If you could jet off to any locale in the world for an all-expense paid weekend jaunt, where would you go??? I would travel somewhere close-ish to home (don't want to spend all my time up in the air!) and wherever copious amounts of SPF are required,  there are plenty of coconuts to eat, where drinks come with umbrellas, where sandy toes are a way of life, and where the warm aqua water beckons me to swim and snorkle (never mind that I hyperventilated last time I went....but try and try again I shall). In other words, helllloooooo Mexico....

What have y'all got planned? Same old, same old on our end....shopping for the house at thrift and consignment shops, perhaps a DIY ottoman project on the horizon once the dust from our living room bookshelf reno clears. Thinking I'll be needing some sassy bright velvet fabric very soon for that one.

Images 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

{all images via Pinterest}

The temps are rising, the lakes are lowering, people are starting to think clothing is optional....and that only means one thing: I've seen some really cool tattoos lately. Definitely the inspo for today's post. Austin in the summer. You gotta love it.

More tattoo goodness in this post and on my Pinterest...

I went on a little beauty buying spree for my BFF's wedding two weekends ago - I justified it on the grounds that it was the same cost to have my hair/make-up done, I've watched a heck of a lot of YouTube tutorials, and I got to keep the goods afterwards. Some of the stuff I bought isn't pictured because they were kinda 'blah' and I'm feeling lukewarm about them (ahem, Kate...disappointed with this lipstick), but others turned out to be real gems for not a whole lot of cash.

Olivia Garden Ceramic + Ion Thermal Brush
The mother of all round brushes, clocking in at 4 1/2". This thing is huuuuuuge. It's comfy to hold, and it doesn't get tangled in the rat nest that is the wild and super curly hair on the underside of my head. It gives lots of volume and body too. Cha-ching!

Sonia Kashuk Eye Quad in Shimmering Sands
I absolutely love these, and have worn at least one of these neutral hues every day since I bought them. While the colors are neutral, they have a nice shimmer or bold sparkle to them. It dresses up my eyes really subtly for day, and is a great base for night.

Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Mascara
This mascara is awesome sauce. I usually look a hot mess by noon since my mascara smears all over my eyes, but nope...this stuff stays put. I also really dig the big fat brush - it won't leave any lash behind.

Sonia Kashuk Extreme Wear Eye Primer
No7 Beautiful Brows Pencil in Blonde
Coming from the Princess of Sparse Eyebrows (my momma is the reigning queen...she has like 3 hairs), this eyebrow pencil rocks. The color is perfect, and I just lightly fill in my brows. Afterwards, I groom them with the brush on the other side. Makes me feel like a bona fide Brooke Shields.

Amarte Daily ExfoliPowder*
This is one of the coolest products I have ever seen. It's a super fine powder that turns into a luxe creamy consistency when you wet it. Awesome for travel since it's not a liquid, and gentle enough for everyday use. My skin was craving a good scrub after shellacking on all that makeup for the wedding weekend, and this fit the bill perfectly. *This was in a Bollare PR goodie bag from SXSW.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
What can I say? This stuff is really nice. It makes my lips feel like they are swaddled in velvet and helps combat those evil little lip flakes. 

How can you not get a little happy whenever you wear this hue? It's bright, it's a little shocking, and it's totally awesome. Pale yellow, no siree. I'm staying far away from that hot mess of a color. But the saturated yummy yellowness that can't help but brighten up any room you walk into? Oh yes. It's a good thing Viviana and Olivia approve, too....I mean, hello gorgeous!

Oh, and that whole schtick about blondes not being able to wear yellow? So not true.  Case in point here, here, here, here and here. Booyah. Wear it we shall!

I was downloading pics off my phone a few days ago, and came across this snapshot from a few weekends ago. John and I brought a blanket to the park, listened to music nestled in the shade of a Live Oak tree, and daydreamed. After a while, the sun peeked out from behind the leafy greens and shone bright in my face. I squinted my eyes tight, let the smile spread across my face, and just felt content. Happy. One of my most favorite quotes in the whole wide world came to mind, with me sprawled out in the sunshine with my husband laying next to me. I snapped this pic so I could remember that moment.

Now I'm sharing it with you because this quote is a shining example of how to love....and how we all dream of being loved in return. Just beautiful.

Also...this might be one of the corniest posts I have ever written.

I'm off to LA today for my best friend's wedding....hip hip hooray, a happy weekend celebration indeed! While the weather couldn't be more perfect for the weekend (I've checked compulsively), it's predicted that my eyeballs have a 99.9% chance of precipitation when I see KP all dolled up in her pretty white dress. Wishing you the happiest of marriages and best of weddings, Mr. and soon-to-be Mrs. S! Love you guys!

{Top Image Credits: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8}

I have been absolutely smitten with peacock mirrors since I first spotted one in Domino many years back, and think one would look absolutely dynamite in our lil' casa. Aside from the fact that they add the perfect amount of drama and exotic flavor to a room (and usually carry a price tag that makes my eyeballs roll back into my head, though I found some very financially feasible options below- phew!), let's get real....I really just want an excuse to annoy my husband with this noise everytime I walk by.

As a blogger and PR gal, I'm no stranger to sending and receiving pitches. Most of the ones I receive are destined for a similar fate...the "insta-delete" (yes, I'm my own worst nightmare). However, a short, simple and personalized pitch from Adrian landed in my inbox about an hour ago, introducing me to Annie Housewife. I read the pitch, took a peek at the adorable line-up of affordable and gift-worthy products (hello, rad geometric bowls and concrete planters), and thought to myself "He nailed it." Hence, there is now a post about Annie Housewife on TMT, and this gent inspired me to share some super quick #PR101 tips with y'all. 

Media Pitching 101

1. Know your outlet. Take the time to actually read the outlet before pitching. Do they do gift guides? Reviews? Round-ups? Decide the angle you want to approach them at, and make sure you are timely and on-topic. Casting a wide net and sending off-base topics to various outlets isn't a good idea either - you are wasting time and making that person's inbox cluttered. Clutter gives me a case of the sads. Don't be clutter.

2. Get personal. Adrian started it off with a compliment that shows that he (well, his wife Ilse actually) reads my blog. 5 points right there. Like most writers, editors and bloggers, I love getting feedback from my readers. Showing that you follow along and are engaged with what they are doing is a simple but effective way to get a person's attention. An email starting off with "Dear Triple Max Tons," or "Dear Editor" probably won't get you to the top of anyone's "blog post ideas" list.

3. Be concise. I tend to be a chatterbox and can get a little "fluffy" in my writing sometimes, but that is when I need my 'editing goggles' on most. Craft your pitch, whittle it down to digestible, concise tidbits that easily relays key info, and read it aloud to make sure there aren't any typos.

4. Use links and embed images. Make it easy to check out your site/product and get in touch- provide hyperlinks to your website, social links (usually in signature), and embed (not attach) 1-2 images for fast viewing in the body of the email.

High fives for cool new e-boutiques and learning sessions, all packaged in one pretty post. Just want to say that I don't intend this list to be used as an exact recipe for PR success every single time - more like a few quick tips to help any newbies craft a proper pitch that will help get you noticed in a minefield of emails. Enjoy!

Photo by Kirsten Stoddard, Triple Max Tons

Ingredients

6 leaves of kale
2 green apples
5 stalks of parsley
1 cucumber
1/2 lemon
1 thumb-sized nob of ginger
2 tablespoons of chia seeds
Generous splash of pomegranate juice

Directions

In a juicer (we bought this one), juice the kale, parsley, ginger, apples, and cucumber. Squeeze the lemon juice into the juice container, careful to not add any seeds. Pour the pomegranate juice into the container. Add chia seeds. Stir. Serve and drink immediately.