Friday, August 30, 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2013

oh, how i love when the world of fashion and the world of art collide,
and nowhere is it done better than in raf simons' fall 2013 collection for
christian dior. using some of andy warhol's earlier works as prints-
 simons added a colorful pop to classic silhouettes, bringing a touch 
of modern to a vintage brand. LOVE!


(images via style.com)

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

♥ meet mrs. fields.

my best friend's sister in law just opened a brand new etsy shop,
 selling old antiques and hand-made goods :)

i just adore her fresh take on once-loved items and her proficient needlework!
i had the chance to get the inside scoop on her blooming business, 
and wanted to share a few of her sentiments below. enjoy!


born the daughter of collectors, i grew up loving antique and vintage items. 
i am always drawn to unusual or out of the ordinary objects. mrs fields goods
is stocked with inventory that has either been hand-picked or hand-made
by me, mrs. fields. i make it a point to offer only items that i love and
i always struggle in parting with an item when it sells.


when i am on the lookout for a new item of inventory, i feel as though i am on a
 treasure hunt, looking for one hidden gem waiting for me to take it home. 
i suppose you may call me an emotional shopper- not that i am spending money
 because i am upset- but rather because most of my purchases are made because 
an item reminds me of a moment in time, or a person in my life, and sometimes
 a place that i have been. i currently have for sale four blue & white tea cups
with saucers. when my papa passed away, each of the grandchildren were
gifted a piece of the table setting from the dishes we used every holiday 
when i was a child. i received the precious little tea cup and saucer,
and have used it for jewelry on my dresser for years.

whenever i am out thrifting, i just have to buy them all up
and in selling them, i feel as though i am offering not
just a tea cup- but the love and memories of a happy
family at holiday time. i truly believe that in taking
a vintage item, like a tea cup, and repurposing it
to meet the needs of today's society gives
a tired item a new life. why buy new,
when you can buy history and
personality?


not all of the items in mrs. fields goods are purchased. since the christmas i was
given my first sewing machine, i have been in love with sewing. i find it
to be a relaxing and rewarding hobby. needlepoint has also been a passion
of mine since my mother sat me down and taught me how to cross stitch.
although it is a very intense and time consuming activity, it is another
form of art that i simply enjoy doing. the feeling of accomplishment
from creating something out of raw materials is very satisfying
and through mrs. fields goods i am able to share my
creative passions with the world.

do what makes you happy. i am.


well said, mrs. fields. well said.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

♥ super drag.

one of my favorite tv shows to watch on repeat is rupaul's drag race
i just love watching the contestants constantly blur the line between male and female, 
over-performing each gender in such a marvelous manner you only pay attention 
to the performance, and forget about everything else :)

in photographer leland bobbe's latest collection, half drag, 
you catch a glimpse of the grand performance of gender
at the midway point. don't you love it?


Monday, August 26, 2013

♥ the berry berry best in berry land.


this weekend, my other best friend, marykate turned 30 :)
and in honor of her summer birthday, i baked this strawberry cake
 to accompany the party that her sweet husband threw her.

although i was far too full to try the cake myself, i heard that it
was given thumbs up all around- which definitely
makes it blog-worthy, in my book!

so here is the recipe, 
(found originally here.)

cake ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 small box of strawberry jello
1/2 cup water
1 cup of vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 a small container of frozen strawberries in juice (defrosted)


directions:
1) preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) mix all ingredients until well combined
3) grease and flour cake pans
4) divide batter into two eight inch cake pans
5) bake for 30 minutes or as long as it takes for a knife to be
 inserted into cake and come out clean
6) remove cakes from oven and cool 

strawberry buttercream frosting ingredients
1 box of confectioner's sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 small container of frozen strawberries in juice (defrosted)

directions:
1) mix all ingredients until thickness you want is achieved
2) you may need to add more confectioner's sugar!
3) frost the cake (even in between layers)
4)  and garnish with berries
5) enjoy!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

♥ babies are such a nice way to start people.


in case you need some cheering up--
here are some pictures of the funniest,
 most adorable child on earth-
my niece, giada mei.

xo

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

♥ practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

a few weeks ago, i met a colorful spirit named feda.
i was at work, rushed and annoyed and underneath a huge pile of denim-
when this lovely lady recognized me from this blog and absolutely
made my day by telling me how much she liked it :)


turns out, feda eid is skilled photographer, and i have
actually featured her work here before!

aside from her blog, where she shares photographs from her 
project life 365,  her website also includes project introspection
where she turns the camera on her own fabulous self &
 her extraordinary headpieces.


it was so nice to meet you, feda!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

♥ a fool for tulle. part nine.

when i saw this dress featured on the blog, my edit,
i do believe my heart skipped a beat.


i mean, just look at all that tulle.


i think i need to get married again,
so i can have a reason to order it :)


see more pretty dresses here.

Monday, August 19, 2013

♥ BOOM.

while i do not want to wish the rest of summer away--
september 15th cannot come quickly enough.

is off. the. chains.

i need ALL of it.




Friday, August 16, 2013

♥ happy happy.


don't you just love this print?
i followed the link from my friend, alex's blog,
and became instantly smitten!

what are your plans for this weekend?
after all the traveling and celebrating these past two weekends,
i am looking forward to a whole lot of doing nothing :)
i wish the same for you as well.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

♥ i heart thug kitchen.

maybe it's because i enjoy vegetarian cooking with a side of profanity,
but i can't get enough of thug kitchen. i am sure you have all heard about it-
(with praise from the likes of gwyneth paltrow) but if you haven't--
 get ready for a little hilarity and a dash of inspiration 
for your next meal ;)


ps. good news: a thug kitchen book is expected next year! :)

Wednesday, August 14, 2013


when i saw this picture of ulyana sargeenko on the trendy dwarf,
i immediately thought of similarly petite actress vera ellen,
 and then googled her to see what she was all about.

turns out, she is a russian model, photographer, stylist & couture designer-
 (to name a few of her talents), and her personal style is highly regarded
& highly photographed throughout the fashion world.






images via google.

now here's a woman who truly values the art of dressing up!

check out here latest show below. LOVE IT!