Fabulous Friday: Recent Recap + Outfits

[clockwise from top left]

1. Rhinestone gel mani in OPI's Glints of Glinda + My Vampire Is Buff. 2. Spring Lululemon pieces. 3. Roses on Mother's Day from my boys. 4. Jules Smith Viva Glam Cuff c/o Ali from Charm & Chain.

[clockwise from top left]

1. Mommy + Baby pilates at the Rose Bowl. 1. My best friend's wedding invitations! 3. Dodger game with college girlfriends. 4. Homemade cinnamon rolls on Mother's Day.

Outfit 1 Top: Rebecca Taylor [old] | Jeans: Henry & Belle Super Skinny Ankle | Shoes: Rag and Bone Newbury | Outfit 2 Top: J.Crew | Shorts: J.Crew | Sandals: Shoemint [old] | Outfit 3 Top: Equipment | Jeans: Henry & Belle Super Skinny Ankle | Shoes: Rag & Bone Newbury | Jewelry: Jennifer Meyer Initial Necklace, Hermes Clic Clac + Cartier Tank Watch

[clockwise from top left]

1. Von Bon hat + bandanna + Pellerina blanket. 2. Celebrating our 2 year anniversary at home with panko + herb crusted salmon, white truffle quinoa + parmesan roasted asparagus. 3. Peonies from Trader Joe's. 4. Date night with Hudson at Malo in Silverlake.

[clockwise from top left]

1. Diptyque Baies Candle + Mac Mineralize Rich Lipstick in Elegant Accent + Kerastase Cristalliste Conditioner. 2. New goodies from the Restoration Hardware sale coming soon. 3. Happy hour at King's Road in Old Town. 4. Baby Moccs from Etsy for my growing boy.

Wow, May really flew by! I was super bad this month about updating but there's always next month right? We had a great last few weeks [minus a bout with the stomach flu] celebrating Mother's Day, our 2 year anniversary and purchasing our first home. Hoping to share some decorating pics as we move in and make the place our own... would love some recs for places to get unique furniture and decor pieces! This weekend we are looking forward to a bbq and celebrating Hudson's 5 month birthday... promise to share some of the items that have been the most useful to us over the last few month very soon! 

P.S. There's an amazing Net-A-Porter sale happening now and a Saks sale of up to 40% off... happy Friday and last day of May! XOXO

Best Dressed: 2013 Met Gala

Alexa Chung in Erdem. Aubrey Plaza in Marios Schwab. Kate Bosworth in Balmain. Brooklyn Decker in Perter Pilotto.

Cara Delevingne in Burberry. Allison Williams in Altuzarra. Emma Watson in Prabal Gurung. Anne Hathaway in Valentino.

Taylor Swift in J. Medel. Rooney Mara in Givenchy. Cameron Diaz in Stella McCartney. Olivia Wilde in Calvin Klein.

Q+A: Hannah Of Sweets & Celebrations

As promised, here is a little Q+A with Hannah of Sweets & Celebrations. She was kind enough to provide the amazing desserts for my best friend's bachelorette party last weekend [the gluten free treats were such a hit with everyone!]. Thanks again Hannah! XOXO

How did you get started with your business, Sweets & Celebrations, and what's your background?

My background is in interior design, architectural design, and fine arts. After working in high-end interior and furniture design for a few years, I decided it was time to go out on my own as a designer. While I was working with my own clients, I continued baking and party styling as a hobby. I started getting phone calls and emails from people who had attended bridal showers, baby showers, etc. that I had styled or baked for, asking to hire me for such services. A side business in desserts and party styling was born and from there, it has grown into the majority of my company.

What does a typical day look like for you?

One of the things I love so much about what I do is that every day is different. One day I might be baking like crazy for a party and planning a dessert table, the next day I might be meeting with a design client or drawing custom furniture, and the next I could be doing both.

What has been the most challenging and most rewarding thing about starting your own business?

The most challenging part about starting my own business was taking the initial risk. I'm a planner and I like to be very organized so I had to relinquish a lot of that control in the pursuit of following my dream. The unknown is still so scary to me but it has been completely worth the risk. The most rewarding part has been to put my work out into the world and have people tell me how much they love it.

Favorite party or dessert that you've created thus far?

My favorite types of parties and desserts to style are ones that have specific color schemes or themes. If I had to choose one, I'd say the spring soiree [found here] that I styled for Jigsaw London was my favorite. I did a light, airy dessert table, dining table-scape, and rose' champagne/tea bar that truly represented me and my style.

Your 5 must haves for summer?

Gold flatware, Essie nail polish in Tart Deco + Cute As A Button, Nars lipgloss in Piree, pink peonies and striped paper straws.  

How I Spent My... Weekend

Last weekend, I headed up to Santa Barbara to celebrate my best friend and her upcoming wedding with our girlfriends! We had a great stay at Bacara, ate yummy food at Opal and had the best wine tasting tour guide [Dee with Dee Tours] but I think my favorite part of the trip was a spontaneous limo ride to Freebirds for dinner Saturday night! Can't wait for the rest of the celebrations leading up to her July wedding. Have a great weekend! XOXO

Fabulous Friday

Looking forward to celebrating  my BFF this weekend in Santa Barbara! 

[invites commissioned from Hen & Co. on Etsy]

Some beautiful roses from my hubby last weekend.

Yummy gluten-free cupcakes to enjoy this weekend c/o of Hannah from Sweets & Celebrations. 

Hannah also made these adorable cake pops for us to take [I love how she incorporated the colors of the weekend].

 A little q+a will be up with her next week along with more photos!

Congrats to the EllandEmm winner Shira of Sequins & Polka Dots [I'll email you Monday to get your information]! I also want to send a big thank you to Jenn for hosting this wonderful giveaway... she's the sweetest!  Have a wonderful weekend, I'll be back with some fun photos from our trip [follow me on Instagram at nsguidetostyle to get the latest updates]. XOXO

Recent Outfit

Dress: Alice & Olivia [old] | Shoes: Rag & Bone Newbury Booties | Necklace: J.Crew [sold out online but love this option] | Lips: Buxom Lip Cream in White Russian + Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover | Bridal Shower Gift For My BFF!

I got to attend a beautiful shower this past Saturday honoring my best friend who is getting married in July... I couldn't be more excited for her! I'm hosting one of her bachelorette parties this weekend so I've been busy getting all the last minute details prepped and ready.  I'll share pictures and what we did next week [or follow my Instagram account nsguidetostyle for updates]!

The EllandEmm giveaway winner will be announced this Friday the 26th so make sure you enter before then! XOXO

Sales & Steals: Saks 25% Off Friends & Family

Another big sale this week: head on over to Saks to receive 25% off apparel, shoes and accessories and 20% off of jewelry with code FRNFAM2 at checkout [also, use code SFASHIP to get free shipping!]. My picks would be the Stuart Weitzman 50/50 boots, this pair of Current/Elliot destroyed denim and this coral embellished Parker dress. This sale is happening now through Sunday April, 28th.

Macy's is also having 25% off with code FRIEND, Les Nouvelles 15% off with code BESTIES and C.Wonder 20% off with code POPSUGAR20. It'd be the perfect time to grab a Mother's Day gift [I'll post a Gift Guide next week with some ideas!]. 

P.S. There's still a few days left to enter my EllandEmm giveaway... get all the details here! XOXO

Beauty: Sephora VIB Sale Picks

Kate Somerville Clinc-to-Go Pads | Kate Somerville ExfoilKate + DermaQuench Liquid Lift Set | Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray | Make Up For Ever HD Foundation | Dr. Brandt Dark Circles Away | BeautyBlender Sponge | Kate Somerville Nourish Moisturizer

The Sephora VIB sale is happening now and in stores through Monday, April 22nd and I wanted to share my picks with you! Most of these are old favorites that I've used in the past that I needed to replace [the Kate Somerville products and the Make Up For Ever Foundation] and the others are products that I've heard great things about and wanted to try. One of the great things about Sephora is that if something doesn't work for you they let you return it for a full refund... great customer service in my opinion! Use code VIBCHIC to get your 15% off this weekend here.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway with Jen of EllandEmm by Friday, April 26th! XOXO

Giveaway: EllandEmm Necklace

One of my favorite jewelry designers, Jenn of EllandEmm, sent me her gorgeous Emmie necklace in rose gold to help celebrate the launch of her new site and the birth of baby Hudson [how sweet was that?]. She previously had an Etsy store and all of her pieces would sell out at lightning speed [if you look at all of the beauties she creates, it's easy to see why!]. The exciting news: Jenn has graciously offered to team up for a giveaway and will send the winner one of her necklaces!

Mandatory Entry:

- Follow Jenn5716 and nsguidetostyle on Instagram [if you have an account].

- Check out Jenn's newly launched site: www.EllandEmm.com.

- Leave a comment with your email and your favorite EllandEmm design!

Additional Entries [please leave a comment for each additional entry]:

-  Follow @Jenn5716 and @nsguidetostyle on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway.

- Follow Jenn5716's Youtube channel EllandEmm. 

- Follow Nicole's Guide To Style on Facebook.

 [The Emmie necklace in rose gold + the Audrey Classic c/o EllandEmm]

The winner of this giveaway will be announced next Friday, April 26th. Good luck! XOXO

Sales & Steals: Shopbop, Bauble Bar And Sephora Codes

A few super sales happening right now: Shopbop's annual friends and family 20% off code is valid until Thursday, April 18th at 11:59pm. Use code INTHEFAMILY13 at checkout to get your discount here.

Bauble Bar is also offering 20% off until midnight tonight with code REFUND.

Finally, if you are a Sephora VIB member use code VIBCHIC at checkout now through Monday, April 22nd to receive 15% off your order here! XOXO

Beauty: Spring Favorites

Louis Vuitton Cosmetic Case | Lolita Lempicka Perfume | Tom Ford Blush in Wicked | Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes | Cle De Peau Concealer in Beige | Buxom Lip Shine in White Russian | Benefit Yes They're Real Mascara | YSL Lipstick in #13 Peach Passion | Chanel Coromandel Perfume | Chanel Illuminating Powder

I'm always looking for great, new beauty products and wanted to share a few of my current favorites for spring. I very rarely switch perfumes and these two have been my staples for many years [I've worn Lolita Lempicka since 7th grade!]. For hair, I recently picked up Kerastase's Bain Thermique Shampoo and am excited to see how it works... I've loved all of the products that I've tried from the brand in the past! Would love to hear about your beauty favorites this season. XOXO

Sales & Steals: Shopbop Markdowns + Bloomingdales 20% Off

New spring markdowns just popped up on Shopbop's website today, be sure to check them out here [no code needed].  

Also, a 20% Friends and Family sale is happening at Bloomingdales online and in stores now through April 7th. Just use code FRIENDS13 or FRIENDS at checkout to receive the discount.  A few of my favorite dresses from the site are featured in the look book above! XOXO

Featured On: Sweet Lemon Magazine

If you have a second, I did a little interview with the adorable Brittney of Sweet Lemon Magazine that you can view here. Doesn't their new site layout look great? Congrats on the update SLM and thank you for the feature! XOXO

Inspiration: Easter Eggs

Modern Eggs + A Countdown To Easter. 

Sprinkle + Glitter Coated. 

Ombre + Rubberband Patterned. 

Marbled + Golden Cement Eggs.

Easter is just around the corner and these eggs are anything but average! I love the ombre look but I think my favorite idea is the countdown to Easter... How fun would it be [for kids or adults] to use them in a scavenger hunt and assign a prize to each number? If missed, check out my What To Wear: Easter Sunday and Gift Guide: Easter Baskets posts and my Holiday Decor + Treats board on Pinterest before Sunday for more Easter ideas. XOXO