...splurge or save...

...having very sensitive and fair skin, it has taken me years to figure out what make-up will work for my coloring and not cause any irritation.


I splurge on make-up items for two reasons. Either they last for a long time, like blush, or I am super sensitive to it, like lip gloss.


  1. Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush - $45.00
  2. Chanel Rouge Allure Colour & Shine Lip Gloss - $37.00

Saving is always nice and on the make-up items that I use up quickly, I was happy to find the below products.
  1. L'oreal Paris True Match Super Blendable Makeup - $10.95
  2. Revlon PhotoReady Primer & Eye Shadow - $10.99
  3. Neutrogena Shine Control Powder - $12.49
  4. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Brighten Eye Perfector - $13.49
  5. Revlon Brow Fantasy - $5.99
  6. CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara - $6.99
  7. Relvon ColorStay Eye Liner - $8.99

...scrunchies...

...yep, they're back!


Back in the 90's, I was a true believer in the scrunchie, and my mother was so kind to keep photographic evidence.

1994 - with my sister & cousin

Now that scrunchies are on trend and socially acceptable, even for New Yorkers, I had to give them a second chance!  I got my first scrunchie in 12 years, from Club Monaco.


Happy #TBT

...instagram...

...probably my favorite social media platform.

Having a nice amount of close friends and family on my feed is great, but also getting some motivation from celebrities (big and small) and Lifestyle Accounts thrown in the middle makes Instagram my go-to social media platform.

See below some of my favorite celebrity & Lifestyle Instagrams.



  1. Allison Williams
  2. Anna Kendrick
  3. Blair Eadie
  4. Target Style 
  5. Kendall Jenner
  6. Katharine McPhee
  7. SoulCycle
  8. Stuart Weitzman
  9. Karlie Kloss
  10. Emma Roberts
  11. New York Times Fashion
  12. Taylor Swift


...bracelets...

...I love accessories, specifically jewelry (don't tell my bags!)

Bracelets have always been a good outlet for my mood of the day, whether it's a million little bracelets, one tiny bracelet, or a leather wrap bracelet.  But as of late, two bracelets have been my go-to for everyday.

The first one I found on the ground in the middle of Tokyo.  Something caught my eye and when I looked closer it was a gold and diamond star and moon bracelet.  It is delicate and perfect to wear with other bracelets.


The second got me through the planning of our wedding and is my general life mantra.  It's a simple gold plated cuff bracelet from Sarah Chloe with "one day at a time" engraved.


Happy Monday!

…splurge or save…

…believe me I love to splurge, but knowing when to invest in an item verses just buying it because it’s popular or on trend, is a secret skill of mine.

This week I kept seeing the most random of all trends, a basic medium-brown suede block heel sandal.  This shoe was super basic, but I kept seeing it all over blogs and social media.  After looking into the mysterious basic shoe, that I was now convinced went with every summer outfit I could possible wear, I found them at two high-end brands.

StuartWeitzman.com


Fashion Jackson

They are sold out!

Cupcakes and Cashmere 

Both brands being way out of my price range for a trendy summer heel, I thought all hope was lost and I was going to have to resort to last summer’s sandals, but then I wandered over to Target's website (to look for a new lamp, of all things)…and bam! There it was, my basic medium-brown suede block heel sandal, and totally in my price range!



...#TBT...

...a passion for photography runs in the family...

 My sister took this over 20 years ago.  Happy #TBT

one of the blizzards of the 90's



my niece, 2012

…Notebooks…

…Not a new addiction of mine, but certainly a favorite.



I know I am not the only one, I love to write things down, not type, a foreign concept these days.  Trust me my phone is just as packed with notes as my notebooks are, but there is something about putting pen to paper, or sketching something with a pencil, that makes me feel like I got my thoughts out of my head and put them somewhere tangible.  


My favorite company for lightweight, soft, and fun notebooks is May Designs.  They have something for everyone, even guys and kids, though admittedly less so for the men.  They add new designs regularly,  along with new interior pages for all holidays and milestones in life.


I have most recently used them for planning my wedding, fitness tracking, yearly calendar, and basic life notes.


**They have a Mother’s Day sale going on now! 

... Pierogies...

...doughy pockets of love, ok that might just be my definition because my pierogies were always made by my grandma (aka Mom-Mom) or my mother.

We made three standard varieties; blueberry, cheese, potato.

Spencer and I ventured into Eastern European Cooking over the weekend.  My contribution to the meal was my first attempt at making our family recipe for pierogies.


Lis, Dohn, Cody, Hill Family Pierogie Receipt: 
**as told to my mom by my mom-mom
  • 2.5 cups flour
  • 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 tsp. vegetable oil 

Place flour in a large bowl.  Add water and oil slowly, stirring constantly with fork until mixture is crumbly.  Let stand until cool.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until soft and smooth.

Cover dough with the bowl.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Divide dough in half keeping the other half covered with the bowl.  Then shape into a roll about 12 inches long.  Cut into 12 pieces (may be a little less than 12 depending on how you cut them).

Roll each piece on lightly floured surface to 5 – 6 inch round.   Repeat with remaining dough.

Fill and seal.  When sealing the dumpling wet one side so they stick. 

Drop dumplings 3 – 4 at a time in large saucepan of boiling salted water.   Add a little oil to the water so they don’t stick.  Stir gently so dumplings do not stick to pan.   Cook 3 – 5 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon.  Place in serving dish 
 Place melted butter over them.


Cheese Filling:
Combine chunk style cottage cheese (large curd) ¾ lb. with ¼ large size cream cheese (softened) and ½ large egg or one medium egg, salt & pepper.

Blueberry Filling:
Fresh blueberries with a small amount of sugar.   Too much sugar and they will be too juicy inside.






*Lis - My Great Grandmother's Married Name
*Dohn - My Grandmother's Married Name
*Cody - My Mother's Married Name
*Hill - My Married Name

...Caviar...

...being such a homebody, but loving to dining out, I enjoy finding ways to bring the "dining-out" experience home.

Caviar always felt elevated and a challenge to do ourselves, but with some planning and a quick trip to Whole Foods, we were able to make our apartment feel like a Michelin starred restaurant.

Type of Caviar: Ossetra

Traditional Accoutrements: 
  • Crème Fraîche
  • Egg Whites
  • Egg Yokes
  • Red Onion
  • Chives
  • Blini


Experimental Accoutrements:
  • Grape Fruit Wedges
  • Sour Dough Toast Points


**and always with Champagne