lemons & waltzes

2012-02-01T23:46:00.000-08:00

Starting to feel wonderfully like spring and I can't help but get my hopes up about warm, blossom-filled air. Can you blame me? I've been wearing sundresses outside in complete comfort! I'll just have to enjoy this fleeting moment while it lasts. (:

2012-01-30T21:52:00.000-08:00

Heading to NYC pretty soon - anyone have any suggestions of stuff to do? I've done most of the usual suspects, and am looking for some enjoyableness, both lowkey and not, to discover. Any suggestions? Music spots, cafes, classes to take, nerdy historical stuff, dance? I'm all ears!

*Francoise Hardy, 1965 - via A Conversation on Cool.

nesting

2011-12-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

CB and I have been looking around for places to rent in the next couple months, and the idea of decorating a new place is intimidating but exciting. As tempting as it is to immediately fill a space with stuff, I'm going to try my best to hold back and keep things simple. Cutting down on clutter is never easy, but moving always seems to offer a fresh start. Looking to these photos for some natural, minimalist inspiration.

*images via here, here, and here

behind the scenes

2011-11-20T20:19:00.001-08:00

Had a fun time at work this week filming a video for one of our clients. CB and I got a little up close and personal with the camera, which was a bit scary, I'll admit. :) Our client's asst. marketing manager, Kara, sent along these fun pics from the day of the shoot.

October 31st goodness

2011-11-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I'm a total Halloween fiend, and this year was no exception to the insanity. My costume was an obvious choice, but I couldn't pass it up. Ended up wearing it all day - at work, during my finance midterm, and at a friend's party. Super fun, but I'll admit it was heavenly to slip on flannel PJs and get my makeup off that night! :)

*Normal, non-pixelated pictures courtesey of Lexi & Red Door Interactive's flickr.

Mountain momma

2011-10-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, CB and I decided to go to Julian to put off work and school for a bit. Sometimes, you've just gotta head up to the mountains to have some crumb apple pie with melted cheddar.

It's so beautiful to go to Julian in the fall - it's always bustling at this time with apple picking. We caught the Oktoberfest when we were there, which turned out to be one small block of bake sales and cute middle-aged couples doing German folk dances. We also did some wine tasting, and sneaked out of the tasting room to enjoy our wine outside at a picnic bench. Just what the doctor ordered.

Going mad at The Ace

2011-10-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Hello again! It's getting to be awhile in between blog posts, but such is life with work and school. :) Went to a Mad Men party at The Ace a few weeks back, and just got the pictures developed. Apparently I was too distracted to take any photos! Oh well, was fun to celebrate my friend Whitney's 40th - I was impressed by how perfectly early-60s everyone was dressed. So much better when people go all out!

currently reading: emma

2011-07-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

It's embarrassing to admit I've seen at least 4 adaptations of Emma on stage and screen, and yet I've somehow never read it! Until now, that is. I'm thankful for vacations because I get the chance to read some yummy fiction, guilt-free. Here's hoping Emma and Mr. Knightley get together this time! ;)

*image property of BBC Worldwide

2011-06-08T00:04:00.000-07:00

When life gets busy, it's easy to neglect our creative selves in favor of practical, day to day tasks. But in doing so, we're starving our brains of the free-form time it needs to effectively process and integrate information. In more fluffy terms, art helps frame our understanding of the world and subsequently gives our lives meaning.

So let's make more time for fun. :) I totally broke my own rule here by not going to dance class tonight, but I did do some creative writing, which should count!

2011-05-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

Yipes, it's finals time for my first semester of grad school. The weather is so gorgeous and I want to go to the beach, but that is not to be! So for now, I'll just enjoy the breezy vistas of Greece from my dining room/study room. :)

*images via shannoneileen, sundayinbed, and crystal leung

2011-04-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Saw the latest Jane Eyre adaptation last night and loved it. So well cast and beautifully shot. Even in moments with very little dialogue, I was so absorbed in Jane's world that I was drinking up every extra minute. Though the purpose of this movie wasn't to hit every single plot point and character in the book, I didn't mind at all. This film stands well on its own.

Some folks thought this version wasn't nearly dark enough, but I didn't seem to take that away myself. Maybe I'm just a wuss for suspense, but I thought the script blended in the book's Gothic elements well. In the medium of film, I think there's a danger of being too heavy-handed with it. I wouldn't want Gothicism to overtake the story and overshadow Jane's thoughtful, progressive insights and the honest, beautiful interplay between the lead characters. Plus, the theme of loneliness and isolation are very present in this film, which although not dark in the Gothic sense, definitely captured the oppressive grayness that I strongly felt in the book.

The only thing I was disappointed by was that they didn't include the gypsy scene! That's totally the teenager in me that wanted to see it play out, but I can see why they didn't include it. In the book, I was as surprised as Jane was to find out who the gypsy really was, but in the movie, having a guy try to pull off a female gypsy convincingly would just come off comically.

*Photos: Focus Features

2011-04-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

In keeping with our tradition of costume parties, CB and I celebrated my birthday at The Lincoln Room in full presidential attire. Good food, strong drinks, and plenty of stovepipe hats made for a solid evening with friends. Walking downtown in costume was probably my favorite part of the night - Abe's a popular guy with the late-night clubber crowd!

2011-03-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Happy second day of spring! Ahhh. Just for the occasion, we got our first spring rain storm last night. I can't wait to fill my house with flowers.

*Blossoms image by Craig Cloutier, "Woman Reading" by Mary Cassatt (via Harriet Devine).

2011-03-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

These images from the latest Toast catalog are absolutely calling my name. Turban headband + red + cafe = me to a T. I'm pretty sure I've worn this exact outfit before, just not in such a stylish European atmosphere. Oh, to be sipping espresso al fresco...

*images from Toast early spring catalog (via The Neo-Traditionalist)

Postcards from Italy

2011-02-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

Daydreaming of Italia today in between studying for midterms. Ahh, to be living la dolce vita...

*vintage postcards from The Library of Congress

2011-02-14T13:04:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, all! :)

2011-01-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Do you wake up some days just feeling extra girly? Maybe it's a rebellion against my short hair, or maybe it's something more physical (ha!), but I just felt like accessorizing and doing some cat-eye makeup yesterday. It's fun to be female. :)

*images from we heart it and I love wildfox (marilyn looks lovely!)

starry starry night

2011-01-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

I can't get enough of NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day lately. Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I just stare at their photos at full size and take it in. Pure inspiration. :)

2011-01-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or is everyone craving a little sunshine and spring post-holiday season? I feel fortunate to live in Southern California where it's been pretty darn sunny as of late (compared to last summer's gloom). My mission this week: to get my butt outside and moving! It's a new year, baby.

*images from Hollie Chastain and design squish

2011-01-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

Do you follow The Ballerina Project on Facebook? I'd really like to buy a print of theirs for myself! I love dancers as models. Dance training creates a hyper-awareness of the aesthetics of the body - making for photo subjects who can create amazing angles and a beautiful aspirational quality on film.

The photo below is probably my favorite from the Ballerina Project: classic, black and white New York and dance. Perfect.

happy new year!

2010-12-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

Wishing you health and happiness in the coming year! See you in 2011. :)

*image via little blue deer

my resolutions

2010-12-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

natural nails

2010-12-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

Has anyone had any experience with natural nail polish? The brands I've had my eye on are "3 free" polishes. That is, free of toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DHB) and formaldehyde - all known carcinogenic ingredients. I'm just curious whether one brand has better staying power than the others.

I've been considering Priti NYC, Zoya and Butter London, all of which have some lovely shades. Hmm.

weekday retreat

2010-12-29T10:07:00.000-08:00

Staycations are officially getting my stamp of approval. Yesterday I went for an awesome 5 mile hike in the local hills and spent the rest of the evening making pizza, soaking in the hot tub under a starry sky, drinking homemade limoncello, and watching Part 1 of The Elegant Universe. Brian Greene is kind of my science crush.

*images by Jeannette Ordas & Annabelle Breakey (via Sunset Magazine)

2010-12-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas! May your day be merry & bright. :)

*fawn image via shelterrific

2010-12-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Raining cats and dogs here, which has made for an extra productive day. Good thing too! The holiday rush has reached fever pitch at work. I'm all for it if it means we're all extra relaxed on our winter break next week. :)

*image via Lost in Decoration

away in a manger

2010-12-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else grow up with a nativity scene in their home for Christmas? Or is that just a Hispanic thing? Half of my family hails from South America, so el nacimiento has always been an obligatory decoration in our household. Although I'm not a religious person, I still think it's a beautiful tradition - I love setting up the little town of Bethlehem with its mix of sand and snow.

Growing up, it was my responsibility to move the Three Wise Men closer and closer to baby Jesus every day - finally arriving to the humble manger on January 6th, known as El Día de Reyes or Three Wise Men Day. On the 6th, we usually eat la rosca de reyes, which is a ring-shaped piece of bread usually topped with sugar, fig, cherries and quince. Baked somewhere in the bread is a small plastic figurine of the baby Jesus. If you find the figurine in your piece of bread, you have to make the tamales for El Día de la Candelaria on February 2nd. Most people consider that day the true end of the holiday season, but in my family it ends on January 6th. Like most holiday traditions, it all varies widely from family to family, culture to culture.

christmas crafting

2010-12-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

Seasons greetings - hope your weekends were lovely! Mine was chock-full of holiday activity, yet somehow relaxing. Saw The King's Speech on Friday (so good!), had Christmas carnitas tacos with the boy's parents yesterday, and today I prepped for the holiday get-together I'm hosting tomorrow.

First, I made a little coffee table display of pine, berries, burlap, and candles. (Should be nice and fresh for tomorrow, though it may not make it to the 24th.) Then I put my custom "Over the River & Through the Woods Trail Mix" in goody bags for everyone. Gotta say I'm pretty full of yuletide cheer. :)

2010-12-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a lovely holiday weekend! I'll be doing some last minute shopping, viewing holiday lights, and eating delicious fattening things. :)

*image by the talented Shelby Tanner

2010-12-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

In the past week or so, I've been meandering my way through Model as Muse by Harold Koda and Kohle Yohannan. I believe the book went along with an exhibition by the same name that was at The Met last year. It's been interesting to learn about the history of fashion from the late 1800s to present day through the lens of the models that embodied those periods.

I find myself gravitating most toward the elegant, slightly haughty femininity of the 1940s through late 50s, exemplified by Dorian Leigh and Lisa Fonssagrives in the 1940s, and in the 1950s by Dovima, Sunny Harnett, Jean Patchett and Suzy Parker. Unfortunately, my attention has started to drop off now that the late 60s is being covered in the book. I love that the fashion world was finally getting hip to diversity at that point, with models such as Donyale Luna achieving great success as a cover girl, but the fashion doesn't excite me as much. And I confess I don't feel much like reading about the Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell generation of models. Is that bad? Yeah, I shouldn't dismiss so many decades of fashion. And Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington are cool with me. Maybe the 80s through now will seem a lot more fascinating and alluring when 50 years have passed. Or maybe Kate and Naomi in particular just really bother me as people. :p

*image of Suzy Parker via herecomesthesky, of Jean Patchett via tompalumbo, and of Dovima via skorver1

2010-12-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

I think I'm overdue for a nature outing. Trees and deer and mist mainly. Did you watch the meteor shower last night? I decided to sleep through it, but hopefully next year I can catch it. The last time I stayed up for the Geminids was in high school. My mom drove my two friends and me up to the mountains, and we ended up parking on the side of this desolate road. I remember seeing this man walking down the road toward us - it was so strange to see anyone else in the middle of the night in this deserted place. He walked by us silently and then disappeared down the road like a ghost.

We were all bundled up in our down jackets staring up at the sky, cracking jokes in between streaks of light. I think what made it especially fun was that we had school the next day. Almost as good as playing hooky. :)

*first image via nowness (not sure who photog is), second by the talented Anna Verlet

2010-12-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know what's come over me, but I'm suddenly obsessed with sparkle. It's never been my style, but the holidays have kind of infected me with the bling bug. Just don't judge me when I wear these pants post-December.

*sweet-ass Ralph Lauren pants modeled by the glamourai.

at the movies

2010-12-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

At long last, The Black Swan and The King's Speech are finally coming out this weekend. I could not be more excited about these two films. In one corner we have ballet + Natalie Portman + Mila Kunis. In the other we have Colin Firth + Geoffrey Rush + Helena Bonham Carter. I've been following both Natalie Portman and Colin Firth's careers closely from the very beginning, and I am thrilled they are both receiving Oscar buzz for their respective roles. Here's hoping my weekend at the movies is as good as I think it will be!

* images property of Fox Searchlight and The Weinstein Company.

2010-12-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

I always tell myself I'll wear big, beautiful earrings every day, but my reality? Studs. 360 days of the year. So instead of kicking myself for being boring, I've decided to just give myself over to them and diversify my selection. My first purchase? These little guys from Upper Metal Class on Etsy. They'll do nicely I think. :)

2010-11-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! You all have a good pre-holiday weekend? It rained the entire time here, which was a bummer in that I was too nervous to make a planned road trip, but good in that I relaxed.
My mom had mentioned she wanted to really decorate for Thanksgiving this year, so I decided to make a garland-y thing to hang over our dining room door. It was surprisingly easy to find what I needed in our backyard - I love foraging! I'm not sure if it's going to make it to Thursday, but it's nice to look at in the meantime. :)

Good Will Haunting

2010-11-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Took me a week to get around to scanning all of the pictures from our Halloween party, but here they are! Was a lot of fun, and I was happy everyone dressed up. :)

2010-10-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Before I go up north for the weekend to set up our party, wanted to wish you all a spooky Halloween! May it be filled with chills, scary stories, and plenty of fun!

*image from ThisisToy

2010-10-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

Sad to see this weekend go! I got in some major relaxation. Nonetheless, should be a great week with Halloween coming up. Wishing you all a lovely Monday!

My brother's dog, Spot :)

2010-10-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Went apple picking yesterday with CB. :) The weather was nippy, but deliciously autumnal. We ended up snagging a bunch of empires for the caramel apples I'm making for our party this week. They're gonna be frickin delicious...I hope. The apples certainly are. After the orchard, we squeezed in a little nature walk on the other side of town. I always forget how beautiful our local mountains are!

2010-10-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

Have a great fall weekend, all! In between working for the weekend, I definitely want to hit up an Oktoberfest or two, or possibly do some apple picking. All I know is I am grabbing myself a piece of this gorgeous season!

*lovely photos from the talented Kevin Russ.

most wonderful time of the year

2010-10-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am proud to say that my Halloween decorations were hung last night in preparation for this auspicious day...the first of October! Coop and I are throwing a costume party later this month and I am scheming and dreaming more than usual. Can't wait for the carmel apples, pumpkin carving, scary movies, skeletons, cauldrons, scarecrows, and general mischief. Three cheers for the creepiest season of them all!

*image from vintage halloween flickr group

2010-09-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

Farewell, summer. Thanks for being so good to me this year. :)

2010-09-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have such a soft spot for old photos of couples kissing. Black and white just makes it all seem more romantic somehow. :)

*image from lannadelarosa

2010-09-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

Dang. I wish I could sew.
My mom was telling me that when she was younger, she'd simply show her mom a picture of a piece of clothing she liked, and my grandma would whip out a replica within the week. No patterns. I can't sew my way out of a paper bag - with or without patterns - and I'm thinking it's time I learned. :)

*1st & last image from sandritocat, middle image from SewUniqueClassique

2010-08-31T20:28:00.000-07:00

Love this elegant little doggie. :)

*Image via automatism, via arthound

escape

2010-08-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

CB and I did a bad thing. We'd been booking everything for our Labor Day trip to Santa Barbara to help us relax during our grad school application process...Thursday night, however, I got the sudden and intense need to get outta dodge.

So we canceled all of our resos for SB and escaped off to Palm Springs last Friday night. We ended up staying at a little quiet inn with 8 total rooms. All of the rooms were huddled around a sweet private pool, so we jumped in right when we got there - instant relaxation!
We of course did the requisite Ace Hotel thing on Saturday and baked, grooved, and drank in the sun. Sunday we took the scenic route home and spent the rest of the day chillin. I'd say our lil' getaway was a success. :) We want to go back with friends in October just because it's so easy and cheap if you do it right. I simply refuse to accept that summertime is ending!

*1st image by Michelle Woo, 2nd diptych by Sara Yates Photography

2010-08-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Just had to re-post this from Katie's blog - can you believe this is lil' Emma Watson? She's changed so much since the early Harry Potter days, and I've gotta say I love it. Her new haircut is fantastic!

beach day

2010-07-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally arrived in Southern California! Yay! I've been checking the weather.com 10-day forecast every day hoping to see a glimmer of sun, but for 2 months we've been covered in gloom.
Last night, however, I finally got to fetch our fans from under the house and turn them on full blast. Ahh, how I love oppressive heat. :)
I'm sure it's going to be an absolute zoo at the beach this weekend, but I don't care. This is happening.

My madre - around my age in Spain in the 70s. :)

2010-07-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

As is typical for most starving twenty-somethings, I tell myself I'm going to see a lot more concerts than I actually end up going to. Sad but true.
However, when I heard there was going to be a concert with not one, not two, but THREE of my favorite musical collaborations...well, dang. Time to bite the bullet. Yes folks, this weekend I will be seeing:

She & Him

The Bird & the Bee

The Swell Season

Binoculars? Check.

Wine to smugly drink on our picnic blanket? Check.

Boyfriend to drag along? Yep, totally set.

Let the entertainment commence!

San Fran film - part 2

2010-07-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so in a nutshell our weekend went like this is SF:
Friday - arrive. Mission district w/friends
Saturday - Muir Woods and Sausalito, dinner at Millennium
Sunday - sailing on the bay, fireworks at night from the rooftop of a friend of a friend's. :)

A gorgeous, memorable weekend to say the least. Can definitely see myself living up there someday.
And because I'm a photo fiend, below are more shots from the weekend - these taken with my trusty Lomo LC-A+.

San Fran film - part 1

2010-07-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Finally got a chance to get my film developed - yay! Besides the photobooth picture and hipstamatic shot three pics down, these shots were taken with my Spirit 600 Polaroid. For the record, using a Polaroid on a wet, windy, aggressively rocking sailboat is not recommended...but super fun. :)

Me, Coop & Erin at The Elbo Room in the Mission District

At Millennium, the delicious (!) vegetarian restaurant.

Muir Woods

Sausalito

sailing adventure

2010-07-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

Quick update: San Fran was awesome. :) I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend too!
More pictures to come later this week...

2010-07-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

With the 4th of July approaching, I'm thrilled to actually have plans this year! Imagine this: a 41-foot sailboat, sandwiches, beer, happy revelers...all sailing around the San Francisco Bay for hours. Yeah, I'm excited. :)

*images from here and here

picnic

2010-06-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

CB and I went for a picnic today and oh what a feast! My instax photos ended up being overexposed, so I'm throwing an iPhone pic up here too so you can actually see the delicious spread. All in all an awesome outing - perfect weather, lovely tree to sit under and picnic table to eat on, and peacocks galore! We got to see a male peacock courting a female, and I gotta say...he had some moves. I think I got too close though because the female walked away and the male's feathers dropped to the ground again - I felt bad for interrupting!

2010-05-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

baby skunks! a-freakin-dorable.

*image from floridapfe

barefoot in the park

2010-05-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, humor me here for a sec... Have you noticed that going barefoot is in vogue all of a sudden? I can't say I'm not a little intrigued. I have really high arches which were great for ballet, but for life...not so much. I've heard some anecdotal accounts that walking barefoot can help high-arched folk with their plantar fasciitis and general foot woes. Since my feet are already pretty battered, a little adventure into the world of naked feet won't hurt, right?

I know my podiatrist would kill me, but I think I might start with some walks on hardpack sand at the beach, and then maybe get a pair of Vibram FiveFingers if I can get over how scary they look! Anyone have experience with them? Seeing as my boyfriend already hates clogs, I'm sure he'll LOVE my Aquaman kicks. :)

2010-05-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Loving these colorful shots from Vintage_Star's flickr. :)

*Pictured (from top to bottom): Grace Kelly, Esther Williams, Gene Tierney, Liz Taylor

2010-05-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know I'm really late to the party here, but I just saw the Kiera Knightley version of Pride & Prejudice and loved it! I actually tried to watch it back when it first came out on DVD, but truth be told, I hated the idea of Kiera as Lizzy Bennet from the beginning so I just couldn't get through it.

After a time, I finally decided that I hadn't given it a fair chance - and thank goodness I did! The cinematography was gorgeous. The swing sequence in particular was beautifully shot. Even though no one can touch Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy, Matthew Macfadyen grew on me by the end. I'm such a sap, but I loved the very last scene where you actually get to see Lizzy and Darcy post-marriage at Pemberly. The book never quite satisfied me in that respect, so it was nice to get a little pay off. :)

*images property of Focus Features and Universal

2010-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Love this photo that my friend Erin took - we switched cameras for a couple weeks, and this was on the beginning of the film roll. :)

2010-05-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Don't you just loving evening walks? Last night I went for an impromptu stroll with CB at sunset. Not the safest thing in the world, I'm sure, but I allow it when there's a male walking partner available. :)

2010-04-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

My daydreams lately have consisted of building sandcastles at the beach, water-skiing at the Colorado River, and generally relaxing in the sun with no worries. Fortunately, I live in Southern California, so I don't have to travel very far for any of these things. Just have to wait for the weather to be right. :)

*image from Dan Busta

2010-04-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a lovely weekend of studying up at Coop's parent's house. It's only an hour away from here, but it feels so wonderfully secluded. In between hunkering down with my math books, I snapped some pics of their beautiful garden and home. :)

2010-04-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

Love these flower field images from Abbytryagain. So fresh. :)

2010-03-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Italian film actress, Virna Lisi. She has ridiculous sex appeal. Note to self: watch more Italian classics.

*image from myvintagevogue

2010-03-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Just some of my favorite pictures of Audrey by Mark Shaw. I'd really love to buy the book with these images and more!

2010-03-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Oh, local Farmers' Market...your flowers make me so happy. :)

orfila winery picnic

2010-03-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Recently, Coop and I drove to Escondido to do some wine tasting at Orfila. Before getting down to the drinking, we took a walk around the grounds and had a picnic at their park in back.

After so much food and loafing about we ended up being too lazy to do a full tasting, so we just got a glass of their "Lotus." It's a mix of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussane - both of us agreed it was great. It was very smooth and had a lovely hint of buttery vanilla. We couldn't help but bring a bottle home with us. :)

2010-03-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

So...out of nowhere I suddenly got it bad for piglets. I am now gradually convincing myself that having one in my suburban San Diego backyard is a good idea.

Can you blame me though? Just look at them! Look. at. them.

*images from Susyr22 & Sharon Montrose

2010-03-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Some love for your day. :)

*images via myvintagelove

let's table this discussion

2010-03-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

I know the home of Fitzhugh and Lyndsay of The Brooklyn Home Company has been making the rounds, but I had to re-post this picture. More than anything, I am in love with that hand-carved dining table. The couple made the table together from a fallen beech tree, for goodness sakes! How more legit could that be?

*Original post from Design*Sponge

2010-03-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Feel like lying in a big, green, windswept field today. The grass in my backyard will have to do! :)

*images from pazza ma... and Federico Erra

feeling spring-y

2010-02-24T12:20:00.001-08:00

It's almost time for my favorite season of the year! It's the one time of year where San Diego's hills are actually green and there are orange poppies spread across the sides of the freeway.

Yay, Spring! I am determined to go to the farmer's market this weekend and grab myself a big, beautiful bouquet of flowers.

*images from fredbaby

more short hair goodness

2010-02-11T20:49:00.000-08:00

I know I've already posted about a beautiful short-haired woman, but I couldn't let this image from the latest Toast catalog pass me by without a mention. Fantastico. :)

Few models have short hair, so most of the time I end up sighing over pictures of women with long, lustrous locks...and I wonder why the heck I keep my hair so cropped. But then I see an image like this and my pixie cut engines get all fired up again. Vive la androgynous cut!

2010-02-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

Finding some dance inspiration in these lovely photos by Alfred Eisenstaedt from 1936 and 1930, respectively.

*images from orchid thief

dear, valentine

2010-01-19T14:44:00.001-08:00

I am drooling over the custom Valentines that Hello Handmade and neither snow are offering for love season. I'd like to think that all of my sappy sentiments wouldn't look so dorky and saccharine if they were written in gorgeous calligraphy. I can hope, right?

Masculin féminin

2010-01-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

Love the contrast of boyish short hair and ultra-feminine flower corsages. Beautiful balance. :)

*image from myvintagevogue

vacation pics

2010-01-02T11:10:00.001-08:00

Some Fuji Instax Mini shots from Palm Springs last week...Someday I'll buy a new scanner for my instant film stuff. :/

Both of these were taken in Palm Canyon.

Ace Hotel Palm Springs review

2010-01-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas, Coop and I stayed at The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. It was overall an extremely positive experience - the laid-back vibe suited our style perfectly! Food at the diner was really tasty, drinks were fun and yummy, customer service great, the beds were comfy, and the fridge was well-stocked with goodies (as was the rest of the room!). Oh, and the record player and striped robes? Awesome. :)

Only a few things I'd change:

1) Our room's "private" patio with fireplace? Not so private. The second floor can see everything. Bummer.

2) Our fireplace was kind of buggy. Wouldn't turn on first night, and you don't have control over the fire strength. Not enough to stay warm at night in winter.

3) The free bike rentals that come with your stay? The bikes were never available. :( They need to provide enough to suit most guests, or limit the time each guest can use their bike. I think they do the latter, but don't enforce it. As a result, bikes just sat in front of our room unused most of the weekend because some guests had checked them out and never returned them.

A few things to note if you are staying at The Ace:
- Be sure to request a room far away from the public pool. Music starts blaring from the speakers early there and goes until late. Luckily, I knew this going into things, so we requested a quiet room.

- Be sure to check out the vintage photo booth right next to the reception area. So much fun!

Let me reiterate though, we had a great time at The Ace and would definitely go back! I think we'd like to go in the spring or fall though so we can get some quality pool time without getting roasted. :)

Yay vacation!

happy holidays

2009-12-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm still working tomorrow, I wanted to say happy holidays to those of you who will be away from their computers for the rest of the week. I wish you plenty of good cheer, happy memories, warmth, & relaxation! :)

*image from Jim Barraud

frenzy

2009-12-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Oh dear, this week before x-mas = nuts. Too much going on! What say we all save an evening this week for a cup of tea, quiet contemplation, and painting our nails? :)

*image from kaitlynmeanspure

snowflakes

2009-12-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Had a fun little crafty Saturday with my two girl friends - we made these snowflakes. We were actually attempting to make some last week but our folding was all wrong, so I was very thankful that Design*Sponge read my mind and posted that project. We ended up ditching doilies for silver tissue paper though - it was just much easier to cut and ended up looking wintery and airy.

BTW, just bought a new Fuji Instax Mini and it is the cutest lil camera - I can't wait to take it to Palm Springs! My first picture with it is this shot of one of my snowflakes in the window. :)

palm springs

2009-12-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

I'm headed to Palm Springs soon and can't wait to relax for a little while. If anyone has any recommendations for things to do I'm all ears!

*image from danske

a little light

2009-12-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

How rockin' is this conservatory from the home of Alexis & Trevor Traina? The rest of the house is pretty glamorous (see: too much for my cozy tastes), but this? This I could make an exception for. You can check out the rest of their home here.

jolly

2009-12-03T10:57:00.001-08:00

Dear, oh, dear. I've got the holiday spirit bad. I don't think I'm the only one either - this economic & political climate has a lot of us grasping for something jolly and festive, no? My mom put up Christmas lights before Thanksgiving for goodness sakes!

Playing 15th century Christmas carols at my desk every day is probably a little overkill, but I'll take my kicks where I can get 'em. :)

lazy sunday

2009-11-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

I've been a bad photographer and haven't been practicing at all lately, so I made a point to go out and shoot on Sunday. Didn't really get anything I loved (not as fun if there are no friends to photograph), but the act of getting out there is important in itself. And generally it felt great to get outdoors and pick some herbs and lemons from our garden. I love fresh rosemary!

row your boat

2009-11-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

A little late in posting this, but I went for a fantastic rowing adventure in Julian a couple weeks ago. It was picture perfect day. The weather was sunny and 75, the food divine, and the wind had a slight fall nip. Heaven.

2009-10-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

Oh, technology.

My laptop pooped out on Sunday, so I'm using a friend's backup computer to get me through. In the mean time, I'm going to take a little break from blogging until I have all of my materials again. Have a great week!

*image from Jacob...K

Honest Foods: the Musical

2009-10-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, my friends and I have been working on a video for Honest Foods (the company I do marketing for) for quite a while now. It all began when my boss suggested we make a video for YouTube - something to get the word out about us. I honestly had no idea what would be remotely appealing to people, so I just decided to do what I love most: singing and dancing.

Well...2 years and $150 later I'm proud to say our video is done! So if you could please give it a look, post about it, leave a comment and/or rate the video, we'd be much obliged! Thank you so much for all of your support! :)

xo,
Mariel

natalie wood + new york =

2009-10-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

perfection.

*image from DeanStreet

longing

2009-10-14T15:20:00.001-07:00

Boy, do I feel like visiting NYC again. I'm thinking I need to make a bi-annual pilgrimage - it's like living there, but without the wretched cold!

boyfriend watch

2009-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'm totally behind on the manly watch trend, but I just picked up a spiffy lil' timepiece from Target. Sadly, it's not in their online store, but if you look for it in-store, I believe it is literally called "the boyfriend watch."

What I like is that it maintains the nice, masculine feel of a guy's watch without having an overwhelmingly huge face. And at $15, it was a pretty easy decision to take it home with me.

Note: I had 2 links taken out since the band runs big, which costs about $10 more. But hey - $25 total? - not bad!

slides of slides

2009-10-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I'm feeling stressed out or low, I just take a look at this kodachrome slide of a parrot going down a playground slide. Game changer.

*image from Jacob...K

2009-10-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

What fall is complete without a pumpkin outing? Coop & I went to Bates Nut Farm - a San Diego institution. My favorite parts were probably the little kids playing in the pumpkin patch and the animal pens - how obscenely cute are baby goats?

polka face

2009-10-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Don't know about you, but I am polkaing tonight! Woo! Bratwurst, beer & the chicken dance - Get it, Oktoberfest. :)

*image from pastorfuture

ode to october

2009-10-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's October again...that month I used to be so obsessed with when I was little. Halloween, when you're done right you're my favorite holiday. All it takes is a whiff of pumpkin when I cut into my jack o' lantern-to-be to bring back the memories. That smell is amazing; it beats Eau de Christmas Tree hands down.

I was one of those kids that wanted to be a witch way, way before Harry Potter hit the presses. That was when I was around age seven and eight. I would draw pictures from this children's book The Little Witch Girl starting in July and paste them to my window as Halloween decorations. When the Oriental Trading Company catalogue came in the mail around September...woo, that shit was my Cosmo. Papier Máché skeletons, glowing cauldrons, battery-operated pumpkin lanterns, fog machines, graveyard window clings - all labeled with a Made in China sticker at the bottom. It still has power over me; thankfully, I don't receive Oriental anymore. It was a real allowance drain.

For about two consecutive Octobers, I'd bust out this doll-sized plastic skeleton - Stanley the Skeleton - and he'd be my teddy bear for a month. I would take bubble baths with him, paint his toenails, cuddle with his little plastic bones each night...we really had a great bond, Stanley and I.
How this all didn't completely terrify my parents? No idea. Somehow, instead of sending me to the psychologist for possible coping-with-death issues, my mom now loves Halloween just because I got so into it as a kid.

So why choose a skeleton to tell all of my problems to as a seven year old? Honestly, don't look into it. If you ask me, I just didn't relate to my porcelain girl dolls or Barbie much. And do you blame me? They were materialist. Obsessed with looks. Stanley had the wisdom of his years on his side; plus, his jaws were always slightly open in this black-toothed, laughing smile. He was just having a good time, that guy. I wish I could find him now - he's probably in the basement somewhere, lying in mouse feces.

All of this...and I was not goth (not that there's anything wrong with that). No black clothes and Hot Topic tees - I just loved the whole magic and fantasy of it all (not the, you know, DEATH thing). Well, maybe I did like the macabre a bit, but the whole idea of souls outliving their bodies is compelling, whether you're a kid or not. And at the time, I took more of a Hispanic, folkloric stance on it all. Namely, death isn't some scary thing; our relatives are still floating around having some good times. I love the whole idea of Mexico's Day of the Dead...Here, Dearly Departed Aunt Conchita: a tamale for your troubles. Now let's party on your grave!

I haven't gone to a really scary haunted house in a long time, but I'm hoping San Diego's Museum of Man may someday bring back its amazing one...even though I know they auctioned off all of the decorations and costumes many years ago. I went when I was four and never went back, it was that good. I'll never forget the part with the trippy mummy coming out of the sarcophagus, all rendered completely disorienting with strobe lights. ahhh!

So here's to you, October: now it's time for some beer garden action at my city's little Oktoberfest. :)

*images from Abby Try Again, via Olivet

shall we dance?

2009-09-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Just watched Shall We Dance? for the hundreth time, and I must say, I always get googly eyes for Ginger Roger's dress in the "They All Laughed" number. The sun-like pattern is so stunning and vibrant on film - I always forget I'm watching a movie in black and white!

As with all of her dance dresses, the design of the piece is not only beautiful, but moves beautifully as well. The choreography just wouldn't be the same without Ginger's skirt floating around in that dreamy way. :)

*images from here

morning air

2009-09-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've started taking little 10 minute walks around the neighborhood in the morning, and wow! Amazing what a little fresh, dewy air can do to brighten up your whole day. Why in the world didn't I start doing this before?

orange happiness

2009-09-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Had a really tasty sparkling wine yesterday called Amour De L’Orange! It's from a local winery in Temecula called Wiens Family Cellars. A sparkling chardonnay with a hint of sweet orange, Amour would be a great brunch wine or toasting wine for brides. You can order it directly from Wiens here.

*Gigi image from Woman Around Town

weekend

2009-09-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

I think I'm finally going to see The Informant this weekend and have dinner with the boy's lovely parents. Doesn't hurt that his dad is an incredible cook! Oh, and that they have an awesome wine cellar. :)

Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

state bird & flower

2009-09-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the state prints from dutch door press. :) nice, subtle way to give a shout out to where you're from in your home.

{via Oh Joy!}