On My Playlist Today

My favorite swingin' Sinatra tune has always been The Days of Wine and Roses (listen here).  It's short and leaves a seriously bittersweet taste in your mouth.  My parents saw the Chairman of the Board / Ol' Blue Eyes / Swoonatra (insert Sinatra nickname here) in concert, and I will be eternally jealous.  So what if my grandmother and I have the same taste in music?

This weekend I saw the 1962 film of the same name for which the song The Days of Wine and Roses was written, and it is a tear-jerker.  The story line follows Joe Clay and Kirsten Arnesen (played by Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick) as they fall in love and then descend into alcoholism. The producers used the tagline "This, in its own terrifying way, is a love story" to advertise the film.  There are certainly tender moments which give the film a sweeter side, but Joe and Kirsten's path of destruction is heart-wrenching.  The film became one of director Blake Edwards' best-regarded films and was praised by both critics and audiences.

"The days of wine and roses laugh and run away like a child at play

Through a meadow land toward a closing door

A door marked "nevermore" that wasn't there before

The lonely night discloses just a passing breeze filled with memories

Of the golden smile that introduced me to

The days of wine and roses and you"

Very Vintage

I found this amazing vintage top today and could not resist its old glamour charm.  I love the high neckline, unique shape, and intricate beading detail.  Paired with black skinnies and sleek pumps, it will be the perfect look for a night out.  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

The Sweetest Summer Love

This morning I stumbled across an amazing story of a summer love forgotten and remembered 35 years later.  Gay Cioffi and Mark Obenhaus had a three week fling in the summer of 1978, the kind right out of a Nicholas Sparks movie. 

"There were unparalleled sunsets at Gibson Beach and rides in her Fiat, soundtrack provided by Steely Dan. Mr. Obenhaus had one of those new Polaroid SX-70 cameras, a bit of modern magic then, and it provided countless hours of entertainment." (nytimes.com)  

They lived near Nora Ephron during the summer of 1978, and her death in 2012 reminded them of one another.  Despite two previous marriages in Ms. Cioffi's past and the death of Mr. Obenhaus' wife, fond memories and Facebook brought the star-crossed lovers back together.  For all of us hopeless romantics out there, we can breathe a sigh of relief that the cosmos were aligned in their favor. They married on August 3, 2013 in East Hampton, proving life, death, and love are sometimes intertwined in ways we can never imagine, plan for, or expect.  Read the NY Times article entitled A Love Embraced, Some 35 Years Later here.

"I say to her, 'I'm falling in love with you,'" he said.  

"And I say, 'Well I've loved you my whole life,'" she said.

"I offer you not the summer of my life but the autumn, brisk and vibrant."

-The beginning of Gay and Mark's wedding vows

Labor Day Weekend 2013

Ahh, it's finally Labor Day Weekend.  The last hurrah for white and seersucker, and the symbolic and bittersweet end to another beautiful summer.  I am sad to say goodbye to beach vacations, long nights filled with friends and family, and sunny, lazy days, but I am definitely excited for the fall and winter and everything lovely that comes with the change of season...pumpkin spice lattes, fall foliage, boots, flannel, cozy sweaters, fireplaces, and the list goes on and on.

But Labor Day is about more than a day off from school and work.  The first Monday of September is a creation of the US labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.  It is an annual national tribute to the contributions laborers have made to the prosperity, growth, and strength of the good ol' U.S. of A.  I have worked in food service, childcare, medical, and education industries, and it is pretty special to know that our country dedicates a full day to appreciating its workers.

So this weekend kick up your feet , surround yourself with people you love, and bid sweet summertime adieu.  See my weekend in pictures below!

{ Blueberry picking - my favorite family end of summer tradition }

{ Chocolate + berries }

{ Spending the last weekend I can wear white right - in a white bikini at the beach }

 

{ The perfect cone }

{ An easy DIY - see one version on Pink Pistachio }

{ What is a weekend for a college student without homework? }