clothes-minded.

i'm a little embarrassed to make this next statement, but i'm going to go ahead and write it anyway: i am not good at vintage. i am so envious of people who are--people who can sift through racks of clothes and come away with gorgeous, one-of-a-kind outfits. i'm the same way with sales; i'm not good at them, either. i'm the girl who walks into a store, looks at the outfit on the mannequin or the pieces at the front of the store, and goes through them first. (i know.)

but when i came across 1918 vintage, via a notification that the shop was following me on twitter, i was inspired to try vintage again. the shop, run by miss meg, has a well-edited collection of super-pretty pieces that are, above all, very wearable and well-priced. i particularly love this apron dress; it's so anthropologie, is it not?

do you vintage?

p.s. another great vintage shop that inspires me to try again: pretty little world. the dresses are incredible.

{ images via 1918 vintage's lookbook }

before sunset.

this weekend, i went to a wedding at the ca d'zan mansion here in sarasota, which is located on the ringling museum of art campus. ca d'zan, which means "house of john," is the home that john and mable ringling (of ringling bros. fame) built and lived in during their tenure in town. it's absolutely beautiful, and was the perfect backdrop for the wedding, which was held at sunset and stretched into the night, with a live band playing on the terrace, twinkling stars shining overhead, and the sweet smell of roses from mable ringling's rose garden wafting through the air. a quintessentially sarasota event, indeed; one that made me remark, several times, that i would love to copy every last detail for my own wedding.

anyway, needless to say, the wedding was a lovely weekend centerpiece, and now here we are on monday again, beginning the last week of march. here's my little list what i'm committing to this week:

+ spending as much time as possible outside while the weather stays textbook perfect. (it won't be long before we're all turning on the air conditioner again.)
+ completing a huge work project.
+ finishing my book so i can start another one.
+ finally, finally getting my taxes (ugh) 100 percent complete.

what are your goals for the week? xoxo!

{ photo of the ca d'zan mansion via here }

what are you doing this weekend? + little letters

dear weekend,
thank you for finally getting here. i love you.

dear body,
i'm sorry for all the crap i've been shoveling inside you recently. garbage disposaltude will cease immediately.

dear ringling bridge,
you are a really awesome workout. you make me want to jump off you while i'm running you (you're steep), but feel so proud when i'm done with you.

dear spring weddings,
i love you, too. (congratulations to lovely l. and her fiance j., who are getting married on saturday, and to the equally lovely k. and j., who were married a few weeks ago in orlando.)

dear friends,
thank you for making me laugh so hard my face hurts, and for drinking beer with me, and for always, always, always being awesome.

dear mom,
i am jealous that you get to go to japan (!!!) next week. next time, please take me with you.

dear oscar,
i love you for patting my face with your little paw, for waking me up with eskimo kisses, and for always being so happy to see me when you come home. i've said it before, but you make my life brighter.

dear cold,
i think you're finally gone. YAY!

dear blog friends,
you are seriously amazing. thank you for being you.

p.s. what are you doing this weekend? please share, and i'll see you back here on monday! xoxo

{ lovely photo via mollyjune }

stitched up.

love-love-loving the embroidery work of susie cowie. so beautiful and delicate. 

(sorry for the lack of words today, everyone, but i think these photographs are pretty enough to make up for that.)

{ via this is naive }

cloudy with a chance of awesome.

i've been seeing little clouds everywhere around the blogosphere lately, from nikole's cookie cutters (and marshmallows!) to brenda's earrings to simone's necklace. now, i am generally one for sunshine and rainbows (almost annoyingly so). give me yellow rays and blue skies over clouds and rain any day (and ask me how happy i get when i can use--ok, exclaim--the words, "there's not a cloud in the sky!"). but after looking at these pretty things, i'm starting to think that maybe clouds are pretty great. especially if you can wear or eat them.

do you agree?