pink o'clock

bow-ed over.

2012-02-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

over the past few months, i've been happier with the decor of my home than i have since i moved into my apartment almost three years ago. i feel like there's a unified design theme, and while there are certainly spots that need work -- the awkward wall space by the front door, for example, or the sliding closet doors onto which the previous tenant inexplicably painted odd pictures of kittens -- i'm generally quite comfortable hanging out at home these days.

but that being said, i've already started putting together a wish list for the next place i move to. a water heater that gives me more than 10 measly minutes in the shower without turning the water ice cold is at the top of the list; a dishwasher is a close second. wood floors would be nice, too. so would my own washer and dryer. and i think i'd like my next home to feel a little more grown up and androgynous -- i want plenty of quirky details, of course, but i think a more streamlined approach is something i'm slowly coming around to.

this wallpaper by emily isabella for hygge and west, for me, hits that quirky/grown-up mark almost perfectly. i love the gold bows against the dark gray background, and i think this paper would be perfect and special in a powder room or a closet, even if just on one wall.

how do you feel about wallpaper? do you use it in your home? (i sometimes frame samples, but have never actually used it...yet!) how would you describe your design style?

p.s. please excuse the terrible pun in the title of this post. i couldn't help myself.

file under: pretty.

2012-02-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

rifle paper co. fabric (!) for villa nova. perfection. (i want that chair badly.)

view the full collection here.

photo: rifle paper co.

scenes from the weekend + committing to...

2012-02-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

a quick note: this photograph is actually a scene from a weekend in january, i think, because if i were to show you a scene from this weekend it likely would be of (a) the garbage bag of old makeup products i tossed or (b) my spray bottle of mrs. meyers geranium-scented all-purpose countertop spray (my favorite scent in all the world, which is weird to say of a cleaning product, but there you have it). i definitely got the house cleaned just like i'd planned, but aside from that and a lovely candlelit outside dinner on the water on friday, the weekend was as low-key and laid-back as i'd hoped.

and since i finally am feeling much more back in the swing of things health-wise, here are five commitments for the week as we jump feet-first into a new one:

+ continue to focus on staying healthy (fruit, fruit, fruit, veggies, veggies, veggies).
+ get back into my exercise routine -- i missed it last week.
+ spend time outside. the weather is supposed to be in the 80s over the next few days -- you can't beat that.
+ embrace color in my wardrobe. i so often stick to dark jeans and neutral palettes when it comes to clothes, but i'm really drawn to bright candy colors right now. i think i need to go with that feeling. and actually, i'm off to a good start: i'm wearing coral-colored pants today and loving them.
+ be positive. really, there's so much good in life that it's really not worth dwelling on the negative.

how about you -- what are your goals for the week?

photo by me, snapped in a pretty garden near st. armands circle here in sarasota. love those red flowers.

what are you doing this weekend?

2012-02-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

happy friday!

well, it's been quite a week, hasn't it -- even with a day off on monday? what is it about the short weeks always being the craziest?

and if i'm being honest, it was a bit of a difficult week, too. i caught a random cold on monday that i'm still not quite over (although, thankfully, the sore throat is finally gone), and several things happened that caused me to take a step back and start thinking big thoughts about honesty and authenticity and how the inclination for many of us in the blogosphere to be perpetually sunny is not necessarily either of those things (and by the way, i'm totally guilty of that propensity, too). maybe i'll write more about those thoughts someday soon. i'd be interested to hear yours on the topic, as well.

anyway, this weekend is dedicated to health, both physical and mental. i have a feeling there will be lots of sleep, lots of cat-cuddle time, and lots of tea. i also need to clean my house, and actually, since i've been sick, i should probably really give it a thorough scrub-down. so there's that. blissfully low-key. i couldn't be happier.

tell me your plans for the next few days, and i'll see you back here on monday.

photo by sarah rhyanen of saipua

loving: gold ceramics from up in the air somewhere.

2012-02-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

i discovered the wonderful shop up in the air somewhere sometime last year, and i'm so glad i did. i don't own any of susan's lovely pieces -- yet -- but i routinely check her shop to see (and drool over) the pretty new things she's added.

here are some of my recent, gold-themed favorites (featuring polka dots and stripes -- are you surprised?); most of them have since sold, but no worries: there's still plenty in the shop to tide you over.

p.s.: some other new and awesome gold goodies: rifle paper co.'s gold notecards. so pretty; always a favorite.

photos via up in the air somewhere; layout by me.

girls.

2012-02-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

hbo's new series, girls, starring lena dunham and produced by judd apatow, looks so funny, doesn't it? i can't wait to watch it.

p.s. -- a quick housekeeping note: since i redirected my original blogspot url to http://blog.megan-ink.com, i've noticed there's been a delay in my posts showing up in google reader (and, i'm assuming, other feed readers, too). updating the subscription url fixed the problem for me, so if you're noticing a delay, as well, i would definitely recommend doing that. again, the site is now http://blog.megan-ink.com.

xoxo

scenes from the (long) weekend + committing to...

2012-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

i love the neighborhood where my office is located; there's a plethora of adorable shops and restaurants (with even more opened recently) that make walking around a joy. sometimes you'll see something sweet, like the display in the first photo with the big "delight" sign and the lace window treatments.

and then sometimes you'll see something truly weird. like an eight-foot lego-man staring out at you from the second-floor window of a restaurant building.

for those of you who don't know, sarasota made national headlines last year when said giant lego-man washed up on siesta key beach. there was quite a kerfuffle over where he came from, who would claim him, and where he would live after he was adopted. turns out, that somewhere was right above bond restaurant. of course, we had to take a picture when we saw him up there on friday morning.

seriously: only in sarasota.

anyway, the weekend was mostly good: there was a movie night at home on friday night; a fantastic dinner party on saturday; and my first performance of circus sarasota on sunday.* unfortunately, sunday after the circus, i got hit with a pretty bad cold, and with the exception of some time spent outdoors with friends on monday afternoon, i spent most of the day at home, chugging tea and laying around.

my biggest commitment for the week is, of course, to feel better. but then there's also this -- a thought that i like to come back to every so often because i think it's so important, and one that i sometimes forget in the shadow of other things:

*i should note that i normally don't enjoy the circus at all because of the way the animals are treated, but this show was happily almost entirely free of animal acts with the exception of one horse act and another bit that basically served as a showcase for rescue dogs.

top photos by me; quote by paper owls

what are you doing this weekend? + little letters.

2012-02-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

dear florida,
if your idea of winter is one or two seriously cold days followed by a week of 75-degree sunshine, i'll take it.

dear valentine's day,
you were delightful this year.

dear extra "dessert delights" mint-chocolate-chip gum,
you actually kind of taste like mint chocolate chip ice cream. it's sort of amazing.

dear friends,
please continue migrating to sarasota and the surrounding areas. i approve of this wholeheartedly.

dear polka dots and stripes,
i will always love you.

dear mixer and baking ingredients,
we've been apart for too long. let's make something this weekend. and speaking of...

dear weekend,
you are upon us, and i am so happy you are not two, but three, days this time around.

dear readers,
what are your plans for the next few days? tell me, and i'll see you back here on monday.

photo: a t-shirt i love with a message i totally agree with from kate spade.

a little pretty for your wednesday.

2012-02-15T15:32:00.002-05:00

just a pretty photo of a butterfly i snapped two weekends ago. remind me to tell you about my love of butterflies sometime. and how it's intensified lately.

more words to come soon.

happy wednesday, friends. xo

what are you doing this weekend?

2012-02-10T12:04:00.001-05:00

happy friday, friends! it's the weekend! yay!

how were your weeks? mine was busy but good, and it ended with some of my best and oldest friends coming into town for a visit last night. we had a great time catching up and eating dinner at owen's fish camp, one of my favorite sarasota restaurants (and the scene of my birthday last year!), and i find its always good for the mental health to hang out with people who've known you for years -- and in jenn and bryce's case, more than half my life. even better, they're thinking of moving to sarasota, which would just be awesome. i would like to shepherd all the awesome people in my life down here, and these two are an excellent start.

what are your plans for the weekend? i need to do some baking -- molly's heart-shaped sugar cookies with cherry-scented cream cheese frosting always make an appearance around this time of year (the cherry is so subtle that it makes the cookies taste pink), plus i'm planning another pastry project that i'll share with you next week if it turns out well. and in non-food-related news, my favorite jeans bit the dust yesterday, so i need to find a new pair.

shopping and baking -- not a bad way to spend a weekend, huh?

tell me what you're up to, and i'll see you back here on monday. i hope you have a wonderful, relaxing few days.

oh, p.s.: i created a facebook page for this blog earlier this week. it's not very active yet, but if you'd like to hang out with me on facebook, as well, you can click here to "like" the page.

photo by astrid

keep on trucking.

2012-02-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

i've been wishing for food trucks in sarasota for ages -- ever since i discovered the amazingness that is orlando's yum yum cupcake truck, in fact. for a city that is full of great, local, non-chain restaurants, with a population that really appreciates them, it's a surprise -- to me -- that there weren't trucks parked downtown all the time. then i heard from several reliable sources that the lack of food trucks was due to issues with zoning, so i figured it was kind of a lost cause.

then, a few weeks ago, a friend pointed me to ringling picnic's facebook page, and i nearly squealed out loud at my desk. (ok, i may actually have squealed.) ringling picnic is a collection of food trucks (!) that will form a sort of "food truck court" in sarasota every monday through friday from 7 a.m.- 3 p.m. i'm ridiculously excited and can't wait to try the food and see how sarasota responds. so far the lineup includes a coffee truck, a mac-and-cheese truck (uh, yum), a mexican-food truck and a truck that serves sliders -- and the facebook page promises that more are to come (here's hoping for some sort of fantastic dessert truck).

so yes: here's to one more thing to love about sarasota.

do you have food trucks in your town? do you love them, too?

photos of food trucks in orlando at an event near my parents' house by me. in fact, that's my mom in the second photo waiting for her food from the amazingly delicious korean bbq truck -- she loves a good stripe and some sperrys, as she should.

scenes from life lately.

2012-02-08T16:32:00.001-05:00

these were supposed to be part of my usual monday "scenes from the weekend" post, but -- as you can probably guess from the radio silence around these parts so far this week -- life intervened. so here they are on wednesday instead: gorgeous afternoon light; a view of a pretty lake (can you see the bird sunning himself on the tree?); fuchsia azaleas; and a knot of clover -- all taken at kraft azalea gardens in my hometown on a perfect saturday afternoon.

happy wednesday, friends.

all photos by me

what are you doing this weekend?

2012-02-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

it was a week of small victories.

i executed (that sounds so formal) a work project that's been on my mind for a long time, and got a lot of other work stuff done, too. i (finally, finally) got my broken windshield wiper fixed. i exercised. i did laundry. i gave myself an at-home pedicure (the color? essie's "bachelorette bash," a hot pink). and most importantly, i did pretty well with my commitment to not complain and even learned some other lessons while doing so.

so yes. it was a good week.

this weekend i'm heading to orlando again and am looking forward to one of those weekends that feels long. movies, long walks (the weather's supposed to be a balmy 80 degrees for the next few days) and relaxation are on the agenda, and i'm so looking forward to all of them.

what are your plans? tell me, and i'll see you back here on monday. have a wonderful few days!

photo of sarasota bay by me

a little update.

2012-02-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

remember my goal to not complain this week?

that was a really good bullet point to add to the weekly list. while i know i haven't managed to stop entirely (a few complaints have definitely slipped out), i have really been thinking about what i'm going to say before i actually say it, and that in and of itself is kind of amazing.

case in point: yesterday i was driving home from work and an elderly man with a thatch of white hair in a huge buick was trying to make a left-hand turn from the middle lane of the road (not the designated left-hand-turn lane). i'll be the first to admit that i tend to have a wee bit of road rage, and normally i would have been sighing up a storm and making faces and and wondering why i had to get stuck behind this other driver. but instead i just kind of cocked my head and thought, "you're not supposed to be complaining!"

so i didn't.

and i arrived home in such a sunny mood. removing the option to complain totally kept closed the window of negativity that could easily have opened had i done it. i realize that it sounds cheesy and new age-y and silly (and my friend kate, who might be reading this, is probably saying something about how i live on a marshmallow -- hi, kate!), but i think it kind of set the tone for the rest of the evening. i didn't vary my routine -- i worked out, i cooked dinner, i watched this week's episode of new girl, i talked on the phone -- but again, i think i removed some potential negativity. and i feel good about that, especially in the wake of what's been a really busy week.

how about you? how have your weeks been so far? tell me, i'd love to hear.

p.s. happy february!

photo by weloveunicorns

a magical night on anna maria island.

2012-01-31T17:00:00.000-05:00

there are some nights when you just feel like pinching yourself and asking, "is this really happening?" (alternate utterances include, "i have the best job in the entire world.")

last night, for me, was one of those nights.

i was invited to an intimate, four-person dinner at beach bistro on anna maria island, a little slice of beach-town heaven about 35 minutes north of sarasota. it was a cold, clear night, and the starry sky, coupled with the twinkle-light-lined cottages and old-timey ice cream shops and burger joints that we passed on the way to the bistro -- not to mention the gulf of mexico, which traced our path the entire way -- lent an air of magic to the entire evening.

beach bistro, as the name suggests, lives right on the beach; you step out of the restaurant's back door and into the sand. it's a small restaurant in an unassuming location, with low ceilings and nautical, beach-themed decor that makes you feel like you're dining on a ship. the lighting -- which you can see in that second pic above -- is such that, even though you're surrounded by other tables, you still feel like you and your companions are enjoying a meal that's been prepared solely, and specially, for you. service is attentive and friendly and -- in a place where everything is so well-thought out, right down to the cheeky descriptions of menu items -- decidedly un-stuffy. and the first grace note sounds the second you're seated: it's in the ice water flavored with lemon and a sprig of rosemary. (and then in the champagne, the perfectly paired white and red wines, the butter-poached lobster with citrus grits, the sherry-scented tomato with bread, a little pesto and a little olive tapenade, the grouper over fork-tender fingerling potatoes, the bouillabaisse and the desserts that included chocolate terrine, a warm fruit crepe, praline-coated vanilla ice cream and bacon ice cream, also pictured above. sound like a lot? there were two more red-meat options that i didn't try. amazing.)

we left the restaurant feeling so full -- full of food and wine, of course, but also good conversation and laughter. it was an unforgettable night, one that was almost emotional thanks to the food and the company. i'd been to the bistro once before, years ago, and it was wonderful, but there was something different about this experience. saying that i can't wait to go back again is an understatement, but i also love the fact that a meal at beach bistro is truly a treat. it's something i'd want to have once a year, at most. the place is special; you want it to always feel that way.

so we drove home, down longboat key, our quartet quieter and more reflective than we were on the way up, and right as we pulled into the parking lot where we'd parked our cars so we could all drive up together, a shooting star streaked across the sky.

magic.

and on a monday night, at that.

scenes from the weekend + committing to...

2012-01-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

is there any better way to kick off a monday than with a photo of two cats holding paws? (and yes, those're my two fluffs: zadie -- who i just caught clawing up a chair! -- on the left and oscar on the right.)

i didn't quite feel like myself last week: a combination of hormones and the busy last week of an equally busy month led to intense feelings of lethargy and a strong urge to hole up in my apartment. so that's just what i did, in between pre-planned commitments, and it was wonderful. sometimes you just need a weekend of pajama pants, tea and blankets. (oh, and this soup. soup is pretty great, too.)

this week is starting on a super-busy note, too -- lunches and dinners and post-work appointments have the next few days of my calendar filled -- but i'm looking forward to the beginning of a new week. and, on wednesday, new month -- can you believe it'll be february already?

and speaking of new weeks, here are my commitments for this one:

+ make time for physical activity every day, even if that means getting up earlier, and make sure most of it is outside.

+ speaking of getting up earlier, i need to actually do just that. i've been a little bit better lately, but my goal is to be out of bed and in the shower by 7:30 a.m. (so not that early to many of you, i know) every day this week so i'm not scrambling like a crazy lady to get out the door. i hate that feeling. why do i do it to myself?

+ remember that whole eat-less-sugar thing? yeah, i sort of failed on that last week. back to it tomorrow. (related: fruits and veggies, and lots of them.)

+ wear bright lipstick every day. i make a commitment to do this periodically and it is such a mood lifter.

+ no complaining. i found myself whining about being tired and not feeling well a lot this weekend (sorry, friends). so this week, i'm going to try not to complain at all (a goal inspired by chelsea). it's an interesting experiment, for sure, but one that i bet will open up some new possibilities.

and you? what are your goals for the week? please do share!

photo of my fluffs by me

what are you doing this weekend?

2012-01-27T13:05:00.000-05:00

happy friday, everyone, and happy last weekend of january (!). how were your weeks?

mine was good. a lot happened: a favorite person was here monday and tuesday, i had a work dinner at a great new sarasota restaurant on wednesday and i spent thursday night working on a project and watching a movie from the comfort of my couch. later this weekend i have another big event and next week is already quickly filling up, but tonight i'm looking forward to heading home after work, spending time with my fluffs, maybe taking a bubble bath, and just relaxing. it's rainy and gray here today (as seems to be the case across much of the east coast), so i think that agenda sounds pretty much perfect.

how about you? what are you up to this weekend? let me know, and i'll see you back here monday.

oh, p.s: i also decided to put my long-neglected domain name to use this week; if you haven't noticed, this blog now auto-redirects to blog.megan-ink.com. step one in my resolution to get a website up and running this year? here's hoping.

p.p.s. in other small victories, i am loving blogger's threaded comments feature (which jane also mentioned today), but until this morning hated the way mine were formatting: squishy text, weird font size, etc. i found this tutorial online and am much happier with the way things look now -- check it out if you're experiencing similar formatting issues.

photo: still from the french short film faiblesses via the fantastic le projet d'amour. (click on that second link to read a particularly wonderful post.)

lotions and potions.

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

i have really sensitive skin with a touch of rosacea that's sometimes dry, sometimes oily and sometimes both, depending on the situation. and of course, it's never kind of any of those things -- no, when my skin decides to be something, it goes all in, much to my dismay. alas.

so, needless to say, i've been honing my beauty-product arsenal since teenagerhood and now have a tried-and-true roster of favorites (see some of them here and here, although i really need to do an updated post soon), with the exception of a good moisturizer. for awhile, i used aveeno's positively radiant moisturizer, and then i didn't like it anymore. i got a sample of some la mer stuff and loved that, but it's way out my price range. and i used kiehl's ultra facial moisturizer last winter, but discovered that, for me, it's too heavy for every day use.

then i read a post on mindy kaling's blog about the wonders of argan oil, and got my hands on some at christmastime (along with some other josie maran argan oil products, too -- thank you, santa). you guys, argan oil is really wonderful. up until this point, i was afraid to put any kind of oil anything on my face, but this stuff doesn't feel heavy at all. it's fantastically moisturizing, it heals chapped skin beautifully and it even gives a little glow. i'm going to keep using it as long as it works, which, hopefully, is forever. plus, it's totally natural. yay!

maran's other argan oil products are really nice, too -- the cleansing wash, ironically, is a little too oily for me, but the gift set i have also includes argan oil lip treatment (so nice for my perpetually chapped lips), lip and cheek stain in a perfect shade of pink and makeup-removing wipes that refresh and remove makeup and smell good. yay again.

what beauty products have you been loving lately? any secret weapons to share?

p.s.: fyi, i kept trying to make the title of this post into something that required a pirate's voice -- like "arrrrrrrgan oil!" be glad i stopped myself.

photo: this elephants

lights.

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

another one from our trip to st. augustine in december. this is a shot of the bridge at night, all lit up, and every time i look at it it makes me feel so calm.

happy wednesday, friends.

photo by me

scenes from the weekend + committing to...

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

this weekend included a very quick trip to central florida to see one of my best friends who's in town for a brief visit from new york city. kaitlin and i went to undergrad together and both got our degrees in english; now she's working on her ph.d. in english lit at cuny. she's one of the smartest, nicest, most generous people i know and while i miss her all the time, i'm so glad she's in new york doing exactly what she wants to do.

after having lunch at our favorite coffee shop (the scene of many wonderful meals during my four years at stetson), we ended up walking all over downtown deland and the stetson campus. i took photos, of course, some of which you can see above -- they are: 1. the athens theater, one of my favorite buildings ever; 2. the buttercup bakery, which is so cute and yellow; 3. beautiful elizabeth hall, which is sort of the epitome of stetson; 4. pretty windows on elizabeth hall that i would somehow like to replicate in my future home; 5. the stetson quad; 6. architectural details on flagler hall, aka the english department building, aka my former home away from home; 7. kaitlin and me (side note: you can see some of my ombre highlights, which i'm so happy with).

so it was a great weekend (capped off by a visit to my beloved yum yum cupcake truck before i headed back to sarasota on sunday), and i'm looking forward to an equally great but busy week. here are my little goals for the next few days:

1. prioritize. i have a bunch of projects swirling around and i really need to get them in order.
2. continue with the regimented exercise -- now that the holidays are over, it's so nice to be back in a routine and i'm excited to keep it up.
3. try out a new recipe. (any suggestions?)
4. keep the house clean. have not been keeping up like i should be lately.
5. smile.

how about you -- what are your goals (or what are you looking forward to) this week?

photos by me

what are you doing this weekend?

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

happy friday, friends!

can you believe we're officially more than halfway through january? i can't. i am notorious for commenting on how quickly time speeds by, but really: this month will be gone before we know it.

and what are your plans for this, the second-to-last weekend of the month? i'm heading north for a quick trip to see an old friend (north being, like, north of sarasota, not the northeast), which i'm very excited about, and when i get back i am allotting several hours to housecleaning, because others will be seeing it come monday and tuesday and things are in need of a scrub-down. hopefully a bike ride or a long walk are somewhere in the mix, too, because the weather has been incredibly mild lately and it just feels good to be outside.

let me know what you're up to and i'll see you back here soon.

photo: installation by jeppe hein at the museum of fine art

bohemian rhapsody.

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

jane blogged about these pretty clothes from reykjavik, iceland-based andersen & lauth a few weeks ago, and i've been thinking about them ever since. i wanted to share a few of my favorites here, so we can all not only admire the clothing itself but also the styling of the photos -- i love the butterflies on the wall and, of course, the "m" block in the lefthand corner. (and while i have never worn leather pants in my life, i think that fifth look might be my favorite of them all. how about you?)

you can view the entire collection -- called "summer of love" -- right here.

here comes the sun.

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

just a little pretty for your wednesday. (p.s.: i love yellow.)

photo by amy merrick

loving: boo and boo factory jewelry.

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

totally smitten with boo and boo factory's colorful leather jewelry, particularly that necklace in the lower righthand corner. wouldn't it look perfect with dark jeans and a white t-shirt?

scenes from the weekend + committing to...

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

some photos from a lovely and low-key weekend:

1. a delicious cappucino (a real treat for my mostly non-coffee-drinking self) with some of my best friends over brunch.

2. one of my favorite alleyways/buildings in town.

3. an inscription on said building that i love and totally agree with ("living well is the best revenge").

and some goals for the upcoming week:

1. work hard and be nice. (a forever commitment, no?)

2. give the house a good scrub. so satisfying.

3. spin and yoga and pilates, oh my!

4. reconnect with an old friend. (these plans have actually already been made, i've just got to wait until saturday to actually follow through with them.)

5. less sugar. more sleep. (still.)

and you?

photos by me

family mementos + what are you doing this weekend?

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

when i was in orlando last weekend, my mom gave me a big box of stuff from my grandmother's house that she thought i might like -- including grandma's high school yearbook/scrapbook from 1929 (especially apt since i also have her college yearbook). the box also included things like pretty cocktail glasses and old photos, but the yearbook was far and away my favorite thing in it, and in fact, it might be my favorite thing i own, in general. with the exception of some yellowed pages and a worn cover, the book is perfectly preserved, right down to the dried flowers, invitations, newspaper clippings and dance cards pressed inside.

words can't express what it means to me to have something like this. it makes me feel so close to my grandmother, even though she's not here anymore -- her handwriting in 1929 looked exactly the same as it did last year, and i love the little glimpses this book gives me into her life. it's so special, and i plan on spending some time carefully examining the pages this weekend (and then finding some sort of book-covering material that i can use to preserve them).

and speaking of the weekend, what are your plans for it? i'm staying in sarasota and plan on enjoying the slightly cooler weather we're supposed to have. tell me what you're up to, and i'll see you back here next week.

xo

photos of my grandmother's yearbook, above, by me

scenes from orlando: swan songs.

2012-01-11T10:42:00.002-05:00

i'll be the first one to tell you that i'm not super-fond of orlando, even though i grew up 10 minutes outside its city limits. it's easy to get bogged down in the commercialism of tourist attractions like disney and universal studios and sea world, there's tons of salmon-colored suburban sprawl and the traffic can be ridiculous.

however. the above assessment is not completely fair, because there are lots of lovely things about the city, all of them located outside the bounds of the tourist traps. you can get some of the best vietnamese food i've ever had in orlando, there's a wealth of antiques shops and independent boutiques and restaurants, and thornton park's lake eola -- where you can ride swan-shaped paddle boats (click the link for a pic! they're awesome) and see both black and white swans basking in the sun and swimming in the water -- is wonderfully walkable.

and that's exactly what we did last weekend, on a 75-degree saturday: walked several laps around the lake, drank coca-cola slurpees, sat on shady park benches and watched swans swim and families play and picnic in the grass. it was perfect and i would do it again in a heartbeat.

maybe orlando's not so bad.

photos by me.

loving: snoozer loser.

2012-01-10T12:14:00.002-05:00

pretty, pretty scarves from snoozer loser (i love that magenta one with the gold scissors print!).

friday + happy 2012.

2012-01-06T15:53:00.002-05:00

i've always loved fresh starts, and my favorite fresh start -- the biggest one of them all -- is a new year. i like to think of january as the first chapter in a book of blank pages that we fill in as days and weeks and months pass; each year becomes a volume in the encyclopedia of our lives.

the book of 2011 was happy-sad for me, and i know it was for many of you, too. ultimately, though, i let the year go -- at midnight, with friends and champagne -- with the thought that it gave just as much as it took away. and while i normally begin every new year with a lofy list of goals and resolutions, this year i thought, "i just want to be the best person i can be, across the entire plane of my life." a broad statement? yes. a little marshmallow-y, as my friend kate would say? yes. a little oprah winfrey? also yes, but i still think it's a good plan.

that doesn't mean there aren't little tweaks to be made and goals to be accomplished as i start out: the pesky holiday cookie weight (seriously) needs to come off pronto (here i come, yoga and spinning), and today i'm doing something kind of different with my hair in an attempt to shake things up a little bit. i also really need to work on the oft-committed-to getting-up-early thing, if only for my mental health throughout the day. but whereas previous new year's resolutions always emphasized cutting out the so-called "bad," this year i'm trying to think of every little goal i make along the way as bringing something positive into my life. it all falls under that "be your best self" umbrella i mentioned above. and there's definitely some magic in that.

happy 2012.

photo by olivia; i like looking at it and thinking of crossing over into 2012.

bubbles...

2012-01-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

...make me happy.

you too, yes?

photo, found via karey, by rengim mutevellioglu.

baked! cinnamon rolls from scratch.

2012-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

you guys, i love cinnamon rolls. i think it stems from childhood, when my parents would make a pan of pillsbury cinnamon rolls for breakfast almost every sunday and let me (generously) frost the tops and then lick the knife clean.

i made a quickie version of cinnamon rolls a few months ago when i had some extra phyllo dough laying around, and they were good -- and definitely very cinnamon-y -- but i still felt they were lacking. and after making this version, which is molly's by way of emily, i figured out what was missing: that classic bread-like texture and a to-die-for cream cheese frosting.

now, before you think i made a pan of cinnamon rolls and ate all 18 of them myself, i promise you that i didn't: i packed most of them up and gave them to my family as christmas gifts -- little breakfast treats to be eaten on christmas morning. they loved them, and my cousin ended up taking the recipe home with her after christmas dinner. i would make these again in a heartbeat if they weren't so dangerous to have around the house; as we've established, they're delicious and honestly, they come together really easily -- the hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise.

if you'd like to try them yourself, click here for the recipe. here's to cinnamon-y everything!

photo by emily. mine looked exactly the same, i promise, but my photo-taking skills in this case were sadly subpar -- i think because i was so excited to eat one of these confections.

what are you doing this holiday weekend? (have a sweet one!)

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

happy holidays friends -- hanukkah, christmas and whatever else you might celebrate! until next week (and possibly until the new year), i hope you have a warm and cozy weekend that's exactly what you want it to be. i feel like christmas came early for me (see: last weekend), so anything else is icing on the cake.

here's to a weekend full of peace, love and lots of cookies.

if you're in need of a sweet stocking stuffer, i highly recommend theo chocolate bars -- not only are the paper wrappers pretty and festive, but the flavors look great. (i used the milk chocolate in my peanut butter cookies earlier this week and am smitten.)

baked! the most ridiculous peanut butter cookies ever.

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

i haven't been feeling too well this week, friends, but that hasn't stopped me from cookie-baking -- it's just slowed down the process a little.

i've been dying to try molly's salted peanut butter cookies since she posted the recipe a few months ago. i'd actually been looking for a good peanut butter cookie recipe for awhile, and in that search had made a batch of peanut butter cookies prior to reading molly's recipe that were sadly subpar -- quick, yes, but lacking the substance i've come to love in my favorite cookies (in other words, lacking the butter, brown sugar, white sugar and chocolate -- oh, chocolate -- that this recipe includes). they were, in a word, disappointing. i almost gave up the search. then i found this recipe and decided i had to try it. i was just waiting for the right time.

turns out, tuesday night was the right time.

in spite of not feeling great, i got to baking after a quick trip to whole foods to purchase some fancy chocolate (i figured hey, why not go all out for this recipe?). i measured, i mixed, i chopped chocolate and i even used my handy-dandy ice cream scoop to make sure the cookies were perfectly round (and, honestly, to make sure they were large-sized). i knew when i tasted the dough and discovered that it tasted like the peanut butter inside a reese's peanut butter cup that these were going to be good cookies.

i was not disappointed.

if you want to try them yourself, the recipe's here. the dough comes together quickly -- not unlike any other cookie recipe -- but the key is to use a natural peanut butter (which will provide a more authentic, stronger peanut flavor) and good-quality chocolate (i normally use ghirardelli for everything and love it, but i really think the theo chocolate i bought added something to these cookies). also, as molly notes, you want to use milk chocolate here instead of semisweet or bittersweet. i use ghirardelli 60 percent bittersweet chips for my chocolate-chip cookies and would be hard-pressed to change that, but again: the milk chocolate takes these particular cookies from awesome to other-worldly. if you try them, please let me know how you like them.

photo by me

a life we loved.

2011-12-21T15:50:00.001-05:00

the new york times magazine does an annual feature called "the lives they loved," in which readers are invited to submit photographs of people they loved who died during the previous 12 months. my aunt judy sent me the link this morning and asked me if i wanted to write something about my grandmother.

of course, i said yes.

i'm not sure if our paragraph will make it online or into the issue; i guess we'll see. but i thought i'd share this funny picture of my awkward 12-year-old (i think) self, my seven-year-old brother and my wonderful grandmother, who wore her hair in a french twist every day for 50 years and loved her family more than anything.

winter wonderland.

2011-12-20T16:50:00.003-05:00

the past weekend was one of the most perfect i've had in a long time. there was snuggle-worthy sweater weather, amazing live music that drifted from little cafes onto the street, a cozy dinner at a charming restaurant, long walks by the water and hot cocoa in styrofoam cups. but i keep coming back to those lights...

photo by me, taken in st. augustine

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-12-16T16:49:00.000-05:00

happy friday, friends -- we made it to the weekend (and the last weekend before christmas, at that!). have you finished all your shopping and baking and prepping? have you made your new year's plans?

i'm finalizing all of the above -- next week will be the great cookie bake of 2011, and the final slew of holiday parties -- and this weekend i'm going out of town (and doing a little early gift-exchanging while i'm at it). i'm really looking forward to it; it's always nice to get away and i've been feeling a little off-kilter lately, anyway (a bit snappy, less motivated to exercise, etc.) since thanksgiving, so i think it'll do me good.

posting will probably be a bit lighter around here until the new year, but i'll still be around -- and until next time, what are your plans for the weekend?

xoxo

photo from rue magazine

covet.

2011-12-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

love everything about this j.crew model's hair and makeup. my hair is at a weird in-between stage and i can't decide whether i want to grow it out or cut it again, and i've been hemming and hawing about getting ombre highlights put in for months now. this hair is totally pushing me toward doing it, though -- it's so subtle and golden-glowy. new year, new look, maybe?

(this post brought to you by the letter "v," for vanity.)

a little sweet.

2011-12-13T23:36:00.000-05:00

i had some dreams / they were clouds in my coffee...

just a little something sweet for your wednesday.

photo by nikole

just cute.

2011-12-08T10:04:00.001-05:00

i hope this makes you smile as much as it made me.

photo by cooper carras via the city sage

wintersong.

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

just a little pretty for your wednesday, via the talented anna ådén. looking at images like these is one of the few instances when i feel like i wouldn't mind replacing beach views with something like the above. just for a little while, anyway.

loving: oh leander

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

so, how sweet are these pieces from oh leander? i love each and every one of them, but that "hello, sunshine" mug, in particular, has stolen my heart.

photos via oh leander; layout by me

the weekend + committing to...

2011-12-05T14:20:00.001-05:00

happy monday, friends. it's looking like a busy week ahead -- full of projects and dinners and more pulling-together of christmas gifts for friends and family. things may be a little quiet around here (although i've got a sweet etsy shop to share with you tomorrow, at the very least), but i'll try to check in later in the week. until then, here are five happy things from the weekend:

+ (speaking of presents) baggu totally coming through on holiday gifts this year. i can't recommend them enough.
+ a long walk around my neighborhood, which i don't do nearly as often as i should.
+ the pumpkin and goat cheese risotto i mentioned last week. totally delicious.
+ gingerbread lattes. yum.
+ an impromptu, wine-fueled friday-night dance party with friends to the rap hits of the '90s (think: notorious b.i.g. and tupac.) totally hilarious.

and five commitments for the week:

+ patience. i really need some.
+ ice cream. (yes, you read that right.) i think it's about time i try out my new ice-cream maker, don't you? any flavors you absolutely love that i should try?
+ a new book. not sure what it'll be yet, but i'm open to recommendations. (i just read mindy kaling's new one, is everyone hanging out without me? and other concerns, and loved it. highly recommend.)
+ outside time. the weather has been perfect -- highs in the 70s and low 80s, lows in the 50s and 60s. i love having my air conditioner off.
+ and i'm recycling one from last week: just breathe.also: remember this thought -- last paragraph.

have a great week -- what are your goals for the next few days?

gorgeous photo by karin mathilda

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-12-02T10:47:00.001-05:00

happy friday, friends--we've made it: to the end of the week, to the start of the weekend, to the beginning of a new month, to the last 31 days of the year. crazy, no?

after a not-that-great thanksgiving weekend, i mentioned on monday that i came home and promptly started nesting, which means i'm already pretty well-ensconced in the christmas spirit. i've got my cookie menu almost all planned out (expect a slew of baked! posts soon), my gifts (most of which are homemade, all of which come from local and/or small business) ready to go and my house decked out with a bit of sparkle (like that sweet gold snowflake, above).

what are your plans for the weekend? i'm making a trip to ikea tomorrow, i think, plus i've got after-work plans tonight that include some of my favorite faces, so all of that will be fun.

and i'm trying really hard to focus on the spirit of the season instead of the blatant materialism that i see going on right now. don't get me wrong: i will always enjoy reading gift guides, i love shopping and i'm drawn to pretty, sparkly trinkets just as much as, if not moreso, than the next girl. but i find myself slipping into a crazed "buy! buy! buy!" mindset too easily around this time of year, so i'm making a conscious effort to step back and remember that what's most important is spending time with the people that you love. it's not always easy, but it's worth it.

happy weekend, everyone.

back to december.

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

happy december, friends.

here's to a month of peace, joy, calm, hope and lots of cookies.

photo via

who's that girl?

2011-11-30T19:14:00.001-05:00

i admit it: i am totally charmed by zooey deschanel's new girl. i have a girl-crush on zooey to begin with, but i think even those of you who don't will probably agree that new girl is sweet and funny. also: in my constant and admittedly self-absorbed musings about my personal style, i have decided to take a page from zooey's character's book and begin embracing ruffles, polkadots and bright colors. (it's time to resign myself to the fact that i'm much more girly-anthropologie than streamlined-j.crew. not that that's a bad thing.)

above is a clip from new girl's thanksgiving episode -- i hope you enjoy it. have you been watching, too? do you love it like i do?

p.s. i am also adopting the term "fancy fix" after last night's episode.
p.p.s. i also have an actual crush on the nick character on the show. he's so cute.

local loving: juno & jove.

2011-11-29T16:00:00.001-05:00

it makes me happy when i discover local stores with not only beautiful products but an eco-friendly mindset, as well -- and sarasota's juno & jove has both of those things. priding itself on "actively supporting companies the understand business should respect a balance between people, planet and profit," the store carries sustainable, well-made pieces from the likes of linda loudermilk, swedish hasbeens, pendleton, mociun and more. whenever i swing into downtown sarasota's whole foods or starbucks and walk by its windows, i always look back over my shoulder longingly, coveting almost everything that's displayed.

it's good stuff, guys. seriously.

and since i love sharing pretty things, above are a few of my favorite pieces (those earrings and that coat, specifically, just went to the top of my wish list). it's worth spending a few minutes scrolling through juno & jove's website, though -- or, if you're local, stopping in its bricks-and-mortar location. i'm positive you'll find something to love.

p.s. juno & jove is giving away a $500 gift certificate to one lucky shopper -- you can visit the store's facebook page for more details. (you better believe i entered.)

p.p.s: more local -- well, hometown -- love here.)

photos via juno & jove, layout by me

the (holiday) weekend + committing to...

2011-11-28T10:23:00.001-05:00

i'll be the first person to admit that i try to put a positive spin on most of my posts (have we talked about the fact that my friend kate accuses me of living in a marshmallow?), but i'm just going to be honest: overall, my thanksgiving wasn't that great, and i was really glad to get back to sarasota on saturday afternoon, where i promptly went into what i'm referring to as "christmas nesting mode." i put up my tiny tree (pictured above), i hung up some gold glitter snowflakes and i started on a couple of diy projects -- one being a huge, custom photo for my bedroom wall. and actually, now that i stare at this photo, i realized that i also actually swapped out that black frame for a much prettier white one, and it looks so much better. being at home is really making me happy right now -- i daresay it's keeping me sane.*

and in the spirit of good mental health, here are five commitments for the week:

+ exercise. for both the endorphins and the fact that i need to burn off the exorbitant amount of pie i consumed over the long weekend.
+ make this: pumpkin and goat cheese risotto. it sounds so, so, so good.
+ pick up a curtain and curtain rod for my bedroom window. in the spirit of making my home prettier (and my random nesting), i think it's about time, don't you? especially after almost three years here.
+ start making some of my holiday gifts. (more on them after they're given.)
+ just breathe.

*daresay is a word that never fails to transport me to the pages of a jane austen novel. i kind of can't believe i typed it but i'm pretty glad i did.

photo by me

baked! gingersnaps (+ happy thanksgiving).

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

tonight i'll be heading up to orlando with two pies in my backseat -- one pumpkin, one chocolate cream -- from our local amish restaurant, and i can't wait. (i sound kind of like a pie bandit, don't i?) thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, not just because i love food in general, but because i especially enjoy fall and winter flavors -- pumpkin and spices and the like.

when i saw the recipe for these gingersnap cookies on smitten kitchen, i knew i wanted to whip up a batch and maybe add them to what i'm only half-jokingly referring to as my christmas cookie menu. i had all the ingredients on hand, so on sunday night, i set about making them. not only is the recipe incredibly easy to put together, the cookies are just as delicious as i'd hoped -- gingery and autumnal and perfect with a cup of chai tea. i prefer a softer, cakier ginger cookie, as a rule, so i baked them for about 11 minutes, but deb says you can keep them in the oven for as long as 15 for a, um, snappier gingersnap.

they'd also be perfect as a garnish for pumpkin pie or, if you cook them until they're harder, as the crust for a cheesecake (preferably pumpkin also). deb also recommends them as an accompaniment to her baked pumpkin and sour cream puddings, and i have to say, i think that recipe may be next on my list...

happy thanksgiving, everyone. i'll see you back here on monday. i hope your holiday is everything you want it to be!

photo by me

loving: makr.

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

it goes without saying that it's always good to see local businesses creating cool stuff. my hometown -- winter park, fl. -- is not only the headquarters of the amazing rifle paper co., but also where super-cool purveyor of accessories and home goods, makr, has set up shop, as well.

makr makes canvas and leather bags, wallets and similar accessories, but sells furniture (see: these stools) and home accessories, too. i love the classic, modern simplicity of each of the pieces, don't you? they're the kind of things you'd have forever and that would only get better with age.

all photos via makr; layout by me

the weekend + committing to...

2011-11-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

happy monday, friends -- and happy thanksgiving week! are you gearing up for the holiday? it's a short week for me -- i'm off thursday and friday -- and i'm really looking forward to lots of relaxation time and, of course, good food (my mom is a phenomenal cook).

that's not to get ahead of myself, though -- the weekend was delightful, and since i haven't done a monday post in this format in awhile, here are five lovely things from it:

+ encountering a park bench that had a plaque instructing visitors to "sit long, talk much and laugh often" and doing just that.
+ the best shrimp and grits i've had in recent memory.
+ the warmth of gingersnap cookies. (more on those this week.)
+ sunday afternoon spent outside, laughing and talking.
+ a generous and unexpected (and wearable!) gift from my best friend k.

...and five commitments for the upcoming week:
+ exercise. (i'm aiming for spin class!)
+ patience. (especially important during the holidays, don't you agree?)
+ more gratitude. for everything.
+ wear bright lipstick every day to work. (such a mood lifter.)
+ stay on the early-to-bed-early-to-rise track.

photo by anna inghardt

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-11-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

i mentioned on monday that i feel like i've been regaining my sense of equilibrium, and that's true: this week i managed to get back into a lot of my regular routines (like going to the gym and cooking something for dinner more complicated and nutritious than cereal). it's felt good.

something else that feels good is that the weekend is officially upon is, and that next week is -- for me, at least -- a short week. come wednesday night, i'll be picking up our thanksgiving pies at yoder's (i love bringing a bit of sarasota home with me for thanksgiving) and heading up to my parents' for at least thursday and friday, if not the entire weekend. this will be our first thanksgiving without my wonderful grandmother, so i'm sure there will be some sad moments -- but my brother will be home, which is a welcome and unexpected treat and will hopefully balance everything out a bit.

tonight i'm having dinner with (and, hopefully, walking around for awhile with*) someone delightful, and tomorrow i have lunch plans at one of my favorite places that i don't get to visit too frequently, so i'm excited for that. other than that, there's a little work to be done but i plan on hibernating for most of the time. it just feels like it should be one of those weekends.

what are your plans? tell me, and i'll see you back here on monday!

*walking around with people i like is one of my favorite things to do; to me, there's nothing nicer than strolling through a pretty park or neighborhood, talking and taking everything in.

images by emerson merrick. i can't get enough of the moodiness of her photographs.

like crazy.

2011-11-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

i can't wait to see this movie. it looks like a tear-jerker and a heart-wrencher.

p.s. that's ingrid michaelson doing a gorgeous cover of "can't help falling in love" in the background.

baked! glazed pumpkin cookies (or: a tale of leavening)

2011-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

the minute i saw the recipe for these glazed pumpkin cookies on the design mom site, i knew i had to try them. they sounded like the perfect autumnal sweet treat: soft, pumpkin-y, cinnamon-y and topped with a vanilla glaze. yum, right? plus, i had a major pumpkin cake fail over the weekend, so i wanted to redeem myself. (side note: seems like it is my lot in life to have a major baking mishap the weekend of november 14 every year. see: last year's salted caramel banana cream pie debacle. weird, right?)

anyway, you'd think i'd be extra careful making these cookies, wouldn't you? yeah, nope. i totally forgot to add both a teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of baking soda. i don't know how that happened -- i am generally a really good baker (even if my treats turn out a bit rustic-looking sometimes, they always taste good!) and i wasn't drinking wine while mixing or anything (which, yes, i've also done in the past, with similar results). weird.

the cookies still turned out well, at least--they just have a much different consistency than you might expect when you hear the word "cookie." i brought a plate to work today and one of my colleagues described them as "doughnutty"; i think that's apt. they're very cakelike. but you know, the flavor and the texture in combination with the vanilla glaze just works, so i'm ok with it.

if you'd like to make your own version of these cookies (with or without baking powder and soda--no judgment from me!), you can find the recipe here. happy baking!

photo of my cake-y little pumpkin nuggets by yours truly.

loving: icemilk aprons.

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

how pretty and sweet are these pieces from icemilk aprons? they're almost too lovely to even think about streaking with flour and sugar...and they'd make a perfect holiday gift for the baker in your life.

the weekend + committing to...

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

it was a good weekend.

it began friday night, after a busy work week, with dinner at downtown sarasota's newly opened eat here (our second time in seven days). my friends had shrimp tacos, i had smoked salmon flatbread with creme fraiche, and it was all delicious. plus, the place was packed and the air was crisp and fall-like, so it was a fun way to kick off the weekend.

then, on saturday, after a day of cooking and baking (my pumpkin cake was, sadly, a failure, but my caramelized onion dip was perfect), i headed over to my friend steph's house for her birthday and our annual game night -- and let me tell you, if you have not experienced the joy of playing catchphrase with a group of your friends after a couple of adult beverages, then you have not lived. i can almost guarantee you'll laugh until you cry, and an impromptu dance party might even take place, courtesy of the musical hits of the 1980s.

i may or may not have consumed enough wine as to make me feel ridiculously lazy on sunday, so that morning was spent lounging in bed and cuddling with my fluffs, and then, later, cleaning out my closet (three bags of clothes went to goodwill, yay), cooking and laundering.

so yes, it was one of those weekends where a lot happened but it all went by quickly -- i kind of can't believe tomorrow's monday again. and it'll be another busy week, but after a few weeks of feeling a little off-kilter and out of my routine, i'm finally starting to regain my equilibrium. that's nice.

and speaking of getting back into my routine, here are my commitments for the next few days (the first list in quite awhile, huh?):

+ try out a new recipe. sometimes i forget how much i love cooking until i'm back in the kitchen chopping and mixing and stirring. anything you've been loving lately? (i'm itching to make these.)
+ hit the gym. i feel very soft and i don't like it. plus, as much as i love going to media tastings and event dinners, they are not the best for the waistline when you're not exercising regularly. spin class, here i come.
+ start thinking about/planning for the holidays. this includes everything from potential vacation days to my christmas-cookie menu.
+ keep my house spic-and-span. it is sparkling right now and i find that there's really something to the whole clean house/peaceful mind thing. (is that even an expression? oh well, you know what i mean.)
+ during a month -- and a season -- that's all about being grateful, remember to actually be so. i have so much to be thankful for. i am so lucky.

photo by max wanger

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-11-11T11:24:00.001-05:00

happy friday, happy 11/11/11, and most importantly, happy veteran's day. (with a newly appointed marine in the family -- my brother -- plus what would have been my army-general grandfather's birthday just two days away, veteran's day has even more meaning than usual for me this year. i may not agree with the war, but i am beyond thankful for those who risk their lives on our behalves. thank you.)

so, yes, there's a lot going on today, but it's been a busy week, too: i've had after-work events every night, and tomorrow we're celebrating my friend steph's birthday with game night at her house. game night is one of my favorite friend traditions because we all inevitably end up laughing so hard we cry; plus, when you add adult beverages to the mix, you're guaranteed some pretty funny -- and quotable -- conversations. i'm really looking forward to it.

i'm also looking forward to cleaning out my closet (my house is sparkling clean, the closet is really the last piece that needs to be dealt with), sleeping in and enjoying what's supposed to be absolutely gorgeous fall weather. i really need to get to the gym or get back to the jogging this weekend, too -- all this cocktail-party food can't be the best for the bod, so that's on the agenda as well. it should be a good, fun, productive weekend.

what are your plans? tell me, and i'll see you back here on monday. have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

photo above of my hair, which got put in this pretty, messy updo at my event last night (a local company was doing mini-makeovers). totally having this done for the next formal event i go to.

loving: blankets (+ ceramics!) from coterie.

2011-11-10T12:28:00.002-05:00

jane flanagan is one of my favorite bloggers, not only because she makes beautiful sentences but because she has impeccable taste -- as evidenced by the items she sells in coterie, her online shop. this textured silk and cotton throw, in particular, made my heart beat a little faster when i saw it -- it's the kind of thing that would be perfect in anyone's home.

p.s. i've got my eyes on those porcelain votives in the second photograph, too!

images via coterie

to market, to market.

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

just a pretty picture of an outfit i plan on shamelessly copying this fall.

dress, cardigan, tights, cute shoes. yes, please.

magic.

2011-11-07T14:51:00.003-05:00

hi, guys.

life sure has been busy lately. between halloween, a trip to the sweet, sleepy little town of beaufort, s.c., last week for my brother's marines bootcamp graduation (!), a weekend guest, and the tangle of a crazy worklife plus the upcoming holidays, i haven't had much time to blog, much less sit still.

but this week should be less crazy, and there's lots to share (and get caught up on), so i'll be back soon.

until then, i leave you with this thought, which i really like and which reminds me of this quote.

see you soon. xoxo

suspended.

2011-10-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

this dandelion installation may be one of the loveliest things i've seen in a long, long time. it's beautiful, isn't it?

via

a quote for tuesday.

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

"we are all made of many places." --meklit hadero

photo by chase

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-10-21T12:30:00.000-04:00

happy friday, friends! how were your weeks?

mine was busy. after a fantastic monday off, i jumped right into an events-filled work week that's going to continue straight through tomorrow night. not that i'm complaining; everything i've been to has been fun, and tomorrow night's soiree -- which is cocktails, dinner and an auction -- will, i'm sure, be no exception. (plus, it'll give me a chance to wear my favorite hot-pink shoes. awesome.)

and aside from busy, things are good right now. in fact, i feel so content that i'm holding my breath a little as i type that, afraid that putting the words out there is going to jinx everything. (a silly but real fear, isn't it? say you've felt it before, too.) that's not to say that everything's perfect -- it's not. just that i'm at a point in my life where i feel safe and and balanced and happy with the way a lot of things are going.

and of course, the absolutely gorgeous fall weather we've been having this week contributes to that, too. there've been moments when a breeze has blown in through the open lanai or i've stepped outside my office and the air has felt so amazing that my heart swells and i feel so much i can't even describe it. sarasota is always beautiful, but especially so at this time of year, and that beauty -- coupled with the good feelings already swirling around inside of me -- makes for a very full heart.

so this weekend, before and after my event, i'm going to try to take advantage of the weather in every way i can. i'm also going to try to read a little, spend time with friends, clean the house, plan next week's meals and get organized for a trip out of town the following week. and i'm looking forward to all of it.

how about you? what are your plans? let me know, and i'll see you back here on monday!

the photo above is from the dairy queen pumpkin pie blizzard ice cream date i had with my friend steph last night -- so fun catching up over pumpkiny goodness.

retro soul.

2011-10-20T16:00:00.000-04:00

i've enjoyed mayer hawthorne's music for quite some time now -- i think i first discovered him via one of itunes' free downloads, but i quickly found out his other songs were worth listening to, as well. and i've been playing his latest album, how do you do, pretty much nonstop since getting my hands on it last weekend. so here's a little musical snack for you on this thursday afternoon: hawthorne performing "the walk," off the new album, on conan this past week.

who have you been listening to lately?

loving: long winter farm's perfume oils.

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

recently, after realizing that my dresser had become a graveyard for almost-empty perfume bottles, i ordered a couple of perfume oils from long winter farm. because i'm a sucker for anything peony, i chose that scent immediately; i also decided to order the honeysuckle scent because it's one of favorites and never fails to remind me of the best of florida (just like orange blossoms).

the perfume arrived yesterday, and i am happy to report that both scents more than live up to my expectations. the peony is sweet and heady and very true to the scent of the flower itself; the honeysuckle is a bit milder but equally similar in scent to its flower. i have a feeling the honeysuckle will quickly become my everyday scent; i'll save the peony for those occasional nights out on the town.

feeling rosy.

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

i had the best long weekend ever: it included time spent with family and people i care about in some really lovely places. the photo above is the sunset over castillo de san marcos in st. augustine last saturday night; the sky turned this amazing shade of pink that made everything look rosy and beautiful. i keep looking at it and thinking of memories of the weekend and smiling.

more to come soon, friends, including a great etsy purchase and a little giveaway (!), but until then: have wonderful tuesdays. i hope the world looks rosy for you, too.

photo by me

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-10-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

happy friday, everyone.

how were your weeks? mine was extremely busy, and while there were a couple of low points, the high points more than made up for them: i'm soon to be the owner of my very first kindle* because i was employee of the month three times (my bosses are seriously awesome women); i attended the opening night party for the ringling international arts festival, met tons of super talented artists and performers and was arm's length away from mikhail baryshnikov(!) for quite a bit of the evening; and someone delightful mailed me some crazy-hard-to-find missoni for target notebooks that he hunted down for me after i told him much i loved my chevron-stripe clipboard.

i'm heading north this weekend -- first to my parents' house in orlando, then to one of my favorite florida cities, st. augustine, then back to my parents' until monday night -- and i know there's probably going to be a mix of emotion; i haven't been there since my grandmother's funeral two weeks ago and i know my mom is still feeling pretty sad. but she and i have plans to go to the farmer's market, see a movie and find our favorite cupcake truck, and it will be just nice to just hang out with her and my dad. i'm looking forward to it.

until next week, tell me: how were your weeks? and what are your plans for the weekend?

*i have said, frequently, that i'll embrace the printed page until it's literally ripped out of my hands, and that's true: i'll always prefer buy a book in print before i download it. but i'm so excited for my kindle because i really think it will be much easier to tote around than a huge stack of books. do you have a kindle/ipad? what is it like reading on it?

photo of fireworks exploding over the statue of david in the ringling museum courtyard on ringling international arts festival opening night by rebecca baxter for sarasota magazine.

pie in the sky.

2011-10-13T14:50:00.001-04:00

there are many things i love in life, but included in my top 10 -- and probably my top five -- would be a good dessert served in an adorable space alongside a perfect caffeinated beverage. so when i read this new york times article about melissa and emily elsen, two sisters who started a pie shop in brooklyn (and discovered that the article was beautifully photographed by todd selby), i was immediately intrigued. called four & twenty blackbirds, after the line in the childrens' nursery rhyme, the quaint little shop serves coffee and more than 50(!) pies per day -- and they're all handmade, from scratch.

i've always said that if i wasn't an editor and didn't love my job, i'd want to be a baker and own my own pastry shop (preferably with a side of bookstore). reading stories like the elsens' completely reinforces that idea, and in fact, when i'm at my parents' house this weekend, it's further motivation for me to hit up my favorite bakeries. just, you know, for future inspiration.

photos by todd selby, via the new york times

in repair.

2011-10-11T11:33:00.000-04:00

friends, i have to admit: i am still working on trying to get it together. posting may be light this week, as i'm looking at a super-busy work week and then a long weekend out of town, but i'll try to drop in as much as possible, even if it's just to share a favorite photograph -- like this one, by olivia.

hope you all are having lovely tuesdays so far.

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-10-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

i posted a comment the other day on anna's blog in response to her post about steve jobs' death, and i feel like this part of it -- the last paragraph -- sums up a lot of my feelings right now (it's also a bit of a reiteration of what i said earlier this week):

"it’s hard, personally, to lose two people who were very important to me, albeit in such different ways, in the course of 10 days. i feel like there’s a lot of grieving still to be done. but i feel like both my grandmother and steve jobs would want me — and us all — to move forward, to be better as a result of this experience. so that’s what i’m taking away from it all: move forward, and be better."

yes.

the weekend is going to be a quiet one; i really need to kind of get it together after living rather randomly for the past week and a half. my house is a mess, i need to do laundry and dishes, and i'd like to make some meals that will get me through next week (i'm thinking a big pot of hearty soup sounds really great). i'm also planning on going to the farmer's market and maybe doing some furniture rearranging in my house (my darling felines have clawed apart one of my favorite chairs and it either needs to be moved or replaced). there will be time with friends and time alone, and i'm looking forward to all of it.

how about you? what are your plans or the next few days? whatever they are, i hope they are lovely and autumnal. thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your wonderful comments this week, too -- they mean a lot (they always do).

see you back here on monday.

photo by *cinnamon. its title is "the swerve and the static"; isn't that pretty?

someone like you.

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

like most of the world, i was smitten with adele's 21 when it came out earlier this year -- i loved every song on the album, but "someone like you" stuck with me, as it did for many, many others. i've heard a lot of covers of songs off 21 and haven't been crazy about any of them, but this one -- by emily luther and charlie puth -- is really, really beautiful and i've been listening to it on repeat all week. i hope you enjoy it, too.

"stay hungry. stay foolish."

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

my family has always been a family of mac users; we've had apple computers in our house since the mid-80s, back when it wasn't nearly as cool to have them as it is now, which is also probably why i always equate "apple" with "home." my first computer that was truly my own, the one i took with me to college, was my aunt's hand-me-down apple laptop; i then progressed to a cobalt-blue imac, then a snow-white ibook, and finally -- after a brief interlude with a dell -- i'm back to a macbook. we all use other apple products, too, as does almost everyone i know. to say that steve jobs' death yesterday is a loss for us, for our generation, for the world as a whole, is an understatement. he is one of those people who truly changed the world. he was a genius.

my name is megan, and i will always be a mac.

video: from jobs' 2005 commencement speech at stanford university. it's worth watching all the way through, i promise.

outfit perfection.

2011-10-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

i just love everything about this outfit, worn by vogue contributing editor lauren santo domingo. so feminine and tailored.

baked! pumpkin-cream cheese danish.

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

i love when my real-life friends start blogs. my friend jennifer just started one that i read all the time, and my friend stephanie has been blogging since january -- the product of a new year's resolution that's gotten better and better with age. jennifer's blog, remember the pancakes, is a chronicle of her life as a wife and mom; steph's blog, over vanilla skies, is a virtual inspiration board of pretty photographs, thought-provoking quotes and mouthwatering recipes.

steph is a true foodie, one who actually cooks often and doesn't, like me, subscribe to what i like to call the "special k dinner." in my home, the special k dinner (cereal and whatever beverage i have on hand) happens at least twice a week; meanwhile, in steph's, she and her husband whip up things like coq au vin and french onion soup -- from scratch! -- all the time. honestly, if steph wasn't such a wonderful friend and human being in general, i'd feel a little intimidated. instead, reading her food posts makes me feel inspired.

that's how i felt when i saw her recipe for pumpkin-cream cheese scones. when i feel any sort of emotion, i like to bake -- and i had company this weekend, company who happens to love pumpkin as much as i do, so i thought, why not?

let me tell you, this recipe is a keeper. steph's posted it in detail, complete with photos, over on her blog, so i'll direct you there. but if you like pumpkin -- and, you know, flaky, buttery pastry -- i really encourage you to make them. they're delicious. perfect with a cup of chai tea on a fall morning.

photo, my own; see a step-by-step photo tutorial on over vanilla skies.

thoughts on last week + committing to...

2011-10-03T16:54:00.001-04:00

what a crazy week and a half it's been. i almost feel like the past seven days weren't real; i know i lived them, but i don't think i've begun to process them yet. and the strangest thing is that i don't feel overwhelmingly, heart-breakingly sad. i just feel different. maybe a little empty.

death is never easy, but my grandmother's, at least, was peaceful. she passed away at 95, in the early morning hours, in her sleep. she lived a full, rich life and she knew her family loved her.

and yet.

i can't imagine not walking the block and a half from my parents' house to my grandmother's. i can't imagine not finding her sweeping leaves in the driveway, can't imagine not seeing her perched in her chair at the kitchen table or sitting by her big bay window watching the action -- or lack thereof -- on the street where she lived for more than 40 years. i can't imagine her not asking me "how's school?", the words clanging together like metal wind chimes, even though i graduated from college six years ago. i especially can't imagine the holidays without her. i feel like, in the past week, my heart has turned a bit in my chest, causing the way i see things (because i really do feel i view the world through my heart much more than i do my head, for better or worse) to shift.

but i feel like, as unimaginable as it is not to have her here, i need to thank her for that shift, because i certainly think it's going to help me grow. i suddenly have this urge to do things that are completely new or unfamiliar, whether it's listen to a band i've never heard or redecorate my apartment or volunteer with a nonprofit or highlight my hair. i am very well aware that this is all part of the grieving process, but i am interested to see how these urges sustain themselves. i've said from the very beginning that 2011 feels like it's going to be a year that's defined by its thrust, by its momentum. i don't think that precludes sadness and loss; i just think it means that forward movement will always overtake them.

i'm going to try to keep that thought with me as i untangle the sadness and adjust to life without someone very special in it. and for this week? my one commitment is right up at the top of this post, and i think it's a pretty good one.

image via

monday + taking a blog break this week.

2011-09-26T11:06:00.002-04:00

my wonderful grandmother passed away early saturday morning, so i'm going to be taking the next several days off to prepare to head back up to my parents' house tomorrow and be with my family for the rest of the week. regular readers of my blog might recognize the picture above; it's from grandma's college yearbook and i love it more than almost anything (if you click to enlarge you may be able to read the text, which is fantastic). she was 95 years old -- she would have been 96 on nov. 1 -- and she had an amazing, full life, but i'm still going to miss her terribly and it's very hard to imagine her not being here.

talk to you all soon.

xoxo

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-09-23T14:58:00.000-04:00

happy friday, friends! and happy first day of fall! (if you can't tell by number of times i've written "i'm excited for autumn" over the past couple of weeks, i'm thrilled that my favorite season is finally, officially here.)

what are your plans for this weekend? i'm actually heading north to give a certain someone a walking tour of my hometown tonight (complete with, i hope, ice cream) and then spending saturday locating the yum yum cupcake truck (and possibly seeing a movie and doing a little shopping) with my mom. it should be a good weekend, especially if i can get back to sarasota early enough on sunday to spend the day getting organized for next week.

so i'll see you back here on monday -- until then, tell me: what are your plans for the weekend?

this photo, by the snail and the cyclops, makes me feel something i can't quite explain. so lovely and moody, no?

how i'd wear it: gray silk dress.

2011-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

when i first saw this gray dress on the j.crew factory site, i leaned back in my chair and thought, "well, that is a 'megan' dress if ever there was one." it basically incorporates all of my favorite things: the color gray, lovely material, pretty detailing and a flowy-but-still-somewhat-structured (thanks to the waistband) shape.and best of all? i could totally wear it to work. i've got awhile until it's boots-and-tights weather, but until then, i'd totally pair the dress with some nude loafer-heels and some delicate jewelry.

p.s. i can see the reason why putting together "imaginary outfits" (stephanie's are some of my favorite) is such a popular thing with bloggers -- this was so much fun, and i'm going to try to do a couple a month from now on.

the weekend + committing to...

2011-09-19T17:18:00.002-04:00

it was one of those weekends that felt mercifully long, and one that was filled with time on the couch, time outside, time with people i care about, and a lot of time in my bed. there was pizza, root beer from a bottle(!), movies, snuggling, a walk, and some great thrift-store finds, including an in-perfect-condition classic trench coat, a great wrap sweater, a vintage coach satchel (also in perfect condition) and some seriously cute boots that are going to look perfect with a pair of skinny jeans tucked into them. i'm trying to evolve my look a bit this fall (a little more on this below; a lot more in upcoming posts) and i feel like i've taken a baby step in the right direction.

so with that being said, herewith the week's commitments (and be warned, they are heavy on the vanity):

+ let my hair down. literally. i am a lazy, lazy girl in the mornings, and all too often i resort to the "jump-out-of-the-shower-and-slick-back-my-wet-hair" look. it's not particularly attractive. so i'm learning to embrace my hair's natural wave, thanks to some help from paul mitchell's ginger-scented sea spray and am going to try to, you know, look more like a girl from now on.

+ wear colored lipstick or lipgloss or lipstain of some kind every day. i'm finding that a good lip can really work wonders in pulling together an outfit, so yes: i will be embracing that theory. (also: give myself a pedicure. i'm thinking essie's "lollipop" (a great red) will do the trick.)

+ work on the going-to-sleep-earlier/getting-up-earlier thing. this is a consistent problem for me, and i'm starting to think it's just lack of actual motivation on my part. here's to this being the week i change that. (p.s. this month's whole living has a great article on sleep if you have a chance to pick it up; it's actually what inspired this re-commitment.)

+ think about and write down my autumn goals (autumn commitments?!) for you all. they've been swirling in my head; it's time to put pen to paper (or, um, fingers to keyboard).

+ spend.time.outside. it's officially pretty evening weather again, and i think some salty gulf air after work will be delightful.

and you? what are your commitments for the next week?

photo by .natasha.

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-09-16T11:06:00.000-04:00

happy friday, everyone!

i don't know if it's the transitioning of the season or the addition of work projects, but this week kind of flew by. not that i'm complaining; while i do feel like i could do another day's worth of work, i'm so looking forward to the weekend, which i'm hoping will include a sunset beach picnic, a trip to the ringling museum, a whole lot of sweet, sweet sleep and, at some point, some homemade pancakes.

and autumn is coming. i can feel it. it's coming slowly, but it's there. there's something different in the air this week; when i wake up in the mornings or go out at night, the temperature is cooler and summer's ever-present humidity wanes. fall -- especially those late-october and november mornings when i have to slip on a sweater and inhale the chilly air as i walk to my car -- never fails to make me feel alive, like i'm at my most fully developed as a person, and i can't wait to immerse myself in the season.

are you in full fall mode where you are? and what are your plans for the weekend? tell me, and i'll see you back here on monday!

photo by pink scarf

loving: whitney deal dresses.

2011-09-14T14:33:00.000-04:00

the older i get (and i know that, at 28, that seems like a strange way to start a sentence), the less enamored i am with the elaborate, fancy weddings that captured my attention--and held it for hours--when i was younger. don't get me wrong: clicking through photo galleries of gorgeous weddings (or, hello, going to them) is one of my favorite things to do and probably always will be. but personally, i've gone from wanting a huge wedding and reception to wanting something more akin to a garden party in a beautiful, intimate location (savannah square, anyone?) with just my closest family and friends.

that's why i am in love with everything about these wedding and bridesmaids' dresses by whitney deal, right down to the styling. they'd be a perfect fit for the type of wedding i just described -- pretty and white, but also simple and fun. in fact, i think if i were to describe my future wedding, that last sentence would be exactly how i'd do it.

photos by whitney deal

the weekend + committing to...

2011-09-12T12:40:00.001-04:00

the weekend that was was pretty perfect: filled with a mix of reflection and, yes, tears watching 9/11 memorial services on sunday morning, but also with friends and laughter. i spent saturday afternoon swimming, shopping (hello, 80 percent off sale), spending time with friends, cleaning and baking. and then sunday -- post-watching the news -- there was jimmy john's, almost famous (one of my top five favorite movies ever), drinks by the bay and a sunset walk in beautiful, almost fall-like weather (see photo above). september in sarasota: i think i like you.

as far as the week goes, well, i'm exhausted today, but i've already had a great phone conversation about a potential new work project, i've got a couple of fun upcoming events on my schedule, and i'm feeling great about life in general right now.

so, with that being said, in the spirit of perpetuating the feel-good, here are five commitments for the upcoming week:

+ embrace the laughter (not that this is an issue for me; i laugh a lot.) but this weekend i was reminded of how good it makes me feel.
+ finish my book.
+ hit the gym at least three times, one of them for spin.
+ eat clean. (i ate an inordinate amount of french fries last week for a work project -- seriously -- so this is important. also helpful is the fact that i have no desire to ever have a fry again.)
+ catch a sunset either at the beach or atop the bridge, now that the weather in the evenings is finally getting nice.

and you? what are your goals for the week? tell me, and i'll see you back here tomorrow!

p.s. just because:

photo by me

ownership.

2011-09-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

i've been thinking a lot about the concept of ownership lately. but not in the material sense.

the ownership i'm thinking about is made up of the things that we give and take from others without even knowing it. the way we pass on significant moments and feelings to someone else in the hopes that the other person will respond with one of those fundamental "i'm human" emotions: empathy.

there's sharing, yes -- the thing that we do when we're sitting with our friends at a coffee shop and firing off the details of our days. but then there's yearning for someone else to be vested in what you're going through, to have them be an active part of it.

and it seems like it always stems from a place of wanting to be less alone. i want to give you my anger, my sadness, my frustration because i want you to feel it -- own it -- too.

i think we've all done this, haven't we? i know i have, often, and at times very purposefully.

but i'm also the kind of person who wants to be able to feel what others are going through. i always have been.

the loss of lee roy selmon brought this into focus the other day. i'm not a football fan, not really, but i've been to lee roy's restaurants -- there are two locally -- for media events numerous times, and met the man himself on multiple occasions. and if you've been reading the news stories about him lately, you'll see not one nasty word has been written about him. not one. the man was a legend as much for his prowess on the field as for his kindness to others. to me personally, he came across very much as a father figure. and because he was so warm and giving, i wanted him to be part of my life -- something of mine. so i made him that, even though i was basically a stranger to him. and when he died, the sadness i felt, and feel -- along with millions of other people -- was real thanks to that sense of ownership i'd created.

and then there's the anniversary of september 11. today.

i've been debating whether i wanted to write anything about it, because what do i have to say that others haven't already, and much more eloquently than i? but there's that sense of ownership again -- that wanting to be a part of it, horrific and shocking as it was. i work with someone who was with president bush -- in sarasota -- when the president found out that the towers had been hit, and i've been quizzing my coworker about it for the past week under the guise of journalism, but really because i wanted an excuse to feel more closely connected to what others are going through.

what does that say about my personality? i'm not really sure i want to know. but again, it goes back to that need to own a piece of a significant experience so we can feel like we're not alone. and on days like today, in situations like this -- when there's a strange quiet in the air, when such abundant sunshine feels a little mean, when we're remembering how much we lost, collectively and individually -- i have to say, i'm ok with that.

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-09-09T09:01:00.000-04:00

i have a feeling this weekend is going to be an emotional one for a lot of people. there's a lot of remembering going on right now, a lot of reopening of old wounds, a lot of reflection. the majority of it is 9/11-related, of course, but i know that, for a lot of people, other things are swirling, too.

as for me, i'm planning on a quiet weekend: a haircut today (my once-angled bob is now just uneven, and needs to be fixed) followed by a night at home; some cleaning and exercise tomorrow; and quality time with people i care about mixed in throughout the entire few days. that's what i keep coming back to this week: people i care about. i don't know about you, but i'm going to be hugging them extra-tight this weekend.

i'll see you back here on monday -- until then, tell me: what are your plans for the weekend?

photo by cordellia, via jane's impeccable eye

pretty words.

2011-09-08T13:23:00.000-04:00

"even now, all possible feelings do not yet exist. there are still those that lie beyond our capacity and imagination. from time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written, or a painting no one has ever painted, or something else impossible to predict, fathom, or yet describe takes place, a new feeling enters the world. and then, for the millionth time in the history of feeling, the heart surges, and absorbs the impact." --nicole krauss, the history of love

photo by chase

bike chic.

2011-09-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

i love this photograph -- the black and white, the bicycle, the model (her shoes!). but i love even more that it was taken by longtime friend of my family and super-talented photographer damian sandone. see more of his work here.

falling.

2011-09-06T15:49:00.001-04:00

i've said before -- ad nauseum -- that we floridians don't begin feeling relief from summer-warm temperatures until at least the end of october (but really november, if i'm being honest). (it's also not uncommon for us to have an 80-degree christmas.) that said, i can't stop daydreaming about fall clothes, and this outfit is one that i would wear in a heartbeat. i've got plenty of striped shirts and dark-denim jeans, but i have, for some reason, fallen head over heels for those wedges, in both the pictured animal print and this "whisky" color. i also own exactly zero blazers (i know), so i'm adding one of them to my fall shopping list, as well, and i wouldn't turn up my nose at the bag and the belt i've included here, either.

you hurry up and get here, fall.

p.s. i hope you all had excellent labor day weekends.

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-09-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

happy friday, friends! i don't know about you, but i am so glad it's a three-day weekend (well, for those of us in the states, at least). the past week has been really good, but sometimes there comes a point when you just need a little extra time off to relax, take some deep breaths and slow down. my job is so driven by instantaneous, moment-to-moment events that i'm always grateful for the excuse to pause. (and in going through my google reader, i noticed that jane also touched on this today.)

so this weekend i'll reread a favorite book, sleep and -- best of all -- spend time with friends. time in the sun, by the pool, is on the agenda, as is a fun dinner out and possibly a trip to see my parents (although i'm still debating staying here and soaking up all the sarasota-ness i can). whatever happens, though, i know it will be fun.

how about you? what are your plans? tell me, and i'll see you back here on ~~monday~~ tuesday.

photo by beth retro. gosh, i love yellow.

happy september.

2011-09-01T15:07:00.000-04:00

even though we're still a month away from the first day of autumn and it's a balmy (read: hot) 88 degrees outside, i feel like this day -- and labor day weekend in general -- always signal the beginning of a new season, one that makes me think of sweaters and bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils.*

i have a lot i want to talk about -- thoughts about fall, goals for autumn, life in general -- but until i can get all my thoughts out, i'll leave you with this beautiful photo. (that light...)

*thoughts of autumn always make me want to watch you've got mail, and that line is one of my favorites in the movie.

image by chase

scenes from sarasota: statues on ringling museum campus.

2011-08-30T12:00:00.001-04:00

it's a gray, rainy day here in sarasota, which is why i think i'm drawn to the way these photographs -- of statues at the john and mable ringling museum of art campus -- were taken. the mood of them, the absence of our typically abundant florida sunshine, feels just right today. (and i can't even tell you how much i love that lion.)

photos by mary ann mattox

the weekend + committing to...

2011-08-29T16:32:00.001-04:00

monday has been playing tricks on me.

i had a great weekend that was the perfect mix of solitude and time with people i care about. i laughed a lot (a lot, a lot). i watched a really good movie, one that i'm a little embarrassed i'd never seen before. i didn't sleep very much last night, but i woke up happy.

and then i discovered that zadie, my little gray fluff, had urinated all over my lovely, clean couch. needless to say, i was less than thrilled about this. ugh.

(any home remedies you may have for removing urine stains/smells from fabric are much, much appreciated. i'm attempting borax when i get home. oh, and back story: i just bought zadie and oscar a brand-new, covered litterbox and am thinking z. may have been having trouble getting her furry little body through the small plastic door. again, cat owners: any way to aid the transition? i am so sick of dealing with piles of kicked-from-the-box litter...)

so yes, monday, you minx: if that little incident is any indication of how the week is going to go, i'm up for the challenge. especially because on the other side of it is a three-day weekend.

i'm also up for taking on these five commitments:

+ i never thought "help my cat adjust to her new litterbox" would be on one of these lists, but there you go.
+ attempt getting up earlier. i always try to sleep until the very last minute before leaping out of bed and stumbling to the shower, but i find that -- even though it's hard -- i am really a much better person when i give myself time to wake up.
+ write my brother some more letters, because i am really missing him (and the thought of going to visit my parents this weekend and not seeing him makes me a little misty).
+ work on some more personal writing. i need to be a bit more disciplined about this, and jane's lovely post on sunday, plus accidentally coming across a phrase i think would be great in some kind of story, have inspired me.
+ buy some fresh flowers, just because.

and you? have your mondays been minxes, too? what are your goals for the week? tell me, and i'll see you back here tomorrow.

gorgeous photos by emerson merrick

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-08-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

happy friday, friends!

it's been an interesting week, hasn't it? it began, for me, with the idea that we might be getting at least the outer bands of a hurricane and is ending with clear, blue, sun-soaked skies -- confirming, i suppose, the idea that nothing is ever really certain.

still, hurricanes (even just the threat of them) never fail to make me twitchy -- i say to most people that it's because i hate going without electricity (i know, first-world problems), but really, it's the whole living-alone thing. i am a master at carrying multiple bags of groceries up flights of stairs, doing minor home repairs and generally being independent, and i like it that way. but sometimes i wish someone lived with me in my house other than my cats, and natural disasters are certainly one of those times. even when those natural disasters veer northeast, they still always give me pause.

but i'm not going to dwell on that this weekend, because what good would it do? instead, i'm going to catch up on some sleep, clean my house from top to bottom, do laundry, write my brother some more letters and spend time with friends. i'd like to get to the farmer's market and pick up some fresh flowers, too. and maybe i'll even try out a new baking project. who knows?

what are your plans for the weekend? tell me, and i'll see you back here on monday.

snuggle time with the fluffs: also on the agenda. (they love each other now, it's awesome.) photo by me.

baked! homemade cinnamon rolls.

2011-08-24T08:00:00.002-04:00

whew, it's been awhile since i've done a baked! post, huh? it's not that i haven't been baking -- i have, quite a lot -- it's just that i've been repeat baking. it's been a lemon square, chocolate-chip cookie, salted caramel brownie and buckeye-filled summer, what can i say?

have i ever told you that i come home for lunch almost every day? my office is about five minutes from my apartment, which makes it super easy to make a homemade sandwich or whip up a quick salad on my break. and one of my favorite things to do while i eat is watch the 1 p.m. episode of barefoot contessa on food network. i never used to love ina -- i thought she was a tiny bit snobby for a long time -- but after trying a few of her recipes and getting raves for them, i became a convert. plus, there's something soothing about the routine of watching her at lunchtime.

on a recent episode, ina made the sticky buns pictured above, and i immediately knew i had to find an excuse to make them. you see, i am a cinnamon roll lover. we used to make a pan of pillsbury cinnamon rolls on sundays when i was growing up, and i think that's where my fondness for them comes from: the intoxicating aroma of cinnamon and dough mixed with the almost-too-sweet taste of cream cheese frosting reminds me of that tradition. even now, i still always eye cinnamon rolls when i'm in a pastry shop. i don't often buy one, but i like knowing they're there.

this weekend i had company, so i thought it would an excellent time to try out this recipe. the best part is that it completely circumvents the dough-making process, which is perfect when you need to quickly feed your hungry guests. basically, you cream together some butter and brown sugar, drop a dollop into a muffin pan and sprinkle some nuts (pecans, walnuts) on top. then you unfold a sheet of phyllo dough, brush it with melted butter, fill the whole thing with more brown sugar and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, roll it up, slice it into rounds, place the rounds in the muffin tin and bake until the butter and brown sugar has caramelized and the phyllo is golden and flaky. what comes out of the muffin tins is doughy, cinnamon-y, sweet and just the right amount of sticky. i think you'll like them. let me know if you bake them yourself.

easy sticky buns
adapted from ina garten's recipe

12 tbsp (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup nuts, roughly chopped (ina calls for pecans, but i used walnuts)
1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry

for the filling:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. distribute the nuts evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon. starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. allow to cool for five minutes, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and nuts out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

good morning! let's talk about underwear!

2011-08-23T08:00:00.004-04:00

i've never really been a lingerie girl. i probably shouldn't share this with you, but in the spirit of full disclosure: until just a few years ago, i had quite the collection of "granny panties" -- those cotton briefs that are probably the most unsexy things in the whole word, but are also really comfortable. i'm not sure if the reason i wore them was laziness or lack of caring (or a combination of both), but there you have it. you could have called me gran.

however, recently it's come to my attention that nice undergarments not only look pretty, they can make you feel pretty, too. i certainly don't wear gorgeous, perfectly matched underwear every day (and i'm fairly certain we all have a ratty bra or pair of granny panties reserved for laundry days or schlep-around-the-house days), but it's nice opening my underwear drawer and seeing some lovely, lacy things nestled inside.

anthropologie, of course, has a great selection of underthings that fall right into the pretty/sexy category, and i've chosen a few of my favorites above. are you a fan of super-sexy, intricate underwear, or are you like me and lean more toward the comfort side of things? (i'm glad i've discovered there actually is a happy medium!)

the weekend + committing to...

2011-08-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

what a wonderful summer weekend, full of friends and food and fun.

i could go on and on about it, but instead i think i'll put it in list form, as per usual:

+ penne alla vodka, peanut butter buckeyes, pancakes from scratch, homemade cinnamon rolls. (i'll do a baked! post about the cinnamon rolls later this week.)
+ an afternoon at mote aquarium. i'd never been before; it was a blast. also: giant squid on exhibit. whoa.
+ cosmic bowling on saturday night! so fun, and with such a great group of people. also, there was an awesome blues band playing live--who knew?!
+ a couple of thunderstorms that made couch-laying and tv-watching perfect in-between-activity activities.
+ a really great sunday nap. followed by a coke float. hello, childhood memories.

and for the week, five commitments:

+ vanquish the large pile of dishes currently hanging out in my sink. i just couldn't deal with them last night. (have i ever told you that i hate washing dishes?)
+ take some more stuff to goodwill. i think i'm still not completely done with the closet purging.
+ write my brother a letter, since the only way to communicate with him while he's in boot camp is by snail mail.
+ start thinking about what i want to accomplish for the rest of the year, since, yep: it's about the time.
+ pick up a new book. any suggestions, friends?

and how about you--what are your goals for the week? let me know, and i'll see you back here tomorrow!

image via ffffound

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-08-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

happy friday, friends! how were your weeks?

mine has been good, and the weekend promises to be pretty excellent, too. i've been busy with work projects, but managed to make time for exercise and cleaning and cooking, as well. and i have company in town from friday-sunday, and the plans include lots of relaxation time and hangage with sarasota friends on saturday night. i'm excited.

how about you? what are your plans? i'm sort of in shock that we're officially almost through with august, and while we don't feel a reprieve from summerlike temperatures here until about november, labor day weekend always signals the unofficial start of fall for me. and that, you guys, is soon. i hope you all enjoy a sun-soaked august weekend -- only one more left after this one!

see you back here monday and thanks, as always, for reading.

photo by stefanyalves

me, too.

2011-08-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

me, too, garance. me, too.

pink moments.

2011-08-16T12:04:00.000-04:00

i can't remember where i first read about ojai, calif., and its "pink moments"--the time of day when the setting sun creates a brilliant shade of pink for several minutes over ojai valley and its adjacent mountains--but i love everything about the idea of them, and i wish we had them here.

pink moment captured by kit_ingui

the weekend + committing to...

2011-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

happy monday friends! how are your mornings going so far? did you have a good weekend? i hope so!

my weekend was pretty fantastic--as i mentioned on friday, my mom came to town and we had a blast hanging out; plus, some good friend-time was worked in, as well. in fact, here are five happy tidbits from friday, saturday and sunday:

+ a beachside barbecue and sunset swim on friday night with some of my favorite people.
+ lots of lovely sleep on saturday. it's been a long time since my eyes have fluttered open and seen 11 a.m. on my cell phone clock, but i needed that.
+ seeing the help with my mom. it was surprisingly good--and surprisingly emotional.
+ delicious dinner with mom at one of my favorite restaurants: mozaic. (i had asparagus soup and salmon. fantastic both that night and in leftover form the next day.)
+ banana-pecan pancakes (pictured above--amazing) and eggs benedict at the breakfast house, a sweet little cafe i hadn't tried before this weekend.

and for the week, five commitments:

+ make this: nick and toni's penna alla vodka (barefoot contessa-style).
+ also, make these. (there's a method to my madness with the cooking/baking, i promise.)
+ spin, yoga, spin, yoga. forever and ever, amen.
+ clean apartment, top to bottom. pick up some fresh flowers, too.
+ be aware of the present moment as much as possible. (it's so easy to look forward or backward instead.)

and you? how were your weekends--and what are your goals for the week? tell me, and i'll see you back here tomorrow.

photo by me

what are you doing this weekend?

2011-08-12T11:37:00.000-04:00

you feel pretty sure you've been having an weird week when you arrive at your spin class late and get inordinately upset about the lack of bike availability. (please note that you recognize that this is no one's fault but your own, and somehow that makes it worse.) you confirm this feeling when you work out with a vengeance on other gym machines for a 45 minutes, then head straight for a fast food drive-through on your way home.

(i'm not going to lie, though: those french fries hit the spot.)

and honestly, the week really hasn't been bad. "weird" is definitely the right word to describe it. there have been some really great moments, minutes, hours. there always are. i think there's just a feeling of upside-down-ness that's throwing me a little bit. hopefully some rest this weekend will get me used to it.

speaking of the weekend, it should be a nice one: tonight i'm going to a beach barbecue with friends--the kind of friends who are like family--on longboat key, and tomorrow my mom is driving down for a visit. we're going to pal around, have a delicious dinner and see a movie. i was just commenting that my parents aren't a huge factor in my day-to-day existence here--they live close by, but not close enough to see terribly frequently--so i'm excited to see mom and catch up.

how about you? what are your plans for the weekend? tell me, and i'll see you back here on monday!

photo of sarasota's ringling museum by buttonpie

word love.

2011-08-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

i try to post original (at least, original to me!) content as much as possible on this little blog o' mine, but sometimes i come across something that moves me so much that i just have to repost it. jane tweeted a link to this blog post by stephanie earlier this week, and i've gone back to read the beautiful words it contains every day since then. as i mentioned, it's been a pretty emotional week for me -- aside from my brother leaving for bootcamp, there are other feelings-y things happening -- so any time i feel a connection with something, i've been grabbing on to it and trying not to let go. these words are no exception, and i think (i hope) you'll love them as much as i do.

"what is going on inside me i cannot tell. in the sky a thousand stars are magnetized, and i lie glued by the swing of the planet to the sand. a different weight brings me back to myself. i feel the weight of my body drawing me towards so many things. my dreams are more real than these dunes, than that moon, than these presences. my civilization is an empire more imperious than this empire. the marvel of a house is not that it shelters or warms a man, nor that its walls belong to him. it is that it leaves its trace on the language. let it remain a sign. let it form, deep in the heart, that obscure range from which, as waters from a spring, are born our dreams." --antoine de saint-exupery

photo by hamjolou