Lake Bell's backyard.

So much amazing color, texture and pattern in actress Lake Bell's Brooklyn backyard, as featured in Lonny magazine. Love. Adding to the must-have list for my next place: Outdoor space.

Photo by Melanie Acevedo for Lonny

Moroccan wedding blankets.

A Moroccan wedding blanket has been on my wishlist for years now; they are so beautiful and unique and I think they add so much glamour and texture to a room. This one, from Calypso St. Barth, is particularly pretty—I'd hang it on my wall, I think, because otherwise my cats would have a field day with it—but for now its very firmly in the "wishlist-only" category. Maybe someday!

(Related: Is anyone going to Morocco anytime soon? Hee.)

Photo: Nicolette Camille's lovely bedroom via Design*Sponge.

Inspiration overload: Justina Blakeney's jungalow.

I mentioned last week that I've suddenly become obsessed with making my house as bright and colorful as possible (see this chalkboard and this rug, both of which I'm 100 percent smitten with), and there is no better place on the Internet for awesome color inspiration than Justina Blakeney's wonderful blog. Justina is a thrifting, upcycling and decorating maven, and her L.A. home—or "jungalow," as she calls it—is filled with her colorful finds. Poor ACS is probably quaking in his boots, because now I'm pretty much on a mission to spray paint everything I own hot pink, emerald green or electric yellow...

P.S. Another colorful home I love: Bri Emery's.

Ask Amy.

This is by far one of the best things I've come across on the Internet lately: "Ask Amy," in which the amazing Amy Poehler responds to questions about life that are submitted by teenage girls. Topics range from stress to crushes to body image to anxiety, and Poehler's answers are funny, of course, but they're also well-thought-out and kind and insightful. Watch the one about makeup, above, and you'll see what I mean. Love. 

Rita Konig's apartment.

I'm starting to think seriously about redoing my apartment—new paint, maybe a couple of new pieces of furniture; definitely lots of color—and Rita Konig's beautiful, eclectic apartment is totally my inspiration. I mean, this is practically perfect. To me, at least. (Those sheets...)

Photos by Todd Selby

My ideal day.

So I don't know if it was Mercury in retrograde, hormones, a series of unfortunate events or what, but two weeks ago I was feeling seriously off. I'm kind of thinking it was a combo of Nos. 2 and 3, but whatever was going on was a doozy. Luckily, the weird mental haze lifted a few days later and I felt mostly back to normal, but also like I needed to think about the way I handle stress and let it affect me. So, thanks to a book I was flipping through at the time, I started thinking about my ideal day—what I would do (on the weekends and weekdays) if I stuck what is essentially my dream schedule. And then I started thinking about the ways I can incorporate some of those dream items into my actual life. Turns out, my dream schedule is actually pretty darn attainable, and that is awesome. (Now I just have to get myself to do the things on my lists, but motivation—or lack thereof—is a whoooole other post.)

Before I go farther, a disclaimer: I am aware that the off-weeks are going to happen from time to time (and sometimes more often than that), that they're unavoidable, that they're part of the fabric that makes us who we are. In fact, as much as I joke about living in the marshmallow, I wouldn't want to live in it 24/7 (who would?). And actually, I generally appreciate the down days (at least after the fact). There's always something that can be learned from them.

But.

I am a big believer in trying new things and  making space in our lives for activities and experiences that make us happy and fulfilled and more productive. Hence this list. Below you'll find my ideal weekday and weekend day, and I hope you'll share at least a few things you'd do on your ideal days, too.

A house in the forest.

There are days, weeks, months when I love being surrounded by hustle and bustle, always busy, always going or coming. But then there are other times when I fantasize about what life might be like if I lived in a house like this, in a snowy forest: Sparse, clean, simple, just me and my books and my future dog and maybe my laptop (or maybe not). I think I'm happiest somewhere in the middle of those two extremes, but the latter sure can be tempting.

Photos by Wemer Huthmacher

Yes, we did.

In 2008, I blogged about watching Barack Obama win the presidential election and wrote that one thought ran through my mind: "And in that moment, I swear we were infinite." (It's a quote from the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and it sure felt apt.)

Last night, I felt that same pure, unbridled sense of joy, and that same quote came back to me again. I can't even tell you how proud, relieved and happy I feel this morning. Those tears of joy, they sure are sweet.

We did it.

Now: forward.

Photo via the Obama campaign's Instagram. 

Books! (And: help me decide what to read next!)

I just finished Walter Isaacson's 600-plus-page biography of Steve Jobs—appropriately titled, um, Steve Jobs—and hoo boy, what a read that was. I'd been wanting to read the book for awhile but hadn't gotten around to purchasing it—and then A Certain Someone got it for me for my birthday and I dove right into reading it and barely came up for air.

When Steve Jobs passed away last year, I was surprised by how hard his death hit me—I think it's because I've been a loyal Apple fan since childhood and because every single Apple product I've owned has had an element of surprise and delight for me, from my family's green iMac to my first-generation iPod to my MacBook, iPhone and iPad. Materialistic? Maybe. True? Absolutely. (And by the way, if you haven't watched Jobs' 2005 Stanford University commencement speech, you'll want to do that. Like, right now. I've even made it easy for you: Here's the link.)

Anyway, Isaacson's biography was really good—straightforward in tone, easy to read if a little slow at first, and a true testament to Jobs' incredible, unique genius. It didn't shy away from shining a light on Jobs' notoriously difficult personality, either, which I appreciated and which gave the book its “spice,” so to speak. I also loved reading about Jobs' involvement with Pixar, which I knew sadly little about, and the chapters leading up to the end of the book—and the end of Jobs' life—are genuinely poignant. Jon Stewart was right when he said in a tribute that it felt like Jobs had so much more left to give; there is not a doubt in my mind that he would have continued to amaze and revolutionize the world for years to come. If you're an Apple fan—or even if you're not—you should read this book. I came away so inspired and am trying to figure out how to channel that into something productive.

So now I'm in that interesting predicament of wanting to start a new book but also wanting to read something equally good. I downloaded a couple of samples the other night and can't choose, so I need you to help me (pretty please?). Here's what I'm considering (feel free to add suggestions!):

• Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. It seems like everyone has been reading this lately, and I have to admit that even the 30-something sample pages I read sucked me in. If you've read it, is it as good as everyone says?  

• Wild, by Cheryl Strayed. Again, have heard lots of good things about this from both coworkers and the Internet, and I'm a sucker for a good "I went to the woods to live deliberately"-esque tale. 

• Life Would Be Perfect if I Lived in That House, by Meghan Daum. I read about this in Holly's post about what she read in 2011 and it sounded really interesting. It's not my top contender, but Holly's glowing endorsement—and the fact that, as you know if you read her blog, she's an excellent writer herself—makes me curious about it. 

• The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach. Like a man-goes-into-nature story, I am also a sucker for a good coming-of-age story, and this seems to have that wrapped up. A coworker read this and raved about it, as did my blog-friend Mary, but I've heard it's helpful to have some knowledge about baseball going in or you'll miss some of the story's nuances/references—true or no? (As we are aware, I know very little about baseball, but I still enjoy it.) 

What would you pick? And what great books have you read lately?

Photo of Jobs via Door Sixteen

Up in the air.

On Friday night, Nik Wallenda--a renowned stuntman from a famous circus family, and also a Sarasotan--crossed Niagara Falls by tightrope.

Sarasota had been buzzing about Wallenda's stunt all week; a big downtown block party had even been organized so locals could watch it, and according to reports, hundreds of people turned up to do just that. I had plans to be in Orlando this weekend, so instead of joining in with the local celebrators, I curled up on my parents' couch with my mom, dad and the dogs and watched the walk on television.

It was an interesting range of emotions that washed over me as I watched what transpired in Niagara Falls that evening: What began as indifference ("I'll watch 20 or 30 minutes of this, tops," I thought at first) quickly turned into excitement (someone was actually going to tightrope-walk Niagara Falls), then awe (the falls are so breathtakingly beautiful, and even more transfixing at 10 p.m. at night, a contrast of dark, almost-black rapids and frothy white waterfalls), then nervousness (the rain and mist were intense; what if he slipped and fell?), then sheer, unbridled pride when it was all over, not only for Nik Wallenda--he'd made his lifelong dream come true! Talk about moving!--but also for (and yes, I realize how icky this might sound, but bear with me) human beings in general.

The thing is--and I know I'm going to be greeted with a great big round of "Um, duh"s when I make this next statement, but hear me out, I have a point--we live in a world that is incredibly dependent on technology. (Um, duh.) I'm pretty much attached to my iPhone at all times--hello, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, etc.--and it's hard for me to unplug even after a day of work at my desk in front of the computer; I often come home and spend even more time on my laptop, usually until my eyes glaze over or the cats start looking at me like, "Shut that thing off and pet us, woman." I will say that this behavior seems to be very commonplace, but, of course, that doesn't necessarily make it a good thing, does it?

So to watch the 33-year-old Wallenda walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope using no fancy technology whatsoever felt, to me, like a victory for all of us. In an age where everything is motorized, computerized, digitized, instantly accessible and often forgotten as quickly as it happens, Wallenda's walk--which he completed using only elkskin-soled shoes and a balance beam--felt like a throwback to the good old days; a reminder of the sheer power of the human body and of determination, perseverance, sweat equity and simplicity.

Amazing photo of Nik Wallenda, above, by Frank Gunn for The Canadian Press/AP Photo; black-and-white effect by yours truly.

Working girl.

I try really hard not to blatantly repost other bloggers' content, but when I saw a post about Industry of One on Victoria's blog, I knew I had to share here, too. Industry of One is a super-rad site (founded by Adam Patrick Jones and Rachel Brown) that documents the relationship between personal and professional style -- i.e., how someone's job influences what they wear and how they live. I'm totally hooked and can't wait to see more.

And I'm also curious: What's your work style? I work in a creative field, so my wardrobe doesn't vary much from day to night (or weekday to weekend -- you know, minus the whole shorts-and-flip-flops thing). A typical work outfit for me consists of jeans, heels/flats and a cute top, or a little dress and heels. No suits, ever. And while that's not likely to change, I do want to branch out a little more this summer -- maybe try some different patterns, wear more skirts, embrace the bright pants trend further. How about you?

Photos: Industry of One

scenes from the weekend + committing to...

what a weekend: after a fun dinner with my friends k. and s. on friday night, i got to meet stacy london (!) on saturday afternoon at a mall in brandon, florida -- and fellow what not to wear fans, rest assured that stacy is just as funny and warm and, yes, direct in person as she is on television. it was such a great experience and it made me start thinking about how i want to dress this spring/summer -- always a fun thing to contemplate. (fyi: stacy says natural fibers like cotton blends and silks are best in heat, and she also says no linen, because you'll look like a mess the second you sit down. good to know.)

sunday was a quiet, and though i spent some time outside by the water in the beautiful weather, the majority of the day was dedicated to doing work, laundry and grocery shopping. (i made a big pot of this soup -- flavorful and no-fail, seriously.)

it's a short week for me at work, which is exciting, but as is the case with all short weeks, it's shaping up to be a busy one -- lots of new projects on the horizon. so i'm planning on buckling down -- and in that spirit, here are my little goals for the week:

+ cut back on sugar -- this is actually my goal for the entire month of april. i've noticed that my sweet intake has gone up lately, and honestly, while i love a treat as much as the next girl, too much of a good thing makes me feel yucky. so i'm going to go easy on the white stuff (and use natural sweeteners, like agave nectar and honey, if i have to have them) and replace my usual desserts with fruit. (tonight, for example, i'm having orange slices with cinnamon and honey. yum.)

+ continue the waking-up-early thing. i've been doing really well with it; here's to keeping it up.

+ organize my closet -- it's kind of scary in there and i think it's time for a goodwill drop-off.

+ do my taxes. (sigh.)

how about you -- what are your goals for the week?

photos -- little vignettes around my apartment -- by me.

bicycles.

a bike. i need one, asap.

isn't this photo sweet? hooray for best friends.

photo by the sartorialist

loving: paula mills' australian home.

 

 

i don't know what exactly it is about illustrator paula mills' lovely australian home -- featured on design*sponge last week -- that's stayed with me, but i can't stop thinking about it. really, it's probably everything: the attention to detail, the color, the styling -- it's all just perfect, and creates such character in the space. file this one under inspiration, for sure.

photos of paula mills' home by tigs macallen, via design*sponge

bow-ed over.

 

over the past few months, i've been happier with the decor of my home than i have since i moved into my apartment almost three years ago. i feel like there's a unified design theme, and while there are certainly spots that need work -- the awkward wall space by the front door, for example, or the sliding closet doors onto which the previous tenant inexplicably painted odd pictures of kittens -- i'm generally quite comfortable hanging out at home these days. 

but that being said, i've already started putting together a wish list for the next place i move to. a water heater that gives me more than 10 measly minutes in the shower without turning the water ice cold is at the top of the list; a dishwasher is a close second. wood floors would be nice, too. so would my own washer and dryer. and i think i'd like my next home to feel a little more grown up and androgynous -- i want plenty of quirky details, of course, but i think a more streamlined approach is something i'm slowly coming around to. 

this wallpaper by emily isabella for hygge and west, for me, hits that quirky/grown-up mark almost perfectly. i love the gold bows against the dark gray background, and i think this paper would be perfect and special in a powder room or a closet, even if just on one wall. 

how do you feel about wallpaper? do you use it in your home? (i sometimes frame samples, but have never actually used it...yet!) how would you describe your design style?

p.s. please excuse the terrible pun in the title of this post. i couldn't help myself.

to market, to market.

just a pretty picture of an outfit i plan on shamelessly copying this fall.

dress, cardigan, tights, cute shoes. yes, please.

pie in the sky.

there are many things i love in life, but included in my top 10 -- and probably my top five -- would be a good dessert served in an adorable space alongside a perfect caffeinated beverage. so when i read this new york times article about melissa and emily elsen, two sisters who started a pie shop in brooklyn (and discovered that the article was beautifully photographed by todd selby), i was immediately intrigued. called four & twenty blackbirds, after the line in the childrens' nursery rhyme, the quaint little shop serves coffee and more than 50(!) pies per day -- and they're all handmade, from scratch.

i've always said that if i wasn't an editor and didn't love my job, i'd want to be a baker and own my own pastry shop (preferably with a side of bookstore). reading stories like the elsens' completely reinforces that idea, and in fact, when i'm at my parents' house this weekend, it's further motivation for me to hit up my favorite bakeries. just, you know, for future inspiration.

photos by todd selby, via the new york times

in repair.

friends, i have to admit: i am still working on trying to get it together. posting may be light this week, as i'm looking at a super-busy work week and then a long weekend out of town, but i'll try to drop in as much as possible, even if it's just to share a favorite photograph -- like this one, by olivia.

hope you all are having lovely tuesdays so far.

loving: whitney deal dresses.

the older i get (and i know that, at 28, that seems like a strange way to start a sentence), the less enamored i am with the elaborate, fancy weddings that captured my attention--and held it for hours--when i was younger. don't get me wrong: clicking through photo galleries of gorgeous weddings (or, hello, going to them) is one of my favorite things to do and probably always will be. but personally, i've gone from wanting a huge wedding and reception to wanting something more akin to a garden party in a beautiful, intimate location (savannah square, anyone?) with just my closest family and friends. 

that's why i am in love with everything about these wedding and bridesmaids' dresses by whitney deal, right down to the styling. they'd be a perfect fit for the type of wedding i just described -- pretty and white, but also simple and fun. in fact, i think if i were to describe my future wedding, that last sentence would be exactly how i'd do it.

photos by whitney deal

pretty words.

"even now, all possible feelings do not yet exist. there are still those that lie beyond our capacity and imagination. from time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written, or a painting no one has ever painted, or something else impossible to predict, fathom, or yet describe takes place, a new feeling enters the world. and then, for the millionth time in the history of feeling, the heart surges, and absorbs the impact." --nicole krauss, the history of love 

photo by chase