Obsessed and Owned: LA!

Recently, I took a much needed retreat away from NYC.  I trekked out to LA.  And Thank God I did.  I've had it with the cold weather.  You know what else?  I think it's BS when people say that they couldn't live in LA because there are no seasons.  Who gives!?  It's beautiful and sunny all the time and I think that keeps people happy.

Anyway, I have some friends that live there that I hadn't seen in a while and it was great to catch up.  One of them you might know!  She's the Skinny Critic in LA as well as a Yelp Community Manger- Brittany Bassett.

Over the course of the weekend, I realized that while New York and California are both part of the same country, there are things that are so different about the culture over there.  The nice thing about seeing a place that's different from your own is that they expose you to new things!  After this weekend, I have a whole host of new things that I Obsessed over.  And some that I ended up Owning.

You're the lucky people that I want to share these things with.  Let's start with the things that I now Own as a result of my trip:

Ralph Lauren Jamaica Candle- While in California, we took a day trip over to Malibu and when I was in my friend's house, there was this alluring and lightly sweet smell that I just couldn't get enough of.  It was just one candle that filled the entire room up with the fragrance "Jamaica."  I was so in love wit it, I immediately came home and ordered two.  Can't wait to light them up!

T by Alexander Wang Dresses- First of all, I always find T by Alexander Wang perfect for a more casual night out.  He has some stuff that's a little sexier and some stuff that slouchy and all in all, when I walk into a store, 80% of the things I pick up are this brand.  So, Scoop was having an awesome sale.  Styles differ from NYC to LA, so I was actually able to find the styles I liked in my sizes while I was shopping at the Scoop in LA.  I picked up this maroon fitted dress.  I love that it's simple, but has a very slight mesh cut out tracing from the small of the back to the front of the hips.

I also picked up this thermal dress- flattering on the body and because it's a thermal and not a slinky material, it's able to hide some minor imperfections.

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Wash- Our hosts had this in their guest bathroom and I thought it was wonderful and refreshing as face wash.  It was tingly!  When I got to LA, I had a mild breakout, but by the time I left, the Mentha Body Wash had totally cleared me up.  I've now ordered myself two bottles (because apparently I can't order just one of anything).

Now, onto the lovely things that I am totally Obsessing over after my trip:

Torn by Ronny Kobo Dress- Brittany had been gifted this by her boyfriend and it fit her like a glove.  I think white definitely gets overlooked in NYC because it shows dirt and grit so quickly, but I think I'll put it "wearing more white" on my list of things to do in 2013.

A fine Burberry Coat!- Another night out on the town, Brittany emerged from her room in an amazing coat- Burberry, of course.  While I loved her coat on her, I quickly realized that a coat that length on me would have made me look so short.  However!  That didn't stop me from coming home and quickly Googling the wide array of lovely coats that Burberry has to offer.  Here are a few that I found to be especially Obsession worthy:

This trench with contrasting sleeves has all the "ooh-la-la" of the jacket I saw on Brittany.  It's mid-length so I might actually be able to wear this without looking too mini.  Oh and it's on sale.

This one is awesome. I love the giant collar.  And it's also on sale!!  Still pricey, but in a slightly more affordable range (right??...)

Wow this ended up being a long post.  Let me know what you think about the last coat I posted there because I'm really thinking about becoming its Owner. Happy Monday!

OGLE: Dream Bedroom

Recently, my boyfriend moved himself into a brand spanking new apartment.

Thank GOD.  As much as I loved his old apartment, it was a dump (a dump with character though!).  We don't live together, but we do spend a lot of time together so he recently enlisted my help to decorate his new pad.  Unfortunately, we quickly discovered that we have pretty differing taste in furniture and design.  He's a designer, so the things he appreciates are clean lines, minimal frills, boldness only to accent, and standout street art.  While there are things that I can appreciate about that aesthetic, I'm definitely more of a fluffy-white-popping-colors-looks-irresistibly-soft decor lover.  When I walk into a room, I want it to feel comfortable and zen-like, but not boring because there's always room for fun art and bunny knick knacks.  So, if I were going to decorate my boyfriend's bedroom in this fashion, here's what I would put in it.

The most important thing in the room is, of course, the BED.  Since this is an Ogle post, I would have this one, please. The Vienne Bed from Restoration Hardware.  I love BED SKIRTS.  I know they're probably a little girly compared to what the average male population prefers, but I think they add a nice, soft touch to any bed.

 To accent next to the bed, I'd want to bring in something that still has that rustic-y feel, like these end tables from ABC Home.  I love the antique mirror inset here.  I'm not really a huge fan of mirrored furniture, but I feel like the way it's put into the iron here, it still looks delicate without being gaudy.

The room needs a little bit of light so these lamps have just a little extra flare on the top!  I love them!  They're on sale at One Kings Lane so if you'd like to join that site, click here!

 The bedroom is actually a pretty big size so I'd easily be able to fit a chair and half in the corner, like this one from Room and Board.

And now for the dresser.  To offset the quirkier lamps, I'd choose a simpler dresser.  Like this one from Crate and Barrel.

I know that this room is shaping up to be pretty girl right now, but I think that art and fun linens it can me a manlier room, like these sheets by Ralph Lauren

And Josh Keyes!!  I have this print and I would love to get it framed and put it in this cream bedroom.  

What do you think?  I could probably find Ownable versions of all these things.  First, I have to convince my boyfriend that these things would all look great in his room.  Then!  I'll start my Ownable search.  One foot in front of the other... Happy Friday the 13th!

Obsess to Own?? Ralph Lauren Cashmere Throw

For the last 5 years, I have obsessed non-stop over a blanket.  That's right- you heard me- a BLANKET.  Not just any blanket, but the softest, most amazing blanket that exists.  The first time I made contact with this blanket was when I was visiting my friend in LA, the Skinny Critic, and I brushed up against it on her couch.   It was love at first brush!

For a while, the price tag has kept this blanket solidly in the Obsess category, but now, Ralphlauren.com is having their private sale and the dream blanket is, indeed, on sale!  Here's the blanket:

I know.  It looks like just a regular blanket, right??  Trust me when I tell you it's not.  So, let me ask you, is this blanket now own-worthy?  What are your thoughts?  Here's a link to the blanket on site.  Ahhh, I'm dying just looking at it.  I need to snuggle into it right now.