The Little Texan

Laduree

2012-11-01T16:02:00.002-07:00

This post is entirely dedicated to my trip to Laduree in Paris. Why? My closest friends and family are the only ones that know about my macaron obsession. Well, that is until now, now you all know. My name is Courtney and I LOVE macarons. These were probably the most amazing one's I've had. And I drive 30 minutes to Sweet in Studio Center just to get my macaron fix! Enjoy my mouth watering photos, I know I'm missing these macaroons already...

Thinker

2012-10-30T13:14:00.003-07:00

Our next day in Paris was a mish mosh of adventures. It started off with my brother and I taking baby E to get our morning coffee and croissant. A tradition I'm trying to keep alive while back in the states and desperately wishing I was still in Paris. Note to Central Market: please never be out of croissants again...I'm developing a habit. Thank you. Next the whole family went to Napoleon's tomb. I'm telling you, this was one elaborate grave site. Do you think he was compensating for anything? Next we took a short walk to the Rodin museum, the only museum we went to on this trip. I wasn't about to wait in that crazy long line at the Louvre. This was definitely worth the trip. Walking around the garden was really peaceful and it wasn't very crowded. My kind of way to experience and enjoy the art. The day finished off with us wandering aimlessly around Paris stopping at Cafes and Patisseries along the way. One can't just go into one Patisserie there are too many goodies to choose from!

Outfit

Top: Juicy Couture black long sleeve (not pictured), Banana Republic sweater (similar here)

Jeans: Rock & Republic (old)

Boots: Steve Madden

Jewelry: Betsey Johnson heart earrings, Rose ring from Cuffs, vintage class ring

Glasses: Penguin

Fashion show

2012-10-26T08:54:00.001-07:00

Our second day in Paris was spent exploring the city. We were outside the Louvre for the Louis Vuitton fashion show and it was amazing. It was incredible to see the models walking off the runway in this seasons looks before anyone else was to see them. I also got to meet a few fellow bloggers along the way. Thanks Denni from Chicmuse, Bryan from Bryanboy, and Rumi from Fashion Toast for taking necessary blog photos with me! Here are a few photos we took while wandering around the city of Paris.

Model straight off the runway

Denni and me

Rumi, me, Bryan

Outfit

Top: American Apparel

Sweater: Madewell

Jeans: Rock & Republic (old)

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Jewelry: Alexander McQueen ring, BCBG ring, Tiffany bead earrings

Purse: Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton charm

Paris, L'amour

2012-10-22T21:15:00.002-07:00

Here's a quick outfit post on our first day in Paris. This day was spent mostly traveling from London to Paris via train. I would love to tell you about the amazing scenery or how quick the trip was...but honestly I have no idea because I was passed out the whole time. Not sleeping a lot in London I jumped on the opportunity to catch some zzz's.

Once in Paris we checked into our hotel and high tailed it to the Louis Vuitton on the Champs-Elysees. You see, my Unlce promised Baby E a Louis item of her choice if she would come out of the womb naturally...and I'm sure you guessed that she took him up on his offer and was delivered just a mere few hours later. We thought bringing Baby E into Louis with a stroller would hinder us from shopping, but in fact it got us VIP treatment. We didn't have to wait in line like the others and were helped right away. Baby E walked away with a few great items and I walked away with a fabulous charm.

Outfit

Top: Banana Republic (similar here)

Shorts: Nordstrom

Tights: Target

Boots: Steve Madden (similar here)

Jewelry: Tiffany bead earrings

Purse: Louis Vuitton

Harry Potter

2012-10-19T21:10:00.002-07:00

One of our last days in London we went on the Harry Potter studio tour, pause for moment of jealousy...Okay, now I can say how absolutely incredible this experience was. Let me be start off by stating that I like Harry Potter, but I wouldn't consider myself a die hard fan. Honestly, I stopped reading the books about 4 books in, but I've seen/own all of the movies.

This experience was not only amazing because it was Harry Potter, but because I'm a huge movie buff and it was incredible seeing the entire film process. You got to see so many amazing sets, costumes, props, hair and make up, special effects...my list could go on. The time, the effort, the details, the hard work that goes into creating a film series over 10 years...it's just amazing.

I wish I could recount everything that our tour guide told us and all of the amazing facts written about each piece. Here are some notable highlights, however...

1. The Great Hall was created to stand the test of time. The floor was made from real stone so it could withstand the wear and tear of shooting for 10 years! Also, the ceiling full of candles? Not real. The ceiling consisted of metal pipes and film equipment. There was never a true ceiling the entire 10 years.

2. The door to the Chamber of Secrets (the door with all of the snakes) was thought to be created through CGI, but in reality it was created to actually work. It was made through mechanical parts that have the snakes move in their pattern to open the door.

3. The moving paintings were played by crew members and their families created through a green screen. Also, the paintings seen around the school were crew members as well. Some of them posed for these pictures, some were unaware!

4. The potion bottles in Snape's classroom, along with every wand in Ollivanders, was hand written and created by set designers.

5. A miniaturized exact replica of Hogwarts was created for pan shots of the outside of the school. This model is amazing for its detail alone.

We spent a good few hours at the studio but even as I left I wish that I had stayed longer, read things in better detail, and took more pictures. Guess this means another trip to London is in order!

Too Creepy!

Butter Beer anyone?

This is from a different day, but I had to include it! Hogwarts, here I come!

Outfit:

Top: J.Crew (similar here)

Jeans: Rock & Republic (old)

Boots: Steve Madden (similar here)

Jewelry: Tiffany bead earrings, Tiffany heart ring, Flower ring from Cuffs

Purse: Louis Vuitton

Glasses: Penguin

Mix and Match

2012-10-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

I went to Pei Wei to visit their new Freestyle machine with my friend Minhthy. I told her about the project I was working on and she was excited to join me and help take photos. I was able to convince her to try the machine out as well. Since she is a soda drinker it worked out perfectly. She can give you the inside scoop about the soda portion of the machine.

She tried out Coke Zero and did a combination of flavors, cherry and vanilla. That's the beauty of the machine, you can mix your own sodas together to create your own unique flavor. She doesn't normally order a drink with her meals, but she said she'd be more likely to order one if there were this many options. Especially since she can mix her own flavors together and control the amount of each flavor option.

Check out her photos below!

Touring London

2012-10-16T16:01:00.002-07:00

Two of the days in London we did the typical double decker sightseeing tour bus. I was a little skeptical because I didn't want to scream out to everyone, "Look at me, I'm a tourist!" But it was such a great idea. I got views of landmarks I wouldn't normally have been able to see and we were able to hit every major sightseeing location. We took mental note of places we wanted to stop off and see, like the Tower of London, and on our second day took the bus to these locations.

I think the Tower of London was up there on my list of amazing places to see, partly because the crown jewels are there. Unfortunately we couldn't take any pictures, but trust me when I say the whole exhibit was absolutely amazing. Seeing all the jewels, even ones that were from the 1800s, that were still intact was an incredible sight. I swear, the history from London is just mind blowing. It makes me realize how young of a country the US is.

Outfit
Top: J.Crew
Jeans: Rock & Republic (old)
Scarf: Burberry (thanks Uncle M!)
Jacket: Native Fox
Shoes: Vince Camuto
Jewelry: Tiffany Bead earrings, Marc Jacobs ring, vintage class ring
Purse: Louis Vuitton

Freestyle

2012-10-14T13:57:00.002-07:00

When I was asked to partner with Coca-Cola Freestyle I almost turned it down. Truth is, I'm not a soda drinker. I gave it up for Lent a few years back and never picked the habit back up. Great decision. I decided to check out the website nonetheless and see what it was all about. Couldn't hurt, right? To my surprise there wasn't just soda. There were Powerade, Dasani, Hi-C, and Minute Maid options. You can also just get plain water if that's what you're feeling. I decided to be adventurous and try the Dasani sensations, which I didn't even know existed. It's Dasani water, but sparkling, genius! I got the Dasani Sensations lemon flavor and it reminded me of when I used to mix Minute Maid lemonade with a splash of sprite to give it a little fizz. Brings me back to my childhood days...

The new Freestyle machine is more than I had expected it to be. Get ready to spend some time playing around with all of your options and mixing your own flavors. Check out the website here to see where the nearest location is. Special thanks to the people at Pei Wei Asian Diner for letting us take pictures in their restaurant.

Outfit:

Top: Forever 21 spaghetti, Thrift store dog tee

Jeans: Rock & Republic (old)

Shoes: Aldo

Belt: J.Crew

Jewelry: J.Crew Elephant bracelet, J.Crew classic pave link bracelet, BCBG "my bad" bracelet, bracelet from Greece, vintage name necklace, BCBG ring

Note: This is a sponsored post. All reviews and opinions are my own

London Day 2

2012-10-12T15:51:00.001-07:00

Day 2 of London. This was spent getting up early to see the changing of the guards and walking around the streets of London shopping. Not too shabby for our first full day in London, huh? The changing of the guards was crazy! There were so many people there to see the whole event and my camera was just not getting great shots. I finally decided to put away my camera and just enjoy the moment. I may not have many great pictures of it, but I have great memories, and aren't those better anyway?

After the changing of the guard we went off in search of Regent street for some shopping. And man, did we do some damage! We shopped at all the major stores, mostly for Baby E, but I got a few things too. I'll do a goodies post of all my amazing souvenirs soon. Hope you enjoy the photos from our second day!

I was seriously obsessed with getting a photo of the guards I wasn't going to miss this chance!

Puts truth into the phrase, "shop til you drop"

Outfit

Top: J.Crew boy shirt, J.Crew Tippi sweater

Jeans: Rock & Republic (old)

Shoes: Sam Edelman Felicia flats

Jewelry: Christine Bowden necklace, Stella & Dot bracelet, BCBG ring

Purse: Louis Vuitton speedy

Coca-Cola

2012-10-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce my collaboration with Coca-Cola Freestyle! The Freestyle machine allows you to choose from over 100 different beverages from Coke to Sprite to Dasani. Not only that, it allows you to choose your flavor by blending concentrated ingredients with water and sweetener at the point where the beverage is dispensed. Check out their website here and their Facebook page here.

Stay tuned for my full review and interviews!

**This is a sponsored post. All reviews and opinions are my own.

London Day 1

2012-10-10T07:01:00.002-07:00

Our first day in London was our travel day, using it to catch up on sleep and jet lag. Well I'm not one to waste a day sleeping so I powered through. I mean I can sleep in the states right? So I grabbed Baby E, who had the same idea as me. She was not ready for a nap either so I asked the hotel where the best place for a walk was. They suggested St. James park which was across the street from Buckingham Palace. Oh, did I forget to mention that I was a 5 minute walk from the Queen's house? Ya, no big.

Later that night my brother and I went out to a typical English pub. Oh did I also forget to mention that I'm the most amazing big sister who brought my brother along on our trip? Ya, I guess I'm pretty awesome. Here are some photos I made him suffer through taking. Thanks for putting up with me constantly asking you to take blog photos!

Outfit

Top: American Apparel

Jeans: Rock & Republic (old)

Jacket: bought from The Native Fox (thanks for the best winter jacket for my trip!)

Boots: Steve Madden (similar here)

Jewelry: Rose ring from Cuffs, Marc Jacobs ring, Tiffany bead earrings

Purse: Louis Vuitton Speedy

Preview

2012-10-09T11:39:00.002-07:00

A blogger's nightmare happens when your iPhone breaks before a vacation and your computer dies halfway through. Hence why there have been no pictures from my vacation to London and Paris. Now, as I sit here sifting through the 1,500 pictures we took my eyes are glazing over and they're all looking the same. I'm taking a break and coming back to this tomorrow. However, here's a little tease as to what we did while away.

Bon Voyage!

2012-09-26T07:15:00.002-07:00

Can you guess where I'll be for the next 10 days?! I can't even believe it myself. I don't think it'll hit me until I'm buckled in my seat about to take off. My family and I, my little brother included, will be jetting of to London and then Paris for my baby cousin's first birthday. If you have followed this blog since the beginning you'll know that I nanny for baby E and as a perk I get to come along on her birthday trip. I'm bringing my little brother along to assist me with all things baby.

The first photo is of Buckingham palace, which I'm most excited to visit. It's only open to the public a few months out of the year and we just happen to be there during that time. In Paris, of course it's the Eiffel tower. I've been to Paris before, but strangely enough I skipped seeing the Eiffel tower to shop. My inner child knew I was destined to be in fashion. This time, however, I'm making a point of not missing it.

I'll be updating my blog when I can, but keep up on all my traveling adventures through my Facebook and Twitter.

3 Faves

2012-09-20T13:48:00.005-07:00

This outfit encompasses 3 of the things I've been obsessing over lately. First is purple, aka my favorite color. Second is trucker hats. This baby has been gathering dust in my closet since my early high school years when trucker hats were a trend and Von Dutch was still cool. Last week I had an awful hair day, and I mean awful. The baby had woken me up at a god awful hour, I didn't have coffee, and I needed to hit up Target to have groceries to make breakfast. My desperation to cover my hair led me to grab this hat. Surprisingly I loved the look, so much so that I've worn a hat pretty much every other day. My boyfriend's already sick of them saying, "You're wearing a hat...again?" Thirdly, I'm loving patterns, patterns, patterns. This striped shirt fits like a dream and is super comfy. I've seriously been living in this shirt, wearing it with shorts to run errands or my sweats to read my mystery books (Thank you Agatha Christie). Today I felt like I needed to dress it up a bit with this lace skirt. It might have been a little fancy for my morning errands, but I felt like the shirt deserved a little glam.

Outfit

Shirt: c/o StripedShirt

Skirt: Forever 21 (similar here)

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Darian

Hat: Von Dutch (old)

Jewelry: Forever 21 cuff, leather braided bracelet from SF, earrings c/o Francesca's, flower ring from Cuffs, Tiffany atlas ring

**Enter code LittleTexan at checkout for 30% off!!**

Houston Blogger Symposium

2012-09-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I attended the Houston Blogger Symposium put on by the amazing Megan from Greetings from Texas. The first night was spent at Langford Market getting to know all my fellow bloggers.

The amazing Haley from Style Sound

Here I am with Trang from Benjamin and Trang, Christina of Sunchild clothing, and her friend modeling one of their amazing dresses.

I am deep in thought while listening to the many speakers on the panels. I learned so much about blogging, sponsorship, and PR. I was so inspired after the symposium, it was awesome!!

Here are all of our speakers and sponsors...let me see if I can get them all in. There was Kelly and Brandi from Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno, Julianne Agno from Francesca's, Meg Jones from Reward Style, Megan from Greetings from Texas, Kirsten from Triple Max Tons, Katy Atlas from Sugarlaws, Lisa O'Neill PR extraordinaire, Alicia DiRago from Dismount Creative, Davina Hirsch from Langford Market, and Kristina Braly from Pretty Shiny Sparkly. Phew that was a mouthful!

The sponsor panel

The blogger panel

The two lovely ladies that put on the whole event...Thank you so much girls! I can't wait to see what you put together for next year!!

All photos are courtesy of the lovely Paige from Paige Budde Photography. Thanks so much for taking amazing photos of the event!

Outfit

(night one)

Dress: Bebe (old)

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell (not pictured)

Jewelry: vintage name necklace, vintage clown necklace, vintage Greek princess necklace, wrap bracelet from Greece, rope bracelet from Target, vintage class ring

Clutch: Louis Vuitton

(day two)

Top: Joie, spaghetti from Wet Seal

Pants: BCBG similar here and here

Shoes: BCBG

Belt: Target

Jewelry: Stella & Dot, gifted bangles, DIY bracelet

Glasses: Penguin

Day at the Zoo

2012-09-10T10:07:00.002-07:00

I went on a trip back to the east coast with my uncles to see family. I was lucky enough to see both my dad and mom's side of the family while out there. My cousin Carmen and I went to the National Zoo in Washington DC on my day off and it was so fun! We went trying to see the baby cheetahs as all day I kept exclaiming, "Baby Cheetahs!!!!" Unfortunately they were not out until later and we missed them. But we were able to see so many other animals. My favorite was the exhibit with the meerkats and the panda bear. He literally sat there playing with this crate for hours. I know this because on one of our many trips back to see if the baby cheetahs were out we passed by the panda several times...in the same spot...playing with the same crate. My least favorite exhibit was the gorillas, not because they're not awesome (which they are) it just smelled sooo horrible. I hightailed it out of there as soon as I walked in. The only downside to going to the zoo that day was how ridiculously hot it was, thank goodness I was wearing my new silk top. But even then we had to leave after only a few hours because of the heat. After the zoo we met up with my aunt for drinks and then dinner at this amazing French restaurant. My mouth is watering just thinking about the amazing chocolate mousse. While on the way to dinner Carmen and I passed this amazing graffiti wall that we just had to stop and take pictures. The crazy street art you see walking around downtown Bethesda! I hope you enjoy all the pictures from my day with my family

Outfit

Top: Madewell

Shorts: 7 jeans for all mankind

Shoes: Sam Edelmen Felicia flat

Jewelry: Necklace from Duo , bangle from Museum of Modern art, bird ring from Nordstrom (old), Tiffany bead earrings

Sunglasses: Chanel

Purse: Louis Vuitton

FNO

2012-09-07T18:13:00.001-07:00

FNO was a blast! I attended the ShopGirl Style Lounge at the Galleria last night and had a great time. I was dolled up with some lashes from the Edward Sanchez Vanity Lounge while enjoying a delicious cupcake by Sweetbatter. I mingled, sipped on wine, danced a little and was able to get a photo with the amazing girls on stilts. I thought they were just for our lounge, but no, I saw them wandering around all parts of the Galleria. Amazing!! I then popped over to J.Crew for a little guilty pleasure shopping and some mini red velvet cupcakes, yum! I ended my night with another purchase from Nordstrom, but that will be a later post. I had such a blast and I can't wait for next year's FNO!

Me and Joy Sewing

Outfit

Top: Helmut Lang

Skirt: Juicy Couture

Shoes: Just Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli

Jewelry: vintage gold bracelet, vintage class ring from my Grandma, BCBG ring

Purse: DIY

Ladies Who Brunch

2012-09-06T09:04:00.002-07:00

I'm super excited for FNO tonight. I'll be heading to the Galleria supporting my friend Joy at her ShopGirl Style Lounge. If you're in the Houston area come check out her event in front of Louis Vuitton and say hi!

Here are a few photos of my day brunching at the harbor and the beach from my trip home. I was able to spend time with my good friends drinking bottomless champagne at the harbor then we head over to Laguna Beach to soak up some sun.

I picked up this dress at the sample sale I told you about in my previous post here. It was perfect to pair with this amazing Stella and Dot statement necklace, thank you Jas for letting me borrow it!

Outfit

Dress: Blackbird Betty

Shoes: Chinese Laundry (old)

Jewelry: Stella & Dot necklace, Target bracelet, Tiffany bead earrings, Tiffany heart ring, vintage elephant ring borrowed from mom's closet

Sunglasses: Chanel

Home sweet home

2012-09-04T08:53:00.003-07:00

Sorry for my lack of posts lately, I've been traveling for the past 2 weeks and it's been hectic to say the least. I was finally able to go back home to Cali for a bit and I fell in love all over again. I hadn't been back home in a year (woo hoo to living in Texas for a year already!) and it was so good to see friends and family. The trip was jam packed with going to familiar places and going to places I don't normally travel, like LA. This outfit was what I wore to LA for the day to go shopping with my parents. We hit up this amazing sample sale where I got some amazing purchases, but more on that later. The first day was spent driving up to LA then walking to Little Tokyo for dinner. Take that hotel concierge that said it was too far a walk! My parents and I wandered for what seemed like ages trying to all agree on a restaurant but we finally ended up at the most amazing sushi place. The fist was so fresh, it was incredible! My favorite part was the bell at each table to ring for service...needless to say I got a little "ringer" happy. That night we decided to stay at our hotel and have a few drinks, which led to a few more, which led to dancing. Those pictures I'm keeping under wraps or possibly for potential blackmail purposes for my dad later! Overall the trip to LA was so fun and I can't wait to go back for another sample sale!

Side note: I know I just wore this dress recently, but I seriously love it! It's super soft and flowy which is perfect for the weather in the OC. It's also perfect for snapping a few pics in my backyard before heading up to LA!

Thanks to my mom for taking these great pictures

Outfit

Dress: c/o Sugarlips

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Glasses: Penguin The Gondorff

Jewelry: BCBG "My Bad" Bracelet, Vintage rings borrowed from my mom

New In

2012-08-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm traveling to London, Paris, and Beijing soon and I needed a travel purse for these trips. As much as I would love to bring my trusted Louis on my travels I know it's not the best idea. I would prefer to keep my Louis rather than have it taken. However, I will not carry an ugly bag and I'm not going to spend money on a bag I'm never going to use again. Then, I discovered this beauty on eBay. It had everything I wanted out of a travel purse...It was black so it would match with anything. It was nylon so I didn't have to worry about getting it dirty and if it did, I could just wash it off. It was small but not too small to carry my essentials for the day, and it was across the body for easy all day walking trips. Most importantly, it was designer without the flashing lights and neon sign that screamed "I'm designer, steal me!" I carefully watched the bag and made my move with only 10 seconds to spare. A few days later it arrived and I'm so excited to start traveling with it!

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Sporty Chic

2012-08-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

I love when I meet amazing people through this blog! I have "met" the amazing blogger of Savvy Spice, Dale, when she became a reader of my blog. She's a rockin stylist which is proof from her working on Bravo's new show Silicone Valley. Awesome job girl! Definitely check out her blog for all of her amazing styling tips. My favorite is her post on Chubbies shorts here. First off how awesomely frat-tastic (ya, I just made up a word) are these shorts and I love how she effortlessly pulls of this menswear item. Okay I got a little off topic here...through Dale her neighbor, Wallee, found my blog. He has a company The City Supply Co which has greats tees that make me miss the city so much! And by the city I mean San Francisco. I used to live in Davis, CA for college and did not frequent the city as much as I should only being an hour away. But now that I'm in Texas I think about it way too much, the parks, the shopping, the food...ahh I'm starting to daydream....

Wallee (cutest CEO, check out his post here) sent me over this tee. I wanted to play around with the sportswear trend so I decided to jazz it up a bit. I wore this to see the movie To Rome with Love. Cute movie, typical Woody Allen humor...but I probably could have waited for it to come out on DVD. Next movie on my list is The Bourne Legacy. Mostly because it looks like an awesome action movie and I really want to know how good this can be without Matt Damon. I mean can you really have a Bourne movie without him?

Outfit

Top: Tee c/o The City Supply Co

Skirt: Juicy Couture

Shoes: Missoni for Target

Jewelry: DIY star button earrings, Forever 21 flower ring, Cuffs bracelet

Glasses: Penguin The Gandorff

Birthday Girl

2012-07-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

It seems like this past month was filled with birthdays, but it's a great excuse to pull out an amazing dress from my closet. I was sent this gorgeous dress from Sugarlips and I thought my friend Caroline's birthday was the perfect place to wear it. What I love about Sugarlips is that their clothes are fun and stylish but they aren't going to break your bank.

I love how soft and light the dress is. With this crazy hot Houston summer (which I'm still not used to) it was the perfect choice. I pretty much love everything about this dress...the pop of color at the top the layers of fabric, and how it moved as I walked. I decided to style it with my Jeffrey Campbell Lita's because I knew I'd be doing a lot of standing at the party and they're just so darn comfortable. I even had someone asking me if my crazy shoes hurt my feet, heck no! They may look a little crazy to some, but they are honestly one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own.

The party was awesome, filled with some amazing jello shots and good music. A special birthday rap song our friend made the birthday girl was the hit of the night. Lindsey, I'm still waiting for my CD!

Birthday girl

Outfit

Dress: c/o Sugarlips

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Lita

Jewelry: Marc Jacobs watch, Cuffs leather cuff, Betsey Johnson heart earrings (similar here), BCBG ring, batman ring, vintage layered gold necklace, Madewell necklace, Duo circle necklace

Purse: Louis Vuitton

Happy 40th MBP

2012-07-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

My uncle MBP recently celebrated his 40th birthday (although you'd never be able to tell). He is such an amazing loving hilarious human being. I feel so lucky to not only be apart of his modern family but also to be so close to him. We are able to share everything, which I love! We spent the day shopping as a family, because would you expect us to do anything else? We hit up a few vintage shops and a few modern shops. My favorite was our new discovery, Native Citizen. This store sells mid century modern furniture and art pieces that are used to decorate the owner's retail stores Langford Market and Duo. We happened to get our new dining room chairs from the same owner at a modern market art show a while back and this time we acquired a new computer desk.

After a bit of shopping and a mid day Starbucks pick me up we drove around neighborhoods looking at homes, which is one of my favorite things to do around Houston. I love discovering new neighborhoods and looking at all the different homes. I'm glad my uncles love to do that as much as I do. We made our way back home where his husband surprised us both with a catered dinner in the comfort of our own home. Bravo Matt, bravo...This dinner was delicious! And what was even better was to have it in the comfort of our own home surrounded by family. Overall Michael had an amazing birthday and I'm so glad to be able to spend another year with him. Cheers Michael!

Matt and I

Outfit

Dress: Off Fifth

Shoes (not shown): Bakers (old)

Jewelry: Christine Bowden necklace, Betsey Johnson ring (old), Marc Jacobs watch

Glasses: Penguin The Gondorff

New glasses

2012-07-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

These babies just came in the mail! I needed a new pair of everyday glasses since I'm super lazy and haven't gone to get my contact eye exam. I hope you like them as much as I do!

Outfit

Dress: Jcrew

Vest: Forever 21

Hair bow: Rob & Sioux

Jewelry: Target earrings, Evil eye necklace from Greece, gifted heart necklace

Glasses: Penguin The Gandorff Eyeglasses

A Little Zebra

2012-07-18T19:24:00.003-07:00

I wore this outfit over the weekend for my friend Sam's birthday. During the week I don't get to dress up too often. When I nanny I mostly wear whatever I can chase Baby E around in, which is usually shorts and a tee. This is why I take every chance I get to clean up and put on a fancy dress, even if it means I may be a tad bit overdressed for the occasion.

First off I need to talk about these shoes...they're just one of the many pairs of Jeffrey Campbell shoes I own and, like all of his shoes, I always get compliments on them. These shoes have been ooo'd and ahhh'd over every time I wear them out and the story of how I got them makes it even better. When people ask me where I got them I respond with Vegas! Because really that's where I found them and they totally look like a shoe you would find in Vegas. I had about one too many drinks from Fat Tuesdays when my friends and I wandered past some store filled with shoes. I don't remember what the name of it was, I just remember there being so many amazing shoes. In a haze from my drinks I remember trying on a bunch of Jeffrey Campbell shoes but falling madly in love with these. They had a killer platform (some have even said it can be used as a weapon to fend off an attacker) and print...who can resist a little Zebra? Best drunk purchase to date.

Outfit

Dress: Wish boutique

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Jewelry: Juicy Couture clover friendship necklace, "Greek Princess" necklace from Greece, Starfish BCBG ring, Tiffany heart ring, Stella & Dot bracelet