Life

May 24 2017

It Takes 66 Days to Form a New Habit

Did you know that there was a study done that tells us that it takes 66 days to form a new habit? We have this big family trip coming up where we’re going to Hawaii so I’ve been running every morning to get into “swimsuit” shape. It’s been about 3 weeks or 21 days since I began running and it’s starting to feel easier to wake-up and go. I actually enjoy the alone time where I can play my music. I always start off with Titanium by David Guetta. (Such a good song and video, if you haven’t seen it.)

I feel like having that alone time helps in coming up with creative ideas, too.

As Elite Daily wrote: “In a study released in the European Journal of Social Psychology, Phillippa Lally and her team of researchers surveyed 96 people over a 12-week period to find exactly how long it takes to start a new habit.

Over the 12 weeks, the participants chose a new habit and reported each day how automatic the behavior felt. At the end of the period, Lally analyzed the results and found the average time it took for the participants to pick up a new habit was 66 days.”

Fascinating, huh?


Style

May 23 2017

Nicole Kidman’s Timeless Dress

This is the type of dress that makes me want to go into fashion. Nicole Kidman just debuted this Raf Simons’ number at the Cannes Film Festival. It took an astonishing 150 hours to construct from approximately 180 yards of silk tulle!

“The dress is the incarnation of a modern fairy tale,” said the stylist, who accessorized Kidman’s look with Calvin Klein deco-inspired heels. “It has to be stunning, chic, timeless, and modern!”

She looks A-MAZING!

via [Vogue]


Art & Design

May 22 2017

Body Painter Creates Unique Art Inspired by Depeche Mode Albums

If you’re a Depeche mode fan, you will really appreciate this. A body painter that goes by the name of Pashur House recently recreated the looks of Depeche Mode covers using a model painted in black. Click each album cover title to see how he referenced each album. I love the Violator one! These are fantastic. You can see more of them on the Depeche Mode Facebook fan page.

This is part of an ingenious marketing campaign. In order to get the word out of their latest album, Spirit, Depeche Mode let their fans take over their Facebook page for a whole year (that’s a full 365 days). They vetted everyone who applied. The band recruited hundreds of curators from their diverse fan base, which means they chose one curator per day for 365 days. Read more about the people behind this marketing campaign, here.

Can you believe that the band has been around for more than 30 years? Wow, I feel old.

Above: “As a body painter, I have always wanted to create a series of artistic Depeche Mode inspired body paint images – that are both iconic and beautiful. I wanted to combine the sleek, iconic look of the “Violator” album cover and the sexiness of Anton Corbijn’s photo of the nude model that posed on the “Personal Jesus” single. To achieve this I took iconic elements from each of the Depeche Mode album covers, painted them in vibrant colors, and in contrast had a model painted completely black pose with each one. So this is my artistic representation of my favorite band through my favorite art form.”


“SPEAK & SPELL
How appropriate that their first album features a nest, the first creation of an incredible band! I really love every single song on this album, and really enjoyed creating this image because of it. Building a nest is a bit trickier than I expected, I have new found respect for birds now, lol. I loved the wildness of this look, and really enjoyed trying to capture the feel of the cover.”


“PLAYING THE ANGEL
My favorite of their more recent albums. I love every song on this album. My favorite song on this album is “Lillian”. What’s your favorite song on Playing the Angel?”


SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE
My favorite songs on this album are “Jezebel” and “In Sympathy”, two totally different themes and I love them both! The abstract look of the album cover was voted one of the top 10 in 2009, and one of my favorites to put my own spin on.


Art & Design

May 19 2017

Fun Links of the Week

How was your week? Did I tell you we’re in the process of buying a house? It’s stressful but exciting! Think we found the right one. More to come.

12 Lessons From the 100 Most Creative People in 2017

I love these modern loafers in black and brown. (Apparently, Angelina Jolie is a fan, too.)

Who wants to visit this rainbow village? (Me!)

Pink is everywhere, even in art.

I can’t get over how pretty this new hotel bar’s rainbow art.

How cool would it be to plunk one of these houses down in the middle of nature?

He’s one of my favorite illustrators. This is a new interview with him. Just bought his book.

Who doesn’t remember library cards? I want these pillows.

Katy Perry pulled off an art prank? She’s cool.

Photo: This Jean-Michel Basquiat painting of a giant skull from 1982 just sold for a jaw-dropping $110.5 million, the most ever paid at auction for a work by an American artist. Crazy, huh?


Life

May 19 2017

Happy 10th Anniversary to the Love of My Life

Like lots of couples, Sam and I have gone through our share of ups and downs. We first met at summer camp when we were just 13 years old. The camp lasted for only one week so after that we lost touch. Then, just by chance, we happened to both attend UCLA. On our first day of school, we bumped into each other on Bruin Walk. The rest, you can say, is history.

We officially started dating when we were 18, we broke up a few times, but we’re now the strongest we’ve ever been. Married for 10 years with two sweet, loving sons. What more could a woman ask for?

I count my blessings every day for this life God has given me. One of my mottos is “Family First.” They’re the people that bring you the most joy in this world.

When I was a sad, pimply 13-year-old teenager with only a few friends and no “crush” in sight, I would look up at the stars and wish that, one day, God would bring me someone special to love. That dream came true times infinity. Sam is the sweetest, smartest, most generous, most everything person you will ever meet. If God wanted to create a perfect human being it would be Sam. (I am not kidding.)

They say that you know who your true friends are when the going gets tough. Every six months to a year, I go through a manic episode. Sam drops everything. He is right there by my side, taking me on long drives, hiking with me on dirt trails, calming me in bed. He is unbelievably patient.

I don’t know what I did to deserve such a man but I thank my “lucky stars” that God gave me this angel. I love you, Sammy!


Art & Design

May 18 2017

Refinery29’s Cofounder Talks About Courageous Creativity

Years ago, in Los Angeles, I attended a Creative Mornings session. For those of you who are not familiar with Creative Mornings, they can best be described as breakfast lecture series for the creative community. The idea was founded by one of my biggest sources of inspiration, Swiss Miss, aka Tina Roth Eisenberg. Recently, a cofounder of one my go-to websites, Refinery29, was on. I love watching creative, high spirited, ambitious women tell their stories. Piera Gelardi is both entertaining to watch and inspirational. They fact that her company pulled off the art and fashion funhouse, 29Rooms, boggles my mind. Watch the video till the end to see how that creative idea came together.


Style

May 17 2017

Favorite Workout Leggings: Outdoor Voices

On my quest to find my next big business idea, I researched the hell out of leggings. Ever since I was 10 years old, I would always wear my trusty old black pair of leggings. They’re just so comfortable and they go with everything. Lately, there’s been an explosion of different legging styles. As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, one of my favorite companies who makes leggings, especially for runs or workouts, is Outdoor Voices. Not only do they have clean, timeless styles, the materials are good and they fit just perfectly.

They just came out with The Rose Collection and I’m loving all of the pieces. I know they’re a bit pricey, at between $75 and $95 dollars a pop, but they’re really worth it for the quality and style.

You know how I love sharing the stories of go-getter, entrepreneurial women? The person behind Outdoor Voices is a young woman, named Tyler Haney, who has the guts to go after the Nike and Lululemon market. More power to her! Read the CNBC article, here.

Check out Outdoor Voices’s website!


Style

May 15 2017

The Perfect LBD (Little Black Dress)…I Found on Amazon!

Ladies, aren’t we always looking for that perfect little black dress? Well, I think I’ve found it! Have you heard of Lark & Ro? It’s a clothing line created by Amazon exclusively for Prime members. This 3/4 sleeve knit fit-and-flare dress is so comfortable! It hugs in all the right places and it’s not too short or too long. I’m kind of a minimalist, I like everything in my life to be simple and clean. Lately, that’s applied to my wardrobe as well. I liked this dress because it acts like a blank slate. You can dress it up or dress it down. Best part? This dress is only $44.50!

The other one I love, also from Lark and Ro, is this sleeveless ponte fit-and-flare dress. It’s more for the summer. Also super comfortable and chic.

Also one of my finds, to pair with these dresses, is Boohoo jewelry. They have cheap but trendy pieces.


Style

May 11 2017

Super Organized Purses Hold in Place Everything a Woman Needs

The company, This is Ground, just launched a new collection of super organized purses. Called The Self Made collection, the bags come with tons of pockets and places to keep the contents of your purse secure. The bags open completely flat so you don’t have to dig around for a pen or your wallet. The fact that they unzip is genius!

I particularly love The Bank Bag. Though it’s pricey at $695, it can fit an iPad Mini or Kindle, a notebook, cords, cards, your phone, and lip glosses. Imagine taking one of these out to a meeting. I’d be impressed with anyone who sported one!

The bags are limited edition and are made in Italian leather. They come in four different colors: black, rose, baby blue, and a yellow. (Love rose!)

“The ethos of This Is Ground is to make it easier to create anywhere and for women, that means being able to see and access everything in their bag at a moment’s notice,” said women’s creative director Heather Lipner. “So far, the evolution of handbags has just been more and more pockets, but with this design, you can be prepared for anything.”

via [Conde Nast Traveler]

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