I Am

I am (lovely)

I wonder about orchids (and how they grow)

I hear music (all the time)

I see pink (all around people)

I want coffee (smooth and full)

I am (lovely)

I pretend to be a ballerina (twirling around)

I feel calm (always at sunset)

I touch my ring (and feel secure)

I worry about you (but understand)

I cry regularly (for my soul)

I am (lovely)

I understand Anne Elliot (very deeply)

I say it's fine (and it's mostly true)

I dream irregularly (and it's not ok)

I try to play piano (but often fail)

I hope to be content (with all my heart)

I am (lovely)

Dolce far niente...

Luca Spaghetti: “Americans. You work too hard, you get burned out. You come home and spend the whole weekend in your pajamas in front of the TV.”Liz: “That’s not far off, actually.”
Luca Spaghetti: “But you don’t know pleasure. You have to be told you’ve earned it. You see a commercial that says: ‘It’s Miller Time!’ And you say, That’s right, now I’m going to buy a six pack.And then drink the whole thing and wake up the next morning and you feel terrible.But an Italian doesn’t need to be told. He walks by a sign that says: You deserve a break today. And he says, Yes, I know. That’s why I’m planning on taking a break at noon to go over to your house and sleep…with your wife!”Giovanni: “We call it “dolce far niente”, the sweetness of doing nothing.”

Which is why I'm going to read 'A Good Year' by Peter Mayle (who, by the way, is becoming one of my absolute favorite authors) on the beach and drink my peach iced tea all afternoon.

Shelter Island, New York

Secret Saturday

Now you too can paint nails like a pro!

The Way I See It

In the words of Belinda Carlisle "oh, heaven is a place on earth"

Heaven was discovered today! I could spend the rest of my life at the Book Barn in Niantic, CT and be blissfully content. It's a 5 minute walk from the beach (where I'm living) and it's practically perfect in every way. It's a used book store with each section in a little barn. The haunted barn was the most aesthetically pleasing, with it's corresponding decorations.
I walked away with
-A Good Year by Peter Mayle
-Chocolat by Joanne Harris
-The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
all for $10!
Can't wait to read these on the beach

“MY ADVICE TO YOU IS NOT TO INQUIRE WHY OR WHITHER, BUT JUST ENJOY THE ICE CREAM WHILE IT’S ON YOUR PLATE” — THORNTON WILDER

Scallop

Scallop by Megan Schmidling featuring a halter romper

5 Tips to Beat the Heat

1. Protect your skin!
Apply sunscreen every 2 hours, especially to your face.
2. Invest in primer!
Ensures long lasting makeup, even in the heat. Apply over sunscreen.
3. Think light and sheer!
Use makeup that isn't heavy. Minerals are great! That way your pores won't clog, even if you sweat.
4. Use waterproof and long-lasting eye makeup!
Even if you swim, everything will stay in place.
5. Protect your pucker too!
I am in love with my Burt's Bees! It's all natural, and includes SPF (your lips need it too!)

Beach day...

Forever21 dress

Forever21 dress (see more layered dresses)

Happiness

I hiccuped on some happiness this morning

And it hurt my diaphram and tickled my lips

And it made sure that I knew what it was

It followed me the rest of the morning

And it giggled at my frowns and frustration

And it told me to lighten up, and enjoy this life

And then, my hiccups came into gasps

And I wanted to drink it down

So it would never come up again.

My friend from school wrote this poem. It's been I while since I've posted anything from other people, and after all this blog is only "Mostly" mine...

Bon voyage!

I'm spending two glorious weeks in Connecticut with my (distant) cousin and her children. I'm already loving it! The weather is to die for, and I've finished both my books in the first four days.

It reminds me so much of the beach in france. The art of doing nothing... *sigh

Anways, lunch, jellyfish, and the beach. That was today.

In my dreams, I look like this..

roses 2 by Daria_M featuring summer heels

Miss Selfridge rhinestone earrings
£13 - missselfridge.com

Pearl ribbon necklace
$6.99 - papayaclothing.com

Dolce & Gabbana Make Up Ultra-Shine Lipgloss Innocence
£20 - harrods.com

Someday by Justin Bieber Eau de Parfum, 3.4 oz - A Macy's Exclusive
$55 - macys.com

Bouquet of Pink Tulips from Overstock.com
$50 - overstock.com

Here, have some wine

How many other things are we missing?

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children.. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.. 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32. 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made. How many other things are we missing?

Nothing in particular

Morning Fellas,

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through." — Ira Glass

Currently...

I decided to take a little road trip over to Kirksville for the weekend to visit some friends. I thought it'd be nice to paint a picture of my life at this very moment, so here it is:
1. Listening:
To Ariel watch 'The Notebook'
The air conditioning unit at Shawna's house
2. Eating
McDonald's hash browns
3. Drinking
OJ and coffee!
4. Wearing
My swimsuit and a blue sundress
5. Feeling
Joyful, content with my girlfriends
6. Weather
Hot hot hot!
7. Wanting
Hannah to come home to me from her summer trip
8. Needing
To finish a sewing project
9. Thinking
I wonder if anyone sells peonies in the summer..
10. Enjoying
A weekend away!

B&W P&P

This is the moment I'm waiting for

Carrie Bradshaw Necklaces

A wonderful Monday date night!

I got this idea from the P.S. I Made This blog. Follow the simple steps here. I used a broach that can be removed and switched out to match any outfit.

Summer Projects

Hi Loves,

I decided to create a DailyBooth account for this summer. It's a photo website, where you can post 1 picture each day. I'm finding that it keeps me up on my creative side. The downside is that I forget to post things on here (whoops!). On the right is a quick little bracelet I put together last week. I'm second guessing myself and thinking of turning it into a necklace...

Anyway, the skirt on the left is the first thing I sewed this summer. It has pockets, which I adore. And it's pink. Can it get any better?!

Living the dream

Readers, we may have struck gold. When I came home with this dress, my mother started laughing. Yes, I'll admit, it's pretty awful. The sleeves kill me. It's a size large, and I paid $8 for it at T.J. Maxx. The left side was completely ripped open, and the pocket has a pretty big hole. I cut out the back, and cut out the sleeves. I used the extra material to place a bow at the top of the back to hold it together.

These are the before pictures, and I'll try and post the after ones tomorrow!

Happy 4th :)

Waterfall Braid

Excited to try this look!

This will be me...

Vows

Just something I ran across today. Enjoy!

"I will kill the spiders (maybe). I will share my fries with you when you’ve finished all yours and are still hungry. I won’t ever pop my collar. I will never be rude to your tummy- when I hear it growl and gurgle, I promise to bend down and reply respectfully. I will eat the mushrooms when we order the supreme pizza. I will kiss the papercuts, and the door-slammed finger, and the counter-bumped hip. I’ll try my hardest not to get annoyed when you whisper questions and comments during movies. I will be the big spoon. I will let you win at wrestling. Sometimes. Other times I will not. I will go faster. Harder. I will pull when you want, and tease you when you don’t. I will send you random texts and leave you silly gifts. Not always. Not on schedule. Just whenever I want to. Whenever I think you need one. Or seven. I will check your tire pressure, and remind you to take your car in. I will hold your hand. I will love you. I will love you. I will love you."