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Lifestyle

State Of The Nation

It's 9PM on July 4th. My son is running up and down the street with my husband, watching our neighbors set off illegal fireworks while my daughter sleeps next to me on the couch, passed out fully naked in front of Nick Jr. because 12 straight hours of hot dogs and chocolate chip cookies and swimming exhausted her to the point where not even a brand-new episode of Paw Patrol could keep her eyes open.

I thought a lot about America today. I had a client who wanted me to post about what makes me proud to be an American, and it took me awhile to answer. I didn't even know if I wanted to answer the question, because when I think about my country, "pride" isn't the first word that comes to mind at the moment.

Then I got to thinking about the first time I was embarrassed to say I was American. George W. Bush was president, and I was doing a semester at University College London. I wanted to hide my face in my hands every time someone said the President's name. Sometimes I just told people I was from Canada, so they didn't automatically assume I was a jerk.

DIY Projects

Last-Minute Fourth of July DIY: Super-Simple Paper Lanterns

I have officially decreed today - Sunday - to be the Fourth of July, because the actual Fourth of July is on a Tuesday and having two days to recuperate after Fourth of July festivities sounds like a much better idea to me, especially since I'm the one throwing the party. But since I only decided this on Friday, I was left with next-to-zero time to prepare and/or decorate. Enter: these ridiculously easy (and cute) paper lanterns.

What You Need:

  • Construction paper in whatever colors you like (this project doesn't have to be Fourth of July-themed, obviously)
  • Scissors
  • Stapler

What You Do:

DIARY

The Very Weirdest Gender Reveal In The World

I was talking to a friend about our first pregnancies the other day - whether we went into them wanting to have a boy or a girl, whether we found out in advance of the birth, etc - and I got to telling her my own gender reveal story, which just so happens to be the weirdest one I've ever heard of (although if you've got a story that's a contender, please tell me, because I want to read it), and which also ended with me crying in a cafe on Ninth Avenue.

How I found out the sex of my first child: While lying on a table in a Marriott hotel ballroom. In front of about four hundred people. And then I burst into tears.

(...Let me back up. Stay with me; I promise this will make sense - sort of - in a minute.)

DIY Projects

20 Cool Uses For That Old Pallet You Found By The Dumpster

20 cool ways to use upcycled pallet wood

Many years ago - around the time when I brought my first very small human home to live with me - I swore to myself that I would break the habit of dragging other people's trash into my home and using it to decorate...but...I mean, does dragging other people's trash into my yard count?

I think not.

I therefore have permitted myself to begin developing an obsession with old pallets that rivals The Great Mason Jar Obsession Of 2010-13.

ENTREES

So THAT’S How You Make Ribs

I wouldn't say that BBQ is my forte. Or grilling. I'm not as unfortunate as I used to be - I specifically recall a camping trip with my college boyfriend where I flipped all four of the burgers we had brought, and with each flip somehow completely missed the very large grate over the fire and sent them directly into the embers, leaving us to subsist on boxed wine and cheese slices - but since it's not something I did much of until we moved to California, the learning curve has been a steep one.

Like with ribs, for example: I make decent ones, but they're not great. My friend Alisa makes great ribs. So I asked her to teach me her secrets.

Apparently it all starts with the rub.

Lifestyle

Links & Love & Stuff

Oh hi undereye "freckles" (age spots). (I kind of like them.) 

My summertime face: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence + Neova SPF 40 Tinted Sunscreen + Glossier Cloud Paint (in Dusk), Boy Brow (in Blonde), & Rose Balm Dot Com. (And eyelash extensions. Don't worry; those are not mine.)

I had never heard of this "Privacy Pop" thing before it showed up in my Facebook feed, but now I think it might be the most genius invention ever. It's a pop-up bed tent that fits standard-sized mattresses (from toddler to king): it keeps out light out during naps, creates private spaces in dorms and shared bedrooms, and can be used for sleepovers, camping, whatever. GENIUS.

Lifestyle

July 4th Ahoy (And Free Shipping On All Your Soon-To-Be Favorite Things)

This is what adulting looks like in my world.

Wondering what grand sartorial statement to make this July 4 weekend (beyond nails jauntily painted in shades of red, white, and blue, of course)? Problem solved: our Adulting sweatshirt - you know, your favorite sweatshirt in your closet? - is now available as a tank top. And not just any tank top...the best tank top. Elise and I tried a whole bunch of different cuts and fabrics, and found one that is soft and ever-so-slightly slouchy in all the right places, meaning the muffin-top-concealing ones. (Visible bra straps not included, but obviously recommended.)

Note: this style runs a touch big - I usually wear a medium in tops, but am a small in this one because the armholes are a little oversized (meaning that the tank is extremely summer-friendly, but also that you'll probably want to wear a bralet or bathing suit top underneath regardless of which size you choose).

Makeup & Beauty

Luxe

I have been compensated by QVC for my participation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of Elemis skincare products. I had, however, heard of their spas - they’re all over the world (London, Miami, Bangkok, etc), on luxury cruise lines and in fancy hotels and such, and they all sound lovely, but you know which ones sound loveliest? The ones that apparently exist in British Airways terminals - complimentary for first-class travelers, naturally. (My feeling is if you’re flying first-class you don’t really need a spa treatment quiiiiiite quite as much as, say, the 6’8” guy sitting in the aisle seat in the very back row next to the toilet, but just saying: it sounds like a nice way to travel.)

Anyway. I’m unlikely to make it to one of those spas anytime soon, but a couple of weeks ago Elemis’ 24/7 Super Skin 3-Piece Collection arrived on my doorstep as part of my collaboration with QVC, and they are (allllmost) as luxurious. The set contains Pro- Collagen Cleansing Balm (which smells incredible, btw) for cleansing morning at night, Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for AM hydration, and their brand-new Peptide4 Night Recovery Cream-Oil to use in the evenings.

Lifestyle

I Drank Champagne With Richard Branson (And Other Adventures)

Here is me alone, because I was too shy to ask for a photo with Richard.

Cool, so I now officially have a HUGE crush on Richard Branson. (It's ok: Kendrick knows, and I think he has a huge crush on Richard Branson, too.) I guess I need to do some catching up on my Virgin lore, because I hadn't heard the story of how he started his airline before, and it's a doozy: he got bumped off of a flight on his way to see - and I quote - "a lovely lady friend," and was so annoyed that he hired a plane, wrote "Virgin Airlines, Flights $39" on a blackboard and wandered around signing up all the other passengers who had been bumped...and then called Boeing the next day to inquire about purchasing a used 747.

THAT IS SO BADASS.

Decor

House (Exterior) Tour: Audrey Scheck’s Urban Oasis

My friend Audrey has the best taste of any human being I have ever met, ever. Zero exaggeration. Her Los Angeles home - which you saw in this post a few months ago - is a master class in casual perfection, and I honestly didn't think it could get any better. And then she made over the exterior, and proved once again that she when it comes to home decor, she has an absolutely flawless eye.

The Makeover: What Audrey Did

  • Painted the house (which was originally yellow).
  • Brought in a carpenter to build custom exterior doors, gates, and lattice.
  • Installed new exterior lighting.
  • Added new exterior accents (mailbox, house numbers, doorbell, etc.).
  • Refreshed the landscaping and brought in tons of potted plants (apparently the black mulch addition was RG-inspired, haha). 

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