broken*saucer

on the heels of that not-so-great pic of me* with the quiche I just want to say that summer isn't over yet. and I could use another lovely AND flattering dress for the summer. something like this one that is no longer available. or one that can be worn with leggings and a cardigan for the eternal fall that is this lovely corner of the globe. {talbots apparently via real simple } * or maybe I just need to lose a few pounds.

so. this is how it works out with me. I had half a post written for you for today but then, just as I'm thinking I should post it, I was reminded that today is Bastille Day . Actually, I knew it was Bastille Day but just like many things of late, it didn't register with me until I saw this glorious Amelie post on Hindsight Bride . Ah, Amelie . And I just saw the new Jean-Pierre Jeunet film on Monday. It was tres bien, mais pas d'Amelie (feel free to correct my francais. c'est tres terrible). Anyway, I knew it was Bastille Day because instead of blogging, I have been watching le tour de france . G got cable for the first time in 10 years because he wanted to watch it, so we've been recording it on the dvr. And the thing is, it only stays interesting if I watch every stage because otherwise, I forget who the important players are (my friend Sally would be shaking his head right now. but then he'd smile and say, "it's okay darlin'! I'm just gla...

Often when I stumble on something truly amazing, it is because I am struck by its simplicity. For example, months ago I clipped out a picture of an obi belt from Vogue (not pictured). Maybe because I wasn't yet fully convinced by the wide belted waist trend yet and this was my turning point, my subtle convincing (add an Asian inspired twist to just about anything and my mouth starts watering (mmm sushi)), but I suddenly became enamored with this obi belt. Of course being in Vogue it was probably Versace or Prada or Miu Miu or something making it like a million dollars. But I clipped it thinking, oh yeah, I can totally make this . But, like many things, I did not even attempt to make the belt. I thought about it a lot. I realized that I should buy some interfacing at the fabric store. I thought about the length, sketched it out, considered how to make it cross just right at the small of my back without being a big jumbled knot, and then, just like that, I dropped it. If fell to the ...

{ toms orange linen classics } All right, so after a month of hmming and haaing over those Toms shoes that are so awesome because they donate a pair of shoes to a needy child when you buy a pair, I caved and bought a pair of Orange Linen  ones. I originally thought they were kinda ugly. And, well, they are kinda ugly, even a little grandma, but they're kinda ugly in a cute way, right? (Please tell me I'm not turning into a hipster.) The main problem is that they sell them at Whole Foods and I go to Whole Foods often for, you know, food. I have for the most part been able to make the sign of the cross to the vampiric gifty sections and bakery sections and le crueset sections. I only buy some cheese and a lot of 365 brand organics and bulk flours, etc. But after days and days of walking by the end-cap that held the rotating stock of these Toms , I finally had a co-shopper, my mom, there to say, yes they are cute. Usually, by myself, I'm just indecisive enough to wuss out ...

{ some kind of style } after reading Christie's post (Hindsight Bride) about dress preservation, I'm all thinking I need to come up with an occasion to wear my poofster wedding dress. Or at the very least, make another dress and wear that. I mean, you know how much I love the poof . 

just five minutes of trolling the blogs and I end up buying shoes. you all are dangerous. what lace and likes posted: {seychelles via lace and likes } what I bought:  {the seychelles that I bought on endless }

when will it end? { urban outfitters - I'll take the shirt without the sullen expression. thank you.} { black*eiffel } { angela hardison via d*s } { more hardison via d*s . not stripey but completely lovely}

{part of her 2010 lookbook via leannem. } In our neighborhood, on a tree lined major arterial, there is a posh little wedding boutique that I have never set foot in. It's not for lack of bridal frocks modeled in the window, but when I was looking for a dress, I didn't want white and, I was afraid of going into any of these places. I was afraid they would convince me what I knew wasn't true - that I should wear a white gown. A strapless, floor-length, expensive, white gown. Until I was engaged, I purposefully avoided window shopping that store and once engaged, I sneered at it's princess flounces. But now that it's all over and done with, when we drive by I stare earnestly at the three white gowns that dress the window. Often they are overly frilly, strapless and well, average-looking. But sometimes they are very pretty. Yesterday, we were stopped at the light that allowed me to stare perfectly into the window and G noticed me looking at the dresses again. Th...

there was prada. {prada via style scientist } { this is glamorous } then  sandy a la mode  and her ladies made three lovely little prada inspired numbers from scratch (okay, I don't know if they were inspired by prada, but they look like prada to me). Just looking at it, I knew it would be a simple design, but now, I have no excuses (except all the usual ones I come up with...). Sandy put the instructions right on her blog . I definitely need to make a new frock. { sandy a la mode original }

{ figs } Back when G and I were looking about for ties, I hunted a bit on-line by myself, but I knew, as picky as he is, that he would have his say in what he wore. In the end he bought a gorgeous tie that went beautifully with my dress. But, had I seen these first, I think we may have gone in a different direction. Not only are these some of the coolest ties I've ever seen, but for every tie purchase, FIGS gives a school uniform to a child in Africa in order for them to attend school . G doesn't wear ties on a day to day basis, but I may have to start finding some men who do. Or me. I think I may have to have one of those pure british woolen ties in pink. and did you see the one with the little bicycles? and hello, polka dots!

{ Paolo Roversi via Coco+Kelly } the day is not over yet. there is not much left of me to give, and yet, I have two more important things on the list for this evening. sigh. breathe. collect. note. continue on. we have two choices: the square tron spiral of doom or the fragrant and fluffy flowering spiral of life. i can almost smell the roses. you still have time to enter the giveaway...

It's been a long day. While I am feeling better, I am still dragging in the morning and today, I started a tuesday night class for the next eleven weeks. So when I got home tonight, hungry and burnt, I was delighted to find the new anthropologie catalog waiting for me. If nothing else, I can dream. { cooling palette } this blouse so reminds me of my grandma. right down to the name { red delicious } ah more stripes. and in such a lovely translation. { meeting place } 

if only I looked this lovely with the headache that is ripping through my frontal lobe at the moment. I think instead that my right eye is half closed and blinking twice as much as my left. I'm feeling a little more Liz Lemon than this. In any case, I love organza. it makes everything look so ethereal... {via moodboard }

first I'd like to say that my heart is full from all of your lovely words of encouragement about my last post . thank you thank you thank you. if only I could play hooky from work and get started right now... I'm still toying with how best to go about destroying my dining room. once I do that, what I shall I make first... something quick for sake of "instant" gratification, or something more laborious.... okay. sketch pad first. (i always get ahead of myself.) in the meantime, I'll just dream of having my own little nook like this one... {image via sfgirlbybay }

I don't go for strapless and you know I don't go for white, but I do love a dropped waist. {jenny yoo on style me pretty }

be doing something rather than catching up on my reader? yes, well, I just want someone to remind me how to dress after the wedding. If only I could afford Kate Spade's new collection... tell me you don't love them... {found via lake jane and erin ever after }