good day sunshine.

Nearly three years ago, I made a happy {and pricey} discovery while roaming the makeup aisle in Nordstrom: the Clarins counter. Though I am far from a beauty product junkie, I fell head over heels for their products. The pricetags may be steep, but I include it in my beauty budget. Why? I'm considering it a long-term investment in my skin and a short-term investment in my happiness.

Last week, I ran out of my Clarins Multi-Active Early Wrinkle Cream, so I knew a trip to Nordstrom was in order. This cream has been my go-to for years now, so I knew right where to find it. Imagine my surprise when I found a much taller, slimmer bottle to the right of it which also had SPF! I was ecstatic. Cue the entry of Clarins Multi-Active Early Wrinkle Correcting Lotion with SPF 15 in my daily routine. 

Many moisturizers with SPF cause me to break out, so I was anxious to see how my skin would respond. After a week, I am happy to say this $58 investment was worth every cent. I haven't had any blemishes {outside of the "ohmygoshwe'removing" ones}. Because of the pump feature, I find this lotion bottle much easier to "ration" than the cream jar. The amazing smell remained the same in both formulations, so color me happy yet again. Above all, the SPF on a daily basis is absolutely essential for me. Eliminating a step by combining my daily moisturizer and an SPF will save me time in the mornings--and keep me safe at the same time. It's a definite win-win.

What investments do you make in your beauty routine? Do you have another favorite lotion with SPF in it? Share your secrets, friends! xoxo {av}

friday's fancies #133.

A very happy Friday to you! {cv} and I will be making the trek to Indiana for our final wedding in 2013. After three weddings in four weeks, it will feel a little strange not to belt out Piano Man or have burning quads while dancing to SHOUT!  Thankfully, Rent The Runway has had my back this wedding season--helping me feel like a princess whether in a church pew and on the dance floor.

This outfit is nearly identical to the one I'll be sporting to my dear friends' fiesta on Saturday night. I didn't rent the clutch, but I did rent the dress and the earrings! I cannot wait to get to the hotel and get my paws on this little number. Without further ado, here is my wedding guest chic look...

to rent from Rent The Runway: the dress + the earrings + the clutch = $105

to buy: the dress + the earrings + the clutch  = $535

finishing touches: 

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow {in Bone} + Lip Gloss {in Buff}

Ivanka Trump Anita Evening Sandals {also seen here!}

Did you blog about fashion this week? If so, you're welcome for #FridaysFancies. Following the theme is not required. It's only there to get your creative juices flowing! Click here to join the Friday's Fancies mailing list! 

Are you in the thick of wedding season? How do you manage multiple weddings in one summer/year?

Lots of love to my loyal Friday's Fancies linkers--you ladies keep me sane in the midst of a crazy month :) Thank you! If you want to see this outfit in action, keep your eyes on Instagram. Until Monday... xoxo {av}

STAY IN TOUCH: INSTAGRAM + TWITTER + FACEBOOK + BLOGLOVIN
NOTE: I am not sponsored by Rent The Runway. I just love their service that much. For real.

lucite love.

When we moved into our current apartment four years ago, we had no semblance of home styling. It truly was a hodge-podge of furniture from post-college and singledom. Admittedly, I should have invested more time in our decor, but other things took precedence. My intention is to redeem myself in our new home--starting with a few touches of lucite {the hard clear acrylic material which makes the goodness below possible!}. 

from top left:

CB2 Vapor Chair

Atlas Homewares OPTB9 Optimism Collection Bar

The Container Store Acrylic Hinged-Lid Boutique Tissue Box

Furbish Studio Lucite Tape Dispenser

The Container Store Business Card Holder

The Container Store Double Wall Acrylic Wine Holder

Crate & Barrel Acrylic 5 x 7 Block Frame

CB2 Acrylic Baby Easel

Baxton Simpla Clear Acrylic Modern Table Lamp

The Container Store Acrylic Jewelry Stands

{cv} isn't biting for something like a lucite coffee table, but I might be able to convince him I need the vapor chair for my home office. Time will tell ;) The good news is that I can incorporate this rockin' material without investing a true arm and a leg. The honest truth is that I want something more on the timeless end of design, so picking something much more modern may not feel right in the long run.

Have you taken the clear plunge? If you've fallen in love with lucite, share your stories here!

Though it does have a certain modern flair, I love how it can act as the perfect bridge from old to new. For more of the inspiration behind this post, take a peek at my virtual apartment inspiration board or my latest Houzz ideabook! Have a marvelous Wednesday, friends! xoxo {av}

you say goodbye.

For nearly two years, I have posted about our journey toward home ownership. About eight weeks ago, I posted about our sheer excitement: we were a month away from breaking ground on our beautiful new home. In the ensuing two months, the market has made itself known and our build is now on hold for the conceivable future. After purchasing the land last fall, you can only imagine how frustrating these developments have been. Sadly, we can't camp out on our little piece of Rhode Island...so we're moving!

In the blogging world, it often feels like everything goes perfectly for everyone. {Am I the only one who feels this way?!} In our case, things did not go the way we'd hoped. Few people seem to talk about those experiences--and I will admit that sharing our "failure" has caused more anxiety than it should.

Now that our move--rather than our build--is on the table, I can breathe an enormous sigh of relief. I can be honest and say that blogging four times a week in the midst of our move just isn't realistic. I would much rather produce three quality posts than four that are a bit thrown together. Friday's Fancies will live on, of course, but I have to spend the rest of June making sure we make the move, all while juggling my day job, this blog, and life. 

On top of everything else, I am one of the most sentimental people you will ever meet. {cv} and I ended our long distance years when we moved into this apartment. We've lived here for four years--and it truly is home. We started married life in this apartment. We lost our little Lucy in this apartment. We have spent more years here than we have in any place since we left for college. Though I'm thrilled to be moving to a better part of town in a gorgeous new apartment, a small part of me feels incredibly sad to say goodbye.

Though the house may not be in the cards this year, it will be in the future. We were financially ready this year, but the market was not. It is hard to accept, but I'm beyond excited to start this new adventure with {cv}. Sharing this news with you isn't the easiest admission, but it's one I have to make. In the eight weeks since I learned this news, I've struggled the most with how to tell all of you, so finally getting this out is such a relief. You'll get to see some fun progress in the next few months as we transition from one place to another. Get excited. Until then, I appreciate your understanding and encouragement as we close one chapter--and start another.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your endless support. Thank you for making me realize everything happens for a reason--even though it's hard to see right now. Thank you. 

I'm learning that saying hello is the best way to go. xoxo {av}

P.S. You can follow along with my new apartment inspiration on Pinterest :)