I had the pleasure of attending the most beautiful dinner party with Bloomscape recently, and wanted to share more photos of the evening with you!

What are your 3 makeup must-haves? The products you’d reach for first if you had 1 minute to do your makeup and had to pick faves. For me, it’s mascara, blush, and lippy. They’re my go-to’s whenever I want a quick pick-me-up! I find they make the biggest difference in making my features pop, with just a few swipes. I work from my home office full time, so many days I’m actually completely makeup-free - but on those days when I have an event, photoshoot, or just whenever I feel like having some fun, I’ll apply a full face look. Wanted to share with you the specific products I use and love, and the order I apply them!

I’m not really a believer in the whole green thumb/black thumb theory, where some people are born with natural plant talent and others aren’t.

As you know, I’m a big fan of slow mornings. My routine consists of brewing coffee or tea, enjoying breakfast, and listening to music while I catch up on the news. Then I take a shower and get ready for my day! There are certain mornings however, where taking it slow is just not possible. I’m lucky if I have enough time to throw on an actual outfit before running out the door! One of these mornings took place recently - my friends had taken me out for birthday drinks the night before, so I woke up later than usual. I had a workshop in Venice on the calendar and absolutely no time for coffee or breakfast beforehand, let alone a shower! Problem was, I was on 4-day hair - we’ve all been there, right? I still wanted to look presentable at the workshop but only had a few minutes to spare.

This post was sponsored by Serena & Lily, all opinions expressed are my own - as always!

Do you like to take it slow in the morning, or are you a get up and go type of person? For me, slow mornings are where it’s at.  I start my days in the kitchen, where the sun shines beautifully through the windows and covers the whole room in a golden glow. I play my morning music, something happy and optimistic to start the day off right. I light a candle or two, then put the kettle on to make coffee or tea - it’s my favorite lil routine! Heating the water, brewing my bevy, checking out the new growth of my kitchen planties, singing and dancing to my favorite songs. 

My last viz to Palm Springs was over the summer for Splash House (a music fest) with Eddie, and it was the exact opposite of peaceful and relaxing - ha! Lots of fun (maybe too much fun judging by the headache afterwards, whoops) with dancing, drinking, and running around between hotels to catch our fave acts. When I got to thinking, I realized it’s been years since I drove to Palm Springs for anything other than music festivals or parties - which is funny because it’s the ultimate California destination to slow down and relax! So I decided to take a break from my newly self-employed whirlwind for a peaceful solo getaway to this dreamy town.

I absolutely love gift giving, and I’ve found myself being much more intentional with my gift purchases nowadays. I try to think long and hard about what my loved ones will really use and enjoy. What’s something that will enrich their life and won’t end up discarded the week after Christmas? Beautiful products that are made to last and created both sustainably and ethically - that’s what it’s all about! Supporting businesses who care about the environment is important to me, so this year I compiled the ultimate eco-friendly gift guide. I own a good amount of the products on this list myself, and they bring me joy everyday! I encourage you to research these brands yourself, or any brand you plan on buying from this holiday season. Make sure they stand for what’s important to you - whether it’s natural, non-toxic ingredients, fair wages for workers, donations to a good cause made with every purchase, or zero-waste packaging.

I came to the sad realization this year that our Christmas ornaments may be gone for good. Wahhh! Eddie couldn’t find them in our garage last December, and this year I tore the place apart to no avail. I think they may have gotten thrown out by mistake during our move into the Hobbit House! But instead of buying a bunch of new ones, I decided to build on last year’s floral tree and add sunflowers to the mix. One of my fave flowers, they always make me smile :)