This past weekend was Pride weekend in West Hollywood, and this Texan proudly wore a big ol' rainbow around my neck to show my support! It was a fabulous weekend with fabulous people and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Cheers!!

The "tapestry trend" blew up all of a sudden, and I can't help but laugh a little bit whenever I see the latest 16th century "it" thing. Last summer I had my graphic design team photoshop my face onto a 16th century painting, and we put it in a horrible, gold baroque frame and gave it to my husband as a crazy, slightly scary, very obnoxious gift. Needless to say he loved it.. who wouldn't?? A year later, 16th century inspired stuff seems to be everywhere, and I just think, HA! I got there first. Here's to the 16th century and its strange, oddly timed revival... I'll cheers to that!

I'm not one to often pay attention to ads in magazines. Most of it is crap - just some brand trying to sell us things we can't afford (or shouldn't spend money on). I mean yes, sometimes it works, but I usually don't ever really LIKE any ads. It's the first day of Spring today, and I had to post about an ad campaign that I actually like, for once. Dolce & Gabbana's Spring ad campaign, shot in Southern Italy, is just completely beautiful. It's about family spending quality time together on vacation - a family that just so happens to have amazing fashion sense. If all advertising was like this, maybe I'd pay a little more attention! I'm welcoming in the season with my favorite Dolce & Gabbana picks from the current collection. Happy Spring, everyone!!

It's a crazy feeling when you read, hear, see or taste something that sums up how you feel or what you've experienced. You can't put your finger on it. You don't have to explain or defend why it resonates within you. I came across this song by Kacey Musgraves and after I listened to it in my car; I almost had a wreck trying to write down her name in my iPhone. I love it. I think any gal who has grown up in a small town, married your high school boyfriend and had babies in your teen/twenties can find some connection to this honest delivery. Plus, it's just a damn good song.

I don't give other blogs enough love. There are so many blogs out there that help inspire me to do what I do, it's about time I tell everyone just how much I love some of them. The list is a long one, but Harrison James on Tumblr is my most recent obsession. It's just a simple photo blog, but his (her?) aesthetic is just so spot on with mine, I think we may have been separated at birth. It's heavy on interiors and fashion (sound familiar?) and perfectly follows my ruggedly refined vibe. I just love it. Check out the goods on the Harrison James blog (www.meetharrisonjames.tumblr.com) and see for yourself.

Flipping through Elle Decor I discovered the most heavenly looking scene and was immediately hit with the travel bug. This traditional fisherman's hut in Lisbon was recently renovated for modern living, but what's left of the original rustic quality of the interior is absolutely gorgeous. As if the aesthetic quality of this ruggedly-refined hut isn't enough, the sand florin the main interior is also heated by a radiant-heat system. I think I'll kick back with a glass of Portuguese vinho verde and stay a while...

Seriously... is it Thanksgiving yet? Over the weekend I started having wildly inappropriate dreams about my favorite pies. Chocolate, pecan, pumpkin... pies so good I don't think I would ever need the touch of a man ever again. I think its safe to say I'm going batshit crazy from the anticipation of all the amazing food I'm going to devour this week. Only three days... I can do it. I CAN DO IT! Stay strong!!!

I’m smart. I mean not like MIT smart, but quite full of common and analytical sense. I’ve done dumb things and made poor choices. Nothing so large that I’ve lost face, but big enough to be talked about. So I’m stepping in quite a pile of shit by talking about the election. Last night as I was writing down these thoughts, the decision hadn't been made yet. Obama vs Romney. It kind of felt like we’ve been placed in one of those “6 of one, ½ dozen of another,” situations.

No matter what you believe, or who you believe in, I can’t help but think we want the same things. Freedom, health care, religious rights, financial growth, jobs, personal rights… it's fairly basic and so complicated in the same thought. I must say that four years ago I was all “hope and change”, but this election I’m torn. GRRRR….we are not doing well as a country. We are at odds with one another. It feels off.

I’m confused by all of this because I know we all love being American. The flag waves proudly and we all stand during “God Bless America.” Where did we fall?? How can one choice, one man(woman), make or break us?? We are American!!! We are proud!!! Let us stand together and be proud. We have babies to raise and families to nurture, careers to build and dreams to reach. Join together and identify as an American, rather than identifying as Republican or Democrat. At the end of the day, we must be united. If we divide, we fall, if we fall, we fail. Regardless of last night's results, no matter who you are, stand up as an American. We as individuals are MUCH more than just a party affiliation. We are citizens of the freest, proudest, smartest country in the world. Let’s get smart and be ONE. Let’s get smart and WORK TOGETHER. Let’s get smart and build a future for our children. Just think - if we focused all the energy and finances we’ve put into this election into educating our children instead, we might make actually make a difference.

I can't even begin to say how excited I was when I saw that Chanel sent a full-on denim, barn-meets-Beverly-Hills style dress down the runway just a few days ago at Paris fashion week!! My heart beats a little faster whenever I see Karl Lagerfeld's best work, and this dress was no exception. It just goes to show that I can love high fashion AND still be a complete country girl at heart. Seeing this dress was like my worlds had suddenly merged, proving that someone like me CAN exist in this crazy world I live in! I'm loving every minute of it. The dress on the left is from the Spring 2013 RTW show this week in Paris, and the dress on the right is from the Spring 2013 Resort collection that debuted last May in Versailles. It looks like Chanel is having a love affair with denim for next season, and I think it's about damn time! Chanel and denim is definitely my flavor of fashion... call me anytime, Karl, I'll gladly be your new runway-meets-redneck spokesmodel!

Tomorrow is the official "first day" of Fall - even though it doesn't quite feel like it in LA yet, but we're getting there. To celebrate its official arrival, I plan on enjoying all of my favorite things about Fall in the next few weeks. There are a whole lot of things about Fall that get me excited, but here are some of my absolute favorites. Happy start of Fall everyone, and a not-so-hard GOODBYE to summer!