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gimme tibi

let's throw budgetary concerns out the window for just a second to enjoy this glimpse of the pre-fall collection for tibi.












i mean. really.

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dying to see more? check out the rest.

short seasons


but since this has been one of the warmest summers i can remember, we've probably got at least a month or two left of warm weather attire here in d.c.

i'm pretty loyal to dresses and skirts. in any season. but shorts have really stepped up their game over the past couple years, with fun patterns, new shapes and interesting textures.

here's some i still have my eye on:




also! both lace shorts are currently on sale. love that orange. 

and because i always like to get the most mileage out of my clothes, you can easily take these shorts right into the early fall. just add some long sleeves swap out your shoes. 




i've shown those brown madewell sandals and the long-sleeved chambray button-up on here before, but since they're both less than $50, it's such a steal. 

if you don't want long sleeves just yet, a utility jacket like this one from anthropologie may become your new favorite thing. i've had mine for two years now, and sometimes, i have to force myself to wear something else as outerwear because it really is that versatile. here's a cheaper version, too.

plus, a tough-looking jacket like this pairs really nicely with a feminine fabric like lace or sequins. i mean, who doesn't dig a good juxtaposition?



now, aren't you just adorable and prepared for anything?

potw: thread

adding hand-stitched details to printed pieces is such a charming handmade touch. 

it gives you a bit of texture, but it's also smart: these little threads adds loads of personal style without adding weight like a twine wrap or a belly band can.

here's some stellar examples: 


by the gods of printing studio on fire
by paper and thread
by farewell paperie

or if you just like the look of thread, without the sewing machine

by printerette press


it's a cute little touch that isn't overdone and can be more cost effective than some other specialty printing techniques.


what do you think?

i'm in.



lovely

columbia heights, friday

sunbather

waiting for the pizza dough to rise

melting on saturday

ready to roast, for this

i hate you, ikea

out with luce

rowhouses never get old


i loved this weekend.

we organized the shit out of the dining room/living room/kitchen. that always makes me happy. a place for everything, right?

if you didn't have to work over the weekend, hope your time off was fun. 

let's go, monday!

dig in

making salsa at home is something i've wanted to attempt for a while.

there's endless possibilities with salsa, but i really wanted to make something with pineapples. love that heat/sweet combo. i've seen slightly different versions of this here and there, but this one works for me and the boy.

and it's so easy.
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you'll need the following:

pineapple chunks, a jalepeno, and a serrano pepper


also a red onion and lime.


cut them into bite-sized pieces


add a pinch or two of salt and give it a stir.


that's it! 
you're ready to eat.



you can adjust the heat, depending on how spicy you like things. the boy and i like heat a lot, but if that's not what you're into, substituting a green bell pepper or an anaheim pepper would be delicious too.

this salsa is great on its own, with tacos, or served alongside seafood.

yum

pass the chips, man.

making friends

last weekend, i made the short drive over to annapolis to take some engagement pictures for a friend-of-a-friend. 

i won't be posting pics of the couple here, but it would be criminal if i kept this guy to myself.



  what a sweetheart. 

we adopted lucy from the french bulldog rescue network last year, and really just love her so much. but i have always had a soft spot for boxers. and he melted my heart.

tucker was celebrating his ninth birthday. you can even see his little bowtie collar.

aw. 
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and that's about all the cuteness i have for you today.

highest bidder

i have a sad story to share with you guys today.

my all-time go-to, #1 seed mascara hasn't been sold in the united states. for years.

let's back up a bit. i'm somewhat of a crazy lady when it comes to mascara. every once in a while, you come across the "if you could only use one beauty product for the rest of your life" question in a magazine or as a tired poll online somewhere. for me, the answer is only and always mascara. loads of it.

my lashes are long. but they're very light blonde. and thin. and straight.

kinda the opposite of what you want in lashes, right? throughout my teens and into my early 20s, i was entrenched in The Ultimate Mascara Quest. i probably tried twenty tubes. drugstore, department store, sephora, i went through them all.




and then it happened. max factor 2000 calorie aqua lash in rich black. bam.


i don't remember exactly when i started my now decade-long love affair with this product. but once i found it, none of the other brands existed. this waterproof mascara was cheap ($5.99!), could stand up to even the steamiest humidity, and it went on my lashes like it was built for multiple coats. 


and lord knows, i love my multiple coats.


 other mascaras can claim some of those things too, but max did all of that without ever looking scary. even after three coats, my eyelashes still looked like they were made of hair. not some clumpy plastic fibers attached to my eye. i'm picky about my lashes and i have no time for this.


now, my memory is hazy here, but some time around 2005, the only place i could find my precious was at wal-mart. fine. so out to the suburbs i went, buying four or five tubes at a time. then wal-mart stopped carrying it. so off i went to the internet. the internet has everything, right?

and they did. drugstore.com was my dealer. and we had a great relationship while it lasted. until they stopped carrying it too. i started hearing all these scary rumors that max factor would no longer be sold in the u.s. at all. ever. 

what?

i tried to live in denial. "that won't happen," i convinced myself. but it did. and it became harder and harder to find. i even bought some imposters on amazon once. that was fun. but now, it's come to this:





i'm the person buying their mascara from some guy in the vale of glamorgan (could that sound more british btw?) and i'll continue to do so until davids7566 runs out of his secret stash. 

please tell me you stocked up, sir.

my lashes will thank you. 

potw: pastels

muted shades are everywhere now. i own this blouse. it's been perfect for ice cold offices this summer.


so today's potw is simple: pastels on pretty paper.

check it.

via Happy Day Bits
via happy deliveries
via smock paper
via EcoPrint
via red bird ink


so soft and elegant.

and in my opinion, you can never have too many thank you notes.

not over yet

last year, i was happy to see all these super cute, not frumpy one-piece suits popping up.

not just the sad old bikini alternatives that no one REALLY wants to wear, but one pieces with some style. modern cuts, fun patterns and even a little sexiness.  

oo la la!

i couldn't be happier that these are still around. and i'm looking to purchase one before the end of the summer. are you dying for that red one with the polka dots? because i totally am.

the good thing about these suits is that they're all less than 100 dollars. hooray!

view full set here


now, onto the cover up situation.

here's four options. all very different but equal in their ease, comfort and adorable-ness. just pick what you like best.

view full set here


i'm pretty cautious sheer about clothing in most cases, but at the beach/pool, it's awesome.

oh and guess what? all of these items are under $100 too. 

high fives all around.

_ _ _

this morning, i mentioned that this is the last week in july. i hate that. but it's still here for now, so it's time to live it up.

just don't buy all the polka dot suits before i get around to it. 

weekend stuff

a corner of the bedroom

produce for the week

out for a walk

summertime fave

back to work



ah, monday. it sure came up fast, didn't it?

hope everyone's week is off to a good start. let's make these last july days really count.

kick your feet up

it's friday.

pic by me

the boy's been out of town since last week, but he returns tonight. hooray for reunions.

hope your weekend is relaxing!


welcome

gift/welcome bags are great for out-of-town guests coming to a wedding, reunion or any other sort of extravaganza you can dream up.

your guests may have been in the area before, but as hosts, i believe it's your job to make them feel comfortable and well informed of the activities surrounding your event. 

we found out where our guests would be staying (most stayed at the room block we'd reserved) and dropped them off at the front desk. most hotels are used to requests like this and should happily accommodate you. there may be a negilible rip-off convenience fee of some sort, but ours was something like $1/bag so it shouldn't kill your wallet or anything.

so what should you include inside?

here's some tips




1. tie it all together. using the same wedding suite typefaces, i created reusable grocery bags with 'forever ever' printed on them. they were relatively cost effective and shipped quickly. and it was nice to be able to customize the text/image instead of being bound to a template of some sort. i got mine here but there are dozens of places that sell bags like this. 

i created a welcome card to remind people what was taking place during the weekend ("the ceremony begins saturday at six..."). 

for these bags, i threw in another printed piece as well. as a longtime d.c. resident, i'm used to the 5-cent bag fee. but for people not from the area, i know it can come as a bit of a shock. so the paper offered an explanation about why they were receiving the reusable bag in the first place.

for me, it was important that every printed piece had the same type treatment. it really helps unify everything and brand your event.

2.  local flavor. we decided to give everyone a few dc-specific items: magnets, a metro pocket guide, some crab chips, cherry blossom hand sanitizer and the most recent washingtonian.

3. seasonally appropriate item. in our case, sunscreen. a tube of it and some organic chapstick with spf.

4. something that relates to your event/venue.  as a nod to our market wedding, we put a little seed packet in each bag. 


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and there you have it!

you can fill your bags with anything you like. have fun and get creative with it. 

your guests will love you even more for it.

karen walker

i love a good pattern. i repeat that sentence on here a lot, but it's very true.


besides the fun, vintage-style prints, i love that so many of these dresses have sleeves.

so into that look these days.

what do you think?

buy here
buy here
buy here
buy here
buy here


very ladylike chic, no?

i'm off to round up some dough to purchase one...

 

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