Into the weekend...

Around this time of year, I really start to miss New England. October and April are the months that most make my heart leap... I can't get myself to stop taking incredibly deep breaths and feeling such giddiness with everything I see.  It's the glow, the new way of viewing light and colors that affirms just how freakin' awesome nature is.  We are very lucky creatures to have this kind of beauty around us.

Enjoy a lovely weekend with peeks of color beginning their wild ride, peace of mind just when you think there's no hope, love for all that is good in your life, and an unexpected tender touch that blisses you out.

Love,

Cath

{ Photos: (1) and (2) }

A sort of meditation*

This past week has been tricky.  So I've decided to stop my normal routine (which isn't really that normal) and shift gears.  Some things I am thankful for:

+ A sweetly decorated wish box made for me by my two little nephews- complete with a colorful watercolor painting, a note, and an already-been-opened, half empty (half full?) jar of Nutella.  Heartbreakingly adorable and hilarious.

+  Food.  I love to eat.  So anything that is packed with carbs and/ or chocolate, and is not meat, I'm all for.  I'm always hungry and am glad I have food around when I want to chow down.  My current favorite is goat cheese with just a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar-> insanely good.

+  My boys.  The husband and the dog keep me in a place of love even when the world can sometimes be kind of mean.

+ My work.  All else fails, I've got the ability to make things and feel very very blessed to make a living from it all.  It's a nice feeling.

+ Leftover and a little bit stale coffee that Sebastian left on my work desk.  Reheat. Maybe not so high class, but it's still bliss for this girl right here.

+ Clean floors.  Why does this simple thing completely make my day?  I won't question, I will just enjoy and savor it.

+ The sun just came out.  Instant mood enhancer.  Thanks, sun!

{ Awesome photo from Missoni S/S collection}

Top Five Tuesday: Illustrations

I think these are just perfect for this day.

  

 

{All illustrations by Samantha Hahn}

Word for the week: Proof

Ever feel like you need to prove yourself?  I do and, let me tell you, it sucks.

How do we, as a living race, stop feeling like we constantly need to provide evidence of our "rightness" and our greatness?  Better yet, how do we just let all of this, that doesn't really matter, go?

I think this is how...

First drop everything, breathe and relax.

and then smile wide...

 

It's a good start.

{Ocean photos found here and Boo the dog found everywhere <- check out his facebook page... hilarious!}

Into the weekend...

What will you be up to this weekend?  Reading? Dancing? Baking something yummy?

I hope to be doing a little bit of all of that, plus fine tuning the Holiday designs for product launch in the not so distance future (Yes.  I am already jumping to December in my head. Yikes.)

Also... last chance to enter the giveaway for a $30 gift certificate toward Vintage Trunk Show's wonderful Etsy shop. The deadline is tonight!  Want in?  Enter here!

Happy weekend, peeps.

Love,

Cath

{photo source- Elle Decor magazine}

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There's truth in living.

" To live is the rarest thing in the world.  Most people exist, that is all."

-Oscar Wilde

{ Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward photo HERE} 

{ Louis Armstrong and Paul McCartney HERE via Cup of Jo}

Last Chance for the Vintage Trunk Show GIVEAWAY!

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So cool.

Can you get over this stove?!  I sure can't. 

Wow.

Enter the Vintage Trunk Show GIVEAWAY HERE!

{ photo: Elle Decor }

Vintage Trunk Show *GIVEAWAY*

There's something special to be said about treasure hunting at vintage and antique shops.  It's like you are taken into another story, a whole new atmosphere, brand new possibilities.  Finding a crazy awesome dress or photograph or piece of jewelry this way is just a great great feeling and one of Ciara Obscura's blog sponsors- Vintage Trunk Show- wants you to feel this extra special way, too.  They're offering a lucky reader a $30 gift card toward anything in their Etsy shop!

Here's how to enter for a chance to win:

+ Hop on over to Vintage Trunk Show's shop HERE and find your favorites.

+ Then share your picks on the wall of Ciara Obscura's Facebook page HERE.

+ The winner will be announced on the FB page this Saturday, September 24th.

+  Giveaway deadline is this Friday at 11:59pm PST!

Good luck!

Nesting.

That stereotype about women and nesting... I'm afraid it's really accurate, in my case.  Lots of times I catch myself standing in the middle of a room in my house just staring.  I take in everything that I love about it- the glow from the light coming through the windows mid-afternoon, the artwork, the colors.  Then, inevitably, I think about what could be enhanced- a skylight, better lighting, the sofas stored in the garage that need to be reupholstered.  Things like that.  But mostly I just want the kitchen remodeled (of which I have spoken about 73 times already in this blog.).  We'll get there.

Until then, I'll still be here appreciating the fact that  1.  we have a home, for cripes'sake. and  2. that it holds every notion of sentiment in my life.  I'd say that's pretty great.

{photos from Elle Decor}

80% transparency*

You see this sheer dress?  Do you also see how her bathing suit/underwear peeks through all summery cute-like (FYI: you can only get away with this in a bigger city... or in a kick back beach town.)?  This happens to me by accident more often than it should... and, really, it's not as cute as the girl in this photo.  I don't have a full length mirror at home and the indoor lighting is kind of off- so things like this (and lipstick that somehow got on my eyelid) aren't noticed until I'm in broad daylight.  Which is pretty embarrassing.  I visited my husband at his shop one day not too long ago- wearing a pale tulle skirt.  He stepped away from his client, walked into the office, called my name and motioned toward a yellow post-it note held up in his hand reading: "80% transparency".  It took me a second to realize that he was talking about my skirt.  I'd like to think I pulled it off like this girl here, but likely I absolutely did not.

Anyhow, wha'cha got going this weekend?  I'll be celebrating a friend's birthday tonight at a pizzeria (Happy birthday, Alexis!),  maybe catching a movie, and - heck- doing some laundry.

Hope you have a playful weekend.

Love,

Cath

{Photo from The Sartorialist}

Fashion Week favorites*

Truth be told, I'm kind of a deadbeat when it comes to following the various Fashion Weeks.  But I do like to have a lookie loo at some of the truly awesome designs that are making their way into the world.  Here are my picks- if for no other reason than that I just think they're really pretty.

 {Jill Stuart}

 {Marc Jacobs}

 {Suno}

 {Suno}

 {Vena Cava}

 {Vena Cava}

{Costello Tagliapietra}

 {Erin Fetherston}

 

{Erin Fetherston}

 {Luca Luca}

 {Luca Luca}

Do you have a favorite?

Home.

Took a part of the afternoon off yesterday to enjoy a stroll here.  No matter how many years I've been living in this town, I don't think I'll ever quite believe that I reside right next to this beautiful ocean.  There's no way around feeling complete peace and just-rightness while staring off into this vastness of nature.

And a coffee in hand...well then...that would be what's called bliss.

Deep breath.

Reasons why...

I am shy to admit that I've never been to Paris.  And I'm even more hesitant to admit just how much I dream about it.  It's just so cliche to dream about Paris.
  But, hey, I do.  So there it is. 

 I am the kind of hopeless romantic that can't be deterred... wherein my mind is in a near constant state of imagining and daydreaming.  Maybe that's a little off, but-seriously- there's no way I'd want to change that part of me for anything.

Would you agree that there are worse things going on in the world than a girl dreaming up beautiful happenings?

Anyhow, someday for me... Paris.  And in the meantime, a stroll in the park up the road.

{photography by Little Brown Pen}

Fun for your Monday...

Have you seen these images from Carli Davidson?  She snapped the dogs in the middle of a get-the-wet-off-me shake. 

Oh doggies, you make me so very happy.

Into the Weekend...

 

This weekend, I'll be working on a little painting and hanging with my bestie.

I'll also be eating chocolate cake and starting in on a new book (Tina Fey's Bossypants).

This is all in an effort to force myself to take a day off here and there.  It's working out nicely... these moments of stillness coupled with good fun.  That's me ... throwing caution to the wind.  I'd like to think I'm getting used to this way of living... though in the back of my mind, the ideas for work are still going strong.  Ah well, I'll get it right one of these days.

What are you up to this weekend?

{ White Hearts }

Candy!

This is much cuter and prettier than the sesame seeds that stick to my lips after I eat a bagel.

{ photo source here }

Some time for play...

It is a rare thing, in general, that I would hop into a photo op willingly.  But at our bash this past weekend, a photobooth ("fauxto" booth, as friend and photographer Kiel Rucker called it) was set up and it was way too hard to resist.  Here are some that I managed to sit still in...

{This one cracks me up.  We had no idea what a friend had written on the thought clouds... until we were allowed to peek mid way through.  It stays censored!}

{Here's one of me and Kiel- stepping out from behind the camera.  Following my robot dance, his sister told him to bite me, but he wasn't successful.}

{And then one of me and Sebastian- which I love...}

I had such a good time with a home filled with wonderful and dear friends.  And I'm already figuring out an excuse to throw another party.  Until then... happy memories.

Top Five Tuesday: DVF

These outfits are something special and I'd like each one of them for this Fall.  You?

This one would be perfect for Holiday parties, don't you think?...

{all from DVF}