Happy weekend!!! Do something everyday beautiful, like eating a cupcake out of a teacup or drinking champagne with breakfast.

Photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo

I’ve been trying to behave and not shop. Ok, well at least shop less. I’m a shopaholic, what do you expect? When in buckle down mode, if I do buy anything it’s usually something I can throw on over basics to make an outfit more interesting. In the past these items have been jewelry or shoes, but as of recent, I’ve been snatching up cropped jackets { boleros, shrugs… whatever you want to call them.} I’ve seen an abundance of them, especially at Topshop, like the one below. Now take a look at the picture above. I love her little jacket, which the one below reminds me of. It’s as easy to layer over jeans and a tank as it is over a dress. Plus, they’re almost always under $100, so I can pat myself on the back.

While we’re speaking of shopping… I’ve added an Amazon shop to my blog. If you look at the navigation tabs at the top, you’ll see a Shop tab. For now, that is the {Bits of Beauty} Shop. I’m still adding items and customizing, but it will be filled with everything from my favorite children’s books to Ms. Lola’s picks to photography supplies {polaroids, dianas, holgas, and the like.} Take a browse, won’t you?

Eventually, I’ll probably add multiple outlets like my etsy shop, the amazon shop, and some other handpicked items from other retailers. Check back to see the progress. Not that I’d want to encourage being a shopaholic or anything.

Top photo by Dan Martensen{via} Fashion Gone Rouge

Lori of Automatism has a great series called Snapshot. Over the summer she asked a series of bloggers to share a snapshot that embodied summer; I instantly fell in love with the idea and hoped she’d one day asked me. Lucky for me, she brought the series back with Tranquility as the theme and asked me to participate. Joy! Check out my snapshot contribution here.

Photo {via} Paper Doll Girl

This week, our EBL guest is Melissa of The Lil Bee. Melissa also launched a blog and iPhone app called the feather report, which was recently blogged about by Elle mag. Basically, if you need to know the forecast and what in the world to wear, well “there’s an app for that.” {Ya, I just had to do it.} I wonder if we could make an {EBL} app. Hmmm…

1. My dogs, Reggie and Paco make life more beautiful. Every single day they are happy. They stretch, yawn, run around in the sun, eat, and repeat. Nothing melts my heart quite like them.

2. Painting. In college I minored in it. I’d spend hours in studio, often until dawn, lost in whatever it was I was creating. The other day I broke out my brushes and worked on a miniature piece for the baby’s room. It was nothing monumental, but it felt good to get my hands dirty and play with color.

3. Snow. In particular, that quiet sound that comes with a heavy snowfall. And the way the sky turns peach color.

4. Old people. My grandparents were always a really strong presence in my life. When I see an old couple holding onto each other on the sidewalk, going about their day-to-day, I have to swallow back the tears. I miss my grandparents so much it hurts sometimes, but these little reminders are like messages from them that they’re doing OK and are always with me. Nothing is more beautiful than that.

5. Sitting around the fireplace drinking hot cocoa. Or eating homemade soup.

6. Love notes. I’ve saved every card and more than a few scribbled-on scraps of paper from my husband since we first started dating. His text messages, too…from my last three phones. They remain strategically placed in my inbox, so that I can stumble across them when I’m having a bad day. I’m not even that sappy of a girl, it’s just that when I read them they inevitably make me smile or laugh or both. Sometimes you just need a little perspective to pull you out of your own head and realize how lucky you are.

photos 1. Melissa Russo , 2. Athena Says, 3. Melissa Russo, 4. {via} Snuh, 5. Martha Stewart,  6. Celeste Photography

Photo by Camila Akrans

You didn’t think I’d let you get through the day without having to hear me share my Where the Wild Things Are obsession, did you? Of course not. I took a look at the movie’s FB page and found the photo above… and made the photo below. Click here to make your own. So freakin’ cool.

images {via} Where the Wild Things Are Movie Facebook page

art by miss capricho

Hello there my lovelies. A few giveaways to mention.

+ Lori of Automatism just launched her own Etsy shop and is giving away 4 limited edition letterpress prints. {My favorite above.} Visit her blog for details.

+ Anne of City Sage is giving away a pair of Current-Elliot jeans.

+ {This is Glamorous} is giving away a to die for clutch {seen above}, which I’d like for myself. On second thought, don’t enter… that’s right, it’s umm.. the contest has been canceled. {You’re not fooled are you? Damn.}

+ Wishpot and Avelle {formerly known as Bag Borrow Steal} have teamed up to giveaway a red Quinn bag.  {Worth $429}

Here’s what you have to do:  Tell or show what you want to carry in your new Kate Spade bag. (Your fave accessories, your pets, your dreams, the kitchen sink and more….)

Tell:  get 1 entry for each response here, on Avelle FB Fan Page, or on Twitter RT #Avelle

Show: get 2 entries when you post a pic of what you want to carry on Avelle FB Fan Page, or on Twitter

Share: Get 3 entries when you sign up at Avelle, follow Avelle on Twitter or blog about this giveaway

Be sure to leave a comment on the Wishpot Blog with what you did. Giveaway lasts one week. They will draw a winner on Monday Oct 5^th. Good Luck!