OSCARS 2015: Ceremony

Now that I showed you my top fashion picks from the red carpet HERE, let's talk about the actual ceremony! This year's host is no one else than a wonderful Neil Patrick Harris who always makes for an awesomely elegant and funny gentleman! The Oscars opening was an absolute hit, I may or may not have watched it a few times, it was so good! Anna Kendrick and Jack Black made for great side kicks, so funny!

Source: Just Jared

Source: Just Jared

To watch a whole opening number, go HERE.

The Best Supporting Actor award went to J.K. Simmons for his role in Whiplash. I have not seen the movie yet, but it is certainly high on my list to watch.

One of the musical performances of the night was brought to us by Adam Levine and his band Maroon 5. Performing the song Lost Stars from a movie Begin Again, in which Adam made his cinematographic debut, I gotta say it was not one of his best live performances...

And how adorable was the director Pawel Pawlikowski's speech?! So cute!

The night is just getting better and better! The award for a Foreign Language Film went to a  Polish

production IDA and I could not be more proud! This is such a big moment, especially that a dear friend of mine is starring in it as well! I cannot stop smiling!!! 

GO POLAND! POLSKAAAAAAAA!

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of a country music, but Tim McGraw nailed it singing a Glen Campbell's song  I'm Not Going To Miss You. So classy!

Haha gotta love Neil Patrick Harris's scenes! Anybody who saw Birdman will recognize this reference to the movie. Sooo funny!

And to throw Miles Teller from Whiplash (and on drums) in the mix?! Brilliant!

And speaking of Miles Teller, he must be one of my favorite actors of my generations. On stage with another favorite of mine, Margot Robbie, they make for beautiful young talents! Bravo!

Also, go HERE too see a close up of Margot's beautiful dress. Stunning!

And the Best Supporting Actress award goes to....

 Patricia's great speech definitely vowed the crowd, take a look at Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez's reaction...

And the longest standing ovations after John Legend and Common's performance of a song Glory from the movie dedicated to the great Martin Luther King titled Selma. No wonder because couple minutes later they won an Oscar for the Best Original Song. Congratulations!

What a sweet moment between Idina Menzel and John Travolta! For anybody that knows about Travolta's biggest flop at last year's Oscars, when he introduced introduced Idina on stage with her totally made up last name, here's a spoof.. At this year's ceremony it was Idina who got to give John a new name, clever! As you can see, no hard feeling between those two!

And now we are down to three of the biggest awards of the night!

The Best Actor: 

Best Actress: 

and The Best Picture goes to...

Congratulations to all the winners!

Goodnight,

OSCARS 2015: RED CARPET

Here we go again! The biggest night for movies has arrived! Just like last year, I'm here to take you step by step through the Oscars ceremony (read my first post about Oscars 2014 HERE). I'll be commenting on all of the winners as well as sharing with you celebrities' dress choices that truly caught my eye. Are you ready?! First let's take a look at the red carpet....

RED CARPET

Source: Just Jared

The stunner of the night: Margot Robbie! I am beyond obsessed with this woman ever since I saw her in Wolf of Wall Street. Tonight she's wearing a simple but oh so beautiful black Saint Laurent dress. Long sleeves and a plunging neckline are everything in this look! Not to mention a beautiful necklace, bold red lip and a long bob with a side part neatly tucked behind the ear... Perfection! I want it all. And I can't wait to see Robbie in her new movie Focus starring next to Will Smith, which comes out this year.

Source: Just Jared

The second look that I adore is one of Jamie Chung! Representing her animated movie Big Hero 6 tonight, she is wearing a beautifully detailed Yanina Couture dress. So delightful to watch, she looks effortless!

Source: Just Jared

Jenna Dewan-Tatum always proudly supporting her husband Channing Tatum, you gotta admit they truly make a great couple, whether it's on the red carpet or in everyday life. Tonight I wanted to focus on just her. Another wonderful dress (Zuhair Murad Couture) featuring my favorite part - a plunging neckline. I love everything from details to a gorgeous belt accenting her waist, hair and makeup. Stunning!

Source: Just Jared

Chrissy Teigen (with yet another plunging neckline from Zuhair Murad, you see a pattern now? I'm obsessed!) and John Legend are undoubtedly my all time favorites when it comes to any award ceremony and red carpet, they both look adorable, effortless and always so in love! Tonight could not be any different.

What do You think of my picks from tonight's red carpet? 

Who are your favorites of the night?

I'd love to hear it!

POST LINKUP: My favorite Instagram accounts

Good morning! There's a special post for You today! A POST LINKUP to be exact. If you've never heard of it, please head over to Meg & Victoria's blog THE WELL, and read more about this wonderful idea, so maybe you can participate in it next month, too! It's a perfect way to connect with other bloggers and maybe, hopefully, to inspire one another.

February's question:

Who are your three favorite Instagrammers and why?

I didn't have to think hard to come up with all three of my favorite Instagram accounts. Even though this particular social platform is all about that perfect picture you take, post and hashtag, I wouldn't follow any of the accounts I do, if it wasn't for wonderful people behind them...

 @andylanee

Andee Layne. This beautiful California mama of two always makes sure she and her babes look fabulous and happy. I find a lot of inspiration in any of her posts and only hope that one day I could look as effortlessly stylish as she does. Not to mention her blog - The Honeybee - which you should screen on repeat from now on if you haven't already. Andee writes not only about fashion, but also a healthy lifestyle and beauty + you can also shop some of her wonderful outfits (and her little girl's Ava) as well. So go ahead and make sure you follow her on Instagram and oh, by the way, don't forget to congratulate her on the little boy she just had! 

 @sazanbarzani

Sazan Barzani is yet another beautiful woman I love to follow on Instagram for many different reasons. This Kurdish / Texas born / LA based fashionista is such a positive spirit, I have no doubt you'll love her at the first sight. Besides her blog - SAZAN - she also makes wonderful, insightful YouTube videos with a great dose of humor. Her personality shines bright through the screen and ignites the room you're in. I wish her all of the success because the hard working woman that she is, she definitely deserves the best.

 @amberfillerup

I guess by now you noticed a pattern of some kind. Yes, most of the people I follow are bloggers, and a big part of them are beautiful mothers, who manage to take their business to another level and still be successful at home. I simply look up to all of them and applaud them for being so awesome at what they do, because one day I hope to manage it all as well.

And that is why I could not write this post without mentioning my third favorite persona that I follow on Instagram. Amber Fillerup Clark is a fashion and beauty blogger (and a mother) who currently lives with her family in New York City. I said currently, because if you follow her adventures, you'll see that she and her family move around a lot. A passion for traveling is one of the things I admire in her, and still remember when I read once on her blog - BAREFOOT BLONDE - that instead of presents her family likes to do trips. I was definitely inspired by this thought and am trying to install the same approach with my friends and family from now on. 

Do not miss out on Amber's wonderful posts, make sure you follow her today!

____

Who are your favorite Instagrammers? 

If you're looking for some inspiration, please read what other bloggers had to say about their favorite Instagram accounts in this month's LINKUP!

The B Bar

Annie Reeves

Alyssa J Freitas

Cake & Lilies

Liska Monet

The Not Quite Adult

Equal Parts of a Whole

Carrie Loves

A Loyal Love

Paper and Skyscrapers

Glitter, Inc.

SKC Marketing

Elana Lyn

Sponsored by Coffee

Always Craving

All The Pretty Stars

Business Betties

Perfect Enough For Us

Always Anita

A Little Leopard

A Girl for Granted

Tortoise in the Sun

The Yuppie Files

Healthfully Ever After

Urban Pixxels

Roam + Golightly

Preppy Panache

Brikasia

White Cabana

Idalia Photography

Little Wild Heart

Wearing Pearls

The Everyday Adventurer

Splendor in Spanglish

Life Modifier

Post Grad in Pumps

Alessandra Marie

Random Little Faves

PR Girl Diaries

Caitlin Cawley

Modish & Main

26 and Not Counting

Pretty Much Design Studio

Grace Notes

Girl in Betsey

Something Good

Life with the Champions

Pattern Me Pretty

Simply Nicole

The Fashionable Wife

Cassandra Monroe

I Am Amber Nicole

Southland Avenue

English Mamma

Cake Over Steak

York Avenue

Jenn Inspired

Hitha on the Go

Beauty and the Pitch

Cedar and Rush

Luv in the Bubble

Des Moines Darling

Cheyenne Mojica

Step Brightly

Soak and Simmer

A Touch of Teal

Paris vs The World

Style and Free

Lovely Friend

A Few of My Favorite Things

The Blue Bijou

PR Blonde

Leigh Clair

Moonlight Chai

Meg Biram

Victoria McGinley

Happy Instagramming!

@shenaniganska

SELF- PORTRAIT

For those of you who know me well, there is one thing about me that has always been a big part of my life - PHOTOGRAPHY. Whether it's when I'm traveling or celebrating bigger/smaller occasions with friends and family, I am usually the annoying one behind the camera snapping way too many pictures. Well, one would say annoying and too many pictures, but somehow in the end I always get asked for the images and everybody makes sure to tell me how grateful they are I was there to capture the moments they will cherish forever. There's a life paradox for ya.

While I am passionate about picturing anything and everything around me and have been told a few times that people enjoy looking at my photos, I was never so sure of myself to even begin to think I could pursue photography as a career. At least not until recently. Because I'm currently studying Communications (back at school, yet again), come Spring semester, I took on a Photography class. As you can probably already tell, I could not wait to start learning more about this wonderful profession. Five weeks and two photography assignments later, I have to say I never enjoyed any of the classes as much as I do this one. I never felt more inspired and rewarded as I am when I'm out taking pictures. See, the reason why I never felt I could be good at it, was because I never had a good training to start with. My philosophy was to just point and shoot, with no regard for the camera setting or lighting I got to work with. Don't get me wrong, I still knew the basics of working with light, I just never took time to actually get to know my camera well enough. And oh boy, can it do miracles!

Since I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable, confident and most importantly more aware of my picture taking, I thought I'll start sharing some of the results with You here on my blog. After all this is my creative space and I started writing my blog just for that reason - to show you my life through pictures.

I'm leaving you now with a few shots for my last assignment - SELF-PORTRAIT.

Valentine's Day outfit idea - DRESSY

If you ask me what I like to wear to feel attractive, I would say a few things: form fitting clothes, off the shoulder tops, plunging necklines and over the knee shoes. I think there is nothing sexier than showing off just a little bit of your body and leaving the rest to the imagination. It's like holding candy in front of somebody but not giving it away. Today's look is just that. It is a little bit more dressy than the casual look I recently posted (HERE), and I think it would be perfect for the Valentine's Day. Even though the dress is not pink pink (and not that I own too many pink clothes anyway), I do have a thing for magenta shade and thought it would be perfect if I incorporated it for this occasion,

Express dress / Forever 21 boots

Also, I posted on this magenta Express dress a few months ago, so if you want to see how I styled it, go HERE.

There you have it. Two romantic looks for Valentine's Day.

 Which one is your favorite? 

Let me know in the comments what are you going to wear for your loves and what are your plans for upcoming Saturday. 

I hope these posts helped you get inspired and excited for Valentine's.

With love,

Valentine's Day outfit idea - CASUAL

OK, here's the thing. I debated for quite some time whether I should write a Valentine's Day inspired post or not, because I am not the biggest fan of that particular day. Why? Well, it's just overstated. I mean, why do we make a big deal of that one day, which is supposed to be dedicated to our significant others? I think we should be sprinkling the love we have for them everyday. That being said, I'm definitely not the one for buying presents for V-Day, I prefer to do something out of my way to make my special person feel, well, SPECIAL.

Whether I like Valentine's Day or not, I thought why not helping out some ladies who do care about this day and maybe are looking for some inspiration. Let's talk fashion then. While we know February 14th is all about pink and red, my outfit could not be any different. For the casual look, which you can wear for a date during the day or night, I paired my grey (favorite!) eShakti custom made peplum top (CURRENTLY ON SALE) with bright pink Old Navy jeans. I think this outfit is the perfect fit for ladies who don't want to dress up too flashy, but still want to look sexy for their beloved men.

eShakti peplum top HERE / Old Navy jeans

Have a week full of love!

AUSTIN TRAVEL DIARY: food

Good Wednesday afternoon!

Today I wanted to share with you a few food spots around Austin, Texas, which I tried out and loved enough so I can recommend them on my blog. Because Texas is such a big state there's a variety of food that you can enjoy. From Mexican food (or should I say Tex - Mex) through Southern comfort food and BBQ (!), let's just say there is something for everybody. 

Especially for you guys, I compiled a list of three places and good eats all around Austin, so if you decide to eat your way through the city, I got you covered. 

BREAKFAST - KERBY LANE CAFE

https://www.kerbeylanecafe.com/

 6 locations 

One of Kerbey Lane Cafe's core values is making sure they serve food of the highest quality and value. With that being said, they most definitely do not skimp on any ingredient, and you can tell the food is local and fresh. All of that combined with a friendly service that makes you feel like you're a part of a community, this place is definitely one worth checking out.

Because me and my friends happened to be there during breakfast time, here are their few meals from the menu.

 Chilaquiles - [originally] Crispy corn tortilla strips tossed with verde sauce and then topped with two over easy eggs, queso fresco, onion, sour cream and cilantro. Served with refried black beans. My friend swapped few ingredients so it may not live up to the description completely.

 Eggs Francisco - English muffin layered with scrambled eggs, bacon, avocado, tomato and queso.

Harvest omelet - a blend of bell pepper. green onion, mushroom, avocado, potatoes and cheddarjack + black beans.

LUNCH - PACO'S TACOS

http://www.pacosaustin.com/

 1304 E. 51st 

 Austin, TX 

At Paco's Tacos you will find meals that originated in Mexico in 19th century, and recipes that were passed down from generation to generation for us to enjoy today. I recommend you checking out their website if you'd like to find about more history of the place. I still drool on the thought of having this authentic Mexican meal....

Chicken enchiladas with charro beans & poblano rice.

Food is not the only reason why you should step into Paco's Tacos doors. Here are few of the snapshots of the exterior to give you an idea of this unique place.

DINNER - RUBY'S BBQ

http://rubysbbq.com/

 512 West 29th Street 

 Austin, TX 

And last but not least... dinner! For our grand finale I could not forget to include some BBQ deliciousness! This is an absolute must when in Texas. Take a look yourself.

We got a 3/4 lb. mixed combo plate of: beef, chicken, sausage, ribs + pickles. bbq beans, mustard potato salad, chunky mayonnaise potato salad and creamy coleslaw. Omnomnom........

I hope my suggestions inspired you to add these places to your to do list and more than everrrr to visit Texas and enjoy it to the fullest.... 

Don't forget: everything in Texas is bigger! ;)

Love,