FafafaFriday!

{via}

I believe in magic. Well, I don't really know about that, but I do believe in this photo! Incredible, right? I hope your weekend is magic, dear friends! I will be going here this weekend. Wish me luck; I am secretly hoping to find hot pink items. I also plan to sit on a porch and drink at some point, but really I hope a lot of weekends this summer consist of that. Don't you? I have a fantastic drink with a terrible name; in case you're interested, email me and I'll give it to you. (Only because I am too ladylike to type the name into my blog to forever be imprinted upon my web image. My real-life image? That's a whole 'nother ball game.) I'll see you guys on Tuesday! I'll most likely need Monday to recoop and get my blogging bearings back.

Words to live by.

{found here}

I'm starting to really wonder how personal I should be on this here blog. In most facets of my life I am an open book, but something seems strange and indulgent about yakking on and on about my life here. Probably because I feel so disconnected from anyone who reads this. So often I post something inane and am incredibly surprised (and delighted!) when someone mentions it in my real life. Of course, there are my friends who I kinda expect to check in every once in a while. (Ha, sorry guys, but it's totally true!) But, when someone unexpected says something nice acknowledging it, I am over the moon. Anyway, today I am trying something different and feel a bit (alright, totally) nervous about it. It's hard to put yourself out there, especially in a way that is undoubtedly open to vast interpretation. Deep breath. Now that I feel there has been an insane amount of exposition...

I always feel at my best when I am authentic. I remember learning about a person's Achilles heel in my first year of college, how it can be the strongest and weakest part of a person, and it really has remained with me throughout all these years. I believe myself to be an empathetic, sensitive person that relishes making other people happy (of course I have other, more blatant faults, but those I will save for another post, another time). This is both a great aspect in my life and, at times, can imperil my well-being. I used to make a great effort to appear to be what I thought others wanted from me, which of course always back-fired in unpleasant circumstances, to put it kindly. And it took me a long time to realize that I will not be truly satisfied unless I am honest with myself and those around me. Maybe if I had seen these words much earlier and actually understood them, I would have had less strife. Although, I'm grateful for the strife; I feel like it makes what's good that much better in comparison. Because of it, I can fully understand what these words mean and strive to continually apply them to my life.

Annnnd...exhale. That wasn't so bad, was it? Actually, if you'd really want me to just post shoes feel free to let me know! No hurt feelings, I promise.

Pretty in Pink.

Wouldn't these vintaged rose plant plots look awesome in my new pink and grey* bedroom?! (Note the use of grey in conjunction with the pink!) I think so. Soooo lovely, I just can't stop look at them.

Stay tuned for something slightly different later today -- a little more introspection on my part. My heart palpitates with the thought.

*Blogger keeps red underlining my use of the word grey, as opposed to gray. I believe they are interchangeable and I'll stick with the British 'grey', if only to make myself feel fancy. Though it totally blows having to search under both grey AND gray. Soooo time consuming. Again, woe is me.

Another outfit.

{outfit info}

It's been a while since I've done an outfit post. Hadn't I meant to do one weekly?? Hah! I laugh in the face of a lofty goal not met. By the way, I apparently always aim to outfit Saturdays. That wasn't a goal of mine, but two of my three outfits are based around casual Saturdays. Wishful thinking, I guess. Maybe next time I'll plan a fancy pants outfit. Maybe. Annnnyway, I was very excited about the floral and stripes thing that happened here. I think you should be, too.

I should go though, Buster has taken to draping himself across the keyboard and trying to nudge his head under my rapidly (yes, rapidly) typing fingers. This was all after I had to call him back to the bedroom because he was pouting in the living room. Poor Buster.

Can't stop laughing.

Bwahahahaha! Oh man. Have you guys heard about Shit My Kids Ruined? It is both hilarious and horrifying all at the same time and is, to quote, the strongest visual birth control on the market today. The mom of this lovely chap said, " (He) Ruined my hopes of a clean home ever again. Went to toss a load of laundry in the machine and came back to hear 'Big trouble….this is BIG TROUBLE'… notice he was trying to clean up the evidence."

I remember, quite vividly actually, when I was a kid and decided to spiff up the couch in our living room. I methodically went through every cushion (and it was a sectional) with a blue pen and drew either a happy or sad face on each corner. I'm not sure why one corner got a happy face and another a sad one, but I do remember there were more happy than sad faces. There was even a tear or two drawn. Needless to say there were tears of my own once Mom found my masterpiece. The worst part was that I had drawn the faces on all corners, and both sides; no hiding my handiwork. Sorry, Mom!

Pink and Grey.

I have officially decided I want to change my bedroom. I have SO MUCH red in my apartment and I'm totally over it. I saw a photo of a grey and pink room and I simply cannot stop thinking about it. Granted I did not bookmark the page, nor write it down and I have spent HOURS trying to find it again. Seriously. HOURS. Okay, I'm over it. I found the photos above as a substitute, but frankly, I feel like they pale in comparison. In fact, at this point I'm wondering if I totally made that original photo up. In my dreams. Moving on. I swear. First I would start with my bedding because that always makes the most dramatic change. And is easiest to do.


I LOVE this duvet cover from West Elm. I would get it in clay, as seen above.

Then perhaps these hot pink sheets from Nate Berkus.

Some great throw pillows for contrast.

And maaayyybe even this mobile.

I have become painfully aware that there is a lot more pink here than grey, but it's just a start. And this is what I could find after I spent way too long looking for the original photo inspiration.

Shoe dilemma.

I just may wear a purple dress to the wedding I'm going to in a month. Less than a month, eek!! I'd like to wear gold accessories and most likely a wedge because it'll be outside. Remember? Which one of these do you like best? The first seems most wedding appropriate, but I don't usually like to go with the obvious option. Who knows. That's why I'm asking you! Do you have any better options? I'm looking to go no higher than three inches because let's face it, I'm a tall enough lady as it is and I don't need the extra height. Now I'm off to find large, gold chandelier earrings. And perhaps some bangles. Wish me luck!

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Zsa Zsa would be so jealous.

I'm really feeling vintage jewelry these days. Etsy just makes it so easy to find great pieces, although it can totally be an insane time suck. I see these bad boys and feel the itch to buy, but the pragmatic part of me pulls me aside and reminds me that I'll most likely never wear these. At least not often enough. But, come on! They're just too pretty. And I'm a big fan of a fancy piece of jewelry with a casual outfit. Bring on the costume jewelry; I can make it happen. Ladies, keep your paws off the first pair. They are ALL MINE.

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Thank you for being a friend.

{via commas and clauses}

This is one of the reasons why I started blogging in the first place, moments like this. CHECK IT OUT. I know a few girls in my life who would love this I Heart the Golden Girls Zine. I know I'd sure love it. Come to think of it, I kinda want to dress up as a Golden Girl for Halloween next year. Wouldn't that be awesome -- a bold lady foursome!?


And they have mini mirrors for each Golden Girl! I would give these to my ladies, but I would not dare presume who would like to be given whom. I'll take Rose, please.

Dress love.

None of these dresses would look good on me. But that doesn't make me love them any less. Not at all.

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ps If you live under a rock then you may not know that the LOST finale was last night. (No offense, of course!) It was. I am no longer complete. And it has totally thrown me off my game. Posting may be a little off today, but I shall try my best.

To whom it may concern.

I love these notecards! I should write more notes -- there's nothing better than receiving real mail, right? All I get are stupid bills and magazines (I do love my magazines!). I'm sure the same goes for you. Buuuuut, if I had adorable and hip notecards I think I just might start my own mail brigade.

Have a good weekend, friends! I'm hoping the weekend will be good for me, I've been running into a bit of writer's block. These past couple of posts have been BeROOtal. Here's to a refresher and a, hopefully, more inspirational week!

Add to the wish list.

Every bag I want is out of my price range! I would love to tuck this guy under my arm like a clutch. Anyone have $200 they want to give me? Pretty please?

Bloomin'.

I've always loved flowers. One of my favorite moments after a dance recital or play was getting flowers at the end. I'm sure I have my mom to thank for that, and most likely because she has quite a love for flowers, too. Sidenote: My mom carried a bouquet of gardenias at her wedding. So simple and gorgeous.



I feel like I've gone through many stages of favorite flowers: roses, tulips, lilies, gardenias and the list goes on. And now I can add ranunculus. Aren't they amazing?



There is no flower more nostalgic than the lilac. We had lilac bushes lining my backyard in Minnesota when I was kid; I always loved the way they smell and I still do to this day. Now lilacs line one side of the building where I work, and they're currently blooming! I go out of my way to walk by them as much as I possibly can for a reminder of childhood bliss.



And the aforementioned peonies. No story, just pure loveliness.

Here comes the bride.

Aren't these dresses beyond gorgeous?? I love, absolutely love, texture in a wedding dress and both of these guys fill just that ticket. Made by two of the wedding dress greats, Oscar de la Renta and Monique Lhuillier, you know that you're receiving the best of the best. I can't decide which one I like best, and thankfully I don't have to.

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Old school.

Oooooo, I love these porcelain milk bottles! Wouldn't they be so sweet holding daisies? Or peonies? I've become obsessed with peonies; such a sweet, lush flower. Either way I think these milk bottles would be a great addition to any home. Or a great housewarming gift!

I love prints.

I have a wedding coming up soon that will be outside on a farm in Wisconsin. I can't, for the life of me, decide what I may want to wear. Perhaps until now. Maybe I'd love to wear a fun maxi dress with sandals just like this lady. Isn't she gorgeous? And she said she got the dress at Target! Last year. Boo. Maxi dresses can be hit or miss on me. I'm tall, so that helps. But I have a rack and that would most likely be a huge problem in this dress. At least it's a starting point! Wish me luck.

Embellishment at its best.

{found here}

Holy cow, these are amazing!! What a smart idea, autumn dame certainly knows where it's at and their Etsy shop will prove it. Please. Go look now. You will not be sorry. These two are my favorite as you'll probably see me in a cardigan 345 days out of the year. They especially had me at flowers and stripes. Yes, please.

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Fill 'er up.

I adore these beverage dispensers and they really make me want to get a bigger place with a porch and throw a partay!! None of that is going to happen, but it sure would be nice. I have THE PERFECT drink for these puppies and it's a shame we'll never meet.

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I found these guys via Layers of Meaning. A new blog (well, not new but new to me) that I adore. The things she and her husband have done to their house are incredible. I want her to decorate my space! Also, the minute I saw a shot of their house from the outside I knew she lived in Georgia. It's true. Georgia houses just have a certain look to them that is unmistakable to me. I'm loving all of this Georgia blog lovin' that I'm finding!

Let's go fly a kite.

I love when you sign into Etsy and there are wonderful finds on the homepage. This first print was just that. I loooved Mary Poppins and I do believe this print would make me smile every day. When was the last time you ever flew a kite?? My god, I only have a vague recollection of flying a kite when I was a kid, almost like a dream. Perhaps I should make it a goal to fly a kite this summer. Who's on board? And I thought the second print was too sweet to pass up.

Gimme me some green.

I don't have anything green in my house and I think it's about time I get some. It'd be nice to have something fresh and living in my house; I buy flowers every so often, but they don't last very long. I love these planters and think they would make a nice addition to my home. I especially love the baby blue one. It could either be a nice contrast to the rest of my apt, or just look plain crazy. I'm kinda fine with it either way and I've been so drawn to blue lately. I saw a bright blue, we're talking BRIGHT blue, nightstand the other day and spent some serious time thinking about how I could work it into my apt. Not well enough, unfortunately. At least not yet!

Blog lovin'.

{via peacock feathers}
{this picture has nothing to do with the post, I just liked it}

My weekends have become a veritable black hole of internet usage. I won't even mention the hours I log on my laptop. In fact, thank god I have a laptop; I would be miserable otherwise. Blog writing, blog reading, and blog searching becomes a bit of a wormhole once you get started. Links are the best and worst things created as far as I'm concerned. I've been introduced to SO MANY amazing blogs and ladies that it's kinda overwhelming. Once I find one blog I love I spend an embarrassing amount of time reading the archives and this most likely sends me to other blogs and the entire process is repeated over and over again. I told you, a wormhole. I should start a blog roll, but that requires more effort and commitment than I am ready to give at this point in time. In lieu of a blog roll, I figured I'd make a post of my most recent finds that have consumed my time. In the hopes that you'll love them, too. Thus justifying the insane amount of time spent.

Some of the new ladies in my life:

Down and Out Chic (Thanks, Lauren!)

Layers of Meaning

Caitlin Wilson Design: Style Files

peacock feathers

Old faithfuls:

for me, for you

post grad hair cut

Design Crush

camp comfort

A Cup of Jo

I told you I spend a lot of time on the internet!! And those are only some of them. Expect to see more of these ladies as I'm sure they'll post amazing things that I'll want to poach.

I have a problem.

Hello. My name is Laura and I am a cat person. Yeah, some people may think it's dirty, or wrong, or shameful. But I am proud to be a cat lover. To be completely honest, I definitely don't want to hit Crazy Cat Lady status and I may be coming dangerously close to it right here, but I DON'T CARE. I found each of these pictures at The.Best.Site.Ever, otherwise known as dreamcats. It is a website all about cats. Just pictures of cats. Thankyouverymuch. I was going through it to find some pictures for my bloggy blog and COULD NOT STOP. I seriously said to myself (not outloud - I'll save that crazy for another time) "Oh, just one more page" probably about four times. Oh man. I can't stop the cat love. Just gotta go with it. Don't you worry, friends -- Buster will always be my number one, but this fella below is pretty darn snuggly.


Sooooo wistful. I wonder what this guy is thinking about. A long lost love? That one summer?


Oh, this one is just too cute. Come on! You can't tell me that isn't the most adorable thing you've ever seen!



Um. What exactly is going on here? I laugh every time I see it, but seriously...WHAT IS HAPPENING? (I can't help but think "I dreamed a dream of time gone by...")


ps I am TOTALLY going to submit pictures of Buster; I just have to decide which ones.

ALSO: Thank you, Post Grad Hair Cut for introducing us. I will be forever grateful.

w4m.

You guys know Missed Connections on Craigslist, right? If not, it's a section of a site where people can list random encounters with strangers in hope that they'll read it and want to meet back up. Often hilarious, sometimes creepy, they're always an interesting read. I have a friend who once made it his summer mission to get a Missed Connection. Sadly, I don't think he ever got his wish. Though I'm pretty sure he still checks them to this day. (Ain't nothing wrong with that, I'd be stoked to get my own MC.)

Anyway! Meet Sophie Blackall. She does these awesome prints based on Missed Connections posts. Wouldn't it be incredible if two people met through MC, fell in love, and realized there was a print of the very post that brought them together?!?! Now THAT would be a wedding gift. (Always with the weddings!) Even if it isn't your own, I think these would be great hanging on a wall. Go check out her site, you can read the MC that pertain to the pics above and then BUY THEM! Awes.