Je suis revenue.

Hello! I've missed doing this, but my mind's been working since my short break began.

Oh, classes started and I'm taking French again. I was very busy preparing and then getting into the swing of things. Since I'm officially 'swung' I can post again! I have tons of post ideas in my head, so this week will probably be a super fruitful week for this blog.

Today, I finished a book, Mrs. Dalloway by Virigina Woolf. It was pretty fabulous. Now, I'm workong on Girl, Interrupted. I won't bore you with my school stuff (in this post) but just know this, there is plenty of reading going on and I've been introduced to some very cool concepts I'll get into once I've decided how I feel about them.

To write a bit about Mrs. Dalloway, it made me very sad. I have some quotes I plan on sharing on my Tumblr (how digital I am), but I will share one that really resonated with me. It's morbid on the surface, but I find it beautiful besides that.

"Death was defiance. Death was an attempt to communicate; people feeling the impossibility of reaching the centre which, mystically, evaded them; closeness drew apart; rapture faded, one was alone. There was an embrace in death."

Perfect, right? I tend to really like revelations about death. Probably because I won't get to experience my own and am always searching out a semblance of those feelings, or that lack of feeling. Also has something to do with not having my Dad and trying to connect with him that way. Like I said, a bit morbid but still beautiful.

I'm sure you're wondering, "How will she follow that with trinkets?!" Never fear, darlings! I can follow anything with trinkets. Especially sadness! :)

Right now, I'm loving art of all kinds. Prints, orginals, aceos, everything! I've been doing some creating of my own (more on that another time), but it's made me appreciate the creations of others. I'm absorbing tons of poetry, paintings, and tribal art lately.

Etsy is filled with sweet, dark, interesting, and all around lovely things. Here are a three I like...

While a little melancholy, this drawing is quite cute in it's own right.


I find myself totally loving this print for many reasons. I love Bison and it reminds me of that old book about colors (do you remember the title?). There is something playful in it, but it wouldn't look bad in an office and at-home library. I like its versatility.


This last one is so very, very awesome. It reminds me of the old Winnie the Pooh! Check it out here, the complete print is larger. I love that little bee as well. I've been thinking about getting a small bee tattooed on my body. Maybe a bee like this one!


Onto the accessories! :D

I have fallen absolutely in love with this fleur-de-lis necklace because of the size! It's massive and I want it. Imagine it against a simple, loose, white t-shirt and skinny jeans. Or against a little black dress for a night out. I have so many ideas!


I totally dig this bag. It reminds me of a Coach bag I saw in Teen Vogue over the summer. The instant I saw it, it spoke to me! It can be worn with just about anything. It has some pretty details that can spice up a simple get-up and pair well with your fancier gear. The strap is long enough to wear it cross body, so it's effortless!


Finally, I offer you this very cool door pillow. I imagine it seated nicely on my little stool against the wall. It's extremely clever!



I've been drinking more lately, not to be drunk, but just to go with a meal or along with a good book. My favorites tend to be amaretto and milk, and wine spritzers. Usually red wine, but I'd like to try white more often. That said, I found a sweet recipe for wine coolers on TasteSpotting! :D


I hope you're having a fabulous Labor Day weekend. I've been getting plenty of sleep and you should do the same! :)

Catch you later!

Currently Listening to: Sussudio by Phil Collins

An Extended Weekend Getaway!

I have been away for a few days visiting family in Maryland. My aunt is prego and I went away for her Baby Shower and just to spend time. As an extra special treat, I was able to visit Washington D.C. before meeting up with her.

Since I am going to be heading back to Albany in the morning and have to pack up myself, my stuff, my cats, and the plants my grandma is giving me, I will be doing a quick travelogue post until I get settled for school.

Last week, I went with my family to a place called Old Westbury Gardens. It's so beautiful there!



On Thursday, I went to D.C. and took some great pictures. I saw so many beautiful exteriors, I can't even begin to describe them! Here is just a small sampling!

The Capital Building as seen from the Washington Monument


The Washington Monument, going up and up and up!


The WWII Memorial Pool, my toes, and the WM!


Honest Abe's Memorial


Awesome Pic of Me and the WM, from a secret side area of the Lincoln Memorial



Next, I went to visit my family in Maryland. We had a gooooooood time! The Baby Shower was fun, but the pictures came out blurry, so we won't look at those! :/

Nanny, enjoying her cooking (maybe too much? :P)


My Auntie and Cousin, feeling the love!


The Cake! Yummmmmmmmmm!

And the Cakemaker!


Of course, I had to buy some cute souvenirs!

Salt and Pepper Shakers!


Shot Glasses! ;)


Snazzy, yes? :D


All in all, it was a lovely and eventful week since I last posted! School will be starting next Monday (ugh.) and I have to prepare my apartment for a new school year by making everything pretty and perfect for the new year. I have so many flowers and plants coming back with me it's gonna be like a green paradise! The oxygen will be flowing freely! ;) Once I'm done setting up there will be pictures!

I have some very fun websites to share next time, along with the usual goodies! :D Until then, thanks for reading and adios! <3

Amalgamation of Great Things!

Today is a good day! I woke up at a decent hour (10:30AM, WHOA!) and I am going to see Eat, Pray, Love in a couple of hours. :D All those things are made even better by the fact that I discovered a fun, new-to-me blog today: Jade"Purple"Brown.

After checking out some of her posts, I've discovered a new love: Osborn/Shoes! They have quite a few really great shoes and they carry 9 1/2!! :D It's always nice to find that. While they are pretty pricey, I can see myself setting aside $10-$20/wk for a snazzy pair. Three pairs really stood out to me and here they are!

I love the shape of these and shoes with laces is a nice departure for me! (I'm a flats/wedges/sandals girl) These would look great with skinnies, a skirt, whatever you put on!


Sometimes you want a fun, radiant shoe to go with a simple outfit for school/work/play, and these booties are great for that! So colorful!


I'm always looking for another everyday shoe, and these flats would look great on our feet any day, right?



Another reason for this post is a great giveaway on Jade"Purple"Brown's website. You can find the giveaway HERE. The giveaway is for CSN stores, a site that combines over 200 awesome stores in every category you can imagine.

After browsing, my two favorites are AllPetFurniture and Luxe. There are so many adorable cat perches and shoes out there, and for pretty reasonable prices. I definitely think you should check it out!

I've gotta jet, but I hope you check out Osborn/Shoes and CSN! Also,

A Diverse Approach :D

Hi,

Things are gonna be a bit different with this post. I want to make it more "true to life" or something. I'd like to include more tidbits about what I'm actually wearing/doing/buying. My cell camera is decommissioned at the moment, but there will be stand-ins when needed.

I've resumed some old habits when it comes to jewelry this past week and started going for nostalgia. I'm perpetually nostalgic. In fact, I heard the perfect quote today in a movie called 'Kicking and Screaming' (by Noah Baumbach, a fave of mine) to perfectly describe how I feel about anything in the past. "I'm nostalgic for conversations I had yesterday. I've begun reminiscing events before they even occur." It's completely true for me. I love memories and old things and the past in general. Well, the good parts of the past. The bad parts I try to put into a tiny mind compartment and forget.

I've been wearing mementos on my neck, a little rock my friend gave me, a locket I bought myself to put pics of my little siblings in, all at once created a consortium of different, but not opposite, emotions in me. I love memories. On that note, I want to share some excerpts from some great Oscar Wilde poems. Hopefully they connect to you as they did me. I find them melancholy and very true to actual feelings rather than any physical reality.

"Long listless summer hours when the noon
Being enamoured of a damask rose
Forgets to journey westward, till the moon
The pale usurper of its tribute grows
From a thin sickle to a silver shield"
-The Garden of Eros

"Methinks my life is a twice-written scroll
Scrawled over on some boyish holiday
With idle songs for pipe and virelay,
Which do but mar the secret of the whole...
I did but touch the honey of romance-
And must I lose a soul's inheritance?
-Helas

If it seems an odd jump to you from poesy to fashion, we're clearly different folk! We're all made up of many parts and each one should get it's fair shake, yes?
As you can maybe imagine, when I'm feeling nostalgic and poetic my thoughts go to nature. I found a few GREAT animal items that would swing quite nicely with my current necklace! I wish I had more free cash or I'd snag a ton of this stuff!

Whale watching is something I've always wanted to do. Whenever I move to LA, I'll spend my weekends reading on the sand and watching for whales on the rocky piers! This necklace is a very classy rendition of those giant mammals that fascinate we tiny folk!


Since we've already established I l-o-v-e owls, this necklace is perfect. Did I mention the owl is my spirit animal? Plus, I'm a big fan of shiny things. ;)


Of course, I'm super into old school anything and Wilde makes me wax poetic and nostalgic for him time. Not the whole persecution and stupidity part, but the style and perfection of dandyism. This sweet pocket watch is absolutely unmatched. It's a bit pricey, but for such a beautiful piece. It doesn't tell time anymore, but it transports you back in time!


There's something sort of beautiful in this dilapidated tree print that I can't help but love. It's simple and sweet. It's meant to please aesthetically which makes it open to your own symbolic interpretation, which I love.


To makes things a bit more personal, I want to share my latest super cheap shoe find. :) I bought a snazzy pair of Sperry's for $15 at Burlington Coat Factory! They have them of sale here for ~$90 (you might have better luck on eBay or some other option). The shoes look great and will transition awesomely into fall and possibly winter (with the right treads added). It's a simple, but very classy shoe that can transition from school/work to play with ease. You choose how to dress them up, or if you even want to! I have only worn them totally casual so far and love the results. I have them in brown but there are many colors options available!


Whoa! I just hit a plateau of energy! I'm going to watch an episode of Bones, eat some banana smoothie (that I froze and am eating like sherbet!), and go to sleep.
I hope you enjoyed me new style and sorry it ends so abruptly, but the wave of tired just smacked me in the head!
G'night! :)

IKEA-tastic.

I mentioned before that I've got a new job...since I think I shouldn't give away the particulars, I'll stick to the genre. It's in furniture! With lovely chairs, tables, and finery in mind--today's post!

I am the Queen of Procrastinators! I've had the items for this post for days, but I've been distracted and all that jazz from the blog. A couple of entries from now I am going to start branching out. I'm preparing them all right now, so I can just press 'Publish' each morning (or afternoon, or evening)! ;D

I've been avoiding the blog because my head is in such a creative space, I don't wanna use it all up on here! My project for the day will be to compile my latest inspirations into an What Inspires Now book. It's a concept I've been using for years. At the moment, my headboard is covered in inspiring things...some of them are quite strange! I wish I had a picture of it to share.

Onward, to furnishings!

Dressers come in a variety of sizes, but the shapes generally remain the same. You have to add color, texture, or a little something special to make them truly yours. This turquoise piece looks great, and the mirror is just an added bonus. You can probably find a similar piece in your area to DIY! From tampastreetmarket.


When you're attempting your dresser DIY, or if you just pick up a plain one that needs some spice, drawer pulls are a necessity! This one is so interesting! And this one is absolutely sweet! Both are from kmadson




I like simple, clean lines in furniture--but, that doesn't mean I don't like a suprise in how it's decorated! This octo-table is so crazy cool, I'd love it in my place! From FunkyArtGuy.


Of course, I know my readership is quite hip (I rhymed there! ;D), so you guys must be into reclaimed, distressed looking furniture. These next pieces fit that bill perfectly, each in their own funky, interesting ways.

This reclaimed wood table looks great outdoors and would be a total home-run indoors. Especially with concrete or muted flooring. From, cleverly named, surthrival.


This trendy stool demands all the attention, even going so far as to command its owners in the affirmative! (language buffs, eat your heart out!) From coffeehousevintage.


Those of us interested in furniture design will love this Eames inspired sofa from lunarloungedesign. I love the affordability of these pieces. They're beautiful, sound, affordable pieces. :D


For some, understated means totally organic, simple, and so easy to look at that you forget it's furniture. This tree-like table provides a beautiful, natural look that brings a room back down to earth. From DovetailDesignsCont


Sometimes, you don't want to re-vamp an entire room, but you want a bit of change. Switching out your door knobs is an easy way to update your space and give your hands a little something new. :) These knobs from WeirdTales are handpainted and very pretty.


Of course, today's recipe is for SWEDISH MEATBALLS! I love these things! Also, a dill bread to go with them would be yummy!


P.S. I've nicknamed the meatballs Swede Meats. Get it, like sweet meats? Hilarious, yes? :D

Bye for now.

The Big Fat Summer Challenge!

I'm definitely late with this posting, mostly because I just got in from a very nice wedding and couldn't post earlier! I didn't quite complete every bit of the challenge, but I had fun doing what I could. Like I said a few days ago, I found out about it so late, I didn't think I'd complete it! I did my best and I hope you enjoy!

Click pics to enlarge!

Here are the results from my whirlwind attempt at wearing everything for the Big Fat Summer Challenge. I don't usually step outside of my comfort zone when it comes to clothing, though that zone is gradually expanding. There were some things I was very reluctant about because, let's face it, my arms are obviously big. They're impossible to hide, it's as if they can think for themselves! Anyways. I found some, what I think, were very clever ways of putting together those options (since I don't own all the different types, I faked it and loved the results!).

I love body hugging stuff, ironically, since I don't like my body all that much. I went for the clubgirl look...since I have tight dresses for the purpose of dancing all night long!



My sister is always telling me I need to stop with the Meg Ryan look. Admittedly, Meg is one of my fashion icons. I love how she brings her beauty to the forefront with baggier attire. Or that's how I look at it. There's something sort of Japanese about it as well. I own quite a few flowy, loose, baggy things so it wasn't hard to put this one together. I'm in love with that jacket...I'd wear it everyday if I could!



To go sleeveless takes quite a bit of moxy for me. I hate my arms, but, for you out in fatshion world, I'll go for it! Plus, I'm in love with me in this outfit.



Short dresses have been my Summer staple, to darken my legs before they go into hiding for Winter and because I'm in love with them. The shorter the hem, the better this Summer! I like the bubble cut, even though it enlarges me a bit. I dig it. I thought the shoes would really emphasize the length of the skirt.



Bathing suits...EEK! I wish I'd taken a picture when I was in California in the beginning of the month. I took this one in the front corridor. I love this suit, so my insecurities were quelled by my love for the suit. I'm glad I did it. :)




Shorts. Well. I hate shorts. That's just fact! Plain, simple, fact. However, I forced myself to be up for the challenge. I picked these up from the Salvation Army, since I didn't own them before. (As noted in a previous post) I just want nothing to do with them, though this made me give them a second thought. I like the length and the simplicity.




Me without my shaper. Well. I have been avoiding that girl for quite a while now! Only for this challenge will she be unveiled! ;) I'm not sure if I cheated since this skirt fits so darn well! I try to make sure that my clothes fit me nicely without the shaper, unless it's form fitting. Jean skirts are my new best friend because they are quite forgiving (like their legged counterparts). Just a tip, ladies!




Strapless was also an improvisation. Can you tell? I don't think it's obvious, really. The way this dress flows makes me feel confident about going without and shoulder/arm protection. I feel a bit naked, but I'm trying not to think about it!



The maxi dress never happened, sadly. I didn't own one and never got around to picking one up, but I still wanted to share what I could do!

My personal selection had to be special, it had to highlight my biggest fatshion fears while making me feel beautiful. That's quite a tough one. At first, I wanted to go naked--do some tasteful maneuvering to assure appropriateness. Then my mind jumped from that, to this, a halter top showing off as much arm as possible. I hate it, but anything for a challenge!