How adorable are these mini bloomers? Perfect for lounging around the house or to sleep in. The pattern is from Colette and it is free.

Check out my latest obsession: outnet.com.

Incredible deals on high-end designer clothing, shoes and accessories. I mean, we are talking serious deals here.

I am so smitten with NARS lip-glosses that even my husband can buy one for me (Ophelia), on his own, and know that it’s going to be perfect. My other two favorite shades: Stolen Kisses & Sweet Dreams.

I am addicted to Barbecue Pop Chips. Seriously addicted. One bag is the perfect crunchy snack at the end of the day…

Anyone who knows me knows that I despise doing dishes. I’ve been this way since I was a kid. You can ask my mother, who still battles with me to this day about leaving my glass in the sink when I go home to CHicago to visit.

I can cope when my husband is out of town until about one day remains until his return, and then I start letting them pile up in the sink for him. And then he comes home and takes care of business. Which includes drying. Which is something I don’t do. Because I don’t hand-wash dishes, either. I think everything should be dishwasher-safe. But he hand-washes. And then is always searching for kitchen towels to dry them with because, really, why would you ever just let them sit in that thing next to the kitchen sink that they call a dish-drying rack? And… dry?

I’m getting him these. End of search for kitchen towels.

Little Coco has had a rough bout of excema on her face. She’s never had it before. But coupled with my nasty ritual of morning bloody noses (no joke, every day!) and my husband’s extremely dry skin, we finally decided to take the plunge and install a home humidifier system that works through our heating system. It’s so dry here, we just didn’t think we’d make it through one more winter. And this usually skeptical girl is pleased to report that it’s working. It’s really working! So, to all my friends who’ve been telling me the system is genius, hats off to you, along with a big “I’m sorry” for not believing…

But anyway, to quicken the return of Coco’s dewy skin, I’ve been using Egyptian Magic on her rough patches, and after two applications, her skin is nearly back in check. I think this stuff might be the miracle cure I’ve been looking for?   

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. We sure did. And if you’re on the East Coast, hats off to you for the seemingly endless dumps you’ve been receiving. Stay warm and drive safely…

Obsessed with these shirts from Frank & Eileen. All on sale now at shopbop.com (my favorite source for incredible clothing on the web).

I don’t read “Lucky” magazine any more. But I can tell you that my absolute most favorite part of the magazine was the very last page, a charmingly chic illustration of some fabulous outfit as imagined on Andrea Linett, one of the mag’s founders and editors. If I read nothing else in an issue, I can assure you that the one thing I would not miss was a flip to the last page to check it out.

So now Andrea Linett has the most amazing blog (for lack of a better word), which is basically the last page of “Lucky” magazine and I am drooling! I can’t wait for there to be pages and pages to scroll through!

And on an aside, the woman who does the illustrations is also a designer and can I just say that if I had the entire wardrobe on this page that I would be a very happy and very well-dressed mom? Anne Johnston Albert’s line just epitomizes the effortless style that I so covet. Simple and sophisticated, it just doesn’t get any better than that…

And as we are being slammed with snow right now, I’m thinking warm cover-ups for my outdoor sojourns. Like hats. Of which I am generally not a fan. I must have a large head, or something, because I rarely find a hat that looks good on me.

But I love any and all of Mischa Lampert’s hats. How could you not? Again, functional but chic, all wrapped up in the perfect cold-weather topper.

Canada knows a thing or two about boots. And France knows a thing or two about style. So when I came across Pajar, a company based out of Montreal and helmed by a Frenchman, I realized I’d finally found the perfect pair of snow boots: functional and chic. A rare combination, particularly when you live in a corner of the U.S. that is slammed with snow for months and months and months on end.

The Grip ID Pouch boot is on my Christmas List this year…

Best $19.99 I ever spent was on this robe, from Target. It’s the most insanely cozy robe in the world. I just want to wear it all day long…

Even better? Notice it’s now on sale for $15.00!

I am completely smitten with these little dolls by Jess Brown. They’re completely old-school and yet totally modern all at once. I find myself perusing her site, with little accessories, clothing and furniture for the little dolls regularly, dreaming about which one I’d choose for Coco; which one I’d choose for Pea.

Then I saw this video of a lucky little girl with her Jess Brown doll, gallivanting around Paris, and I nearly died and went straight to heaven, it was that much to-die-for.

And then, Sugar City Journal wrote a post about those very same dolls, and took it one step further and used them as inspiration to make her own daughter a lovely rag doll. Oh, my. (By the way, if you haven’t yet disciovered this blog, you must get yourseld there quickly. Amazing. It will quickly become a favorite, I promise!)

Which led me to Jess Brown’s website and web-store.

So completely smitten.

I love these crayon rocks. So cute in a little bowl left out on the dining room table, which no matter how much I moan and groan is where everything in my kids’ world lands. And remains.   

The curator of just about the coolest website I’ve seen in a long time emailed me with a link to the site, and I sat on it for far too long. Such a shame I could not have shared the link sooner because the directory of amazing businesses is something to behold. We’re talking an abundance of eco-friendly, forward-thinking small businesses and the true stories behind them.

Personally, I will always support small businesses over mega-stores, if given the chance, and oftentimes knowing the story behind the business, seeing the faces of those making it all happen, is a real boon to understanding why it’s vital to keep these shops up and running, as consumers.

Tea shops in Paris! Downloadable tear sheets of fabulous wallpapers! Organic European beauty products!

Check it out…

knowwhatandwhere.com

I think this is going to be a website directory to keep an eye on. There are already many great finds on it and I’m sure many more to come…

For those of you out there lucky enough to live in this amazing state, Monkeyface Photography is hosting a pretty cool contest with some amazing prizes from local businesses. Fortunately, you don’t have to actually live here to win most of them, so please, enter for your chance to win!

You can enter online at Monkeyface’s website beginning on Monday, December 6th at 10am, through December 10th at midnight.

Among some of the local Utah businesses offering prizes are Monkeyface Photography, RaeGun, Fall Down Tree, Adorn Me Girl, Hook’d, Sophie and Lou, Celt Craft, and many, many more.

Winners will be announced on December 11th.

Good luck!