I'd share. xo, B

Does anyone else notice Julianne Moore's missing toenails here or is it just me? It's like they just photoshopped them out!

Love love loves what JCrew did with this little kitty.

Random Inspiration

Just a quick post of an inspirational pic of jewelry found on Design Sponge today. I love jars, and LOVE jewelry...if you came to my place...you would see everything from utensils to dog treats in bell, mason and Ikea jars...and these bad boys are totes at Ikea. It's not an organized way of sorting your jewelry...but it's gorgeous. Loves...will post a pic once the tons of jewelry I own are so beautifully displayed. Til then...xo, B

One Kings Lane - Retail Therapy

Happy Election Day! Hope you all plan on voting today...I went this morning, and it was funny to see the list with my signature on it to match up...like total Big Brother ish.

So after getting my email blast from One Kings Lane this a.m. I quickly checked out the Missoni pillow sale and bought this grey Missoni pillow. I know...a bit bougie but I wanted a basic for my couch...and then I spotted this Sheba faux fur throw! So can't wait to snuggle up with this on my couch and watch movies in the winter! Yeah...love beautifying my apt! xo, B

Three Monkeys Eyewear

Just discovered this rad Italian sunglass store that just opened in Soho called Three Monkeys. As you may know, I'm still a California girl at heart that still loves all the surf brands...even though they may be more focused on the tween market here on the East Coast. But, when I found this sunglass store that actually carried brands like Von Zipper and Electric...my heart skipped a beat. Especially for the men out there, Ahmed in particular, I hate getting him bougie brands that look feminine that cost like $400 with a huge billboard of a logo plastered on the side. Totes not my steez...

Anyways, this new spot is the first to hit the states, they have a few locations already in South America. The sunglasses are reasonably priced between $50 to $150 from what I saw...and their schtick is the custest monkey...they're kid-robot-like monkeys lining the walls that wear the sunglasses! See the pics below...and you get your own monkey to take home...Genius! My monkey went straight up on my bookshelf at home for display.

These are the sunnies I got by Sabre, a brand that originally started as a blog in Australia but moved to my hometown of Newport Beach to start their biz.

These were the other sunnies I was dating, but my closet has too many studding details lately.

Some of the cute monkeys...loves!

Me! Feeling kinda lame taking a pic of myself indoors for all y'all...but I do it for you!

xo, B

Wedgie Hunting

Happy November! It is frigid...and boots are in full swing out in NYC. I have been contemplating the perfect boots...and I know the wedge boot is hot right now...but in general I've been in seach of the perfect wedge boot because it's the easiest heel to city-walk in. Not only does it have to be of a lower heel height, it still has to look good! Why is this so difficult...no offense, but all those girls photographed in their sky high heels and boots are not the average city girl walking to work or dinner, or the impromptu walk when you can't find a cab.

So, here are my requirements....I would love the heel to be at most 2 3/4 inches with a good sized platform to look like it's a sky high heel without the discomfort, a rounded pointy toe so it's comfortable and chic, and I want a yummy rich leather that goes to the knee for a tall sexy boot, and maybe some bells and whistles like a chunky buckle like that of Chloe, or a rugged exposed zipper. Don't get me wrong flat riding boots are a great stand-by, but it is not a sexy a boot. And, not to mention, the boot in general needs to be comfortable...on my walk to work I was thinking about what type of insole I would put in the shoe so it's comfortable to walk at least a mile in...and then the Cole Haan/Nike collaboration came to mind...and lets be real, those boots are not hot. But, props to them for thinking of it all...I'm now toying with the idea of getting the perfect boot made...but then that starts all kinds more research. So, here are some of my fave wedge boots that I would like, but are just not perfect.

Pictured above is a Chloe paddington boot (pic from yoox) from a couple years back, the heel and toe are perfect, but the shaft is not that sexy. Close but not cutting it...Made an excursion to Brooklyn this weekend, and found this boot at DSW...this is only for reference, it's almost perfect but way too cheaply made, and the leather is faux. I want my boot to last me a long time.

Full shot of the DSW boot.

Dolce Vita Torino boot...too high of a heel, but a nice basic.


Rosegold boot, love the zipper, but again too high of a heel...and the leather shaft looks skimpy when pulled all the way up to the knee.

This is my faves...Pour la Victoire boot, still too high, but the shaft is hot hot hot.

The search goes on...xo, B

Fly like a G6

To read this post properly, you should listen to the song "Like a G6" from my previous post and scroll through the these pic. I took a bunch of pics on my blackberry that are worthy of sharing...my fave is this first one of little Coops riding E.T. style on our flight home to NYC. The sweetest flight attendant let us have him on the seat, but gave us a blanket to hide him just in case her boss walked by. He acted like he was totally in on his secret mission!

Of course, I couldn't go to California without hitting up In-N-Out...Cheeseburger animal style.

San Souci Beach in Hawaii

Matsumoto Shave Ice...totes not as good as Waiola, but presentation is pretty! lol

My fave day in Hawaii

My neon orange volcom hat is a necessity...obvi

Funniest thing...this dog was just roaming the beach visiting the different people...and as soon as I opened up my sandwich he darted straight for me and took a seat. I saved a piece of chicken from my sandwich which I gave to him at the end, and as soon as he took the bite he bounced. LOL...he totally worked me! ha

Papaya...my trip is never complete without eating one at my grandparents house. And, according to my Grandma, you're supposed to eat the edges of the papaya first because it's the sweetest part.

My Costco trip in Hawaii, local beer, kimchi, Hurricane popcorn, mochi & seaweed salad.

Hilarious

View from the top of the dormant volcano, Diamond Head.

Tofu Mousse...wha? I was amazed it was all whipped and tasted like cream cheese...until I read the ingredients and there is cream cheese in it! boo

The real deal...Waiola Shave Ice

Another San Souci beach sunset.

Preparty Hawaiian style

Back in Cali, Cooper running through the grass...which normally you wouldn't think is a big deal...but he's a city dog...so he's not used to it! haha

Ahmed kickin it with my 18 year old childhood dog Sammy by my mom's house.

Aloha, B

Hawaii Theme Song

Hi peeps! So I'm back from my much needed vacay in Hawaii and California! And I'll def be catching up on posts because obvi I was majorly MIA. Sorry to do that so unannounced, but my life was getting a little heavy. But anywho...anyone that goes to Hawaii and listens to the radio out there knows that they repeat the same songs over and over...maybe like twice in an hour...no joke! So this years theme song to my Hawaii trip was "Like a G6" by Far East Movement...it's catchy hook was in my head all day everyday out there. Enjoy...xo, B

Tacombi

Hit up the Tacombi VW Bus at Fonda Nolita tonight for an after dinner taco. I had walked by this new spot the other morning, which as of last week was only serving coffee and breakfast tacos. One of these days I do want to make it for breakfast, because the tacos were delish. I split the chicken and steak tacos with my brother, and Ahmed had the fish which were served out of the VW Bus...they were well seasoned, the tortilla a little soggy (seemed like it had been out too long, but it was midnight and they're new...so I couldn't judge too much). And to top it off, they had a home made hot sauce that had enough kick to surprise my bro and me...which is a semi big deal, lol. My bro started speaking to one of the guys working there, who is from a town close to where my fam is in Mexico...and he was saying that they will be brewing four types of beer soon...once they get their liquor license of course.

The best part about this place is it's chill environment...reminds me of the Mexi places in Cali...metal tables and chairs set up in an open space on Elizabeth St. Once they have beer, this will def be a spot to hang out at. Great new find...xo, B

Just thought this was cute!

Fendi Fun at Milan Fashion Week

A much overdue post from Milan Fashion Week...I had these Fendi photos saved in my posts for a week now...and loved every look that Karl sent down the runway. The 70s gem colored theme continued throughout Milan from New York. Such rich looks with polished details...I loved all the accessories and sunglasses and especially the stacked jewelry added to the wrists of all these leggy models. Fendi fun...love love loves...xo, B

Yummy!