Known for their amazing Parisian macarons (heavy emphasis on amazing!), this upper east side pastry shop is the crème de la crème of sweets! Not only to they have the most incredible flavors of these heavenly little cakes, but they also have a very chic selection of candles, bath and body products, books and other fun little things that make the perfect gifts. Oh and did I mention it is one store away from Céline?!? Whether I’m picking up some treats for friends or just a little something sweet for myself, I never miss an opportunity to stop in and indulge…

Annnnd word on the street is that they are opening another location in Soho with a tea room and restaurant!! J’aime cette! I’ll keep you posted…

xx…btq girl

ladurée: 864 madison ave. new york. ny. 10021. 646-558-3157. www.laduree.fr

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xx…btq girl

xx…btq girl

So how is a “City” Target different than a regular target? Well, it is basically a downsized version of a traditional Target store  (99,000 sq ft to be exact) and it was created to accommodate urban cities that don’t have the space for the larger format. It will still offer that one-stop-shop convenience, but without the bulkier items like patio furniture, bikes, etc.

Go check out the store this weekend as my fingers are crossed they might have a nice little section of Prabal Gurung – the latest in exclusive designer collections!

xx…btq girl

city target: 100 n. la cienga blvd. los angeles. ca. 90048. www.target.com

From new boutiques to store openings, trunk shows, sales, talking shop interviews, we want to make sure we are always bringing you the latest and greatest stories! If you have any suggestions, please feel free to shoot us an email (info@theboutique411.com), say hi on Facebook, or tweet us a store you want to see featured. All your feedback is so important and more than anything, we LOVE hearing from YOU!!!!!!!!!

stay in touch!

I’m so excited to have shared my resolutions with you this week – now it’s all about making them happen! Hopefully I was able to help you with yours in some little way too. Here’s to making 2013 count – while doing a little shopping of course!

xx…btq girl

a juice a day…

So where do we begin? First we need to SHOP for a juicing machine! I am a huge fan of William Sonoma for all my kitchen needs. A home blender is not recommended (from what I have read), even thought I feel like you could make it work if you wanted to. But if you want to do it right, it’s best to invest in a juicer. There are plenty out there depending on if you want a high speed or low speed machine. (The difference is explained here.) To make it easy, here are three to choose from depending on your juice intentions…

breville juice fountain plus (high speed) $149.95

breville juice fountain elite (high speed) $299.95

hurom slow juicer $359.95

Once you are ready to get your juice on, here are some recipes you can try! Since this is not a strawberry and banana smoothie we are making here, I think it is going to be very trial an error depending on your taste buds. The girls over at A Beautiful Mess blog put together these 6 recipes along with a Green Apple +Spinach smoothie (below) that looks really good! William Sonoma also created this 30 days of juicing plan with additional recipes, and tips for getting started.

green apple + spinach smoothie from the blog A Beautiful Mess

So let’s see how this all works out – happy juicing in 2013!!

xx…btq girl

*image 1,2-4, 5,6

my go to for all things amazing

Aris is hands down one of my favorite shops, not only because I love Trey (the owner), but I can always find the most unique and gorgeous things here. With only a few more days left to shop, I put together a list of some of my favorite things that would be the perfect holiday gift for anyone on your list…

iittala carafes and glasses for the wine enthusiast (from $45 – $95)

gorgeous linen coasters for the holiday hostess ($75)

cozy mohair throws for the living room or the bedroom ($295)

you can never go wrong with a diptyque candle ($60)

a mini diptyque travel trio for the jet setter ($88)

coffee table books ranging from fashion, interior design, and photography ($50 – $150)

butter nail lacquer makes the perfect stocking stuffer ($16)

out of this world black sea salt caramels for anyone with a sweet tooth ($20)

Aris will have extended holiday hours for the next couple days and will also be open on Christmas Eve! Now if you don’t live in Laguna, no need to fret – all of these little prezzies are just a phone call away. And did we mention they have the most beautiful gift wrap? You still have time and you don’t have to do the wrapping!

xx…btq girl

shop till you drop

And remember to support your local boutiques tomorrow (if you aren’t already shopping there today!) on Small Business Saturday!

xx…btq girl

dash holiday trunk show

Walking in to Dash was like walking into quite the glam holiday party! The white Christmas tree was up, the sweets were out for all to enjoy, champagne was flowing, the music was going, and everyone was loving the designers. BE by Brittaney Elise is a new contemporary women’s collection that is all about beautiful yet versatile pieces. Think floor length, curve hugging dresses, silky leather trimmed crop pants, bright tops, and being that it was the launch of the Holiday collection, there had to be some sequins!

BE by brittaney elise

this white little leather dress was my fave!

dash girls…roya and BE designer brittaney

sweet treats

shoppers enjoying the night

The second designer at the event was Dola Designs – an amazing jewelry collection that features beautiful styling in statement making colors! This was the first time I had seen this collection and I loved it! Designer, Anya Sadova, has a background in costume shopping and found her niche in jewelry when she started the collection about a year and a half ago. Any of these pieces would be sure to liven up ANY outfit…

dola designs jewelry

shopping the trunk show pieces

dash boutique

To get party ready for this holiday season, make sure you stop in Dash boutique. It is stocked FULL of amazing pieces that will help get you dress for any invite you may receive!

xx…btq girl

dash boutique: 8420 melrose. los angeles. ca. 90069. www.dashboutiqueclothing.com

turkey day

For the last six years, I have hosted what we like to call Friendsgiving – a potluck dinner before actual Thanksgiving where we make a turkey, drink a ton of wine, give thanks (and then some), and get to catch up before everybody starts getting crazy for the holidays! In hosting a party, there are couple things that are really important to me, starting with setting the table…

table for 15…

Rule #1: Put time into your centerpiece! It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it is the first thing guests will see when entering your dinning room. I used a white table cloth with a burlap runner (from Pottery Barn), then I added some fake leaves and acorns (all available from your local craft store.) Next, I bought a bunch of pumpkins (all different shapes, sizes, and colors) from Trader Joe’s along with random acorn squash that I found on my way to the checkout line. Arrange throughout the center of your table and you’re all set!

focus on your centerpiece

perfect centerpiece veggies from trador joe’s

ready to eat

Rule #2: Don’t worry about having matching place settings – it’s much more fun to mix and match! I used more traditional china that I bought at Bloomingdales Home along with these vintage style plates I bought at the Melrose Trading Post (flea market)! I mixed red Crate and Barrel napkins with Pottery Barn festive napkins. My name tags where cut from brown paper bags (very DIY of me – ha!) and viola, you have a table!

place settings for the fiance and i

Rule #3: If you like to entertain, this is the perfect time to pull out the good stuff you save for special occasions! I love using my great grandma’s silverware and seeing it on the table. Her initials are engraved on each piece and it adds a sentimental element to the table. I also use my grandparents sterling candlesticks that are  stunning and add some drama!

special silverware

Rule #4: Lastly, serve good food and drinks! Nobody likes a dry turkey, ha! You don’t have to spend a lot of money, just put some extra love into into your recipe and you will be ready for a perfect thanksgiving dinner!

sweet potatoes and stuffing…

thanksgiving greens

an over the top cheese board – all available at trader joe’s…

the mini bar!

Hope that helps inpire you a little bit! Happy hosting!

xx…btq girl