blooming branch

someday i will blog again

2012-02-02T18:16:00.004-05:00

but until february 11th, my life is consumed. quite frankly, i've never been more excited for something to end. nonetheless, the show should be super. come support dance theatre and all of our hard work please? see you then! (i'll likely be the haggard sweaty looking one among all the pretty people.)

my feelings exactly...

2012-01-13T14:58:00.001-05:00

image via hallmark

blog to book

2012-01-11T21:38:00.000-05:00

tonight i got home very late and this little baby was waiting on my front stoop thanks to amazon and their free two-day shipping. if you don't already read design sponge, it's time that you start. i can not wait to find ten minutes to sit down, drink some wine and flip through these pages. it's going to make me want to redecorate my entire house, but you know...

i've really missed blogging lately. runway for the ballet has been taking up nearly every moment of my free time, but i'm looking forward to a little peace and quiet this weekend. more to come soon!

so in love

2011-12-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

so i've never been in love. with a boy my age, that is. but this boy? it's official. we love each other.

it's a boy!

2011-12-28T21:12:00.000-05:00

i'm an auntie! unofficially, anyway. as of this evening, brave bestie sarah delivered sweet baby parker in to the world after being in labor for a little over twenty-four hours. sarah and lacey and i have been friends since about 2005 (our sophomore year of college) and i am so thankful to be sharing life's big moments with them. sarah, you're amazing and i can't wait to see the new little man in your life! so proud of you!

playing preggers with sarah at the maternity store shortly before thanksgiving. i prefer the baby bump that you can un-velcro. i'll let sarah handle the labor/caring for an infant thing for now. isn't she the cutest?

lacey, sarah, and i before stuffing ourselves with two tables worth of brunch goodies at her shower.

and also, while we're at it, lovely lindsey lee also delivered sweet baby sharpe last week as well. it's a baby extravaganza! i'm not nearly ready for my own little one at this point, so in the meantime i get to play with all these adorable tiny ones. so thankful and proud of my friends!

top image via simplygoodstuff

hometown holiday

2011-12-27T23:52:00.000-05:00

the historic downtown concord holiday tour of homes was much more enjoyable than the charlotte one, to be honest. downtown concord is so sweet and boasts a lot of really beautiful historic homes. i love them and going inside them and enjoying all of their historic quirks and impressive renovations is so much fun. especially when your mom buys you a homemade peppermint ice cream cone at the cabarrus creamery after you're done.

home #1 had the most fantastic art collection - including a lot of local artists - and was almost condemned before the current owners gutted and renovated the entire thing. very impressive.

my favorite pieces in the house - totally smitten.

the cannon house, one of concord's oldest and most well-known homes is for sale and can be yours for just 1.3 million. and just when you weren't sure how to spend your christmas cash. you're welcome.

my favorite home on the tour:

the dining room was the best, however i didn't get a very good picture.

quite possibly my dream kitchen. my entire house could fit in this room.

love big prints in small spaces. this wallpaper was top-notch.

house #3 is also a favorite - i spent two summers nannying for the family that lived here at the time. it's lovely and it was fun seeing the changes that the new owner has made over the last few years.

the owner collects antique british tapestries like the one shown here. cool.

quite possibly the sweetest girl's room ever.

and i would really love it if this were my bedroom.

more gorgeous powder room wallpaper.

some shots from a few other homes on the tour...

yes, that's a silver leaf ceiling. stunning.

my most favorite house in concord. if it were for sale (and i could afford it) i would live there. wish it had been on the tour so i could see inside!

love this living room (above and below).

why, yes, that is a coffee maker in the bathroom. genius.

i also used to nanny for the family that lives here. i didn't take a lot of photos (it was crowded), but the home is also one of my very favorites. it's so quaint and cozy with a great backyard. and, in case you're interested, the front yard is a great place for sword fighting with a five-year-old.

stay tuned for my christmas house tour!

it's christmas time in the city

2011-12-26T17:41:00.000-05:00

merry christmas! i had an absolutely extraordinary holiday with my family, and i cannot believe how blessed we are. i fully recognize that christmas was yesterday, however, i completely believe that christmas/the holiday season should be celebrated just as exuberantly between now and epiphany (january 4th), so i intend to do so with a fun queue of christmas blog posts over the next week or so. merry christmas from me to you.

over the past few weeks, i have had the opportunity to go on two christmas home tours. i don't know about you, but i am extremely nosy when it comes to pretty houses. being able to go in people's homes and snoop through their rooms and decor style is guaranteed to be enjoyable, even when the decorating style isn't my own taste. don't you agree? visiting people's homes as a guest (or home tour ticket holder) is way more fun than peeking in the windows. but, um, i don't do that kind of thing. really.

first up, the fourth ward charlotte home tour. the fourth ward consists of the northwest tip of uptown and features some truly beautiful historic homes and very cool new spaces as well. honestly, while i love the area, i wasn't extremely enthralled with most of the homes on the tour. the decor was rather uninspiring and unchristmas-y with the exception of a few spaces below. rather than bore you with the details, enjoy some lovely photos and forgive my extreme inability to take adequate night photos.

there were hand-bell players on the porch of this home. it was lovely.

alexander michael's is the sweetest, coziest neighborhood tavern.

and now, my favorite home on the tour...

the original house was moved in the 1970's and placed sideways to fit on this lot. the front door is actually on the side and it's excellent.

i am dying over all the built-ins. so fantastic.

this home also had the most exceptional little collection of iron structure souvenirs - vintage and new. there was actually an entire other shelf of them - i think it's such a unique thing to collect.

...and, i'd like to move in tomorrow. the end.

i drive past this building every day on my way to work and i think it is beautiful.

i know i live/work here so i am technically biased, but i think uptown charlotte is lovely, especially at night.

the mccoll center for visual art is a renovated church that now hosts artist studio and gallery space. i love how they've kept the integrity of the building and all the original brick - it's a stunning space.

stay tuned tomorrow for many more (daylight and therefore not blurry and dark) photos of the historic downtown concord christmas tour. and then, a christmas tour of my own house as well. because i'd really rather you not peek through the windows.

long winter's night

2011-12-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

welcome to the shortest day of the calendar year! what does that mean exactly? well, i did some research for you:
- the winter solstice occurs when the polar hemisphere (north in this case) is tilted the furthest away from the sun.
- the actual "solstice" only occurs for a moment (since we don't really want the earth to stop turning and imminent doom to ensue), and then the days begin to very gradually lengthen again.
- the solstice is also known as "midwinter", which is interesting, since in truth it is actually the first day of the winter season.
- on this day, the sun's maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest it will be all year.
- the solstice almost always occurs between december 21st and 23rd.
- it may be the first day of winter, but it's 65 and raining here, and feels much more like spring. gross.
- it's a good night to stay in, wear warm socks, and be cozy and christmasy.

so go get some socks, a fire (or a candle?), listen to "in the bleak midwinter" on my playlist and enjoy this long winter's night!

image via weheartit

we need a little christmas

2011-12-19T23:46:00.000-05:00

images: 1.flickr 2.flickr 3.eddieross 4.flipflopsandpearls 5.weheartit 6.bhg 7.tumblr 8.tumblr 9.dustycoyote 10.junkgardengirl

a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

2011-12-18T10:29:00.002-05:00

lately, life has just felt heavy. i haven't found much joy in the christmas season, work and commuting have been tiring and busy, and there seems to be a significant amount of discord among coworkers, friends, and people with whom i interact. the news is depressing. people are selfish and inconsiderate. i see a good majority of the homeless population in charlotte when i pass urban ministries on my way to work every morning. liam cost me $270 at the vet yesterday. there seems to be one million things to do and just not enough time to do them.

i've found it hard lately to just let these things go and find joy in living. i feel weary when i think of the fact that there will always be bills, always be disagreements, always be bad days, always be endless to-do lists, always be sadness. as the girl who likes to make everyone happy, hates conflict and strives for harmony, it's exhausting to think that no matter how hard i try, there will always be people who don't like me or disagree with the way i do things.

i've always lived a blessed life without much hardship. i've never really grasped the concept that we have been made for another world, and that our longing to be complete comes from the need to be a part of that world, living together with our Savior. life here has just always seemed pretty great, even when it wasn't perfect. but lately, even without much "hardship" to speak of, i feel that i've seen and understood not just the brokenness of our world (which has always been pretty obvious), but my own brokenness as well. lately i understand and take intense comfort in the fact that i don't have to try to be perfect all the time because i never will be. and when i feel overwhelmed by this and the unfortunate circumstances that surround me, i feel myself relax when i realize that the only person who has overcome all of it, who was perfect, and who holds every individual and every hurt in the palm of His hand is walking right beside me and longs for me to give my hurts and frustrations to Him. this Christmas is the first one that i've fully grasped how huge it is that Christ came to this earth and what that means for us, for me. it means everything i see and experience, He did as well. and it means when i can't control or fix a situation, that He can do both and do it much better than i. it means that we will never walk alone and that the perfect, harmonious world we long for? we can actually live it someday. it means that all of the hurt and brokenness around me won't last forever. it means that no matter how heavy life seems here on earth, we don't have to bear the weight of it on our own. what a spectacular gift.

image via pinterest

chanel

2011-12-17T18:08:00.000-05:00

chanel has my most favorite commercials. if there is one brand that is most adequately captured in thirty seconds of video, i think chanel is it. and, i suppose in keeping with that, they cast the most devastatingly beautiful, positively feminine women in them.

my favorite, "train de nuit" (interestingly directed by jean-pierre jeunet of amélie fame) and starring shy-girl amélie herself, audrey tatou, is so stunning. i've been reading david baldacci's the christmas train over the past week or so, and i think trains are so mysterious and glamorous. i've been learning quite a lot about them in the book and i also recently learned that this infamous chanel no. 5 commercial was shot on the orient express itself. if you haven't seen it, please feast your eyes below. if all advertisements were this beautiful, i'd never want to fast-forward through them.

images: 1.mimifroufrou 2.coquette

christmas confessions

2011-12-06T21:33:00.001-05:00

you know how we all have our weird quirks? i think everyone has a whole special set of minorly embarrassing holiday ones. we all have such set christmas traditions and ways that we celebrate (or, in some cases don't celebrate) this time of year. so, in the spirit of giving, here are some of mine. please promise you won't judge me.

1. i don't like charlie brown's christmas. i know that probably makes me un-american, but their christmas tree sucks, lucy is bossy and annoying, linus just walks around stinking everywhere and no one listens to charlie's whining. due to significant lack of coffee last week, i let this little one slip in front of the whole staff at work. not something i probably should have shared so early in the game. don't worry, i do enjoy many other heartwarming holiday films. i'm not a total scrooge.

2. until two years ago, i thought the song "i saw mommy kissing santa claus" was the most horrible christmas song ever. i just couldn't understand why we have a beloved carol about mom whoring around on dad. i made a comment to this end, and was told that santa claus is actually the dad in that song. somehow this had escaped me until age 24. all that aside, i still hate the song, but at least mom is playing by the rules.

3. i think fruitcake is delicious. rum? check. candied fruit? check. intensely concentrated carbs? check check check.

4. i listen to christmas music starting in august. you can be annoyed if you want to, but that's not really going change anything. additionally, my 98 degrees this christmas, n'sync home for christmas and hanson snowed in albums are some of my absolute favorites. shiny teen popstars really understand how to celebrate the holidays.

5. i have never had a real tree. my mom was allergic growing up, but honestly i just don't see how they make sense economically. my artificial one is free every year. and actually, since i took it out of my neighbor's trash, it's always been free. now that makes me feel festive.

6. i will swear on pretty much anything you want that i heard reindeer hooves on my roof in the middle of the night one christmas eve when i was young. not a dream. when i found out santa wasn't really showing up at my house in a sleigh every year, i could accept it minus this one little occurrence. i'd still like to know what i heard that night.

7. my brother and i still, at 24 and 26, sit on the living room floor in our pajamas and open our stockings together. aaron can hate me for posting this photo, but he should also thank me that i didn't post the photo i found from christmas a few years earlier where he's wearing his new football helmet and no pants.

8. in the fifth grade, my class put on this freaking awesome christmas pageant at school. we re-wrote and enacted the night before christmas poem about our school's principal and had musical performances by fifth graders impersonating famous people. i was a fifties dancer in brenda lee's rocking around the christmas tree. i wore a hot pink poodle skirt and danced around the christmas tree (which was actually a girl named lila who got the raw end of the deal) with a little hispanic girl named guadeloupe. (see crappy photo above.) we also all painted and wore wreath sweatshirts (hand prints made the wreath, fingerprints were the berries) to wear for the show. additional headliners included performances from bruce springsteen, alvin and the chipmunks and run dmc. i'm not sure what i learned in fifth grade other than all of the lyrics to christmas in hollis, which i still remember and would be happy to sing (rap?) for you on command.

9. i used to write secret letters for santa even after i knew he wasn't real. i would hide them in my room on christmas eve and excitedly look to see if he found them on christmas morning. sadly he never did, but that didn't keep me from trying. i may have held on to the santa myth a little longer than i'm proud of. i blame hallmark and all of their heartwarming, magical christmas specials.

10. i don't think new york city at christmas is really all that special. it's mostly just overcrowded and over-commercialized. i'd like to find it magical, but i'm just not sold.

1.weheartit 2.kenlevine 3.harryanddavid 4.lyricsdog 8.nyctourist

sharp dressed man

2011-11-29T23:19:00.001-05:00

i'm not much of a loyal glee-watcher anymore, but darren criss (aka blaine) can sing to me any day. i also really appreciate a man in a good suit and this gq feature from this past summer was passed along to me today by my friend mary. i am totally smitten and just had to share.

i would appreciate such a well-dressed date to my brother's wedding in may. heck, i'd appreciate a man this well-dressed every day.

view entire feature here

sunday edition #11

2011-11-27T11:13:00.001-05:00

from president lincoln's 1863 thanksgiving proclamation...

"the year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. to these bounties, which are soconstantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature thatthey can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God...

...no human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. they are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, whiledealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

it has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by thewhole american people. i do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the united states, and also those who are in foreign lands, to setapart and observe the last thursday of november next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

and i recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, withhumble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, orsufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal thewounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility,and union."

what a beautiful picture of thanksgiving's purpose and a somewhat disheartening reminder of our current government's decline from acknowledging the values upon which we were founded. this address is as relevant today as it ever was 148 years ago.

image via deviantart

haul out the holly

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

welcome to christmas here on the blog (and everywhere else)! it's finally here! i've been listening to christmas music, making lists, checking them twice, and clicking through endless pinterest posts since august getting ready for the next month, and i couldn't be more thrilled it's that time of year again. liam and i will be decking/wrecking (in liam's case) the halls at my house today and tomorrow and likely listening to the new christmas playlist i've added to the right... what's that you ask? is that justin bieber right next to sufjan stevens? why yes, yes it is. christmas music is pretty fantastic across the board - cheesy to traditional - and i've had fun combining a number of my most recent favorites and a few oldies but goodies. (yes, i also think "last christmas" by wham! is an absolute jam. the end.) i will admit on my blog loudly, clearly and for all to hear (because that's the best way to spread christmas cheer, after all) that i also really want the new justin bieber christmas album. there's just something festive about that kid. there, i said it.

so, turn on some christmas tunes, bake a batch of gingerbread, haul out the holly and hang up the stockings. because we need a little christmas now. it's going to be a goooooood month.

image via stylemepretty

so thankful

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

driving home last night to have pre-thanksgiving pizza with my family, i reflected on how much things change and how important it is to live in the present with a thankful heart. our jobs and activities often focus on the future - organizing events, creating strategic plans and projections, preparing for presentations. i catch myself often jotting down goals and endless to-do lists for the rest of the day/week/month and thinking ahead to how great things will be when (insert task/item/need/want here) has come to fruition or been completed. thanksgiving is beautiful because it is the holiday that allows us to stop thinking about the future, stop planning and working and coordinating, and just enjoy being with those we love and reflecting on what we actually do have in that present moment.

i have quite a number of things on my to-do list this weekend, all of which, put together, are making me feel a bit overwhelmed. but tomorrow i am going to ignore that list and just enjoy the day for what it is. i'm going to be thankful for my family, my home, my friends, my job, my tiny mac laptop and the happiness that blogging brings me, my faith, my health, my seat warmers in my car, my cat, bargain shopping, $1 cinnamon rolls at ikea, and the One who has blessed me with all of this and more.

as i drove through town tonight on the last few minutes of my drive, most of the big historic houses in town were lit up and alive with celebration. two in particular caught my attention. in the first, a family was putting up a christmas tree in their front window. someone was on a ladder to reach a top branch. in the second, a large group congregated together with drinks in the front room. both of these glimpses filled me with warmth and perfectly captured the spirit of the holiday season and the intentional pauses that we need to take to reflect, be joyful and enjoy the present.

this year, more than others, my heart is full. i have been blessed beyond measure and i am truly thankful.

image via houzz

shop local, be sexy

2011-11-22T21:51:00.001-05:00

in the wake of black friday's no-holds-barred commercial shopping frenzy, november 26th is small business saturday. meaning, don't go back to target for those last-few-things-on-your-list-that-wal-mart-sold-out-of-before-you-even-made-it-in-the-door-because-the-crazy-women-with-the-matching-sweatshirts-have-been-camped-out-since-wednesday-and-bitch-slapped-everyone-in-their way-en-route-to-the-doorbuster-deals. (yes, i've seen all all of these things happen on black friday. minus the bitch-slap. but i have seen plenty of pushing/shoving/yelling/cart-ramming/threatening/shoplifting/shoplifters busted. it's so sad/entertaining.) consider supporting local business by making at least one purchase that is privately/locally owned on saturday after you save lots of dollars on black friday. they may not have doorbuster deals, a flyer in the thanksgiving paper, festive ads on television or lines of eager shoppers out the door, but chances are your local businesses work harder and provide unique, quality gifts that say "merry christmas" a lot more effectively than the same scarf from gap that you're planning to give to four other people. i'm all for some serious bargain shopping and presents under the tree from target and anthro, but let's also be sure to support our local businesses together!

a few of my local (and not-so-nearby-local) favorites are listed/linked below. if i could shop at all of these places on saturday, i'd be a happy girl (and a broke one)...

paper skyscraper - charlotte, nc

the village store - davidson, nc

avalilly's - cornelius, nc

bless your heart/take heart - blowing rock, nc

swank coffee shop - southern pines, nc

mockingbird on broad, southern pines, nc

chocolatier barrucand - concord, nc

oak street mill - cornelius, nc

the depot at gibson mill - concord, nc

images: 1.allmoviephoto 2.hoodiecharlotte 3.jennifer mac 4.vipcitycard 5.wildflowersandcountryroads 6.swank 7.mockingbird 8.barrucandflickr 9.junkwild 10.depotgibsonmill

the best $2.50 i've spent all week...

2011-11-21T20:43:00.001-05:00

...and that's including my bag of utz sour-cream-and-onion potato chips. for less than a red cup of starbucks peppermint mocha, my entire house smells like a delicious christmas tree. i love expensive anthro candles as much as the next girl, but i'm floored at how excellent glade's holiday collection scents smell (i prefer spruce it up, but apple cinnamon is also lovely) and yet how inexpensive they actually are. these are not generic drugstore candles, friends. and on top of everything, they burn for 22 hours strong. i may not have my christmas tree up yet (i still prefer to wait until after thanksgiving), and it's not like my artificial tree really smells like anything anyway, but you could easily be fooled in my living room currently. it smells like christmas!

image via persephonesunset

happy thursday!

2011-11-17T20:10:00.001-05:00

hey remember that time i had a blog!?
life is so busy lately and i'm exhausted, but happy. i don't mind a little busy but unfortunately my energy for creating blog posts has diminished significantly. this post isn't very inspired, i'm afraid, but i just had to share a few things that are making me very happy these days...

1. all the little yellow leaves lining the sidewalks on tryon street and that bluster up in the air when the buses drive by. they're also quite slippery when it's raining, in case you didn't know.

2. the free orange spice tea at my office. my grandma used to drink it when i was little (she may, still, actually) and the smell reminds me of her and fall/christmas. and it still has enough caffeine to give me a kick in the morning as the office coffee may be the worst i've ever tasted.

3. trader joe's candy cane joe joes are back! i'm about ten minutes away from breaking open the first box of the season.

4. this story that my mom emailed me today that a kid at her school told her: "you know how rocks are really hard and pointy sometimes? this one time i fell asleep, and when i woke up, it was dinnertime."

no joke. our education system at its finest, people. if you understand this story, please message me.

5. driving past johnson & wales university when it's dark out and seeing all the chefs inside wearing their hats and coats working/studying. they remind me of the keebler elves. in a good, non-creepy way.

6. my two computer monitors at the office. our tech guy installed an extra computer monitor for me a few days after i started. apparently it can increase productivity up to 30%. i had no idea what i was missing with just one lousy monitor. and it definitely makes projects a lot easier. now i want one for my laptop at home.

7. the crazy target lady. how can she not make you happy? i personally love the ad where she's looking at the two-day sale ad and screaming from pure, unadulterated joy. glad i'm not the only one who gets seriously amped about a big sale. and who wears pearls with tracksuits. (just kidding. sort of.)

8. the inside of caribou coffee. it's like christmas exploded with argyle, white lights and delicious coffee smells. get yourself to one quick.

happy thursday! what's making you happy today?

images: 1.believewishes 2.theglamouri 3.trackingtj 4.thestate 5.fabdarling

just an update

2011-11-08T23:29:00.002-05:00

so this one time i got a job and my life went from about 60mph to 150mph. holy mack.
i am so happy, however, to have a job that i like, to be a valuable part of team, to be able to use my skills and do what i love on behalf of a noble cause. i'm also happy that it's fall, that the red cups at starbucks are back, that there are christmas commercials on television again, that i currently have a coupon for a free chick-fil-a sandwich and that i get to see my best friends this weekend. life (and God) is good.

image via kellymccaleb

working girl

2011-11-02T23:09:00.000-04:00

there are so many things i need to be doing right about now, but guess what? i have a job! i'm officially employed! i have an office and a computer (with two monitors) and business cards and an IT guy at my beck and call! and guess what else? i work in uptown! freaking finally! i love being somewhere where there's hustle and bustle and more than two restaurant options. and people, it's awesome. i keep grinning randomly at strangers while walking down the street on my lunch hour because it's just all so wonderful. i'm not sure why the Lord asked me to wait so long for this particular position, but i am so thankful for His provision and for putting me right where He wants me. and for giving me a paycheck and four major coffee shops within walking distance. and for all the beautiful men i get to see in suits every day.
this first week of working and commuting and dodging major I-85 closings has been really taxing. liam has separation anxiety. i'm exhausted. tomorrow i have to drive to south carolina for a fundraiser event. so it's really important that i stop blogging and get serious about packing my lunch, but at some point soon i will adjust to my new schedule and stop being a zombie.
halloween is over and the holidays are finally on the way. and i am so very thankful.

image via shannoneileen and ruche

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T12:04:00.002-04:00

happy halloween!

i've never been a huge halloween fan because i don't like scary things, but i do still get a little excited on the day, and i really love some jack-o-lanterns and cute kids in costumes. i also really love candy and the fact that after halloween comes thanksgiving and christmas. so overall, it's still pretty great.

go check out google's home page today and watch the little video - so cute and festive!

image via weheartit

cheap romance

2011-10-28T18:50:00.000-04:00

this post title makes me think of a drugstore romance novel, however, i assure you fabio doesn't have anything to do with mel tormé. i've been a fan of jazz and crooner music for most of forever and am not ashamed to admit that i have several albums by dean martin, nat king cole and many others. i was introduced to mel tormé one morning while getting ready for work last year when npr did a story on his son steve march's tribute performance to his father's work, and i immediately became a fan. which basically means i created a "mel tormé" station on pandora and looked for some of his cds at the library, where you can check them out for free. so you can imagine my excitement yesterday when i came across the "mel tormé: recipe for romance" cd at mighty dollar. i was so thrilled i think my "oh look! a mel tormé cd!" exclamation was heard by the entire store/shopping plaza instead of just my mom. the album has twenty songs on it, which means i paid a mere 0.05 per track. take that, itunes. i've been listening to it on this perfectly crisp gray fall friday, and it makes me feel like i live in a black-and-white movie, look like rita hayworth, and live a glamorous life. i'm fairly certain none of these things is true, but thanks to mel, i can pretend they are. now if only gene kelly would show up. i'd take him over fabio any day.

i mean, let's be honest here. who wouldn't?

images: 1.doctormacro 2.galaxyaerospace

nesting

2011-10-27T08:58:00.000-04:00

thy bounty shines in autumn unconfined, and spreads a common feast for all that live. - james thompson

reminiscing

2011-10-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

one year ago today is one of my fondest memories with bestie sarah and bestie lacey. sarah and jason's wedding was filled with so much love, happiness, dancing, and pumpkin doughnuts and i've been looking back over photos this weekend and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. it is such a blessing to be able to stand up with someone you love as they say their wedding vows and i was so honored to support sarah and jason as they asked the lord's blessing on their union. i can only hope my own wedding is as wonderful. happy one year anniversary sarah and jason! love you both so much!

top image via brandywine photography

in the middle, somewhat elevated

2011-10-19T01:28:00.001-04:00

this past thursday, i had the pleasure of attending the north carolina dance theatre's first performance of the season, director's choice. the evening featured three pieces, chosen by artistic director and the most adorable frenchman i know, jean-pierre bonnefoux. the evening began with a world premiere ballet choreographed by dance theatre's own beautiful aussie, sasha janes; the second a piece, bolero, choreographed by mark diamond; and the third, in the middle, somewhat elevated, by william forsythe. and while the first two were lovely, in the middle completely and totally stole the show. the 1987 piece was created originally for the paris opera ballet and i couldn't help thinking while watching how angular, unbalanced and aggressive it was, but that for some reason it was still totally appealing and captivating. the wings of the stage are bare and the dancers wear skin-tight lycra. they come and go throughout the 25 minute piece, bursting into abstract, athletic movement before exiting again to the industrial, electronic thom willems score. i could go on and on writing about how wonderful it was, but here's a clip from the renowned houston ballet's performance so that you can see for yourself!

paper flowers

2011-10-17T19:52:00.000-04:00

last night, i decided i needed to hurry up and finish my fall decorations or it was going to be christmas and i still wasn't going to be finished. as of today, i'm almost done and a blog post is on its way. i've been toying with the idea of making brown paper flowers for the old decorative window over my television/entertainment cabinet for a few weeks now using this pinterest inspiration and i'm so happy with how they turned out. they took me about an hour to make (while i was watching my new favorite fall show, pan-am) and because i made mine smaller than the tutorial ones, i think i only used about eight paper bags total. easy, cheap and lovely!

fair-ly disappointed

2011-10-17T12:22:00.000-04:00

the state fair this weekend wasn't really as awesome as i was expecting. it was basically like any other fair i've ever visited, just bigger, more crowded and more expensive. it was approximately $6 to ride one ride or eat anything. no thank you. the highlights of the trip were a corndog, which i don't think i've eaten since elementary school; and a visit to the prize-winning produce building, which featured giant cucumbers, watermelons and a 500-and-some pound pumpkin, which was awesome. i also enjoyed seeing the goats and piglets, but not really the smell of them.
for some reason i think i have it in my head that the fair is much more idyllic and lovely than it actually is. i always think of them as romantic and nostalgic, but in reality they're just kind of icky. i've decided nighttime fair visits are better than daytime ones because the icky-ness is somewhat hidden by darkness and the lights are pretty. after our daytime visit, we drove past the fairgrounds again around 10:00pm on the way to a movie, and they were setting off a fairly impressive fireworks show. the lights and colors of the rides, combined with those of the fireworks, all from a removed vantage-point, is the way i like to remember my visit. lovely and not-icky.
i was too busy fighting the crowds and taking in the sights to take a lot of photos, but here are a few fun ones. the sky was so blue and cloudless on saturday that it made for a perfect ferris-wheel backdrop. overall, i'm glad to have checked "visit-the-state-fair" off my north carolina to-do list and at the very least it was a fun way to spend a saturday afternoon with some of my favorite people.

happy (state fair) weekend!

2011-10-14T13:02:00.000-04:00

i've lived in north carolina for 21 of my 26 years and have never visited the state fair. all of that is about to change this weekend, though, and i could not be more excited to wear my cowboy boots, ride the giant swings and eat lots of yummy fair food!

happy friday, everyone!

image via imgfave

all things grand

2011-10-12T09:20:00.001-04:00

last weekend i had the pleasure of attending lore emelio's fall runway show, all things grand, in charlotte. if you've been reading for a while now, you'll know this is my fourth show of lore's that i've been fortunate to attend, and lore's collections and following in the charlotte area are definitely growing quickly. i always look forward to her shows for several reasons. one, i often enjoy pretending i'm a cast member on gossip girl. two, there is generally free champagne (this time it was chardonnay, but who am i to complain?). three, they are attended by so many lovely and fashionable people from charlotte's society and art world. i am not one of those people, but it is really fun to see what everyone is wearing. you know how people watching in an airport is way fun? imagine yourself in the coolest and most stylish airport imaginable. and four, because lore's collections are creative and unique and have continued to progress over the past two years. it's fun to see her style developing and this particular show was certainly the most opulent, luxurious and grandiose that i've attended. my photography skills are seriously poor, but here are a few looks from the show...

pre-show festivities featured live art installations as guests entered. the car on the left is lore's grandmother's rolls royce, or so i was told. fancy.

these dresses had the look of a very well-tailored grandpa cardigan, worn backwards. the back featured a deep-v with buttons and pockets. the turbans were also a big part of the show. i think they're kind of awesome.

look how shiny this guy's hair is. he doesn't need a metallic turban like the ladies above. see the guest in the turban behind him? she's jealous.

for some reason, this look reminds me of a more chic, modern version of clueless.

favorite dress of the evening #1. i think the fur did it for me. i also wish i looked this beautiful bald. i haven't been bald since i was a baby, and i don't even think it was cute then.

favorite dress of the evening #2. i really want to wear this to runway for the ballet in february. i also wish i had a cool mini-fro in which i could stick feathers and not look like i was dressing up for a thanksgiving play.

this picture thoroughly terrifies me because for some reason it reminds me of the creepy twins in the shining. i've never seen that movie, and i don't want to.

i'm going to go out on a limb here and say i will never look good in teal velvet, but she pulled it off.

lore is all about the low v-back and i love it.

oh wait, a teal velvet CAPE!? i take back what i said.

this dress reminds me of the rainbow fish after he shared his rainbow scales and was happy.

so, all in all, it was a really entertaining show! aren't you entertained? i'm pretty certain that now that i've compared lore's looks to a horror movie, a children's book and clueless, i will likely never be invited to another show, but i had a good run. two years, four shows. i'll take what i can get. that said, here are a few other photos from the evening:

attention women everywhere: just because it's designer doesn't mean it's tasteful, that you won't still look like a stripper when you wear it, or that it is worth more than $700. that is all.

one, i need a haircut. two, julia and i both look dazed and confused in this photo and three, i am in serious need of some bronzer. not a great photo, but the only one i have and i wanted to include at least one photo with julia, my fun plus-one for the evening. she was an awesome date and even shared a caramel brownie with me at dandelion after the show. and, she also has a puppy named kevin. this is completely unrelated to the show, i just think it's worth sharing.

and because lacey asked for it, here's what i wore for the evening. i can't say it was my best look, but i had to work with what was already in my closet, and i take this event as an opportunity to be a little more creative with my ensemble than i otherwise would be. you can't really tell in this photo, but i totally went for the blazer-with-nothing-underneath look, which actually looked much less slutty than i've always thought it would, probably because i was not blessed in the cleavage department.

hopefully despite the fact that i am in a strange, sarcastic mood this morning, i'll have the opportunity to attend more of lore's shows in the future as her brand continues to grow. if you're loving her work, head over to her website and check things out. i'm so thankful i have been able to follow lore's collections up until this point, and i can't wait to continue seeing her creative mind at work!

sleeping in on a saturday? pssshhhh....

2011-10-05T18:03:00.000-04:00

a few weeks ago, a local church hosted its bi-annual church bazaar on an unseasonably sticky saturday morning. i would encourage you in this moment to take every image of a church bazaar that you can conjure up in your mind and multiply it by about 200. this particular sale is the largest of its type that i've seen. it is hosted both inside and outside the church and this year required not one, not two, but three police officers to help direct traffic. there was a silent auction for the really good items, an entire tent of activities for kids, a bake sale and a concession tent, an extremely large "check your purchased items here" area, a room so full of books for sale that i had to just walk away, and several decent vehicles on the auction block. i do not attend this church, but i am very curious to know what kind of fundraising profit they make. it is incredibly well organized (this coming from the most critical of organizational nazis) and chock full of good deals. here are my treasures...

almost as soon as we walked in, i spotted this cool like-new bird pillow with a removable cover and knew it needed to be on my couch for the fall. ordinarily i wouldn't buy pillows at a yard sale, but this one was in perfect condition and the cover was washable. then, about ten minutes later, my friend rebecca spotted the second pillow of the pair. i walked away with two for $2 and my fall living room looks super. (more on that in a post soon!)

mom and i each scored one of these great decorative urns (is that what you would call this?) for $3.

this little guy makes watering my (mostly dead) plants way happier. i love him. $1.

these brass deer ($2) stand about 10" and 6" high and have no place in my home at this point. but someday i will be inspired to make them look cooler than they do currently. they're rather tarnished, but have tons of great potential. should i modge podge them with old book pages or some pretty decorative paper? spray paint them a cool color? rub-n-buff them? help!

my recent obsession with chunky chains and bracelets was satisfied (at least for a while) when i found this silver necklace for $1.

in the fellowship hall, there were more clothes than the goodwill. i got this very-now cropped sweater for $2. and to think i had almost bought a nearly identical one at marshall's a few days before.

this skirt obviously needs a trip to the dry cleaner and a serious date with the steamer machine, but it is talbots and it is way cooler in person than it looks in this photos. it's kind of chiffon-y and will look good styled several different ways. i can't wait to wear it! $2.

and then, following my trip to the church bazaar, i refueled with a pumpkin spice latte and then hit up one other yard sale and the new (awesome) local thrift store grand opening where i scored these fantastic finds:

ann taylor loft 100% silk slouchy gray blouse. gray is my absolute favorite color lately and i love the pretty bead detail and raw silk edges. $2.

this talbots belt is stretchy, flattering, genuine leather and still had the $24 talbots tag attached. i much prefer to spend $1.99 on my belts.

and, finally, my favorite find of the day. i nearly knocked over a couple of other customers when i spotted this talbots pencil skirt (i'm sensing a theme here?) peeking out a few racks over. not only does it look completely and totally anthro and fit me absolutely perfectly, but it still had the $99 price tag attached. i paid $3.99 and i still can't believe how much i love it.

moral of this story? getting up at the crack of dawn on a saturday is completely, totally worth it.

extreme makeover

2011-10-04T18:08:00.001-04:00

hey! remember that time i didn't blog for like two weeks? well, last night's event was partly why, and it was so worth it. i have mentioned on my blog before my love for young life and its ministry among high school students, and last night was our area's annual young life fundraising banquet. i serve on the committee and had the pleasure of coordinating the decorations for our extreme makeover theme, which was likely the easiest theme ever. thanks to my former habitat colleagues, some amazing fellow committee members, my dad's garage and some other young life areas, we were able to borrow some seriously cool things and i was very pleased with the result. yesterday was so much fun, collaborating with fellow committee, leaders and staff to get the space decorated and then un-decorated following the event. we have some very creative people on our team, and working with them was such a blast. i especially love this event because while other parties and fundraisers at places like the dance theatre are so much fun to plan, the young life banquet has a special place in my heart because our focus is not on selling tickets or hosting a memorable event, but on glorifying Christ and his love for us and high school students. there is a different feel to this event - one of collaboration with others who hold the same passion for sharing our faith with lost and lonely high school kids and one of complete and total dependence on the Lord for success. here are a few fun photos before the craziness ensued...

it is likely i will be asked to never return to home depot again after i hauled out of there with literally 85 paint sample cards last week. if your home depot starts charging for them, it might be my fault.

this house was such a random lucky find, but then when you think about our event, i would imagine it wasn't so random or lucky at all. we host our event at a local church and it was just sitting backstage while we were setting up yesterday. i have no idea what it was for, but knew we had to use it. it totally pulled the stage decorations together and was a huge blessing.

my fellow committee members rigged up the cutest little construction tableaux all around the room. some didn't photograph as well as others, but this one was awesome thanks to my landlord's donated blueprints. they were so cool!

if you're not familiar with young life, i'd encourage you to check it out. it is such a wonderful ministry and has been near and dear to my heart since high school. serving on the committee in my area is such a blessing and i am continually amazed at the way the Lord works through our leaders and staff members. last night was definitely no exception!

thursday

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

"now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

- guillaume appollinaire

image via inkwhimsy on etsy

welcome to fall. now, let's play dress-up.

2011-09-23T09:20:00.004-04:00

it's officially fall as of 5:04am today! happy happy happy day! the solstice, cooler temps and the leaves may be right on time, but i'm still a little behind on my fall home decorating and supplementing my wardrobe. my kitchen table is scattered with my box of fall decor and my closet is still full of summer. as i'm still unemployed (gah), my list of things-to-buy for autumn is pretty abbreviated. i honestly have a pretty huge selection of fall goodness stuffed in the back of my closet already, so i really only need a few fun updates to be right on target. here are my top ten must-haves in no particular order:

1. cable knee (preferably over-the-knee) socks in ivory, brown and gray: i love this look and rocked it yesterday, actually, with my one pair of not-very-cool tall socks. i definitely want to make it a more regular occurence. it's surprisingly flattering.

2. sage/olive green textured tights: i'm not personally in to the bright HI I'M WEARING COLORED TIGHTS! look. this, instead, is subtle and extremely cool.

3. mustard a-line skirt: i haven't been able to find a reasonable skirt that fits my specifications, which means that i will probably be sewing one very soon. unfortunately it will not have these pretty modcloth pleats, but it will still look excellent with virtually my entire fall wardrobe.

4. neutral booties: we all know how this search is going. not well.

5. black cigarette pants: forever 21 used to have the best fitting pair for like $12. where did they go!? i also want a few pairs of the minnie pant, or a similar (cheaper) replacement.

6. target striped shirt: every time i've been to target lately, i've picked up this shirt. i don't need another striped shirt. i have no job. but lordy if i don't want it. i love the color and the little gold sprinkle of sequins on the shoulders hints that you've just been to a fabulous party with lots of confetti. i see a lot of great outfit options here, many of which include a skinny belt.

7. long black winter gloves: this summer, i bought two coats at the goodwill. one, a fantastic vintage black swing coat with tortoiseshell buttons and a mink collar. the second, an eggplant-colored car coat with a faux fur collar and black jeweled buttons. both need an excellent pair of black elbow-length winter gloves.

8. tribal-inspired bone necklace: love this one from la garconne, but, you know. it's $246. no, thank you. i will find a cheaper one sooner or later.

9. red trousers: i find it interesting that i like these pants so much. i don't really do a lot of bright colors and i don't really love red anywhere but my lips or my fingernails. but every time i walk by express lately, i stop to admire these trousers. i want to wear them with a wrinkled white button down, some major leopard pumps, a whole mess of gold bracelets and some bold black liquid eyeliner.

10. navy checked button down shirt: this kills me. in college, i had this shirt. but then i got rid of it. this is why i don't clean out my closet. because i always end up wanting things again. i will continue to scour the goodwill racks until i find a sufficient replacement. it will look super tucked in with my skinnys, some over-the-knee boots and aforementioned socks, a wide belt and a bunch of messy chunky jewelry.

in addition to what i want, i have already acquired and/or rediscovered quite a few things that have strongly influenced my fall outfit plans. you're dying to know, right? i know.

1. slouchy gray cardigans: i have two. they resemble the one above and literally go with everything, including my pajamas.

2. poncho: is it a sweater? is it a blanket? who's to say? i've decided that these are cool again. i have two, neither of which i have worn yet, and one of which i plan to dye a cool color. i love them and their slouchy-ness. i'm also seriously considering picking this ruana (which i lump in the poncho category) up at target.

3. feather earrings: honestly, i think the feather hair extensions are getting a bit out of control. every other eight year old has a pink or a blue one; and for those of us that are on the job hunt, somehow a feather just doesn't really say "hi, i'm a professional". unless you are interviewing for a job as pocahontas, in which case i highly recommend the poncho as well. the solution? feather earrings. they aren't permanent and somehow i like them better. i picked up two very subtle, yet very cool pairs at the mighty dollar this past weekend. meaning each pair only cost $1. i have already gotten my money's worth out of them and i am just getting started.

4. oatmeal suede over-the-knee boots: these have already received their own blog post, and i think it's clear how much i love them. lucky's fall shoe guide also said stacked heel boots are in. holler.

5. stacked bracelets: my bracelets lately have been out. of. control. i used to be a jewelry minimalist aside from my giant men's watch, but lately, the more of everything the better. i'm pretty sure this is a man-repeller trend, as at least four that i can think of have ridiculed my bangled wrists within the last month, but i love them and i can't stop buying or layering.

6. cross-body bags: a few months ago, my friend ashley saw that i was scoping out the vintage coach bags while antique shopping, was kind enough to acquire her mom's old coach bags that were no longer wanted, and gave me an excellent navy willis bag (above) with a cross-body strap. i was instantly in love and then even more so when i discovered that the exact same bag had recently been re-released with coach's classics collection. i'm so fortunate to have such thoughtful, stylish friends with stylish mothers who like to keep their coach collection up to date. i've also recently discovered that two of my more slouchy shoulder bags can easily be converted to cross-body. i love it when that happens.

and, finally, the onset of cooler temperatures makes me excited to wear make-up and style my hair again. it hasn't been too pretty this summer, but i'm really excited about some of my current beauty obsessions and i think they're definitely shaping my overall fall look...

1. liquid eyeliner: ive been wanting to try this ever since i saw these models in the banana republic mad men collection, but i'll admit, i was scared. i'd never used liquid. that is, until blair demonstrated how awesome and easy it really is. i grabbed a $1 elf tube at target for practice and i am completely hooked. i thought a bold black line might look harsh on my fair features, but my eyes have never looked so bright or defined. i'm completely hooked and i can't wait to check out some other colors.

2. red and gray nails: in the past, i've been a neutral nail gal, but lately i'm really loving reds, deep purpley reds and most recently, gray nails. i always swore i'd never wear anything that wasn't in the pink or red family, but lacey bought me a bottle and gray is actually really cool, sophisticated and surprisingly flattering on my skin tone.

3. dark lipstick (deep red and plum): again, aside from dance recitals, i've always shied away from bold lips, scared that i would look overdone or, worse, like a character from twilight. and again, i was wrong. i can't stop wearing deep red and a dark, brownish-plum color. they brighten up my entire face and i can minimalize the rest of my make-up, therefore streamlining the process and saving precious minutes. i'm also surprised at how sophisticated and pretty i feel with such dark lips.

4. hot rollers: remember when i hot rolled my hair in the eighth grade for school pictures? oh, wait. you wouldn't remember that because i've hidden every possible photo in hopes that no one would see my out-of-control tresses or my sunflower jumper. back then, before i discovered a blow dryer and smoothing creme, it was not cute. but i have lately rediscovered my same set of rollers from the eighth grade and am loving it. my hair holds the curl well, preventing me from having to wash it for days on end, and it's just the perfect amount of undone tousle that no longer resembles the contestants on toddlers in tiaras.

i think the best part about the cooler months for me is feeling inspired again. it is so much fun to play with my clothes, make-up and hair and actually feel pretty when i leave the house; which is something that never happens in the summer when i'm sweaty, stinky, and generally angry. reading blogs, magazines and observing stylish women pushes me to try new things and take a step out of my comfort zone, which is something that i never used to do when i was less confident prior to my twenties. i love that my look is constantly evolving and that taking risks beauty and fashion-wise often gives me more confidence and opens the door to new things that i had no idea i'd like so much. it's fun being surprised like that and of course, it's fun finding a look that is my own and staying true to what makes me feel wonderful. now, go buy something new for yourself and celebrate fall!

images: 1.weheartit 2.threadsence 3.peruvianconnection 4.modcloth 5.target 6.lagarconne 7.express 8.jcrew 9.kendieveryday 10.smartset 11.carolinesmode 12.threadsence 13.atlantic-pacific 14.coach
15.sea-change 16.google 17.pinterest 18.brooklynblonde

this school house rocks

2011-09-21T22:21:00.002-04:00

this morning, i locked myself out of the house. in the rain. in my pj's. with no shoes. or coffee. it was not a good way to start the day. when i finally made it back in the house and managed to get some of my morning agenda complete, i switched on the nate berkus show while i ate my lunch. i was never a huge oprah fan. i can't stand dr. phil. but goodness if i don't love some nate berkus. i recognize that nate likes boys and my feelings towards him are not mutal, but that doesn't change the way i feel. he is a stylish, talented, beautiful man. today he showed a cottage in the catskills that used to be a one room school house and had been made over into a tiny 800 square foot home. it's a little more colorful than i would choose for my own home, but that doesn't mean i don't think it is about the cutest little house in the history of the world (besides mine, of course), and i just had to share.

can't get enough? watch the video for a lot more school house loveliness!

all images via thenateshow

wake-up call

2011-09-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

this poem is probably my favorite of all the poems i've managed to read in my life (probably very few compared to all those sitting on library shelves and in anthologies everywhere). i actually cried the first time i read it because i feel like it perfectly captures life and the inescapable passage of time. in every experience i feel like there's something we'll miss. a little part of ourselves that is left behind in a specific moment as we move forward and take only the memory of the experience with us. but at the same time, the opportunity to live those experiences is worth the pain of leaving them behind. enjoy...

wake-up call

The water is slapping wake up, wake up, against the boat
chugging away from Venice, infinite essence
of what must end because it is beautiful,

Venice that shrinks to a bobbing, pungent postcard
and then to nothing at all as the automatic
doors at the airport obligingly shut behind you.

Re-enter a world where everything is the same,
where you’ve gone slack again, and don’t even know it,
so unaware that you actually shrug to yourself,

I’ll be back, and yes, for some lucky stiffs it’s true,
sometimes it’s you, you’re sure to get more chances
at Venice, and Paris, and that blessed, unmarked place

where you sat on a bench and he kissed you that first time,
so many kisses, you hoped he would never stop,
you can hope, at least, not ever to forget it,

or forget how your babies, latching onto your breast,
would roll up their eyes in an ecstasy that was comic
in its seriousness, though your joy was no less grave,

but you’re not going back to so much, and more and more,
the more you live there’s more not to go back to,
and what you demand in your gratitude and greed

is more life in which to get so attached to something,
someone or someplace, you’re sure you’ll die right then
when you can’t have it back, something you don’t even know

the name of now, but will be yours before receding
as an indispensable ache; what you’re saying
is Lord, surprise me with even more to miss.

- mary jo salter

image via maryjanes and galoshes

bootie bootie bootie bootie rocking everywhere

2011-09-20T00:22:00.001-04:00

apparently finding the perfect neutral fall bootie is harder than it sounds. ive done laps at the mall. been to every tjmaxx in the area. surfed every website i can think of. tried on every "it's sort of what i'm looking for, but not quite" bootie i've found. with no luck. the cole haan boot pictured above is the goal. unfortunately cole haan does not really price booties in the affordable range. here are the criteria:

1. must be somewhere in the mid-brown to greige/nude color family.
2. must not have an insanely high heel. but also not a short heel. because booties suddenly become very awkward looking when the heel is too short.
3. must be funky enough to wear with cool dresses and skinny jeans on the weekend, but equally sophisticated enough to wear with a pencil skirt and blouse to the office (when i someday actually have one to go to). i've had no trouble finding cool funky booties. it's the more sleek, professional element that is difficult.
4. the toe of said bootie must not be too round. anything rounder than an almond toe looks extremely strange. also stacked platform toes look strange. case in point? these target booties. they look so weird on my feet. i'm also not too excited about the idea of peep-toes.
5. the height of the boot must be flattering. my black booties surprisingly, though they hit right above my ankle bone, look awesome with bare legs and i would like my new bootie to do the same.
6. i'm almost 100% sure that laces are not what i'm going for. i understand and respect the grandma bootie/oxford bootie, but it's not really what i'm looking for. a zipper, however, is acceptable.
7. must be approximately $50 or less.

okay so, um, perhaps i'm a little picky. i'll admit it. you have to be picky when you're cheap. there are plenty of $150-and-up options that are awesome. it's the lower price ranges that are the most difficult. i tend to wear shoes out pretty quickly, so i try not to spend a fortune on them. this style is a little too trendy and not classic enough to splurge on. im also blown away at how many red and blue booties there are in the world. seriously? you'd think some fairly basic neutral booties wouldn't be that hard to find in comparison. and so the hunt continues. here are a few maybes:

the forever 21 suedette ankle boots. i feel like while these meet the price and color requirements, something about them looks odd. they look too oblong, maybe? or the heel is too short? would my feet look ginormous in these? i actually tried on a wedge pair of booties at forever 21 last weekend and i loved them, but they didn't have my size and they are not online. frustrating.

the gap leather ankle boots. i think these are gorgeous. they are a little higher up on the ankle than i would prefer, so i'm not sure how they would look with bare legs, but i think they could work. if gap decides to pull a banana republic and send me a 40% off coupon, these would then be in the correct price range and i may order them to check it out.

the nine west francesca bootie. love everything about these. except that my former nine west boots fell apart in less than one season and these just slightly exceed my price range.

the steve madden p-zesst ankle boots. i think the name of these is half the reason i like them. these are a pretty strong contender at the moment. i love the chunky-ness and think that would incidentally slim my leg a bit. i'm just slightly unsure about the color - are they almost too neutral?

and, a few thoughts to close this post:
1. what in the world is a shootie? and how does it compare to a bootie? because they look exactly the same to me.

2. there are a lot of really ugly shoes in the world. like these. what the hell?

3. when i am employed again and when they go on sale, i also really want these for weekends. aren't they they cutest? i'm obsessed.

so what are you thinking? what of my criteria (besides the general price range) should be most important? i would love advice and input (or other suggestions) as i work toward this (obviously) very important fashion decision!

if i had an extra $500...

2011-09-16T09:20:00.000-04:00

i might actually consider buying this dress, by gryphon new york. is it not the most gorgeous thing ever? naturally, i think that price for a dress is remarkably ridiculous, but when i saw it in september's lucky magazine, i think my heart skipped a beat.

images via nordstrom

hello, hillsville!

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

two weeks ago, my friend lindsey lee invited me to join her, her sister, leann, and her mom, robin, on their annual trip to the hillsville, virginia labor day flea market. if you have never visited this event, allow me to attempt to describe it to you. it's like a trip to the county fair combined with every yard sale you've ever visited, combined with a trip to your favorite antique mall, combined with a trip to the junk yard, combined with a trip to the campground, combined with a trip to the local family dollar. all stuck in the middle of the most podunk town in the the appalachian foothills. and then there are the guns. not only is this the most insanely large flea market i've ever seen (there was field after field of tents and booths) but it's also a gun show. that's right, folks. you can buy depression glass, period furniture, estate jewelry, every fried food in the book and semi-automatic weapons at this flea market. and not just semi-automatic weapons, but shot guns, pistols, ammo, and everything else that's gun related that i don't know the name of. i've never seen so many nra-loving republican southerners, mountain people and bargain shoppers in one place. there was literally something for everyone. i'm not entirely sure that combining guns with overly assertive deal-hungry people like lindsey, her mom, sister and i is a good idea, but who am i to say?

starting our loooooong day of shopping

so let's talk about hillsville with lindsey lee. three days in advance, i received an email from her outlining every detail of the day and the ways in which i could be best prepared. i was instructed to wear sunscreen, tennis shoes, a hat, sunglasses and i was told i was not allowed to bring a purse, as it was imperative that my hands be free. i was told to make a detailed list of the items for which i was looking so that i could best focus my energy, and that i needed to begin brainstorming the "card" i would play in order to receive the best price while haggling. lindsey's card was "it's for my new baby's room". leann's card was "it's for my first home with my new husband". i never really came up with a card, although "it's for my sanity because i have no job, no husband and no baby" might have evoked some sympathy? card or no card, we shopped and we shopped and we shopped. we shopped until every time lindsey stopped walking i searched for the nearest place to sit down and rest my tired feet (i wore chacos and definitely should have taken lindsey's advice on the tennis shoes. my feet were not. happy.) i left my house at 6:15am and returned home at 9:30pm. minus an hour for lunch and the time it took to drive there (about four hours total) in our giant four door chevy pick-up, we shopped the entire time. and i'd say we only saw about one third of all the booths that were there. this is no joke, people. bargain shopping at its most intense. i assumed that because lindsey was pregnant that i would certainly outlast her shopping stamina, but i was so wrong. lindsey, her mom and leann have more endurance than anyone i've ever met. not thunderstorms, not pregnancy, not intense heat and not one million rednecks talking about their guns stopped us, and it was a seriously great day.

approximately 1/16 of the flea market. seriously.

we started the morning with as many empty bags as we could carry, and we filled them all up. the empty pull-behind cart (named bertha and monogrammed because we're so classy) seemed rather cumbersome when we were starting out, so robin managed to attach it to her backpack. it was a storage device and a way to deter other shoppers who don't understand the meaning of personal space.

our first stop was this amazing linen booth that sold the most beautiful quilts, duvets, pillow shams, bed skirts, etc. and all at amazing prices. we all went a little crazy here. more on this later.

there were so many gorgeous shiny brite ornaments, and i wanted them all.

what's that you say? you want to buy an entire cemetery's worth of plastic flowers? well, you came to the right place. remember when i said there's something for everyone? i wasn't kidding.

i got really excited about these three tables full of jumbled jewelry and baubles. unfortunately, however, i couldn't find the match for the awesome vintage leopard print shoe clip that i found.

this booth was really cool and the people were really nice. except all of their cool vintage clothes still had the goodwill tags on them. it's hard to get excited about paying $22 for a vintage dress that i know cost $4.99. removing the tags may have been a wise marketing strategy. just saying.

a very nice gun-happy group was handing out these stickers. i figured with so many guns and sarah palin lovers floating around, it was safest to just appear to be one of them, so i wore it proudly all day. i have an opinion on almost everything, but i'm not sure i feel strongly one way or another regarding gun control. if i had a quarter for every old man that told me he liked my sticker, however, i could have bought a lot more stuff. liam ate this sticker (and by ate it, i mean chewed it up and ate it) when i got home. i guess we know how he feels.

this was my favorite booth - the "carry chic" tent - stocking all of your stylish gun concealment needs. that banner, in case you can't read it, says "defend yourself...in style." and just when i thought my pink pistol wasn't going to fit in my evening clutch.

at about 4:00, we were hit with a pretty decent thunderstorm. did i mention that lindsey also bought vintage boat oars for baby boy's nautical nursery? and that she carried them through the pouring rain? the "now all you need is a boat" jokes from passerby were a little out of control.

robin bought us some excellent ponchos at cvs so that we could continue shopping despite the storm. this is the first time i have ever worn a poncho and it was one part awesome and one part what i would imagine the wrestling team in college experienced when they were trying to drop a weight class in the gym.

aaaaaannnnd my very favorite photo of the day. these kind hillsville residents were willing to let you park in their yard for $5. they even made their own sign. we discussed what "come in own your own" meant until i realized it was redneck speak for "on your own". could anything epitomize this experience more adequately? i don't think so.

and i'm sure you're wondering about my great deals? prices at a lot of the booths were higher than than i was willing to pay. i'm a fan of yard sale pricing, not fancy antique pricing, but the flea market was large enough that there was something for everyone. i didn't get too much, just because my house is overflowing with good deals, but the things i did score were excellent. lindsey and her family, on the other hand, bought so many great things that we filled up the bed of our pick-up truck, as well as the cab. i can't wait to go back in the future when i have a job and a larger place to fill with unique vintage treasures. and tennis shoes.

milk glass pedestal bowls. most of the booths priced them around $20-25. these cost $2 and $3 and i looooove them.

vintage flower earrings, $1, and vintage flower bracelet (my favorite thing that i bought - so anthro and so much prettier in person), $2.

remember the linen booth i mentioned? i bought these excellent pillow shams (four total) for $1 each. i also bought my mom several other varieties, all $1 and all top brands. i plan to make them in to couch pillow shams instead of bed pillow shams, which should look great on my couch for fall.

and finally, while i didn't take a photo of it, i bought this full/queen nautica clearwater duvet, sold in stores for $160, for $4 at the linen booth. i don't have any need for a duvet, but i loved it so much and i'm pretty sure i'll never find another brand new duvet that i love so much for $4. i'll probably rotate it into my bedding for fall. isn't it gorgeous?

oh, and i almost forgot. the hot, fresh, made-from-scratch mennonite doughnut that was the size of my head. this was dinner on the ride home and i don't think i've ever enjoyed a doughnut quite as much as i did this one. it was a perfect end to an exhausting but excellent day of bargain hunting with friends.

robin, lindsey and leann, i know i fell asleep sitting straight up with my head tipped forward on the way home and in joe's words "looked seriously worn out" when we got home, but i had a great time - thank you so much for inviting me!

bedding image via the home decorating company

belated birthday present!

2011-09-14T16:42:00.000-04:00

guess what i just bought yesterday? my birthday money was burning a hole in pocket (thanks to my grandma c and grandma and grandpa h!) and the banana republic classic trench is finally finally finally back in stock! i've been stalking their website since about may waiting for them to get this baby back in. and even better - i bought it at 40% off! (sign up for their emails - you get 40% off all. the. time.)

i wanted this coat in particular because i received one of banana republic's business suits tailored for tall women last year for christmas and it is the single best fitting thing i have ever worn. seriously. i can not wait to have a trench coat that actually has long enough sleeves and i can not wait for this to show up on my doorstep! what a wonderful way to welcome cooler temperatures!

image via sartorially correct

welcome, fall!

2011-09-13T00:25:00.001-04:00

it's officially autumn here at blooming branch and with that have come a few fun changes, including a new autumn header, some new tabs at the top of the page and a fantastic (if i'm allowed to say so) new playlist. i've had a lot of fun working on these updates and am now preparing for a little fall makeover on my house as well. i've finally enjoyed my first pumpkin spice latte and my cupboards are officially stocked with caramel apples and candy corn. what else is there to do but share some fall loveliness?

images: 1.rockstardiaries 2.ameliakayphotography on etsy 3.llorias.tumblr 4.ophidiophobic 5.t on pinterest 6.polyvore 7.weheartit 8.indulge-in-reveries.tumblr 9.icantforgetaboutyou.tumblr 10.atipicidade.tumblr

oh, monday

2011-09-12T11:55:00.000-04:00

this is pretty close to how i'm feeling this morning...

(photo taken in january following my brother's marathon in houston. this girl didn't run in the race, but was clearly over supporting her family member. i thought it was funny then, and i still laugh every time i look at it.)

god bless america

2011-09-11T12:41:00.000-04:00

"therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall in to the heart of the sea...
...nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall,
He lifts His voice, the earth melts.

the LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress."

- from psalm 46

i am thankful today as we remember september 11th, that God is our fortress and our refuge and holds the families of the lost, our country, our future and the world in His sovereign hands.

image via weheartit

friday super sales

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

okay people. let's get really excited about the fantastic sales that make up this outfit. i honestly still can't believe these deals...

sweater: while shopping with blair and baby elliot a few weeks ago, i noticed this sweater on a sale rack at anthro and picked it up thinking it was pretty, but not anticipating the price i saw looking back at me. the sweater was originally $118. but written in red, next to the crossed-out triple-digits, were the three little numbers that made my heart leap: $9.95. i promptly RAN to the register, afraid it wasn't true, but it was. despite my love of anthropologie, this is, in fact, the very first article of clothing i have ever bought there. carrying that gorgeous bag around the mall was exceptionally wonderful. i bought it in the mid-july heat, but i'm pretty certain this is going to be my go-to piece this fall/winter. i love everything about it.

jeans: a few weeks ago, a friend of a friend had a moving sale in her home and it was pretty excellent. she had cake and wine and we got to shop in her living room. i'm remarkably sad this lady moved to texas, because judging from the excellent items she was selling and her cute cute house, we would have been good friends. i'm not sure why she was getting rid of the clothes that she was, but i hit the jackpot when i found these banana republic boyfriend jeans for $3. they are a size smaller than i usually wear, which is always welcome, and they look impossibly cool with virtually everything.

boots: oh the boots. here's the best deal...remember when i blogged about how i wanted these boots for my birthday? well, i got them, after agreeing to split the ridiculous $198 price tag with my parents. i say i'm the cheapest person alive, and it's true. they came and i opened them and they were beautiful, but i couldn't get over how much they cost. it just wasn't worth it. the next morning, i was determined to find a better price. first, i found a pair in my size on some random website for $98. i got pretty excited to find $100 knocked off the price, but thank goodness i kept looking. a few minutes later, i found them on super-sale in my size for (are you ready?) FIFTY DOLLARS. with free shipping. i nearly fainted with excitement. that's like 75% off. and that's my kind of sale. i can't wait to wear these babies for the next six months. i will definitely be getting my fifty dollars worth.

also, happy weekend, by the way! i'll be hitting up a big church yard sale in town, helping out at a dance theatre fundraiser, decorating my house for fall, hopefully shopping for some key fall pieces and definitely enjoying my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. sounds perfect, no?

collector's edition

2011-09-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

so i've started a new collection. i've recently become enamored with milk glass pedestal bowls, which was initiated by a trip to the depot in concord. i ended up buying my first piece at a goodwill in raleigh and have been on somewhat of a buying spree ever since. milk glass is actually pretty popular, and seems to be quite expensive at antique stores and flea markets, but it also shows up at the goodwill quite frequently, so everything i have bought thus far has been at or under the $3 mark. my kind of pricing.

shortly after beginning mine, i came across jenny glancy's lovely collection, featured in the july/august issue of country living. my pieces are currently holding the rather large collection of bracelets and bangles i have also acquired recently, but i have visions of a mantel in my future home covered in milk glass pieces, or a large shelf or china cabinet highlighting the collection. in fact, i may actually move them to the living room for the fall and put mini rub-n-buff pumpkins inside them.

i'm also loving this other collection, featured on the blog sullivan-owen.

aren't they beautiful? i just love how neutral they are, but how a large grouping of them can still make such a statement. i actually picked up two more pieces this past weekend at the hillsville flea market (post coming soon!) and i'm so excited to continue building my collection!

images via country living and sullivan-owen

calling all fashionistas!

2011-09-07T16:08:00.001-04:00

do you live in the charlotte area and love fashion and the arts? do you like fashion shows? do you like parties and cocktails and delicious food? then we need you!

this year i am in chairing the north carolina dance theatre's runway for the ballet event, scheduled for february 11th, 2012. if you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably remember my posts about it last february, but it really is an exceptionally great event and i am so excited to be a part of it again this year.

that said, we are currently building our committee to help organize the event this year, and i would love to have as many fashionable, creative, enthusiastic people involved as possible. i'm assuming if you read my blog, you are definitely all of those things. our kick-off committee meeting will be held on september 26th at 6:30 at the patricia mcbride and jean-pierre bonnefoux center for dance in uptown charlotte and if you would like to attend (or know anyone who would like to attend), please let me know! the meeting will be very informative and allow you to better understand the role of the runway for the ballet committee. i know our event this year is going to be spectacular, but it would probably be even more so if you were a part of it!

many fun fall blog updates and posts coming your way as soon as i get my massive to-do list under control. in the meantime, drink a delicious pumpkin spice latte and open your windows. it's fantastic outside today.

all images by gio alma of the miami city ballet company for ocean drive

one dress, three ways (part three)

2011-08-31T18:13:00.000-04:00

hello, friends!
welcome to day three of my fun little series! i actually haven't officially worn this particular outfit yet, but it's only a matter of time (which, hopefully will be sooner than later). i think gray, navy and brown are the single most wonderful color combination. they're not too matchy but they still look fresh and pulled together.

i spent the majority of this little photo shoot sweating my butt off, by the way. beyond ready for fall! i love how this dress will transition really easily. i may even try it out with some colored tights and a heavier blazer come late fall.

hopefully you've enjoyed my attempts at mixing up my closet - playing with pieces is beyond fun for me! and special thanks to my mom for playing photographer and helping make these posts possible.

also, if you use your imagination in this last photograph, it kind of looks like fall a little bit. hooray!

dress: self-made
sweater: goodwill
belt: thrift store
boots: steve madden via macy's
necklace: anthropologie (gift)
watch: men's pulsar
bag: h&m

one dress, three ways (part two)

2011-08-30T16:25:00.000-04:00

over the last several months, i've had the awesome opportunity to do some volunteer work at our local chamber of commerce, which has been really fun. it's great to feel like i'm contributing to something, to stay engaged in the community and to wear pretty, professional clothes instead of comfortable, stretchy clothes every day of the week. i'm beyond ready to have a job again, so it's been really great to work a little, even if there isn't a paycheck involved.

so, i wore outfit number two to the chamber a few weeks ago, and i love the way it came out. it was one of those days right after all the intense heat and humidity that wasn't so bad, and i felt breezy and pretty. it was inspired by the original atlantic-pacific outfit, and as fall hits, i plan to wear it with a trench as well.

blazer: goodwill
shoes: kohls via goodwil
clutch: 0.50 at a thrift store
necklaces: antique store, american eagle, yard sale
bracelets: forever 21
watch: men's merona from target

see you tomorrow for the third and final look!

one dress, three ways (part one)

2011-08-29T22:13:00.003-04:00

back in july, i saw this outfit on atlantic-pacific and was immediately smitten with the blue and white striped dress. the dress itself (from asos) was more than i wanted to pay, but so, so cool. i figured i could probably make something similar, so i set out to the fabric store and found this vogue pattern. it is a bit different than the original inspiration, but i love it. i unfortunately couldn't find fabric exactly like i wanted (who knew stripes were so hard to track down!?), but i found a fairly similar striped print at mary jo's fabric in gastonia (a fabric mecca for all you sewers and crafters out there) and set to work.

this was my first time sewing something on my own, without my mom's expert sewing help. i kept her around for questions and to make sure i was doing things correctly, but i'm proud to say that with only a few minor meltdowns, i made this pretty little dress all by myself! the pattern was relatively simple, although, i will say the skirt is a full circle of fabric (which was a lot to deal with), and the bodice is fully lined. i altered it a bit to make the ties double-sided (originally they were just supposed to be hemmed, but i thought that would look ugly) and i used fusible interfacing instead of the sew-on stuff, which is so much simpler. i sewed a size 10 (i always sew a size or two above my regular dress size to allow for changes if needed) and it was pretty spot-on with a few minor seam allowance adjustments for fit.

one of things i love about this dress is its versatility. i purposefully made the dress longer than the original asos one a)because i wanted to layer it up for work in the future (assuming i actually get a job someday) and b)because the high waist and fullness of the skirt made the dress look overly sweet and juvenile when i pinned it up higher. i've already worn it several different ways, and grabbed some photos of three separate looks to share. i love easy, machine washable dresses that can be fancy, casual, or professional with the right styling.

so anyway, look one is rather simple. which is what i prefer when it is 100 degrees outside. this dress requires no bra (hooray!) and looks super with a flat pair of sandals or my tall espadrilles. it's so easy and pulled together and i seriously can't stop wearing it....

dress: self-made (pattern: $3.99 on sale at hancock fabric, fabric and supplies: ~$30.00)
shoes: target
straw tote: talbots via goodwill
earrings: rugged warehouse
bracelets: forever 21, jcrew via piccolo antique mall, yard sale
watch: men's pulsar

definitely stay tuned the rest of this week for looks two and three!!!

side note... this dress also looks fairly awesome with a mustache. i'm just saying.

summer in the blue ridge

2011-08-25T00:35:00.000-04:00

a few weeks ago. mom and i took a day trip up to blowing rock. it's a place we've been going since i was a child and it's just idyllic. beautiful boutiques, amazing views, and, thankfully, cooler temperatures. we started the day with coffee and muffins at kojay cafe, shopped in town, took a walk around the lake with the tiniest and cutest baby ducklings ever, checked out the original mast general store in valle crucis, stopped off at the moses cone estate and then hit the road home. we topped off the day with a visit to goodwill in lenoir and combos at arbys (i'm embarassed to admit how much i love it there). it was a pretty perfect day and i had fun taking a few photos on the trip...

from russia with love

2011-08-22T15:44:00.002-04:00

oh my goodness. i opened my mailbox an hour or so ago and literally gasped in excitement - the jcrew fall catalog is here! and it wasn't just the prospect of delicious styling and italian car coats that made me giddy with excitement; it was the gorgeous cashmere-clad ballerinas staring back at me on the cover! i 'm so smitten! ballerinas still captivate me in the same way they did when i was a girl. they are the epitome of grace and beauty and i still want to be one when i grow up.

in case you're interested, the catalog was shot at the renowned yakobson and mariinsky companies (home to greats like mikhail baryshnikov, who, if you're not into ballet also played carrie bradshaw's artist boyfriend aleksandr petrovsky in the final episodes of sex and the city) in st. petersburg, russia.

if no one else, jcrew sure knows how to sell me a cashmere sweater. and perhaps a tutu, if those are for sale?

all images via jcrew

let us eat cake

2011-08-21T18:00:00.002-04:00

yesterday was my mom's birthday. in case you haven't noticed, i get really excited about birthdays. i like celebrating mine, i like celebrating others', i like eating birthday cake. i think this quote, though, really captures why i love them so much...

"birthdays need to be celebrated. i think it is more important to celebrate a birthday than a successful exam, promotion, or a victory. because to celebrate a birthday means to to say to someone: 'thank you for being you.' celebrating a birthday is exalting life and being glad for it. on a birthday we do not say: 'thanks for what you did, or said, or accomplished.' no, we say: 'thank you for being born and being among us.' on birthdays we celebrate the present. we do not complain about what happened or speculate about what will happen, but we lift someone up and let everyone say: 'we love you.'

i know a friend who, on his birthday, is picked up by his friends, carried to the bathroom, and thrown clothes and all into a full tub of water. everyone eagerly awaits his birthday, even he himself. i have no idea where this tradition came from, but to be lifted up and 're-baptized' seems like a good way to have your life celebrated. we are made aware that although we have to keep our feet on the ground, we are created to reach to the heavens, and that, although we easily get dirty, we can always be washed clean again and our life given a new start.

celebrating a birthday reminds us of the goodness of life, and in this spirit we really need to celebrate people's birthdays every day, by showing gratitude, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness, and affection. these are ways of saying: 'it's good that you are alive; it's good that you are walking with me on this earth. let's be glad and rejoice. this is the day that God has made for us to be and be together.'"

- henri j.m. nouwen, here and now: living in the spirit

(birthday banner made by me!)

that said, i tend to get a little carried away with birthday plans and celebrations. and, as cake is my favorite food, birthday cakes. i've never attempted to make a tiered cake before, but i figured three layers can't be that much more difficult than the standard two. i also like mini things, and given that my stove is mini, i figured a mini tiered cake was exactly what mom wanted for her special day. i have no photos of the process, but the finished product exceeded my expectations immensely...

here's what i did:
- mixed up one box of duncan hines classic white cake mix. (i honestly think cake mix is easier and doesn't taste any different than made-from-scratch cake. i've made a lot of both, and sometimes cake mix is even better.)
- chose three small ramekins/pyrex bowls in ascending sizes, greased, and added batter.
- disassembled my smoke alarm when the extra-small ramekin overflowed in the oven.
- cooled cakes overnight, first on a cooling rack, then in the fridge. (i think this part is important - they would have fallen apart much more easily if they weren't cold.)
- used dental floss to shave off the domed top of each cake, so that each layer was completely flat-topped.
- used dental floss to split each mini layer into two smaller layers, for a total of six layers (if you don't know about the dental floss trick, check it out here. it's magical.)
- spread seedless raspberry preserves inside new the layers i cut, and whipped cake icing (also store bought - making icing seemed like too much work - i used three cans) between the full layers. i like using preserves in multi-layer cakes. it prevents icing overkill (if that's even possible) and really adds some flavor/moisture. lemon curd is also super.
- inserted 2 wooden grilling skewers into the full stacked cake to prevent layers from sliding.
- used my pampered chef easy accent decorator (and various other random kitchen items) to frost completed cake.

annnnnddddd done!

happy birthday, mom!

what i learned:
- next time i will choose more pronounced cake layer sizes. they were each so similar in size/width, i had to get pretty creative with the icing to make it look tiered. it sort of started out looking more like this:

- icing a cake in a hot kitchen in the summer is decidedly frustrating. next time i will make sure to take more breaks to chill the icing to keep it from sliding around so much.
- the cake went further than expected - i'd say it had about six small servings in it.

so, happy birthday, mom! i love you and thank you for sharing your mini tiered cake with me! (i already finished all of my leftovers.)

images: 1.weheartit 2.google

mad men

2011-08-18T08:52:00.000-04:00

can we just talk about how much i l-o-v-e the new mad men collection at banana republic? i dress with a lot of 50's and 60's-era influence anyway, but oh my goodness. it's like they captured all of my favorite classic/signature looks in one collection! i already have virtually all of these silhouettes and styles in my closet. and, the colors and fabrics are making me so excited about fall, i can hardly stand it!

and while i have to admit i've never seen the show (i don't have cable), i think christina hendricks is one of the most beautiful women in hollywood. she's 36 and a natural blonde, both of which i find hard to believe. i think she is so much sexier than other actresses who are overly skinny, overly tanned and overly fake. doesn't this dress look exactly like something she'd wear?

this tie-neck blouse is my favorite thing in the collection. i love the look above with the black skirt and booties - i actually have a banana skirt that looks remarkably similar (from the goodwill, of course) so i'll have to try to recreate this look this fall.

and, while we're at it, i'm also loving the liquid eyeliner cat-eye and red lipstick look. i'm a little afraid of liquid eyeliner, but i may have to give this a try. i've been rocking a very similar bun/french twist updo lately, so why not add the make-up?

christina hendricks image via thecitrusreport. all other images via bananarepublic

green thumb

2011-08-17T18:39:00.001-04:00

i should probably preface this post with a little bit of honesty. the flowers about which i'll be bragging today no longer look this good. the past two weeks of crippling temperatures nearly killed/did kill some of them. i'm hoping they'll hang on until mum season, but it's touch and go at this point.

that said, however, i'm remarkably thrilled with the fact that they've lasted this long. and it's not like i can control 100+ degree temperatures (although watering them more might have helped, which i can control). i don't really posses any shade of a green thumb, nor do i particularly enjoy tending plants and flowers. i generally find myself sweaty, dirty, and covered in mosquito bites. but this summer, my flowers have actually been pretty. and green. and leafy. and so naturally i'm fairly proud of myself...

window boxes include lantana (middle) and portulaca. i've grown these the past two years, and they generally do really well in the hot sun.

my proudest achievement. i know it doesn't look like much, but i actually tilled up this area in my backyard, added soil and planted two types of zinnia seeds. and they GREW. (some weeds grew, too, as you can see.) i'm pretty sure that's never happened before. they've been growing taller for quite a while now, but i'm beginning to wonder if they're ever going to bloom. if they do, you'll be the first to know.

zinnias and basil, which is currently out. of. control. i can't cut it or cook with it fast enough.

more zinnias and cilantro. unfortunately, the cilantro didn't make it. my salsas will never be the same. the cute small pot and bird stand, by the way, are a score from the mighty dollar.

it's possible i may have gotten carried away with the zinnias?

hopefully, someday i will live somewhere cooler and i can enjoy gardening a bit more than i currently do. until then, i'm glad i only have a small porch, two window boxes and a tiny backyard garden to contend with!

looking up

2011-08-15T08:23:00.001-04:00

good monday morning, friends! i'm fresh off a wonderful weekend in southern pines and things are looking up around here...
1. i found my missing camera cord, which means all of my back-logged blog posts are coming your way this week.
2. i sewed a fab dress with which i am completely obsessed and about which you are going to have the pleasure of reading.
3. last week was really, really awful. which means this week can only be better. in the meantime, last week's stress and depression have made me skinnier than usual and unable to sleep more than a few hours at once. i'm embracing both of these incentives while i can.
4. i bought a serious trunkload of fun and unncessary thrift store and yard sale treasures while in southern pines this weekend. if that doesn't cheer you up, i don't know what will.

5. bestie sarah is having a......gender reveal party tonight! ahhhh! i'm voting girl.
6. bestie lacey starts her fab new job today!
7. the second-half of august is upon us and fall is coming fast.
8. it's 8:00am and i've already accomplished about two hours worth of things.

here's to a great week. i can feel it.

image via ban.do

psalm 13

2011-08-05T00:59:00.001-04:00

how long, Lord? will you forget me forever?
how long will you hide your face from me?
how long must i wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
how long will my enemy triumph over me?

look on me and answer, Lord my God.
give light to my eyes, or i will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, "i have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when i fall.

but i trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
i will sing the Lord's praise,
for he has been good to me.

- psalm 13, niv

i've been meditating on this psalm the past few days, especially the final two verses. i love it because i feel like it encompasses exactly how i've been feeling over the past eight months, waiting for a job, trying to figure out where i'm supposed to be and feeling forgotten by God's silence in my life. i love how david expresses his frustration but then ultimately commits to rejoicing in the Lord and trusting in Him in the midst of his silence. i'm not usually one to pray the psalms, but this one has been on my heart and mind often. isn't it beautiful? i love the idea of resting in God's love despite my current restlessness. my church is currently reading through the psalms together and while i've read them before, i'm really enjoying it this time around. do you have a particular favorite?

image via luna nueva

if the shoe fits...

2011-08-03T00:57:00.001-04:00

designer alexander wang's fall shoe collection includes this little beauty - the anais high tassle loafer. while the shoe itself is mirrored silver, it completely reminds me of cinderella's infamous glass slipper:

don't they look remarkably similar? i wonder if it's pure coincidence, or if disney princesses are suddenly high fashion inspiration. given my lifelong aspiration to be a princess (preferably cinderella, belle, kate middleton or barbie) when i grow up, i'm pretty sure i'd support that trend. anyhow, i think this shiny loafer is about the closest thing you can find to cindy's glass slipper short of wearing an actual glass slipper (which seems dangerous and impossible) or a clear plastic version (which, let's face it, says "i'm secretly a stripper"). despite my future royal career goals, i wouldn't wear these particular shoes unless my name was lady gaga, but for $650 at saks, they can be yours. you may need a prince to buy them and you best believe at that price you won't be losing one any time soon.

images: 1.refinery29 2.google

happy birthday to me!

2011-07-30T07:55:00.000-04:00

it's my birthday and i'll blog if i want to.

(i'll also eat the exact number of cake slices/cupcakes equal to my age if i want to.)

i will accept presents, parties and birthday wishes in any form.

image via kate spade

truth

2011-07-28T15:36:00.000-04:00

there are few things as wonderful as eating a cupcake for breakfast. except for maybe eating two cupcakes for breakfast. which i may have done this morning.

image via weheartit

summer makes me crabby

2011-07-27T10:10:00.001-04:00

hey! remember that time where i didn't blog for like two weeks? yeah, about that. it's really, really, really hot.
summer is horrible. in fact, i had a little temper tantrum on saturday which included hugging my ac unit like another person and laying my head on top of it for longer than i'm proud of, sticking my head in the freezer, refusing to style my hair or wear make-up (or, let's be honest, clothes while i was at home), and yelling at my mom about how much i hate summer. as if she has anything to do with it.
hopefully, i'll have some bloggy inspiration soon. in the meantime, go eat a popsicle. or, join them in the freezer if you're in to that. it's refreshing.

image via sweet southern charm

is it fall yet?

2011-07-15T17:42:00.001-04:00

happy friday, everyone!
today's cloudy, breezy, humidity-free 70-degree temperature is making me one happy girl. in fact, it is such a nice little fall preview i turned off my air conditioning and wore a blazer all day without sweating. bliss!
i absolutely cannot wait for my september magazine issues to show up in the mail, for target's fall shoe preview, for back to school supplies, and all that comes with the end of summer.

have a wonderful weekend enjoying these cooler temps!

image via shuttersisters

brotherly love

2011-07-13T15:33:00.005-04:00

this is my brother, aaron (in the bowtie). he's pretty awesome. he is one semester away from being an architect and is on a full scholarship for grad school at rice university. he already has a super job secured when he graduates in december. he is a really great cyclist and rode his bike across the country (literally) a few years ago with an awesome organization called bike and build. he taught himself to play quite a few instruments in high school, including the guitar. he manages to tell funny, but not that funny stories in such a humorous way that i can't stop laughing. he's run two marathons. he delivered two completely memorable and non-cliche speeches at both his high school and undergraduate commencement ceremonies and graduated college with the highest gpa in his architecture school. he's been to all but a handful of states in the us. he has really good taste in clothes, and like me, buys most of them at thrift stores. (it's a family affair.) he has a really awesome girlfriend named gracie who has a great blog. and, finally, he's an artist through and through. the kid can draw/paint/sculpt/design/sing/play/write with the best of them. he also takes incredible photographs, and i thought it would be fun to share a few here. thanks to his extensive travels, he's had the opportunity to capture a lot of great subject matter, but the way he captures it is always memorable. i have two of his photos from chicago and monticello (shown below) framed and hanging on my wall in my bedroom.

concord, north carolina

frank lloyd wright's ennis house: los angeles, california

times square: new york, new york (p.s. i was in this taxi, too!)

hermosa beach, california

the high museum of art: atlanta, georgia

disney concert hall: los angeles, california

pittman-dowel residence: los angeles, california

the north carolina dance theatre: charlotte, north carolina

santa monica, california

lindon, colorado

neil denari's hl23 building, west chelsea: new york, new york

venice beach, california

seaside, florida

american indian museum: washington, district of columbia

alta ski area: alta, utah

the new museum: new york, new york

lake lure, north carolina

charlotte, north carolina

and, finally, the two i have on my wall...

chicago, illinois

monticello: charlottesville, virginia

i've notcied after looking through this collection of photos that i chose (believe me, it was tough) that most of them have a lonely quality to them. i'm not an art critic and won't pretend to be, but i think that a lot of the photos he takes (especially the ones that i like) inflict this mood. loneliness is probably one of my greatest fears, so it's interesting that i find these photographs so gripping and beautiful. which one is your favorite?

aaron is available for hire for all types of photography. okay, not really, but he will draw you some pretty incredible renderings if you'd like them. also, i feel it is important to note that all of these were taken with a cannon point-and-shoot camera. someone get this kid an slr, already!

thanks for letting me show off your work, aaron, and thanks for being such a cool brother. sometimes it's hard to live in your shadow of awesome but i love you anyway! besides, i'm prettier than you.

all photographs copyright aaron cote

vive le tour

2011-07-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

you can currently find me (until july 24th) glued to my television (or the television at the gym or my parents' house, as i don't get the channel) watching le tour de france. it's probably my favorite sporting event next to the march madness and the olympics. it's exhilarating, interesting and seriously awesome. and, it's an excellent workout motivator. if you're not watching it, you should be. despite recent doping scandals, i still think that the riders are some of the strongest athletes in the world. and a number of them are pretty cute, too. let's discuss christian vande velde, tyler ferrar, and mark cavendish. cute? cute. okay, then.

anyway, before i start boring you with talk of pelotons and sprinters and climbs, let's just get down to the important things. besides being an awesome workout, bikes are cute and trendy. they look cute and trendy on things. we look cute and trendy riding them. just visit pinterest and search "bike" and you'll see what i mean. in honor of le tour, let's celebrate and "put a bike on it"...

i have added these paper source glasses to my birthday list. who doesn't want to sip out of these?

a great play on the famous keep calm poster. blair and josh, i think you guys need this in your bonus room.

all the cool babies are wearing them.

it's like the cool girl's version of the cyclist's musette bag. and it comes in three colors.

i like this print very much. get an old book. stencil a bike on a page. put that page in a frame. i think i could accomplish this craft project for less than $5. you could also find a few different bike stencils and do a little collection of prints. cute in a boy's room, a powder room or, heck, your living room.

so fabulous you almost don't want to wipe your feet on it.

the modcloth spoke so sweet dress, which if you can't tell, is covered in tiny black bicycles. be still my heart.

if i had a boyfriend, he would have these cufflinks. love them.

i could go on and on and on, but i'll stop there for now. i'll leave you to go ride your bike. or watch le tour. or buy cute things with bikes on them. also, if you're really in to cycling, you need some of the cool vintage team/riders/ad merchandise from velo-retro. i stumbled across it recently and it is very, very cool.

goal for the near future: find and buy a cool bike stamp/stencil and craft up some bike goodies.
goal for the not-as-near-but-hopefully-still-somewhat-near future: get a road bike and actually ride on the road, and not in a spin class. it gets a little old. although, if they were to stream tour coverage, i could maybe be a little more excited about it.

vive le tour et allez andy schleck!

images: 1.google 2.paper source 3-6.etsy 7-8.modcloth 9.etsy
*each individual item linked in text beneath photo*

blech

2011-07-11T23:23:00.002-04:00

today was not a great day. i spent a vast majority of it in a foul mood, with a headache, stressed about the future, confronted with self doubt and wallowing in self pity for no particular reason except that i didn't have much going on to distract me. why is it that we always focus on the negative when we know we should be focusing on the positive? why is it so hard for me to trust that god has things under control? i hate it when things seem so logical, yet actually believing them is so difficult. thankfully, god isn't giving up on me and tomorrow is another day to keep trying.

image via weheartit

cropped is cool again

2011-07-07T15:06:00.002-04:00

today after an early morning appointment with my very cute (and very married) doctor, i took a little trip to sbucks for some iced coffee and a little paper-reading. i like thursdays because the new york times' style section is awesome, albeit a bit pretentious. after reading about karl lagerfeld and men's newfound love for watches of all kinds (apparently they weren't cool for a minute), an article about cropped tops caught my eye. i've been noticing them popping up lately in places like urban and nordstrom's junior department and i have to say, i'm kind of a fan of the trend. especially since "crop top" no longer means the 80's-era belly shirt or the 90's-era cher horowitz look. the more modern crop tops are boxy and only cropped to the naval or so, but apparently anywhere up to the bra is fair game (no thank you). also, apparently men can wear them, too (super double no thank you. let's stick to watches, guys.).

unfortunately, i think this look is decidedly less flattering than more recently stylish long tops, but thankfully the boxy cuts are still pretty friendly, especially since there are quite a few ways to wear them, even if you're not in to baring your midriff...

i think when worn with modest, tailored pieces, a little midriff isn't a bad thing. although i still wouldn't be wearing this to the office, i'd wear it just about anywhere else.

i looove this outfit. it still looks completely modern and mature even though a tiny bit of flesh is showing. again, not appropriate in some arenas, but very, very cool in others. my favorite outfit of the post.

i've actually already tried this look recently. lindsey inspires me with her tied up button-downs and so i made it work with a crazy skirt and some platform espadrilles. a bit edgier than i usually go, but i think i really liked it. i've been trying to push my comfort zone lately. with higher-waisted things especially, i think this look can be super cool and super flattering.

as far as cropped tops and the office goes, i love the idea of wearing a slouchy, more modern shirt with a high-waisted pencil skirt and some sophisticated jewelry/shoes. i hesitated to post this photo as the model is about as anorexic as they come and the skirt is shorter than i'd ever wear to work, but i couldn't find another example of the look that i liked. please disregard the scary frame of a girl and the somewhat office inappropriate elements of this particular outfit. the figure-enhancing tucked-in look is sort of achieved without all the bulk and headache of actually tucking something in.

more appropriate work looks. these shorts are so ugly i want to cry, but you get the idea. a high-waisted pair of pants and you're good to go. i also really like the way the crop on this blouse is tapered. you still get some butt coverage while mastering the look.

and if you're looking for a more modest cropped look...

layer with slim-fitting pieces. a super awesome look for fall/winter. i feel like a small frame looks less like she's been swallowed whole by slouchy layers when a lighter colored crop is layered over everything. suddenly she has a shape again. i want this exact outfit.

layer a crop top with a slim fitting dress or high-waisted maxi skirt (pictured at beginning of post). i saw a similar look at nordstrom on a mannequin and i was hooked. also, if you have something that's a little lower rise, just layer a longer shirt under the cropped top. voila. in my book, layers will always be cool.

and, finally, if you want something a little less trendy and a little more classic, go for a french gamine look. always pretty and always in style.

so while i'm getting busy chopping the bottoms off my lesser-worn long shirts, what are your thoughts? is cropped cool again?

images: 1.sterlingstyle 2.damstyle 3.tumblr via pinterest 4.refinery29 5.johnnytheclown 6.urbanoutfitters 7.jeanasohn 8.freepeople 9.mystylepill

easy double lemon burst sandwich cookies

2011-07-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

during the summer (and really any time), lemon flavored desserts and foods are some of my favorites. i love lemon cake, lemon sorbet and mostly lemon curd. i found the initial part of this recipe from tidy mom, and i can't believe how easy it is...

1 box lemon cake mix
1 tub of cool whip
1 egg

mix ingredients. dough will be very sticky. in fact, my mixer made horrible sounds and started smoking it was so sticky. i finished it with a wooden spoon. scoop dough and drop in to a bowl of powdered sugar. don't try to touch the dough until it's coated with sugar, then roll in to a ball and drop on to an un-greased, parchment lined cookie sheet. bake 10 - 12 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cookies are just slightly browned. cool for approximately 10 minutes on the sheet and then remove to cooling rack.

after making just the cookies once, i decided that while the texture was excellent, they needed a bit more flavor. so i modified the recipe. i bought trader joe's delicious lemon curd, spread a little on one cool cookie, and sandwiched them together. ah, perfect! i could eat these forever.

yankee doodle dandy

2011-07-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

this long weekend was pretty fantastic. i love weekends. i love holidays. i love my friends and i love america. here's a quick recap:

1. had a fun sleepover in south carolina with bestie sarah. we shopped, ate lots of junk food, drank starbucks, played with the puppies and watched not one, but two cheesy chick flicks including monte carlo starring selena gomez, which was very entertaining.

2. picked out this pattern for an upcoming sewing project with my mom. i plan to make it with stripes to emulate this outfit. i'm so excited.

3. drank more starbucks. i'm currently on an iced-coffee-with-a-splash-of-soymilk-and-one-splenda kick. cheaper than an iced soy latte (by more than $2) and possibly more delicious.

4. crafted up a new banner for my bookshelf. it's not quite complete, but photos to come soon.

5. sent my parents off on their 30th anniversary trip to switzerland. to say i am jealous is an understatement.

6. watched the justin bieber movie with my friend mary. i may have been a skeptic, but it was pretty excellent. and he's pretty precious.

7. spent the day at little badin lake with friends. i played on the boat, ate two hot dogs, went tubing, tried to water ski, snuggled with baby elliot and enjoyed my role as the ninth wheel in a sea of married and engaged couples.

8. nearly wrecked my car on the way to the lake when i saw a three-hundred pound (easy) black man riding a motorbike completely and totally naked in broad daylight. this happened.

9. ate a loooot of watermelon and rice krispie treats.

10. took two naps on monday.

11. watched and enjoyed a capitol fourth on pbs while it rained outside and dreamed about a future move to dc and my future husband, josh groban, who performed three songs on the show. if you didn't already know, i. love. him. i may have joined twitter for the most part so that i could follow him.

12. enjoyed the fourth of july 30% off discount at the goodwill. cheap becomes cheaper. holler.

1.bibbtybobbityboo 2.google 3.atlantic-pacific 4.weheartit 5.oursurprisingworld 6.weheartit 7.pinterest 8.pinkpreppylillylover 9.pinterest

party in the usa

2011-07-03T08:00:00.007-04:00

some of my favorite fourth of july memories are the years we visited my grandma and extended family in penfield, new york (where i was born). it is the epitome of small town america and i very much prefer the weather there this time of year. we would start the day with the local fourth of july parade, complete with marching bands, politicians, people dressed as our country's forefathers and no less than 46 clowns throwing candy. then we'd all carry our chairs and blankets back to my grandma's house for a cookout with more food than i probably ate in a year, including my favorite, white hots. (if you're from the north, i'm sure you know what i'm talking about. i'm also sure you're wishing you had one right about now.) my grandma's backyard is huge and green and beautiful and we would all sit outside together, playing bocce ball and eating (and eating. and eating.) until it was time to leave for the live music and fireworks at the local park. we'd bring blankets and sweaters and dance together on the lawn in front of the stage to basically every white person american classic rock song you can think of. then we'd all snuggle up together (it gets pretty cold at night in upstate new york - even in july) and enjoy the fireworks, which were quite spectacular in my memory. it was idyllic and i miss it. it's hard to believe that so many people in the world don't experience the kind of life we take for granted every day here in the united states. i think that fact is more clear now than it has been in my lifetime and i'm reminded of it every morning when npr wakes me up. despite economic difficulties, soaring national debt, politicians who can't manage to act like grown-ups and irreverent crazies who think it's appropriate to invite themselves to military funerals, i think there is still some good here. i think there's hope for us and i'm proud to be an american. so go eat some watermelon, a white hot (if you're lucky) and enjoy celebrating our birthday. we've got it pretty good here.

images: 1.erin wasson photographed by fred meylan for june 2011 elle france, via oraclefox 2.flickr

pajama day

2011-06-29T09:00:00.005-04:00

i want to wear this robe every day forever. isn't it gorgeous? it's even prettier in person. i just saw it at the store and fell in loooove. sadly, the price and wearing pj's every day are both not really acceptable.

and i'm restraining myself from posting more about what i loved during my recent anthro trip because essentially, i'd be posting the entire store.

image via anthropologie

questions

2011-06-28T00:15:00.002-04:00

"have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. don't search for the answers because you would not be able to live them. and the point is to live everything! perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even knowing it, live your way to the answer."