:: michigan mittens ::

i just had an idea. make mittens with a map of michigan on them. i googled it - already exists. but just because someone else had the idea (and follow-through) first, doesn't mean i didn't have a great idea! mine were much more thought out and definitely cuter, anyway.

michiganmittens.com

:: i love lamp ::

squintlimited.com

:: fifty fifty ::

she is one of my favorite people. she is creative, clever and cooler than she thinks. she likes a lot of what i like. she sends me great links and enjoys the few i send her that she hasn't already seen. we've seen each other in person a grand total of 5 or 6 times in our approximately 5 year friendship, yet i talk to her more than most people i see on a weekly (if not daily) basis. we work together, we type together, we laugh together - we have probably even cried together.

she is averagely envoweled, but far from average. (me? i'm fifty fifty.)

she has a blog. and i like it.

she recently designed and made these MERRY CHRISTMAS / HAPPY HANUKKAH (check one or the other) cards, which i love.

averagelyenvoweled.blogspot.com

:: fingerprints on your heart & hand ::

this is absolutely the coolest idea for a wedding band i have ever seen. visually (outwardly) simple & understated, but what a neat symbolic connection underneath it all - wearing the most unique & identifiable feature of the one you love.

fabuluster.etsy.com

:: breath to fashion ::

i could try to put this in my own words, but i feel that they would only fall short. so i will borrow hers. and accessorize with my own.



I lived in the south of France for a longtime. The weather was beautiful. I was young. I was in love. I had a scooter, amazing friends, and all was well. I tore through tons of magazines. I loved fashion, but it still felt a bit far.

But I gotta add, the simple fact that I would walk around in heels in the middle of the day would make people turn and look. Suddenly the boys felt it was ok to whistle at me. That’ll turn you off a little. So I learned to dress myself relatively simply, just to avoid the hassle. I still felt like one of the best dressed girls on the street, and I was always looking for stylish friends, exciting boutiques, and inspiring women.

The day I first arrived in Paris was a true shock. I had been plenty of times before… but to live there, it’s a totally different thing. Suddenly, me, who was relatively at ease with my own style, I felt like I got my thought of “one of the best dressed girls on the street” shoved back down my throat. Good lesson.

I met impeccably stylish girls who were relaxed, cool, unique. Girls with the most amazing looks. The most resourceful girls who could find YSL at Zara prices. Super feminine girls that never asked for a second, “What’ll they think of me?”

For the first few months, I felt like a rough draft of a woman. But when you love fashion, you learn quick.

And today, it seems only natural for me to leave my house in 5 inch heels or in a bustier in the middle of the day, or even a shirt disguised as a dress, and yet none of it even raises the eyebrow of my newspaper guy on the street and so I wonder…

Has anything really changed? What gives breath to fashion when you live far from the fashion capitals of the world?

substitute paris for new york. and just visiting did the trick. it used to even be atlanta, though it seems that complacent and easy fashion has now taken root down there as here. either way, i know the feeling: "But I gotta add, the simple fact that I would walk around in heels in the middle of the day would make people turn and look. Suddenly the boys felt it was ok to whistle at me. That’ll turn you off a little. So I learned to dress myself relatively simply, just to avoid the hassle."

after my recent trips to the fashionable apple, i'm starting to return to the days when it seemed "only natural for me to leave my house in 5 inch heels or in a bustier in the middle of the day, or even a shirt disguised as a dress" but i'm still getting the raised eyebrows (a dress? what's the occasion?) and, more significantly, still not comfortable with that. but i'm on what is probably the 2nd draft - not rough or final - and as Garance says, "when you love fashion, you learn quick."



what gives breath to fashion when you live far from the fashion capitals of the world?

inspiration & aspiration

courage & confidence


humor & creativity


trial & error (or success)

garancedore.fr/en

:: le ballon rouge ::

i was probably in 5th grade. maybe 3rd or 4th, but no later than 5th. it was a wednesday night. (right now i feel like that woman oprah had on who could tell you the day if you told her a date or she could give you the date of specific, even insignificant, events in her life.) i don't recall what we normally did at church on those wednesday nights that year, but i do know that this night strayed from the norm. we moved into a different room - the one where the elders (or was it the deacons? i always get those confused) met. across from what is now the ladies room. and we watched the red balloon.

and i loved it.

it was years before i developed a love for france. years before i had the chance to go, to walk through those very same streets that pascal and his helium filled friend explored. in fact, when i first traveled to france in 1995 i felt a sense of deja vu in one particular area. i didn't think much of it then, but years later came to realize why. in my youth, in a darkened room where the elders (or deacons) met, i had wandered through those streets. i knew those streets. i've never forgotten that short film and i don't think i've seen it since that night.

but i love it. and this image looks like a memory to me.

irenesuchocki.etsy.com

:: hello, yellow ::

photosmashing.blogspot.com

:: might turn you on ::

sixhours.net

i can boldy think that i don't want to fear. but i'm silent. i boldy live, but i do not always boldly speak. i cower behind a veil of timidity and "space." under the guise of not interfering. my fear wears many excuses, but it's still fear. God, enable me - motivate me - to speak your word...boldly.

i've made the most of love
you get a brand new chance in a brand new town
and if I don't hear what they whisper about me
i might turn you on to something i've found

silence. priceless. silence.
the only way we talk.

from "houdini's angels" by 7 mary 3

:: lifting up a dreamer ::

5 years ago this week i was in california, on tour with REM. it was a dream (that i've never even thought to dream) come true. it was the perfect introduction to california - los angeles, santa barbara, berkeley and irvine. the weather was amazing in each city. (a little cold for my liking near the bay, but it complemented the overall experience.) the company was entertaining (in so many ways) and our talented southern hosts were hospitable and incredible.

there is a certain kind of night that takes me back to the rock-lined bowl in the hills of santa barbara. the night that it all hit me. the night that i took in my fortune, the music, the lights and the weight of it all like never before. we were on the eve of an election. the message was clear. the response was mixed. the inspiration heavy and i carried it with me. 5 years later, on certain special nights, i still carry it with me.


i'm loving the following pieces by alvin diec. cheerful, but not frilly. clean. uncluttered. quirky. there's a "retro" vibe about them. well, except for the fact that they echo the oh-so-current fail whale.

alvindiec.com

"lifting up a dreamer" (the fail whale) by yiying lu
yiyinglu.com

:: for my mom, obviously. but for my dad, mostly ::

lyrics to the entire song:
pray God you can cope
i'll stand outside
this woman's work
this woman's world
ooh, it's hard on the man
now his part is over
now starts the craft
of the Father

i know you've got a little life in you yet
i know you've got a lot of strength left
i know you've got a little life in you yet
i know you've got a lot of strength left

i should be crying but i just can't let it show
i should be hoping but i can't stop thinking
of all the things we should've said that i never said
and all the things we should've done that we never did
all the things we should have given but i didn't
oh, darling, make it go
make it go away

give me these moments
give them back to me
give me that little kiss
give me your

i know you've got a little life in you yet
give me your hand, babe
i know you've got a lot of strength left
give me that pretty hand
i know you've got a little life in you yet
ooh, show me you understand
i know you've got a lot of strength left
my loved child
i know you've got a little life in you yet
whatever you need
i know you've got a lot of strength left
give me your hand
i know you've got a little life in you yet
give me your hand
i know you've got a lot of strength left

i should be crying but i just can't let it go
i should be hoping but i can't stop thinking
of all the things we should've said that i never said
all the things we should've done that we never did
all the things that you wanted from me
all the things that you needed from me
all the things i should've given but i didn't
oh, darling, make it go
make it go away
just make it go away

"this woman's work" by kate bush (sung by maxwell)

:: my favorite single ladies.es ::

:: for the tarzan in you ::

i love this idea (via Once Wed) for a wedding, child's room, play room, garden party, cook out...just about anything that could use a playful & pretty addition!

rifledesigns.com & oncewed.com

:: mine, too ::

postsecrets.com & postsecrets.blogspot.com

:: truth calling ::

my sister (of kelley smith style) sent me a link to art & light's blog today and it didn't take me long to know why. this little gray & yellow number is calling my name! and if i knew someone in greece, i would certainly recommend the blue & white one to the right.

wingodesigns.com & wingodesigns.blogspot.com

:: whether the weather ::

last night i was watching pursuit of happyness and noticed, in the section called "running" that i was very uncomfortable. i couldn't get past the fact that it was 80something degrees outside (here) and will smith was running around the city (not this city, on that day, mind you) in a full pantsuit and wasn't sweating. for all i know it was 50 degrees while he was running about and he was quite comfortable.

today - on this chilly and overcast day (yes, we've had a major temperature switch!) - i look at the following ella blue picture and i think how cold these little girls must be in their flowing sundresses and how icy that water must feel (despite the fact that the temperature was in the mid-high 70s in washington, where/when this picture was taken). i bet if i'd seen this yesterday, on such a hot august day, i'd be envious of that cool breeze blowing in from the water, wishing i could be on one of those boats.

[unfortunately, the ella blue studio is down and the photo is no longer available.]

:: une fille comme moi ::

yay to finding another new potentally favorite blog! thanks to the Sartorialist for pointing me in the direction of Garance Dore where i was greeted by this picture, which illustrates what i want to look like and feel like and how i want to appear every day. (not in a literal translation - i'm not a big fan of shorts and my thighs are entirely too wide (relative to the rest of me) to wear rolled denim shorty shorts and i think that summer scarves are, while a lovely looking accessory, utterly absurd.)

but the feeling, here. the feeling, the style, the look. that's what i want. always a lover of white t-shirts, i like the rolled sleeves echoing the rolled cuffs. and the long wavy hair and the crossbody bag. i positively adore denim, white, brown and gray together! i would turn the shorts into jeans, change the scarf into some other gray something, and add navy blue (a wrap perhaps, because i always need a hoody or sweater). easy enough, right? but i wouldn't feel like i looked like this. and that's what i want.

:: graffiti the world ::

"graffiti the land with skyscrapers. graffiti the sky with airplanes and satellites. graffiti the minds of children with your man-made laws. graffiti the world, I saw the writing on the wall." [from graffiti the world by rehab]

i almost want to re-learn how to knit so that i can take part in the clever revolution (cleverlution?) known as YARNBOMBING. hilarious. creative. beautiful (perhaps more in concept & purpose than execution). tacky. awesome.

maskerade.blogsome.com

:: when turtles fly ::

i want one of these

which makes me think of these

click images to purchase or see videos

:: thinking (of) pink ::

one of my favorite bloggers has been diagnosed with lyme disease and has had to cut waaay back on her fantastic design & craft projects. it's been a long time since pink has consistently posted on her blogs but with this news, it seems the posts will be even more infrequent and that just makes me sad.

her stories are hilarious. her writing is funny & succinct. her eye for cute vintage goodies is great. and her love for all things pink is incomparable!

casapinka and pink mohair were 2 of the first sites i started regularly checking and they're still on my "must check" list each time i go blog reading.

some pink highlights
stories:
prepared.
houston, we have a tampon, er, problem.
diaper down.
placido crush.

projects/pictures:

casapinka.typepad.com

:: imitative marketing ::

i was at walmart the other night and noticed that the great value ice cream cartons stood out from the black breyerses and the yellow mayfields more than usual. as i moved along and noticed that the great value magic eraser boxes looked a little more generic than mr clean's (yes, it is generic, but it LOOKED generic) and the granola bar boxes were more noticeable than i remembered them being.

and then it hit me - walmart is copying publix

and i like it.

while i don't think walmart's new packaging is as attractive as publix brand's (it looks like an incomplete thought), the general design concept is there - plain white background with a color image of the product, usually off center to the brand's name. i could go on with my assessment of the new look, but this blog i found when searching for images really sums it up, so why be redundant? though normally a lover of sans serif - of the less vs the more - in this case i agree that in the logo branding alone a little more sh/c ould have been done.


and while i'm at it - also from under consideration's 'brand new' - i love the use of windows in this packaging. very cute & clever.

:: which wood i do ::

inspiration for my guest bedroom wall.

i had initially envisioned gray white washed beams, but after seeing these photos from the talented Kyle Hale, i'm thinking re-purposed shipping pallets and an old painted window.

kylehale.net & kcandsara.blogspot.com

check out more of the wedding pics from KC and Sara's blog. what a terrifically creative idea to frame an outdoor wedding and make it feel more intimate than wide open.

love.

:: handsome smile wearing handsome shoes ::

there will remain a part of you.

:: simply attractive ::

i love the design of publix brand products. crisp & clean. there's something so retro in the simplicity.

a stark image on a white background with a bold strip of color to set apart different things in a particular category. that's it. purely eye-catching.

imagine if all brands used publix's design technique - if the entire store was filled with items like these - it'd be such a visually relaxing and peaceful place. (and yes, perhaps boring & totally impractical. but sometimes i welcome boredom in this day of "signs, signs, everywhere are signs.")

:: this guy ::

this guy has very round nostrils.

:: the making of a gentleman ::

only God can make a gentleman (according to King James), but style like this certainly lends to that creation!

thesartorialist.blogspot.com

if i were an older man, i believe this is how i would like to dress. and sit.

:: the color of truth ::

"the color of truth is gray." - andre gide

i remember when i fell in love with gray. it was 1995 and i was in the greenville mall parking lot, just outside montgomery ward. i wore a silvery gray top with my favorite jeans and brown not-quite-combat boots.

years (and two silver cars) later i painted my bedroom the most perfect shade of gray and decided that nothing - and i meant nothing - would be displayed in the room unless it was a shade of gray (silver included), green or brown. i even kept my alarm clock hidden until i was able to find a silver one with green digital numbers (but, admittedly, a black screen). obsessive? perhaps. inconvenient? most definitely. that room's decor was never completed, and i've yet to let go of the idea that i can decorate my bedroom with such strict color limitations. (currently, i'm aiming for chocolate brown, gray and white. only.)

in painting my first home i have found a new perfect gray (olympic "quill"). i still drive a silver car. and now i have a pretty big crush on yellow & gray. the serene with the perky. the masculine with the feminine. the light (or a dark, rich charcoal will do) with the bright.

ohmydeerhandmades.blogspot.com :: tecpetaja.blogspot.com

much, much more to come on these two amazingly talented people, i'm sure. i came across Oh My Deer today and was immediately hooked! like a good book, i don't want to reach the end (or beginning) of the blog. it's just that good.

:: lorum ipsum ::

i want to have a post here so i can work on (and hopefully finish) the first look of the Long, Long Swing. i was going to snag an entry from my previous (myspace) blog, but figured that i'd go ahead and just "scribble" something down here. it's been so long since i've written (typed) and i really miss it. 140 characters just isn't enough sometimes. well, really, i've found that it IS enough, i guess i'm just being lazy and/or selfish in wanting more space than facebook status updates allow.

since this blog will be a showcase of things i love, things that inspire, things that i make or you make or someone makes, i'll make a list of the current sites that i'll likely be getting my inspiration and things from for any of you who happen to see this before i really get started.

ikeahacker.blogspot.com
thesartorialist.blogspot.com
knackstudios.blogspot.com
lilypottery.blogspot.com
casapinka.typepad.com
pinkmohair.typepad.com

and the newest: vintagesimple.blogspot.com


i always, ALWAYS type "blogpost" first.