Love

{on Very Very Beautiful via Happy Cavalier}

Dillard

Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you.


- The Waters of Separation, Annie Dillard


*Quite possibly one of my favorite quotes ever. I want to stencil it directly on to a wall somewhere and stare at it long and often.

Good Idea

Sometimes the simplest ideas yield the best results. Here, a polaroid heart looks just right above the bed.

{Photo by Daydream Lily}

Kevin Trageser

Photographer Kevin Trageser takes a picture of Nadine every day. Beautiful.

I also love this one.

{Photos by Kevin Trageser here and here and here via Design for Mankind}

So True

A brilliant papercut masterpiece by Julene Harrison via S.HOPtalk.

"Your love glass is half full"

Paper Heart.  Romantic comedy "documentary" follows the adventures of a girl who doesn't believe in love.  Incredibly adorable.  Sundance winner.  Cast includes Michael Cera and Seth Rogen.  Cannot wait.

Stunning Choreography

And a beautiful dancer.

Who happens to only be, you know, 15.

Oy. Makes me feel old.

Dillard

There are no events but thoughts and the heart's hard turning, the heart's slow learning where to love and whom.  The rest is merely gossip, and tales for other times.

- Holy the Firm, Annie Dillard

Julian Goldstein

...takes really awesome photos of NYC.

{Photos by Julian Goldstein via Beautiful Decay}

Finds

I clearly have a print obsession.

But I am going to have the most beautiful gallery wall in all the land.

{Prints by Freya Art: Forever, My Most Important Things, As Long as You are Here with Me}

Want

I am more than a little obsessed with The Love Shop. Especially the above print. I want to hang it in my (future) home, stare it down everyday, and follow it's advice.

Check out more fabulous prints on my post over at Paper n Stitch!

Decrepit

Why hello. These are my sneakers. Oh, yes. Those ARE holes in the soles. I suppose that's what happens when you go to the gym or on 2+ mile long walks every single the day of the week, FOR TWO YEARS, and fail to buy NEW sneakers. Because, you know, it's MUCH more important to buy yet another gray cardigan than sneakers with some faint memory of cushioning.

Good times.

And this is exactly the kind of situation that drives The Crazy out in full force. The scenario that sends me to Lady Footlocker FOUR DAYS IN A ROW, along with Modell's Sporting Goods, Famous Footwear, and Sports Authority, on a hunt for The Perfect Sneaker that will make every bounce of exercise a cushiony, well-supported, delight.

A million thanks to the fabulous Zumba-loving saleslady at the Short Hills Lady Footlocker for her enthusiastic embrace of my shoe mission. I made a decision in under 10 minutes. I bought 2 pairs of shoes. And Jared didn't even cry.

Pretty Prints

I kind of forgot how much I adore the blog, Design is Mine. Summer clearly puts so much time into tracking down the best daily photos, thoughts, and overall inspiration. The blog itself is a miniature work of virtual art. Love it.

And love these sweet prints.

{Prints by Anna Melcon Bond via Design is Mine}

Book Lust

{Photo from Domino}

The Best Legs

Belong to dancers, of course.

{Photo via Life photo archive}

The Unwedding

Since my efforts to control the wedding posts have failed quite miserably, the new approach is simply corralling them into a wedding-specific location so as to preserve the sanity of any readers who are on the verge of clawing out their eyes if they have to suffer through one more bridal thought.

Hence, The Unwedding.

If you are still lusting for wedding madness, particularly of the "I Despise The Wedding Industry" variety, I hope you'll meander on by. I promise to be quite irreverent, judgemental, and as always, sassy.

{Photo via Once Wed by Yves Samuel Photographe}

Quiero Viajar

Lately it seems like everyone is taunting me with their wonderful European getaways. It doesn't help that this time last year I was packing up for a two week jaunt around Spain. I'm missing it more than ever.

This photo was taken from the Alhambra, looking out over the beautiful hillside homes of Granada.

I'm aching for Manchego, chorizo, and the sweet sounds of la lengua.

Kitchen Envy

White cabinets + chalkboard walls (including quote) = dining delight.

{Photo via Design Sponge}

More Things to Hang on my Nonexistent Walls

{Prints here here and here via Mint}

Found on...Paper n Stitch!

I'm so excited to be contributing over at the fabulous blog, Paper n Stitch. I'll be doing the "Found On" column ever Tuesday and Friday... finally putting my excessive blog stalking to good use!

Go here to check out my first post. Hope it puts a spring in your step! (Pun very much intended.)

Pretty Prints

Pretty pretty things to hang on my (future) wall.

{Prints by Nous Vous via Lena Corwin}

Brian Andreas

I was waiting for such a long time, she said, I thought you forgot.  It's hard to forget, I said, when there is such an empty space when you are gone.

- Brian Andreas, Storypeople

Wise Words

From Tiffany's, but of course.

{via all stripes}

Jeremy and Kathleen

I saw this wedding last week on Smitten and am completely in love with Jeremy and Kathleen's laid back, personalized, completely unique at-home wedding.  

From the short, ruffly (70% off) BCBG dress to the sweet birdcage veil, the chalkboard wall "guest book," the sweet cupcake spread, and the paper lantern decorations, it was a complete study in we are focused on our marriage, rather than the typical looky here at our blowout wedding.

And how fabulous are these marital advisements, compiled by guests for the bridal shower?

{All photos via Jeremy and Kathleen}

In my dream last night...

... I arrived at the restaurant where we'll be holding the reception on our wedding day.  No one was there.  I sat around waiting and waiting and waiting.  Time ticked by.  It was after 2 p.m., which was when the wedding was supposed to start.  No one was there.  Finally, one of Jared's aunts and her children arrived.  They said hello and took a seat at a nearby table.  We were all waiting and waiting.  Finally I went up to the restaurant staff and asked why nothing was set up.  They said, "Oh, we thought the wedding was starting at 4 p.m.," and went scampering off to start setting up.  And I thought to myself, "Wait, even if the restaurant got it wrong, where are all my GUESTS?"  I started crying and called Jared (apparently I wasn't worried that the GROOM was not in attendance either) saying over and over, "We should have just had a City Hall wedding!  We should have just had a City Hall wedding!!!!"

Signs of things to come?  I hope not...

PS - I watched 3 episodes of Platinum Weddings last night before bed.  Perhaps hearing about $100k flower budgets and a personalized, monogrammed custom waterfall display put me over the edge.  I should stop watching that show.

PPS - During the commercials I felt compelled to keep switching back to TLC's "Paralyzed and Pregnant."  It was like a train wreck - couldn't look away.  Not recommended for those with a pregnancy phobia.

Pippi

I love that little weirdo so much it's ridiculous.  We had a lovely reunion at Jared's house this weekend.  She's still only 4 lbs or so.  Teeny little thing.  

Book Lust

{Photo from Domino}

Devils Food Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I made this cake from scratch last weekend for Jared's birthday.  I realized it may have been my very first cake ever (very sad, I know).  I make a whole lot of cookies and pancakes, and occasionally dabble in muffins, but never really do the cake thing.  It turned out to be a HUGE success.  The cake was perfect - very rich, moist dark chocolate, but not overwhelmingly sweet.  And I'm not really much of a frosting fan, but even I was sneaking spoonfuls of the stuff right out of the bowl.  I'd highly recommend this recipe.

You Will be Mine, All Mine

I have been lusting after this darling little BCBG dress for a couple of weeks now, and although I am TRYING so very hard not to shop (I swear, Jared.  I swear, Mom!) there are some things that simply cannot be resisted.  And this, my friends, is one of them.

Once again, just to REALLY drill the point home (and perhaps convince those that need convincing that I really need to buy this dress), I would rather shell out the bucks for this piece of perfection and wear it FOREVER than one of those silly wedding dresses.

Just saying.

{BCBG Pleated Shirt Dress}

Gentle Soles

When I slipped into this shoe in Bloomie's yesterday I felt as if I had stepped into a magical fairyland of pain-free cushiony support.  The $195 price tag is a tad steep, but you know, any semi-stylish piece of footwear that is cut wide enough to welcome my wide little feet without pinching seems worth it to me.

Please note the additional importance of this moment in that it made me realize I would rather spend the money on these shoes for daily use than some silly white dress.

{Bay Leaf from the Kenneth Cole Gentle Souls collection}

Priscilla

Last week when I tried on my first wedding dress I had the revelation that perhaps there IS something to be said for a long dress.  

A couple of those simple J.Crew gowns arrived in the mail, I put those babies on and, wouldn't you know, suddenly I was swishing and twirling all over the living room going "Oh, you know, a long dress IS rather nice I suppose..." while Mama stood there saying "Yeah, that's what I thought."

So today, after a deliciously yummy lunch at Paparazzi, and a brief shopping appetizer at J.Crew, I headed to Priscilla of Boston with Mama and sister in tow, you know, just to do the whole Try On White Dresses thing.  Officially.

True to form, we walked in and while Jenny almost hurt herself running about fondling the dresses, I found myself more nauseated than anything else towards the whole fluffy white silk taffeta tulle explosion.  Because really, when you have a whole army of poofy white dresses cuddled up together, they start to look kind of ridiculous.  And dare I say it?  Cheap.

But, our lovely consultant walked me around and I showed her things I "liked" (while thinking to myself Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hate them ALL bring me back to J.Crew immediatelyyyy), and in no time at all I was all laced up in a corset and heels and prancing about on a pedestal in front of a zillion mirrors, and really quite enjoying myself.

And then, much to my surprise, I even developed a bit of an affection for one little number in particular.

Mama and Jenny were swooning and saying if you just put aside THIS much every week for the next X amount of weeks, you'll have paid for it NO PROBLEM!  And a friend was saying well, that's really not that bad at ALL, so just shop a little less on other stuff for the next bunch of months...

But then I came to the very quick conclusion that I would RATHER spend $200 on extraordinarily pillowy black flats that I will wear every single day until they literally fall apart and die a tragic death, than a frothy white dress that I will wear for six hours and then NEVER AGAIN for the rest of my existence.

So, we shall see what happens.  I still have, oh, 18 months to figure it all out.  Sigh.  

What about you?  What's the max you would spend on a wedding dress?  What about if money was no object?  

And would you rather spend your cash on your dress for The Big Day, or a pair of black flats that are so comfortable they were hand-delivered to this earth by a very kind shopping angel?

Kitchen Envy

I adore the neutral foundation - walls, cabinets, countertops - with pops of red galore.

{Photo via Design Sponge}

Closet Envy

{Photos via Domino}

Dream Apartment

I found this Hoboken apartment last week and CANNOT. STOP. DREAMING. ABOUT. IT.

Mama and Jared are on the verge of strangling me, since, you know, I won't be moving ANYWHERE for at least a year.  Probably longer.

But I DON'T CARE.  

This apartment is orgasmically perfect.  

It in LITERALLY the best location in all of Hoboken.  

The.  Best.

It has a monstrosity of a kitchen.

It actually has an open floor plan and is NOT a teensy tiny railroad apartment that makes you feel like you are living in a train (Cue traumatic memories of year long commute on NJ Transit).

It has two bedrooms.  TWO!

And last but most certainly not least - IT HAS A DECK.  A huge huge glorious deck.  A most unbelievably fantastic deck on which I could cultivate a thriving herb and flower garden and become completely Green Thumb-esque and completely eco-friendly and produce all of my own vegetation a la Michael Pollan's brilliant advice.

And seriously.  The price is NOT that bad.  In fact, it's pretty damn GOOD.

I know.  I know.  I already tweeted about this beautiful heavenly apartment and a number of individuals twittered right back saying things along the lines of "Um... $1800/month for THAT P.O.S.?"  

But people.  WELCOME TO NYC TRISTATE REAL ESTATE HELL!

I'm sorry, but that is a GOOD price for that apartment and that location.  I swear.  I swearity swear swear.

You know, it's a sad state, and this is exactly why watching House Hunters obsessively on HGTV makes me cry inside on a regular basis - because in SOME places, like Atlanta, Georgia, you can buy a brandy new craftsman style home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths and an acre of property for like... $250k.  

You know what that will get you in New Jersey?

A SHACK.  

Maybe.  If you're lucky.  

Yep, it's a sad state people.  But it's the truth.  

This is why I look at city guides for places like Boston... and read that it is one of the most expensive places to live in the COUNTRY.... and then I go on Craigslist and search the really nice, historic, supposedly-super-pricey neighborhoods for apartments and laugh out loud because... Yep.  Still a trillion times cheaper than NYC/NJ.  Good times.  GOOOOOOOOD times.  

Disclaimer:  Real estate gets me real riled up.  Especially when related to this dream apartment.  Particularly at 10pm on a Monday evening right after I indulged for 3 hours at a gourmet food tasting and drank a bitty bit of wine.  The end.

Dillard

Every day is a god, each day is a god, and holiness holds forth in time.  I worship each god, I praise each day splintered down, splintered down and wrapped in time like a husk, a husk of many colors spreading, at dawn fast over the mountains split.

...

I wake in a god.  I wake in arms holding my quilt, holding me as best they can inside my quilt.  

Someone is kissing me - already.  I wake, I cry "Oh," I rise from my pillow.  Why should I open my eyes?

- Annie Dillard, Holy the Firm

Kitchen Envy

{Photo via Desire to Inspire}

Blah

It's raining and stormy today, and I'm feeling generally uninspired in terms of finding something fabulous to post.

I would like to note that I have off for the WHOLE week. Plus Monday.  Gotta love working in a school.  (PS - definitely pursuing this educational realm for future career... just have to figure out the exact details... teacher? counselor? administration? hmmm...)  My week will be comprised of:

• A trip to the most glorious mall for the most glorious lunch (mmm breadsticks)
  
• Going to Borders to catch up on my magazine reading (vomitous bridal magazines included)
• Perhaps visiting a few bridal salons to play with white dresses (though the likelihood of me actually buying a dress in said store is doubtful)
• Gyming
• Praying for weather that is as completely perfect and gorgeous as it was yesterday
• Dragging Mama on all kinds of shopping/returning/exchanging errands
• Hopefully finding inspiration to once again create semi-interesting, un-wedding-related posts

ADDENDUM:  And MOST importantly this week I will be spending 3 glorious days with my sweetie pie fiance.  Thursday can't come soon enough.

(PS - stopped the Daily Closet fiasco.  The choking sense of narcissism was becoming overwhelming.)

Pipster...

...is doing much better. She's back at home, causing trouble, as per usual. Yay!

Book Lust

{Photo from Domino}

Sunshine

Goodness gracious. The weather today is as close to perfect as you can get. Mid-sixties, sunny blue sky, just the hint of a cool breeze... I had to literally wrestle myself back indoors after a quick lunchtime stroll around the building.

Days like this make me wish I was back in New York more than ever.

On days like today - with the first rays of spring and warmth of sun on your skin - all the little worker bees pour out of their cubicles in the sky in search of fresh air. They go flocking to the parks and the patios and the outdoor dining areas and soak it all in, finally released from the dry office heat and the stale sore-throat air and the dreary gray skies of winter. And off they go, eating their salads and sandwiches in pockets of sunshine amidst the towering skyscrapers. It's a good feeling, to be surrounded by smiling faces turned up towards the sunlight.

Can't. Stop. Browsing. Dresses.

Someone please take away my Internet access.

{Jenni Kayne Ribbon Dress in white via Forward Forward}

Sunday Brunch

Aka - my new favorite shopping droolfest.

Gorgeous dresses + witty product descriptions = Yum.

Just to prove my point:

{Lorick Lee Dress}

"A modern take on a retro shape. This dress by Lorick makes us think of many things, not least of which is having afternoon tea with a girlfriend and gossiping about the latest neighborhood scandal. Very Betty Draper of Mad Men. Not the suburban house wife type? No worries, the backless feature on this dress clearly states you are a strong woman who eats business types for breakfast. This dress was so good we had to have it in Purple Oyster and Steve’s Prairie print. Dresses have pockets and a matching belt."


{Mel en Stel Cup of Tea Ruffle Dress}

{Heidi Merrick Aunt Judy Dress}

Mankind Mag - The Rose Colored Glasses issue

Because we all could use a better outlook right now.

Go get your copy of the April issue stat - it's ultra good.  I promise.  Check me out doing the News Roundup and "Confessions of an Optimist."  

Vintage Eye Candy

I think it has become rather evident that I have a bit of a fetish for vintage style (even if the thought of actually buying something vintage - read: preworn - grosses me out). If Audrey Hepburn could have worn it, I will inevitably like it.

I came across my vintage vogue's flickr and blog while browsing the blogosphere this morning and. am. obsessed. Imagine, if you will, hundreds and hundreds of vintage photos from every major photographer, every publication, every decade... It is complete heaven, and I imagine I'll be getting lost here rather often.

I would love to frame every one of these photos and cover the walls of my (future) apartment.

{All photos via my vintage vogue}