Well, I must have called it! The dress that I picked for the Oscars was red and red was definitely the color of the evening!

Overall, I thought it was a great awards show! So many of the acceptance speeches were very heartfelt. I just love when you can tell the winner is truly thrilled they won!

A big thanks to my fabulous friend Porscha for throwing a Watch Party that was just as fabulous as she is!

Now... on to the fashion!

Let's start with the GOOD.

Michelle Williams was stunning in Chanel Haute Couture. She really made up for that debacle at the Golden Globes.

Sandra was very classy in an impeccably-fitted Vera Wang. The only thing I would have changed is the clutch- but overall very good!

Jennifer Lawrence wore Calvin Klein and looked fab. How fun for her that a year ago she probably had no idea she would attend the Oscars, much less be a nominee! Good job, girlfriend!

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Couture. Overall, a very, very pretty look.

LOVE Jennifer Hudson in Atelier Versace. She was top 2 for best dressed. But my winner for that is...

Anne Hathaway really hit it out of the park in vintage Valentino. Best dressed for sure. So classy, so timeless. And I thought she did a great job hosting as well. As my friend Val said she is just a 'gorgeous dork'! And I agree. But she was charming and eloquent and I really enjoyed watching her.

Because there weren't alot of times that I thought OMG WHY??? I only have one pick for the BAD category. And it is bad...

All images via Style.com

Nicole Kidman in Dior. The dress is no good. And her bangs resemble her husbands... I can't think of a time when that is a good look. Sorry, Nicole! Worst dressed last night.

Did you all watch? What did you think of the winners??

xoxo, Emily

My dress for the Oscars

Just in case you were wondering, if I were going to the Oscars this weekend I would wear this...

Jason Wu (via Style.com).

This color is gorgeous, don't you think? I have always loved red. If only I actually did have a place to wear this... maybe someday!

What would you wear? Are you planning on watching the Awards?

Happy Friday!

xoxo, Emily

Michelle Obama (lack of) Style

When I hear people say that Michelle Obama is one of the best dressed First Ladies, I just really couldn't disagree more. The mark of a great style icon is consistency. Based on the below photos, she does not have it.

Take this photo for example: Sometimes I think she has a full length mirror...

And sometimes she very clearly does NOT....

Okay, whoever let the First Lady walk out the door with her UNDERWEAR LINE CLEARLY VISIBLE  deserves to be fired.

Sometimes I think she knows what is appropriate for her age...

And sometimes she dresses like the thinks she is a teenager. Well, not even that. A pre-teen.

Sometimes she understands what works best on her body type.

And sometimes, well, she doesn't.

And finally, sometimes I think she knows she is the First Lady of the United States.

And sometimes I think she couldn't care less.

Thoughts?

xoxo, Emily

The Accessory Closet aka Pimping Daisy's ride

I'm sure many of you have seen Jenna Lyons' closet, right?

Well, it got me thinking about this closet that is right off our bedroom. Do not judge the clutter, please. This is the before shot.

In our house, we have three levels which is normal for Houston townhomes. On each level there is a closet just like this, one right above the other. They are there in case anyone wants to put an elevator in- something we will never do. It's not only a place that catches alot of our crap, but it is also Daisy's room. So I thought first of all, that Daisy deserves a nicer room. Also, it would be a great place for me to keep my accessories! So this past weekend, I decided to give it a go.

First I just had to clean out the stuff, then I painted it white.

The above is Daisy, being really pleased with the process. Then, I (read: Cody) installed some shelves.

After that, I just put all my stuff in it! And here is what we ended up with.

Daisy is very happy with her new home, as are my accessories. Not exactly Jenna Lyons' closet, but definitely a step up from what we were working with before!

xoxo, Emily

Just call me Picasso

So, as I have mentioned before, I absolutely love the new online magazine, High Gloss http://www.highglossmagazine.com/. This was one of my favorite rooms from the premiere issue.

One of the things I love most about this room (besides the tufted headboard) are the paintings! I have always been drawn to black and white, whether it be in fashion or home decor.

Anyway, I figured.... I can paint that! So, I gave it a go! And here is what I ended up with.

Overall, I am really happy with them! They definitely liven up the space behind our couch... never really realized just how many light switches we have until now. Oh well.

Also, don't you just love having fresh flowers in the house? A big thanks to the Hubs for the sweet Valentine's surprise.

Happy Friday!
xoxo, Emily

Grammy Fashion 2011

This year, the Grammys were full of the usual items: Lady Gaga calling attention to herself in an outrageous way, people giving mildly awkward acceptance speeches, Ryan Seacrest REALLY bothering me and people forgetting to thank God for their success, talent, opportunities, etc. But I digress.

What we really want to talk about is the fashion, right? I wouldn't say it was a great night for fashion (it was the year of "everybody wear a shimmery, metallic dress!") But let's recap no less.

Best Dressed goes to...

LOVE Heidi in this Julian Macdonald gown. Is anyone else jealous that she is almost 40, has had multiple children, and still looks amazing? Yeah, me either...

On with the good.

Lea Michele in looked awesome in Pucci, but she had some serious bang issues. Note to self, if your bangs aren't grown out, do not attempt a center part. Good dress, though.

I really, really like Selena Gomez! And I am so happy that she pulled off a look that is sassy, yet tasteful. It must be really hard for teenage girls to try to hate her bc she is dating Bieber. Get that girlfriend.

Now here are some just OKs.

Alot of people really liked Rihanna in this Jean Paul Gaultier gown. I just have to say, its not my favorite.

Alright, Kim. We get it that you're sexy. Anything else?

Katy Perry wore Armani. Not the best, not the worst. I'm not personally into wearing angel wings on the red carpet, but she is so whatevs. I thought she had an amazing performance, though! And it was so sweet of her and Russell to bring their grandmother. I just really love stuff like that.

Alright, worst dressed goes to...

I only say Diana Agron is the worst dressed because I think she has SO much potential. But somehow, her looks always fall flat. Her Vivienne Westwood dress isn't horrible by itself, but her hair and makeup are way too severe. And her accessories could have really made this dress pop, but they seem really safe to me. Oh well, maybe next year!

More bad...

No comment.

I feel the same way about Lady Gaga that I do about Kim K. Okay, Gaga. You do weird things to get attention... what's next?

Agree with my choices? Who else absolutely LOVED Mumford and Sons' performance?

xoxo, Emily

Non-trad Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I know this isn't everyones favorite holiday to celebrate, but I must say that I don't understand that at all. Instead of using Valentine's Day as a day to be upset that you haven't found your romantic partner, why not use it to celebrate some of the other kinds of love in your life? Parents, friends, and yes, even pets (because let's face it, there really is nothing like the unconditional love that a pet gives!)

Here is a pic of one of the best Valentines a girl could ask for...

So today, remember to be thankful for all the kinds of love in your life!

xoxo, Emily

Why parents should NEVER allow their children to have webcams.

The below videos reinforce the fact that I will never let my child have a webcam. Ever.

                                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT5pahM7XEY

                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BVvNE78lyc&feature=related

                                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEtP9zQAOI4

Just wanted give you a good laugh this Monday. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Tomorrow, we will recap Grammy Fashion. Looking forward to it already!

xoxo, Emily

Book review- The Hunger Games

If you know me well, you know that I DIE for a good book. It’s like my kryptonite. If I am reading a good book, I get on what I call a book high. This consists of me shutting out everything in my life to focus on reading. You know, reading before work as I am getting ready, reading at lunch, reading when I get home (and not paying attention to my husband- love ya babe!), reading at night until I can't keep my eyes open. The usual, right?

Some would say I have an addictive personality. I say….only when it comes to great books. Call me a weirdo if you like. But if you do, I would say you have never read #1 Twilight or #2 THE HUNGER GAMES. The latter series is my current obsession.

I must say thank you to one of my best friends, Kacey, who turned me on to the series. When she told me what it was about, I was skeptical. The run down goes something like this: Written by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem which used to be North America. The heroine of the book is Katniss Everdeen. She lives in a world where a powerful government called the Capitol holds power and greatly abuses the citizens of the 12 Districts. In the book, the Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl from each district to fight to the death. The Hunger Games exist to show citizens that even children are not beyond the reach of the Capitol's power.

That’s the Wikipedia version. My version to people has just been, (in a very excited and slightly shrill voice) “Well, it’s about the future, and this girl named Katniss, and she has to fight in something called the Hunger Games where people kill each other and you just HAVE to read it. It’s SOOOO good!!”

And you do have to read it. It is SO good. Since it is a series of three books, #1 The Hunger Games, #2 Catching Fire and #3 Mockingjay, I have been able to extend my fix, if you will.

Katniss is an amazing character. I equate her to be just a little bit like Bella from Twilight, but SO much more likeable. She is strong, smart and relatable. And the world she lives in is very interesting for people of our generation to read about. Learning about the citizens in the Capitol, it is interesting to think if present-day Americans could suffer a similar fate… giving up their power to a government who had subdued them with excess. I’m not going to get too political here; it’s just an interesting theme to follow in the book.

But even as important as that story line is, is the story line that happens between Peeta/Katniss/Gale. It is very much a Team Edward- Team Jacob dynamic.

All in all, you just have to read it. It’s SO good!! AND they are making it into a movie- it will come out on March 23, 2012. Can’t flipping wait!!!

Happy Friday everyone!

Xoxo, Emily

PS- Yes, I am putting the "Stuff that really matters" label on this post. Judge if you will.

TED.com

Have you all heard of TED.com? I have been hooked on it for about 6 months now. Essentially, its a website that shows amazing people talking about amazing ideas. While I do enjoy the frilly things in life, I also love pondering on and working toward making our world a better place. What can I say? I have diverse interests.

If you have some free time, here are some of my favorite 'talks'.

http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/rick_warren_on_a_life_of_purpose.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/randy_pausch_really_achieving_your_childhood_dreams.html (I haven't watched this entire one, but his book is A.MAZING. Highly, highly recommend)

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

Ted-Houston is scheduled for June 11, anyone want to go with me?

xoxo, Emily

Loving me some greek key

A while back, Cody and I bought this shelf for our entry way.

Please note my sweet angel- Daisy. It's like she just knows when I am going to take a picture!

Anyway, its just a regular, run of the mill, mass produced shelf. But it definitely serves its purpose well- just a place to catch all of our crap that we have in our hands when we come home. So when I saw this upgrade to an Ikea night stand, it got me thinking about how I could customize our shelf!

                            http://blog.effortless-style.com/2011/02/show-tell-fretwork-furniture/

So on a recent snow day (yes, I said SNOW DAY and I live in Houston), I decided to give it a go!

First, I drew a very rough sketch of how I wanted it to look (orange post-it). Then, I taped off the areas I was going to paint.

All the while, dealing with this distraction :)

Then, I painted two coats of primer followed by one coat of regular white wall paint, let it dry and here is the finished product...

Its very subtle, but overall I am pretty happy with it! The shelf still needs to be accessorized and whatnot, but I do love seeing the greek key when I come down the stairs! More to come.

xoxo, Emily

Really, Anne Hathaway?

Let's talk about this.



http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/what-were-they-thinking/4570?nc

 It will never cease to amaze me how celebrities, who PAY people to tell them what to wear, come up with the most ridiculous ensembles. Now, I do love me some Anne Hathaway. But lately, she has been making some MAJOR fashion mistakes.

I don't even want to think about how much she probably paid for the above outfit....

Anne, is Rachel Zoe having some crazy pregnancy hormones and steering you down a fugly path?

Let's get back to this, please!

Xoxo, Emily

Rachel Bilson Style

In my eyes, Rachel Bilson can do no sartorial wrong. On the list of my style icons, she is definitely Top 3. While she always looks amazing on the red carpet, I think I admire her street style even more. She always looks super stylish, even if she is taking out her trash (note white dress pic). The best thing about Rachel's look is that it can definitely be imitated by us "normal" gals- true Main Street Chic style!

 Here are some of my favorite looks from Rachel recently.

On my shopping list- red blazer!

And she is a dog lover, totally kindred spirits! But more on that later.

Hope Rachel can inspire you today! Have a great day everyone!

xoxo, Emily