Dreaming Of.....

drinks with umbrellas in them, toes in the sand, and a tropical getaway. Since having Hank we haven't really done much travel besides visiting our families and little weekend getaways to either Palm Springs and Santa Barbara. I know we are lucky to have had those moments but sometimes you need at least a week somewhere tropical to recharge. Instead we bought our dream house this past year so I guess I can't really complain. But I can dream about such places and maybe a new swimsuit as well. Hopefully we will be at a warm, tropical locale soon. I can hear the steel drums now. 

The above photo was taken on our honeymoon. That is where we actually stayed for part of it. I still can't really believe it either. This is on the island of Mauritius off the coast of Madagascar. It's basically as far away from Los Angeles as you can get. 


 Here are the swimsuits I might bring along on this glorious vacation. You might notice that I only really choose one piece suits. That's what I like in general and what I feel most comfortable in. 

J Crew

Chloe 

3.1 Philip Lim

Diane Von Furstenberg

Holiday Highlights

I am back at work today but still feeling that glow from the holidays. Things ended on a high note for us with a great New Years weekend. We had good friends visit from San Francisco, and our kids got to meet and play together for the first time. We didn't quite make it to midnight, but we did have a delicious dinner that we cooked. I even made blinis which were a bit more challenging than I had thought. They involve yeast which always scares me a bit. On Sunday we went to our friends annual New Years Day brunch which is always great fun. They even had a bouncy house which Hank loved. He really is a daredevil. I wish we had gotten pictures. Here are some highlights from our weekend. Happy 2012!

New Years Eve Portrait (this was the best one)

Our dinner spread (please notice the wedding china in all its glory)

Holiday Bubbly 

Festive Head Gear 

Recovering the Next Morning

Happy 2012

Happy almost New Year! I can't believe it will be 2012 on Sunday. I still feel like I did in fifth grade when a new year approaches - "but I just got used to writing 2011 at the top of my papers!" I imagine that feeling never quite goes away. This photo is actually from our wedding but gosh if it doesn't feel festive and sparkly to me, which is sort of the New Years vibe isn't it.

Cleanses and Gwyneth and Me

I know most people are probably still thinking about their New Year's party and the idea of a cleanse perhaps hasn't yet crossed their mind. I am already thinking about it since I am guessing my New Years will likely be pretty tame. I must confess that I love a good cleanse. I have tried a few in my day and have always really enjoyed the challenge. Although I haven't always made it to the end.

There was the time I purchased a crazy amount of lemons and cayenne pepper only to realize on day two that the Master Cleanse is way too much for me and that my stomach was upset by all the acidity. But the rest of them have been mostly successes

I have tried some simpler cooking type cleanses - no wheat, no dairy, no sugar, etc. They are often inspired by my guru of many things - Gwyneth Paltrow. Now I realize she is a polarizing figure for some but I love so much of what this woman suggests. I have her cookbook and everything that I've made from it has been easy and so delicious. I have tried the DVD's from the woman responsible for making her body so booming for the last five years - Tracy Anderson.

I actually really enjoyed those until one day our landlady called me husband while at work and asked if I was doing construction work upstairs. No I am obviously just doing a Tracey Anderson Dance Cardio workout! I soon quit that.

But I digress. This year I plan on revisiting an old cleansing friend - BluePrint Cleanse.

This juice cleanse is totally feasible for three days. The number six is super-delicious. After a full day of just juice the almond milk tastes like a vanilla milkshake. This time I am doing the cleanse with a group of coworkers, which should mean that we can encourage each other and we got a discount! Now I know not everyone believes in cleanses. Perhaps they really slow our metabolism down, etc, but for me it's nice every once in a while to just really simplify what you put in your body. I am excited.
p.s. I am a bit ashamed to admit that we do own a nice juicer and a vita mixer. There is really no good reason why I couldn't just make these at home but it's nice to have someone do everything for you. And speaking of juice if you live in Los Angeles you should really check out Naturewell. They make amazing juice and their Coconut Kale Smoothie is to die for. Just saying.

from here

Best Shake Ever

I Need a "Boyfriend"....

No, not a real one. I have a husband who is wonderful! But I do love a "boyfriend shirt", a "boyfriend button down", a "boyfriend sweater." I have even seen of late a "boyfriend dress" which is weird because let's be honest how often does one borrow a dress from their boyfriend? If you are maybe you should either be worried or think that it's awesome that your man can rock a frock? Who knows.

Of course I ought to simply wear things that belong to my husband to achieve that "boyfriend" look for free,  but that would be too easy. Instead I like to fall head over heels for things that are marketed as being "boyfriend" in cut. Here are a couple good recent examples. I think Steven Alan may be the king of all things boyfriend so I had to include two of his.

J Crew

Lanston

Madwell 

Steven Alan

Milly 

Steven Alan 

This is genius!

I must confess that by the end of my pregnancy with Hank I was a total convert and never wanted to wear pants with zippers again. Why would you? Stretch maternity pants are kind of amazing but seem to be less so the longer you wear them post-baby? But let's face back in the beginning of my pregnancy I wanted to stay in my jeans for as long as possible. I tried the rubber band trick and those belly bands but I often just fell like my pants were going to fall off. If i were pregnant I would definitely consider this. Denim Therapy takes your favorite jeans, you know the ones you found after literally trying on ten other pairs, that make your butt look amazing. And they alter them with stretch so they will last through part of pregnancy and then after baby they will return them to their original state. Utter genius although perhaps realistically maybe more effort than I am willing to put in (yep I can be lazy about stuff like this).

merry merry

Happy Holidays! We've been enjoying every last moment. xoxo