sunday edition #4

"lord, let me see thy glory in everyplace." - michelangelo

happy halloween!

have a safe and spooky holiday weekend!

image via bergdorfblonde.tumblr.com

breakfast of champions

i really, really like breakfast. actually, i should re-word and say i really like breakfast food. despite my best efforts i'm not really a morning person nor do i have much of an appetite at 8:30 when i head off to the office. i usually eat some almonds and a banana or yogurt and granola around 9:30 or whenever i finally wake up. some mornings i don't eat at all.
that said, on weekends, i love love schlepping around the house in my pjs for an hour or two and then indulging in really yum breakfast foods. pancakes are my favorite. in fact, i also really like breakfast for dinner. it's a favorite at my house.

chicago may be known for its pizza and hot dogs, but my favorite meals in the city were most definitely breakfast. on monday, after getting ready at the hotel, and then an hour or so of navigating the el and finding fun things during the walk to breafast, mom and i were absolutely starving. yolk in grant park was supposed to be our first stop of the day, but we got distracted numerous times on the way. i knew about this place from lacey's trip during college and was eager to work it in to our plans. they have fresh squeezed juice (which really beats tropicana), and an extremely extensive menu including banana nut french toast and crepes with orange coulis. they also have their own private label coffee and a really happy yellow dining room. (see above and below.)

our delicious spread. crepes, eggs, fruit. since we left the hotel early, but never really found time to eat, it was nearly brunch by the time we arrived. we both avoided the crazy rich dishes (as great as they sounded) to save room for a late lunch and it was still fantastic.

looking a little windblown already. please note the overall yellow sunshiney-ness of this place. it made me really happy. it reminded me of a really bright ikea with better food.

on tuesday morning, mom and i took a little trip to the wicker park/damen area. it was early and we weren't that hungry yet. all we really wanted was a starbucks to get coffee and a muffin, but instead we happened upon the milk and honey cafe. my guidebook (yes, i had a guidebook like a big dork, but how else were we supposed to get around? besides, mine said "not for tourists" right on the front.) said that milk and honey was "heaven for breakfast" and they weren't kidding.
quite different from yolk the morning before, but equally inviting, their dining room was dark and cozy and autumnal with a fireplace and gourds and pumpkins everywhere.

fruit, muffins and giant lattes. this may have even beaten yolk by a little bit. and starbucks by a lot.

when i returned home, i decided it was time i started taking a little more time to enjoy breakfast. most mornings, i grab things in a rush while trying to get dressed, but sometimes i try to make time. (note: these are usually the mornings i have off.) the other day, this yum (fresh!) croissant really made my morning and made me a little reminiscent of eating fresh ones for breakfast in paris.

so, take some time for breakfast this coming weekend. it is, after all, the most important meal of the day!

renegade handmade

last weekend, i headed up to chicago for a conference for work. following the final session on sunday, my mom flew up to meet me in the windy city for a few days. neither of us had visited chicago before, but it's safe to say we're both in l-o-v-e. what a fabulous place!

one of my favorite parts of the city was the wicker park area. mom and i saw it while on the el and decided it might be worth a stop. so on the morning of our last day, we took a quick ride over for breakfast. right next door to the most fabulous breakfast place ever (more on that later) was this cute cute little handmade shop, renegade handmade. it was packed full of jewelry, books calendars, paper goods, etc. all handmade by local vendors. what a happy place!

ahhh...handmade gloriousness.

paper goodies. one of my favorites were the cute custom-made notebook dividers (on the far right with the cute frame).

in the far back of the store there was a little gallery. i started snooping and found this extremely inspiring craft room. what i wouldn't give for all this wonderful space to be creative!

naturally, handmade places inspire good ideas and a "hey, i could do that" attitude. i loved this creative eco-friendly grocery bag. it was a simple canvas tote (available practically anywhere for cheap) with a cute pig stitched on and the text stamped in permanent ink at the bottom. a far cry from the wal-mart totes i currently use. i plan on making some similar ones.

also, i can't say that i'm usually into cross stitch at all (although i did make some awesome christmas ornaments when i was in the seventh grade); but there were a number of cute little mini ones around the store. the wooden rings were spray painted in cool colors and each was stitched with sweet little woodland creatures - deer, birds, rabbits, and my personal favorite, owls. what a fun way to make something really outdated and ugly cool again!

such fun! and here's the best part - a lot of things are available for purchase on their website! it's like it's own little etsy. enjoy and more delicious chicago pics soon!

sunday edition #3

i know, i've been a terrible blogger lately. it's been a busy couple of weeks with work, business trips to chicago (!!) and then this past week, where i just couldn't seem to get caught up on sleep no matter how much i tried. i assure you, this week will be better. especially since fall is so fabulous and inspiring and since i finally have gorgeous new drapes on my windows which i can't wait to share with you.

on another note, i'm sure by this time most of you have heard of the avett brothers. i try to avoid talking about pop culture (aka: movies, television, music) on my blog since we get enough of that from basically every media outlet out there, but since the crazy talented brothers seth and scott are from concord, i figure i can give them a little blog love. their sister bonnie used to be my dance teacher and i've waited on both boys several times at the little wine bar where i used to work. clearly, we're practically best friends. so i'm sure you can imagine my excitement when i walked into starbucks the other day and their faces were staring at me on starbucks/itunes pick of the week free download card! their new single (i and love and you) is really great, too, so i would advise you to run (don't walk) to the nearest starbucks and pick up your free download today!

see you tomorrow!

i love louis

this is my new louis vuitton briefcase and it's seriously gorgeous. and here's the best part: not only is it authentic and practically brand new, but i got it second-hand for $34. (and no, i didn't leave out a number.) i found this steal at this great little antique place in town called southern comforts and apparently it used to belong to one of the owners and she was just cleaning out and trying to get rid of some stuff. i kind of wanted to be like "um, hello, do you know how much this is worth!?" but i took the deal and ran (don't tell anyone else!). it was on sale, so it did cost a little bit more at one point (but not really that much). the ladies at the shop always have fun events like "margarita mondays" and "christmas in july" where you can shop and sip (free!) cocktails (this particular purchase was made on "sangria saturday") and i love it. what's more, they know me by name in there now and it makes me feel like a VIP. and quite honestly, i don't see how i'm not with my new louis. i don't need a briefcase every day for work, but when i do i plan to use this one. this is one of my favorite purchases ever and i get really excited every time i look at it. just wanted to share the joy! (you're welcome.)

happy friday!!

it's the weekend! wheeeee!

image via thecobrasnake.com

i'm on a train - a post by lacey

tomorrow morning at 5am (5am!!) i will be boarding an amtrak headed towards union station in dc, and i am THIS excited. rebecca, one of my best friends from back in the day, moved from north carolina to maryland during our high school years and has since completed her undergrad degree at university of maryland at college park where she is now a grad student. we've only seen each other a few times since she's moved so we're making up for lost time this weekend. we've made big plans to attend the crafty bastards arts and crafts fair in the adams morgan neighborhood of dc. arts! crafts! i'm loving it already! i've cashed my checks from working at swank so i'll have plenty of moola to shell out for jewelry, pillows, art prints, random felted things, fried goodies and cups of coffee. don't worry. i'm taking my camera and lots of batteries to document everything. you can pretend you went with me.

this is rebecca. doesn't she just look fun?

until next week, lacey

image via flickr

happy day

today has been a fabulous day. aside from this gloriously crisp weather we've been having, four things have made this an exceptional wednesday:

my new jcrew catalog. every page made me giddier than the last. i love fall clothes because with them, again, comes the opportunity to layer (a look that i love). and nobody layers as well as the jcrew stylists. aside from coveting everything in here (aside from the hideous chambray shirt this model is wearing) i always get new ideas on how to be creative with the pieces i already have.

my new curtain fabric. i've been waiting to post about my house until i had some curtains up and after months (literally) of deliberating, this fabric will cover my living room windows (once they're custom-made by my awesome seamstress mom). what's more, i got the most incredible deal! the fabric was already reduced and then had an additional sale of 52% off. hello. i've been terribly indecisive about curtain selection, but i am 100% happy with this. more to come once the drapes are hanging...

free lunch at my favorite local place with my boss and delicious japanese take-out with my parents. YUM. (you can just roll me to bed tonight, thanks.)

figuring out how to hook up the bluetooth on my new smartphone and send images between my phone and my mac. it's the easiest, most fabulous thing ever. almost as fabulous as the olsens. and no, i'm not being sarcastic. i think they're so cool.

images via 1.audreyhepburncomplex.com 4.janchipchase.com 5. the lovely bones.tumblr.com

put on your party dress

i'm invited to a party tomorrow night. a really, really cool party. except the party is in new york city and i can't really just jet up there (as much as i'd like to). in case you are able to (or if you live in new york), i thought i'd share it with you.

rodney smith is celebrating the release of his new book, the end. i really like his photographs - i've used them before on my blog - but i'm somewhat unsure about the topic of this book. to quote rodney's pr people, it's about "time, god, death, feminine mystique, surrealism, ocular devices, mansions, pranks, and quakers run amok." either way, here's what he had to say about his party/book signing:

"Purchase your airline tickets now! Gas up the limousines and/or Mercedes station wagons. Secure your metro cards and Amtrak Tickets.  Because you are officially invited to my book release party Wednesday night, September thirtieth.

Theory, the clothing line, will hold the book signing at its shop in the Bloomingdales Men Store on the lower level of the fifty-ninth and Lexington Avenue store in Manhattan. 6:00 to 8:00PM.  Come buy a book.  Or not.  We can just meet and talk.  And drink. Regardless I hope you can make it."

the book itself is super expensive, and again kind of creepy, but if i had the time (and ability to just travel whenever i felt like it), this sounds like a really fun party. maybe i'll just put my party dress on and have a drink in honor of it!

image via rodney smith

i love max - a post by lacey

oh-m-gee. new favorite photographer alert. his name is max wanger, and he's just grand. at least his photography is. i don't know anything about his personality. he could hate babies for all i know.

i was browsing abby goes design scouting when i scrolled upon a photograph by mr. wanger. a beautiful photograph with a cute couple and a pink balloon. that's the moment i decided that THIS man would take my future wedding photos. or at least one because i'm pretty sure i can't afford a whole photography session with him.

start swooning...

this lovely lady from the first balloon photo is wearing a very cool outfit (i will be copying) and is the writer and blogger joanna goddard (i will be reading).

mmm...what pretty hazy colors

so happy together

loving the side flower. big fan of this although it never seems to work when i try to do it.

check out his professional site here: http://www.maxwanger.com/

and his blog here: http://www.maxwangerblog.com/

until next week, lacey

all photos by max wanger

if the shoe fits...

i'm pretty picky about shoes. but this boot is no doubt the most perfect boot i think ever. it's the perfect color, the perfect amount of shininess, the toe curvature is perfect, the heel height is perfect, the sole is perfect, all the way down to the cute little button on top, these are perfect. it's almost as if i designed for myself. and since they're from lands' end (women's medium fit riding boot), i don't have to worry about them falling apart the second time i wear them. i feel like the quality of boots i've bought (even name brand ones) has been poor lately (either that or i mistreat my footwear) so not only are they pretty, but lands' end and quality go hand-in-hand. i would wear these boots to church, to the office, out to dinner and to the farmer's market (and everywhere in between), and not be afraid to get them a little dirty. they look like the kind of boots that would look that much better with a little wear.

the only problem? they're $350. which, I might maybe even be willing to save up and pay for an amazing wear-them-every-day pair of boots, but they're a little (okay, a lot. a way lot) outside of my price range as a non-profit employee. 

but maybe you can afford them and wear them everyday and send me pictures so i can live vicariously through you? sounds good, then.

(sorry about the tiny picture - it's the best i could get - does anyone in blogland know how to use images online that only save as blank GIF files? i've tried everything in the book, but can't transfer the image correctly! go here and see the actual image!)

image via lands' end

celebrate fall!

happy first day of fall! while fall in my book starts after labor day, today it's finally official. so why don't you...
...buy a pumpkin (or eight) and put them on your front stoop, around your house, etc. they're cheap and happy. spring for it!

...wear a scarf. even if its not cold yet - layer them on for the sheer purpose of fashion. i've missed mine all spring/summer.

...buy a starbucks pumpkin spice latte (or whatever you fancy) and drink it out of a mug in the store. much happier than drinking one on the go, if you ask me.

...open the windows and enjoy the crisp air!

images: 1.weheartit.com 2-5. flickr.com

parlez-vous français?

trompe l'oeil: pronounced tromp loy-uh, translates "literally, 'trick the eye'; a rendering of objects that have spatial and tactile qualities; optical technique intended to give an illusion of reality.
"it is a technique rooted in antiquity and used by still-life artists. it was part of the greek and roman empire culture in the second century. a skilled artist is able to trick the eye and make the viewer believe that what he sees are real three-dimensional objects, just like a magician can create illusions and fool her audience...trompe l'oeil is the closest imitation of realism."

while usually an art term, trompe l'oeil can also be used in fashion and design, as seen in the top photo. the painted design above the light fixture suggests a domed ceiling, when in fact, it's just an illusion.

usage examples:

1. what an impressive use of trompe l'oeil in this painting. it looks as if i could walk right through the door into the garden.

2. i just love the trompe l'oeil look on this t-shirt. it's like i'm wearing pearls, but i don't have to actually wear them!

3. to add some pizazz to the dull architecture of her new home, sheri commissioned an artist to create some faux, albeit more interesting trompe l'oeil effects on her ceiling and walls.

this work, by american artist charles wilson peale, gives the illusion of depth, as if the painting is not two, but three dimensional.

this painting, by another american artist, william michael hartnett also suggests a three-dimensional quality. while this is just a painting, it is supposed to look as if one could simply pick up the violin from its peg, and begin playing.

images: 1.trompe-l-oeil-art.com 2.glamour.com 3.charles wilson peale "the artist in his museum" 1822, pennsylvania academy of fine arts 4.william michael hartnett "the old violin" 1886 national gallery of art, washington, d.c.; quoted text via french for le snob: adding panache to your everyday conversations by yvette reche, fall river press.

happy weekend!

pictures from the fashion show are here! i have a very exciting cd of tons of images, but the one above is one of my favorites. this ice sculpture was a surprise that was donated to us by our amazing caterer for the evening and held the most fantastic shrimp cocktail i've ever had. seriously, i could have eaten the cocktail sauce plain with a spoon. the fabulous lindsey lee shared her talent with us at the show and i'm so grateful that she captured images from this special evening for our staff to keep and remember. head over to her super awesome blog and check out a few more shots!

have a fabulous weekend!

do you really expect me to wear that? - a post by lacey

i love clothes. i love shopping. i love outfits. what i don't love: fashion spreads in magazines featuring models wearing insane and unrealistic clothes. a dress made entirely of neon yellow saran wrap? really? oh, and paired with shoes in the shape of elephants. now i get it. um, NO. do people really get excited about that? here's what i look for: magazine articles or web sites that feature REAL people in REAL clothing. i love the "street style" (my words. i don't know what it's really called.) features in lucky magazine. they set up a rack of clothing, shoes and accessories and stop ladies on the street to come up with an outfit and model it. the ideas they come up with are so creative. two women will wear the same floral skirt in two totally different ways. i love that! a web site that shares this same idea is urbanweeds.blogspot.com. each post features a man or woman who have been stopped on the street because of their duds. i'm not in love with every outfit, but it gives me great ideas for ways i can turn my old wardrobe into one that is new and creative. my fave post on urbanweeds is this cutie. i want her bike:

the thesartorialist.blogspot.com is another web site with the same idea as urbanweeds. it's a very well-known fashion blog, and while i had visited the web site before, i didn't know much about it. i decided to wikipedia (yep. used that as a verb) the person behind the blog. scott schuman started the blog in 2005 after he left his job in fashion sales (four years and running! go scott!) living in new york city and seeing creative and inspiring outfits on a daily basis, he started carrying his camera around with him and capturing the looks on film. what started as something small has now grown into a very popular web site and book. the sartorialist came out in july 2009. it looks super delicious. maybe i can afford a used paperback version? here is a fave image from his site:

ok. i pretty much think he's cute.

take some time to explore these sites (and many others with the same idea) and get inspired! and remember: just say NO to neon pink and yellow polka dot leggings.

until next week, lacey

images: 1.nymagazine.com 2.urbanweeds.blogspot.com 3.thesartorialist.blogspot.com

abstraction

people get really freaked out by abstract art. sometimes, i do, too. but as a whole, i think it's cool that some people see the world so differently than i. i think art is very personal and subjective - what is completely meaningful to me, may not be to someone else and vice-versa. when it comes to all forms of art, i try to appreciate it for the work, not the name or the price or the fancy museum/performance hall. i like weird things and i like traditional things, but mostly i like art that highlights the beauty of simplicity and nature. i think everyone has an artistic side, as art is merely a form of expression, and i think it's cool that there are so many forms of art/self expression that everyone can create and understand. 

that being said, my brother is an incredible artist. i find art and beauty in the things around me, but i'm often very intrigued at the way he sees the world. it's something that can't really be taught or learned - his perception of things is so unique, and i love that about him. that's why i'm totally pumped about this new project that he and his equally talented roommate are working on for their fifth year independent study toward their bachelor of architecture. they are exploring "the intersection of abstract art and domesticity" and have developed a way to showcase this in a gallery, centered in their apartment in charlotte, nc. there will be five installments, focusing on each of the five senses in the upcoming semester. i could try to explain their reasoning for this, but they do a much better job on their website, which i would encourage you to read. first up: experiencing sight. i have yet to see it, but they have set up this giant pegboard box thing in their living room in collaboration with artist and uncc masters student chris campbell's solo project "bisects and constructs". i'm not totally understanding how it's all going to come together yet, but usually aaron's art is abstract enough to be cool, but not so abstract i can't follow, so i'm assuming i'll understand better at their opening on friday. check out their facebook page and website and then you can be jealous that your brother isn't this creative and cool. 

and if you want to join on friday, i'd highly encourage it. here are some teaser photos below of chris constructing the exhibit. the above photo is from the outside of 9700f, looking in at the exhibition. 

finally finished!

it's friday again!

i can't believe how quickly this week has flown by! our fashion show wrapped up last night and it was a smashing success. we had quite a larger turnout than we expected and a report complete with video ran on the news last night. the food was amazing (my favorite was the bananas foster en flambee) and the models looked fantastic. there were no major problems and i'm very pleased with the way it all turned out!

that said, i also couldn't be happier that it's finished. i'm very excited about sleeping, eating meals, and being able to think straight again. i even got to sleep in a little bit this morning. otherwise, i'm returning clothes to stores today, building houses tomorrow, and then off for two glorious, work-free days! i hope your first weekend of the fall is fabulous and regular blogging will begin again next week. happy weekend!

(p.s. how much do you love this photo of kate bosworth? i'm not usually down for mono-chromatic rooms, but this one is seriously cool and i love love the art over the bed!)

image via thingsthatexciteme.tumblr.com

happy (long!) weekend!

so sorry for the lousy lack of posting this week. i've been so busy with getting our fashion show planned, i haven't had much time for anything else. i am fairly certain i am not cut out for sixty-hour work weeks and i'm thankful they don't come too often!

that said, i am so incredibly jazzed to be packing up the car this afternoon and heading to the beach this weekend with lacey and sarah! we'll be kissing summer goodbye with margaritas and sand between our toes!

have a wonderful long labor day weekend and enjoy the last few days of summer! 

see you tuesday! 

image via lionshutter.tumblr.com