Saturday, July 30, 2016

Here & There 7.30

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Happy weekend! What are you up to? This is our last zero travel, zero obligation weekend for the next month, so I'm looking forward to not doing much of anything. Mostly, I want to sleep. And that's it! August will be full of visits from friends, weddings, anniversaries (five years!), and family and I can't wait. Hope your weekend's a good one!

This sheer vintage '70s dress would look awesome layered over a black bra and cutoffs

Save 35% off your purchase from Gap, just got this pretty Victorian-inspired top. Love this varsity jacket too!

How pretty is this simple wall hanging?

"I'm Hillary Fucking Clinton"

Really want to read this book

Thick thighs save lives

This squash blossom-inspired necklace is gorgeous

My new favorite Instagram

Love this cute cactus bag

The story of a 'Fuck Off Fund'

I'd love to travel with one of these bags

The shade of it all (this is amazing, even if it maybe wasn't intentional... but let's pretend it was)

These pants go with everything

Beautiful portraits of immigrants from the 1900s

This would be a great dress to wear to a wedding

Yum - these cookies sound so good! (also, these brownies!)

How gorgeous is this backpack?

Thursday, July 28, 2016

WORN: Vintage Wranglers & Linen Top

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Well... I've officially reached that inevitable point in the summer, the time when I find myself fantasizing about wearing my leather jacket again and stepping outside without immediately sweating. I blame New York. I've been schlepping myself around the city for the past few weeks, and gaining swift insight into what a horrendous packer I am. Also, it's hot. Miserably hot. So I can't blame my sub-par packing skills completely. I refuse to wish away the season, though, and this little linen top from Moorea Seal arrived just in time to salvage my mood towards summer, at least a little bit. Is it weird to have a love affair with a fabric? Linen has been a favorite of mine forever, and I love the throwback print and side buttons that accompany the crop silhouette.

Get the look:
Moorea Seal 'Tera Floral Crop Top'
Vintage Wrangler jeans
Vintage bag
Vintage rings

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Here & There 7.24

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Happy Sunday! What's on your agenda? Chris and I have the day off together, so we're planning on hitting up the farmers' market and then maybe escaping the heat to see Ghostbusters this afternoon. This summer is going by so fast!

The perfect little vintage '70s eyelet dress

Big sale news - take an extra 50% off Free People sale items (seriously!) just grabbed this cute dress and these cool pants (my favorite shoes are also on sale!)

An excerpt from Dave Eggers' new book!

So in love with this handmade moon and stars necklace

Zara has brazenly copied artists, including Tuesday Bassen and Adam J. Kurtz, here's where to purchase the ORIGINALS

How not to mourn a deadly terrorist attack on social media

Can turmeric heal our national inflammation?

There's still time to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale - digging this nude makeup kit and this autumn-perfect leather jacket

Regina George.... or Donald Trump?

Just added this beautiful print to our collection

Really want to add this vegan cookbook to our bookshelf

The most gorgeous non-traditional wedding dress (and it's super affordable!)

These truffles have a secret ingredient!


Sunday, July 17, 2016

Here & There 7.17

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Happy Sunday night, friends. How was your weekend? Chris and I just got back from a weekend spent celebrating the upcoming wedding of a couple of our closest friends and I think it might have been one of the greatest weekends of my life thus far (really!). We spent two days on a boat surrounded by some of our favorite people, swimming, drinking, making food, and catching up. After how busy and stressful the past couple of months have been, it was what my heart needed. Hope yours was just as great, here are some links to start your week off right.

Love this pretty vintage Indian gauze top

Cute jackets for late summer

Damn... homemade vegan milkyway

Love this pretty crop top... perfect with these crop trousers!

A peek inside Amazon's warehouse (whoa)

This dress would be beautiful to wear to a summer wedding

How to be a better traveler

Perfect pins for days

A really easy dinner

Love this pretty flower garland

How gorgeous is this vintage bag?

Next on my must-read list

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

WORN: Red, White & Gingham Off The Shoulder

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Get the look:
Urban Outfitters dress (similar one, two, three)
Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars
Vintage Lee denim jacket (similar)
Moorea Seal enamel pins (also here)
Vintage Coach bag (similar)
Vintage bandana

A simple summer outfit for a sweltering summer afternoon. The heat lately has been truly unbelievable, so I've been turning to breezy pieces like this off the shoulder gingham dress. The best part? It barely touches my body, so when the humidity tops out at 90% I still feel cool (or, at least as cool as possible). 

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Perfume Obsessed

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I never thought of myself as too much of a perfume person, yet somehow I've amassed a small collection. Truth be told, I love the ritual of fragrance. How, no matter how much I may feel like a total mess on a daily basis, adding a scent never fails to make me feel at least somewhat put together. While I love the idea of a 'signature scent', my mood shifts so dramatically from day to day that I love having a small arsenal at my disposal to suit how I'm feeling. While I used to gravitate towards more traditional designer fragrances (you might spy Marc Jacobs' 'Daisy' back there, purely for looks at this point), more recently I've changed course, collecting mostly small-batch scents that you might not find every day. Today I'm sharing my favorites...
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Mystic Pearl from Raw Spirit... This might just be my scent for the summer. Mystic Pearl smells bright and ocean-y, a hint of the sea with jasmine and white flowers that manages to smell earthy and fresh at the same time without crossing into musky territory.
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Moonshine from Sisters of the Black Moon... I picked up Moonshine a couple of years ago while in Texas for SXSW, so I always associate this scent with one of my favorite US cities and one of my favorite events that  was involved in with Free People. It was incredibly rainy, and this was one of my first experiences running events with Free People, and as much as I was having fun, I was also stressed out and feeling a little lonely. I had popped over to Feathers to work on a feature before a photo session with Nikki Lane, and I picked up this sexy, moody scent along with a pair of earrings. I like to wear them both to remember that crazy, whirlwind time of life.
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Dark Wave & Violet/Leather from OLO Fragrance... Dark wave was my first introduction to the world of small batch fragrance and it's still one of my favorites. It's dark, as expected, and smokey, reminiscent of rainy days in a green place. Violet/Leather smells exactly how it sounds, sophisticated with a masculine twist. I also love Lightning Paw, which reminds me of the ocean.
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Gilded Fox & Moonlight Gypsy from Pinrose Fragrance... I have a feeling Gilded Fox will be my go-to come December. It's slightly sweet, with vanilla and rum, but not overly so. It's sexy, something i'd wear with dark velvet. Moonlight Gypsy is a bit brighter, with notes of cardamom and orange blossom. Summery and perfect for a hot day. (I also really want to try Campfire Rebel, which sounds amazing).
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Oud Sahara from Gourmand... OK, so definitely neither 'small batch' in any sense of the word, but Oud Sahara smells so damn good. After missing it during the holidays, I finally found it in the King of Prussia UO a couple of months back. All the scents in this line smell great though, next on my list is Lait de Coco.
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Tiger's Eye... Tiger's Eye was a gift from Chris over the holidays, so it always conjures good memories. The scent is is the masculine side, something I actually prefer, and I wear it on days I'm feeling particularly put together or in need of a little encouragement.


Saturday, July 9, 2016

Here & There 7.9

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What a week it's been. After the deeply saddening news that's filled the past few days, I'm planning on spending my weekend decompressing and taking some time to reflect and recharge.

History, despite its wrenching pain, Cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again. - Maya Angelou

'Traffic Stop' - I listened to this story from Story Corps awhile back, and it's especially relevant now

"He was a real guy, he made a real contribution" 

'What White People Can Do To Support #BlackLivesMatter' (thank you, Bianca, for posting this)

Love this geometric leather purse, so pretty for festival season

Meet the painter who inspired Kanye's latest video

This floral dress would make a gorgeous bridesmaid dress

Holy damn these ice cream sandwiches look good

How insanely cute are these cactus soaps?

I'd love to hang this moon phase piece above my bed

The best travel photos of the year

Cute & casual pieces for lazy summer weekend

Oh I think I definitely need this cute kitty notebook

8 DIYs for your weekend

Love this denim jumpsuit

Pretty much want everything in this Etsy shop (Luke's diner pin??)

So many new things from Moorea Seal! Love this pretty bracelet.

How sweet are these unique purses? Love the cheese!

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Standing On The Cliff Of Change

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Life has been one big bowl of cherries lately, only the real life kind of cherries where about 70% of them are ripe and juicy and divine, and the other 30% are a little bit of everything. Some are bitter(sweet), some a little rotten, some just downright shrivvly and gross. And they all have pits! And that's OK. If there's anything I've come to learn since stepping out into the big world of being a (semi) responsible adult, it's that life is a mixed bag. Sometimes it's great! Sometimes you get mugged four times in one year (thanks, 2014). In the end you have to roll with it and hope you make the right decisions along the way.

There's been a lot of decision making in our house over the past couple of months. Opportunities have come up that are somewhat terrifying while being so incredibly exciting at the same time. Lots of soul-searching between bouts of watching too much Drag Race, attempting to keep cool in front of our AC, and lots of salads for dinner (it's hot here). Sometimes I think I crave and welcome change because I know I'm innately averse to it. I get comfy. When plans change at the last minute I get sweaty and panicked. I'm obsessed with schedules, mostly my own, mostly obsessed with controlling it. So when the opportunity for big, drastic change comes about, I'm like why the hell not? Let's get uncomfortable! In the end, I think I just want to be able to look back and know that I took risks, that I didn't shrink in the face of something different and new. If there's anything I've learned over the past several years, it's that life is wild. It will take you in so many unexpected directions if you let it, but it's also important to be there at the helm, steering the way. Chris and I celebrated our 13th year of togetherness this past April -- our relationship is officially a feisty teenager! -- and it blows my mind to think back on those early years. We had small ideas of where we'd be, certainly zero expectations of where we'd eventually end up. (Frankly, we fought so much in our first couple of years that I think both of us were like, "you're cool for now, but ultimately you're insane." -- we've obviously chilled out a lot) And now, looking back and looking forward, who knows where we'll end up in 13 more years. Like I said, life is a wild, wild thing.

Anyway, all these changes taking place, they've really forced me to question what I want out of life, versus what others perceive I want out of life, if that makes sense. Do I stand still, staying put out of some notion that others think I'm where I'm meant to be? Or do I dare to move and try something new (and maybe perceived as out of left field) and surprise myself and those around me? In the end, I think I've decided that I want the adventure and surprise.

Monday, July 4, 2016

WORN: Boho Blouse + Vintage Denim

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Get the look:
Vintage blouse from Moon + Arrow (similar)
Vintage thrifted Levi's Jeans (similar)
Bali ELF bag
Vintage earrings (similar)
Kork Ease x Free People wedges
Vintage ring

I've had a long-standing obsession with Indian block-printed cotton anything. I blame my mother, who used to sport it in the late '80s, early '90s when I was a kid (or at least that's what I remember - who knows). But despite my obsession, I didn't own a single piece until recently. I'd been looking for the perfect dress or blouse, and lo and behold, one of my local favorites, Moon + Arrow, pulled through for me with this gorgeous top. It has everything: volume, color, and jingly bells on the ties at the neck. I bought it as a sort of 'congratulations' gift for myself after a recent accomplishment, and pretty much haven't taken it off since.

I'm still on the hunt for a dress, but I love that a blouse is practically seasonless. With boots and an extra layer, this look can take me right into fall and winter, but for now, let's just pretend those seasons don't exist... also, shout out to big shoes that don't hurt my feet! Lately I'm all about big flatforms that keep my feet as a comfortable angle while making me at least 6-inches taller. Practically everything hurts my feet, so it's a small miracle when I find a pair of shoes that aren't Birks or sneakers that I can spend all day in.