lifestyle

Online Pop Up Shop

Pop Up Shop- Enchanting Elegance

Happy Monday lovelies! I'm so excited to announce that I'll be hosting an online pop up shop for all of my followers starting tomorrow, Tuesday the 16th and ending on Friday the 19th. Eren Timario approached me asking if I'd like to host an online pop up for her Chole and Isabel boutique. I thought this was a wonderful idea, but first wanted to check out the jewelry to make sure it would be something my readers would like and also of good quality. Everything I present on Enchanting Elegance is held to my highest standards. I personally believe it is of importance to only bring quality material to my blog. While I looked over the product line, finding the most beautiful pieces, I knew this would be a great fit and an exciting opportunity to present a brand that may not be known about.

Also, as a little bonus, one lucky shopper will get 25% off of their $75 purchase. The winner will be chosen once the pop up shop ends on Friday. Good luck to everyone and let me know if you'll be attending the online pop up in the comments below!

To enter the online pop up shop, please use this link:

www.chloeandisabel.com/boutique/littleladyeren/512d97

 

These are some of the items I fell in love with and want to add to my collection!

Online Pop Up Shop

Pop Up Shop- Enchanting Elegance
Pop Up Shop- Enchanting Elegance
Pop Up Shop- Enchanting Elegance
Pop Up Shop- Enchanting Elegance

Tote Bags for Summer

Tote Bags for Summer


1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |

Happy Tuesday! Here is a little collection of some summer tote bags I've been crushing on lately. Whether its a pop of color or a fun tassels, these bags are sure to brighten up any summer day.

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Dad's Birthday Party

Turning 61

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Ever since my mom passed we have been celebrating my dad's birthday at my house. I love having the chance to host the party and getting to entertain everyone. This year my dad turned 61 and we planned on treating him to dinner and then having cake and coffee back at my house. Angel food cake has always been the staple in my family and I love serving fresh strawberries with it. My brother's girlfriend also made an amazing apple strudel, she'll be a famous chef one day mark my words!, along with the coffee. I used happy birthday confetti to decorate the tables and cake plate, balloons by the fireplace, and banners placed along the walls and fireplace as well. It was such a fun night to enjoy with the family and show my dad how much he is loved.

Last year we had a big celebration since it was my dad's 60th. I really wanted go all out for him and he truly deserves it. We all went out to dinner on his birthday and then hosted a similar dessert party back at my house. Then, a few days later, we drove down to Hotel Hershey for a fabulous Sunday brunch. This had to be the best brunch I have ever had and seen. What a beautiful setting to relax and enjoy. They had every kind of food and dessert you could imagine. I'm glad we were able to do it and make his birthday so special. This happened right before I started this blog last year and never had a chance to share so what better time then when celebrating his birthday this year.

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chocolate covered strawberries
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Styling Your Vanity

Pretty Little Things

styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity
styling your vanity

My favorite time of the day is when I'm sitting at my vanity and getting ready for the day ahead. It's a time to relax and primp, which to me has always been quite fun. I wanted my space to reflect my personal loves and have a feeling of delicateness and romance. I knew right off of the bat that I wanted white furniture. It feels pretty and clean. Next, adding antique dishes for showing off some of my jewelry. I really loved the idea of having my jewelry out and also using it as a decoration. It's much easier getting ready when you can actually see what you own. Along the same lines, I wanted my makeup brushes to be out and keep them in a pretty candle holder and also a little decorative stiletto shoe my mom surprised me with. What vanity would be complete without a mirrored plate to keep perfume, little mementos, and flowers on? Really, anything can be stored on the plate and makes it feel oh so very feminine. Scattered here and there are little personal items such as a framed photograph of Justin and I along with little photos I place on my mirror, seashells from family vacations, a cork from my birthday in Hyannis Port last year, a crystal bear from my grandmother, and lastly a wand that has purple and blue stars, moons, and star dust. The wand was given to me as a child from my dad. It's something I've always loved and treasured and keep it in a prime spot where I can always see it. One of the last items on my vanity is an antique mirror and brush set my mom gave me. Having an extra mirror to hold up close comes in handy when you're applying eye liner and mascara.

A Joyous Announcement

Happy Valentine's Day

Today I am so thrilled to announce our pregnancy. I took these pictures for a photo announcement card that was sent out to our family and friends. Baby Brezovsky is on the way! Justin and I could not be any more excited. We are literally brimming with happiness as we await our little one to join us. Now that the second trimester has started, and I am feeling much better than in the first, I can finally start planning and preparing the nursery and all the little details that accompany the arrival. How fitting to share this news during a holiday that represents love and caring. 

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pregnancy announcement
pregnancy announcement
pregnancy announcement
pregnancy announcement
pregnancy announcement

Flower Power

Flower Arranging Tips

The earth laughs in flowers
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
arranging flowers

Nothing beats having fresh flowers in your home. The bright colors and fragrant smells remind me of what such beauty there is in this world. Bringing fresh flowers into your home will no doubt brighten up your mood. While filling your home with fresh flowers can be costly, one trick I've learned is to buy bunches of inexpensive flowers, separate them all out, and then make my own small arrangements in pretty vases. So now you have the small arrangements chosen for each vase. Another trick I've learned is to take clear tape and make a grid pattern at the opening home of the vase. Think like a tic-tac-toe game. After creating the grid and cutting the stems to the appropriate length, place each flower within each little square until you can no longer see the clear tape. This way the flowers stay upright and do not fall over. Think outside of the box too with your vases. Why not try a bowl (cut the stems short for this), a teacup, or even a mason jar?

Good Reads

Fall 2014 Edition

fall reading

There's nothing like curling up with a good book once the weather starts to cool. I always seem to gravitate towards mystery novels once Autumn hits and maybe that's due to the mystery that starts to fill the air with the days getting shorter, nights getting longer, and Halloween right around the corner. I love to snuggle under a blanket with a nice cup of tea and loose myself into an imaginary world. Without further ado, here is my Fall 2014 reading list.

 

 

  1. Girl Three by Tracy March. This was recommended to me by my relative and with good reason. It's a murder mystery set in Washington D.C. with political agendas, romance, betrayal, and the unraveling of secrets. Seems like a page turner to me and one that I cannot wait to read. The author wrote the book in a condo that was owned by my relatives and one that I had to pleasure of actually staying in. Pretty cool if you ask me.

  2. The Night Circus by Eric Morgenstern. A spell casting novel about a circus that magically appears out of thin air and brings with it all of the excitement and unique experiences a circus can offer. Behind the scenes, within the circus, a competition of imagination and will is going on, one that could destroy the circus, performers, and patron alike.

  3. How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, Sophie Mas. A how to book by four French women on everything from how they dress, entertain, have fun, and attempt to behave themselves. I don't know about you, but anything Parisian gets my vote!

  4. The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson. A true story of how the Chicago Worlds Fair came to be and all that went on around it. An intertwining story of a serial murderer who used the 1893 fair to lure his victims to their death.

  5. Station Eleven by Emily St. Jon Mandel. A spellbinding story about a group of nomad actors, a Hollywood star and his soon to be savior, set in the eerie days of civilizations collapse, roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.

  6. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. The story of a New York boy who survives a car accident that kills his mother. Tormented by her death, he clings to a painting that reminds him of her, and one that ultimately draws him into the underworld of art. As an adult, he owns an antique store, finds himself to be alienated and in love, and at the center of a dangerous circle.

fall reading

What are some books you're currently reading or ones you're looking forward to?

The Ice Bucket Challenge

For my mother...

I was challenged by Dave and Kleynia McKnight and also Emily Kilgore. In turn, I challenge Joe Brey, Mike Fasulka, Alison Kasper, and my brother Michael. A big thanks to my dad for taking the video on my phone and to my husband Justin for helping me with the bucket of ice water. We will be donating to the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) foundations. It was important for me to do this in order to raise awareness for all of the neurological diseases there are. My mother was diagnosed with MS back in 1997 and fought a long battle for 16 years until succumbing to the illness and passing away this past December. It was heart breaking for my family to see my mother go through this for 16 years and then for her life to end like that was the hardest experience I've ever been through. So I dedicate this challenge to you mom for the uphill challenges you faced everyday. I love  you.


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—also referred to as motor neurone disease (MND), Charcot disease, and, in the United States, Lou Gehrig's disease—is a neurodegenerative disease with various causes. It is characterised by muscle spasticity, rapidly progressive weakness due to muscle atrophy, difficulty in speaking (dysarthria), swallowing (dysphagia), and breathing (dyspnea). ALS is the most common of the five motor neuron diseases. There is no known cure for ALS.

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. People with MS say they have unusual sensations such as pins and needles, numbness, itching, burning, stabbing, or tearing pains. Bladder problems, trouble walking, fuzziness when thinking, dizziness, fatigue, muscle spasms, speech trouble, tremors, and vision problems can also occur. The cause of MS is still unknown- scientists believe the disease is triggered by as-yet-unindentified environment facotr(s) in a person who is genetically predisposed to respond. There is no known cure for MS

The doctors said my mother had one of the worst cases of MS they had ever seen. She declined quickly and then platued to a point where she was could not longer walk and eventually lost use of her arms as well. Each year I could see something fading away with her. It was always subtle, but there. She  was able to grab a hold of a sipping cup to drink water through a straw, then she could no longer reach over to the cup, then she could no longer hold the cup at all, then she no longer had any control over her arms period. She was completely bed ridden and was only able to get out of bed with the use of a lift, and when she did get into a chair, she could only stay out for an hour or two at the most. She was a fighter though. I've never seen anyone with a stronger will power than her. She wanted to be there on my wedding day 3 years ago and she found an inner strength to make it happen. My family was so incredibly proud of her. If I had half the strength and will power she had then I would be good. For any family suffering with a member who has a neurological disease, I understand and know the difficulties you've gone through and the difficulties that lay ahead. I am happy to see the awareness being raised to these diseases and hope one day a cure is found so no one has to ever live like this. Please take the challenge and donate. Have fun doing the ice bucket and take a moment to understand what this is all for.

The last photo I had taken with my mom in her beloved garden built for her by my dad. She did not like having her photo taken because of how she looked with the MS, but it was important for us to have these memories and I'm so thankful that we do. Even in her weakened state from the MS, she still took care of her family. What an amazing woman.

mom and me

My mom and me in younger years. Here we were about to go to a relatives wedding. This was my favorite hair style of hers. She's so beautiful and the absolute best mother I could have ever asked for.

The Top 20 Stylish Movies of all Time

Let's be honest, when it comes to clothing style, its the silver screen that we collectively look to for inspiration. I myself have been heavily influenced by the greats revealing their style genius for all of the world to see while glittering upon the movie screen. Both of my prom dresses were influenced by Grace Kelly in two of her three Hitchcock films, "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief." I was so inspired by Faye Dunaway's character in "The Thomas Crown Affair," that I started to wear plum eye shadow for a good period of time, including my senior pictures. As a whole, my own style evolved from the screen goddesses of yester-year. Do you own a little black dress in your closet, because if you do,  (if not then you absolutely need to go get one!) you can thank Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" for that. For all of you gents out there, how about the ever popular grey suit? That goes to Cary Grant in North By Northwest. Styles and trends were born with the fabulous actors gracing the silver screen and will continue to do so for as long as fashion and movies are around. Below is a list I created of the top stylish movies of all time. Note, not fashion, but style. The two are different beyond measure. Yves Saint Laurent said it best, "fashion fades, style is eternal."

Listed are number 20 all the way through number 1, which is a movie that not only has great style, but also some of the best actors that have ever lived, not to mention the best director. Be inspired and enjoy!

Photo credit: IMDB.com

Shop Your Own Closet

Budget Babe

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I think it would be safe to say most women love to go shopping. There's something about getting a new item that gives a little thrill. While I'm all for that and enjoy it to no end, I want to challenge you to do something that most probably have never thought of, shop your own closet. With the economy the way it is, all of us could benefit from saving an extra penny here and there for the future. As you can see from the picture to the left, my closet is pretty jam packed as it it. Mind you, this is just my Spring and Summer wardrobe. I have to admit, when I took the challenge myself to peruse through my own closet, I found some items I had forgotten even existed. Finding these "new items" was pretty exciting and felt good, just like a shopping trip would. So for the next week challenge yourself to shop your own closet and be amazed at what you might find.

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closet

Crazy for Coconuts

Coconut Oil

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One of the biggest health and beauty crazes of 2014 is coconut oil. The best kind to use is pure, unrefined, cold pressed, organic extra virgin. This can easily be found at any grocery store for around $7-10. What's all the fuss about you ask? Well, after conducting a 2 month test, I'll let you in on all the goodies this yummy oil has to offer.

Cooking:

To start off, coconut oil is a healthy alternative for butter and fats in the diet. You can use it to saute vegetables, roast kale or sweet potatoes, add into smoothies or oatmeal (which I do every morning), use it in baked goods, and even over popcorn. Not to mention it tastes great too, just like a coconut, go figure. I use this oil as much as I can in my cooking or baking. If I juice some vegetables or fruit I mix some in, if I make a smoothie the oil goes in. Any more when I bake up some treats, this is the oil I use or when I need to coat some veggies for sauteing or roasting, you guessed it, coconut oil.

Beauty:

This light weight oil, jam packed with vitamin E, can be used on your skin or hair. I like to add some oil, heated so that it turns into a liquid state, into my hair before I take a shower for about 1 hour. Then I shampoo it out and continue with my normal conditioning. Also, sometimes I put the oil on after my shower, while my hair is still damp, as to moisturize the ends and keep them shiny. Only a little bit is needed though or the hair looks too greasy and no one likes that. As a body moisturizer, I put this on after my shower, within 3 minutes of getting out so as not to loose any of the moisture from the shower. It does smell faintly of coconuts, which I like, but that does fade after a little while if you are one who does like the scent as much.

 

Oil Pulling:

The reason why most people are becoming aware of coconut oil is because of a morning ritual technique called oil pulling. Before brushing or flossing, you take a spoon full of the oil, swish it in your mouth for 20 minutes like a mouth wash, spit it out preferably into a trash can as to not block up your drain, rinse your mouth with salt water, and then continue on with flossing and brushing as you regularly would. What happens within those 20 minutes really is quite remarkable. The oil literally pulls out all of the bacteria from inside the mouth and creates a clean environment. Your breath smells fresher over time, your teeth become whiter, and the bacteria becomes non existent. I do this about 3 times a week for the full 20 minutes. When I'm traveling I take it down a notch to about 10 minutes. One thing to remember is not to swallow any of the oil while swishing. In doing that, you basically swallow the bacteria back into the body.

 

Health:

This do it all oil not only helps hair stay shiny, skin stay moisturized, eases cooking and baking, but it is also extremely good for you as well. Where has this magic oil been all of my life!?  Health benefits include, helps in easing digestion, improves bone health, healing damaged tissue and infections, treats pancreatitis and Alzheimer's disease, rich in lauric acid that helps maintain blood sugar and cholesterol, prevents diseases affecting the liver and kidney, prevents and effectively cures candida, and strengthens the immune system.

 

Travel Log

NYC and Beyond

To say this past weekend was exceptional would be putting it lightly. I not only had the extreme pleasure of visiting one of the most exciting cities on the earth, but I had the great opportunity to see one of my favorite musicals, The Phantom of the Opera, while also visiting with family, enjoying beautiful weather, visiting tranquil forests, and even taking in a movie at the end of the weekend to round out some wonderful memories. Justin's father came to visit us and had his first trip to New York City. We all decided to drive into the city rather than take the train, and that my friends was an adventure all in itself. Driving in New York can be a little intense, but thrilling none the less.

Once we arrived and parked the car, the decision was to have some lunch to hold us over while watching the play. We ate at Smith's near the Majestic Theater. Timing is everything and boy did we have the timing down pat. Finishing our lunch and with twenty minutes to go, we headed over to the Majestic, which was only about three minutes away, got some trinkets, and headed to our seats. What an incredible view we all had! Sitting in the front row of the third level balcony, we could see the stage perfectly and my oh my the chandelier, what a perfect view to watch it rise in the beginning and come crashing down at the end of the first act. When the lights went down and the orchestra's music filled the theater with the chandelier rising high above, I must admit I got a bit teary eyed, a feeling of awe coming over me that I was really there experiencing The Phantom live right before my eyes.

The cast did such a fantastic job and the stage sets and designs were simply out of this world. A truly breathtaking experience. I could not contain my excitement during or after the show had ended. Once the show had ended, we decided to take Justin's dad to Times Square so he could see what New York City was all about. Afterwards, we walked around a bit more, taking in the sites and gorgeous weather. Feeling a bit hungry, and with Don Giavani's restaurant in site, we ate al fresco and dined on some lovely Italian cuisine. Around 6:30 seemed to be a good time to leave, seeing as how we would have to fight traffic and unwind on the two hour drive home once actually leaving the Lincoln Tunnel. All in all, a marvelous day spent in New York City with so many memories to cherish.

Friday was more of a relaxing day. Justin and I took his dad to Ricketts Glen State park, up to where Justin's new job is, a quick stop at Bowman's creek to scout out some fishing spots, a quite dinner on our front porch followed by some summery drinks, and lastly some catching up conversation. Saturday we all headed over to Harvey's Lake to have breakfast with my dad. Afterwards, we all took a family photo by the lake and bid Garry a safe trip home, while my dad went to a picnic with the boy scouts, Justin went fishing, and I relaxed and caught up on some chores around the house. Sunday was breakfast with my dad and watching the new 22 Jump Street up at Cinemark, my most favorite movie theater.

Some Interesting facts about The Phantom of the Opera:

  • Widely considered one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most accomplished scores.
  • One of the show's most spectacular set pieces is the replica of the Paris Opera House chandelier, nine feet wide and made of 6,000 beads. It weighs one ton and the original took four weeks to make, being built by five people alone.
  • The falling of the chandelier is based upon a real incident at the Paris Opera House in 1896 where a falling counterweight killed a 56-year-old concierge. It was her one and only visit to the opera.
  • The Phantom's latex makeup originally took three hours to make, now it is reduced to two hours.
  • Since opening at the Majestic theater in 1988, Phantom has since played to over 130 million people across 27 countries and won more than 50 major awards.
  • The original cast recording is the biggest selling cast recording of all time, with more than 40 million copies sold.
  • In 2004 the musical was captured on the silver screen starring Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson. It was nominated for three Oscars.
  • In 2006, the show broke the record for the longest running Broadway musical, surpassing  the 7,485 performances achieved by Cats.
  • The largest grossing musical in Broadway history.
  • The Phantom of The Opera is a global phenomenon, its $5.6 billion box office (to date as of last year) far outstanding blockbuster films, makes it the most successful entertainment venture of all time
  • The New York City production celebrated its 25th anniversary January 2013, This feat, unprecedented in Broadway history, reaffirms the musical's iconic status, proving the classic tale's enduring popularity for audiences all over the world.

The only thing I do regret about the NYC part of our excursion is not having my camera with me. Blast! Justin did not think it would be safe to bring it to the theater seeing as how we did not know their policy with such big cameras. I did have my iphone, though it has horrid quality with indoor pictures, they are still memories none the less. So please excuse some of the quality with the iphone pictures, but do enjoy the beautiful theater settings and sky scarpers of the big apple.

Good Reads

Summer Edition

Summer time reading

I always have a beautiful vision of relaxing in the summer sun with a warm breeze blowing, the birds chirping, and a cool beverage in my one hand with a fascinating book in my other. Whether in my backyard, by the sea, or poolside, a summer read should give the opportunity to sit back and relax for a little while.  I always  find myself becoming busier during the warmer months, so knowing I can have a few moments to take a breather and become immersed into another world seems to good to resist.

Some books on my reading list are as follows:

  • These Few Precious Days by Christopher Andrews. This book tells of the final year of John and Jackie Kennedy before the assassination occurred. Being the huge Kennedy fan that I am, this climbed to the top of my list as a must read. Rare, behind-the-scenes moments, detailing their tender and complex love story like never seen before.
  • Marilyn Monroe The Finals Years by Keith Badman. Detailing the last two years of her life, while setting the record straight on all of the rumors that continue to surround America's biggest movie star there ever was.
  • Cutting Teeth by Julia Fierro. A group of 30 somethings meet at a beach house over a summer weekend. This book was named one of the "30 must reads of 2014" by the Huffington Post. Sounds good to me!
  • Gone Girl By Gillian Flynn. I've been wanting to read this for a while after hearing so many good things about it. Especially now that the book is set to hit theaters towards the end of the year, I want to read up on it before actually seeing the movie.
  • Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Book number two in the Divergent series, this sequel picks up with Tris who must continue to fight for the ones she loves and deal with the oncoming war ahead. After seeing the movie "Divergent" in theaters, I instantly liked the story and knew this series would become something big similar to The Hunger Games.
Summer time reading

Simple Pleasures

Tea Time and Macarons

Tea time and macarons

Mornings have always been one of my favorite times of the day. The fresh new clean feeling, the endless amount of possibilities that could occur, and the grateful sense of knowing I have made it another day. One morning activity I quite adore is to sit back, while after having my breakfast, to take a moment to enjoy a simple pleasure of mine, tea and macaron cookies. Albeit, this is not an everyday occurrence, but that makes it more special when it does. These little darlings became popular in France and soon made their way state side. While I cannot get the little cookie locally, only bigger cities seem to have them in Pennsylvania, I treasure the ones I do have the chance to acquire. Light and airy with either a creme or jelly center, macarons have become a new favorite of mine, not to mention how pretty they look! I also like to get my little sweet treat out of the way in the morning so I have the rest of the day to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to make up for it. Remember, moderation is key.

tea time and macarons