All aboard?



+ sunglasses from Forever 21
+ Blair Preppy Cardigan from dELiAs
+ Charisma blouse from Anthropologie
+ jeans from American Eagle
+ water bottle from SIGG
+ Swiss Army rucksack from Fatigues Army Navy
+ Illumination sandals from Anthropologie

I was recently having an email conversation with a good friend about travel destinations, and the notion of train travel came up. We both seem to think that for a cross-country railway journey, all you really require are some comfy clothes, a small backpack, and several cameras.
Half the fun of planning a trip is selecting one's travel wardrobe, and as I was daydreaming about a route that would take me from the East coast to California in the slowest and prettiest way possible, naturally my thoughts turned to what I would wear.
I think the Polaroid makes the outfit, don't you?

When do you think it will all become clear?



I just adore Lily Allen. I get a flurry of chills from the loveliness of this video. Sweet but haunting, clever yet sincere.

Thursday is Sunlit


Wednesday is Out of Focus


1. To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness., 2. Untitled

I've caught another cold and am seeing the world through a feverish haze.
The soft focus and pastel tones of these images are soothing, and the dreamy subject matter provides respite from reality.

Tuesday is Red + Blue + Joy


1. Freckles is my Name (sometimes) 2. Untitled

A cold and beautiful day for big smiles, celebration, and looking forward with eyes wide open.

Monday is Moss Green


1. Green Tea Mousse, 2. Untitled

Sometimes, for fun, I like to play match-up with my flickr faves. To find a combination of colours or textures that just call out to be combined. There is something--I don't know--visually satisfying about juxtaposing pictures, creating a conversation.
So this week I will attempt to present a colour play for each day.

In this combo, what I love is how the deep green undercuts the sweetness in each composition, keeping it palatable.

A Jewelry Manifesto

I wrote the manifesto below as an introduction for my new shop on 1000 Markets. I was inspired by the one I found on Jonathan Adler's site and found as I was writing it that there are plenty of things I believe in. Next perhaps I should attempt a Manifesto for Life.


1. where my heart lies..., 2. RING COLLECTION 06, 3. Audrey Hepburn,

4. Babouche, 5. Ascot - Pretty in pink, 6. Rosette Nebula


I believe jewelry is a celebration of beauty.

I believe every woman should own a signature piece.

I believe in the power of colour to cheer you up. Especially pink.

I believe that if we are stardust we should sparkle more.

I believe gemstones have less calories than cupcakes.

I believe in Moroccan slippers glittering with sequins.

I believe you can't go wrong emulating Audrey Hepburn.

I believe in dressing up old jeans with the right pair of hoops.

I believe you know what you want to wear better than Vogue does.

I believe in the preppy perfection of a crisp white shirt.

I believe nature is an infinite design resource.

I believe you deserve a treat even if you haven't been good.

I believe God made diamonds for the same reason They made daffodils and butterflies, which has everything to do with joy and nothing to do with status.

I believe in huge, frothy hats at Ascot races.

I believe everyone looks good in gold.

I believe handmade = made with love.

I believe in longevity, not trends.

I believe in comfort.

I believe in unapologetic decadence.

7 Things

Michelle was sweet enough to tag me for a *7 Things You Don't Know About Me* meme a little while ago, so I'm finally going to attempt it. It's actually harder than it sounds, because how do I know what you don't know about me? What haven't I already blathered on about in these past 8 years of blogging?
Some of these won't be news to those who know me in "real" life, but anyway let's get on with it -- these are the first seven things that popped in my head.


1. I spent my early childhood in what was then West Germany. I got to travel all over Europe; I climbed both the Eiffel and Leaning towers, went sledding in a pre-war-ravaged Sarajevo, got sunburned on the beaches of Spain, and hunted for edelweiss in the Swiss Alps all before the age of 8. It was only going to go downhill after that...

Retro Vintage Touchtone from Oh-So-Retro

2. I have a telephone phobia. I DO NOT like talking on the phone, for no reason that I can fathom. Fear grips my heart at the sound of it ringing, and my fingers tremble when I am forced to dial a number. Perhaps therapy is called for. I could start with those plastic toy phones babies play with, work my way up to tin cans attached with rope, and then someday I too can join the masses with a Star Trek-esque cellphone wired to my ear, waving my arms about while I talk to the voices in my head. Someday.



3. I didn't have a date for my high school prom, but I looked fabulous :)



4. I LOVE World Cup football. No really, I LOOOOVE it. Like, on an almost spiritual level. I always root for England. I still get shivers remembering Becks score that goal against Argentina in the 2002 games -- probably the most satisfying moment in sports I've ever witnessed.

Revamp by Jim Stephenson

5. Speaking of rooting for England, I am an absolute Anglophile. I love English words and expressions and prefer their spelling too. I always ordered my Harry Potter books from the U.K. amazon because I was appalled at the thought of reading them in Americanized English. I love Sophie Kinsella and Sugababes and Sunday roasts and Midsomer Murders. And yet, I've still never been to England.

just me and my TV by georgia.g

6. I don't watch television. I only ever turn the TV on for special events like presidential elections, the Olympics, or the aforementioned World Cup tournament.



7. I was a cheerleader in high school. If you know me, you know I'm not a rah-rah kind of gal. Most of us weren't -- we paired our uniforms with clunky combat boots more often than not. We were in it for the flying. There is no more amazing sensation than being tossed straight up into the sky by burly men who want to prove their manliness by how close to the sun they can get you (even better if they catch you on the way down). I've never been more fit or more bruised and battered than the time I spent on Comp Squad. It's been more years since then than I care to admit, but I can still recite most of those incredibly embarassing cheers:
WE ARE
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY VIKINGS
AND WE
ARE TOO BAD FOR WHO?
YOU!!

Looking Ahead

My mission for this new year:
Dream Bigger.


I witnessed and experienced firsthand this past year how dreams can become reality. But what I found was that a dream coming true is not the end -- "they lived happily ever after" is a good way to finish off a bedtime story, but in reality you have to keep writing the script.
What comes next? What do you want after that? What more?

You have to take your dreams beyond what you think is merely plausible or (my least favorite word) "realistic".
A three year old would have no qualms about asking for the moon on a stick, but when we get older we learn to quantify and justify and take into account and end up squeezing what we really want into a smaller, more socially acceptable, watered down version of itself.

I want my cake and I want to eat it too.