Labor Day Getaway

The older I get the more I appreciate quiet weekends at our family cabin. It's amazing how rejuvenated you feel after a few days of reading, biking, baking and taking photos. Once again, poor Kiwi had to stay at home {he's almost done with his MBA program!} but it was great spending some quality girl time with my little sister and my sweet friend Amanda who joined us on the trip and baked us many a delicious treat. A little Labor Day getaway was just what the doctor ordered!

*You can see photos from last Labor Day here.

the fun bun

My favorite look these days is a super high bun piled atop my head. It's incredibly easy and with Arizona temperatures still in the triple digits, it's a simple and stylish way to keep cool. It would be a conservative estimate to say that I sport this hairstyle at least four days a week. Needless to say, when I came across this article describing Lauren Conrad's fun bun as a super-chic, donut-inspired summer hairstyle I had a pretty good laugh. I ask you, what could be better than a donut-inspired 'do?

*You can see me rocking the fun bun in Paris here and get the full tutorial over at The Beauty Department.

crisp champagne

I've been a longtime devotee of the Capri Blue, Volcano Candle from Anthropologie... but I think I may have found a new favorite. As of late, I've been obsessed with my new Crisp Champagne Candle from Voluspa. The scent is described as sparkling brut champagne with a hint of vanilla and barrel oak. I want to buy candles for every room in our house. Trust me, it's that good.

*Do you have a "signature scent" for your home? I'd love to hear what your favorite candles are!

art appreciation

My mom, sister and I spent Sunday afternoon checking out the new collections at the Phoenix Art Museum. I absolutely loved the Modern Mexican Painting exhibit and Peter Wegner's incredible Guillotine of Sunlight and Guillotine of Shade. The installation is made up of 1.4 million pieces of recycled paper! Totally amazing. I forgot how inspiring it is to just meander through the different galleries, taking it all in.

*Where do you go when you need a little inspiration?