friday faves: 7.15.11 - a personal post

first of all, this is what i have been dealing with all week . . .

 

in case you can't tell from the picture, that is a massive tree, snapped in half, next to my house.  it's technically my neighbor's tree, and she is unfortunately dealing with the majority of the consequences, but that is not to say that we aren't as well.  the clean-up crew has yet to arrive so the tree just continues to break and fall and is now half in our yard.  debris is everywhere from the crazy storm that hit chicagoland monday, but i didn't expect it to hit so close to home.  people drive by and just stare - i smile and wave.  because really, what can we do?!  of course, we have been without cable, phone, internet, and since yesterday - now electricity of all forms.  not such a great week.  so please forgive me that this week's friday faves has to be canceled.  i just haven't had time, not just because of the power/internet outage, but also because of some HUGE changes going on in my life right now... more of that to come!

i'll leave you with my greatest "fave" of the week - a truly inspirational speech given by steve jobs at stanford in 2005 ::

 

this video was sent to me by a friend who said it truly captured what i am going through right now.  and wow was he right... without getting into great detail, a friend of mine died in a very tragic and public way last week.  although we had not been close in the past year (since i got my all-consuming job and had to move out of the city and pretty much give up my social life), it still affected me.  realizing that it could have been any of us, realizing how many dreams he had that will now never happen, realizing the pain his friends are going through... realizing a lot.  and rethinking a lot of my own personal decisions.  

then i was sent this video.  and i listened to this incredibly successful and creative man say :

"i have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'if today were the last day of my life, would i want to do what i am about to do today?' and whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, i know i need to change something.  remembering that i'll be dead soon is the most important tool i've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.  because almost everything, all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things all just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.  remembering that you are going to die is the best i way i know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.  you are already naked, there is no reason not to follow your heart."

i was wow-ed.  and then i took some steps towards following my heart.

like i said, more on that to come :)

i hope you all have incredible, electricity-filled, weekends, spent with those you love, doing the things you love.

decor: work hard & be nice to people

 

this framed print desperately needs to be above my desk at work.  well... if only my desk were against a wall.  but perhaps a smaller version framed on my filing cabinet.  or even better, a journal with it on the cover, so when i carry it around when the store is open, and i want to yell at nearly everyone... i don't.

"work hard & be nice to people"

nice & pithy & incredibly important to remember when times get rough.

in a home office -

via

 

yes, i definitely need this.

print by anthony burrill

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]

quotation: believe in yourself

for many months, this image was the background of my computer, reminding me of my inner strength during times of the greatest stress . . .

that was a year ago, when i was stuck in a dead-end job and feeling confused and even slightly hopeless about the quality of my future.

well now the background has returned... situations are different but obstacles are more intense than ever.  i just need to remember to:

believe in myself & all that i am.

know that there is something inside of me that is greater than any obstacle. 

maybe if i say this enough times, see it on my computer enough times... maybe then i will believe it.  i'm starting to already :)

quotation: dr. seuss on truth

i have always loved this dr. seuss quote.  

so i seriously love this bright green poster.

image via

[no idea where i got i can buy this but man do i want it!]

quotation: hemingway - before you...

while the rest of the world is relaxing or having fun today, i will be working a 12-14 hour day and reciting this quotation to myself.  saturdays are my hardest of the week.  my store is open and it is always chaos.

so anyways... i must remind myself to listen, think, earn, wait, forgive...

but most of all, try.

as difficult as it gets, i will never give up or let the stress defeat me.  i will always try.  and because i refuse to quit, because i commit to trying - i will succeed.

that's my affirmation for the day ~

image via

friday faves: 1.28.11

i've decided to start doing another weekly post - "friday faves."  this is a common theme on the blogosphere - highlighting top posts, events, or ideas from the past week.  i was doing it semi-regularly with "link love" but i want to really hold myself accountable by giving it a set date.  i'm pretty proud of myself about keeping up with "wedding wednesdays" the past couple months so i figured it's time for a new challenge!  i can't make a promise to blog every day or any of that, but i want to stick with day-of-the-week features.  so anyways, welcome to my first "friday faves"  [pst - see la vie...j'aime for the original friday faves feature]

side note -- going along with my goal of blogging regularly without giving myself the stress of every day [because let's face it, life gets in the way sometimes], i've decided to have as many blog posts as there are days in the month.  for example, even if it's not every day, i will have 31 posts for the month of january.  hence why there have been so many this past week - i'm playing catch up!!

so here it goes, friday faves numero uno ::

~ globe collection ~

lots of globes.  [via]

~ anthropologie launching a wedding line ~

am i getting married any time soon?  heck no. 

did i sign up to receive more info on this?  heck yes!

main site; image via

~ the tub caddy ~

 

who doesn't want to be able to take long baths while reading or writing?!

buy here [via]

~ chic little girls ~

i want to be as chic as her!
[via]

 ~ these sparkly heart-shaped glasses ~

not to mention the whole super-cool photography aspect.

see more of the photo shoot here

~ this colorful but classic mirror ~

image by swedish photographer Katarina Malmström Brown [via]  

~ an awesome giveaway ~

from one of my newest fave blogs, the inspired house of wright

go here to enter!

~ inspirational phrases/images ~

okay sounds good.

[image via]

okay that sounds good too.
[via]


 and . . .

BULLS WIN!

 final score: bulls 99, magic 90
HECK YES!


happy weekend :)

link love: 12.23.10

 design/decor

great dining room - lovely shades of purple, comfy arm chairs & a fireplace. oh yes.
[from here, via]

desk with canopy?  awesome.  [design by nick olsen, via]

even though i'd prefer an actual mirror above my own sink, i have to admit that this bathroom "after" is beyond cool. see more of the whole house's transformation at design*sponge

fashion

1. love this jacket. love the off-the-shoulder style. love the structure. loooove the bows.  man, dior is awesome!  [picture = georgia may jagger for vogue uk jan '11]
2. not a big flannel fan but definitely a fan of unexpected pairings.  go here see cool examples of how to pull off this look.

 sparkles on our first lady? yes, please! [image via]

florence = awesome. [image via]

true, true, truuuuuuue. [via]

photography

lately i've been really into photographs that juxtapose winter bareness and snowfall with bright blossoms reminiscent of springtime.  these photos certainly fit the bill . [1. via; 2. via]

i like this photo lots.  simple as that.  [via]


random

i desperately want these bandages from UO.  & i would wear them all at once.  which wouldn't be a problem because i am prone to extreme paper cuts.  [discovered here]

 me too.  print by etsy artist stephanie fizer [discovered here]

*need to remind myself of this fact often* [image via - i found it here]

just now starting to get in the holiday spirit... & this spirited bike certainly helps spread the cheer! [image via]

hilarious!  my personal pencil would probably be the itty bitty nub of a pencil.  sigh.  [via]


{merry christmas eve eve!}

link love: 12.4.10

note: i've decided to include pictures of [the majority of] the links i post.
just thought it would be nice :)

decor/design

this slipcover = the epitome of winter-cozy. [from the etsy shop BiscuitScout; first found here]

ridiculously cool sparkly holiday decor inside urban outfitters stores

 even though it's a bit overwhelming to have [my idol] audrey's face this large in your home,
i kinda love it.

the home of michele and patrick of Elephant Props [via]

 i think i need this mirror [from here, via]

fashion

even though i'm more in the dianna agron camp, 
i actually really really like this look on lea michele [esp. the nude pumps]

an ode to mila kunis as of late 

loved the classy-sexy louis vuitton fall 2010 on the runway [& especially in the ad campaign],
love rebecca hall [via]

 WOW do i want these shoes by kate spade.  of course.... [via] 


photography

my obsession with marilyn continues. [from weheartit, found here]

random

love this beer diagram.  although it can be a bit overwhelming.

i totally could have written this same thank you note!

one of my fave scenes from one of my fave movies with one of my fave actresses.  l

ove this pic! 

kristyna at the owl diary explores the meaning of starbucks.
head over for some drool-worthy images.

so true. so, sooo true. [via]

okay i'm off.