♥ his understanding astonished her. but did he notice the flowers?

a flower is relatively small. everyone has many associations with a flower–the idea of flowers. you put your hand to touch the flower– lean forward to smell it– maybe touch it with your lips almost without thinking–or give it to someone to please them. still–in a way– nobody sees a flower– really– it is so small–we haven't the time– and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. if i could paint the flower exactly as i see it no one would see what i see because i would paint it small like the flower is small.

so i said to myself –" i'll paint what i see–what the flower is to me but i''ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it–i will make even busy new yorkers take time to see what i see of flowers."

georgia o'keeffe.

(images via georgia o'keefe: a studio book)

georgia o'keeffe's abstract landscapes, rustic animal bones and controversial flowers are nothing short of amazing. nick is trying to convince me to go to new mexico on our honeymoon, and i must admit the promise of seeing the hauntingly gorgeous vistas of o'keeffe's work does help sweeten the pot :)

and while we are on the subject of flowers one cannot help but notice, please allow me to share with you one of my absolute favorite spring 2011 collections: d&g's self proclaimed "garden party." featuring a towering trellis of flowering hydrangeas, roses, ferns and ivy, seed packet invitations and oversized canvas totes complete with gardening gloves and tools, d&g created a truly edenic environment that one cannot help but love. and if not, give it another chance and trust me– this collection will grow on you.

(images via style.com)

♥ we live not according to reason, but according to fashion.

in fourth grade i had the opportunity to get into an art program called "ace."

i was asked to draw a shoe. any shoe. for some reason i attempted to draw

the most complicated looking shoe from my mother's closet.

i was not accepted. the what ifs still haunt me to this day.

"sami chu" could very well have been the next jimmy choo.

i have been following janelle burger for a while and really admire her

ability not only to capture gorgeous shoes, but also fashion models.

visit her etsy shop here. read her blog here.

these mixed media fashion illustrations from nicomazza etsy shop

include real swatches of vintage fabric. what a fabulous way to combine

all of my favorite things! L.O.V.E!!

(spotted here.)

♥ lights, camera, fashion.

at the end of may, i was very lucky to meet and interview the inspiring shanna gall, CEO and designer of SG fashions (read my post here), and this past sunday night i had the privilege of being invited back stage amidst the flurry of makeup artists, hair dressers and fashion stylists as they readied the amazonian models for their turn on the catwalk.

as one of the first fashion shows to kick off boston fashion week, the event was called F.R.E.E, which is short for "fashion reminds everyone to evolve." shanna believes that fashion plays an important role in female perception of beauty, and in her collection she explores women's rights and freedom through a study on victorian as well as flapper styles. according to the designer, each dress in the collection represents an emotion that she felt while sketching.

on top of the very powerful and positive message that this 2011 sg fashions collection will

undoubtedly stand for on its own, a portion of the profits from the show was also to be donated to a girl scouts of eastern massachusetts program known as the girl scouts beyond bars. this program was initiated in 1992, to lessen the impact of parental separation due to incarceration, and also to maintain and build relationships that will work to end the cycle of generational incarceration.

the girl scouts were so adorable and so thankful for their fashion filled day. it was a delight to watch them milling about the models, practicing their walks, and getting their hair and makeup professionally done by the talented stylists at indra salon (who also did all of the exquisite model looks!) according to the brand representative for indra, the hair following four hair styles were used on the models: victorian, romantic, finger waves & modern. the makeup was a mix of fresh faced and sultry/smokey eyes. needless to say, despite my black cream puff dress, floral jacket, chunky necklace and bow, i felt rather under dressed compared to these ladies.

what i noticed the most as i walked around backstage was how different each piece was. from asymmetrical backs, to corset tops, to ruching and bow ties and frills and feathers and leather, each dress was prettier and puffier more exciting than the last.

here is a sneak peak of the runway from the model's point of view.

and here is shanna gall herself (pink) with her lovely pr girl, brittney washington (blue).

becca, marissa and i had amazing front row seating at the very end, and with a nearly dead battery, i was able to snap at least one shot of each look! thank goodness it held up!