flicker melinda

currently listening to "battle (aol session version)" by colbie caillat

kate spade had a sample sale a few weeks ago and after debating with multiple friends on what would be the best, most practical purchase (since i obviously wanted everything).. i chose this beauty (similar one here). pretty sure it was the driving force behind my week-long kate spade purchasing obsession (the purse made me buy the earrings and dress!), either that or im just getting "in the mood" for my nyc trip this weekend...

oh well. im in love with it and don't regret the purchase one. bit.

healthy living

currently listening to "rich girl" by hall & oates

portion control, cutting calories, liquid diet, etc. etc. all of these weight loss remedies really make my head spin! not to throw another option into the mix, but here's one solution that's easy to maintain and doesn't require torturing: try the substitutes.

i know alot of people are weirded out by tofu or veggie burgers..  i was one of them! but before you write those off completely, try it.. you'll be saving yourself tons of calories and avoiding all that fat! i'll be honest though, the kinds that i've tried do not taste the same as a good 'ol beef burger, but if you're topping obsessed (like i am) anyway then you won't be missing out on flavor. i've had a portobello mushroom burger once and, i swear, it was better than any other meat burger i've ever tasted. for memorial day weekend, i even had the chance to try a beet burger.. i was a little nervous about it (since when was the last time i ate a beet? um... never?), but it was so. good. aaand now i want one, just great. try one for yourself!

other easy things you can try substituting would be:
vegenaise for mayonnaise
soy or almond milk for cow milk

pick me up

thank you to all of the brave men and women who serve... we are all so blessed by your sacrifice and bravery. 

quote of the day

"Why not be happy after awhile? You get to a certain age where you prepare yourself for happiness, sometimes you never remember to actually get happy. So, I remembered how to get happy."

- John Mayer

pretty little tunes vol. 26

summer hits of the 90's...  oh nostalgia: 
1. "hanginaround"by counting crows
2. "the way" by fastball
3. "you get what you give" by new radicals
4. "bittersweet symphony" by the verve
5. "last kiss" by pearl jam
6. "it's all been done" by barenaked ladies
7. "roll to me" by del amitri
8. "smooth" by santana feat. rob thomas
9. "santeria" by sublime
10. "kiss me" by sixpence none the richer

la photo diary mashup

currently listening to "fade into you" by mazzy star

saturdays off the 405

currently listening to "sunshine and rain" by the icarus account

a trader joe's picnic followed by snugglefest at the getty's summer concert series, saturdays off the 405... can we do this every saturday please?

manhattan beach

currently listening to "friday i'm in love" by the cure

{ray ban aviators, j.crew bathing suit and sandals}

what are the chances i'd meet up with my girlfriends from dallas... in los angeles?! so happy that the universe was kind enough to let that little bit of fate happen. wahoo's fish taco salad, striking a yoga pose, and making really cute heart shapes are just a few highlights from our beach day. 

healthy living

currently listening to "danny's song" by kenny loggins

sometimes it's hard to get a workout in when you're on a weekend vacation.. it could just be a pure laziness factor on my end, but i just think it's too much of a hassle to figure out where and how to get in a good workout. plus i never want to deal with packing gym clothes and sneakers in my incredibly small carry-on luggage (because aren't we all too cheap to check-in bags nowadays?). simple solution? walk everywhere.

when i have a longer trip, i make it a priority to continue my workout routine, but when it's a short one then i just try to get in as much walking as possible. i did this recently during my quick vacation to LA. just by avoiding the car, we walked over 5 miles in one day by walking to and from brunch and the beach (yes, we did calculate our efforts); we even woke up the next morning a little sore! making an extra effort to be more active helps even out those vacation calories. this can be applied when you're not on vacation too -- are you lucky enough that you have restaurants or other activities nearby? well instead of driving the 2 minutes to get there, why not walk? you'll only be spending a handful of minutes longer to get to and from your destination, but the aftermath is so worth it. good luck!

silver lining

one of my all-time favorite songs:

quote of the day

"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

pretty little tunes vol.25

inspired by one of my favorite movies, (500) days of summer:
1. "sweet disposition" by the temper trap
2. "can you tell" by ra ra riot
3. "friday i'm in love" by the cure
4. "here comes your man" by meaghan smith
5. "please, please, please, let me get what i want" by the smiths
6. "add my effort" by the weepies
7. "quelqu'un m'a dit" by carla bruni
8. "sea green, see blue" by jaymay
9. "the aspidistra flies" by stars
10. "age of consent" by new order

rangers game

currently listening to "texas time travelin'" by cory morrow

photos by david :)

had the absolute best time with my sweet friends monday night at the rangers game! im leaving for LA this afternoon so i should probably finish up packing.. 

inside j.crew

has anyone been hearing about the cnbc special on j.crew? miles told me about it this past weekend (because he knows that i have an undying love for the brand) and i honestly cannot wait until may, 24th when it airs! here are a few sneak peeks:

little's graduation dinner

currently listening to "paddling out" by miike snow

this past weekend was baylor's graduation and one of my sweet littles (i got blessed with two!) celebrated her graduation here in dallas. this was taken at nick & sam's -- what a truly amazing meal in honor of our graduate!

healthy living

currently listening to "starships" by nicki minaj (thanks alot david for making me obsessed with this)

i dont know about yall, but lately i've had to attend alot of dinners for weddings, graduation, and just overall summer celebrations. and i feel your pain.. it is really hard to eat well when there is just so. much. good. food. which brings me to this week's tip: balance it out.

trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle for the long run means not depriving or torturing yourself; it's a way of life, after all. if you know that you have to meet friends for brunch, then just be sure to eat a lighter dinner or -on the flip side- if there's a big dinner party that you're going to, then maybe stick to a breakfast and lunch that are predominately filled with fruits and veggies. it's really quite doable to still enjoy really great food while out celebrating with your friends if you just plan ahead. good luck and happy tuesday!

capital letters

quote of the day

"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."

- Yeseva One

pretty little tunes vol. 24

there's no way you won't be in a good mood after this playlist:
1. "signed, sealed, delivered" by stevie wonder
2. "rock with you" by michael jackson
3. "you've really got a hold on me" smokey robinson & the miracles
4. "this will be (an everlasting love)" by natalie cole
5. "september" by earth, wind, & fire
6. "ain't no mountain high enough" by marvin gaye & tammi terrell
7. "you can't hurry love" by the supremes
8. "i want you back" by jackson 5
9. "little bitty pretty one" by frankie lymon
10. "higher and higher" by jackie wilson

beau & stella

currently listening to glee's cover of whitney houston's "saving all my love for you"

if you follow me on pinterest, then you know that i've been waiting for my beau & stella necklace to arrive this week. and boy! was the packaging the cutest thing ever. i felt like it was christmas or my birthday -- my necklace was neatly wrapped (with a bow!) and even had a personalized thank you note. 

i've been wanting a necklace like this for awhile and asked my friend emily where she got hers; she directed me to beau & stella's etsy page where i was bombarded with basically all of my dream accessories. luckily marcie, the owner, was so kind when i asked questions.

i ordered the tiny initial necklace with a lowercase "j" and an extended 20" chain and yes i do plan on obnoxiously wearing it to death :) i think the next purchase off my wish list will either be the tiny luck necklace (in gold, of course) or maybe just another initial necklace but this time in the gold matte with a capital "j".. ah decisions, decisions. 

pork chop friday's

currently listening to "these streets" by paolo nutini

im gonna let my texas friends in on a little secret...

(well actually, this only applies in dallas, austin, houston, and san antonio)

pork chop friday's at perry's steakhouse is literally the best deal in town. a regular lunch cut of this decadent meal is usually $17.95, but on friday's it's only $11.95! and the portions aren't small either. i saw grown men leaving the restaurant with doggy bags (yes that was a challenge statement). 

upscale fare that won't break the bank? you really have nothing to lose.. see you friday!

first position

i want to see this documentary so badly! who will go with me?

healthy living

currently listening to "bad news" by kanye west

similiar to this post, a very important tip to help you on your way to a healthier lifestyle is to keep yourself accountable. sorry to break the news, but no one is accountable for your own health but yourself. you can have motivators and even be enrolled in a thousand different programs, but in the end, you are the only person that can make the changes necessary and stick with them.

one great accountability tool would be using a food diary or you can find other resources like these self online tools (which i actually still use) to help put things in perspective. some people who are trying to lose weight swear by this method. this does not mean to obsess over the amount of calories you're intaking, how many inches you're losing, or how fast those pounds are dropping off the scale. trust me, i've been there. it's just not healthy.

but logging in calories from time to time is a great way to see a visual representation of your intake to remind yourself that maybe you don't need to consume over 2,000 calories a day. it's also great to see the progress that you've been making. there are some online tools that even break down the amount of protein, fiber, etc. that your specific body needs. maybe you only need a weekly check-up to keep you on track, or maybe you need more structure and choose to do it daily, whatever your choice, be sure to do it wisely because being healthy doesn't mean you have to torture yourself!

here's a great post from one of my favorite bloggers if you want to read more on losing weight.

cats and dogs

quote of the day

"Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80's movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason. But no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life."

-  Easy A

simple pleasures

currently listening to "o leãozinho" by priscilla ahn

went to play with some puppies with kelsee and noah this past weekend :) how is everyone celebrating cinco de mayo? my day's planned with a parade, pool party, dinner, and of course many delicious margaritas. happy cinco!!!

pretty little tunes vol.23

this week's playlist is inspired by a few favorites that my yoga studio plays during our practice.. even if you don't practice yoga, i think you'll still enjoy these :)
1. "diamonds in the sun" by girish
2. "because" by the beatles
3. "orange sky" by alexi murdoch
4. "hallelujah" by rufus wainwright
5. "the greatest" by cat power
6. "stars" by david crowder band
7. "imagine" by the beatles
8. "somewhere over the rainbow" by eva cassidy
9. "banana pancakes" by jack johnson
10. "keep breathing" by ingrid michaelson

villa-o

currently listening to "details in the fabric" by jason mraz ft. james morrison

a few weeks ago, crosby took me to villa-o for dinner since i've been dying to try it. their philosophy is to use simple, organic ingredients which -ofcourse- makes the amount of food we ate less guilt-ridden. we ordered the portobello mushroom fries (still salivating as i type this), hot seafood antipasta, and gnocchi smothered in sop-it-all-up pesto sauce. yuuum. take me back.