j'adore dior.

love this ad for dior's miss dior cherie perfume. i actually wear this scent myself--it's really fruity and juicy and feminine--and we all know how i feel about balloons.

any ad campaigns really stand out to you recently, my dears?

under the sea.

more drew love: i think these images of drew barrymore from the lastest issue of elle magazine are so ethereal and pretty, don't you?

{ photos by alexei hay, via elle }

starry night.

just a little monday-morning eye candy for you by photographer irene suchocki, via bee. (for some reason, this photo evokes a really emotional response in me--love that.)

how were your weekends? xoxo

what are you doing this weekend?

happy friday, my loves! what are your plans for the weekend? i'm celebrating my dear friend k.'s birthday at a pool party on sunday, doing some work and enjoying the beautiful april weather. i hope you all have golden weekends!

{ image--which i've been obsessed with ever since i saw it--via tanya's gorgeous blog. }

unconditional love.

it's turning into a fashion-flavored week here on { pink o'clock }...when i saw this photo, i couldn't not share it. i find this outfit pretty much perfect, and i love those shoes with everything in me--from the top of my head right down to the soles (souls) of my feet. i have a giant head that doesn't really allow much hat-wearing (seriously), but otherwise: yes, please.

{ via the sartorialist. of course. }

the fabric of our lives.

i love zooey deschanel--she's another one of those celebs, like drew, that just seems cool. and i can't help but covet all the fantastic clothes she wears in this cotton commercial. so cute. yay for cotton!

true drew.

drew barrymore is one of those celebrities i feel like i could go grab a beer and talk about boys with, or get stuck in an elevator with and wind up having really random, interesting conversations about our pasts. she just seems so lovely. and while i could do without the veil and boa thing here, i am loving everything else about this look--from the red lips and nails to the gorgeous dress that i'd like to own, please, even if the only place i'd ever wear it is in my own apartment.

do you share my drew love? did you catch grey gardens this weekend? if so, what did you think?

{ image via here }

let's get physical.

so, aside from the whole trying-to-get-organized thing, working from home (and a new home, to boot) has been an adventure in self-discipline. sas left me a wonderful comment a week or two ago that has really been helpful, especially in regards to carving out working hours (mine are really irregular and i'll often find myself working on spreadsheets at 10 p.m.) and not mistaking sitting around checking facebook (yep, did that a lot at my office job) for productivity anymore. so far i'm liking it, and the interesting thing is, i feel much busier than i have in a long time.

however, one of the things that has fallen by the wayside for me lately is exercise. not to toot my own horn, but in the past seven-ish months i've dropped two pants sizes. i'm not quite sure how it's happened--i think it has to do with adjusting my eating habits and being more active--but it's been a really painless process, especially because living in sarasota, a.k.a. paradise, makes it really easy to be active. or at least it did until i had to switch jobs and move in a week's time. now i'm lucky if i get in a 2- or 3-mile walk once a week. i'm still eating healthily, and i've been active, but when it comes to actually exercising, well...

so i think what i'm going to do is this: start getting up early and going for walks in the morning. i live close enough to the water to know that this is going to be incredibly pleasant, and i can think of nothing more soothing than gazing at the still, glassy waters of the bay early in the morning (and by early, people, i mean, like, after 7:30 a.m.) while listening to great music on my ipod and getting my blood flowing. oh, and the reason i'm rambling on about this is because writing about being healthy a few months ago really helped kick-start the aforementioned weight loss/lifestyle change for me. so i feel like sharing this little goal with you will do the same.

and so it's not all about me, tell me, my dears: how do you stay active? what healthy changes have you made in your own lives lately? i'm looking forward to reading about them!

p.s. i know i'm so behind the times with this, but kris allen's version of "falling slowly" from the movie once on idol on tuesday inspired me to download the original version--swoon.

{ image: stella mccartney for adidas }

white light.

i love the clean white airy-ness of these photos by british photographer rachel whiting.

p.s. lots to talk to you about! much more to come soon.

p.p.s. thanks for your sunburn sympathy, too. xoxo!

feel the burn.

i am incredibly sunburned right now, thanks to a couple of hours outside by the water on longboat key on saturday afternoon and, um, a lack of sunscreen. (i know, and the horrible pain from the blisters that are forming on my shoulders is a hard-learned lesson-i haven't been burned like this since i was 13, and i'm the palest person in the world, to boot...what an idiot!)

anyway, angry red skin aside, i'm loving this photo by tim walker. in spite of the sunburn, it makes me look forward to summer and spending even more time on the water...with a healthy dose of spf 50 applied, of course.

{ via captivate me }

jump for joy.

love-love-loving these photos by candice stringham. they make me so happy on this monday morning.

how were your weekends? springy and pastel and joy-filled, i hope!

xoxo.

spring fever.

happy april weekend, everyone. the photo above is of my favorite tree, the golden trumpet. they're everywhere this time of year, and their flowers are gorgeous and yellow and when they fall on the ground, they create this beautiful blanket of sunshine. the photo above is of the golden trumpet in my parents' front yard; it was a gift to them when i was born and it's moved with them from their first house to the one they're in now.

what are you doing this weekend? i'm catching up with friends, baking this cake and then spending easter sunday with some of my favorite people (they're the recipients of said cake). happy easter if you celebrate; if you don't, happy spring! go outside and play.

xoxo

{ photo above by me }

the obsession continues.

um, hello. did you think i could possibly not post this image after i saw it?

it may be time to make a new label devoted entirely to balloons. (also, cupcakes. but that's another story.)


{ image by tiara mia, who also takes really cute photos of cats, via oh joy! }

funny people.

i can't wait for this film to come out. while waiting for i love you, man to start last night, which is hilarious and very judd apatow-like in nature, i saw the preview for this movie, which is actually directed by apatow. it looks great. i would like to marry seth rogen, and i love the fact that apatow's wife (the hilarious leslie mann) and kids (how adorable are those little girls?) are always included in his movies.

here's to summer. and lots of laughter.

{ via joanna }

a very mini sneak peek.

hello, lovelies--today i thought i'd show you the one organized corner of my freshly painted apartment. i am in love with the color, which is a version of martha stewart's "surf" (no. 286). it's so soothing and beachy, and it takes on different colors depending on the light.

anyway, you may recall that when i first moved in, i was dealing with this (sorry for the poor quality; i took it at night on my blackberry):


well, thanks to my friend r. and the aforementioned pretty paint, we now have this:

(the blue thing in the corner is a yoga mat, and its neighbors are an as-yet-unhung piece of artwork by my friend b. and, um, a blind that i accidentally ripped off. oops. the table is a "lack" piece from ikea, and the little knick-knacks surrounding the tv are mostly thrift finds or from target. the grocery bag and the ribbon board do not usually sit there, but i was apparently too lazy to move them.)

so, yeah! i'm happy with where things are going so far. it's truly amazing the difference a coat of paint can make. next up is shelving (i'm going to do a wall of white shelves on the wall opposite the one in the picture), followed by curtains (i'm not a huge fan of the blinds and i think something airy and white would look pretty there) and a big, colorful (or possibly just white) rug to cover up some of the carpet. again, nothing wrong with it, i'm just not crazy about the color and would like to add a little texture. i also need to replace the red doorknobs on the kitchen cabinetry (pics of the kitchen coming soon) and do my chalkboard wall. r. is going to paint the bathroom this week (i love having a handyman friend!), and i'm going to do the bedroom soon--here's my inspiration:


yes. ice-pink (with brown accents and fluffy white bedding!), here i come. i'm pretty sure my apartment is going to look like an easter egg when it's done.

p.s. the blue walls are perfect for maybe-kinda-sorta-possibly copying nicolette camille's cloud wall, no?

happy tuesday, my dears. xoxo

{ images one and two by me; three via design*sponge }

pretty, pretty.

isn't this a pretty kitchen? there's something so soothing about it.

{ via it's mary ruffle }

a-b-c, easy as 1-2-3...

have you heard about the photographic dictionary? i read about it on the lovely creature comforts and immediately clicked over to the site to find out more. the site aims to "[define] words in the literal, figurative and personal meanings found in each photograph." isn't that awesome? click here to read and see more.

{ images via the photographic dictionary }

question for you!

to any of readers who work from home or are full-time bloggers: any advice on, um, doing just that? i am still trying to wrap my head around not having an office job anymore, and everything--literally--is in boxes because i just moved into my new place. any tips on getting organized and things i need to have as a work-from-homer are really, really, really appreciated! xoxoxo

{ image above: jinnie lee's pretty workspace via sfgirlbybay }

a little morning reminder.

xoxo.

{ via better than fine }

up, up and away.

my balloon obsession continues. i love it. p.s. isn't the word "balloon" fun to say? it makes me laugh.

{ photo via oh joy! }