holiday musings...

happy holidays to you and yours, beauties! hope you're enjoying a pleasant day and not stressing out too much over all the last minute stuff you may be doing before christmas.

today is the first day of the 3 week winter break for my kids, so i'm loving the excitement that's buzzing all around ~ they're absolutely giddy over getting presents soon…

those will come soon enough…

i personally find the days leading up to christmas to be a bit strange. on one hand, i can't wait! there's nothing better than watching my not-babies-anymore babies speculate as to what their gift{s} could be, as paper is ripped, and then seeing the bright eyed cheer that covers their faces once it's discovered that something they had been wishing for is finally theirs, is priceless. 

on the other hand, once the day is over, that's it.

no more anticipation from them. no more teasing from my love {their dad} over giving them gifts they certainly don't want {like historical documentaries on dvd, LOL}; no more wondering if i remembered everything and everyone i wanted to get gifts for…

i know i'm not the only one with these feelings, but it always seems to be the case. every year. 

oh well, it is what is is and i choose to embrace the experience. :)

oh, and there's another big event that happens this time of year...my birthday!!

 it's on the 30th, just five days after christmas.

funny thing is that since i can remember, i've always had a bit of a nervous feeling about it. i think it started right before turning 10 that i can recall the feelings i experienced the days leading up to it: the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach growing strong each day.pair that along with questions like what will this next age be like? what will change? will it be better? will i feel different, look different, act different, sound different?? 

how silly is that?

i mean seriously, what kid thinks like that? oh well...

since i'm going to be 34, and every year is always different, i'm going to do what i've been doing {and have been practicing with much more mindfulness especially over these last 2 or 3 years} for this season:

take each day as it comes {bonjour, new day!}. 

be thankful for what i have {a loving husband who is also my best friend; beautiful, healthy kids; a warm home, a bed to sleep in and food to eat}. 

cherish even the smallest, most mundane things {yes, even housework}. 

in any case, i'm hoping your holiday will be fabulous! while this is a sentimental and stressful time of year, it's my wish for you to enjoy it. celebrate! have fun! i'm truly thankful for another crazy year. no doubt it's taught you many things. i know i've learned a lot! 

so, again, happy holidays to you!
and thanks for letting me ramble...

 :)

picture taken and created by me :)

monday musings...

 {pic of the morning sky while out on my walk}

life is packed with everything from daily to-do lists, errands and work; taking care of kids and friendships; making time for hobbies, driving from place to place, doing this and that for these people and that..

etcetera, etcetera....

and you know it all has to be shared  documented via twitter, facebook or instagram...

:)

for the past several months, i've been taking time daily to meditate. to literally sit and do nothing but breathe. it's especially fabulous after my morning yoga practices, but really works any time of day. not only have i grown to relish the relatively short time {10-15 minutes} in silence, but it has reinforced my belief that simplicity and just doing nothing every day is so healthy.

which got me thinking...

when was the last time you were bored?

did you know boredom or doing nothing is a great way to stimulate creativity?

i think i've mentioned this in a previous post, but i personally unplug on sundays. no tweeting, sharing or liking. and during the week, i purposely take online time outs.

dream ~ a friendly reminder while waiting for my tea to steep...

since we live in such a fast-moving world, we can now watch news in real time, find out which beauty products/fragrance/clothing collections will be released months ahead of time, and are able to connect with everyone including, but not limited to, our favorite trend-setters, experts and creators of our most-adored hobbies, shows/movies/music and geeky things we enjoy.

all via the web.

don't get me wrong, i'm an active online participant! i love being able to tweet @ those i admire,   commenting, asking questions and thanking them for what they do; i get my news online; i seek out new recipes, style inspiration, beauty how-tos and book recommendations {if you follow me on twitter, you know that these days many of my daily workout classes come from online sources}. this is all good, but like everything, can become information overload. so, i relish the benefits of daily setting an intention to just sit and be. and once a week i turn it off so i can fully engage in the real life happening around me.

 it's fabulous and i can appreciate it even more.

basically i'm saying that it's ok to just be bored; it may be awkward at first, but try it! sit, do nothing. look out at what's going on around you...breathe. let your own thoughts come to the surface... 

that's it. just a random rant...thanks for listening reading...i now return you back to your regular online  schedule. :)

reading ~ watching ~ listening ~ 1.14.13

reading ~

Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross
this book is a prequel to the dark and thrilling {not to mention altogether fabulous}, BBC series. i've been taking my time with it for a few reasons. for one, the story is kind of scary; that being said, Luther is such an intriguing character, so it's been fascinating getting to know him better through the pages of this oh-so-engaging crime-fiction novel.


watching ~

Downton Abbey, series 3
finally! my favorite imported soaptastic drama is back, and if you're watching, you know it's already been so good. the addition of Shirley MacLaine has been such a treat. Maggie Smith is as brilliant as ever and the whole cast is marvelous {can you tell i'm obsessed in love with this show? LOL!}; from costumes to story lines, i expect this season will be nothing less than fabulous.



listening to ~

Lindsey Stirling
i discovered this amazing musical artist last month thanks to one of her songs being played during yoga class {it was Crystallize}. clearly, i'm late to the party since she's already a youtube sensation and was on a show i don't watch, "America's Got Talent". Lindsey composes, choreographs, and directs all of her original music and videos ~ merging unique violin stylings and electronic dub-step beats with animated contemporary dance. just watch the video below. hopefully you'll understand why i can't get enough of her music!

receiving sparkle ...

every girl loves a bit of sparkle in her life...

in my case it come by way of a fabulous arrangement, a swap to be exact, by the lovely Kaileen Elise, a fellow blogger and all-around extraordinary woman.

simply put, Kaileen wanted to celebrate her 2-year blogging anniversary in a way that would spread cheer, give other fellow bloggers the opportunity to connect, and share a little bit of, well, sparkle!

{via snail mail ~ which i thought was one of the best parts!}

i was assigned {for lack of a better term} to send a package of goodies to a young woman, Ashley, in virginia, and Danielle, the woman assigned to send me a package, i discovered later, lives in ohio. after we all received a little glimpse of our person {by way of questionaire}, we were to send along 4 things: a bit of sparkle, a treat that soothes, something sweet, and a surprise.

here's what Danielle sent!

everything came in a fabulous Breakfast at Tiffany's tin tote-- j'adore!



coffee and chocolates! yummy...

a Sephora gift card and travel-friendly mirror-- so fabulous!


also included was a gorgeous card from Danielle, with a lovely message, along with a note pad and sticky notes {a girl can never have too many!} ~ she definitely spoiled me! i'm forever thankful for her thoughtfulness and generosity ~ i love it all. :)

i had so much fun picking out goodies for my gal, Ashley, too. when she shares her post, i'll be sure to let you know so you can check it out {in the meantime, you can visit her here}!

and finally, i have to say a *big thank you to Kaileen, who single-handily connected so many fellow bloggers through this fun, sparkling adventure!

pics taken by me:)

today...9.28.11

i'm thankful for today-- another beautiful day. no, not perfect in the least, but, along with the normal things {mommy/wife stuff} and fabulous beauty-related goodness {always}, i relished the time to savor the confetti that included coffee and tea sipping, books, magazines and music...

these days this is my favorite coffee to drink with my breakfast...


stopped by the market for some new-to-me bagged tea flavors...


initially went to barnes and noble for the october issue of Harper's Bazaar UK and Jones mags. only ended up with Jones, but i did find 2 books {plus 1} that i've wanted to read on the bargain shelf {hello, huge discount!}-- love that!



last month, i signed up for a tea exchange, so today paid a visit to my favorite local tea and coffee brewery; i know the owners and they are always extremely helpful when i visit {you can sip a sample of anything before you buy}. needless to say, they had some fabulous selections of new and rare loose leaf blends that i bought for both for myself and my recipient {i'll be sharing more about the exchange after i receive my package}...

the day was also complimented with good music. i've been on an indie and jazz kick for the last couple of days, so, via Pandora radio, my ears experienced selections from Kate Nash, Foster the People, The Head and the Heart, The Weepies, Deb Talan, Zee Avi, Adele, Landon Pigg and She & Him, just to name a few...

how was your day?

all pics, except the first, taken by me :)

monday musings...

the last week was pleasant, full of random goodness. while everyday life continued, i still managed to discover some new blogs, finish a few books, send a new friend a package filled with some fabulous goodies, shop for new nail polishes and was thrilled to test out some new hair and beauty products {all to be shared soon!}.

officially, summer is over, and i gladly welcome the fall season. cool, crisp air fills the mornings, leaves are changing color, and i'm looking forward to all the splendid and fun events that will occur in the coming months; these are only a few reasons why i love this time of year.


i've always been fond of layering, wearing hats and sipping hot coffee or tea next to a glowing fire {candles are always fabulous, too-- loving my new Autumn one from Bath & Body Works, pictured above}. i also love to begin reflecting on the past year while also hoping for the one forthcoming. it's strange how quickly each goes by the older i get, but i truly do try to enjoy each moment, finding and appreciating the smallest pleasures of each day-- i hope you do, too!

here's to a fabulous autumn season...

model, window and teacup images via tumblr.com

today...9.13.11

hello beauties! how was your day?

my day included...

seeing a butterfly hanging out on the sidewalk while out on my morning walk...

a bit of audiobook reading while making breakfast for the fam...

tea sipping...

more reading, post housework and laudry folding...

also answered many emails {lots of spring fashion week info plus more to share!}, cooked a yummy lunch and enjoyed some rare couch time watching a movie with my love before picking up the kids from school...

hope you had a splendid day!

pics taken by me :)

stepping out of my nail color comfort zone...

recently i've found myself craving to wear a nail color i've shied away from most of my life...

red!

don't get me wrong, i love red polish on nails. they're classic. they're uber-feminine. they can even be edgy.

truth be told, the very first nail color i ever wore was red {thanks, mom}.

but...

i've never been a red-nail-polish-wearing gal. i admit it, the color has always been a bit intimidating to me. that, and i love all shades of neutrals, pinks and purples; those are my go-to, safe colors. for fall/winter seasons, i typically go with "deeper" versions of them.

so...

i'm adding the shade that adorned my nails first into my color rotation-- especially for fall. i've gathered my small stash of red lacquers, and plan to rock them like nobody's business {and yes, the number of reds in my collection will be expanding}. Chanel Lotus Rouge {pictured, above}, a gorgeous berry-red, started me on my not-afraid-to-wear-red-nails-anymore path this past week...

and i just changed my polish to nubar's Competition Red this morning. :)

btw, i tore this Piperlime.com ad for my fall ensemble inspiration journal, then noticed a few days later: the model's nails are red!

all pics taken my me :)

i love making lists

each evening, i always make sure i write a list of things that need to be done for the next day. my lists include everything ranging from mundane, boring things (clean the bathrooms; get eggs) to doing something fun and fabulous (get a pedicure or work on art project).

and of course, it's always great checking items off my list!

the image above displays things we should all add to our own to-do lists-- yes, even eating ice cream. love it! :)

image via weheartit.com

weekend musings: New Changes and Discoveries

bonjour, dear readers!

how was your week? delightful, i hope!

can you believe it's already february??

it's been a very exploratory, creative time for me lately (been doing lots of journal writing, home decorating, drawing, learning french, cooking, not to mention, i finally got back on my yoga mat after about a year). i'm trying to balance spending more time with my daughter and son individually, nurture my offline friendships and everything in between.

BGM is now a little more than 3 years old, and i feel, like me, now 31 (eeek!), the blog is ready for a change.

while i have a bit of an idea where i want my little online baby to go, i really want to let everything happen organically. afterall, it developed into what it is today the same way. that being said, i feel that i need to get away from so much celebrity and pop culture coverage so i can really focus on sharing more of the things i love, in addition to all the fun, beauty-related stuff.

please know i completely appreciate that you take the time to visit each day (or subscribe via email, reader or blogger), and i j'adore sharing my love of all things beauty and style with you! thank you!!

as a little heads-up, as the weeks progress things may be a bit different. i can't really be specific, since i'm not really sure myself, but i hope you'll continue along with me!

now that my rambling is over, i wanted to share some fab new-to-me blogs (along with some websites and random stuff) that i've recently discovered, am loving, and/or am being so inspired by. take a little time and be sure to visit them soon...

blogs:

Dead Fleurette is an inspiration scrapbook where Fluerette shares fabulous articles or photographs as well as her musings on style-related topics.

Accidental Chic is a blog written by Tiffani Rogers and offers readers a daily dose of topics ranging, but not limited to, being fashion, beauty and financially savvy.

The Simply Luxurious Life is just about that-- living simply. Shannon Ables says about her blog, "the simply abundant life is something i believe every one of us can attain if indeed we are seeking quality rather than quantity, decadence rather than frivolity, personal style instead of trendy fashions, and a truly fulfilling life instead of being led around by the nose."

Into the Gloss is written by Emily Weiss (if you were an avid viewer of The Hills, you may remember who she is) and is an insider look into the world of fashion and beauty. her topics range from product reviews to featuring fabulous people and their own style, makeup artists, hairstylists, etc. all sharing their tips and musings.

websites:

Shelter Pop -- lots of fun home decorating trends and style tips
ModCloth -- fab vintage clothing and accessories
Pure Wow -- fashion, food, beauty, health, art, tech-- wow!
This Week In (they also have audio and video podcasts featuring everything from books to fashion!) -- catch up on all the fun happenings of the week.

random stuff:

Good Earth Teas (their original Sweet and Spicy blend is amazing)
American Eagle Outfitters (they have great basics and awesome accessories to jazz up your casual wear)
Pandora Radio (my fave stations? Pomplamoose, Ke$ha (this one surprised me, lol), Maxwell, Eric Hutchinson and Instrumental Hip Hop)
my new journal, yoga mat, gym bag and gloves :)

stay tuned for more...