Friday night we celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday at his home with his closest family and friends. We had a really good time, and the highlight of the evening was watching old family slides projected on his living room’s wall. Really special. Another highlight? Reconnecting with cousins that we love very very much.
I have a lot of creative and wonderful people in my life. One of them happens to be my good friend, Penn, of *Blank Photos. She is a South Florida photographer that mainly focuses on infants, children and families, but also shoots events and portraits. I asked her if she would be willing to shoot me for my blog redesign (coming soon!), and thankfully she agreed! I had a great time shooting both at a park across the street from my home, and at Green Street‘s back room in Coconut Grove.
In case you are interested, my makeup was done by the fabulous Llynette Shirazi, my outfits courtesy of Lazy Oaf and nail polish(s) were Essie’s Mint Candy Apple and Pansy.
3/11 is not only 311 day (!!!), but also my mother and brother-in-law’s birthdays. Friday night we celebrated their birthdays at my sister’s house, and just had a generally good time with family. I personally loved my adorable outfit that night, but unfortunately, I forgot to take a quick full-length shot for the blog. Oops!
Saturday night, the 90’s never died. My friend, Bonnie, and I went to the Magic City Casino to see the Gin Blossoms and Sugar Ray show. Yeah, you read right. How could I resist? We had such a good time going back in time via music – Gin Blossoms were ridiculous, in a great way. They teased that at this point in their career, they would play anywhere. Don’t joke, ‘Blossoms. I do have a birthday coming up 
I know I usually feature items that are currently on my wish list at the moment on Fridays, but for the first time in what felt like eons, I went to two separate shows this week and wanted to share them both with you all! After all, it’s been a long time since a concert review here on Melificent.
Monday night the hubs and I checked out Ra Ra Riot at the Culture Room in Broward. They’re an indie rock band from New York that boasts both a cellist and violinist, how many rock bands can say the same? That’s definitely what makes them stand out in the vast crowd of indie hipsters out there, and what drew me to their sound. However, seeing them perform live only solidified my opinion of them. They totally and completely killed it. They were “on” from start to end, and really blew me away with their passionate performance. Even my husband, who is a bit of a musical elitist, was impressed.
Really glad I decided to drop my cash on these guys rather than the Gin Blossoms & Sugar Ray tomorrow. As much as I would have liked reliving the 90’s nostalgia, I doubt they would have wow’ed me much (but I still kinda wanna go).
If you haven’t heard of Ra Ra Riot, check out their debut album (& my personal favorite), The Rhumb Line. For a little taste, check out their video for Can You Tell (a song I most definitely rocked out to on Monday night):
When you have a blog, and you start putting it out there (or attempting to), the first question asked is always the most dreaded for me: “What kind of blog is it?” It seems like the most basic of questions. One you should be able to answer without a second thought, but for me, a blogger that has been struggling to find some sort of focus for 2 years, it is a nightmare. Or is it?
I had been putting off the search for focus because I like the fact that I can post about anything and everything. The sky is the limit; I am not pigeon holed to only discuss one topic. But at the same time, every video created by famous bloggers states that your number one goal is to narrow your focus and decide what kind of blogger you want to be. Well, shit.
While checking out my favorite style blogs, I stumbled on a great post on Closet Confections detailing blogger, Kendra’s, perfume collection. I thought it was a great idea and decided to pay it a little homage with my own favorites!
Confession: I am a recent fragrance convert. I never had many perfumes, and would opt for Bath and Body Works lotions over them. I actually didn’t wear an ounce of perfume on my wedding day, but I did slather myself in Vanilla Bean Noel body lotion. I don’t know what made me jump on the smelly bandwagon, but I believe it may have been Ms. Stefani introducing her own line of fragrances, which I, of course, had to own. My collection has grown steadily and I must admit that I truly enjoy picking out which perfume will fit that day’s mood every morning. And these are my options:
1. Victoria’s Secret Pink: Fresh & Clean, Exactly as the name suggests, it is my most refreshing scent. This is my go-to when I am heading to the gym or to do some light errands. A perfect every day fragrance, as it’s not too overpowering and gives you the perfect amount of sweet with its mix of crisp apple and soft lily.
2. Burberry Brit, My dad gifted me a Burberry gift card for Christmas and I had no idea what to purchase with it. I was surprised that the generous amount he gave me was still not enough to buy even an accessory, so I dropped the invisible cash on something I knew was worth it: this scent. I had a sample size of Brit back in college and adored its delicate and fresh scent. Again, it is citrus-y, which is my favorite, but paired with floral to add some soft sweetness. For some reason, I always save this one for days where I am feeling less than chipper – it always manages to cheer me up.
3. Eva by Eva Longoria, Don’t laugh just yet, loyal readers. Hear me out. I managed to pick up this fragrance as a free gift during a Miami Fashion Week event. At first, I have to admit. I may have scoffed or even giggled a little as I saw what was in my gift bag. However, that was until I spritzed it on. This perfume smells AMAZING. It is so feminine and delicious, made up of a serious floral blend. This was my everyday scent – and it got noticed. In a big way. I got countless compliments from women wanting to know what I was wearing. And for all those single ladies, it is a man magnet. Every guy I knew (and some I didn’t!), were always telling me I smelled great. I’m definitely refilling this one once it runs out.
4. Bath & Body Works’ Vanilla Bean Noel, A staple in my beauty arsenal. It is my favorite scent from Bath & Body Works, and I just cannot not have it in my life. Unfortunately, it is seasonal, which means that I need to stock up every holiday season. I have the full line: body splash (pictured), body lotion, body wash, etc. It makes me smell like a delicious sugar cookie, and who wouldn’t want that? This is another casual day scent & something I usually take with me on vacation, to the gym or just tucked away in my purse for constant freshening up.
5. L.A.M.B., What started this all. Bought while on our 1st wedding anniversary cruise, I was hooked. Another citrus and floral infusion that leaves me feeling very pretty. It also lasts for a remarkably long time, which is always appreciated. I usually save this one for dates or nights out on the town, as it’s a little stronger than my other scents.
6. DKNY Red Delicious, This is my current everyday-er. My fabulously fashionable cousin had these as her baby shower favors (how amazing is that?), and I am forever grateful! It’s a perfect mix of hard and soft, sweet and flirty. I also really love the way it smells when it is sprayed in my hair (weird? Maybe).
So that’s what I got, but these are on my current smelly (meli) wishlist;
So what are your favorite fragrances?
Do you pick them according to your daily moods?
Nothing too crazy this weekend to report on, but I am happy to share that after a not-so-fun, but successful trip to IKEA, we have some new fun pieces for our home! Our walls have been bare for a very long time, as the hunt for Meli and Augi approved art is not an easy one (or an affordable one), but we were able to find two fun gallery wraps that fit perfectly on our naked walls:
The best part is that they were both reasonably priced, but have wet my appetite to continue filling up all the blank canvas! I especially love the beautiful Klimt replica – the colors match our living room to the tee! And the kitschy pop art print in our bedroom brings a little more life into what seems like a very dull and lifeless color scheme (all brown & white).
We were also able to pick up a nice silver frame for our one-of-a-kind print by Nan Lawson, which is now adorning our entry way, as well as an adorable little pillow for our bed. I love the polka dot pattern complimented with the mustard color backing (which matches perfectly with our striped duvet cover).
Want a similar look?
Klimpt canvas art – $49.99
Pop art print – $9.99
Ribba frame – $9.99
Polka Dot pillow – $9.99
Our front yard also has gotten a tremendous face lift, but that’s another post for another day.
Loving how our little nest is coming together!
A very special congratulations goes out to Roxy (grrfiesty) & Mallory!!!
You will both receive a free photoshoot from the wonderful RGBmonster!
Thanks to everyone who participated and shared the love on both Facebook & Twitter.
Next week, you will all have another opportunity to win something pretty special.
Much love!
I’ve been hearing a lot of negative comments this year about Valentine’s Day, but I have to admit that I really enjoy the holiday, mostly due to the fact that the hubs and I celebrate it a little more non-traditionally. We don’t make reservations at a fancy resturant, we don’t wear matching outfits, we don’t buy each other flowers and stuffed bears. We try our best to celebrate our love in a low key, yet romantic way.
Last year, we had a picnic in our soon-to-be-home, followed by a trip to IKEA and a home-cooked dinner while playing Star Trek scrabble. Awesome? I know.
This year, it was my turn. I decided to decorate the dining area in all things pink & red, and try my hand at both breakfast and dinner. It was a daunting task, but surprisingly a success! Granted, the hubs helped me a lot, but I was impressed with my growing abilities in the kitchen.
Just add one more candle to that pretty little pink cake goodness, because Melificent is TWO today!
Wow, what a journey. It’s incredible to believe that another year has flown by, this one better than the last. I have had so many amazing opportunities, met so many interesting people and have challenged myself to be creative and dedicated. This little blog is such an important part of my life, and it is so humbling to know that it is a part of so many others’. The blog has grown even more in this past year, and I hope those stats only continue to grow. I love sharing fun, cute and interesting things with you all on a daily basis.
In honor of my bloggy birthday (cute, no?), I will have some pretty special giveaways and features coming up during the rest of the month. I did not want to wait another minute, so let the BLOGGY BIRTHDAY BONANZA (I just made that up on the spot) begin!
That’s right! I am giving away a photo session of your choice (portrait, family, engagement, boudoir) with RGBmonster, my extremely talented hubby. This includes the 3-hour session and 30-50 of the best edited photos. The only restriction is that you must be a South Florida local! Feel free to look through his website as well as blog to check out his current work and projects.
Now, how do you enter? EASY!
1. Leave a comment to this blog stating what kind of shoot you would choose if you won
2. Like Melificent’s Facebook fan page
3. Like RGBmonster’s Facebook fan page
And in case you were wondering what it’s like to participate in an RGBmonster shoot, wonder no longer! Check out a behind the scenes video of Karina’s fun portrait shoot:
The winner will be announced one week from today: 2.17.11, so make sure to get your entries in soon! Good luck to everyone!
