Eenvoud & Ai Weiwei

If you've been following along on the blog or my Instagram you've seen that I had the most amazing past month traveling to all my favorite places- Tokyo, London, Paris and New York! I ate decadent meals, stood in awe of wondrous pieces of art, toured historical landmarks, and saw a number of near and dear friends. You know it has been a good trip when you feel fully satiated on food, culture and company, and all you crave is your home sweet home.  And to my surprise, I came home to a traveling Ai Weiwei exhibit housed at the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson Hole for the summer! I visited the exhibit of the Zodiac Heads on opening day, May 9th, and snapped a few pictures to share. If you are passing through Jackson this summer, you MUST stop to see the twelve bronze heads juxtaposed with the Wyoming landscape as their backdrop. It is stunning.

I also came home to a lovely package from Eenvoud! Eenvoud is a new line created by a former fit model in New York City, who felt that fast fashion gave us too many options when getting dressed and had a negative effect on how we put together outfits and curate our closets. So, she decided to start her own label and consciously create pieces that compliment one another and are very versatile. The fabrics look and feel expensive, but are durable enough to wash at home. I've styled her signature dress in the images below and can already tell it is a summer staple!

Many thanks to Eevoud for sponsoring this post, and to Sarah Grigg for taking the photos.

Make a Valentine's Day Card (with your Nail polish!)

Make a homemade card for your sweetie this Valentine's Day using supplies from around the house... namely your nail polish! I was feeling inspired to make my guy a V-day card, but found I was a little light in the art supplies department. So, I got resourceful and found that I had everything I needed to make a heartfelt and class act card with what I already had. Watch the video below for a step by step tutorial on this fun Valentine's Day card DIY. Here's what you will need:

- a blank card (I had some around for when I write a thank you note) + an envelope

- two kinds of pink or red nail polish

- a pencil

- a pen

- a piece of paper

-scissors

I hope you use this tutorial to make someone special a card. With all you need right in your house there are no excuses... besides, everyone loves to get a Valentine's Day card! Do you have other go-to V-Day card DIYs? Please share in the comments below! xx

Winter Wellness Bath

Staving off the weekly circulating cold has become something of an art for me this winter. Luckily, I feel I have found some natural remedies that do work. First get lots of sleep. Second, take Super Lysine (two tabs, twice daily- of course check the ingredients and use your own discretion). Third, take a daily bath. Here's my wellness bath recipe:

- 1/2- 1 cup epsom salt

- 3- 4 pumps of the Balanced Guru Soothe Me Slowly Body Oil (the wonderful blend of baobab, jojoba, avocado, sesame, and argan oils keep skin moisturized)

- 3-5 drops essential oil (I like Eucalyptus & Tea Tree to help stimulate my immune system and respiratory tract)

Aside from the health benefits of a good soak, I find I really enjoy the 'me time' that is created with a daily winter bath. It is so wonderful to relax and dive into a good book. Right now I am reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin which is a well written and somewhat tragic story with great dialog, classic book recommendations (the main character is a bookseller) and some deeper truths that hit you every now and again in the best possible way. What are some of your winter wellness remedies? Any good books you'd suggest reading?! Leave your answers in the comments section below. xx

hello 2015!

It's hard to believe that another year has gone by. I feel like 2014 was on hyperlapse! And because the end of the year came about so quickly, I nearly forgot to reflect on the things I am most grateful for from the last year. Luckily, my Instagram feed proved a worthy reminder. Many of the people I follow and look up to took the time to call out what they were proud of, celebrating, or simply feeling gratitude toward from 2014, and it prompted me to take a look at my own milestones. So often our default mode is to focus on what we didn't get done, or what we felt was not good enough. Yet, the end of a year is a wonderful time to take stock on what you HAVE done. Do this little exercise with me...

Think about the major events, projects, initiatives, ideas or trials you've had in your life over the past year. How have you fared? Would you say you are better having done them or gone through them (even if they didn't turn out exactly the way you had hoped)? I'm betting the answer is yes. And when you shift your lens to see the good in what you've done or been through, instead of letting a negative thought have the upper hand, you do find these personal milestones that you can celebrate. For me this past year, writing and having my book come out was huge! I didn't make the New York Times Bestseller List (yet!), and I don't need to in order to acknowledge myself and the massive work I put into something. I also launched a new website, moved into a new home, started a new company (more on that later), and brought fitness back into my life. #happinessis

As I look forward to 2015, I have new intentions and goals that I am setting. I will have all kinds of expectations about what these things look like and how they will perform, but at the end of another year, the lesson I am learning is to release the expectations and celebrate the progress.

What about you? What milestones are you acknowledging from 2014? What goals are you setting for 2015?

While you mule those questions over, here is a little visual recap of my 2014...

Winter time Skincare & Makeup

Spending the winter in Jackson Hole, my skincare needs have drastically changed. I found that I needed a gentler and more hydrating routine. If you are thinking of changing up your beauty routine for a drier climate and perhaps colder environment, I can't recommend these products enough!

INSTANT FOAMING CLEANSER, Caudalie, $32. This cleanser is super gentle and effective at removing makeup without stripping the skin of all its natural moisture. If your skin is dry, I would recommend the Cleaning Milk. It is even more mild and moisturizing. 

TIME RELEASE VITAMIN D MOISTURE MIST, Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics, $39. Great for reducing redness and helping to keep skin in check throughout the day.

ARGAN OIL, Josie Maran, $48. People swear by this oil! If you have sensitive skin that is acne- prone, this oil is actually one of the best things for your skin. I have very sensitive skin and food, lack of sleep, or an environment change can trigger a breakout. I recently was dealing with some irritated dry skin with a touch of acne around my mouth and after two days of using this oil, it started to heal (when I had been 'letting it be' for about 2 weeks already!).

START OVER EYE CREAM, Sunday Riley, $85. For whatever reason, this year I started to see bags under my eyes. I have always used eye cream, but with the new appearance of bags, I knew it was time to use a puffiness reducing cream. Start Over has been touted as the miracle eye cream when it comes to reducing puffiness and giving your eyes an overall lift. I'm still early on in my use of this cream, but almost instantaneously you can see a little lift and tightening. :);

REFLECTING LIP GLOSS, Juice Beauty, $15. A touch of sparkle goes a long way during the holiday season, and this tinted lip gloss is both hydrating and festive!

STEM CELLULAR MOISTURIZER, Juice Beauty, $65. Sometimes the argan oil is enough moisture, but on really cold or dry days, I do need another layer of moisture. This Juice Beauty moisturizer nourishing skin and also gives it an anti-aging boost!

SKIN PERFECTING SCREEN SPF 30, Radical Skincare, $55. All of these great products would be rendered useless without including a skin protecting sunscreen to help prevent damage from the sun and environmental pollutants. What I love about this product is that it is super lightweight and once applied has a matte finish. 

NATURAL MOUSSE MAKEUP CREAM, Lavera Organics, $20. Whipped and light, this foundation is great for evening out skin tone and covering any small blemishes without looking like you've piled on makeup. Apply with a foundation brush for the most even and natural look.

PRO MAKEUP BRUSH SET, Andre Lorent, $20. Having the right makeup brushes are as essential as a carpenter having the right tools. The precision and flawless application they help deliver makes all the difference. This set is great because it includes all the basics.

LUMINIZER, Bare Minerals, $37.50. With a puffy blush or bronzer brush swirl on a touch of shimmery luminizer on your cheekbones, brow bones, and décolletage for a snow bunny sun-kissed look.

EYE PENCIL, Tarte, $19. Smokey grey is one of my favorite eye pencil colors. It is so versatile and can be applied with a light or heavy hand to get a desired effect. For a more natural look during the ski season, I lightly line my upper lash line and blend it into my lashes with the smugger end so that my lashes appear slightly thicker without a harsh line. Finish with a light swipe of mascara.

GLOSSY LIPS, Lavera Organics, $18.50. Once you've got a touch of a ski tan going, a lighter lip color is just the thing to finish your look! I always opt for one that is a couple shades lighter than my natural lip color, and will even combine colors to get the right hue. There is something so sweet and fresh about wearing a light lip color in the winter!