{Bits of Beauty}

{pisces giveaway}

Jenn — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:49:55 +0000

Blushing after this lovely mention in Mrs. Lilien’s Pisces inspired post. And, to continue with the Pisces inspired goodness, I’ve got a giveaway for all my fellow fishies.

One lucky Piscean will win a zodiac crystal necklace from Urban Outfitters. FYI – The backside has the constellation with stars marked in crystals.

To enter:

Leave a comment below with your birthdate and why you love being Piscean.
Tweet this post for an extra entry {tag @bitsofbeauty}

Giveaway ends at midnight EST on March 20, 2010

{everyday beautiful life: 9 to 5 alternative}

Jenn — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:49:49 +0000

Sorry I’m late today folks! I couldn’t leave you without a bit of inspiration. Today, it’s provided by Alan of the blog 9 to 5 alternative. I feel that his post is focused and beautiful in its simplicity. Alan is a lifestyle design blogger. Most of you are familiar with the fashion and design blogs, but I want to broaden your blog horizons. As a reference point, bloggers like Leo of Zen Habits fall into the lifestyle design genre. There are some fantastic, inspiring, thrilling blogs out there. So I encourage you to visit Alan’s blog and explore the genre. You’ll find that they know how to live extraordinary, beautiful lives.

Mark Twain once wrote that “nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.”

I couldn’t agree more. Travel makes my life everyday beautiful. It always will. Here are seven examples why.

{landscape} From atop Gokyo Ri, a 5357m (17,575 ft) peak in Nepal’s Khumbu Himalaya.

{people} Arts and crafts at an Ethiopian school in Israel.

{perception} Driving through the Syrian desert.

{animals} Baboon-ing on a Rwandan safari in Akagera National Park.

{food} Ethiopian spice hunting in the Merkato district, Africa’s largest open air market.

{nature} Climbing Half Dome in California’s Yosemite National Park.

{history} A camel guards the Treasury in Petra, Jordan.

photos by Alan Perlman

{let them eat cake}

Jenn — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:03:39 +0000

{bit of wisdom: borges}

Jenn — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:48 +0000

Don’t talk UNLESS you can improve the silence. – Jose Luis Borges

photo unknown

{bit of beauty: neck}

Jenn — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:00:05 +0000

I’m a fan of perfectly messy, upswept hair. And, I happen to think the nape of the neck is one of the most gorgeous spots on the body. Naturally, I find these photos positively perfect. I may just need to put a few seastars in my hair this summer…

photography: 1. unknown {via} weheartit, 2. tete a tete, 3. unknown, 4. {via} weheartit & a whithered past and a blurry future, & 5. unknown {via} weheartit

{color inspiration: chartreuse}

Jenn — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:00:27 +0000

Also known as green-yellow and pearl, chartreuse is one of the only greens I like. I’ve always wanted a couch in this color, but I’d settle for a beautiful pillow with a satin ribbon or the most frivolous, eye-catching, delicious heels. I love its richness and its playfulness.

photos: 1. paolo roversi, 2. matthew williamson {via} marvelous kiddo, 3. polly wreford

{black & white drama}

Jenn — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:58:11 +0000

photos by zhang jingna, guy aroch, elsa hosk by peter gehrk, liya kebede by alexi lubomirski

{Bits of Beauty} would not be possible without our sponsors:

{bookworm: overnight socialite}

Jenn — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:00:59 +0000

A few weeks back, I was sent a copy of The Overnight Socialite for review. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. You might be surprised by this, but I don’t read chick-lit that often. The book was pitched as a retelling of Pygmalion and, perhaps more familiar to you, My Fair Lady.

Chick-lit and Pygmalion? Together?

Really?

Skeptical me. Well, I’m happy to say that I liked the book. I’ve been sent some books that I disliked, even some that I disliked so much that I felt the need to give a not so stellar review instead of none at all. I hate doing that, but I must. So, I’m happy that my skepticism washed away when I opened up The Overnight Socialite. It was witty, fun, and not overdone. I feel like that genre has a ton of books that try to hard. This isn’t one of them. Bride Clark, the author, did a great job of making sure that the book had balance and a good flow. I read it straight through {which is always a good sign.}

You can read my review over at the Little Pink Book for more info. If you read the book, let me know what you think!

{bit of beauty: paper white}

Jenn — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:00:59 +0000

Ruche wallpapers & Maison Moschino by Susie Bubble.

{everyday beautiful life: makeunder my life}

Jenn — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:00:35 +0000

Our guest today, Jess Constable, has one of the most refreshing blogs out. Her blog, Makeunder My Life, is all about what she calls “designing a life with intention.” The idea is to scale back in order to focus on what you really want. In no way does this mean being a minimalist, but instead, it seems to me that this is about finding a happy balance for every person. All this makes here an ideal guest for our Everyday Beautiful Life series. Here, Jess shares 5 things that make her life everyday beautiful.

1- Erwin – Erwin, my boyfriend is a constant source of smiles and support.

2 – Chevron Paintings – These paintings were a great DIY that were super easy but also add glam to my studio. I love looking at them everyday while I work. This pattern has actually inspired my new Spring jewelry collection coming out in April as well.

3 – Flowers – I have a weakness for buying a mixed bouquet at Trader Joes and then putting each type of flower in it’s own mini-vase and scattering them around my apartment. It spreads the beauty to four or five different spots.

4 – Noble Tree – This is a great coffee shop to do work. I love the indie-vibe and eclectic decorating.

5 – Cheesy Oatmeal – Though it certainly may not look beautiful to most, I adore adding cheese to steel cut oats for breakfast with pepper flakes. It’s something I look forward to every morning and brightens my day.

photos by Jess Constable