Confession! I am a hoarder! And one of the items I hoard is lip balm. I am constantly on the lookout for the best, most divine, practical, beautiful, tasty lip balm out there. And I can never have too many! The more the merrier! Here are my four favorite right now:
Four Faves.
Spending the last few weeks with my parents has reintroduced me to some of their daily routines… such as my father’s coffee brewing. My father is snobby about his coffee (just like I am with granola, grocery stores, gym clothes, and many many other things). He now swears by the AeroPress, which he likes even more than the French press. And after comparing them all, I totally agree… I am now a converted AeroPress user! Using an AeroPress is a fast, easy and convenient way to brew excellent coffee. For whatever reason, the pressure heightens the sweetness and body in each cup. It tastes like a barista made it themselves.
The Aeropress. Not bulky. Just a little itty bitty goodness of love.
Every Sunday, The New York Times Travel section has a column titled “36 Hours” where they highlight all that you can do in a specific city for 36 hours. The popular column helps you create a a dream weekend with realistic and approachable itineraries — ideal for us OCD planners. The Times and book publisher Taschen came together to create a series of books with updated and new versions of the columns– a perfect gift for Father’s Day, an anniversary, a housewarming, or just a token to say I-love-you.
The colorful trio of books.
Not only are these books incredibly informative and practical, but they are also beautiful and special. Put them on your coffee table to stir up a conversation or place them on your nightstand to read before bed!
On shelf.
I bought three books from the series, USA Northeast, USA Westcoast, and 150 weekends in USA and Canada (which is the whole American/ Canadian series in one book. Ken would point out that buying all three of these is unnecessary. OOPS!).
West Coast Love.
Northeast Like.
USA weekend trips!
Below is a sample of 36 Hours from the Times online. Auckland, New Zealand!
Located in the heart of the East Village, the John Derian Dry Good store is a pot of gold. The moment you walk in, you feel pure happiness, comforted by the luxurious, beautiful, colorful, and happy home goods. The cozy home accessories shop is filled from head to toe with handmade beautiful knicknacks. You will want to buy everything in the store, even if you don’t have pans for your new loot. I wish that the store was my home.
John Derian decoupage plates in our dining room
John Derian Company was started in 1989 by John Derian himself. He makes beautiful decoupage plates, paperweights, platters, bowls, trays, dishes, lamps, coasters, and much much more. His whole collection is handmade in his studio by artisans. He also sells linens, stationary, plates, lighting, and furniture from an assortment of collections (prints by Hugo Guinness, vintage Pakistani quilts, Moroccan lanterns and leather poufs, for example).
Outside. In love already??
Window with gold sparkle.
Paper weights. Amazing presents.
Rustic French plates.
In preparation for The Paris Marathon, I completed my first 20 mile run / hobble last Friday. It went remarkably well and now the reality is setting in that Paris is actually happening. GULP.
After my run on Friday, I needed to eat pizza and stretch immediately. So here I am, the minute after I got home, with my legs up the wall (or stove). While I look ridiculous, stretching like this helps release toxins. And the pizza is self explanatory!
O.M.G. It is really happening. And I cannot wait. LOOK AT THIS DREAM! My GOAL!
The following items are things that I cannot live without on my long distance training runs.
There is nothing more beautiful than a fresh, crisp orchid in the house. Problem is, orchids from florists tend to be expensive – easily between $100 and $200. And if you are anything like me, no matter how well you try to care for the orchid, their life expectancy is a month, 6 weeks at best. So, if you live in New York, the flower district on West 28th street is the best deal in town! Not only are there beautiful fresh flowers for you to choose from (all event planners go to 28th street to get their flowers for events), but they sell the most affordable and beautiful orchids in the city! AND THEY DELIVER!
Rows upon rows of orchids in every color, size, and style.
Although most of the stores in the flower district deliver, it also makes for a fun early morning adventure to see all the colorful flowers, holiday plants, and New York Flavor.
My little buddy on our search for the perfect flowers and orchids.
I am an Instagram junkie. I absolutely love posting pictures and seeing my photographs through different filters and borders. A simple boring picture can become so artsy and beautiful with just the press of a button. I love not only the dozens of filters, but also the concept. It’s like a new-school-made-over kodak gallery. It’s photo sharing in a 2012 way — people (who I allow to view my pictures) can see them if and when they want. And with just one click you can post to facebook or twitter. Awesome for us social media lovers!
CURRENTLY, I am all about finding the best ways to savor my Instagram photos and make real-life keepsakes with them. So, here are some sites that allow you to create some ever-so-awesome goodies with your shots.
Magnets
Fridge with HAWT DAWG magnets.
Fridge at the Proskurowski Family household.
StickyGram takes your Instagram images and transforms them into lovely little magnets. You simply create your pack online by signing into your account, and then voila… magnets. Each magnet is roughly the same size as the picture on your iPhone. The magnets come in packs of 9 and costs $14.99. PERFECT GIFTS FOR GRANDPARENTS!
Don’t look now, but Father’s Day is right around the corner (Sunday, June 17th). I am pretty good about thinking ahead about gifts, but Father’s Day is definitely an exception. This wasn’t as big a deal before we started having kids, as my father is pretty laid back. But given my expectations for Mother’s Day gifts from Ken, I feel like I need to step up to the plate a little more.
With that said, here are some quick last minute Father’s Day gifts that may look more thought out than they actually are (I hope Ken’s not reading this):
I already did a whole post on them, but in case you didn’t read it, I am a big fan of Johnnie-O shirts. They bring a West Coast flair to the otherwise too boring East Coast polo shirt. Ken has about 15 of these, and wore them every weekend until he realized they were in all of our weekend pictures (check out the post… I am not joking). They also have matching father/son shirts, which is an easy lay-up thoughtful present. For those of you in New York, they are launching a pop-up shop Thursday night at the Roger Smith hotel. Ken and I will be at the launch party- feel free to come and say hi!
Miansai Medium Wrap Rope Bracelet
This may not be for everyone, but I got this bracelet for Ken a few months ago, and I think it has definitely made him look a little more hip. This works for him since he works in fashion, but admittedly may not be ideal for everyone. And I definitely know some fathers (i.e., mine) that would never wear this.
Available at Barneys.com
