Jenny Vorwaller.

Totally loving the work of Seattle-based artist Jenny Vorwaller. I need more art in my house, and would love to hang one of her prints on my wall (the third one above—Surround—is my favorite). See more of her work here; shop here.

Rifle Paper Co. iPhone cases

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a total Rifle Paper Co. fangirl—I can't get enough of Anna Bond's whimsical, vintage-inspired designs, and it just so happens that her bricks-and-mortar storefront is located in the town where I grew up (and where my parents still live—it's about two hours north of Sarasota). So of course, when Anna announced Rifle would be producing iPhone cases, I knew I would be buying one.

It just so happened that the Winter Park shop began selling the iPhone cases last Thursday—they'll be for sale online this week—so my lovely mother went and picked one up; it was waiting for me when I arrived at my parents' house on Friday night. And I have to say, in addition to the design being totally charming, the quality is also really great (let's be honest, I would have bought one even if it wasn't, but sturdiness is a nice surprise. Take notes, Kate Spade). The one my mom got me has a hard outer shell, but there's also a rubber inlay that wraps around the phone to offer it even more protection if it's dropped, which—again, let's be honest—mine will be. We'll see how the whole thing wears over time, but for now consider me sufficiently impressed—and happy that my phone, which has been naked since I upgraded it in December, has a pretty case again.

Update: The iPhone cases are now available on Rifle's website right here!

Photo by me.

Sweeteeth.

You guys, I'm going to get straight to the point here: Sweeteeth Chocolate's "Sea is for Caramel" is the most amazing chocolate bar I've ever eaten. Period, hands-down, done.

Read more about Charleston-based Sweeteeth here; shop (they deliver, and the other flavors sound amazing, too) here.

P.S. This post on Sweeteeth's Johnny Battles is fun, too.
P.P.S. My favorite salted caramel recipe.

Photo: My own.

Homeland.

Do you guys watch the show Homeland? You probably all do and I'm totally late to the party, but my boss lent me her copy of season one and I had to blog about it because I watched the entire thing this weekend. Claire Danes plays Carrie Mathison, a bipolar CIA agent who's trying to prove that Damian Lewis' character, Marine sergeant Nick Brody, was corrupted during his time as a prisoner of war and is now working for an Al Queda cell that's plotting an attack on the U.S. Danes and Lewis are both great; so is Mandy Patinkin, who plays Carrie's mentor and is such a sympathetic character that I kept wanting to reach through my TV and give him a hug. If you don't watch and you're into this sort of show, you should totally get your hands on the DVDs.

What shows have you been loving lately?

P.S. If you're watching Homeland at 2 a.m., you know, hypothetically speaking, you might have some odd dreams about being a CIA agent yourself afterward. I'm just saying.

Stuffed animals and memories.

I have always had an affinity for stuffed animals, beginning with the two that slept in my crib with me when I was only a few weeks old. Lamby is a stuffed lamb that my Aunt Rose knitted for me; Kitty is a stuffed cat that was my dad's when he was a baby and that he gave me when I was born (meaning that Kitty is, for all intents and purposes, 57 years old). I still have them both, hence the present tense—poor Kitty has lost both her ears and her eyes but is still maybe the most precious thing I own; Lamby has held up really well aside from some weight loss due to missing stuffing. They are both at the top of the very short list of things I would take with me if my house was on fire. I love both of them with an intensity that I can't quite explain, almost as if they're real pets; they are just so incredibly familiar and comforting. (Can you see why The Velveteen Rabbit is a favorite book?)

The love I have for Lamby and Kitty has extended to other stuffed animals throughout the years, notably a bunny rabbit and a large mouse (Mousey—gosh, I was a creative child!), and has made me a firm believer in the idea that every child should have at least one stuffed animal that they sleep with at night when they're little and remember fondly (and maybe even keep) when they're big. That's why I was so thrilled to discover Walnut Animal Society, the brainchild of Lauren Bradshaw (she of the needle-felted birdies). Walnut Animal Society is made up of several heirloom-quality stuffed animals—including a fox, bear, raccoon and Magnolia the bunny, above—each with its own personality and each impeccably made. I don't have kids but I have friends who do, and these would make a perfect gift that could be loved for years. Stuffed animals are such a big part of the fabric of childhood—at least they were for me—so I love seeing companies like Walnut Animal Society pop up and do well.

Here's to happy memories.

Awesome thing: French press coffee.

Last year, sometime in March, I got really sick with what turned out to be a bad UTI (I'm sorry) but that I originally thought was some sort of gastrointestinal issue—I would be sick to my stomach for two days and then recover, only to have the whole process start up again a week or so later. Needless to say, it was not fun.

Wow, if that opening paragraph doesn’t make you want to keep reading this blog post, I don’t know what will. Urinary tracts! Vomit! Yay! (Again, I’m sorry.)

Anyway, one of the days I was particularly sick was after I’d tossed back a huge cup of really, really strong coffee. Here’s a fun fact about me: I like caffeine. I probably like it a little too much. After a cup-and-a-half of coffee, I start to sound like I’m on speed. “How much caffeine have you had today?” is a question I get asked pretty frequently, and it’s usually because I’ve started talking a mile a minute, thanks to the caffeine.

(Side note: Did I ever tell you my nickname in high school was “Speedy”? I gave a presentation in my freshman English class and was so nervous that I plowed through what was supposed to be five minutes of stuff in less than three, earning myself that nickname, which stuck with me for four years. Good times. Also: Oh my God, I need to JUST FOCUS on writing this blog post. Back to the story at hand.)

After I got so sick (again, from what I assumed was the huge cup of coffee I drank right before all the sick), the doctor I went to—even after he determined that the problem was not a gastro thing—suggested I cut back on caffeine for awhile, just in case. So I did: I switched my morning cup of coffee to chai tea and I was really good about avoiding most caffeine at all cost, save for the occasional iced tea every now and then.

But, you know, things change. People change. And more than a year later, I found myself craving something stronger than tea every afternoon at 3 p.m. So I started drinking the occasional latte. Then I started making cold-brew (see: here). And then recently I decided that it would probably be better for my body if I imbibed the majority of my caffeine in the morning instead of in the middle of the afternoon, right on the precipice of that point where the caffeine might cause you to not be able to sleep at night. So I did. Specifically, I did so with a French press. And it was a game-changer.

For years, I cycled through $10 coffeemakers from Target—you know the kind: plastic, white, breakable—and when I started drinking cold-brew, all I really needed was a wooden spoon and a jar. But when I started making hot coffee in the morning again, I decided to get a French press (specifically this jaunty little green one, also available at your friendly neighborhood Target). And it’s so simple and the coffee is SO GOOD. Seriously, I now look forward to the taste of the coffee and not the cream and sugar. You have to pay a little more attention to brewing time with the French press, but seriously: all you do is pour water over coarse coffee grinds, stir and press. Easy-peasy. Coffee, I love you.

Are you guys coffee drinkers? And if so, do you French press?

Awesome things: Lush bath bombs and bubble bars.

A few years ago—and oh, God, at this point it was probably six or seven years; HelloI'mOld.com—I went through a major obsession with Lush Cosmetics. I blame it on my friend Hayley. You see, Hayley is the person who introduced me to Lush and who fanned the flame of a soap phase so intense that I actually, on numerous occasions, drove 30 minutes to Orlando International Airport—the only place within 50 miles, at the time, where it was possible to buy Lush products—to pick up pounds of bath items. I am not kidding. It was bad for my wallet—I was a few months post-graduation and working part-time at Office Depot back in early 2006—but good for my soul (especially because it meant I got to see Hayley). And my skin. I smelled delightful, you guys.

After I moved to Sarasota in September of that year, my Lush obsession quickly faded—it was nearly impossible to get my hands on the stuff; I would have had to drive to Orlando or pay exorbitant shipping fees if I bought online. But I still loved the producs and what the company stands for—they're passionately anti-animal testing and all of their products are vegetarian, if not vegan—and whenever I was near a store, I'd pick up a bar of soap or some other yummy-smelling bath item. I'm not a big bath-taker—I'm much more a shower girl—so using a bubble bar or bath bomb felt incredibly luxurious. I liked that.

Fast forward to a few days ago: I was at the International Mall in Tampa and while ACS attended a business meeting, I (ahem) went shopping. I got a polka dot shirt (of course) on sale at Zara; I browsed the racks at J.Crew...and then I smelled that unmistakable floral scent. Lush was nearby.

Of course, I couldn't help myself, especially since my birthday was the next day: I walked in and headed straight for the bath bombs, wishing Hayley was with me, too. And one huge, round pink bath bomb and a floral-scented bubble bar later, I walked out of the store with a giant grin on my face. It's the simple things, sometimes, isn't it?

I haven't used either of the products yet; they're still nestled in their little bag. I'm saving them for a special occasion. Maybe I'll use one this weekend, and drink a glass of wine and read my new book. Who knows?

Let's chat.

I have some things I would like to discuss.

1. Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products. Do you use them? If you don't, you are seriously missing out. My favorite, favorite, favorite scent is geranium, because it sends me back to summers at my grandparents' house in Pennsylvania, sitting at the stools in the kitchen as a breeze blew in through the open windows. (Related: I think my middle name should be "Nostalgia.") My second favorite scent is honeysuckle. It is glorious.

2. Josie Maran argan color stick in Petal Pink. I love Josie Maran's cosmetics line; her argan oil has become a daily staple, as has her argan lip treatment (it feels so good on my perma-chapped lips). The lip treatment is kind of thick, though, so when I need something moisturizing that also has a little bit of color, I swipe on this stuff, which is the perfect shade of pink. (Her Magic Marker cheek and lip stain is also delightful.) And in other lips-related news, Rosebud Salve is also really great.

3. These shoes. I am a woman obsessed. I really want them. I tend to buy a pair of wedges every summer, and usually a cheapie pair from Target because I also tend to walk hard and therefore ruin said wedges. So, yes: I wear them until they break, and when they do, I typically tumble to the floor in a terribly embarrassing way, often in my office or in front of someone important, usually while wearing a skirt. Anyway, all that to say that I love this pair and I wish they would go on sale.

4. Mad Men. Oh, Mad Men. Do you watch? Please tell me you watch. The past few episodes have been so great, and Sunday night's moved me (and also freaked me out) to the point where I thought about it all day on Monday. Like, I was sitting in my lunch meeting at work, crunching on a potato chip and thinking about Mad Men. I was typing emails, but thinking about Mad Men. I was talking to people -- coherently, I hope -- but thinking about Mad Men. You get my point. I think Season Four is my favorite (and "The Suitcase" is by far my favorite episode of that season), but I alternately can't wait to see next week's episode and am crushed that it means that the season will be over.

5. Pure Barre. Have you guys ever tried this workout? I was supposed to go last night, after work, but guess who forgot she'd agreed to go to a dinner meeting until a reminder popped up in Outlook 15 minutes before said meeting? (Guess who was also in jeans with greasy, ponytailed hair?) So I'm going to another class instead--obviously, since I missed Tuesday's--with my friend Lauren from work, and I'm a little scared that I'm not going to be able move when I wake up the next day. If you've taken a class or are a Pure Barre-or-similar addict, please let me know.

OK, I think that's it. Anything you would like to discuss? Lay it on me!

Photo: Jamie Beck for A Cup of Jo. 

Loving: Cloud bread boards from Snug Studio.

I love a cute-shaped cutting board, so these cloud bread boards from Snug Studios really struck my fancy. Aren't they sweet?

P.S. Cloud-shaped marshmallows and cloud cookie cutters.

Loving: Fischer's spring 2012 line.

Loving the cool, relaxed, preppy vibe of Fischer's spring 2012 line (and also the model's hair and makeup). So pretty.

Loving: Prints from Leah Duncan.

I love pretty much everything Leah Duncan does (and in fact own this pillow cover), so it's no surprise that right now I'm coveting these two prints -- the swan and whale are so cute. Get them here.

Loving: Prints from You Sentimental Idiot.

I love these black-and-white illustrations from You Sentimental Idiot. (The shop name makes me giggle, too.)

That's all.

Happy Thursday!

loving: emerson fry's spring line.

 

i've been a fan of emerson fry's lovely clothes since she first launched her eponymous brand back in 2010, and my love for the line was rekindled when i took a look at the new spring collection last week. i'd like one of every single piece, please, especially those pink heels.

p.s.: don't you love the company's mission statement? "emerson fry is a company that believes in celebrating the uniqueness of the individual, the joy of being alive and all the smallness that makes up the big beautiful." perfect.

photos: emerson fry

loving: floral bridesmaid dresses from whitney deal.

more flowers? why not? (i am officially anointing this "flower week," y'all.)

this time, they come in clothing form -- specifically, lovely bridesmaids dresses from whitney deal. wouldn't these be perfect for a spring wedding in a garden?

loving: bags from death and texas.

loving the simplicity of these great bags by death and texas (the striped one doubles as a handlebar bag for bicycles).

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

loving: blackline stoneware from schoolhouse electric.

(i seem to be on a home-decor kick this week, so i might as well go with it, right?)

these blackline stoneware pieces from schoolhouse electric are pretty much perfection. that striped teapot needs to be mine immediately.

loving: gold ceramics from up in the air somewhere.

i discovered the wonderful shop up in the air somewhere sometime last year, and i'm so glad i did. i don't own any of susan's lovely pieces -- yet -- but i routinely check her shop to see (and drool over) the pretty new things she's added.

here are some of my recent, gold-themed favorites (featuring polka dots and stripes -- are you surprised?); most of them have since sold, but no worries: there's still plenty in the shop to tide you over.

p.s.: some other new and awesome gold goodies: rifle paper co.'s gold notecards. so pretty; always a favorite.

photos via up in the air somewhere; layout by me.

loving: boo and boo factory jewelry.

totally smitten with boo and boo factory's colorful leather jewelry, particularly that necklace in the lower righthand corner. wouldn't it look perfect with dark jeans and a white t-shirt?

loving: snoozer loser.

pretty, pretty scarves from snoozer loser (i love that magenta one with the gold scissors print!).