It's the little things...

Here's what's making me smile this week:

 I go through a 32 oz bottle of seltzer water a day.  Gotta stay hydrated!!!

Clean desk!!!   Wooohooo!!!

Breezy Sunday afternoons in Astoria Park!

What's made you smile this week?

Mani Monday: Summer Brights

I love a good pop of color, and these neon shades absolutely POP.


1.  Daisy by Julep, a bright lemon yellow creme
2.  Action by Essie, a vibrant light orange neon
3.  Pink Shock Color Show by Maybelline
4.  Did It On 'Em by OPI
5. Lily by Julep, a fuchsia creme
6. Paz by Zoya, a neon orange creme
7. Shocking Seas Color Show by Maybelline

Creative Baby Shower Gift Idea: Prints from The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose

My sister in law is expecting, and so I've spent more time than usual thinking about babies, nurseries, onesies, and the like.  Amanda, my brother's amazing wife,  is doing my niece-to-be Paisley's nursery in a farm theme, so my mom and I got her these GORGEOUS prints from The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose to hang over the crib or the changing table:

My logic:  babies' little eyes can process black and white far sooner than color, hence the neutral palette, and once she's learning to talk, "cow" and "pig" are easy to say.  We found some frames that looked like distressed barn wood that compliment each print perfectly.


The prints run from super affordable ($25 for an 8X10) to investment piece ($1950 for a 29X37 limited edition print) and really any print from her Babies or Little Darlings collections would make a unique shower gift.  


A couple of my other favorite images from Sharon Montrose's collection:

GAH!  What a face!!!!

I cannot get over how ADORABLE this baby porcupine is!!!

Tutorial Tuesday: My New Ombre Locks!

Last Saturday night, after much deliberation and watching countless YouTube tutorials, I did it!  Ombre!!!  My inspiration:

The lovely Rachel Bilson: 

 And the gorgeous Lily Aldridge:

Here's how I did it:

DISCLAIMER:  I'm not a professional hair stylist/colorist.  If you attempt to do this yourself, put the time in and do your research first! 

Step 1:  I get a few pesky grays around my root line, so I used Revlon's ColorSilk in Dark Brown (30) at the roots, following the instructions.  ($3.99 at drugstore.com)

Step 2:  I have been dyeing my hair dark brown for years, so I knew it was going to take quite a bit of stripping to get the color off the ends.  I used Revlon's Frost & Glow Honey Highlights Kit for Medium to Dark Brown Hair ($8.99 at drugstore.com). I mixed the powder and the developer as directed, but instead of putting on the highlighting cap and pulling strands through, I applied a thick coat of the bleach to the bottom two inches or so of my hair.  I left it on about 30 minutes, checking frequently, at first to see if anything was happening...then later to make sure nothing was turning orange!!  Then I washed and conditioned with about 1/3 of the shampoo and conditioner provided and blow dried my hair.  

Step 3: I then added another coat of the bleach, and went about 3 1/2-4 inches up from the bottom of my hair, and left it on for about 25 min, checking frequently.   Washed.  Conditioned.  Dried.

Step 4:  Last application, I painted the bleach up about 5 inches from the bottom of my hair, and putting a bit on my fingers, I tried to blend the bleach up in streaks about an inch or so more.  I also pulled out a few face framing strands and applied the bleach to those as well using my fingers.  I left it the bleach on about 20 minutes this time.  Washed.  Conditioned.  Dried.

Step 5:  By this point, my poor ends were various shades of red.  I wanted to mute the brassiness and ensure my ends blended far more naturally from dark brown to light brown, so I then dyed the entire bottom of my hair with Revlon's Color Silk in Light Brown (51) (also $3.99 at drugstore.com).  I only left this on for 15 min or so, since my hair had been through quite an ordeal already and I knew it was a bit more accepting of color.

Step 6:  Argan oil!  Deep conditioner!  All the bleaching/dying did cause a little bit of damage to the ends of my hair, truth be told, but nothing worse than a few split ends.  Nothing a trim won't eliminate :)  

I am in love with it, and, not to toot my own horn, but my dear friend who works as a model agent at a major agency told me that it looked like I had it done professionally.  He's brutally honest re: appearance (he's paid to be), and I knew if he approved, I was golden.  

Here are a few of the videos that helped guide my ombre adventure:

And another link to Britnee Cann's tutorial.


Not daring enough to try this on your own?  Lifebooker has had a deal almost every week for the past month for ombre services at some highly rated salons.  

Manicure Monday: Review: Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect Color Care Nail Polish in Sea

Last night's mani reminded me as to why, as a rule, I don't purchase Sally Hansen nail color. 


I purchased this bottle of Smooth and Perfect Color Care Nail Polish in Sea a couple months ago. I used to HATE  seafoam green, but probably by virtue of seeing it so much during the course of the spring, it's grown on me. Unfortunately, the hue is about all this polish has going for it.


Strike one:  In the fluorescent light of the Duane Reade, Sea looked like a creme.  False. It actually has a bit of a pearl-ish sheen to it, which is not typically something I like.  


Strike two: The first coat goes on super sheer, the second streaky, and only by the third does it start to look ok.  And the formula is really thick, so it already feels like there's so much on my nail before I even get to the top coat.


Strike three:  Bubbles!  I woke up this morning to find a crazy amount of little air bubbles in my mani!  Not a good look :(

Ruling: boo!  money wasted!

Wardrobe Staple: The White Blouse

A great white blouse is an investment piece;  it can be worn with almost anything!  Each season tends to have it's own take on the white blouse, and here are a few of my favorite, inspired by my recent purchase of #3!


1. Helmut Lang Fray Shirt via Shopbop  (LOVE the back detail!  Not a fan of the price tag)
2.  Zara Blouse with Studded Shoulder via Zara
3.  Zara Studded Top via Zara (now residing in my closet)
4.  Tinley Road Silk Olivia Blouse via Piperlime
5.  Diane von Furstenberg Novalee Top via Shopbop  (I adore the little bows!)

Style Icon: Whitney Port

Confession:  The Hills and The City were my go-to guilty pleasure TV shows for ages, and I am a HUGE fan of Whitney Port's effortless-seeming style.  She always looks incredibly pulled together without looking too "done."  She's not afraid to take risks with her look and is really innovative when it comes to pairing pieces and accessories.  Some of my favorite Whitney moments:

Current Obsession: Now Solutions Coconut Oil

I feel like coconut oil has become the IT cosmetic ingredient as of late (thanks for the tip Miranda Kerr).  I picked up a jar recently at the local organic grocery store to use as a hair treatment for my newly ombre-d hair (bleach can be super drying and I want to avoid/repair any damage to my ends).  Now's version is amazing.  It has no scent, which I appreciate.  It seems I'm one of the only people in the world who isn't a fan of the way coconut smells.  I used this as an overnight hair mask for it's moisturizing properties, and as a moisturizer on my arms and legs before bed. A significant amount of cellular repair and regeneration takes place as we sleep, so that's when I tend to use heavier moisturizers and treatments.   It is oil, and does take a bit of time to absorb, so take that into consideration when deciding which sheets you want on your bed when you're going to use it. 

Look for Now Solutions Coconut Oil at Fairway or Whole Foods.

Review: The Water Secret by Dr. Howard Murad

To say The Water Secret changed the way I look at food would be a ridiculous understatement.  Dr. Murad (who you may recognize from his line of amazing skin care products) does an amazingly compelling job of explaining the effect of cellular dehydration is having on our bodies.  His thesis, in a highly unscientific nutshell:  we treat our cells like crap.  They're spending so much time breaking down all the strange chemicals we put in our bodies via overly processed foods, etc that their little walls have all these holes and no matter how much water we drink, our cells aren't truly hydrated because our cells aren't retaining the water they need.  By eating our water (i.e. eating foods with a high water content) and taking certain supplements we can repair our cell walls, and by building healthier more hydrated cells, our cells can spend their time doing the jobs they were intended to do, like build collagen and burn fat.  Result:  your skin looks better, your sleep improves and you lose weight.  He doesn't push his products or promise unrealistic results; Dr. Murad truly aims only to shift your mindset on what healthy eating looks and feels like.  His advice isn't anything groundbreaking or new, but the way he explains WHY this works is so different than anything I've encountered before.


Right after I read this book last summer, I became a Water Secret convert and 15 lbs just fell off. I absolutely recommend reading the entire book, but here are the some of the most basic tenants:


1) EAT YOUR WATER:  Foods like fruits and vegetables obviously have the highest water content.  They should make up the bulk of your diet.  Dr. Murad also includes a huge list of water-rich foods, which has taken up permanent residence in my phone for when I grocery shop.


2) SUPPLEMENTS:  Especially when you're working to adjust your diet, it's important to take supplements to provide your body with all the nutrients essential for cellular repair.  His suggestions are:

• a multivitamin
• Fatty acid supplement with at least 500mg of omega 3
• Lecithin supplement 2,000 mg
• Glucosamine sulfate 1,200mg
• high-potency B complex
• calcium with vitamin D
• an antioxidant

3) EXERCISE:  Dr. Murad doesn't advocate selling your soul to the gym, but he does emphasize the importance of staying active.


4) SLEEP: It's important.  Make sure you're getting enough!


5) SKIN CARE: Have a regular skin care routine.  Cleanse, tone, moisturize, use an eye cream.  He recommends which ingredients should be in the products you choose, but his book is absolutely not an ad for his skin care line, which I appreciate.  


He also talks a lot about managing stress, finding your passion, giving back and the importance of celebration.  He's about moderation and taking small steps toward realizing your health goals.  Though marketed as a book about skin care, it really is about whole body health.  A must read for the summer, and a book I come back to all the time!


***This goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway:  I'm not a doctor.  Read the book and consult with your physician etc before making a dramatic shift to your diet or before starting to take any new supplements. 

R & N's Wedding

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!  


As promised, here are a few of my favorite shots from R & N's wedding.  The ceremony and reception were held at Historic Waynesborough's event space.  Such a beautiful space!  Amazing food courtesy of Jeffrey A. Miller Catering (the steak was like butter!), awesome wine, the best wedding DJs I've heard in ages (if you're getting married or holding an event in Philly, New Jersey or New York, check out Hi-Society Entertainment), and, most importantly, the loveliest family and friends!   For more of my event photography, check out agirlcalledjack photography on Facebook! Enjoy!!

Tutorial Tuesday: to ombre...or not to ombre...

I know I am waaaayyyyy late to the party, but I am really digging the ombre look and am considering trying it myself.  The only thing holding me back:  I've been dying my hair dark brown for years, and I know it's going to take some work to strip the ends enough for there to be any noticeable color gradation...and I know how harsh bleach can be on hair.


While I contemplate, here's a link the best tutorial I've stumbled across on how to create an ombre look at home courtesy of Britnee Cann.


Thoughts?  If I decide to go for it, expect a full report!

Manicure Monday: Hot Hues for Sizzlin' Summer Manis

A few of my favorite summer colors for manicures:


1.  Pippa by Julep
2.  What Aura Gonna Where?  by Sephora by OPI
3.  Mint Candy Apple by Essie
4.  Clambake by Essie (my personal summer staple)
5.  Gloria by Julep
5. Turquoise and Caicos by Essie  (I've seen this on a few of my friends toes as of late, and I'm a fan!)

It's Wedding Season...

There's no escaping it. Wedding season is upon is.  It seems like everyone I know is either talking about getting engaged, actually getting engaged or getting married.  And yes, the big day is about the bride and her dress, but who says you can't turn some heads, too?  


1. MM Couture Strappy Chiffon Dress in Fuschia over at Piperlime
2. Diane von Furstenberg Jackie Boucle Pleated Dress in Acid Lemon at Shopbop
3. Milly Halter Tie Neck Silk Gown in Violet over at Piperlime
4. Panelled Dress in Strawberry over at Zara
5. Tinley Road Cap Sleeve Dress over at Piperlime (unfortunately sold out. boo!)
6. Ya Los Angeles Fit N Flare Dress in Lemon over at Piperlime
7.  Rory Beca Maya Shirttail Wrap Dress in Pop Rocks over at Shopbop


This evening, I'll be attending R & N's wedding in Paoli, PA...and the temperature is supposed to be 103 degrees and humid with a chance of thunderstorms.  Thankfully the outdoor area is tented!  But I will absolutely be wearing my trusty little black dress to avoid looking a sweaty mess in the pictures!  I'll post pics this week :)