It’s no secret that this dry desert has plenty of great Staycation offers this time of year. After all, many tourists are freaked out at just the sound of triple-digit heat. But for us locals, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy the deals and explore a bit of the city, too. And one sizzlin’ staycation that’s doing it right is Hotel Palomar Phoenix at Cityscape. Unless you live in Downtown Phoenix, chances are you haven’t been in awhile. Which is one of the reasons why this staycation made my summer list. Being downtown actually makes you feel like you left the Valley, with views of the high-rises, gaming and concert venues, shopping, arts and restaurants just steps away. If you aren’t sure where to start in your Phoenix exploration, these summer staycation packages are geared toward just that. See for yourself.

• $102 and a Round of Brew:  Cheers to great rates! Beautifully appointed deluxe accommodations, a round of four beers at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails. Runs June 1 – September 8, 2013. Rates start from $102 (Rate code:  BREW).
• Laugh Like a Local: Life just seems a bit better when you’re laughing. Beautifully appointed deluxe accommodations, two tickets to Stand Up Live. Rate starting from $129 (add just $10 more than the Best Available Rate for two comedy tickets. Rate code: LOCAL).
• Downtown Discovery Family Package: Beautifully appointed deluxe accommodations, choose your own adventure with two children’s tickets to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix –or- Arizona Science Center, two welcome kids packs. Rates starting from $124 (rate code: PFAM).

Feed the beast at their on-site restaurant, Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails. This American gastro-loung has got plenty of creative, hand-crafted cocktails and a menu that will not disappoint. (Get the deviled eggs, these are not your Grandma’s deviled eggs and just exceptional.) Booking: http://www.hotelpalomar-phoenix.com or 602-253-6633 Check back next week for even more Sizzlin’ Summer Staycation ideas!

For constant style and beauty chatter, connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too.

{Photo: Wikimedia Commons}

There’s nothing like a beautiful beach wedding. There’s just something romantic about that nice breeze, sand between your toes and the sound of waves crashing in the background. If you’re a beach bride,your overall wedding style will be a bit different than traditional brides–and it should be! Forget the stuffy dresses and overly formal look and instead, get inspired by some of these beautiful beach wedding ideas.

For a totally gorgeous, pin-worthy beach wedding, try these 5 tips:

1.  Pick a dress that suits your venue. For the beach, something easy, breezy and flowy is better than a Cinderella ballgown better suited for a ballroom.
2.  Go easy on the hair. If you still want a more formal dress, ditch the formal updo and embrace some natural, loose waves.
3.  Choose more casual attire for your bridal party; think shorter dresses for the ladies and consider going barefoot!
4.  Don’t make your Groomsmen wear stuffy tuxedos; shorts and button ups, linen pants and cream-colored suits look quite dapper, too.
5. Incorporate nature into your decor! Seashells and sea-colored accessories all make beautiful beach wedding decor.

Are you thinking of having a beach wedding?

For more bridal bliss, check out my Behind the Veil bridal video series and Wedding Wednesdays. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, too.

Photos: 1/2/3/4/5/6

What better way to beat the heat than with a little spa’ing? Arizona Spa Girls’ annual Summer Spaaah Series is one of my favorite must-attend events of the year, and it couldn’t come at a better time. After all, the triple-digit weather calls for relaxation and escaping the heat!

At each event, you’ll be treated to a wine and cocktail reception, nibbles, mini spa and beauty services and a Spaaah Gift Certificate to use toward a future treatment. Plus, a great take-home tote bag from Drybar filled with tons of goodies. A percentage of each ticket benefits Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and tickets start at just $75. Check out the fabulous lineup below!

{June 14: Spa Avania}

{June 28: Dolce Salon & Spa Arrowhead}

{July 12: Agave, The Arizona Spa at The Westin Kierland Resort, Scottsdale}

{July 26: Joya Spa at Montelucia Resort}

{Aug. 6: The Spa at Talking Stick Resort}

{Sept. 6: Dolce Salon & Spa, Scottsdale}

Throughout the years, the series has raised $75,000 for Fresh Start Women’s Foundation! You can get tickets and learn more at summerspaseries.com.

For constant style and beauty chatter, connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too.

If you’ve been following my House Renovation series or my updates on Instagram, you’ll know our project took almost three months and included gutting the entire house! But since we all know the kitchen is the heart of the home, I thought I’d share some of our before and afters and how we took a perfectly good kitchen and turned it into my dream gourmet kitchen, and one of the best features in our home.

Here’s how we did it…

1. We knocked down part of the wall to open up to space. Now, you can see directly into the living room and have views of our spiral staircase from the kitchen. This alone completely opened up the space and made the kitchen feel much larger.
2. Removed all soffits and raised the ceiling.
3. Installed completely new cabinets that went all the way up to the new ceiling height, making the kitchen feel larger.

          4. Extended the kitchen vertically.

          5. Extended the L-shape countertop to meet the new kitchen length.

And that, my friends, is how you can DIY your very own kitchen renovation! Just a few walls to knock down, new cabinets and appliances does the trick.

Sooooo what do you think? Would you tackle a kitchen renovation like this?

For constant style and beauty chatter, connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too.

There’s more!

House Renovations: Picking Paint

House Renovations: Designing a Dining Room 

Hot summer days call for cool dishes like this quinoa avocado and corn salad recipe. It’s easy to make, totally tasty and healthy, too. Plus, it tastes great even when served at room temperature so it’s the perfect dish to take to that summer pool party or BBQ.

Ingredients:

3 cups water

1 ½ cups dry quinoa

Raw kernels or 2 ears of organic corn (preferably white, if available), shaved right from the cob

2 avocados, sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 Tbs. finely chopped red onion

Dressing Ingredients:

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium tamari

1 Tbs. brown rice vinegar

Directions:

*Be sure to soak the quinoa overnight in water and rinse well before using.

In a saucepan bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat, add quinoa and simmer until the water is absorbed and the grains become translucent and soft (about 10 to 15 minutes). Pour the quinoa through a strainer and set it to the side in a bowl. Blend all the dressing ingredients together in a blender until smooth, or simply add them to a small bowl and whisk well with a fork.

Add the kernels of corn to the quinoa, along with the avocado and chopped onion. Mix well. Pour the dressing on top of the mixture and mix well again.

Recipe courtesy of Kimberly Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of The Beauty Detox Solution.

Guest post by George

Finding that perfect pair of bootcut jeans is easier said than done. With so many different styles and cuts available to women, it can be quite the chore, figuring out not only which ones you like, but which ones suit you. Shopping for jeans can go from the excitement of retail therapy to depression and frustration in a matter of minutes. Don’t give up too soon though – make it easier and head to George at ASDA online or in store to get more of an idea about the types of bootcut jeans to suit your figure type.

Bootcut Jeans

Loved by many, bootcut jeans have been a staple of many a wardrobe for decades and will always remain in the world of fashion for years to come. Indigo wash bootcut jeans are a timeless classic that can be dressed up or down. Team with some pumps for a casual look or with some heels for a dressier occasion. Bootcuts suit most figures, including the hourglass figure which can be enhanced with bootcuts to show off your curves. Make the bootcut jeans your wardrobe staple.

Straight Leg 

Perfect to make your legs look longer and for those who lack curves. They go with most things and can be a great alternative to bootcuts and skinnies. They slim thighs and calves and the low-rise version looks great. Opt for a longer length if you plan to wear with heels. Straight-legged jeans are ideal for pear shapes, as they brush past the curves and balance the figure.

Skinnies 

Super fashionable at the moment, skinny jeans are a hit with most people – especially those who have the pins to carry them off. Sexy and smart, skinnies are versatile must-haves for a capsule wardrobe and look fab with heels and boots. Ideal if you have an androgynous figure, skinny jeans will hug what curves you have – super slim would look amazing. Add edge by choosing colored skinnies.

Flares 

They don’t just belong in the 70s, you know. Flared jeans are a perfect addition to any spring/summer wardrobe, and are incredibly flattering to most figure types. Bring back the flower power with a Bohemian chiffon blouse and straw heeled wedges, or simply combine with a plain black tee for a timeless, classic look. If you have a petite stature, try and avoid flared and wide-legged jeans as they tend to swamp the figure. Hourglass and boyish figures would look great in these hippy favorites.

Boyfriend 

If you like your jeans baggy, boyfriend jeans are the ones for you. Put down your boyfriend’s Levis and invest in a pair that fits the female figure while providing the essence of a guy’s jeans. Opt for low rise jeans that hug the hips for a super-sexy look or add a wide belt if you’re worried they’ll fall down completely! Invest in a few pairs of jeans that suit your figure and style and you’ll have a foolproof outfit, no matter what the occasion. Dress them up or keep them casual – it’s completely your choice.

If you read last week’s post on picking paint colors, you’ll know I went with a fairly neutral grey/silver-tone paint palette throughout our home. But for our formal dining room, I really wanted something bold. Our house for the most part is a fairly open floor plan, with the dining room a bit separated from the rest of the open area. The challenge at hand? How to create drama in a formal dining space while keeping the flow through the rest of the home. And for that, I enlisted the help of Kirsten from The LifeStyled Co. who had some great ideas!

1. Don’t be afraid. You can have color in your home, and make it look purposeful.

2. Bold colors should be incorporated by using one of two options: a single large statement piece or many small accent pieces. For example, a large hutch or buffet/sideboard in a statement-colored dining room will do all the talking for the space. Or, many small items like accessories, textiles or lighting can also speak! For the most cohesive look, don’t incorporate both…it can be like a sweet friend who just says a little too much, a little too often.

3. Pair either a few bold colors together to act as staple and accent color or pair your daring color choice with different shades of neutral tones.

4.Neutral does NOT mean brown; neutral tones can be varieties of tan, blush, white, ivory, gray and even metallics.

5. Go over-the-top with texture; when using dramatic color choices, texture in the other elements of the space soften hard looking surfaces and help absorb the color.   

Thanks, Kristen for all the great ideas!

For more of our Home Reno Reveal, tune in next week!

For constant style and beauty chatter, connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too.

A lot of you may know that for the past few weeks, we’ve been busy renovating a house in Old Town Scottsdale. Now when hubby and I purchased said house, I knew we were gutting it. I did not realize, however, gutting it meant down to the studs!

If you follow me on Instagram you’ve probably seen part of the transformation already. And I’m excited to share a bit of it with you guys here. I’m no interior designer or home expert by any means, but it’s been a fun and stressful project, to say the least. Plus, there’s some pretty big takeaway we’ve learned throughout the way.

My biggest concern from the get-go was picking out the right paint colors. Your interior paint, after all, really makes a huge difference in your home. And for that, we enlisted the help of Ellinor Ellefson of Elle Interiors to help out. She’s been featured in HGTV, Phoenix Home & Garden and received the ”Best of Houzz 2013″ award in the category “Customer satisfaction and design.”

For the main color to be used throughout the whole house, my request was grey, but not too grey. “Grey is the new beige”, she said and I couldn’t agree more. But it’s not without its obstacles: I wanted our home to feel modern yet still welcoming. Clean, but not hospital stark. Here was some of my inspiration and the paint color we chose:

For the dining room, I wanted something that still flowed with the main color of the home but felt separate in a way. I also wanted something that would match with the much more bold and dramatic space I envisioned this room would someday become.

Our Master Suite was a totally different story. As much as I love the cool greys, dark woods and contemporary feel of a home, I wanted our bedroom to feel warm and welcoming. A place that’s soft, embracing and peaceful.Vanilla may at first sound bland, but when layered in lots of beautiful textures, I think it’s quite lovely.

Picking the right paint color truly makes a world of difference and definitely lays the groundwork on picking out the rest of the items for your home renos!

For more of our Home Reno Reveal, tune in next week!

For constant style and beauty chatter, connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too.

*Please note, the images used were solely for inspiration of paint color options and may or may not reflect the actual color in the photo.   

Photos: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10

Keren at Keren Sarai Photography recently shared with me this absolutely gorgeous Great Gatsby-inspired wedding photo shoot her team, The Photography Stylistas, put together. This group of 10 Chicago-based photographers gets together to shoot stylized wedding shoots twice a year. Lucky for us, their most recent endeavor was this Great Gatsby-inspired wedding shoot. And it’s everything you’d expect a Daisy Buchanan + Gatsby wedding to be: Romantic, Glamorous and filled with gorgeous details. Enjoy.

Thank you, Keren, for sharing these gorgeous photos with us!

Vendors: 

Concept + Design: The Photography Stylistas (Christine Brizendine of Dabble Me This + Dominique Strom of Dominique Strom Photography & Design + Heather Hart of Heather Hart Studio + Jenny Chavez of Hope Faith Love Photography + Jill Tiongco of Jill Tiongco Photography + Katrina Mather of BKM Photography + Keren Chookaszian of Keren Sarai Photography + Nikole of Nikole Marie Photography + Robyn Schwab of Robyn Photography + Zipporah Kapambwe of Zipporah Kapambwe Photography) | Styling : Whitney Middleton Gruber of Whitney Ambition | Venue : RPM Italian | Invitations + Details: Molly Jacques Illustration | Desserts : Biere Chocolates | Cake: Kim Smith: KJ’S Cupcakery | Floral Design : Nancy Krause Floral Design & Garden Antiques  | Wedding Gown: Diane von Furstenberg via Rent the Runway | Bridesmaid Dress: Trina Turk via Rent the Runway | Clutches: Diane von Furstenberg Handbags via Rent the Runway | Jewelry: Siebke Hoyt Jeweler | Suits: Urban Offering | Headpieces: Carly Reynolds: Mata Hari’s Daughter | Bride’s Hair: Jillian Koch | Bride’s Makeup: Gigi (gigi.2bhealthy@gmail.com) | Bridesmaid Hair, Makeup, and Groom’s Styling: Shaundria Blythe (shaundriarae@yahoo.com) at Solo Salon | Models : Noelle Lynch + Ryan Dunn (Bride + Groom), Shaundria + Luke Blythe (Bridesmaid + Groomsman)