in case you're having a tough time with monday....

Just remember that: 

a group of pugs is called a grumbling

and baby puffins are called pufflings.  

Here's 35 of the cutest facts of all time to brighten up your Monday.  

i want to go to there/memphis

Darrell and I spend a lot of time talking about places we want to go & trips we want to take.  A longer trip to Paris is definitely on our list, but once reality tugs us back down to earth we start discussing more manageable ventures.  First up on our list for next year is Memphis.  

I went to Memphis once last year, just to check out Memphis in May, their local music festival.  It was amazing (My Morning Jacket!  Florence & the Machine!) but I didn't get to see much of the city on that trip.  If we could plan our dream trip, really being tourists, here's what we'd make happen.  

We would definitely stay...

 at the Peabody hotel, if only to see the ducks march each day.  Confused?  

The Peabody hotel has a little group of ducks that live on the roof!  Each day, they make a trek downstairs by elevator to march into the lobby fountain.  It's as adorable as it sounds, and the ducks live in a little house on the roof.  

We would go see...

Tons of live music!  I wouldn't even want to pick a specific venue.  I've heard that the best way to experience Beale Street is to just pop in and out of bars checking out as many bands as possible - until you find your favorite, and then take a seat!  

I'd go eat...

Well, let me rephrase that.  I'd go WATCH my husband eat lunch at Central BBQ.  I'm a pescatarian.  Then I'd make him take me to Hog & Hominy, where we could both eat some awesome southern food.  

I'd tour...

Graceland of course!  One of my friends just returned from a trip to Memphis, and said Graceland was pretty much the highlight.  She didn't even really like Elvis beforehand!  I've heard it's amazing, and yes, really really over the top.  

I'd wear...

Something comfy & casual so that I could walk around the city all day.  The best way to explore new places is almost ALWAYS on foot.  

Here's where things get really fun.  "I Want To Go To There" will be a regular series on Light Sleeper, Heavy Dreamer, and in light of that I've teamed up with I Heart Memphis & Alive Magazine to offer one reader a chance to win a trip to Memphis to kick off this column with a bang.  

The trip includes:  

-A two day stay at the famous Peabody Hotel (Nov 17-18)

-Two tickets to the Justin Timberlake show on Monday, Nov. 18 at FedEx Forum

-A round of golf at Justin Timberlake’s Mirimichi Golf Course (If your golf game is a little rusty, no biggie, enjoy a complimentary lunch and tour the club instead! We heard JT often makes an appearance while he’s in town.)

-Tickets to your choice of local music attractions like the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio or the Stax Museum.

You can click HERE to enter.   

Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post!  I just know some awesome people who wanted to give me the opportunity to give my readers free stuff, because you guys rock.  "I Want To Go To There" posts will continue to pop up now and then, but not always with a giveaway attached!  

stl fashion week/project runway at the fox

As if it wasn't exciting enough to get to see a special presentation of the current collections from several Project Runway designers, it was the icing on the cake that the show took place at the Fox theatre.  

It's an insanely gorgeous theatre.  This is just the Lobby!  

But let's back it up - I was excited to get dressed up for one of the definite highlights of the week.  This might be a dorky thing to admit, but anytime I'm getting dressed for an event where pictures will be taken, I take a selfie AND make my husband snap a pic of the outfit before I leave!  Wisdom from Cher Horowitz.  Then I have no regrets the next day when the pics are posted on Facebook or Instagram.  

On display in the lobby were the incredible clothes by Scarlett Designs!  

I have to say, the runway show may have been the real focus of the evening, but the designs by Scarlett were my very favorite.  These clothes look like they were worn by socialites in 1950s Havana.  So glamorous, but still collectively wearable.  Not to mention the models were styled to perfection.  

My gorgeous friends Lisa & Logan!  Seriously though, how amazing is Logan's jacket?  It's actually a vintage military coat.  

Alive Magazine did an amazing job.  The theatre was really transformed!  

I took one second to snap a quick picture with my fellow bloggers Kate, Danica & Emily & Julia before the show started...

and then the models started out from behind the stage!  The show was gorgeous, and every designer certainly had their own perspective.  The collections moved from dark to light, with the first from Michael Drummond being distinctively gothic.  Joshua McKinley's mix of leopard & houndstooth felt sort of like fashion Prozac!  It was an unexpected combination I really loved.  Laura Kathleen, a St. Louis native, presented the final collection which had a sophisticated palette of gold & black.  I was focusing more on experiencing the show than taking photos, but make sure to check out Alive Magazine this afternoon for full coverage of the best looks from the show.   

If you haven't yet, make sure to get your tickets for Style In the Loop this afternoon.  It's supposed to be gorgeous weather, and if the previous shows have been any indication, it will not disappoint!  

  

stl fashion week day 3/indulge at plaza frontenac

I have to say, last night I felt truly impressed by the style community in St. Louis.  The dummies who once put St. Louis on this list would've been eating their words had they seen the crowd last night!  Guests of the show really stepped it up - I snapped the shoes above right when I walked in.  Anybody want to ID them for me?  

Myself notwithstanding, St. Louis definitely has some gorgeous bloggers!  

     top pic - Rose a la Mode in a darling black dress & crystal necklace.  bottom pic -  Oh, Julia Ann has the most stunning red hair, Style Everyday in a charming magenta skirt.  

My date for the night, Logan, was nice enough to snap a few outfit pics for me.    

wearing: pants-jcrew, top-forever21, mongolian lamb vest-ebay, pumps-kate spade, bag & bangle-jcrew

The show was beautiful.  I had to take a few pics of this Pace Farias dress, which had amazing movement. 

Gorgeous looks from Juicy Couture, BCBG, and Ann Taylor!  

Best of all, the evening benefited St Louis Cardinal Glennon's children's hospital, with 100% of the proceeds supporting their efforts to never turn away any child for treatment - even if they can't afford to pay.  

This evening, I'm off to the Fabulous Fox for the Project Runway fashion show!  I've definitely been looking forward to it, as it's sure to be a gorgeous show and it's always a treat to go to the Fox.  If you haven't yet, be sure to get your tickets here!  

friday link love

Got any fun plans this weekend?  As I'm sure you've seen, it's going to be all fashion week, all the time for me!  Luckily, some of the events are outdoors, so I'll get to enjoy this gorgeous weather. I've even got Darrell tagging along (read: dragging him) to one of the shows!  Hope you all have a beautiful weekend, and if you care to follow along I'll be continually updating with STL Fashion Week news on the blog as well as through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Probably the most perfect iPhone case ever.

What it means to be "La Parisienne."

Gorgeous vintage-looking suitcases at a fantastic price!

A two-year-old and her dancer mom kill some Beyonce choreography.  Cutest.  Thing.  Ever.

Wonderful quotes from the best heroines.  (Little known fact about me: A Little Princess is still my favorite book of all time.)

Great marriage advice from divorced folks.

It's beanie weather!  I prefer to steal my husband's, in general, but I certainly wouldn't MIND owning this one.

stl fashion week day 2/barefaced breakfast and fall into fashion

So this was a fun morning!  Yesterday Saks Fifth Avenue hosted a "Barefaced Breakfast" to help all the bloggers covering fashion week get some new ideas for makeup looks.  I am kind of a dunce with makeup - I basically wear BB cream, eyeliner, and mascara - so I welcomed the help! 

It helps that Saks beauty department is kind of amazing.  

We all picked a brand - I went with Bobbi Brown, because I love their brand philosophy, and the Bobbi artist had my favorite makeup on.  

I'll spare you the before picture since my skin is not terribly happy right now, and jump right to the after: 

I loved it!  Strong eyes, berry lips, really polished overall.  I have to say, I wouldn't wear this amount of makeup on a normal day EVER, but it does photograph well, which is important for all the events I'm attending this week.  

St. Louis Saks' marketing director (and one of this year's top 10 most stylish people in STL!) Tania Beasley-Jolly took us down to the basement for a little sneak peek at their upcoming trunk show.  Don't you just die over these Nicholas Kirkwood shoes?  Not for my life, but they are really pretty!  Saks St. Louis has been lucky enough to receive some exceptionally gorgeous shoes & bags in connection with the "A Queen Within" gala taking place soon.  

(PS - A few of us lucky bloggers are going to get a private viewing of the exhibit, which you can learn more about here!)  

For the event I wore a very casual outfit + heels: 

outfit: plaid shirt-thrifted, leggings-express, heels-madonna truth or dare...yeah i know, i know - she has surprisingly good shoes though!  

That night, I took my newfound makeup skills (plus some serious false eyelashes) and headed out to "Fall Into Fashion" at the Galleria.  

It's still weird doing outfit posts again, but I feel it's only right for these fashion week posts!  

If I were to pick a phrase to describe St. Louis' fashion community, it would be "small but mighty!"  As you can see in the second pic (bloggers doing their thing!) there were only three rows at the show, but it was still definitely a treat to sit in the front.  

The wonderful thing about this show was that the clothes were all from my favorite stores in St. Louis, and they were affordable.  Inspiration from high end shows is great, but as a person who works from home and teaches yoga on the side, I can definitely appreciate some real life clothes!  

  

If you haven't yet, get your tickets for this weekend's events here!  I'll be at Indulge at Plaza Frontenac benefiting Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital this evening, and the Project Runway Fashion Show at the Fabulous Fox tomorrow night!  

kicking off stlfw

First of all, I just want to say that I totally understand that for most of you, these posts about St. Louis Fashion Week could stay or go.  SO.  My promise to you is that I will continue to post about universal subjects just as often this coming week, and then there will be some additional posts about St. Louis Fashion Week sprinkled in!  

First things first - we headed off to 13th & Washington to do a little promotion for all the big STL Fashion Week events.  This was, of course, made a little more fun by our sponsor Skinnygirl (hey thanks Bethenny!) We sent out invites, chatted, and exchanged Instagram & Twitter follows. I was probably excited to a silly level at getting to take home a few hair ties like these from Daisy Clover Boutique.  They make the absolute bounciest pony tails, and they had the best patterns.  

Also, have you gotten your tickets yet?  Come on, get on it!  You can get them here.  

Then, we headed over to Urban Chestnut Brewery, where we just got one beer and hung out for a bit before our next stop.  This is my adorable friend Joanna - she must've gotten 5 comments last night about that hat reminding people of Breaking Bad.  I'm in a race to finish the whole thing soon since EVERYONE is talking about it, and I'm tired of being on spoiler-watch!  

Then on to the big event - the Fashion Soiree @ Palladium.  This was a fashion show for a lot of the local St. Louis boutiques, and I was generously given tickets by the stylist of the show.  

The event space was REALLY gorgeous - honestly, my expectations were blown away.  

Before the show we snapped a few pics of my outfit, and I scoped out the best place to catch show.  We didn't have seats, but luckily spotted my friend Sutton who cast the models for the show, and nabbed two next to her.  

It was really fun and we had a great time watching the show.  It definitely inspired me to check out more local shops - I'm such an internet shopping freak, but now I'll have to pop around to Paisley Boutique & Esther.  The clothes were gorgeous.  

More to come, I'm attending a show it seems every day until next weekend, and if last night was any indication it is going to be a fun & exciting week in St. Louis!  

my outfit details, if you care: top-francescas, skirt-express, jacket-banana republic, shoes-forever 21  

spend or save/fall boots

I was pretty excited to post about these boots, because I saw both pairs in person this weekend.  If you know me, it's fairly obvious which ones I went home with!  

The Forever 21 version wins hands down.  They look that good in person.  They're comfortable.  I actually love that they're all black, and the angled ankle is really, really flattering to the leg.  

Did I mention they come in brown too?  Well, they do.  

Get them here!

And of course if you feel like doing this today.....

the Rag & Bone ones are here.  

planning ahead/halloween

Let's be honest, picking a Halloween costume kind of sucks.  

I'm officially too old (or perhaps too married) to be a slutty "insert profession here" a la Mean Girls.   However, unless you're taking a child trick-or-treating you can't wear anything too terribly cutesy.  I also don't have lots of money with which to purchase the perfect age-appropriate costume - see THIS gorgeous peacock costume, which would be adorable with the addition of OPAQUE BLACK TIGHTS.  

Last year I was just a cat, and Darrell was a dog.  BORING.  So I'm going to make a little more effort this year, by planning ahead.  Here are a few of my favorite ideas so far!  

My personal favorite pick?  Holly Golightly.  I have every single item in my closet (minus the cat) so it would cost $0.  Also, you just get to look really nice all evening dressed like her!  

I LOVE the minion costumes - it would perhaps require a little work & cash, finding the hats and having the shirts made, but I'm convinced you could keep it under $30.  

The pinata one is ADORABLE but I have no patience for that.  If you do, the instructions are here!  

Mary Poppins would be really cute if you had a cute date to be Bert.  Bonus points if he can tap dance!  

images via the cherry blossom girl, keiko lynn, pinterest, and camille styles

on ugly shoes

I'd be willing to bet by now that you've heard about Birkenstocks.  Probably kind of a lot.  

I already know what you're thinking - "ICK!"  I initially thought that too....and then I got totally sucked into the trend.  I think Miss Natalie Jean can make me think anything look super cool, and once she started wearing them it was all over for me!  

So here's my round up of my favorite pairs, and favorite ways to style them!  Feel free to let me know if you love them or hate them - either way, I'm going to be supremely comfortable for the entirety of fall.  

I love the Gizeh style (in black, above) but for optimal nerdy socks-and-sandals wear, you gotta go with the Arizona.  

PS - the perfect camp socks to go with them.  

friday link love

I am really excited for this weekend.  We are sort of celebrating - thanks to all of you I won three times at the STL Fashion Week Blog Awards last night!  Best Lifestyle Blog, Use of Pinterest, & Site Design - all in the people's choice category, so many thanks!   It means a lot to me.  

Saturday, I'm going to go shopping with my mom & sister, and tonight we are checking out the "balloon glow" in Forest Park.  The balloon glow is when they light up all the balloons in the race and let people check them out at ground level.  There are also food trucks & local craft breweries hanging out in the park, and we thought it sounded like the perfect evening. 

Here are a few fun links I loved this week: 

I'm definitely an introvert - are you?   The answer might surprise you!

This video brought tears to my eyes - so gorgeous.

Well, this is genius.

Um, guilty.  #dontfallforfall

And to go along with that...and this...also guilty.

I've been reading this book and LOVING it.

Might have to make this to celebrate the weekend - sounds amazing!

#wejustlovethings

Today I'm really excited to let you guys know about a fantastic project called we just love things.  My friend Isaac is one of the creators and performers of this soon-to-be show, which will incorporate music, dance, acting, and art in general.  The best part is the theme: the whole show is about things the performers love!  Such a lovely, positive message.  It will take place in November in Brooklyn, NY.  

You can learn more about the project as a whole, and how to donate here.  

If you don't wish to support the show financially, you can still participate in their adorable campaign to ramp up the positivity on the internet by adding the hashtag #wejustlovethings to your Instagrams, Tweets, and Facebook posts about things or people you love!  

You can also follow along as they put the show together on their tumblr!  

silver steal

In case you didn't know, one of the season's shoe must haves is looking like a silver pump.  (On the other end of the spectrum, the Birkenstock is winning the essentials battle as well.  I'm this close to buying some, but please feel free to talk me out of it!)  

I've bought and loved a pair of the Kate Spade Licorice pumps before - black & white polka dots are surprisingly versatile - but I have to say, I was unimpressed with their quality.  The print began to peel away from the leather a bit within a few months of wear, and I've already had stiletto bottom replaced once.  For an almost $350 pair of shoes, no thank you.  

When I saw this pretty pair at Target the other day, it didn't take much thought to scoop them up.  I figured they might be uncomfortable, but they are surprisingly BETTER looking in person.  This photograph really doesn't do them justice.  They also take on a rose-gold tint in certain lights.  Color me shocked when I wore them all day and they were SO COMFORTABLE.  They'll be getting a lot of wear during STL Fashion Week.  

You can get them here!  

giveaway - free tickets to the st. louis fashion blog awards!

Happy Monday everyone!  I'm thrilled to say that the generous people behind St. Louis Fashion Week have given me the opportunity to give away two tickets to the St. Louis Fashion Blog awards and Fashion Week kickoff party.  It takes place this Thursday, September 19th at the Hilton Three-Sixty.  Just vote for Light Sleeper, Heavy Dreamer HERE, and then leave a comment letting me know you voted!  I'll select a winner at random, and email the winner with the information by tomorrow night.  Today is the last day to vote!  

Of course, since not everyone can win, they've also provided me with a code to get $5 off the purchase of a ticket to the event, which you buy here, using the code SUPPORT.  

Thank you all so much, and good luck! 

the year's last lovely smile

The other day I was out grocery shopping, and when I looked down at my phone and realized it was September 12th, I almost dropped my bags.  It's insanely hard to believe that it's the middle of September already.  Fall often feels more like a new year than the actual New Year, and especially this year.  I started yoga teacher training this past weekend, and it really feels like the beginning of school.

Inspired by that feeling, I decided to make a fall resolution list - not so much based in self improvement, more for the purpose of making sure I make the most of my very favorite season.  In no particular order...

1.  Keep the windows and doors open as long as I can.  I LOVE the brief time period where leaving off the air is an option.  I'll keep this up until I'm wearing socks and sweaters in the house.

2.  Make the most of Tower Grove Park, whether it's for biking, reading, yoga, or walking my dog.  We live by the most beautiful Victorian era park, and it's trees are pretty much unmatched by any other area in St. Louis.

3.  Drink a few pumpkin spice lattes, and never feel bad about the calories.

4.  Get to an orchard to buy cider, honeycrisps, and apple butter, and make the most of the farmer's market fall harvest.  Definitely make a pie with all the apples.

5.  Really dress up for halloween.  We tend to really fail at this - me and Darrell never match, and my costume is always pretty weak.  I need to put a little more effort in this year!

6.  Have a dinner date at home, making dinner and sitting out by our fire pit, have smore's for dessert.

friday link love

Anybody have fun plans this weekend?  I'll be at yoga teacher training for the whole weekend, and when I'm not I'll be cooking healthy dinners and watching movies at home!  I'm actually really looking forward to it.  

Here are a few fun things I found this week: 

A beautiful essay on how to make the most of every day of the week - not just your weekends.  

Love is a verb - one man's explanation of how he learned to love his live AFTER their wedding.  

The Unofficial Guide to Being a Man - also some good advice for the ladies in here.  Take note.  

A wonderful blowout guide - I tried out these tips today and got way better results.  Practice makes perfect!  

I think I need this top for yoga, so funny!  

Girl Code, by genius Elle writer E. Jean.  

REALLY good advice!  

To go along with my post about natural beauty, a list of ingredients to avoid in all beauty products, courtesy of Free People.  

little changes

I'm always so eager for change around this time of year.  Since I can't exactly wear fur vests in 80 degree temperatures, I get into changing the little things.  I've been wearing more booties, carrying a darker brown leather bag, and I switched up my iPhone case to THIS one.  

Here are four of my favorites for fall.  I think leather & leopard are my favorite - how chic is a simple brown leather case for your phone?  

Leopard.  Kaleidoscope.  Arrows.  Leather.  

St. Louis Fashion Blogger Awards

Hi everyone!  A little shameless self-promotion on this Wednesday afternoon.  I'm thrilled to have been nominated for several St. Louis Fashion Blog Awards, and would love your vote.  

  

You can click here to cast your vote. 

Thanks so much for your support, and as always, for reading my little musings on life & style!  

trying out naturebox snack delivery

First and foremost, I want to put out there that this isn't a sponsored post!  I actually got a coupon code to try out Naturebox for $10 from A Cup of Jo which is now expired, but you can also follow my referral link to get 50% off your first order here!  

SO!  

I placed an order a few weeks ago, and it came to our doorstep yesterday.  For your first box, you don't get to pick which snacks you get.  This is pretty typical of delivery services - for example, Honest doesn't let you pick what's in your first box, unless you call.  With this though, I was fine with it, because I had no idea which snacks were the good ones anyways.  But I'm here to tell you, they were all pretty darn good.  

Here's what we got: 

These are the savory guys: Sante Fe Corn Stix, Cheddar Pub Pretzels, Teriyaki Twists.  Truth be told, we only really LOVED the Cheddar Pub Pretzels, but the Teriyaki Twists and Sante Fe Corn Stix weren't bad, i.e. we'll definitely still eat them!  

And the sweet ones: Cocoa Waffle Wafers, Sweet Blueberry Almonds, and Cherry Berry Bonanza.  These were ALL awesome.  Especially the blueberry almonds, which tasted REALLY blueberry-ish.  A plus for these is that even though they're sweet, they're still REALLY low sugar.  None had more than 7g per serving - about the same as a plain yogurt.  

Next week me and Darrell are starting a vegan challenge - HIS IDEA if you can believe it.  So I decided to get online to switch all our snacks out for vegan options (most of their snacks already are, but not the cheddar pretzels, etc.)  

I got a little frustrated when I realized that I didn't have the capability to pick our snacks online even for the second box, but I called anyways to try my luck to at least get an all vegan box.  Turns out, if you call and ask to pick your snacks they will open up your online interface so that you can do it yourself!  They're rolling it out to every account soon, but for now it took all of a 2 minute phone call to get it set up, so I'd highly recommend doing that.  Oh, and their customer service is awesome - no waiting or electronic people, they take you straight to a representative!  

All in all, I give them a thumbs up.  6 bags of healthy, organic grab-and-go snacks would've cost easily $25 at Whole Foods, so considering your first box is $10 and it just shows up at your doorstep, it's totally worth it.  

Like I said, click here to try it out!  

friday link love

Any fun plans this weekend?  I have a JAM packed weekend - yoga teacher training until 4 pm each day.  After class I'll head to Loufest, our local music festival.

A song to kick off the weekend....I am completely and totally obsessed with this chick's album, it's pure pop gold.

I absolutely need this t shirt - for all those of us who are barely runners, pace wise.  Seriously, I once almost got beat in a half marathon by a speed walker.....she may have had the right idea.

Why women start sentences with "I feel like."

I've heard amazing things about this nail polish.  After I gave it a swipe in Sephora today and saw the shine for myself, I think I need a bottle.

On Monday, me and Darrell are starting a month of vegan eating, and I've been pinning recipes like crazy.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

photo credit to garance dore