Fab Housewife Facelift

Hello Fab Housewife friends! You may have noticed the void of Fab Housewife updates over the past several months. That’s because fabhousewife.com has switched over to a new and improved site, and unfortunately wordpress wouldn’t allow all you fab subscribers to come along {oh the shame!}

Luckily, you can still get your Fab Housewife fix by subscribing to our email list! In addition to a fab new look, the new and improved Fab Housewife is offering unique weekly features like Motivation Monday {your weekly dose of inspiration}, Haute Housewife {fashion, beauty & style}, Apartment to Home {DIY and decor projects that make your space homey, warm and inviting}, and more. Of course, Fab Housewife also still showcases those delicious and easy recipes that made the site so popular to begin with.

Don’t want daily emails? That’s ok! You can also get Fab Housewife through your online reader by subscribing to the RSS feed, or Bloglovin. Don’t forget to like my Facebook page and follow on Twitter. There are so many ways to connect with Fab Housewife because I always love to hear from my readers. I hope you will continue to follow along and leave your comments and feedback. Most importantly, THANK YOU for your continued support in making Fab Housewife such a success!

{Adore Decor} Crushing on Closets!!!

My first day back from Easter vacation was consumed with cramming my uncontrollable shopping habit into the joke-of-a-closet in my West Hollywood apartment…woe is me!!  During the entire daunting process, I was also daydreaming of the perfect room (yes, ROOM, not closet) to house my favorite clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories. Every woman has likely envisioned her fantasy closet…mine would come complete with an island chest of drawers, elegant seating, and a crystal chandelier. Here are some of the closets I’m craving:

Clean, sleek, elegant, classy, sophisticated, timeless…this closet has all my favorite descriptive words!

What a girl wants, what a girl needs…is shoes shoes and more shoes. Just ask Christina Aguilera: “Everything on my shoe wall is grouped by designer—Louboutin, McQueen, YSL—all in their own little family,” says Aguilera. “And there’s room for boots up top.” Photo and interview from instyle.com.

 

If I were forced to share my dream closet with the hubs, I guess I could take a cue from Carrie and Mr. Big :).

 

Très chic, très hip, très sexy! I am drooling over this French-style closet, complete with poodle. The tufted ottoman and mirrored dresser have been added to my must-have list!

 

Another simple, yet glamorous design. The OCD side of me is loving all the storage capabilities in this closet. Everything has its place!

 

I am all about the little details in this little closet- the gold knobs and pendant chandeliers. In fact, this one may be my favorite because it actually seems pretty attainable!

 

This closet is another example of maximizing space! I love the look of the clear drawers, so you can see what’s inside. On the other hand, it’s probably not the best idea for me- I could NEVER keep my drawers so neat! But no one ever said a fantasy has to be realistic, right?

{Motivation Monday}

love this one…

{Recipes for Gorgeousness} Artichoke Cheese Tart

Whether attending a cocktail party, or hosting one of my own, I always want food that looks as great as it tastes. This artichoke Cheese Tart totally fits that bill, with it’s golden pops of color…it’s delectable crust that is both moist and chewy on the inside, and light and crispy on the outside…and best of all, the tender, juicy veggies, combined with 3 different types of cheeses to create warm, gooey, bubbly deliciousness…is your mouth watering yet? Because mine definitely is! What’s great about this recipe is that you can customize it, using your own vegetables and cheeses to suit your taste.

{Motivation Monday}

via Perfect Sentiment

{Blissfully Bridal} Elegant Inspiration

Well, it looks as if another wedding is in my future! After months of anticipation, Katie, my best friend from high school, announced that she and boyfriend Carlos are engaged! He proposed during a ski vacation at Mammoth, and like many proposals (ahem, MINE), it didn’t go exactly as planned. Carlos’ original idea was to pop the question at the top of the mountain, in an adorably romantic gesture. Katie, however, being the pain in the butt that she is, was too cold to go outside (helloooo! You’re skiing silly girl!). But Carlos was determined to put a ring on it…and settled for their hotel balcony. Even though it wasn’t what he envisioned, it was still perfect!

Like most teenage girls, Katie and I spent countless hours having sleep-overs, gossiping, and imagining what sort of man our future husbands were going to be like. So,  you can imagine my excitement when Katie made her incredible announcement, and the double whammy when moments later she exclaimed, “you have to be a bridesmaid!” Of course, we immediately began discussing ideas, themes, venues. Fortunately for me, and my obsession with all things wedding, Katie doesn’t know what kind of wedding she wants. That’s means I get to justify hours of inspiration research, and you get to reap the rewards! First up, a charmingly elegant wedding in Australia, featuring soft, delicate, vintage-inspired details. Pictures are from Style Me Pretty:

Wedding Photography: Samm Blake / Wedding Cinematography: Derek Ho of Urban Light Films / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Voyager Estate / Flowers: River Blossoms / Wedding Invitations & Programs: Baumbirdy / Shoes: Badgley Mischka + Tony Bianco / Wedding Dress & Veil: Pronovias / Birdcage Veil & Headpiece: Fiona Dixon Designs via Bride & Groom / Wedding Band: Tiffany & Co / Ring Bowl: Paloma’s Nest / Bird Cake Topper: Ann Wood Handmade / Bride’s Garter: Florrie Mitton Couture / Bride’s Clutch: Bride & Groom / Calligraphy: Judith Tubby, Beautiful Writing / Custom Embroidery Hoop: Miniature Rhino / Custom Linen: Hotels Apart / Vintage Jaguar: Margaret River Chauffeurs / Hair: Lorna Marie Wedding Hair / Makeup: Carol Mackie / Accommodation: Il Palazzo at La Foret Enchantee / Wedding Cake: Edible Art / Hire Company: Villa Kula + Bride & Groom + Coco Mama / Custom Lace Handkerchief: Embroidery by Melissa / Custom Wedding Dress Label: Michael Angela / Linen Petal Bags: That Final Touch / Ribbon Drink Stirrers: Peach & Pearl / Moss Covered Letters: Designs by LeeAnn

{Motivation Monday}

{Savvy Shopping} Sole Society

A woman can never have too many shoes, and never let your husband tell you otherwise! If you’re a footwear fanatic like me, and just about every other woman on the planet for that matter, then you have GOT to try Sole Society, the brand new shoe club I recently joined. You may be wondering, what the heck is a shoe club?? Well, I’m happy to tell you all about it!

 

{Adore Decor} Spring Cleaning Tips, Tricks & Inspiration

Spring cleaning and I have a love/hate relationship. I hate to do it, but I love the way I feel, once it’s done. I’m sure you all can relate. Well fab housewives, it’s that time again, and thanks to these ideas and links, our homes are going to sparkle like new. 

Victoria Beckham, Glamour, March 2010

Of course, we’re also going to look just like Victoria Beckham in her Housewife Glamour spread from March 2010, right? Duh.

 

Anyway…To make your cleaning more efficient, the very first step should be to clear the clutter:

image from therecessionista.blogspot.com

Go through closets, drawers, cabinets, boxes, and get rid anything you don’t need. Not sure if you should toss it? Ask yourself this: have I used this in the past 6 months? If not, there’s a good chance you won’t miss it. The exceptions to this rule, of course, are seasonal items. You can’t have too many Christmas decorations or swim suits, right?

The next step is to organize all your stuff so you can easily find it later. This is particularly important if you don’t have a lot of storage space. Here are some creative organization solutions to inspire you:

Social Media and the “D-word”

Divorce: For married couples, it’s one of the scariest words you could utter. In fact, the hubs and I banned the word completely, after we were offered some good advice from a recent divorcée, about ten years older than we are. She said, “you guys are at the age where everyone is getting married. I am at the age where everyone is getting divorced.” She then proceeded to offer her words of wisdom: “Just don’t ever say that word. If you never say it, it’s never on the table.”

It sounds simple enough, yet the divorce rate in America, and around the world for that matter, continues to climb. Now, according to an MSN article I read this morning, studies are indicating that Facebook is the culprit for one in five divorce cases. That’s 20% people!!!