a quote for wednesday.

"and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

(thanks, anais. image by leslie shewring.)

loving: emersonmade.

i may be late to this party, but i'm really, really loving everything from emersonmade's clothing line -- the items and styling are both right up my fashion alley. i'm particularly smitten with the ribbons blouse, go dress, and 1960s tweed jacket. all so pretty and perfect for fall, don't you think?

the weekend + committing to...

happy monday, everyone! how were your weekends? mine was good -- mostly uneventful, but good. i spent friday night running errands with my dear friend t.; saturday doing the same with my partner-in-crime k.; and sunday doing a bit of work and getting things in order for the week ahead, which is looking like it might be a bit eventful.

i'm still working through everything i posted last sunday, and it's not been easy, but i've seen a huge change in my attitude. i feel lighter. and as i mentioned, i attribute a lot of that to autumn, my favorite season. there's something swirling in the air right now. things feel crisper, more clear. i'm excited to see where the next few months take me.

i know i missed last week's "committing to...," so without further ado, here are my little goals for this week:

+ focus hard on work.
+ stay positive.
+ run, run, run! (now that the weather's cooling, at least at night, it makes that a lot easier. i think i need to sign up for a 5K to really get myself committed...hmm.)
+ continue to be open to the possibility of good things to come.

images of selgas cano architecture's amazing workspace via this article on the world's 10 most eye-catching offices. so cool, and definitely worth clicking through.

crash into me.

sometimes i come across a photograph that i love so much i want to save it for the perfect post (i hoard, if you will). this was one of those photos.

but i don't have the perfect post planned, and i don't know when i will, so i'm going to offer it up to you right now and hope you enjoy it as much as i do.

happy sunday, friends. how were your weeks? how have your weekends been?

xoxo

so long, so long.

crazy how summer is so quickly fading into a glowy pink memory. i hope everyone enjoys its last few hours.

xoxo

photo by olivia rae

in repair.

sunday breakfast is one of those things that i really love but rarely do. i either don't want to get up early, don't want to spend the money, or just forget. but today i woke up at a decent hour, and my b.f.f. k. (who is a teacher and thus always wakes up at a decent hour, even on sundays) and i headed to station 400, my favorite breakfast spot here in sarasota, where we sat at a high-top table, sipped coffee, ate eggs and waffles and fruit, and recapped our weekend adventures.

i've felt happier this weekend than i have over the last few weeks, and i think it's partly because i've committed to this idea that i need to do things that make me happy, and not put -- or keep -- myself in situations that aren't good for my mental health. i didn't do anything that creative this weekend, aside from baking these delicious cookies, but just the idea that the wheels are turning is enough for me, for the moment.

and then there's fall. i felt it in the air this weekend -- last night as i was walking into my friend's housewarming party; this morning as i walked to my car on the way to breakfast. there's a change in the air, and i can't get enough of it -- it's spilling over into every aspect of my life, and i'm finding myself thinking that i need to be open to more possibilities instead of taking comfort in the security of my normal routine.

i think the word i'm looking for to describe all this may be hope.

and that's always a good thing.

photos of this morning's breakfast by me.

what are you doing this weekend?

so, it's the weekend, friends -- what are your plans? me, i'm going to a friend's housewarming party on saturday night and hopefully spending the rest of the weekend relaxing, reading, and figuring out some stuff. all the things going on in the blogosphere this week -- the launch of rue and anthology, among others -- have been really inspiring me, and as i mentioned on monday, i've been feeling kind of creatively bereft. so it's time to do something about that. like, in an active manner.

i'll see you back here on monday (or maybe sunday -- i liked blogging on sunday last week), and in the meantime, i hope you have a fantastic, sunny weekend. thanks for being so wonderful, always! xoxo

lovely photo via here

living-room lust.

just one of my favorite living rooms ever, via lonny (which has a delightful new website, by the way). i don't know what it is about this room that i love so much, but i have a sneaking suspicion that part of it has to do with that giant daisy-like lamp (which is from ikea). this is a lot of blue, to be sure -- i would probably throw in some other color in pillows on the chair and sofa and art on the walls -- but it's so bright and cheerful, and i just love it. plus, we all know i'm a fan of blue in the home, anyway.

a quote for wednesday.

"the art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of letters is simplicity."

thanks, walt. you and my tattered copy of leaves of grass will always be two of my favorites.

photo by miki**.

john mayer.

last friday night, i went to see john mayer in concert in tampa for the sixth time in my life. those of you who know me outside this blog know that john is my favorite artist; he's been a part of my life since i first discovered him in early 2002. i remember purchasing room for squares my freshman year of college, slipping the disc into the cd drive of my cobalt-blue imac, and getting completely absorbed into the music. "back to you" was my favorite song off that album, which was his first full-length -- a follow-up to 1999's inside wants out -- but i couldn't get enough of all of it.

that fall,  my dear friend b. and i purchased tickets to john's show in atlanta and made the seven hour road-trip from our sleepy florida college town, playing room for squares almost the whole way there ("why georgia" was particularly appropriate for that trip). it was a rainy night, and our seats were in row w -- we just barely made the cover of the amphitheater. but we were so excited to be there, and the show didn't disappoint: it was the perfect medley of singing, stories, and jamming on the guitar. and it was one of those rare instances when an artist is even better in person than he is on his record. we left the concert half-deaf, half-mute from screaming, and ecstatic, rolling down our windows and belting john mayer songs into the cool fall air.

eight years, three major studio albums, and five more concerts later, i am still just as enamored with john mayer and his music as i was when i first heard him in spring 2002 at the green young age of 18. sure, i realize that he's said some things that were probably best left untold to members of the media (and i think that he realizes it, too, were he to be asked about it). i also realize that his sound is not for everyone. but for me, always and without fail, john's music makes me feel like i'm going to be ok -- whether i'm having a rough day at the office ("i just found out there's no such thing as the real world; just a lie you have to rise above"), trying to figure out a relationship ("so much to do to set my heart right"), or just wondering what it all means ("young and full of running -- tell me, where has that taken me?"). it's that reassurance that you're not alone. john's concert experience is both a collective and singular realization of that, too: standing shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of fans, you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself and like you're the only one there. it's magical; it gives you -- or at least, me -- goosebumps.

in reading back over this post, i also realize that i really hope all of you have some artist that makes you feel like that, too. if you do, whether it's john or someone else, will you share him, her, or them with me? i'd love to hear.

xoxo

p.s. i videoed "edge of desire," my favorite song off battle studies, at the concert on friday. the video doesn't quite do justice to our eight-rows-from-the-freaking-stage!! seats, but the sound is good. if you'd like to watch, click here. (also, sorry -- that screaming at the beginning is my friends and me!)

photo of john by john.

the weekend + yay! + committing to...

happy monday, friends! did you have a good weekend? i spent yesterday basking in the glow of sunday's lazy light (and recovering from my stupid cold), and while i'm not quite sure i'm entirely better, or entirely ready for a new week, i am glad it's here, if that makes sense.

but before i get into this week's "committing to...," herewith the "yay!" portion of this post's title: i am so excited and so honored to be featured in the lovely and talented jane flanagan's "where we blog from" series this morning. jane's blog is one my daily must-reads, a favorite and a constant source of inspiration, and i often wish that she lived in sarasota, or i in toronto, because i feel like we'd be real-life friends. to see a few photos of my (very humble) abode, you can click right here! and a huge thanks to jane for having me.


and, finally, here's this week's "committing to..." it's a quickie, but all three of these things are at the forefront of my mind right now. (side note: sometimes these "committing to..." lists make me feel a little, um, benjamin franklin, but i love them, and i love hearing your weekly goals, so i'll keep 'em coming if you will, ok?)

+ taking care of myself. being sick always makes me refocus on this one. so: early to bed, lots of fruits and veggies, lots of antioxidant-rich green tea. and honestly? all of that sounds really good right now.
+ thinking before i react. i am extremely emotional and tend to respond to things before i think them through. now, more than ever, i really need to work on that.
+ finding ways to satisfy my creative cravings. i'm not quite sure how to do that, but i need to figure it out because lately i've been feeling pretty bereft in this department. anyone have any writing projects they need help with?

so that's it for me, for today. again, thank you to jane -- and i'll see you back here tomorrow!

photo: kelly hill

ode to sunday.

you can imagine my surprise when i looked at my blog and realized that, whoa, it's sunday and i haven't posted a single thing since tuesday. truth be told, it's been a rough week: in spite of having monday off, things were very busy at work (and particularly challenging on friday), on top of which i have one of those annoying end-of-summer colds that make it feel like the universe is laughing at you for some cruel reason. i also have a lot on my mind -- things i'll share with you when i'm more clearly able to articulate them.

but i love sundays. and i love that sundays allow you to lay on your sofa in pajamas until 2 p.m., if you want, whether you're sick or not. i love that you can watch reruns of mad men all day if you feel like it. i love that sundays are perfect excuses to take care of those domestic duties you've been avoiding all week, or bake a cake, or catch up on your news/book/blog reading. they're like refresher days. so no matter how rough the week, i feel like sunday often makes it better.

so, speaking of better, i hope to feel better this week, to write better, comment better, be better. i hope you've all had wonderful weekends (i'll tell you about mine tomorrow). xoxo


photo by ulrica wihlborg, via here.

two of a kind.

i don't write about music on this blog nearly as much as i should. i am one of those people who would be sincerely happy if real life was one big episode of glee and if i had music playing almost all day, every day. i need music to drive, to work, to inspire. so i thought i'd give you two songs that i'm loving lately, that both share a common theme -- unrequited, unattainable love -- but that have completely different takes on the subject. the first video, by mayer hawthorne, has such a sweet, motown-era nostalgia to it; it's the kind of music that you want to listen to while sitting outside by the water, sipping a cocktail.

the second video, by cee-lo green, is definitely not suitable for work, so if you're in an office that you share with others, speakers in or volume down, please. (there is a safe-for-work-and-mainstream-radio version of this song -- "forget you" -- but it really takes away from the raw sentiments, i think.) if this doesn't make you get up and dance (or at least laugh), well, then, i don't know what to say. i do hope you enjoy both of these, though.

the (holiday!) weekend + committing to...

i was sitting on my couch last night, watching last night's stellar episode of mad men, and -- during the commercial breaks -- wondering if i'd enjoyed my holiday weekend or if it was a bit of a wash. do you ever feel like that? for some reason, i felt like i didn't really do a whole lot, which made me a little sad -- i spent a lot of time with myself, by myself, and often at home.

but then i wondered why that made me feel strange. after all, i went to see a movie by myself on friday night (going the distance, which was very cute and much smarter than i had hoped), i gave myself some much-needed relaxation time on saturday night, i got back into what will hopefully be my fall routine of exercising outside, alongside a beautiful sarasota sunset, and i actually cooked a somewhat elaborate and very tasty dinner for one last night -- a nice change from my typical cereal or soup regimen. and in between all that, i did spend time with my friend k. and  had some much-needed catch-up time (complete with frozen yogurt) with my friend m.

so, i think my ambivalence about the weekend stems from the fact that my days off are usually filled with other people. it's fairly rare that i spend a significant portion of time alone. that's why, in doing so, i was forced to more closely examine some of the aspects of my life that i'm maybe not so content with lately -- things that i'd like to change or adjust or make better. i think that always leads to some natural discomfort. but i also think it's all a part of growth. and i'm all for that -- even if it makes me moody from time to time.

so, with all that being said, here are my little goals for the week. tell me yours, too, will you?

+ actually taking action on the aforementioned things i'd like to change. and being really present to the things i think and feel.
+ continuing the being-outside thing. it's amazing the endorphins you get from a brisk jog on a warm fall night.
+ cooking every meal i eat this week (and trying to stay away from those brach's candy-corn pumpkins that i am unabashedly addicted to. no judgment; they are delicious.) i'm also thinking i might try and go back to being pescetarian-only again, since -- aside from the animal rights reasons -- all the chicken i eat lately seems to be in fried form, which is not so good. i was a strict vegetarian for a solid five years until 2009, so this wouldn't be such a leap for me, but we'll see. (also, this probably deserves its own bullet, but oh, well.)
+ keeping my messy bedroom clean.
+ trying to take more pictures of sarasota to share with you here. i was struck by this the other night while driving down one of my favorite streets, which was lit with white twinkle-lights and anchored by beautifully arranged shop windows. sometimes the beauty of this city makes me catch my breath.

that's all for me for now, but again, please tell me your goals for the week -- and i'll see you back here tomorrow! xoxo

photo of the cherry blossom girl's wedding by marianne taylor. p.s. how am i just discovering alix's blog? it's stunning.

little letters.

dear september,
i really like that you're the kind of month that people write songs about. i never used to like you this much, but now? now i do.

dear upcoming three-day weekend,
thank you.

dear thursday,
yay: you often culminate in cocktails. fairly certain today is no exception.

dear oscar-cat,
thanks for being such a snuggly little fluffernutter, and for always wanting to sit next to me on the couch (even on the days when i'm pouty or irritable and wouldn't particularly want to sit next to myself). there's something so comforting about that.

dear magazines,
you are big and chock-full of pretty clothes and interesting articles this month.
p.s. i will always love you.

dear new drew barrymore movie,
i hope you're as cute as you look.

dear gym,
you and i? we're going to be b.f.f.s from this point on.

dear fall,
i feel you in the air -- in the mornings and as in the evening breeze, as the sun is setting -- and i couldn't be happier.

dear readers,
as always, you are so awesome. thanks for being here. xoxo!

photo by the sartorialist.

little wings.

my blog-friend (love those!) stephanie turned me onto lauren haupt's beautiful jewelry and etsy shop, and i am completely smitten with her necklaces -- particularly little wing. lately i've been feeling like i need to wear more necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and the like, and i think one of lauren's pieces would be a great way to turn feeling into doing.

p.s. happy september! xoxo

images by lauren haupt. thanks for the tip, stephanie!