dIY: home espresso bar

Are you looking for a way to WOW your house guests? Then this is for you. It's typical when guests visit to offer something to drink: juice, water, wine, perhaps a cup of coffee. Imagine being able to offer your company a creamy vanilla latte or a velvety cappuccino, instead of just a regular cup of coffee from your automatic single brewer. You can do just that with this hot home improvement trend: the at-home coffee bar. 

Check out these inspiration photos to get you started. We've also compiled a list of items that you might need:

• Bar: Repurposed utility cart, unused kitchen counter space or console table, mini fridg
• Coffee Makers: Espresso machine and steamer, grinder (multiple settings), coffee pot, french press or clever
• Ingredients:  Espresso beans, coffee beans, milk, creamer, sweetener, flavored syrups, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg
• Decor: Chalkboard, shelves, decorative mugs 

The Story Behind Diptyque

I've been obsessed with home decor blogs lately and the common accessory in each beautiful posting are the Diptyque candles. Theses candles are either displayed beautifully on their own, or repurposed as a vase! Nordstrom is a retailer of the Diptyque candles, but I needed to understand the brand behind these home smell goods!

Founded in Paris in 1961 by Christiane Gautrot (an interior designer), Desmond Knox-Leet (a painter) and Yves Coueslant (a theater director and set designer). This trio first started out displaying their artwork and would randomly sell traditional English perfumes. 

About the Design:
"The oval labels echo the shape of an 18th-century medallion, a pattern found on the Prétorien fabric designed by Desmond Knox-Leet in 1963: The broad oval pattern suggests the shields of ancient Rome. It is an emblematic shape, perpetually reinvented and found on all products made by diptyque. The oval is the signature shape of the eaux de toilette bottles and the white porcelain candleholders of the 34 boulevard saint germain line, as well as the scented ovals and solid perfumes. While the dancing letters are a signature of the ovals in the home collection, the back labels of the Eaux de Toilette and Eaux de Parfum shows an illustration of each scent.
The oval label is found on the eaux de toilette bottles and candles." diptyque.com

Understanding the Candle:

"In order to unleash the perfect effect, each candle is a blend of first-class waxes specifically amalgamated and assessed when hot and cold by wax experts. Every scent is blended to reach the right melting temperature. Candles contain 8 to 9 mineral waxes, and on occasion a few plant-based waxes to enhance them." diptyque.com

The Diptyque candles range from $30 to $60. It is definitely worth the investment! 

Yours and Mine - a short film by Beyoncé

One year ago, Beyoncé turned the music industry upside down and released her self-titled album at random. In commemoration of that, Parkwood Entertainment released a short film titled Yours and Mine. It is very personal, intimate and will definitely uplift you to find your inner self. Check the film out here:

Thank you to our friends over at Parkwood Entertainment.

Written by Trévon Williams

Stocking Stuffers for Him

It's that time of years again! Christmas decorations are up, the carols are playing and the pressure is on. It's time, again, to find the perfect gift for that important man in your life. Whether it's your dad, brother or significant other, Christmas shopping is no easy task. A wise woman once said, great things come in small packages. With that being said, we now present you with this year's Top 5 stocking stuffers for him!

Evernote Smart Notebook

"The new Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine uses Evernote's Page Camera feature to capture the pages of your notebook with your smartphone or tablet. Evernote Page Camera is available for the current iOS and Android release. Evernote Smart Notebook features unique "Evernote ruled" and "Evernote squared" page styles with dotted lines designed to ensure a clean image when digitally capturing your notebook. Moleskine Smart Stickers introduce Smart Tagging into your workflow. When you capture a page with Evernote, the Smart Sticker icons become searchable, digital tags that make it easy to keep your ideas organized and to keep your digital and analog workspaces synced."

Nike Fuel + Band

"NikeFuel is a single, universal way to measure all kinds of activities—from your morning work out to your big night out. Uniquely designed to measure whole-body movement no matter your age, weight or gender, NikeFuel tracks your active life."  

North Face E-Tip Gloves

"Stay connected while you're outside and on-the-go with our touch-screen compatible, four-way stretch fleece glove. Full palm conductivity allows you to use your touchscreen devices without removing your gloves and exposing your hands in cool conditions."

Silver 8GB USB Flash Drive Money Clip

Muse: The Brain Sensing Headband

"Muse detects your brain signals during guided focused attention exercise. It provides valuable feedback that you can use to train your brain today and over time."