Happy Friday, everyone!  I don’t know about all of you, but I am so excited that the weekend is finally HERE!  Pretty sure Friday is my favorite day of the week-and with good reason, I suppose.  Kind of makes me want to dance a little jig.  🙂

So in honor of favorite product Friday, I wanted to take a minute and address my love for cognac boots.  *Sigh* And now that boot season is upon us (and I’m used to wearing socks with something besides tennis shoes again), I can’t stop wearing mine.  It hasn’t been that cold in the SLC, but that hasn’t stopped me yet.  And despite a collection of beautiful boots in my wardrobe, I always seem to gravitate towards my cognac boots, no matter the outfit.  They are a great neutral, a little more exciting than just plain black or brown, and go with just about anything.

Boots:  Aldo Farmar (old), Steve Madden (old), Jessica Simpson(old)

similar, similar, similar

My poor Farmar boots are starting to get a little worn, which is a good thing because I can wear them for bumming around town and to cross races without having to think twice, but that also means I need to find a replacement for them.  Fortunately, a couple of weeks back I found an amazing deal on a gorgeous pair of Vince Camuto boots and snatched them right up.  And while the color is slightly different from my tried and true Farmar boots, I have a feeling they will be my staple boot for the season.  Stay tuned for a glimpse of them in an upcoming post!

Happy, happy weekend everyone!

xx

I was born and raised in Montana, but both of my parents are from the Motor City which is where the majority of our family still resides. And last weekend, I was blessed to have the opportunity to head back to Detroit to spend a few days with extended family and celebrate my beloved grandmother’s 90th birthday. I don’t get to Michigan nearly as much as I would like, so every moment I was there was a moment cherished.

My grandma is quite a special lady and we had a beautiful celebration of her wonderful life and the lady that she is. The doorbell rang non-stop while I was there with packages and beautiful flower deliveries, the phone rang off the hook, and the outpouring of love was palpable. It was a really special thing to be a part of and the opportunity of time spent with not only my grandma, but my aunties, uncle, cousins, and parents was priceless. Here are a few pictures from her birthday party. Can you guess which one is my mom? 😉

Instagram Filter:  Amaro

Dress:  American Eagle (last winter)

Leopard Belt:  Express (in stores now!)

Black Cardigan:  Nordstrom Rack (recent)

Gold Charm Bracelet:   Juicy Couture

Gold Watch:  Michael Kors

Shoes:  Chinese Laundry Love Me (oldies, but goodies)

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was spending a couple of hours going through old photos with my Grandma Thelm.  It was a beautiful walk down memory lane and I loved seeing how beautifully women used to dress (the tailoring was immaculate!), images of my grandma as a gorgeous, young professional working in downtown Detroit, the tale of a love lost in war, stories of my grandpa and his fascinating family, photos of my mom and her siblings as kiddos, and perhaps my favorite was the realization that my crooked dimples are exactly the same as my grandma’s-which makes me now love them that much more.  All in all, it was a weekend full of memories that will be cherished for a long, long time to come. 

xx

I haven’t taken a vacation since I started my new job with Macy’s last September. Between living in San Francisco for 4 months and getting into the swing of things with my new position when I got back to the SLC, time has been flying. So I have to say that I have been looking forward to our annual week in Montana even more than usual this summer. And so far the trip has been amazing-perfect weather, a podium finish in a challenging bike race (for Justin), time on the road bike (for me), and LOTS of laughs with family. And since I haven’t worn much besides my spandex and a bathing suit since we left the SLC last Friday, I don’t have any outfit posts as of yet, so thought instead I would share with you some of the highlights of our trip so far.

Gorgeous morning for Justin’s big race, the Butte 50

I snuck in some miles on my road bike while J raced-Highway 2 from Butte to White Hall is GORGEOUS!

It was a successful day!  Despite a major mechanical (broken derailer), J still managed to finish, and in 3rd place.  Pretty darn awesome.   

So proud of J!

Driving into the Flathead from Missoula-so pretty!

We hit Flathead Lake for a dinner and cocktail cruise immediately when we got into town Sunday afternoon.  I love this pic of J-totally anticipating the cold water.  Lol.  But it actually wasn’t that bad.

Beers+water+summer=perfect.

Happy girl!

My favorite place in the world-Glacier National Park

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a swimmer!  Charlie is only 6lbs and was a little fish at the lake yesterday swimming and retrieving sticks.  Tiniest swimmer.  EVER.

This is our happy place.  We LOVE it here.

So glad he loves Montana like I do…

Another perfect day.

Hopefully I will be back with more outfit posts tomorrow. But for now, I am enjoying a coffee on my parent’s big front porch, taking in the pretty views, and gearing up to hit the lake (again!)!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful week. 

xx

Coco Chanel.  The name alone is enough to give me goosebumps-not only is she my fashion icon, but Coco Chanel was a strong and independent woman who was not afraid to speak the truth and say what she believed, which is perhaps why her empire remains at the forefront of our fashion and beauty world today.

One of my all time favorite quotes from Coco (and I have A LOT) is her insistence that:

“A girl should be two things:  classy and fabulous.”

For whatever reason, this particular quote has always struck a chord with me-probably because almost above all else (kindness always reigns supreme), I want to be classy and fabulous!   And recently, I have found a little trick to help me feel extra fabulous every day.  In fact, I don’t want to leave home without it!!

So…here is the scoop!!  I was in NYC for work recently and while I was perusing the beauty department at the Macy’s at Herald Square (which, BTW is the biggest department store in the WORLD!!), I stopped to try to get someone’s attention at the Bobbi Brown counter to perhaps buy a new lip gloss or some eyeshadow.  But the two gals working the counter were embroiled in a very dramatic conversation and ignored me just long enough that I decided to move on.  And thank goodness I did, because when I turned around, the pretty blonde at the Chanel counter flagged me down and asked if she could try a new gloss on me.  I was hesitant, but have a friend who raves about Chanel gloss, so I obliged.  And in that moment, I discovered my new secret weapon to feeling fabulous-Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in Sweet Beige.

Hands down, this is the BEST gloss I have ever used.  It has just enough sparkle and shine, the color is subtle but pretty, it isn’t sticky AT ALL, the application is amazingly smooth, and it lasts an absurdly long time (for a gloss).  Plus, I would be lying if I said I didn’t get a little thrill each time I pull this glossy fabulous-ness out of my bag and see those two little intertwined C’s on the top-a little piece of my fashion icon with me every day.  🙂

Colors from left to right:  Petite Peche #148, Sunset Gold #64, Sweet Beige #297

Fabulous, practical, and pretty.  Don’t you think???? And I know I specifically referenced that it was Sweet Beige that was making me feel fabulous every day (and it is!!!), but since there are three glosses pictured, I have an obvious confession.  I have been so enamored with this product that I already bought it in two other colors!!! Thank goodness for my employee discount (but shhhh, don’t tell my hubby-lipgloss is one thing, among many, that he just doesn’t understand).

Wishing you a classy and fabulous weekend!!!!

xx