By now Valentine's day is just a memory (hopefully a good one) but LOVE is always in the air. Check out Raqquyah of Adorn New York and her series of love stories in a blog she calls Love Happens. The stories are short, sweet, & delightful or as I like to call them a little break from the everyday.

In her own words "Love Happens is a blog full of wonderfully fanciful stories discussing, celebrating and…well...poking fun at LOVE.  Forget where you are to find yourself lost in stories of passion, love, and romance." Read on.....

Raqquyah is a New York based jewelry designer. She's the creator of the savvy & chic line Adorn New York. She's been featured in multiple publications, fashion blogs, and shopping events throughout the city.

I came across these two articles on YouBeauty and just had to pass them along. Fun, interesting, quick read. Hope you enjoy as much as I did, please leave your thoughts/comments below, thanks!

Better-Looking Partner? What it Really Means.

Think your partner is better-looking than you? You're in love!

Thinking that your partner is the better-looking one is actually a good thing. It may mean you’re in love. As it turns out, we’re more attracted to people with similar levels of education, IQ, socio-economic background, and looks. However, researchers have gone even further and found that the old cliché “love is blind” is actually true.

In a study where people were asked to rate their own attractiveness, their partners rated them higher than they rated themselves. Furthermore, there is some science to back up the idea that finding your mate more attractive actually means that you are in a committed, passionate, intimate and satisfying relationship. So don’t try and see through the honeymoon haze, embrace it! The good news continues, because science has found that the haze can extend well beyond the honeymoon.

Find the second article here: 

Is Your Mate Hotter Than You?

Awww, February 14, Valentine's Day. A day for celebrating Love or is it? Everyone's got an opinion on this, either you love it, hate it, or you're just going with the flow because you feel the pressures of the holiday breathing down your neck and if you didn't do anything to celebrate it well that could spell TROUBLE! Now I'm not just talking about singles or someone who's gone through a terrible break up and has given up on love all together. I know some perfectly happy people who don't particularly care to celebrate it at all. Some believe it's a made up holiday by a popular card store (I won't mention any names) for the sole purpose of making a buck. It's hard to argue with that when the price of a dozen roses just went through the roof because you guest it, it's Valentine's Day! And try going out to eat......You will need a reservation to eat from the pre-fix menu at a price that's, well you get the picture. Someone's definitely making out on this holiday and i'm not talking about the lovers.

My opinion of Valentine's Day? I think it's a nice day to do a little something extra or perhaps something you normally wouldn't do for the ones you love. I feel we shouldn't wait for a holiday to show our gratitude & appreciation but can understand how busy our lives have become that perhaps on this one day we can set the routine, the norm, the chores aside and just focus on the love. I heard someone say "my kids are my valentine" I also read a sign that said "F V-Day, buy yourself a gift" and I say to each it's own. I mean who dictates the rules of any holiday and how it's celebrated or not. What's special to me may NOT be to anyone else, and that's OK!

This Feb 14 went like this: Me, the hubby, watching the NY Knicks as Jeremy Lin led the Knickerbockers to a win on a tie game with 0.5 seconds to go, it was FREAKING AMAZING!!!

A little FYI, Dictionary.com's definition:

Valentine Day,  noun  February 14, observed in honor of St. Valentine as a day for the exchange of valentines and other tokens of affection.

I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, or what you did this V-Day, please leave your comments below. Much appreciated, thank you!

So I want to tell you about this wonderful shoe store I discovered in Williamsburg Brooklyn, DNA Footwear.  From the outside looking in through their huge glass windows I was attracted not only by the vast selection of footwear but also by the decor of the store. If you know me I LOVE decorating & design (I watch a lot of HGTV). Well, let me tell you this store is gorgeous. From the warm brick walls, to the beautiful lighting, high ceilings, the decorative fixtures, I could go on and on but enough about the decor after all it is a shoe store so let's talk SHOES!

DNA has a large selection of footwear, from top names like FRYE, Steve Madden, Chinese Laundry, Birkenstock, Rachel Zoe, Bebe, Carlos Santana, the list goes on and on.....Whatever your budget, from low to high end, casual to evening, men's, women's, or kids, even accessories, they've got you covered! They carry the latest styles and trends so whatever you're looking for I have no doubt you will find it here.

I have to mention the staff because they were great! They were so friendly and made me feel welcomed. Not pushy or bothered by having to go back & forth getting me every shoe that I wanted to try on, and trust me it was a lot. I truly felt like they wanted me to leave a happy & satisfied customer. Well mission accomplished DNA Staff cause I'll be back!

DNA has 5 locations throughout Brooklyn but if you don't live near by, no worries they're on the web too!

 
 
 
 

After spending a day at the beach I love the way my hair gets these tousled messy waves. I'm not quite sure if it's the sand, the sun, the ocean water, or a combination of all but it's a look that I love and have tried to recreate, sometimes with success sometimes not so much.  After trying a few drug store brands and not being completely satisfied I decided to spend a little extra and go for a higher end product. At Sephora I found a couple of options, I asked a few questions, and decided to go with the Bumble & bumble surf spray ($24).

After washing my hair I combed out any knots and sprayed Bb surf spray all over, with a blow dryer I began drying my hair in sections. With the exception of my bangs (which I used a round brush on) I began scrunching and twirling my hair as I dried it. It was pretty easy and dried quickly. For extra volume, when my hair was almost completely dried I flipped it upside down and dried some more. When I was done I sprayed a little more Bb spray and just twirled some hair pieces here & there.  In the end I was satisfied with the look, happy with the amount of time it took to achieve, and glad I spent the extra cash, because for me it was worth it.

I recently cut off a hefty length of my hair but I do think this would look great on long layered hair as well. This was an easy look for those days when you just don't want to bother with the styling, flat ironing, curling iron, etc. Wear it messy as is, add a hair barrette on one side, wear a head band, or even create a messy ponytail, and GO!

So yesterday was Superbowl Sunday but it was also MY BIRTHDAY!!!! Yay!

My friends make fun of me because I start counting down the days way way in advance (like around Thanksgiving) and some even question why I or anyone for that matter would like (love) their birthday so much and come to think about it I really can't explain it. I mean yeah it's nice to be acknowledged on your big day, get treated like a princess (no cooking for me), and not to mention presents, who doesn't like presents Duh. All I know is that the thought of my birthday nearing just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I love it, I love celebrating it, and my hope is that the people around me, celebrating with me are having a great time too.

So I finally treated myself to a professional eyebrow shaping! I really wish I had done this a long time ago but the fact that I could walk into a nail/hair salon and get my brows done within walking distance or a very short ride from home just made it all too easy to do otherwise. I happen to be at Bloomingdale's this weekend and there it was "Benefit's Brow Bar" so NO excuses, I mean it was right there starring at me.

The very lovely Raquel helped me. She was friendly, easy to talk to, answered all my questions, and best of all she was not pushing products on me which I really appreciate. At the Brow Bar unlike other salons she did my brows while I was sitting upright and facing her, this was a first for me I'm usually lying down or sitting way back in a reclining chair. I don't know if that was the reason they came out so nice, all I can say is that I was very happy with the results and I actually got compliments at another store I went into.

At my request Raquel matched me up with the perfect eyebrow pencil and showed me how to fill in my brows without looking too dramatic but more natural. I loved the look and it was so easy to apply.

While having my brows done at The Brow Bar ($23) is more than what I pay at my local salon, it was worth every penny!

Everywhere I look I see tangerine and I couldn't be more excited! Magazines, retail shops, celebs, fashion blogs, the color tangerine is all over the place. You'll see it in bright shades as well as muted tones, prints, and solids, the best part is, this color looks great on all skin tones. I cannot wait to sport a little tangerine myself! For those of you who don't want to commit or just want to ease into it, try an accessory in tangerine. A purse, a scarf, lipstick, some jewelry, are just a few examples of how you can incorporate this color into your wardrobe. But if you are gonna go for it don't wear it head to toe. If you're wearing a tangerine mini you might want to pair it up with a nude platform shoe, or you could try black tights with black shoes or booties. You could also do the classic blue jeans and white button down with a tangerine shoe, purse, or accessorize with a statement necklace or ring in this fabulous color. Like all trends don't over do it, sometimes a little really does go a long way.

Me at a party with the hubbs, wearing my tangerine

   
 

Just got back from my trip to Boston where I spent some time and money on Newbury Street ! What a unique shopping experience. Located in the Back Bay area of Boston, Newbury Street is lined with the most charming row homes. These townhouses/brownstones, one more beautiful than the next, have been renovated with stores on one or more levels. You can find anything from affordable to high end, independent boutiques to popular chain stores, and everything in between. After all that shopping you will definitely want to put your feet up and have a bite, right? Well no worries cause they've got you covered. There's tons of cafe's and restaurants, including a very charming bookstore cafe called Trident where you can have a meal or just hang with a great book and a cup of coffee. Just thinking about the breakfast menu is making me hungry! There's usually a wait but worth every minute. Another great place to eat is Sonsie, the ambiance is relaxing, the staff is friendly, and the food DELICIOUS, probably, no ABSOLUTELY the best Cuban Sandwich I've ever had! There's a lounge area with a comfy leather couch & chairs, and they've recently added a Wine Room. You can spend hours walking up & down, going in & out of every store and you will want to come back for more. Aside from shopping & eating you can also find Specialty Shops, Salons & Day Spa's, Pet Shops & Pet Services, Electronics, Perfumes, Chocolates, Luggage, Art Galleries, I mean I can go on and on.......Oh almost forgot there's several Parking Garages, which is great because this is a tourist & local destination so it can get quite busy especially around the Holidays. Don't know about you but I'm a city girl at heart and for the most part I typically don't like shopping malls so this type of shopping is more my style. Even if you're not shopping Newbury Street is a sight to see, In my opinion one of the prettiest streets I've been to so far. If you're planning on visiting Boston please stop by you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to go back!!!