Morning Light

In my bedroom at home, I have huge, arching windows that face east. I feel unbelievably spoiled and luxurious when I'm woken by the soft rays of the sun...until those soft rays turn into a heat lamp and before I know it, it's 7:45 AM and I'm sweating like a pig who knows he's dinner. Still, my bedroom windows here in Chicago face west, which means I no longer enjoy the pale glow of morning light. It's the happiest sort of light — it promises sunshine and clear skies, a perfect setting for a lovely day. It's just the thing to make a calm, bright Monday morning.

I spent my weekend bonding with old friends over pints of Stella, ice skating by Lake Michigan, and babysitting my friend's new kitten, Pants. Pants drove me a little crazy. He woke me up by meowing and continuously barreling into my door. I fed him. He kept meowing. I let him into my room, where he took my spot on the bed and proceeded to assault my teddy bear. Did I say teddy bear? I meant pillow. I finally had to put him back in the hallway once he began to claw my comforter. From time to time, he'd sit outside my door and positively holler until I put down my homework and went to play with him, at which point he'd gnaw on my ankles and try to pull down my jeans with his deceptively small claws. Luckily for Pants, he's super adorable. This is what he looks like when he's too sleepy to drive me out of my wits (I could've woken him up for a better picture, but I didn't dare do such a thing):

Totally redeems the 6:30 AM wake-up call he gave me. So tell me, how was your weekend?

P.S. I don't own the furry pink chair in the picture. I swear. Pinky promise.

[photo cred clockwise to 1 via That Kind of Woman, 2 via Patterson Maker, Mario Testino for Vanity Fair April 2004 via Everly True]  

Say Yes...

...Yes to flaky, fresh croissants.

Yes to springtime flowers and blue skies.

Yes to fancy sandwiches

...with bacon.

Yes to elegant, structured handbags.

Yes to sneaky little kittens.

Yes to planning spring break (Puerto Rico!).

And the biggest yes to the little things.

[photo cred to 1 via Patterson Maker, 2 via Musings in Femininity]

Freeze Frame

There are two types of people in this world: those who look good in glasses and those who don't, 20/20 vision notwithstanding. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category. I've worn them since third grade, but never really considered them an accessory — that's just the sort of thing you overlook when you're almost legally blind and have to do everyone's math homework and still end up sitting by yourself at lunch, reading A Separate Peace and getting banana peels thrown at you. (The banana peel was only a one-time thing, I promise; I'm way cooler now).

Nevertheless, the genius of this ensemble lies in the details: the dark nail color, leather elbow patches (be still my heart!), and the black frames. The glasses tie everything together perfectly, but at the same time, the effect doesn't look at all contrived. It reads more edgy and intellectual than librarian, and gives her so much of the attitude that I never had in third grade. Tell me, are you super-cute in glasses or, like me, do you just slip them on before bed? (And if you don't wear glasses, you can take this time to count your blessings).


[photo cred to Elle Russia via charlie & marie]

Delicate Neutrals

This morning, I discovered this pair of L.A.M.B. crepe booties (pictured, lower right) and let me tell you, we're having the love affair of the century. This isn't our fault — winter has done a number on me, and I'd might as well admit it now that I am sick of wool, sick of fur, sick of Wolford tights, and even a little sick of my navy Hunter rain boots, which are, in their own right, pretty fantastic when I'm trying to wade through three feet of snow. I am so over you, winter. We are dunzo. I should really just give you a restraining order.

But seriously, these shoes! They look like they were made by fairies. I'm also one of those people who thinks that peep-toe booties are the most useless things ever, so this is an especially big personal breakthrough. All I want to do is wear these with dark skinny jeans or a frothy pale skirt, a white silk tee (I'm obsessed with these, although the white is now sold out), and no coat. Not even a light jacket. Maybe, maybe, a cardigan, but only for looks.

By the way, is anyone else as excited as I am about Matchbook magazine? They even have a editor's wish list for bookworms and it's calling for me. I can't wait to curl up with it and a steamy mug of green tea tomorrow morning.


[photo cred, clockwise, to 1 via Musings in Femininity, 2 and 3 via Patterson Maker]

Rose-Tinted

I'm not usually one for pink, but my hyacinths are blooming and I'm so grateful that I haven't killed them that I've decided to write a post they've inspired. And now, after finding these elegant and oh so grown up ways of incorporating pink into my sartorial choices and surroundings, I'm a little obsessed with pink. 

Maybe it's the combination of warm blush tones and a clean, classic black and white palette. Maybe it's Audrey Hepburn's obvious approval, or every single thing about that luxurious pink foyer. Maybe it's the satisfyingly thick Vogue tucked into the rosy-hued bag. Whatever it is, I know I need to have that unabashedly bright splash of pink in more than just my hyacinths.

So tell me, though I'm a little late, how was your weekend? And thank you for your really sweet support yesterday — things already seem to be looking up.

[photo cred to, clockwise, Top It, Retinal Delights, House Beautiful via Design Crisis, coco+kelley]

Small Comforts

I usually prefer to spill my guts in my Xanga cool Moleskin journal, but man, this weekend really had its way with me — I broke up with my boyfriend of over a year, had a complete job-hunting meltdown, and spent my Saturday night with a vacuum, a bottle of... Windex (okay, even I'm surprised that I didn't type "wine"), and a Swiffer in hand. I like to take emotional messes very literally, so cleaning is my obvious coping mechanism of choice. This is about the time where I dive into a book and don't surface for a few days (I'm an English lit major, after all); there's only so much that hot tea and fresh flowers can do, although this video cheered me up immensely.

I've just begun rereading Vonnegut's The Sirens of Titan: A Novel, but other than that, I don't have a ton of books with me on campus that aren't academic. I do, though, have a gift card to Amazon, and I'm more than ready to wield it. I like essays (like those in When You Are Engulfed in Flames)(or really, anything by David Sedaris) and pretending that I'm French (...I own Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl — and may have read it to shreds). Do you have any recommendations? What are your favorites?


[photo cred to JKLDesign and Pinterest]

Say Yes...

...Yes to shimmering, dusky purple nail polish.

Yes to a short, swingy coat.

 Yes to baby polar bears.

Yes to these short stories...

And to reading them in bed.

Yes to a little Frank Sinatra.

Yes to bright pink hyacinths that smell like spring

...and yes to a glass of bubbly.

What are you saying yes to this weekend?

[photo cred to Patterson Maker]