Loved It: Academy Award Gowns

To be honest, I don't really care for award shows.  Snoozer!  But I do love to see what all the ladies are wearing!  Here are my 3 favorites from last night.  Who were your faves?

Michelle Williams not afraid of bright color, ruffles or bows. LOVE!

 Viola Davis looking gorgeous in one of the prettiest emerald gowns I have ever seen!

 Berenice Bejo I will always love you from way back when you were in "A Knight's Tale"! And now you've stolen my heart again with this sea-foam green lace number!

Loved It: Alma Chocolate

Today husband and I walked to the cutest little chocolate shop.  Who doesn't love chocolate?  (actually my aunt hates chocolate. fortunately she has some redeeming qualities)  This little shop is a gem!  If you want to treat yourself to some good (i.e; better than hershey's) chocolate I recommend heading strait to Alma Chocolate!  Also- they serve up hot drinks. (espresso and hot chocolates) Perfect for a chilly day like today! I had the house blend hot chocolate.  Pure chocolate melted down and mixed with hot milk and a dash of chili and cinnamon. Dee-lish!

Alma is located at 140 NE 28th Ave in Portland, Oregon. 

Loved It: Kelly Green

Wearing this dress invites so many complements! People constantly stop me to tell me what a beautiful dress it is.  I love it, because the truth is all the credit goes to my mother!  She made this dress.  Yes, that's right she made it! If you're interested in making a similar dress you can't go wrong with Vogue Patterns! ...oh and all pictures were taken by the talented Danielle Hildreth!

Loved It: Adele at the Grammy's

I was already in love with Adele's voice, and now I'm in love with her hair and makeup!  Did you catch the Grammy Awards last night?  Neither did I. (ha!)  But oooh did I see pictures today!  So here I am hopping on the bandwagon and posting pictures of Adele- in case you missed it too. 

 Doesn't she look fabulous!? Those diamond earrings are gooorrrgeeous!!!

Loved It: DIY Headboard

One of the best wedding gifts husband and I received was a sweet handmade, tuffed headboard! (I use the word sweet in a cool sense, not a sugary one)  But alas!  For our 1 yr anniversary my parents bought us new (bigger! yay!) mattresses.  The old headboard didn't fit with the new mattress.  We got a new frame to hold the mattress. (yay! not on the floor!)  Although comfortable, it was a sad sight.  (did I mention we are not allowed to paint in our apartment?)  Lets just say I've been in doctor's offices that have more decor.  Well not anymore!     Last week I took matters into my own hands!  I made my own (faux) headboard!  And let me tell you, it was easy!  I didn't make it fancy like my old one- tuffed? I wish!  But I was still happy with the results.  Here is a little tutorial should you want to add a little pizzazz to your room.  

       Materials Needed:

• 1 lightweight sheet of plywood (I got mine at home depot for $8)
• 1 section of foam padding, cut to fit your plywood (this is the most expensive part. It cost me about $25 at fabric depot.)
• enough fabric to completly cover your plywood by a few inches around the edges (my fabric is from Ikea for $7/yard)
• All purpose glue (a glue made for foam and wood)
• Staple gun
• Nails
• Wire
• Sissors

       Instructions:

Squeeze a layer of glue onto the plywood board, following the shape of the board, about an inch or two from the edges and a little in the middle of the board.  Place the foam on top of the board and let it dry for at least an hour.  Cover the board with the fabric (you may need to cut the fabric down to size) and pull the edge of the fabric around the backside of the board and staple with the staple gun.  Pull the fabric tight as you go, making sure there aren't any creases on the front of the board.  Once you are done stapling the fabric into the back of the board you're ready to put the wire on the back!  Simply measure down evenly on both sides of the board where your nails will go.  Nail in the nails, but leave a little sticking out.  Cut your wire to about 8 to 10 inches longer than the board and wrap the ends of the wire around each nail. (you can even staple down the wire near the nails to ensure safety)  Now you're ready to hang your new headboard on the wall above your bed!!!

Loved It: Powell's BookStore

 Powell's Books is the world's largest new and used book store in the world.  And it just happens to be in my very own home town.  I love to go there and just wander around.  It makes me happy! (and if you don't live close by, and you're on the hunt for a book that your local Barnes and Noble doesn't carry, check out Powell's website- they're bound to have it!)

Loved It: Pixie Hair Cuts

The shortest I ever cut my hair was this:

I've spent the last 4 years growing out my hair. So why is it now that I have the length I've been aiming for, I have the urge to cut it all off?  Don't worry (I know you were really worried. actually, if you are my mother reading this, you are very worried) I wont. Husband complements my long hair daily. Sweet, yes. But also, I think he is taking preemptive measures to make sure I don't cut it all off. If I were to cut it all off I think I'd want it to look like one of these ladies...

What do you think? Would you ever go this short?

Loved It: Refinery29

I'm technologically challenged. And to prove it to you I have quite the funny story. (actually it's not that funny. it's more like moderately chuckle-worthy) Anyhoolio- I entered a little contest at Refinery29 to be the "next big style blogger!". I am running against some pretty stylish ladies who've been blogging for much longer than me (i.e; I have no actual chance of winning) but I just thought it would be a good way for me to get my name out there! Well when I signed up I accidentally put my email address as my name, so it says I'm Heatherloveslaura. Which, if any of you know me, know that refers to my love of Laura Mercier (the makeup, not the actual woman) and is used as my work contact. EVERYBODY else that is a contestant has their nice concise name written under their picture. Not me! I'm Heatherloveslaura. So if you should want to get on the website (by clicking on the link I provided above) and vote for me you now know what to type into the search engine!