icebergs

beautiful, haunting images of icebergs. by david burdeny.

coco avant chanel

just saw the film. she had such unconventional, world-changing style. i really loved how the sailor shirt story was told... she saw some sailors on the beach at dawn, pulling in their nets. each wore the now iconic striped shirt. then, coco had adopted it as her casual uniform.

and that was the beginning of that.

weather-ready dressing

photos: the sartorialist

many a morning i am forced to choose a decent outfit that will take me through an entire day of pounding the sidewalks whilst being exposed to the elements - a careful calculation based on a cocktail of measurements which i, amazingly, rely on my early-morning-self to gauge with reason:

* how does the weather look out my window? (unreliable. case in point: thunderstorms come out of NOWHERE)

* what does wnyc proclaim as the day's report? (not actually as convincing as one might think)

* or the strangest & most overpowering when it comes to my clothing decisions - how hot or cold am i when i wake up? (it's amazing how sure i can be that i will NOT need a jacket for the day because i feel like i've spent the whole night atop my radiator. that is, until i take one step outside)

and of course, misjudging the weather in new york is essentially a death wish, resulting in more emergency stops at h&m for the cheapest sweater i can find than i would like to admit.

so: for those of us reliant on our clothing choices - not a car, or a homeoffice - to be our weather guard on a daily basis, what can possibly help? maybe this:

the feather report - a blog and now iphone app that allows one to dress completely weather appropriate (get it, fashion + weather = feather).

per janna johnson on the elle blog: "it's the next best thing to having Cher Horowitz's computerized closet system." well, almost.

a new guide to paris

by amy sioux via lolitas.se

the joys of chipped plaster

living in an old brownstone as i do, i enjoy the regular sloughing off of innumerable layers of plaster that have been roughly slapped over the brick walls of my room by generations of supers. it's been more of an annoyance/possible health concern for my cat, who is likely eating said paint chips, but here's an alternative way of considering the issue:

photo from anaventura.com

yellow

maybe it was the lemon macaron on the mind, maybe it was the flower pic i posted yesterday... or maybe it's just that i love a vivid yellow.

photo via style.com

even when it's more of a chartreuse....
from j mendel's glorious spring 2010.

Almondine

salut.

photo: alifewortheating.com

this little bit of sunshine comes from the mothership of all macarons, Laduree in Paris, which i don't think anyone would dare argue is the best dans tout le monde. not being anywhere near Laduree, however, has driven me to seek out a reasonable alternative in closer proximity. i've really only tried a few different patisseries, but that's because i found Almondine in DUMBO and didn't feel the need to look elsewhere.

on sunday i picked up a box of 6. yes, all for myself (best treat ever). the flavors: passion fruit, lemon, red currant, peanut butter, strawberry, and chocolate (in order of preference. and by preference i mean extent of utter swooning. and by the way, under any other circumstances i am a chocolate fiend, and it's still taking me aback that that was my least-favored varietal here. but i also credit the miraculousness of this pastry for making me so googly-eyed over normally overlooked flavors.)

photo: syrupandtang.com

i mean, wow.

college gets sustainable, bucolic

the NY Times has some great photos of an 'EcoDorm' at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, featured in an article in its Sunday Magazine.

i would've loved for my college experience to look like this.

(the school's blacksmith shop! why not)

the dorm is LEED platinum rated; one of only two student residences in the country that are.

Photos: Samantha Contis for The New York Times

a vintage spring

certain collections for spring 2010 caught my eye for their outright vintage feel. case in point: Peter Som, with a spunky and playful 1930s:

mood boards

of late i have been obsessed with mood boards. just moved into a new apartment, and have spent much time since collecting images of spaces and color.

i LOVE bright yellow with blue, any kind of blue. to wear, to look at, to paint. it's a simple contrast of two of the most primary of colors (literally)... reminds me of the outdoors & happiness. and always feels Scandinavian (not just because of the Swedish flag) - an aesthetic i am always quite fond of.

bright colors used as accents throughout a light, sunny room. i like it better (at least at this point in my haphazard, cobbled-together apartment life) than an obvious and overused color scheme. (i'm looking at you, west elm...)

lights

these photos are by a wonderful female photographer who i stumbled upon on the internets about 100 years ago. she captured some beautiful light.



(way back when, i, of course, accidentally omitted the artist's name when i saved these... am now regretting that i can't properly attribute them! but i wanted to share anyway, and hope you enjoy them too. and how can you not.)

hello

inaugural post! what fun!! well, i'm excited at least... i feel a bit like the spirited character on the right here. love this photo.