{our weekend}

The mother of all snowstorms came through yesterday, which meant that we were stuck at home all day. And since we couldn't bear the thought of day 2 of being cooped up inside, today we decided to brave the snow and head out for a yummy little lunch.

The worst part of the snow was that we had plans to fly to Houston this weekend to see our precious new nephew William, but our flight was cancelled. Never you worry though, we will be down there next weekend, and I plan to get lots of snuggle time in with that little man.

Hope everyone else's weekend is warmer and less blizzardly!

{loving the braid}

Am I the only one noticing the impressive comeback that braids are making? As a child of the 80's, I remember a time when knowing how to french braid meant you had pretty much arrived in life, so there's something very nostalgic to me about braided hair. But I am happy to report that they have taken on a much more modern look this time around, and I am loving all the braids.

(all images via Pinterest)

I love that it's versatile enough to be super sophisticated or free and messy, and I think it's such a lovely and feminine look.

{birchbox}

So, have you guys heard of Birchbox yet? I started hearing the name from various bloggers, finally had time to go and check it out, and I've decided... it's pretty awesome. The basic premise is that for less than most of us spend at Starbucks in a month ($10 a month), you will get a box each month filled with beauty samples from great brands like Smashbox, Kate Spade, NARS, Zoya, and a bunch of others. I love this because it will allow me to try so many products and find what I love before committing to something pricey. I signed up at the end of December, so I recently got my first Birchbox, and it kind of rocked.

This month's box-o-goodness contained the following:

:: A granola sample from 'wichcraft. A little random. On to the good stuff.

:: Concealer from Miracle Skin. Seems like it would work well enough, but it wasn't quite my shade. No big deal, the remaining contents more than make up for it.

:: VMV Hypoallergenics Re-Everything Eye Serum. I don't know what this is or how it works, all I know is that when I tried it, I looked decidedly awesome. And it's a pretty big sample, and will probably last me forever.

:: Juicy Couture's signature fragrance. This is one of my absolute favorite scents, and I was so excited to get it. I almost bought it recently, but opted for Miss Dior instead (which is amazing). Now I have both. And the sample has a spray nozzle. I win.

:: Zoya nail polish in Megan. I'd been hearing about Zoya for a while, and all reviews said it was the longest lasting nail polish around. So you can imagine my delight at getting it in an awesome light-ish gray color. I've been wearing it for almost a week, and so far, not a single chip. I'm in love.

I can't wait to see what else I'm going to get each month, and I'll try to keep you guys updated. There's a wait list to join right now, but if anyone wants an invite, feel free to send me an email at kelli@kelliflores.com

{red carpet favorites}

With the Golden Globes coming up this weekend, awards season is officially upon us. I can almost already hear my husband letting out a big sigh and rolling his eyes as I take in hours and hours of red carpet glory and awards show goodness. I don't even know why I love it like I do. But nonetheless, I started thinking about what have been some of my favorite red carpet looks of all time, and I've put them together for you nice folks. Enjoy!

Eva Mendes at the 2009 Golden Globes. I can't get enough of this. There's something that's so very "My Fair Lady" about this silhouette, and the necklace... oh the necklace. I still can't stop staring at it. Bravo, Ms. Mendes.

Gwyneth Paltrow at the 2007 Oscars. I distinctly remember the way my heart fluttered when I saw this dress. I died. The old Hollywood glamour look was utterly perfect on her.

Anne Hathaway at the 2011 Golden Globes. She hit it out of the park with this. You can't quite see it, but if you'll remember, this dress was backless, and it was perfectly simple and stunning.

Reese Witherspoon at the 2007 Oscars. I think she has the loveliest style across the board, and this was the absolute perfect dress for her. It's interesting and timeless and the color was gorgeous on her.

Sandra Bullock at the 2011 Oscars. Hands down, I think she looked even better here than when she actually won the Oscar. Gorgeous dress, perfect hair, perfect accessories, and coming off what was arguably not a great year for her, homegirl couldn't have looked better.

(all images via)

{hello 30's...}

Today was my birthday... and not just any birthday... it was my 30th birthday.

(image via)

I've heard every metamucil, geritol, adult diaper and otherwise old-related joke that you can imagine lately, but truth be told, I am so excited to be joining the ranks of the 30-somethings. There are such exciting things on the horizon, and I can't help but feel like these are going to be the best years yet. My 20's were a great time... I met and married my husband, learned more about myself than I even thought was possible, grew more than I thought was possible, and some of my deepest and most cherished friendships came from that decade. And God was faithful to me.

But I am also loving getting older. I'm learning that the older I get, the more comfortable I am in my own skin and the more sure I become of who I am and what's important in life. Very excited about what is ahead, and today was a great day.

Love to you all.