friday faves: 6.3.11

can you believe it's june already?!  i sure can't...  june.  june as in beginning-of-summer, june as in no-more-work-on-weekends, june as in china.  yup, the time has come - i'm off to fly across the world the day after tomorrow.  hong kong, here i come!  it will be quite the experience and i will be sure to fill you in.  until then i will just have to try and calm my nerves and prepare myself for whatever china feels like throwing my way!

and until then, i will share with you a few tidbits found and bookmarked this past week ~

design/decor

~ books, books, books ~

i simply adore this little reading nook - a.d.o.r.e., adore.  love the plush cushion, the symmetry, and of course - the wall of books!  ohhh yes, adore.  my (future) child shall have his/her own little reading nook just like this one day.

from house beautiful, via shelter by julie richard ~ head on over to see more book-filled spaces

fashion

~ summery dresses from anthropologie ~

want.  and more.

etc.

~ a motorcycle ride ~

i like to try new things often but i am also a big fat worrywart so that can create some problems.  and i have always been scared of motorcycles.  let's just chalk it up to the time spent teaching first aid and watching scary videos.  but i'm proud to say that as of monday i can cross riding motorcycles off my bucket list.  and what's better...i loved it!  i guess i'm a bit like a dog - i loved the feeling of the wind against my face as we rode!  the best part was going through the country, just being surrounded by lush green everything.  oh, and it was a huge harley so that's even better!  can't wait to go again :)

[picture above is of the louis vuitton motorcycle.  oh yes, it exists]

giveaways

~ shopbop giveaways ~

{if i won, i would get this watercolor dress by free people}
lucky lucky time for us - there's not one but two $100 shopbop giveaways going on right now!  one is at the zhush [ends this sunday], and another on miles of styles [ends june 9]

link love

~ some seriously beautiful lace dresses [lovely happenings]
~ joffrey ballet in action.  pure beauty. [a spot of whimsy]
~ julianne moore's fabulous nyc apartment [design addict mom]
~ mirrors, mirrors - everywhere mirrors! [miles of style]
~ porch swings & pillows [6th street design school]

one last pretty thought . . . 

wednesday night my friend (actually, he's my high school boyfriend believe it or not!) and i went to the little lake in my neighborhood and just sat and watched the stars over the water.  i've been under massive amounts of stress lately - "lately" as in the past 6 months, and this is one of my all-time favorite activities.  we just sat and talked and laughed.  but the best part of it all was the new bon iver album that we listened to all night.  if you haven't just sat and closed your eyes and listened to bon iver while the rest of the world is silent, then you're really missing out.
and if you haven't heard bon iver at all before, then it's time to fix that!
let's start with calgary, off of the newest album --

have a lovely week!

reblog: dear edward cullen

read this and just could not stop myself from sharing! ~

sorry all, but i'm not a twilight fanatic.  i read all the books, mostly because i'm a reader and because i wanted to see what all the hype was about.  i was sadly underwhelmed.  just not my thing.  wanna know what actually is "my thing?"  see here.  also include in that list peter pan.  


hope you enjoyed this little blurb as much as i did :)

*found on one of my fave tumblogs, booklover

a personal post: photo challenge - 11

Day 11 - a picture of your favorite book

i'm going to make this brief . . .

the history of love by nicole krauss

like i said, i'll make this brief :: go read this book.

my mother tried to get me to read this book for years but i refused, assuming it would be a nicholas sparks-esque sappy read.  finally she guilted me into reading it by giving it to me as a sweet gift.  

so i read it.  and it was so beautiful that i immediately started reading it again.

read this book.  it just may change your outlook on life.  

or it may not.

either way, you'll love it.

xx,

kait

p.s.  i have many, many beloved books so if you'd like more suggestions let me know - i'd be happy to share!

friday faves: 3.4.11

here ya go! -- a collection of some photography, design, & fashion that has caught my eye over the week, as a disappointing february transformed into what i'm hoping will be a fruitful march.

hopefully this makes you smile :)

~ a playhouse made of books ~

how whimsical & well, awesome!

had i been creative enough to think of this when a child, this would have been my playhouse instead of the one i fashioned out of sheets, tacks, and wood in my backyard.

photo by olivia megalis

~ lovely curtains ~

 i just adore these curtains in this dining room ~ wish i knew where they were from!

[from decor pad, via]

 ~ a woodsy bed ~

 a chic way to bring the outdoors into your bedroom [via tiptoe butterfly]

 ~ polka dotted letters ~

 just in love with these letters.  and i think they'd be super easy to make! hmm... definitely something i should try asap!  i think i'd spell out "peace" as that is a reminder i need on a regular basis - stop stressing & just find inner peace.  [image via]

~ a polka dotted accent wall! ~

because just one polka dotted item per friday fave is just not enough. 

bold & oh so fabulous! [via]

p.s. also love the headboard!!

~ romantic signs above the bed ~

i'm not always the sappiest person, but when i saw this bedroom design, i got shivers.  lovely.  sort of like this other above-bed sign i posted last month.  except i love this one most!

[via]

~ even more braids ~

 yes, i know i included some awesome braided hairstyles in my last friday faves, but that wasn't enough!  i had to share this one as well~

[image via]

~ and even more dianna agron love ~

she's just so adorable!!

hope you're not sick of it - you'll be seeing a lot of her classic self here! [image via]

{love her too?  here are some more dianna posts @ pretty things: on the red carpet 1, 2, 3; as madonna; her lovely profile}

~ mimi + meg's march calendar ~

 see it full-sized and available for download here

oh, and just like in feb, expect many posts related to these little-known holidays!

~ kirsten dunst having tea with a stuffed elephant ~

 

i don't feel a comment is necessary.  this photograph just speaks for itself.

from the Boy by Band of Outsiders spring 2011 ad campaign [via]

 ~giveaways~

~ absolutely beautiful necklace ~

by etsy jeweler Padgett Hoke

head on over to pink to green to enter for yourself!

~ marc jacobs daisy perfume ~

remember a few weeks ago when i did a post about how MJ's daisy perfume is the most photogenic?  and how i love daisies?  and how i don't own this one yet but would love to?

well fortunately, sweetheart blogger over at slumber designs is doing a giveaway for this very perfume!

* fingers crossed!! *

[enter for yourself here... but do it ASAP because the giveaway ends tonight @ midnight!]

~ item from barberry & lace ~

in celebration of 700 followers, the sweet leigh is giving one lucky reader an item from her shop, barberry & lace [up to $25 value].  if you are not familiar with this etsy shop, definitely head over now because it is just filled with prettypretty jewelry.  if i were to win this fab giveaway, i would choose the pink sparrow bracelet (shown above).  simple, pretty, and with a bird accent ~ perfect for me.

enter for yourself here!

~ golden boho locket ring ~

  by house of harlow, courtesey of Hallelu
this incredible giveaway is from gypsy*diaries in celebration of 1,000 fans [whoohoo!].
enter the giveaway here  

~ striped clutch ~

  adorable clutch by spool no.72, a fabulous boho clothing & accessories company.  fingers crossed i win this awesome purse from IHOD!

~in case you missed it here @ pretty things:~

a couple of my fave posts over the past week--

(not that i don't love all my posts, here are just a few that stick out in my mind)

~ amanda seyfriend epitomizing natural beauty meets couture

~ table i desperately want

~ mantra

~one last thought~

inspirational thought for the weekend.

lovely picture, too!

[via]

friday faves: 2.18.11

it's been a rough week, but here are some pretty things that gotten me through ~ ~

~ i won the greige design giveaway! ~

one of my fave blogs, greige, hosted a giveaway a while back and i actually won! lucky lucky me now gets a burlwood plank server - perfect for a Midwestern gal such as myself :)

~ french cluster ring ~

crazy sparkly without seeming pretentious.  [from erie basin; via]

~ quirky pinwheel earrings ~

from mxmjewelry on etsy [discovered via i am a greedy girl]

~ sparklemotion shoes ~

 

no idea where to find them, but i superduper want! [via]

~ book wall art ~

totally love this. [via]

~ a valentines day pin up ~

it may be belated, but better late than never! [image via]

~ dianna agron's profile ~

she is just stunning.  [image via]

~ speaking of dianna agron... ~

...check out her beautiful outfit on jimmy kimmel live! [image from red carpet fashion awards]

~ this pink wool coat ~

no such thing as "too feminine" [buy it here; discovered on lace & tea]

** really awesome giveaways going on right now **

necklace from starfish designs, courtesy of holly matthews interiors

 if i won, i would choose this sophia necklace!

enter for yourself here

tote from bayan hippo, courtesy of the cute blog moon face

 see more details of this perfect carry-all from bayan hippo - here

enter here -- NOW! (ends tonight @ 10PM pst)

** i wish you the most productive of all fridays, and the most relaxing of all weekends **

~kait

pretty pictures: keira knightley in vogue italia

my 2 fave pics [i couldn't narrow it down to just one!] :

 vogue italia jan 2011.  

shot by ellen van unwerth.    

proof that ellen van unwerth can do no wrong.

stunning.

see the whole photo shoot here

reblog: thx to first lines of novels

i giggled out loud when i read this the first time! funny yet true. 

so soo true.

yet another from one of my fave blogs, thx thx thx, here

i want: out of print sweatshirt

i stumbled upon the store out of print clothing a few months ago, & immediately wanted pretty much every single tee.  well just the other day, the blog where the lovely things are posted a link to the clothing shop & noticed that not only had they added a bunch of new tees... but now there are crew neck sweatshirts ~ score!

now i desperately want this 1984 sweatshirt:

1984 had a remarkable impact on me growing up - i would love to honor it, & orwell, by proudly wearing this sweatshirt.  plus, it's cute & looks super comfy!

pretty pictures: vintage vixen at the pool

summer is coming to a close & i'm heartbroken. 
these pictures make me even more heartbroken:

and especially this one:

there is nothing better than reading near the water on a sunny day.  well, maybe reading near the water on a sunny day and looking like a vintage vixen!

fab.

[but boy-oh-boy do i already miss summer.  and it's only mid-september.  damn.]

by photographer allanah hill

via dustjacket attic

random: mini book cutouts

today i came across this picture on the blog lottie loves & was immediately intruiged.

it's a pocket book garden by printmaker kyoko imazu & it looked absolutely enchanting.

after a few clicks, i found her etsy site & blog, & i became mesmorized with the 2 other little book cutouts she has for sale.  here are a few photos of what can be found inside...

incredible!  truly pieces of art.

oh & you should definitely read her little stories that accompany the books, found here & here.

~ i love the idea of carrying a whole other world around with you in your shirt pocket, hidden in a little book binding. ~