These are a few of my favorite things: March 2015

1. Hard Candy Life - City Chic Poppin Pigments - Love when eyes pop with pigments
2. NYXcosmetics - Slim Lip Pencils "Mahogany" and "Soft Brown", perfect for day and night!
3. Glam up your brunch with Glitter Donuts! With just the look of these I am seriously considering a brunch wedding.
4. Color Luxe Fine Tip Gel Pens - I found these at Pigment in North Park and haven't written anything down in black ever since. Life's more fun in color :)
5. Instagram: moonlndjmpr - Slyoung Kim is a wonderfully talented artist with a great eye for details

Solo Cedros - Solana Beach

 
I've been really excited to work on South Cedros street in Solana Beach, not only because of a great music venue (The Belly Up) across the street that I hope will bring some great acts this coming year, but because the area is booming with interior decoration stores and firms. Right up my alley. When heading out on quick coffee breaks, I've been venturing into the little shops and fell in love with Solo Cedros the minute I saw these intricate items placed about the store. From the Cypress Pine Candles right in time for Christmas to the deer skin book covers I think would be perfect for my dad. The store has a variety of unique home decoration and books about just about anything. This is just one of many stores on the street so I'm very intrigued on what I'll find on my next coffee break. 

Throwing a College Shower

This past weekend, my whole family threw my sister Kat a college shower before her departure next week. She's heading off to Umass Amherst and I can only imagine the trouble and fun she's about to find herself in - I can't wait for the stories to start pouring in!

But a college shower? I got lots of questions about what exactly this is, seems it is not such a common thing after all! So I thought it would be a great to show how we run one of these little shindigs. We've done it for every child in the Banks family and it's really a great way to send the youngsters off so they are prepared for the long days of "studying" to come.  Everyone is able to contribute and see the future student before heading off, and it's a great excuse to get the family together over the summer!

Opening her new mini fridge

So If you've ever thrown a wedding or baby shower before, than your golden, because its about 50% of the work you have to do for parties like that. We don't have special favors or catered food or anything, its simply a themed cookout! We have our guest of honor fill out an amazon wishlist (and right now you can save 25% on college essentials) where everyone purchases an item or two. Generally these things are anything from the notebooks, shower caddies, robes, sheets, etc. We all rally around to watch the opening of the gifts - and this time we had darling helpers, Miss Casey and Jaymie! 

Kat got everything she wanted, while also making out with items from my apartment that I can't bring with me to California to her new home in western MA. I say this kid made out good! We will miss her as she enters the world of adulthood, but can't wait to be living vicariously through her Umass years!

A robe to cover up in those dorm hallways - from cousin Corky!

I thought I'd show what a sweet little girl she can look like...

before I show you she's a real big goof at heart...

Beauty Insider: Lancome Gift Set

 

Our beauty insider at Lancome has a wonderful offer to share - a hot new Lancome Gift at Macy's online and in store*! Starting today, with any $35 Lancome purchase, you can build your own seven piece gift set. A perfect purchase to gift to a friend or to indulge yourself!

Just choose from one of Lancome's new makeup clutches (red or black) and fill it up with 6 of your 13 favorites† from the Lancome collection (no duplicates):

• Renergie Lift Volumetry Volumetric Lifting and Reshaping Cream SPF 15
• High Resolution Refill-3X Triple Action Renewal Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF 15
• Absolue Premium Bx Absolute Replenishing Cream SPF 15
• Creme Mousse Confort Comforting Creamy Foaming Cleanser
• Creme Radiance Clarifying Cream-to-Foam Cleanser
• Hypnose Drama Mascara
• Color Design Eye Shadow quad in Pink Pearls, Designer, Exhibition, and Lava
• Color Design Eye Shadow quad in Regal Sapphire, All Made Up, Little Blue Dress, and Splendid Sapphire
• Foundation Brush
• Le Lipstique Lipcoloring Stick with Brush in Mauvelle (full size)
• Color Design Lipcolor in All Done Up
• Juicy Tubes Lipgloss in Miracle
• Bi-Facil 
• Lancome clutch in red or black

*while supplies last
† products are similar or exact to link, product offers could vary

Some-fin is in the Water....

I really wasn't sure if I'd be able to celebrate the worlds love for shark week on here, given I didn't want to post images of people half mauled by a rogue shark (impressed?) or videos to scare the bejesus out of you from entering the water this summer, especially with 8...EIGHT I say, great whites spotted off the Chatham coast.

But alas, there are plenty of shark fanatics making light of this predator of the sea. And despite some of these items being rather humorous, I think the two Cape episodes airing this week will keep me from entering the ocean no further than my knees for just a bit while longer. 

1. Sealife Ring

2. Shark Socks

3. Shark Hoodie Tutorial - super easy!

4. Fin Time Release Tea Infuser

5. Baby Fin

6. Fin Lamp

7. Under the Sea - theme party

8. Cake Obsessed Fin Cupcakes

These are a Few of my Favorite Things: July Edition

1. Vital Screen Printed Glasses

2. Talking Pillow Cases

3. Iphone Art by Society6 Artists

4. There's a Shark in my Soup!

5. Hungry Hippo Toothbrush Holder

6. Baby Seal Kids Sweater - beware, the adult version is not pretty!

7. Rolling Trunk Luggage

All over the Map

Some great ideas to bring back the map!

1. Favorite Place Pendants

2 & 5. I heart Cities - frame them big or small!

3. Pinwheels - Very cute for a destination wedding

4. Gift wrapping


(images from Everythingfab.com & Etsy.com)

Find that Egg!

Happy Easter Weekend everyone! I hope y'all are looking forward to the holiday weekend and spending time with your families.  I am especially excited to see all my cousins at the legendary Banks Easter Egg Hunt - it's so fun to watch the little ones running around so excited, while we the adults shamelessly pit them against each other pointing out to each of them where they can find an egg. What! they need a little help sometimes! They're like 5 and under, we'd be out there till dark.

I do have some fond memories of Easters past, especially when in the recent years when my dad knew we were all in college, high school, or living in NY and going broke, so he set up an Easter egg hunt in the back yard for just my sisters and brother with eggs...filled with money. Now we're not talking $100 dolla dolla bills y'all...but change, $1 bills, and one special egg had a $20. It was a fight till the death! Unfortunately, I never was the lucky one to find that egg...but I know my day will come...

Have any great Easter stories? I'd love to hear about them! And if you're looking for a small gift to bring to a family members for hosting the holiday or to give to the adults while the youngsters get their baskets, here is a great gift idea from No Fuss Fabulous - Enjoy!

Easter S'Mores in a Jar

Ingredients and Directions:

1. Reduce 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.
2. Layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 qt jar.
3. Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar.
4. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.
5. Carefully spoon remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.
6. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup Easter M&M's.
7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon.

Fabulous even gives you free down loadable gift tags as well as the gift message with directions for your recipient!