Friday, April 15, 2011

A Dream and a Hail Storm

Maybe it was the hail storm (crazy hail storm! Crazy loud for like an hour and then nothing - quarter-sized hail pelting the roof like bullets) or being startled awake at 5pm by my insane cat who will scream - literally scream, not meow or hiss but SCREAM like a freaking alien (I guess?) - whenever she is scared ...

... But last night had some crazy dreams. This is probably a really uninteresting post to anyone but me but I like writing down my dreams - I think it's important for ... something.



Started at the office. I left my desk for the evening and saw C walking – almost hopping, really – down the hall to L’s office; she was wearing skinny cargo jeans and tall black boots. As I passed through the kitchen I found L and P sitting at one of the tables – I think L was wearing bright pink – both facing each other but also looking toward the wall like it was a secretive conversation. Neither of them said anything or looked up when I passed.

I went through to the elevators and found at least 20 people all standing in the elevator bank talking to each other – none of whom I recognized - it felt really cramped. Some were friendly, others were just blurred faces, forms; there was an older couple and another female, young-ish who I ended up riding home (or somewhere) with in their champagne SUV – a Tahoe I think. We were on the road and everything around us was black – not a dark black because I could still see around me and see the road, like everything had been painted black and was still illuminated. Even the grass was black and I could make out all the blades and the dirt. In the middle distance was a perpendicular road with tiny, whizzing cars passing, recognizable only by small white lights flying past from left to right. Beyond that was blurry moving fields and a black setting sun – I couldn’t make out much but I know it was there, moving and hopping unclearly in my vision.

We were talking and having a nice enough time together despite the feeling I got of being completely alone and left alone and alienated, lurid even though I'm not sure why; I remember the driver telling his wife that she needed to lose more weight and she agreed, tilting her head to the side and looking at us in the backseat as she nodded. I thought I was in the seat behind her for a while but then I was in the other seat later on. I was leaning forward on the driver’s seat talking and then noticed what looked like a small brownish frog on the hood of the car in front of the passenger’s seat. The hood was damp and glistening under its toes.

I realized we weren’t even on a road anymore, just a huge field of damp dirt and short-cropped grass with the appearance of a massive spotlight shining on us from the back-right of my vision – like it was coming from inside my own head; there was mist in the air, too that looked like glitter. We were going down a hill and everything was wet outside. There were at least a dozen frogs on the car and they would sometimes hop off toward the back of the car and to the sides. We were all curious but didn’t do or say anything about it. We were going fast and somehow a drop off surprised the driver and we were suddenly on a steep, slick incline of grass that fell off quickly from the hill and felt like we were turning back in on ourselves and the hill, defying gravity for a split second. The car lurched over the side and drove down for a few seconds – we were driving to the right, not straight down for some reason – and then we turned backwards and the car turned upside down.

I was holding onto the hand grab over my window and remember thinking it might be best to stay as seated as possible instead of flying limply around the car but that proved difficult and I found myself floating almost weightless through the middle of the car and looking out all the windows at the ever-tilting scenery. I can’t remember if we were screaming or just watching in awed silence as we turned around and over the hill and slid down to the bottom, slow and fast at the same time.


Then I woke up.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Photos of Inspiration ~ [04.12.11]

My Tuesday morning is going really well. Yesterday was great, too - and a Monday! Of course as soon as I say that something will go terribly wrong and then the rest of the week will suck. But I'm going to try NOT to let that happen; I think it's in our power to control what we feel and do. We obviously can't change people; people are the 'wild card' and are never what we want or hope or expect them to be, even people we've known for a hundred years and think we can rely on. So just control yourself and you can at least stay calm and carry on in the face of distress.

This morning, I have a few photos of inspiration, as I call them; photos (feelings, energies really) that inform my mood and my day, that I carry in the back of my mind ... an escape of sorts. Today's photos are about tea. Sort of. They are just downright lovely is what, and I wanted to share them.


What inspires me today is fresh cool air and warm sun on my shoulders; breezes on a sun-drenched day; the yellow of an old photograph; crisp grass whisping in the air; the feel of slick bark under my palm.



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Monday, April 11, 2011

The Anthropologie Conundrum

I love Anthropologie. They have truly beautiful apparel, accessories, home decor, and tons of inspiration. I have a little twinge of "I wish I had that" whenever someone says they "Got it at Anthropologie" or does a What I Wore post with some amazing and well-styled piece from Anthropologie, like this one.

But I still can't bring myself to buy their merch until and unless it is drastically marked down on their super-clearance, you're-lucky-if-it's-in-your-size sale rack. I just don't understand $338 sandals asnd $228 blouses. I just ... don't get it. If I have $228 extra dollars sitting around (what a day!) I will spend it on getting that squeak on my car fixed, not buying a beautifully overpriced blouse that will look just as old and 'has been' as everything else in my closet after just a few wears.

All that to say, I still greatly admire (and esteem!) their stock and have browsed their webpages many times for inspiration. Here are a few of my favorite looks and pieces from their latest e-mail alert: perfect cool and light pieces for Spring and Summer.


Paint On Canvas Pants in Dark Grey







First Hints blouse in Ivory








Brickwork tee in Grey Motif and Drawing Parallels skirt in Plum









Bowtied Batik shorts in Gold






Thursday, April 7, 2011

Jane Austen Confessions



I have a confession to make.
This is very bad.
I don't think I've ever really acknowledged it.

I haven't read any of Jane Austen's books. 

The stigma, of course, being that I have seen every book-turned-movie and nearly every version -- all 7 novels! American and BBC versions! -- some of them many times over and yet ... I haven't read the books that inspired them.


I grew up quoting this (oh, and recreating the dances with a group of friends like the huge nerd I was):





Then I converted to this version in 2006 (yes, there is a great debate apparently as to which version is the 'best') despite my best efforts at NOT liking it (gotta say I have not been a Keira Knightley fan):







I remember seeing this in theatres and then buying and watching it like a hundred times:





I remember LOVING this movie so much (still do) that I asked for and got the soundtrack for my (I think) 10th birthday. Yeah. nerd.






I remember seeing this lovely film and feeling so sorry for poor Anne and Wentworth and their embattled romance:







This is really, very awful. I resolved just this afternoon to set it right. I must read all of her books. I just ... have to. Actually I want to; surely it won't be a painful endeavor. I have simply told myself that it's something I must do to balance the scales.

I have read the 'Lord of the Rings' triology; heck I even read 'The Silmarillion' in all it's verbosity. I've completely earned all the 'Jane Eyre' films I've seen over the years (this topic calls for its own blog post!); I must have read that book 20 times (it is my favorite after all). I even did a character presentation about Jane Austen in costume AND British accent in middle school. Still haven't read her books. *slaps wrist*

I will read all seven of Jane Austen's novels before the end of the year.

I think I'll read them chronologically which, according to some moderate research on this website, means I'll be reading 'Sense and Sensibility' first.


That is my Four-Months-Into-The-New-Year Resolution.


Flower Power: Ranunculus

I am not the kind of person who buys bouquets of flowers at the grocery store to throw in a vase or two around my house. I don't have a bunch of flowers in a backyard garden to pick whenever I'm having company. But I do love flowers. Lately, I've been hearing a lot about Ranunculus; I have to say I don't remember ever hearing about them before - I'm no expert though, for sure. They are so simple but so striking; I love their tightly-packed petals and huge array of colors.

They are stunning flowers!

I'm so glad I've happened upon them because I think I may actually want to buy some for my house. They are that pretty.










Friday, April 1, 2011

Mail Call! Shop It To Me

It's Friday, which means it's time for this week's Shop It To Me sale e-mail. Granted, I personally am NOT going out this weekend to snap up a $60 swimsuit or an $80 cardigan, however cute they are. But it's worth keeping an eye on them to see how cheap they get, right? ;) Of course by the time they are within my price range, the only size is XXS or XXXL. Of course.


Also, I thought this would be a good time to talk about clothes swaps. I'm a fan. I am a sucker for a good deal and a clean closet (clean meaning free of items I haven't worn in 2 years); a clothes swap takes care of both in the course of a few hours. If you haven't heard of a clothes swap the idea is that you gather a bunch of your like-minded, stylish friends, each of whom brings an offering of clothes, accessories, shoes or whatever to contribute to the party. Everyone then gets to rummage through (literally rummage - I have seen dining tables messily HEAPED with clothes!) and pick out "new" pieces to take home. Instead of spending crazy money on new clothes, you get to hang with your friends and pick out a few gently-worn pieces of clothes for your closet (the whole 'clean closet' part happens when you pack up a bag or two of unwanted -- or in my case grown-out-of -- clothes from YOUR closet to contribute to the swap). Fun. Green. Cheap. Doesn't get much better than that!




Here are a few of my favorites from today's Shop It To Me sale mail...maybe a friend will bring a suitable replacement for one of them to the next clothes swap. ;)






Delia's Nerdy Kitty Tee - $14.99 (of course it's only available in Small now, but it's TOO CUTE!)






Old Navy Ankle Crop Denim Leggings in Black - $19.00









 Old Navy The Diva Skinny Flared-Leg Jeans in Mekong - $20.70








J. Crew Shawl-Collar Cardigan in Dark Navy - $79.50 (loving the sequin shorts, too!)









J. Crew Starlet Dot Ruched Underwire Tank in Windsor Gray - $59.99









Gap Zip Sweater (cotton/cashmere blend) in Black - $17.99 and Red - $24.99






Gap Printed Wrap Top in Navy Print - $24.99



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