strap happy

i take an insane amount of instagram pics, but i also still use my big girl camera a lot.

i've been lugging it around for years and had always just used the supremely touristy aka nevercool neck strap that came with it.

ew.

that all changed when one of my faves, jamie beck, showcased this baby in her holiday gift guide.

both images via photo jojo

brilliant, i tell you.

i always hated wearing it around my neck. not just because it looks nerdy, but because it's really not that functional. if you want to snap something superquick, you can potentially miss it in those teeny milliseconds where you're fumbling to grab it.

and i'll take advice from the baddest ass photographer i know any day. 

(it also doesn't hurt that she looks so classically chic 24/7)

image via from me to you

 wowza, right?

_ _ _

anyways, i've been using mine for a while now, and i love it. my hand gets a little tired from holding it instead of my neck carrying the weight of the camera (those things are heavy!), but the efficiency/practicality totally won me over.

and because i have more glitter tape than i know what to do with, i customized mine a bit to make it less...blah.

there. 

that's more like it.

if you ever use a digital slr camera, i highly recommend this purchase.

and the glitter? well, that's your call, but who doesn't love a little extra sparkle?

happy snapping!

play nice

sytycd is one of my favorite things about summer. i remember watching this particular dance last year, and although it wasn't my favorite number of the season and i'd never heard the song before, these lyrics kinda stuck in my brain

'it's so easy to hate, it's so easy to laugh, it takes strength to be gentle and kind'

(listen to the whole song here, originally performed by the smiths)

_ _ _

that concept rings so true. 

both for who we are in our face-to-face interactions and for how we represent ourselves online. 

i'll admit - i've had bad days, i've been in pissy moods, i've been a little more mean-spirited than i probably should have been when commenting on a blog post or article i don't agree with. 

but you know what? 

when the internet was all fresh + new + slow fifteen years ago, i think the thrill of complete anonymity was part of its charm. it was a new world, a new way to escape from the everyday stresses of life. 

and people dove into chat rooms (and other now-horribly-outdated terms) headfirst, eager for a way to connect with others at the speed of light dial up.

but the internet is (obviously) vastly different these days. so much so that the appeal of and the want to be anonymous has all but vanished. 

nearly all of the most successful blogs out there have a face. not an anonymous handle. people are sharing extremely personal stuff because that's what readers want. and that's what keeps people coming back. 

with the blogs i love + frequent, i almost feel like i know them. like we could split a bottle of wine and talk all night if it came down to it.

people talk about their sick kids + personal choices on parenting, battles with depression, offer detailed looks into their homes, and let complete strangers in on major life events.

they chose to put themselves out there on the big, bad internet, sure, but commenters also have a choice.* 

that's why i'm making an effort. choosing to have the guts to be gentle + kind.

i say stick with the crowds you like online. 

surround yourself with things that make you happy; not stuff that will ruffle your feathers.

and ignore the rest.

img created by me

let's see if we can make the internet a nicer place.

_ _ _

*trust me, i can snark + jab with the best of em, so i'm preaching to myself here as well. and idk if it's me getting older or what, but i've been trying to rid any sense of negativity from my life as i look to start a new one with the boy. this seems like an easy start.

ripped

via my new fave this is colossal

fishy

i was not born with thick hair. 

if my hair was noodles, it would be angel hair. 

cut in half vertically.

via here and here | originally via flickr user miss electric

i had this co-worker once who would come to work with this gigantic, luxuriously thick rope of a braid. 

via here and here | original art by popperfoto/getty

i was always so jealous.

i tried, but mine looked more like a braided graduation tassel.

braids are still everywhere, and i've attempted this side braid style a few times. 

it's...ok on me. 

i just always end up with these little wispy pieces and it falls apart after a few hours.

_ _ _

then, the other day, i was reading a beautiful mess + came across these step-by-step instructions for a fishtail braid.

i've wanted to try a fishtail for a while now, but haven't attempted one since about fifth grade, so i needed a refresher.

image via a beautiful mess

the result?

my version!

not bad! i have to say, this was pretty easy, and it held up well throughout the work day.

i'm gonna try this more often.

thanks, beautiful mess!

_ _ _

p.s. elsie's blog is a whole bunch of fun. check it out sometime. her wedding was featured on 100 layer cake a while ago. also totally worth it to take a look. 

so bright + happy!

behind the scenes

checking tommy ton's jak & jill blog is a near-daily ritual for me.

all proenza schouler images by tommy ton via jak & jil blog

the vibrant colors, the large-format photos, the seemingly all-access fashion pass he must carry on his person at all times


 i love it all. 

all jason wu images by tommy ton via jak & jill blog

he updates often, the pictures are always beautiful, and he lets you into a world that few of us will ever see first hand. 




if it's not part of your morning coffee/blog routine, let's change that!