Crafting with Splendid

Splendid's store grand opening was last Saturday and we attended the fun-filled crafting + shopping event at their Highland Village store. For the full recap, visit my other post HERE. 

With blogger Audrey and the boys // my bracelet made of gold and blue beads with Splendid fabric 

Aston enjoying his treat post-escalantes lunch // button station where kids get to pick and make their own

Dots and More

Hello all!
 Thought i'd share a few favorites lately. Last week, it was all about polkadots and bold cocktail rings. My latest favorite that i wear almost everyday is this huge tortoiseshell ring from mackenzie's design darling shop (where i also got those adorable matches) and a blue gem from francesca's, I picked up while window shopping last week. These fun accessories truly add a little pizzazz to my daily uniform of tunics and skinny jeans!

I also happen to find great polkadot deals from target (shirt and pants, which i can't find online) and even a pretty cool polkadot wrapping paper from the dollar bins. And in other exciting news, this month's birchbox (get your subscription here) arrived last saturday and I am doing the happy dance that they included a discount card from madewell! 

I hope you're monday is a great mix of work and a little bit of play!

Insta-Week

wow. hours and minutes go fast but the days seem to last longer although the week is almost over. we are looking forward to another weekend and hopefully, getting most things done on my to-do list including a back-to-school tax free weekend shopping that kicks off today! 

before i head on out the door, let me just dump a few iphone photos here from the past week including some shots from the past weekend! 

are you fantasizing fall? i do. i busted out my fall nailpolish colors to get some inspiration! 

oh and pink was the color past weekend! 

our little guy enjoying a ride later in the evening. it's still too hot outside and it's totally brutal. 

we also enjoyed a fantastic sunday brunch at our favorite mexican restaurant, escalante's and we shared a huge plate of french toast cooked the mexican way. i can't say no to caramelized apples! 

after brunch we walked across the street and visited the beautiful showroom of restoration hardware. 

let's just say, i want everything. nuff said. 

i finally joined the bubble necklace cult and they are really cute. they do elevate the look of a simple tshirt. so far i have that green one, a blue bubble pendant and also got a cobalt blue bubble bib necklace and a yellow one that dear friend, nina picked up for me. 

and oh, red velvet sandwich cookies are fixing my sweet cravings lately!  

i am also obsessed with BB creams lately. luckily i found the last one at CVS the other day. it does wonders to my skin so far and you can tell even when you wipe them off after a long day! 

i'm still heavy on metallic nails and this new purple one from essie is divine. it does come out looking like silver but with hints of violet in it. 

just sharing a new hair routine here : moroccan argan oil spray on damp hair adds a bit of shine and relaxes frizz hair. i have naturally wavy hair, so i don't think i need a body wave perm since i wake up with slightly curly hair anyway. so with a spray of oscar blandi dry shampoo and the moroccan argan oil, i'm set! 

lastly, i'm in love with my golden birkin art print by randa of iseenoise prints. it's going to go in my dresser or closet. still undecided. 

OK, i think that's it for the week....you all have a fabulous weekend! 

Insta-Lately

Another weekend over. Another week ahead. August is here and school will be too!

Some images here and there. Glimmer nailpolishes and lemon bars ~ just a few things that make me smile. 

Matching boat shoes for me and the little guy and a welcome packet from our friends at Disney. Yay!

Pretty pink pattern explosion and orange sailboats are perfect for summer. And so is delectable Magnum ice cream bars and the preppy pink and green combo!

How was your weekend? 

Insta-Week

Are you in Instagram (i'm @swankychicfete)? I confess, my big camera has been in hiatus lately as I have been utilizing my iPhone documenting random daily life events aka OOTD pics, food porn pics and more (LOL). It's just more convenient, less complicated. Here's a peek of my past week.....

A few things that make me happy ~ monogrammed cupcake notecards and le pen. Magnum ice cream bars for cooling off. Fastfood Wendy's amazingly good salad. Essie's new metallic mirror nailpolishes. 

I just noticed what last week's outfit theme was ~ leopard spots! 

Have a great week ahead! 

Las Vegas according to my iPhone

We are still traveling this morning and should be back home at the end of the day. Let me share some images from our las vegas weekend. We all had a grand time and i'm not looking forward going back to the routine work grind.

Have a great Monday all!
And if you follow my other blog, don't forget to join our summer faves giveaway. It ends this Wednesday, july 25th!

Frametastic Friday

It's friday the13th!

13 has been a lucky number to me and I'm starting my friday sharing the fun past week of my so-called life! 

Have you discovered the frametastic app yet? It allows you to make photo collages straight from your phone. This time I'm gathering a few instagram (@swankychicfete) photos capturing my week.

Last week, I finally came out of my hair rut and decided to get my roots done and added some highlights at albert luiz salon and spa and I think I've finally found my girl, Yvette. She was fantastic! Couldn't be more happier. 

We also took Aston for his 5 year old check-up and didn't share this before but we had a little rash incident about a month ago after he ate a mixed nut pack bought at the airport. He's been eating PBJ since like forever with no reactions, so we thought he might be allergic to a particular nut. And sure enough, we got him tested and he's allergic to half of the variety of nuts out there. Pecans were spared, thank god. Yep, that's him showing off the book his pediatrician gave him on his visit.

My may books planner/agenda came in this week and i am excited to jot down my important notes/reminders/schedule on my fabulous notebook designed and created by me. It came in it's cute packaging and a generous discount code for my next order! LOVE it! 

It's been raining all week and lazy days and nights are here. One evening, I bust out the yummy kim chi ramen noodles I've been saving for those kinds of nights and voila - instant dinner. I paired it with my latest fave san pellegrino arianciata rossa and i am in perfect dinner heaven!

I have been bombarded by emails, comments and texts on where I got the colorful patterned paper straws I posted in facebook and instagram last week - and yes, it's from target! I looked them up online but looks like it's only available in stores. You can find them by the party supplies next to stationery. Last time i checked, they were out of them. it's by spritz and priced at $ 1.99/20 pcs. Do check your local store from time to time, i'm sure they'll stock up on them again!

I'm not a gym junkie but i sure love going to my barre classes at define. I try to go at least 2-3 times a week and if I just improve on my diet, I'd be losing weight and toning more than where i am now. Ha! Define recently opened their west u studio and it's amazing! If you're in the houston area, do check them out - Hank and the ladies there are awesome!

I've been afraid of polka dots (particularly the big dots) ever since this fashion trend started. I thought they're unflattering on me but I found an adorable inexpensive sheer dotted blouse at marshalls and thought I'd give it a try. Can't wait to wear it with my bright jeans or shorts!

Lastly, our GIVEAWAY is still open today till tomorrow midnight - stop by and join to win one bracelet of your choice! good luck and have a fantastic weekend, friends!

Instagram Lately

It was a pleasant summer week this past week. In between work and vacation bible school for the little boy, I have a lot in my plate. Literally. Either it's summer corn and lobster salad from Neiman Marcus or my favorite afternoon treat, a cup of frozen yogurt - flavor of choice : low-fat dulce de leche and tart mango with fresh mangoes, strawberries and cheesecake bits. And of course, the usual demands of my work.

I got a few surprises this week too. I received an adorable mini-bunting by the seriously talented Jenny of hank and hunt. When it came in the mail, it just made my day brighter. I also picked up a little belated gift from Sephora - fresh sugar lip balms that i'm currently obsessed with.

We are moving to a new office before the month ends and we are excited and exhausted just thinking about it. To calm my senses, I indulge in a little at-home mani and paint my nails pink. And lastly, I dressed up more girly last night for a friend's birthday dinner and opted to go out in bright fuschia and aqua - more daring than usual.

I hope your week was fun and i'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the men in my life for father's day!

Scenes from the Weekend

The wonderful weekend started with a casual dinner out with the family Friday night. It was a tad warm and I cant resist sporting my sandals and tunic. I can't believe we had a mild winter and I'm already wearing spring/summer clothes. I guess I should not be complaining and just enjoy it! 

I also started decorating our home for the easter holiday. I chanced upon some $0.99 glitter ornament eggs and started decorating with them. I also had confetti eggs on hand. Those went inside my apothecary jars. For more of my easter home decor, visit my other blog. 

Saturday morning, we started really early and had brunch at City Centre's, Cyclone Anaya's for some yummy  mexican breakfast fare. It was such a gorgeous day and we spent half the day there and we drove off to the Woodlands for more leisurely driving! 

My niece Ailynne celebrated a birthday this past Sunday and we were off to meet them at Coal Vine's for lunch. The ambiance was fantastic as well as the food. We had a grand time gathering with family and relatives! 

Finally, I ended the weekend with some crafting. I am planning to decorate easter basket/buckets for my friends' kids and here are my paraphernalia. More on that later. 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! 

My Favorites in Instagram

By no means I'm a photographer nor a stylist in real life but I'm loving how my iPhone shots come out using the Instagram app. I love taking photos of interesting lovely pretty things and add a little dreamy feature and tiny bokehs, they come out pretty amazing! 

You can follow me in instagram @swankychicfete 

Loving the Barre

I started the year getting my act together and signed up with friends to a pure barre class which I've religiously attended 3 times a week for a little over a month now. It's such a fun exhilirating workout (sorry but I can't say the same thing about my first ever pure barre session) and I feel good after. I love coming in and sweating it out with motivation from friends and the instructors and I just hope I get to keep it up. My aim is to get fit and being healthy and ultimately lose weight, of course. In the meantime, I am working on giving up my soda, cupcakes and tapioca drinks - good luck to me!

Check out the pure barre classes at Define Body And Mind Houston
(I am quietly wishing and praying for a Sugar Land location, Hank !)

Recap of My Week

I can't believe the month is almost over and February is just around the corner. Let me go ahead and share a brief recap of my eventful week. 

The past week brought weird Houston warm weather coupled with drizzling days. I re-discovered my old anorak and paired it with my outfits most of the past days. I love that it's in a neutral shade that pretty much goes with everything. I say, great investment from over the years. 

Also I am thrilled to share that i found this amazing pink sperry topsiders and i am in love. It's the canvas kind and is so comfortable I can wear them all day. I practically wore them everyday in high school but back then it didn't came in this fun color (well, not that I can recall). I was just excited to get them! 

I also did some serious marketing work for the office, hence the granny look below. LOL. 

Then Saturday, met up with old high school besties for an early birthday lunch and Rae brought delectable Crave cupcakes! Amazing as always. Thank you! 

Little guy just had to be in the scene to blow the candle. Great week overall and I can't wait to celebrate Chinese New Year and get excited with the upcoming year of the Dragon! 

Legoland According to my iPhone

We had a headstart on the long weekend and flew to San Diego Legoland last Wednesday! 

The little guy enjoyed staring at the planes by the airport lounge before we boarded.

Breakfast of champs - fruit loops! 

This time we were able to visit the Legoland mini factory! 

Cute crocs especially made for Legoland

Spotted these adorable legos packaged as ornaments - perfect Christmas presents for a Lego fanatic!

The boys enjoying an xbox kinect game! 

I will share more pics soon! 

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Im linking to a {little} dash of ash linky party!