What genus are you?

This weekend is supposed to be truly perfect weather! In anticipation for all the wild flowers to start blooming, here are a few snippets from a darling book, perfectly titled Flowers from Here and There.

. . .

Wild Clematis



. . .

Pussy Willow and Catkins


. . .

Wild Raspberry



. . .

Buttercup and Fern



. . .

Pansies



. . .

Meadow Sweet



. . .

Chrysanthemum

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Long weekend!

I have today off from work! Ah yes, good 'ol Patriots Day or Evacuation Day or Bunker Hill Day - Boston has so many silly holidays I never know what's what... I've spent my days tucked inside cleaning and also out exploring at our first outdoor flea market of the year! I took home that sweet 'lil bunny and now I'm going crazy with pink and frilliness! The inspiration comes from the starlets of old Hollywood and what I imagine their movie trailers to look like. (I think these daydreams come from this photo and this one too!) I'm really happy with this little nook now. I have some of my favorite items tucked over here and it's nice to wake up to that in the morning! Things will be complete once I pick up some more plants for my window sills...



I even threw on an outfit inspired by the new corner this morning! The pink of the pillow and the green which will eventually by my new plants (that's happening very soon actually, Alice and I are about to leave to go shopping!) I did end up changing though - I just don't feel like wearing heels and lugging plants around right now - but I like this color combination a bunch and I can't wait to wear it when I visit San Francisco in a few weeks!

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Snores-ville

My life has been pretty boring lately. Working and sleeping. Equal parts of both. Today I woke up early (I should have since I went to bed at 5:30... that's PM folks, not AM) and decided I wouldn't stand for this slug life any longer! I dragged Alice and Benny out to re-create my perfect morning. breakfast, books, and Bobby's. I've been trying to be good and save my pennies and I've been in hibernation/homebody that I haven't been there in months! My last visit might have been in early January! I left with a pretty brown and cream crocheted bag with a beautiful wooden handle. A cotton dress from the 40s which I can't decide on keeping or maybe dress swapping with a near and dear girl and a few other little things like a mini pink bow tie for my hair and a chambray patchwork gift for a special someone!



There's a close up of my new bag! Of course I didn't have it turned out for the outfit pictures! The skirt came from my visit to San Francisco a few months ago - I love, loove the colors so much! and That 20's silk slip is disintegrating - I keep sticking my fingers through it - but I love it so much and it works so perfectly with everything ... if only I could find something similar.. maybe someday?? maybe...

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New England Institutions

I have a 'to do list' for tonight which is about 7 items long ... so what am I doing right now? Distracting myself with every possible thing I can think of... I managed to find the time to take a little stroll down memory lane and look through my iphoto.

So - as I was flipping through my pictures I realized I had some photos of a magical little place that exists in my life and I've never shared them! Coney Island... No, no - not the Coney Island - but the one in good 'ol Worcester, Massachusetts! (I'm saying this with a big cheesy grin on my face - if you've ever been to Worcester you understand what I'm talking about!)



My dad loooves this place - and I can't blame him, it's got a charm you just don't find in places anymore! It was built in 1918 and I don't think anything has changed except for the cars outside and the internet juke box. They're famous for their hot dogs, but I prefer a grilled cheese with a side of boxed chocolate milk - just like I had in grade school.





There's so much swoon worthy art deco detail in the architecture and the booths are covered in the carved out initials of old loves and forgotten flings. There's something so comforting about flopping your cafeteria tray onto one of those red chrome tables - perfectly worn in all the right places- to wait for that song you requested on the juke box. (my favorite is there is a mountain by Donovan)



It seems as though all my photos of the outside in daylight are gone-zo - but here's an old wardrobe remix photo from last winter.... I'm so sad that I cant find any of those photos right now because the outside color choices are just top notch! I'll have to get myself over there some warm sunny afternoon for my grilled cheese fix and a photo update!

** update! I was able to stop by on Easter Sunday and snap a couple pictures - unfortunately I only had my phone and it was closed - but at least I didn't feel like a crazed tourist standing in the middle of the road taking pictures!!!

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Today's Inspiration: Book of Specimens

I keep flipping through Harpel's typograph and more and more I'm wishing for a time travel machine.... Wouldn't you agree that silly simple things like choosing a painter, visiting the stationer, buying hankies - even writing checks looked oh so glamorous?!!??

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the in-between days

I'm terrible when it comes to the in-between seasons - Fall into Winter - Winter into Spring. I start getting grumpy about everything I own and want to get rid of it all and start over (and it's usually for a closet full of Lyell). The past few weeks have been pretty confusing as far as cold grey days that feel more like the start of Winter then the start of Spring. But, we were really lucky to have such wonderful, wonderful sunny days a few weekends ago and I keep telling myself there's more warm breezes to come, they're just taking their dear old time!



It was nice to run around with NO tights on! But, now those warm days seem like forever ago now and it's totally breaking my heart. There are things I want to do! Places I want to visit! People I want to see! ...But, for now - I'll be good and practice some patience.

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Trudon

I wandered into Barney's a few months ago looking to sniff all the pretty perfumes and things in there (I've found that sometimes going around to Fresh and C.O. Bigelow to smell 'n sample helps cure the after-a-bad day blues..) and happened upon a table with two long rows of absinthe colored hand crafted glass candles - each sitting under their own bell jar.... Cire Trudon....  I had one or two quick flings, but fell head over heels in unending love for Abd El Kader.

It's like a summer's day in the shady backyard of a little cottage. A small pond with bullfrogs and a weeping willow tree. Basil leaves and over-grown mint patches. A faded cotton sundress and a straw hat... I'm not pulling your arm either - it so perfectly captures everything about a perfect summer day that I was half expecting to close my eyes and have a glass of raspberry lemonade sitting by me. (I think the candle's official lineup is: spearmint, lemon, blackcurrant bud, apple, ginger, clove, jasmine and vanilla.) But, after looking at the price tag I remembered it was the middle of a bitter cold winter and I couldn't possibly fork over the doll hairs for..... a candle.



Well, it's the first day of Spring and I just strolled right in there and bought it. Not even one batted eyelash or second thought. And - I've done my research, these candles certainly have an impressive resume. They were no stranger to Versailles, illuminated the halls of great thinkers during the Enlightenment and were a personal favorite of Monsieur Bonaparte. 

.....You can't blame a girl for wanting a little bit of her own "antique prestige," right?

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