Mandolin + House of Lilac = My Big Fab Greek Inspo

I'll be honest - today's post ventures dangerously close to the three's a crowd border, but for my own sake I maintain that it resides in a three's company-esque territory. When you get a duet as good as House of Lilac (premier gifting company specializing in high-end, curated gift boxes and bouquets) and Mandolin Aegean Bistro (you know, that little piece of the Aegean tucked away in the Miami Design District that serves the yummiest Greek & Turkish cuisine), how's a girl supposed to hold back from weaseling her way into that duet to make it a trio (even if said trio only exists in said girl's mind)?

Mandolin is one of my favorite restaurants in Miami (it's where I had my bridal lunch!) because as it rightly points out, it's a place to "feed your body and soul." Combine that with my favorite soul-enriching activity made easy and fabulous by House of Lilac - gift giving - and you have one of the most prized collaborations to date. 

The product of the collab between HOL & Mandolin are the Mandolin Market gift boxes (peep all four below). Resembling the likes of something you would see on the glossy pages of a Mykonos-inspired Condé Nast Traveler spread, the beautiful boxes are filled with gourmet goodies from the Mandolin Market, a bodega of sorts where owner Anastasia Koutsioukis (Mrs. Mandolin) sells specialty items imported from Greece and Turkey. The best of these have been selected for the HOL gift boxes, which offer different varieties of artisanal food products (Greek olive oils, herbs and spices, homemade hot sauce, etc.), cookbooks and handcrafted ceramics. 

The byproduct of the collaboration is where I come (forced myself) in: two looks to make you look like a Grecian princess and Mandolin regular, a yearning to move to Miami to take advantage of the HOL pantry-makeovers-in-a-box, and a burning desire to go to Greece and live out my Mamma Mia! destiny. 

Eye Clutch - Jessica Butrich// Blue Pom Pom Earrings - Mercedes Salazar// One Shoulder Top - Ulla Johnson// White Cropped Pants - Tibi// Yellow Eye Slides - Sam Edelman// Lapis Gold Palm Earrings - Nicola Bathie// Yellow Straw Clutch - Mar y Sol// Blue & White Dress - Miguelina// Pearl Leather Sandals - Ancient Greek Sandals

Check out the House of Lilac x Mandolin Gift Boxes here. 

Check out the House of Lilac x Mandolin Gift Boxes here. 

Armarium: For When You Get That Fancy Feel

Every now and then (you know, when I'm not waiting in line for Chick-Fil-A in my go-to downtown Houston food-court, driving my husband's F150 around town, or picking cat hair off my athleisure weekend uniform) I get bit by the fancy fly and get an itch for the kind of dress up that makes you forget you drink cheap wine and indulge in What-A-Burger on the reg.

If you find yourself experiencing such fancy feelings, I would direct you to Armarium, a luxury fashion rental site that offers couture and ready-to-wear dresses and accessories from some of the designers you've only dreamt about rocking - until now. Armarium's inventory is unreal - I'm talkin' gowns you see on the red carpet, Matches, or Farfetch that make you daydream about what it would be like to be the kind of person who drops a couple Gs with a few clicks (whoever those lucky maniacs are). The idea behind the rental service is to "introduce you to the dream of the brand and the runway message of the designers" and they make it easy, by offering alterations and assistance from their high-profile stylists. 

With wedding season in full summa-time swing, it could be fun to give Armarium a test run. That way, when you get a "Er-mar-gerd I love your dress! Remind me where I've seen it before?" you can respond with "probably the Cannes red carpet" while flaring your nostrils and making this face.   

Malachite Petal Earrings - Oscar de la Renta// Gold Paillette Dress - Prabal Gurung (via Armarium)// Sea Urchin Purse - Jamin Puech// Green Velvet Heels - Kate Spade// Ball Drop Earrings - Oscar de la Renta// Ostrich Feather Dress - Marchesa (via Armarium)// Blue Rhinestone Heels - Frances Valentine// Light Blue Clutch - Bottega Veneta// Black Feather Earrings - Oscar de la Renta// Gold Circle Midi Dress - Kris Goyri (via Armarium)// Embroidered Velvet Bag - Gucci// Black & Gold Heels - Charlotte Olympia

Summer Hoops: Summer Steinfeld

Feliz Summer Solstice, party people! What better way to celebrate the official first day of the season that we've been feeling for weeks already than by introducing you to Summer Steinfeld Jewelry, or as it is better known by the likes of me, the va-va-voom I'll be rockin' all verano.

Founded by its namesake in 2012, the Dallas-based accessories brand popped up on my Insta newsfeed last week and the disc hoops passed the shout-out-worthy earrings test with flying colors (criteria includes but not limited to: 1) fun (le duh),  2) unique (we must admit, your ball drops and tassels deserve a vacay), 3) light on the lobes and 4) affordable). The 14K gold hoops are constructed with African vinyl discs from Ghana and the brand is actively involved with humanitarian groups Akola, Arise Africa and Kershaw’s Challenge, which makes them not only easy on the eyes and wallet, but also on the spending justification spectrum. The only hard part? Choosing a color - check out the rainbow of options here. 

Binging on: Binge Knitting

What is Binge Knitting? Oh it's just the brand I discovered this week that makes handmade luxury knitwear and accessories in Monterrey, Mexico and also happens to be the name behind my new favorite summa-time accessory. No biggie. 

The label prides itself on adhering to an "upcycled process" whereby they gather the "waste" generated by fashion textile factories and take these clips and fibers to a recycling center, where they in turn are repurposed into the unique yarns used to make the affordable, sustainable and high-quality knitted totes and clutches. If you can't tell, I pride myself on finding these tasseled eco-friendly pieces that would compliment your beachwear/mexican top/white-jeans-with-something uniform perfectly. The bags come in a variety of styles and fun colors, providing that extra pop of something you've been needing. I know what you're thinking - say no more, woman, I'm sold - so I'll just zip it and send you here, where you can shop your little heart-in-need-of-a-knitted-something away. 

Knit Bags - Binge Knitting// Black Ruffle Skirt & Top - Jill Stuart (Top, Skirt)

Ear Party: Jennifer Loiselle

I recently learned of UK-based jewelry designer Jennifer Loiselle and think you should do the same. Her mirrored perspex statement accessories are (in her own words) quirky repetitive motifs that are filled with colour and imbued with a sense of humour. And the martini earrings are (in my own words) the most amazing things that have happened to my ear lobes in quite some time. They're supa fun, you're supa fun, and it's Friday - what else is left to think about? Getcha some here.