so kiss me and smile for me

Tomorrow at promptly 7am, I'm off to live on a magical island where the sun (almost) always shines and hippies thrive like the peeling Madrona trees that hang off the redstone cliffs into the sea. I'm going to be a counselor at Camp Orkila, my dream occupation since my very first trip to camp when I was eight years old. This will be my ninth consecutive summer! Have an amazing 5 weeks...I'll be in my home away from home.

paper cuts

I've really been loving the local art scene lately, and now that it's summer, I've been using a lot of my extra time to check out some new exhibits and learn about new artists! My two favorite discoveries so far are Whiting Tennis (more on him later) and the amazing Nikki McClure. Nikki does incredible paper cutouts that I fell in love with from the very first time I saw them - and she's based in Olympia! They're exquisitely detailed, and convey more depth, emotion, and feeling then one would think is possible to gain from a piece of paper. I love how she uses the dramatic contrast of black paper on a light background to add import to an otherwise simple scene, like an egg resting in a nest or a woman working in the garden. I'm definitely going to get a poster or two for my walls, and maybe one of her beautiful calendars too!
Some of my favorite images:




So.beautiful.
Urban Outfitters is also carrying this Nikki McClure notebook - this might just be my journal for summer 2010!

P.S. Thank you Nikki for permission to use your images in this post!

acun!

I absolutely love this. It's surreal, seeing the places I've visited and sights I've seen from this very different perspective. The designer's project definitely could have become exploitative, attention-seeking, and unbearably New-Agey,but I think she's steered it in the right direction.I totally agree with all the things she says about Cambodia, and I really respect her commitment to reducing poverty and supporting fair trade. I wish I had visited this shop when I had the chance! Also, Madewell is amazing. Partnering with Wanderlust-Cambodia is just another good decision made by the J.Crew CEO Mickey Drexler.

the new shabby chic?

writing is thinking on paper

It's that time of year again - I've filled all the pages of the journal I got at Christmastime...
...and I need to find a new one to help catalog my summer and aid me in my endless list-making. I usually get my journals from Anthropologie, but I thought I would shop around a little and see if I could find one from another source that I really love.

Of course, I had to start at Anthropologie, just to check...

I already love colorful, happy journals! This "Parisian Song" journal is colorful, happy, and French.

Next, I looked at Paper Source:

I really like this one primarily because I really do wreck all my journals, and it's nice to have permission for once.

Then I remembered seeing Archie Grand notebooks somewhere and loving them. I think I might end up getting one of these - my two favorites are:

I feel like every time I'll pick up this journal it will be like a little inside joke to myself. Other possibilities include "Communists I Met and Liked", "Pacifists I Met and Liked", "Nobel Laureates I Met and Liked", or if I'm feeling particularly sassy, "Husbands I Had and Liked".

I also need new stationary. I love this weird batik print one from Anthro:
It will be sad to shelve my pretty flowery journal filled with memories of Cambodia, endless sketches, and magazine collages - but the thought of a whole new ream of blank pages to be filled makes me feel better. Beautiful paper goods are my addiction.

flicked crystal

This is the last post to come out of my sleepless night, I promise! Here are a few of the images that have been inspiring me this week:









Images from: Liebemarlene Vintage, Garance Dore, Vi.sualize, Fallen Princess, and Boys Who Blush

dot.dot.dot.

I can't fall asleep tonight, or should I say this morning? In any case, here are some of my favorite Resort 2011 collections - I feel like Resort was really stepped up this year in terms of the quality of the collections. Maybe because it's a legitimate season now?

First up, Cynthia Rowley:

This collection is totally my speed. I love weird ugly sweaters. The length of the dresses feels really fresh, but still totally summery because of the light fabric. Heels + socks forever. And although I couldn't even fit my cell phone into those tiny little purses, I still want one. This whole situation is just counterintuitively sexy.

Celine:

If I were a tall, sassy Italian, I would wear Celine Resort 2011. I've never liked chokers, but I love this futuristic metal dog collar high fashion neck brace - it compliments the belt so unexpectedly well. And the chic racing stripes are just perfect.

The Row:

This collection is so weird and wonderful...it manages to be beautiful without possessing a single shred of prettiness. The pieces remind me of really awesome thrift store finds - a little off-kilter and very personal. I can see a certain type of girl wearing these clothes and really making them her own. MK and A really know what's up, and I admire them for not churning out safe, trend-following minidresses and YSL Tribute-knockoffs. But really, what could be expected of the Olsens besides total fabulousness?

Missoni:

Missoni gets me every time. I just love their prints! I really like the aesthetic for this collection, too...it's sort of Masai-warrior Mod? I really don't want to use the words "tribal" or "ethnic" to describe this trend - to me, those terms just radiate exoticization and stereotyping. They blend the hundreds of different cultures that inspired the designs into a big pool of foreignness, and help widen the already huge chasm between "us" as Westerners, and "them". To me, this collection just seems eclectic. The print on the first dress is blinding, but I could still see someone like Twiggy wearing it in the 1960's. Also, I need the shoes.

Proenza Schouler:

Jack and Lazaro totally delivered, as per usual. I love the asymmetry that became a common theme throughout the collection, how beautiful is that first jacket? Once again, my obsession with button-down shirts is gratified - they really do layer them under everything. The Navajo-ish prints are pretty perfect (the only piece I didn't like was the quasi-drug rug that was the third or fourth look, I think. What?) The shoes were a little Demeulemeester, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Very autumnal and mellow. Love.

Roksanda Ilincic:

I've never heard of Roksanda before, but I loved her resort pieces! The maribou trim popped up everywhere, it's so pretty and feminine, and the way she mixed this sunny yellow with navy blue sort of hinted at nautical inspiration without resorting to sailor stripes and anchors and little white hats. So cute!

Unless something dramatic and groundbreaking happens in the next few days, this is probably my last post about Resort 2011...it was a good run.

can i call you my love?

Lanvin Resort 2011:





Everything I love about Lanvin is included in this collection: gorgeous colors, incredible fabrics, pleating, ridiculously decadent jewelry, volume, movement, and a little sense of humor. Alber never, ever disappoints.

new growth

Well...Stella McCartney has read my mind. Her resort 2011 line combines three of my most, most favorite design elements and encapsulates them into one fun, seriously beautiful collection.

#1: Lace!

I love this new take on the oversized lace trend - from Prada to Miu Miu and now to McCartney, I fall more in love with each new incarnation every season.

#2: Blues!


I love vibrant, brilliant blues more than almost any other color. I would wear the navy lace every day during the summer! And the sky-meets-the-sea blue of the suit is so lovely - the jacket has literally perfect proportions.

#3: Florals!

One look at my closest reveals my total preoccupation with floral prints, and I always have fresh or dried bouquets floating around in my room or in my house...even in my car! These prints remind me of illustrations from this old botany textbook I bought at a flea market a few years ago - I love how precise and realistic they are.

This suit didn't fit in any of my categories, but I'm obsessed with the lapel:

I love classic shapes like blazers and button-downs, and they're even better when there's an element of unorthodox construction about them. Just that little touch of asymmetry takes the entire look to a whole new level.