A Lil Taste of Our First Issue.

Stay tuned for more of the inside scoop!

Cheers,

Marie 

Daily Deals

Among all the daily deal sites out there, one of my favorites is Bloomspot. The SF-based startup tends to offer deals on higher quality services and a lot of travel deals. Check out this current deal for a Newport Beach hotel:

Xoxo,

Nat

Eccentricly Spicy.

What do you wear when you're feeling eccentricly spicy, ladies? I'm talking about feeling that urge to just say eff it, mixed with inspiration, with a dose of 'Aha!'. My person go-to pieces are the red lipstick from sephora, my fun pink feathered hair piece (a similar one pictured), and layering vintage necklaces that my grandma left me. Whenever I wear one of the following, or heck, even all at one time, I immediately feel fantabulously confident in the way only crazy people do. 

courtesy of sephora.com

courtesy of amazon.com

courtesy of Collecting Vintage Jewelry

Cheers,

Marie

In Love with Chloe

Let's all take a moment to admire one gorgeous shoe.

Yup, I think I'm in love.

At $895 a pair, these are certainly on the "high" end of the hLo, but if you're interested anyway, you can pre-order from Barneys.

Xoxo,

Nat

Photo courtesy of Barneys

My Top 3 Drug Store Beauty Products

You know that old saying, "You get what you pay for"? Well, sometimes that's just not true! Here are my top 3 drug store beauty products:

1. Cerave - This is a light moisturizer that was actually recommended to me by my Dermatologist. I love it because it really does its job, but doesn't leave you with that greasy feeling. Even the PM formula is surprisingly light yet moisturizes effectively.

2. Vaseline - That's right, good ol' Petroleum Jelly. I use it every single day, throughout the day, to moisturize my lips. I tend to get pretty chapped lips and I've tried some crazy expensive products (including single use serum filled capsules that cost like $3 each) to solve this problem, but nothing seems to work quite as well. I always find it a little awkward to use Vaseline in public, but this bedazzled one just might do the trick ;)

3. Neutrogena Grapefruit body wash - Yes, it really does need to be the Grapefruit one! Not only does it smell amazing, but it honestly does a great job on your skin. I used to use the original Neutrogena body wash which didn't help much, but the Grapefruit one is fantastic. Both contain 2% Salicylic Acid, which is nice too.

Xoxo,

Nat

Photos courtesy of Cerave Coupon, Scrape TV, and Neutrogena

San Francisco Nights

Last night I attended the SF Beta event at the Minna Gallery. It was a fantastic opportunity to discover cool startups and cool people.

Having recently moved to San Francisco, I'm always shocked by how many awesome events there are here! Someone once told me, "You can drink for free every single night of the week in this city, if you want to." She was absolutely right - SF has got it going on!

Xoxo,

Nat

#fashiongirlproblems

Unlike many a fashion gal, I'm not a bag person. I tend to purchase them only out of necessity and use them until I either can't bear to see them anymore, or they fall apart. For months now, I've been hemming and hawing about finally purchasing my first grown up designer bag—and I'm failing miserably. At the very second when I think I've finally made my decision, something new shows up to kill my game plan leaving me back at square one. The culprit this time? Phillip Lim's new 31 Hour Bag.

Via Saks...

Quick Tip: Relieve Headache & Stress

It's the middle of the week, middle of winter, and you're at the end of your rope. Here's a quick acupressure fix for headache and stress relief that you can use literally anywhere - during an intense meeting, on your way home from work, or even hiding under your desk ;)

Using one hand, press firmly on the flesh between the thumb and index finger on your other hand. Do this for about a minute on each hand and make sure to take deep breaths while treating yourself!

Xoxo,

Nat

Photo courtesy of small world beauty

Green Day for John Varvatos.

Still love these guys!

Cheers,

Marie

Say Cheese!

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar is known for many things - its extensive drink offerings, its award winning pastry chef, and of course, its absinthe! However, lesser known is Absinthe's cheese list, which boasts domestic choices from cheesemakers as nearby as California's own Cowgirl Creamery, as well as a variety of imported French cheeses.

Having tried (and loved!) one of the cheeses during a dinner, I dragged my boyfriend back to Absinthe one Friday night with the sole intention of eating lots of cheese. Of course, we ended up having to try the butternut squash soup with mint cream and brioche croutons (amazing) as well.

Each cheese comes with an accompaniment like honeycomb, quince paste or white wine-poached apricots, as well as a plate stacked high with house-made walnut bread.

Best of all, Absinthe serves their cheeses along with a bar menu that offers choices like croque monsieur and parmesan-garlic popcorn until 2am - Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Nat

Prints, prints and more prints

If there's one major trend that came out of the spring shows, it was prints—and I can't get enough! Marie, on the other hand, isn't a fan and says they remind her of her grandma gone wild. Sure, when they're done badly it can look like you raided gran's closet, but when they're done well it's oh, so fabulous.

Mary Katrantzou's decadent pieces burst onto the scene a few seasons ago and she's won my heart every time. Sure, her dresses are a gazillion dollars each (although she's lined up to do a Topshop collab!), but they're also practically works of art. If I had one, especially from her fall 2011 collection, it would hang proudly in my living room alongside the "artistic" shots of my dog—a special place indeed.

Here are some of my faves from her spring collection:

Photos via Style.com

Guest Post: Eco-Mom Tips & Tricks!

It can be hard to worry about going green when you're busy keeping your kids from climbing into the dishwasher or eating all the dirt from your houseplants. However, there are many simple things you can do that will not only leave a better planet for your children, but also save you some green. Here are some eco-mom tips to help reduce your footprint:

1. Yard sales vs. splurges
Pick up used items babies grow out of quickly or you aren't sure they'll love. I have mom friends with three types of swings because their babies hated certain rocking motions. Bouncers and playyards are only age-appropriate for a few months and run $50-$80 new, versus $10-$20 used. Yard sales and mom swaps are usually cheaper than second hand stores. Check Craigslist too--we found a barely used jogging stroller for 75% off.

On the other hand, investing in toys built to withstand many years of abuse (I mean love) may be a wiser choice for some items like toy kitchens and outdoor playsets. Read online reviews or ask other moms before spending big bucks.

2. Cloth diapers
Before you say "eww" and run away, let me tell you that cloth diapers have changed a lot from the days of pins and plastic pants. Check out these cute dipes:

Many diapers are adjustable and can fit from birth to potty training and can be used again for your next baby! Choosing cloth can save you $500 to $1,000 per child.

3. Organic food
I am all about feeding my toddler as much organic food as possible. It's better for the environment, and pesticides floating around in a little body freaks me out. Going organic can get expensive, but there are ways you can save: stock up on in-season produce and purée or chop and freeze. Frozen veggies can be mixed in soups, sauces (or, if you are really sneaky, baked goods like Beet Cookies and Spinach Muffins). Homemade applesauce is easy and freezes well, and other fruits can be added to smoothies or oatmeal. Buying from an organic buying club, a farmer's market, or joining a CSA are all great ways to save on organic food.

4. DIY Cleaning supplies
Skip the harsh chemicals and save money by making your own cleaning products! Homemade laundry soap and dishwasher detergent are super simple and cheap. Vinegar and baking soda can be used to scrub tubs, kitchen sinks, and stovetops. Kids and babies are constantly playing on the floor so I use vinegar and water to mop up messes on our wood floor instead of strong chemicals.

Julie is a former civil and environmental engineer and now a stay-at-home momma of an awesome toddler, Max. They stay busy with moms groups, story time at the library, and volunteering at a retirement home. Julie has always been a crazy environmentalist (yup, the type that pulls coke cans out of trash bins) and she tries to keep her family as green and healthy as possible, while on a budget.

Photos courtesy of http://www.thegoodmama.com and http://www.weelicious.com

Bay Area, the Fash Tech Capital.

I've been attending the insanely addicting Keiretsu JumpStart forums for a few months now. The premise behind these events is to bring together tech entrepreneurs and angel investors in an educational capacity. There are a handful of presenters who have two minutes (YES - that's t w o stinking minutes) to pitch their start-up ideas to a panel of advisors, investors and c-levelers.  Then the panel gets to ask questions, make comments and eventually vote on their presentation on a scale of 1-5. All very interesting for a nerd like me. But man, when I heard that they were doing a specific accelerator program for fashion tech companies, it blew my mind. Woo hoo! Super score!

Last night I went the premiere of Keiretsu's 'Ahead of the Fashion' program. They had the typical pitching session but the evening ended with a bomb diggity bang - three fashion shows! All the designers were extremely different and insanely talented. And although the clothes were truly amazing, the best part of my evening was watching the older Silicon Valley dudes jaws drop as the gorgeous models strutted their teeny tiny patooties around the room. 

 iPhone backstage p.o.v.:

Designer, Yuliana Candra 

with model, Aubrey Rinehart.

Hope to catch y'all at their next fashion tech event!

Cheerios,

Marie :)

Back Home

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." - Maya Angelou

As Angelou points out, nothing feels quite as comforting as going back home, which for me, is Detroit, Michigan (well, Detroit suburb anyway). I get funny reactions when I tell that to people from the West Coast, or even worse, from the East Coast:

"Did you grow up on a farm?"

"You must love snow then."

"That sucks."

I promise it's not all that bad and there's actually quite a lot that's really interesting and beautiful about the city - a growing arts scene, booming film industry, and rich history. Here are some gorgeous HDR photos taken by the BF on a recent trip to Michigan:

Xoxo,

Nat

The Time in Between

 

I always thought my first post for the blog would be a fashion one, but instead I'm going  to share a fabulous book I read over the holidays. It has a fashion aspect to it, so I guess it counts. Here goes!

There are books you struggle to complete, and there are those you can't put down until you've read them cover to cover. The Time in Between by Maria Duenas is the latter. It's full of intrigue and romance, mixed in with high-stakes spy action and devastating war time. The Time in Between constantly keeps you on your toes as it narrates the story of Sira Quiroga, a young dressmaker who impulsively runs from Madrid to Morocco with her lover. But she soon finds herself alone and without a cent to her name. To survive, Sira rediscovers her passion for dress-making and transforms herself into Morocco's premiere couturier. From there, the action just keeps getting better as Sira becomes involved in WW2 in a way she never thought possible.

Sound awesome? It is. Pick it up now. No seriously, what are you waiting for? You can thank me later ;)

The Time in Between - $16.80 at Amazon

Beijinhos,

Sasha

The Perfect Little Wine Snap!

An amazing little cookie with huge flavor! These wine snaps from the Napa Cookie Co. are one of Wine Country's best kept secrets. Sweet, spicy, and buttery all in one!

I recently discovered them on a weekend trip to Sonoma and, of course, had to bring a box home with me! Pair them with wine or make delicious hors d'oeuvre with them using the recipe on the company's website. They even offer some tasting notes to help you create the perfect pairing.

Xoxo,

Nat

Photo courtesy of Napa Cookie Co.

It's Real, It's Happening!

Whoa.

The magazine is actually coming together, thanks to an amazing group of gals and dudes!

It all started feeling more legit after our first shoot this past December with the fabulously talented Andy Sermonia.

Here's a little behind the scenes sneak peek of that shoot:

Cheers,

Marie 

My New Year Resolutions

So who really follows their New Year resolutions? It feels like every year I make the same one: "I want to eat healthier and take better care of my body. I'm going to go to the gym, never eat junk food, and drink a gallon of water everyday." But somehow, without fail, I always find myself eating ice cream on the couch by April.

While that resolution is still on the list (and likely will be forevermore), I decided to focus 2012 on something else - finding happiness and fulfillment in my career! This year, I will:

• Say no. you can't please everyone and you shouldn't even try to. You'll end up spreading yourself so thin that you won't please anyone.
• Ask for what I want. Research has shown that men often earn more because they're more likely to ask for raises and higher salaries. I'd like to start asserting what I want instead of waiting for someone to magically notice my fabulous talent and just hand it over to me.
• Explore my passions. I used to think my passion was fashion, but lately I've been discovering that I have many others, like a strong passion for food (probably why my "lose weight" resolution never worked out!). I want to explore these passions further and see how I can continually incorporate them into my work.

These three goals might seem simple, but if I can accomplish them fully in 2012, I'll consider this a very productive year! And who knows, by year's end, I might even make it to a Pilates class ;)

Xoxo,

Nat

Welcome to The hLo Lifestyle!

Welcome to the hLo blog, where we celebrate the high-end and low-end hybrid lifestyle! We've created this blog to complement our bi-monthly online magazine, which will launch in private beta in February 2012.

Our mission is to provide fresh content that reflects how you truly live your everyday life - mixing up high and low! Do you wear your Jimmy Choos with a $50 H&M dress? Have you ever bought the cheapest airfare so that you could splurge on a luxurious hotel suite? How about your home - is it decorated with a combination of IKEA furniture, DIY projects, and a few investment pieces? That's hLo to the core.

In this blog, you can expect:

• Plenty on fashion, food, interiors and more
• Exclusive content on the coolest new products and companies
• Lots of pretty things and stunning images
• Tips and tricks on everything from acupressure stress relief to eco-friendly Mommy advice
• Posts from members of the hLo team, experts in a variety of fields, and those who exemplify the hLo lifestyle!

Here's to you, our fabulous readers!

Xoxo,

Nat