floral

+ & -

by Lara on June 15, 2010

in + & -

+

  • Putting some more color in my life. My wardrobe mainly consists of black, white and grey. I’ve been making a concentrated effort to choose the colorful version of something cute I see, instead of the standard neutral. It can always be paired up with a neutral I already have. Still can’t get into prints though.
  • I finally went to u-fab, a fabric discounter in the city, this past weekend and holy cow it’s awesome! There is no other store in Richmond that has so many contemporary prints at such great prices. The $2.99 remnants in the back were very basic. Most of the gorgeous prints (in all types of weights) were about $10-$15 a yard. I bought 2 yards of heavy duty fabric for two large floor cushions for my livingroom. The mod print for the bf and the floral for me. I think they coordinate pretty well, in a funky kinda way. $24!!! All I need is some patience to cut it, a few easy swipes through the sewing machine, and hopefully I can get my hands on a heavier natural fiber filler so they have some weight. I will post pics of the finished product soon! Washed out phone pic:

  • Rediscovering DnB. A looong time ago in a land far far away, I dabbled in the rave scene here in Richmond. The first big party I went to, I wandered around to the different rooms until I found music that hit me. That was Drum & Bass. A local DJ was spinning and I was mesmerized, watching the subtle movements on the records and mixer, feeling the build-ups, being blown away. I became friends with that DJ and all his other friends and for a while, Richmond was  a lot of fun for me. Then as my circle of friends got bigger, drama and drugs got a bit too much for my liking and I had to move on. Either way, the music is still important to me, even though I don’t listen to it as often as I should. I would much rather go to a DnB night to dance than a hipster dance night. I forgot all about BassDrive. Click on the “web player” and listen to DJs spinning sets from all over the world!
  • I really enjoy Sarah Von’s blog Yes and Yes. She has recently shared two awesome things. First, THIS BLOG of Japanese cats. Second, is this great reminder to keep things in perspective:

  • Removable/repositionable wallpaper! Transform a wall in your rental without your landlord having a fit! Check it out!

 

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  • I had been putting off getting my car inspected 10 days past the end of the month, because I had a bad feeling I was going to have some expensive repairs. I was noticing some subtle changes and they didn’t feel good. So of course, this past Thursday, I got a ticket for an expired inspection sticker. Two hours later, I was at the mechanics and sat there for over 3 hours as they collected $700 from me. In addition to a lot of minor maintainance things, a ball joint was cracked and it was pretty major. (Thank you Richmond pot holes!) Trying to look on the bright side, the car is over 8 years old and this is the first real repair I’ve had to perform. I always wanted to take a class in auto mechanics and have done quite a bit of car repair in my lifetime and I’m good about taking care of my car so, I’m counting my lucky stars and knocking on wood that it wasn’t worse.
  • I came about 3″ from catching a wee kitten last Friday. I was driving through my parents’ neighborhood and saw a tiny kitten sitting on the side of the road. I stopped and started walking towards it. It mewed a few times then took off to a house and hid under shrubs. After about 10 minutes of crawling around on my hands and knees under bug filled bushes with the kitten darting from one bush to another, it took off again and I didn’t see where it went. It was one of those brown stripey wild kitties and that’s exactly the kind I’ve wanted! Kinda like this:

yeah

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dreamy

by Lara on May 29, 2010

in art,crafty,decor,fashion

For a while now, I’ve been escaping into this dreamy world of soft focus pictures and an ultra-feminine aesthetic. I love my clean minimal apartment with all my heart but; there is another side of me that would be just as happy in a little country cottage, growing my own vegetables and making art.

I posted about the image bookmarking site called We Heart It a while back. Every few days, I peruse the pics and add a few more to my collection of these fantasy images. This is my latest favorite picture:

Outdoor party in the country anyone?

Yesterday, shoppher tweeted about this post which ended up turning into one of those internet perusing explosions where I discovered a few new blogs I think I’m going to love. You might too!

Habit

Dreamcats – if you love dreamy cats. I submitted some pictures of Nibbles when she was a kitten. Here’s one:

The Snail and the Cyclops – love this girl’s style

Fieldguided – a nice little life

Any recommendations?

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Liberty of London

by Lara on February 18, 2010

in decor,fashion

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m really excited about Liberty of London coming to Target on March 14th. You can check out the preview here. You can also purchase their fabrics online for your own crafty endeavors. Here’s one collection.

I’m not a big fan of florals but I do enjoy the occasional print that has a retro feel. The kind that’s outlined in black, as if hand drawn, and filled in with bright colors is my kind of floral. It all feels perfect for Spring and I’m soooo ready to be done with Winter!

The line will feature over 300 inexpensive items including home decor and fashion for all in 25 different prints. Preview pictures are being removed left and right from the internet but the March issue of InStyle had a full page and I’ve scanned it! (Oh, they’re also doing a colab with MAC to be released in the US on March 11 with packaging that us suckers for cute fall for.)

Click for the larger version. (sorry about the quality)

I am loving the lamp base ($20) and shade ($18), flip flops ($10), planter ($10), halter dress ($30), and ties for him ($20)! I think the most expensive item is that adorable $200 bike! The dishes on the online preview look sweet as well!

I think the MAC Blue India nail polish is going to be interesting too!

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jobs

by Lara on November 26, 2009

in geek

In the spirit of the Secret Society of List Addicts, I’ll share with you some jobs I’ve considered over the course of my life.

  • Veterinarian – first job I said when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up… until we had to take the sick beagle to the vet and I saw how they took temperatures. I was done.
  • Animal cop – maybe I’ve been watching too much Animal Planet but I think I would actually do better as a vigilante because the red tape of the job ticks me off.

Watch – The Sick Kitten

  • Astrophysics – I adore math and thought I had the potential to be one of those math geniuses… until I had the worst physics teacher known to man in high school and was ruined on the physics side. The fact that almost everything in life can be explained with an elegant equation is something I can really sink my teeth into. My bf thinks I’m a freak.  Let’s do this.

  • Statistician – my psych major exposed me to data collection, manipulation, and analysis with delicious SPSS software, which pretty much taught me to never trust any stats you hear on the news. In all seriousness though, it’s a tangible and pretty reliable way to learn about the world.

CHECK! THIS! OUT! and THIS. (I promise, it’s worth your time.)

  • Florist – super green thumb here, think I have a good aesthetic eye… currently working on bonsai, would love to learn Ikebana. Who wouldn’t love to play with flowers all day?

  • Fleeting thoughts – architectural artist, cupcake baker (but Richmond already has a few), line cook (been there, done that for every station, miss it), blogger (yeah right), RN (horrible decision, bad school choice, dropped out), any type of psych research (will be trying to get my foot in the door eventually)…

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I heart it

by Lara on November 13, 2009

in photo friday

Have you gotten on We Heart It yet? I just found out about this site a few days ago (thanks to FerOHHHsh) and I’ve been completely addicted. It’s basically a visual reference of things that are supposed to represent your “heart” but there are infinite uses for it. It could be an easy way to visually bookmark images you see while perusing the interwebs because it links back to the original source. There is a tool that you can add to your bookmark bar to add pics as you browse the web, like Polyvore. (I can’t seem to get mine to work for some reason though.)

The main population on the site seems a bit young and there’s a no nude setting if you want to spare yourself the deluge of T&A all damn day (a lot slips through though… just a warning that it could be nsfw). I found it interesting how my “heart” has turned out. I made a point to stay away from decor and fashion… just to have a little special something for myself outside of this blog. It’s neat to see the things your eyes and mind gravitate towards when you’re just mindlessly clicking on things you like. The inside of my heart is pretty gentle, soft, fixated on the wonders of the natural world… and a little weird. What’s yours looking like? Follow me if you’re on there!

This is also a great way to get exposed to photography and art you may not have had a chance to see otherwise. I am transfixed by these polaroids by Anna Verlet posted on an impeccably curated art blog I had yet to hear about called but does it float. How magical!

Anna Verlet polaroid

Anna Verlet polaroid

Anna Verlet polaroid

Hope you have a beautiful weekend!

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journal

by Lara on February 11, 2009

in decor,geek

It’s been a while since I did a journal post. In fact, I forgot all about them!  Here are some organic shapes and shades that tickled my fancy over  a year ago. I love the concept of the off-center pale blue vase with the orchid. It’s enamel coated. Enamel has always been a source of fascination with me… the labor involved, the equipment needed, the extreme heat, the fact that it’s so far removed from any crafty endeavor I’ve ever tried my hand at. It’s soft yet cold. My mother has a small collection of cloisonné that I have always loved, which is an entirely different enamel animal. Oh… and this etsy shop is one of my favorites.

The sunken living room at the bottom looks so cozy. Furniture that rests close to the ground is very appealing to me. (I’m dying for a low dining table surrounded by big floor pillows.) All these little accent pieces would fit right in.

I have never seen fresh poppies in real life. The flower shops in Richmond are quite pathetic. This peachy shade of flower is my favorite, especially when found in poppies, peonies, and camilias. The quilt is the traditional Hawaiian technique, a dying laborious art and really the only type of quilt I like. They are crisp and graphic, far from the sloppy quilts we are used to, and like most quilts, each tells a story made with love. I love the modern take on the Chinese Cippendale chair. For some reason, I think those shoes are Gucci and they’re hideous. (Don’t know where my head was at when I clipped them from a magazine.) Orchids must have been huge this season. I can’t ever seem to get them to bloom a second time. The one-piece, low-cut swimsuit is where it’s at. Classy and sexy. Just how I like things.

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journal

by Lara on January 2, 2009

in crafty,fashion

Can you tell I have the winter blahs? All I want to look at are bright light things.

Serving dishes really get me excited and that sectional dish is adorable. Below it is an amazing cake! It has a lot of detail but is still streamlined. The tedious monotony of making and applying the circles on the fondant is right up my alley for zoning out on a project.  For the life of me, I cannot remember where the 3-D owl plaque came from. It’s made of some type of acrylic and they had other animals as well, like squirrels, in many colors. The pendant is a type of embedded quartz. The pearl ball is a christmas ornament. My mom and I used to make these when I was little (more monotony to zen out to). You take a styrofoam ball, various beads (sequins are fun too), and attach them to the ball with straight pins. Really easy and lots of room for creativity. The Japan poster print is from allposters.com for just $12.99. The color scheme is one of my favorites. I believe the d’Orsay pumps are Manolos. Beautiful place setting, flowers, halter top and Guess bag.

The silver cuff has coral shapes applied. I’m not a big fan of diamond rings. I have a modest antique ring from my grandmother and a few I will inherit but as far as engagement rings go, unlike with Elizabeth Taylor, diamonds have never really brought me luck. I do like the delicate open nature of this ring though. It’s light as air, symbolizes eternity and has a low profile. This would be an ideal right hand ring if you’re not into those door knockers. More d’Orsay pumps in a fun nautical stripe. I loooove this white woven bag but I can’t read that tag or remember who made it. The pendant is another chunk of crystal with a thin chain running through it. The seahorse earrings are dear and so is the off-center singular encased butterfly wing. A lot of people are working with wings on etsy.com these days. I love the silver deer ring but it would probably catch on everything. The Jane Fonda print was from a story on one of the Arquette sister’s homes. It’s controversial and I don’t particularly agree with how she handled that situation but it’s still pretty badass, especially in red monochrome. A breezy lattice bra, bright sunshiny koi fish tee, Steve Madden pumps and a wee blue clutch round it all out. Warmn weather please!!!!

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journal

by Lara on December 3, 2008

in decor,fashion

This page looks like a ton of fun Christmas presents. I barely know what a damn thing is on this page is so, I can’t send you in the right direction and well, this was from a year ago anyhow. Oh, there are the Voluspa Japonica three-wick candles! I have never smelled them before but they are quite large and fairly inexpensive and would make a decadent gift. The poppy print came from AllPosters.com but god help you if you try to find it in the almost 3,000 poppy offerings! I adore poppies and Queen Anne’s Lace like on that pillow. That mirror is so fanciful. Oh, and who doesn’t want a coin purse with a squirrel on it? Really, everything on these two pages appeal to a certain side of me that doesn’t come out very often.

The peacock is a glass serving platter. I don’t know what was going on with the clothing patterns in summer of 07. I was feeling pretty fancy-free I guess! The little tops are constructed with weighty detail, which is what really appeals to me. I still love a long dress in the summer and will forgive a loud pattern if it’s on a bohemian style dress. Round-toe shoes and gold were really doing it for me! (Check out the laser cut edges on those pumps!) The skull vest was from a Delia’s catalogue (still fun to get in the mail – a guilty pleasure) and so was the owl tank. There’s another monocromatic and compact floral arrangement and I love that Central Park pillow! The wood and hinged piece of jewelry is a ring not a bracelet… teeny tiny craftsmanship.

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journal

by Lara on October 28, 2008

in decor,fashion

I really love this lampshade. This lamp is a similar concept, and you get an entire lamp, for less. (The shade is still available at Lekker, which has so many neat things! Everything is unique and expensive and fun to look at.) The marquetry tray makes me happy since I have grand entertaining fantasies. I don’t feel comfortable in patterns but I kinda dig the relaxed bohemian quality of this swimsuit. I also have a lot of outfits that are waiting for this exact skirt! I really need to try harder in my quest for the perfect dark mini before the cold weather is over!

I can’t stand a trench coat. They’re so cliche and all those unnecessary tabs and loops… this version is awesome. It’s streamlined and the glittery metalic sheen would dress up jeans and a t-shirt when out to run a quick errand. I can’t remember what that bracelet is made of. It may even be wood. I do know that the accents are coral and I would be terrified to wear such a delicate thing but it sure is beautiful. Yellow and black is usually a bad idea but it works with this dress. I think the sash is leather, to toughen it up. Oh, and if you can’t tell, bags need some serious hardware! I’ve been carrying around a studded Nine West purse for over 5 years and it still looks great!

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journal

by Lara on October 14, 2008

in decor,fashion

This is one of the best floral arrangements I’ve ever seen. Single color arrangements are so elegant and I love the creative idea of delicately wrapping the lilies with a swirling nest of crimped silver wire. I definitely want to try that one day. I also wouldn’t mind a few bottles of single-serving champagne!

Sometimes I wish I had gotten into the habit of saving the info for each thing I’ve cut out. I do remember that the white dress is Chanel from a while ago. I love the flounced hemline and can’t decide if it makes it more formal or casual. The tiny pin with the eyes is an antique. It’s called “Lover’s Eyes” jewelry and you can learn all about these highly romantic, secretive (almost scandalous) miniature paintings here. The blue glass pendant with the bird says “cheer up” and from what I remember, it wasn’t very expensive but of course, I don’t know where it came from now. Those opal rings look magical, like they might hold the secrets of the universe. There is also no reason whatsoever to not be able to make those tassle heels. They sell tassles with larger heads at craft stores… hmm…

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