I've been in the mood for a new living room. As if it were that easy. :)

While I do love the condo that we currently live in, it lacks the light, space and features I crave. Things such as a hardwood floor, large windows and a mantle for the fireplace are features I think that will make a living room.  I love white living rooms. They look so elegant. As my own special touch, i'd add soft muted colors like grays and khakis. A cable throw here, tufted chair there...

I've found a few inspirational images on Pinterest. Throw in printed chairs, quatrefoil pendant lighting, pillows... and you've got my attention.

Here are a few of my favorites.

I've been on a design kick lately. It makes me wonder why I chose Marketing & Advertising over Graphic Design as a major in college. While designing a beer logo last week, a girlfriend of mine who is engaged asked me to design her wedding monogram. Natually, I jumped at the chance! Her style is more of a vintage charm and includes shades of mint green. After studying her Pinterest for a bit, I came up with this monogram that I think incorporated her style. I had also incorporated a few hidden images in the design that represent a part of each of their lives. Since she (and I) is Sigma Kappa alumna and he is currently in the Air Force, I added them subtly. Can you find them?

Enjoy!

There aren't many fashion bloggers around the Central Coast, so when I saw that Ambiance, a super adorable clothing store in SLO, Ambiance, had a blog, naturally, I had to scope it out. And thennnnnn, they had posted that their book club was going to meet about the book "Grace: A Memoir" by Grace Coddington, I had to attend!

I'm a big fan of Grace Coddington since I had watched "The September Issue" and had admired her work in Vogue but didn't know that it was her work until the movie. With only a few days before the club was to meet, I went down to my local Barnes and Noble to buy the book. 

I've read a few books in the last few years but have been busy on the go so I thought this was a good time to pick up reading again. This memoir was a FANTASTIC read! I absolutely loved her tone in the book; as if it were a nonchalant discussion on her life (in a non-conceited way). Her friendships and work relationships stem back to her time as a model with iconic people or parents of now iconic people. I enjoyed that she talked about her triumphs as well as her failures. And I love that she has a true love of the clothing and not who or what is wearing them. The book also contains pictures of Grace through the years as well as her work. I stared at these pictures for a while after I read the whole thing. Oh how I would love to direct photoshoots like that!

Here are my favorite pieces of her work. Absolutely stunning images. I love that they tell a story or show movement. The Versailles picture is just amazing to me. The model's pose/clothing/environment... I could go on for hours...







This is a must read for any fashion lover!

Neiman Marcus has been reduced even further to 70% off. Go buy that Alice + Olivia bike NOWWWW!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a FABULOUS NYE! New Year's Eve is my favorite holiday of the year! It signifies a rebirth, new beginnings and new experiences. Every December, a girlfriend and I map out our yearly goals for the next year. I have a few big goals in mind like traveling overseas and to find new and exciting things to blog about (and use my new video skills!) and smaller goals like working out more and drinking more water... What are your goals?

The Mister and I spent Christmas at home in San Luis Obispo but decided to go back to Sacramento to ring in the new year with some of our friends. We hung out at a small pub and reminisced about the year and all of its fun times and mishaps. When midnight struck, I got my first kiss by my Mister Special :)

Since there are no malls here, I haven't really done much shopping. So when I got back into Sac, I hit up a few of my favorite spots. Alas, I only came away with one (AMAZING) thing. I found a great deal on a tweed Rachel Roy jacket that I couldn't pass up! I wore it with a black and white chevron top and some Paige Denim flared jeans. Since it was crrrrazy cold, I added a black scarf and some Jessica Simpson boots. Simple and chic. Just the way I like it. Here is the link to the jacket. It is so much cuter in person.

Here is my NYE outfit (gotta love those classy mirror pictures):


                                                                         Rachel Roy
                                                   Zoom Bisou Top from ModCloth
                    


What did YOU wear for NYE?

Cheers!
Melissa

Here's to a Happy Holiday and lots of exciting stuff for you (and me) in 2013!

You can find the adorable Christmas tag HERE, courtesy of the lovely blogger, Tatertots and Jello!



Cheers,
Little Miss Orange Blossom

Hello lovelies! Its been about a week and a half since I've blogged = BAD BLOGGER!  I have mixed emotions about the holidays this year. My family is scattered around the country (sadface) for Christmas and I hadn't seen them at Thanksgiving either (my parents were out of the country) although we had spent it with Mister Special's family (they are always a fun bunch and the food is DEEEELISH!). This year for Christmas, we decided to stay home and celebrate Christmas together. While I do love hanging out with my Mister, I am missing my family a bunch. :(

A giant storm had rolled in on Friday (last night) as one of my closest friends was coming to visit. Unfortunately, when she arrived, she was also came down with the flu. Reluctantly this morning, she had to drive home and cancel our weekend. Double boo.

The rain is steady here but that didn't stop the Mister and I from bundling up and walking downtown to get a coffee and watch all the Christmas shoppers dash to and fro in their giant colorful umbrellas (and some parents scrunched under their children's tiny Power Rangers or Hello Kitty ones) as the rain blew in sideways and pouring at certain times.

I do have a shopping tip if you haven't already been into Target. The Neiman Marcus collection is HALF OFF ladies! Since the collection has come out, the biggest complaint among customers I've talked to in the store and my friends say that they simply wouldn't pay the full price for those items because Target has a reputation for providing "reasonable prices," despite the fact that they are selling luxury items. With the 50% reduction, that Jason Wu dress you've been eyeing  or that Alice + Olivia bicycle (which is now $249.99) is now attainable.

Here is the link to the Neiman Marcus for Target shop: http://www.target.com/c/target-neiman-marcus-collection/-/N-5ouwb%20%20#?lnk=lnav_t_spc_x_x&intc=910053|null

Happy Shopping ladies!