1. Brooklyn Orchids 2016 Calendar: for the past few years I’ve created 12-month calendars to sell on Zazzle, using photos I took of orchids that year. I don’t sell many, but I always buy one for myself and one for my husband, and I figure some of my orchid blog readers might be interested. My calendar arrived this week, and for the cover I chose to feature a Western Fairy Slipper Orchid, the first native orchid I ever saw in the wild! If you’re at all interested in orchids or know someone who is, this would make a great holiday gift. BTW, Zazzle has discount codes just about every day this month so be sure to look for them on their website before placing your order!
Friday Five
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Friday Five
Before I get into this week’s five, I just want to mention that this past Wednesday, December 2nd, was the 14th anniversary of the day I moved to NYC! I can’t believe how long it’s been! Okay, now for my Friday Five.
1. Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Garden: this is a super fun annual holiday light show that I finally got to go to for the first time while in St. Louis for Thanksgiving last weekend. The show has one million lights (literally!) and allows you nighttime access to the garden. There are kiosks throughout that sell kettle corn, hot chocolate (with hard mix-ins as an option for adults), beer, and wine, and plenty of holiday music to listen to as you stroll around. The show runs through January 2; if you’re in St. Louis I highly recommend you check it out!
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Stitch Fix: December 2015 Review
My latest Stitch Fix arrived two days ago and I’m only now able to sit down and write about it! It’s been a busy couple of days, what with my usual life and then going to see the painted bunting in Prospect Park. This week’s Fix is my 11th, and it’s a pretty good one!
A Painted Bunting Visits Brooklyn
Something really cool and unusual is happening in Brooklyn right now, guys. An adult male Painted Bunting has been hanging out in Prospect Park for the last three days, and as the NY Post put it, people are losing their shit over him. You know how people say, “only in New York?” Well, this is a “never in New York” kind of situation.

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Friday Five: Post No. 100
Happy Black Friday Day After Thanksgiving, all! I’m writing this post from my parents’ house in St. Louis. I hope you had a wonderful Turkey Day with your loved ones; I certainly did!
Before I start this week’s list of five things, I’d like to note that this is my 100th blog post! Hooray!
1. Flat White at Brunswick: my husband and I finally went to this cute Aussie cafe for breakfast last weekend. I’d been wanting to check it out, and it did not disappoint. Here’s my pretty (and delicious) flat white:
Sephora’s November VIB Sale Haul
Sephora VIBs know that the most wonderful time of the year is the VIB 20% off sale! This year, the beauty megastore ran their semi-annual sale from November 13-16, and of course I took advantage and bought myself some goodies. When I see the image to the right appear in my email, I’m basically like “Sephora, take all of my money please!” and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
I have to say I’m pretty proud of myself though, because I only bought three items. Restraint!
Ready to see what I chose to use my discount on?Continue Reading…
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Friday Five
1. Vive la France. The terrorist attacks in Paris last week were absolutely heartbreaking and inhuman. Last Saturday evening I spotted this lovely candlelit tribute on a stoop in my neighborhood, so I wanted to share it here.
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Rent the Runway: My First Review
Have you ever wished you could wear a designer dress to an event without having to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars? Rent the Runway is a website that allows you to do just that…and I love it. I actually started using RTR four years ago; the first time I rented a dress from them was for a swanky New Year’s Eve party. I rented a David Meister full-length silver sequined number that fit perfectly and made me feel like a princess; I was hooked. I’ve rented dresses from RTR for many events, and even with a couple of shipping glitches I’m still happy to use the service.
So…how does Rent the Runway work?
Friday Five
1. Travel Candle Set from Brooklyn Candle Studio: I’ve talked about these lovely candles before (and took a candlemaking workshop there as well!). They recently offered free shipping for a limited time, so I figured I might as well stock up. I decided to go with a $39 set of four gold travel candles—you get to pick your four fragrances, so I chose Cedarwood Vanilla, Rose Botanica, Montana Forest, and Pumpkin Harvest. They all smell incredible!
Birchbox: November 2015
It’s that time of the month again: my Birchbox arrived yesterday! For the November box, subscribers were given the option to choose a sample from Birchbox’s own new makeup line, LOC (which stands for Love of Color), or to opt for a box guest curated by YouTube beauty star Tati Westbrook. I’ve never heard of her (sorry, Tati) and I was interested in LOC so I chose a rose gold eyeshadow stick.
The November box design is especially cute; I’m such a sucker for floral graphics:


















