Leap Day!!

It's Leap Day everyone! It happens every 4 years. This means we have 366 days this year, so we get an extra day! How are you taking advantage of this bonus day? Are you making the most of it?

picture above my kitchen table. kids taking a leap off a pier :)

And happy birthday to all the leaplings out there! :)

Rainy LA Nights

It's been cold and rainy the last few days. When I say cold, I mean cold by LA standards that is. I know the cold in LA doesn't come close to weather across the country, but for this native beach girl...it's cold!!!! 

I have a ritual before I go to bed and have a cup of decaf tea. I feel that it relaxes me and lately it really hits the spot with this chilly weather. Tonight, I am warming up with a cup of Calm Tazo tea while I blog and cuddle up on my couch. 

What do you do to stay happy during rainy & chilly weather?

Mantra Monday

Welcome to the first Mantra Monday of many! :)

Everyone hates Mondays. It's the first day of the week which means you probably have a lot to catch up on at work or need to get things in line for the week. I decided that every Monday is the day that you should start the week on a positive note. You should feel inspired, happy and optimistic about the week ahead! Every Monday, do something for yourself and be positive.

In a yoga class last week, I was sitting in pigeon pose and my teacher says,  "It's only a big deal if you make it a big deal."

I had a really rough work week last week and I tend to stress over the little things (which is a terrible habit) and that saying couldn't be more fitting. So this week it's time to remember IT'S ONLY A BIG DEAL IF YOU MAKE IT A BIG DEAL.

Happy Mantra Monday everyone!
xo
Erica

Decoupage: Attempt #2

After heading to the LongBeach Flea Market, my boyfriend and I felt inspired to re-do our coffee table. We felt it was a little too collage looking and a little too busy. So we decided to scrap the entire table and start from scratch.You can see pictures and process here of my first attempt at a DIY decoupage coffee table. 

Below are the pics of the new table.  We decided to use pages out of a book and not pictures this time. It allowed for a cleaner and simpler look. We opted for one of my favorite books, Catcher in the Rye. We couldn't be happier with the results.

It's that time of the year again... What will you give up?

Every year I try and give up one thing during Lent. I am not particularly religious, but I do like the thought of giving up a vice for 40 days and 40 nights. I like to see how much self- control I actually have. One year I gave up pizza, another year I gave up chocolate.

I think this year I will go for the gold and give up pizza AND chocolate. It might be a little ambitious to give up two things. But let's push my discipline to the test!

What are you going to give up this year?

An early birthday present to myself...

I LOVED my Marc by Marc Jacobs purse. It was a bright and bold eggplant purple color that I used to think went with everything I wore. It was my go-to bag for everything. I could even fit my lap top nicely into it along with everything else (my wallet, keys, etc.) But the time has come where I need to retire it. The color has faded and the stitching is starting to rip vigorously on the straps. I pretty much wore it to death and it lived an amazing long life.

For my birthday this year, I decided that I would treat myself and get a nice new bag. I saw this gorgeous Foley and Corinna bag on Gilt.com and knew that I had to get it. I snagged this new wardrobe staple for $ 224 including taxes and shipping (original price is $345)! It is perfect for everyday wear. You can hold it like a satchel purse and remove the long strap, or you can fold it as seen below and use the long strap to wrap around your body or over the shoulder. This time I grabbed it in more a neutral color that looked a little more classic than my last purse.

Foley and Corinna Lady City in Taupe

Do you ever treat yourself on your birthday? I'd love to know if you do and what do you do?

xo

President's Weekend- it's a THREEKEND!

I don't know about you, but this year started off in a whirlwind and it's still going full speed ahead! I feel constantly busy and focused at all times and its time to take a small break.

I cannot wait for the three day weekend ahead! I plan on doing lots of yoga on the westside, drinking wine and Starbucks (not in the same sitting. ha), and attending the Long Beach Flea Market for the first time ever. I'm due for a staycation and I'm ecstatic to just relaaaaaaaxx. :)

Have a fun weekend!