Obsessions

{The world's most adorable mud pies.}

{Sassy cards from Uncooked}

{Ocean jet-skiing!}

{A handmade leather wallet inscribed with our wedding song & date}

{New hair!  Chopped it off & died it uber blonde. :)}

Frock Yes!

Spring has sprung and summer is well on its way. 

For me, that means rounding up an assortment of easy, breezy summer dresses.

Here are a few of my favorites!

1.)  TopShop White Rose Embroidery Sundress, $75.00 (Currently out of stock)

2.)  Delias Abstract Print Tube Dress, $44.50

3.)  Delias Nautical Stripe Knit Dress, $39.50

4.)  Miss Selfridge Navy Spot & Stripe Dress, £10.00

5.)  Warehouse Retro Feather Halter Dress, $72.00

6.)  Miss Selfridge White Lace Long Sleeve Dress, £40.00

7.)  Alice & Olivia Cabella Dress, $355.00

8.)  Rare Stud Tie Dress, $72.00

9.)  Motel Check Bella Dress, $96.00

Little Bee

A couple weeks ago, when Borders was going out of business, I picked up a handful of books at a discounted price.

Little Bee, by Chris Cleave, was #2 on the Best Seller's List, but I knew nothing about it.

The back cover was of no assistance, and yet, it drew me in:

"We don't want to tell you what happens in this book.

It is a truly special story and we don't want to ruin it.

Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this.

This is a story of two women.

Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face.

Two years later, they meet again- the story starts there.

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. 

When you do, please don't tell them what happens.

The magic is in how the story unfolds."

Here's the problem.  

While it was a solid read, Little Bee did not deliver on the promises made on its back cover.

In truth, it was a dime a dozen story about a refugee girl who escapes to London and the British family she affects.

In truth, there is no "magic" in how the story unfolds, and I probably would have liked it better if I wasn't duped into believing it had some mysterious & secretive ending.

I don't know whether to curse the author's cunning back page paragraph or praise it.

At the end of the day, this book held some brilliant ideas, but set itself up for failure by creating expectations it could not meet.

Tomboy Edge

My favorite clothing combinations usually involve mixing flirty feminine pieces like this black & white mini with a masculine edge.

Today I accomplished the look via my husband's dog tag, an oversized sweater, & my Coach for Converse sneakers.

Bright Bags!

Every Spring, I look forward to the resurgence of bright colors and cheery prints.

A friend asked that I keep an eye out for affordably priced and rainbow-colored handbags.

Most items are less than $100!

1.)  Dooney & Burke Beauty Continental Clutch, $125.00

2.)  The Sak Pax Leather Shopper, $64.35

3.)  The Sak Silverlake Convertible Crossbody, $64.50

4.)  Zappos Big Buddha Bahama, $95.95

5.)  DKNY Croco Leather Medium Carryall, $85.00

6.)  Tignanello Perfect 10 Shoulder Bag, $99.95

7.)  Aldo Zembower Clutch, $45.00

8.)  ASOS Boxy Lock Bag, $44.83

9.)  Dooney & Burke Croco Large Slim Wristlet, $95.00

10.)  Dooney & Burke Petunia Mini Barrel, $88.00

Rainy Day Blues

Starting with Monday's movie marathon, my week has felt increasingly non-productive. 

 The weather has been atrocious, and I've barely ventured outdoors.

Since I've felt unmotivated to do an Outfit post (or anything else,) I'll share my musical inclinations.

Below are 10 songs I never shuffle through on my Ipod, along with an accompanying lyric.

John Mayer- Gravity

"Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me
And gravity has taken better men than me (now how can that be?)"

Jack Johnson- Better Together

"There's no combination of words

I could put on the back of a postcard,

No song that I could sing

But I can try for your heart,

Our dreams, and they are made out of real things, 

Like a shoebox of photographs,

With sepia-tone loving,

Love is the answer

At least for most of the questions in my heart..."

Something Corporate- Globes & Maps

"And dreams came around you in a hazy rain
You opened your mouth wide to feel them fall
And I write a letter, from a one-way train
But i don't think you'll read it at all"

Death Cab For Cutie- Lack of Color

"And when I see you
I really see you upside down
but my brain knows better
it picks you up and turns you around
turns you around
turns you around
If you feel discouraged
that there's a lack of color here
please don't worry lover
it's really bursting at the seams
absorbing everything
the spectrum's a to z"

Matchbox Twenty- You Won't Be Mine

"Take your head around the world
See what you get
From your mind
Write your soul down word for word
See who's your friend
Who is kind
It's almost like a disease
I know soon you will be

Over the lies, you'll be strong
You'll be rich in love and you will carry on
But no - oh no
No you won't be mine"

Damien Rice- Delicate

"We might kiss when we are alone
When nobody's watching
We might take it home
We might make out when nobody's there
It's not that we're scared
It's just that it's delicate"

Jason Mraz- If It Kills Me (Acoustic)

"Well all I really wanna do is love you
A kind much closer than friends use
But I still can't say it after all we've been through
And all I really want from you is to feel me
As the feeling inside keeps building
And I will find a way to you if it kills me
If it kills me"

The Honorary Title- Petals

"Petals broke from tips of roses hidden underneath my arm
All the framed, different poses of places I'll soon forget
That I'll soon forget

Tell me again that part how you didn't feel a thing
That part how you never actually really ever did
And lift yourself from my grip
But don't fall asleep"

Remy Zero- Fair

"Hey, are you lonely?
Has summer gone so slowly?
We found the ground,
but that damage was done.
It's cold as you fade into the sun.
Where'd you go? To me?"

Gavin Degraw- Over-Rated

"Take my home
Take everything I own
Take it, take control
You will feel better
You will feel whole
You're so good
You stopped me where I stood
And let me look at love and I feel better
Oh, I feel good
I just want to give it all to you
I want to share this with you
Make you mine and mine will be all yours
Whatever you want and more
What I'm anticipating
Everything else will be over-rated"