blue carrot shop.

some pretty great stuff for pretty good prices..see more here!

summer yum.

how amazing are these illustrations from Fresher than Fresh snow cones in Kansas City? Delicious, natural, refreshing...yum. Seen on Oh Joy Eats.

this weekend.

i planted my garden! and soaked up the sun by the lake...it was beautiful!

babies.

i saw the new documentary Babies this weekend...and loved it. It was insightful and so enjoyable to watch. My favorite baby was by far little Bayar from Mongolia..not only did i most enjoy seeing their lifestyle and dwelling, but that baby might just be the cutest thing I've ever seen. You should see it.

if i were to take a stroll..

...around the Hong Kong flower market tomorrow like the cherry blossom girl, i might wear that Cabbages and Roses dress, those sandals, carrying this backpack, rockin' these shades, riding off onthis bike...

yummy.

At my new apartment, i'm going to start my first gardening venture, a little planter garden. I bought my first seedlings at the farmer's market today..strawberries, basil, brocolli, parsley, snow peas...yay for yummy fresh food.
Also, I am loving the new Hipstamatic app on my iphone that takes these wonderful pictures..

if i were to roll away tomorrow in my house car...

...i would be listening to...
-Roll Away Your Stone, Mumford and Sons
-Gold, Once Soundtrack
-Om Nashi Me, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
-Feeling the Pull, The Swell Season
-Zebra, Beach House
-Run to You, Bryan Adams
-White Sky, Vampire Weekend
-You and Me Song, the Wannadies (circa the Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack)

Amazing Rolling Home pictures from Amy. See them here.

lilacs are blooming.

There are lilac trees in bloom everywhere...running by a group of them leaves you almost breathless. Life goal#36: Have lots of lilac trees in my backyard.

like the dickens.

My very wise older sister Emily is an amazing teacher at an inner-city private school in Dallas. She has always been quite the wordsmith and I rely on her eloquence quite frequently. The kids she teaches are truly one of a kind..and little academics to boot. She is now chronicling all sorts of wonderful stories and happening on her blog "Like the Dickens". Take a minute to read this hilarious story and lesson, one of many...

"One of the topics that I feel like I am constantly addressing in my classroom is the idea that there is time and a place for everything. I tell all of my kids on the first day of school that it is a mark of great maturity to be able to transition smoothly and seamlessly from a funny moment to a serious moment. In the classroom this comes up a lot. I love to laugh and my kids love to laugh and to crack jokes. The problem comes when all they want to do is crack jokes. No matter how many times we establish that when we are in the classroom, it is time to get down to business, a select few decide that every class period is their chance to crack their little inside jokes and carry on private conversations. I have had this conversation countless times yet was making no progress. Other than the selfishness of only thinking only of their own pleasure rather than the purpose in the classroom, this constant joviality was making them very boring. Balance is needed in every aspect of life especially in the relationship between work and play. They were all play and no work, not to mention that their jokes were getting really old.

One day last week, I had finally had enough. The circumstances were as follows: I had to step out of the classroom for about 5 minutes, and upon returning, my teacher's sixth sense for find trouble told me that they were up to some mischief. If I had had my coffee, I probably would have found it earlier, but in my non-caffeinated state, it took some 7th graders to point out the mischief the next class period. The mischief: an addition to my wall of presidents. Sure enough, right next to Barack Obama was Chestah--a made up cartoon character very loosely based on Chester Allen Arthur (the real 21st President) that resembles the Planters Peanut cartoon. It was the last straw. I gave them one shot to fess up; they did, and I sent the culprit to the principal. She came in to witness the stupidity of the crime and gave him and his cohorts a stern talking-to reiterating that they only have a few short months left of school and that they need to focus and finish strong. Miraculously, those words from the principal opened their eyes to the seriousness of the occasion, and the rest of the day was very productive.

I spoke with the hoodlums afterward, and they were genuinely contrite. It was actually a beautiful picture of how truly restorative discipline can be when done right--timely, fitting, and from the heart. They all apologized and have made a real effort to buckle down and concentrate when we are in class. After a few days, one even thanked the principal for talking to them admitting that they needed it. We all need reminders from time to time to keep our lives in the appropriate balance."

"It's a grand night for singing..."

Another childhood and present day favorite of mine is the musical State Fair. Here are some favorite scenes of mine. I especially love Marjorie's pink, blue and red dress she wears at the first night on the fairgrounds. State Fair served as the inspiration for my final senior collection in college too!

sweet nothings.

love these. tucking these away for someday when i have someone to give them to..get them here.

katie armour.

If you all haven't seen Katie Armour's Blog, you must. I must say her blog is now one of my must reads because it seems that everything she posts about seems to hit my heart strings and is right up my alley. Lovely lovely things!

"With the magic of a broom, she can mesmerize a room.."

One of my favorite movie scenes is from the musical Calamity Jane, which I grew up watching. Whenever I decorate, my mind immediately jumps to when Calamity and Katie sing "A Woman's Touch," and magically transform Calam's cabin into a dream house. I can still remember playing pretend under the tree in the back of our yard, acting like I was cleaning and making the space a little "home."

"A woman's touch can quickly fill
The empty flower boxes on a winder sill.
One smile from her and zoom
Little buds begin to bloom...

A touch of paint,
A magic nail,
Can turn a kitchen chair into a Chippendale.
Even make the lamp appear,
Like a crystal chandelier!

With a tack tack here and a tack tack there
And a hand around a hammer
With a mop mop here and a mop mop there
You can give a cabin glamour.

The pies and cakes a woman bakes,
Can make a fella tell her
That he loves her very much...
It can?
..So never underestimate a woman's touch!"

garage sale finds.

A neighborhood in Minneapolis has a huge Garage Sale every year that spans streets and streets and streets. I went in not needing anything, and came out with bottles galore! Can't wait to display them somewhere...