My Mom's Visit

If you remember, my mom came to visit!

And goodness...we sure had fun.

It was a jam-packed laugh-filled few days and

even though I only captured a few of the many memories made,

I wanted to share some of them here for you to see.

i like to write a little message on my chalkboard for guests, hehe.

a clean apartment for the woman who gave me "the gene" ;)

a free dessert at De Santos - scrumptious!

matching rainboots

we saw The Addams Family on Broadway!

pictured: Brooke Shields and Roger Rees

{they played Morticia & Gomez}

chocolate pearls - a gift from my mom that I absolutely adore

shopping in Jessie James in the West Village

after the show in Times Square

it's that time of year -- the time for pumpkin-shaped candy corn!

Florence Henderson + her signature in my book

{she gave me the sweetest compliment and it totally made my day!}

my favorite display in one of my favorite stores in NYC - Charles Nolan

Cafe Cluny breakfast sandwich never disappoints

and then my mother found my wig... "I feel like a rockstar!"

{I dressed up as Bella Swan two Halloweens ago when I was blonde.}

{yes, I somehow got permission to share this! :)}

she loved these refridgerators we saw on the sidewalk.

"tranquility" & "fate" at Buddakan. {great cocktail list!}

just us girls

my mother,

the most beautiful woman I know.

until next time,

g

October 2011 Desktop Wallpaper

Tomorrow marks the beginning of October which means...

...it's time to update those desktop wallpapers!

(seriously, where did September go?)

{click on image, right click, and select "set as background"}

tip: go to Control Panel / Display

& make sure it's set to "center image".

And yes, the little lady took her own advice

and spray-painted her pumpkin

with chalkboard paint this year. :)

until next time,

g

New Favorite App - Post!

Do you ever want to design and send custom notes & invitations

right from your phone?

Or do you ever want to send a snazzy email or text message?

Or do you want to jot down reminders on something pretty?

Check out this app called Post, by Gadabout.

...you obsessed yet?

Check out their main website - there are so many fun finds!

I've added their blog to my "daily reads" list on the sidebar...

...and yes, you can order their personalized stationery

to send real mail. (do it!)

until next time,

g

Tips / Ideas / Fun

fresh flowers in my kitchen!

Well hello, my little buttercups. How are you?

A man jumped in front of a bus this morning to save my hair claw and thus, the little lady is having a good day. Ya know, despite being locked out of my apartment last night at 11pm and having to go all the way back to the office to get my keys with a cab driver who wanted to cheer me up by blaring Cyndi Lauper.

Never a dull moment, friends...never.a.dull.moment.

Here are a few tips/suggestions to brighten your Thursday:

Want to try a new lipstick that goes with your coloring, but you're unsure about what shade? Dior's Addict Lip Glow reacts to the color chemistry of your lips to create a perfect shade for you. It also has SPF. Keep those smackers healthy! Click here to buy.

A hilarious description about the battle of turning into an "adult". I can totally relate.

I realize this would be the most absurd purchase on the planet, but I still think it's pretty spectacular. Expense reports would be so much more fun!

Dear friends that can cook,
Can you make these?
And hire me as your taste-tester?
perfectcoolthanks. ;)

If I had an iPad I would need a case and if I needed a case, I would want this one.

Want to decorate for fall without it looking super cheesy? Buy a can of gold spray paint and a collection of small gourds and pumpkins. Looks pretty, yes? (tip: silver and white look great, too.)

Feeling extra creative? Paint your pumpkins with chalkboard paint this year and doodle their faces!

These decorating ideas are actually for a fall wedding, but I like the unique use of wheat, acorns, Baby's Breath, pinecones, and lavendar.

Speaking of weddings, I dig Molly Sims' different bridesmaids dresses.

Some days are just hair-in-a-bun days. Here are 15 different bun styles to try. For days you don't have time to wash your hair, try Tresemme's dry shampoo line.

Want to make the most of your fall? Here's a fun checklist of season-appropriate activities!

It's time to pull out your scarves. My favorite ones? Either the ones you get on the streets of NYC (for as cheap as $5!) or Love Quotes. Love Quotes are on the pricey end, but they really are like tiny blankets of love. Check out the celeb-favorite brand here.

Cute stationery.

{she lives life in her own little fairytale} - sort of in love with that line - and it's on a print and a bracelet!

A pumpkin bread recipe. Yum!

Look! The Bronx Zoo bears love pumpkins, too.

until next time,

g

Cuff It Up

Cuff It Up by ihartvirginia featuring antique jewelry

until next time,

g

I Love Birthdays

I love birthdays.

I just love everything about them, especially when it's time to celebrate my favorite people in life.

Tonight is celebration numero uno for my dearest friend's

30th birthday!

I'm so excited to see her and make sure she's geared up for many smiles ahead and that she's brainstormed her

ever-so-important-blow-out-the-candle-wish.

A group of us are staying in the Catskill Mountains next weekend for the main celebration and I find myself googling images like this and drooling:

image via

ahhh, I can't wait!

She's the type of friend who makes you laugh until you're huddled in the corner unable to breathe with tears streaming down your face, who'd sit for hours at at time and listen and talk in great length about something you're going through, whose sincere empathy is obvious at all times, who books a last-minute impromptu Jamaican getaway with you after a bad day, who pushes you to be the best version of yourself, and who makes you feel like no matter what happens, everything will be okay because you'll always have that friendship.

Let's be honest, she's one of the main reasons I've survived these past few years in NYC.

I love birthdays. It's not just about celebrating a new age. It's a necessary reminder to take time each year to celebrate the wonderful people in your life. I somehow have many more in mine than I deserve and for that, I feel like one lucky little lady.

until next time,

g

Purses

In life, women carry two really heavy things that men somehow get out of:

1. human(s) inside their bodies

2. a purse

I know #1 is optional, but whatever. And I don't want to hear about briefcases and "murses" - I'm sorry, but they just don't count. 

Raise your hand if you're a woman and a man has asked you "oh, can you just stick this in your purse?" (-.-)

When at all possible, I like to carry the smallest purse I can.

I only bring the essentials...

...which frees up my hands for shopping! ;)

But if you're like me, you sometimes need to lug around what feels like your entire life. Work, gym clothes, a change of shoes when the heels get to be too painful, presents, planners, books, paperwork, bills, makeup, wallet, phone, iPod, food, water, a scarf, a sweater, a picnic blanket, etc. And if you're one of those people who have experienced #1, well then you're most likely in charge of schlepping 37 things around at all times for that little human.

So then you go out and you shop for a purse and you're always somehow attracted to the bag that weighs 62lbs when empty. (do yourself a favor and don't buy it, mkay?)

You need a bag that's lightweight, foldable, fits a million things, is water/stain resistant, good for traveling, has a bunch of pockets & pouches, can be worn over your shoulder, has a top zipper, and goes with everything. Is that even possible, you ask?

Voila! 

Want to see what all it can fit?

Watch this.

To purchase, click here.

until next time,

g

Letterpress Project: Slowly Coming Together!

I wanted to update you on my letterpress project! I blogged here about the beginning stages and I'm now in the stage of renting studio space on weekend nights (like last night) and things are slowly coming together. I always battled with color as a printmaker in college and spent many-a-night crumpling up botched attempts to make something that didn't cause my teacher to cringe and ask the dreaded question of "what exactly were you going for here?" So last night I held my breath faced those fears as I printed warm colors on about 200 sheets (4 months worth) of letterpress paper.  This whole project has been such a challenge, but it's challenges like this that I find most rewarding.

The patterned plate on the metal block is made out of polymer. I drew the zig-zag shape in Illustrator and sent the image (with the others) to a company that makes the plates. {I use BoxCar Press in Syracuse, NY.}

Once they're complete, I will feature them on my main website and for purchase on Etsy. Stay tuned!

until next time,
 

g

Take Chances

until next time,

g

First Day of Fall!

First Day of Fall! by ihartvirginia featuring knee high leather boots

• decorating ideas for fall.
• thai-spiced pumpkin soup recipe. yum!
• how to make a fall-esque banner.
• a pumpkin hat for a newborn.
• this picture makes me so excited about this season!

until next time,

g

Animalistic

Animalistic by ihartvirginia featuring stud earrings

 
until next time,
 
g