Sunny Sunday Shoes

I'd been thinking of posting some cute shoes from Extraseed on Etsy for a while, and these cute shoes popped up on the home page of Etsy today so it seemed like a bit of a sign to finally post them.

There's not much prettier than a pair of yellow shoes.

-XO

In a boat with Seabear.

-XO

The Canal Sessions: Seabear - Wolfboy from The Canal Sessions on Vimeo.

From Model to Photographer.

A couple of years ago my awesome friend, Vanessa, got married and the photographer that she works as a graphic designer for, Tanja Lippert, shot her wedding. Since then I've been following Tanja's blog as her photography skills are really fantastic. She makes even the most casual of folks look like models. She used to work in the industry as a model and decided she preferred to be behind the camera and now she does wedding photos, engagement photos and general photoshoots for whatever your little heart desires; or in the case of the following photos, whatever her little heart wants to shoot.

Here are some recent photos from a shoot with a model called, Jay Storm. Talk about working it with natural lighting! Tanja is definitely the queen of that territory.

-XO

Side-Kick in a Drawer.

Every store needs a side-kick. This cute little French bulldog is the one at Old Faithful, a kick-ass store in Vancouver. Can't wait to visit it once I get my passport and take a trip up there!

-XO

Smeghead.

It may not sound inappropriate to most in the US, but "smeg" is a mildly dirty word in the UK. It also happens to be the name of a retro-rific company in Sweden that makes the most awesome refrigerators I have ever seen. I saw one in an office the other day and I fell in love. Someday, I'm gonna get me a Smeg.

-XO

Who are these people and where do they get their clothes?

If anyone hasn't found The Sartorialist yet, I would say now is your chance to join the party. Fantastic photography by a real fashion photographer from his travels and at home. All the people he finds are from real life and it's awesome to me that there are people who actually can pull off so many rad looks.

Officially jealous and in awe at the same time.

-XO

Japan + France = Adorable-Overload

Japan has a delightful fascination with France, and I have a nerdy fascination with Japan's fascination with France. For a clothing site, they've made a cute little world in which you can go around "coordinating" meaning, matching different bits of clothes by clicking on examples of outfits. If you click on their suggested items, it will take you to their site to purchase. But really the fun part is the animation and navigation and overall design of the site itself; too cute!

Click here for aforementioned adorableness!

-XO

Airplane Ride

This short film by Ryan Booth makes me want to travel again.

-XO

In the Air from Ryan Booth on Vimeo.

People Watching in Belgium and Holland

I love when people around the world share their love of street fashion with the rest of us.

Au coin de ma rue is one of those awesome people.

-XO

Little Joy; Lotta Love

Whenever a famous band comes out with a side-project there's always speculation and doubt casting a shadow over the music's ability to hold up to the original stuff that made all or one of the musicians famous. I think that it's safe to say that Fabrizio Moretti, of The Strokes, has one of the most fantastic "second-bands" ever.

Little Joy is reminiscent of the mid-century music. It's one of the few bands that really makes music that actually sounds vintage and doesn't just steal from the time-period. And personally, I'd even go so far as to say it's better than his first-band.

-XO

PS! Here is an adorable photo of Fabrizio Moretti and Little Joy bandmate/girlfriend Binki Shapiro for extra awesomeness.

Little Joy from PAuLinHo SacraMenTo on Vimeo.

Simplistic but Sweet

I love how simple this sweatshirt dress is with just a leather belt. Might be a bit hot for summer, I'd probably save it for fall and pair it with some kick-butt boots and leggings.

Something like these cute ones from Alto-Libro (an amazing Japanese shoe company that I can't seem to buy shoes from!).

-XO

Layer Cake House

Lately, I've been intrigued by a lot of Japanese interiors. There seems to be a nice attention to angles and interior flow, plus a lot of nature influence. I found this cool tiered hillside house from Suppose Design Office and I think the way they utilize the vertical space by having each level of the house connected to the others by layering them on top of each other is really fun. It gives it a loft sort of feeling while retaining it's composure as a house. It's a great way to maintain the awesome view from every room as well!






-XO

Jammin'

So! I've been gone visiting with family in the Pacific-Northwest for the last four days, and without internet at my apartment because my seven-year-old modem finally crapped out. I haven't had a chance to post anything new and exciting for way too long already, and after a beautiful trip I'm chock-full of ideas and inspiration.



First off, there were a lot of really fantastic local stores selling some organic jams and fruit preserves. It got me to thinking about making my own jam and all the different flavors that can be experimented with like strawberry-raspberry, peach-blueberry, cranberry-orange... so many kinds!

This recipe I found over at MarthaStewart.com for peach-rosemary jam and I'd love to give it a try. I'm not sure how rosemary tastes with peaches, but I'm definitely willing to give it the benefit of the doubt!


PEACH-ROSEMARY JAM

Ingredients

Makes about 1 quart

• 3 pounds yellow peaches, peeled
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions

1. Halve and pit peaches, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Transfer to a large bowl. Add lemon juice; toss. Add sugar and rosemary; toss. Cover; let stand, tossing every hour, for 4 hours (sugar should be completely dissolved).

2. Put peach mixture into a large, wide pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until liquid is syrupy, 12 to 13 minutes. Crush lightly with a potato masher, leaving one-quarter of the wedges intact. Skim foam from surface. Discard rosemary sprigs.

3. Seal and process: Fill hot, sterilized 4-ounce jars with hot jam, leaving 1/4 inch space in each jar's neck. Wipe rims with a clean, damp cloth; cover tightly with sterilized lids and screw rings. Transfer jars, using tongs or a jar clamp, to the rack of a large canning pot filled with hot water, keeping jars upright; cover with water by 2 inches. (Jars should be spaced 1 inch apart and should not touch sides of pot.) Cover; bring to a boil. Process jars in gently boiling water 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack; let cool 24 hours. If lids pop back when pressed, they are not sealed; refrigerate immediately, and use within 1 month. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.

-XO

Cheers to the Boys

I love finding good Men's Clothing shops online, because there never are nearly enough good places for men to find awesome clothes and accessories, and if there is a men's section of a clothier, it's a quarter the size of the women's wardrobe.

Freeman's Sporting Club has gotten it completely right when it comes to casual and sharp with a little bit of earthiness. They have great jeans with no sign of fake "wear-and-tear", innovative ways to hold your keys, and a totally handmade style leather wallet, that isn't screaming to be the belle of the ball.

So with that, I say, here's to the men!

-XO

Rustic is in My Blood

I have been on the prowl (yes, like a mountain lion) for the ulitmate canvas bag. I'd like to also make note before we go any further that I have always been a canvas bag sort of girl. I love vintage leather and canvas because, let's face it, I'm just not the girlie-girl type; never have been, never will be. In any case! I've stumbled upon quite a few amazing bags from different makers and Stanley & Sons caught my eye today.




As much as I adore handmade merch, I'll never quite understand why these sort of things are quite so expensive... okay I take that back, because I know exactly why they cost what they do. Smaller supply and high demand of course means more money for the maker. If I could just get my hands on a good sewing machine I'd do it myself! Hmm... perhaps that will be my next venture.

-XO

Practically Magical

The costume design for Practical Magic (1998) is something I've found a lot of inspiration from lately. Albeit there are some 90's aspects of the style that need a little updating, but most of the clothes have great color schemes and a good balance between baggy and fitted.

The differences between the two main characters, sisters Sally and Gillian, (Sandra Bullcok and Nicole Kidman, respectively) are reflected in their clothing choices. Gillian always looks like she's ready to go somewhere and have fun, while Sally always looks comfortable but put together, such as even when she's grieving for her husband.

Anyways, I put together a few photos of my favorite outfits here.

-XO

Monsterdrawings...

Apparently I'm not the only person who takes drawing on stickynotes seriously! My friend, Dan, pointed out this awesome blog to me today. Don Kenn draws monster scenes, quite elaborately on post-it notes. Very Edward Gorey.

-XO