happy, happy new year!

fittingly, this new year's message from me--and regina spektor, by way of peggy lee--to you is also my 200th(!) blog post. serendipity? i think so.

i'll be back on monday, jan. 5 (if not sooner), so until then, enjoy these lyrics, love hard and appreciate each other. (by the way, i hope you know how much i appreciate you. really, truly.)

xoxoxo, my dears.

my dear acquaintance (a happy new year)

my dear acquaintance, it's so good to know you
for strength of your hand
that is loving and giving
and a happy new year
with love overflowing
with joy in our hearts
for the blessed new year

raise your glass and we'll have a cheer
for us all who are gathered here
and a happy new year to all that is living
to all that is gentle, kind, and forgiving
raise your glass and we'll have a cheer
my dear acquaintance, a happy new year

all of those who are hither and yonder
with love in our hearts
we grow fonder and fonder
hail to those who we hold so dear
and hail to those who are gathered here

and a happy new year to all that is living
to all that is gentle, young, and forgiving
raise your glass and we'll have a cheer
my dear acquaintance, a happy new year
happy new year.

(p.s. download the song on itunes.)

{ photo above by mrs. french }

a snapshot of my weekend.

my mom's famous (seriously, they're amazing) chocolate chip cookies. good friends. holiday parties.

things are good, my friends.

how were your weekends?

(p.s. i know i've been a terrible blogger. i promise to be better in the new year. my first resolution, perhaps?)

{ photo above taken by moi for this blog }

a thought for the holidays.

"we take our miracles where we find them. we reach across the gap and sometimes, against all odds, against all logic, we touch." (grey's anatomy)

{ image above by photographer i.anton }

oh, come, all ye faithful.

one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite holiday movies, love actually. tell me this isn't "aww"-inducing. (and the part at the end--"enough. enough now"--gets me every time.) anyway, i just wanted to share a little something holiday-y with you today. happy tuesday, my dears. xo

p.s. my second favorite scene in this movie? hugh grant dancing to the pointer sisters' "jump! (for my love)." amazing.

monday eye candy.

Originally uploaded by i.anton

just a little monday festivity for you by photographer i.anton (check out the entire photostream by clicking on the link above—it’s worth it, i promise).

p.s: i hope you all had fantastic weekends. mine was insane—but that’s a story for another time.

naughty or nice?

you guys, i did something bad.

i bought myself a little pre-christmas present.

i saw this “silvie” dress from j.crew in the pages of marie claire magazine a few months ago and immediately coveted it. the classic shape, the defined waist, the mustard color, the cashmere blend—i just loved it. but at $138, it was far out of my (admittedly limited) price range. car insurance and electricity trump cute dress, as they should.

but then. oh, but then.

i’m not sure whether it was a fellow blogger or just my usual perusal of my favorite retailers’ web sites, but all of the sudden i was alerted to the fact that all j.crew sale items were an extra 30 percent off. “ooh!” i thought. “i should go take a look-see.”

so i started clicking through the pages of dresses on sale, looking for something that caught my eye. and all of a sudden, there it was—my silvie dress, in the mustard color. on sale for more than 50 percent off—plus an extra 30 percent, thanks to the promotion. it was too good to be true. so…

reader, i bought it.

and i think it will look perfect with the brown-and-cream t-strap shoes i already own from target, shown in the image above. not sure how to accessorize otherwise, though—maybe a wooden bangle? what do you think? and please, tell me what your last little present to yourself was!

{ image above from j.crew and target, photoshopped for this blog by moi }

holiday cheer.

so we’re into the first week of december already, and i’m definitely starting to feel merry and bright. in spite of this year’s rough beginning, i have a lot to be grateful for—a wonderful family, the most fantastic friends ever, a stand mixer that’s going to help me with all my holiday baking—and i can’t wait to pile cookies into festive tins and sign holiday cards. i’m also hoping to make last year’s amazing coconut cake again—i’m not sure if there will actually be an occasion for it, but who doesn’t appreciate a 12-pound, three-layer cake frosted in creamy, coconutty goodness, right?

anyway, i also think i want to get a christmas tree this year. because my apartment is so small, i can’t have a big one—well, actually, i could, but i wouldn’t have anywhere to store it post-holiday—so i was excited to discover this champagne-colored beauty at urban outfitters (on sale for $5.99). at just 12 inches tall, it will make a perfect centerpiece for my kitchen table, and i’m going to try to find some clear ball ornaments for decorations. here’s hoping oscar doesn’t eat it.

and i’d love to share my gift ideas with you, but i’m going to have to keep those secret until after the holidays have passed. until then, i ask you: are you buying handmade this year? are you shopping more online than in the mall? (i can tell you right now that i am—shopping in pajamas is much more peaceful than braving the stores, and it frees up more time for the aforementioned fabulous friends and family.) what’s at the top of your wish list?

{ image above from kate spade, who always has the best ads }

signature scent: do i finally have one? do you?

a few weeks ago i was lucky enough to score a ticket to a luncheon and fashion show at the ritz-carlton, sarasota that not only allowed me to eat a small white-chocolate shoe filled with chocolate mousse in the middle of the afternoon, but also skip happily out the door with a fantastic goody bag filled with gift cards to some of my favorite sarasota stores, as well as some great makeup samples—including a miniature lip gloss, mascara and perfume from christian dior.

i’m already in love with the lip gloss (a great pinky-gold color) and the mascara, but it’s the perfume, miss dior cherie, that i’m really loving. let me preface this by saying that i am not really a perfume person. i have a sensitive nose and tend to get perfume headaches fairly easily, which is why i’ll usually only spritz myself with scent if i’m going to a fancy event—otherwise, i stick with deodorant and dove soap. but this perfume—which boasts notes of violet, strawberry and jasmine—is one that i’m going to consider dabbing on every day. it smells almost juicy, it’s a little whimsical, and although it’s a touch girlier than i’d normally wear, i really like it. plus, the glass bottle, with its metal bow, is awfully cute.

what are your signature scents, my dears? (before miss dior cherie, my go-to was a chanel fragrance that i still use—or victoria’s secret’s pear eau de toilette, which i sometimes spray on my shower curtain before i hop in the shower—the scent mixes with the steam from the hot water and makes the bathroom smell delicious.) please share!

things i'm thankful for, part two: my friends.

there’s an ani difranco song called “good, bad, ugly” that goes, “strangers are exciting/their mystery never ends/but there’s nothing like looking at your own history/in the faces of your friends.” how true is that? and i think it applies to new friends as well as old ones.

since i moved to sarasota two years ago, my friends—both near and far—have become the most accurate gauge of my personal growth. they are the people i turn to when i’m sad and—better yet—the people i turn to when i’m happy. they are the people who are the most honest with me and with whom i want to be the most honest. they are talented young professionals, husbands and wives, even mothers and fathers. they consistently amaze me with their kindness and generosity, and they make me want to be a better person.

last sunday, i was sitting on the beach (yes, the beach in late november—be jealous) on siesta key with two new sarasota friends. we talked, laughed, watched the sun set, met up with two other friends, watched the drum circle form on the beach and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. and when i left them, i was overwhelmed with this feeling of luckiness and gratitude. yes, the sap is officially dripping from my fingers as i type this, but i can’t imagine where i’d be without my friends, both old and new, who—in great part—have helped shape the quarter-century-old person that i am.

so thank you for the lyrics, ani. you’re so right.

things i'm thankful for, part one: my family.

since this is thanksgiving week (and a short one, for me, to boot), i thought it would appropriate to do a series of posts on things i’m thankful for—a series that, i think, will culminate in one big list that i’ll put up on thursday. (if you do the same, please link me—i’d love to read your posts/lists!)

it makes sense to start with family, of course. now, i’m not going to lie: my family has had our ups and downs. without getting into too much detail, let’s just say that my mom and i didn’t really start getting along until after i moved away to college (i was never a bad kid—quite the opposite—but her personality and mine clashed all through my teenage years), and my dad and i, while spitting images of each other personality-wise, have our own unique set of issues.

and then there’s my brother, who’s five years younger than me. he and i—though we both love each other dearly—tortured one another for years. we’ll just leave it at that.

you can relate to all this, i’m sure, no?

anyway, after i moved to sarasota more than two years ago, my relationships with both parents started to evolve. i talk to my mom on the phone every day—she is a friend now—and when my dad calls me, i feel like i can speak to him without feeling angry or sad, which is huge step forward. (in fact, i now feel like i can speak to him and actually enjoy the conversation.) and as for my brother, well—the last time i was home, he called me and asked me if i wanted to go out to dinner with him. (i almost cried.) we did, and we just talked—about our lives, our jobs, our parents. it was lovely.

in very large part, it is my family that keeps me grounded. we are not perfect, but we love each other. i remember, after my grandfather’s funeral this past april, sitting on my aunt’s front porch and staring numbly into the empty street. people—extended family members, close friends—were talking quietly to each other, but all of the sudden a brisk wind rushed down the street, ruffling our hair—and in that moment, i could feel my grandfather with me (i like to say he was always trying to ruffle our feathers). without any kind of preface, i looked at my dad and said, “that’s grandpa.” with teary eyes, he looked back at me and replied, “i know.” and my brother and mother knew, too; when i caught their eyes a few moments later, they both smiled and nodded. that’s the thing about families: if you’re lucky, you just get each other. i am really lucky.

p.s. family includes pets. fact.

p.p.s. is anyone else incredibly full of emotion this week? in case you can’t tell, i am—for various reasons, my senses are on high alert; i feel like my heart is going to beat right out of my chest, it’s so full.

{ funny 50s family by flickr user lost fun zone }

loving: foudre blanche.

don’t you just love these beautiful, organic pieces from etsy seller foudre blanche? my favorite is the honeycomb, shown below with a piece titled torn—it’s definitely going on my christmas wish list, especially since it’s a total steal at $16. gorgeous.

speaking of the holidays—what with thanksgiving on thursday (can you believe it?) and all—what’s your gift-giving strategy going to be? i know times are tough this year—are you making gifts? scaling down? or are you going all-out because, hey, it’s the holiday season and it only happens once a year? share!

{ images via foudre blanche }

heart and soul.

for some reason, this makes me want to cry. i love it. and isn’t it appropriate with the holidays right around the corner?

from christopher david ryan, via the always inspiring oh joy!.

of cold, clothes and cookies.

hey, guys. sorry i haven’t posted since last wednesday—my life has been super activity-filled recently, and while i wouldn’t have it any other way, it definitely means blogging has taken a back seat. but here i am today—well, tonight—on a chilly november evening, curled up in my apartment with oscar and thinking about the three c’s i mentioned in the title of this post.

“i want to throw out all my clothes and start over” was the declaration i made to my friend k. a week or two ago, and the declaration i’ve made to a few other friends since then. and while you might be raising an eyebrow while reading this—i know, times are tight; the holidays are approaching; my clothing budget is practically nil—i can’t help it. it’s just the way i feel. so please, indulge me for this one post, my dears.

the thing is, this desire to overhaul my wardrobe actually came while i was doing a clean sweep of my closet. i realized last summer that my little apartment was full of clothes that i hadn’t worn in years—you may remember me loathingly mentioning my goodwill pile and its home in the corner of my kitchen. well, i finally bagged up everything and hauled it over to the local drop-off—and i felt free. i was happy the clothes would go to someone who needed them, and happy that i finally had more space in my closet.

that is, until the weather turned cool this weekend and i realized that i’d given all but one of my sweaters to goodwill, and the one that’s left over has three-quarter-length sleeves—yes, i live in florida, but a morning temperature of 40 degrees is still just too cold for three-quarter-length sleeves. (seriously.) and as i was pawing through the rest of my items, i realized there’s not a lot of cohesion in my closet—i tend to shop in pieces, not outfits, and because of that i either repeat ensembles or rely heavily on a rotation of jeans and the tops that i just have to have, but that—again—don’t lend themselves to collaboration. thank god i work in a creative field, i’m not sure what i would do if i had to wear suits or actual professional attire.

(also, since writing that post about revamping the way i think about health, i’ve lost a couple pounds. in fact, i’ve actually gone down a pants size. baggy jeans also lend themselves to wanting to shop. and to wanting to keep up the healthiness.)

so, yes. i want new clothes. but i also want to evolve my style. for a long time—a couple of years, really—i gravitated toward a sort of boho-ish, nouveau hippie look. i like flowy, vintage-inspired tops and layers and long scarves. i always will. but as i become more aware of my body—and what looks good on it—i’ve started to admit to myself that my personal style is actually much more classic and tailored and clean-lined. think j.crew as opposed to urban outfitters. it’s been an interesting realization.

anyway, i strolled into the gap—purveyor of all things classic—and its sister store, banana republic, on friday night while on a frantic search for the perfect birthday-party top, and i was smitten with a lot of the items i saw there—cozy sweaters, dark-washed denim, pretty tops. above are a few of my favorite pieces from target, gap, banana and j.crew.

have you all seen your styles evolve as time goes by? how would you describe your fashion “personality”?

p.s. the cookies i mentioned in the title of this post refer to my excitement that the holidays are approaching—my little pink baker’s heart is so excited to make dozens of lovely confections in my stand mixer!

maegan over at …lovemaegan wrote a genius blog post titled “i’ve learned that…” a few days ago. i had a great time poring over her list, and—since i am a list lover, myself—decided to come up with my own. this is by no means comprehensive; it’s just a fun little amalgam of things i’ve learned and things i love, served up to you, my dears, on this quiet wednesday.

what i’ve learned:

+ being genuine and warm will never steer you wrong.
+ it’s much more fun being optimistic than pessimistic.
+ bright shoes (personally, i prefer yellow) make any outfit much more fun.
+ expensive beauty products aren’t an end-all-be-all. i use bare escentuals mineral makeup, for example, but also maybelline great lash mascara, eucerin night cream and dove shampoo (although i do love bumble & bumble, too).
+ the above item also applies to clothes. some of the cutest pieces i own are from target or old navy.
+ there’s really something to be said for being financially responsible. i’m working on that.
+ love.what.you.do. i can’t imagine dreading going to work every day; i am so, so lucky that i truly enjoy my job—and the people i work with and for.
+ pets make life better. there’s no debating this.
+ i can actually drink beer now. is this something that happens with age?
+ a core group of friends is crucial. i am lucky to have one that i adore.

how about you? what have you learned? i plan to revisit this list fairly regularly…

happy hump day, darlings!

{ image above via the sartorialist. the yellow shoes = perfection; a perfect illustration of point no. 3! }

happy veterans' day.

i’m going to tell you a little story today, and it goes something like this: once upon a time, a baby boy was born in a small coal-mining city in northeast pennsylvania. the baby’s name was john (though he was called jack), and he was the oldest of three children. jack—tenacious and driven even from childhood—spent the seasons of his youth in that coal-mining city, attending local schools, working odd jobs at local businesses and, eventually, falling in love with and marrying a local girl, one of his sister’s friends, named jane.

soon after his wedding, jack deployed to combat in world war II, fighting in five battles and climbing through the ranks to become a brigadier general—at one point serving as a liaison for gen. george s. patton. after retiring from active duty and returning to jane and the little pennsylvania city where he got his start, he became deputy director of the local economic development office and was on the board of more nonprofit organizations than can be counted on both hands. he also helped found a local soup kitchen for disabled veterans, because he knew that he’d been given so much and that so many of his fellow vets had so little. and in the midst of all of this, he and jane had two children, a boy and a girl.

as the years wore on, jack remained active in the organizations closest to his heart, although he was able to do less and less as his health began to fail. but he was always proud of his community and his country, and even prouder of his greatest accomplishment, his family—of his 66-year marriage to jane, of his son and daughter, and of his grandchildren.

in 2007, jack’s health began to deteroriate more rapidly and he passed away in april of this past year. he was given a full military sendoff on a cloudless, sunny day—exactly what he would have wanted. so on this veterans’ day—in the middle of fall, two days before what would have been his 90th birthday—i want to make sure i take a moment to remember jack: a fearless leader, a faithful husband and—most important, to me personally—my dear, dear grandfather.

{ photo above of my grandparents, jane and jack, circa the 1950s, scanned and resized for this blog. i adore this photo, and you can easily see why. }

sundaze.

a few snapshots of my weekend, taken by my lovely friend shun. isn’t the light pretty in these photos? there’s something so timeless about them, i think…

how were your weekends, my dears?

new obsession (or: old love, leave me alone...)

“real-life” friends of mine who read this blog will recognize the link i’m about to post, because i sent them an “oh-my-gosh-i-just-found-this-incredible-web-site” e-mail yesterday. um, talk about feeling schmoopy!

dear old love is a collection of anonymous notes, submitted by readers, addressed to past loves and crushes—requited or unrequited. site founder andy salsberg edits the submissions, attaches a clever headline to them and posts every day.

and guess what? when i started reading the entries, i thought for sure i was going to feel sad, but a lot of them made me laugh, and some of them were pretty heartwarming. below are a few of my favorites; you can click here to read more. (warning: the site is addicting!)

You Hauled

I would have moved anywhere with you. I just wish you asked.

Pet Peeved

I don’t care that you miss my dog. When you cheated on me, you cheated on him, too.

Literary Award

I know I’ve won, because I’m the one you call to talk about books.

Only in Dreams

When we dated I was distant and couldn’t get fully into you. Now that we’re apart you’re the only one I have sex dreams about.

what would you say to an old love? i’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours...

historic.

i stayed up until 12:30 last night, laying in bed, watching the results of the 2008 united states presidential election. i watched pennsylvania, ohio and florida (i’m so proud) go blue. i watched newscasters officially call the race at 11 p.m. i watched john mccain give a gracious conciliatory speech from his post in arizona. and then i watched barack obama walk onto the stage in chicago’s grant park and deliver a speech that transfixed me and moved me to tears.

yes.we.can.

as obama left the stage to thunderous cheers and applause, and i leaned against my pillows, my eyes wet and my emotions on fire, this line—from a book i know well—ran through my mind:

“and in that moment, i swear we were infinite.”

election day.

i am feeling cautiously optimistic. nervously hopeful. but mostly, really, really, really ready for change.

tonight, after a workout, i’m going to park myself on my couch and watch election coverage until i absolutely have to go to sleep. i’m also going to whip up this recipe, which the oh-so-lovely molly of orangette posted (um, i’m totally in love with her blog, by the way). sure, it kind of negates the aforementioned workout, but on a night like this, we need comfort food. and hey, i’ll eat it with a salad.

what’s your favorite comfort food? what are you doing tonight? are you having an election party or, like me, are you going to be glued to the tube?

p.s. i know that election day far and away trumps halloween, but since i didn’t post yesterday, i just have to say that i had a fantastic friday (dressed up in fairy princess garb, no less) and that i hope you did, too! what were your costumes?

p.p.s. one last psa: this blog is going up around 1:45 p.m. eastern time, which means that there’s still tons of time for you to get out and vote if you haven’t. please, please, please go. for all of our sakes.

{ image above taken by moi. sorry for the gratuitous boob shot, but i'm proud of my sticker...and that's how obama and i roll; he's close to my heart! }

feeling schmoopy* (yes, schmoopy).

dear readers, for some odd reason i am feeling incredibly lovey-dovey today. i have no idea why. maybe it's the amazing fall weather we're having (highs in the 60s, lows in the 40s--unseasonably cool for florida, even in late october) or the fact that the holidays are fast approaching. either way, i want to hug everyone. and so today i thought i'd introduce a little featurette that i'm just going to refer to as "love letters." every so often, when feeling the abovementioned schmoopiness, i'll retype one of my favorite literary love letters for you (a la that wonderful scene in sex and the city: the movie that featured beethoven's "letter to the immortal beloved").

anyway, we're starting with one of my all-time favorites: captain wentworth's letter to anne elliot in jane austen's persuasion--which is also one of my all-time favorite books, period. here goes:

"i can listen no longer in silence. i must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. you pierce my soul. i am half agony, half hope. tell me not that i am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. i offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it eight years and a half ago. dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. i have loved none but you. unjust i may have been, weak and resentful i have been, but never inconstant. you alone have brought me to bath. for you alone i think and plan. -- have you not seen this? can you fail to have understood my wishes? -- i had not waited even these ten days, could i have read your feelings, as i think you must have penetrated mine. i can hardly write. i am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. you sink your voice, but i can distinguish the tones of that voice, when they would be lost on others. -- too good, too excellent creature! you do us justice indeed. you believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating in...f.w."

are you feeling schmoopy now, too? tell me, what's your favorite love letter?

see you tomorrow, my lovelies. xo

*ganked the word "schmoopy" from some post on this lovely blog.

{ image above from here, first spotted on {this is glamorous}. }

cute blog alert.

are you all familiar with the blog what i wore? i'm a little late to this party, too, i believe, but i stumbled across it the other day and think it's so cute. the author, jessica, posts pictures of herself in cute outfits and writes about them, as well as dishes out fashion advice. i'm a sucker for street-style photography blogs (um, hello, sartorialist), so i'm really loving this one right now. above is a peek into jessica's closet; below she's wearing one of my favorite outfits thus far.


{ all images via the lovely what i wore }

kitchen love.

um, so tell me this isn't the cutest kitchen ever. i am loving the pink and red dots, the letters that spell "eau" behind the sink and the general cheeriness of the space. in fact, maybe i should buy some dot decals and copy this look in my own teeny-tiny house.

and while we're on the subject, what fun fall foods are you whipping up in your kitchens? i'm having a sweet potato moment, and giada's baked sweet potato fries with garlic-mayonnaise dipping sauce are at the top of my recipe list. seriously, seriously delicious.

{ image via door sixteen by way of marie claire maison }

monday morning eye candy.

just a little beginning-of-the-week prettiness for you--mrs. french's work has already made the blog rounds, but i couldn't resist posting a few of her beautiful images. not only does she pen (er, type?) an inspiring blog, bliss, but the images above can be purchased in her etsy shop. that lightbulb photograph has my name all over it...

how were your weekends? i hope you all have fabulous mondays! xo

p.s. um, saturday is november 1. that is crazy! where did october go?!

{ images above from here }

survey for a thursday.

my loves, i’ve been a horrendous blogger lately and i’m so sorry—my life has been full to the point that i just haven’t had a moment to sit down and write. i am reading all of you, though, and i’m going to try to get back in the swing of things for next week.

for today, though, i present you with a little survey. i was tagged by the oh-so-lovely alison of dear alison and am super-happy to oblige. (full disclosure: i am a secret survey lover, so i was thrilled when i saw alison’s tag.)

anyway, that being said, here goes—i’m not going to tag anyone, but please, please, please fill this out yourself, if you’re so inclined, and link me! oh, and if you want to read alison’s answers—or her blog—click right here.

1. i’ve been a vegetarian for four years now, and i really don’t miss meat at all.
2. when i was little, i used to want to be a voice for a disney character (ariel was—is—my favorite; my grandmother used to make me sing “part of your world” to her when i was growing up. and by the way, i still do it in the shower).
3. i want to live in new york, san francisco or paris for at least a year of my life.
4. i’m a leo, although i think i have a touch of cancer in me, too. i really like being the center of attention, though, even if i pretend i don’t. (and speaking of astrology, the tarot.com ‘scope google uses for its igoogle homepage is freakily accurate—at least for me.)
5. if i could max out my credit card at any one store, it would be anthropologie. can you tell?
6. speaking of finances, i tend to live a little outside my means. but for right now, that means i have a fabulous time (although it’s not good when i get down to having $1 in my checking account—yes, that actually happened, and embarrassingly enough, it was fairly recent. you can expect a finance post soon.)
7. i’m having a total pop moment right now and am obsessed with beyonce’s “if i were a boy” and leona lewis’ “better in time.” also, on the opposite end of the spectrum, i’m really loving ray lamontagne. check him out if you haven’t.

happy thursday, my darlings! see you tomorrow…xo.

{ image above, of j.crew creative director jenna lyons' amazing dressing room, via dominomag.com }

loving: sculptural shapes for fall.

fall is officially here, my loves--i felt it in full force this weekend. the humidity disappeared, the thermometer dropped and the air was crisp--in other words, the weekend was pretty much perfection.

i spent friday night at dinner with some girlfriends, then got dressed up and headed to the ungala gala at the ringling museum courtyard on saturday night (for work, mind you). the ungala, a black-tie event, is the kickoff to sarasota's social season, and people--women especially--really go all-out in terms of attire. i saw some gorgeous dresses, including a stunning, sculptural, navy-blue oscar de la renta that was seriously awe-inspiring.

now, i certainly can't afford an oscar de la renta dress, so i was excited when i popped over to the anthropologie web site today and saw that a bunch of their new pieces are sculptural and detail-inspired, as well--much like leanne's final collection for project runway (side note: how glad are you that she won? she was my favorite from the beginning). below are a few of my favorites; that blouse on the left is really calling my name.

what are you looking forward to wearing this fall?

{ image via anthropologie; cropped and resized for this blog by moi }

food for thought.

my dears, this passage--which i rediscovered while rereading anne of avonlea the other day (hello, youth)--is a pretty clear indicator of the woman i aspire to be. and i thought i'd leave you with it today.

"she held over him the unconscious influence that every girl, whose ideals are high and pure, wields over her friends; an influence which would endure as long as she was faithful to those ideals and which she would as certainly lose if she were ever false to them. in gilbert's eyes anne's greatest charm was the fact that she never stooped to the petty practices of so many of the avonlea girls--the small jealousies, the little deceits and rivalries, the palpable bids for favor. anne held herself apart from all this, not consciously or by design, but simply because anything of the sort was utterly foreign to her transparent, impulsive nature, crystal clear in its motives and aspirations."

isn't that lovely? just some food for thought for the weekend. the anne series was one of my favorites growing up--what was yours?

have a wonderful weekend! see you monday. xo

p.s. if you're looking for something super fun to do this weekend, i highly recommend kayaking. i did it yesterday, out on gorgeous sarasota bay, and i swear on everything holy that there were wild dolphins right next to me and the person i was with. incredible.

{ light-filled image above via {this is glamorous}. }

sartorial wednesday.

how much do you love-love-love this photograph? it’s via the sartorialist, of course, and it makes me want to hop on my (nonexistent) bike and go for a spin around downtown sarasota. also, this lovely lady’s outfit is pretty much perfect—the shoes! the tights! the sunglasses! the classic trench coat! the pretty patterned skirt and sweet top! i have serious outfit envy right now.

i’ve been meaning to buy a bike for awhile now and this makes me want to do it that much more (and add a basket to it, to boot). perfection, seriously.

are you all bike riders?

economy of language.

my loves, i should have had my fingers glued to my cell phone this weekend—and all last week, for that matter. i am so glad i have unlimited text messaging with my plan, because i was a texting fiend! and since i’m fascinated with all things word-related, it got me thinking about the art of the text message.

while i’m really hesitant to compare texting to poetry (sorry, but substituting “u” for “you” does not compare to reading e.e. cummings), there’s something similar about the need to pack a certain level of meaning into a few brief lines. on my phone, for example, i have 160 characters with which to get my point across—and if i’m texting to a boy i’m interested in or someone i don’t know well, i feel like the pressure’s really on. i want to be concise but not curt; friendly but, again, not overly wordy.

and i know—in a lot of cases, it would probably be much easier to just pick up the phone and call. but—and i think this is because of what i do; i’m a writer and editor—i tend to place a lot of emphasis on the written word. (also? i’m a little bit shy, so texting is a lot easier for me.) there’s something so deliberate about choosing a word of the right length and meaning to fit the text message that’s being composed, almost like putting together a puzzle. again, it's the economy of language.

so, tell me: how much do you guys text? do you find texting easier than calling? what’s the best text you’ve ever received? are you as fascinated with the evolution of our communication styles as i am?

{ images above by artist ginger via joanna goddard’s glamour.com blog, smitten—she wrote about the art of the romantic text message a few weeks ago, and these photos were too perfect not to include with this post! }

happy, happy friday!

i know i’ve been a bad blogger lately, but there’s been a lot going on. so i’m going to take the weekend to have fun and will be back on monday with something substantial!

until then, take a look at this great fuschia peacoat from old navy (yes, old navy). it’s $90, but i’m sure it will go on sale within, like, two weeks—and i’ve pretty much decided it’s going to be my new winter coat. an empire waist and cute pockets? yes, please! i’d pair it with a sleek black sheath dress, opaque black tights and these gorgeous michael kors heels. hello, lover.

what are your plans, my dears?

xo!

{ image above from old navy. }

today...

...is about throwing open the windows and letting in the light (literally and figuratively).

how are your wednesdays, my loves? mine's been pretty happy so far.

{ image by moi }

ring-a-ding-ding.

my love of elephants is well-documented on this blog, which means you can imagine my happiness when i spied this jeweled elephant ring ($178) on the anthropologie web site. it’s a statement ring, i know, but i’d just love to prance around with it on my finger. (and apparently it’s a popular piece, because it appears to be on back order until oct. 25.)

a much more budget-friendly, and equally cute, option is this owl ring from fred flare (only $14!) that i spied on cupcakes and cashmere today. my elephant love is rivaled only by my owl love—i really enjoy this.

how do you guys feel about statement jewelry? i really like lots of long, layered necklaces and big cocktail rings. and unlike some of my friends, who much prefer white gold to yellow (i felt that way for a long time, too, honestly), i think yellow gold can have an awesome vintage vibe to it. what’s your preference? share!

{ images via anthropologie and fred flare. }

survey for a monday.

1. clothes shop: anthropologie, j.crew, target (the new jonathan saunders line is super fun), gap and old navy (for basics), and thrift stores (especially for jewelry). plus, sarasota has some great independent boutiques on main street that i love to pop into whenever i get the chance.
2. furniture shop: ikea and again, thrift stores for great vintage stuff.
3. sweet: mm, dark chocolate.
4. city: new york has my heart.
5. drink: water, coffee, green tea, margaritas.
6. music: a really eclectic mix. i’ve been listening to jimmy eat world’s futures again lately—i think it’s because the title track has such a political edge. also, a little regina spektor, a little john mayer, coldplay, copeland, corinne bailey rae, some michael buble…like i said, random.
7. tv series: the office. grey’s anatomy. pushing daisies. project runway. gossip girl.
8. film: amelie is my all-time favorite; waitress is probably my most recent fave. oh, and i got sex and the city: the movie from netflix and watched it pretty much all weekend…yay!
9 workout: beach, bay, blog.
10. pastries: cupcakes or really good chocolate chip cookies.
11. coffee: grande skinny iced vanilla latte from ‘bucks, or—if i make it at home—whole foods breakfast blend with some silk french vanilla creamer and a touch of agave nectar to sweeten. yum!

now, dear readers, please fill this out yourselves and link me or leave some interesting factoids about yourselves in the comments! happy monday, my loves!

{ image via {this is glamorous} }

happy friday + some really cute dresses.

i was reading joanna goddard’s glamour.com blog, smitten, this morning, and was immediately—ahem—smitten with a sweet yellow dress from sotto boutique that she posted on thursday. adorable and perfect for a first date, no?

anyway, that post got me thinking about other cute first-date dresses, so i perused the selection at sotto and then clicked on over to bird —one of my favorites—to look at their dresses. here’s a little round-up of my favorites—date dresses are kind of appropriate going into the weekend, right?

{ clockwise from top left: mayle; mina perhonen (this one’s a bit fancy—perfect for dinner at a nice restaurant, i think; rachel comey (this is my favorite—i’d pair it with a brown belt and flat brown boots like these from loeffler randall); and vena cava, all from shopbird.com. }

speaking of the weekend, i hope you have a wondrous one, my loves. see you back here on monday! xx

october, oh, october.

hey, guys—i’m sorry for the super-sporadic posting this week. i’ve been recovering from a cold (yay, advil cold & sinus) and insanely busy with work and stuff. i’m so glad tomorrow’s friday—i need a weekend!

anyway, i looked at my cell phone yesterday and was totally shocked to see that it said oct. 1. i mean, yes, i knew yesterday was the first of october—but when exactly did september slip away? it’s now really, truly, officially fall.

so in the spirit of a new month—and my love of lists—here’s just a few reasons why i love october:

+ halloween. need i say more? (also: are you guys dressing up? and if so, what are you going to be? i need suggestions! also, is it sad that i kind of want to be a princess so i can create a costume around these fabulous pink and green bcbg shoes that i saw?)
+ pumpkins. they’re so orange and jaunty.
+ soups and squash.
+ scarves and tights.
+ the fact that we’re that much closer to thanksgiving and christmas.
+ gorgeous weather—highs in the 70s and 80s, lows in the 60s. perfection.
+ open windows at night.
+ new people and the start of sarasota’s social season.
+ time change. an extra hour of sleep? yes, please!

what do you guys love about october? and please do tell me your halloween plans—i know it’s a bit early, but i want to hear!

{ pumpkin polaroid by flickr user sea wolff }

cheeky.

contrary to the beach photos i posted last week, it’s a dark, gray day here in good old southwest florida, and the weather isn’t even supposed to make it to the mid-80s (i know that’s summer-warm for a lot of you, but anything below 90 feels fall-like to me). you know what that means, don’t you? it means that i’d like nothing more than to spend the day curled up in bed with a cup of green tea, a good book and my kitty cat—especially since i seem to have developed a little cold (before you feel sorry for me, though, i should tell you that a friend told me she had a sore throat and then offered me a sip of her wine at dinner last week, which i happily—obliviously—took. seriously, who does that?).

anyway, i’m totally ripping a page from rachel at black eiffel’s book with this post, but i saw these photos yesterday and couldn’t not share them with you. i think they’re kind of brilliant, especially in the face of everything that’s going on right now.

i hope that you are all doing well, my loves! happy tuesday, and i’ll see you tomorrow. xo

{ photos from this flickr pool, via black eiffel }

happy monday!

i'm taking a wee blog break today thanks to a crazy weekend that consisted of much activity and reminded me of the fact that i'm officially an old lady and cannot function on four hours of sleep anymore (ha!). see you tomorrow -- until then, enjoy this lovely, fall-y, thought-provoking (for me, anyway) photo, courtesy of the fabulous jen gotch.

beach day.

the weather was incredible yesterday -- the kind of perfect that reminds me that although i complain about living in this state for four months out of the year, late september to april are pretty much bliss.

and i felt autumn in the air all day -- from the morning temperatures that finally hit the 60s to the nonexistent humidity to the cool breeze that followed me wherever i went. so where did i choose to go after a nutty day at work? the beach, of course. here are a few pictures for you (click to enlarge):

{ the sky was incredible -- a mix of blue and white and gold. }

{ the way the light reflects off the water always gets me -- i love it. }

{ some para-sailers (i think -- correct me if i'm wrong) practicing. }

{ i wear flipflops pretty much year-round. i kind of love that about living here. also, yes, those are little arms on my keys -- my friend t. gave me a monster-shaped key cover. so cute! }

{ here i am looking totally goofy in ridiculously large sunglasses, wearing my ipod. i pretty much just plopped down in the sand -- no towel, no nothing. that's how i roll. }

happy, happy weekend, my loves! i hope yours are lovely and fall-like -- what are your plans? xoxox

{ all images in this post by yours truly. }