♥

like every basic chick with a blog, i love wes anderson-

so, when i heard that he designed a bar/restaurant in prada's 

newly opened arts & culture complex in milan 

(fondazione prada), i had to share.

the bar luce is inspired by 1950's italy-

complete with classic formica furniture in pastel colors,

the life aquatic- themed pinball machines, and trompe l'oiel wallpaper

that looks like it came right out of the grand budapest hotel.

just like his films, every little detail is delicious and decadent.

needless to say, i'm obsessed!

images via

♥ a fool for tulle. part 12.

katie rodgers of paper fashion is so talented- that i am jealous of every little 

painting  that she posts on instagram - especially the videos where she so

effortlessly brings these "shadow dancers" to life with

  a few simple lines. oooh the envy!

and i am even jealous of the classic beauties that she paints because they 

get to waltz around in these dramatic tulle dresses that i would kill

 to wear. don't you love?

♥ i want to read....

love aziz ansari. love his stand up. loved him on parks & rec.

loved his short story on the side of my chipotle bag.

 and now i love the excerpts from his new book 

(out june 16th!), modern romance.

isn't the cover so pretty?

i have no time to read, but for aziz, i would make time!

let's treat ourselves to what sounds like a deliciously hilarious book :)

♥ women in film.

i recently watched in the mirror of maya deren (2002), a documentary about an 

avante-garde female film-maker who was way ahead of her times.

with her black and white, artistically jarring films that she wrote, produced, starred in

and edited herself this modern woman of the forties explored her unique interests in dance choreography, psychology, Haitian voodoo and martial arts (to name a few!)

"i am not greedy. i do not seek to possess the major portion of your days.

i am content, if on those rare occasions whose truth can be stated only by poetry,

you will, perhaps, recall an image, even only the aura of my films."

along with her singular perspective,  it was said that maya deren's sense of style was 

also before her time. rather than dressing in the very prim and proportional style of the

forties and fifties, she dressed in a very loose, flowing, european way that included

 off the shoulder tops, dirndl-style skirts and loose curly hair that would have suited

a sixties flower child! LOVE!

isn't she the coolest??

♥ "flowers are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world" ~ ralph waldo emerson

flower house is an art installation set to take place the third week of october 2015.

detroit-based flower designer lisa waud purchased two forgotten pieces

of property for $500 and with the help of a number of american artists and

 american-grown flowers, will breathe fresh life and vivid color into

every forgotten nook and cranny of a once-loved but now-

forgotten home.

after the weekend-long project is over, the houses will be torn down, 

and the land will begin again- as a flower farm. 

a preview of the flower house took place in may and the pictures are hauntingly gorgeous-

like miss havisham's rotting mansion in great expectations!

 i am in love!!!!

(first peeped on the jealous curator!

images via here and here)

♥ it's about time.

for mother's day, i could have asked nick for something extravagant,

but instead i opted for an inexpensive, functional *and* fashionable gift-

a retro gold casio watch for under $30. 

although a little smaller than i would have hoped for, this slim digital watch is a timeless (!) 

beauty and it looks great with a stack of thin gold bangles that don't overpower it.

since i  feel like i never learned how to properly tell time, (don't judge!) this timepiece has
been a welcome addition to my arm party (are we still throwing arm parties these days 
or have the trends changed? i can't keep track anymore!) and i definitely want to invest
in a larger version as soon as possible!
 my bigger jewelry demands it!

what are your thoughts on this old-school watch look?
my sisters say it reminds them of one my dad used to wear- but i love it!

here are a few inspirational photos from pinterest to prove my point:

♥ h2-oh!

i drink alot of water- but probably not as much as i should.

i feel like i start the day off strong with a few bottles of water between 

breakfast and lunch, but then by the time dinner rolls around, 

i forget to drink more.

if only there were a bottle that was synced to my phone to keep

track of my daily water intake- and which glowed in a beautiful

luminescent way to remind me to drink up...

oh, wait! there is! it's called the HidrateMe smart water bottle and there is a 

kickstarter campaign for pre-orders right now! get on it, friends &

drink up!

♥ first "impressions" with smile brilliant!

i have been thinking alot about getting older lately and how everything- from

 the silvery strands mixed within my brown head of hair to the slight crinkle 

lines i get when i squint my eyes while laughing with henry,

  even the yellowing of my teeth from my coffee dependence-

betray my age. (31!)

i have tried whitening strips and rinses in the past and recently tried this whitening booster,

but i have been noticing lately that nothing really brings out the once pearly-whiteness

 of my pearly whites. as fate would have it, just as i was contemplating the next

step in my dental destiny, i received an offer from the team at smile brilliant

to review their custom teeth-whitening trays right here on my blog!

so here is the scoop:

smile brilliant is a national dental lab designed to bypass the high cost of

teeth whitening at the dentist office (which can cost upwards of $500!) by allowing 

customers to make dental impressions from the comfort of their own

home, mail them back in pre-paid envelopes and receive custom-

fitted, high-quality trays within days. these trays come in 

their own carrying case and can be used and re-used

at your own convenience for a smile that is a

whole lot brighter and a wallet that is a

whole lot happier :)

watch this 2 minute video for more info!

the tray creating kit comes with everything you need to make a perfect dental impression, 

without ever having to sit in an uncomfortable dentist's chair! 

what you will need:

the complete kit

clean hands 

a bowl of cold water

a stopwatch

optional:

a patient husband to help take awkward photos of you and try not to laugh

1) brush and floss your teeth thoroughly.

2) mix base paste (blue) with catalyst paste (white) for about one minute 

until they are fully blended.

3) push putty into dental trays and spread evenly within 30 seconds!

make only one tray (upper/lower) at a time.

4) place tray in your mouth and set teeth evenly into paste.

hold like this for two minutes and try not to drool everywhere.

5) make sure impressions came out cleanly-

(my first attempt had a slight crack in the front!)

thankfully, smile brilliant provides you with extra

in case you make a mistake :)

6) mail upper and lower impressions with return card &

await your custom trays! :D

questions?
  check out smile brilliant's review & testimonials!

Tooth Whitening by Smile Brilliant