Celebrating LOVE

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm so excited the day has FINALLY arrived! Besides the excuse to eat chocolate all day and tell everyone close to me how much I care about them, I am really excited for the launch of BHLDN (pronounce beholden) today! I love pretty much everything at Anthropologie, so I am so excited to see what they can do for weddings. While I'm not one of those girls who has had their wedding planned out since they were 10, I'm a sucker for beautiful things and I doubt this new site will disappoint.

I hope you all have a great day and remember to tell someone you love them!

All You Need is Love

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I have to admit that I am one of those romantic saps that LOVES (probably way to much) this holiday. I think it is great to have a day that celebrates love. To me it means taking a day to appreciate the love you have for all those in your life- from significant others and family to friends and pets! I wanted to make a gift guide for all those special people in your life, but it kind of turned into things I (or any girl for that matter) would like - whoops! While the typical flowers and chocolate are great, I like things that last longer than a week so that you can remember the love your lucky enough to have all year long!

This Essie shade is so bright and fun- perfect for Valentine's Day!

I'm not really into heart jewelry, but this Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelet is subtle and sweet.

This original letterpress print would be great for anyone you want to spread some love to.

This ring would definitely remind you to love everyday.

This heart can be worn as a pin or in your hair and I love that it is just a bit quirky!

Winter Reading

With all the winter weather that moved through St. Louis the past few days, I've had a lot of time (which probably should have been used for studying) to check out some new online magazines and read a few of my favorites. Although flipping through an actual magazine is one of my most favorite things, these give me the same sensation (and are eco-friendly too!). If you have some downtime this week/weekend, you should check out these great reads:

HIGHgloss is brand new and I love their premier issue. They cover just about everything, but I'm especially fond of their city chic and southern charm spreads.

Rue has been around for a couple issues, but it just keeps getting better! We are already a month into 2011 (can you believe it?), but I still love reading the Rue resolutions- there offer great tips!

Matchbook is also new to the game, and I really enjoyed their premier issues. I'm obsessed with the article on Haleigh Walsworth and want to move to Paris ASAP (a girl can dream right?) I also love their description of the matchbook girl:

Pop of Pink

With the weather in St. Louis warming up to above freezing temperatures, I'm already starting to get antsy for spring to arrive (too bad it is still months away!) Until then, I'm going to continue dreaming of warm weather and the colors of the upcoming season. After checking out several of the Spring/Summer '11 collections, it's clear that bright, bold colors are a major trend. My favorite of the bunch is a pop of pink! Check out these beautiful interpretations of this trend:

Prada Spring/Summer 2011

Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011

Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011

Nina Ricci Spring/Summer 2011

Jill Sander Spring/Summer 2011

I've decided to interpret the trend in a more subtle, wearable way this season with this adorable cross-body bag by Cole Haan:

I'm obsessed with all the zippers on this small bag and love that it is just the right size for all the essentials. But until the weather warms up, I'm going to have to secretly enjoy pops of pink under my warm winter boots!

Cherokee Street

The other day, my friend Grace and I took a trip to Cherokee Street- home of amazing (and inexpensive!) Mexican food and the largest antique shopping district in St. Louis! This area offers six blocks of antique and collectable stores. Although it has been miserably cold outside, it was lovely to spend the afternoon walking from shop to shop. We looked at everything from records to furniture and statues to trinkets. I was so excited to walk away with these:

I have been searching for vintage champagne coupes for months (and even added them to my Gift Guide), so I was excited to finally find this perfect set of 6 for only $10! While my favorite vintage store remains The Future Antiques on Morgan Ford, I recommend spending the day searching for treasures on Cherokee. It's impossible to not find something you love!

Snow Day!

There is nothing better than freshly fallen snow! I was so excited to be welcomed back to St. Louis with a bit of a winter wonderland. Since I'm not the most skilled driver in snow, I've decided to spend my day curled up with a good book (Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen- just as good as my friend who recommended it described it as). The one thing my day is missing is a fireplace- I would love to be sitting near something like this:

Doesn't that sound like the perfect day? I'm trying to make the most of my last week before the chaos of classes begins again, but I promise I will have some exciting stories to share soon- so stay tuned!

A New Year, A Fresh Start

I rang in 2011 with some of my best friends on Beale Street in Memphis, TN this year. It was a rainy, crazy, chaotic night-but we all survived and had a pretty amazing time. However, I'm hoping the craziness of the evening is not a reflection on this new year for me. A wild night every now in then is great, but there is no one way I could handle a lot of them (I guess that's what happens when you start to grow up?)

I decided not to make any resolutions (let's be honest- who actually keeps them?), but I have a very positive outlook on this upcoming year. I know it is going to be full of a lot of changes (graduating!), but I'm optimistic about the road ahead. I hope y'all had a great time bringing in the new year and I wish you the best in 2011!