Saturday, October 12, 2013

inspiration: cold comfort farm

Last Saturday night Harry went to a bachelor party and I stayed home with a bottle of wine, 2 dogs, and Cold Comfort Farm. I wouldn't exactly say it's a cinematic masterpiece, but oh my lord, THE CLOTHES. It's set in the 1930s (which I've decided is my new favorite stylistic era, despite the fact that the clothes aren't as well suited to my frame as those from the '50s-early '60s), and follows sophisticated young Londonite Flora Poste(don't you just love that name?) as she moves in with and attempts to restore harmony to her wild and wacky rural relatives. Whew, what a sentence!

Despite living in the middle of nowhere with a group of people who never seem to bathe, Flora always looks immaculate, even more so in her everyday outfits than fancy party getups. I love the casual hats and slim knits, as well as our heroine's make-do-and-mend attitude.

 
Stills from the film are not that easy to find, so if you're in the mood for more '30s inspiration, I suggest watching the movie instantly on Netflix!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

 

blouse- Alloy
wedges- Urban Outfitters
 
this outfit contains no vintage or thrifted items, which I try not to do, but it just happens sometimes. what're ya gonna do, you know? this skirt was one of the best purchases I've made in ages. I've had it about two years now and I still wear it once every few weeks! coming from someone with 100 dresses, that's saying a lot. 
i'm so pale that you can't even see my the t-straps on my wedges here! sunshine sunshine go away, I am pale and wanna stay that way!
 
ok, sorry for the limerick (not really sorry!). here are some requisite pet photos from the past week.

 Betsy in the sun
 pretty little Dolly enjoying her freedom now that her heartworms are gone!
 sexy Johnny cat, lounging
 chipmunk Betsy
gorgeous dog models Sadie and Posey, aka my little sisters


Friday, July 5, 2013

americanarama


 
on Tuesday night we scored some free tickets to see Bob Dylan, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket at the baseball stadium downtown. the sound was a bit lacking and it was hard to hear over the thousands of other people but the night was beautiful and there were soft pretzels and veggie hot dogs at the stadium, so all in all a good night!!!
I spent most of the fourth in a swimsuit playing ping pong and eating chips and dip, but today we went to my uncle's house for even more celebration. my uncle and cousin work on 60s and 70s Mustangs and I got to take a picture with this beauty. I was caught by surprise here, that look is NOT intentional. ugh lord. on the other hand, I am really enjoying focusing on the little things and trying to take more pictures of daily life. I LOVE picasa, especially the 1960s filter!


dress- vintage
belt- vintage
flats- Modcloth
I am a big fan of dressing up festively for pretty much every holiday and the 4th is no exception! I bought this dress in high school on an Etsy forerunner that I can't remember the name of now. I planned to wear it to the prom but I didn't go (too cool for school over here). glad my style hasn't changed in eight years!




Tuesday, July 2, 2013

ice cream social


 
dress- vintage
sandals- Urban Outfitters
 
well, that first photo pretty much sums it up. I've been wanting to return to outfit photos for a very long time now, but my pride and keen sense of embarrassment kept getting in the way. taking photos of yourself seems excruciatingly vain, but it is actually quite humbling to realize the big difference between how you think you look and how you actually look when photographed. anyway, I'm trying to be far less self-conscious and just DO THIS THING. my wardrobe has recently been subjected to a massive purge and it's kind of interesting(to me, at least) to see what has passed the test and remains in my closet(for now!). this dress is very girlish, summery, and sweet. I feel like I should be going to an ice cream social! (do those still exist? they should).
but since my life really does not revolve around clothes by any stretch of the imagination, I'm going to keep sharing photos of everyday things I think are worth noticing. at the very least it will be a great scrapbook for me to look back on in years to come.
here's to better skills at self-portraits. cheers!

my first fondant cake! wish fondant tasted as wonderful as it looks.
 
sneaky molly cat
 
sweet Dolly! feeling much better now that her heartworm treatment is nearly over.


Thursday, June 27, 2013

an assortment of photos I found when I bought a new camera cable!
Harry looking adorable while at the pumpkin patch last Halloween

chocolate pound cake

pumpkin donut muffins

all my boys

hanging out with some gingers at Starry Nights the night that Harry proposed

macarons, a Christmas gift from Elizabeth

a vintage FELIX BATHING TISSUE HOLDER that now lives in our bathroom

peeps cupcakes I made for easter

little Dolly, our newest family member
Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

novel inspiration: Rebecca

I recently finished reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Before that I'd been on a mostly non-fiction streak, and this was just what I needed to dive back into fiction. This is one of the most evocative, sensory books I've ever read. du Maurier is a master at capturing scents, flowers, landscapes, and mood. I haven't yet watched the Hitchcock film version, as I'm a little wary of the altered ending and the fact that Maxim de Winter is not Cary Grant(as he was in my head!). However, I'm sure I'll give in soon because it has gotten me dreaming of lonely English manors and everyday(albeit aristocratic) '30s style.
 




 
all images can also be found on my pinterest


Sunday, March 31, 2013

beyond the veil

"Has anyone you've known ever died?"
"Yes," said Luna simply, "my mother."
..."I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.
"Yes, it was rather horrible," said Luna conversationally. "I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I've still got dad. And anyway, it's not as though I'll never see mum again, is it?"
"Er--isn't it?" said Harry uncertainly.
She shook her head in disbelief. "Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you?"
"You mean..."
"In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that's all. You heard them."
They looked at each other. Luna was smiling slightly. Harry did not know what to say, or to think. Luna believed so many extraordinary things...yet he had been sure he had heard voices behind the veil too...

     -- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


 
on March 22nd i had to face the most difficult thing i've ever dealt with so far in my life. my beautiful baby dog, the love and light of my life, equal parts child, friend, and protector, died in my arms. less than three weeks before we had gone to the vet for a routine teeth cleaning when they discovered her B.U.N. and creatinine levels were at dangerously high numbers, despite showing no symptoms. charlotte immediately went into aggressive treatment to save her failing kidneys. she was doped up to calm her anxiety at being at the vet without me and had an IV and catheter in. it was a pitiful sight. after five days, the vet informed me that she wasn't responding to the treatment, was getting worse, and had little time left. i am fortunate enough to have a job that let me call in to say i couldn't come in until either the angel of hope or the angel of death swooped down on us. i spent every second of the last week and half of her life with her, cuddling with her on the bed and trying to hand feed her every type of food under the sun. nothing worked. she was getting weaker and weaker until that friday, when blood started pouring out of her nose and the vet said it was time. i made a clay mold of her paw print and told her how much i loved her and what a good person she made me every day. she died a few hours later on our bed, her head in my lap, surrounded by the people she loved the most and johnny cat, her sweetest sibling. my dad built her a beautiful coffin, and he and harry dug her grave in my parents' backyard. i buried her with her favorite toy and blanket, and my most cherished childhood stuffed animal. she was only seven years old.
the last week and a half have been part daze, part nightmare. i feel a constant sense of anxiety, like i've let her outside and forgotten to let her in, or that i need to remember to feed her, to give her heartworm medicine, to take her on a walk. the absence of her 70 pounds on the bed has kept me up until at least 3 am every night. i realize that i am incredibly lucky: i still have harry, my cats, a sweet stepdog, an understanding family, and awesome friends. but i feel like my purest source of happiness and the greatest love i've ever given and received is gone. the core of my identity and a very large piece of my heart feel totally shattered. i dread the day when her little orange hairs, still currently stuck to pretty much everything in our house (even one between the keys on my keyboard as i type), can't be found anywhere.
but the strange thing about growing up catholic, even if you haven't practiced in years, is that your mind is always open to the mysterious and the mystical. you are taught so many extraordinary things as fact that as you grow older you don't tend to scoff at unrelated things other people find extraordinary. or at least this is the case for me. i've never spent a great deal of time wondering about death or the afterlife but it certainly is prominent in my mind now. after living with this beautiful creature for five years, i know that she had a soul. and that her soul was not wholly dependent on the body it resided in, no matter how cute and cuddly that body was. i think most people who have watched a loved one actually die probably feel the same. so even though i miss that furry shell more than i can ever express, i know that the best part of her is lurking just out of sight.
see you beyond the veil, sweet charlotte.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

 
the local memphis paper wrote an article about harry and me for valentine's day. i had a fever the day we took all the photos but it looks like the fevered flush worked out okay for me, haha.
hope you had a great, sugar-filled day!!!


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

sweet hearts

i thought since valentine's day is only a few days away i'd share some of my favorite sweet items featuring hearts! hearts are one of my favorite print motifs, along with strawberries, polka dots, and sparrows. i'm just cheesy that way! now isn't this making my etsy addiction productive?!
 
perfect for a valentine's breakfast in bed
these adorable soaps are really making me wish we had a guest bathroom!

the sweetest coin purse, or the world's tiniest clutch
because a baker can never have enough aprons, especially when they look like this!

the cutest, most demure v-day undies
everyone at our wedding will be sipping their whiskey with these!
 
enjoy!
<3
(i couldn't resist!)
 


 

Saturday, January 26, 2013

building a zoo

new york
 
california
 
india
 
 
the dog bark park inn, idaho
 
if you know me, you'll know i love kitschy things, particularly involving animals and food (doesn't everyone?). lately, i've also gotten really into searching out oddball roadside americana, and nowhere tops my list of desired places to visit more than idaho's own dog bark park inn. you can stay with your giant dog, in a giant dog, surrounded by dog decor. goodness gracious. i couldn't have come up with something better if i'd designed it myself!