Friday, March 30, 2012

Springtime Nail Fun


It's time to get creative with the next mani ladies! Springtime colors are in full effect, not to mention the latest trend of funky, over the top nail art. We are seeing more and more creative ideas everywhere from Vogue.com today featuring Parabal Gurung's newest collaboration with Sally Hansen, to Sally Singer from the New York Times who collaborated with Maki Sakamoto on Nowness.com to create beautiful works of art for the hands!

Parabal and his patterned nail appliques 

Nail art by Maki Sakamoto

Thursday, March 29, 2012

A Bid To Save The Earth

If you've ever wanted to spend the day with Bill Clinton, go on a 13 day safari, take the world's largest catamaran on a 7 day tour, have an afternoon of shopping with Simon Doonan along with $2,500 dollars to spend at Barney's, or own a one of a kind handbag from Stella McCartney, now is your chance! Today through April 19th over at CharityBuzz.com A Bid To Save The Earth is in full swing, with all of these and many, many other fabulous treats are up for auction. For the third year now, Christie's will host the live auction on April 11th in Rockefeller Center, collaborating with individuals, organizations and businesses who have come together to rise awareness for our environment. Right now though, check out the online Auction here!




Wednesday, March 28, 2012

DIY

Much like the rest of the world, we have become completely obsessed with Pinterest over the past few months. Fun recipes, inspiring styles, and one of our favorite parts- the do it yourself projects have us totally hooked! Here are a couple of project that we can't wait to try! 

Transparency Wall Art

What you will need:
A canvas (or several) in sizes of your choosing
Gel Medium
Overhead transparency paper
A spoon, or bone folder

Select a few of your favorite photos and in a photo editing program, raise the saturation to create a large contrast. Print the photo onto overhead transparency paper. 

Cover the surface of your canvas with a thin coat of gel medium. 

Place the transparency ink-side down onto the gel medium and smooth out any air bubbles using a spoon, or a bone folder. You can also flip the canvas over and rub it from the underside. 

Lift a corner to see if the image has transferred, and if it has, remove the film completely to reveal your artsy, canvas prints!


Paper Cube String Lights

What you will need:
A string of 20 lights (use LED lights if a fire hazard is a concern) 
20 pieces of square paper. 

Fold each piece of square paper into 20 cubes using the directions below, and put the light through the hole at the bottom of the cube, and voila! 

Courtesy of  Whitandwhistle.com



Homemade Candles
Courtesy of Georgicapond

What you will need:
Vintage teacups, or anything you like that can withstand the heat of molten wax 
Old, used candles from around the house. Try and combine colors and scents that will look and smell nice once they are all melted together. 
Store bought wicks
Bamboo sticks

First you should prepare your wick inside your cups. Tie the wick to a bamboo stick so the metal part is at the bottom of the cup, and the wick is straight. Balance in the center using the bamboo stick. 

Melt your candles down in a double boiler and pour the melted wax into the cups around the wick. Let harden and enjoy your old candles all over again! 




Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Hello Dolly

Today's inspiring woman of the day is the one and only Dolly Parton. The energetic, fun loving queen of country music, began her career in the music industry at the young age of 13. While performing at the Grand ole Opry, she met a man by the name of Johnny Cash. His advice to her was to go where her heart takes her, and not worry what others think. She followed this advice, and has since become one of the most iconic women in hollywood's history. She has starred in some of our favorite movies, like Steel Magnolias, 9 to 5, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. We had to include one of our favorite songs by Dolly- Jolene, from 1974. We hope you love it as much as we do!





Monday, March 26, 2012

Food For Life

It's time once again for sweet treats! Healthier than the average dessert, and always fun to make, here are three sweet snacking ideas to take you through the week!

Apricot and Grapefruit Toffee
* You can swap the almonds for any other nut, and grapefruit juice with any other citrus juice

What you will need:
1 1/2 cups of dried apricots
1 cup of grapefruit juice
1/2 cup of roasted almonds
2 tbsp of dried shredded coconut (unsweetened) 

  • Soak the apricots in 1 cup of grapefruit juice for 3 hours. 
  • Roast the almonds at 300 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven, and leave heat on. 
  • Add nuts to a blender or food processor and pulse for 20 seconds or until the almonds have turned into coarse flour. Pour into a cup and set aside.
  • Add the grapefruit soaked apricots to the blender, together with half of the remaining juice. Pulse until everything has turned into a sticky mess. If the apricots won't blend, add a little more of the juice. 
  • Add the almonds and shredded coconut to the blender and pulse until everything is combined 
  • line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture out on it. Use a spatula to form the mixture into a rectangle, around 1/2 inch high
  • Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cut into preferred size and put back into the oven for 7-8 minutes more. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. 
  • When warm, they will still be a bit loose. When they cool, they will become more firm. 
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge, wrapped in paper, and enjoy within one week.


 "Healthier" Carrot Cake 

What you will need for the cake:
3 eggs
1-2 bananas
10-15 fresh dates (without seeds)
6 tbsp of sunflower oil
1 cup of whole wheat flour 
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
3 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of cardamom
3-4 carrots (medium sized, grated)
1/2 cup of coconut flakes
1/2 cup of roughly chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins 

What you will need for the glaze:
7 oz. of cream cheese
3 tbsp of honey
Juice of half of a lime
1/2 cup of hazelnuts

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs in a medium sized bowl. 
  • Use a hand blender or regular blender to mix bananas, dates, and oil into a thick cream in another bowl
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon and stir together with the eggs and the banana cream. Add in grated carrots, coconut flakes, walnuts and raisins and stir until everything comes together.
  • Pour into a greased cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if the cake is done. When nothing sticks to the toothpick, remove and let cool. 
  • Whip together cream cheese and honey (bananas and dates would also work as sweeteners for the frosting.
  • Add frosting once the cake has completely cooled. Serve with roughly chopped hazelnuts or walnuts on top. 



Raw Hemp Protein Bars

What you will need:
Dry-
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
1 cup of coconut flakes
1/2 cup of hemp hearts
1/2 cup of hemp protein powder
4 tbsp of chia seeds
2 tbsp of bee pollen (optional)
Wet-
20 fresh medjool dates, pitted
6 tbsp of coconut oil, melted
4 tbsp of raw cocoa powder
1 tsp of ground vanilla or vanilla extract
6 tbsp of rolled oats 
2 tbsp of poppy seeds

  • In a food processor or blender, pulse the dry ingredients quickly. Do not over process, you want it to be crunchy.
  • Place the mixture in a bowl and set aside. 
  • Add in all wet ingredients to the food processor, or high speed blender and blend to combine. This may take some time, and if your blender isn't strong enough, you may have to help out by stirring a few times with a fork, or add a bit of water. 
  • Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, add in oats and poppy seeds and stir until well combined. 
  • Spread the batter evenly into an 11x7 greased baking dish, making sure it is compact. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes and cut into bars. 
  • Wrap in paper and store in an airtight container. they will keep for about a week in the fridge. 
*All recipes and pictures courtesy of GreenKitchenStories.com




Friday, March 23, 2012

Tom's and Feed Collaborate

Blake Mycoskie and Lauren Lauren Bush Lauren have partnered up with their companies TOMS Shoes, and FEED Projects to bring us a special edition TOMS shoe! The two charitable brands will donate a pair of shoes and 12 school meals to a child in need with each purchase. The shoes are $58 for adults, and $34 for kids. A pretty great deal for a cute pair of shoes for a great cause!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Herb Ritt's: L.A. Style

Beginning on April 3rd and running through August 26 an exhibition of Herb Ritt's photographs will begin at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. He is one of the world's most iconic photographers, a man who defined the way we saw beauty in the 1980's and 90's. Ritt's photographs haven't been on display since 1996, when the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston broke records with the number of visitors that attended the exhibition. If you are in L.A., make sure to stop by and see some of the rarest, most beautiful pictures that Ritt's has captured. Focused mainly on fashion, athletes, dancers and nudes, there will be 87 framed images, and many other pieces of work from magazines and books throughout the years. 








Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Fashion Inspirations


Accessories are of course one of our favorite things here at House of Lavande, and we couldn't be more excited for all of the new additions that we will be adding to our collections in the next few months! From bold heels, adorable hats, and unique vintage jewels, it is time to accessorize with the bright and bold all season long!

2. Christian Louboutin Meteorita pumps
3. Eugenia Kim Max Feather fedora
6. Stella McCartney Falabella shoulder bag
8. Missoni crochet knit hat
10. Miu Miu woven leather clutch 
11. Jimmy Choo Leona Pumps



Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spotted: House of Lavande

Check out some of the latest House of Lavande sightings on some of our favorite ladies, and in the latest April issues!  


Michelle Obama 

Kristen Davis

Leslie Mann

Dianna Agron

Elle, April 2012

Cosmopolitan, April 2012

Harper's Bazaar, April 2012

Allure, April 2012



Monday, March 19, 2012

Food For Life

We are always on the lookout for quick, easy and delicious lunch ideas that can take us through our busy work week without much added headache and cooking time. While perusing a few favorite websites and blogs this weekend, we found some great ideas! The green drink is always an easy go to, throw your ingredients in the blender, and you're done in no time. An alternative to that is preparing meals that will last throughout the week. Spend Sunday evening creating in the kitchen, and have great meals to take with you every day, that can be enjoyed hot or cold!

Kale, Spinach and Pear Smoothie
Courtesy of Joy the Baker
What you will need:
1 heaping cup of spinach
1 heaping cup of chopped kale leaves, removed from stalk
1/2 of a pear
1 frozen banana 
1 1/2 cups of cold almond milk
1 tbs of honey

In a blender, combine kale, spinach and almond milk until no kale pieces are visible. Add in Banana, honey and pear and blend until smooth. 

 Roasted Eggplant with Smoked Almonds and Goat Cheese
What you will need:
2 large eggplants
Salt
1/3 of a cup of olive oil
2 tbs of sider vinegar
1 tbs of honey
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1/2 tbs of cumin
4 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
Juice of one lemon
1 tbs of soy sauce
1 cup of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup of smoked almonds, roughly chopped
2 oz of goat cheese, crumbled and divided
1/4 cup of finely chopped scallions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. 

Whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, and cumin. Add in eggplant and toss. Stir in garlic. Spread the eggplant on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until very tender and slightly browned. 

Whisk together the lemon juice and soy sauce. Return the eggplant to the bowl and toss with lemon juice mixture. Stir in parsley leaves, smoked almonds, and most of the goat cheese, reserving a little. 

Spread the finished salad in a serving bowl and sprinkle the reserved goat cheese crumbles and scallions on top.

Edamame and Cauliflower Pasta Salad with Feta
What you will need:
1 pound of orecchiette pasta
16 oz of shelled, frozen edamame
1 medium head of cauliflower
1/3 of a cup of olive oil
1 tbs of soy sauce
1 tbs of maple syrup
2 lemons juiced
1 cup of mint sprigs, loosely packed
2 bunches of green onions, green parts only
8 oz of feta cheese, drained of excess liquid
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a 4-quart pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta for 11 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and place pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the frozen edamame and toss to combine. Set aside.

Refill the pot and add salt to the water. While water is boiling, chop the cauliflower into bite-sized florets, discarding the leaves and stems. Add cauliflower and cook until just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and let cool. 

Whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, maple syrup and lemon juice together and pour over pasta and toss. Tear mint leaves from stems and roughly chop the leaves. Chop the green onion and feta and toss all together with the cauliflower and pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can be served warm or cold. 





Friday, March 16, 2012

Spring Beauty

Spring is here and that means it's time to revamp the makeup routine now that the cold winter months are behind us. Taking notes from Harper's Bazaar, it really seems to be all about the eyes this Spring.  Here are some of the looks we love!

Red Lips

 A Fresh Face
A light moisterizer and light reflecting, hydrating foundation are great for this look

Dramatic Lashes
From feathers, to colors, to beautiful long lashes, you can get creative here!

 Extra Smokey Eyes
smudged and bold, the extreme smokey eye is the perfect dramatic addition 


Glittery Shades
another moment for bringing out the creativity- decorating the eyes

 Cat Eyes
Try adding a twist the the classic cat eye

 Pops of Color
Blod, yet totally wearable additions to an otherwise simple look

Bold Brows
Reminiscent of 1960's glam, bold shaped brows add a feminine touch

Rosy Lips
Paired nicely with the rosy cheeks, blot on a soft color that will go well with all skintones

 Rosy Cheeks
 A touch of color to add a sun kissed glow

Shining Metallics
Cream based metallics or whites add a bold yet somehow still subtle shine



Thursday, March 15, 2012

Dame Elizabeth Taylor

By far one of the most icon women in Hollywood is the one and only Elizabeth Taylor. Her career began in the young years of her life, when she had her first contract at age 7. She has since starred in some of the most iconic rolls of our time, being named seventh on the list of Greatest American Screen Legends by the American Film Institute. Between her highly publicized personal life, eight marriages, unparalleled jewelry collection and  to her activism, she has kept our attention both on screen and off, for decades. Having co-founded the The American Foundation for AIDS research, and and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, she received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Legion of Honor, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her exceptional humanitarian work.