My Favorite Oscar Moments AND a Giveaway

I am such a sucker for awards shows! The red carpet is my favorite part of course. Who doesn't love gorgeous gowns and men in tuxedos? There were a lot of fun moments during last night's. I thought Ellen was a great host. I love her. Is there anyone that doesn't? While I was bored at times, overall it was a good show. I have a few favorite moments.

 

First, I was rooting for Jennifer Lawrence to win for best supporting actress (total girl crush!), but was happy to see that award go to Lupita Nyong'o. She is so beautiful, and what a perfect acceptance speech! Genuinely humble and gracious. My first tears of the night (there were many). The group selfie was cute, liked the pizza bit. Brad Pitt handing out paper plates was so awesome, and you know all those people were so starving! If it had been me I would have totally been the one to spill tomato sauce all over a crazy expensive gown.

 

I loved Bill Murray's shout out to Harold Ramis while he was presenting. Very cool. Pink singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow I surprisingly loved! Pink is great, but I wouldn't have thought to pair her voice with that particular song. It worked though! And that one gets me every time. More tears. I cry every time I hear that song. Totally normal, right? More tears when Bette Midler sang Wind Beneath My Wings. I think I sang that song at my 5th grade graduation. I mean, Beaches? Only one of the best movies ever! By this point I was wondering why in the world the Oscars hate me this year! Can I not make it through one segment with out boo-hooing?

 

And then Idina Menzel happened. Y'all, she is everything. EVERYTHING. The very best moment of the night, by FAR. She is perfection. Another girl crush. I mean, if Ellen could just host every awards show, and Idina could sing at all of them, I would be one happy gal.

 

My last highlight of the night was Matthew McConaughey's speech. Could not have been any better. I loved to see a good ole Texas boy win such a big award! Wooderson for life!

 

Now for the most important part of any awards show......the fashion! Here are my top picks for best dressed of the night.

My top 3......

Lupita! Lupita Lupita Lupita! She killed it all awards season on the red carpet. This was definitely her princess moment. The blue Prada was just amazing on her. I can't find anything wrong with it.

 

 

Of course Jennifer Lawrence is on my list. She pretty much always is. Love her in Dior, the red is gorgeous. I want to be her friend.

 

I also pretty much always love Amy Adams. The deep blue color of her Gucci dress was perfect with her skin and hair. She is always just so classy and elegant.

 

 

Also loving........

 

Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein Collection. Gorg.

 

Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani. Queen of the red carpet. Always.

 

Honorable Mention......

 

Emma Watson in Vera Wang. I love her style.

 

Idina Menzel in Vera Wang. That color is amazing.

 

 

 

 

There were some majorly gorgeous couples on the carpet as well.....

Olivia Wilde in Valentino and Jason Sudeikis in Prada. I can't handle the amount of hotness. She looks fabulous, and I love that she is showing off the baby bump.

 

Matthew McConaughey in Dolce and Gabbana and Camilla Alves in Gabriella Cadena. Seriously you guys. The white jacket was all over the red carpet last night, and I was totally digging it.

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the men......

 

Bradly Cooper in Tom Ford. What a perfect combination. Wow.

 

Jared Leto in Saint Laurent. Another white jacket. And the red bowtie is kind of funky and fun.

 

Ryan Seacrest in Burberry. I just adore him. So handsome.

 

 

 

There wasn't a whole lot of crazy on the red carpet last night, but I did have a couple of WTF moments.

 

I am not a fan of Margot Robbie as a brunette. I didn't even recognize her. I'm sure it's for a role, but I just want to go on record and say I do not approve. The Saint Laurent dress is pretty though.

 

This last one may have actually been my favorite.

Can we talk about Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinsky for a minute? First of all, what were they doing at the Oscars? Weird. Second, why are they not on every red carpet, ever, together? I LOVE them! So fabulous!

 

 

 

And there you have it! My highlights and favorites from the 2014 Oscars. What were your favs? Anything I left off the list? Who got your vote for best dressed? I wanna know! And for more great red carpet looks follow me on Pinterest!

 

 

 

 

 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already! Just a few more days until the winner is announced! You could win some great girly goodies!

 

 

 



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Spring Florals

It's all about spring right now everywhere you look! The trees are blooming her in Las Vegas, and it's so beautiful it's got me thinking of the gorgeous spring florals that are out currently. I don't actually wear a lot of pattern, or color for that matter, but I'm trying to expand my horizons, and some of these pieces may just make a believer out of me! Here are some of the spring florals I'm dying to try! Click the links to purchase!

 

1. F21 Kimono / 2. Vans Sneakers / 3. Anthropologie Blazer / 4. J. Crew Shorts / 5. J. Crew Sweater / 6. JCP Infinity Scarf

 

 

 

 

 

1. Anthropologie Cropped Trousers / 2. F21 Headwrap / 3. Shamelessly Sparkly Necklace / 4. Topshop Jumpsuit / 5. J. Crew Pumps / 6. Ted Baker Skirt

 

 

 

 

1. Zara Pants / 2. F21 Tassel Scarf / 3. Romper / 4. Ted Baker Pumps / 5. Zara Trousers / 6. Sonia Kashuk Cosmetics Bags

 

For more spring florals, be sure to follow me on Pinterest!

 

 

 

 

Also, if you haven't entered my first giveaway yet, click here for your chance to win these fun prizes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To keep up with all things Belle & Grace, follow me on facebook, instagram, pinterest, twitter, and now on bloglovin!

Camo Cubed

It's starting to warm up here in Las Vegas, and as excited as I am for the spring weather, I will miss my sweaters and boots! One of my absolute favorite items this season was a camo elbow patch sweater I found in the men's department in Target. It definitely got more than it's share of wear that's for sure! Here are a few of my favorite stylings.

Glam Camo

 

Please disregard the messy hair. It gets windy in the desert :).  Anyway, I love the idea of  pairing something as casual as camo print with more dressy pieces. I think it's super cute, and totally unexpected. My favorite part of this outfit is the gold tassel necklace from Purple Peridot. They have the cutest stuff!

 

Black skirt: similar / Black boots: H&M (similar here) / Clutch: Charming Charlie / Tassel Lariat Necklace: Purple Peridot / Earrings and Bracelet: Charming Charlie

Preppy Camo

 

I kind of loved this outfit! Target head to toe, except the shoes which are a T.J. Maxx find from last year. I love the girly color of the pants and fun glitter loafers with the more masculine camouflage.

 

Shirt: similar / Skinnies: similar / Shoes: similar

Casual Camo

 

It doesn't get much easier than this outfit! So comfy! Just throw on jeans and some combat boots and you're done!

Boots: / Madden Girl / Necklace: / Belle & Grace

 

 Unfortunately, this sweater is no longer available at Target, but here are a couple of similar styles here and here.

 Also, I know, I shop at Target way too much! It's not only a budget thing, it's also a matter of convenience. I'm there all the time, so it just makes sense! And while Vegas has amazing shopping, most of it is on or near the strip, and I tend to stay away unless from that area unless I have good reason to be there. When the Shops at Summerlin open my options will open up too! Can't wait for that!

 

 

 

By the way, if you haven't entered my giveaway yet, there's plenty of time! Visit the original post here, and enter to win all of these goodies!

 

 

 

  

To keep up with all things Belle & Grace, follow me on facebook, instagram, pinterest, twitter, and now on bloglovin!

Belle & Grace Giveaway!

I'm still a brand new blogger, and I'm very slowly gaining more readers and followers on social media. But I wanted to say thank you and show my appreciation to those of you that do follow me, so I have a fun giveaway for you!

There are a few different ways to earn entries. Log in to the rafflecopter link below and you could win these fabulous items!

The prizes are a fun statement necklace, a black beaded Belle & Grace tassel bracelet, a gold tone handmade Belle & Grace jewelry set including a necklace, toggle bracelet, and earrings, and two of my favorite Essie polishes in Sparkle on Top and Belugaria.

The winner will be announced Friday March 7th! Feel free to link to this giveaway anywhere! Good luck loves!

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Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is My New Best Friend!

 

One of my very first blog posts was showing off my new dining table and newly made over dining chairs. I promised a tutorial on the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that I used, and I've been slacking! Now it's been so long, I really couldn't do a very detailed tutorial if I tried, but I'll do my best to recap the process. First I must rave on Annie Sloan for a minute! This stuff in FANTASTIC! The appeal at first is that you can use it to paint just about any surface, without sanding or priming! Yes, you heard me right, NO sanding! If you're a pinterest junkie like me I'm sure you've already read all about this stuff. They have the most amazing color selections. And you can layer color and use clear or dark wax to get virtually any color or finish you want. I used Paris Grey with clear wax, because I wanted the true Paris Grey color, which I thought would look great with the finish on our new dining table.  Here is the gorgeous table with the old chairs.

 The fabulous table comes from the Iron Horse Studio by the way. You MUST check out their website, because their things are absolutely GORGEOUS! This is actually one of many Iron Horse pieces in our home.

Dining chairs pre-makeover.

 

As you can see the chairs just didn't work with the new custom table. The needed an upgrade. Badly. The old table (not shown) and chairs are oak, and were originally stained a light/medium oak color, which is so not my style. Several years ago the hubs and I took on the tedious process of sanding everything and staining it black. I loved the way it looked, but man oh man, I did not enjoy the sanding! That is just about the worst task I can think of. It's boring, it's terribly time consuming, and MESSY! Needless to say I did not want to take that on a second time. So after seeing Annie Sloan all over Pinterest, and reading that there was zero sanding involved, I had to try it for myself. I tracked down a store here in Las Vegas that sell the product, and does classes on how to use it properly. I'm a jump right in and learn as I go gal, so I did not take advantage of the class. While I'm sure it would have helped, my results were fine without it. If you're a Vegas or Boulder City local, check out Bloom. It is just about the cutest shop ever! I think everything in their store is done in Annie Sloan, and it's all precious! You'll be happy you stopped by!

 

Anyway, these are the materials I used for this particular project:

 

1. Plastic sheets to use as drop cloths, or a tarp, or cloth

2. Old t-shirts to use as rags

3. Medium sized good quality paint brush (make sure it's decent quality, or you'll get strands in your paint job!)

4. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint  (I used their Paris Grey color)

5. Annie Sloan Soft Wax (they have a clear or dark option - I used the clear)

6. Annie Sloan Wax Brush

 

I spread a layer of plastic over the floor in case of spills or splatter (I tend to be a bit messy when painting), then I dove right in. I began with my chairs kind of upside down, so I could paint the legs first, then flipped them upright to do the rest. You just paint your surface with your brush like you would with any kind of paint. I admit I was skeptical during the first coat. At first it didn't really seem to cover that well, so I was I little nervous. It did stick incredibly well though. If you've ever tried to paint something that wasn't sanded well, you've seen how the pain just kind of puddles, and doesn't actually adhere to the surface. That was not the case with the Annie Sloan. But there were still a lot of streaks where the black showed through, and I was crossing my fingers that the second coat would do the trick, because three coats was not on my agenda! Let me tell you, the second coat was like a miracle! It covered everything! I couldn't believe the difference in the first and second coats! I was almost sold! And I was able to cover 6 chairs and use just over half of the can of paint.

 

 The painting is the easy part with chalk paint. The finish is super chalky, hence the name, and not very desirable. That's where the wax comes in. After you're done painting and your surface has had time to dry, it's time to apply the wax. I invested in Annie Sloan's wax brush (pictured at the top of the post) when I bought the paint. I didn't buy their regular brush, since I have a ton of paint brushes around the house. But the wax process was totally new to me, so I didn't want to take any chances. I just dabbed the brush in the wax, and then brushed it on the chairs. Sounds simple, right? For the most part it is, but it's kind of smelly, and very messy! You will end up with this stuff all over you! I started with just a very thin coat of the wax, because after you apply it, you have to buff it with your rag. Since I didn't do the class, I just kind of wiped off the first coat of wax. When I went back to do the second coat, I spent more time really trying to buff it to a shiny finish. I'm not sure if another coat would have given it more of a glossy look or not, but I was pleased with how it looked after 2 coats, so I stuck with that. Also, a little goes a long way! I did 6 chairs, and I there's barely a dent in the can of wax.

 

After 2 coats of paint, 2 coats of wax, a good buffing, and some new fabric on the seats, here are our made over chairs!

 

I just love them! I love the grey with the dark stain on the table.

 

 

 

We are still in the LONG process of making over several areas in our home, but it's nice to have one thing checked off the list! Now for some new curtains, new wall color, new rug.....I could go on and on! But now I'm super excited to tackle whatever's next on the list! Probably starting with a side table and dresser that need refinishing! 

 

I want to know....have any of you tried Annie Sloan? Or is there another furniture painting solution you love? Share your DIY go-to's!

 

Also, just for you, because you're fabulous, here's a sneak peek of a great giveaway coming up! Check back soon for details!

To keep us with all things Belle & Grace, follow me on facebook, instagram, pinterest, twitter, and now on bloglovin!