How to be uber-chic on the cheap

Repeat after me: a knock-off Birkin bag is not the answer (duh, everyone can tell it's obvi not real - unless you're a duchess or a celebrity).

I make an exception for this bag though - and the whole idea of it in general makes me laugh - introducing the "Birkin as tote bag" bag:

Heh.

(Like I said, that bag makes me laugh. It's clever.)

I spotted these fun Hermes-inspired tote bags on Bag Snob, but the author (Bag Snob Tina) didn't include a link to where you can get one for yourself - because these are evidently now back-ordered until August. Whaa? Maybe it's because they're only 45 buckaroos (as opposed to the $10,000+ price tag on a real Birkin). Extra bonus, these are much more practical for the summer.

I only wish I could get my hands on one for myself. If you're reading this, Bag Snob Tina, please, please send me the link! Pretty please? I promise I won't share it with anyone (other than on this blog...) Okay? ;)

Dance-off: Les Grossman shakes it with J. Lo

Photo courtesy of MTV

I used to think Tom Cruise was an overzealous, couch-jumping, fake-marrying, aliens-stuck-in-volcanoes-believing weirdo - and he very well might still be. But, after his performance on the MTV Movie Awards - as "Hollywood mega mogul" Les Grossman, his character from Tropic Thunder - I'm willing to give him a little more credence. I mean, he performed a dance duet with J. Lo and gave her a run for her money on the booty-shakin'. That deserves some props.

Do yourself a favor and take a look yourself (note: T-Cruise is in heavy costume as "Les Grossman" - but rest assured, it's him alright - don't you recognize some of the hot-stepping from Risky Business?).

In case you can't view embedded videos, click here.

So what do you think? Not bad, right? T. Pain T. Cruise has won back a few points in my book. Thankfully, because that Xenu business really freaks me out....

;)

La-la-la-Lonny

Did you all check out Lonny magazine the first time I introduced it? If not, you really should go take a look. It's a free, online-only publication with so much home design goodness in there it's unbelievable. It also happens to be perfect for when you're pretending to work at work but not working (ahem). And, if you're an avid shopper (or just want to know where things came from), each issue has clickable links embedded in the web pages, so you can roll over the products/items shown in the photos and access the source straight from the mag.

And in case you need a further kick in the tuckus to go check out the newest issue (which came out Thursday), here's some eye candy from the recent release:










Also, I think I need these curtains in my living room (since these didn't go over so well):

All photos from Lonny magazine.

With that said shown, hope you check it out and hope you enjoy! (And let me know what you think...)

Have a great weekend!

Photo via beachbungalow8

Isn't this photo lovely? It makes me think of road-tripping in the summer with the windows down and heading someplace fun. I can't wait to get away for our beach trip in August. Until then, though, I'm just enjoying the good weather (it's been unusually non-boiling-and-curl-your-hair-humid for June in MD - how about where you are?) and trying to soak up as much of the weekends as I can (when I'm not working).

Here's wishing you an amazing weekend. I'll be back Monday. Until then, go Team USA (don't forget - World Cup Soccer starts Saturday!).

Dipping my toes in this morn (& be back later!)

Photo via frangipane

Gooood morning, poppets, and happy Friday!

I am running off to a busy day, but I'll be back a bit later today - at least to wish you a happy weekend - so check back in (when you're pretending to work but really just obsessively watching the clock to see if it's 5:30 yet...). ;)

TGIF!

xo, r

Calligraphy love (& stamps too!)

I think the combination of lovely calligraphy and a variety of stamps on pretty letters might be my new go-to design obsession (see current exhibits A and B). Whew - thank goodness - because my silhouette obsession was getting quite out of hand (exhibits A, B, C, D, E, F - yikes).

Adding fuel to the paper-craze fire? These cards by Jenna Hein, which couldn't be more lovely:


Don't you agree? If not, speak now or forever hold your peace, because there may be a lot more of these where they came from (as evidenced by my previous posts - reference above in the plethora of slightly scary exhibits). ;)

Originally spotted on Clover and Bee.

It's Thursday, I'm in love...

...with a pair of shoes (sorry B, love you too...).

It's Thursday. Not quite Friday. It's midday. I'm kind of tired. How about you? In need of an afternoon wake-up? Want to know why I have a strange shoe obsession all of a sudden? Get ready for it...

Here it is: Oh holy moley, I pretty much need these shoes immediately (no wedding dress - or wedding, for that matter - required):

Aren't they amazing? The pop of the bride's red pedi with the gorgeous gold bows makes me swoon. Screw the puffy white dress, I'd wear these to go jogging, to fill the car with gas, to the office, anywhere. (This sounds familiar...)

Here's an even better shot of these Valentino peeptoe beauties:
Photos by Aaron Delesie, via {this is glamorous}.

B- leave this site and go to espn.com now. Ladies- take a deep breath, wipe the shoe-induced drool off your chin, and then go here for more pics of this incredible wedding. Yowza. You can thank me later. :)

Chocolate pudding cups

Oh my goodness, what a good idea. Chocolate pudding (and scads of fun toppings), housed in a "cup" made from chocolate. Yummm.

This doesn't seem terribly difficult to do, and you could either fancy them up for a grown-up dinner party with friends, or make them fun, messy and purely delicious with kids.

All you do is dip balloons in warmed chocolate...


Let them dry on a baking sheet (you can stick them in the fridge to speed it up)...


...Then *pop!* the balloons and the cups are ready:


Fill with gooey goodness...


...And enjoy!


I want to make these, like, yesterday. I'd fill mine with chocolate pudding, whipped cream (CoolWhip, not the real stuff [what? I like it better!]), oreo or brownie crumbles, and sprinkles on top (rainbow, not brown, of course!). Mmm mmm mmm. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Thanks to Bakerella for the great photos and inspiration (check out the full blog post here for more pics and details). And let me know if you make these... (if so, I'll be over straight away!)

Matrix rug in a cozy clubhouse

The lovely Lauren Liess from Pure Style Home posted this photo today and I was instantly enamored with the cool graphic rug.

The best part? It's a twofer: The rug is not only indoor/outdoor, it's from Overstock.com (here) and pretty inexpensive. The indoor/outdoor function is key since the rug resides in what used to look like this:

Lauren took a pre-fab shed from fiberboard blah to gorgeous and inviting - the perfect playspace for her two young boys and even an occasional retreat for her husband and herself. Here's what the inside looks like after Lauren worked her magic:

Awesome, right? Click here for Lauren's description of the process and to see more pictures.

I want my very own backyard playspace! (I want a backyard, period.)

And in case you want some more outdoor living space inspiration, check out these amazing treehouse casas.

Life as Art

A Seurat painting come to life:

This real-life recreation of the 1884 Seurat painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, is so wonderful! Of course, it's not exactly spot-on - it is in Deloit, WI, after all - but it's a lovely new interpretation. You can find a bit more info about the photographer and the event here. Nice idea, Deloiters!

Originally spotted on d. Sharp Journal.

Run like a pro (who me?)

I'm going to put something out there, but promise not to get mad at me:

I hate running.

(I am scared of - and awed by - you, oh tribe of religious everyday runners...)

I mean, I totally *wish* I loved running - in theory it seems pretty amazing - but when I'm doing it, I pretty much want to chop my own feet off so I never have to do it again.

However, I just came across this Self Magazine article (via Have Your Cake) about proper running technique and tips, and am wondering if I've just been doing it wrong all this time.

For instance, did you know that "most runners strike the ground on their toes or heels, but ideally, you should land on the balls of your feet and push off"? I think I'm a "heel striker" - which makes total sense as to why each stride hurts my back and knees so much.

Dare I say these revelations (see other tips here) might be enough to inspire me to give running another try? Especially if it gives me abs like these:

Yikes.

If this 90-degree business breaks tomorrow, I might be willing to give it a try...
(I'm shocking even myself.)

(B, please remember and cite this high-falutin' talk tonight when I come home from work at 7:45 and am whining about being tired...) ;)

What about you all? Any runners out there? Any good running or general motivation tips? I need to get in shape before our beach trip!

Dreaming of: backyard hangouts

I've been thinking about summertime and all the good things that come with it for a while now (ignore the sky-high temps, sticky humidity and frizzy hair, and instead think about outdoor concerts, beach trips and summer farmers' markets). Summer is now officially in full swing - hot hot hot during the day - but the nights have still been relatively cool and perfect for lounging outside, making me go from thinking about the coming summer to dreaming of a proper backyard to hang out in during starry summer evenings and mellow summer weekends.

Wouldn't any of these three backyard room be the perfect place to hang out?:

Designed by Mary McGee, spotted on SHELTER.

Love the idea of a having seagrass or sisal rug outdoors and underfoot, paired with crisp whites and awesome pillows (don't they look totally lounge-worthy?).

This next one is drool-inducing too:

Photo from Living Etc. magazine, spotted on Design Mom.

This is actually the backyard of Jenna Lyons (Creative Director at J. Crew) - and it's in New York - who has that kind of outdoor space in the city?? It's basically an urban oasis. I die for the staircase and the lovely cherry blossom tree.

And finally, some built-in entertainment:

Photo from Country Living magazine, of the backyard of West Elm Creative Director Alex Bates' Fire Island home.

I don't really play chess, but I might make an exception in this gorgeous setting.

Ah, someday... a girl can dream... (maybe they'll have invented mini outdoor AC units by then too...)

Monday morning music

Goooood morning! Did you have a good weekend? I wanted to share a quick song/video with you this hot Monday morning, so without further ado...

I came across PS22 chorus' rendition of Phoenix's Lisztomania on Mighty Girl the other day and totally fell in love with these talented elementary schoolers and their awesome teacher. How good is their version of Lisztomania? Take a look:


In case you can't see embedded YouTube videos, here's the link.

And in case you forgot what Lisztomania - when done by Phoenix - sounds like, here's the link to that too.

These kids are amazing - they even got to perform for Beyonce and Lady Gaga and have been on tv several times - not to mention that their videos have gotten over 10 million views on YouTube! Very impressive. Check out the PS22 Chorus blog here for more videos and songs.

And have a great Monday! (More posts to come throughout the day.)

Have a great (summery!) weekend!

Photo by Pia Ulin, via Design is Mine

I am jetting off to a baseball game - the O's vs. the Red Sox at Camden Yards (go Sox!) - so I'm closing up shop a bit early today. I hope you're all heading out soon too and getting on with enjoying the weekend ASAP. It's gonna be another hot one, which (hopefully) means sailing, drinks by the water, maybe jumping off some docks, and generally relaxing (let's just pretend I'm not working this weekend too - boo).

Hope you have a great one and see you back here Monday! xo, r.

Hang tight

Sometimes the simplest things are the most genius. Case in point:

The picture placer (AKA a ruler with a screw in it).

It's so idiot-proof, they even printed the instructions on the placer itself, so you never have to worry about losing them:

Put the head of the screw under your picture hanging wire and hold the picture by the placer, like so:

Then press firmly on the center of the picture and the screw will make a tiny mark in the exact spot where you nail should go. Brilliant!

Why didn't I invent this apparatus? D'oh!

Originally spotted on Kelly + Olive.

Update: evidently you can buy a picture placer here.

A note to B

To my dear old man:

We haven't been able to hang out for real in days. (Silly scooter theft, kickball play-offs, baseball game, charity event, Stanley Cup and so on have kept us apart). I miss you.

Love,
your sea

Card originally spotted on Hello Lucky! Buy it for $4 at The Great Lakes Goods.

Not too crabby

May I remind you:
"Crab cakes and football! That's what Maryland does!"
(It's from Wedding Crashers, people.)

Summer is upon us and the time is ripe for both outdoor sports and delicious Maryland blue crab. But if you don't live in Maryland or don't eat crab, you can at least wear one:

I seriously love this belt from J. Crew - it's Maryland to the core, plus if you didn't have a bottle opener around, this puppy could come in handy. Too bad it's a men's belt (hopefully it wouldn't fit me...) or I'd snap it up. It's only 58 buckaroos - I wonder if I could coerce B into wearing something this preppy?

I'm totally into how this guy styled his, all off-t0-the-side and jaunty:

Photo from 13th and Wolf

Of course you can't miss the pink shirt and madras tie he paired it with. That's preppy to the nth degree, another thing Maryland does. Yikes. Sweet belt either way you cut it though...

J. Crew belt originally spotted on Beach Bungalow 8.

Squared away: a new stamp

Remember when I espoused my love for good stamps (they really are icing on the cake to a beautifully hand-written note!) and the round-up I did of my favorite stamps? Well things in the stamp department just got even sweeter.

The new 64-cent butterfly stamp - designed especially for square envelopes - was introduced in May and is available for sale online or in post offices.

I know this is the dorkiest thing ever, but I'm really excited to go out and get some of these stamps! I love square envelopes and always end up having to use two stamps to compensate, plus I think this butterfly design is really pretty. Kudos, USPS!

You can learn more about the stamp here or buy it for yourself here (or just go to a post office).
Originally spotted here.

Jump for joy...

Photo by Rodney Smith

Amazing news: the police recovered my scooter!

My poor scoot scoot is definitely worse for the wear - because it's been hot-wired, it turns on just fine, but doesn't actually turn off (I was standing there, key in hand in the police station parking lot, having turned the key and removed it from the ignition, and couldn't figure out why the bike was still running! thank goodness for the kill switch!), there is some damage to the body and paint job (which was custom and may not be reparable), the headlamp is broken and the license plate was ripped off brutishly, but it's in one piece and runs, so I'm not (really) complaining!

I am so thankful. I was semi-convinced I would never see it again (since poor B had his stolen and it never came back). To those of you that called, emailed, texted me or left a comment here, thank you so much for your kind words and well-wishes. I am so happy to have le scooter back!

I honestly want to do cartwheels:

Photo by Ericka McConnell

I'm off bright and early tomorrow morning to take the scooter to a motorcycle/scooter place to see if they can fix it (and how much it's going to cost me), so one more bout of good juju would be great. ;) Here's hoping the blue scoot is back on the road soon enough!

Thank you all again! xoxo, r.

Stolen scooter

Friends, my scooter was stolen today (while we weren't home) from in front of our condo building - despite the three locks that were intertwined through the brakes/front wheel and attached to the metal railing of our building's front stairs. I've filed a police report but there are no guarantees that they'll ever find it; scooters are a hot item (especially in the summertime) and very easy to lift/hotwire (although I had hoped all those locks were a deterrent). Who knew they'd be able to take the scooter - locks, cover, helmet and all - in one fell swoop in broad daylight?

I've sent out a tweet about it to the webiverse and asked others to retweet (this is that tweet), just to get the info out and around town. Another scooter similar to mine was stolen from our neighborhood (one court over) last night and the police found it this evening. Some people a few neighborhoods away saw some guys trying to hotwire a scooter, thought it seemed odd and called the cops, so they were able to retrieve it safe and sound.

I'm kind of hoping to luck into a similar scenario if I get the word out around Annapolis and people know to look out for my impossible-to-miss, custom-painted baby blue scooter, but I don't think I'm that lucky of a person. I'm not sure they'll ever find mine. I don't know whether to resign to the fact that it's likely gone forever in case that's the truth or to hold out hope that they'll find it. I don't want to jinx myself or get my hopes up... I'm just sad in general right now (and out a ride to work - since parking downtown is prohibitively expensive, vs. parking your scooter in your office for free).

Sorry to be such a debbie-downer, but I wanted to share A) what's going on and B) why I might not get posts in today (working, searching, kickball semi-finals, checking in with police, etc.). If you could send good juju my way it'd be much appreciated. Thanks all.