{Hosted Beauty 2013 at Neiman Marcus}

{Celebrated the purchase of our new home with some bubbles}

{Started planning our renos for said new home thanks to some inspiration from Pinterest.} 

I had the pleasure of hosting the “Beauty 2013″ event at Neiman Marcus Scottsdale Fashion Square where 6 makeup brands (Bobbi Brown, Chantecaille, Cle de Peau Beaute, Dior, Lancome and defending champions, Trish McEvoy) all competed to show off their interpretation of the Spring 2013 face. The artists created some absolutely beautiful looks! From a sea-inspired eye by Lancome to a pretty-in-pink eye and lipstick look from Dior, there were tons of gorgeous spring faces to choose from. Ultimately, I ended up choosing Chantecaille as the winner; the look created featured a fresh, pink lip and natural-looking eye which I felt not only channeled spring but was the most wearable and approachable look, too.

The big news of the week has been us finally closing on our new house! It is going to be a HUGE project since we are gutting and renovating the whole thing but it should be pretty exciting. Stay tuned for some Before/After photos and if you have any home renovation/style tips to send my way, feel free!

What were you up to this weekend? 

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{via Glitter Guide}

This Saturday afternoon, I’ll be hosting the Spring Color “Face Off” competition at Neiman Marcus, Scottsdale Fashion Square! There are loads of fun events planned for the weekend, including plenty of opportunities for makeovers and to meet and greet some special guests. I’ll be judging the “Face Off” event, where select makeup counters will be giving a new spring makeover look to participants; I’ll be there at 1pm to judge the best spring “face” and host the festivities! It should be a pretty fun day and I hope you can all stop by and say hi!

Friday will be another great day of beauty-filled events, including a visit by Neiman Marcus Fashion Director or Women’s Accessories, Ana Maria Pimentel. She’ll be hosting a fashion presentation at 11 a.m. and chatting all about spring shoe trends, handbags and jewelry. To RSVP, email RSVPScottsdale@neimanmarcus.com.

Hope to see you both Friday and Saturday at Neiman Marcus Scottsdale!

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Check out the hottest events around the Valley this weekend from our friends at FabulousArizona.com!

12/6-12/9 Cirque Dreams Holidaze at Orpheum Theatre
Cirque Dreams Holidaze, the spectacular holiday production from the Cirque Dreams company, is coming to Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix December 6-9, 2012.

12/7 Marciano Holiday Collection Fashion Show at W Scottsdale
W Scottsdale is hosting a Marciano fashion show on December 7, 2012, starting at 9:00 p.m. on the Wet Deck.

12/8 Breakfast with Santa at Scottsdale Fashion Square
Enjoy Breakfast with Santa at the 2nd Annual Classic Santa Breakfast presented by the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess on Saturday, December 8, 2012, 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. at Modern Steak at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

12/8 LON’s Holiday Brunch & Bazaar
The LON’s at the Hermosa in Paradise Valley will host their Holiday Brunch & Bazaar on Saturday, December 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

12/8 Holly Daze at DC Ranch Crossing
The merry merchants of DC Ranch Crossing are hosting a festive Holly Daze Open House event on Saturday, December 8, 2012 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

For more events visit FabulousArizona.com and follow Fab AZ on Twitter.

Last week, I was invited to the preview opening of the new Everything But Water concept store at Scottsdale Fashion Square. The space was redesigned to showcase resort coverups, sun hats and accessories, galore. In short, a complete resort lifestyle brand where you can get much more than just swimsuits and everything you’ll need for that beach vacay, year round. I just wish they had opened before my St. Lucia honeymoon!

I went in for a store tour and fitting, and the ladies there are really great at making you feel comfortable in your own skin. After all, who really likes the idea of swimsuit shopping? No matter. You just tell them your measurements and they’ll bring swimsuits to you knowing full well which brands fit best in which sizes.

Survival Tip: Check your label vanity at the door. Trust.

I ended up leaving with this L*Space Sahara’s Dream bikini (courtesy of Everything but Water) and purchased a San Diego Hat Co. black floppy hat which is brilliant, because the wires allow me to fold it down for travel and it still retains its shape! Come summer, I’ll be buying many more of these.

Have you had a chance to check out the new Everything But Water stores yet? 

For constant style and beauty chatter, connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too.

Check out the hottest events around the Valley this weekend from our friends at FabulousArizona.com!

11/16 MICHELE Trunk Show at Hamra Jewelers
Hamra Jewelers in Scottsdale is hosting a MICHELE Trunk Show Friday, November 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

11/16 Biltmore Movies in the Park: Big
Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix is hosting Movies in the Park every Friday night at 7:30 p.m., continuing November 16 with a showing of “Big”.

11/16 Jazz in the Hills at Alchemy
Alchemy Restaurant at CopperWynd Resort and Club in Fountain Hills is hosting Jazz in the Hills featuring Brett Reed/Cal Tjader Project with Joe Garcia on November 16, 2012, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

11/17 Everything But Water Designer Trunk Show
Everything But Water is celebrating their new Scottsdale Fashion Square store with an afternoon of tropical play and a designer trunk show on Saturday, November 17, 2012, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

11/18 Elvis Before Noon’s 4 Year Anniversary at The Vig Arcadia
Elvis Before Noon is celebrating their 4 Year Anniversary at The Vig Arcadia in Phoenix on Sunday, November 18, 2012.

For more events visit FabulousArizona.com and follow Fab AZ on Twitter.

I kicked off the weekend by hitting the fashion social circuit. Event season is in full swing and it was nice to get out and about again. Our first stop had me ogling at these beautiful baubles at Cusp by Neiman Marcus.


Then, we popped by one of my favorite Scottsdale boutiques, Amy Inc. who just moved into a new location a few doors down at The Mix Shops and threw a two-day grand opening soiree.

{And then, there was Prada….}



{That’s me with the lovely & talented ladies, Jan of J. Lauren PR and Cynthia of Fabulous Arizona}

Unsurprisingly, the Prada party was quite fabulous. There was plenty of fashion to lust after, interesting cocktails, new bags that I must have and models bringing us bubbles and bites.

What were you up to this weekend?

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Are you ready for Fashion’s Night Out? With the temps sitting around 100 degrees this week, I’m not sure I can wrap my head around sweaters just yet, but I can indulge in some FNO parties both locally and online! And yes, there’s a lot going on. But don’t fret, I’ve rounded up the best of the best for you. Enjoy!

6pm: Head to Neiman Marcus for the “Project Ruff-Way” Fashion Show. Why? It’s a doggie fashion show. Enough said.

6:15 pm: Head next door to Dillard’s for their scavenger hunt game. It sounds a bit complicated but basically you’ll get a FNO passport to get stamped at 12 locations and receive a bead at each locale. Collect them all for a chance to win fab prizes including a $1,000 shopping spree.

6:30 pm: Stop into shops like {Intimacy}, Jimmy Choo, Kate Spade and Tory Burch for bubbles, bites and to scope out the fall collections.

7 pm: Check out the Neiman Marcus Fall Fashion Show at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Don’t miss this one!

7:15 pm: If you’ve followed my agenda thus far, you’ve likely had several cocktails by now. Take a walk to the other end of the mall where you’ll find live entertainment outside of Barneys and Nordstrom. Want more Champagne and deals? Try Z Gallerie, Ted Baker, Francesca’s, Rebecca Taylor and MaxMara.

9 pm: Pop by W Scottsdale for the Official Fashion’s Night Out After Party.

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Went shopping for wedding bands. Not sure what I want (if anything) but I do know I’d like something a bit untraditional.

Stopped by the new Tesla store at Scottsdale Fashion Square. If you haven’t checked these out in real life yet, they’re actually quite cool.

Enjoyed a Girls Night Out! Oh, it’s been a looooong time since I’ve danced the night away.

Stalked Etsy and Michaels for crafty wedding ideas! With just three months to go I decided it’s time to get serious about inspiration.

Finally started going through my San Fran pics from my birthday trip! I promise I’ll be sharing a post on that soon.

What fun things did you get into this weekend?

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{Book: Patti Smith. Fedora: Hat Attack.  Lipgloss: Smashbox.  Dress: Rebecca Taylor. Mascara: DiorShow. Sunglasses: Ray Ban. Bracelet: J. Crew. Wedge Sneaker: Rebecca Taylor.}

Have you had a chance to check out the new Rebecca Taylor store that opened up at Scottsdale Fashion Square? It’s quite fabulous! I had a chat with the designer who shared with me what’s in her bag this summer and a few style tips! Enjoy.

Q. What made you want to open a store in Scottsdale?

A. It’s a huge market with a lot of fashionable women. We’re sold in department stores in the area, but I wanted to give women access to the full collection.

{Rebecca Taylor-Scottsdale Fashion Square}

Q. What do you think of the style out here?

A. I really admire the way Arizona women can put things together. It’s hard to keep looks fresh when you’re essentially dressing for warm weather year-round, so I’m impressed!

Q.  Do you have any tips for surviving triple digits in style without melting?

A. It gets pretty steamy in New York in the summer, so I can relate! A great white tee, easy maxi skirts, and pretty silk tank dresses are good staples for the hot weather. And since you can’t layer clothing, invest in great accessories. In the summertime at our office, our girls wear RT silk dresses or skirts and pair them with bright shoes and chunky necklaces; it’s an easy, cool way to show individual style.    

Q. What is your “go-to” outfit when you need a pick-me-up?

A. I actually am a bit of a tomboy, and am pretty unfussy about my personal style. I’m most comfortable in a great Victorian-esque voile dress in the summertime with cool flat sandals.

Have you had a chance to pop by the new Rebecca Taylor store? What do you think?

For constant style and beauty chatter, connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too.

Today, Arizona is celebrating its centennial. And though I may pick on AZ at times (hey, we all pick on our loved ones, right?) it’s been my home for almost my whole life and I couldn’t be more proud.

Arizona has the best sunsets

It sucks to travel the world and meet those who have little understanding of how beautiful our state is and how amazing the people are. The media just loves to perpetuate stereotypes that I’m not even going to get into, this is a fashion blog, after all. But, there are definitely some fabulous things about living in Arizona that the rest of the country should be jealous about.

1. We Love Style

120 degree weather and heat waves be damned, there is totally a hot shopping scene around here! Prada and Stuart Weitzman just opened at Scottsdale Fashion Square not to mention, we recently welcomed a Barney’s New York too. But it isn’t just high-end shopping that’s a plenty; there’s tons of independent boutiques too. Tempe is chock-full of fast-fashions for the college set and Downtown Phoenix has its own burgeoning fashion scene too. Forget shorts and tanks, there’s definitely desert style around here.

2. We Love Food Festivals

The majority of the year, it’s absolutely beautiful out. Which is probably why there are so many great outdoor food festivals. One of my favorites, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, is just around the corner. And did you know there is also Arizona Cocktail Week, multiple Arizona Beer festivals, Arizona Restaurant Weeks and more? There is plenty to fill up on to keep us busy year round.

3. We Love Pool Parties

Hotel Valley Ho pool

There are pool parties and then there are Arizona pool parties and let’s just be honest, we’ve got tons of practice on how to do it right. If you’re thinking of hitting the pool this spring, check out this list of some of Arizona’s Best Swimsuit Shops.

4. We Love Spring Training

Scottsdale Stadium

Speaking of spring, did I mention Spring Training? I may not be a baseball fan myself, but the Valley is overrun from tourists spanning the entire country to catch a few games for a reason. The weather, the entertainment and all is just lovely.

5. We Love Our Neighbors

Sin City, Baby!

It’s a quick 5-hour or less drive to sunny Los Angeles, San Diego beaches or dancing the night away in Sin City. Seriously, could we ask for any better neighbors than this? (Speaking of Sin City, check out this guide on What to Wear to Las Vegas if you’re planning a trip.)

6. We Love the Outdoors

Conquering Camelback

While I’m personally not a hiker, it would be a lie to say Arizona isn’t known for and absolutely loved for the beautiful weather and chance to go exploring the outdoors. From a Saturday morning Camelback Mountain hike to horseback riding, running the canals and more, outdoor adrenaline junkies can easily get their fix here.

Really, the list could go on.

By the way, if you’re looking for some cute memorabilia to show your love for Arizona, check out Jaimee Rose’s blog for some cute picks today.

What’s your favorite part about living in Arizona?

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