Simplify.

Simplify Your Life

One of my major goals for 2017 is to streamline my life a little more. To simplify.

Last year I read Maria Kondo's life changing book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

and prompted by a subsequent flood in my house started massively clearing the clutter, cleaning out closets, donating boxes of stuff that we no longer needed, consigning car loads of clothes.

It's amazing how peaceful home feels when you have pared everything down!

Part of simplifying my life has been going back to using a regular day planner. I still keep an electronic calendar on my phone, but there is something soothing about opening a calendar book and seeing my week and my month clearly. Sometimes going old school is cool.

I got this day planner at Barnes and Noble. 

My favorite minimalists on Instagram have been sporting these Daniel Wellington watches. I normally wear heavier, chunkier sports watches, but was so drawn to the chic simplicity of this watch. I pair it with silver bracelets, and it really looks quite sleek.

My makeup obsession at the moment is super gleaming cheeks, feathered eyebrows, a good coat of mascara, and a power lip. My favorite lipstick is Tarte's new Lip Paint in Fly. It is the perfect red-crimson a la Miss Sloane. I think it is far more interesting than a plain red, and the undertones fire up the skin and make it look gorgeous.

I still am an avid coffee drinker, but have scaled back to one cup per day. The rest of the day I drink tea from Teavana. 

When I first moved to America from London I got terribly homesick. I adored living in sunny LA and had no interest in moving back to dreary, rainy old London, but still I ached for a few things British. 

I bought this tea cup in between shoots one day in an antique store on Magnolia in Burbank. It sat idle for a while, but now it serves me Teavana tea all day long. I found some of my Teavana canisters that I had completely forgotten about, and they still had tea in them, which although only a year or so old, I would have thought would have gone stale.

My favorites are Opus Rouge, Citrus lavender sage, and Maharajah Chai Oolong.

I've been making the teas in a French press coffee maker, but I think I'm going to invest in the Breville tea maker or maybe  the Blomus Modern Hot Tea Maker  

Sometimes the simple things in life bring you the most joy.  

  

The Coveted List December 2016

How is your end of year wish list looking?
I love making Christmas lists. actually I love making lists of things I want all year long!
This month we are channeling our inner french girl, drinking great tea and airbrushing our complexions to perfection.
Enjoy!


Eberjey Gisele PJs in red.

I found these on Revolve.com, a totally fabulous fashion website that has everything you can imagine from intimates to shoes to clothes to accessories. The Revolve store in Los Angeles counts many celebrities as regular clients, and one of my personal favorite fashion it girls, Chiara Ferragni.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

French girls swear by this multi purpose oil that you can use on face, body and hair. 
Skin literally begs for oil during the winter. If your face is feeling dry or your body needs hydration anywhere, this glorious lightweight oil works magic. I love to put on a couple of drops before bed at night and wake up to a smooth, hydrated face that takes makeup beautifully and looks like it's glowing from within.
You can find Nuxe products online at Scarlet and Julia

Breville One Touch Tea Maker  from Teavana.com

Cold winter days (and nights!) call for hot cups of tea. I love buying Teavana teas with all their fantastic flavor combos, and the perfect way to make them or any other tea is with this tea maker. It heats the water to the right temperature, lowers th tea basket into the water, lets it steep, then raises it at the right time so your tea never gets bitter. It then keeps your tea hot for 60 minutes.

Jus By Julie 5 Day Jus Til Dinner Cleanse

Prep for the holidays with a 5 day juice cleanse. This one is great because you get to eat too. 4 juices throughout the day followed by a healthy meal. Jus by Julie juices are all vegan and non GMO. The reviews are fabulous.
Available online at JusByJulie.com

Kule The Modern Long Sleeve T

Nikki Kule's striped T's are the ultimate in french girl chic. Dress them up, dress them down they are always uber chic.

Check the website, Kule.com and get inspired by her story.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red Lipstick.

Still my favorite red lipstick! December is the perfect month to kill it with an absolutely amazing red lipstick, and this is the one to wear. Matte lips are great in the winter, they look fantastic and are easy to wear, but for many of us mattes just dry the lips out too much, so we avoid them. One of the things I love about the Matte Revolution lipsticks is that they are super hydrating, so your lips look luscious, and of course Charlotte's colors are incredible.

Red Carpet Red is a classic, old Hollywood red. It is the ultimate red lipstick.

Available online at CharlotteTilbury.com

Temptu Holiday Perfection Set

This is super cool. You get the personal airbrush pod system with a bottle of foundation, a blush and a highlighter.

There is a product color selector on the website to help you get your perfect shade as well as the right shade of blush and highlighter for your complexion.

The personal airbrush system gives you instant, effortless skin perfection. You mist on just the right amount of foundation with perfect coverage, getting an even, flawless application that is still sheer enough that your makeup doesn't look caked on.

The holiday set is on sale online at Temptu.com reduced from $325 to $258

Tory Burch Marion Flap Shoulder Bag In River Rock

This suede shoulder bag is perfect.

River rock is a fantastic alternative to standard black or regular browns. The bag is chic, modern, looks equally killer with jeans and a t-shirt or an LBD. The suede finish is cool, the chain strap evokes a little Chanel magic, and the bag itself is a classic.

Find it online at Bloomingdales.com

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Deals Teavana

Are you a tea drinker? 
I love Teavana teas. I've had a set of their cannisters for years, and I always keep them filled with different tea blends from Teavana. 
Truth be told I don't use them as much in the summer, but come fall and winter I drink them every day.

How To Holiday The Teavana Way

Teavana have all kinds of fabulous gift sets, both in the form of teas and bundled tea products, but also their super cool tea makers.

Breville One Touch Tea Maker

From the Breville One Touch Tea Maker to the Blomus Modern Hot Tea Maker

Add caption

Blomus Modern Hot Tea Maker

to the Teavana Perfect Tea Maker

Teavana Perfect Tea Maker

You absolutely can't go wrong! Teavana products make great business gifts too.

The sweetest deal of the season! Get it for $55.00 (A $69.40 Value) Over 20% off for a limited time. Set Includes: 16 oz Black Perfectea® Maker, Season’s Treatings gift box with 8 oz of dessert teas, 8 oz Belgian Rock Sugar and a Perfectea™ Scoop.

Teavana Online Exclusive Cyber Monday Bundle: Get it for $38.00 (A $47.95 Value) Over 20% off for a limited time. Set Includes: Steep It Simple Sachet Tea Gift Box (30 full-leaf sachets) and a Red Prism Stacking Mug (holds 12 oz).

The Modern Girls Guide To Hostess Gifts ~ 14 Great Hostess Gifts For The Holidays

It's that time of the year again - the endless swirl of chic soirées, holiday parties, cocktail parties, dinner parties and events that make up the holiday season.

Your hostess has taken the time to plan, put together and now be the ringmaster of the evening (or whatever time the event is happening). Your job is to be the perfect guest, and to show up with an appropriate hostess gift.

What should you not take? 
Don't show up with flowers - she already has her decor for the event planned, and when you are at the door with a bouquet she now has to stop what she was doing and go find a vase, deal with the flowers and find a place for them. 
Flowers make a lovely thank you gift after the event.

Don't show up with wine. (unless asked to) Your hostess has probably planned wine pairings to go with the foods she is serving. A bottle of wine can be awkward too - are you expecting her to serve it at the event or save it for later? It can be easily lost or confused, so opt for something that at least looks like it has been well thought out.

Make sure your gift is wrapped and has a hand written card attached as she may not open it until the next day and will probably forget who gave it.

Here are 15 great hostess gift ideas for this holiday season:

Diptyque Candles

Whether you are gifting a single candle or a set of minis,  a Diptyque Candle is always a win. The fragrances are glorious, and the quality is exceptional. Diptyque is synonymous with chic, classic and luxe. For the holiday season try the Diptyque candle in Feu De Bois for a woodsy, wintery scent.

Macarons

A little touch of Paris goes a long way. Decadent, glamorous and delicious, macarons are lovely to receive. Order online from Laduree

Bath Soaps

Sets of bath soaps or bath gels are always welcomed.

Where possible try to match the fragrance to the girl. If she is a floral girl a woodsy scent might not thrill her. If she is sleek and modern, get her something sleek and modern. If you aren't sure try Aqua di Parma, their products are always chic and luxe.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid anything lavender - it smells like grandma.

A Coffee Table Book

Find a statement piece that matches her interests. A fashionista may love the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

A girl who loves home decor may enjoy Ellen De Generes' Home

A Leather Notebook

In a world that has gone impossibly digital it is still lovely to write notes by hand in a beautiful leather notebook.

A Bottle Stopper.

Lovely wine bottle stoppers make a great gift. I found this Michael Aram Botanical Leaf Stopper 
at Nordstrom

A Picture Frame.

If you don't know her taste get something simple.

A Reed Diffuser From Jo Malone

A Jo Malone Diffuser is a super chic looking gift, and her fragrances are so beautiful - you will win every time.

Coasters

I found these Ben's Garden coasters at Nordstrom

An Interesting Or Exotic Tray.

She can use it to serve food, as a decor accent, to store her perfumes on - the list is endless but the gift is both lovely and original. I love this Rosanna Golden Alphabet Tray

A Throw 

Especially during the winter months a throw blanket is fabulous to curl up with, and they make wonderful gifts. Check out these Barefoot Dreams Cozy Chic Throws

A Tin Of Holiday Flavored Tea

Holiday flavored teas in interesting packaging make great gifts. Teavana has tea gift sets, and their White Chocolate Peppermint tea tastes like the holidays.

Drawer Fragrances

Everyone loves fragrances for their closets and drawers. These Diptyque Scented Ovals can freshen up any space, and make your clothes smell fresh and lovely.

A Himilayan Salt BBQ Plank.

Completely random, but what a great gift! I found this one on uncommon goods.com