there has been so much written about the importance of using organic skincare and makeup products, seeing as your skin actually absorbs everything you put on it.  while i admit i have not done a full overhaul of my routine (there are products that i love that are not organic), below are a few of my favorites currently in rotation.  with these, i don’t feel like i am sacrificing anything in terms of performance.

{pictured from top:  rms luminizer, drunk elephant vitamin c serum, rms powder, one love organics cleansing oil, and herbivore botanicals face mask in the center}

still dreaming about the california sunshine.  here are some more snaps from my trip.

manhattan beach at sunrise

dinner at farmshop

afternoon jog

acai bowl for breakfast every.single.day.

i just got back from what was hopefully my last work trip to california for a while.  i stayed at the lovely shade hotel on manhattan beach, and had the best time.  work trips are not nearly as glamorous as they sound, so it is such a treat to come back to such a lovely room and a hot bath.

all i packed for 6 days, including work out clothes.  more on the bag later.  🙂

sorry i wasn’t able to take a picture before my clutter exploded everywhere.great drink set up.my favorite feature.  the bathroom has walls that can be opened or closed, so you can watch tv from the tub.  or retain your privacy if you prefer.the same view with the sliding doors closed.i packed 1 black skirt, 2 cream tops, and 2 black dresses, and a gray cardigan (not pictured).  this was more than enough to make all the (non workout) outfits i needed for the week.only three pairs of shoes for the whole trip.  i would normally wear the sneakers on the plane, but since i had enough room in my suitcase, i packed them and wore the pink chloe flats.

to celebrate a friend’s birthday, i recently trekked out to williamsburg to learn how to make the famous momofuku birthday cake.  best part?  the constant tasting.  oh, and the 6″ cake we each got to take home.

for those of you interested in the class, fair warning that you don’t actually bake the cake.  the class teaches you how to assemble the cake.

i don’t know if it is getting older or the unexpected turn my work has taken this year, but i determined that if i was going to be stressed all the time, i might as well not look it.  i added several new products to my skin care regime.  i am not sure if they are making a day to day difference, but they do make me feel like i am doing something.

the undereye masks and sheet mask are from peach and lily, an online korean skincare emporium.  they do make your skin brighter immediately after use.  plus, they feel so nice.  i use them whenever my skin feels especially.

the drunk elephant c-firma is for the morning, and the dr. dennis gross retinol is for evening.  i layer the retinol all over my face, and top with the neo under eye cream.  i read somewhere that if you want to stimulate collagen (the stuff that plumps out wrinkles), you should use vitamin c in the morning and retinol in the evening.  i have been on this schedule for only a few months, so i will report back on the results.

with a new book that almost matches my new lingerie.  as one does.

set by fortnight.

the biggest wildcard during my vacation was definitely malta.  i like to go somewhere i have never seen before on each trip, and since i was fortunate to travel around italy with my family while in college, we added malta to the itinerary.

though i didn’t love the location of our hotel (st.julian’s bay), the abandoned beaches, dusty and romantic landscapes, and those stunningly blue waters made me forget all about that.  we were also very lucky to spend an afternoon on a private boat visiting the sister islands and going through caves.

since all my pictures from venice are of canals, it seems fitting that pretty much all my pictures from florence are of art.

i know a lot of people love to hate her, but lately some of my favorite recipes have been from gwyneth paltrow’s site goop.  many of the recipes use healthier substitutes (this one has almond flour and yogurt) without sacrificing flavor.  i have never cooked from her other cookbooks, but i can say that the recipes i have tried from “it’s all easy” have used easy to find ingredients and were actually easy.

this cake made a lovely addition to my sunday morning breakfast.

okay, i went a little crazy during the sugar paper la sample sale.  i love sending handwritten notes to tell people i am thinking of them, and i completely agree with everything printed on the lovely card that came with my goodies.

i learned how to letterpress in college, and i completely fell in love with it.  there is nothing like running your hands over luscious piece of think paper and feel the indentions of a hundred year old press.as you can see, i stocked up on christmas cards to give out later this year.