i first spotted these linen beach towels from deck towel at design*sponge a couple of months ago, but they sold out so quickly, i didn’t have the heart to show them to you. don’t they just feel like summer?  those crisp, bright stripes on breezy, cool linen…they’re perfect for the beach, but to be honest, i’d be tempted to use these as a throw around the house instead of a beach towel, or even a topper for my picnic table.

fortunately, i just noticed they’re back for pre-order (looks like styles will be available again on august 15).  styles are $75 each, and i’d snap one up fast – they just got a prime spot in the new york times style section on sunday, which means they’re destined to sell out yet again!

when the temperature climbs, my normally fastidious skin care and makeup routines go right out the window, along with every ounce of patience in my being.  i’m forced to pare down to basics, because i just can’t stand being cooped up in a steamy bathroom for any longer than absolutely necessary. so, i thought i’d take a moment and share my current shortcut routine for summer.

okay…well, that photo doesn’t really look like a shortcut, does it?  but trust me.  compared to the time i’m willing to spend when the weather’s cold, i’m downright neglectful of my face this time of year…when, arguably, it needs my help most!  fortunately, my shortcuts seem to keep my skin as happy as can be expected in this heat.

for face care, this year i’m hopelessly devoted to skyn iceland’s glacial cleansing cloths and that olay pro-x system i told you about last week.  and i’m still head over heels with skyn iceland’s SPF moisturizer for day – that tingly cooling sensation seriously lasts for hours. it’s the only thing that gets me through some of my mornings without a/c! i honestly wish all of my products came with the same chilly goodness.  (note to self: must start storing eye cream in freezer.)  on real scorchers, i top it off with clarins uv plus SPF 40…a fair-faced girl can’t be too careful, and this stuff sinks in beautifully, leaving no trace of oil.

as for makeup, my recent discovery of armani beauty’s newest products simply couldn’t have come at a better time. i start with my old reliable, benefit’s lemon-aid (or my new, higher-maintenance love, laura mercier’s undercover pot, but we’ll talk more about that later).  from then on, it’s all armani for me this summer.  their face fabric ($48) is the lightest foundation i’ve ever tried.  the texture is incredible – it virtually disappears the moment you put it on, is perfectly mattifying, and truly doesn’t budge all day.  their soft lash mascara ($28) is utterly foolproof, curls lashes without forcing me to break out the lash curler, and doesn’t make your lashes feel like deadly weapons.  add a touch of their unbelievably cute “eyes to kill” eyeshadow palettes ($59) (i especially love the bronze coral set for summer, on just about any skin tone), and you’re basically done.  it works as a liner and highlighter (if i have that kind of energy), with perfectly pre-selected shades i don’t even have to think about.  i top it all of with my new favorite cheap beauty thrill: carmex’s new moisture plus.  $3 at your neighborhood walgreens, and seriously, it’s now all i’ll use. burt’s bees doesn’t live here any more!

when it comes to hair, i’m looking for something seriously simple – i want as little to do with my hairdryer in july as humanly possible.  i’ve told you before about wonders of living proof’s “no frizz”, and especially in summer, it’s a life-saver when i just can’t bear the thought of styling. plus, their new refinishing spray gives me at least an extra day’s life from my blow-dried styles, and works so much better on my perpetually dry hair than dry shampoos that are supposed to give the same benefits.

last but not least, i know this might not seem like a beauty essential, but it truly is.  while i’m horrible about getting my 8 glasses during the rest of the year, i’m like a camel in fill mode when the weather gets hot – i can’t leave a table without downing 4 glasses of water.  thankfully, i discovered this sweet little PUR built-in water filter when we moved (great new house, ancient fridge).  it was only about $45, a bargain i wasn’t expecting, and it was insanely easy to install. it’s been running nonstop in my house ever since, and saving me from my water snobbery (before this, i was about to resort to buying fiji water by the case!).  all that h20 has definitely been saving my skin this summer…my face doesn’t need nearly as much moisturizer when i’m hydrated, which means less to sweat off later in the day.  definitley a win/win.

so, now i’m wondering…other than a staffer feeding you frozen grapes poolside, what are your summer beauty must-haves?

a person who is smack dab in the middle of decorating a brand new house should not, as a rule, click over to websites that she knows to be potentially dangerous to her mental wellbeing (not to mention her credit rating).  and yet, i did click.  and lo, the temptation was mighty.

i’m relatively confident the hubs would have my body parts sold at auction if i came home with a $4,700 chair.  but i can still dream.

as long as i’m torturing you, i might as well show off a few of the amazing linens from les indiennes too.  to wit:

one of these days, i’m either going to win the lottery or les indiennes is going to have a sample sale.  and either way, that’s going to be a pretty awesome day for me.  because as god as my witness, i will have one of those quilts on my bed someday (i admit, owning the chair is much less likely).

this year has been a little tricky for mother’s day gifts for me.  with my nana gone, i’ve been trying to come up with something extra special for my mom this year. and while i did come up with something i think she’ll love (can’t tell, of course…it would ruin the surprise!), i thought i’d share my runner-up ideas with all of you!

as i said, i’ve been a little bit more sentimental than usual about moms this year, so i loved the idea behind this book before i even saw it.  photographer jeannette montgomery barron decided to share her memories about her mom by photographing some of her most memorable outfits and using them to tell the story of her mom’s life, and the result is my mother’s clothes.  it’s incredibly touching, and the photos are beautiful.  i imagine giving this to my mom with a photo of her stylish self pasted into the front.

if your mom leans more heavily toward the martha stewart side of things, jo malone’s candle collaboration with farrow & ball is absolutely sure to be a hit.  they’ve paired their five most popular fragrances with limited edition containers from the famed paint company, and the result is a candle that looks utterly perfect and smells divine.  my favorite is the lime basil & mandarin, but pomegranate noir is also pretty wonderful.

alexis bittar is offering to personally sign a piece of jewelry for your mom this year, if you buy from their website by may 4 (include code ‘LOVEMOM’ and her name in the comments when you check out).  their signature lucite bangles are so perfectly timeless and chic, they’ll be the perfect update to her wardrobe, no matter what her style. and prices start at $55, so you should be able to grab something on most any budget.  the styles i’ve pictured above are my personal favorites for mom…clockwise from left, buy them here, here and here.

while i was out shopping with my dear friend jocelyn when she was in town last weekend, i came across this moleskine recipe journal ($20), and my heart skipped a beat.  it would be perfect for anyone that loves to cook and experiment, but what a perfect gift for your culinarily-inclined mom!  now she can write down all of her “top secret” recipes for you, and tape all of those recipes she’s torn from magazines and newspapers to the pages.

if you’re set on sending flowers (and really, what mom doesn’t love flowers?), i happened on these stunning sugar cookies from miette, one of my favorite pastry shops in san francisco.  they’ll ship anywhere, and i think they might be even prettier than actual flowers.

i ran into these beautiful new quilts by angela adams (of whom i’m a longtime fan) at macy’s the other day, and couldn’t resist sharing.  i always seem to fall for her mod graphics and bright palettes, and this bedding is just one more thing to love (one of these days i’ll grace my floors with one of her famous rugs).

i picked up the red “sand dollar” quilt to mix with my john robshaw bedding and my west elm sheets, and i can hardly wait to put it all together!

these pretty quilts also happen to be on sale (honestly, is anything at macy’s ever not on sale?), which is an excellent excuse for new bedding if ever there was one.

with earth day getting all the press in april, i thought most of you might not even know it’s also autism awareness month.  but with as many as 1 in 110 kids now being diagnosed with some degree of autism (see more depressing stats on the CDC’s website), it’s worth paying attention to.  i was lucky enough to get a little care package and some information about what’s going on to raise money for autism this month, and thought i’d share a couple of my favorites.

when i first saw these tees, if i’m being honest, the charitable aspect was just icing on the cake.  i fell hard for that beautiful graphic – so colorful and fun, but still hip.  designed by kyle westphal (the namesake of kyle’s treehouse, a wonderful nonprofit founded by kyle’s parents and dedicated to providing information about autism) and artist jessie rose vala (and printed on my favorite alternative apparel slub tees!), they’re absolutely beautiful in person…especially that grey with the beautiful blue mountains.  each tee is hand-screened, so it’s totally unique (mine has some pink and green in the mountains, it’s so pretty). i’ve been wearing mine nonstop since it arrived. it’s perfect with boyfriend jeans and a leather blazer.   pick one up for $30, and 100% of the proceeds from these hip tees goes straight to kyle’s treehouse.

much like those tees, i would have had to tell you about these candles even if they weren’t donating 10% of their proceeds to autism awareness this month.  fortunately, they are, which makes it even easier.  you all know i see a fair number of candles these days, so it takes a bit to impress me.  but linnea’s lights managed it.  these burn better than some candles that i’ve spent more than twice the money on (they’re only $29, a serious bargain in the world of luxe candles).  i haven’t tested the whole line, but i can say their magnolia fragrance is my new favorite candle, hands down.  they’ve taken the magnolia scent i utterly adore, and added a touch of citrus to keep it from being overpowering.  it’s fabulous, and the perfect scent for spring.  plus, yes, i love the little matchbox that comes with every candle.

and then, of course, there’s always the old-fashioned way to help:  a quick $5 or $10 donation here (or here, or here) makes a bigger difference than you think.  but mostly, i think the thing is to just be aware that it’s a real problem, badly in need of a solution.

okay, off my “very serious soapbox” now….happy monday, everyone!

for this week’s friday finds, i thought i’d show off a few simple little things i’ve come across recently that are making my life just a bit easier, better, or even happier.  sometimes it really is the little things that make your day, and these have definitely been making mine lately!

i’m sure it’s the type A in me, but few things make me happier than pretty desk accessories. i fell for the entire oh joy! desk collection from chronicle books the moment i saw it, and have been using each and every piece since it arrived (seriously, the file folders are so pretty, i actually want to get organized!).  but i especially love the note block, which is the newest addition to the set.  i love the color palette and all of those pretty flowers, but i especially love that the holder has an itty bitty drawer in the bottom.  i find it inexplicably adorable, and i smile every time i use it.  isn’t that worth at least $14.95?

i’ve been hunting for an iphone cover for, well, since i first got my iphone, which was at least 18 months ago.  yes, i’m inordinately picky.  i didn’t want it to be overly bulky, but i wanted it to be protective and durable.  i didn’t want it to be too girly.  and i wanted it to have just the right texture, since i tend to fiddle with things like this quite a bit.  when i spotted the chilewich basketweave cover, it was love at first sight.  best iphone case ever, if you ask me.  i grimaced a little at the $40 pricetag, but quickly realized that if you factor it over the hours i’ve spent hunting for one, it’s a bargain.

i’ve gotten so tired of worrying about whether my water bottle is killing me.  first plastic was bad, then metal, then another type of plastic, next who knows what?  so when i saw these (extreeeeemely cute) glass bottles from lifefactory, they just seemed like the obvious solution.  the silicone sleeve, in addition to making them look highly chic, protects from breakage (which i inadvertently tested when it fell out of my car onto the street…utterly uneventful, thankfully), and really isn’t any heavier than a lot of reusable plastic bottles.  plus, it has a nice wide opening to fit the water & ice dispensers in my fridge.  ah, the little things. my favorite is the white, but they’re all pretty awesome.

have a great weekend, everyone!  spring is definitely worth waiting for here in portland…i hope the weather’s as sunny and lovely where you are as it has been here.

i literally can. not. wait. for the liberty of london/target collaboration to hit stores this sunday (3/14).  as in, i start bouncing up and down in my chair if i think about it too much.  yep, my husband is about to be living in a sea of chic, kitschy floral…and you know, i have not a smidge of guilt!

for those that aren’t familiar, liberty of london is an amazing, iconic department store based in (surprise) london.  they’re best known for their stunning textiles, especially their signature bold florals.  for their collaboration with target, they’ve lent their signature patterns to everything from lingerie to teacups…and i’m thinking i’ll need (at least) one of nearly everything in the collection.

to tide me over until sunday, i thought i’d share a little sneak peek of my favorite pieces from the collection:

(all photos graciously provided by target corp)

yes, the shopping list is long, i realize…fortunately, nearly everything in the collection tops out at about $50, and most is much, much less than that.  so really, my hubs should be thrilled i’m saving him so much money.  right?

see you at target this sunday!

time to hunker down, dear readers…with only a week left to the big day, we’re getting a little limited with the online shopping opportunities.  sure, the free express shipping offers are imminent, but after last year’s blizzard (which led to closed airports and no packages), i’m taking the road more cautiously traveled.  so, from here on out, i’ll only suggest something if you could pick it up at your friendly nearby megamart.

anyway.  if you’re heading to some wonderful friend’s house for christmas eve, christmas day, or perhaps some boxing day festivities, i know all of my readers are more than thoughtful enough to know they need to bring something.  the question is what.  wine is so cliche, flowers only work if they arrive in a vase (don’t make your hostess stop what she’s doing to arrange flowers!)…what to do?

if you haven’t a clue, nest’s holiday fragrance this year knocked me off my feet with its festive goodness, and is an easy but thoughtful choice.  with notes of pine, pomegranate, orange, cinnamon and cloves…well, it’s like christmas in wax.  it also comes in a gorgeous flocked red and gold box (yep, just got to say ‘flocked’ on the blog!), making it gift-wrap optional.  and the price point is actually great – grab one candle for $28, or my preference is this collection of six votives for $32.

for those of you tempting fate, neiman marcus still has free two-day shipping on any order – use code NMRUSH.

one of my favorite bloggers of all things pretty, rachel of heart of light, has opened an etsy shop to share some of her most popular DIY projects, and the results are so lovely, i just had to share.

i am so wishing i were a headband person right now, as that beautiful cobalt rosebud version is practically perfect in every way (i am, as we know, obsessed with all things cobalt).

and i, for one, can’t wait to throw a dinner party and set the table with those darling, hand-embroidered napkins.  since i know i’ll never get around to making them myself, i think i have to splurge on a set.

check out all of the goodies in rachel’s beautiful new shop, but hurry…she has quite a few fans, and we’ve been waiting with bated breath for her to save us from having to craft her gorgeous creations ourselves.