Kid-Friendly

Wedding Time! It's been a while since I've had a wedding up here. Must remedy that immediately. 

So for your perusal, here is a lovely happy little wedding. It is totally kid-friendly! Now, I do not have children. But I do have a niece and three nephews and they would LOVE this wedding. In the beginning of this wedding, the happy couple had all the children grab little instruments and noise-makers to have a big party down the aisle instead of the traditional flower girl/ring bearer. Cute! This is a great way to include the youngsters in the big day, especially if you have a lot of children in your family.

Thanks Ruffled!

10's and 20's

IT'S ART TIME PEOPLE! We're expanding our artistic awareness. By looking at nudie pictures. We're being cultured here, my friends. I'm JK-ing all over the place. But really though, there's so much THEATRE in these pictures. It's just drama and fashion and passion--look at me rhyming. Honestly, the headdresses and lace! There's something very beautiful about it all. I mean, COME ON, the nakie bride?? That's awesome.

And there was your art lesson for the day. You. Are. Welcome. Best teacher ever award.

That was a collection of mostly Ziegfeld girls; many of these pictures are from tumblr or flickr. Some are not. The one with a garter belt is Francesca Woodman. I'm not sure about the origin about most of them. If anyone can help me out, that'd be great!

A love to last past Saturday night

Happy Sunday!

Sunday Kind of Love--Etta James

Irene

Love and SAFETY to all the friends I do and don't know on the East Coast! I love you and am praying for you! Be safe!

Love is a fate resigned

"When you jump for joy, beware that no one moves the ground from beneath your feet." 

Stanislaw J. Lec

Sometimes, when things are going really well, it's hard not to be scared that it could all go away. But in the spirit of optimism, here are some happy summer pictures. They show just how happy I am--and I hope you are--feeling at the moment. I think yellow is the perfect color for happy.

Photos from Muse in Fashion Gone Rogue

The Alamo

In past posts, I've mentioned briefly my upcoming trip to Texas...well it's almost here! 5 days and I'm going to be in the Alamo (or somewhere thereabouts). This is my first trip to Texas, and despite myself, whenever I imagine Texas in my head, lots of dust and tumbleweeds and cowboy boots come to mind. And horses waiting outside saloons for their respective owners. Indians in full tribal attire at the local grocery mart. 

I suspect this is a false representation of Texas. 

I mean, I live in Arizona, and while I imagine people who have never been here also picture a full cowboys vs. indians scenario, I know this to be incorrect. Perhaps Texas also has a thriving metropolis with cars and people dressed modernly. I'll let you know how it goes.

In the spirit of things, I saw this shoot by Bruna Castanheira and Josefina Bietti of Camila Mingori and thought to myself, "Maybe that's a Texas look." So this is my dressing inspiration. People like the short shorts and ripped sweater look, right?

Also, if anyone has suggestions for what to wear or places to go in San Antonio, it'd be really helpful!

Photos from Fashion Gone Rogue

Drink of the Moment: Whiskey Sours

Every fortnight or thereabouts I get nostalgic for the Old South. Picket fences. Home-made lemonade. Hot nights and cool mornings. Mind you--I've never actually lived in the South. The vase majority of my (excessive) knowledge on the subject comes from True Blood and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. So let's just say, I KNOW A LOT.

In this regard*, I'd like to enjoy some Whiskey Sours with ya'll on this fine summa evenin'.

*insert Southern twang here

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whiskey (recommended: Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
• 2/3 cup sugar syrup (it's a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water, boil until dissolved, fellas)
• Ice cubes
• Maraschino cherries

Directions:

Squeeze juices. Mix the whiskey, lemon juice, lime juice, and sugar syrup. Put about half the mixture into a shaker with ice. Shake it til the ice is a lil crumbly (10-20 seconds or so). Pour into a cute glass. Add a cherry as a garnish.

I DO DECLARE THAT IS THE FINEST COCKTAIL THIS SIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

Grandma

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This is a picture of my grandma. I'm not sure what era...maybe late 40's/ early 50's? Classic.

Aliens

If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world.

C.S. Lewis

The Big Picture--Sleepers, 1000 Lost Children, Flickr, Jonathan Coward--Ski Lodge, La Guayaba Azul,  Nikki Farquharson

Smokin' Sherlock

Ladies and gentlemen, today I am the happiest girl in the world. This weekend I watched Masterpiece Mystery!: Sherlock and my mind has been blown. Many of you know I'm an actress, so I really get off on good writing, acting, and directing. You heard right. I get off on it. Sexy. Who says that? Anyways, I digress. This show is sooo good! It really confirms to me that there can be quality in television. The acting is crazy good by both leads--Benedict Cumberbatch (as Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (as Dr. Watson). They created really complex, interesting characters. It aired on PBS--they killed it. 

The series consists of three 90-minute episodes, so savor them. BUT! Do you know what I found out?@?!!?! I went into this series thinking that these episodes were all there is. I didn't think they continued the series at all, but THEY ARE!! They started filmed new episodes this summer. I'm relieved. It's like telling a crack addict they can have three hits and then it's gone forever (I endorse lots of drug use), so they do it, get their hopes up, and shatter it, and THEN telling the crack addict that they can have three more! Do you see the reason for my joy?! CRACK.  SHERLOCK! Fo EVA.

I almost forgot to mention--all three episodes are instant streaming on Netflix. Hells yes.

Book of The Foreseeable Future: One Day

'Ello you fine folks! In another installment of "Book of the Foreseeable Future," I bring to you: One Day by David Nicholls. This was a truly lovely book. I carried this all around Big Bear, and I had no shame in people seeing me with this book like I do when I'm reading other sleezy romance novels Hemingway or Proust. 

I was recommended this book by a few of my reader-friends. A girlfriend said I would love it, and my gay boyfriend said after reading the first chapter, he knew this was just my kind of book. It's true. It's romantic and complicated, but also intelligent. It covers these friends' lives for one day over a twenty-year period--get the title now--nudge nudge--and how their relationship evolves and changes as they change.  Plus, its plot is unexpected, and I can say, I was shocked--like audibly gasped shocked--more than once while reading this. 

I give it 9 awwws out of 10 perfect kisses.

And I hear chatter--just quiet rumblings--that a movie is out about it with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. For a little peek:

http://www.focusfeatures.com/video/one_day_anne_hathaway

I gotta go see that movie now. I hear it's good. Tissues might be necessary.

Clever Cate

"Someone might have a germ of talent, but 90% of it is discipline and how you practice it, what you do with it. Instinct won't carry you through the entire journey. It's what you do in the moments between inspiration." 

Cate Blanchett

L'Officiel Singapore via Fashion Gone Rogue

Quizzical

Sometimes when I'm sitting alone, with time to ponder, I think, "what IS my design style?". I'm sure you do the same. In case you've pored over your many design style options and have yet to come up with an answer to this all-consuming question, here's a little test to help you figure it out. Muchos gracias Ethan Allen for giving me an answer.

Image from Coco+Kelley

Big Bears

Hey guys!

It seems I've been doing a lot of vacationing lately... my life is so very difficult. I have a trip to San Antonio, Texas planned in a few weeks, and a trip to Tucson, Arizona in the works. And this past weekend, I spent my time in Big Bear Lake, California. Not IN the lake, in case you were curious. I'm not an animal. But we did some hiking, listened to some great music provided by my hippie uncle, and drank. A lot. Like I said, I live a troubled existence. NAHT.

Here's some pictures of the family time!

Modeling some hats we bought in Big Bear by Hatley. Mine says "Make the Moose Out of Life" with a canoeing moose and Macy says "Tree Hugger" with a pic of a bear hugging a tree. Cheeky.

Alpine Slides. Not just for kids.

Look who we met! Scott Disick--aka "guy who lives off the Kardashians".

Just some of the lovely ladies in my family.