A Moment of Truth: Birkenstocks Are Cool

Kate Moss, 1991 (Image).

Image.

Ashley Olsen (Image).

Birkenstocks tend to bring to most peoples' minds hippies and old lady wear. Before Phoebe Philo sent them down the S/S 2013 runway of Céline, my beau's trendy aunt (check out her fantastic Tumblr here!) was sporting a pair (the ones Ashley Olsen is wearing above).  She told me how comfortable they are and mentioned, "All the girls in Paris were wearing them." I was hooked. Stamped with Olsen and French approval? Yes, please. So I immediately scooped up my own (I chose the Gizeh which is the same pair Ashley Olsen is wearing above) and never looked back.

There weren't many on Etsy this time around, but you can easily scoop them up on Zappos here. By the way, if you're a 36N scoop these puppies up STAT!

Beauty Secrets: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Clinique beauty product / Nutiva, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 54 fl oz (1.6 L) - iHerb.com / Psssssst Instant Spray Shampoo | drugstore.com / Buy Nature's Bounty Natural Vitamin E Oil Antioxidant

I think we can all agree that our friends are a great source for beauty tips. Over the past year, I've scooped up some tidbits I thought I would share with you today. I hope some of them help you as much as they have helped me!

Face Lotions (You Don't Like) - We all have them. They typically appear in a "free with purchase" gift or as a present from someone. Instead of letting them pile up in your beauty bins, use them as a hand lotion! If it's good enough for your face, it's good enough for your hands.

Coconut Oil - I've always had dry skin but this winter it went from dry to desert dry. I was explaining to a friend the amount of thick body lotion I was using on a daily basis to keep the flaky skin at bay when she said, "Why aren't you using coconut oil?" I scooped up a jar of the Whole Foods organic kind the next day and never looked back. A lot of girls I know are already on board with this, but this has been a life changer for me!

Vitamin E Oil - My mom has sworn by this vitamin oil since the day I was born. She's used it from everything to getting rid of post-birth stretch marks to stopping a nasty cut from bleeding. I took it in a different direction this winter when my cuticles were drying out and replaced the beauty store brand cuticle oil with vitamin e. I slather it on before I go to bed and wake up with moisturized cuticles.

Dry Shampoo - Don't get me wrong, I love Klorane dry shampoo just as much as the next girl. But for the price, nothing beats Psssssst. For $6 a bottle, I have lovely second, third and sometimes even fourth (yes, I can be that lazy) day hair. I've switched back and forth between Klorane and Psssssst to compare and after many trials, Psssssst takes the cake.

Do you have any beauty secrets?

Home Edition: Room with a View

Image.

When I saw the image above on this amazing blog I came across today, I was enchanted. I've always thought stained glass was meant for incredibly fancy windows in old row houses or Tiffany's lamps. To see this lovely piece hanging so nicely in actress Miranda Levitt's bedroom  made me rethink my stained glass ideals.

Etsy Finds:

Stained glass transom window panel in green, blue and beveled diamond from The Glass Shire.

"Argyle socks" stained glass panel from Glitz and Grandeur.

Stained glass quilted block panel from Artful Folk.