the writing could be on the walls

i have a horrible habit of forgetting what food i have in the house. delicious items get lost in the back far reaches of the refrigerator, and then when they are rediscovered they have been surrendered to the spoiled gods. and since i am such a list person- i decided to start writing a reverse shopping list, cataloging not what i need, but instead what i have purchased and put away.

the lists have been all fine and well, but rather utilitarian and ultimately hideously dull. so in an effort to spice things up, i thought how great it would be to invest in a few chalk board patches to improve the aesthetic appeal of my reminders.

and apparently i am no where near the first one to come to such a realization, as it was very easy to find such items on the internet. the ones i found came from wallies (the official site for prepasted cutouts). and i believe them to be a rather exciting kitchen addition.

even when there aren't words

people still find something to say. and when it comes to talking about love, it is like dancing about politics. it seems completely useless and yet so necessary at the same time. and regardless of the inability for anyone to truly express what they are feeling in their heart of hearts, who doesn't want to read some one's attempts?

in that voyeuristic vein i seek out the pain and sweet nothings whispered in ears and scratched onto paper. today i love this one...

these are things that I could not tell you;
things that remind me of you when I want nothing more than to forget;
things that have gone wrong;
things that have gone right;
things that will never happen;
things that are your fault,
my fault,
the faults of no one;
these are things that we did not do and will not let go of

elsewhere:

from: http://sleepanddream.tumblr.com

and this:

10/3
Though we are strangers, he has already seen more of me than you will. He is wearing your shoes and your height.

I am not in love with you anymore but you are in my system. So much a part of me that everything I do still has pieces of you in it. I will not stop missing you.

Part of me hopes that I will run into you; the next time I take the train, sitting here now or somewhere totally unexpected. I know that we have no claims over each other but you did not feel wrong and that is so important.

We will sit three feet away from each other for hours, neither making a bold enough move. I will imagine our life together and he will listen closer to his music. We'll leave together, but not for the same place. My arms are open for him. He is three feet away and will not move any closer.

Couples curled on the few patches of grass, sharing homes with roosting pigeons.

There is no shame in a city like this.

You were a force not to be reckoned with, somehow unyielding in your frailty.

I try to smile honestly because I know that it is beautiful and I knew there is a difference but it is so hard when you have left me, so full of sadness.

I am still learning how to forget about you, but everything here is yours. You would have loved it, maybe even loved me, loved who it has made me become.

I don't know why I expected that I could count on you, so fast, so young. You were so much like him in every other way, why should this be any different?

It's not that I'm selfish or even hard-hearted. I'm just never sure when I believe you, or if I ever should any way.

by sophie bloomfield

wishing on sparklers and fireflies

i would like a great plaid, a few chickens, a boy with a beard and a canvas tent with a front porch

that is my fourth of july wish

photo from beckelcanvas.com

don't say it

if he weren't so offended by the word cool i would say that my friend mr josh spear has an uncanny ability to find some really cool stuff. he might be the man when it comes to such ventures. and even though he knows his own awesomeness, there is no denying his skill.

his website provides quite a resource for those looking for the perfectly obscure and amazing. for example the chic yet violent draw of this brass knuckle corkscrew. and today's post about old umbrella's turned into festive skirts.

and man does the boy get around. london this week. japan next tuesday. he might live in la or new york, boulder or connecticut i can't keep track. but i am very sure of the fact that he is a trustworthy source when it comes to taking in tasty treats and desirable locations.

in the end though it's pretty hard to avoiding the cool word in the realm of josh spear.

a spoon full of sugar

everyone can do with a daily dose of glamour! and if you're looking for yours, may i suggest you check out this glamorous side project



or maybe if you want an abridged version, enjoy tea time

i adore the big glasses. why can't eye glasses be like sunglasses... the bigger the better!

and then of course if you want to go global, you mustn't pass up style du monde! because who doesn't love little french kids who dress better than most americans?

and if you are really looking to envy check out 17 year old jane aldridge's documentation of her real life fantasy world. i have yet to decide how i feel about teens having such an impeccable sense of style and access to such a wardrobe!

but maybe, just maybe the more i gawk, the more i will morph into a slightly more glamorous version of myself! one can only hope, right?

a heartbreaking honesty

Pity, take pity on me
Because I'm not the man that I should be
I'm always turning to run
From the people I should not be afraid of

And darling, you should know
That I have fantasies about being alone
It's like love is a lesson
That I can't learn
So I make the same mistakes at each familiar turn

I know you can't hold out forever
Waiting on a diamond and a tether
From a boy who won't swim
But who will dip his toe in
Just to keep you here with him

I've got this habit I abhor
When we go out, I'm always watching the door
As if there's someone I'm going to see
Who could out-do the things that you do to me

I know you can't hold out forever
Waiting on a diamond and a tether
From a boy who won't fly
But who will take to the skies
If he thinks you're about to say goodbye

Pity, take pity on me
Because I'm not half the man that I should be
And I don't blame you, you've had enough
With all these empty promises and countless bluffs

I know you can't hold out forever
Waiting on a diamond and a tether
From a boy who won't jump
When he falls in love
He just stands with his toes on the edge
And he waits for it to disappear again

Death Cab for Cutie

picture via marthastewartweddings.com

sweet summer tea time

i was in houston a few weeks ago, struggling to survive the heat and humidity. it was unbearably sticky and uncomfortable until i found my new summer love affair: sweet tea vodka.


this southern treat has saved my summer. mix it with a little peach schnapps or peach vodka and then top it off with some lemonade and nothing could be better for those long hot american summers.

photo bliss

i am falling in love with josh goleman and the people he surrounds himself with. thank you miss chelsea for introducing him into my internet life via your utterly perfect blog!

there are certain people you run into (even without a face to face introduction) who make you want to lead a better, chicer, more interesting life. i believe i have shared this sentiment before, but mr. josh and his gorgeous photographic eye is the perfect example of such a character. i don't know him, or any of the people in his photographs, but i have an urge to plaster them all over my walls. i just want to be surrounded by the beauty he captures.

these are pictures from two weddings that he was involved with...


if i were to say that these were my favorites i would be a liar, they are only a few of the gems that make up his photo blog. so please, go, look, and fall in love along with me!

photos all by josh goleman
via
http://joshgoleman.com/blog/

look famous
be legendary
appear complex
act easy
radiate presence
travel light
seem a dream
prove real

are you a vagabon if you never leave someone's thoughts

i met a boy in paris who had the most beautiful words. a canadian cowboy in a three piece suit. i loved the way he saw life, the city of lights, and in more than a few moments, the way he saw me.

after we both left paris he would still send me words, words that even today almost a year later i can't get out of my head.

he might hate me for this, but i hate the idea of hording such beauty. it just doesn't seem right, it mustn't continue...

today is one of those days, despite the sunshine and crisp september
air talking about autumn, when all i want to do is splay this body
(half bent with booze and hangover) across a bed next to
some-warm-thing.
just a creeping of fingers and dreams all afternoon. that would
be contentment.
oh so great that would be.
wandering between dreams and skin
muttering poetry into the pillows and off the ceiling
proving people are good
a place where and when tomorrow is a long place away

chasen gillies
september 2008

the big chill

when i was in paris last year i found all my dreams coming true. one of them being the simplicity of the reality that i could in fact grow up and have a retro kitchen of my very own. thanks to the housewares department of le bhv je pense, i was introduced to the modern versions of perfectly old school appliances. thinking though, of the pain they would be to convert into the american wattage system and such, my dreams fell away. until that is i (thanks to kaboodle) found the american versions! victory!

big chill sells retro dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators in an array of heavenly colors! their website made me so excited i shrieked... just think of all the possibilities!

photos from bigchill.com

the karl lagerfeld mind diet

there are a thousand reasons to love karl lagerfeld- mostly they are quirky trivia facts about how many ipods he owns, pepsi maxes he drinks and good looking man boys he employs as his entourage. and of course none of that even begins to mention what he has done and continues to do for fashion, or his presence in the newest edition of grand theft auto as an impressive euro dj.

but most recently i have begun adoring him more for his sporadic twitter bits of wisdom than anything else. there is something potentially insulting, but completely honest and utter fabulous about what he says!

for example...

a respectable appearence is sufficient to make people more interested in your soul
&
i try not to be sentimental and obsessive about possessions. i love collecting, but i hate owning.

california crystal

every now and then you are lucky enough to stumble upon great things that your friends have done. things that remind you why the people you surround yourself with are ever so amazing. this photo is the most recent treasure from the eye of my best friend. it takes my breath away. the simplicity of the layout, the beauty of the light and the over all feeling of calm perfection that it exudes fills me with joy. so much so that it must be shared.

thank you miss caitie.

Photo by Caitie Smith
2009

it's on!

kv: "ok, i know you'll understand and be honest with me...is it weird I'm semi (totally) obsessed with alexa chung? she's my new liv palermo (and moving into k. lagerfeld territory). alas, i have yet to see her show. my tivo is rebelling and my boss doesn't seem particularly down with having me watch it in the office."

m: "oh my god!!!! me i LOVE her! why just yesterday i was watching her show and twittering about how i'm developing a full blown girl crush on her!!! she is my new idol...moving mk olson out of the spotlight!"

but seriously! how could you not be falling in love with alexa? with her british quirk and perfectly jovial yet potentially uncomfortable style, she is the perfect mix of everything that is fantastic and enviable about london. it feels slightly unnatural to say this, but she is becoming all the rage.

and then on top of that my 3oh!3 friends were on the premiere episode of it's on with alexa chung, so honestly what is that not to like?

i am in visual love

i have fallen into adoration of the visual findings of chelsea in portland, oregon's blog {frolic}. she is fantastic, and has made me want to start thriving in a chicer light. she has an undeniable skill for discovering pretty things, and i am overly thankful that she has chosen to share her findings.

for example today's post about tents, which have made me consider camping...

now i am crushed

today must be lose an icon day. and while the death of the king of pop is sad, michael hadn't seen his thriller glory for a few years. farrah fawcett on the other hand, will retain her idol status (in my mind at least) after her death this morning in santa monica.

poor ryan o'neil! no one wants to live out love story!

the king of pop has left us

"I think we'll mourn his loss as well as the loss of ourselves as children listening to Thriller on the record player."
John Mayer

beginnings

everybody has heard that you don't know what you've got till it's gone. maybe though, more credit needs to be paid to knowing what you want, and i believe that you don't really know what you want until you see someone else who has what you want. envy is a strong drug. it has moved mountains and, in has many cases, (especially those which could be cataloged under the theme of creative exploration) made the world a more interesting, better place.

every eye envies in a different way, clinging to their brand of beauty and running with it. we may not see the same things, but we can find a certain level of appreciation for what inspires someone else. so this- in the most egotistical vein of the internet is what moves me. the fashion i fiend for, the words i can't get off the tip of my tongue, and the people i find myself idolizing.

it's a journey of the imagination...