Two Blue Peonies

2012-02-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

This little story of a tiny village in Spain winning the lottery reminds me of the movie Waking Ned Devine. Isn't it lovely that such happy stories happen in real life? And notice what the townspeople are doing with the money--and not doing!

This stuff keeps dreamers dreaming.

2012-01-31T20:31:00.000-08:00

The Politics of Dignity.

Humiliation is the single most underestimated force in politics. People will absorb hardship, hunger and pain. They will be grateful for jobs, cars and benefits. But if you force people to live indefinitely inside a rigged game that is flaunted in their face or make them feel like cattle that can be passed by one leader to his son or one politician to another, eventually they’ll explode.

Thomas Friedman has inspired me to post again. That man often shares such interesting thoughts. This one doesn't only apply to politics--I've been noticing this principle of human dignity a lot lately in the workplace. Without it, the same results: burnout, dissatisfaction, stagnation, lack of creativity.

2011-10-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

There's so much encouragement out there to be on top of the new trend and the new technology--to embrace social media and allow it to transform your business, your life.

Is there potential in going the opposite direction as well? Can you make a business work without email blasts and facebook fan pages and twitter updates? I'm curious. Most of the design blogs and new business tutorials suggest that you cannot.

I don't want to be abreast all the new technological advancements, and I don't want to be a victim of the trends. It's too much pressure. It requires hours, even days of time to be spent researching and then purchasing and then over-communicating. And then the next day, the same all over again because it's always evolving. Where is the time to feel and think and create?

I keep thinking about something Ann Voscamp said at our spiritual retreat last week:

creative space comes from quiet space.

I love that.

It's probably a bit ironic that I'm posting this on a blog. I guess technology has its place.

Interesting related read: Waldorf School in Silicon Valley, where learning takes place without computers (shocking!)

2011-10-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

More greatness from Thomas Friedman on the economy:

Neither party is saying: Here is the world we are living in; here are the big trends; here is our long-term plan for rolling up our sleeves to ensure that America thrives in this world because it is not going to come easy; nothing important ever does.

Sometimes the news is in the noise, like the Wall Street protests or the Tea Party. But sometimes the news is also in the silence. To me, the biggest protest in the country today is that when the Tea Party insanely blocked any G.O.P. participation in a Grand Bargain that involved taxes, most Americans were silent. Why? Because they didn’t think Obama was offering a big plan from his side, either — one that rose to the true scale of our problems and aspirations, one that would push us out of our comfort zone and make us great.

Read more here.

2011-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

I was troweling through the old family photo archives a few weeks ago, and found this treasure.

This is little Rachel. Check out the modest shorts, the bowl haircut (nb: this was her own choice), the SAVE THE EARTH tee, the large granny glasses (hello, stylish) and of course the Grand Champion banana bread.

Funny story: that banana bread recipe won grand champion at the county fair every time one of us kids made it. After we had each won once (and collected our $13), Mom said we couldn't submit it anymore. It was a blow to our yearly allowance of Harvey County Fair earnings.

2011-10-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Great opinion post on Junk Food vs REAL Food. Read it, if you haven't already, and then get cooking!

Taking the long route to putting food on the table may not be easy, but for almost all Americans it remains a choice, and if you can drive to McDonald’s you can drive to Safeway. It’s cooking that’s the real challenge. (The real challenge is not “I’m too busy to cook.” In 2010 the average American, regardless of weekly earnings, watched no less than an hour and a half of television per day. The time is there.)

Read here.

2011-09-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

NPR is streaming Wilco's new album here.

h a p p y f a l l

2011-09-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Greenland & Iceland.

This is where I want to go. Just to visit.

Isn't it beautiful? Almost other-worldly.

It'd be a lonely place to live, though.

Seen here. Photos by Lottie Davies.

2011-09-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Fall!

And that means a few things...

Wilco, on repeat.
Tennis tonight.
Windows open.
and next week... Winfield!

Also, more snowmen Photoshop paintings for Christmas boxed cards.

2011-08-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Every year at work, as Christmas approaches, I am sent off on a search for the perfect "Wreath on Door" photo. It's the task equivalent to climbing Mt. Doom (I happened to catch a few scenes of LOTR this weekend; forgive the reference).

Why is it so difficult for photographers to capture this shot? It doesn't require anything special--just a pretty red door and a normal evergreen wreath with berries and a bow. Are they not aware of the high demand?

Let's look at some examples:

Hungry, oversized wreath Eats door

Dollar General on a budget

Everglades in England

I could go on, but your eyes probably hurt.

2011-08-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

Fascinating article (NYT) about a woman who sews all her own clothing. The "slow clothes" movement, she call it. Unfortunately, sewing clothing is a bit more complicated than cooking your own food--but I can tell you from my limited experience that the rewards are tenfold.

How little we know about where our clothing comes from and who makes it!

2011-06-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

Most days, this blog is about consumption. New fashion, color trends, and things I want.

This really isn't representative of how I live my life. I believe in simple living--well, simplified living--and I try to practice it whenever I can, but I've noticed that sometimes the simple voice is drowned out by the loud clamor of advertising, comparing my life to my neighbors' (I mean that in the general sense if you girls are reading this blog :), and by my own "standards of living." My little brother is good at simplification, and making strides to become better. A few weeks ago, he posted some decisions he's made toward living a less consumer-oriented life, and it has inspired me to make a few changes myself. Here is my plan:

1. Walk to the grocery store.
2. Air-dry clothes as much as possible (difficult with city ordinances against clotheslines).
3. Grow my own vegetables, fruits and herbs as much as possible, and make every effort to preserve the excess I can find now in season on the farm.
4. Drop the gym membership and get up early to run in the cooler air.
5. Use linen napkins, cloth rags, and handkerchiefs.
6. Cut back on trash--especially nonburnable and plastic trash. Consider not purchasing things that come in containers that cannot be recycled or burned, such as yogurts, sour creams, cheeses. A great opportunity to make my own, right?
7. Make my own: laundry detergent and shampoo so far, but more possibilities include cleaning supplies and facial products if I'm brave enough.

This is a start at least--I have to admit that I've put off writing this post for several weeks because I wanted to test some things and see if they would work, or if they'd be too much trouble.

Finally, the extreme heat this summer has pushed me to action. When it's 105 outside and the air conditioner is running constantly--even set so that the inside of the house is a bit warm as it is--I can't help by be frustrated by the amount of energy and water I am using. Even more frustrating is going to work and freezing all day because of the air conditioning. What a waste. I have to make a difference where I can; I guess it's as much about consuming less as it is about taking care of the earth God created for us.

And since it's summer and we're talking about God's good creation, we should have a picture of Rocky Mtn National Park.

2011-06-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

covert kitties.

Beatrice should be featured on here. Although she'd be more of an 'overt' kitty.

(she has an unfortunate habit of staring)

2011-06-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Gucci love #1: color-blocking with an excellent palette.

Gucci love #2: pant silhouette.

Gucci love #3: wild floral with feminine dress shape.

source

2011-06-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Gold gilt mirrors are a bit controversial perhaps, but I like them. They add a touch of Marie Antoinette-era whimsy to an otherwise down-to-earth room, and they reflect warm light to create golden atmosphere. I picked one up in the little Newton flea market this April, and I do believe it has transformed my living room.

The Selby

2011-06-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

In a world where so many people now have access to education and cheap tools of innovation, innovation that happens from the bottom up tends to be chaotic but smart. Innovation that happens from the top down tends to be orderly but dumb.

“Carlson’s Law,” by Curtis Carlson, the C.E.O. of SRI International, Silicon Valley
read here

2011-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

I wish my summer looked like this.

2011-05-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Getting psyched up for summer here and here.

It's supposed to be hot here this week.

2011-05-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

"Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot.
In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken away from you."
-Oscar Wilde

I'm still working on finding the value of my soul riches,
but sometimes it seems that a few ordinary riches wouldn't hurt either.

-Kate Spade May collection

2011-05-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Great ad campaign by Goodby, Silverstein and Partners for the WTA.

via

2011-05-09T10:55:00.001-07:00

Would it be bad if I started a registry for myself and gave it out to various friends/relatives around my birthday and Christmas? Cause I really want a full set of these--maybe four of each design in white....

Thanks Rach for sending me the link!

2011-05-05T19:42:00.001-07:00

I hope Alisa won't mind if I post one of her facebook pics--Arkansas was so beautiful tonight. The air was almost chilly, the critters were prowling and the insects chirping. It didn't really feel like the south...

...and to some of us, that's a good thing.
:P

2011-04-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter from The Bluth Company.

via their tumblr.

2011-04-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

you wearing socks with your heels yet? sparkle-socks?

via

2011-03-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Life has been rushing by at record speed, with little or no time for blogging. But that's okay--blogging's just a silly past-time for me anyway. One of these days I'll share some of the big projects I've got underway, but until then posting will be sparse.

I've always wanted to do that--say that I have a big project and can't share right now, but will in the future? Heh. Big stuff in the works, ya'll.

coolest etsy prints ever from here.

2011-03-04T08:15:00.001-08:00

Are physical address books a waste of paper these days? I know that my old one from high school days is full of scribbled out, dated addresses--people just move so much when they're young. When we went through my Grandpa's things this fall, I found the address book that he had kept for a long, long time. It was a diary of sorts, little notes here and there about the people he cared about and kept in touch with or the business connections he maintained. I'd like to have one of those too.

Anyway, I've been looking for the right book for a long time and this might be it. Only maybe it's too small? I kinda want it to be diary-sized and not too thin. I've got lots of addresses to fit in there.

2011-03-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Click the image to view this a bit larger, or the original link.

I love this map. It makes fashion make sense. Where do you lie?

I am the top right corner, hanging out in Relaxed Opulence with Ralph Lauren, Derek Lam, and my consistent fave, Michael Kors. Well, in my dreams....

2011-02-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

"Is there an American Style? Do any core sartorial values run like shared DNA in the bloodstream of cowgirls and corps de ballet dancers, of Silicon Valley CFOs and Bronx stylistas straphanging home from law school on the B train?

Absolutely. This is a nation founded by pilgrims and pioneers--and just as our common history of hard-knock self-determination lives on in that famous American individualism, so it lives on in our wardrobes.

Practicality and comfort are dear to our heart... Clean lines, stripped of silliness, always sell.

This is the land of the free. We never stop moving--ever-forward, westward ho!--and demand to be able to really move in our clothes. This is the home of the brave. Trends come and go, but sportiness trumps snobbery in the end."

I read this in Vogue this evening. I came to the same conclusion while I was in China this summer. There is such a thing as American style; defined, it is casual elegance. Simplicity. Natural fabrics. Classic shapes and heritage brands. There are times when I envy the French their femininity, the British their edginess, the Hong Kong cuteness--but I like American style best of all when it comes down to it. You too?

2011-02-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

ha!!

Hooray for the Weekend!

2011-02-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of the runway, but when I came across this image from Max Azria's fall2011 collection, I had to laugh. This chick looks like she stole my dad's chore coveralls.

I'm gonna guess that this look would make the man repeller list....

2011-02-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

Gratuitous cat photo.

You're welcome.

2011-02-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

WANNNTTTTTT!

2011-02-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading All the Pretty Horses.

It's a raw picture of Mexico in the early twentieth century. It makes my life seem so easy, so safe. Highly recommended reading.

Somewhat related: images from old Backpacker magazine, on Miss Moss

2011-02-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Listen. Read. Eat. Snuggle under a blanket and paint some pretty valentines.

Stay warm, everyone! It's a snowday here.

2011-01-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

Major hair inspiration. Gotta look at this every time I feel like chopping my hair off again. This is totally my hair texture too, it would be a breeze to style. Rock on.

Happy Monday everyone.

image from Rodarte SS11

2011-01-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

Painted my nails over the lunch hour in My Private Jet, for the first time since oh, 7th grade.

Probably just a reaction to working on Walmart's Christmas boxed cards for about the 5th month in a row. Rebel me, huh.

***

2011-01-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

I can't get over how incredible this fireplace is--that dark wood with the exposed brick and the white, white walls. I think what makes it so striking (and the rest of the house as well) is all the contrast between the white walls and the heavy wood trim. It's lovely and actually quite classic.

I'm a little sad to see the neutral trend dissipate along with the great recession. I really like it. Great style and great design transcend trends though, and I think I'll hold onto the neutrals in my own house.

via

2011-01-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

And by the way, Kate Spade e-valentines are up again this year. These are the best ever, people.

Will someone pleeeease send one to me?

2011-01-21T12:03:00.001-08:00

I've been researching for work today, and have found the motherlode of childrens valentines.

What is it about V-day that brings out the puns? These little kid crafty-valentines remind me of the ones we used to make as kids--I think we got pretty creative, and I'm sure there were many terrible jokes too.... Also quite a few dinosaurs if I remember correctly. Those are my favorite.

Oh great memories. The thought of endless pink and red paper, doilies, glitter, and red foil hearts still inspires my soul and makes me want to create. You too?

source

2011-01-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

Just a dorky imac photo to show off my new Jayhawk-blue cowl. It's deliciously soft and warm and will substitute nicely for a blue tee at the KU game on Saturday.

Rock Chalk!

2011-01-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

source

2011-01-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

From an oldish but excellent read on Mickey Drexler, JCrew merchandising mastermind:

“Success” is often just a fancy word for “luck,” but a recurrence of it suggests the subsistence of design.

*source

2011-01-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

Just another genius idea from Kate Spade.

2011-01-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

"It seems there is nothing so dated as the recently new."

Great article from the WSJ. Long live the greeting card!

2011-01-11T08:25:00.001-08:00

I love that Garance just posted about fake fashion.

This is a particular soapbox of my own.

Girl's on my side.

My own confession: I bought a fake Mulberry duffle when I was in China. The leather is gorgeous and the shape just makes you swoon--it's such a bag--but the zipper doesn't work very well and it's embarrassing to admit that I spent money on an illegal design. Never again.

There's such a thing as intellectual property, and just because you can make a rip-off doesn't mean you ought to.

... stepping down now....

2011-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

Links from my files (which I thought you might enjoy too):

Eleven top decorating trends for twenty-eleven: it's eerie to see how closely my life already mirrors these trends--and I thought I was loving things just because I loved them. Guess I spend a little too much time reading the blogs....

Winter haircare: doesn't this make you want to take better care of yourself for winter? I hate the dry skin problem, and this year have been making the most out of my humidifier and my favorite Aveeno unscented lotion.

Fieldguided: on loving what you love.

A cozy-looking stew: to make in the new dutch oven, only I think I'd go back to the original recipe. I much prefer kale to chard, and not so much beans and tomatoes, but I'm sure either way would be delicious.

First Listen: the Decemberists' new album! It's a different take on their normal sound, and it's good.

2011-01-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

I'm not a very meticulous person, especially in the kitchen. More of an estimator, which sometimes results in lackluster results. It would probably be in my best interest to memorize Sprouted Kitchen's method for brewing french press coffee (but I probably won't!)

2011-01-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today I'm wishing for insanely delicious butter on my fresh bread.

And to go back to New York.

Next trip's priority: dinner at Eataly.

click photo for credit.

2011-01-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

I'm definitely experiencing peppernut withdrawl.

When I went home for Christmas, my siblings had just finished filling the gallon-sized Sun Tea jar with our favorite recipe; we didn't quite finish the entire gallon, but we came very close.*

I wish I had stashed some away to take back with me.

Good thing Mom hid the last loaf of stritzel in my bag.

*we all know that Rachel ate most of them.

2010-12-21T14:17:00.001-08:00

GORGEOUS.

I have to make a quick note of all the blues in this line as well. How refreshing to see color making a dramatic comeback. Especially classic colors like these.

Fendi pre-fall 2011

2010-12-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's been a productive day.

2010-12-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

This is what I'm wearing to my imaginary NYE party 2011. It's going to be one hell of a time.

(Oscar de la Renta pre-fall 2011)

2010-12-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Anyone want to get this for me for Christmas?

(click the picture for the link, to buy, for me :)

2010-12-02T11:55:00.001-08:00

I hate White Elephant Gift exchanges. Dirty Santa. "Gag" gifts. Whatever you want to call them.

Unfortunately for me, my work has one every year, and there's no way to get out of it. What is the point of these gift exchanges? For someone like me, who doesn't keep junk around her house, there's nothing to get rid of. These exchanges usually result in me getting more junk and someone else going home with my Mary Poppins book (I'm still sad that I gave that one away....)

They're awkward too--what do you do when you open up a lovely box and inside is a heated rock for your nonexistent lizard? Laugh? Roll your eyes? Thank the giver? Get competitive and try to pawn it off on the next person?

I wish I could think of a good alternative.

2010-11-18T12:21:00.001-08:00

So French women don't get fat, and now Dutch women don't get depressed. What about American women?

"The ideal American woman doesn't just putter around in the kitchen or dabble in knitting. She opens a cake shop and knits scarves for fashion shows. She appears on Oprah. She follows her dreams."

A quick mental run-through brings me to conclude that I have always considered my own hobbies or skills as potential business situations,* even though I've never acted on these thoughts (it's really just a matter of time). Is this a result of my American upbringing? Is the entrepreneurial spirit born into every American?

*upon closer scrutiny, I think most of the entrepreneurial spirit comes from a desire to get out of the rat race, no? That would bring this little conversation full-circle. And now you know how my mind works. Lucky you! It gets pretty convoluted in there sometimes :)

2010-11-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

Home libraries, throw pillows, and natural light. Oh and slanted ceilings. What more does a person need? This room is perfect.

photography by morten holtum

2010-11-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

This book is just ... well, it's so "kate." Over the years, you've worked with a number of designers. How do you keep the brand voice so clear, consistent, and authentic?

This book is a perfect example of how we work - we always go back to the things we love as a foundation and continue to reinterpret and modernize them.

...

2010-10-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

banjos and bears.

what a lucky day!

2010-10-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

so great.

poster design by aaron gresham.

seen first on ampersand design studio

2010-10-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Any moment now, I might explode.

Today has been an inspiring day.

On the interwebs, at work--yes, at work.

We had a lettering designer from

the parent company come and lecture.

All I know right now is that I love letter forms.

I love how they interact,

how you can link them together or spread them apart

and how they can say things differently--

how the same word can whisper or scream.

I guess I'm in the right industry.

above is one of my workshop results

2010-10-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Pretty, pretty Wiksten socks for sale today. Jenny seems like such a gem and, as always, has made such lovely things (bonus: she's from Kansas!!).

I can't purchase these, but I plan on learning to knit my own this fall and I am SO excited for it! In fact, I'm going to pick up the yarn over lunch today. Handmade things are the best, especially if you make them yourself or receive them from someone you love. I truly believe this.

2010-10-07T08:45:00.001-07:00

Today has been a day of meeting deadlines, having a clean desk, and time to blog at work again. Glorious. Also time to catch up on some online reading. Take a look at this article on social media in The New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell--he has some good thoughts. Namely that Twitter, Blogger, and Facebook are not going to be revolutionizing anything of real importance, ever. I couldn't agree more.

He begins by telling the story of an inaugural lunch counter "sit-in" during the civil rights movement--and of the courage that such an act involved. It made a huge impact, and we see the effect of it still today. Strong ties motivate action. Weak ties seldom inspire anything beyond awareness and sympathy, and seldom bring about any kind of real change. Is social media capable of building strong ties? I like Gladwell's sensible approach of recognizing the value of social media, used in its proper place:

The instruments of social media are well suited to making the existing social order more efficient. They are not a natural enemy of the status quo. If you are of the opinion that all the world needs is a little buffing around the edges, this should not trouble you. But if you think that there are still lunch counters out there that need integrating it ought to give you pause.

2010-10-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Open shelving right next to the stove. Pretty, organized, convenient!

This is going in my dream kitchen inspiration.

While I'm at it, that gas stove/oven might make the list too.... :)

image from Traditional Home via Simply Luxurious.

2010-10-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Friedman predicts a third party uprising in the NYT today.

“We basically have two bankrupt parties bankrupting the country,” said the Stanford University political scientist Larry Diamond. Indeed, our two-party system is ossified; it lacks integrity and creativity and any sense of courage or high-aspiration in confronting our problems. We simply will not be able to do the things we need to do as a country to move forward “with all the vested interests that have accrued around these two parties,” added Diamond. “They cannot think about the overall public good and the longer term anymore because both parties are trapped in short-term, zero-sum calculations,” where each one’s gains are seen as the other’s losses.

I'm all for a realistic third party candidate in the next election, and by realistic I mean someone other than Ralph Nader.

(full article here)

2010-10-02T18:08:00.001-07:00

I'm obsessed.

With Guster's new album, which you can hear in full on the WSJ. So easy, so wonderful.

They're playing in KC in a week and a half. A Wednesday night trip.
Perhaps I will Zimride my way up for it.

2010-09-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

What is it about The Strokes that is just exactly fallish?

image from Deanna Staffo's flickr. i love her style--it's unique and the perfect combination of whimsy and realism. makes me realize yet again that i need to practice my art more.

2010-09-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Ha! This would be Steph and I (on the right) seriously contemplating the paintings around the hem of this guy's jacket as he struts along the runway at Couture Fashion Week NY 2010.

Let's be honest. It was kinda ugly.

From Revenge Magazine's flickr stream.

2010-09-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS, GUYS:

Toast has a men's collection.

amateur (noun) a person who practices something for the love of it.

here are some clothes we have made for men.

we've wanted to do this for a long time.

we've been asked to do it very often.

we've taken our time to get them right.

we've used really good fabrics.

we've done things properly.

we've approached it like meticulous amateurs - and have thoroughly enjoyed doing it.

I wonder, if I ask them a often and for a long time,

if they will make it a bit easier for US citizens to purchase....

2010-09-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is not a food blog, but on Monday I finally had the chance to dine at Balthazar, New York's most beloved bistro and I must tell you about it:

Balthazar was inspirational.

And since you're dying of curiosity, here's what I ordered:

A glass of Sancerre, light and citrusy Sauvignon Blanc to start the evening with a sparkle. One famous Balthazar salad, complete in its truffle-infused glory. A plate of flaky grilled branzini, sitting atop sweet onions and arugula, and a warm apple tarte tatin matched with a shot of espresso.*

Anyway, I felt inspired tonight when I got home from the gym, and whipped up an experimental salad. The results were especially delicious--crunchy, a bit sweet with a bite of spicy mustard, and a nutty follow-through.

Molly's standard vinaigrette.
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 chopped red pear
1/2 chopped avocado
1 T toasted pine nuts
1 T toasted sesame seeds
Parmigiano Reggiano

*That I managed to put away so much food between glances over Steph's shoulder at Brooke Shields and family sitting just behind us is rather admirable, don't you think?

2010-09-15T10:14:00.001-07:00

Bikes in the living room.

Kinda looks like my place.

2010-09-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

I have been having this reoccurring dream over the past week.

Basically, I'm driving from Newton to Arkansas (and if you do not know that I hate this drive, you do not know me very well). Typically I am being chased by a tornado or two. (Naturally.) And when I get to Tulsa, there is a mandatory stop. I must exit my car (after placing it onto an enormous conveyor belt), check in with the authorities, and complete an obstacle course where I navigate a crowded mall, crawl through a series of tiny corridors, and then leap through a hole in the wall to meet my car at the end of the conveyor.

I think the road construction is getting to me.

2010-09-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy fall evening, at long last. Time to cozy up with Cat and a bit of knitting.

photo from an old Vogue, found somewhere in my google reader. love it.

2010-09-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Every great pastry chef has her moment of complete failure, and tonight is mine.

Three perfect pans of Smitten Kitchen's Big Crumb Coffeecake in the oven, filled with plump red cherries which I picked AND pitted myself this summer,
sans baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Ruined.

What to do now? My coworkers must have a deliciously homeade breakfast tomorrow morning and I must do my part!

screw it. i'm taking it anyway.

2010-08-29T08:36:00.001-07:00

In two weeks, I will be in here. NYC. For a day's taste of Fashion Week 2010.

A little gift from work.
It might be time that I stop complaining about my job. Sometimes they surprise me with their generosity. And for work that is not only enjoyable but also meaningful, it's really not so bad.

Now the real dilemma: what to wear to a fashion show?!

2010-08-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

Cherry Blossom Girl's wedding clutch makes me want to go bird hunting.

edit: not actually CBG's clutch, but rather a wedding guests'. my apologies for the mislabel.

2010-08-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

If I could do anything in the world right now, I think it would look something like this:

quit my job for a two and a half month long road trip around the country

and then a year in a foreign country, painting.

And then? Who knows.

The only problems are that it doesn't sound very exciting to do alone, nor do I have a sponsor to send me overseas for a painting holiday.

The travel buddy might be tricky, but the painting thing....
maybe that could happen....

2010-08-23T09:42:00.001-07:00

I hate it when people take hold of my fluffy, well-intentioned ideals, turn them upside down, and shake out all the nonsense. Like here.

image

2010-08-23T07:43:00.001-07:00

Technology and the Parks (NYT):

Those silly tourists with a lack of respect for God's beautiful creation and an absence of common sense should be banned from the National Parks. Let's use technology for good and not pain-in-the-ass trouble, okay folks?

- your future Nat'l Park Ranger and friend

image

2010-08-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Navy, crimson & cream.

i like these better than red, white and blue don't you?

let's not make this a matter of patriotism though.

rather, just a way to describe what already exists.

a different perspective.

see more photos here.

2010-08-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Um, gonna click OKAY! on this one.

What a great site. I've been floundering a bit on the whole career front, and this settles it. I think I'll begin with Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. Thanks to Ranger Sue, I already know the basics:

1. carry water in your stomach, not on your back.

2. chipmunks have stripes on their faces. golden mantle ground squirrels don't.

3. and NEVER feed the animals. they are not your friends.

2010-07-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Things I have starred this week in the blog Reader:

Herve Pierre's crazy, mishmash home in NY: mainly for the creepy black-gloved hand holding back those amazing pink curtains in his living room.

Kate Spade's wall of coloured envelopes: an idea which we are now using on a new card line coming out next year (thereby justifying my blog-reading as "work," yes)

A recipe for Summer Sangria: YUM. Peaches. White wine! I love summer again.

Anna Bond's cocktail invitations: she is ridiculously talented.

Starry Girl from Creature Comforts: which oddly reminds me of Mary Poppins.

Road Trip Propaganda: I wanna road trip.

And some preppy collegiates for good measure.

image

2010-07-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

here.

(Paul's on the left, Joe on the right)

2010-07-28T07:59:00.001-07:00

Oh fall, I love you.

Please hurry.

images from the fall/winter collection of jackson, johnston and roe.

via.

more: Chloe from Glamorous

LOVE the shades of greys and greens mixed with camels. So warm--perfect for the cooler temps. Luckily I have the green pumps and can sew myself the little camel pencil skirt. DONE.

2010-07-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just saw this and got a twinge of excitement for fall!

The season of camel-colored everything and leather and wool and crispy-cool mornings and lattes and leaves!

image: aline webber by greg kadel for harper's bazaar us, august 2010, via TIG

2010-07-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah, he's been on this bandwagon for a while, but I have to give a nod to this editorial from T.Friedman.

“O.K., you Republicans don’t believe in global warming? Fine. Forget about global warming. That’s between you and your beach house. How about this? Do you believe in population growth? Do you believe in the American dream? Because, according to the U.N., the world’s population is going to grow from roughly 6.7 billion people today to about 9.2 billion by 2050. And in today’s integrated world, more and more of those 9.2 billion will aspire to, and be able to, live like Americans — with American-size cars, homes and Big Macs. In that world, demand for fossil fuels is going to go through the roof — and all the bad things that go with it.

“If we take that threat seriously now and pass an energy bill that begins to end our oil addiction, we can shrink the piles of money we send to the worst regimes in the world, strengthen our dollar by keeping more at home, clean up our air, take away money from the people who finance the mosques and madrassas that keep many Muslim youths backward, angry and anti-American and stimulate a whole new industry — one China is already leapfrogging us on — clean-tech. Nothing would improve our economic and national security more, yet Republicans won’t lift one finger to make it happen.

“They would rather we send more Americans to fight terrorism in the Middle East, let petro-states hostile to our interests get richer and let China take the lead in the next great global industry than ask Americans to pay a little more for the gas they use or the carbon pollution they put into the air. If OPEC, China and Russia could vote, they would be 100 percent supportive of the Republicans.

“How about we stop honoring our soldiers and our military families and start helping them? Nope. The Republican view of fighting the war on terrorism is that rather than ask all of us to make a small sacrifice to weaken our foes and buttress our troops, we should ask only a few of us to make the ultimate sacrifice. And that’s called being tough?”

And yes, I do realize that I just copied and pasted roughly the entire article. Oh well. I like what he says, although I'm not sure that I would limit the blame to Republicans--and he's only doing so because he is directing his thoughts toward the Senate and those casting votes per their party. I do like his appeal to logic and to what is best for the country rather than to dumbly sticking with typical party loyalties.

Not that I really know what I'm talking about, and all this might be a bit idealistic--I can see a few problems and possible hang-ups--but it seems like a step in a better direction.

2010-07-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Turns out tie dye isn't so bad.

Here are a few selections from the Christopher Kane Resort collection and the Shabd autumn/winter sneak preview. More tie dye inspiration at Wikstenmade, and a true-to-life tie dye sunset photo right here (which you really must see because it is inspirational).

2010-07-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

the sweeterie

2010-07-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

I think this counts as a green thumb, no? I raised these little basils from seed. That's right.
well, okay just the short ones. that tall one was a seedling.

2010-07-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

I've been driving Greg's truck all week to facilitate some furniture-moving.

People seem to consider all vehicles and machinery to be female by default. I disagree. This truck is a tall lanky boy in dark wash jeans and squeaky-clean white sneakers. Yep.

This Is Summer

2010-07-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

LOVE this photo.

drenched with summer sophistication and charm.

shot by The Sartorialist

(i'm on this funny summer kick right now. you're all probably pros at enjoying the hot weather, but it's a relatively new thing for me. my findings? little tolerances matter. embrace your location. creek water isn't so bad. the right bathing suit makes a difference. it's okay to sweat. and always drink plenty of beer--i mean water)

This Is Summer

2010-07-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Roadtrip, anyone?

image from the Tourist ezine

This Is Summer

2010-07-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

morning.

noon.

night.

fascinated by lights hitting the water. the essence of summer.

photography by Alicia Bock

2010-07-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

"Nothing could be more lonely or more beautiful than the view at nightfall across the prairies to these huge hill masses, when the lengthening shadows have at last merged into one and the faint after-glow of the red sunset has filled the west." -President Theodore Roosevelt

sand art by Jim Denevan

love this

2010-06-30T11:07:00.001-07:00

popomomo

for my archives

2010-06-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

Nigella's words:

Cooks like ransacking the fridge and enthusiastically tossing random ingredients into a pan or a stockpot to make a meal; bakers come into their own only with dessert.
I considered myself to belong to the former group. This was an accident of birth: neither my mother nor either of my grandmothers was a baker (male ancestors didn't figure into this equation at all), and without a cozy nursery initiation into the rites of baking, it can seem a forbidding, arcane art.
I am here to say the truth is altogether different. Baking is a cinch. More, it is a joy. You need know nothing to be proficient. Proficiency engenders confidence. And confidence breeds an attachment that can become habitual.

reposted from m.dash

2010-06-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

Good heavens people. Drop everything and go make this cake. It's apricot season, after all, and the cake is inspired.

I'd post a picture of my finished product--it's a pretty thing too, but you all know the limitations of my crappy camera; apparently, photographing a simple cake is asking too much.

The Inspired Life

2010-06-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Nice product/lifestyle photography by The Selby for Cole Haan's S/S Campaign.

American style at its best.

On My Wishlist

2010-06-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Loeffler Randalls Pre-Fall 2010 Collection

Someone should make a cheaper knock-off version so that I can buy a few pair.

2010-06-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

"Wilderness is not only a haven for native plants and animals but it is also a refuge from society. It's a place to go to hear the wind and little else, see the stars and the galaxies, smell the pine trees, feel the cold water, touch the sky and the ground at the same time, listen to coyotes, eat the fresh snow, walk across the desert sands, and realize why it's good to go outside of the city and the suburbs."

-John Muir

2010-06-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

too cute.

just leave it to the Spades....