Thought for the Week

I've decided to try something new in the next few weeks.  It's like a bucket list, but with shorter (attainable) goals and a timeframe by which to do them.  I call it my 101 in 1001 list (thanks Design Darling!!).  And as I knock things off the list, I'll add them to a page here.  Wish me luck!!!

Like, Love, Gotta Have: Swell Caroline

I. am. obsessed. with Swell Caroline.  First, I have a confession to make.  I'm TERRIBLE with jewelry.  I love statement necklaces, bangles, and cocktail rings, but because I'm très petite, styling them is often very difficult (too much can appear clunky, and we cannot have that!).  Enter Swell Caroline (thanks to Lily Davenport for the introduction!) and no longer do I have to rifle through my assortment of acquisitions for something, come on, ANYTHING to wear.  Here are some of my top pics:

Very Marie Antoinette, wouldn't you agree?

My summer staple colours are coral and navy/turquoise/aqua/baby blue.  Isn't this necklace fun to jazz up a sundress or even a plain tee?

Whoa now.  They have an equestrian COLLECTION!!!!!


Hop on over to Swell Caroline to find a fabulous assortment of jewels, accessories, and (another favourite brand) Scout by Bungalow bags!

It's Summer (Vacation) Part One!!!

It's official: I am now a 3L!!!  For those not in the law-school bubble, one: be thankful, and two: to translate, 3L stands for third year.  Which means only one more year to go!  YES!  This weekend was a whirlwind of papers (last one went in Saturday night) and celebrations, so I've got some recapping to do....

1)  One of the perks of living in DC is EU Embassy Open House weekend, where the Ambassadors open their doors for fun activities, food, beverages, and freebies (like my fun Union Jack tote).  Naturally, I had to stop at the Embassy of the Motherland where they had a Bond exhibit, lots of fun Olympics-themed activities, and my personal fave: the garden and house tour. 

Horse statue in the garden...never seen so many gorgeous roses in one place!

The dining room as it was set for HM the Queen!

2) When I'm stressed, I bake.  So when I was dying for a break from the paper hanging over my head, I tried a fun little recipe to get rid of some squishy bananas.  Voila- banana chocolate chip bars!  You can find the recipe here (and use coconut to make it less cakey)!

Photo from Brunch at Saks... I forgot to take pics before they were devoured!

3) Saw a cute, cute movie.  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was on my radar after reading Hopsy's review, but I was hooked when I saw the cast of fabu Brits!  Basically the movie was a 2 hour feel-good pleasure trip to India... and some days, that's just what you need as a pick-me up! 

 

 

And there's still more to come, but I will save that for another post!

xoxo

Weekend in Numbers: Viral Edition.

10... (Multiplied by 2) Ounces of coffee this Belle imbibed on Saturday morning to stay awake after the marathon of traveling + sickness that constituted the latter end of last week.

9... Dollars I spent on a fantastic pink and white seersucker dress on MAJOR clearance. It's summery and cute and I can't wait to wear it!!!

8... (Times 10) The temperature of the gorgeous weekend...thank you, global warming!

7... The number of times I had to re-set the timer on the oven because my chocolate chip-pecan scones would NOT bake (and who likes gooey, doughy insides? Yuck!).

6... The number of times I wished I wasn't sick so I could celebrate St. Paddy's Day on Saturday. Oh well, there's always next year.

5... Number of hours of sleep I got between Wednesday and Friday night... this is what happens when you have to get up at 5am to travel to Middle-of-Nowhere, MD for a prison visit (To alleviate all your fears, it was for work!! Please note: I am not, nor have I ever been incarcerated in a jail/prison/etc. at any point in my life!)...let me tell you, mJm is not a happy girl without sleep.

4... Number of tissue boxes used up in an effort to rid my horribly stuffy nose of its...well...stuffiness.

3... Movies watched in bed while trying to rest and recoup from Virus of Death.

2... Number of dystopian-society books I've read this weekend. Hunger Games, let me tell you, while you are fab and I am seriously excited for the movie this weekend, the Giver had you beat by about 15 years. Thank you for starting the dystopian trend, though...I'm loving all these great new books to read!!!

1... Number of Journal assignments I had this weekend. I had 5 sources to find and cite, which, comparatively speaking, is a light load. But guess what? 3/5 require you to register for an information consultant to provide you with said data. Um, excuse me...I don't think so.

1/2... Number of fantastic PB Delight cupcakes I was able to eat last night (being sick > eating cupcakes, which SUCKS)...these babies are the BEST! Moist chocolate cake, peanut butter icing, dipped in chocolate ganache, with a quarter of a PB cup on the top! Mmmm.....

Friday Five...on Sunday!

Sometimes life gets in the way of things...like posting the Friday Five on an actual Friday. Sorry about that! I've had a great week on Spring Break...the paper still isn't done, but I've:

1) Read 2.5 books- for pleasure! (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Across the Universe, and am still working on A Million Suns);
2) Painted my nails;
3) Joined the gym (and promptly went on runs outside instead of using said gym pass...hey, it was nice weather!!!);
4) Bought a decorative bird cage for the kitchen in the house I don't yet own;
5) Read 3 magazines that were backlogged in the mail from my move two months ago;
6) Watched 3 movies online (Haywire, Coriolanus, and Tomorrow When the War Began);
7) Had brunch with C. (my BFF from high school, expect her to be a regular here);
8) Spent the day roaming NoVA with my Twinner (another regular...she was visiting from her Ph.D. program in KY!!);
9) Made approximately 5 trips to the library (only one of which was a successful paper-writing session)... so I guess I've got some ground to cover this week!

~FRIDAY FIVE~

Here's what I'm lovin'...March 9, 2012

1) @SophiaCaribou
This is the hilarious twitter handle of the Tiger Mom's daughter (don't call her that though...she's a "Tiger Cub")...follow ASAP for loads of laughs, witty tweets, and interesting facts. Do it now.

2) AwakeI love Jason Issacs. He's the best villian out there. I even love him when he's not a villain, like on the new NBC show Awake. The only problem is that I'm never awake to watch Awake. But lucky for you (and the insides of my eyelids), it's on nbc.com. It's so good. I might even put it on the pedestal that's currently reserved for such classics as Revenge and Pretty Little Liars. Just maybe.

3) Ralph Lauren Candles

Twinner got me addicted. I take no responsibility whatsoever.

4) Essie nail varnish

So Twinner painted her nails mint green and it looked FAB. So I, having not an ounce of originality in me, copied her and decided on this fantastic starter set of glorious spring colours.

5) Enya

I may or may not blast Enya in my car (when driving alone, thank you very much...I wouldn't subject passengers to the belting out of "SAIL AWAY, SAIL AWAY, SAIL AWAY," no matter how soothing it is).

What are you lovin' this week??

testing, testing...

Announcement: Spring Break has arrived!!!

I should be laying on a beach somewhere or jet-setting to Paris (ahem, Royar, SO jealous!), but alas, I will be in Virginia, writing the final paper for my Human Trafficking seminar. But as we know, all work and no play makes for a dull girl, so I'm finding ways to get mini-relaxation in... like starting this blog!

So, who am I? I live in Virginia, but go to law school and work in Washington, D.C. I graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2010 and am counting down the days until May 2013 when I will have my graduate degree in law and public policy! I was a government and community studies major in college, and absolutely love being an active citizen! I adore pearls and high heels, good books, monograms, and stationery that's too pretty to use. When not chained to my textbooks, I am an avid equestrian and ballerina, and love going on new adventures, making discoveries, and spending time with my marvellous family and friends! I'm so excited to share my world!

la première post...

Je m'ennuie et c'est trop chaud en dehors, donc je pense que j'écrirai un blog. Je suis mauvais à garder des résolutions, mais nous verrons...