Roadtrippin': City Guides

So, while I was link-clicking during my lunch break, I discovered these really neat city guides on the Design*Sponge blog. Each city guide breaks down the different must-see/must-go-to design stores, restaurants, museums, and other places of interest.

Boston

Boston's guide is broken down into the differents areas of Boston and surrounding areas: i.e., Back Bay, North End, Brookline, Cambridge, etc. Some more places and things to do were just added to my Boston bucket list!

Savannah

And this will be helpful once I've moved! That is, if I have the time to go check out all the neat things listed, what with being in grad school and all. Ha.

Atlanta

And this is just wishful thinking that I'll make it to Atlanta while down South. 4 hour drive. Yeeaaah.

Adelaide

I just want to go back to Australia.

Go check out the rest of the city guides here! It's an awesome combination of cities within the U.S. and cities abroad!

Now I want to travel abroad.

Or at least take a road trip.

Food + Photography = A Beautiful Thing

Well.

It's been a while since I last updated this thing. My initial plan was to try to blog every other day.

Right.

I also planned to not only blog every other day, but finish designing my website (which now is being completely redone since I'm switching website builders/domains) and maintain my Etsy site (and I still haven't even finished that yet).

HAHAHA. Oh boy. I laugh. I set these goals, and they're way too high.

Anyhow, neglected goals aside, I want to talk about the blog, What Katie Ate. Um. I LOVE her photography. It's so rustic and real and all the food looks really scrumptious and I want to eat it all. In fact, I really want to eat this:

Chili Macaroni and Cheese

Yes. This needs to happen this week.

And also what I really love about What Katie Ate is the story behind the blog. She went to school for graphic design and after a while of working in the graphic design field, Katie decided that it wasn't for her (this is really weird talking about someone who has the same name -- I feel like I'm talking about myself!) Anyhow, Katie quit her graphic design job and went for what she really loved: food and photography. She started up her blog, sharing recipes and her food photography. Katie's blog is now crazy popular AND her work was featured recently in Martha Stewart Living, not to mention the countless other crazy popular blogs and websites out there.

How awesome is that? So, it just goes to show that you can do what you really love. You just have to make that jump!

Almost the weekend!

We're so close to the weekend! I'm so excited to have tomorrow and Monday off -- hurray for a long weekend! I seriously need a long weekend for my mental health.

It's a dire situation.

Anyway. I'm headed home after work today for the weekend and sooo looking forward to lounging around, sleeping, watching HGTV and baking. Yup. I live a healthy lifestyle.

On a completely different note, I'm kinda in love with this room:



I am loving that wallpaper.

And those chairs.

And those colors.

And that mirrored buffet.

And pretty much everything about this room. It's so bright and cheery and pretty!

Found at House of Turquoise.

Random tidbit: my favorite color in the third grade was turquoise. I remember we had this project where we had a picture of ourselves surround by facts about ourselves. The only fact I can remember from this is that my favorite color was turquoise. Oh, and I think I listed mac and cheese as my favorite food.

The end.

Emerging SCAD Fashion Designers

I discovered a lovely little blog today -- the shopSCAD blog. Before I go on, I have to say something.

I am so excited to be attending the Savannah College of Art and Design this fall. The school and their students do such amazing things and I cannot wait to be part of such an amazing and supportive artist community.

And now I should explain shopSCAD. shopSCAD is a place for students to sell their work. Yes, that's right -- the school provides a forum for students to promote their work and sell it. Not only is there an actual, physical store, but students' work is also put up on the shopSCAD website for the entire world to check out. How awesome is that?!

Okay. Now back to what I was originally posting about. I found that shopSCAD has a blog, and I found a nifty little post about a book that's now published -- Emerging Fashion Designers. 10 SCAD students are showcased in this book, and I have to say their work is impressive. Incredible. Uh-mazing.

Again. I am SO EXCITED about SCAD!!! To be around such amazing work and inspiration -- gah, can't wait!!

Anyhow. Back to the fashion designers. Here are my favorite picks:

Inspiration: 1960s English mods
Materials: Cotton

I love this. I would totally wear this.

Inspiration: Economic consciousness, recycling and reusing products that otherwise would go to waste
Materials: Mosquito net and luggage tackle

Mosquito net?! Seriously! This is gorgeous. Stunning.

Inspiration: Dessert – cupcakes and cakes
Materials: Flocked silk

Love the inspiration. Love the dress.

Inspiration: This collection was inspired by the couture techniques and corset details of 1950s Christian Dior eveningwear and the sporty silhouettes of Moncler ski jackets and today's active sportswear. These influences combine for modern eveningwear silhouettes with sheer fabrics and body-contouring seams and voluminous jackets with couture details.

Materials: Wool, silk jersey, leather

The different textural qualities is amazing.

Inspiration: “My collection was about the past, men's empowerment over women. I wanted to demonstrate a masculine style in my very feminine designs, almost showing the breaking of the chains of the past's clutches. The outcome was to show women's equality with men.  I researched the 1950s style of dress, where my theory was most present. I used women of that time as my muse, including my grandmother. I considered all aspects in my inspiration, including the current economic state. So, to achieve this I went the green route, using men's tailored garments. This allowed me to experiment with textures and details in a couture-constructed garment.”
Materials: Men's tailored jackets, with emphasis on the jackets’ insides

One word: incredible.

Read the whole post here.

My Favorite Place

My absolute favorite place in the entire world: the HarborWalk behind the InterContinental Hotel. I know, it's not Vienna, London, Rome, or Paris -- those are all definitely up there for my favorite places. But, sitting down by the waterfront behind the InterContinental is my favorite thing to do. I love this little area so much. (And I apologize in advance for the terrible quality of my cell phone photos. It's all I had!)

I seriously love this place. And the InterContinental Hotel is SO COOL. One of my favorite buildings, ever. It was built to resemble the sails of ships (clever clever!)

Here's a picture of it from across the channel (the building in the middle).

I love going to this little area, no matter what the weather. When it's sunny, it's warm and relaxing and you can sit on the benches or lay out on the grass and soak up sun and warmth. When it's cold and rainy, it's moody and mysterious -- it feels as though you should be in a detective show or something like that.

They finally finished up the construction! This area was under construction ever since I can remember -- that brick building used to be completely gutted out.

I don't have any pictures while it was under construction. But, now it's all done!

I love sitting by the water. The smell of the ocean is so relaxing and comforting. I know many people aren't fans of that salty sea smell, but I love it. And, as you can see by the photo above, the Barking Crab and the ICA, more favorite places of mine, are within close proximity to the hotel.

The Barking Crab is one of my favorite restaurants. It's right on the water and their main dining area is pretty much all open -- it's basically under a tent with some barriers, of course. They don't want their patrons falling into the water. The atmosphere is so much fun and they have the BEST crab cakes EVER.

Mmm. Now I want some crab cakes.

If you like seafood, go to the Barking Crab! Right now!

The Institute of Contemporary Art is a really interesting musuem. I love their exhibits; sure, they have some weird stuff. They are a contemporary art museum, after all. But it's all so interesting. And the building is really cool. And the whole area is really cool.

Seriously. Go to the ICA. It's very cool.

Anyhow. I love this little area behind the InterContinental Hotel. It's really fun to people-watch during the summer. And the Children's Museum is directly across the water.

Confession: I really want to go to the Children's Museum.

There's always something going on by the waterfront. Seagulls attacking people for their lunches (I have witnessed this several times), Segway tours, sidewalk art, speedboats, sailboats, water taxi drama...

I could go on.

But here's a picture of Sidewalk Sam's sidewalk art behind the InterContinental instead.

And further down the HarborWalk, a ship!

Really cool ships come into Boston Harbor throughout the summer.

Sometimes you even get to take a tour on them.

Anyway.

I have spent a many lunch breaks at the HarborWalk behind the InterContinental. It holds a special place in my heart for the times I needed to escape the office.

Which is often.

I ♥ you, InterContinental Hotel!

And you too, HarborWalk!

Sunday

I'm so sorry for the lack of posts lately! Work has been crazy, and well, sadly I've been neglecting my poor blog.

Anyways. Ugh, I can't believe it's Sunday night already! Weekends are not long enough. They need to be at least three days long, minimum.

In order to ease the pain of the fact that tomorrow is Monday, here are some photos I took last weekend!

It's finally feeling like spring! Hurray!!

Grammar Rules (To Avoid)

Happy Tuesday everyone! I will never forget the day when I was walking to the post office to mail off some stuff before work when a very chipper guy selling newspapers said, "Happy Tuesday! Almost the the weekend!" And I thought, are you kidding? We're no where near the weekend! Unless you count the past weekend. Anyways. Happy Tuesday! Almost halfway through the week!

I found this list on the Pioneer Woman's Homeschooling section and while ago, and I felt that I must share.



Also avoid wearing outfits like this.

 Grammar Rules (To Avoid)

1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
2. Remember to never split an infinitive.
3. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
4. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
5. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others elude to them.
6. Use the apostrophe in it’s proper place and omit it when its not needed.
7. Eliminate unnecessary references. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “I hate quotations.”
8. Who needs rhetorical questions?
9. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
10. Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.

I'm going to ignore numbers 3, 8 and 9. I'm constantly using parentheses, rhetorical questions and exaggerations. And you can't make me stop!

Anyways.

Enjoy your Tuesday and use proper grammar!

It's Friday!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Filling and Meringue Frosting

I need to make these. Right. Now.

Salted Chocolate and Pecan Cake Bars

And these.

That is all.

TGIF!

I ♥ Ikea

Oh, how I miss Ikea. I absolutely love Ikea. I love how affordable their stuff is (very important for a poor graduate student like myself). And I always get so inspired just walking around the store. Since moving from my hometown, Ikea is sadly no longer a 10 minute drive from my house. I haven't been to Ikea since, well, before I moved! It's been way too long.

And now Ikea is coming out with fun, new spring/summer items with bright, fantastic colors, and Ireallywanttogo. Now.

Here are some of my favorite picks!

GRÖNSKA Cushion

$9.99

I LOVE these! They're so bright and fun and colorful! The perfect pop of color.

SOLVINDEN Solar-powered Lighting

$9.99

I think that is SO fantastic that these are solar-powered! How awesome is that? Ikea has a lot of new outdoor lighting, and it's all solar powered. That's pretty awesome.

ROXÖ Stool

$9.99

Aren't these stools so cute? And you can't beat that price. Gotta love Ikea.

SKYN Serving bowl

$9.99

I love the shape of this serving bowl.

GODIS MIX Glass

$6.99 / 6 pack

One word -- ADORABLE.

GRÖNSKA BLOM Fabric

$3.99/yd

This pattern is so pretty! I want to make pillows now. Or curtains.

TRIPP Storage tin with lid

Set of 3 $5.99

Love these tins. Storage can be cute and pretty!

LÄCKÖ Chair

$29.99

This chair is so cute. I want it. But first I need a patio for it. Sigh.

RAST 3 drawer chest

$29.99

Okay, so this isn't new, nor is it very pretty. However, imagine the possibilities with this piece! With its unfinished wood and simple structure, you could customize the heck out of it! Paint it, stencil it, add new funky knobs! And for only $29.99 (!!!), this piece is a steal. Just add a little creativity and some elbow grease, and you could have a masterpiece!

DRÖMMAR Pastry cutter

Set of 6 $3.99

These aren't new either, but I had to add them. I really love the hedgehog cookie cutter.

So, if you're anywhere near to an Ikea, go! Now! Please! I must live vicariously through others until I find a way to get to my Ikea (being car-less now puts me at a disadvantage here. Sigh).

"I'll always prize this clock as a trophy of my first venture as a detective."

I've always loved Nancy Drew. I remember discovering the Nancy Drew books in the library as a kid -- I still remember exactly where they were located too. I read every Nancy Drew book the library owned -- twice. 

It's been a really long time since I read Nancy Drew. I think one of the last times I read a one was sometime in high school when I couldn't sleep and decided to read my Nancy Drew books until 4 am. Recently (well, not exactly so recently, probably in the past couple of years) discovering that somehow I lost the books I owned as a kid (I have NO idea where they went. Sort of ironic -- my mystery books mysteriously went missing!), I decided to collect as many Nancy Drew books as possible, my goal being to have at least a book or two from each decade.

I think I have four books so far.

Yeah, this might take a while.

But here are some fun facts about the teenage detective from my 80th anniversary limited edition of The Secret of the Old Clock:

1) The first three books in the series, The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase and The Bungalow Mystery all debuted on April 3, 1930.
2) Since 1930, Nancy Drew has solved over 500 cases.
3) Nancy never takes money for her detective work.
4) Nancy's favorite color is blue.
5) Besides blue, Nancy's car has been yellow, green and maroon. Her car, originally a Roadster, changed to maroon in 1932, green in 1933, and by 1934, it was back to blue. In the '50s, Nancy's car switched from a Roadster to a convertible. In the '80s, she drove a Mustang. And now? Nancy drives an eco-friendly hybrid!
6) Nancy carries a handy overnight bag in her car -- complete with pajamas, a robe, two changes of clothes, toiletries, and if it's in season, a bathing suit.
7) Nancy first met her boyfriend Ned Nickerson in book #7, The Clue in the Diary.
8) Nancy has traveled to other countries to solve mysteries including Kenya, Scotland, Turkey, Mexico, France Canada, and Japan.
9) Some of Nancy's hobbies that have come in handy while solving cases include painting, dancing, acting, speaking foreign languages, gardening, sewing, and playing the piano.

Now go and pick up a Nancy Drew book!

You don't really have to.

But you don't know what you're missing out on if you don't!

A Tuesday List

It's Tuesday. It's windy, damp and icky out.

And it still doesn't feel quite like spring. Sure, it's getting up to about 60 degrees today, which is better than what we've had. But, it's cloudy, gray and rainy. I'm ready for sunshine, barbeques and sitting out on the porch drinking iced tea. I am so ready for warm weather and the food that comes with it. Here is a list of spring and summer food to help me pretend that it's not disgusting out:

1. Peach Crunch Cake: This is a different take on the peach cobbler -- a version with more oomph, if you will. Looks delicious to me.
2. Blueberry Pomegranate Granita: Two of my favorite flavors: blueberry and pomegranate!
3. Lemon Triangles: Nothing says summer quite like lemons.
4. Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake: I made this the other day and I'm in love.
5. Fruit Salad with Honey Mint Lime Dressing: It just sounds so fresh and so spring-ish!

1. Citrus Marinated Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa: Mmm. I love anything with mango salsa. And this looks so yummy!
2. Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers: LOVE LOVE LOVE turkey burgers.
3. Grilled Pineapple Mango Salmon: When I think of spring and summer, I think of grilling. And I think of fish. Delish.
4. Fish Tacos: You cannot possibly have summer without fish tacos.
5. Grilled Zucchini Fries: Because I love zucchini. And see #3.

1. Sunshine Nectar: I could go for some sunshine nectar right about now.
2. Just Peachy Lemonade: Peach lemonade? I'm in.
3. Blackberry Iced Tea: There will be summer evenings spent sitting on the patio, sipping blackberry iced tea.
4. Montgomery Mint Tea: A Southern classic! I vote to bring it up North.


Now, I am starving. And I want to be on a sunny patio sitting in a rocking chair sipping iced tea. Instead, I will be sitting in my cubicle, sipping my Nantucket Nectars Half Lemonade Half Iced Tea. It's close, right? Well. I'm pretending it's close.

It's Monday

And it's one of those typical, dreary Mondays. It's cold. It's cloudy. It's supposed to rain. It's supposed to rain all week. Argh.

So, because of this lovely April weather we're having, I'm posting photos from my trip to Savannah.

These are long overdue.

Happy warm weather thoughts, everyone!

More to come later!

Weddings, weddings, weddings

Okay. I'm going to say it. I love weddings. I do -- it's true. It all started with my roommate and very good friend from college. It was her dream to be a wedding planner, and I think all of the wedding talk rubbed off on to me.

Now, three of my friends are getting married, one of them I'm photographing (eeee!!!) So, with all this going on, I'm becoming obsessed with weddings. I've been buying wedding and bridal magazines and ooing and aahing over all the gorgeous dresses, cakes, and venues. I've been reading wedding blogs, becoming immsersed in wedding photography sites (this I can defend -- I do want to photograph weddings, after all).

It's research. For my career. Really.

Anyways. Due to my brain in wedding la-la land, this post will be dedicated to wedding dresses. Here are some of my favorites:

Anthropolgie recently launched their own wedding line, BHLDN. Okay, I love Anthropologie, but the majority of their wedding dress are, well, weird. However, there are two exceptions. One would be the above dress, the Ribboned Silk Gown. I LOVE the texture and the draping. It's so different. If (and hopefully when) I get married, I want a dress like this. I want it to be a little different, a little quirky. But not too outrageous. I think this hits the nail on the head for different-quirky-but-not-too-out-there.

This is the second dress that I LOVE from BHLDN, the Cascading Goddess Gown. It's so soft and feminine. Very ethereal. I love love love the structured bodice and then the flowy, freeform skirt. B-e-a-u-tiful. I even don't mind the giant flower on the waist. I thought that I would, but it actually kind of works. Again, it adds that sense of whimsy and quirkiness to the dress.

Vera Wang. How can you go wrong with Vera Wang? Answer: you can't. And this beauty, the Satin Faced Organza Fit and Flare Gown, is actually available at David's Bridal. Hm. I see a theme here with my dress picks so far -- I'm really into the layering of fabric and different textural qualities. It gives so much depth and dimension to a dress -- stunning, really.

Another Vera Wang from David's Bridal -- Soft Net Gown with Delicately Draped Bodice. How beautiful. How delicate. I would totally be afraid of ripping this gorgeous gown.

This little number by Monique Lhuillier is ADORABLE. This beautiful ballet length dress is part of their 2011 Bliss collection. The embroidery on the bodice is lovely. And I love that the tulle skirt doesn't poof out TOO much -- just enough. Or else you really would look like a ballerina.

Now, I had to add in the ULTIMATE bridal gown. This Galina Signature Organza Tiered Ball Gown from David' Bridal takes the cake. So dramatic! So...bridal! But in a modern, funky way. I love the organaza material -- it brings edginess to this otherwise traditional ball gown. Gorgeous.


And one dress you would never see me in:

Um, no thank you St. Pucchi. It's like they started out with a beautiful dress (the beading on the bodice is lovely), but then they thought, "How can we ruin this? Let's add a band at a really awkward spot and bunch up the dress right at the knees, making it look even more awkward! BRILLIANT!"

Now sadly I must exit wedding la-la land and return back to office cubicle reality. But, TGIF everyone!!