break out the good stuff

i'm a huge fan of using fancy dishes in unfancy ways. it's the age-old thing of having lots of nice things but not using them nearly often enough, so they collect dust and are only used on the most special of days. but every day is a day of our lives only lived once, so shouldn't we surround ourselves with beautiful things when we can? and it's an added bonus if those things remind us of people or places we've loved.

on my mother's vanity, she uses pretty platters and mugs to corral beauty supplies and tools, which is one of the best uses for special dishes, especially smaller ones. they're pieces she remembers from family gatherings when she was a little girl, and now they hold her eye gel. love it.

take me to lisbon

i'm a little fixated on martha stewart's lisbon collection at macy's. i love the chaos/control situation of the staid stripes and the splashier floral. i first fell in love with the blue set in the macy's window because i'm having such a blue moment.



but then i saw the black and white option and it took on a whole new cast - such a classic, traditional combo but so fresh.


and then, i think my most favorite is the taupey gray set... so calming and soothing, even in the floral.



it's really hard to decide which i prefer in this collection - the stripes or the florals. i don't know. i love both. i'm always a fan of mix and match, in pretty much every arena and it totally works here,but what i especially admire about these dishes is how different they each look alone. the stripe is so one style and look, and the floral is so another, and then together, well, they're another. so it's three distinct looks. i fear if i were registering for dishes right now, i'd have to register for both. full sets of both.






the stripe is really calling my name. it evokes something in me...a feeling of order and propriety underplayed. especially the gray makes me feel like all is okay and under control - granted it's just coffee or cereal but isn't that why we buy things? because they speak to us in a way that feels good?

do you love?

on weddings: links of love

i hope you've been getting as much pleasure and as many ideas as i have from the bridal blogs i've been linking to...there is so much out there, and i love when i'm presented with an orderly list of things to see and read - you'll never get to it all, so i hope you like my roadmaps to some of the best.

check out this gorgeous wedding on every last detail - this is such a good example of a collected, vintagey look that doesn't look like it's trying to hard. it's believable, mismatched and looks like it all just happened to be there and a couple decided to get married wherever "there" is...such an inspiration.

divya gugnani is everywhere these days, and an all-around powerful woman and alum of my very own high school...she shared her wedding favors with bridefinds and i loved her spin on the tried-and-true seed packet.

OMG. this couple featured on bwed (high school sweethearts) got engaged when he was a guest storytime reader in her 2nd grade class and popped the question. it's really sweet how in love and excited they still seem even after so long.

this is a cool idea for a guest book because my feeling is what will you do with a guest book? well leave it to the broke-ass-bride... in this case, you'll remember the birthdays of your guests!

and isn't this amelie-inspired engagement shoot on wedding chicks sweet?

so many weddings, so many ideas, so little time...

first three images, last two images

keep calm and carry on

isn't this photo amazing? such a frozen moment in time. it's from anna at absolutely beautiful things and is a picture of the aftermath of a recent flood in brisbane.

and there's that now ubiquitous graphic sign...keep calm and carry on. among chaos and loss and grief. we can all relate to this feeling...sometimes it's events happening in the world that we're all in together, and sometimes it's struggles in our families, our social circles, our marriages, even just within our own minds and souls. but i think the feelings are universal. the notion that we can put one foot in front of the other and just move forward is a powerful one, and often easier said than done.

pretty stunning visual, isn't it?

spring it on

how excited are you at the prospect of spring? i can honestly say that before the holidays, i was enjoying the season so much that i couldn't conceive of the idea of being ready for the inevitable rush of spring in the stores and all over the web that would pretty much immediately follow new years. but i have to tell you - i'm ready like a banshee, and i'm sure you are too. i am moved almost to tears by the appearance of little baby birds and the hint, really a whisper, of a warmer air moving through. nothing could be sweeter than that, even on valentine's day.

is there anyone out there in the frozen tundra that is still having fun?

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fit to be wed

by now you know i'm not overly sentimental about wedding dresses, which is not to say i don't think they matter. they totally do, and i had my own custom made, so it's not as if i think they should be a small situation, it's more that i just don't think they need to be anything other than what their wearer wants to wear. and then the whole preservation deal...that seems overly sentimental to my taste, but then i also dyed mine black and wore it someone else's wedding, so there's that too. here's the dress mine was based on (not bridal, and black...see how things come full circle?):

as far as preservation, you could do something really subtle and reasonable like framing it and hanging it in your ginormo closet, like adrienne maloof did. if your closet is a little smaller than adrienne's, consider these beautiful sketches as a...smaller... way to preserve your gown, and then donate it to others in need. or sell it. whatevs.

i think some brides feel pressure to wear something that's not "them" for their wedding day, so they get pushed into a dress that's, well, not them. so i totally adore the idea of a bride who doesn't want an overly bridal dress getting one that's not meant to be bridal at all. do you think you'd feel comfortable doing that or would you feel (or maybe your mom or husband or sister would feel) like this was your moment to wear a WEDDING dress so you have to do it? i think if a bride wants a full, beaded, sparkling confection, that's what she should have. and if she doesn't, and would prefer a lavender column that makes her feel most like herself, then that's what she should have. i think the notion of feeling "bridal" gets bastardized - you should feel like your best, most beautiful, happiest self as a bride -- the same way you should feel about becoming a wife. okay, so i guess maybe i do feel a little sentimental about wedding dresses...just not in the way that calls for bedazzled tiaras.

so with all that said, take a look at these dresses fit to be wed in, that say nary a word about being a wedding dress...

first, check out this amazing halston heritage dress. can you believe?

and it comes in "rose gold," a romantic blush version.

it also comes in azurey gunmetal and what about this amazeballs option? hello, something blue. by choosing something blue, you can have your traditional cake and eat it too.

also, from halston heritage, i'm obsessed with this saks exclusive...

and this valentino number? this is like, city hall glam, don't you think?

and what if you could spend $165 on a wedding dress and not have it be one you've seen before or one that's seen better days (and nicer fabric)? this backstage glam rock mini would be so fun for a certain kind of bride.

the etro balloon sleeve cutout dress is just so different and special that in some ways, only a bride could wear it, don't you think?


the cecelia gown from j. crew looks more bridal than the others, but its simplicity and under $500 cost seem so liberating and beautiful. i feel like many brides would love this dress but might be deterred by it being so cheap and so decidedly unbridal.

also from j. crew but not in white, i think the arabelle dress in graphite is so pretty and could be accessorized with lots of bridal white for such a sweet and different look.

i just think it's freeing to think about things in different ways than we always have, which is also what had me thinking about bling last week.

what are your thoughts?

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simply put

do you ever find yourself racking your brain for a good solution to something, only to realize that the simplest solution is probably best and, well, simplest?

throughout the winter, i've amassed quite a collection of the recycled coffee trays from my local coffee shop. every time i get to my desk, the idea of throwing out the carrier just bugs me - it seems too significant; too much material to use just once and get rid of. so i got to work on thinking of what i could do with them to make better use of them and create less waste. i considered the following:

-a place to start seeds inside
-a bracelet holder, since i have so many beloved bracelets
-a countertop fruit holder
-an art project involving children and markers

as i thought about these concepts, the carriers continued to pile up. and when i can't decide on a course of action, sometimes (and only sometimes, truly), i think about the concept of occam's razor which, more or less, translates to the notion that the simplest answer -- or the one which makes the fewest new assumptions -- is often correct.

so i brought all the carriers back to the coffee place i got them from so they could be used again. DONE.

and they gave me a free coffee to thank me.

private lives: breakfast

do you ever think how we know so much about each other now because of things like facebook and twitter and all the real-time communication? it's funny - we're privy to little details and glimpses into one anothers' lives that were previously private and yet, some things that aren't private at all really, we don't know because we're just not together every second of the day. for instance, do you know what your friends eat for breakfast? i don't know what anyone in my life eats for breakfast other than my husband (and that's nothing, which it really shouldn't be since we know breakfast is important, but anyway...)

i was inspired by the first two images on this post, hali bey's photography on concrete magnolia, and they got me thinking about the tastes that start our days. then i easily found more such images on martha's site (i like hali's way better). so i'll go first...these days, i eat half of a plain fage 2% greek yogurt with a heaping tablespoon of sugar free red raspberry preserves mixed in. and of course coffee.

what do you eat for breakfast? i'd love to know.

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dotted (and) lines

aren't these gold tumblers festive, especially the ones with the dots? they're from pier 1 and i really love them. i'd love to be served a drink in one of these, wouldn't you?

they remind me of the buoyant feeling of a lot of kate spade's dishes and glasses, especially the ticker tape line which is just gorgeous. i even love the idea of mixing the two, like a set of these ticker tape tidbit plates and a set of the tumblers from pier 1 to wash said tidbits down. part of the appeal would be the slight variation between the two - the dots on the glasses are closer together and perfectly round, while on the plates they're more irregular shaped and placed.

that's one of the fun things about motifs like dots and stripes too - by playing with scale and space, you can curate a whole collection of items you buy at different places and times because the differences within the samesness is what unites them.

make sense?

you know the drill

what did you do over the weekend, my friends?

on friday, we had dinner here with one of my good friends from high school and her new husband, and their newlywed love and enjoyment was palpable - so sweet. we talked and laughed about lots of things, including saved by the bell and how miss bliss was so screwed after the first couple years, and the impenetrably cool dylan mckay, especially his much-imitated voicemail message..."you know the drill." it's always so fun to be with people who have the exact same memories you do, isn't it?

want to walk down memory lane? enjoy. and what about this one? it's like a parody! ah, they just don't make 'em like they used to. though let's be real, i die for pretty little liars and gossip girl, and those opening themes are pretty well-executed too. take a look.

then on saturday, my eyes flew open with the thought that i needed a haircut, and within moments i was out the door, on my way to get one - no appointment! i went to a really nice little place on main street in port washington and it was a great experience. they tended to all the little details (you know how i feel about that) and i really enjoyed it. the man washing my hair had his own special technique rather than just phoning it in. he did a whole vigorous head grabbing situation while using conditioner, and he gave me a temple massage. when he dried my hair, he tied it all up in a tight little cloth - so neat and tidy. and then he even dried out my ears - total bonus, right?

by the time i got to the chair where they cut, there was a stack of current magazines and two men worked on the hair at once, while of course only one did the cutting. when i needed something from my coat and got up to get it, they sat me back down and went and brought my coat over to me, rather than just reaching into the pocket of it like i suggested. then when they blew it out, they both worked together and i had a backstage model moment. it was just a really nice morning, overall. i love when something turns from an errand into an experience.

so between the haircut and my home life, i read a ton of magazines this weekend, wrote a bunch and we ran lots of errands. i discovered a few deals along the way you should know about...really cheap frames at walmart that made me able to frame three pieces that required large (read: expensive) frames. well unfortunately, they're not online, but they're simple black box frames (like the black is only on the sides and the glass pops out and back in) and in all sizes they were $4 each. definitely worth a trip to walmart if you can bear it.

also, homegoods is rocking a serious collection of stuff from africa right now. you should probably go there immediately. like, now. you'll thank me.


and then yesterday i got a manicure and i had her try six different colors before i made a decision. i ended up with midnight in moscow, but it wasn't an easy road. i'm a little obsessed with cuckoo for this color - but it just didn't feel right on me. it's like i want everything in the world to be that color, except my nails.

so pretty, isn't it? other strong contenders were opi ink and good old russian navy.


most importantly of all, it was sunny for several hours this weekend and the snow began to melt while the birds began to sing. you can almost believe spring is coming, can't you? treat yourself to a glimpse into a warmer, brighter moment by picking up a bunch of colorful flowers just for you. i did, and i'm already feeling springier.

flowers, african baskets, midnight in moscow, cuckoo for this color, russian navy, dylan mckay,magazines