i am feeling like getting out of the city and living in the mountains where i can ski all the time and live in a cabin.

a picture I took in Switzerland, 2009

photo by pruginko

And there should also be a lake for kayaking in the spring. I have a friend who took a kayaking class in college and it was really hard for him. He claims it was because his partner had a hard time getting back in the kayak when it flipped over. Uh, why did your kayak flip over? seems an obvious question. However, he did end up getting an A-, which he clarified for me when I was laughing about the C that I thought he got. In kayaking class. He also took a vampire class. It was a communications class, but we called it vampire class. He had a hard time with that too. I e-mailed him a daily vampire reference... for two days. It turns out that I don't come across vampires as often in my life as I had once thought.

(I couldn't remember the first one I sent, so I had to go back and search "Vampire" in my inbox. The response I received from my friend: "Hahaha. Keep em coming.")

thank you for your message, but I don't understand

december never felt so long; you're not where you belong, inside my arms

via whiskeysoaked

This is what I look like in the winter. Not. Maybe the blanket-esque shawl over the head. All the same, there's something I find extremely captivating about this woman. Sure, the picture looks pretty, but those of us who experience real climate changes know that a real winter? A real winter is not pretty. But she is determined. It seems spirited, haughty, and defiant of winter. I admire that in a woman, especially during the winter. (As long as she doesn't complain. We can forgive someone who can't walk in the shoes she decided to wear that day, but there's nothing worse than being subjected to listen to her own decision failures.)

Until then, the rest of us can sit inside with our Frango Cafe Collection Limited Edition Chocolates (Macy's). Mine was a much-needed, sweet gift that includes Coffee, Caramel Macchiato, and Marshmallow Hot Chocolate varieties in an attractively color-palatted box. And we can ponder how these images of winter are so incongruous with our actual experiences of it. (Actually, I love winter, usually. But that's for another post, another time.)

photo by photoriel

photo by visbeek

american style.

The following is a post by Cary Randolph via that kind of woman that I liked. I'll be back tomorrow :)
-------------------
American style is self-made. It’s borrowed. From your boyfriend, your ancestors, your favorite movie star. It’s a wool peacoat from the Army-Navy and the slinkiest stiletto heel. American style is rooted in history: for every Norwegian sweater turned out by L.L. Bean there is another tale about how it got here and was adopted and adapted by generations before ours. Slip on a silk evening gown and wear it with nothing but salty hair and a tan. This is a look that evolved from sport: tennis whites, rugby stripes. It’s seasonal: tartan in winter and linen in spring; but it’s also season-less: Levi’s 501s witha great white button-down in rain, snow, or shine.

A true connoisseur of American style is conscious of where her clothes originated. I think this is a new phenomenon that has developed from the menswear movement to modernize heritage brands. Filson, Gitman, Pendleton, Woolrich, the list goes on, and they all have something in common: they were made here. In your town, your state, your backyard. Yes, you’ll still be hard-pressed to find great women’s brands made in the States, but that is soon to change. Did you know that you can drive to the Schott factory in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and stand by each jacket as it rolls down the assembly line? I think this quality makes clothing so much more special. I think it makes clothing important.

American style is healthy and active. It is defined by entrepreneurs striking out on their own and then coming back together. One thing you’ll notice about the current heritage revival is the prevalence of collaborations between brands global and local. A quick glance at J.Crew’s In Good Company sub-site can prove the success of this strategy. But small brands join with other small brands and the effect is even more poignant; these are not companies working in vacuums. Consider it a sartorial democratic republic.

American style is iconic, and a single name can conjure incredible images of a shared history. Ali McGraw in Love Story. Katharine Hepburn in pleated trousers. Ralph Lauren’s barefaced beauties have worn our national wardrobe for decades, and each season Lauren turns out a collection completely different from the one before it. Yesterday’s gypsy becomes today’s cowgirl becomes tomorrow’s flapper. But it all has that same American-ness. It’s mythic, legendary, larger than life.

Let’s talk brass tacks: how do you work more Americana into your own closet? Start with the fundamentals: great jeans made in L.A., a men’s oxford from Pennsylvania, boots and coats born in Maine. Keep a clean palette, and fill your shelves with natural, durable materials. Make investments. Buy vintage. Be thrifty. Ask yourself, “Can I run in these shoes? How fast?” Watch Bonnie and Clyde: Faye Dunaway never looked so chic, and she did so while taking violent turns in her getaway car. Dress for moments like that. Dress for the elements. Our country is defined by its terrain: ranges and oceans, coast and plain, but it is also defined by the creativity and beauty of its citizens. Translate that rugged freedom into your canvas and chambray and suede. Who said you can’t have your sequins and climb the Rockies too?

you're so beautiful you could be a part-time model, but you'll probably still have to keep your other job...

... spend part of your time modeling and the rest of your time with me.

I'm not extremely familiar with a lot of the Flight of the Conchords, but from what I know, I'm always entertained. This song The Most Beautiful Girl is hilarious, in my opinion.

And if you're science-y, this parody is genius.


And on a completely separate note, I adore this song:

you don't need a man, you need a space heater.

a really, really good investment that will not cause you grief. today, my winter gear was accused of being insufficient. the ONE day i don't wear a cardigan, a fleece, a sweatshirt, and my winter jacket. so apparently, space heaters do cause overconfidence in one's ability to thermoregulate.

don't write, don't call, i'll see you in the fall

1. Every day, I'm all, I'm going to go to bed early! Or, I'm going to bed before midnight! Every. Single. Day. And every day, without fail, I go to bed around 2 AM. Even today, when I woke up early for breakfast (at Sweet Maple Cafe, for Chicagoans- Bonus: Their About page has a sentence that starts, "One October morning..."), had a marathon study session, did yoga*, played badminton, grabbed Chipotle on my way home. Here I am. 1:40 AM. Will try harder tomorrow.

2. I took 5 buses today. I kind of have been wondering what the average per day for me is. I'm going to keep track, for simple lack of better things to do.

3. This picture is a reminder of how I have not finished putting things up around my house yet, despite the fact that it has been 6 months. But that is the mantel above the fireplace and it is possibly the only thing I am satisfied in my place. More work will be done in the subsequent weeks.

*I accidentally found myself in the advanced yoga class, during which I found myself upside down, legs in the air and contorting a lot of things. It should be fun not to be able to feel anything tomorrow. No, seriously. I love the post-workout sore.

a Buddhist prayer

"May your enemies run far away from you. If you acquire riches, may they remain yours always.
Your beauty will be that of Apsara. Wherever you may go, many will attend, serve and protect you, surrounding you on all sides."

because i'm reading an excellent book right now.

winter fashion

The theme (in my mind) for winter fashion: pretty, vicious, tough, cool. I guess that's a general life theme too for my winter. I haven't bought any clothes in a long time, which I think is a good thing.

This dress.

So beautiful.Corduroy Leggings.
Love this look.
Foiled Lace Skirt
Sweater
Chiffon Dress:
Herringbone Vest.
I'm working on herringbone mittens right now, so I think I'm impartial to the herringbone.

and there's gold falling from the ceiling of this world, falling from the heartbeat of this girl

This morning, the wind woke me up. To me, that meant it would be necessary to wear a light sweater, a Snuggie rolled up (seriously), and a Columbia fleece under my winter jacket. I was very warm on top. Legs, not so much. It snowed all day and was quite beautiful out, particularly when I was inside the warm store, working. Three-year-olds warm my heart and good parents more so.

I worked all day and considered meeting up with my friend at a sports bar to watch the Bears game, but man, that weather was a very convincing argument to go home. I caught the end of a demoralizing game at home and proceeded to fall asleep for an hour. I thought about studying, but ended up sitting in a handknit sweater:

1) Knitting
2) Drinking tea that I bought when I was in New York last March
3) Trying very hard not to think too much
4) Listening to:



Despite the fact that there were moments during my commute (which involves walking to bus stops) when I couldn't help but say, "Am I alive right now?!", today was a good day. The perfect end to another rough week.

where i get my smile from

Hello loves. I sort of fell out of love with my blog. And the internet in general. And I would even say I fell a little out of love with myself. I know that they say (in a way that is truly annoying- which is not to say untrue) that "loving yourself" is important. I have yet to verify this. As in, loving yourself is beneficial, yes, but is it necessary? Then again, is it really necessary to be so compulsive about determining whether things are necessary? So there you have it. I am attempting to purge my life of the things that appalled me or made me feel weak in November.

Last week, I went to the first yoga class that I'd been to since the summer and it did wonders. It brought me back. Never mind that I am so obviously replacing all the inappropriate things in my life with more socially accepted substitutes :)

Here are some things I found today that are my definition of beautiful:

1. Morse Code Necklaces by Coatt. I think this is genius. A bracelet would be even more perfect (for me).

2. These paintings... I feel at peace. I love all of them, but these are my favorite.
Pretty canvas print.

3. Crumpled City maps. My idea of the way traveling should be done.


4. Bon Iver. Always. For some reason, my iTunes didn't recognize the songs on the CD when I put them on my computer. Manually typing them in (finally) was cathartic.
5. This reminds me of someone I adore too much:

6. These past few nights=talking to my brother, watching movies on his bed (okay, a movie. Singular. Yes, I am that person who does not have time for multiple movies), figuring it out. It's been crazy; I'm trying hard to slow down.

7. "If someone breaks your heart, just punch them in the face. Oh sure, it seems obvious now, but you’d be amazed at how many people don’t think of it when it’s relevant. Seriously, just punch them in the face and go get some ice cream." -Chuck Klosterman