{everyday beautiful life: swoonworthy}
This week, the lovely Paige of Swoonworthy & Lady Luck shares 7 things and ways to make her life more beautiful. As you’ll see in Paige’s post, simple acts can much improve your life. Take note lovely readers!
1. A made bed. This may sound like a silly one, especially to start with, but taking the time to make the bed in the morning really makes my life a bit more beautiful (a less stressed life is a beautiful life to me!). It starts the day off on a productive note, and feels so much better getting into at the end of a long day. My suggestion is to invest in a pretty duvet and, if possible, large square European pillows/shams that can also act as a headboard if you’re lacking one (I found my set on clearance at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, so it just goes to show pretty things don’t have to be expensive). It instantly feels more glamorous. And I’ve found a made bed automatically makes your bedroom look cleaner, even if your entire wardrobe is on the floor!.
2. Looking put-together everyday. Sweats may be the only thing you have energy to put on in the morning, but try channeling the French and take a minute to put yourself together before you go out. You’ll immediately have more self-confidence, and what’s more beautiful than that? I have made this easier for myself by putting together a routine that I follow every morning. If you wear makeup, put together a little station for yourself where you apply your makeup/do your hair every morning. I have also organized my wardrobe by color (I’ll admit I’m a little obsessive-compulsive at times…), and have stored away my fall/winter items so I don’t have to dig through them to find my spring/summer clothing. It makes putting together outfits so much easier, especially when you’re half asleep. People often think I’ve spent a long time getting ready; but honestly, if you get a routine down and get into the habit of coordinating nice-looking outfits, it becomes just another part of your life. It’s that easy. (If you are struggling with coordinating outfits, I would love to offer free styling advice. Feel free to email me here. If you live in the Seattle area, I can even help you go through your wardrobe in person!)
3. Displaying beautiful things in your space. I have little vignettes arranged throughout my apartment, all of items that I either find beautiful, or have a special meaning to me: family heirlooms, artwork I have created, pretty books, a Buddha from my travels to India, pretty teacups, etc. Now, this doesn’t mean clutter up every surface; but dedicate a space to fill with a few carefully selected items that mean something to you. Change it up every once in awhile.
Another way of doing this is through a coffee table project I recently completed. I have a lot of scraps I consider art (found playing cards, small letterpress cards, scraps of fabric, etc) that I want to keep on display. Instead of spending an arm and a leg framing all of them, I had a piece of glass cut to fit our coffee table and now use it as a rotating gallery for my “artsy bits.” I’ll probably frame them someday, but for now this is a perfect solution.
{A beautiful & simple room}
4. Not having too much “stuff.” I used to have a lot of stuff (well, my boyfriend thinks I still do…), but I have gotten quite good at doing routine purges of things I simply do not use anymore. I keep a bag near the door, and when I realize I haven’t used something in a long time, or am no longer attracted to it, I put it in the bag. When it fills up, I take it to Goodwill. It keeps our apartment and wardrobes looking nice because only the good stuff makes the cut. Sure, there’s the anxiety of, “But what if I need it?” Well, you probably won’t. And all those ticket stubs and little mementos scattered here and there? Unless you’re going to put them all into a beautiful, well-organized scrapbook or file system (or coffee table gallery!), get rid of them. Just because you throw them out doesn’t mean the memory of the occasion goes with it. It will make life so much easier to navigate, and yes, beautiful.
{Paige’s apartment}
5. Our 1920s apartment. The second we walked into it with our landlord, I knew it was the one. If it had one more bedroom and an outdoor space, I might consider living in it forever. It has perfect old-world charm: coved ceilings, crown moulding, built-ins, a separate dining room, wood floors, a circular floorplan, a front and back door, and a view of the Space Needle (yes, all in an apartment!). We’ve been considering buying a home, but we just haven’t come across anything that compares to our cute little place on the top of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. Despite its tiny kitchen and bathroom (and lack of dishwasher and in-unit washer/dryer), it is apartment perfection in our opinion. We absolutely love living here and realize everyday just how lucky we were to find it.
6. The city of Seattle. Come for a visit and you’ll understand. This place is beyond beautiful.
{Paige & her beau}
7. Having someone or something to truly love. This can be a pet, a family member, a spouse, anyone. For me, it’s my boyfriend. We have been together for three years and have endured quite a lot, including nearly two years of long-distance, and my battle with cancer last year. He loved me even when I would look in the mirror and see a completely different person, overweight and balding from all of the chemotherapy chemicals I was receiving. We share all housework and cleaning, go on lots of walks, and always make each other laugh. We make sure to never take things too seriously, are always completely honest with each other (even if the truth is hard to hear), and never go to bed upset. He is my rock and the most beautiful thing in the world to me.
Thanks Paige!
Photos from 1. decorpad, 2., 3. & 7. Swoonworthy, 4. Coco & Kelley, 5. Paige of Swoonworthy, 6. Flickr
{diy pretty}
DIY kit from here.
Photo {via} Apartment Therapy
{on von unwerth}
I feel I did not do Ellen von Unwerth justice in my earlier post. She is such a monumental figure in the world of fashion photography. Her work spans editorial, film, ad, and music videos. She has repeatedly been named in the top 50 most influential photographers.
The more I look at her work, even recent work, the more I get that 80’s big supermodel feel from them. I think that this is because her photos focus on the model and the character more than the clothes. The clothes {when there are clothes, because often there are none} are just an enhancement.
The women tend to be made up in full glamour or, on the opposite end, looking very innocent.
In every case, her photographs portray models with strong looks. This may be due to the fact that von Unwerth was a model for 10 years before climbing behind the lens and shooting her friends. {The picture at the top is her comp card.}
{i’ll take both}
I just had to share how badly I want this bag in both colors. For that price, I might just have to. It’s a crime against humanity not to, right? {Say yes.}
{q & a: judy kou of sunday brunch}
I love Sunday morning brunch. I love dresses. So, it’s only natural that I would fall head over heels for the Sunday Brunch dress shop, which recently opened in March. Every dress in the shop is figure flattering and comes with an honest description of the fit. What’s not to love?
I first discovered this wonderful shop through Coco & Kelley. I explored, conquered the entire blog, fell in love with a dress, left comment about dress, and I … got an e-mail from Judy herself. Yes, she takes the time to contact each of her commenters. She was gracious enough to answer a few questions for our curious minds, despite the fact that she’s a bit shy about interviews. {Spoiler: She just got engaged in Paris & there’s a discount involved.}
{Q:} So you decided you wanted a career change. How did you arrive at the conclusion that you should have a shop that focuses specifically on dresses?
{A:} Yes, a career change was good. It was necessary. I woke up each morning totally dreading the day. That’s a clear sign. The decision to open a dress shop was an easy one. My now fiance asked me: “OK. Well, if you don’t want to be a doctor, then what do you want to do if you could do anything?…..”Anything at all?” I asked….”Yes, anything.” So a year later I opened the shop. Dresses because I love them. I used to watch I Love Lucy every day, the back to back episodes. I’ve seen every episode at least twice. I remember thinking, wow, they wear dresses doing laundry.
{Q:} Ok, so you know you want a dress shop. Brainstorming for names or it just came to you? Walk us through how you got the name Sunday Brunch.
{A:} It was both very easy and very difficult. I just needed some inspiration. And again it involves my now fiance. So yes, once I decided I was going to be a shop owner….the name was the first thing on my To Do List. I became completely obsessed with the name. Seriously obsessed. I was coming up with the weirdest most non-relevant names and I hated them all. After a month of losing sleep (for some reason my brain becomes more active right before bed time…self sabotage I suppose)I just about lost it. So he says to me, “Why don’t you just think of something you have a good association with?” And I had that light bulb moment…Sunday Brunch…why didn’t I think of that earlier?
{Q:} Speaking of brunch, what is your favorite thing to have during Sunday Brunch?
{A:} A giant omlette with cheese and avocado and lots of ketchup OR pancakes with strawberries, preferable the squishy sweet jammy ones and not fresh ones and lots of syrup. Depends if I’m savory or sweet that day.
{Q:} And, your favorite places {anywhere in the world} for brunch?
{A:} Any outdoor cafe in Paris with a good people watching view or my favorite diner, Moonstruck Cafe in New York. The later is a typical Greek owned diner but there’s never a wait and they can always accomdodate a large group of friends last minute. Good times.
{Unique books via tumblr}
{Q:} You compare dresses to great stories and unique books. What are your favorite books?
{A:} Dorian Gray, Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead, Lolita, Franny and Zooey, Anna Karenina, Frankenstein, Virgin Suicides….I can go on and on.
{Rodarte via Sunday Brunch blog}
{Q:} Where do you find inspiration?
{A:} Everywhere. That was lame. But seriously. I see creativity in design every where from wine bottles to the runway.
{Q:} Favorite quote?
{A:} I am not a quote person. But if I were, it would probably be something my mom said to me and I didn’t bother to listen.
{Munch}{Q:} Quick, 5 things that make your life beautiful are…
{A:} 1) Family and Friends and Munch 2)French Fries drowning in ketchup 3) Nail polish 4) My Rainbows 5) The moment before I fall asleep next to my lovely fiance.
{Q:} What is your most favorite dress you ever owned (from childhood to present day)?
{A:} OK, so I never actually owned this dress but I like to think that I could have it if I asked for it. It’s the dress my mom wore to her engagement party made by her mother. I’ve only seen this baby on a hanger in the back of her closet. It’s divine. I remember sneaking into the closet when she wasn’t home or busy in the kitchen to touch it. I’d dream about being big/old/adult enough to wear it one day and how I’d look as beautiful as she did in the photos I’ve seen. Flash forward present day: I do not fit in it because my mother was teeny tiny. And turns out I look more like my father than my mother. HA. Bummer. But in my mind it is still the most beautiful dress.
{Atonement}{Q:} What is your dream dress?
{A:} My dream dress exists only in my mind. Perhaps one of these days I’ll have it made. But the closest example I’ve seen is the green dress Kiera Knightly wore in Atonement.
{Judy also got engaged. Yay!}{Q:} You mentioned just returning from Paris with a new ring on a certain finger. Congratulations! You also mention possibly having picked up some names … any hints?
{A:} A girl never tells until it’s a sure thing. There are many steps between deciding you like a certain designer to actually carrying their dresses. So we’re working on it. But I will tell you that the dress in question is a strapless short A-lined and kind of shiny with a cinched waist and a bright kimono styled belt.
{Q:} {This one is for Munch}: If ever in the area, would you be interested in a playdate with Lola?
{A:} Munch is a stoic fellow. But if Lola’s frisky and persistent enough, I’m pretty sure they’d have a good time!
{Q:} One last question. So, I was wondering, ummm… can I have this dress in a size 4?
{Silence. Crickets. Wait, why are there crickets in the middle of the day?}
{Q:} Ok, can I … I mean, we get a discount?
{A:} That’s doable. 20% discount using the code SBBITS for the next two weeks.
{Ms. Jenn exclaims: Sweet!}
All images, unless otherwise noted sourced from Sunday Brunch. Click on dresses to see in shop.
{in bloom}
Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, but I have not been able to get my hands on any this year. Some day, I shall live in a place where they can grow in my garden. {Sigh}
{About} The name Peony is derived from Paeon, who in Greek mythology was a healing deity and student of Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. Paeon was turned into a flower by Zeus to escape the wrath of his teacher, when Asclepius became jealous of him. Not suprisingly, the peony flower was used by the Greeks for their medicinal properties. However in excess, all parts of the plant are poisonous.
Photos {via} flickr & video originally seen on pia jane bijerk
{writing on the…pavement}
{pedal pushing}
I want to learn to ride a bicycle. That’s right, you heard me. I don’t know how to ride a bike. When I was learning, I broke my toe. I decided that I wouldn’t need to learn, because it’s too hot to ride in South Florida and everyone drives. {What wisdom I possessed in 3rd grade.} Now, every time I travel, it seems cycling would be a convenient and enjoyable activity for me and my munchkin. I also happen to currently live in a very bike-friendly town. More reasons below…
{Ok, I get it already! Bikes are good!}
{I’d like this sweet bike by Madsen to tote goodies in.}
{It’s pink & it’s Hermes. Do you need anymore reasons?}
{Sustainable bamboo bikes you build yourself.}
Images {via} Rodney Smith stock, {frolic!}, Bloom, Grow, Love, Hermes, Double Takes
{yummy morning}
Meet Mr. Belgian Waffleface