14 Days of Valentines | Day 3: Chocolates

Because you know we love them... xoxo

14 Days of Valentines | Day 3: Chocolate by fashiondiva304 featuring crystal shoes

Dreaming of Chocolate

I am a self admitted chocoholic. No matter what I am always dreaming of chocolate and I have come to terms with that. So here are some things I dream about...

Source: testkitchen.marthastewart.com via Palmira on Pinterest

Source: bunsinmyoven.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via April on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via sb on Pinterest

so as I'm dreaming of chocolate...hot, cold, rich, and in all kinds of concoctions, I hope you can enjoy!

What is your favorite chocolate?

Fashionspiration: Cropped Top and High Waisted Jeans

I had a lovely weekend brunch with my roomies and what a day to celebrate the amazing Fall weather! I wore my Audrey trench walking to Isabella's on the Upper West Side, and then by the time we took a walk along Riverside Park it was high waisted jeans and cropped top weather! The fedora was of course just for good measure…

These Dolce & Gabbana high waisted jeans came after many months of shopping everywhere!
Where did I finally find them you might ask? Buffalo Exchange…$40…brand new still with tags.
Bet you didn't see that coming?! Have faith in your shopping, the item your heart is set on will always surface.

Speaking of my heart being set on something, here is my plate from Isabella's. Carmelized banana stuffed french toast, topped with Grand Marnier strawberries. Mmm I love NY!

NYC Digs: Tasty Guest Blogger: Laurel on Health Food

As you know my dears, I love sending you to new places for your shopping, food, and general fabulous needs. Living here in NYC one of my favorite things is talking to people about new places to go! NYC has thousands of restaurants to choose from and there are always new ones coming in, living here has seriously made me a major foodie! Which is why I had to create the NYC Digs series just to catalog all of them! Well I bumped into Laurel at the 24Blogazine Cover Launch Party and we bonded over our mutual love for mini cupcakes. As a trained health coach, Laurel enjoys finding amazing and healthy places to dine wherever she goes...and she puts all of her discoveries on her fabulous blog Laurel on Health Food.

So without further ado read a NYC Digs (sweet tooth - health) special and then hop over to Laurel's blog to learn more about eating right, the tasty way!

Laurel on Health Food

NYC is absolutely bursting with amazing places to eat and healthier restaurants are no exception. Lately I’ve been having a ball checking out bakeries and dessert shops that feature vegan, gluten-free, or raw items. Tu-Lu’s Gluten-Free Bakery was one of my latest stops.


 

Tu-Lu’s is an adorable, small bakery tucked away on 11^th Street in the East Village. Tully, creator of Tu-Lu’s, opened the shop in February 2010. Tully has gluten intolerance and wanted to offer “gluten-free baked goods that taste just as delicious as products containing wheat.” Tu-Lu’s also offers several vegan items, meaning they’re free of dairy which is the source of the cholesterol-packed butter and cream typically used in baked goods.


 


 

Besides offering healthier treats, Tu-Lu’s is in such a charming location. It has a laid-back vibe, but the decorations really make it stand out when you walk by the store front. The inside walls are painted a soft pink and the bakery is lit up by pretty paper lamps. When you walk in, there’s a hand-painted tree to the right with a blue owl and pink frosted cupcakes resting on the branches. So cute! Another thing, the staff was gracious, helpful, and were clearly having fun baking back in the kitchen. 


 


 

While I was there, I tried a few of the miniature cupcakes. There were bite-sized baby cupcakes (one vanilla-chocolate, one chocolate-chocolate, and one vanilla-coconut). I’m a health food blogger and a trained health coach, but I actually think it’s important to indulge once in awhile, but I always look for healthier ingredients and small-portioned treats, such as mini cupcakes. They were moist and delicious!

I also sipped an unsweetened Passion Plum Iced Tea and a picked up a few more baked items on my way out, figuring my boyfriend would be happy when I showed up with a brownie and fresh Carrot Morning Glory Loaf for the next morning. 


 


 

Definitely check out Tu-Lu’s when you’re in the Village. It’s a fabulous spot to bring a date or meet a few friends over the weekend. 

NYC Digs: NoLita Brunch

Just a quick NYC local tip for you. As you may know Brunch is a very serious, city-wide sport here in the Big Apple and something I am very very fond of. Breakfast is my favorite meal and I will always favor a birthday brunch over a birthday dinner any day! My roommates and I headed to SoHo Saturday morning to walk around and choose a spot for a wonderful NYC Brunch! We ended up in NoLita (North of Little Italy) and brunched at the NoLita House!

The NoLita House boasts live bluegrass music and 

a free mimosa or bloody mary with your entree...um do you really need more reason?

Anything served in a skillet is guarenteed amazingness...

and I ordered the Vanilla Brandy French Toast. IN.CREDIBLE.

Like I said, a live Bluegrass Band, along with open window terrace seating, 

all makes for the best brunch atmosphere I've had yet!

On Houston between Mott and Mulberry, NoLita House hoasts an amazing NYC Brunch and is definitely one worth checking out!

Call me when you go...I will join!

Links a la Mode & Giveaway Winner

It's that time again mes cheris, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and another Embellisher is about to become a giveaway winner!

{merci Bri}

And the winner of the Savannah Bee Company Tupelo Honey is... Karen!!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:9Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I will leave with a honey inspired cocktail to top off your great Savannah find!

{Merci Charlotte}

Tupelojito (mojito mix up)

20 ounces Savannah Bee Tupelo Honey

12 ounces warm water

10-12 medium limes

Crushed Ice

1 small bouquet of fresh mint

Light Rum

Sparkling Water

Directions: Combine 20 oz. of Tupelo Honey with 12 oz. of warm water. Stir mixture together until honey has completely dissolved (easiest to pour into sealed container and shake). Place ice into a pitcher. Pour the honey water syrup over the ice. Cut limes in half and juice in juicer. Pour into mixture. Squeeze the bunch of mint sprigs, add as much rum as you like, and top with sparkling water. Stir. Add more Tupelo Honey, mint, or limes to your taste. Enjoy!

The Love Letter

Edited by Vahni of Grit & Glamour





It's  been a cerebral and cathartic week in the fashion blogosphere—the  wheels were turning in your stylish little heads about all manner of  contemplations. Why do we hate ourselves? Why do we tell ourselves that  we're not worthy? Why do we categorize and judge other bloggers by their  style? Or their handbags? Several of you had a come-to-Jesus moment and  realized that's just a whole lot of malarkey. And I'm so glad you did.


And  you know what else bloggers realized? That blogging has enabled you to  embrace you. The real you. With your flaws and imperfections, no matter  your skin color, weight, or age. In her post, A Love Letter to Personal Bloggers, Anika eloquently captured what many of us feel when we begin to understand the deeper significance of blogging:

You  inspire me. Your outfits, your book reviews, your thoughts, your  replies to my comments. You make me feel good about me. When I visit  your site you make me feel that I matter, that we are equal, never mind  if I am a blogger or not. When I am reading your blog it does not matter  how thin/fat/popular/lonely I am, when I am reading your blog I am  hanging out with you, knowing that you are hanging out with me too.


...Darling personal bloggers, you are impacting our culture, our trends, our lives, me. Thank you for that.


And  this is my love letter to all of you. It takes tenacity, guts,  patience, creativity, and time to blog. Love you, be you. Care, share,  go forth, and go blog!

Links à la Mode: June 9th

• Arash Mazinani: Super Brands: Why They've Got You Hooked
• Barbro Andersen: Blogging is sharing, and sharing is caring!
• Best of Bklyn: How I wore my mom's prom dress, 31 years later!
• Best of Palm Beach Consignment: Alexander McQueen: A Love Story
• Blah Blah Becky: Lipstick: A History
• Boheme Noir: 20 Alexander McQueen Runway Moments that blew my mind
• By Anika: A Love Letter to Personal Bloggers
• Consider Me Lovely: A journey from self-loathing to self-loving.
• Crashing Red: Why bloggers should not be categorized—or judged—because of their particular style.
• Dress With Courage: How do you define the difference between being inspired, or being a copycat?
• FIERCE: A Day at the Beach and a Lesson in Self Love
• Fierce Fab Fit: I'm a Grammar Snob: V1—Homophones
• Grit & Glamour: Video Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Clear Lipliner
• Haute Khuuture: How to display your jewelry for maximum use with minimal effort.
• Her Catwalk: 5 Ways to Get Rid of Unnecessary Spending
• Hippie Lace: A simple and easy DIY to add length—and spice—to cut off shorts
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Bloggers are not your only readers
• Oranges and Apples: Why I Will Never be a Professional Blogger
• Style Confessions: Gel nail polish—what's the big deal?
• Style Nuggets: 5 Surprising Benefits of Blogging
• The Styling Dutchman: A self-conscious post about unflattering pictures and photoshopping: embrace the ugly!
• The Well Appointed Catwalk: The Un-It Bag

SPONSOR: Women's Tees at Shopbop: 291 Venice, Vince tops, Alexander Wang tees, So Low tops, Daftbird, Sauce tees, Ksubi, Three Dots, Marcus Lupfer, Rebecca Taylor, Blue Moon, Velvet tees.

Sweet as Honey Giveaway from Savannah's Best Boutique

Well I searched high and low to find you darlings Savannah's best boutique and I must say I found it in a beehive! This local boutique is certainly sweet as honey and knows how to throw one sweet party! I stumbled upon this boutique and could not resist going in, by just the amazing store front alone. With a darling honeycomb logo and even honeycomb doors, I just had to see what was inside The Savannah Bee Company!

Everything about this store was designed beautifully, 

from gorgeous displays to chic honey bottles, no detail was forgotton.

They also sell beeswax candles and beauty products and

the back of the store is actually really cool because it has a giant beehive for kids

 to play in, and a seating area to watch how honey is made. 

Up front, there is a bar where they have all day honey tastings. 

They lay out a honeycomb platter with slices of cheese and apples to try...it is delish!

You can event host your own honey tasting party!

GREAT GIVEAWAY NEWS for you 

from Savannah's Best Boutique! 

One of you lucky Embellishers will receive 

a jar of your very own Savannah Honey!

The Tupelo honey is The Savannah Bee Company's specialty honey as it 

is specifically local to the Savannah area. 

You can drizzle it in your tea, on the bbq, even mix a mean cocktail with it! (That's right)!!

To Enter:
You MUST be a follower of The Embellished Life and comment below.


For extra entries you can (1) tweet about this giveaway, (2) follow Savannah Bee Company and Embellished on Twitter, and/or (3) be a fan of Savannah Bee Company and Embellished on Facebook! Make sure to leave an extra comment for each extra entry!

Giveaway ends Tuesday June 14th at Midnight (NYC Time)

Good Luck Mes Cheris!

And may your week be sweet as honey!

Diary of a NYC Fashion Intern: Charity Event

As you lovelies may know, I live for events. It is what I want to do in fashion and therefore I always love scoping out new ones, and seeing what new ideas are being used. For my fashion internship I got to help out on a charity event night we hosted for the kick off to our sample sale! 

I handled the food and bar as well as mingling with the guests and inviting them to join our email list for our boutique Beyond 7 (where the food and beverages for the party were).

Any party is not complete without cupcakes. These are minis from Crumbs and although they were not Magnolia...they were still pretty great!

The night's proceeds went to the SFK Success for Kids group, it was a very successful charity event!

This was the best day I'd had so far on my internship, I was totally in my element.

NYC Digs: Brunch-tastic!

My first couple weeks in NYC were a wonderful introduction into the city. Working hard and playing harder. There is always something new and exciting to check out here, whether you are a local or a tourist you will always find a plethora of options to choose from. And hopefully you have great friends and a camera to accompany you to all the fun! I want to introduce a new series for The Embellished Life that I hope will quickly become a cult favorite! NYC Digs! Spotlighting great places to work, play, relax, eat and generally be merry while in The Big Apple. When I visited New York, before I lived here, I was always searching for options outside of The Zagat guide and Tourism Books to explore, but sometimes that is hard to find unless you start talking to locals on the streets. I'm hoping I can open your eyes to a fun and exciting world for you to explore inside this Concrete Jungle.

New York City is truly a city that can sweep you away with excitement, but on Sundays the whole city seems to honor one very important tradition...Brunch! Whether you are up for its kickoff at about 10 am or you sleep in until 5 pm or later (Yes, restaurants will still be serving Brunch that late), NYC brunch is like none other and something everyone should experience at least once...if not regularly.

{guestofaguest.com}

For my girlfriends birthday we headed to SoHo for a very fabulous Brunch at The Cupping Room Cafe...and I must say....they know how to do brunch! Starting with mimosa's and ending with a cake for my friends, complete with candle, we left happily fulfilled by our Brunch outing.

{Thanks Cupping Room!}

For those with a savory palate, I recommend going for the Eggs Benedict. I snagged a taste off my friends plate and it was stellar, perfect amount of Hollandaise Sauce and the best side fixin's.

And for those of you, like me, that live life in the sweet lane...Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes! Pancakes are my all time favorite food..pumpkin, chocolate chip, banana nut, I love them all. These were excellent and I loved the whole wheat option!

The Cupping Room Cafe managed to create a homey cafe feel while calling the Big City home.

It is a place we will definitely be returning to!

How do you Brunch my darlings?