With Mother’s Day fast-approaching, I put together a little gift guide of luxe finds and must-haves for moms.  Moms get plenty of “practical” gifts, and though I myself am a big fan of a practical piece (food processor, anyone?), on mother’s day, you should splurge for your mom and get her something she wouldn’t normally buy herself!  From a perfect shift dress, to another tote bag she probably doesn’t need but really wants, to the best Tory Burch sandals ever, to the ever-coveted Cartier Love bangle, spoil your mama.

Rebecca Minkoff Striped Tote // Rachel Comey Dress // BaubleBar Fluoro Boho Drops // Cartier Love Bangle // Chanel Make-up // Tolani Floral Scarf // Tory Burch Miller Sandals // Archipelago Soy Wax Candle in Gardenia // Moroccanoil Hair Mask // Lacquer Trays // Marc by Marc Jacobs What a Spectacle Umbrella // Essie Polish in Lights + Bazooka // Coach Poppy Gift Set // Karen Walker Anytime Sunnies

So I’m going to get on my soapbox for a minute … bear with me.  We all spend all of this time, effort, and money on our beauty regimens.  We all have make-up brands we live for and moisturizer we can’t live without, but other than a quick brush and floss, what are you doing for that smile?  A great smile is such a huge part of your look, but we put so little focus on it.  Celebrities all have these enviable pearly whites, because they put so much effort into their teeth.  And as summer rolls around, and a great pair of sunglasses and a big smile are key to summer beauty, even with the sweetest new shades, without the mega-watt smile, you’re really only half ready.

Plus, we’re all guilty of putting our teeth through the ringer.  Coffee?  Guilty.  Soda?  Guilty.  Tea?  Guilty.  Red wine?  Guilty.  Guilty.  Guilty.  Okay, it’s official, I’m awful to my own pearly whites, while I spend hours and plenty a pretty penny on every shade of lipstick under the sun.

In comes REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips.  And thank goodness for that, the guilt was piling up and I was starting to think my teeth weren’t as shiny white as all the celebrities’.

I’ve used at-home whitening strips before … and I’ve hated them.  For our own wedding, I attempted to whiten with whitening strips that I was less than in love with. Have you ever tried pulling off those gloppy strips post-whitening-treatment?  Yuck.

But the geniuses over at REMBRANDT® did one better and figured out a way to make the strips dissolve.  And kudos to a disappearing act well-done!  The REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips are so easy to put on, dissolve in a few minutes, and taste great.  I opted to use the strips before bed, no rinse, no problem.  I instantly noticed how shiny and clean my teeth looked, shoving my sparkly grill in my husband’s face, slurring “Look at this!  Look how pretty my teeth look!” between gritted teeth.  My husband loves me.  A lot.

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips dissolve on your teeth in minutes to easily remove tough stains caused by coffee and wine.  Get a whiter smile in 2 weeks.  Visit www.rembrandtboutique.com to learn more or purchase REMBRANDT® products. 

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips & REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® toothpaste together:

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® platform uses 3x Triple Action ActiShield™ technology to:

• Remove: helps gently remove tough stains like coffee, red wine and tea
• Repel: works like an invisible shield to help repel future stains
• Restore: strengthens the enamel to help prevent daily acid wear

Visit www.rembrandtboutique.com to learn more or purchase REMBRANDT® products. 

Compensation and product was provided by REMBRANDT® via Glam Media to facilitate my review. Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies is a sponsor of Glam.com. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of REMBRANDT® or Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies.

I have big, BIG, weekend plans … it involves sweat pants and blogging.  So relieved to get back in the swing of things.  Don’t get me wrong, vacation is magical, but it’s also a whirlwind and the first and last few days of any trip I fret over what I still have to do, what I may have missed, and all that needs to be done when I get back.  Have I mentioned my Type-A personality is ummm, very Type-A?

Anyhoo, these are a few of my {current} favorite things …

• ~ I’m going to start with Shoes.  These Diane Von Furstenberg Leopard beauties are screaming my name.  Woe to my budget.
• ~ I’ve been dreaming up reasons to wear and make a floral headpiece/crown, and I’m starting to think that Halloween is just too far away.
• ~ If you’re looking for a bit of pretty inspiration, this sweet-as-pie backyard wedding is just the ticket.
• ~ Sunday afternoon the fam is gathering to watch the Heat in the playoffs (a.k.a., an excuse to eat), and I’m thinking about taking this peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwich cookie recipe out for a spin {finally!}.
• ~ Do you think if I strung doilies on our bathroom mirror my husband would notice?
• ~ Low-cal Sangria? Yes, please.  Any big Cinco de Mayo plans?

Image here

It’s official: I have a serious crush on Ashley Tisdale’s celebrity style.  Like most fashion gawkers, I flip through the pages of gossip and fashion mags alike, looking for great pieces, but when it comes to Ashley Tisdale’s wardrobe, I want it all.  The Disney starlet has a seriously enviable closet – a closet I so desperately want to shop in.

Ashley’s look evolves daily and she has this impeccable ability to pair such seemingly mismatched items at a range of price points.  Ashley wears what she likes, repeats when it works (and trust me, plenty of celebrities never ever repeat, ever), and has a healthy dose of covet-worthy couture.  Even Ashley’s workout gear is fierce (ahem, I could totally be motivated to go to the gym more with all of Ashley’s neon and metallic sneakers, and a donut at the end of the tunnel.)  And girl has one heck of a purse collection!  Not to mention – I want all of her cardigans.

And the icing on the cake – Ashley and best friend, Vanessa Hudgens, actually swap some of their favorite pieces and coordinate their outfits on shopping dates, red carpet events, music videos, and vacations – because two closets are better than one.  Best described as bohemian chic, the longtime best friends’ style recipe is completely unique.  While Vanessa can’t get enough long flowing skirts and hippie-esque maxi dresses, Ashley pairs her more free-spirited pieces with a couture item that really pops – faux fur, a sequined mini skirt, studded couture leather jacket, arms of thick cuffs and chunky rings on every finger, amazing fringed high-heeled booties, enviable denim, sunglasses galore — refined rockstar chic.

Ashley Tisdale Images via Star Style, Inc.

We think its tremendous popularity is proof that the 2012 Corolla offers the ideal blend of comfort, value and safety. In it, you’ll find a surprising number of high-end features, like available Display Audio system. It offers remarkable performance and fuel efficiency, plus an impressive list of standard safety features. Factor in its legendary reliability, and it’s even more apparent that Corolla is the smart choice.

Compensation was provided by TOYOTA via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of TOYOTA.

Black and white are wardrobe staples for me, so I’m always drawn to the color-blocked basics.

And that black and white striped Tibi Peplum Jacket paired with white leather driving gloves – are you not in love yet?

Images: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 //

“If you want to know where your heart is look where your mind goes when it wanders.” – Unknown

Photo found via Coco Cozy via Alvhem

I really just want a great big tent in my house — is that so much to ask?

The perfect dessert: peanut butter and jelly pie bars.

I have such a crush on this Ganni Peplum Ponte Tank. #prettyballerina

I must think of some reason to re-create this