“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward you’re always in the same place.”

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner it is always nice to know what message your gift or flower color means to the receiver.

Red Roses are the biggest hit on Valentine’s Day because they symbolize love and passion. So maybe if you just started dating 2 dozen RED roses might be a little too much (unless that is the message you want to give!)

White Roses represent young love, humility, purity, and innocence

Yellow Roses represent friendship and happiness. So if you have been in a serious relationship for years, you might not want to give your significant other these. Perfect for giving to your friends and relatives!

Pink Roses represent femininity, elegance and refinement. Pink Roses are also very popular on Valentine’s Day and look amazing mixed in with Red and White!

Orange Roses represent enthusiasm and desire, so they might be the perfect bet if you just started dating!

Of course you can mix and match and come up with lots of different meanings, but most importantly know what your receiver likes. If they hate the color pink, I’d advise you to stay clear from buying it, because no one wants to stare at an ugly color in their room for a week!

Alternatives to roses…

Gerber Daisies, Lillies, and Peonies!

Best of luck and a Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

You can’t win them all- but we still love our city and the 49ers had a wonderful season.

“The Only Person You Should Be Comparing Yourself To Is The Person You Were Yesterday.”

This goes for teams too! They are certainly better than they have been in the past and that should count for something… if not everything. Perfect practice makes perfect, better luck next year. <3

I think we all know that when we are not busy we often partake in things we normally wouldn’t do, not always bad things but probably not the greatest. I find it’s the days that my schedule is completely jammed pack that I actually get more done than the days I lounge around and think of all the things I could get done. When you don’t have too much time there is absolutely no room for messing around! The semester I took the most credits was my highest GPA in college and unfortunately the semester I took the least amount of credits I didn’t do so well. Coincidence? I think not. When I only had 4 classes I thought I had all this extra time to go hang out with friends, watch bad tv, go to the beach and I’d study later. Well of course later was always a little too late and studying didn’t happen. So when my biggest semester came around I knew some things had to change, and that is when I got my first lesson in prioritizing my life. You can only waste time when you have it. So not leaving yourself all these extra hours in the day can prove to be quite beneficial.

Of course we are not perfect and I’ll admit there have been plenty of times i’d say.. “I’ll put my running shoes on after that commercial,” and before I know it I’ve watched 3 episodes of Jersey Shore, which is sad on a whole other level. But on the days where I am completely busy, I am on it. I get home put on my running shoes and am out the door without ever glancing at the remote…success! Although having a lot to do can sometimes leave us feeling a little stressed, not having enough to do can make us a little antsy, so best to find a good balance between the two and keep that mind busy! Here are a few ideas of ways to keep yourself busy!

* Join a gym. Don’t belong to one? Go for a run or take your bike out of the garage! The most important thing is to create a schedule so you can find time everyday to workout.
* Find a new hobby. Whether you like to sew, make jewelry or try new cooking projects- it is always fun to learn and try something new.
* Read a book. Find a new author or subject that interests you and get reading!
* House chores. I like leaving my chores for the weekend because during the week those days seem so far away, but when they do come I am completely swamped in cleaning, and laundry. No sense in putting it off best to just do it when you have that extra time, you’ll thank yourself when the weekend comes around and you can just RELAX and do other more exciting things like read a book or make jewelry.
* Clean out your closet and donate those old clothes you never wear! This lets you de-clutter your life just a bit and it gives you tons more room to buy more clothes you’ll actually wear!
* Catch up with old friends. Instead of just saying you’ll get together why don’t you just plan something and do it! No one likes a flaky person so if you say you’re going to plan something, plan it!
…. and if you can’t manage to pull yourself away from the tv at least grab some weights and workout!

We haven’t watched The Bachelor in years and never really understood the cultural phenomenon that it has become…. until last night.  After about five minutes of watching these insane, desperate women we were hooked, and it doesn’t hurt that parts of this season are set in the beautiful San Francisco.  We will definitely be watching to see who embarrasses them self next, and keep you updated on our favorites front runners!

Just because some believe the world will end this year does not give anyone an excuse to trash it. And we will probably most definitely be here next year, January 8, 2013. (Sorry people… there has been countless “doomsdays” in the past and yet we are still here. It’s almost like people need an expiration date so they can have excuses to do things they probably wouldn’t do otherwise. I cringe when I hear or read “well… we won’t be here next year so it doesn’t really matter.” But that’s beside the point… doomsday or no doomsday we do need to take better care of the world or there might be some changes in the near future that aren’t for the better. Here are a few things you can do today!

1. Say No to Plastic Water bottles!- First off, they cost a few bucks each time you get one and once you’re done with them you toss them (hopefully in the recycling bin) Save yourself the money and the world from one less plastic bottle and get yourself a BPA water bottle. You can literally find them anywhere. And the great thing about them is they come in pretty much every size, shape, color, and design imaginable! It’s much cooler to be saving the environment than to be seen carrying an Evian bottle that you spent 5 times too much for! Check out REI’s BPA Water Bottles.
 2. Say No to Plastic Bags!- Reusable bags can roll up very small in every bag and carry a lot of groceries. Some stores even take off 5 cents for every bag you bring in! These can also be found at most stores and come in many styles. Check out reuseit.com.
 3. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products- Get the same clean while avoiding the harsh chemicals in your house. I like to use Green Works products because they work and most of the chemicals found in your other cleaning products smell toxic and are not good for the environment.
4. Turn off things you are not using! I know how easy it is to leave a light or two on in a room and walk away for 5 minutes or hours but it makes no sense! Turn off the light, unplug things that aren’t being used! I know it’s nice to come into the kitchen and see what time it is on the microwave, but no one needs the microwave at 3 in the morning!! You can reduce energy being used by 25% by turning certain equipment off, and even more if you turn off your computers! Takes no time and will save you money in the long run. Win/Win.

5. Walk instead of Drive!- I know there are lots of places you can’t get to by walking, but when you can, go for a walk instead! If you are just picking up a few groceries, take your reusable bag and water bottle and make a work-out of it! Your body and wallet will thank you later! Or if you have a bike, attach a basket or wear a back pack, you’ll get there quicker and be able to carry more!
These 5 small steps will not only have a huge impact on the environment but also be good for you! So do what you can to…

After seeing this headline, “Colorado Woman accused of damaging $30 million painting,” I just had to click it because it still amazes me how stupid people are. And it gets better, after she punched and scratched the painting… she pulled down her pants to rub her butt against the art. Seriously? It’s 2012, class it up people! Keep your butt in your pants and your hands to yourself when you’re in public. Rude!

Try the most exotic, interesting chocolate you have ever tasted in your life!! Pretty much everything you can think of they have incorporated it into chocolate. Check out vosgeschocolate.com to see all the wonderful flavors! Pick some up at Whole Foods and you will fall in love. There mission statement says it all… “to create a luxury chocolate experience rooted in a sensory journey of bringing about awareness to indigenous cultures through the exploration of spices, herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, nuts, chocolate and the obscure.” Obsessed!!!

Here are a few of my favorites…
Gingerbread Toffee
Dark Chocolate Bacon
and Black Salt Caramel!

A good song can always put you in a better mood and keep that smile on your face. These songs always uplift my mood!

1. Daylight- Matt & Kim
2. Fidelity- Regina Spektor
3. Merry Happy- Kate Nash
4. Eyes- Peter Bjorn and John
5. Valerie- Amy Winehouse
6. Start Shootin’- Little People
7. Tout Doucement- Feist
8. Help I’m Alive- Metric
9. Paradise- Coldplay
10. Let me know- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

and these songs will definitely get you moving!

1. Git it- Bun B Feat Ying Yang Twins
2. Deceptacon- Le Tigre
3. My Hump- Black Eyed Peas
4. Stay Fly-Three 6 Mafia
5. Check on It- Beyonce and Slim Thug
6. Erase Me- Kid Cudi
7. Hot N Cold-Katy Perry
8.  Brooklyn Go Hard- Jay Z Feat. Santogold
9. Raspberry Beret- Prince
10. Homecoming- Kanye West Feat. Chris Martin

You can never go wrong with these 5 items!

1. Colored Jeans- (Colors that are amazing right now are Cobalt Blue, and Red) They really make the outfit.. check these out! These colors look great with any skin tone, or hair color! Find jeans at urbanoutfitters.com. Choose your color on the left side of the screen.

2. Blazer- We love things that you can dress down during the day and dress up at night. Blazers are the perfect item to always have in your closet.
Nordstroms has a wide variety of blazers for women.  (See below)

Gibson One Button Fleece Blazer $88

 Olivia Moon Knit Blazer Was $88 now $49.90

3. LBD- We all have been invited to a party, event, or friends house where the Little Black Dress would have come in handy. There are an endless amount of styles, so make sure you find one that you feel comfortable in!
*Add your blazer, a pair of tights, or both to give the dress a whole different feel!

4.Versatile Bag- This is a bag that fits your essentials (wallet, phone, make-up, etc…) and can be worn to work and out on the town. Here are some good picks…
MARC by MARC JACOBS ‘Classic Q- Little Ukita  Convertible Crossbody Flap Bag $428

 Tory Burch ‘Brady’ Shoulder Bag $365

Don’t break the bank bags…

Deux Lux Snake Chain Crossbody Bag
Urbanoutfitters.com $49 

Full Course Load Bag in Mustard
Modcloth.com $84.99

5.  Unique pieces of jewelry (Statement pieces) Have fun with your jewelry! Shop around for vintage pieces or make your own! Check out etsy.com and search thousands of great pieces that can fit any style!

See how these necklaces changed their LBD!

Neiman Marcus