The Most Beautiful People

A Walden Moment

There is a little haven of trees and creek in the woods near my house where the leaves still crunch under my feet, and this quiet crackling reminds me of autumn.  Every once in a while I wake up early, put my dog on a leash, and go to this lovely place simply to breathe and think.  Everyone should have a happy place like this to call their own.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.  I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary.  I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive live into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms."

               -Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

Things with Wings

Ancient Greek Sandals, Ikaria Winged Vachetta Flat Sandal, Platinum, Bergdorf Goodman, $230.00

The breathtaking "Wing Dress" by Australian designer Konstantina Mittas from the collection 'breath' which you can see her website here

I want to fly

Can you take me far away

Give me a star to reach for

Tell me what it takes

And I'll go so high

I'll go so high

My feet won't touch the ground

Stitch my wings

And pull the strings

I bought these dreams

That all fall down

                                                             -Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Wings

Wings is one of my favorite songs by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis from The Heist, and I heard them perform it live in April of 2013.  I took the photo above from the pit during his concert at The Pageant in St. Louis.  You can read an interesting explanation of the lyrics of Wings here.

My all-time favorite angel wings from any Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Alessandra Ambrosio, 2011

Spotlight on Swans

Left:  Bjork wearing the infamous "swan" dress to the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001; Right:  Florence Welch wearing a Givenchy S/S '11 dress adorned with swan wing appliques on the bodice and bold tangerine feathers on the back to the 2011 Grammy Awards.  Love or loathe?

"We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down."

                                                                   -Kurt Vonnegut, American writer

Kick Your Feet Up

Sometimes you just need one of those Saturday nights.  Total and complete relaxation because you deserve to be pampered like a princess (or prince).  For me that includes snacks, a mani/pedi with new summer pinks, and finally finishing the sixth season of my all time favorite series.

XOXO,

Gossip Girl

Yes Please!

There's nothing better to kick the weekend off to a great start like having the perfect Saturday morning.  

A delicious and colorful fruit salad I shared with my family

A pair of vintage leather boots I bought for $10 at Bits & Spurs, the store where my sister buys the tack for her horses and ponies

The cutest sign next to the coffee maker at my hair salon reading "DON'T CRITICIZE THE COFFEE.  You may be old and weak someday yourself!"

Running across this inspirational quote 

Looking back at the photos I took last night at a small art gallery downtown.  I especially loved this colorful mural - the geometric patterns would be beautiful on a dress, sweater, or scarf.

Reevaluating Restaurants

Yesterday I had one of those days that just worked perfectly.  I was up and going early enough in the morning to make myself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, which is always a great way to start off.  I was busy all day with work and errands, but I still managed to fit in two leisurely meals with family and friends.  That means all I put into my belly that I made in my kitchen was one delicious glass of OJ.

I adore eating out.  Good food, good company, and I don't have to cook or clean - what else could be better?  The only thing I don't love is when I see the mouthwatering descriptions of the dishes on the menu, I wind up wanting one of everything and eating more unhealthy food than I intended.  I swear that the bread basket in front of me is the devil in carbohydrate form.  

To avoid the inevitable guilt and an extra hour on the treadmill the next day, when I make plans to meet someone for a meal, I look at the menu online before I go to the restaurant.  What would I do without modern technology?  Reading through the the menu prior to the meal allows me to evaluate the nutritional value of the dishes instead of simply giving into my weak willpower.  My best friend is leaving tomorrow for a summer internship in LA, so we met for the Last Brunch at a restaurant I never tried before, Peach Valley.

I chose the California Omelet as an egg white omelet with broccoli instead of red onions and asked for them to put some fresh avocado on top.  Instead of ordering the bread option and breakfast potatoes that come with all omelets, I chose a cup of fruit instead.  I am most definitely one of those customers all servers despise because I can never order the dish as it is described on the menu.  However, the omelet my way was delicious, and I was very happy with my choice of seasonal fruit instead of the tempting fried goodness when I went dress shopping after brunch.  

California Omelet with some minor changes, Peach Valley

For dinner I met my mom and grandmother at Mildred's Big City Food, one of my grandma's favorite restaurants.  Mildred's is one of those lovely establishments with white tablecloths and cloth napkins - not exactly the kind I frequent while away at college, so it was a welcome change.  As usual I looked at the menu the night before and chose the salad I wanted, but when I was in the restaurant I decided to add an order of strawberry gazpacho soup, which was cool, light, and spiced to perfection.  Gazpacho is a family favorite, but I never tried it with a strawberry base before, and I highly recommend it.  You can find Martha Stewart's recipe for strawberry gazpacho here.  You're in for a treat!

Strawberry Gazpacho, Mildred's Big City Food

Bleu Cheese Salad (with spiced walnuts and dried fruit), Mildred's Big City Food

I hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend!  If eating out is on your schedule, try looking at the menu before you go to the restaurant, and you'll thank yourself (and me!) later.

Hump Day

Happy Hump Day to me!  To ensure I didn't get bogged down in the humdrum nature that earns Wednesday its notorious nickname, I indulged in some online shopping and added to my vast boot collection.  I know that seems crazy since it is so hot here in central Florida that I wouldn't consider wearing anything but some form of sandal when I face the heat and step out of the air conditioning.  However, I like to stock up on seasonal staples for the fall and winter during the summer because they are often on considerable sales.  Nothing too trendy, just the essential boot or solid coat or sweater.  Keep it classic so that by the time you can feel a chill in the air the pattern or shape isn't already out of style. 

London Fog Heritage Raglan Sleeve Trench Coat with Detachable Liner $178.00  $106.80 (40% off) from Nordstrom here

Vince Chunky Knit Sweater $245.00 $146.98 (40% off) from Nordstrom here

Since I go to college in St. Louis, I have many pairs of boots.  Riding boots, leather boots, wedged boots, heeled boots, black boots, brown boots, grey boots, Steve Madden boots, Hunter boots, suede boots, cowboy boots, ankle boots, and yes, even $10 canary yellow rain boots from Walmart I bought for Dayglow, which is a concert where the main attraction is having colorful paint thrown on you - a sticky, messy, and glorious experience.  My "Dayglow boots" as I dubbed them resemble a toddler's splatter painting, but they actually turned out so cool and funky that I kept them for a future music festival or themed party.

I am a shoe lover on a college budget, so naturally I am a devoted shopper at DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse).  I have bought many a pair of extremely expensive shoes for highly discounted prices at DSW.  I am a DSW Rewards Member as well, and unlike the hundreds of other rewards and points memberships I hold, DSW actually delivers.  Two days ago I received a $20 coupon in the mail that read "Where have you been?"  I had not shopped at DSW in a while, but this coupon got my attention and I immediately made a beeline for my laptop.  Clever marketing technique, no?  With the already discounted DSW price, my $20 coupon, and free shipping (on all orders of $35 or more for DSW Rewards Members), I paid a grand total of $59.94 for a pair of grey Coconuts Tennessee boots originally priced at $275.00.  See them on DSW's website here.