The Mind-Altering Power of an Eloise Nichols Tater Tot

When an unidentified pipe falls out from beneath your cheap Jeep (it's a term of endearment) and the unveiling of Eloise Nichols' breakfast menu (see below) lands on the same Monday morning, you know the stars have aligned. Viola! A welcome disruption to your typical morning routine. You drive across town to tackle both head-on as you think to yourself: You so spontaneous today! And livin' life on the edge by driving a car we're not sure is driveable! You go GURL. In fact, you should treat yo'self with some tater tots. And that's exactly what you do. 

But what you may not have been aware of is when you start your day with some fresh tater tots, the deep-fried grated 'tatas can affect your entire outlook in unexpected ways. The dreaded Monday blues dissipate as the aroma of taters takes over and before you know it your entire perspective has quite literally turned golden. You wonder if they've laced the tots with some happy pill fairy dust while you master your a.m. to-do list, bill a cool 15 mins (productive!), and dream up a swanky outfit from the swanky bar. You are unfazed by the monotonous interaction at the dealership that follows or your chatty-Cathy Uber driver, and you arrive to the office beaming like glistening oil on a cylindrical-shaped-crispy-hash-brown. Rise and shine, indeed.

Want to turn that Monday frown upside down? Forget taking the red pill or the blue pill - just opt for the tots and be teleported to a breakfast wonderland courtesy of Eloise Nichols. 

Black Flower Earrings - Cult Gaia// Sunglasses - Karen Walker// Military Coat - Alix of Bohemia// Floral Jumpsuit - Whistles// Striped Circle Purse - Whistles// Hearts Keychain - Min & Mon// Patent Slides - Madewell

NYC on the Noggin

Today I'm physically in Houston but mentally in New York Cit-ay. The reason being that tonight is the sixth annual Iron Horse Party, a yearly Tribeca Rooftop shindig that donates 100% of the proceeds to ALS research through the ALS Association and Team Gleason (funds are split between research for a cure and care for those currently afflicted). What's my role in all of this, you're thinking (no one is thinking this, Natalie - it ain't always 'bout you!)? My role is that I am the proud amiga to many of the names on the host list, which if you ask me (always a dangerous thing to do) reads more like a roster for if-you-go-to-NYC-without-hanging-out-with-these-people-you're-a-big-fat-fool. But therein lies the beauty of this party - it's a really good time, with really incredible people, for a really worthwhile cause.

And it's exactly where I would be tonight if I wasn't oh about 1,600 miles away. So instead, I'm thinking about all ma' frands in the big manzana and doing that thing where I wonder what the plan is before getting to the party, who came in from out of town, and what everyone's wearing tonight (le duh), but dare not ask for self-preservation-from-FOMO purposes. What better way to cope than to come up with some NYC-themed outfits. My minds on you, New York, New York (ta-ta-ta-na-na, ta-ta-ta-na-na).

Teal Glitter Earrings - EachToOwn// Mint Dress - Cushnie et Ochs// Metallic Heels - Zara// Black Drop Earrings - Suzanna Dai// Paillette Top - H&M (sold out, found one here)// Velvet Pants - A.L.C.// Taxi Cab Clutch - Kate Spade// Powder Puff Heel - Aquazurra// Red Beaded Earrings - Datka Jewelry// New York City Print Dress - Anna Sui// NYC Map Clutch - Kate Spade// Blue Strappy Heels - Zara

Get It For Your Mama: Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is on Sunday. I know, thank goodness you have me in your lives because no other media outlet has bothered to remind you. So we are (insert DJ swizzle sounds here) changing things up today and jumping on the gift guide bandwagon. From now on I want to hear no more "Dag gummit I never know what to get my mom, UGH!!" and more "I betta thank my lucky stars for next-day shipping!!!". 

Keep reading to get the skinny on these ten picks. Unless you are my mom (my most devoted-slash-borderline-creepy reader) - stop now or risk ruining the surprise! 

  1. Bruno Mars 24K Magic World Tour Tickets (prices vary) - Dance party with you, Mom and Bruno? Surefire way to safeguard your position as the favorite child. 
  2. Baccarat Lucky Butterfly ($140) - In case Mom needs a visual representation on her nightstand of how much you love her, how awesome you are, how proud of you she is, etc. etc. 
  3. Addison Weeks Frame ($58) - You can never go wrong with a framed photo. This Addison Weeks hardware is a nice addition to Mom's ever-growing shrine to you. 
  4. Aerin Corviglia Spice Candle ($80) - Caught a whiff of this for the first time this week and the only appropriate words to use here are: game-changer. Not too flowery or sweet and just the right amount of "damn that smells good." 
  5. Bouquet Subscription (prices vary) - Fresh flowers are always, always worth the hype. Which is why I'm all about setting up a subscription - think of it like auto-pay for regularly scheduled delivered happiness. The Bouqs Co. offers one in participating cities and if you're in Miami the best option is House of Lilac (talk about a swoon-worthy insta).
  6. Anya Hindmarch Bespoke (prices vary) - I love the bespoke option offered by Anya Hindmarch, which lets you customize different pieces with your own handwriting. If your love language is gift-giving (as mine is), this is top-notch stuff. On my wedding day I gifted my Mom the Maud clutch, which had a quote I had written from the book she read me as a little girl etched inside (see, I do have a heart).
  7. Diptyque Body Lotion ($60) - Dare I say it? I'ma say it - this is better than Baies. 
  8. Silken Favours Skinny Scarf (£125.00) - Perfect accessory for all the tiger mamas out there. Holla for a dolla if your lullabies growing up were also Battle Hymns of the Tiger Mother! 
  9. Bedazzled Pill Organizer ($30) - My new favorite Etsy find that helps add a little sparkle to your Mom's morning routine while also giving a subtle nod to the aging-can-be-fabulous movement. 
  10. Sea & Grass Basket Purse ($110) - Just when your Mom thought she had everything, you throw the cutest, sturdiest, perfect-est basket purse into her mix. Talk about a summa-staple. 

For Bumps Everywhere

This one is dedicated to the mommies-to-be: there are more of you in my life than there ever have been and I love you double the amount I did before (which is a lot). This is a fair statement, since you're currently the receptacles of my future besties - so double the love you deserve. Happy early Mother's Day to the best future (and current) mothers of America (more like the world). There are a lot of little girls entering the world in the fall of 2k17, and I'll be welcoming them with wide open (We can do it!) arms - the future is female, y'all. 

But while I'm on my virtual soap box (hear-ee, hear-ee), I will take this opportunity to also dedicate today's post to the ladies out there that are expecting with a different kind of bébé - food babies. This is the only kind of bump I can relate to (besides the normal belly one gets from just like, living a sedentary lifestyle) - and while it doesn't hold a candle to how magical the real-baby bumps are (I know there are other adjectives, but we'll keep things positive given my Moaning Myrtle vibes yesterday), food-baby bumps nonetheless present similar wardrobe obstacles, however seemingly impermanent they may be.

So I've rounded up a few of my favorite preggo-friendly frocks, because your bump (and whatever it's holding) deserves to be free, unconstrained, and adorned with style. Whether they're your go-tos for nine months or just for that why-the-F-did-I-eat-pasta-for-lunch-and-was-the-garlic-bread-truly-necessary,-Natalie? moment, these dresses are sure to serve you well. 

Kirjo Print Dress - Marimekko// Red Ruffle Dress - Lisa Marie Fernandez// Blue & Red Pom Pom Mules - Frances Valentine// Abstract Print Dress - Apiece Apart// Pink Ruffle Dress - Lisa Marie Fernandez// Lime Satin Slides - Miu Miu// Blue & White Stripe Dress - Tomas Mason for J. Crew

I Wish You A Merry May Ninth

Only 230 days until Christmas. Anyone else get pangs for the most wonderful time of the year just as summer is about to take center stage? There's something about how the humidity hangs heavily in the air, just ready to make itself at home (who invited you!?) that makes me want to hit the fast forward button to fall. And then just thinking about it gets me more antsy and I sink deeper into this bizarre, inverted seasonal affective disorder that can only be understood by the other CAs (Christmaholics Anonymous) in my midst.

Even saying the C-word at this time of year seems like a no-no, but as I saw today's collage evolve from a this-is-like-SO-random to a red-and-green-are-the-only-colors-that-matter-to-me theme, I decided the honest thing to do would be to acknowledge the Freudian slip at work here. So there ya have it. If you similarly find yourself gravitating towards this color combo, know this: you are not alone and Santa is always watching. 

Flower Earrings - Marni// White Top - The Edit// Red Pants - By Walid// Calf Hair Clutch - Brother Vellies// Kitty Slides - Charlotte Olympia// Heart Sunglasses - Saint Laurent// Red Beaded Earrings - Anthropologie// One Shoulder Tassel Dress - Rhode Resort// Crochet Heels - Schutz// Ball Hoops - Mercedes Salazar// Red & White Romper - Keepsake// Green & White Heels - Castaner