Hair New Era

Photo found on luxe + lillies

It's been ages! While I've been off working, traveling, wedding planning, kickballing, and waiting for the good weather, I've missed quite a few major events. I could just pretend like I was on top of it (oops, totally wasn't), or forget they went by altogether, but I'd rather give a quick shout-out to the lastest spring happenings.

Here are a few of the things I've missed:
(let's do this oldest to newest, shall we?)

Earth Day came and went. Have you been doing your part?


Photos from We Heart It, as spotted on Lavender & Lilies

Easter / Passover / the start of Spring came. Oh and the cutest bunny ever - hello, cutest bunny:

Photo also found on Lavender & Lilies, from Baby Animal Photos

An everyday girl became a princess:

The news about the massive earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan on the 11th is devastating. I sort of feel like I'm just one person, what can I do to help?

Of course you can donate to the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, and other major organizations (go here for links to these organizations' and others' efforts). You can also support Japan through art.

The print shown above, "Help Japan" by W+K Studios, was designed by Max Erdenberger and printed by Steve Denekas and Walker Cahall. All of the proceeds from the print will go to Japan.

Print spotted on Design Crush.

While we're on the subject of Maine...

Lest you think - from reading my daily musings on fashion, design and home goods - that I'm just a frilly, sissy, only-types-with-manicured-nails, style blogger who never gets her hands dirty, here's proof that I'm actually an outdoorsy, DIY kinda girl:

Photo by Anne McClain for MCMC Fragrances

There are several specific places in the world that feel magical to me. New Zealand was one of the first places that spoiled me day after day with sheer amazement of the natural beauty that abounded everywhere. The Amalfi Coast of Italy made me squeal at every turn as we Vespa-ed around the gorgeous (and steep!) mountainous seaside. Cape Cod feels like home and nostalgia and happiness wrapped into neat summer packages. And the coast of Maine to me sings of relaxation, fresh air, and the sea.


My aunt owns a house near Boothbay Harbor, Maine, that is all at once beautiful, inspiring and creaky (it is over 100 years old, after all). The cheery blue ceiling of the huge wraparound porch beckons you to relax the moment you walk in. The back looks out onto the water, and the sounds of seagulls and lobstermen conjure up classic American novels and old whaling stories. I love it there.


We don't get up to Maine very often due to work, schedules, etc., but I just read about a possible new lifeline - it's a perfume called "Maine." It's made with sage, seaweed, beach plum and pine. I wonder if they were able to bottle the crisp sea air.

Originally spotted on A Cup of Jo.

Photo 1 via dress, design & decor; photo 2 via luxe + lillies

Last night we got in bed with the windows flung wide open, listening to the sound of the soft rain. It was cool and breezy but not too cold under our heavy down comforter. This is what fall is supposed to feel like, I thought, as I drifted off to sleep.

It's supposed to rain allll day today and in to tomorrow. It certainly makes getting up for work more difficult, but for right now I don't quite mind (ask me again tomorrow how I feel about it...). Welcome to fall, everyone.

Oh, and while I'm still in "holding on to summer" mode, here are two more summery items that I'm loving and just had to share.

Because really, you can't go wrong with a big, beautiful bow:

...especially when paired with cute everyday shorts and beachy hair:

Photos from Le Blog de Betty, as spotted on Dress, Design & Decor.

Or, for an even more overtly sunny-day pastime, the iREV from Motothority would be an oh so chic way to spend a day on the water:

It seats up to 10 adults, comes with bevy and utensil holders for each person, has storage drawers, a built-in charcoal grill (with vent system - don't worry!), and a great, big umbrella for shading you on the float. And, most exciting to me, custom colors and decor are available, as well as optional accessories like bev buckets, a mattress or a sound system.


Wouldn't it be fun, stocked up with lovely goodies like Mrs. Lilien has cooked up below?

Now that would make for an amazing holiday weekend afternoon activity!

I'm hard at work trying to wrap things up before the holiday weekend (which, I will unfortunately be working during as well...), but I hope you're already out there enjoying this gorgeous day. B and I have some great plans coming up this weekend, including lots of eating outside on the water, boating, hosting a friend (the very guy that introduced us, in fact), and some good-old fashioned fireworks watching. I hope you have some awesome plans too and happy 4th of July!

Photos from Martha, via Ritzy Bee

Be back after the 5th!

The print above is not only adorable, but also charitable. Children Inspire Design has created this super-cute signed, limited addition print, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the National Wildlife Federation's Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund. Bonus: along with your purchase of the print, you not only get to feel good about helping the sad situation in the Gulf, but you also get a $10 gift certificate to ChildrenInspireDesign.com. Score!

I love the friendly whale - I think he'd make the perfect gift for anyone with kids (too bad your birthday's not 'til Dec, Cov and Finn's not 'til March!).

I also happen to know that Children Inspire Design is a great company since I bought this little print as a kids gift for the holidays:

Though I'm not sure if the recipient liked it or hung it up... but I thought it was cute, so that's what matters, right? ;)

If you're in the mood for some fanciful art, or just to help out with the Gulf restoration while getting something fun, definitely go check out this adorbs whale print for 30 bucks well-spent.

Originally spotted here.

The lovely Lauren Liess from Pure Style Home posted this photo today and I was instantly enamored with the cool graphic rug.

The best part? It's a twofer: The rug is not only indoor/outdoor, it's from Overstock.com (here) and pretty inexpensive. The indoor/outdoor function is key since the rug resides in what used to look like this:

Lauren took a pre-fab shed from fiberboard blah to gorgeous and inviting - the perfect playspace for her two young boys and even an occasional retreat for her husband and herself. Here's what the inside looks like after Lauren worked her magic:

Awesome, right? Click here for Lauren's description of the process and to see more pictures.

I want my very own backyard playspace! (I want a backyard, period.)

And in case you want some more outdoor living space inspiration, check out these amazing treehouse casas.

A Seurat painting come to life:

This real-life recreation of the 1884 Seurat painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, is so wonderful! Of course, it's not exactly spot-on - it is in Deloit, WI, after all - but it's a lovely new interpretation. You can find a bit more info about the photographer and the event here. Nice idea, Deloiters!

Originally spotted on d. Sharp Journal.

I'm going to put something out there, but promise not to get mad at me:

I hate running.

(I am scared of - and awed by - you, oh tribe of religious everyday runners...)

I mean, I totally *wish* I loved running - in theory it seems pretty amazing - but when I'm doing it, I pretty much want to chop my own feet off so I never have to do it again.

However, I just came across this Self Magazine article (via Have Your Cake) about proper running technique and tips, and am wondering if I've just been doing it wrong all this time.

For instance, did you know that "most runners strike the ground on their toes or heels, but ideally, you should land on the balls of your feet and push off"? I think I'm a "heel striker" - which makes total sense as to why each stride hurts my back and knees so much.

Dare I say these revelations (see other tips here) might be enough to inspire me to give running another try? Especially if it gives me abs like these:

Yikes.

If this 90-degree business breaks tomorrow, I might be willing to give it a try...
(I'm shocking even myself.)

(B, please remember and cite this high-falutin' talk tonight when I come home from work at 7:45 and am whining about being tired...) ;)

What about you all? Any runners out there? Any good running or general motivation tips? I need to get in shape before our beach trip!

I've been thinking about summertime and all the good things that come with it for a while now (ignore the sky-high temps, sticky humidity and frizzy hair, and instead think about outdoor concerts, beach trips and summer farmers' markets). Summer is now officially in full swing - hot hot hot during the day - but the nights have still been relatively cool and perfect for lounging outside, making me go from thinking about the coming summer to dreaming of a proper backyard to hang out in during starry summer evenings and mellow summer weekends.

Wouldn't any of these three backyard room be the perfect place to hang out?:

Designed by Mary McGee, spotted on SHELTER.

Love the idea of a having seagrass or sisal rug outdoors and underfoot, paired with crisp whites and awesome pillows (don't they look totally lounge-worthy?).

This next one is drool-inducing too:

Photo from Living Etc. magazine, spotted on Design Mom.

This is actually the backyard of Jenna Lyons (Creative Director at J. Crew) - and it's in New York - who has that kind of outdoor space in the city?? It's basically an urban oasis. I die for the staircase and the lovely cherry blossom tree.

And finally, some built-in entertainment:

Photo from Country Living magazine, of the backyard of West Elm Creative Director Alex Bates' Fire Island home.

I don't really play chess, but I might make an exception in this gorgeous setting.

Ah, someday... a girl can dream... (maybe they'll have invented mini outdoor AC units by then too...)

Okay, enough whining. You didn't comment on the curtains wholeheartedly. Whatevs. I'm over it and back to posting some schtuff for now. I'm still on the run with work, errands, friends, etc. so today you're getting another mashed-up post. Sorrry. But I loved all this stuff, and didn't have time to do separate, full posts on each, so consider this a "top hits" for today. Hope you likey. (If not, well, fine.) :)

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We just bought tickets for another Vampire Weekend show (they're coming back to MD in Sept. - woohoo!) and this time it's an outdoor show, so we got lawn tickets. I'm thinking I may need this blanket for the occasion:


Cool, right? I'm not hugely patriotic, but the slightly off colors make it just cool enough (and not something a dude with a mullet would bust out on a cold day at a NASCAR race...right?). Available for 68 bucks at Urban Outfitters. Spotted on Design Crush.

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Next up, an awesome poster and an even better blog post about said poster:

And here's Abbey's awesome write-up, from Abbey Goes Design Scouting (hope she doesn't mind I'm including it here - she wrote it, I had nothing to do with it - I just wanted to share because I liked her description):

Whenever there was a particularly pink beautiful sunset my mother used to say “Red at night, sailor’s delight but red in the morning, sailor take warning” meaning of course, that a pink sunset indicated that the next day would be clear. I always loved the way ’sailor’s delight’ sounded and would say it over and over in my head. When I saw this sweet poster I was immediately brought back to childhood and running around in the pinky dusk of a Vermont summer night.

The poster is only $30 at Brainstorm Print and Design.

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Finally, the most awesome way to wake up every day. I'm going to have to give this a try, though I think standing on the sink like that would result in me smacking my head on the ceiling or falling off the sink altogether (or both, which is highly likely with me since I am very klutzy). This kid is awesome - a mini Tony Robbins. I picture this to be Sara McKelvey's future child (watch out, Dan).


Oh, come on, it's only 50 seconds. Go check it out (if you can't see the embedded video): here.

Check out the full blog post on Daily Bits of Beauty for more "How to Have an Awesome Day" tips.

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Aaaand, that's it for now.

Have a good Thursday, peeps!

I'm out.

x, r.

Argghh, so annoyed. I've been transferred back and forth between departments from, or on hold with, the credit card company for 27 minutes now. Laaame. So, in the meantime, I am going to distract myself by thinking about the impending nice weather and summa-summa-summatiiimme. Summertime. :) I can't wait for some of this good stuff:

Outdoor showers:

Okay, so we don't actually have an outdoor shower, but I've always dreamed of one. Isn't this one awesome? So dark and dreamy - I bet it'd be amazing at night, looking up at the stars.

Garden-fresh veggies:

Yeeeah, we don't have a garden either, but B is growing a ton of stuff in our lil' home anyway. I can't wait to feast on our very own crop (which will be heartily supplemented with stuff from the farmers market - to which I plan to ride the scooter).

Outdoor movies or concerts:

Wouldn't it be cool to have you very own backyard theater?

What are you looking forward to this summer? (Aaand, have to run, the credit card company's got me back on the line...wish me luck!)

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3.

With spring in full swing, I keep noticing all the beautiful greenery that seems to be popping out all over the place. (Thank goodness I don't have allergies!) Today I came across another gorgeous "plant table" on sfgirlbybay and was about to share it. It's not outdoor greenery, but it is indoor greenery at its best.

Funnily enough, sfg's plant table was inspired by one from Lonny mag, which I featured here back in October of last year. Since I was already sharing another indoor plant set-up, I thought I'd do one final round-up of all the gorgeous indoor garden scenarios I've come across and love. So, without further ado, enjoy this collection of verdant indoor pics (and then get outside and enjoy it in real life!):

I love that this (photo above) was inspired by this (photo below):

Via.


Via.


Via.

Aren't they all so pretty? They make me want to run out and buy a plant table or supplies for a greenhouse window post-haste. Oh wait, we've already got a ton of plants in our guest room window. Well then, I guess I can just breathe deep and enjoy the purified-by-plants air I'm breathing. Happy Spring, y'all!

I featured a floating, underwater cabin a bit ago here, but it just got totally schooled by this:

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, a luxury hotel in the Indian Ocean, is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its underwater restaurant by turning it into a private two-person suite temporarily. Private champagne dinners and breakfast in bed are only part of the perks, though I imagine that sleeping under the ocean is pretty cool in and of itself.

Looks like sunglasses are required during the day.

I'm in.

Spotted here.

It's beautiful out today! I'm stuck inside working, but wouldn't you love to be out riding a pretty blue bike like this?

Image via From Me to You

I love the pretty aqua color and the basket on the front. I'd take it for a spin, buy some flowers from the farmers market and put them in the basket - sounds like a sweet Friday, right? All that bicycle needs is a bell (or is that what's on the handle bar and I'm just missing it?).

Photo 1- via Fairy Tale Diaries; photos 2&3- by Paul Costello

I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge today, Earth Day 2010 - which also happens to be the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Appropriately, it's beautiful here in Annapolis today: sunny, warm and pretty. But if the insane volcano in Iceland has one thing to teach us (other than the fact that international air travel is less reliable than we think), it's that Mother Nature really is boss.

I don't like to use this blog as a platform to preach, but I do want to say quickly that I hope you're all doing your part to keep our planet healthy. Please, please, please, if you don't already recycle, start now - there's absolutely no reason other than laziness or ignorance why anyone shouldn't be recycling at this point. Switch out lightbulbs, unplug appliances, buy locally and organic, stop buying bottled water (I love these, these and these options), plant trees and so on.

B and I are doing our best to do better little by little (we're certainly not perfect but we're trying) and I hope everyone else will join us in doing what we can for our beautiful planet.

And if you have a spare moment, check out The Official Earth Day 2010 Campaign to see what you can do to help.

Okay, stepping off the soap box....now. Thanks for listening (er, reading). Happy Earth Day, all! :)