leahbrier.com

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I got this Vera Wang Lavender label dress from Gilt Groupe on a whim and when I tried it on last night I totally fell in love. The jersey fabric hugs and falls in all the right places and the low neckline is actually perfect for me — it reveals very little and is much more sophisticated than showy. The belt is beautifully beaded with gold and black beads in the front with a solid black back which makes me wonder if I go with gold or black accessories?

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The gold shoes (again, heels for the ceremony and flats for the reception) would play up on the gold beading and would actually show very little because of the length of the dress. I love the gold bow bracelet for a little bit of Leah flair!

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I think I need to see the dress with black shoes. Part of me thinks it could pull everything together and make the back of the belt less stark, but on the other hand looking at them side by side, the black look dark and not as summery as I would like. But I know regardless that I am going to wear a great cocktail ring and maybe some bangles — if I can find some that are small enough to stay on my wrist.

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Shoes and accessories are all at Bloomingdales.com.

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I just ordered this Particle Daisy dress from Anthropologie as a potential for my wedding outfit. Noah and Leila are getting married at the end of May and I have been dead set on wearing a long dress that has personality and isn’t too dressy. I think this could be a winner depending on fit and length.

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The next question then would be, heels or flats?…

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Well I have decided both are appropriate and I think I will end up buying both. I’m thinking of wearing heels during the ceremony (the families will be up with the bride and groom rather than traditional wedding parties) and flats for mingling and dancing! Brilliant, I know!

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Next comes jewelery…

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I think pulling out the coral in the dress will be really fun for the summer, and paring it with gold and diamond accents will give just the right amount of sparkle!

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Shoes and accessories are all on NET-A-PORTER.COM, my go-to shopping site for inspiration and salivation!

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I am in the process of sprucing up/redecorating/reorganizing my apartment and specifically my living room. The pièce de résistance is the new white couch that I bought that is just a total cozy, light, bright oasis of comfort. I got a lot of flack for buying a white couch but it is as beautiful as I envisioned, and triple coated with scotch guard, and makes me happy every time I see it and sit on it!

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The one thing the white wonder is missing is some flourishes that give it that little bit of flair! Throw pillows seem to be the way to go, and I absolutely love this picture from Apartment #34 (originally on this swedish blog). I like the mismatched colors, styles, sizes and textures. I think I have new item to add to my search list (along with Buddhas, cute candles/candle holders and berets) for thrift stores, antique shops and flea markets!

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PS: I will have a Sedona, Arizona recap by the end of the week — PROMISE!

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It’s March 1st and it’s time to take a look back at the road I set out for back in January. That means it’s time to check in on my progress with my New Year’s resolutions.

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1. Wear high heels
I made it through January, I believe I wore high heels at least 6 out of the 7 days a week. It was great, until the snow started at the end of the month into February. Because of that I have adjusted this resolution, which I was telling myself was to wear high heels EVERYDAY, to attempt to wear high heels whenever possible and appropriate. It really is a great confidence boost and a great workout, especially downtown on those cobblestone streets!

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2. Find a man who buys me flowers
Still working on it. Maybe I should hire some help! Accepting hydrangeas at all times!

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3. Add to my collection of Buddhas
I haven’t added to my collection but I have a few Buddha’s that I am interested in purchasing including this Buddha candle and this adorable fuchsia Buddha pillow.

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4. Concentrate, meditate, negotiate
A huge change has occurred in my life with the discovery of Reiki, the ancient Japanese spiritual healing method. It has renewed my faith that health and happiness is an active, hands-on, extreme sport, not a passive waiting game. I have been sharing Reiki with everyone who is interested and writing a lot about my experience both here on my blog and privately. I think the best lesson I have learned while meditating is the beauty of personal mantras. I share a few more common mantras every so often here and here, but I have come up with a few that really help me center myself when times are tough. I AM A STAR THAT SHINES GRACEFULLY.

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5. Buy a proper vacuum
Done! I didn’t buy it per se, I got another hand-me-down, but much lighter, vacuum from my parents and it works great! In addition to regular vacuuming I also lint brush my new couch, which is white and collects a lot of hair and fuzz, on a weekly basis!

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6. Floss
Still hate it, but doing it everyday and….yeah, it’s just flossing — nothing too fabulous to report here!

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I am starting to take a more active approach to my health and happiness. Doctors, some forms of therapy and even my yoga practice has become a more passive experience to becoming healthier and more fulfilled. In an effort to take control I have started going to Lisa Levine, an incredible Reiki master, for both Reiki and breath work. Lisa is helping me unlock my highest self, the person inside all of us that can help us get through the rough times and who shines though during the easy, breezy moments of life. Lisa is also an incredibly talented artist, above is some of her work from her site. You can also buy t-shirts with her art!

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I’m going for Reiki 1 training this weekend so I will be able work on my own healing and begin to share my knowledge with other people. I am so excited!

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Reiki (pronounced Ray-Key) is an ancient laying-on of hands healing technique that uses the life force energy to heal, balancing the subtle energies within our bodies. Reiki addresses physical, emotional, mental and spiritual imbalances. The Reiki practitioner serves as a vessel that supplies healing energies where they are most needed by flowing out of the practitioner’s body through the palms of the hands and sent through to the recipient.

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I have a blue wall in my bedroom (it was supposed to turn out navy blue, but it actually more closely what I call “painter’s tape blue” ICKY!) that has been looking uglier than usual lately. Low and behold, I was struck with a brilliant idea. I am going to repaint the wall with chalkboard paint, they now make it in all colors and hopefully the blue they have will dry and look much darker than my current color, and use the wall for inspiration, ideas, doodles and little pieces of happiness.

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Above are some chalkboard inspirations from one my all time favorite movies 500 Days of Summer and the Coldplay video for their song Strawberry Swing.

We used to play “good and bad” at the dinner table when i was younger (young enough that we had at least a few dinners a week when everyone was home at the same time and able to sit together). Good and bad was when each person had to say one good thing and one bad thing about their day. I didn’t appreciate it then, but now I think there is really something to this idea. I am on a new journey to try and stay present and self-aware and I think there is a mindfulness that is needed to be able to determine the best and worst parts of the day.

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I could definitely see to filling up these journals with my “good and bad” thoughts!

This has been free floating in my head for years, and now I am ready to share it with the world.

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Procter & Gamble needs to jump on the Olympics support bandwagon and create a brilliant ad/TV campaign around the most beloved sport of the winter games, CURLING!

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Those ladies and gentlemen sweep their little hearts out on that ice, why not use it as an opportunity to showcase the amazing cleaning power of one of my all time favorite household cleaning products, the Swiffer?!

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Call me P&G!