How I Spent My... Weekend

Last Saturday we attended a wedding for some of our friends at Sherwood Country Club [the brick + white buildings at the venue reminded me of SMU!]. It was a beautiful setting for a beautiful couple and makes me wish we had more weddings to go to this year because it was such a fun night! Hope you all are having a great week and have some fun Labor Day plans... Friday night I'm hosting a wine tasting for some of my girlfriends and then we are headed to Santa Barbara for our annual family trip! XOXO

Best Dressed: 2104 Emmys

Camila Alves in Zuhair Murad Resort 2015. Michelle Monaghan in Giambattista Valli Couture. Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli. Gwen Stefani in Atelier Versace.

Allison Williams in Giambattista Valli. Natalie Dormer in J.Mendel Resort 2015. Julia Roberts in Elie Saab Couture. Sarah Hyland in Christian Siriano. 

A few of my favorites from last night's 2014 Emmy Awards... I also loved Robin Wright's Ralph Lauren backless jumpsuit but couldn't find a good photo to share [check out a pic here]. Who was your favorite look of the night? photo credit: usmagazine.com

Also, [sorry for the delay] a big congrats to the Bloom Designs $50 Etsy Credit giveaway winner Kelley Douglas! XOXO

How I Spent My... Trip To Hayward, WI

From Maui we headed over to Hayward, WI in honor of Hudson's great grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary! Everyone surprised them with two pontoon boats for a day out on the lake - they were decorated Hawaiian style and everyone dressed in festive gear to make it an event... gotta love a fun theme! It was so nice for Hudson to finally meet his great aunts, uncles and cousins! More pics from both trips on my Instagram under nsguidetostyle. Have a great weekend! XOXO

How I Spent My... Vacation In Maui

We spent the beginning of August in Maui for our first big family vacation just the three of us and it was awesome! The best part was getting to spend so much time together and Hudson had an absolute blast playing in the pool and at the beach. We stayed at the Four Seasons in Wailea and I can't say enough good things about the hotel and the staff - they were so accommodating and the resort was beautiful!  Some favorite activities were early morning breakfast as a family, walking along the Wailea beach path, drinks and lunch at the pool, lunch at Mama's Fish House [approximately a 45 minute drive], sunset dinner at Spago [their drinks + food were my favorite of the trip!] and a relaxing birthday massage in one of spa's outdoor huts. We also really enjoyed a casual dinner at this great gluten free pizza place, Maui Brick Oven Pizza [thanks for the rec Natasha!] and gelato twice at Ono Gelato. The rest of our trip to Hayward, WI will be up soon but in the meantime check out more photos on my Instagram under nsguidetostyle. XOXO

Recent Outfits: Vacation In Maui

Outfit 1 Cover Up: Bop Basics [now 70% off in three colors here] | Swim Suit: Mara Hoffman | Shoes: J.Crew | Hat: Forever 21 [sold out; similar here] | Outfit 2 Dress: For Love + Lemons [sold out; short version here] | Shoes: Marni | Outfit 3 Romper: Twelfth Street By Cynthia Vincent [old] | Shoes: Valentino | Hat: Forever 21

Hope you had a great week and weekend! We just got back from vacation on Sunday and am trying to get back into the swing of things... a few recent looks pictured above from our time in Maui. Recaps of our trip coming up this week as well as the winner from the Bloom Designs $50 Etsy Credit giveaway! XOXO

Sales & Steals: Last Chance To Shop The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Just a little reminder that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale ends on Monday, August 4th in case you wanted to grab anything before the prices go up! Shop my favorite picks here from this post... I ended up getting these in both black + white and some boring but much needed basics. What was your favorite thing you got from the sale?

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway with Bloom Designs for a $50 Etsy shop credit here. XOXO

How I Spent My... Birthday Weekend

[clockwise from top left]

1. Alfred's Coffee & Kitchen visit with the girls. 2. Nobu Malibu view. 3. The Grapefruit On The Rocks + Mia Margarita at dinner. 4. Birthday manicure from Bellacures + a new book, Everything I Never Told You, for vacation.

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday with my friends and family which was a treat! Saturday am, I went on a hike at Runyon Canyon with my girlfriends and then we stopped for coffee and a chat at Alfred's Coffee & Kitchen. I tried the $10 iced almond latte again but in the mocha flavor - it was yummy but I think I preferred my friend's regular iced vanilla latte with almond milk... can't go wrong though! Saturday night, my hubby and I went on a date to celebrate at Nobu in Malibu. I had my 21st birthday at the New York location so it was fun to go back! The food was delicious - definitely get the yellowtail sashimi with jalapenos and the black cod with miso if you go. We also had the mini lobster tacos, scallop truffle chips and crispy rice with spicy tuna which were also super yummy. Hope you're all having a great week!

P.S. Tibi is having 25% off all of their sale items here! Love this pretty yellow dress and this white lace number. XOXO

Giveaway: $50 Etsy Credit To Bloom Designs

Today I have a giveaway with my sister Jenny of Bloom Designs for a $50 credit to her Etsy shop! Her blog is a daily must read - she is an incredible party planner and event stylist with an attention to detail that is beyond anything I've ever seen. I've been lucky enough to have her throw me a bridal shower, baby shower and Hudson's 1st birthday and she also made all the printables for the Baby Hoedown Shower I hosted in May. Her Etsy shop is filled with the perfect party supplies, custom invitations and an array of printables - check out everything that you can use the $50 credit towards here!

Please do the following to be entered in this giveaway:

- Follow Bloom Designs on Instagram [direct link below]:

INSTAGRAM

- Check out the Bloom Designs Online shop on Etsy [direct link here]. 

- Leave a comment with your email in case you are the winner!

Additional entries [please leave a separate comment for each]:

- Follow Bloom Design on another form of social media, one entry for each additional follow [click for direct links below]

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST

- Follow Nicole's Guide To Style  on any of the following, one entry per follow [click for direct links below]:

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST 

This giveaway will end Friday, August 8th and the winner will be announced on my Facebook page and here on the blog the following week! Happy Monday! XOXO

Fabulous Friday

Mara Hoffman Beach Towel | J.Crew Metallic Sandals | Sun Bum Sunscreen

Smoothie Recipe: blend together 1 frozen banana, 2 handfuls of organic spinach, 5-6 ice cubes, a spoonful of raw almond butter, splash of vanilla extract, approximately 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk [add more for desired thickness] and honey to taste.

Janie & Jack Boat Shoes + The Honest Company Swim Gear

Hope you all had a wonderful week! I had my 28th birthday on Wednesday and am looking forward to continuing the celebration this weekend with my girlfriends and hubby! 

Congratulations to the Diana Ciler giveaway winner, Alina Conn [check your email]! Thanks to everyone else that entered the contest and be sure to use code NICOLE for 15% off on her site if you want to purchase some of her beautiful jewelry. TGIF! XOXO

Review: Ray-Ban Mirrored Aviators From SmartBuyGlasses.Com

Ray-Ban Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses [style RB3025, size 58-14-135, color Silver/Grey Mirror]

also pictured above:

Marysia Swim Bikini [on sale here!] | SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion SPF 50 Sunscreen | Saint Laurent Sac De Jour Bag | John Robshaw Sheesha Pillow | Calypso St. Barth Magia Rug

I've been a long time lover of the classic Ray-Ban aviators [see my previous review here] and recently fell for the updated mirrored version as seen on bloggers Damsel In Dior, Pink Peonies and Gal Meets Glam. SmartBuyGlasses.Com was kind enough to send over these silver mirrored beauties and I'm obsessed! Their customer service was wonderful - fast, free shipping, 100 day returns and they also include a little eyeglass cleaning kit [which is a nice touch and especially needed after Hudson tries on my shades!]. I highly recommend checking out their site the next time you want to order a pair of sun or regular glasses [these were my other favorites]! XOXO

Sales & Steals: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks

Nike Free 5.0 Running Shoes [more color option here] | Jimmy Choo Sunglasses | Rebecca Minkoff Chic Happens Pouch | Rag & Bone Newbury Booties | Bobbi Brown Nude Eye Set | Rag & Bone Devon Booties | Voluspa Candle Trio | Nars Cheek Palette | Clarisonic Cleansing System | Kate Spade iPhone 5 Case | Kiehl's Creme De Corps Lotion Set | Nike TR Connect 2 Shoes

As promised, here are a few of my favorite things from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Their exclusive beauty sets are always a great value [especially loving the Bobbi Brown Nude Eye Set] and it's also a good time to stock up on basic undergarments and winter wear [which are never fun to buy at full price]. Start shopping all the great deals here now through August 4th. XOXO

Sales & Steals: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Just a little reminder that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts at 12pm PST but if you are a card member you can already log in and shop the sale now here. I'll post some of my favorite picks from the sale in a bit! In the meantime you can see a sneak preview of what will be available in their catalog here.  

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway to win a bracelet from Diana Ciler here! XOXO

Beauty: Recent Favorites + Reviews

One Truffle Large Clarity Clutch | Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray | Kérastase Laque Couture Medium Hold Hair Spray | Dior Addict Lip Polish | Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm | Eminence Organics Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant 

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray: I've seen this product for awhile now and am not sure why I waited so long to try it, it's a miracle worker! It reminds me of a dry shampoo but instead of just absorbing oil it also adds volume and texture. I also love that it makes freshly washed hair a little more natural looking... I bought the travel size version but will definitely be purchasing this set when it runs out.

Kérastase Laque Couture Medium Hold Hair Spray: Kérastase products have been a staple of mine for years but I was never crazy about their hair spray mainly because of the smell [the one in the green bottle]. They recently came out with this new version and it's perfect! I like the medium hold version but it also comes in flexible hold as well.

Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm + Dior Addict Lip Polish: I saw both of these products on Instagram a few times and was wondering what the hype was all about. The Lip Glow Balm is my favorite of the two products since it's super easy to apply and the color adjusts to enhance your own natural lip color. The Lip Polish is supposed to act as a "lip primer and polish all in one" and it does just that.  I'd definitely recommend both products especially for a pretty summer glow.

Eminence Organics Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant: Last weekend I got a facial at Face Haus [a concept similar the Drybar but for your skin; 30 minute facials for just $40!] and some products from Eminence Organic Skin Care were used on me including this exfoliant. It dispenses as a powder with a very fine texture that you mix with wet hands and put onto a wet face [I added mine to my cleanser]. Works great at keeping skin soft and getting rid of any dry skin and extra makeup. I also love that it contains lactic acid which helps remedy fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage. This one product inspired me to purchase a few other items from their organic, natural line... hopefully I'll have good reviews to share for them in a few weeks! 

Also, be sure to check out my giveaway with Diana Ciler [direct link here] for a chance to win one of her lovely bracelets before it ends Thursday, July 24th. XOXO