Under the weather

(photograph from artist Havilah Savage)

Oh, the cold has lingered this week like a viral plague, and I am not happy about it. I've spent most nights nursing my NyQuil cocktails and deliriously watching sitcom reruns. But, I promise the creativity will flow again and so will the posts for all my readers out there. Readers, you're out there there, right? Somewhere?

Mirror Mirror

(via, artist unknown) 

I’m getting in the down-n-dirty today: talking self-image. So, ironically and fortunately, my opinions on my body become less and less critical every year, while my perception of my innermost self becomes more and more scrutinizing. I think this is called ‘growing up.’  Now don’t get me wrong, I still try to get to the gym regularly, eat a somewhat balanced diet, and probably spend too much time in front of the mirror each morning, but as I slowly (note: slowly) approach 30, I have become more comfortable in my own skin as the time passes.  From about the age of 15 to 20, I rarely wore shorts; I just didn’t like the way my legs looked. In my mind, the years of ballet had made my calf muscles resemble that of a linebacker, and my Norwegian tan (or lack thereof) didn’t help matters. Now, boy mocks how my cutoff jean shorts resemble the size of undergarments; looks like I’ve come a long way! It is truly a great feeling to embrace your curves. As my friend Leah always says, ‘this is as good as it’s going to get,  so work it out!’ Though, I hope I always feel that way with every passing year of age.

Pool Days

A summer cold kept me from seeing my nephews this weekend, but I made do with the impromptu D.C. weekend, including a BBQ festival, a relentless heatwave, and many movies in the A.C. On Sunday, I twisted boy's arm to take me to the pool. Deviating from the usual "beach lists", here's what we brought to keep us content and entertained. 

Date Night: Old Town

Yesterday was the hottest day in D.C. this year, nearly breaking 100 degrees. Upon deciding to not attend a political fundraiser last night (man, that sounds so annoyingly D.C.), boy and I opted for a more causal evening to beat the heat. Our solution: shorts, martinis and oysters. We may be watching too much Mad Men.  We went to one of my new favorite spots - Hank's Oyster Bar in Alexandria- highly recommend! We were privileged to have the sole window seat, overlooking the busiest street in Old Town. The olive martini, oysters and Old Bay seasoned shrimp were the perfect fusion of summer tastes. To continue the party, we carried on to a hotel bar. Odd, I know, but hotel guests are delightful specimens for people watching, don't you agree? 

Tiny House Movement

Have you heard of the Tiny House Movement? I stumbled across the Tiny House Blog and was amazed about the popularity of these little homes. Tiny houses are built on trailer platforms and typically sized between  100 and a 130 square feet. Being the extreme minimalist that he is, boy thinks it's a great idea, but I just don't think I could get on board.  I would go crazy with no room to host, no space for guests staying the night, and no separate quiet spaces of my own. Well, and my claustrophobia would surely kick in! Photos below are from the home of a creative couple who wanted to call a home- the Tiny Tack House- their own. I couldn't help but think of the tune, Little Boxes, when reading this. 

Rich Little Poor Girl

My friend Katie pretty much has the best job(s) ever. As a cook at a year round camp in mountainous Asheville N.C. by day, and jewelry peddler by night, her life is surely coveted. Her jewelry line, Rich Little Poor Girl {I thought of the name, right Kate? } features recycled and new odds and ends,  creating asymmetrical, minimalist pieces. I love her tagline- 'clever with the quarters.' With exciting opportunities on her horizon, the Saturday afternoon hobby is turning into a real venture. I'm so proud of this girl, and she's truly a hippie, Asheville native now- bravo! Check out these shots from her recent photoshoot, and I want that green leather bracelet!

A dad to remember

Oh, we're getting downright personal today . . .

I truly hated this past Sunday. Families were celebrating and thanking, and I was steering clear of social networks and any dad-related conversations.  Due to a series of unfortunate events in my family, my dad and I have become estranged these last few years. And while the wounds are still ever present, and the man that exists now is someone I don't know,  I hold onto the memory of him from my childhood. Because he was a great dad. The best.

2 things

My posts are fairly lame and disenchanting today, but it's Monday and the obnoxious cups of coffee aren't keeping pace with the weekend exhaustion. So two daydreaming {and random} things today:

1) I just stumbled upon these lovely handmade studs by Doble Ele on Etsy. Look, more neon!



2) I was reminded today how much I adore this composition by the Cinematic Orchestra and Patrick Watson, To Build a Home. I have big plans for this song someday- shhhh.

Hello Neon!

(photo taken by the ever so lovely Ashley)

How was your weekend? Mine was filled with a friend's bridal shower,  late night burgers, shopping at La Petite Marmoset in Columbia Heights and a Dave Matthews concert, where I wore this little number. Let's just say that the fluorescent neon was a big hit! My beaming dress served as a landmark for those looking for their party on the lawn- it was quite hilarious.

Dreams

(photo via A Ballet Blog)

The other evening, some colleagues and I reminisced over our aspirations in younger years and our fall back careers if we ever decided to quit the day jobs. On my truly awful days (which are rare and few as I do love my work), I'm tempted to fill my time as a barista slash florist. That job exists, right? Though, if I were granted a genie and  a wish, I would ask for the talent of a prima ballerina. Growing up, I religiously took ballet classes and other varieties of dance. Since I didn't want to spend hours and hours in the studio every evening, I begrudgingly decided to stop taking classes, but I still think about it everyday and opt for occasional classes and attending performances. But, sometimes we have to make these decisions. One of my favorite passages from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar says it best:

Summer Must Haves (3)

I'm on the hunt for new summer reading as all my current books have landed on the nightstand gathering dust with only a few chapters read. The English major in me is saying to persist on, but I'm yearning for something new. How about The Makioka Sisters? It's been compared to a Japaneses version of the English show Upstairs, Downstairs and as an avid fan of Downton Abbey, this book sounds rather clever.

My {tried and true} friend Court posted photos of freshly cut hydrangeas the other day, and it reminded me that I have relaxed on having fresh flowers in my home as of late. I really do not think you can say summer more dramatically than with hydrangeas. Don't you agree?

(photo via Style Me Pretty) 

A Charmed Life

(photo of the girls, by my good friend  at Firefly Imageworks) 

As you may have noticed, I did not lead this blog with a “hey, this is me” introduction, but rather a quiet song to ease my way into the blogosphere. Upon starting it and encouraged by boy, I wanted to use this space as a creative outlet, making it my own; no matter the readership. (This is a serious post so we’re going to give Philip (boy) his rightful serious name). After reading several posts, Philip urged me to write something beyond photography, design, clothing and “pretty things.” Initially, I moaned and balked at him- “it’s my blog, right? I will make it my own!” But, truly, I did appreciate his encouragement. And him.

How To: Grace Kelly

Aren't these photos just stunning of Grace Kelly? What a dame.

Patchwork

Work deadlines have kept me away from here, but hopefully things will slow down soon- fingers crossed! I had a lovely weekend full of summer delights- dinners with friends, pooltime and family cookouts.

 

Coveting: Stripes

(1) Mustard Striped Dress from Topshop (2) Chevron Striped Scarf from Juicy Couture  (3) J.Crew Candy Striped Canvas Clutch via Net-a-porter (4) Nautically inspired bikini via Target 

I suppose I’m like every other woman, in that when I have an event, soiree, get together- whatever- I need a new outfit! In my shopping endeavors last night, I couldn't help but notice that I just gravitated towards stripes- every time. Floral and polka dots make me feel silly and over-the-top girly, but stripes are just right. Unfortunately (perhaps fortunately for my wallet) nothing caught my eye, so I’m going with a tried and true LBD.

P.S. The event tonight is for a good friend’s showroom opening in Washington D.C.- La Petite Marmoset. Their redesigned vintage pieces are oh so clever. 

The Industry

Have you heard of Industry of One? This fairly new endeavor  (created by Adam Patrick Jones and Rachel Brown) is setting out to showcase--as they put it-- 'style trappings of various industries and professions' and documenting the intersection between profession and life. There are almost 20 individuals featured on the site, and I basically want to be friends with all of them. My favorite profile was Madeline Hall, a nanny in Manhattan as a nanny job paid my way through college and well, she's so dang cute (first photo).

How to: Audrey Hepburn

If you've been poking around here at all, then this shouldn't come as a surprise, I adore Audrey Hepburn's style. Truly, I do. Any lady that can pull off black slacks and deemed as fashionable for decades is ok by me. Not to mention, she had those very same pants named after her. That being said, she will be the first in many on 'how to get that look.' 

(1) Chambray ex-boyfriend shirt by Madewell (2) Handmade Brass Cuff Bracelet by the Etsy shop Vostrejs (3) Setai Foam Skirt via Shopbop (4) To modernize the look, neon fushcia flats via LuLu's  

(photograph- unknown)

Patchwork

(1) The Friday garden party turned terribly wrong with torrential downpour, but it turned out to be a lovely evening, sans photos (2) Boy surprised me with tickets to South Pacific at Wolf Trap on Saturday evening (3) For half the price, the lawn seats are really the way to go (4) Solo sangria on a Sunday afternoon- don't judge (5) Just some pie slinging (6) As boy put it in this moment "you are instragramming the h*ll out of the things 

'A treasure house of photographs'

The New York Times recently started a Tumblr page- The Lively Morgue. Why the lively morgue? The Times picture library is referred to as the morgue, and they are setting out to post several photos- historical highlights- every week. Apparently, if they posted 10 new archival pictures every weekday from the Times print collection, it would take until year 3965 (!!!). To enhance the story behind the photo, each image includes the reserve side so you can see annotations, captions and clues as to why it was chosen for printing- really neat! Some of my favorites . . .

Don't you wish men still wore hats?!



This was at first startling, but the notes on the photo read that the Parisian child seemed ' none the less happy' undergoing UV treatment, a procedure for urban children who lacked the healing of the sun's rays.

Reminded me of a contemporary snapshot of my favorite book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. 

P.S. you can order the prints - what a great gift idea!

Coveting- Colorblocks

Clockwise (1) Because I need to venture from my blase black sandals (2) A find from the newly discovered designer- Joe Fresh (3) This may already be in my possession (4) Need I say more?