Nothing says summer more than white clothing, sun-kissed skin and the reflection of the ocean. J Crew took these three elements and channeled them into their recent summer collection, adding the sultry scenery of the Turks and Caicos islands as a backdrop and a heavy dose of tousled beach-ready hair and natural makeup.
A chiffon and organza gown is contrasted against a utilitarian-style backpack; studded belts cinch eyelet mini dresses at the waist; statement necklaces are worn over embroidered peasant tops; slouchy nautical tees are paired with ruffled cotton cardigans and lightweight skirts. All in all, you’ll find yourself dreaming of a day in the sun.
Forever we've been wanting to paint some cookies and I just can't believe we haven't until now! So many people have made the request and we always had plans to...but you know how that goes. So this was a now or never situation...we had a little box of cookies from our local bakery and we said we'd eat only half and save the rest for reference...well you know how that goes too. So with full bellies we had to paint from memory. We love this sign so much and it hangs in our kitchen right now...it's also in our shop for anybody who wants it in their home too!
Ya know...I guess the "normal" person in us all would pick Kermit as their favorite Muppet...but I think deep inside every single one of us is a Cookie Monster...that same part of us who would coin the phrase "if we're not supposed to have midnight snacks then why is there a light in the fridge?" Below is a little jingle for all the Cookie Monsters out there who indulge their heart's desires...haha!
As far as the 30 day photo challenge goes I've been keeping up on flickr...so let me get you guys caught up over here. I've really been having a lot of fun. Knowing that you've got to capture an image...and make it at least partially meaningful, keeps the visual part of your brain dreaming...even if your dream window is only 35 mins! Stopping to take a picture...even if that seems like a teeny tiny act...it really is a great artistic personal escape from the busy day. It's fun to see everyday things as a photo op. So here's a little catch up from the last few days of the photo challenge.
Day 15: Silhouette
I had Aaron hold an itty bitty dollhouse chair in his hand in front of a pink box lid and the angle of the afternoon sun was just right for some nice shadows.
Day 16: Long exposure
I'm totally not a photographer so my idea of what a long exposure means was simply guesswork. I googled a smidge to get a clue but mainly I learned by doing. Right before we walked out the door to get dinner I grabbed my camera just for the heck of it to see if I could figure out long exposure. So we stopped in Asbury and found a dark spot...Aaron had a little flashlight in the car so we did some experimenting in an old parking lot. Now I didn't capture any spectacular image...I figured I'd use this one more as a learning day and just get the technical aspect right. What's so weird is that in that image of the light swirl Aaron was holding the flashlight and standing right there, yet he doesn't appear in the photo...and the buildings behind him do!
Day 17: Technology
It was laundry day and although laundry feels like a pretty old school chore and not very technological...our modern washers and dryers sure beat using rocks down by the riverbank to scrub clothes. So here's a shot down at our local old school "launderette". My sister made fun of me every time I called it that....turns out, it is the actual name.
Day 18: Your shoes
These are my treasured vintage Chatty Cathy shoes... the perfect tone of teal velvet...stripes inside...and itty bitty millinery flowers.
Today... Day 19: Something Orange.
Orange just happens to be one of the very few colors I do not use in my personal decor. If you want to find something orange in my home you better open a drawer or look in the fridge. Well except in the Fall...gotta go traditional for Halloween.
Alright, that's it for today. Thanks so much again for checking in. I'll be back real soon!
When I think of tropical vacations I think of mountains of freshly caught local seafood. I dream of buckets of prawns, piles of scallops and freshly caught fish. I also love tropical fruit such as mangoes, pineapples, bananas and paw paw. I love the fantastic colours of a tropical fruit platters and their tangy taste. I'm also a big fan of the humble coconut and love it in everything from coconut prawns to ice-cream and Pina Coladas! It's also great just picked off the tree and split open - it tastes particularly refreshing when the flesh is eaten chilled. This Donna Hay photo shoot set on the Cook Islands has some lovely easy summer tropical inspired recipes.
