Cup of Joy

One of my New Year's resolutions is to make every experience more enjoyable, even the smallest thing, like drinking my morning coffee. Instead of keeping my latte in the paper cup offered at Starbucks or Coffee Bean, I plan to transfer my morning fix to a proper mug. Something so simple will make that first fifteen minutes at the office so much more indulgent.

I'm recently engaged but a little more bling never hurt anyone, right?

2 Carat Cup, $18

These mugs are so chic they'll make the watered-down coffee at the office taste a wee bit better.

Zebra Mugs, set of four $40

Colorful graphic prints are a great pick-me-up for those mornings when waking up is hard to do.

NYLON Mug Collection, $8

What are your New Year's resolutions? Tell me about them in the comments.

Eat Your Words

Since I got engaged I'm becoming more and more interested in housewares and furniture (for the registry!), particularly the ones on CB2.com, Crate and Barrel's baby sis.

Everything on CB2.com is just as chic as Crate and Barrel's inventory, but the prices are a bit more suitable for the current state of our economy. Most recently I fell in love with the CB2 Subliminal Dinnerware set, which allows me to do two of my favorite things: eat and read!



They're made from white porcelain and feature black and grey letters with hidden messages that remind you to mind your manners at the table. The Dinner Plate ($3.95) says "Clean your plate," the Salad Plate ($2.95) says "Use a napkin," and the Big Bowl ($3.95) says "Don't slurp." And when you get thirsty there's a Subliminal Cooler ($.4.50) that encourages you to "Drink up."

Things to Do This Labor Day Weekend: SHOP!

Get free shipping this Labor Day weekend on everything at RonHerman.com! No promo code necessary.

BenefitCosmetics.com is shipping for free this holiday weekend too -- enter promo code AUGUSHIP at checkout.

Enjoy deep discounts at Crate&Barrel Outlet -- up to 70% off!

Head to Forever 21 for their big Labor Day Sale! Go here to find the store nearest you.

Save up to 40% on contemporary apparel at Saks.com and in stores!

Sale at The Body Shop

Crude oil prices soared to a record $100 a barrel today - wowzers! Take a deep breath, then take heart in the fact that The Body Shop cares enough to offer you a fantastic sale to balance the ever-increasing cost of filling up. So instead of paying $20 for a super-silkening, "just-tangy-enough" scented Pomegranate Body Butter, you'll spend only $14; and Ripe Fig Home Fragrance oil is just $4 marked down from $7.50! You can save up to 50% on tons of smell goods for your body and for your home, where I imagine you'll be spending quite a bit more time given the cost of gas these days! Click here to check out the sale...

xoxo,

Miss Angel

Bob's Your Uncle

Bob's your uncle: a British phrase which means "everything's fine."

Bob's Your Uncle: a Boston, Massachusetts-based card company founded by a very clever English couple who offer a generous helping of cheekiness in the form of luggage tags, greeting cards, disposable coasters, and more. Check out my favorites:

Lugging my bags through LAX is certainly not my idea of a good time, but these luggage tags almost make it fun! I'm really into the 'Schlep' tag.

These disposable bookmarks are just about the cutest. With words like 'Unputdownable' and 'I Cried' you'll know exactly which books you loved the most.

Who couldn't use file folders that tell them exactly where they are on a project? When in doubt, choose the 'Limbo' folder!

Pretty Cheese

The wedding I attended last weekend had a gorgeous cheese display during the cocktail hour, at which my darling boy proclaimed, "I've never enjoyed cheese more!" Have since made it my mission to spoil him completely, with a fine cheese array of our own. I picked up an excellent gouda, Spanish manchego, and a savory Cotswold from the market near my job and paired them with a ripe Pinot Noir for a delicious Friday night of wine and cheese. Problem: no cheese knives. I now have a tiny, but rather painful cut on my pinky thanks to, what I think was a carving knife, and an obsession with obtaining a cheese knife set immediately.

I am particularly fond of these Hammered Metal Cheese Servers and the coordinating Granite Cheese Board from Crate and Barrel. They are impossibly chic and impressive for a relaxing evening in, or a stylish cocktail party with friends.

This Trudeau Cheese Board and Knife Set from Cooking.com is gorgeously rustic-looking and surprisingly affordable at $29.95. Plus the board doubles as a storage center for the knives - genius!

These Stainless Steel Cheese Knives from Bed, Bath, and Beyond are beautifully sleek and modern, and work perfectly for both soft and hard cheeses. They look especially pretty with this Yamazaki Signature Cheese Plate.

I'll Drink To That

It's the weekend. I've had a long week. Plus my hair is doing some weird, frizz overload thing that has me ready to hide under a rock. Fortunately it's the weekend. It's been a long week. And now I can relax with some girlfriends and sip delicious cosmos. How cute will I look shaking things up with one of these:

Shopaholic Too Shaker, $34

Cocktail Shaker & Slip, $20

Single Martini Shaker, $25

These cocktail shakers are the perfect combo of kitsch and cool, don't you think? Have a fabulous weekend and remember to drink responsibly!

Good Housekeeping

If you're anything like me, cleaning house is probably not on the top of your "Favorite Things to Do" list (actually, if you're anything like me it's probably not on your list at all!). Sure it's a priority that must be done and done regularly, but it can't be described as stylish or fun, right? Well, take a look at these common household items from the Home Chic Home Collection by Two's Company - they just might change the way you think about cleaning.

Dish Brush in Black, White, and Blue Damask Patter, $8.99

Drawstring Garbage Bags in Black, White, and Blue Damask, $9.99

Ostrich Feather Duster in Black, White, and Blue Damask, $13.99

Have you ever seen anything like it?! Okay, this is what's happening to me right now: my practical side is saying to me, "Cleaning is not supposed to be stylish, it's supposed to be CLEAN!" but the girly, I-just-love-pretty-things side of me is screaming, "Omigosh!! Look how pretty! Buy them!" I know in the end my practical side will win and I won't buy all of them...maybe just the dish brush. Every girl needs a good dish brush, right?

P.S. There's also packing tape and storage bags - equally adorable! Seriously, Two's Company deserves some kind of award or something, dontcha think?

Chic Magnétique

Every fashionista needs at least one of these stylish magnets from Pink Loves Brown. Your refrigerator door will never look more chic!

Check out Pink Loves Brown to see all eight styles!

Home Style

Anthropologie, with their gorgeous dresses strategically "strewn" atop vintage-looking armoires and sweet-smelling candles placed throughout, is a haven of prettyness for girly girls like myself. I simply adore the dainty little teacups with matching saucers, ultra-feminine cardigans and tunics, and beautifully constructed handbags - the very darlingness of which make me long for more closet space and a bigger apartment. And if I were to somehow acquire said apartment, I would peruse the first-ever Anthropologie Home catalog for goodies like these...

Could that Astrid Chair be any more fabulous? And I can just see myself hanging my vintage dresses in the Primrose Armoire, but only after switching out the knobs with that sweet little Birdwatcher Knob - divine!

First row: Astrid Chair, Avis Pillow

Second row: Flavia Lamp, Kaiku Shower Curtain

Third row: Birdwatcher Knob, Primrose Armoire