minagraphy

I dont know what this technique is, or what you call it, but dont you love how everything in these beach scenes by the Romanian born, New York raise photographer Mina, look somehow miniature? 

The first photo was taken in Greece, and the second two are from her Coney Island series. While I dont love everything she does, I will say that as a photographer, shes pretty versatile. The pieces I like the best feature summery colors and beachy settings, like those shown above; the sugary sweet hyper-pigmented San Francisco Tops series remind me so so much of Wayne Theibaud:

whereas the southwestern landscapes in Land of Enchantment have a more sun-washed, seventies feel:

It almost makes me wish I was in America this summer...

the time of our lives!

Last weekend we went to the May Ball at my mothers school. It was such fun! There was dinner, dancing, casino games, and a raffle--we won dinner for two, and a day at the beach! There was even one of those photo booths, which of course we had to use. Heres the classy pic we took:

And heres the goofy one:

So patriotic! So festive! And dont you just love Chases bow tie?! Adorable. 

babe alert: TALA KOLB

she writes one of my fav blogs, Bathing News, all about the beach and looking good on it. She loves tropical places, rainbows, and mermaids, and is pretty clearly a kindred spirit. Only, judging from the pix on her blog, she lives a life of which I can only dream. For now. Plus, shes a mega babeatron, and makes me wish my tan was so much tanner! Total California Girl. Check her out:

bad barbie

these photos are so breaking bad, and they remind me of when I was little and my older sister had a headless barbie doll hanging from her lamp cord. You can check out more of Mariel Claytons weirdo doll pics at her website. 

coffeecoffeecoffee

Now that Im nursing Felix less and less, Im allowed to drink coffee more and more. And I love it! More specifically, I love Cappuccinos. I also love popsicles. Just ask anyone (actually, just ask Chase, and hell tell you to shut up about them both already). So when I saw this recipe for Cappuccino Pops I sort of flipped out because its like, two of my most favorite things, in one thing! I havent made them yet, mostly because I only just saw this like, two seconds ago... but Im going to. What a dream!

However, I do take issue with the fact that these should more accurately be called latte pops. I think? Because it was my understanding that, while a latte is just espresso and hot milk, with maybe some foam on top, a cappuccino ought, traditionally, to adhere to a more definitive ratio: one part espresso, one part steamed milk, one part foam. Thats how I like my cappuccinos, anyway. But, in the same way that martini has become a generic term for any cocktail served in a martini glass (which I also find annoying) the meaning of cappuccino has, in my experience, been extended. Heres a handy guide to what coffee drinks should be about, if youre interested. Its useful, and I like how it looks: 

coffee pops via cupcakes and cashmere; coffee guide via twentytwowords

im lovin it: TASTEFUL TIE-DYE

This is the time of year I remember how much I love tie-dye. Inherently casual and summery, its similar in feel but not quite so ubiquitous as the ombre/dip-dye trend no one can seem to get enough of these days. You have to be careful with it, though--you dont want to look as though you make submarine sandwiches for a living (which I think is true even if you do happen to make submarine sandwiches for a living, amirite?). In my opinion, its best to go with a monochrome, though there are some exceptions. I like it for mixing prints because, while technically a print itself, it isnt really a pattern as such, so it proves a nice foil for your more structured ditsy florals, for example. It would also go nicely with this seasons more tropical prints, if youre in to that kind of thing...but please, be so so careful! If youre not up to making it yourself, which really is the best, most authentic (and of course, cheapest) way to go, here are some nice examples: 

clockwise from top left: mango, zadig and voltaire, austique, theyskens theory, topshop 

Happy Birthday Bwod!

So many very happy birthday wishes to my lovely twin sister Becky! I cant believe were 27. 

Love you Bwod! Miss you the most!

x

(thats us on our fifth birthday. When photographed together, Im coincidentally always on the left. Spooky!)

madewell: fall 2012

Here are my faves from Madewells fall 2012 lookbook. I love the punchy colors (especially the blues and greens), the preppy shapes, and Im really digging those sheep jumpers--so princess Di they are. But above all, what I enjoy about this is the styling. While certainly evocative of her older (wealthier) sister, the JCrew lady, the Madewell girl is noticeably less kempt. I find it a little more relatable in my unemployed state. In theory, anyway--in reality, both are equally beyond my grasp, financially speaking. If I could only win the Postcode Lottery once in a while!

images from madewell via refinery29

for the woman with great taste who has everything

I definitely didnt know this was a thing, but now I definitely want one:

Its a solid silver marmite lid! And engravable, to boot! If my father liked shiny things this would be the perfect present. Also interested in trying these two specialty varieties:

marmite XO & champagne marmite, which sounds delicious but was only made in a limited quantity for valentines. So romantic. Only its all gone now. boo. 

bangarang/fringefrenzy

When I was pregnant, I had the Most Beautiful hair of my life. It was like, mermaid hair. So beautiful. But, and I dont know if you know about this or if youve ever had a baby before or anything, after you have a baby, this thing happens of where all of the extra hair you grew, plus some of what you had before, falls out--mostly around the temples, in my experience. I could go into it but chances are if you know me youve already heard all about it--and anyway, if youre not pregnant it doesnt really apply to you. But its the worst! Luckily, enough time has passed, and presumably enough omega-3 tablets swallowed, that my hair is starting to fill back in. Only now I have this weird pseudo-fringe thing happening all around my face and I hate it: 

See? Of course, no one else seems to mind it, or even care that much, but its all I can think about and I feel like I need a new haircut. Specifically, I want to re-establish the bangs that I decided to grow out when I was pregnant and my hair was growing so so quickly, mermaid-style. Sigh. Only my problem is, it might not be so easy to grow it back out again... unless I got pregnant again?! Ha ha, just kidding...

Anyway. The kind of bangs (fringe?) I tend to prefer are blunt, deep-set, and vaguely asian-y, in as much as they evoke Susie Bubble. Here are some reference photos:

(thats Julie Sarinana; Susanna Lau, my ultimate fringe inspiraish; and me and my dearest friend Ivy on my 21st birthday--cant believe that will be six years ago this thursday!)

sweet dream/beautiful nightmare

Orfield Laboratories Anechoic Chamber is officially the quietest place on earth--which at first, given the amount of sleep I havent been getting since we took babyboy halfway around the word, sounded like a dream. Only then I remembered that actually, having grown up in a house of nine people, two dogs, and various and countless cats, I find silence a little unnerving. Apparently, total and complete silence (or 99.99% sound absorption, to be specific) is more than a little unnerving: stay in too long, and you start to go mad. Its so quiet that, once your ears have adjusted, you can hear your internal organs working, and become so spacially disoriented that you have to sit in a char. Of course the room wasnt built purely for novelty; its used to perform sound testing, and to condition astronauts for the silence of outerspace. Company owner Stephen Orfield recently challenged reporters to stay in the chamber alone in the dark as long as they could; the longest anyone lasted was 45 minutes.

I sort of think Id like to try it out--but not in the dark!! Can you even imagine?!

via the Daily Mail

im lovin it: FLORAL JACKETS

When I was sixteen years old I bought myself a sort of trench/raincoat hybrid at the gap, which turned out to be the Perfect Jacket: it went with absolutely everything! Unfortunately, over the years it had become a little worn, and didnt make the cut as I was paring down my wardrobe in preparation for the move. I also got rid of what was commonly known as my Hermione Jacket, a navy blue boys blazer bought second hand from the school shop where my mum used to work--which was fine for America but I already have a hard enough time convincing people Im not sixteen and I dont think wearing a school uniform around would help that very much. So now the only jacket I have left is denim. And its super cute and was quite a lucky find (found in the teen girls section of our then-local charity shop for fifty cents)--only, it doesnt really go with bluejeans. Or, it goes a little too well with bluejeans. You know what I mean. And these days I pretty much only wear bluejeans, because my black ones have gone all baggy in the knees and I hate that so I wont wear them.  So I have no viable jacket! But its too cold here not to wear a jacket every day. Its a problem! Im currently on the lookout for a replacement khaki colored raincoat, which is the most practical choice (this is England after all)... but also Ive been thinking that a cute little floral jacket might be jolly, and while not exactly weather-proof, it would, Im fairly certain, go with everything. Or at least, everything I own (ie, things that are navy and things that are striped). Plus, so springy it would be! Here are some I like:

from left to right, top to bottom:

floral print denim western jacket, NW3 ditsy floral blazer, floral blazer in pink rose print (all from asos); printed jogging blazer from Zara; sessun kensington liberty blazer  & Kimchi Blue relaxed open floral blazer (both from Urban Outfitters)  

I prefer the darker blazers--especially the Kimchi Blue--but I also am sort of enamored of the floral denim jacket. Only, I cant figure out if I could successfully wear it with jeans, which is sort of the whole point. I think Id need to see it in person, you know? Also, think how well these would go with a pair of liberty-print doc martens! Sigh. 

Great British Fashion Stamp Set

Created by Johnson Banks and featuring clothing from ten classically British design houses, these are certainly the chicest stamps Ive ever seen. And believe me when I say, Ive seen a lot of stamps. I cant wait to put them all over my pen-pal correspondence this summer! 

I like the Alexander McQueen!

via trendland