Sparkle and Slippers: September 2016

A Few Cool Things

Thursday, September 29, 2016 4:30 AM

Happy Thursday!

Yay that we have almost made it to the weekend!

This week has been nuts! I know I have been talking all month about my birthday, but Monday was the actual day. I am such a spoiled and lucky lady. A weekend jam packed with Football games, and a Paces for Faces walk, my bestie Lindsay from MALUKA and her son drove up from NJ to spend my birthday with me and Nolan. It was so fun drinking wine, shopping, lunching and catching up. It meant so much to me.

I wanted to tell you about a few cool things...

My friend Lindsay got me the coolest gift!! Here's the back story... A friend of ours originally from Boston moved to LA quite a few years back. An unbelievable photographer, artist and mom, Amanda has recently begun designing jewelry. Her bracelets, body chains and necklaces are all handcrafted and no two pieces are exactly the same. Some of her most outstanding pieces are the moon phase necklaces. They are all hand painted and absolutely stunning. My gift from Lindsay was a moon necklace in the exact phase from the day I was born. Such a cool personalized gift! Amanda's website is coming soon, but if you would like to learn more, peruse some great pieces, and even place an order, check out her instagram @amandacruzcreative .

Next, If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that I went to The Boston Conservatory. A performing arts college in the heart of Boston. It was such an intense program and I had some of the best times of my life as well as some of the worst. That being said the the talent level of my friends and classmates was unparalleled. Most have gone on to perform in dance companies, theater troupes, Broadway shows, television and screen. Through the wonder of facebook we can all keep up with everyone's latest endeavors. Last week was premiere week on ABC, NBC and CBS. I was instantly hooked on three shows. Tuesday night belonged to 'This is Us' It was fantastic! Wednesday, I was sucked into 'Designated Survivor', such an interesting premise to the show. And Thursday was the highly anticipated 'Notorious', it was funny, has scandal and one of my oldest and dearest friends from the Conservatory is in it! You must check it out. With comedy, drama and strong sexual tension what else do you need. Falling in the time slot between Grey's Anatomy and How to get Away With Murder it completes the Thursday night lineup. Definitely check it out and tell your friends!

Last but certainly not least, these SammyDress leggings and Scotch and Soda chambray top.

The leggings are on repeat and I am sure you will be seeing them quite frequently. I loved this top because it is a little different take on a chambray top.

Both are perfect for the current climate in the Northeast.

What are your Fall Favorites?

xx, Elise

What I wore: Top / Faux Leather Leggings / Sneakers

Today I am 40

Monday, September 26, 2016 4:30 AM

Today I am 40 years old! HOLY CRAP!!

40!!!

When the heck did this happen?

I am the baby of my family and on the younger side for most of my friends and old classmates, so when everyone else was turning 40 and on social media and they were posting how wonderful it felt to be forty and they were aging like a fine wine, I am not going to lie I would give a dramatic side eye roll. Isn't that what you are supposed to say? Sure we have to be ok with getting older because it beats the alternative, but are we really ok with it? Over the past few weeks I have been examining this question.

Here are a few things I asked myself:

Q. Do I wish I was my younger self?

A. Well sure, I often find myself reminiscing about my early 20s when I was carefree and the world was my oyster. The days when I defied gravity, had zero wrinkles and way less stress.

Q. Do I feel old?
A. No, I thought one day I would have some sort of epiphany where I felt like an adult. Aaaaaand... still waiting!

Q. Is it shear vanity.
A. Yes! I know that is not the answer people want to read, but it is completely honest. I know we are supposed to say 'every wrinkle is a memory, or experience. I've laughed... I've lived'. Sure, this is all true. None of us can beat the aging process, but it still bums me out a bit.

What I have learned in 40 years...

1. I do not know everything.
I look at my son, nieces and nephews and even at such a young age they think they know everything. When I was in my twenties I thought I had it all figured out and scoffed at those who thought differently. I was educated, opinionated, thought I was worldly. That is a recipe for ignorance and arrogance. In the past few years, I have tried to keep myself in check. Keep an open mind, take things away from every experience and relationship. You can learn something from everything.

2. I can make mistakes and that is ok!
Mistakes... I've made a few, but then again too few to mention.
Nothing great ever came from playing it safe. As a parent and aunt, I now understand warning your children not to do certain things and be wary of people and circumstances, but just as I didn't listen or heed warning to everything, I can see how what I am saying is going in one ear and directly out the other. Do not get me wrong, teaching your children what is right and wrong and sharing your experiences are great, but chances are they will not learn from your mistakes, and we should not expect them to. For example, you can warn someone not to touch a hot stove, but they will never experience your burn. They will learn from their own burn. We learn from our own mistakes, our own heartbreaks.

3. Others opinions of me, are none of my business.
Don't get caught up on what others think of you. Be you. Don't compare, don't compete, just be yourself. The people that count will love you anyway.

4. The best accessory is confidence.
This is something I learned early on. I remember it vividly. I was 13, sitting in Brooke Holgerson's kitchen and her mom explained to us that we are only as fabulous as we believe we are. This piece of advice was a game changer for me. To put it simply, believe in yourself.

5. Stress does not change the outcome.
You can not change the outcome of any situation by stressing over it. To quote my dad '9.99999% of the things we stress about never come to fruition'.

6. You will be grateful that some things didn't work out the way you once wanted them to.
Even as depressing or heartbreaking it may be, you will be better off and happier in the long run, I promise.

7. Happiness is a choice, and there is always something to be grateful for.

... just a few things to remind ourselves.