the pink paper plane

watercolored

2010-06-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

etsy artist, j. sullivan studio, cranks out these amazing original watercolors. i love that all the bright colors are grounded by big gashes of black. these would fit perfectly in our new apartment but, unfortunately, he doesn't yet offer them in prints and we can't yet afford "real art." sigh.

shaz madani

2010-06-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

i'm crazy about these. love love love. they're giving me big wonderful ideas for invites.
patterns + tight fonts + vellum = winner winner chicken dinner

by designer shaz madani. check out the portfolio here.

curvalicious

2010-05-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

these little puppies are exactly what i need. unfortunately target doesn't carry them so i can't register for them (sweet lord, registering this past weekend was a marathon. it is a skill that i respect in other people, but kenrick and i are NOT good register-ers. nope. not us.)
boomerang wok found via bltd

song of the day: the black keys

2010-05-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

2010-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

the past two weeks have been soooo busy with a whole range of wonderfullness that included a portland vacation with some of my bridesmaids (i've never laughed so hard or ate so much thai food in six consecutive days in my LIFE) and diving headfirst into hard work for a pilot for MTV and a lovely weekend getaway to the mister and my's new brooklyn apartment. it's been bliss.

also bliss? these stupidly expensive lamps. enjoy.

made by autoban, for millions of dollars. okay, thousands of dollars. but still. found here.

i'm hiding

2010-04-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

in portland, city of dreams. be back later.

2010-04-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

maybe i'm still riding the high of having a consistent address for the first time in a while or the fact that this is the future hubs and my first place.. but i want this. i want it bad. from NoteTrunk.

master of the master

2010-04-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

below are my main inspiration photos for the master bedroom in the new apartment.

dark black headboard wall, six large frames, and that bed/nightstand/lamp setup. i just bought a bangarang white mantle for the opposing wall and i think we'll build in some shelves on either side into the nooks of the room. maybe with a matching pair of dressers, for extra storage?

and then maybe some combination of these rodin drawings and these ioana urma watercolors in the frames? i love them both so much. add it to the registry. *side note: can you really call your only bedroom the master bedroom? probably not.

top pictures from patrick connor's d*s house tour, frank features, and elements of style (original source unknown)

going green

2010-04-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

yet another blog crush. but on something a bit unexpected this time. i've started reading up on eating green and organic, un-processed foods and while i'm only just barely ready for baby steps (hello soy milk!) my new roots is a wonderfully helpful blog chock-full of the recipes and lifestyle of sarah britton.

and if nothing else, even a mc-chicken nugget-loving, milkshake-downing, frozen food junkie can appreciate her gorgeous food photography. little miss talented is located over in denmark and if ever you're in town, be sure to visit her two organic restaurants.

it's times like these

2010-04-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

that i wish i dated batman and had a fantastic tailor. because this vintage dress i stumbled upon on ebay is stunning. stunning and see-through. with a little love, wouldn't it be perfect for the premiere of my major motion picture or as the eye-candy of bruce wayne? no?

just sayin'. if you fit either of the above criteria, you MUST go here and buy this thing for forty bucks.

you little genius you

2010-04-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

these cheeky cake-toppers are so so so genius. i'm drop dead wild about them. if i weren't so set on making a little top hat and veil for these already-happily-purchased guys (see below), i would absolutely be giving etsy artist melabo a ring.

look me in the eye and tell me these owls aren't the cutest damn things you've seen all day.
also an etsy purchase, from suesuegonzalas

maemae paperie

2010-04-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

maemae paperie has been a honking red light on my radar since i went through the ever-so-fun process of sourcing ideas for my own wedding stationary. my god, i love her work. it's fun and bright and perfectly proportioned but sweet and genuine. and her blog is much of the same- her inspiration boards are artful and fresh and well, i'm just in love with her.

images above are from her studio space (recognize that card?!), one of her awesome inspiration boards, and an example of one of her gorgeous invitation suites. see it all here

these are awesome

2010-04-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

agate coasters from uo. they will live happily with me. but now that kenrick and i are this close to signing on a pretty damn expensive (but amazingly awesome) apartment, i'm REALLY not allowed to buy anything. put 'em on the registry.

found via oh joy!

2010-04-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

inspired by emily's organized workspace from earlier today, i ventured onto the container store website and fell in love with these little diddies to help us keep our sanity in future teeny tiny apartment.

etsy roundup: gotta get away

2010-04-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

i was pretty sure i was going to wear a vintage dress for the wedding. but i'm not. so there. and i'm not-so-much into the solely purposed 'reception dress' because i can't imagine wanting to take off anything so pretty right after the ceremony. so how about a vintage get-away dress? we're having an after party at my parents' and i think any of these beauties would help me celebrate late into the evening.

i would give the sources.. but i don't want you to buy it before me <3 i'll update with sources tomorrow

2010-04-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

when we move to nyc, i won't have a job. probably. i'm leaving a job where i could probably stay if i so chose and if we were going to live in DC. but we're not, and i won't. so i have to start again up there and i'm looking at this as an opportunity to branch deeper into my creative side.

i love planning my wedding, i love paper and fabric and design. i love the styling of it, the thousands of decisions. i love making spaces beautiful and designing things that make people happy. i love it and i think i'm good at it.

there are a lot of talented ladies (and gents) out there who do just that: let go of something secure and delve into something new and scary and exciting. like emily and kelly. like jillian. like christine and joy. and sierra and juliet. so as we start to shift our lives northward towards NYC, i also hope to shift myself into some new and untouched territory.

top pic from 1hr photo, bottom from frenchie&flea

song of the day: sea wolf

2010-04-16T08:22:00.001-07:00

Sea Wolf "Wicked Blood" from Alan Tanner on Vimeo.

a big, fat dirty blog-crush

2010-04-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

on color collective, the blog of graphic designer lauren willhite, a talented little lady from portland and the new design intern for frolic! blog. my jealous meter is teetering in the red zone, as you can imagine.

she takes some of her favorite art, wardrobe and interiors inspiration and creates from them the perfect color palette. i'm having yet another one of those why didn't i think of that?! moments.

minimega

2010-04-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

i love these little notebooks from danish creative studio, minimega. they're 5.5 by 8in and available here, along with a lot of other artsy gems.

tune-hungry

2010-04-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

i was blessed with long fingers. like, alien-hand long fingers. but instead of putting them to good use (say, guitar-playing, helpful pointing while giving directions, hand model) i just use them to bite my nails and hoist around this engagement ring.

as an adult (i'm starting to feel like one now, searching on craigslist at all hours of the day, seeking tiny NYC apartments that cost too much) i'd like to learn to play the piano. and because of said tiny, overpriced apartment, the piano on which i'll have to learn this new skill set will have to be multipurpose.

may i introduce to you the pianotable? designed by george bohle. however, at a $6000 price tag, this thing also better make toast emblazoned with my initials and a strong martini.

found via bltd

ps, the future mister is one of those musical-down-to-the-bones type of people. i can put in a simple request for a song and he'll take a minute, scrunch his eyebrows in thought, and then play it for me on any variety of instruments. what a heartthrob.

big and beautiful

2010-04-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

though i'm sometimes wary to admit it, i'm a big t-shirt and jeans girl. i love plain pieces and end up wearing the same tees, shirt dresses, and basics all the time. for that reason, i'm loving some of the bold necklaces i'm finding all over the place lately. i share with you my favorites.

mmm... i'm crazy about them. it's a nice jolt to my everyday wear and a lovely substitute to those lightweight scarves i'm physically (and monetarily) addicted to. again, these might not be the best paired with a wedding dress so i have to pass for now, but you over there, go and buy and enjoy.

spinthread, erin considine, necklush

post script

2010-04-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

i'm putting this site through bootcamp. i'm upping the photoshop collections, downsizing the crap and electrifying it with goodness. well, one eensy teensy tiny step at a time, at least.

put a ring on it

2010-04-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

i have a torrid love affair with my engagement ring. i bat doe eyes at it all day long. but i really do look forward to wearing my slim little wedding band, thin and delicate and sweet.

while searching for bands, it had to pass three criteria: adorable alone, adorable with engagement ring, and must work well with others (i love the idea of stacking rings- this image makes me weak in the knees)

and so, an etsy roundup of fantastic wedding bands. i'll take them all.

clockwise from top left: kyleannemetals, oli+me, artisan look

harvest gold gallery, harvest gold gallery, secretcharm, kateszabone

woopies

2010-04-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

i bought this. in two colors.

i'm not supposed to be buying anything unless it's wedding related.

now i have to wear this under my wedding dress, what a shame.

on sale here

tiny type

2010-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

from teeny tiny apartments to teeny tiny books. i love this little, old font book. i'm a text-whore and think this is such a sweet little contribution to the world of font.

found via cafecartolina

seeing small

2010-04-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

when the future mister and i got engaged, i told him that as my wedding gift, i'd like him to build me a treehouse. because we'll be in new york now, can this loft act as my substitute? it'll be an architectural feat of love.

i imagine we'll be living in a place where i can touch every wall at once, so something like this might be necessary.

also, another tiny space. recipe for fantastic: add a chandelier.

both are previews from apartment therapy's forthcoming book, the big book of small cool spaces. how appropriate.

fade to black

2010-04-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

the poe in me wants black walls-- big, sweeping, poetic walls of black in the new place.

like these:

aren't they dramatic?

via isabella and max rooms, apartment therapy, and august road

and so it begins

2010-04-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

well, the future mister got a big job offer in the big city of the big apple.

so it begins. the waiting is over. we have a place to go and be together.

we'll have an address, a REAL address for the first time in a couple of years. together.

so all this collecting of ideas for 'some time' 'some day' 'somewhere,' well, it's time to put it into action and get on the train and go. to the big city, the big apple.

hey big city, can you give me a job along with that address? thanks so much.

and the french doors in the second picture, that'd be great.

when i'm a grownup

2010-03-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

i know that i want some nice, gritty years in a city: walking to cafes and bookstores and the metro station. ordering indian food at 12 am and ethiopian for lunch. i know that i'll love the hustle and bustle and the energy and the art and all of that.

but i also know that i'll want to leave it someday for a little white house in the country. and, if possible, live this little life led by emersonmade founder/artist, emerson, and her husband ryan.

my god, they are good looking.
and, as is the case with all good looking things, we should probably oogle them til our eyes bleed. so, here's a million pictures of their life (from a design*sponge home tour and the emersonmade site)

the couple, in all their gorgeousness:

their lovely home

of youth, art, and patti smith

2010-03-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

"Those are the pure years when you’re discovering yourself, when you’re trying things out, when you have the arrogance of adolescence. This is a beautiful time, and it has to be judged in accordance with that. You know, I still remember what it tastes like to be 11, 17, 27."

you must read this interview of patti smith talking about her lifelong friend/soulmate, robert mapplethorpe. it's such a lovely snapshot of growing up enraptured with art and creation and so poignant, poetic, and sweet - in a patti smith rock goddess kind of way.

the writer, christopher bollen, is amazing and i'd like to be his friend.

found via even*cleveland, an infinite source of poetic inspiration

song of the day

2010-03-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Bon Iver: Skinny Love from The Staus House on Vimeo.

bon iver: skinny love

ignore the video, enjoy the music

shout out

2010-03-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

to my new favorite blog, mintdesign

if i were a cooler person, my life would look like this blog.

it's written by ellie snow, a lovely little graphic designer and owner of Hello Tenfold and a very cool etsy vintage shop. you should go play in the trifecta of her life and you'll come out a much better person. go and wonder in it.

i vow to be a record-player-owner

2010-03-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

and these will be the first albums i purchase to play around our little house and hum:

because it just sounds better on vinyl.

also, if you need a summer soundtrack, you must revert back to nick drake. must i remind you of the volkswagon cabrio commercial?

etsy finds: love notes

2010-03-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

i'm determined to be a love note writer. i found letters my parents exchanged while they were dating/engaged and mama lived in NC and my dad was up in PA. they make my heart melt. most of them were just talking about their day, but it didn't matter because it was them, in love, thirty years ago.

so, i've picked these out for my love notes to that sweet man of mine, who i have to miss every minute.

Pistachio Press, Miles & Marcel, Goose Down Press, frenchie&flea, Blanche Noire Eclectic

oliver of the sky

2010-03-23T14:08:00.001-07:00

if i had a band that had an album that needed an amazing album cover, i'd call up oliver of the sky. and it'd be a raging success. the band and the cover art.

side note: if i were in an band, i'd be the mysterious bass player.

lover, why don't you come over

2010-03-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

and bring all your furniture and home decor accessories.

fell in love with these images from workshop/abd, an architecture/design/gorgeousness firm in NYC and nantucket (nantucket?)

from their site: Workshop’s studio environment benefits from a diverse body of professional experience covering architecture, master planning, interior design, sustainable design, construction management, landscape design, and furniture design.

upon a fold

2010-03-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

swim to you card

super sweet calendar

rings! paper rings! so many paper rings!

i just spent half an hour going between laughing at ellen on tv (i mean, really, love her) and drooling over this website. my papercutting skills are limited to snowflakes determined to be square and not round but that doesn't mean i don't appreciate a little paper pageantry.

www.uponafold.com.au

mr. mini

2010-03-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

i've had these photos from the apartment therapy small home contest for over a year but i still come back to them all the time. ron's 'hotel sweet' is just such a great balance of style and function. and, i mean, this place is TINY. tiiiiiiiiiiny. and it's rare to find a place this small - okay, jail-cell-small- that'd i'd want to spend every waking moment. but i do.

original AT post

post script

2010-03-09T09:09:00.001-08:00

i'm still absolutely requiring (okay, asking nicely if it's at all possible) to use these green glass perrier bottles i've been collecting since we first got engaged. i love their fat little bottoms and i feel very fancy drinking sparkling water.

monday music

2010-03-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

song of the day: the big pink "dominoes"

The Big Pink - Dominoes from Cady Fitz on Vimeo.

mm, that smells expensive

2010-03-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

when i first started planning this whole wedding hooplah, i was stubbornly adamant to keep the costs to the very minimum. i didn't want anything to look like it had taken a lot of money to come together, but instead that it took a lot of cute, creative intuition to come together. of course, i came into this not fully understanding how much things cost at all, so i threw out an arbitrary number that i said i wanted the wedding to cost and to not go a cent over. my parents, thrilled about my upcoming nuptials and keenly aware of my determined crafting gene, smiled at me in much the manner they smiled at me when i declared i was to be an olympic swimmer during the '96 olympics having not owned a one-pieced bathing suit in my life. and so, we proceeded into the first six months of the planning process and i was hit again and again by sticker shock. catering costs what? bam! mom, you want 150 guests and i want 80? bam! dad, you want to prove some male thing and fully stock the bar ten-fold? bam! and my stomach turned and churned and the guilt layered and layered. my parents could not for the life of them understand my guilt-- the number i had sworn not to surpass was unreasonable and they certainly weren't the ones limiting me. they wanted a party, a celebration, something representative of my family and full of charm-- they knew better than i did that those things costs money. and in the end, it came down to the fact that my mother didn't want to do a damn thing that stressed her out on the day of the wedding, nor did she want me to feel any more than the fear of a lifetime of 'til death do us part' on the morning of my wedding. and how could i argue with her need to just enjoy my wedding day?

so, one long-winded explanation later... mama and i are visiting with a florist this week. i was absolutely SURE that i would be doing the flowers myself/with friends the week of the wedding. flowers were never an important factor to me- our venue is so pretty, i never felt it needed much in the way of flowers. and flowers kind of represent the epitome of spending guilt: they are very, very expensive and very, very temporary. so for us to meet with a florist is like the stake in the heart of my original, unreasonable budget. and that's okay. just because our wedding isn't dirt cheap (and believe me, we are still sooo budget-friendly and coming in at what i found was HALF of the national average wedding cost), doesn't mean that it won't have the character and charm that's most important to me on our wedding day. just because i'm letting other people/vendors (okay, fine, professionals) take the reigns in some areas of this celebration, that doesn't mean that it isn't a good, if not better, reflection of my personality and my relationship with K.

at least, that's what i'm telling myself.

and so, here is some floral inspiration that i've started to gather in preparation of this week. simple, big blooms. nothing frilly. and please, somebody, let me just arrange one centerpiece- for my sanity. thanks.

*whoa, pink. i swear i wasn't thinking pink would play any part in this whole wedding thing but these pictures don't seem to reflect that.

i'm baaaaacck

2010-03-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

shooting the doc is over. i'm slowly easing myself back into sanity and detoxing from my two week diet of starbursts, bagels, and diet coke. i'm taking a mini stay-cation (ew, i tried. that word just won't stick with me) and taking off of work next week. there's plenty to do- including designing invites with my sister and snuggling with some kittens.

to ease myself back into creative-land, here's my sister's creative space. she just updated it and i think it's just the cutest.

a few weeks back, i went up to visit her in NYC and hadn't seen her apartment in a while. walking into her room was like walking into a scene from baron von munchausen. i felt like a floating, magical head could sweep past me and any moment alice and the rabbit might burst through the door. it was surreal.

check her, her studio and her fantasy land out here and enjoy.

it's good to be back.

batshit crazy

2010-02-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

are the two words that describe my life this week.. and the next two weeks will be no better. we head out to shoot in the field for two weeks starting tuesday so i've been running from thrift to army surplus back to thrift to amazon.com to get all the set dressings we need- all while on the phone with gas stations to see if we can shoot there for a few hours, park services to see if we can set off a smoke bomb at 11pm, weather people determining whether it will be 20 or 30 inches of snow that ruin our shooting days, and a ghetto-Caprice owner to see if his car does in fact have a legal registration (no, it does not.)

august and after

better living through design

so. i have been and will continue to be absent. it pains me to admit it.

two things that help: these images found in blogland.

other things that help: king size boxes of raisinets and red bull

snapshots of a weekend

2010-01-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

the mister's visit, with the new camera.

wedding board, take II

2010-01-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

bonfires, dennison tags, stripes and green ferns.

itsy bitsy

2010-01-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

all day, the mister has been sending me happy little craigslist links to brooklyn apartments. one after another. again and again. he has a second interview in the city and so we're allowing ourselves to play my favorite game: choose an apartment, any apartment.

no doubt, all of these apartments in our budget had something in common: teensy tiny little itty bitty minnie. i love 'living small.' it's nice and cozy and everything you have is on display, which i find kind of wonderful and a nice little 'check' on the things we own. so i've pulled together some of my favorite small spaces to encourage this little possible future/city into fruition.

in college, i lived in an adorably claustrophobic 380sq ft studio. my love affair for that apartment continues even after i know some dirty frat boy has his banana peel and sweat smell mussing up its uber-cuteness.

isn't she lovely?

2010-01-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

the hair, the stud earrings, the red lipstick, those pink cheeks.

i'll take it all please.

via ruffled

fabric make-out sesh

2010-01-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

i love fabric, textiles, patterns. love love love. i learned to sew (albeit only in straight lines) for the sole purpose of making me feel less guilty about all that fabric i was buying to simply stack in neat piles in my studio apt.

for that reason, i think i might jump on that bandwagon of creative chicks who sew their own napkins for the wedding. i want a hodge podge of prints to collide in wondrous ways on the tables. problem is, i can't seem to find the right prints/textile weight/price for this to work out the way i want it to.

if only these prints from purlsoho weren't $38/yd because i'm just smitten with them.

inked

2010-01-21T14:53:00.000-08:00

i've always wanted a tattoo. i've wanted one for the sole purpose of being the kind of person who would get a tattoo.. but i never wanted anything super defined or representative of anything greater than what it is: ink on skin to remind yourself that i was, once, cool enough to get a tattoo.

for a while i though about getting a white empty circle on my wrist b/c that was the least definitive thing i could think of. as fate would have it, i got a tiny cigarette burn in the exact spot i'd wanted said tattoo when a wild dancer in a club in barcelona accidentally grazed me in passing.

so i'm considering some version of these by artist Amanda Wachob because they're lovely and kind of natural and hell, you could just have been messy while being artsy and fantastic in your little indie apartment... they just scream "i have this because i'm cool enough to pull it off".. in hopes of maybe one day being able to pull it off.

no, really, i want one. now.

i saw these a few months back but was reminded of them by frolic

cuz i'm sucker

2010-01-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

for all things initialed in a tree ever since K proposed to me by the initials we carved while in college.

from cozyblue's etsy shop, full of sweet things, found via august and after

type-tastic

2010-01-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

this typography was found on a very random website during a very random prop search for a program i'm working on for MSNBC. it's by, i believe, anthony dart, a designer in johannesburg, south africa and i'm in love.

oogly-googly

2010-01-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

from souvenirsofagirl

honeymoons

2010-01-19T14:37:00.001-08:00

the future mister and i have on the whole decided that it'd be best for us to keep our impending honeymoon stateside- something simple and quiet with a big fat dose of togetherness. because neither of us have permanent plans for the future (my work in TV means my contracts are varied and inconsistent while K finishes up school and waits for a job offer), our big, romantic getaway to somewhere far and exotic might best be postponed until our 1 year anniversary.

so, i'm looking for suggestions. the mister and i both love the outdoors and hiking but i wouldn't mind a hint of something special- extra nice meals and a free bottle of champagne because you get that 'honeymooner' title only once.

my initial thought was a combo trip: drive up from philadelphia to a rental on lake george for three days/nights of canoeing, fire pits and hiking. then continue on to montreal for another three days/nights of cute little shops, pastries, and fancy dinners. thoughts?

a part of me aches for something over the top- sipping free margarita after free margarita or traipsing through italy and france on some grand adventure..

but then i think of sitting on a dock with K and sipping coffee with him in a city i've never been to and i ache in all new, good ways. because we will have started our own grand adventure together anyway.

je t'aime

2010-01-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

when i think of my little european adventure last summer, i'm usually drawn to memories of tiny canal houses in amsterdam and perfectly-still lakes in lucerne and beautiful scenery all around. when i think of paris, i think pastry. beautiful beautiful pastries. little artworks of pastries with pretty frosting and dainty details.

much like this one, from the travels of souvenirs. a piece of art adorned with rose petals.

kevin appel

2010-01-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

i'd like to splatter you all over the apartment, you and all your geometric glory.

via a new discovery, a desert fete

just like james bond

2010-01-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

slim, trim and discreet. my kind of laptop case. WantLesEssentialsdelaVie.

via betterlivingthroughdesign

wanting

2010-01-12T10:20:00.001-08:00

this camera. the blackbird fly twins lens reflex camera.

also, i can't wait for it to be warm enough to wander around with my new plaything:

my lovely sister gifted me this and i'll post pictures from it soon. i swoon every time i see an image from this wonder.

<3<3<3<3

2010-01-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

<3<3<3

2010-01-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

<3 <3

2010-01-05T13:51:00.001-08:00

<3

2010-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

round one of about five. get ready.

by the way, how fantastic is my sister? she used three cameras and a lot of patience.

engagement

2009-12-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

pictures will be up soon xo

wondrous wintry etsy finds

2009-12-22T09:36:00.001-08:00

in the aftermath of the BLIZZARD OF '09, my little red keds and leather jacket are not cutting it. these etsy vintage finds would do the trick. if those boots were my size, their asses would be shipped UPS overnight, no hesitation.

also, i'm knitting again. knitting like a freakin' fiend. i can only do straight lines but those lines can be of varying widths. impressed yet?

paris 1962

2009-12-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

i was in paris for three beautiful days this summer. my favorite day was when i ran off by myself to explore alone and smile, shy, at strangers. it was the only way i could fit in.. smiling coyly and looking at beautiful things in windows. i don't think i took a single picture that day.

when i return to paris, i won't see a single sight. i will hang out at cafes and tiny bars late into the night drinking bourbon and amaretto, with red lipstick and a shiny dress.

found here

my kind of underdoos

2009-12-18T13:25:00.001-08:00

gorgeous gorgeous underthings from anthropologie.

i'll take them in every color. please and thank you.

in miniature

2009-12-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

these prints from erin tyner are so fun, aren't they?

i'm a fan of all things extra small so, ya know, i'm sold.

from my favorite, print society.

*btw, it's supposed to snow 6-12 inches here in DC this weekend. boo yeah.

by request

2009-12-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

this is my brand spanking new engagement ring. kenrick proposed to me with my grandmother's engagement ring and, because of the condition of the ring, we decided to reset her gorrrrgeous diamond into a setting we designed together.

i couldn't be happier to have this beaut on my hand and the history of the diamond to remind me of the couple i will most strive to emulate in my marriage.. my mimi and papa's 60+ year courtship.

today i'll get back to posting after my hiatus and i promise to include some non-wedding pretties i've been gathering all week.

i'm not even into this, but i'm so into this

2009-12-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

i've never been one for big, poofy dresses. i wore a teal one to my junior prom and ended up referring to it as my 'very expensive bug net.' they're cumbersome and heavy and keep you a good 36 inches from tables or people and toilet seats. they are hard to maintain, hard to store, hard to look good in.

with that said... i f*cking love this dress.

it's an uber-gorgeous monique lhuillier, found via green wedding shoes.

polaroid collage

2009-12-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

these polaroid love collages by sicoactiva are just the sweetest little things.

found via green wedding shoes

speaking of which, my engagement shots should be in this week. so far, they look fantastic, my very talented sister worked wonders with her amateur models. can't wait to share.

whiting and davis

2009-12-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

one of the main draws of visiting my old college town (other than being able to kiss the future mister whenever i want) is stomping up the stairs to my favorite, cheap vintage store on calder way. the mister kaputzed around while i oogled at every little 80's purse and 40's slip, patiently allowing for my indulgence.

and then i spotted a dream "wedding purse" that reignited my romance with vintage whiting and davis.

this little beaut is almost an exact copy of the one if found over the weekend. isn't she pretty?

a quick etsy vintage search provided much material for my wishlist, especially that gold neck-scarf...

my christmas budget crackdown has me postponing any impulse buys, however. with a little encouragement though, i could see this around my wrist on the big day.

dear santa

2009-12-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

i'd like to add this to my wishlist. and for $15, i think you could afford to indulge me, old man. perfect for my brand, no?

from theMIX's etsy shop.

a monday pick-me-up

2009-12-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

tres cute, right? from artist brittherman on my favorite, print society.

date night

2009-12-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

i'm up to see my squeeze tonight! and since we live in different states right now, "date night" is a rarity so an adorable outfit is a must. i'd say this one's a contender.

i expect every christmas activity to be touched on while there: fancy mint-flavored coffee drinks, snuggling, 'Scrooged' featuring my favorite Bill Murray, snuggling, checking out the Leaning Tower of Christmas Tree, hiding in the library reading 'A Christmas Carol'.. or the Harry Potter that has the Christmas ball, undecided.

gimme gimme gimme!

2009-12-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

from an old line of american apparel. i desire them.

into it: alexis mackenzie

2009-12-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

alexis mackenzie is a bad ass collage artist with creepy/beautiful collaborations of archival body, botanical and animal prints. her lovely mashups would be so surprising in a thin gilted frame, surely deserving of a double-take from guests.

aren't they fascinating? and so seamless. love love love.

thanksgiving plans

2009-11-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

i'm lugging the future mister down south to raleigh, north carolina to meet my southern family for thanksgiving. i expect many enjoyable activities ranging from too much wine to too much sleep. somewhere in between i hope to go to this lady's brand new store opening which happens to conveniently occur during my three day stay south of the mason dixon line.

her blog gives me a daily giggle and it looks as though she's opening the exact store i personally would open if ever the opportunity came a-knockin'. rock on, jamie. rock on.

team alice

2009-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

in honor of the cracked-out-crazy twilight saga hooplah this week, i'd like to introduce you to this little number.

ashley greene recently wore it to the movie's LA premiere after party and now i'd like to add it to my wishlist of "untouchables" as it comes in at a cool $975. should you be so inclined.

print-tastic

2009-11-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

it was over at apartment therapy that i first stumbled across the fantastic resource, PRINT SOCIETY.

it's like dessert for your eyes.

there's so much delicious goodness to search through that i think i'll start a thursday print-tastic weekly series.. because dammit, we deserve it.

major girl crush/people i want to be: kim ficaro.

2009-11-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

your daily does of editorial interior porn.

ms. ficaro, i'm your girl. have i mentioned i'll work for free?

i will make a hundred of these

2009-11-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

and this wedding collage is merely the first. let the games begin.

i hid my guilty pleasure of mentally hoarding wedding photographer's portfolios until the day after i got engaged. at that point, i allowed myself to finally gather all those images i'd been oogling for about a year and store them away in a happy folder on my desktop.

boo yeah.

tell me what i want to hear

2009-11-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

you're jealous of my wedding photographer. go on, say it.

carina and amanda of love me do photography are taking our photos next september. i promise to do my best to be as drop-dead-dreamy as these lovely couples. and those dresses with the sweet lacy cap sleeves... swooning.

sha-bam!

2009-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

in a mad dash to try to get the anthropologie home office to hire my sorry ass, i scoured attics, flea markets and trash bins (oh my!) for beat-up furniture to get va-va-voomifed. here are some of the results.

anthro, i'm still waiting...

color me green

2009-11-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

this whole "getting started" frustration has led many people to say, things like "it takes years to get in where you want to be.. be patient." well, dammit, my sister is 25 and an art director. ART DIRECTOR. patience, my ass.

but she's pretty rad and you should check her out.

she's taking my and the mister's engagement photos later this month. expect greatness.

find my good side, mr craymer

2009-11-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

if i had it my way, my personal lifestyle photographer would be the lovely chris craymer. he could catch me doing all those sexy, cute, adorable things i do all day, like make out on the kitchen island and play foosball in my tutu and tiara. check out more of his work and the dreamy situations his models get to play in all day in his portfolio

because I'm very smart

2009-11-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

the only thing that gets me through november is my personal allowance to start a holiday wishlist. these classics are at the top of the list for their ability to make me look both college-girl intelligent and print-happy chic.

what halloween on a couch looks like

2009-10-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

i don't have exciting halloween plans. i'm actually going back to my parents house for the annual evans-family-house-of-horror-and-potential-divorce. i go back for two reasons: to be a head on a plate and to make sure my mother doesn't kill my father for putting her through this year after year. and while i will most likely be a serial killer hiding behind sheets in order to make children scream and cry, this is the halloween outfit i hope to wear. something cozy and comfy and twilight-appropriate because, let's be honest, we're all a little into twilight on a weekend like this.

outfit via my new obsession: polyvore

sweet jesus.

2009-10-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

remember that 'simple little chiffon' number i mentioned just yesterday? well, i'm compelled to reconsider.

take THAT, matrimony.

it smells like aftershave

2009-10-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

the future mister and i currently live in different states. while he finishes up his masters in PA, i work in production in DC... and plan our future apartment. i imagine the mister hoards a bit of apprehension about our first grownup apartment together but i'm here to say 'have no fear. i love gray.'

while i love a nice white/wood/pink combination (more later), i'm instantly drawn to bedrooms with a kind of masculine-hotel-chic. a dark wall/white sheet combo is always a 'go' in my book.

people i want to be. rebecca thuss.

2009-10-30T09:44:00.001-07:00

hot damn.

rebecca was part of a the martha stewart weddings powerhouse and has since launched a photography and design firm with her husband and continues creative work designing fantastic wedding and events. her personal website and new design website are chock-full of loveliness to get you through the last hours of friday work.

wedding day appropriate? say yes.

2009-10-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

for most of my wedding day, i'll be wearing a simple little chiffon dress. but i love me a sequin. so let's hope grandma does too, cuz i want this dress. it speaks to me.

it speaks things like, "mama got married but girl know how to party."

by paul + joe. found via coco+kelley.

people i want to be. randi brookman harris.

2009-10-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

oh randi randi randi, i love your artfully composed tablescapes, you martha stewart maven. randi's website is endlessly fun to peruse and she has world's most adorable dog open for booking. i take many a mental note-taking moment checking out her portfolio.

calling all stylists: i work for free.

for a nook

2009-10-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

in which my man could architect away. and i could doodle.

from apartment therapy

oh, hey there.

2009-10-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

and so it begins.

a million things have stopped me from starting a blog earlier. moving, moving again, thai food, global warming, carpal tunnel. but I've arrived in the blogosphere and I like the view from up here.

so, this is my life and a collection of what it is to be living in between as i am now... not quite in my own place, not quite married, not quite doing my dream job, not quite seeing everything iwanted to see. this is living in the 'not quite' and making big steps out of it.

this is design love, photography love, film love, dream love and me being right smack in the middle of the beginning.