Treehugger

To preface: If you grow up in Oregon, you love trees.  It's just how it works.  If you don't love trees and you live in Oregon, there is probably something wrong with your head.

I wanted a tree house so badly when I was little.  But not so much the kind of tree house that you play in... more like one that you live in.  All the time.  I think I must have been inspired by The Berenstein Bears' home.
In my free time, (you know, when I wasn't doing the important things like watching Power Rangers and Animaniacs) I would draw what I wanted my tree house to look like.  It was always 10 stories high and cut in half, so you could see all the furnishings inside.  It always had one room per floor.  It also had winding staircases, a large kitchen (on the first floor, of course.  Who wants to carry all those groceries up ten flights of stairs?!) a fireplace (probably not such a good idea), a chandelier, and an attic full of dress up clothes.  And there it was, in all its ten story glory, hanging out in a forest canopy.

Well... recently I found out that apparently (at least part of) my dream wasn't so crazy.  About a year ago, I stumbled upon TreeHouse Workshop which specializes in making houses.  In trees.  For adults.

To quote Liz Lemon "I want to go to there."

View their portfolio to see more amazing tree houses

Swell Season: The Movie

I couldn't figure out what to blog about today, so I found myself just cruisin' around the web.  Mostly wasting time (I have a habit of only meaning to be on the internet for 5 minutes, and then zoning out for three hours while watching videos of laughing babies and looking at houses online.)  But then, I saw THIS...



and it rocked my world.

Apparently, during The Swell Season's two-year world tour, there was a documentary team filming them.  The resulting film was aptly titled "The Swell Season" and is opening on April 22nd in NYC during the Tribeca Film Festival.  It looks like it is mostly about Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's much talked about relationship.  Yes please.

I love documentaries because it's like people watching... on steroids.  (And I love people watching.  Probably a little too much).  This documentary will be no exception.  It better find its way to our local theater, Netflix, or DVD... or I'm gonna be super mad.

The Vintage Itch

That title sounds a little like an STD.

Anyway... I know that in my last post I went on and on about how my day-to-day wardrobe is not inspired by anything particularly "fashiony."  Not out of a dislike for fashion.  I love fashion.  But out of a sort of laziness and an overwhelming love of the V-neck.  But now, I realize that my last post is only mostly truth.  Yep, that's right.  Lately, I have the "vintage itch."  And what is more fashion-forward than vintage?

In the last few years, I haven't owned very many vintage pieces - but when I was little I was obsessed.  My mom used to buy me vintage box hats and silk gloves and I would wear them to church.  I was probably overdressed... edging towards flamboyant...  but a four year old doesn't know what that means (I wish I could still wear hats... but I can't find any that will fit my head.  Sad but True.)  Now, I only own 4 or 5 pieces, but whenever I wear them, I feel like a million dollars.

Well, the other day, I saw a link to this blog... and it stirred up my obsession.  It also solidified my desire to start an Etsy.  I have wanted to create an Etsy for about the last 6 months... but I was afraid.  Mostly of failing.  But I have talked to the huzbin, and it's official.  I will start collecting vintage items at the beginning of next month; and hopefully I will have a shop open within the next 60 days.

Wish me luck!

Here are some of the dresses that inspired me:

Summer's Darling Dress

 Cobalt Nightingale Dress

Gardener Street Dress

Let's See What That Big Ocean's Got

Sometimes, love looks like this:


Video source: The Swell Season


And you know what, that is okay.  It's even healthy.  Because when it's all over, when you've pushed through and sat down to talk it out and let it loose, you love each other all the more.

Style Inspiration

Most people's style inspiration is something or someone uber fashiony.  Chloe, Betsy Johnson, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gaga Gabor, Diana Ross, The Olsen Twins, Boy George, Kim Kardashian.  Something like that.  Not me.
Call me a conformist... but I love the clean, interesting, mass produced simplicity of J.Crew.
Now, don't get me wrong, I wish that was me.  Much of the time, I wish I could be that person who gently picks out their Marc Jacobs (or Marc Jacobs inspired) outfit out of the closet, packs on the accessories, actually DOES something to their hair, puts on their 5 inch heels and heads out the door on time.  But that just isn't me.  I usually put together outfits based on what is clean (sometimes), easy to get to (this usually means that it is laying on the floor), and what will go with a V-neck Tee.  And now, more and more I find that, when I don't spend all my money on food, I am gravitating towards buying outfits based on whether or not they are already put together for me online, hanging on the J.Crew model.

source: J.Crew

10,000 and One

No one that I know is really talking about what is happening in Japan. I mean, they are posting facts about it on Facebook, but it feels like nobody quite knows what to say when one sees them in person. We all know on an logical level that what happened was terrible, but it is so hard to connect to a disaster of this magnitude from across the world (even for me, and I might be one of the most emotional people you will ever meet.) All the news stories feel so lumped together and sterilized. I can't comprehend a possible 10,000 deaths in one day. I can't comprehend the destruction (even though I went to Mississippi for 5 months to aid in Hurricane Katrina relief.) It's all too big to understand.
What made it "hit home" for me was reading a news story here about a 60 year old Japanese man named Hiromitsu Shinkawawho who was adrift at sea for 2 days after the tsunami hit. To paraphrase the article, after the earthquake hit, he and his wife went home to gather a few possessions when they saw the giant wave coming.  It was too late to escape so they tried to scramble up to the roof.  As the tsunami hit their home, Mr. Shinkawawho tried to grab onto his wife, but she got caught up by the water and was swept away. He couldn't save her. No person could have. That is what is scary about all of this... it is beyond our control. I can't comprehend 10,000... but I can comprehend one; and it is enough to break my heart.

 

Photo found Here

Mini Photo Shoot

I live across from a really cute park (well... during the day it's cute.  Not so much at night... parks are creepy at night.  Am I the only one who thinks this?)  The other day my friend and I spent some time together, and she agreed to nab some shots of me in the park while the sun was still out.  She then proceeded to be even more awesome, took the best picture, and made me a new banner for my blog!  What a good friend.

Here are some of the good shots.  (There were also some bad shots.  Sometimes I can look pretty grotesque.  I was pondering showing you the worst shots as well... but I don't know if my pride could handle it.  Also, I don't think I could do that to your eyes.)

Etsy Feature: Bruklyn Belle Vintage

I have been loving my friends an extra amount lately.  After you get married, it seems that you and your new spouse make this unspoken pact that you will be hermits together for the next year. (It is in this same pact that I agreed to stop shaving and Adam vowed to grow a scraggly beard.  If you are going to be hermits, you might as well go all the way.)  But then, after you emerge from your cave, smelling like old feet, you start craving friendships again.
This is where I am at in my life at this moment - just emerging from said cave, pasty white and in need of people.  One of the first people I began spending more time with (post hermit) was my awesome, totally foxy, fashion-forward, lovely-music-playing friend Bruk.  (Again, real friend.  Not blog friend.  Also in my wedding).
Bruk's tenacity inspires me.  I pretty much feel like she could do anything.  She has a beautiful Etsy shop called Bruklyn Belle Vintage (for which I may or may not have modeled in the past, ahem.)  You should go there.  Just a warning: you might not be able to handle it.  She has a knack for finding amazing vintage pieces, and as I said before, she is super foxy.  You might just buy everything in her store.
You've been warned.

For The Love of Cake

I am so tired of this diet.  No sugar, no flour, no gluten, no dairy, no garlic, no eggs, no fun.

But I can't quit.  So what do I do?  I live vicariously through this blog. (And through my husband - who routinely stuffs food in his face, not of his own free will, but because he is made to do so by a certain crazy, starch-starved wife).

I want to eat things like this:

Rich and Ruffled Chocolate Celebration Cake

Campfire Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow filling

So, please, do me a favor tonight.  If you can eat wonderful, sugary, gluten-filled pastries, do it.  With me in mind.  For the love of cake!

On Being More Conscious

This is the blog of my foodie-friend, Kendra. (Not just a blog friend.  Like, my actual friend.  As in she was in my wedding.  She's super awesome, and a fellow pseudo redhead).  It is called "Bridgetown Food Collective."  It is very focused, beautiful, and inspiring.  It is mostly about food; and it touches on how we can change our communities by what we eat.

Also, I stole this from her blog.  But it's okay, because she stole it from Jesse Rosten's Vimeo.


Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Bravery

Confession time: in case you don't know... I'm a super big nerd.  I love mythological creatures.  I think that dragons really existed.  I daydream about seeing (or being) a mermaid.  I believed in Santa Claus till I was twelve.  And I love a good science-fictiony book. (I would say "fantasy book"... but that would conjure up all kinds of unsavory images).
Phew.  With that confession out of the way, I can move on.
I am re-reading Chronicles of Narnia for the billionth time (all out of order.  C.S. Lewis would probably scold me.  I started with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader because I was so peeved by the most recent movie that I just simply HAD to read it to make sure that the book was no where near that bad.  Thankfully, it was as wonderful as I remembered - and was just unfortunately hacked to bits by Disney.)(See what I mean?  N-E-R-D.)  This time around, I am realizing more and more that these beautiful books are all about bravery.
One of my favorite quotes from "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" is:

"Peter did not feel very brave; indeed, he felt he was going to be sick.  

But that made no difference to what he had to do.  

He rushed straight up to the monster and aimed a slash of his sword at its side."

I always thought that bravery was feeling victorious and pumped up.  But the older I get, the more I realize that most of the time, we don't feel brave.  That, however, doesn't change the fact that we must act.  

Because if we don't act, we'll miss our adventure.  And then we won't have any good stories.  And where's the fun in that?  I'll tell you... nowhere.

What To Do?

I want to do something to my hair.  I love long, flowing, luscious hair... so maybe I should grow it out.  But I also love short, spunky, sassy hair... so maybe I should keep it short.  What to do?

 (Photo from weheartit.com)

(photo from The Darling Life)

(I will never have my hair as short as the picture above ever again.  I cut it this short the day I graduated high school; and, due to my oddly shaped head, it was a very bad idea.  But... you get the point.  Fun short hair.)

"Back to the Future" Feature: Irina Werning

If you want to see something amazing, dreamy and fascinating, take a look at Irina Werning's photography project entitled "Back to the Future."  And no, it doesn't have anything to do with DeLoreans.
In this project, Irina Werning (the master behind the camera) asked her friends and family to re-enact their childhood photos.  In looking through the pictures, I was amazed at how little people change over the years!
Here's a taste.