thursday giveaway!

okay, so maybe your big toes are poking out of your socks, or you are in the midst of healing a broken heart. sometimes the answer is just to "make do and mend".

this gorgeous poster (printed on archival paper) is being given away by the generous farouche from california. isn't it lovely? it is also available in green and grey.

to win, please visit farouche's store and then leave a comment below telling us which color you prefer. the winner will be chosen on monday. good luck!

crocheted flower coasters.

ever since i stumbled on these coasters, i can't stop thinking about them. they are whimsical, sweet and simply perfect for my cup of tea or coffee.

and so it's official: i absolutely have to learn how to crochet. do any of you crochet and if so, how did you learn? any tips?

(photo credit: chizuru-bis)

books books books.

good morning, friends!

today i am off to new york city for 48 hours. in addition to seeing a dear friend and getting lots of work done, i have one priority: a few hours at the strand bookstore.

in case you've never been, strand books is a huge store filled with overstock, used, rare, and out-of-print books... in other words, heaven on earth.

when i was in college and living in downtown manhattan, i used to roam around the store for hours: smelling the old books, flipping through literary anthologies and looking for hidden gems.

i haven't been back in ten years, (let's ignore how old that makes me...) and i can't wait! now, if only i had an adorable little book nook like the one above to enjoy my books when i come home...

now tell me, do you have a favorite book store? if so, where is it and what do you love about it? i'd love to hear.

(photo credit: the selby, via sfgirlbybay)

plastic is bananas.

agreed. available here.

a door desk!

door desk noun. [dohr desk]

1. a door taken from the architectural remnants of a north carolina plantation home, then topped with glass and placed on wooden stands.

2. a genius and sustainable idea.

3. the place where our lovely wedding photographer edits her magic photos and sends me sweet emails.

isn't this just the coolest? i'm inspired.

(all photos and door desk by the fabulous meredith perdue)

lotus tea lights.

i already love tea lights, but these beauties are just too much to handle. wouldn't they be such romantic wedding decor?

(photo credit, and available at, cox & cox)

in sickness and in health (and trips to the store for more gatorade)

my dears... i have been sick all weekend and i must confess, this photo was one of the few things that cheered me up. isn't it just so sweet?

actually, simon cheered me up too, especially when he woke up this morning and squealed: "the golden globes are on tonight!"

he was teasing me. but we are watching it anyway because that's what being sick gets you --> control of the remote!

p.s. forgive the baby fever, but i have so many pregnant friends these days. is it just me?

(photo credit: elizabeth ann)

winter wonderland

wow. the wonderfully talented ida never ceases to amaze me. these photographs are absolutely magical, and as soon as they appear in her etsy shop i'm going to snatch them up!

some days i am just blown away by the talent in the blogosphere. today is one of those days. thank you, ida.
(photo credits: ida nielsen)

i am the walrus.

this made me smile. that's all.

(photo credit: the darling child)

a girl can dream.

the past couple of days i have been working in a very uninspired place: a hotel. but if i close my eyes and try hard enough, i can almost pretend i am sitting at a desk like this one and that the shelves above me are filled with my favorite books, all kinds of quirky memorabilia, and photographs of my loved ones.

(and in my dream, i am also listening to miles davis and a dog is curled up at my feet. sigh.)

now i'm curious... where do you usually work from? do you love it or hate it?


(photo credit: jessieroth)

guess who i met today...

...celia!

i flew to los angeles this morning (it's oh so sunny here - huzzah!) and this evening celia and i met up for some wine and snacks. we shared a couple of fabulous hours chatting about everything under the sun, and it was really amazing to meet a fellow blogger face to face.

celia is exactly like her blog: sweet, beautiful, stylish and down to earth. celia, thank you so much for our lovely time together. you seriously rock.

now i am off to sleep diagonally in my hotel bed. i hope you are all having a good start to the week.

night night!

just a little reminder...

happy monday, everyone.

(photo credit: sarah gardner)

happy weekend!

what are you guys up to this weekend?

simon and i are going to drink some bubbly with our newly engaged friends, watch back-to-back episodes of flight of the conchords, and i am going to whip up a batch of red velvet cupcakes. yum.

i hope you all have a restful, happy and warm weekend!

(photo credit: kata pult)

a wall of pots.

this adorable boston home has a wall of homemade ceramic pots. isn't that the coolest idea?

note: kayla and wes, if you'd like to have me over to see this awesomeness in person, i'm happy to bring the wine.

(via apartment therapy)

lately...

... i have been struggling with envy. does this ever happen to you? it's so unbecoming isn't it? boo. i have such a wonderful life; i don't know why it surfaces.

maybe what i need is a big bowl of ice cream and some really bad television.

or maybe... what i really need, is that crazy thing called perspective. :)

tell me, do you ever feel this way? if so, how do you snap out of it?

(photo credit: sarah hermans)

a quote for you on this quiet tuesday morning.

and it occurred to him that there were two parts to being a better person. one part was thinking about other people. the other part was not giving a toss what other people thought."

-mark haddon

(photo credit: three little birds)

for the wee ones.

lately i feel like there are babies in the air, and i am loving it. this vintage mid century penguin would make an absolutely adorable baby gift, don't you think? available here.

65 years of marriage.

these pictures by jose villa made me so happy, i think they are going to go straight on to my vision board.

simon, do you think after 65 years i'll be able to convince you to wear cowboy boots? yeah, i didn't think so.