off the cuff

these cuff bracelets have a real wonder woman vibe that i love.  now that it's october (how did that happen?) and halloween is just around the corner, i did a little hunting for the costume-y cuff and found some more i'd happily wear year round.

this one is named the wonder woman cuff.

as is this one.

not all of my choices are so literal.  this dolce & gabbana crystal star cuff is both super heroine-friendly and witchy woman glam.

 























should you be feeling a little bit rock-and-roll, this dannijo option is all hard edges and texture.

image credits via links, above

snapshots

what an incredibly restful long weekend this was!  and, just what i needed.  i think things at work are finally settling down and the busyness is becoming manageable.  in fact, my office closed early on friday and, for the first time in weeks, i didn't stay late!  better yet, i left on time, fit in a little stop at the mall with a friend, and was home, purchases in tow, by 4:30.  

for the most part, the rest of my weekend was spent quietly at home, sleeping in, creating pretty vignettes around the house, playing with my camera (i hadn't done that in ages!), Skyping with family, snacking on fresh peaches, finishing one book, beginning another, and watching movies from the comfort of my couch.  in fact, a friend visited yesterday and upon sitting down declared, "no wonder you didn't want to go out this weekend."  i'm telling you, it was perfect.

by the way, in case it's not obvious from the photo above, the book i finished is Mao's Last Dancer, the inspiring autobiography of Li Cunxin who, though born into utter poverty in communist china, became one of the best ballet dancers in the world.  to say he endured hardships along the way is to understate the harsh realities of mao's cultural revolution, to say nothing of the discipline required of anyone who seriously undertakes a career in the ballet.  if you need to be uplifted, if you need encouragement along your way to a goal, if you're struggling with your sense of commitment, read this book.  it will remind you what determination, resilience, passion, and the human heart can achieve. then, see the movie.  Li Cunxin was involved in its development, so it's true to the story, beautifully acted, and the dancing...ah, the dancing.  the pirouettes alone make it worth watching, but i assure you, there's so much more to the story of this incredible man. 

on that note, i promise not to grumble too much at the gym tomorrow and to appreciate that i have enough food to eat.  

you're a firework

just a few snaps from independence day, a quiet one for me despite the rumblings of fireworks in the distance, which is okay. the fourth of july is not my favorite holiday, for reasons unrelated to patriotism, my belief that we have the best flag design in the world, and fond memories of playing betsy ross in my second grade school play.  

so, i went to the bookstore because, although lately i've been rereading everything on my bookshelves in an effort to fill some donation bags, i was desperately craving something new.  i left empty-handed and a little disappointed, though, because i had a movie to catch.  a movie about paris, in fact.  and that made me glad to have failed to choose a new book because now i just want to immerse myself in fitzgerald for the rest of the summer. 

later, at home, i followed the sound of the distant fireworks outside and discovered i could see them from the comfort of my driveway.  and i found neighbors milling around in the streets enjoying them, as well.  it was a nice way to end the day, adding just the right note of holiday spectacle to my low-key day, which i topped off with a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, a quintessential summer holiday dessert, just because it seemed like the summery thing to do. 

tgif: purple

the jacarandas have dropped all their gorgeous purple buds, june is over, and suddenly, it seems like summer is really here.  could have something to do with the fact that i have been on vacation for the past week, traipsing all over LA with visiting family, and eating myself silly.  oh, and i may have had a glass of wine or two...

well, cheers to that!  see you next week.

seventies bells

image courtesy gap

image courtesy bloomindales

image courtesy shopbop

image courtesy LePoisson's etsy shop

i just bought these retro bell-bottoms at the gap and now i am obsessed with finding the perfect seventies-style top and accessories to go with them: tooled leather, platforms, gauzy lace-trimmed cotton tunics...  

perhaps i am having some sort of flashback to my childhood, because the above inspirations are really approaching costume status rather than modern interpretation.  ah, well, i like it.  makes me want to listen to this.  and some of this, too.  at least, for the moment, my hair is more arizona muse than stevie nicks (btw, how cute is she twirling that baton?), so there's that.

anyway, vacation starts tuesday.  let's hear it for the one-day work week.  happy monday! 

mellow yellow

i just uploaded my photos of our little memorial day backyard barbecue and noticed quite a bit of yellow.  it really was a bright sunny day!

down the shore*

image courtesy J. Crew

image courtesy west elm

image courtesy call me jasper's etsy shop

image courtesy shiny chick's etsy shop

image courtesy jill bent

i hope you had a wonderful memorial day!  now that the summer has unofficially begun, i am beginning to think of all things beachy: the ocean, hot sand, salty breezes, sailboats, and the fragrance of coppertone.  in that spirit, i wouldn't mind if all of these seashore-inspired items made it into my summer wardrobe and decor.  sigh, if only i had a little beach cottage to escape to...

*how we say it in jersey.

tgif: pink

early-morning sky from my hotel room. new orleans, april 2011.

oh, the practical applications of masking tape.  at work.

hello kitty, 4 euro.  lyon, april 2011.

hot pink vespa!  (note the pink piping on the seat.)  french chic at its finest, non?

les lapins

I spent Easter in Switzerland this year.  Joyeuses Pâques!  There's no shortage of good chocolate there, but bring your own jellybeans.

happy valentine's day

here's to lots of flowers and candy, lovey dovies!