admin, Author at Girls Who Brunch

December 31, 2014

A Look Back on 2014

2014 was the year of changes. I started the year living in NYC with a great job surrounded by loved ones. Half way through the year I packed up my bags, quit my job and decided to move across the country to California. This was by far the scariest thing I had ever done in my entire life, but deep down I knew this was something that I had always wanted to do…and something I needed to do. I started a new job, met new friends and got a new apartment. It’s crazy to look back on the past year and see how drastically things have changed. I’ve learned to really treasure the people in my life because when you up and decide to move across the country, those who still keep in contact are the ones who will be there no matter what. I’m so grateful for not only all the old friends, but also the new ones I have made (and some friendships that have been rekindled after years of silence). As challenging at times as this year was, it really helped me to learn to be brave and take risks. If you’re unhappy with something in your life, the only person that can do something about it is you. I’m so happy with where I am with my life, and I have all my wonderful friends and family to thank. As this year comes to an end and we approach another new year, I’m excited to see what new changes and challenges come my way. Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year! xx, E.

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I can’t believe 2014 is over! So much has happened in the past year- my year of service with AmeriCorps came to an end, I adopted a puppy, switched life paths and enrolled at FIDM, worked on my first movie set, and made some new friendships to last a lifetime. This year has definitely been about self-discovery. As much as I may have complained about AmeriCorps, it taught me so much about myself and about hard work. I’ve always been the type of person to get by with minimum effort, but I learned fairly quickly that that wasn’t going to cut it with my classroom of wild 6th graders. Hard work and pushing boundaries soon became habit, and it has paid off immensely at FIDM, and just life in general. I’ve interned with more people than I can count on one hand, and have had so many amazing experiences and learned so much through them. Another important lesson I’ve discovered this year is about friendship. Since moving to California, I’ve met some awesome ladies who are some of the most hard-working and supportive people I know. It’s an incredible feeling being surrounded by people who do nothing but build you up, inspire you, and truly want to see you succeed. A valuable takeaway from this is to reevaluate your life. Check yourself and your relationships – are you living to your full potential? Are the people in your life helping you achieve your goals? If not, 2015 is a new year! I plan on pushing myself harder than ever and seizing every new opportunity that comes my way. Happy New Year! -v

December 30, 2014

What’s In My Travel Makeup Bag

For someone who is a makeup hoarder like myself, it’s difficult to only choose a few items to take with you on vacation. Lucky for me, this cute bag by Pamela Barsky is big enough to hold all of my favorite essentials (and the quote basically sums up my life). Here is what is currently in my travel makeup bag:

1. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation in Beige

2. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink

3. MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Medium

4. MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

5. MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly

6. MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20

7. Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer

8. Nars Blush in Desire

9. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Flush

10. e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium

11. Rimmel London ScandalEyes Retro Glam Mascara in Extreme Black

December 16, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide: Girl’s Edition 2014

We’ve made it to our final holiday gift guide. This is for all the girls out there (who run the world? GIRLS!). Whether it’s your mom, sister or best friend, sometimes shopping for a girl can be the hardest. Here are our favorite picks to help you get her something special this holiday.

1. Nothing says luxury like a pair of slippers that can be worn both around the house and out on the town.

2. For that girl that takes a million selfies, this is the perfect gift.

3. Celebrate the holidays the right way with some champs.

4. A sweet journal that she can look back on for years.

5. Every coffee lover will appreciate this Starbucks blend.

6. Pamper her with this luxurious honey bath from Laura Mercier.

7. Not only does Warby Parker have the coolest shades, but for every pair bought, they give a pair to someone in need.

8. This one is for all those yogis out there.

9. Make her the best smelling girl around with this perfume set.

10. We all have a friend who’s cracked their iPhone, here’s a way to save their day.

11. A personalized gift that won’t break the bank.

December 3, 2014

Winter Whites

Dress: Free People // Shoes: Sigerson Morrison // Sunglasses: Ray-Bans // Necklace: BaubleBar // Rings: Kate Spade, Anita Ko, BaubleBar // Bag: Gucci // Watch: Michael Kors // Bracelets: BaubleBar, Jewelmint

We spent Thanksgiving weekend exploring the beautiful town of Coronado, a little island located across the bay from San Diego. North Beach is hands down the most gorgeous beach I have ever been to (and dog friendly!). You can see for miles and miles past the horizon. The water was even warm enough to go in, and considering the East Coast is covered in snow, that’s quite a feat. On our last day in Coronado, while we wandered down Orange Ave., we came across this cute little flower shop, so naturally we had an impromptu photoshoot. Overall, it was a great weekend filled with family, friends, and food! For those of you who have never been, I’d definitely recommend making the trip!

November 5, 2014

Make Your Own Dreamcatcher

When I was in sixth grade, my step-dad’s mom, whom I didn’t know very well yet, asked me if I collected anything. She loved collections and was known to randomly give gifts that made her think of you. As far as I knew, I didn’t collect anything, so she, being a lover of all things feng shui and mystical, gave me a dreamcatcher – the first of many – to start off my collection. Since then, I have accumulated too many to count and hang them everywhere, and anytime I see one, I have to resist the urge to buy more. The great thing about dreamcatchers, though, is that you can make your own! There are so many different ways to make them, and you can customize them with anything beautiful you’re looking for a use for – beads, fabric, jewelry, etc. Here, I show you how to make one with items you probably already have laying around.

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Directions:

1) Take your leather cording and make a knot around your metal hoop. I used an old hoop earring, which made it easy to tie the cord around the backing.

2) Wrap the cord tightly all around the hoop. You may have to twist the cord around the hoop every once in a while to make sure it is tightly secured.

3) Once you have wrapped the cord all the way around the hoop, knot it off. You can either cut the excess cord off, or make a loop with it to hang the dreamcatcher from later. I opted to cut it off.

4) If the applique you chose is larger than the hoop, you can simply snip off any excess to make it fit inside the hoop.

5) Once your applique is the right size, take your needle and thread and sew around the edges of the applique, connecting it to the hoop. I chose to double my thread to fill in some of the extra space, but this is optional.

6) Finally, add your finishing touches! I cut strips of fabric with some added beads and tied them along the bottom. I also used the extra leather cord I had and attached feathers to the bottom with beads. I simply looped a piece of thread around the top to hang it, but you can also tie it to a twig for a more bohemian feel. Get creative!

October 28, 2014

Apple-Gruyere Crostini

As you may have noticed from recent posts, we have been trying desperately to get into the fall spirit, amidst the 80 degree weather and palm trees (cue the violins). I thought, what could possibly be more fall-like than apple-picking right?! Wrong. After scouring the internet for the best orchards in the area (there are none), I hopped in the car for an hour-long road trip into the middle of the desert to what is apparently the “apple-country” of Southern California. As usual, I decided it would be a genius idea to bring my poor dog (and poor boyfriend) along on my great adventure and subject them to the million degree temperatures and my constant, overly-excited declaration of how much fun we were (I was) having. In the end, it was all worth it, and we ended up with more apples than we knew what to do with. In an effort to not let them go to waste, Esther and I whipped up these apple-Gruyere crostinis as a make-shift lunch before a matinee showing of Gone Girl. They were so quick and easy to make, and made for a perfect snack!

Apple-Gruyere Crostini

1/2 baguette, sliced into 1-inch slices

1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced

Honey

Crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, add a few drops of honey to each, and top with apple slices, cheese, and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until bread is slightly golden. Remove from oven and enjoy!

October 27, 2014

Fall Florals

Shirt: Target [similar] // Skirt: Brandy Melville [similar] // Belt: Anthropologie [similar] // Booties: Burberry [similar] // Bag: Gucci // Necklace: BaubleBar // Ring: BaubleBar and Anita Ko // Bracelet: Cruciani x BaubleBar

The weather in LA hasn’t quite hit fall yet, but that hasn’t stopped me from breaking out my fall wardrobe. Booties are my favorite fall staple, they can be dressed up or dressed down to easily complete any look. Since it still gets up to the high 70’s during the day, I opted to pair my booties with a floral skirt and kept it casual with this chambray shirt. And no outfit is complete without some jewelry. As they say, the bigger the better…and this BaubleBar necklace is sure to make a statement.

October 25, 2014

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

Although we’re already at the end of October, it hasn’t quite started to feel like fall in Southern California yet. With temperatures still in the 80s, what better way to get in the fall mood than with pumpkin-flavored everything! We picked up a dozen bagels from Panera and decided to whip up some pumpkin cream cheese to go with. We followed Better Home and Gardens recipe and were pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out! We strayed from the recipe a bit, using a little less pumpkin pie spice as to not completely over-power the cream cheese flavor, and since we didn’t have an electric mixer, we just threw all of the ingredients into the blender, and it worked like a charm!