Believe.

December 11, 2013

Beverly Connection. Los Angeles, CA

When we’re young, we were expected to believe in Santa Clause and all kinds of other magical things like: fairies, monsters, ghosts, and the Tooth Fairy- without any sort of doubt.  And weren’t those blissful days simply amazing?  

Now I know most of us agree that even though we aren’t still running downstairs at 5am to tear through presents or making wishes when we fall asleep at night, Christmas brings a certain amount of hope and excitement to us all.  It’s a time to take off and snuggle with family and friends, and show loved ones how much we’ve appreciate their support throughout the year.  OK that all sounds lovely right?  Well, somehow over the years, Christmas has turned into a bit of a consumer frenzy.  Days like “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” have been created to force us away from our families and out into the cold to purchase as much as we possibly can afford.  In between all the holiday parties, travel, and end of the year work events, we are expected to pack in endless days of shopping.  What began as a beautiful day to celebrate with loved ones, may quickly turn into a bit of a stressful event that can leave a lot of us in over our heads hoping to pack as much as possible under the Christmas tree.

I think it’s always important not to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.  A few days ago I was with a friend of mine and I asked her if she was excited to give her adorable four-year-old daughter all kinds of presents for Christmas “ She’s going to be so excited!” I said. My friend then explained that while she planned on getting her a couple presents, she was also going to have her choose one present to give to another child at a local shelter.  “I need to teach her to be giving at an early age and she already has so much” she explained to me.  I this was wonderful and wanted to share it today because that’s what Christmas is really about- giving.

 I’ve found that homemade gifts are just as appreciated (if not even more) than store bought and nothing is better than spending quality time with loved ones.  It’s also great to donate to your local charities for those who may not be able to afford anything this Christmas, for whom Christmas may actually be a very difficult time of year.

My outfit today is entirely from OLD NAVY! Not only is it affordable and comfy, but it has a bit of extra holiday cheer that I need in my day today.  Love is something we can all afford this season.   Fortunately, love is also something we will never grow to old to believe in. 

Boyfriend Jeans: OLD NAVY

Polka-dot Top: OLD NAVY

Graphic Sweater: OLD NAVY

Booties: Forever21

Purse: Marshalls

Shop this look!

Photos by: Jennifer Biswas

Movie Magic.

December 5, 2013

Los Angeles, CA

Over the little holiday break, I have to admit, we watched a TON of movies.   We would go out to screenings and then return home and put in another movie right after… and it was glorious.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I somehow got very lucky and was plucked- at random- out of the many other SAG members to be part of the nominating committee this year (in the film category).  It’s been so motivating to attend and watch such great films and while I certainly don’t LOVE them all, I can always appreciate a great performance.

To be honest, although it always seems so very glamorous, the entertainment industry can be quite rough, and in a world where ‘NO’ is profoundly more popular than ‘YES’, it’s truly necessary for me to take moments like this past weekend, to sit down and enjoy a good movie, listen to the actors inspire audiences with their authenticity and creativity, and just remind myself for a second why it is that I moved to Los Angeles to begin with.

One thing I noticed while watching a lot of these movies, was that while many of them were at least loosely based on some sort of real-life story, they were also similar in how depressing they were.  One day, my sister called me to go over some details for her upcoming wedding and she was quite concerned to find me sobbing mid-day, as I was watching one of the many moving films I’ve recently been sent in the mail.  “You gotta stop watching these” she said, “you sound like a mess”.  Truly, I was a mess, but every once and a while, I find that it’s nice to be reminded about how moving a film can be- it’s both motivating and exciting to me.  Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had the ability to not only become lost in a movie while watching it, but to then continue to be consumed by it for days later.  I sit and think on it and it continues to affect me for days, which is why I really can not watch scary movies. 

With that, my refreshed outlook on the acting world has inspired today’s Audrey Hepburn-esque look.  She’s timeless and one of my all time favorites.  Whenever I need inspiration, I look to her films for a quick dose of her creative beauty and: voilà! I’m ready to face a whole wall of ‘NO’s. 

This embellished sweater from RUCHE is perfect for the holidays and is a classic piece to add to your closet but I also love the open back! I paired it with my favorite new bracelet, also from Ruche (that seems to go with just about everything I wear right now).  For more inspirational holiday looks, check out their entire collection here

Sweater: Ruche

Bracelet: Ruche 

Heels: Guess (SIMILAR)

Photos By: Jennifer Biswas

A December to Remember.

December 2, 2013

Rodeo Drive. Beverly Hills, CA

It’s beginning to look a lot (more) like Christmas over here in Los Angeles- artificial snow and all!  Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and Thanksgiving have all come and gone at this point, and believe it or not, there’s only a month left of 2013.  Wait… what?  Am I the only one who feels a bit rushed here?  Where did all the time go?   I guess that’s a common complaint for this time of year- but with Thanksgiving falling so late, it all seems to be coming at me a bit quicker than I can recall in years past. 

Oh well! Sometimes not having a lot of time to dwell over gifts and travel/holiday plans is best.  Actually, I knocked out almost all of my holiday shopping online last night and finally booked my flight back home for Christmas... annnnnd I'm exhausted.

Speaking of exhausted, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a wedding this past weekend for some dear friends in which the time they spent planning, was, (in the wedding world) unspeakably short.  In just a couple of weeks, this couple and their families were able to put together what was one of the most beautiful weddings I have been lucky enough to attend.   What made it so wonderful wasn’t some fancy band they had playing or venue they'd rented out, it was the heartfelt speeches, the closeness of the two families uniting, and the admiration we all had for these two truly exceptional people, (who have been dating since they were in middle school!).  While elaborate weddings can certainly be a blast, what truly matters is the celebration of love, and when that is so profoundly genuine, (grand or tiny, planned out for many years or just a couple weeks) it’s rare to find the kind of bond I witnessed this past weekend. 

Therefore, I guess what I’m trying to say, is that even though we may feel a bit rushed (like I feel currently about getting things accomplished before the close of the year, or perhaps my friends may have felt when planning a wedding with only a couple weeks of preparation available to them), the truth is that ready or not, life comes at you quickly.  So with that, I’m going to work as hard as I can to get things done this month because we still have time before the year is officially wrapped.  With that, I'm going to rip off the slogan from that one car commercial and vow to make this a "December to Remember". 

Dress: Ruche

Tights: Forever21

Boots: Aldo 

Black top: H&M (similar)