Le Nouveau.

ALLO!  I’ve been getting a lot of lovely notes and comments from you lovely readers saying that I have encouraged you to buy all kindsa things with my recent posts.  Sorry not sorry.  I think it’s the change in seasons — money is always burning a hole in my pocket during these transitional months while I look forward to a spring wardrobe and get into spring cleaning and all that good stuff.  Below, some items on my radar during this spring-forward period…

I’ve been having fun playing around with makeup lately.  I watched a few tutorials on how to do subtle contouring.  I underscore subtle because I really really really do not like the whole “made up” look.  I think makeup should look natural and just underscore your natural beauty.  But sometimes when I’m headed out for a date night or dinner out with friends, I want something a little more dramatic.  For those moments, I’ve purchased Kevyn Aucoin’s sculpting powder ($44) and his celestial powder ($44).  Just follow the general diagram here.  I started using the Nars Kabuki Ita brush  ($55) on the recommendation of a video blogger who did makeup tutorials (and I now cannot find her!  I am so pissed — she was incredible) to apply the powders.  Fun to play around with!

The next book on my reading list: Lucia Berlin’s A Manual for Cleaning Women ($18).  I’ve heard great things.

I’ve always loved LemLem’s gauzey striped scarves (on sale for $87, shown below!) — but when I saw this affordable version from Gap ($29), I snagged it in a split second.  Perfect for layering over a white tee, a denim button down, just about any ol thing as we inch towards warmer weather.

In case I haven’t beaten a dead horse long enough (BTW, my sister often mixes up aphorisms like this and once flubbed the phrase to say: “beating a horse until it’s dead” — hahaha!  so violent.), I’m all about stripes for spring.  This striped top (Petit Bateau, on sale for $45) is perfect for white jeans or even beneath some white joveralls (or get them for a steal here — or go bold with a flare with these…get it girrrrl!):

While we’re on the topic of stripes, I loveeee the colors and varying stripe widths on these shorts ($49).  I like the idea of wearing them with wedges and a white tee.

Spring is upon us and I’ve had a major spring cleaning bug the past few weeks.  Heavily informed by the fact that we have a new puppy and she is constantly dragging her snowy/muddy/wet paws through the house.  I am not kidding when I say I mop our floors every other day!  I have been swearing by all of the Method products to keep my house in tip-top shape.  (And not smelling over chemical-ly.)  I like this surface spray ($8), this granite/marble cleaner for our countertops ($9), and this wood-friendly mopping solution ($8) for little clean-ups.  But for mopping all of our wood floors, it’s gotta be Murphy’s.  The smell is so…clean.  My mother and our housekeepers always used this brand, and it just smells like a clean house to me.  This is probably super boring, but I also love this mop (easy to use with a replaceable sponge) and my Mom turned me onto Mr. Clean gloves for cleaning dishes and housework.  I know it sounds silly, but they have soft little fuzzy insides and they fit petite women’s hands and they don’t smell Latex-y!  I LOVE them.  It’s the little things, people.  BTW, if you ever have questions about house care and cleaning, and my Mom is not available to you (she knows EVERYTHING from where to buy those little pads that go under furniture to how to reupholster chairs to how to get burns out of your All Clads…P.S., if you’re wondering, for the last one, use Barkeeper’s Tend), go to the Bible: I swear by Martha’s housekeeping guide book ($30).  It taught me hospital corners which I never quite picked up as a child…

I’ve never truly been a sneaker kind of girl (it took me years to even warm up to flat espadrilles), but this pair from Adidas x Raf Simmons just look COOL.  Anyone, anyone?

I love a new cookbook, and this one is next on my list ($30).  It’s supposed to be incredible California-inspired dishes. (I’m quickly making it through Chrissie Teigen’s Cravings — which I have LOVED.  Super fun, hearty dishes.)

One shape I’m heavily contemplating for spring?  The cropped jumpsuit.  My sister has been wearing these for the past two seasons and has always pulled them off with panache.  I may be ready to take the plunge, especially inspired by these beauties:

I’m personally torn between this chambray jumpsuit ($128), this silky style in sophisticated navy ($138 — see the higher-end, Tory Burch version of this here), and this classic black style from Rebecca Minkoff (the back!)

Just came across the e-boutique Clad + Cloth — chock-full of chic, affordable, on-trend pieces — like this maxi dress ($88), this belted chambray dress ($52), this gingham top ($42), and this embroidered blouse ($42).  More embroidered goodies here.