Monday, April 30, 2012

"WE FOUND LOVE" BY INGRID MICHAELSON

I'm on a serious Ingrid Michaelson high after this weekend. If you ever have the chance to see her live, do it! She is so talented musically and she's a comedian. It's like a two-fer.

Currently obsessed with this video she has on YouTube from her Army of 3 Series, a cover of Rhianna's "We Found Love". All voice, no instruments. How crazy is that.

Friday, April 27, 2012

FRIDAY'S FAB $15





Ahh, we survived yet another week! It's finally Friday and I'd like to share with you my top four picks for under $15. The heart tea infuser is on my must-have list and I think the anchor scarf would be a perfect staple for the cool summer nights that are approaching.

On a side note, Picnik has officially been dead for one week and I'm starting to adjust to using PicMonkey. What is everyone else using as an alternative (if you used Picnik)? I wish I had the time to dive into Photoshop more but frankly don't at this time. Must admit, I do miss my collage feature on Picnik though!

Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I'm headed to the Ingrid Michaelson show tomorrow night at House of Blues and can't wait. I love her so.

xo,
Marit

1. warm my heart tea infuser, mod cloth
2. anchor infinity scarf, world market
3. secret ingredient spoon, mod cloth
4. sewing pattern notebook, etsy, 10antemeridiem

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

DOG-FRIENDLY SAN DIEGO


If there is one thing that San Diego definitely has {besides amazing weather} it's an array of dog-friendly places. From parks and beaches to bars and hotels, San Diego will let you take your pooch almost anywhere with you.

I absolutely hate leaving my little man Otis home all day {the guy has separation issues and it breaks my heart- and wallet} and I love knowing there are places nearby that I can take him and let him run it out. South Park is probably the most dog-friendly area that I've found in San Diego if you are looking to move to or visit a neighborhood with your pooch. Here is a list of my favorite dog-friendly haunts.

1. Coronado Dog Beach- located just north of the Hotel Del, this is probably the cleanest and least crowded off-leash dog beach in town. Oh, and not to mention, Coronado has one of the most beautiful beaches in California and the dog section is no exception {this is where the photo above of Otis was taken.}

2. Fiesta Island Dog Park-  this is definitely Otis' favorite place on Earth. We always joke that its Disneyland for dogs. Located in Mission Bay, it's a large 'island' filled with sand dunes for them and pretty flowers for you. With access to the bay right across from SeaWorld, dogs can hop in the water for a swim or chase birds all day long like ours does. It's about two miles around so its a great place to take a walk or jog without having to hold a leash. Regulars take immaculate care of the park and it shows.

3. The Station Tavern- the Station Tavern in South Park is first and foremost an amazing burger joint. Filled with South Park locals, the place is always filled and has indoor seating, outdoor seating and a gated playground for the kiddos. My second favorite part? It's dog-friendly! Otis loves sniffing out the other dogs and getting pet by everyone there while we have our burger and beer. On the menu? Be sure to get their black bean burger and sweet potato fries {with paprika sauce.}

4. Grape Street Dog Park- the most social of all the dog parks I've found, located in the heart of South Park, this is a great place to let your dog run wild and meet some of your neighbors while you're at it!

5. Pizzeria Luigi- while they don't advertise being a dog-friendly restaurant, Luigi's does allow dogs on their outdoor porch. Located on 25th Street in Golden Hill, Luigi's has some of the best pizza I've had. No really. My favorite is to order their pizza and beer combo, two pieces of pizza and a beer for under $10! There are always plenty of families there (many with their pooch) enjoying the food and casual atmosphere.


Monday, April 23, 2012

A FRINGE AFFAIR









When I came across this fringe themed wedding decor, I was stopped dead in my tracks. No, I'm not getting married but how can you not love this theme? Featured on Martha Stewart weddings, these fringe-tastic ideas have me hoping that somebody I know uses these ideas...and sends me one of those invites ;) This dress would tie it together perfectly. Ahh...

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

lovely summer prints

Well, it's officially wedding season. I don't know if it's just the time range of my life, but there are SO many weddings coming up! Last weekend I went to a friend's gorgeous wedding at a ranch up in San Marcos, CA and have my little cousins coming up this summer in MN. Needless to say, I need some new wedding guest garb. I love everything bright and bold this year (this is a long ways from where I was a few years ago- black, grey and white EVERYTHING). These dresses are getting me excited to dive into summer and wedding season.

1. ikat maxi dress (even comes in long, woot), old navy
2. chevron dress, taylor dresses, nordstrom
3. polka dot and lace, net-a-porter
4. dotty dress, madwell
5. red stripes, gap (actually do own this one and love it)
6. color strokes, thread sense

Monday, April 16, 2012

Easter With My Peeps (+ 5 tips for hosting in a small space)



Well, it's safe to say that I survived hosting my first Easter brunch last week. Not only did I survive, but we had such a fun and relaxing day. The beautiful weather didn't hurt either. By keeping the day semi-simple I was able to have 12 people in my studio apartment, feed everyone and even sit down for some ham and mimosas myself. I'm in no way a rock star hostess, in fact I don't even know that I know how to correctly set a table (oops) but I figured I'd share some tips that seemed to have worked. Here are five hopefully helpful tips on hosting in a small space. And for the record, by small I mean less than 500 square feet of an apartment. Southern California living at its finest.  

1. Keep the guest list small. While I would have liked to invite everyone and anyone that I know, I chose to keep the list smallish. A lot of my friends in San Diego are not from here so Easter and Thanksgiving always seem to be big friend holidays.

2. Move out non-functional items/clear out the room: My entire living area is in one room, everything from my couch and TV to my desk and dresser. By pushing everything out of the center of the room and turning my desk and dresser into serving tables, I made use of every inch my tiny place has to offer. When everything was moved to the outskirts of the room it felt surprisingly roomy!

3.Let the neighbors know: Having always lived in apartments since my college days, I realize that noise travels quickly to your neighbors apartments. I made sure to leave a little note on each of my neighbors doors letting them know we would be having a little gathering and that they were welcome to join. Who can fight with that? If you can't fight them, join them right?

4. Keep the menu simple & prep: With all the cute ideas and recipes flooding our brains on blogs and Pinterest, it's hard not to get carried away and make every egg and bird shaped food out there, but remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE. I made the staple foods- ham, potatoes, salad and desserts and asked everyone else to help with appetizers and drinks. This way I was able to focus on the bigger picture and not get carried away in all the details (ok, maybe I got a little carried away). Also, prep as much as you can the night before, this includes setting out all the dishes, making the desserts (it is ok, nobody will know you didn't make those cupcakes fresh that morning!) and setting up the room. Once Sunday morning came I was able to pull everything together and enjoy myself.

5. Rent! I know I may have an unfair advantage here because my boyfriend works for an event rental company, but holy cow, renting saved the day! By renting our chairs, plates and silverware I was able to throw everything in a box at the end of the day and not worry about washing dishes (no dishwasher here, of course). You may be surprised how reasonable renting really is. Definitely worth the extra few bucks.

Note: Framed subway art is from Eighteen25 and dress is from Forever21.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Friday's Fab $15: West Elm Edition


West Elm is one of my favorite stores. It also happens to collect half my paycheck every time I walk in...

Although I try to restrain myself, I couldn't any longer. Here are four of my favorite West Elm picks right now, all for under $15! I love all the fun little things that West Elm now carries.

I'm also head over heels in love with this beautiful ikat rug.

1. Blocked Pillow
2. Bathroom Tumbler
3. Cosmetic Bag
4. Various Tea Towels

Check out all my other fab $15 posts here!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

pretty me pinterest. hello yellow!


Not a whole lot says spring to me more than the color yellow (okay and maybe coral this year!). Here are some pretty Pinterest finds as of recent that represent that sunny, spring color. That maxi dress just might need to be mine. What says spring to you? 

Follow me here on Pinterest.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

easter-spiration



Hoppy {early} Easter everyone! So excited another holiday is here to celebrate. I've taken on the task of hosting 12 {list keeps growing..} friends at my STUDIO apartment tomorrow to celebrate. This will also mark the making of my first ham. I will be sure to post photos of the day later in the week but here are some easter-infused things that have inspired me to do all this. Eek. Enjoy the day and don't forget to eat lots of peeps.

sources:

Friday, April 6, 2012

friday's fab $15


Presenting the first official post and first Fab $15 post on Lovely Struck. I hope you all had a wonderful week. I'm in the midst of craziness- from work to company to hosting Easter this Sunday. I promise many more posts will be coming and that this new site will be completely up and running in the weeks to come. Enjoy this budget-friendly eye candy in the meantime...

1. natural healing lip balm by winsomegreen 2. put & pull diy pencil case by elenushka 3. colorful chevron beach towel from old navy 4. white bud vases to hold all your spring blooms from west elm