Weekend Update ::: Shine Bright Like a Lightbulb!

This week...this month...has flown by!  I can't believe it's already February tomorrow.

Trend Worth Trying ::: Subtle Nail Art

Photo via NailsMag.com

I am generally not a nail person, and if I do my nails at all, it's usually a really sheer pale pink with shimmer or I "go for it" with a dark shimmery purple, like the Dior I showed off a couple months back.  I've seen a few interesting looks lately that have made me consider branching out a little.  Hell, if Snoop Dogg can get into nail art...maybe I should, too.

What I Am LOVING Right Now :::

Tech Time ::: Apple turns 30!

Via YouTube

Must Try ::: Fajita Vegetable Side Dish

All Photos and Recipe by {accordingtoame}

Do Not Reproduce without Written Permission

After posting a photo of my go-to side dish on Instagram, I had several readers request my "recipe" for the Fajita Veggies I use as a side frequently with dinner, including the response on the photo. I posted a brief response about it there, and thought that I probably should post about it. And then it got buried in draft posts.  

I have since been asked again for the recipe, and realized I never did post it! My apologies! 

Fashion Fix ::: Style Star Zoe Saldana

Image via Glamour.com

Zoe Saldana has become one of my go-to icons to get inspiration for casual style.  She takes simple pieces and styles them in such a way that elevates them. Comfort with elegance. 

Test Driven ::: John Frieda Color Refreshing Gloss

All photos by {accordingtoame}

A few weeks back, there were rumblings of a new John Frieda color product hitting shelves just after the new year. Naturally, when I saw that it was a color refreshing gloss, with not one, but two, shades for redheads included in the line, I was excited and intrigued.  I was able to get my hands on a bottle of "Warm Red" and put it to the test.

What's in Her Bag? ::: Ashley Rath of Dishy Events

Photos by {accordingtoame}

I've known the beautiful Ashley Rath for many years, we're former coworkers in the marketing and advertising worlds, going well beyond our years both working in the wedding industry. I've always known her to be incredibly well organized, so when I learned of her foray into event planning with her company Dishy Event Planning, I cannot say I was at all surprised.  Lucky brides, I'd say.

Tech Time ::: Nest acquired by Google--What does this mean?

So for a couple months now, there were rumblings that Nest was being courted by Google, and the rumblings were quite true, evidently, as Nest Labs was just acquired for $3.2B dollars. Yes, that's three-point-two-billion-dollars. In cash. 

Must Have ::: Muji Acrylic Cases

All photos by {accordingtoame}

You may have seen me mention Muji in the past, I know I did in the post about the Great Closet Cleanout 2013. But if you're new around here, let it be well known that I am a huge Muji fan, despite not having a store in this city, and bought most of what I own from them via their website. Yay technology!

Weekend Update ::: Wooda-been Happenin'!

Photo via Parade

This week feels like it flew by!  Sunday was the Golden Globes, full of red carpet gorgeousness, but my favorite part was watching Matthew McConaughey collect his Golden Globe for Dallas Buyers Club, Wooderson-style (alright alright alright!), just as the first episode of his AH-MAZING new show with Woody Harrelson, True Detective, was ending on HBO. Seriously--it's incredible.  Also, Jared Leto and his sexy-ass man bun? Only he could make it so hot. 

Totally Obsessed ::: "Making Money: The Diamond Cutter"

Video via the New Yorker

I caught this video Tuesday on the New Yorker, and immediately started spreading it around social media.  It's a fantastic story, and it's beautifully told.

Loving Right Now :::

Photos:  John Frieda, Screenshot of "This is Water", Brian Gavin Diamonds, Gaiam, 

Michael Polish's shot of Kate Bosworth on the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings, 

Steve Wrubel's beautiful image of Bradley Agather Means and Coley Means on the cover of FD Luxe Wedding Edition

1::: News about John Frieda and a Color Refreshing Gloss started to circulate some time ago, and when I heard that there would be at least one option for reds, I was immediately intrigued.  I was able to get my hands on a bottle of the Warm Red version before it hit the store shelves, and have been test driving it since. I should have a review up soon with my thoughts. 


2::: This video, "This is Water", featuring an absolutely incredible enactment of an excerpt of a David Foster Wallace commencement speech from several years ago, before his untimely death, is absolutely amazing, and should be required viewing for all.  I am guilty of this same frustrated thinking, and have been trying for a while to adjust that automatic negative thought process into a more empathetic version. I will admit that thus far it's not going particularly well, but I am trying to right the ship.  




3::: For some time now I have been lapping, obsessing, drooling over a small pair of bezel set diamond studs from Brian Gavin Diamonds. I like smaller studs, there but subtle, and a pair around .25-.30 ctw would be perfection. As an acquaintance said with a similar pair, they're like a "tiny drop of sparkle in the ear."  

I am notoriously awful at not wearing my jewelry, despite having an affinity for fine diamonds. I am full of excuses as to why, but when it comes down to it, I just don't wear what I have.  Despite that, I am still lusting for these, and may end up jumping on a pair in the not too distant future.

4::: I sat on a Gaiam Ball chair for years at the agency, and for some reason just never got into the habit at home or at my new position. I rectified that, at least in my office, and proudly tap this message to you all out from my nice new ball chair. They take very little time to assemble, and are, at least in my experience, plenty sturdy.  I'd like an "adjustable base height" option but I make do just fine. 


5::: The Winter/Spring/Summer wedding issues are popping up on newsstands and I am snatching them up like mad. I've flipped through the new Martha Stewart Weddings a few times, including the feature on Kate Bosworth's beautiful event.  

But my personal favorite right now is the first Wedding Issue of FD Luxe, a Dallas publication. This issue features the nuptials of the knockout blogger behind one of my favorite blogs, Luella & June, Mrs. Bradley Agather Means.  I am always a sucker for a beautiful and high-end wedding magazine, but this one is particularly incredible, not just because after the feature on Bradley and her new husband there's a feature with some eye-popping diamonds...but because it's laid out incredibly well, and the features are very conversational and candid. You feel like you really know the couples and their families.  Great work!  

What's catching your eye this week?

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Tech Time ::: Easy-Macro

All photos by {accordingtoame} including my rings and diamond!

So I am a bit of a macro nerd, and after backing the new Easy Macro on Kickstarter, I actually own multiple "macro for smartphone options." This past few days, the weather was amazing (yay for 60 in January!), so I played with the Easy Macro while I was doing some photos for upcoming blog posts. 

Must Try ::: Chicken Noodle Soup

All Photos and Recipe by and copyright of {accordingtoame} 

Please obtain my written permission prior to using images or recipe elsewhere.

I actually had another post planned for today that I rescheduled after getting an enormous amount of requests via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email for the recipe I use for my semi-homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.  

It's very popular with my husband and with the rest of my family, my sister has said she "lives for my soup."  She's even been known to eat it cold, in a bind, and still proclaims it amazing, which I take as pretty high praise. 

Fashion Fix ::: Back to Base-ics

I learned (the hard way) this week with this hellish temperature range we experienced, plus the mounds of snow I shoveled, that I am ill prepared for this kind of weather. Which is odd because I've lived here almost my entire life, and it's not like snow and super-cold temperatures are out of the question.

Top Secret ::: Dove Winter Care Body Wash

For the last couple of years, Dove has released a "Winter Care" version of it's top selling body wash. It's a richer, more luxurious version of the original Deep Moisture version, and one that helps skin retain more moisture through the driest and most bitterly cold months.

Wednesday Wow ::: "Pink Star" Diamond

Back when the news hit about the Pink Star Diamond going up for auction, my interest was immediately piqued. It sold for $83Million, to diamond cutter Isaac Wolf, shattering records on diamond sales. Obviously, this is a completely rare stone, not just in terms of estimated value and rarity, but because of it's incredible size and color.  

Tech Time ::: Everdock Review

All photos by {accordingtoame}

One of the Kickstarter projects I got excited about this year (as did almost everyone else in the tech world), the EverDock, has finally made its way out to its backers. And boy was it worth the wait, and their ridiculously long hours cranking out the shipping packages under the wire.  

Must Have ::: Ugg Classic Shearling Gloves

All photos by {accordingtoame}

Last year, right around this time, my good ole trusty Isotoners finally breathed their last breath on me, coughing out an "I quit, tell my wife and kids I love them!", right as a horrible weather event was rolling in.  They weren't in the best shape, nor were they particularly warm, but I'd had them for what seemed like ever, and striking out to find new gloves wasn't high on my priority list.