not-so-mellow yellow.

i know summer isn't officially over until mid-september, but the end of august marks the beginning of fall for me. and while i'm excited about the prospect of cooler weather, i find myself still wanting to hold on to the last few days of summer as they slip away, because there's a change of mindset that goes with fall, isn't there? i, personally, switch from a carefree attitude to one that's a little more serious, a little more focused.

all of which is a roundabout way of saying that i love this outfit because i think it screams "summer," and i'd like to wear it every day.

happy monday, my dolls!

what are you doing this weekend?

happy, happy friday, my lovelies! what are you doing this weekend? i'm heading up to orlando on saturday with one of my favorite sarasota friends to visit my parents (and puppy), do a little shopping and--most importantly--have my final fitting for my bridesmaid dress. a dear family friend is doing my alterations, so i know the dress is going to look perfect. other than that, i'm planning on relaxing on friday and sunday, so it should be a delightful weekend.

what are you up to for the next couple of days? tell me! and thanks for all of your sweet comments, as always...isn't the blogosphere a beautiful place?

{ balloon-y goodness by anna aden }

red lips.

yesterday, i had a noon appointment and found myself running way behind schedule. i slicked my wet hair into a low ponytail, threw on a my favorite gray shirt, a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and some flats--and suddenly felt like something was missing. so i grabbed a tube of red lipstick, slicked it on and headed out the door without a second thought.

the result? i felt super sassy for the whole rest of the day. rarely do i wear red lipstick, even at night, but i think i'm going to start making a point to do it more often. on a rainy day like yesterday, especially, it made me feel happy.

are you a red lipstick wearer?

{ pretty illustration by garance dore }

lines and shapes.

amy borrell writes two of my favorite blogs, all the mountains and tummy-ache, but did you know that she also runs an online shop? vanilla bug carries jewelry, illustrations and prints, all with a whimsical, quirky appeal that's just lovely. i'd love to display the images above somewhere in my kitchen--they're so sweet, aren't they?

{ images via vanilla bug/amy borrell }

tuesday sort of light.

this photo combines three of my very favorite things: gorgeous light, water and the color yellow. perfect.

p.s. the rachel zoe project is back on bravo and i'm not going to lie, i'm excited. sorry if this makes you think less of me. (haha.)

p.p.s. i had fresh raspberries with homemade whipped cream last night for dessert last night and it was divine. the simple things are the best things, truly.

{ via this is glamorous }

loving: whimsical pieces by cori kindred.

love-love-loving these items by cori kindred. aren't they sweet? and the product shots are so beautiful, something i always appreciate.

a little dose of pretty is always a good way to kick off a monday, right? how were your weekends, lovelies?

what are you doing this weekend?

hi, everyone! happy friday! what are your plans for the next few days? this weekend is one of the few in the next few weeks that i have totally free, and i'm so looking forward to just hanging out and relaxing. the only thing i know i'm doing is going to see a movie--possibly the time traveler's wife or post grad.

whatever you're doing, i hope it's happy and full of summertime goodness! fall is just around the corner--can you believe it?

{ gorgeous photo by rune guneriussen }

twist-ties.

pretty girl, pretty hair. i wish i was talented enough to do this by myself! it's definitely going in my (mental) wedding-hair-inspiration file, though.

p.s. more lovely braids...

shower power.

last weekend, my lovely friend jennifer and i threw our equally lovely friend mel a bridal shower. mel has chosen a pink/berry-themed color scheme for the wedding, so we went with that for the shower, as well. our favors were pink- and berry-colored m&ms (m for mel!) that perfectly matched our theme with white wedding-bell candies, and we made heart-shaped tea sandwiches, fruit, veggie and cheese trays, cookies, cupcakes and pink lemonade with heart-shaped ice cubes that had raspberries and slices of lemon and lime in them, and displayed them all on pretty cut-glass trays. yum.

yay for love!

pretty photo for a tuesday.

this? is exactly what i'd like to do today. i think a beach walk may be in order tonight.

how are your tuesdays, my dolls?

{ via mary ruffle }

quote for a monday.

"listen, i care about the job. but mostly, i just want to be inspired." --renee zelleweger in jerry maguire (which i watched for the first time--i know!--on sunday night.)

be back soon, kittens! xoxo

{ lovely sunrise photo by lena }

what are you doing this weekend?

happy friday, my lovelies! what are you doing this weekend? i'm heading up to orlando for the lovely mel's bridal shower and bachelorette party! i hope you have a wonderful, relaxing few days--i've had an insane week and hoping the next one calms down a bit. tell me what you're up to!

{ sweet flower girls via once wed }

rockabye.

my dears, i have had an insanely busy week, and today isn't looking like it's going to let up with the busy-ness. i feel like i've been in a lot of meetings over the past few days, and even though they've been really positive, all i'd really like to do is climb into this bed and take the best nap of my life! how lovely is that light?

how are you doing? please tell me what's been going on with you!

{ via sfgirlbybay }

couture corsage.

the girls at ban.do have done it again--aren't these corsages so, so sweet? i'd pin one on in a heartbeat.

awestruck.

this is so cool: yayoi kusama's aftermath of obliteration of eternity installation, "a mesmerizing 'infinity room' that operates on a system of simple yet ingenious optical devices. in a dark void, a delicate, shimmering mirage unfolds around the viewer, a myriad of gleaming lights that reproduce and reflect endlessly upon each other in golden silence."

{ images from the gagosian museum, via all the mountains }

signed, sealed, delivered, i'm yours.

i really, really, like sending cards--i'm really, really bad at actually doing it, but the thought does cross my mind at least once a day ("oh, i should send her a card to say i hope she's feeling better"; "hm, his birthday is coming up..."). and my favorite ones to send are quotable cards. i have several of these hanging in little frames in my house, and often, when i'm perusing their selection, i'll come across one that expresses the exact sentiment i'm feeling. how can you not love that? (don't get me wrong--i know there are a million wonderful greeting cards out there, especially from places like etsy, but for a word nerd like me, quotable is the bee's knees.)

do you guys send cards?

p.s. the birthday was a total success, and i have a pretty strong feeling that 26 is going to be the best year ever!

what are you doing this weekend? + happy birthday to me!

happy friday, lovely readers--and happy birthday to me! today is my 26th birthday and i am planning on celebrating tonight! my best sarasota friends are throwing me a bash on the beach, complete with barbecue and sarasota's famous sunset, and then we're going to continue the festivities and dance the night away. then, on saturday, my friend h. is having a 30th birthday bash and i'm going to see julie & julia. i cannot wait; i'm so excited i could pop!

wishing all of you a weekend that's equally as lovely! see you back here on monday, and thanks--as always--for being so fabulous. xoxo

{ photo by darling dexter }

loving: lovely, romantic thoughts...

...by matt caplin photography. these make me feel all warm and gooey inside.

you can stand under my umbrella.

hi, guys--happy hump day! it's been a busy week for me, so i thought that i'd take a few minutes to sit down, reflect and share a list of the things that make me really happy:

+ summer. oh, summer.
+ friends and family, near and far.
+ the smell of fresh-cut grass.
+ sarasota sunsets. there's nothing like them.
+ the promise, the faint whisper, of fall.
+ chalkboard paint.
+ shorts, sundresses, flipflops.
+ beach reads. i'm a year-round book lover, but i fly through even more of them between june and august.
+ oscar snuggling in some of my laundry as i type this post.
+ my various summer cds: a michael jackson mix, the 500 days of summer soundtrack, a mix of new and old favorites. (tip from you to me: download "sweet disposition" by the temper trap, then listen to it while driving near the water during the aforementioned sunset. your life will change a little in those three minutes and fifty-six seconds, i promise.)

what's been making you happy lately? xoxo!

{ pretty photo via le love }

style files.

so, much like zooey deschanel, i have a girl crush on diane kruger. i think she's just so pretty and also so unique in her fashion choices. plus, she's dating joshua jackson (aka pacey from dawson's creek), on whom i have an actual crush.

anyway, i'd totally like to take a page from her style book, and these photos are my inspiration.

who is your style icon?

monday, monday.

happy monday, friendsies! how were your weekends? i spent friday night having sushi and movie night with friends (500 days of summer was so good and i need a repeat viewing asap); saturday at a beach barbecue; and sunday putzing around the house doing laundry, cooking and generally relaxing. and i'm looking forward to a great week, too: my bridesmaid dress for mel's wedding is due to arrive tuesday, friday is my birthday and all of my favorite people are back in sarasota after their various stints out of town.

anyway, i thought we'd kick off the week with these gorgeous images by samantha lamb--get thee to her flickr stream immediately for lots of light-filled loveliness.

oh, and tell me how your weekends were!

xoxo