29 May 2020

Currently...



Suffering from a two day migraine. I'm the only one in my family to suffer from migraines, which I get 4-5 times a year. I'm not sure what triggers them, but I suspect this one was caused by the change in pressure and tension! I have a few tricks up my sleeve that help, like an ice pack blackout eye mask, but I'd love to get to the bottom of what causes them.


Showing my apartment virtually to my coworkers. I work in an industry that takes pride on showing off collections, so it's only natural to be curious about what our coworkers collect. It's been a really fun thing to do each week and I was excited to show off my art collection.


Trying out a bunch of different fitness subscriptions. I'm still doing this on the cheap (aka free) but I'm excited to try out the Melissa Wood Health workout Goop just shared, and my try out a few other classes I've found on youtube. My TIU book has failed to inspire again, but maybe I just need to shake it up a bit before going back.


Relearning how to give myself a manicure! If this quarantine has taught me anything it's to be a little bit more financially responsible and to become less reliant on conveniences, like takeout and manicures, ect. A manicure is the ultimate treat and I got into a bad habit of going weekly, taking away from the indulgence. I'm capable of painting and shaping my nails (kind of, I'm practicing) and am actually looking forward to treating myself once salons open back up again.


Making the Commander's Palace strawberry shortcake. I love going to New Orleans. There is fabulous food, a vibrant culture, and just an all around great vibe to the city. One of my favorite memories was going to Commander's Palace and ordering strawberry shortcake and when the waiter saw I how much I loved it, he brought me the recipe from the kitchen! We still have the original paper recipe, but you can also find it online here.

TGIF,

ARS xx
S U B S C R I B E


28 May 2020

Taking it Easy


Last night I gave a quick tour of my apartment to my colleagues and showed off some of my art collection. It was really fun, but I started to get my telltale signs of a migraine right before I had to present, so didn't feel like I was on my A-game. I'm taking it easy today, because I definitely woke up with a full scale migraine. I'm taking it easy today, so sorry for the very boring, whiney post. I'm taking it easy and encourage you to as well. We all deserve it. It's been a trying three months and sometimes you just need to take a day off. 

Will be back tomorrow, 

ARS xx

27 May 2020

Pretty Pins for Getting Things Done

I don't know what has me in a good mood this morning, but I'm just feeling optimistic and inspired today. A short work week could be a factor, even though it may feel redundant in today's work from home climate, but I think it has more to do with Summer being just around the corner.  I also switched out my wardrobes, checked off a few quick apartment updates on my growing list, and I'm gearing up for longer projects. I'm just feeling inspired to get all of my personal projects done and to maybe even add a few more to my list. Hope you're feeling as inspired as I am to get some projects done! Below are a few pins that are reflecting my current mood. 







Challenging you to check one things off your To-Do list today,

ARS xx
S U B S C R I B E

26 May 2020

My Favorite Drug Store Beauty Buys

To be honest, I've never been a huge drug store beauty buyer until the past couple of years. I don't know if it was because of the overwhelming amount of choices, not being able to try something out before buying, or simply me being a slight snob - it could even be a mixture of all three! Now that I'm sticking to a budget while getting my sudden adult acne in line, I'm a lot more open to shaking up my routine. That being said, there is one product I won't give up and it's the Tammy Fender Quintessential serum (it lasts a whole year!). I could write a whole post about it, but will save that for another time. Below is a round up of amazing products I've been using for the past three months that have made a world of a difference for my skin, hair, and sanity.











Hope one of these works out for you too!

ARS xx 

22 May 2020

Currently...


Celebrating Sage's birthday! As I've said time and time again, I believe in celebrating birthdays, even during less than ideal times. This past week was Sage's 30th, so we put together a three person party and celebrated as best we could. We're going to continue the festivities this weekend to make it extra special!


Walking around the city. It's one of my favorite activities to do and I have a new appreciation for my hometown. I believe in New York, even if it is struggling right now.


Settling into my apartment. The best part about coming back to my apartment is that I can start to reorganize before I have to move. I also am getting a few projects done that I've been putting off for quite some time...like finally hanging my Kate Schelter paintings and "potting" my paper flowers!


Catching up on When Calls the Heart and When Hope Calls. I love the Hallmark Channel and being back in my apartment is a blessing, because I can finally catch up on my favorite shows!


Filling my apartment with orchids. I'm so grateful my local florist is open for curbside pick up and is having a sale on orchids. I've been buying orchids and am so excited! They are on sale and supposedly easy to take care of, so this is a fun adventure for me.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend,

ARS xx
S U B S C R I B E

21 May 2020

Artist Love: Marine Edith Crosta

The other day I was making fun of my Mom for her outrageous outfits from her past - she worked at Bergdorfs in the 80s and has the collection to prove it. She was quick to remind me that I too have a problem when it comes to buying, but mine is art and antiques (and finding storage space for my collection). Frankly, I think this is way more practical and it something I can use for future homes, but what to I know? Needless to say, when I was scrolling through instagram and spotted these darling seascape miniatures I had to have one. Lucky for me, I discovered Marie Edith Crosta's fabulous instagram right around Christmas and my sister surprised me with one as my gift! When I began researching the artist, I didn't find too much about her, but what I learned made her even more interesting to me. You can read one of the interviews that I found here. She is a London based French artist that is extremely detail oriented and also has a passion for antiques and interior styling. She has quite the eye and I'm hoping to collect more of her works in the future. It's a new dream of mine to have a wall of her art in my home and maybe even own a larger work in the future!






What do you collect?

ARS xx


20 May 2020

Pretty Pins for Frustration

After being away from the city for so long it feels great to be back. I love country living, but I missed having a space that was my own. The only downside to current city life is that everything is still closed. Whenever I speak to my neighbors and the businesses that are open for pickup only we all talk about how frustrated we are. We have done what was asked of us and everyone wants to move from our current normal to the next phase in a safe and responsible way. Everyone knows it will take awhile to get back to the pre-coronavirus lifestyle, but we all miss the hustle and bustle of New York and are concerned for the businesses that can't sustain this lockdown any further and for our neighbors who are not in great living situations or may need our help. I've been looking for inspiration for summer and keep being drawn to calming color palates and easy breezy pictures, so below I'm rounding up a few of my favorites.






Happy Wednesday!

ARSxx
S U B S C R I B E

19 May 2020

Party Planning: My Birthday

Now that I've been in quarantine for over two months I've had a lot of time to mentally plan most of my future gatherings and then re-plan them. The most exciting party I have mentally planned is my birthday. In years past I've had blowout parties at my home or indulgent dinners at restaurants, but this year I've come to terms with my birthday likely being cancelled. While disappointing, I would rather everyone be safe and heathy over anything else. If I were to have a party, below is a roundup of what I would have liked to do (or might still do, but on a much smaller scale)!


I'm imaging a yummy board with steak and a selection of my favorite sides. Or maybe a pandemic proof version of this board...

If you know me at all, I love all the little details - even better if it's something I can create myself. How fun would something like this be? I recently bought an ice mold that could easily make this ice bucket...!


Another signature of mine is flower arrangements. I love having my apartment filled with flowers, but due to high costs I often will wait for an occasion to buy. My birthday is the ultimate occasion.


I was hoping to make it to Greece this year, but unfortunately that's not happening. As an alternative, I'm feeling very inspired by the above tablescape. I'd love to be able to order a few evil eye paperweights or ornaments for party favors, break out my blue and white china, and try to be as festive as possible. 


I'd love to treat myself to a fun party dress, but it's in the budget cards right now. In a dream world, I would get the Morning Glory Molly Moorkamp dress I've been obsessing over, but I have a fabulous maxi white eyelet dress (seen above) that is a great alternative. 

Any tips on virtual celebrations?

ARS xx


18 May 2020

Mini Muse: Carolyn Roehm

Working for an auction house has it's perks (aside from seeing fabulous art and design every day). One of my favorite parts of my job is interacting with such a diverse and fun group of people. A particularly memorable moment was at one of the first parties I worked, where we hosted an event for Carolyne Roehm's new (at the time) book A Constant Thread. I didn't know much about her, so I was especially excited to see what the buzz was all about! When Carolyne bursted through the doors wearing the chicest LBD paired with amazing black stilettos and fishnets (an outfit I hope to recreate one day) I knew we were in for an entertaining night. She was so much fun to listen to and talked about her life, how she got to where she is now, and her inspirations. I think my favorite part about meeting her was how vivacious she was. She literally never stopped and it was amazing to me. Below are a few images of hers that have been inspiring me.






Happy Monday, 

ARS xx




15 May 2020

Currently...


Ordering the Cheese by Numbers book. Anyone else obsessed with cheeseboards? I found the Cheese by Numbers instagram account when I was looking for Book Club inspiration last year and am obsessed. I have a feeling this will become my secret weapon for future gatherings!


Staying in the city for now. I was really lucky to escape to Long Island for the majority of quarantine, but am back in the city after my parents surprised us by coming back from Florida. It was frustrating, because they don't fully understand why I wanted to go back into the city, but I felt it was the right decision for my own sanity.


Restarting my fitness journey (again). When Sage came out to join us I definitely fell off the fitness wagon. I find it easy to come up with any excuse to bail on a workout, so I'm doing my best to get back on track.


Thinking about signing up to sell my gently used clothing on Poshmark. I've never really done anything like this before - I typically donate my clothes. Now that I find myself furlughed with no income, I'm thinking it may make more sense to sell clothes and donate what I can to charity. Has anyone used Poshmark before? Would love any advice.


Savoring bath time. I knew I missed taking regular baths, but now that I'm in the city and getting back to a regular routine I am cherishing them more. It's been really nice to unwind in the bath at the end of the day!

14 May 2020

At Home Wishlist

Has anyone else been tempted to shop now more than ever? I've been pretty responsible so far and only bought two things during the avalanche of sale alerts that hit my inbox this past month. These were carefully thought out additions to my wardrobe from Ann Mashburn that I can't wait to wear when the time is right. The longer the lockdown keeps being extended, the more time I dedicate to growing my cozy comforts wishlist. I've been keeping myself out of trouble with an across the board spending freeze, but my willpower is starting to weaken. Below is a roundup of what I wish I had on hand at this very moment, but am happy to make do with what I have on hand.