Merry Christmas- Doggie Snuggies, Flip Camcorder & More!

Just a quick note to say that I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Our baby Lulu got a special gift this year...

That's right- Lulu is sporting his very own doggie Snuggie!

As for me, I was lucky enough to get a Sonicare toothbrush (I already had an Oral-B but wanted and upgrade) and my husband surprised me with a Flip HD camera.

I'm going to use it to take some videos on our vacation (I'm hoping to swim with dolphins and zip line!), and also use it to make videos to go along with some of my blog posts. I hope you will enjoy those...but first I have to learn how to use it! It holds up to 2 hours of HD video and only takes about 2 hours to charge. I can't wait to see how it works.

What a wonderful Christmas it was. My MIL and FIL also completed our Crate and Barrel wedding registry so that was awesome. I now have a complete set of everything!

Hope you all had a safe and happy holiday! I'm looking forward to the new year- my best friend and I are co-hosting a champagne and cupcakes party (don't worry, there will be real food too.)

What are your new years plans? More importantly- have you decided what you'll wear? I'm still undecided...but a LBD has never failed me.

Also, please do share with me your favorite Christmas gifts! I'd love to hear what you all got!

xoxo,

Veronika.

p.s.- sorry the "i" in Christmas is missing!

Rodarte for Target: Hello Gorgeous, Girly Bikinis

Hello lovelies!

I'm going to sort of do this post in reverse and first discuss some recent (as recent as today) purchases.

I've been looking for a casual zip-up to wear to pilates, the gym etc. I have a really nice Lulu Lemon zip-up that's made of their special fabric, but I wanted something soft and comfy.

I went to the Banana Republic at Highland Village during my lunch hour today (massive mistake-not only did I have to park far away and hike to the stores, it was pouring and windy too.)

I originally went there to try and find some gifts for my husband, and, as usual, I failed and bought something for myself (don't worry ladies, I shopped for him elsewhere!) This zip-up jacket/sweater was on sale for $43.99 plus an extra 30% off. Is is really soft and I like the way it looks on. It's a more cropped style, which can be difficult to pull off with my long torso, but I like it. (By the way, I just wore this sweater to my 6 p.m. power pilates class and already got a compliment!) Take a look:

Then, there's one of my favorite Dallas purchases: This lovely rosette-sleeve tee from Forever 21, for $17.80. Did I mention I'm obsessed with rosettes? Throw a rosette on something and it will likely end up in my closet. It's the ultimate feminine detail...so so pretty.

My husband ordered this dress from Vix Swimwear for me for our vacation. Please do check out the link, because it looks much more gorgeous on the model than it does hanging lifelessly in my closet. Did I mention it originally cost $284.00 and I got it for $99.00? I tried it on when I got home, and it's gorgeous. I got a size small, for reference. I struggled with sizing on this, but I am glad I got the small because it fits perfect. The long ruffle train on the back is stunning and the subtle leaf pattern really adds a great dimension to the dress:

Now, for the Rodarte part of the post. I'm going to be 100% honest here. I didn't know who Rodarte was before the Target line (gasp!) but I must say, I've grown quite fond of the designs- more particularly I feel in love with the girly, ruffly bathing suits.

The first suit I fell in love with was this black and cream floral patterned one. The top has lace, which makes it look a little bit lingere-esque. Kind of like Beach Bunny Swimwear- which has been featured in Sports Illustrated Magazine and on The Real Housewives of Orange County (I believe both Alexis and Gretchen wore suits from the line.)

I assure you, it still looks like a bikini when you're wearing it. I also got the same top in black, to mix and match with different bottoms I already own. After all, you can never go wrong with black.

Then, there's this beauty. I cannot even begin to describe it's greatness. It is just the cutest darn bathing suit I may have ever seen. Ever. Click to enlarge for more detail. Ruffles, flowers and prettiness galore!

Sigh. So stunning. It actually looks better on than it does on the pic on Target's website. I think if you have a smaller cup size, the top might look more like it does on the model on the website, but if you've got a c-cup or more, it will lay differently (which I like better). Here's the pic from the website:

On the model, the top lays kind of flat and you can really see the ruffle at the bottom, whereas on me, it is a little curvier and the bottom ruffle doesnt look quite so obvious on the suit.

And, for good measure, here is the pic of the other Rodarte suit I bought:

I should probably mention that the suits were $16.99 a piece, which is incredible considering some of the suits I've bought lately are more in the $100 per-piece range. They seem well-made. I will post pics and more details once I wear them on vacation.

Have you bought anything from the Rodarte for Target collection? I know that gorgeous blogger Saltwater Dreams bought a cute striped top from the collection. I checked out the rest of the collection, and although some of the items were cute, I didn't know if I could pull them off. Some of the looks were pretty bold. I do like the sheer blouses though.

xoxo,

Veronika.

I wish all of my beautiful readers a very Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and a joyous new year!

Kate Bosworth Hairstyles

Here we see Kate Bosworth with a clean, stylish short bob haircut. It isn't fussy with curls or waves, but takes advantage of straight hair. Bosworth is wearing a gorgeous short style in this photo in classic bob. It incorporates style with a top side part. This part serves to add depth to a short style, which Kate is pulling off well.

Sorry I've been MIA...

But it's all for a good cause, I promise.

I've had the privilege of working on an amazing project called Strides Across Texas. Last January, a radio DJ here in Houston (Kevin Kline) decided to train for an entire year to run a nearly 500- mile, 13-day ultramarathon across Texas to raise awareness about pediatric cancer, and to raise money for Texas Children's Cancer Center.

My husband and I drove to Dallas this weekend because I did the PR for the entire campaign, so I wanted to be there to coordinate the media at the kick-off on Sunday morning (hello 5 a.m. wakeup time!)

If you're interested to learn more about what Kevin's doing, or you'd like to donate, click here. Kevin will run through the holidays, giving up Christmas to give back to the children and families who need it most.

I can't seem to travel to any city without going shopping (I think I'm just naturally drawn to the mall, no matter where I am.) On Saurday when I had a break from working, I somehow convinced my husband to take me to the largest and most amazing mall in Dallas, called NorthPark Center.

NorthPark literally had every store I would want to shop at, aside from Club Monaco. I couldn't believe the wide array of stores, and don't even get me started on how awesome their Forever 21 was (it's the Dallas flagship store, similar to our downtown one in the Houston Pavillions and the one at Memorial City Mall.) I like to see the kind of stock other stores have. I always end up finding something I haven't seen at stores in my area. I only purchsed two tops, but the store had a lot of cute items.

What's the best mall you've ever shopped at? What did you like about it over other malls you've shopped at?

For me, the most important thing is variety of stores I like to shop at. I like it when they are all in one place, and when the stores are large and have a lot of stock. I saw things at the Victoria's Secret in Dallas that I haven't seen here in Houston, but it could just be that they just got some new stock in.

So tell me, what makes your shopping experience a great one? Is it all your favorite stores in one place? the size of the stores? the look of the mall? where the mall is located? how much parking is available, etc?

xoxo,

Veronika.

Justin Timberlake Short Hairstyle

Justin Timberlake was just a small blip on the radar until he shaved his head and then -- BAM! Superstar. His former curly, highlighted hairstyle was replaced with a tight buzzcut and he became a sex symbol overnight. Sometimes cutting it off is the best option. Justin's not afraid to change it up, from a tight buzz with a shaved part to a highly textured faux hawk. He always manages to look great.

Justin Timberlake is definitely well known for not only his smile, but his hair. Most often we see him donning his naturally curly tresses. Timberlake will fluctuate in styles, but remains true to his curls. Here we see him in a Curly Short Crop Haircut. This cut leaves just enough height for Justin to incorporate his classic look.

OOTD: Pretty Purple

This was my OOTD from last Tuesday. These candids were taken at a work event which is why my expression looks kind of...blank.

Top- J.Crew; Skirt-Forever 21; Sweater-New York & Co.

You can also kind of see how I wear my hair on the daily. Down, blown-out and the front part pinned away from my face a bit (my hair will not stay away from my face if I don't do this, it is incredibly annoying). Also, please note that the camera added about 20 lbs here. I actually think the skirt looks better and more slimming in person than it photographs.

xoxo,

Veronika.

Bad Beauty Habits: Spill Em'

The title says it all- we all have them, just look at Sex and the City's famous "Secret Single Behavior" episode.

So, what are my bad beauty habits? Where to start?

1. I totally pick at my cuticles.
Likeallthetime. I have done this since I was young. When I'm stressed or anxious (or bored) I pick at my cuticles. It makes them look awful, it's painful and overall it just looks bad. I try not to do it, but sometimes when I'm super anxious, I get carried away and before I know it, my fingers look like they've been mangled by a baby wildebeast.

2. I peel my split ends.
When I find one (and there are oh-so-many) I joyously split them apart. It's quite addictive. My hairdresser told me to stop...but I just can't resist.

3. Crazy out of control nail painting.
Perfect mani/pedi? Forget it. I try my best, get it all over the place and then spend 15 minutes in the shower peeling off the nail polish that's all over the skin surrounding my nails. Not neccessarily a "bad" habit, but an annoying and time consuming one.

4. Not fully washing off my mascara at night.
I wash my face in the morning before I put my makeup on, and at night before bed. Sometimes, I don't get all of my waterproof mascara off. I just go to sleep, wake up and get the rest off in the morning.

5. Not using night cream or eye cream.
I went through an eye cream phase, but it slowly faded into not using any at all. I know I should use it...but I just don't because I'm lazy. Not too lazy for zit cream though, I'd never skip that!

6. Never moisturizing my body.
The only moisture my body encounters is sweat and body wash. I just hate the feeling of lotion. Hate. I hate touching it, I hate how it feels, I hate applying it. There is nothing appealing about it to me. It's probably not so great for my skin, but I somehow manage not to be alligator-esque (they didn't have moisturizer in the cave man days, and they turned out just fine, right!?)

7. Picking at blemishes.
Granted, I only get one of those huge can't-keep-your-hands-off-of-it blemishes once in awhile, but when I do...well, I just can't keep my hands off of it. I will squeeze the living daylights out of it until it feels like there's not much left. Then I will saturate the area with 3 different pimple treatments.

8. Not exfoliating enough.
This isn't a beauty sin or anything, but I always forget to do it. Ideally, I should do it once a week, and I forget. It makes skin look glowy and improves the texture...so I don't know why I'm not totally partaking in a weekly skin scrub session.

9. Blowdrying my hair until it's completely dry
I only do thise twice per week (after washing my hair) but it's still not great for your hair. Airy drying doesn't work for me, so I hit the heat to get the volume I want in my hair.

10. Avoiding regular trims (like the plague.)
Have you ever seen the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic" with the gorgeous Isla Fisher? Remember the scene where Alette visits Rebecca's parent's home to offer her a job at the magazine, and Becky's mom tries to serve her some coffee cake and Alette makes this horrified expression as she slices into it and says "tiny" until the slice of coffee cake becomes as thin as a piece of paper? That is how I am with my hairdresser. Even though I've told him 125 times, I still remind him before every single trim to take the teeniest, tiniest amount off possible.

and for my final bad beauty habit, I'll post one I've recovered from- I used to use a magnifying mirror and just sit in front of it for like an hour squeeze at every pore and blemish (this was when I had bad skin). I would come out looking like a splotchy, red mess, but there was something deeply therapuetic and stress relieving about it. I don't do it anymore, and my skin has never been better.

So, spill it- what are your bad beauty habits?

xoxo,

Veronika.