Bon Voyage

By the time you are reading this we will be flying over the Midwest on our way to NYC for a short layover before we take off to Barcelona! The last few months have been crazy with booking hotels, planning adventures and packing, but we are excited and can’t wait for the adventures ahead!

See you soon

(pinterest)

(pinterest)

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Adiós, au revoir & cheers!

xox
Em

EUROPE

Yes, that’s right…EUROPE! In just one week I will board a plane and jet set to Barcelona, Paris & London for a two week vacation! I’m nervous, excited & slightly shocked. I can’t believe this trip is finally happening, and I will soon be walking La Rambla, visiting the Eiffel Tower and drooling over the Crown Jewels!

Thankfully, do to my fear of flying & because traveling with her is my favorite thing to do, my best friend and roommate from college is coming with me! Maria and I have been planning this trip for years! We finally found the right time, decided on the destinations, and bought the tickets! Now in just 7 short days we will be Europe bound.

To get us in the spirit of the cities I’ve decided to use my new obsession, Pinterest, to get us even more excited! I can’t wait to take my own photos but for now this will do.

Barcelona 

 {La Sagrada Família}

 {Parc Güell}

{Casa Batlló}

Paris

 {Tour Eiffel}

 {Musée du Louvre}

 {Arc de Triomphe}

London

 {Big Ben}

 {Buckingham Palace Guards}

 {London Eye}

Stay tuned for posts, pictures and possibly videos from the trip!

Adiós, au revoir & cheers!

xox
Em  

Grammy Awards 2012

First and foremost I need to say how distraught I am about the recent loss of Whitney Houston, one of the words most talented and incredible singers of all time. I am a singer, and I sing from a place inside that is precious but vulnerable. I have never heard nor will I hear anyone sound like Whitney or sing with the passion and love she had for music and life. She moved people with her voice and sang with her entire soul every time she opened her mouth. She will be truly missed and her voice will be remembered forever. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.

The Grammy’s were Sunday night. LL Cool J did a wonderful job hosting the event, giving tribute and making us laugh when appropriate. It was an award show to remember & celebrate. Here are my favorite performances, best dressed and cutest couples of the evening.

Favorite Performances 

{Video from YouTube}

{Video from YouTube}

Bruno Mars’ Grammy’s Performance

Best Dressed

 {Rihanna wearing Giorgio Armani -
image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {Adele wearing Giorgio Armani -
Image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {Carrie Underwood wearing Gomez-Gracia -
Image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {Kelly Rowland wearing Alberta Ferretti -
Image from MSN Wonderwall}

Cutest Couples 

{Host LL & Simone -
Image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {John Legend & Chrissy Teigen -
Image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell -
Image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz -
Image from MSN Wonderwall}

 Awards

Record Of The Year: Rolling In The Deep

I was thrilled to see Adele do so well at the Grammy’s. She is an amazing artist, and I am so thankful that she is back and completely recovered from throat surgery! 

Album Of The Year: 21

If you have not bought this album you must! It will change your life. I have to be honest, I was a little late in the game and only bought the album in December, but I have listened to it 100 times and love it more each time.

For a full listing of the 54th Grammy Awards visit:
The 54th Grammy’s 

 xox
Em  

Valentine’s Day Gift & Holiday Guide

{Image via Pinterest}

For those of you that don’t know me, I’m a hopeless romantic. I love cheesy romantic comedies that always have a happy ending. I crave chocolate {not every day}, love flowers {especially when they are a surprise} and like sparkly things {what girl doesn’t}! I love, love so a holiday surrounded by it has my name all over it. I thought I’d channel my inner cupid and help all you secret admirers, love birds and hopeless romantics find the perfect gift for that perfect someone!

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away! I had such a great time pulling together my Holiday Gift Guide I decided to do it again for Valentine’s Day. There is something for everyone, even a guide to celebrating the holiday single and in style!  Enjoy!

V-Day Gifts for Him

1. Real Simple posted a Unique Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him slideshow earlier this week. I personally love the Floating Heart Boxers {jcrew.com}, Literary Lovers Book Cufflinks {etsy.com} & Swanson Vineyards Lucky Night wine!

2. FabFitFun threw together a “Guy’s Valentine’s Gift Guide.” There’s something for every type of guy from Warby Parekr Shades to Beardo Hats. My faves: Beer of the Month Club & Concert Tickets.

3. The beautiful and oh so glamorous Lauren Conrad shared on her Tuesday Ten: “Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him.” Everyone says that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Lauren gives some great recipes for heart-shape calzones & red velvet brownies. For another homemade touch check out the basket idea that holds 12 envelopes with the details of a pre-planned or pre-paid date inside for each month of the year {adorable if you ask me}!

4. DailyCandy created the perfect gift guide “Valentine’s Day Heart Stealers.” Favorite gifts for him are: the Duo T-Shirt, Activist Eyewear & Alfred Julius Bow-Tie Handkerchief Set and the Daniel Boulud Cocktails & Amuse-Bouches book.

V-Day Gifts for Her 

1. ELLE posted a guide to every girls dream wish list, “19 Things We Heart.”  Personal faves: the Jordan Askill Heart ring and Social Anrachy Heart & Arrow stud earrings.

2. DailyCandy created the perfect gift guide “Valentine’s Day Heart Stealers.” Favorite gifts for her are: In God We Trust His and Hers Cuffs, Shakespeare’s Love Sonnets & the White Rose Gold Indo Lucite Watch.

3. One of my favorite websites is OpenSky. This month they put together an “All You Needs Is…Love” collection for Valentine’s Day. Guys take a look at the JJ Winters Zipper Clutch, Cashmere Ombre Scarves & Tumbleweed Bead Co. Recycled Metal Hoops.

4. Refinery29 made a list of “17 V-Day Gifts for The Anit-Hallmark Couple.” There’s something for every type of girl from a Mixtape USB Memory Stick to a LomoKino Movie Maker. I love the Gorjana Initial Charm Necklace & the Love Toast His & Hers Coffee Mugs.

Now that you have the perfect gift how do you plan on spending the day or evening? 

FabFitFun recently wrote a guide to the perfect “Cozy Night for Two.” Most couples spend Valentine’s Day at a restaurant or one cooks dinner for the other. Mix the holiday up a bit with one of these new ideas. You could even use them for Lauren Conrad’s 12 envelope basket idea. Personal faves: Ice Skating, Hot Springs & Bubble Bath for Two.

Don’t worry singles, I haven’t forgotten about you!

I don’t have a valentine this year but that won’t stop me from spending the holiday in style. GLO provided me with the perfect guide, “Celebrate Singledom in Style.” V-Day tips: leave your phone at home and adventure out!

xox
Em  

Banana Nut Bread

YUM! I love having extra very ripe bananas lying on the counter. I always mash them up and make this to die for banana nut bread! The recipe can be found in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. If you hate nuts you can always substitute chocolate chips. I’m a chocolate lover at heart but decided to take the heather route this time.  I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Ingredients 

1/3 cup shortening, butter or margarine {if you use margarine use less salt}
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed banana {2 very ripe bananas}
1/2 cup chopped nuts {walnuts or your favorite nut}

Directions 

1. In a large mixer, cream together shortening {butter or margarine} and sugar

2. Once creamy add eggs to mixture and beat well

3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix together
4. In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup mash bananas
5. Add about a cup of the dry ingredients {flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt} to the shortening, sugar and egg mixture; beat well

 

6. Add about a half of cup of mashed bananas; beat well

 

7.  Alternate adding the rest of the dry ingredients and mashed bananas to the mixture and beat well
8. Once all the ingredients are combined stir in the nuts or chocolate chips

9. Pour into a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan {make sure it’s well-greased}

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes {check the center of the bread with a toothpick to make sure it’s done}
11. Remove from pan, cool and enjoy!

 

xox
Em  

February

The longest month {to me} is finally over! I don’t know what it is about January but it always feels more like 61 days than 31 days. It might be due to the fact that the holiday season {my favorite time of year} is over. I’m excited that today is the first and boy do I have a fun month ahead!

February
2-1-12

1. Birthdays
February is a month filled with both family and friend birthdays! I love celebrating and planning parties so of course birthdays have my name written all over them. This weekend is one of my best friends 24th, in a few weekends it’s my grandfather’s 98 and at the end of the month it’s the cutest baby in the world’s first birthday! 

2. Valentine’s Day
I’m a hopeless romantic. I love being in love. I have to admit the holiday is much more fun if you have someone special to spend it with. I’m missing the special person this year but that won’t stop me from doing something fun.

3. Beach Trip
When you only live an hour away from the beach a month is not complete without a quick trip to the coast! I didn’t make it over in January so a trip is a must this month! 

4. VACATION
In just 23 days I will be departing on a very exciting two week vacation! I’ll post where I am going soon. The next 23 days will be filled with pre-packing, planning and booking! 

xox
Em  

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards 2012

I loved posting my best dressed, cutest couples and awards list from the 2012 Golden Globes so much so I decided to do it again for the SAG Awards. If you missed it, don’t worry I will fill you in on who I thought wore it best and my favorite winners of the evening!

Best Dressed

 {Sofia Vergara wearing Marchesa -
image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {Stacy Keibler wearing Marchesa -
image from ELLE}

 {Lea Michele wearing Atelier Versace -
image from InStyle}

 {Viola Davis wearing Marchesa -
image from InStyle}

 {Emily Blunt wearing Oscar de la Renta -
image from US Weekly}

 {Naya Rivera wearing Naeem Khan -
image from ELLE}

 {Diane Lane wearing David Meister -
image from InStyle}

 {Regina King wearing Alberta Ferretti -
image from ELLE}

 {Emma Stone wearing Alexander McQueen -
image from MSN Wonderwall}

 {Ariel Winter wearing Collette Dinnigan -
image from MSN Wonderwall}

Cutest Couples 

{George Clooney and Stacy Keibler did it again -
image from People}

 {Emily Blunt and John Krasinski -
image from People}

 {Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers -
image from People}

Awards 

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: The Help

I was happy The Help won. It was a meaningful film with a strong message. If you haven’t seen it you should. The entire cast in The Help was wonderful and they definitely deserved this award. To be honest, I was a little sad The Descendants or The Artist didn’t win.  I actually saw all the films in this category prior to the award show! I made a pact with myself I’d see The Artist and The Descendants before the next award show and both films were incredible. 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin {The Artist}

Ah! I love Jean so much. I was thrilled to see him take home the actor. He did an incredible job in The Artist. I would have been just as happy if the wonderful George Clooney had won as well. Both actors share my heart equally! 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Viola Davis {The Help}

Viola Davis was exceptional. Her portrayal of Aibileen Clark was unbelievable.  I also loved her in Eat Pray Love and Nights in Rodanthe. I can’t wait to see her in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. 

For a full listing of the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards visit:
TNT Screen Actors Guild Awards

xox
Em  

Fill In The Blank Friday

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a wonderful week. We had the most beautiful day today. For a minute I forgot that I was living in Oregon. We usually have rain this time of year so having a sunny day here and there is a breath of fresh air. Let’s kick of the weekend with some blanks!

 {Link up with Lauren to play}

1. My favorite place I’ve ever traveled to is Greece or Italy.

2.  Ireland or Brazil is somewhere I’d love to go someday. 

3. I pass time on a plane (or bus, or car ride, or train) by listening to music, singing {only in the car}, reading or chatting with those I’m traveling with.

4. My three must haves when I travel are my BlackBerry, a camera and magazines {gossip mags, ELLE & Vogue}.

5. My favorite travel companion is my mom! We always have a great time wherever we go.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling was when my family and I were flying from London to NYC and the cockpit caught on fire. We were 3 hours into our flight and had to turn around and head back to London. We made it back safely, thank goodness. I’m glad I was young and have no memory of the event. This could possibly be the subconscious reason I’m terrified of flying.

7. The most exotic food I’ve ever tried while traveling is…something I most likely ate in Greece or Australia.

8. If I could live anywhere else, I’d live in Hawaii or somewhere in Italy. I love the weather and style of living in Hawaii and the food and culture in Italy.

Have a great weekend!

xox
Em  

Golden Globes 2012

I love award show season! From the Golden Globes to the Academy Awards, the People’s Choice to the Critics’ Choice, and the Grammy’s to the Emmys – I love them all! This past Sunday I spent most of my day watching the Golden Globes Red Carpet and Award show. Here are my highlights:

10 Best Dressed 

{Kate Beckinsale wearing Roberto Cavalli -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Shailene Woodley wearing Marchesa -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Sofia Vergara wearing Vera Wang -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Jessica Alba wearing Gucci -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Angelina Jolie wearing Atelier Versace -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Charlize Theron wearing Dior -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Viola Davis wearing Emilio Pucci -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Stacy Keibler wearing Valentino -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Paula Patton wearing Monique Lhuillier -
image from MSN Entertainment Wonderwall}

{Berenice Bejo wearing Gucci -
image from People.com}

Cutest Couples

{Jessica Alba and Cash Warren -
image from People.com}

{George Clooney and Stacy Keibler -
image from People.com}

{Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan -
image from People.com}

{Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt -
image from People.com}

Awards

Motion Picture {Drama}: The Descendants

I was thrilled when this film won. I have yet to see it, but I have heard wonderful things about it. The film has a great cast. George Clooney is one of my favorite actors and I watched Shailene Woodley on The O.C. I’m excited to see her performance in this film. 

Motion Picture {Comedy or Musical}: The Artist

The Artist is another movie I haven’t seen. I was horrible this year and didn’t see a lot of films that were nominated unlike last year. I will see them all before the Oscars! Sadly, The Artist isn’t playing in Salem so I will have to venture to Portland to see it! I can’t wait!

Two films I did see that took home a Golden Globe were The Help and Midnight and Paris. Octavia Spencer {The Help} won Supporting Actress and Woody Allen {Midnight in Paris} won Screenplay. If you haven’t seen either of those films you must! They are both excellent.

For a full listing of 2012 Golden Globe winners visit: E! Online or NBC Golden Globes.

xox
Em  

Fill In The Blank Friday

Happy Friday everyone!! I hope you had a wonderful week. I’m so happy the weekend is here. I’m going to spend tomorrow in Portland and then jump over to the coast for Sunday and Monday! Don’t forget to watch the Gold Globes on Sunday; I love award show season. Let’s kick off the weekend with some blanks!

 {To join in the fun link up with Lauren}

1. The last thing I ate was hummus and lavash bread.

2. The last song I listened to was “Without You” by David Guetta feat. Usher.

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Emily}…me, lie, mile and Miley.

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick navy.

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you’d find my wallet, sunglasses, planner, gum, lotion, business cards, perfume, lip balm, pens, hair ties, bobby pins, compact mirror, BB car charger and keys.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I’m going to go to the store.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz or “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer; honestly I love anything with a good beat!

Have a great weekend!

xox
Em