Happy Holidays!

Well it's hard to believe that Christmas is just a few days away!  I'll be taking a break from blogging as I enjoy my birthday, Christmas and New Year's with my family and friends.  Thanks to all of you new and old followers for reading my blog this year...I feel so fortunate to have met so many of you through this medium and I love getting to share my interests with you!  

I have some big plans for Lilac & Lace in 2013 and can't wait to start a new year of ballet, burgers and beautiful things!  Until then, have a wonderful holiday and I'll see you again in 2013!

Christmas Yarn Trees for 2012

Last year I made a bunch of yarn Christmas trees for my family and friends and posted the simple how-to on this very blog.  You can see the original tutorial here.  

This year, I had the pleasure of helping my mom make some trees of her own.  We brought in a few new materials, like gold ric-rac and round silver push pins, and I think that really brought this simple craft to a new level.  These make such wonderful gifts and the best part is they're quick to make and are a definite crowd-pleaser! 

Fox Fanatic

I think it was about 3 years ago when I announced that I wanted to start collecting foxes.  And my friends and family all responded with major enthusiasm.  But the only problem was that foxes were in short supply.  There didn't seem to be many options which made for an interesting challenge.

But lately, foxes have been everywhere.  I mean everywhere!  And I couldn't be more pleased!  But in a way, the popularity of the little woodland critter have made things a bit more difficult for me.  For instance, when I saw that Old Navy was carrying an adorable (and affordable) fox sweater I knew I just had to have it.  But it sold out everywhere long before I had a chance to snag one for myself!

Lucky for me, my super fabulous and fashion savvy Aunt Christy nabbed one and gave it to me as birthday gift!  I adore my new fox sweater and already have gotten so many compliments on it!  She also got me a gorgeous fox necklace and super fabulous fox cocktail ring too...Basically I am the foxiest lady on the block!  

Thanks Aunt Christy! 

Ballet Beginnings

Even the best dancers had to start somewhere...I love this video which gives a peek into New York City Ballet dancers' humble beginnings...
 

Happy Fake Christmas!

We're in the home stretch for Christmas and this week promises to be jam packed with activities and last minute errands!  But the boy and I have actually already begun our celebrations - We actually had a little Christmas dinner (which we affectionately referred to as fake Christmas) and exchanged gifts with my parents this past weekend and it was lovely.  My parents were incredibly generous and gave us the most amazing presents!  

My mom found some amazing vintage decor at a local vintage fair, including this awesome ice bucket and cocktail shaker...I just adore the way they look on our vintage bar cart!  

She also scored this awesome 1960's coffee carafe and adorable cream and sugar bowls.  How cute are they?  They look straight out of the Dick Van Dyke Show!  

And my Dad was kind enough to give his fabulous DSLR camera to me.  I've been wanting one for so long and even though his is slightly used, it's so much nicer than anything I could ever have hoped for!  I am thrilled and so excited to start learning how to use it better!  

I only hope that they had as nice a time as we did over at their house.  It was beautifully decorated for Christmas and we had a great time!

Also, today is my parents 35th wedding anniversary!  Congratulations to them both- their love is truly inspiring! 

This Week...

I met up with one of my favorite fellow dancers, Jackie.  We shared some fries and dished over burgers and wine at the Bowery.  

I attended my office Christmas party and discovered that some of my male co-workers actually have some pretty impressive dance moves.

I wrote another DIY Guest post for Little Tree Vintage blog for a 12 Days of Christmas Embroidery Hoop project.  You can view it by clicking here.

 

I helped the boy to make a delicious lentil soup on Wednesday and we have been enjoying the left overs ever since.

I received this snood from Arthelias Attic on Etsy and I am pretty much obsessed.  Why did snoods ever go out of fashion?  

I've been watching Hart of Dixie on Netflix and I am pretty much hooked.  Rachel Bilson's wardrobe is so chic, yet fun, I think I've found a new TV style icon!

I discovered this wonderful blog, which sources wardrobe sources from all my favorite shows.  Love it!  

I'm finding that having bangs requires a bit more primping in the morning.  I'd like to say that I'm fine with that, but I'm just not a morning person, so it's been a bit challenging this week.  

 This weekend the boy and I are celebrating Christmas with my parents since we won't be at their actual Christmas celebration this year.  I must admit, I like spreading out the festivities!  

I also hope to take a tour of my home town tomorrow night and see some Christmas lights.  As much as I love living in the city, we are definitely low on Christmas lights.  Though, not on Rodeo Drive, which has a massive tree, live carol singers and even bouts of fake snow....It's like a mini Disneyland, but instead of selling Mickey Mouse sweatshirts, they sell Versace dresses.  Potato, Pototto.  

Hope you have a lovely weekend!  

Burger Quest: A Guest Global Review from Dublin!

I think it's pretty swell that so many people from around the globe are reading our little Burger Quest and feeling inspired to take part!  People like Z - A glorious Boston blogger who is currently studying in the Netherlands - for instance.  She was kind enough to contribute to the Burger Quest and I am just so pleased to be able to share another Global Edition of the Burger Quest today! If you want to submit your own burger quest please contact me and let me know!   

Hey guys! It's Z from sometimesztakespictures, and I'm lucky enough to have another international burger quest for you! I've been studying abroad in the Netherlands for three months and have been taking weekend trips here and there to tons of other European cities. A few weeks ago, I was in Dublin and stumbled upon Bobo's...and burger love was born.

I found the joint after some ridiculous google search (if you're ever traveling, never underestimate what a quick "things to do in _____" will get you) and decided that we MUST go. There are two locations and we went to both, but I'll examine the one that was just down the street from us - a cute, tiny little place that was mostly diner bar with a few two-person high tops. But, hey, we're here for the burger.

This is definitely a place that makes their burgers STACKED. They have loads of lovely options - I went with the Conn, which is a beef burger with tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, sweetcorn relish, and barbeque sauce. I opted out for the relish (gets too messy for me) and asked for extra sauce...because barbeque sauce in Europe is a rare thing. At this point, I hadn't had a REAL burger in about a month, so I might over-score purely because of joy. 

Bobo's flaunts real Irish meat and they deliver - the actual burger was perfectly cooked, provided a nice amount of char, and was tender without being that juicy. All of the toppings melded together wonderfully and the barbeque sauce was on point! The bun, however, was a bit of a disappointed. It was on a poppyseed bun, which just tasted strange with the rest of the flavors. Yet, it was big and toasted to perfection, so there's that at least. And, taking into account how much was on the thing, it stayed together pretty well! (I did need to use the smush method.) 

Overall, this place is great if you're looking for a burger that's both Irish-ly authentic and reminiscent of home. Either place is a great dinner or after-party place (they're open till two!). Also, check out the garlic fries if you get the chance. So glad I got the chance to give a bit of an international flavor! 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 4

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun - 2
Flavor - 3
Stay Togetherness - 3
Joint - 4

Thanks so much to Z for sharing such an awesome Burger Quest post!  Hopefully it will be the first of many as we continue to expand the quest for the perfect burger!  

Anjolee Earrings - Holiday Sparkle!

When it comes to jewelry, my style is a bit of a mish-mash.  I have a bunch of jewelry that I got from my grandmother, quite a few vintage pieces I've collected over the years and then of course, a lot of cheap costume-like jewelry that I've bought myself, which are all very trendy. 

But even though my style is a bit all over the map, I love accessorizing my outfits with unique pieces that stand out and convey a little bit of my personality.  I love jewelry that's at once delicate and bold, chic and colorful.  

So you can imagine how excited I was to learn about Anjolee.  Anjolee is the only jewelry website that allows you to customize any of their gorgeous jewelry designs to your exact preferences, taste and budget. Anjolee’s product line even includes fine diamond and bridal jewelry, all of which can be customized to your heart's desire!  

Some of my favorite items from their site include their diamond wedding bands, and they have several diamond bridal sets that are simply heavenly.  But as you know, the boy and I have long since exchanged rings and aren't really in the market for that now.  So I was especially interested in customizing my own pair of jewel hoop earrings.  

I found a pair of gorgeous Three Stone Diamond Hoop Earrings on the Anjolee site, but I didn't really want something with that much bling.  I wanted to create something festive and fun - Something I could wear to all those holiday parties we have coming up over the next 2 weeks.  But with Anjolee's customizing options, that wasn't a problem.  

I was able to replace the diamonds with ravishing red garnets and in a matter of weeks they were delivered to my door!  I love my new Anjolee earrings and am sure to wear them to plenty of Christmas affairs and throughout the year!  Be sure to check out the Anjolee site - if you're in the market for something special and want to put you're own spin on it, they are your one-stop shop for making your jewelry dreams happen! 

Sweater: Gap | Snood: Arthelia's Attic | Earrings: c/o Anjolee | Necklaces: Vintage

DIY Anthropolofication | Holiday Snow Globes

When I saw these beautiful Mason Jar snow Globes at Anthropologie, I knew they had to be mine...Then I checked their price tag and I knew I had to make them myself.  And how easy are they to make?  On a scale of 1 to 10, they are a 1.  These simple crafts can be made with just a few basic items and take all of 5 minutes.  Here's the how-to:

You'll need-

Mason jars with lids

Miniature Christmas Trees (these were bought at Michael's)

Fake Snow (bought at Pottery Barn)

Glue Gun

Start by gluing your trees to the flat saucer like lid by using just a dollop of hot glue.  Be sure to glue it to the side of the lid that goes inside the jar.  Mine were already white colored, but if yours aren't you may want to add a coat of white paint first. 

Next pour just a bit of snow into your mason jar. 

Close the lid onto the mason jar with the tree pointing downwards.  When you lid is securely shut, flip the jar over, letting the snow fall on your tree.  Tap to get the snow in bare patches.

And that's it!  Beautiful homemade Anthropologie-Style snow globes that you can make for well under the $35 dollars I would have paid to buy them.  Fabulous and festive!  

Burger Quest: Rounds

It's a little embarrassing to admit that I am just now blogging about our Burger Quest experience with Rounds.  We tasted their acclaimed burgers not at their West Hollywood location, but from their food truck at the Unique LA Craft Show....But no, not the most recent Unique LA; this was the one that took place last summer.  Shameful, I know.  

The Rounds burger was really pretty good.  Standard flavors, strong meat, very juicy and sort of greasy, but in that really good way, you know?  The only trouble is, it was so windy on the air strip in Santa Monica where they held the event, it was difficult to keep my hair from blowing all over my face as I tried to eat.  Not the best way to enjoy such a delicious burger!  

Overall, it's a place I would love to visit again.  No question.  But it wasn't life changing.  Although, I think it may be my favorite bun to date...Really so good!  It was a good burger though and being able to enjoy it at a fun crafty venue made it extra special in my estimation!  

Scores:

Meatiness - 4

Succulentiousness - 3
Bun - 5

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 3

Joint - 2 (can't properly judge, but the food truck looked roomy!)

Too Much Tulle to Pass Up!

I have worn plenty of tutus in my day.  I even own a few, but yet I still couldn't resist splurging on this gorgeous full tulle skirt from Anthropologie.  It fits like a tutu, but is fully lined and actually, not quite as tulle-y as a real one, making it perfectly acceptable to wear to parties and fancy events out.   

It's a bit tricky finding a top to pair with it however.  I tried a bunch of different options, but resorted to a basic spaghetti strap top because that just felt right to me (closest thing to a leo.)  In any case, it's a fancy piece that is probably the single most impractical clothing purchase I've made in my life. But what can I say?  Sometimes a girl just needs a tutu.  

I'm pretty sure they no longer carry this skirt online, but here are a few other tulle skirts Anthropologie has to offer.

Weekends are sort of like Feathers....

They just float on by and before your done enjoying them they're gone.  Not that I really mind going back to work, it's just that I enjoy sleeping in so much!  

source

This weekend was fairly uneventful.  We paid rent, we went down to Santa Monica and got an Advent Calendar from the English shop (it's literally like Wee Britain down there) then stopped by Father's Office for a pint and beet salad....And sweet potato fries.  Saturday night found us at our first holiday part of the season and now I've been spending most of my Sunday tidying up and trying my best to get things ready for the week, but, typically, am not making as much progress as I'd like.  

This week I'm expecting a few packages of Christmas goodies and I plan to finish up a couple holiday projects.  Friday we're having a few people over, and honestly I'm a little bit nervous about it.  We've never had more than a couple people in our apartment at a time, mainly because it's so small, but hopefully people will be cool with a "cozy" atmosphere!  

What are your plans this week?   

The beeping just won't stop!

As I type this, there is an apartment, somewhere near ours, that has an alarm going off...And it has been beeping for (kid you not) FIVE HOURS!  What does one do in this situation?  Call the police?  Start shouting in the alley way?  I don't know, but oh my goodness do I hope the residents of the beeping apartment come home soon, cause I'd like to go to bed at some point and beeping will not all that to happen.  

Anyway, I suppose I should take advantage of the fact that I am wide awake and enjoy this past time that is blogging.  With December a mere minute away, holiday parties are practically on our doorstep.  And of course, for all the upcoming festivities, you'll need something to wear.  Here are a few of my festive favorites....

1. 1940's Hair Snood / 2. Mid heel shoes / 3. PepperMint dress / 4. Corey Lynn Calter Might and Main Squeeze Dress / 5. It's a Wonderful Life Dress /  6. Green Shoulder bag

Say Hello to my Little Friends!

They aren't really little...They're LOVELY!  This is the very first time I've ever had sponsors on this blog, and I have to say, I'm extremely honored to support such wonderful bloggers!  Read on to get to know couple of this month's sponsors a little better!

Hello, my name is Sabrina & I blog over at cattails + cardigans. Cattails + Cardigans is a lifestyle blog where I share my daily life with my readers. I talk about my life as a paraplegic, a mother to a beautiful kitten named Gregory and sometimes share things that inspire me.

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Hi! I'm L.M. Sherwin and I'm a fantasy author who loves blogging in her spare time. My blog, Unearthing Words, is a writing and reading focused site that hosts book reviews, writing articles, and information about my novels. I'd love it if you'd stop by and join in the fun!

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Snow Globe DIY Post & Christmas in my Locker

HI Pretties!

It's raining and gloomy here today in LA and I absolutely love it!  I am wearing my Hunter boots to work and (for the first time) I am trying out the new bangs full force (that is, I'm not pushing them to the side or covering them with a headband.  They are way out in front for everyone to see!)  Like this...

Also if you haven't seen it already I did a little guest post over on Maria's blog yesterday on how to put together these little beauties...

Go check it out and while you're in the Holiday mood, be sure to check out my Do They Know it's Christmas Collection over on Lockerz.  I've been finding so many cute images, inspirations, craft and decor ideas all over the interweb, and have been compiling them all on Lockerz - It's so much fun!  And with Lockerz you earn points for every item you pin, which you can then use to purchase items at a discount.  So with my points from this Christmas Collection I was able to purchase a couple Christmas presents!  Not too shabby huh?

You can join Lockerz too by clicking HERE.   Hope to see you there! 

Anyway, hope you all have a marvelous day! 

Burger Blitz - 4 Burgers for the price of 1

So you may have noticed I have gone a few weeks without posting a Burger Quest post.  This isn't due to a lack of burger tastings.  Oh no, quite the contrary.  The boy and I have been on so many burger quests over the last month that frankly, I got a little overwhelmed with posting about them.  There were some tears, some strongly emphasized words...Suffice to say, I needed to take a little break.  

But now, naturally, I have even more burger reviews to write since before my little hiatus.  Isn't that always the way?  You take a day off and enjoy yourself so much, only to find double the work waiting for you when you decide to come back.  Not that burger quests are work...

Anyway, to make up for my slacker ways I am bringing you a little Burger Blitz today - Four Burger reviews in one quick, easy to swallow post.  Ready?  Here we go!

Blue Palms

This place is a bit of a dive, but in a cool way.  Right next door to the Music Box Theater, Blue Palms is a proper, no nonsense place to grab a beer.  And the burger ain't bad either.  A good balance of meatiness to sauce and flavors.  What makes this place so good is it's obvious lack of pretentiousness.   The boy took me there after I saw Frankenweenie, so I was a bit bleary-eyed through most of the meal.  

Scores:

Meatiness - 5

Succulentiousness - 5
Bun -3

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 4 

Joint - 4

Oaks Gourmet

This was one of the most succulent burgers we've tried yet!  The boy took me here after I gave a somewhat failed ballet performance and needed a bit of cheering up.  The meat was so tasty and tender, the bun so sweet and soft.  All the ingredients were fresh and delicious, making this Franklin Village Market the place to go for one of our favorite burgers to date.  The joint is definitely a market and not the most comfortable place to sit and eat.  Get the burger, but take it to go!  

Scores:

Meatiness - 5

Succulentiousness - 5
Bun -4

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 4 

Joint - 2

Lucky Devils

I think I liked the decor and the music playing in this Hollywood Boulevard joint more than I expected.  This was a really delicious burger.  The meat has a wonderful flavor and it wasn't overcomplicated with too much of anything else.   The decor of the joint may be a little mixed up as they are clearly going for a sort of trendy gourmet biker bar vibe,  but they were playing radiohead when we walked in and continued to play great tunes throughout our meal.   The meat made this burger stand out,  but the slightly spicy secret sauce was yummy too.  It was juicy without being drippy, and the burger didn't fall apart.  My red wine and rosemary fries were also good, making me suspect that there are lots of tasty things to try at Lucky Devils.  It's a place I want to go back to again, no question!  

 Scores:

Meatiness - 5

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun -3

Flavor - 5
Stay Togetherness - 4 

Joint - 4

Juicy Burger

We ht up  Juicy Burger right after Lucky Devils and perhaps that was a mistake, because Juicy Burger tasted awful in comparison!  The Juicy burger had no personaility and was far too drippy.  It consisted of iceberg lettuce, lots of Thousand Island dressing, concealing a bit of meat that was fine, but didn't add much to the flavor.   The bread-y bun looked better than it actually tasted and while it was a satisfying meal, we deemed this as a Hangover burger at best.  It's decent for the price, but not the best burger by miles.  I also hated the joint - it's a tiny place playing crappy dance house music that made me desperately want to leave, I was so uncomfortable.  Not recommended.  

Scores:

Meatiness -3

Succulentiousness - 2
Bun -2

Flavor - 2
Stay Togetherness - 2

Joint - 1

Ruche at the Ballet

I absolutely love the clothing site Ruche.  Everything they have is so perfectly demure and lovely with a hint of vintage style.  Plus the prices aren't too shabby either.  Suffice to say, I'm a fan and I was particularly excited by their new holiday lookbook, which is ballet themed...

Now of course, I am thrilled that ballet seems to be cool and impressive enough (at the moment) for brands to want to try to incorporate it into their marketing.  And as we know, several brands have done just that over the past few years.  But I still can't help but hate when I see images of ballet done really, really badly, like say by a model, who clearly never took a real ballet class in her life.  

Just to start off, what the hell are these ribbons about? 

And could someone not run over and fix her arms?  Just pull her hands apart!

Is this supposed to be a posse or something?

Just no.

This may pass for a turned-in modern dance type pose, but no way in hell is that a ballet arabesque!

I know that, once again, I am being a ballet snob and I'm sorry.  I truly love the styling, the composition and much of the photography in this collection, but shots like these just make my skin crawl.  And while the background ballerinas are pretty decent (clearly serious students) even some of their positions could have used a helpful fixing in several of the shots.  But it's not them I take issue with...  In fact, their professionalism and technique actually makes the model's lack of ballet skills all the more apparent. 

I mean, my gosh look at that front foot! 

The thing is, ballet is hard.  Photographing ballet is really hard too.  And I can't help but get annoyed when it appears that people don't understand that.  They think it's ok and that nobody will be bothered.  Well I'm bothered.  Young dancers have to work really hard to get their pointe shoes and many dancers aren't even able to stick it out to that pointe (pun intended.)  I remember it being a really big deal when I finally got to put on a real professional-style tutu, but like my pointe shoes, it was something I earned with sweat and sacrifice and blisters.  

Anyway, I don't mean to be a negative nancy.  But as a former dancer I wish to implore all these brands to stick to clothes and leave the dancing to the professionals....Not non-dancing models.  There, I said it.   But the clothes are all really nice!  All images from here.