minty fresh

there's nothing more fresh and oozing with subtle sweetness than lovely mint-y pieces.
i think they're just as special as baby pink, don't you think?

more beautiful mint pieces to drool over here : 

seaside dining inspiration

HAPPY MONDAY friends! 

with only a few weeks left with summer, i am sure you are all making the most out of it with family especially with the kids who are getting ready to go back to school. whether you are out on a last minute vacation trip or simply enjoying a laidback get-together by the beach, lakeside or poolside - be sure to enjoy every minute of it. the following entertaining images from pottery barn is sure getting me inspired for some fun seaside soiree with friends and family. 

{all images via}

you can recreate your very own dining seaside oasis with the following party essentials

SHOP to recreate the look here :

sunday sparkle

just a bit of glitter. a tiny bit of shine. just a few sunday sparkle inspiration. 

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GET THE LOOK HERE : 

ENJOY YOUR SUNDAY! 

metallic madness

if all athletes are aiming for the gold, silver or bronze this 2012 olympics ~ i have my eyes on these kinds of metals, essie's mirror metallics. i think they are the best polish shades to wear to welcome the fall season transition. it's got a matte metallic finish with just a hint of shimmer. 

you can get them here (click pic) : 

let the games begin

i know where i'll be tonight and the rest of the weekend. glued to the tv set witnessing the 2012 london olympics opening ceremony and watching the games over the weekend. we've missed all of our favorite athletes and it's exciting to see them again in the olympic games. which event is your favorite? 

SHOP THE LOOK here :

BLOGPOST UPDATE : SUMMER FAVES GIVEAWAY winner is......

STEPHANIE of  my messmerized life! congratulations! 

pls contact us at swankychicfete (at) gmail (dot) com

housewarming gift ideas

moving to a new home is pretty exciting and exhausting at the same time for new homeowners. trying to ease that transition - a perfect housewarming gift would just be that one thing to bring smiles to their faces!  

here are a few ideas you can put together in no time. and not to mention, relatively inexpensive. practical items in a bucket or basket would be well appreciated. trust me, with stuff still in boxes - you can never find the one thing you need and this bucket full of home essentials like nails, hammer, electrical cord extensions and more are just heaven sent! 

also, you can never go wrong with breakfast in a basket gift. it is perfect for that first morning at the new home. fill it with muffins, bread and jam along with kitchen must-haves such as hand towels or soaps and your friends will be delighted! 

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and what about this awesome lime tree gift (and coronas)? i know i would love to receive this! 

sources 1 /  2 / 3 / 4

shop for housewarming gift ideas here :  

ENJOY THE WEEKEND ! 

slipper savvy

yellow / blue anchor / black embroidered / brown tassel / green embroidered / polka dot

check out these other designs and colors below :

they are 30% off with code JULY2012 at GAP  (ends 7/26 today!), so get shopping!

one dress, two ways

it's almost fall and i am super excited. it's time to put away summer light clothing and pull out sweaters and jackets hidden in the back of the closet. today i am featuring a simple shift dress that can take you from work to dinner in an almost fall weather setting!

dress by madewell

work : tote bag / necklace / wedges
play :  denim jacket / feather cuff / leatherwrap bracelet / boots

LAST DAY to join our SUMMER FAVES GIVEAWAY! JOIN NOW!

anniversary sale must-haves

everyone's waiting on nordstrom's anniversary sale and it is finally going on. what are you shopping for? here are a few of my favorites this early fashion hoarding for fall. don't forget, prices go back up august 6th! 

NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

cape (similar HERE) / luxury skincare collection / rose-gold watch (similar HERE) 

short boots (similare HERE) / skinny corduroy / handbag (similar HERE) 

REMINDER : 

you have 2 days left to join our SUMMER FAVES GIVEAWAY! 

las vegas according to my iPhone

we are still traveling this morning and should be back home at the end of the day. let me share some images from our las vegas weekend. we all had a grand time and i'm not looking forward going back to the routine work grind. have a great Monday all! don't forget to join our summer faves giveaway. it ends this wednesday, july 25th!

friday's obsessions

TGIF! 

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i am off somewhere fun with the family and we shall greet the weekend here with some of my latest obsessions!

• the ultimate dinner party and wishing i was invited here!  
• gorgeous bride and groom - and can i say, beautiful valentino dress? 
• drugstore makeup finds matches the high end products
• have you all met seersucker + saddles? she's adorable and she's making me miss my short hair
• love how these photos are displayed - so darling!
• cutest passport custom invites for your little soiree

lastly, don't forget to join our latest GIVEAWAY!

do try something new and fun this weekend - this does not sound much but i may be brave and try a new cocktail while we are vacationing!

thursday's sweet tots

whether the kiddos are still in summer camp or vacationing somewhere far and lovely or if you're already planning for the great back-to-school event (like me), here are a few sweet lovely things for the babies! 

letters / bath accessories / girl's dress

topsiders (similar here) / owl backpack / dot suitcases /

if you have not joined our SUMMER FAVORITES GIVEAWAY yet, here's how.

summer favorites giveaway!

last year, we had an amazing fun doing a summer giveaway and i thought i'd do it again this year. after all, my blog birthday month is still not over. to continue to show my appreciation and love to you, my readers, this whole month is full of giveaways and it is the perfect way to show my gratitude for your support!


now, on to the important details. 
ONE lucky reader will receive this swag full of my favorite things :

* perfect summer nailcolor julep
* colorful sparkle bangle
* sweet hair ties
* nantucket cookie cutters
* set of fairy princess cupcake cups and toppers
* playful patterned tapes
* stripes and dotted paper straws

several ways to enter :

1) leave a comment below letting us know what is your all-time favorite summer item is?
2) follow us via google friend connect and leave me a comment that you did
3) become a facebook fan of SCF and leave a comment below
4) follow SCF in twitter and leave another comment below
5) share this giveaway : re-tweet or pin or share this giveaway via twitter, facebook, pinterest or your blog for another entry

REMINDER : if you don't have a blogger account, leave your name and email address so that we may contact you easily. also, ALL readers including international readers may join!

this giveaway will run till next wednesday july 25th.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING AND GOOD LUCK!

{ this giveaway is now closed }

what's inside my bag?

we are travelling at the end of the week and i thought i'd share a few of what's inside my huge tote bag. a few essentials that i don't travel without - a cozy scarf, socks, sunnies, slip-ons and a few magazines to flip through the flight (i have to fight with my son for the ipad, so i'd rather not). what are some of the stuff you can't travel without?

sunglasses (similar here) / tote (similare here) / socks / scarf  (similar here) / flats

our giveaway winner

CONGRATULATIONS, comment # 14 "Lil Mama Stuart - i like the hot pink chain" for winning our
The Way We Are bracelet giveaway!

HUGE thanks to Leah for the generous giveaway prize and to everyone who had joined! do visit her etsy shop to check out all the lovely goodies (including this brand new cool tray) she has on sale!

our blog anniversary month is not yet over so do check back next week for the last and final fun giveaway we will have! promise, it'll be just as good - you don't want to miss it!

saturday style

hoping your weekend is bright and fun!

dont forget! 

today is the last day to join our GIVEAWAY! winner will be announced tomorrow!

frametastic friday

it's friday the 13th!

13 has been a lucky number to me and i'm starting my friday sharing the fun past week of my so-called life! 

have you discovered the frametastic app yet? it allows you to make photo collages straight from your phone. this time i'm gathering a few instagram (@swankychicfete) photos capturing my week.

last week, i finally came out of my hair rut and decided to get my roots done and added some highlights at albert luiz salon and spa and i think i've finally found my girl, yvette. she was fantastic! couldn't be more happier. 

we also took aston for his 5 year old check-up and didn't share this before but we had a little rash incident about a month ago after he ate a mixed nut pack bought at the airport. he's been eating PBJ since like forever with no reactions, so we thought he might be allergic to a particular nut. and sure enough, we got him tested and he's allergic to half of the variety of nuts out there. pecans were spared, thank god. yep, that's him showing off the book his pediatrician gave him on his visit.

my may books planner/agenda came in this week and i am excited to jot down my important notes/reminders/schedule on my fabulous notebook  designed and created by me. it came in it's cute packaging and a generous discount code for my next order! LOVE it! 

it's been raining all week and lazy days and nights are here. one evening, i bust out the yummy kim chi ramen noodles i've been saving for those kinds of nights and voila - instant dinner. i paired it with my latest fave san pellegrino arianciata rossa and i am in perfect dinner heaven!

i have been bombarded by emails, comments and texts on where i got the colorful patterned paper straws i posted in facebook and instagram last week - and yes, it's from target! i looked them up online but looks like it's only available in stores. you can find them by the party supplies next to stationery. last time i checked, they were out of them. it's by spritz and priced at $ 1.99/20 pcs. do check your local store from time to time, i'm sure they'll stock up on them again!

i'm not a gym junkie but i sure love going to my barre classes at define. i try to go at least 2-3 times a week and if i just improve on my diet, i'd be losing weight and toning more than where i am now. ha! define recently opened their west u studio and it's amazing! if you're in the houston area, do check them out - hank and the ladies there are awesome!

i've been afraid of polka dots (particularly the big dots) ever since this fashion trend started. i thought they're unflattering on me but i found an adorable inexpensive sheer dotted blouse at marshalls and thought i'd give it a try. can't wait to wear it with my bright jeans or shorts!

lastly, our GIVEAWAY is still open today till tomorrow midnight - stop by and join to win one bracelet of your choice! good luck and have a fantastic weekend, friends!

target thursday

can't deny, i have to make a pit stop to target EVERY week. whether i am picking up cereal or toilet paper, i find myself browsing and staying longer at target than i'm supposed to. with a cup of starbucks (bought from the in-store starbucks) on hand, i can linger at the store for hours. i love discovering their awesome new shipments of shoes, pillows, dresses, school and party supplies. it's really my shopping mecca for my everyday favorite stuff. 

oh and by the way, have you heard this news? awesome. 

all available here :

wednesday's wardrobe

it has been raining here quite a bit and thankfully, we needed it. it's comforting to know that we have a break from our usual 100+ deg temps summer days. it will even rain over the weekend. 

of course, i thought of creating a little rainy day wardrobe inspiration for y'all. keeping the colors light and clothes to remain you cool and dry is key to a perfect rainy day outfit! 

STAY DRY friends!

the way we are bracelet giveaway

HELLO MONDAY!

it's time for our 2nd giveaway to celebrate our 2nd blog anniversary - what a perfect way to start the week! 

one of my favorite bloggers whom i've followed early on is leah of the way we are. i enjoyed reading about her beautiful home and DIY projects and her adorable babies. this year, i am so ecstatic to learn that she recently opened an etsy shop showcasing her creative side by way of making precious bracelets and necklaces made of plastic chain and copper. the unexpected combination of these materials were an instant hit and these chic gems have been flying off her etsy shop ever since!

i'm thrilled to announce today that we are giving away a bracelet of her/his choice to one winner. thank you leah for this generous prize! there are so many gorgeous choices (tough choice!) - so, goodluck! 

 

 

 

{photo sources : leah of the way we are}

here's how to join :

1) visit leah's etsy shop, browse around and let us know by commenting below which bracelet you will pick

additional entries :

2) follow Leah on twitter and re-tweet this giveaway
3) follow SCF in facebook or twitter and share this giveaway

giveaway open to US readers only

this giveaway will run till Saturday July 14th and winner will be announced on Sunday!

Good luck to all!

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*