What a summer it’s been so far! I just returned from Cabo San Lucas this morning and am in mad catch up mode, but thought I’d share some snaps of my summer thus far. Hope all of you are soaking yours up as much as you can!

xo, meghan

New bracelets from Anthropologie, a birthday gift to me from my bff, Andrea.

En route after a long day of work wearing H&M shorts (just seen here), Gap jacket & tee.

Summer hair inspiration via Louis Vuitton.

Terrazas’ 2010 Reserva Torrontees sipped alongside coworkers was the perfect summer wine- cool and crisp, just like my favorite whites!

Sunday runs in Central Park have become a new favorite activity (side note: how funny would it be if these photos were done in sequential order…who is up for a boozy run in the park? I kid, I kid…)  Follow me for more pics though on Twitter, should your heart please.

Such wise words in Elle. I promptly shared it with layering queen and one of my blogger bffs, Blair.

This FusionBeauty SPF 15 lip conditioning stick in ‘Bitten’ (c/o) were my lips’ best of friend the past week in Mexico.

More beauty love for these Sephora summertime sets, The Glow and All Eye Need. They are jam packed with travel sized loot I can’t get enough of!

Nothing like celebrating our fair country with some red, white & blue style! Tibi dress, Michael Kors clutch, La Mer watch, H&M bracelet, Steve Madden sandals (similar style here).

Cute as pie clutch from Alexandra Satine. A preview of what I’ll see when I visit the showroom in the coming weeks- can’t wait! Her bags all look so chic.

p.s. a HUGE thanks to my lovely guest bloggers last week. Did you love their posts as much as I did?!

p.p.s. a massive congrats to one of my dearest friends in the world, Carrie, for getting engaged! Soooo excited!

So we’re still recuperating from our best Vegas trip yet, but as we resurface into the land of the living we had to share some of the details of our girls weekend. Thanks to the lovely folks at The Palazzo we were able to experience the best of the best, starting off with a celebratory toast to the weekend at the Laguna Champagne Bar. Centrally located on the casino floor, we were able to take in the sights and the sounds from the comfort of the lounge.

Since we “strategically” planned our trip to coincide with March Madness, we were able to take in some of the Thursday night games while we sipped our cocktails….speaking of which,  the bubbly concoctions were amazing. We love ourselves some bubbles, but these set the bar high for the weekend as they were fun and inventive – each of us was raving about our individual cocktails. If you go – you have to try the Flower Eclipse (elderflower goodness) or Art Nouveau (strawberry pureed sweetness). An added bonus? the array of olives and wasabi peanuts we snacked on while we sipped.

Loved it – great start to the weekend…

Jill and Mary - two of our favorites!

Bubbles - Flower Eclipse and Art Nouveau

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While we might be waiting for our true summer weather here in San Francisco, it hasn’t stopped us from dreaming of cocktails with summer flair. Recently Pete Wells of NY Times posted the summer drink issue that had us swooning over the possibility of poolside cocktails…

The article takes us through some tips and tricks home bartenders can use in their own kitchen with fairly simple ingredients such as basil and cola. Our favorite trick? The simple raspberry syrup – taking advantage of transforming “past their prime” berries into a simple syrup you can easily store in your fridge whenever you feel like an adult refresher.

While generally our summer go to drink involves whipping up a margarita in the magic bullet, we wouldn’t mind trying some of these concoctions sometime soon – especially the Thai Basil Bliss* (recipe below):

5 Thai basil leaves
4 inch-wide cubes pineapple
1 tablespoon simple syrup
2 ounces blanco tequila
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
Soda or seltzer

In a cocktail shaker, crush 4 basil leaves and the pineapple to a pulp with a muddler or wooden spoon. Fill shaker about halfway with ice and add simple syrup, tequila and lime juice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with a splash of soda and float last basil leaf on surface.

Yield: One drink.

*Adapted from “Mix Shake Stir” (Little, Brown, 2009)

Order a small serving size
Even if you’re full, you’ll probably eat it if it’s in front of you. So don’t over-estimate your hunger- just always order small.

Skip add-ons
You don’t need chicken or shrimp in the salad or in the pasta. Chances are you wouldn’t miss it if you didn’t think it was an option. So save yourself the calories and sodium and just pretend you were never given the choice!

Too hungry or Too full?
Don’t let is happen! This is where small meals throughout the day can really help. When you’re starving, you’ll over eat to try and compensate. So stay full with snacks like this. When you’re too full, you’ll miss out on dishes or tastes that could have been so eat smart!

Other techniques I recommend?

All calories count
Even if they’re liquid- calories add up- and quickly! When choosing a cocktail, choose wisely. Remember that they often contain more calories than a WIT could ever imagine so remember that clear cocktails are usually better for you. Oh and anything made with dairy? Stay away!

Need other ways to motivate yourself? Check this book out. You’ll love and hate it at the same time, but it’s totally worthwhile.

Now eat (carefully), drink (semi-moderatly) and be very merry!

It’s something about this time of year. It makes us giddy with anticipation, blissful with festivities and shopping galore and it makes us grateful for the blessings we have. And I just love, love, love it!

I know this is the hardest time of year to find the chance to plan a get together with your girlfriends, but definitely try to do so (plus the holidays are the best time to play hostess!) As we leave such a hard year behind us, it’s so important to remember the things that have remained intact and pillars of strength in our lives.

Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q

Hope all you WITs out there are enjoying the Holiday season! Listen to lots of Christmas music, bake cookies and make as many plans as you can!

This weekend marked yet another year of Fleet Week in San Francisco- and what a joy it is. Clear skies see the Blue Angels dancing amidst them and sailboats dot the Bay as everyone gathers for a wonderfully patriotic tradition. One of the best parts of Fleet Week that I have yet to mention, however, happens to be consumable. Yep, it’s beer.

We WITs tend to reach out for beers of the light variety because, let’s face it, no form of alcohol is very healthy for you, so why not try to cut down on calories when possible, right?

It’s been my experience that certain occasions and events call for certain beers. Below you’ll find some favorites of mine and the WITs:

Michelob Ultra
Light-golden in color with subtle notes of citrus, this low-carb American-style light lager has a refreshing body and finish and is perfect for casual nights spend outdoors with girlfriends (i.e.; Nights in Lake Tahoe) or, as I did this year, sipping up on the rooftops of San Francisco watching the Air Show above your head. We tend to refer to this particular light beer as “The Queen of Beers” or “Michey-U’s”.

95 calories, 2.6g carbs and 0.0g fat.

Heineken Light
Smooth and refreshing with a tad of a bite, this beer can be perfect for tailgating or days at the beach.

99 calories, 6.8g carbs and 0.0g fat.

Coors Light
When cost or selection is an issue, I head for Coors light. I find its crisp taste refreshing and, when served at the right temperature, I swear I could close my eyes and picture myself in the Rockies. Coors is aged longer than most beers and this helps deliver its smoothness on your palette. It’s usually my beer of choice for parties.

102 calories, 11.3g carbs and 0.0g fat.

Bud Light
You can find me with a Bud Light in hand when it’s the end of the evening spent out at bars (a sign I should be heading home momentarily) or when I’m at a sporting event. Cubs games cannot be fully enjoyed (in my opinion) without a Bud Light in hand (whether it be no. 2 or no. 7!) It’s the number-one selling light beer in the world as well- it’s internationally loved.

110 calories, 6.6g carbs and 0.0g fat.
(Oh my god- I had no idea how much better Bud Light was for you than Coors Light! My preferences may be changing as a result of this post!)

Corona Light
Warm weather and Mexican food call for the right accompaniment: Corona Light is the answer. Combined with the citrusy juice of a lime slice, Corona Light is the epitome of refreshing and has a sweet, light after taste.

109 calories, 5.0g carbs and 0.0g fat.

time to drink up! Just remember to always grab a light beer and to do it responsibly!

There’s just something about ‘em…They’re cool. They’re refreshing. They’re chic. They’re bold. And most of all, they’re dirty.

Dirty Martinis are a true love of mine. Thanks to Ms. Heise, I was introduced at the W’s XYZ bar here in San Francisco almost two hears ago and I have not fallen out of love yet. (The best, however, can be found at the Omni Hotel here in SF on California Street. They are huge and seriously the most delicious and delectable beverages ever!)

To shake up a dirty of your own, try the following recipe:

2 oz Gin (make it Bombay Sapphire if possible!)
1 tbsp Dry Vermouth
2 tbsp Olive juice
Add three olives

Mix all ingredients in a chilled cocktail shaker and pour into a martini glass. Place three olives in the glass as garnish. (Yes, it is important to have three olives- a WIT rule of sorts ) Voila!

While not appropriate for all occasions, dirty martinis definitely do the trick of melting stress after a rough work day or provide the sleek and savory feel to your cocktail hour.

In fact, I’ll be grabbing one (or two!) with some of my favorite OPR girls tonight. Is it 5 p.m. PT yet?

and oh so many more…*sigh*

There are certain things in life that just scream summer. They make your heart flutter a little when you think about them in the dead cold of winter and they make up the moments that you savor about the three months of the glorious season that is summer.

I have quite a few things that I think are necessary in a WIT’s summer…summer essentials in my mind…so I thought I’d share a few.

1. The beach.
No matter your locale or destinations for the summer months- you must find a way to make it to the beach. It’s an absolute necessity and this summer I was lucky enough to make it to the beaches in hawaii AND tahoe!

2. Summer fruits.
Whenever possible (salad with stone fruit, berries and cream, juicy, sweet pluots)!

3. Iced cold cocktails.
Margers (with grand marnier floaters of course!), vodka lemonades, sangria- you name it. but they must be over ice and they must be enjoyed in the sunshine.

Relaxing during summer is a must. I find a Saturday to devote to do this and my favorite way is through a spa day. Grab your girlfriends and head for manis & pedis or book yourself a long and luxurious massage.

6. Frozen Yogurt.
As much as you can possibly get! It never tastes as good in the Fall or Winter and with summer fruit atop your flavor choice can be just heavenly!

7. Shopping!
But of course. Summer is the perfect time for finding wedges, skirts, darling dresses and cute, but cool tops. Head to the boutiques in your city as they’ll offer more unique lines and can often have great summer sales you can take advantage of!

Now share with us WITs some of your own summer essentials! What elements make up your perfect summer?