The Lovely Side

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In Cinda Williams Chima's series The Heir Chronicles, those with magical powers are known as the Weir. To celebrate the magical fantasy world, its magical guilds, and the upcoming release of the final book in the series The Sorcerer Heir, The Lovely Side is participating in the World of Weir blog tour with a Weir-inspired style board and giveaway. 
I'm constantly drawing inspiration for fashion from characters in books. So as one of the first stops on this magical, mystical blog tour, I put together a style board based on The Warriors. These strong, elite fighters with their magical weaponry are associated with the color blue. I incorporated deep shades of blue, weaponry-inspired jewelry, and warrior-worthy leather accents. Here's how to work a little warrior style into your daily wardrobe...
Warrior Wear By Day:
Dark blue skinny jeans tucked into brown leather riding boots…

Next week, I get to go on vacation. Not a pack-your-bag, drive-two-hours, visit with friends and family for the weekend type of vacation. But a pack-your-suitcase, hop-on-a-plane, hang out with the boyfriend and his parents for a week split between Phoenix and San Diego kinda vacation. And it's been a long time coming. And my trust travel companion has made it even easier. (Not the boyfriend! Though he's been rad about planning the trip.) I'm talking about my trusty Acer Iconia Tab A1-840. Yep, she's coming with.
In my carry-on. In my purse. In my hands. My Iconia is helping me get excited for, plan for, and pack for the upcoming adventure. (I'm sure she'll be a lotta fun when we get there, too.)
Here are the 5 must-have apps I've downloaded in prep for the trip:

1. Kindle  I bounce between old fashioned books and e-books, but e-books are much more convenient for travel. I'm not sure whether I'll be finishing up George R. R. Martin's Clash of Ki…

As we get caught up in our daily lives - homework, jobs, relationships - it's all too easy to fall into a routine. And somtimes when caught up in that routine, we can lose sight of the things that really matter to us as an individual at our very core. Our "quests."  As we work on getting that paper turned in, meeting that work deadline, or making time for the important people in our lives, it can become not only a challenge to reach those quests, but to even remember them.
Chris Guillebeau's new book The Happiness of Pursuit (hitting stores tomorrow!) hits on this in an inspiring, motivating way. In it, he shares his completed quest of traveling to every country in the world by age 35. But because quests are as unique as the individuals who pursue them, he doesn't stop there. Drawing on interviews from hundreds of questers, his book shares the inspirations and movitations behind quests that range from philanthropic to artistic and athletic to culinary.
Today, I&…

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This past week, I've had my nose in a wonderful book. When I was asked to read, review, and giveaway a copy of Anne Girard's new novel Madame Picasso, it sounded right up my literary alley. Art, romance, and turn-of-the-century France woven into a rich historical backdrop, this story tells the tale of Pablo Picasso's greatest inspiration, muse, and love. 
Even though I couldn't stop turning the pages of this book, I didn't want the story to end. Each time I picked it up, Anne Girard masterfully transported me to The City of Lights during La Belle Epoque - a Paris flourishing with Moulin Rouge performers, romantic poets, rising artists, and avant-garde thinkers. While the narration alternates between the perspective of Eva Gouel/Marcelle Humbert and Pablo Picasso, I found myself most riveted by Eva. Innocent yet daring, young but passionate, down-to-earth and still so…