Monday, October 29, 2012

beauty from the inside out.

an ongoing study on aging beautifully.

i do yoga regularly, take a boatload of supplements, eat very healthy {vegetarian who eats fish}
and am obsessed with skin care and skin care products. i am always wanting to learn about the latest developments in health and skincare and above all, what really works.

i have three health gurus that i go to for answers, Dr. Oz, Dr. Weil and Dr. Perricone.


i've read Dr. Perricone's books before, but a renewed interest in Dr. Perricone 
came about when i started to notice that stress was taking a toll on my face. 
i knew i had to make a change. i think all of his books are worth reading, 
but i especially like The Wrinkle Cure and The Perricone Prescription.

i admit, i am not one to follow a diet or instructions, or a recipe word for word...basically, 
i take what works for me and apply it. so, i'll be honest when i say, 
i am not following Dr. Perricone's advice, exactly, rather, 
taking his suggestions and making just a few changes.
having said that, the few changes i've made over the past few days 
have made a huge difference 
in the feel and appearance of my skin, 
so if you are the type that follows the rules
i can't imagine what type of results you might get.



here are a few things i've learned from Dr. Perricone:

eat protein first
drink less coffee, or better yet, give it up
eat salmon many times a week
find the best regimen for your skin type and concerns
use a face product containing DMAE
avoid sugar and high-glycemic foods
eat cantaloupe and anti-oxidant rich berries.
drink lots of spring water, 64 oz per day
exercise
use sunscreen after moisturizer
get lots of sleep


so, here's what i implemented the last few days;

i reduced my coffee to one cup a day 
{can't seem to get to 11:00 am without a killer headache without the coffee}.
started drinking lots of water, 6 8oz bottles per day.
started eating protein first at every meal, 
a handful of almonds, a glass of keefir, oatmeal before fruit, 
and lots of salmon. 
i ate salmon and tuna six times over the course of three days.
i ate avocado and a high-fiber, high protein grainy bread.
added lots of anti-oxidant berries and cantaloupe to my daily diet.
i reduced, but did not eliminate my desserts. 
i still had pumpkin pie, original Pink Berry with fruit 
and a few pieces of dark chocolate, 
oh, and a Heath Bar {it's Halloween time}.

and

i started using a DMAE serum for my face and neck.

Results:

i don't have an 'after' photo, but in three days,
my skin truly looks noticeably more supple and has a healthy glow to it.

i am really pleased with the change. i think i had been drinking too much tea, 
not enough water and not enough of the correct fatty acids needed for hydrated skin.

i'm excited. this is doable for me. drinking lots of water, 
eating protein first and eating so much fish are the hardest things, 
oh, and of course, trying not to eat cookies and bread,
but i am thrilled with the results so, 
i'll keep trying to work these miracle changes into my lifestyle. 

has anyone else tried these changes or do you notice anything special 
when you make changes in your diet?

Friday, October 19, 2012

humans of new york.

i haven't been to new york yet {wish that wasn't true, but it is}
but, everyday, i take a little trip there, 
so to speak, by visiting one of my daily reads.








i think the photographer, Brandon, is brilliant. 

i can't really do him justice by writing, 
so i will leave the links here and above for you.
if you haven't seen his work, 
grab a cup of tea and set aside a few minutes to 
visit new york today.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

maui bound.



normally with the end of sumer and the start of fall, 
i would be really excited for things like
oversized sweaters, skinny jeans, boots, 
pumpkin bread, chai lattes, crumb top apple pie,
grilled brie and pear sandwiches, tomato soup...fall things,

but this year it's different, we're going to Maui before the end of the year. 
i picked up a few new swimsuits,

 
some shorts, a dress 
and a new pair of Havianas for the trip.


i'm thrilled to be going with my family for a much needed vacation.
so stoked to take my camera, i wasn't into photography 
when we were there last, 
i was into having babies. 


we haven't been to Maui
in 16 years, 
do you know of any 
cool spots to eat, 
shop, 
things to do?


we want to do what
Maui locals do, 
not tourist-y things.


Maui favorites?


all bikinis Victoria's Secret.
hat billabong.
sandals havianas.
 hawaiian honey image here.


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

love who you are.

an ongoing study in loving who you are.

today's post is a collection of inspiring quotes 
on aging beautifully,
turns out, we can all age beautifully,
the power is in your mind.


i love lauren hutton! i love the way she makes me feel about myself.
i can relate to her coloring, her hair, her gap. 
i love that she is aging gracefully.
she will forever be my role model. 
above image via here.




On wardrobe essentials: "Always have a navy blazer. 
White pants, tan pants, navy or black pants—whatever looks good on you. 
Well-made T-shirts in long and short sleeves. 
And a good pair of black heels and camel-colored oxfords. 
If you can afford to, get high-quality classics so you can wear them forever and ever."

 On basic black: "It wipes me out. I can't wear it. Not everything works for everybody."

 On biker chic: "Motorcycle clothes need to be thicker. 
When you're going fast on the highway, you don't want to leave skin behind."

 On accessorizing: "I have small bones, so I can't wear big jewelry. 
The jewelry ends up walking around. I want Lauren walking around."

 On developing a signature look: "When I first came to New York, 
my favorite outfit was a pair of aqua terry cloth shorts and a men's maroon mohair sweater. 
All I'm saying is that you couldn't have been dumber than me. 
Finding your look isn't complicated if you go in without being frightened. 
Notice what people are complimenting you on. 
Experiment with new things once in a while, 
but have your tried-and-true pieces that work."


photo shoot with mary kate and ashley.

"I just try to do my best to look good—get enough sleep, stay healthy, 
have fun with makeup—then forget about it! 
If you obsess about your looks, it kills your spirit."
Lauren Hutton
{my inspiration for aging beautifully}

lauren hutton images via here.



"No, I don't do anything to look younger; this is one battle that you will lose eventually. 
It is more becoming to accept the unique characteristics that come with age. 
Women who stay true to themselves are always more interesting and beautiful to me, 
women like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe and Anna Magnani—
women who have style, chic, allure and elegance. 
They didn't submit to any standard of beauty—they defined it." 

"I always encourage women to let their individuality show by not covering up 
what they perceive as flaws. When I see a woman with the natural wrinkles 
of time on her face, I do not see the wrinkles at all, but when I see a 
woman trying to cover them up with too much foundation or concealer, 
all I see are her wrinkles. Instead of looking in the mirror and asking, 
"What's wrong with me?" use makeup to highlight your uniqueness, 
not to hide and correct." 

Isabella Rossellini 
{a stunning example of a natural beauty}

isabella image via here.


"Looking fresh and rested. When are you the most beautiful? 
When you're on vacation. The trick is to discipline yourself to 
get enough sleep and find ways to handle your stress in your everyday life too. 
If you're well-rested instead of sleep deprived, you'll take years off your face. 
When I need to pick myself up, I do three things. I dab yellow-based concealer 
under my eyes with my fingers and set it with a powder puff. 
Then I apply a slightly brighter blush than my usual one to look like I'm flushed. 
And I spritz on fragrance as an energizer."

                           "Worrying constantly about their looks. I believe in being low maintenance. 
As a matter of fact, I don't often look at myself in the mirror. 
It's not that I don't have the time—I simply don't have the inclination. 
Most of us look better when we don't know what we look like anyway.
The best thing to do before a party, for instance, is take a deep breath and tell yourself, 
"Okay, I am going to have a great time." And then don't look in a mirror all night. 
It works better than running to the ladies' room every half hour and fixing your makeup."

"Oh, and drink a lot of water all day long. When I forget to drink water, I look so much older!"

"It is too easy to go so far that you lose any character in your face. 
What I would recommend, though, is having your teeth whitened. 
It's amazing. It totally lightens up your face and you look years younger." 

Bobbi Brown
{a beautiful 'love who you are' role model}

image of bobbi via here.

quotes via oprah.com.

Monday, October 8, 2012

most wanted.

we are finally getting some cooler weather, 
and they are predicting rain for later this week.

i pulled my pants, boots, heels and shirts
to the center front of my closet
and i'm thinking about outfits 
for the cooler months ahead.

i love to pull my favorites, 
add a few new pieces
and dress up with accessories.

we'll be hitting the thrift stores today:

a few things on my most wanted list for fall:

a slouchy, boyfriend v-neck sweater or two.


a grey oversized-sweatshirt {simple, comfortable, sexy}.


an army-style dress shirt.


a brown oversized bag.


another pair of vintage levi's.


something red.





here are a few of my fall closet favorites, 
including this shirt i picked up over the weekend. 


snowcat boy shirt. jcrew. found on sale. $30 =/-.


vintage levi's. thrifted leopard shoes $18.


my version of the liberty shirt, thrifted $40, made in india.


thrifted. classic western style ralph lauren shirt. 
so old, i can't remember how much i paid.


indian boho blouse. thrifted $12. 


cashmere v-neck. christmas gift.
this is an xs so it's fitted. 
i'm looking for a looser one, maybe in camel.


collection of belts. some target, some gap.

my favorite vintage thrifted belt.

all of my closet pulls were inspired by
jcrew {all images below}and pinterest.






so, what do you already own 
that you are going to incorporate
into your fall wardrobe
and
what's on your wish list for fall?



Saturday, October 6, 2012

obsessed with skulls.



my new skull blouse. 




the ever popular frida.


now available in grey, frida.


one of my favorite rings, juliet. 
skull and butterflies.
made to order.


love this tie.
 
want this sweatshirt!


i am obsessed with skulls.

also coming soon...
new skull necklaces, 
bracelets
and perhaps, rings.