Remember last month when I shared this photo of my living room and talked about all the things I wanted to do to it? Well it’s been a little over a month and we have made a few changes, so click the read more below to find out!
Saturday Edition: Baking With Red Velvet NYC!
Last Sunday I headed uptown to my friend Agathe’s apartment to attempt to bake some “Matcha Green Tea” cupcakes, from a recipe created by her company, Red Velvet NYC. Think Blue Apron, but for desserts! I was a little nervous because I couldn’t even remember the last time I sifted flour, let alone made my own frosting (try never). But she was a great teacher and encouraged me to do each step on my own, even when I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.
Because I am such a visual learner, I love that Red Velvet NYC has pictures to go along with their recipe text. That might sound like a no brainer, but think of all the recipes out there that are just listed in a cookbook with no photos to accompany it! I get so lost and overwhelmed that I usually just give up. But I love how beautiful the photos are on the recipe cards that come in the box, plus every ingredient is perfectly portioned out so you have exactly what you need.
Click the read more button below to see step by step photos and directions on how to make these yummy cupcakes! xo
#NakedState With Herbal Essences
In this day and age, we are so connected to our phones, devices, computers –you name it, we are probably on more than one at a time! Admittedly, I can find it very hard to turn everything off for fear of missing out, but luckily, I grew up with my Mother and Grandmother who taught me the importance of mindfulness and meditation, and how beneficial it is to find the time to strip away the superficial and focus on the authentic.
Because an amazing thing happens when I strip away the noise, the clutter and the commotion of my everyday stress. I become present, live in the moment, and reconnect with my true self again, allowing my creativity to flow and for greatness to happen, in whatever form it might be.
Now for a little segue, you all remember the past Herbal Essences commercials (the shower scenes haha) and how good the products smelled, right? Well now the brand is introducing two new collections – Herbal Essences Naked Clean & Refresh, and Herbal Essences Naked Smooth & Soft Shampoo and Conditioner, which are both free of heavy residues, parabens or dyes.
They approached me about working with their the latest collection, which is focused around who you are in your most pared down, #nakedstate of mind, and because of everything I just mentioned above, I was intrigued to experience and learn more.
I started by spending an afternoon with the very talented Celebrity Hairstylist Charles Baker Strahan who taught me all about the Naked Collection and walked me through all the steps needed to create the beachy, loose waves I wanted. Because my hair is fine, he used the Herbal Essences Naked Clean & Refresh Shampoo and Conditioner, which smells of strawberries and mint, to cleanse and brighten it before styling.
Now I’ll walk you through our process!
The Naked Volumizing Soufflé (the mousse) is best to put in your hair when it’s really wet and fresh from the shower. Apply at the roots and then work it towards the ends. Twist your hair to wring out the excess moisture in your hair, which will also help to more evenly distribute the product through your hair.
Next, because I have naturally curly hair and it can tend to get a bit frizzy around the hair lines, Charles recommended combing the hairline area and tucking it behind my ears to smooth out the cow licks and extra curly areas. He suggests also using a bobby pin or a flat clip to hold it in place to allow the hair to air dry.
Save your hair styling for the last part of getting ready. He explained to me that the heat is what changes the shape of hair, so doing too much in the way of styling with a blow dryer is sort of a waste in energy.
Tip: A rough dry can do the trick because you only need the hair to be around 90% dry.
Charles blew out my edges with a large natural bristle brush and a diffusing nozzle, then added loose waves with an iron.
Tip: If you reshape wave or curl with irons or wands, hair is much less likely to frizz and you can also comb or brush it to integrate waves and/or build body or volume.
Lastly, he spritzed my hair with the Naked Flexible Hold Spritzer to hold waves and scrunch it in to create a beachy look.
Tip: Using the Naked Dry Shampoo is a great way to add extra body and volume too!
After my hair consultation and styling session with Charles, I headed to a meditation session at ISHTA Yoga to learn some tips on how to quiet the mind and center the body through breath and movement. It was a lovely mix of yoga and meditation, and I found it so amazing and calming to sit quietly for an hour with no phone. I came out of the session so relaxed and refreshed, plus my hair totally stayed in tact while moving through my yoga flow.
Then later on in the evening, I went with my dear friend Liz to Rockwood Music Hall for an 8PM showing of the band Bellehouse. I love live music and this New York-based group is a mix of Old Time and folk revival with touches of Celtic, classic rock, soul and Motown to name a few. It was a great day overall and I loved getting in touch and taking time for myself to enjoy things that bring me happiness. 
Photos by Falcon Griffith
Created in partnership with Herbal Essences
Hangin’ In Nolita
My Outfit: Illesteva Sunglasses | Zara Blazer | Forever 21 Turtleneck (old – but I like this version as well)| Paige Overalls (gift) | Zara Shoes (similar style in suede) | Lauren Ralph Lauren Bag (gift)
His Outfit: Oliver Peoples Sunglasses | J.Crew Blazer (similar styles) | J.Crew Shirt (similar style) | AG Jeans | Frye Boots
I meant to post these photos a while ago and kept forgetting to share them with you guys. Lydia took these of me and Casey in Nolita after our meeting at the Helix showroom and I love how they turned out! Anyway, just thought these were some fun images to share, so I hope you guys enjoy them. :) Also, if you missed my post documenting our experience testing out and creating our own customized mattress by Helix, you can head on over here and read all about it!
Photos by: Lydia Hudgens
Here’s to everyone having a great Thursday! xo
P.S. I get a lot of questions about these overalls because I wear them SO often…they are by far one of the most comfortable items I own!
Shopbop Friends & Family Sale!
My Hair Story: 7 1/2 Years Of Cuts and Colors
Now that I am blonde again, which I haven’t been since college, I started thinking back about all the different hair styles I’ve experimented with since I began blogging, 7 1/2 years ago.
I’ve had my hair long, short, shoulder length, bangs and then long again. I’ve also had light as well as dark brown hair, auburn hair, ombre hair and now currently I’m a blonde! It was really fun to dig into the archives and see how different I looked throughout the years, and remember what was going on in my life at that time. I scoured my Flickr account and was able to select and then group together all of these photos in order from 2009 to now, so it’s chronological, which makes it fun to see.
Anyway, I’ll let the photos do the talking. Hope you enjoy! xo
(Sorry about the quality of some of the photos – one or two of them were already sized much smaller so I had to make do with what I had available.)
Also, me with bangs at 32 and at 28…
xoxo
Helix Sleep To The Rescue!
Confession: I have had the same bed for 11 years. You are really only supposed to keep a mattress for ten, so clearly I was due for a new one. The mattress was just getting so soft and misshapen but the worst part was the box spring and how squeaky it was whenever either of us shifted or got up during the night.
Casey and I have been dealing with this situation for a while and finally decided it was time to bite the bullet and start searching for a new bed, but we weren’t sure where to begin. There are so many options out there and every brand boasts that they are the best. The thing is, everyone’s sleep positions and patterns are different, so who is to know what is best for you, let alone two people sharing the same bed! I was dreading the idea of having to head to a Sleepy’s and try out a million mattresses before finally coming to a decision. So when Helix approached us about coming in and creating a custom bed, we of course both jumped at the chance.
(Although my mattress was old, I always remind myself that there are many people out there less fortunate than me, and I am lucky to even have a bed. But, I digress.)
Everyone who works at Helix is beyond nice and very patient. They let you settle in and chat with you a bit about the process before you begin taking their test, which helps determines the best bed for you. You are also given the option to create a blended or split bed (we opted for blended) and it asks everything from your shape to weight to height to sleep position and temperature (whether you run hot or cold). I found all these questions super helpful and never really thought about how something like my height versus Casey’s could affect how we sleep.
Once you have figured out what the ideal bed is for you, they begin to create it right then and there! They pull out these drawers that have every level of soft to firm sample pads to create all different versions of a potential mattress.
The first bed we tried was medium firm, and it was wonderful, but I tend to sleep on my stomach and often wake up with my back feeling unsupported and sore, so I knew I needed a bit more firmness. They quickly swapped out one side for me to try so I could compare the two. Then Casey gave it a try and we both agreed we liked the slightly firmer option. I loved how customized the experience was and that after we finished, we knew exactly the type of bed that was going to arrive at our apartment in just about a week and a half!
We definitely took our time trying out all our sleeping positions and making sure we were comfortable. :)
CHEEESEY, yes, but hey, how often do you get to have a fun mini photoshoot with your boyfriend in a beautiful sun drenched showroom, on a mattress, no less?!
Thank you SO much Helix for such a wonderful experience during our showroom appointment, as well as walking us through everything, answering our many questions and helping us get an amazing bed that has truly changed the quality of our sleep. Learn more about Helix here! xoxo
MSP Home: Living Room, In Progress…
For those of you that follow on me Instagram or Facebook, I am sure you saw the first photo I shared of my gallery wall or this photo, which is similar to the one above. I love my apartment and have lived in it for quite a long time now, first with a roommate, then by myself and now with Casey, and it’s truly become my New York home. I say New York home because I also consider my house in Seattle, my other home. Call me bi-coastal I guess. :) Anyway, I have been working really hard at getting the space to where I want it (with Casey weighing in as well of course) and last night I was finally happy enough with it to take a photo to share the progress with you guys!
Changes made:
Paint: The main wall used to be a dark turquoise and now it’s a pretty light gray. I love it so much.
Gallery wall: It’s finally hung – it only took me a few years. Eeep! The prints are a mix of things I have collected over the years as well as pieces from Minted (this one makes me smile and this one will be hung in the bedroom) and The Animal Print Shop (this and this). I used a great guy named Jason from Thumbtack to hang everything – he was friendly, fast and professional.
Art: The Givenchy print, which I got from One Kings Lane, used to be on the wall between the two windows, but I swapped it out with our new print, courtesy of Minted.
Chair: I brought my acrylic chair from Ikea up from my office and decided to use it as accent seating versus the previous dark velvet chair I had there before. I just felt like the shape and material of the new piece lightened up the space more and I had fun covering it in a faux sheepskin throw and cheeky Kate Spade throw pillow. I also found a perfect spot to display my ten years worth of Vogue magazines without taking up any room!
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Changes coming:
Rug: Planning on ordering this one.
Plant: It will go in the far corner next to the other window and according to The Sill, I think this one or this one will do well with the amount of light and space.
Pillows: I have the inserts, so now we just need different cases to freshen up our couchscape.
Table tray: I love this one in gold from West Elm.
Ottoman: I can’t decide between this one or this one.
Paint: We painted the main wall a pretty light gray but now I am thinking about painting the whole room the same shade. I am not loving how the “apartment white” on the other walls looks so yellow in comparison.
Stay tuned for more updates on my Snapchat, Instagram, (both handles are @mystylepill) and of course, here on the blog! xo
