I was so happy to find that I didn’t miss the cherry blossoms entirely this spring while I was away in California. They are one of my favorite things with the change of the seasons. This one was beautiful, it’s branches weighed down full of blossoms and plenty of petals to play with. I could hardly believe they survived the constant rain of the last three weeks. 

ASOS PETITE DRESS, TABIO SOCKS, MARAIS USA WEDGES

 Listen to Meg Jay give a great keynote speech every twenty something should hear called “Why 30 is not the new 20.” with priceless food for thought, wisdom, and motivation to not write off your twenties as a decade of procrastination disguised as self discovery. Researchers agree the twenties are the most important decade of our lives. The thought patterns and life choices we make then will the best those influential in the rest of our lives in regards to career, love, happiness and more : http://bit.ly/12Ow0qH

 Taking a que from my Let’s Eat board on Pinterest , for brunch this next weekend give the Homemade Pop Tart Mixology by A Beautiful Mess a try and taste! They’re so cute, easy, and surely delicious : http://bit.ly/12Gfkmi

 I’m bulking up all my playlists for summer right now and the song on repeat this week is the RAC remix of “Next Year” by Two Door Cinema Club. Don’t forget you can find more of my music on Spotify under Haleigh Castaing Walsworth! : http://bit.ly/11R2LrN

 I’m very excited to announce the release of my friend and author Isabelle Lafleche’s new book J’adore Paris, which I also happen to receive a little shout out in! J’adore Paris is the sequel to J’adore New York, Isabelle’s début and best seller which you might recall I hosted a giveaway for back in the day. I am looking forward to hopefully another Isabelle Laflèche giveaway here again soon. In the meantime make this beautiful book your own on Amazon : http://amzn.to/10of2jZ

 Check out these super cute printable cupcake gift boxes that look like adorable little colored vintage ovens. They’re available on Etsy and you can print them out right away at home and start assembling and sharing them. They are perfect for party favors and little gifts : http://etsy.me/13C3kzV

It’s cozy, this being home thing in the place where you’re from. There’s always someone waiting at the other end of customs when you arrive. The house is filled with people that love you, and absent of anything lost in translation because they’ve known you forever. There is food in the fridge that you didn’t put there and always someone when you open the front door, even if it’s only your puppy dog. There’s big backyards to lay in the sunshine and clothes in the closet with memories of school dances. It’s all too easy to get comfortable here. But we all need room to grow, and stepping back out of our comfort zone is the only way to do it. So now it’s back a on plane to Paris, another continent and another language with no one in particular waiting on the other end. It’s not always settling leaving again, it doesn’t always feel full of love when you arrive, but somehow you manage to keep growing into it and filling the spaces. Sometimes it’s just what you have to do. See you again soon Paris….

 A must read for all my creatively ambitious readers. From Woody Allen to Beethoven, read about the daily rituals of the world’s most creative people and what you can learn from them. Stories about Maya Angelou who liked to work in hotel rooms with a bottle of sherry and Gertrude Stein who preferred to only work 30 minutes each day, are just some of those you’ll discover in this new book : http://bit.ly/11xsUeU

 “No one tells this to beginners, I wish someone told me.” This American Life‘s Ira Glass shares wisdom on the bumpy evolution of creativity and taste to success in this note on not quitting, being patient, and working harder. Another must read for any writers, artists, etc. or anyone really on the road to achievement. I love Ira Glass, I listen to him every week and think he is an astonishing curator of culture : http://bit.ly/YEcbTx

 Have you seen the cover of the June Harper’s Bazaar with Carey Mulligan yet? It’s one of my favorite covers I have ever seen, and I who almost never buys a magazine gave in and purchased it. I can’t wait to read the article and learn more about the darling Gatsby star, who speaking of is married to Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons. They were childhood pen pals who lost touch and reconnected as adults…what are the chances? : http://bit.ly/ZZRvWT

 Audrey and I rewatched Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion last night. I forgot how funny it is and was reminded of this hilariously amazing impromptu dance triplet with Alan Cummings, Mira Sorvino, and Lisa Kudrow. So random and so awesome : http://bit.ly/10RMWt4

 This tune called Closer Than This from St. Lucia is on repeat at home and sounds so good. One of those songs that makes you wanna open the windows and stand out on the balcony dancing for all the neighbors to see : http://bit.ly/164F8gv

If you gave me a free day in Paris I could pull out a list of 50 things I would love to do and start working my way through it. In Southern California other than be in the sunshine I get a bit stumped about where to take it from there but every time I head back I’m finding things I like more and more. Free time and a nearly perfect forecast means no excuses not to go out and search for little adventures. Here’s a scrapbook of some of my favorites, including afternoons at The Standard downtown, beach days at Will Rogers, treats from Bottega Louie when I’m missing Paris, and last minute overnight road trips to Sin City…

Some people say dress for the occasion but I say dress for the place. When in Palm Springs I say live it up, and by up I mean up with the hemlines, waist lines, heels, and ponytails! It’s hot so show some skin to soak up the sun. Throw in some gingham and heart shaped sunnies for a Lolita effect. Go all out because in my life vacation is one of my favorite reasons to dress up and go out all out with my wardrobe. 

BRIGITTE BARDOT TOP, AMERICAN APPAREL SKIRT, ASOS BACKPACK, ZARA SHOES, AND ASOS SUNNIES

 First and foremost I must announce the winner of my MUSIC TO MY EARS contest with Sennheiser France - the winner is Laetitia! Thank you so much to all of you who entered and to be honest all of your memories and writing were all so beautiful and thoughtful it made it nearly impossible to choose. In the end I chose Laetitia’s moment for the amazing happenstance of running into Au Revoir Simone in the street and ending up backstage interviewing her favorite band. Laetitia will be headed with me at the end of this month to Berlin for a VIP weekend celebrating the release of Sennheiser’s new pastel headphones collection! 

 If this won’t make you feel good I don’t know what will! My creative friend Emilie (who you might recall I interviewed) has accumulated over 1000 submissions of Happy Lists and made them into one joy filled poster now available to purchase and hang up on your wall.  This has got to be a year if not a lifetime’s worth of things that make you feel good and I can’t wait to put it up at home : THE ULTIMATE HAPPY LIST BY YOU

 Remember when I went to The Saguaro? They have a whole amazing mix by Goldroom that is doing its rounds on the internet and is amazing start to finish. This is the sound of summer, so get ready for the sunshine and swimming with the free download : THE SAGUARO MIX BY GOLDROOM. 

 I shared the first installment of Free People’s darling series called Roshambo and am excited to debut to you the second installment which is actually a prequel! Follow pretty girls in pretty dresses that are too pretty to cry over boys to Rio de Janeiro. Amazing scenery, clothes, girls, boys, music and story : FREE PEOPLE PRESENT ROSHAMBO ROCK

 And lastly something fuzzy and furry :  A BABY TEACUP PUG DOG!

Writing a site like this involves a lot of giving of time, thought, and creativity. Every once in a while though, someone gives something amazing back. When I recently heard from Sennheiser that they wanted to do just that, it was music to my ears!

Music is an integral part of my life, at an individual and social level which is why I highlight integrating it into stories on Making Magique. Daily I hear from you how much you adore discovering new artists and songs here and it’s something I love to connect with all of you on. Sennheiser – always in the pursuit of perfect sound, wants to take that to the next level by inviting one of YOU to a very special weekend with ME in Berlin! 

The occasion? Knowing style is from head to toe, Sennheiser is releasing a new collection of pastel headphones to compliment the spring and summer fashion trends. During these two days in Berlin we’ll discover this amazing new collection together and you’ll get to hang out behind the scenes of my Sennheiser photo shoot and video with me and other bloggers from Europe! On top of a VIP weekend at the end of May with me and Sennheiser, you’ll receive your own pair of the pastel headphones as soon as they launch! I get to choose the lucky winner…

Ecrire un site tel que celui-ci implique donner beaucoup, donner de son temps, de soi et de sa créativité. Et de temps en temps, quelqu’un vous en remercie en vous donnant quelque chose de fabuleux en retour. Alors lorsque j’ai entendu que Sennheiser voulait exactement faire cela « donner en retour » ; it was music to my ears!

La musique fait partie intégrale de ma vie. C’est la raison pour laquelle j’aime intégrer une touche musicale aux histoires que j’écris sur Making Magique. J’entends quotidiennement à quel point vous adorez découvrir ici de nouveaux artistes, de nouveaux sons. Et pour ma part, j’adore l’idée de vous connecter tous les uns les autres grâce à cela. Sennheiser – toujours quête du son parfait, veut aller plus loin en invitant un de VOUS à un weekend VIP avec MOI a Berlin! A quelle occasion? Et pourquoi ?

Parce que le style/la mode se doit de vous faire vibrer de la tête à aux pieds, Sennheiser réalise une nouvelle collection de casques de musique aux couleurs des tendances la mode printemps / été. Durant ces 2 jours à Berlin, nous découvrirons ensemble cette merveilleuse nouvelle collection. Vous aurez aussi l’opportunité de m’accompagner à la séance de photo et au tournage de la vidéo que moi et plusieurs autres bloggeurs feront pour Seinnheiser Europe. En plus d’un week-end VIP à la fin mai avec moi et Seinnheiser, vous recevrez un casque de musique couleur pastel dès le premier jour de leur sortie! C’est à moi que revient l’honneur de désigner le vainqueur.

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER! / ALORS VOILÁ LES RÈGLES POUR PARTICIPER.

1. LIKE to become a fan of Sennheiser’s page on facebook. / DEVENEZ FAN de la page facebook de Sennheiser. 

2. COMMENT below and tell me your best music memory (in english ou en français!) – maybe it’s at a festival with friends, creating the perfect playlists that motivate your work outs, turning up the volume on your favorite CD with all the windows down – you tell me! Make it compelling, personal, and thoughtful in no more than a paragraph. / COMMENTER CE POST et racontez moi votre meilleur souvenir de musique (en français ou en anglais). C’est peut-être un souvenir de festival de musique avec des amis, la création votre playlist secrète pour vous entrainer, ou le CD que vous aimait écouter à fond dans votre voiture en laissant les fenêtres grandes ouvertes. Racontez moi ! Prenez le temps d’y réfléchir. Faites en sort de me faire vibrer; que cela soit touchant et personnel… Et surtout pas plus long qu’un paragraphe. 

3. STAYED TUNED here and on my facebook page for the announcement of the winner. / RESTEZ A L’ECOUTE ici ou sur ma page facebook pour découvrir le vainqueur.

Contest Rules: Winner must be a resident of France. / Règle du jeu: Le vainqueur doit habiter en France

GOOD LUCK!

 Meet Jackson Stack, a talented young photographer in highschool who got discovered on flickr and earned a scholarship to the prestigious Cooper Union School of Art. His images are breathtaking and his story is a testament to the importance of sharing your creative works, to just start putting it out in the world and see where it takes you! 

 Discover my talented reader Magdalena’s beautiful pastel hued watercolors of Paris’ most picturesque scenes. I fell in love with her style when she shared them with me and dream of hanging one on my wall. I love the way mixes color and black and white. My favorites are her carousel scene and Paris rooftops. 

 If Lana Del Rey’s new track Young & Beautiful is not on repeat for you this week you are missing out! I first heard a sample of it in the Great Gatsby trailer and was so happy when it was finally released off the soundtrack last week. I already know the whole thing by heart and have been singing non stop to my sweetheart. 

 Imagine crossing the Seine in Paris on a huge trampoline bridge?! I was actually fooled by this image on pinterest and thought this conceptualized trampoline bridge was real! To my disappointment it’s not but have a look and laugh thinking WHAT IF?! It’s still on my bucket list even if it doesn’t exist yet! 

 Download and give the Printic app a try! Printic prints and sends your favorite instagrams to friends as a nice little treat in the mail! Imagine it as a super easy and fun way to wish someone a happy birthday, send a mother’s day greeting, or a little suprise in the mailbox to cheer up a friend that’s been feeling down. I just got it and am sending my  first Printics this week! 

Here we are on the road again after The Saguaro exploring Southern California and even crossing the border from time to time. Road trips never play out quite the way we imagine. The freedom of the open road can evade us when we’re caught up in getting from point A to point B, never stopping us much as we’d like to follow old roads to ghost towns, to photograph peculiar signs, or to explore abandoned water parks (yes, all these exists along the road to Las Vegas). But one is too many desert sunsets to miss, so like tumble weeds we threw the itinerary to the wind for a while and pulled over to put our denim in the dirt…

ALEXANDER WANG PURSE, MILA MUSCLE TEE, FOREVER 21 HAT, AMERICAN APPAREL SKIRT, VANS SNEAKERS