Links You’ll Love – Resolutions Edition
We survived 2012 and celebrated the end of the year, and now that the first week of January is coming to an end those New Years Resolutions are starting to look further and further away. This week’s Links You’ll Love post is here to help keep you motivated, inspired, and on track with your resolutions. Whether your goals are aimed at career success, personal improved, fashion, health, or fitness – Keep yourself going with these great inspirational pieces!
Fashion:
I love the idea of this No Shopping Challenge {Inspiration: My No Shopping Challenge} from Style Within Reach – It’s a great idea to not only purge your closets at the beginning of the year, but take stock in what pieces you have and try to mix up your current wardrobe rather than blindly adding to it. But in practice I’m not sure that I have her self-control… What about you?
Refinery 29 is here to help you with your Fashion New Years Resolutions – 20 Influencers, 20 Resolutions To Adopt Now.
Fashion magazine’s are a great place to find inspiration – From fabulous advertisements to glossy, well-styled editorials to great articles filled with advice & ideas from industry insiders:
- Harper’s Bazaar – Top Stylists Share Their Fashionable Resolutions
- Teen Vogue – New Year’s Resolutions From Fashion Industry Stars
- Fashionologie – 5 Resolutions We’d Like to See the Fashion Industry Keep in 2013
Staying inspired and motivated to try out fun & interesting new trends and styles can be hard – But Pinterest is a great tool for fashion stimulation, so check out my La Mode to get yourself in the mood!
Health & Fitness:
Ever wonder how the models with killer bodies keep themselves in shape all year around? Check out this interesting article from Modelinia – Behold the Ultimate Model Master Cleanse!
While you have your health & eating better on your mind, why not try out some new recipes? Here are a few great round-ups from some top food bloggers of their favorite recipes from 2012 – So give something new & delicious a try!
- Choosing Raw’s Best of 2012: My Favorite Vegan and Raw Recipes
- The Wannabe Chef’s 12 Months of Recipes
- OhSheGlow’s Most Popular Vegan Recipes
Are you determined to shake things up at the gym this year but not quite sure where to start with your fitness resolutions this year? Check out The Fitnessista’s 12 Days Of Fitness.
The Whole 30 is a great clean eating plan that you could try in 2013 – So do some research, check out other people’s thoughts & experiences, and try some delicious new recipes – Holly Would If She Could’s Whole 30 Meal Plan – Week One (Plus Homework!)
I’m not a huge proponent of cleanses and detoxes that are too restrictive or severe – But this clean eating version is great, filled with healthy, nutritious, easy to digest suggestions – New Year New You: Easy Detox.
Links You’ll Love
Health & Fitness:
I was quite the little baker this Summer and I have to say that this was one of the tastiest and most creative recipes that I tried out – Dark Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Bread.
A short, energizing yoga workout is a great way to de-stress and stretch out after a long day at the office in your desk chair – Women’s Health yoga video.
Love Thy Self! Gala Darling agrees and wants to help you – 10 Radical Self Love Exercises To Boost Your Summer Lovin’!
A vegetable stir fry with either a grain or soy, tempeh, or tofu is one of my favorite quick & easy mid-week dinners so I enjoy finding new sauces and combinations to try out, like Peas And Thank You’s Szechuan Broccoli and Quinoa.
You don’t need a full hour for a workout to be beneficial, fit in some walking and short bursts of exercise whenever you can! Before work, during your lunch break, before a class starts – Get Fit In Only Fifteen Minutes.
Fashion:
Being able to break out all of your jeans is one of the fun things about Fall dressing. Check out FabSugar’s The Ultimate Fall Denim Guide — Every Trend, Cut, Color, and Fit.
My favorite part about Fall is the outerwear – I love full ankle-length coats, peacoats, trenches, blazers, basically anything that I can get my hands on – Coat Check: How to Take Your Look in a Ladylike Direction.
Most of us wish we could get more sleep, so why not save a few precious minutes in the morning by speeding up your beauty and makeup routine? How To Do Your Makeup In 5 Minutes (Really!)
Dressing for work doesn’t need to be boring, from colorful separates to chic suits to fabulous sheath dresses, Harper’s Bazaar has the answers – Stylish Work Clothes.
Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month with some stylish pink finds – From beauty products to accessories and jewelry, no matter what you’re in the mood for you can support this great cause. Mama’s A Rolling Stone – Our 6 Favorite Breast Cancer Awareness Products.
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Whether you’re watching the US Open or America’s Cup, a stylish spectator outfit is a must – US Open 2012 from Net-A-Porter.
Are you starting to prepare your wardrobe for Fall? A great skirt with tights & killer boots is always a fabulous option so check out WhoWhatWear’s suggestions for Fall 2012 – Market Watch: Fall Skirts.
One thing that I always look forward to when Fashion Month rolls around are the Garance Dore and Net-A-Porter Fashion Week video collaborations Pardon My French. She talks to fashion greats, reviews the collections, meets designers, interviews fashion insiders, and just generally gives you a great behind-the-scenes look at all of the Fashion Month madness.
- Pardon My French/Anna Dello Russo Dancing
- Pardon My French/Amanda de Cadenet
- Pardon My French/Lunch at Miss Lily’s
You know how much I adore a versatile piece in my wardrobe – especially when it comes to packing for a trip. Refinery 29 clearly agrees – Oxford Shirt Styling Tips: 1 Oxford Shirt, 3 Easy Ways To Style It.
One of the fun Fall trends this year will be finding pieces that have your favorite artwork translated onto them – Whether you’re a fan of the Renaissance Masters or Graphic novels, there are pieces out there for everyone! This Time Tomorrow – Wearing Your Art On Your Sleeve.
Health/Fitness:
Don’t have time for a run? Not interested in the membership fees at your local gym? Why not head online to find the perfect workout for yourself – Fit Club: The Country’s Best Virtual Workouts.
Are you looking for some healthy meals to feed your family to ensure that they’re getting all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that they need? Here are some great recipes to try:
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The Wannabe Chef’s Grain-Free Muffins
No matter how much time you spend in the kitchen familiarizing yourself with new tools – or re-familiarizing yourself with tools you haven’t used in a while – is an important part of staying on top of things so check out The Blissful Chef’s Cooking Tool of the Month Series.
Medicine and bosu balls are two of my favorite gym toys – If you use them right they can keep your workouts both challenging and fun. Don’t believe me? Check out FitSugar’s Don’t Let the Medicine Ball Intimidate You — 5 Easy Moves!
Summary Saturday
I’m going to take a page out of the fabulous Fashion On Top‘s book blog and make today’s post a summary of what’s happened over the last week on the blog and the other various social media outlets that I post on.
New Blog Posts:
- MCLV Style: Pleats & Peplums
- 2013 Resort Collections
- Sasha Maks Vintage Jewelry Trunk Show
- Looks of the Week
- Links You’ll Love
- Chanel’s Little Black Jacket
- May Round-Up
Are you subscribed to the blog and receiving an email when a new post is published? If not, click the SUBSCRIBE ME button on the right hand side of the screen.
Instagram:
Food – While I don’t photograph all of my food or even all of the new recipes that I try, sometimes a meal is just too tasty or too fun to pass up a photo-op. Here are a couple shots that passed the test this week.
SERIOUS munching over here! #Shakti #indianfood #vegan #glutenfree
Snacking. #rawrevolution #synergy #healthysnacks
#cantstopeating #vegan #glutenfree
Fashion – When I can remember I’ll snap a picture of my accessories, handbag, or even my outfit for the day. Most of my Instagram updates are my jewelry though, since its the easiest to capture solo.
Wearing a new dress always makes my day! #sanfrancisco @Zara
Hello lover! @ninewest #fashion #sanfrancisco
Time to switch wallets! @CHANEL @Longchamp_US @HenriBendel #Fendi #Goyard @veneta_bottega
Misc – What I’m best at capturing are all of the random things that happen throughout the day. The frustrations that everyone can relate to as well as the little “I love my life” moments. From outing in San Francisco & weekends away to shopping adventures & meals out on the town to my crazy cats & amazing friends, family, and boyfriend.
“@project_zen SO glad that I moved a block from this spa!!! #massage #spoilingmyself
I ❤ crazy busy days & To Do lists! #stayorganized #busyday #ilovemylife
You can follow me on instagram @moicontrelavie.
- Love this – I say yes to manners!!! Ladies First—Still Relevant or Hopelessly Outdated?
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Absolutely MAD for the Jason Wu Resort 2013 collection. Don’t think I can live without this! Jason Wu Resort 2013 Look
- Wise words to start the day. “Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.” – Edna Woolman
- Do you love lingerie? Me too! The Art of Lingerie
- BCBG Summer Sale – My go-to for work dresses and great accessories. Check it out!
- Man Repeller, Rebecca Minkoff & Hilary Rhoda – I’ve officially lost track of how many times I’ve watched this! Call Us, Maybe?
- Check out my Asos Fashion Finder look! Parks & Recreation – You can shop the pieces on Asos.com
- Sex vs Sensuality. Men vs Women. Check out supermodel Anja Rubik for 25 Magazine (Formerly Viva) Anja Rubik: Lets Talk About Sex
- Need more Cannes? Watch the Cannes Film Festival edition of Garance Dore’s Pardon My French or read The French Riviera – The 2012 Cannes Film Festival
- “Life is short…buy the shoes.” Words of wisdom
Lookbook – You can see my Lookbook looks here, you can FAN me to get an email update when I post a new look, or you can HYPE my looks if you like them!
Links You’ll Love
Health/Fitness:
Are you a fan of quinoa? Here are some great recipes to try out if you’d like some new & creative way to enjoy this protein-rich pseudo-cereal:
- The Hungry Hungry Hippie’s Quinoa Quiche
- Pure 2 Raw’s Baked Cheezy Quinoa Casserole
- Choosing Raw’s Black Bean & Quinoa Salad w/ Cumin Dressing
- The Wannabe Chef’s Quinoa Cakes
18 Tips for Improving Food Disciplinefrom The Primal Parent, Jillian Michaels shares her favorite snacks with Fitness Magazine, what vitamins do you really need to take vs what nutrients you should be getting in your food from health.com and an exclusive interview with Jesse Brune from FitCeleb.
Would you like to learn more about some of the supplements out there? Gena at Choosing Raw can educate you on the benefits of Chlorella and Martin Berkhan has the low down on Fish Oil supplements.
Personally I like celebrity trainer David Kirsch’s no-nonsense approach to staying healthy, he doesn’t mince words – to lose weight and get in shape there’s nothing you can do other than eat healthy and workout. No short cuts. Here’s his Lazy Girl’s Guide to Getting Fit.
Fashion:
Do you love the retro fashion of Mad Men? Did you adore Banana Republic’s Mad Men inspired capsule collection? You’re in luck because Banana Republic has announced that their second collection with hit stores and online in March!
Still shopping for the perfect dress for your Valentine’s Day date? The Budget Fashionista has narrowed down their five favorite dresses from Piperlime under $50 and WhoWhatWear has all the best heart-printed clothes and accessories for you here.
Now that Jason Wu has virtually sold out at Target the only thing that we can do is start getting excited that Marni for H&M will hit on March 8th.
Are you expecting and not sure how to stay stylish and cope with your changing body? Alessandra Ambrosio walked the runway at Sao Paulo while 5 months pregnant, proving that pregnancy doesn’t have to mean shapeless dresses and sweats! FabSugar posted great pictures of Kristin Cavallari in flowy button-down top with stretchy pants. Don’t want to wear sky-high heels through your pregnancy like Rachel Zoe & Victoria Beckham did, but want to keep it fashionable? Try riding boots a la The DayBook.
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
It’s that time again… Time for all the new ad campaigns for Spring 2012 that make us swoon and wish the weather would hurry up so we can throw on sundresses and gorgeous resort wear. Sigh. Tom & Lorenzo have the lowdown on Valentino, Harper’s Bazaar previews the fabulous Burberry video featuring Poppy’s younger sister Cara Delevingne, Mama’s A Rolling Stone has gorgeous photos from the 2012 campaigns for Lanvin, Chloe and Balenciaga, and My Dress.My High Heels.My Style shows off the Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2012 Ad Campaign with the lovely, tan Natasha Poly, a breathtaking Mila Kunis for Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2012 and great mixing and matching of prints in the DKNY Spring/Summer 2012 Ad Campaign where Ashley Greene giving great face on New York rooftops.
Looking for something light and entertaining to read this weekend? Try Simon Doonan’s Gay Men Don’t Get Fat, see Harper’s Bazaar’s review here. Not your typical fashion tome, that’s for sure.
Need some ideas for comfy clothes and cozy accessories as this latest cold weather front moves through? WhoWhatWear has the breakdown on outerwear worn by everyone from Ashley Olsen to Rooney Mara, Frugal Fashionista has the lowdown on snowboots under $100 and FabSugar has 5 ideas on how to mix and match your feminine, warm-weather wear with cozy pieces for winter.
Need some extras to finish up your daily looks these days? 10 sweet winter accessories under $50, China Glaze creates a Hunger Games inspired line of nail polish, 7 pairs of nerd-chic glasses and leopard print scarves.
Health & Fitness:
Personally, I don’t own a scale, I’m much more interested in how my clothes fit. One reason? Muscle mass is important for your health. Is bulking up at the gym one of your fears? Fit Bottomed Girls discuss common fitness fears.
The girls over at Tone It Up give great daily updates – check out their great suggestion to keep you healthy and moving all day at work. Need some more motivation to get you going? FitSugar has you covered with quotes and mottos to get you up and out the door.
I can’t decide what I want to make first next weekend: FitSugar’s black & white bean sweet potato soup, The Wannabe Chef’s tofu stirfry or The Hungry Hungry Hippie’s clean food cornbread.
Looking to add some new foods to your diet to increase your health? You could try hemp seeds, antioxidant-rich foods, green monster salads, “cheesy” veggie quinoa Quiche and some of the newly popularized superfoods of 2011.
Hope you had a great weekend!
Best of 2011
As I was doing my daily blog reading this morning I stumbled upon quite a few 2011 recap & “best of” type of posts. I found that they were really fun to read because it let me get the author’s opinion on things I may have missed over the course of the last year – which was especially fun when it came to the blogs that I only recently discovered.
So in that spirit I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites from 2011:
Fashion
- Best Red Carpet Style – Zoe Saldana & Diane Kruger. Sorry, can’t narrow it down further, it goes against nature to pick between these two.
- Favorite Newcomer – Amber Heard & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. They share a certain poise and both favor glamorous, ladylike gowns on the red carpet, which I love. (And I am not at all upset or jealous that Rosie is dating Jason Statham. I swear.)
- Go-to Fashion Blog – I hate to narrow this down to a single site since I’ve discovered some really great ones this year, but I’d have to say that the most entertaining one I read is Tom & Lorenzo: Fabulous & Opinionated. I’ve had to outlaw it at work because I can’t stop laughing at their commentary.
- Best Trend – Bright, minimalist Calvin Klein gowns
- Favorite Collaboration – Karl Lagerfeld for Macy’s Impulse
Fitness
- Favorite Blog – The Fitnessista is a great website with motivating posts & booty busting workouts, I’ve cited it a lot in my Gym Goddess series.
- Favorite Apparatus – Medicine balls! There are an endless number of great workouts that you can do to emphasize different muscle groups and you can even do them with limited space which is great if you don’t want an expensive gym membership or if you travel a lot.
- Best New Workout You Tried – I’m going to have to go with CrossFit. My boyfriend is an instructor so with some not-so-gentle urging I gave CrossFit a try, and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. If you haven’t taken an intro class I highly recommend it. It can be intimidating at first, but it’s challenging, intense and a great atmosphere if you’re competitive and like to push yourself.
- Best Magazine – I adore Women’s Health. They have creative ideas for workouts, pick great, inspirational women to feature and I love the fun little facts & cute workout gear they include every month.
Food
- Favorite Recipe – Vegan Mac n’ Cheese made from butternut squash & ANY of Evan’s desserts over at The Wannabe Chef. Seriously, check out his site, he has any type of recipe you could want – vegan, paleo, gluten-free…
- Best New Ingredient – 2011 was the year of coconut milk! Not only is it high in phosphorus, potassium and iron, its delicious in everything from smoothies to veggies to curries. Yum. (Yes Sean, you were right)
- New Find – Lollihop (which I promise you a full post on in the next week or so!)
- Favorite Blog – Hungry Hungry Hippie & Oh She Glows
- Best Books – I can’t pick just one! The Kind Diet, Peas & Thank You, I Am Grateful and Clean were some of the bests though.
What are you favorite new finds of 2011?
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for more new and exciting in 2012! 🙂
Alterna-Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of the few days a year that has a set menu, and while each family has their traditions, the basics are fairly common: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie…
What about mixing things up this year? You don’t have to go crazy or change every single memorable moment of Thanksigivings past, but you could add a new dish or two. Even one that’s – GASP – healthy?
Here are some delicious, easy recipes that you might be interested in adding to your traditional holiday table. Maybe you don’t even have to tell your guests that they’re low in the salt, fat, butter & sugar that Thanksgiving is known for. Maybe. That’s between you and your conscience.
Sides (my FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving):
Baked Butternut Squash w/ Cranberries from Eat, Live, Run
Cinnamon Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad from OhSheGlows
Savory Pumpkin Quinoa from The Wannabe Chef
High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes from OhSheGlows
Carmelized Brussels Sprouts from Eat, Live, Run
Cornbread Dressing with Tempeh Bacon, Cherries and Portobello Mushrooms from Peas and Thank You
Entrees:
Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf from OhSheGlows
Sprouted Grain Stuffing with Field Roast Sausage from Peas and Thank You
Mushroom-and-Spinach Lasagna from Rachel Wilkerson.
Pumpkin Chili from Rachel Wilkerson
Seitan log from Hungry Hungry Hippie
Desserts:
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (5 ingredients) from Blisstree
Pumpkin Pudding & Chocolate Mousse Parfait from Choosing Raw
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Pudding from Choosing Raw
Pumpkin Gingerbread w/ Spiced Buttercream from OhSheGlows
Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Eat, Live, Run
If you’d like to brush up on your cooking basics, head over to The Wannabe Chef for instructions & tutorials, from dicing an onion to dairy-free mashed potatoes to making your own ice cream and bread. Or check out the Huffington Post’s take on a Vegan Thanksgiving here and Vital Juice’s Skinny Thanksgiving Side Dishes here.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Moi Contre La Vie 
