Hello, Obsession.

My latest obsession, which I encourage every entrepreneur to apply for...

Calling all fledgling designers, budding restauranteurs, and desk jockeys dying to quit their day jobs. Your big break has finally arrived. Enter DailyCandy’s Start Small, Go Big Contest, and you could win a trip to New York City, the opportunity to mix and mingle with industry bigwigs at our Academy, and a solo write-up in a DailyCandy email.

All you have to do is wow us with your idea. Are you a corporate slave by day, indie seamstress by night? The brains behind the ultimate party in a box? Or do you operate a top-secret cocktail den from inside your apartment? (We kid. That can’t be legal.)

Tell us all about it, and we’ll do you a solid by spreading the word and introducing you to the likes of Dennis Crowley (Foursquare), Melissa Bushell (Baked by Melissa), and Rebecca Minkoff (that handbag you’re carrying). In other words, all the people you need to know in your dream industry.

Simply choose the category that best fits your business (Fashion, Food & Drink, Home, or Beauty) and get to wooing.

Press Here

Randomly, I See

I'm mystified every time I glance at these images. I can honestly sit and stare at them all day. The first time I caught a glimpse of one of these prints was in Financial District roaming around with my boyfriend. Ever since then we have been collecting them in small prints and adding them to our office walls. It's funny, each person that comes in sees them very differently, one can only assume that's the beauty of them- and realistically that's art in general.

{images:pinterest}

Take It To The Nude

Go nude. Natural skin tones are the new black..... (what did you think I meant)..... ahem, yes, as I was saying go nude. I adore the naturally soft colors on any skin tone and with Fall around the corner I can already tell its going to be boastful season. These mellow colors bring nothing short of a constant bliss when I'm walking around the city. I'll admit that I'm 'overly' looking forward to wearing my bright emerald dress with my new slightly pinkish-cream colored pea coat, I can only keep on the "oh, so slightly mellow". I hope you're as excited for Fall fashion as I am!

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Stay Simple, Keep Healthy

I know how difficult it can be when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Between living life and taking care of all that comes about in our everyday, well, sometimes things get hectic. But do not fret, keep the things in life that should be simple- simple and let the other details work themselves through. 

When I know I have one of those hectic weeks heading for me the easiest thing to do is to get lazy. So I've come up with a solution that truly works for me. Instead of doubling up in my workouts- stressing that I have to get so many miles ran and workout routines in this week I simply take it all in and adjust my diet. I do this water cleanse once or twice a month. Test it out, see if it works for you and use it to your benefit. Also, check out the latest concoctions for 'skip the soda' drinks. 

Nike "Make Yourself" campaign is continuing strong and it's only going to get stronger because of people like us that want the lifestyle change. You can do it! Stay Strong. 

-Stay tuned for the latest news on BoHo 'Lifestyle' Studio-

Pilates-Xtend-Callanetics-Yoga

Words of Sound: Playlist Savvy

Here We Go

ENJOY IT.

"Aha" Moments

Have a Seat

One of my favorite workouts is "The Insanity Chair" otherwise known as The Combo Chair. Yes, it looks scary but this little piece of equipment can knock you into a world of satisfying pain while receiving the utter most advanced sculpting for your body. Not trying preach it but I am a full believer in what Pilates and the equipment of Pilates can do for one's body. "The Combo Chair" is one of those magical units that Joe Pilates imagined up that truly gets the job done. Take my advice and try it out... and if you truly don't like it... well, I just don't and won't have a response. -It's a lifestyle, not just a workout routine.  

"The Insanity Chair" :)

I Spy Something Red

This apartment by  Círculo Q Arquitectos is what I'm looking into doing for my Pilates studio. I don't want to be to bold with color, even though I love them, but I think I right amount of accent pieces could definitely get the job done. Keep my BoHo chic approach with a hint of spicy. That should get the workouts going.

Brunch at Tiffany's with Jackie O

I'll admit that certain days of my life I pretend are a movie and actually growing up my Nana told me to pretend my life was the leading role in a film so I would always behave and act like a lady. Funny how things turn out... I won't say that I'm this proper lady (close but not fully there) and to add another 'Nana one-liner', she would say you that if you had to tell someone you're a lady- well your behavior must be saying something otherwise. I think I'd have to agree with her on this one. However, these dresses remind me of simply that. When women would always be dolled up and fashion was a statement not drafted but mainly accidental. I adore these dresses from Dig for Victory, they remind that I want to spend my mornings window shopping while eating breakfast and wearing my pearls.

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Words of Sound

Attention: Mass producing of ultimate bands coming to you from the breeding grounds of Seattle! Oh, Seattle how I thoroughly love the talent that expands from there to here- like the ongoing sound that plays throughout my house by the Band of Horses. Not only do the vocals of lead singer, Ben Bridwell (some may remember him from Carissa's Weird), pull at my heart strings but the melodies couldn't be any more charming. Plus, playing their albums lightens up my annoying habit of me over playing my Seattle favorite, Eddie Vedder, for the sanity of my friends and my boyfriend. 

Bright Lights, Big City

The Limelight

One of my absolute favorite "One-Stop Shop" spots! And to be frank I know that this luring spot has a bit of a disastrously beautiful history, as to where it was a "one-stop" spot for prayer and then migrated into a night club that glamorously shared it's abundance of drugs and sweet addictions with all whom welcome it. However, the beauty of The Limelight is how New York won't let go. The building has been through decades after decades still standing and now is one of the hottest market places for independent shops. I love this place to this day and I admit I love it's history- even when Andy Warhol partied all night with Edie Sedgwick inside its walls. 

{images:TheLimelight}

for the sake of Humanity

The Design For Humanity online art auction benefiting the VH1 Save The Music Foundation is on now. Lets all come together for the sake of sound and Save The Music.

Check out the pieces up for bid! View the gallery at charityfolks.com

Excuse Me... All Athletes & Non-Athletes

Get inspired and join in on the Nike "Make Yourself" Campaign. Get out of your comfort zone and get active- anything and everything makes a difference, even if you're not a track star (I most certainly am not), 'yoga-lite' or 'pilate-ian'... take that walk or jog because by taking the initiative your have already made a huge step forward, rather than the person sitting on the couch.

Nike launched its “Make Yourself” campaign last year, a marketing effort to encourage women who want to improve their physical form, to become “the best version” of themselves. Seven top athletes including tennis players Maria Sharapova and Li Na, track-and-field stars Allyson Felix and Perri Shakes-Drayton, soccer’s Hope Solo, dancer Sofia Boutella, and surfer Laura Enever, will serve as the female dream team in the upcoming campaign.

The ads will run in the August and September issues of Seventeen, InStyle and Glamour magazine, with an emphasis on digital components as well. The Nike Women facebook page was utilized the first time around; a dedicated wall allowed females from all over the globe to share the goal(s) they are working towards and in turn, motivate and inspire other Nike Women to follow their example.

From Me to You

I'll let you in on a little secret... we bloggers (if I do so call myself) live in these bubbles of "secret societies". I say this only because I have had the pleasure of seeing around the world from my computer screen through fellow bloggers and have picked up on some best kept secrets. Thanks to Sharona, my spicy talented friend, I have fallen head-over-heels for Graham & Green. OK, so maybe its not so much a secret society, since technically we're all giving and receiving information of all kinds of goodness. But I liked the sound of it-

1. Baroque Bookshelves

2. Ceramic Animal Heads

3. Scalloped Tea Light Holders

4. Stripe Doggy Draught Excluder & Door Stop

5. Blackboard Clock

6. Monkey Door Hangers

7. Moroccan Leather Pouffe

8. Fifties Kitchen Hook

Words of Sound

Abandoning a 12 Step Program normally isn't the smartest move to make, especially when you've just broken up with a long time girlfriend and moved out of your house that was shared with your best friend. However, for Alex Ebert it ending up leading him straight to Jade Castrinos to form the one and only magical correlation of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Slightly mental with an exotic twist of lyrics this album will have you skipping down the hall with the biggest smile across your face. It's my "must have" music for my studio sounds to get me into action mode.

July Brings

Sweaty mess! July definitely brings the heat but still it remains to be one of the best brunch months of the year! I'm not exactly sure as to why we all mark up our calenders with brunch dates with friends- all I know is that Friday through Saturday (usually 11am-2pm) my boyfriend and I catch up with friends at our favorite spots and discuss just how good life really is. Have an amazing month of July.  

Brunch Brunch Brunch- best part of the day

My latest trend, collecting a couple of these

Rooftops... we make it happen

Escape the heat... fade into the art

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If Only

I have had this vision of taking a road trip across the country with my closest friends since I was sixteen. A decade or so later I still have yet to do so. I'm not one for camping out every night or ever really, I despise mosquitoes, but given the chance to do some road-warrior traveling in some styled out high performance winnebago... count me in. 

If only this was my real job to travel around in this. {images:caravanolic}

I said... SUP

Don't get me wrong this weekend was completely amazing- but being surrounded by an active family and friends for hours upon hours...  I decided that I needed a little relaxation with some fresh air. Yet, when it comes to "relaxing" my boyfriend is more of the 'outdoorsy' type relaxer which sometimes leads us to hit heads when it come to deciding an easygoing-workout-play around type exercise (there is no relaxing with my significant other, so might as well go with it). Last Sunday he walked in and muttered "sup" with a huge grin on his face. I'm not sure the facial expression I had on my face but looking at his childish excitement I starting putting the pieces together.

Stand-Up Paddling is one of the greatest core workouts I have received without even focusing on working those particular muscles. I loved it! And the beauty of SUP is at first it was only happening in the oceans but not anymore, it's now everywhere- lakes, rivers and bays. Don't miss out on this summer fun opportunity that rocks your body in the most adventurous way. 

Plus, life doesn't get much better than this: Nature-SUP-Yoga & Just You. Pretty Great.

Put A Bow On It

Literally, one of my favorite designers has created brilliance through the slightest of detail.  Allow me to show you...

AZZARO

 Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Collection

On the 4th of July

Have a Happy & Cheerful 

4th of July !!!!!

xoxo~

Natalie

Hello, Obsession.

Summer is when I get the liberty of catching up on most of the books that I piled up in the corner of my office. My boyfriend seems to think that I'm some what creepy considering I refuse to buy a nook/iPad/kindle to handle my mess pile of books. I'm a book keeper, though- once I read them I place them, ever so nicely, up on one of the many book cases. I love the look of the book covers expanding across my walls, almost as if to glamourize them and myself for reading... as if guests in my home didn't know I could read. Yes, it's silly but I think my poor boyfriend is going to have to deal with my book piles during the three other seasons and secretly I know he reads them after I put them on my shelf... as if I wouldn't realize that they had been moved. Silly significant other.  

I read this classic every other year :)