i need a valium

holy cow. could this week get any more stressful? i'm in can't-eat-can't-sleep-can't-form-full-sentences-constantly-a-little-shaky-with-heartburn mode at this point. in addition to a work week of 12 hour days and various damage control from saturday's squirrel incident, i've had a cell phone casualty (oh, and p.s. that insurance i thought i had? i don't.), a television casualty (it actually kind of started burning when i turned on the today show tuesday morning, no doubt another fried electronic from saturday's squirrel incident), a watch casualty, and a minor (but still very annoying) carbon monoxide detector scare. i'm on week two of half-marathon training, which means the only time left for running/lifting has been 6am. i'm leaving for vacation early saturday morning and it looks like a tornado has come through my house. i need some yoga, a couple of deep breaths, a margarita (or three), and a massage.
thank you jesus (and mom and dad) that vacation is coming in about 36 hours. hopefully i'll still be alive.

image via flickr

dreaming of paris

i'm sitting in a conference room right now next to I-85, lit by fluorescent lights, drinking a lukewarm soy latte and (sort of) working. if only...

...to be in love in paris...
                               ...engaged...
                               ...and getting married (with the most insanely gorgeous flowers ever)...

enjoy these delicious photos, taken by my friends stephen and cj. they are so perfectly french and i want to hang them in my house, even though i don't know these people.

bon mercredi! (or, happy wednesday!)

squirrely monday

if you haven't noticed, squirrels are really annoying. i won't say they're stupid - because i've seen a number of them outsmart my parents' squirrel-proof bird feeder by hanging upside down from its roof. that takes at least a little deductive reasoning.
but despite their perseverance, i've never really liked squirrels. i've always been an animal lover, but they are pesky and annoying and destructive. not only did they destroy my attempts to grow basil and cilantro this spring, but they broke my cute flowerpots in the process. and this weekend, the squirrels really secured their position on my list by trying to burn down my landlord's and my houses. when i got home on saturday afternoon, there was a fire truck parked in front of my house. after a minor panic attack, i noticed my home was still standing, but apparently a squirrel felt the need to chew a power line in front of the house, causing not only a fire on the actual power line, but sparks all the way down it as well. it created quite a surge, knocking out power (which is always fun when it's 95 outside) and, as i discovered a little later when power was restored, frying my dvd player, my ethernet box and wireless router, and (worst of all) my air conditioning. awesome. it's a little unnerving to know that such a small animal can inflict such damage. but it's also nice to know that the squirrel that chose to do this probably spent the last  few seconds of his life in a giant ball or flames.

happy weekend!

this week has been super-busy, but enjoyable, and i'm looking forward to almost a full work-free weekend. i haven't had one of those in a while, i'm afraid, and i'm ready to return to five instead of six day work weeks. tomorrow, i'm being fitted for my first-ever bridesmaid's dress! ordinarily, i would freak over dropping three-digits on a dress i'll only wear once, but in this case, i'm ecstatic! i'll be sure to have lots of photos and thoughts as we plan sarah's summer shower and wedding in october!

see you next week!

image via weheartit

sexy sale

although i really don't like this time of year thanks to the onset of (at least) three months of absolutely oppressive heat and humidity, i do love one thing about june: the victoria's secret and bath and body BIG semi-annual sale! i don't think that victoria's secret is really that much greater underwear than anywhere else (and, let's be honest, it's kind of overpriced), but how can you not love rummaging through big bins of pretty underthings and jammies in an entirely pink store that smells good? vs has fantastic marketing and therefore, despite the fact that many other underwear brands are just as great, i still want to shop there. i went to the mall the other day for some hand soap at bath and body and came out with multiple handsoaps, lotion, and three new bras. i will say i actually needed all of those things, and three new bras (all of which are awesome) for $60 is a bargain anywhere. i'm pretty psyched about them. what is it about new underwear and socks that is so exciting?

images: 1.fashionfame.com 2.comesaveme.tumblr.com 

oh, goody (part 2)

a few weeks ago, i had a killer day at the goodwill. in fact, i've had several killer days lately. my closet is bulging and i need to stop shopping. at least i'm paying practically pennies for all of this, i suppose.
i've always loved the goodwill in shelby and so whenever i'm in the area visiting blair or my alma mater, i stop in to browse the deals. all of the stuff you see below, i bought in one trip. it was exhilarating!

for starters, i got this fantastic book. i totally love the tour, and i'm really excited to read this. i'd never even heard of it before - so i was pretty psyched when i found it on the bookshelf. 

i'm completely obsessed with this skinny little gold leather belt from target (tags still attached). it's a little too big, but it looks super cool (and super jcrew) tied in a funky knot around my waist. 

i also found a giant box of the coolest cardstock cards. there are like forty of them, and while they are not crane or kate spade (my stationery of choice), they look like it, so i'm happy. these are just a sampling of the fifteen or so fun little pictures on the cards: a crown, an owl, a bike, and palm tree. maybe if you're really nice to me, i'll send you one with a note inside. 

i loved the owl card (pictured above) so much that i framed him in this fun gold frame (that i also bought for 0.99) and hung it on my cluster wall in my bedroom. 

i have long arms, so finding blazers that i love is often difficult. this particular day, i found three, all of which are fantastic. i can't wait until the weather cools down more and i can wear this one from forever 21. it's got a double-breasted front and pockets. 

this one i've already worn to the office - it's lightweight enough for summer, but still has some cool texture. thankfully, it will also work with some layers in the cooler months. 

and you better believe on the first cool day of fall, i'm wearing this baby with some skinnys and my favorite brown riding boots. october, get here faster. 

and finally, the jackpot find of the day...

...an authentic, never used (as far as i can tell) coach signature "c" print bag. it's a little mini one, but i'm 100% certain it's worth more than the $2.99 i paid for it. i'm pretty much in to big bags, so i passed this baby on to my mom (she loves me). 

a good day? i think so. again, goodwill, i love you. 

i hate summer.

oh my gosh. WHY is it so HOT outside? it's only june and i want to cry. thank goodness i'm headed to alaska in two weeks. i couldn't be happier about going somewhere cool for summer vacay. sorry for the blogging hiatus...i've been sweltering and feeling sorry for myself. my house is old and poorly insulated and my ac is crummy - it's approximately 80 degrees right now inside and it's 11:00pm. awesome. i'm so happy i get to enjoy three more months of this.

image by corinne day

oh, goody

i stopped over at the harrisburg goodwill this afternoon on my lunch hour since i was near there anyway for work. and can i just brag that i found this dress, hanging on a random rack, in my size, in this gorgeous color, with the tags still attached!? oh my gosh! i was pretty sure it was a current style and i was right - it's been so popular this season that the $98.00 dress is sold out on jcrew.com. i paid $4.99. (and it's machine washable. holler.) it's going to look amazing with the $3.49 brand new coral nine west pumps that i got also:

goodwill, i LOVE you.

happy (wedding) weekend!

this weekend is going to be so much fun! the fabulous blair jones has been hired to coordinate a big-time wedding in shelby, and she's recruited me as her assistant. i get to do two of my favorite things at once: boss people around and attend a wedding. the party has been characterized as "great gatsby meets anthropologie lawn party" and i can't wait to see what that looks like exactly. i'll try and snap some pictures as i'm running around so i can share them here!

happy day!

image via projectwedding.com

garden party

last saturday my little brother graduated from college. aside from completing his five-year bachelor of architecture degree with the highest gpa in his class, he got an award for the "most promising graduate" and was elected to deliver a really fantastic graduation speech at the ceremony. he rocked it and he's basically awesome.
after a delicioso dinner at cantina (um, hello most amazing queso ever), i hosted the parents, grandparents, aaron and his girlfriend gracie for brunch in my backyard the next morning. i had a vision for the meal, and everything actually turned out as planned. and despite all the work, it was really fun putting it all together. i'm not going to lie to you - i'm pretty proud of myself.
and not only was it lovely, but it was cheap!  think the best meal to host guests is breakfast - it always seems to cost less than others to prepare - groceries cost less than $40. i cut the majority of the flowers (early in the morning so no one would see me) from rosebushes at a business down the street - the bushes were huge and i figured they wouldn't miss a few blooms. the white flowers i cut from a vine at my house - total cost for flowers? $4 (for the big purple ones at harris teeter). the place mats came from ikea ($2.50 for 4) and several of the plates (to supplement my own) came from the dollar store. i have finally perfected the art of making tissue paper flowers and hung a bunch in the trees above the table. i think they're the cheapest, prettiest decorations maybe ever. i spent $2 on the tissue. other than that, i already had everything on the table, so this little party set me back about $50. pretty thrifty entertaining!

the menu included coffee, mimosas (probably the main reason i wanted to host a brunch in the first place), fruit salad, blueberry muffins, spinach quiche lorraine (with made-from-scratch crust!), and potatoes. i was really thrilled with the way the quiche turned out - not runny at all and really tasty - you can find the recipe here. 

overall it was such a blissful morning, sitting around the table with my family, enjoying the morning over delicious (if i may say so) food! aaron may be super smart and artistic, but i'm the hostest with the mostest.

happy (graduation) weekend!

it's fridaaaaaay! my little brother is graduating from college tomorrow, so the whole family is in town celebrating. i love graduations - they evoke such a sense of celebration, accomplishment, and major change.  i have very fond memories of my own and every time i watch the laguna beach season one graduation episode i get a little teary. (please don't judge me. i also secretly love vitamin c's "graduation" song.)

i'm hosting brunch at my place on sunday for the whole family and then have monday off as well to recuperate from this insane week at work/ busy weekend.

have a lovely one and i'll see you next week!

image via red jotter.wordpress.com

talk derby to me

a couple of weeks ago, my friend and coworker brandy invited me to attend a party to celebrate the kentucky derby. each year, the young affiliates of the mint museum in charlotte host derby days on the lawn of the mint to raise money for the museum. there's yummy food, an open bar, live music, croquet, and big-screen coverage of the "most exciting two minutes in sports". so brandy and i donned frilly spring dresses, big hats, and in my case, yellow espadrilles and spent a delicious saturday with tons of other art-lovers in charlotte. it was definitely a party i could get excited about and it was a blast!

getting ready to go...

watching the (very muddy) race!

a small part of the lawn party!

brandy, looking lovely on the lawn.

fun swag? you betcha. i think mint juleps are icky, so i went for a bud light in my new koozy. 

sunday surprise

yesterday my dad and brother had to work, so following a fabulous mother's day dinner at big daddy's in dilworth last night (where we gorged ourselves on what i think are the best burgers in the city - try the frenchie turkey burger. it'll blow your mind.), i took mom to davidson yesterday for a nice mother's day brunch at toast. without the boys in the picture, the plan was then to wander around our favorite antique mall, oak street mill. unfortunately, however, they were closed for the day. we were severely disappointed, until we decided to stop at the new antique mall in concord, the depot at gibson mill where we were pleasantly surprised by the sheer size and exciting goodies that have found their home in this very cool facility...

while the place doesn't yet have ac and is a bit toasty, it fills the lonely space that used to be a booming textile mill in concord and is now an 88,000 square-foot antique super-center. i think we were there for 2 1/2 hours browsing the vendors; perusing everything including old books, flower arrangements, furniture, home goods, and sample pieces from various designer fabric dealers. there's merchandise for every "antique" style from shabby chic to primitive to redneck (yes, you can get your antique racing memorabilia in the left wing) and the atmosphere (outside of the left wing, of course) was lovely - they had classical music playing and lots of natural light and it was a completely blissful and inspiring way to spend a sunday afternoon. surprisingly, we bought nothing, but considering the fact that this place is only about a mile and a half from my house, you can bet i'll be back soon!

p.s. find-of-the-day: for $42, this homemade doll-head trophy can be yours. let me know if you want this (obviously) priceless item and i'll go pick it up for you. but you better move quick, because i don't know how much longer it'll be there. there's obviously a high demand for such exquisite conversation pieces.

images: 1,3,4. pleasesirblog.blogspot.com 2.shoppecharlotte.com 5,6.junkinescapades.blogspot.com 7.oldetymemarketplace.blogspot.com 

hey, mom!

my mom is cool. she's probably cooler than your mom (just saying). so in honor of mother's day, here are my top ten favorite things about my mom:

10. she's stylish. (she used to wear mom clothes, but then she got smart and now she's super cute.)

 9. she forgives me when i'm mean to her. 

 8. she makes home a great place to be for me and whoever i bring home with me. moving out into my own home was harder than it should have been, thanks to her hospitality.

7. she's supportive of my brother and i and makes sure we know we're her #1 priority, even now that we're grown. she's always there when i need her. 

6. she shops with me and waits patiently while i take 4 hours to look at everything/deliberate my purchases. i'm a very slow shopper. 

5. she takes cool trips with me.

4. she listens to me and never tells me i'm being irrational when i complain (most of the time i am being irrational).
3. she's very generous, even now that i'm an independent adult.
2. she likes to watch gilmore girls and cheesy movies with me while wearing pj's and eating japanese takeout. (we're very good at the whole staying-in bit.)
1. she is my best friend!

happy mother's day mom - i love you! 

in a waverly world...

i love waverly's 2009 ad campaign, particularly the taxis. if only taxis were really this lovely. i think nyc should consider this, don't you?

i don't generally gravitate toward any of waverly's looks but these ads feature some patterns about which i could actually get excited...

images via waverly/iconix brand group

jamaican me crazy, mon

i would personally never choose a short wedding dress. nor do i have a desire for a beach wedding. but i think this bride is just completely adorable. her dress is cute, her shoes are cute, and her hairpiece is waaay cute. you can see the rest of the jamaican wedding (including the bride's other dress - a whole new look) here.

p.s. the bride and the groom are named valery and chauncey. chauncey! can i be friends with these people, please?

images by cappy hotchkiss via snippet and ink

posen = pricey

so i've always liked zac posen's designs - he's classy and fashion-forward and i love his respect for a good dress. and i know he's a big deal - but i'm fairly annoyed at the pricey-ness of his new target line. there are three dresses in particular i love - the one above on selma blair and the two below, all of which are priced between $70 and $80. seriously? this is target, zac. i go there because i can afford to shop there. i like that i can buy lots of things before my total is that much. i really don't think that zac's name on a dress changes the fact that it still came from target and i think target shouldn't get so carried away with their fabulous designer partnerships that they stop being target. i'm pretty sure anywhere that sells milk and bananas along with their clothes, or can be preceded with the word "super" to describe such stores is not allowed to charge that much for a dress. no matter who designed it. 

                                                    

                                                    

images: 1.ap via stylelist.com 2/3. zac posen for target lookbook 

hi, i'm not dead.

um so how long has it been since i posted? weeks? it's a good thing i have a day job. unfortunately, i haven't found myself very inspired lately.
to be honest, i have nothing of merit to share today, either. except this citi bank sign, which makes me very happy.