back.

back from vacation. back from the land of the sparkling lake. back to reality.

many blogs to catch up on. but first a shower and some food.

it's good to be home.

rereading.

while at the library recently, i picked up an interesting set of essays called rereadings. in each essay a writer revisits a book they have loved. having always enjoyed rereading, for the sake of pleasure more than to gain new insight from the text, i am excited to dig into the book. not long after discovering rereadings, i came across an article in newsweek on the pleasures of rereading. in explaining why he finds pleasure in rereading the same books time and again, author David Gates writes: "They fill me with the voices of people I know, thousands of them—many times the number in that old Dickens print—the real and the imagined, the living and the dead. Heaven may be like this eventually, but why wait around when it's right here, right now?"

some might say that rereading is a waste of time, especially when there are so many books out there to still be enjoyed. but Gates states that rereading is tantomount to finding a piece of heaven here on earth. in some ways, i agree with him. for awhile i would reread the nanny diairies each summer. in one way i was reconnecting with characters i had come to love over time... like a little reunion with old friends. at the same time i was also connecting them to my life that summer. a life that had changed since the last time i cracked open those pages. each summer i brought a new perspective to the story, simply because i was in a new place in my life. for me that's just one of the benefits of rereading. i'll be honest though, sometimes rereading fails me. i try to reconnect with a book i loved the first time i read it... but the magic is lost. sometimes you just can't go back.

so do you believe in rereading? if so, what do you reread? i'd love to hear about your favorite books.

a peak inside j.crew.

pretty j.crew dresses, perfect for summer

winter, spring, summer or fall... every season is perfection when you're dressed in j.crew. okay maybe that's a bit over the top, but everyone loves j.crew today. i've loved the store, known for its classic fashions, since i bought my perfect sky blue high school graduation dress there nearly ten years ago... needless to say i'm glad to see it getting the love it deserves.

already this week i've had the pleasure of finding two articles on the people responsible for j.crew's current resurgance in popularity. via a tweet from simple|pretty i found this piece from cbs sunday morning on ceo Mickey Drexler. i love this quote: "a special color, a special this, that creates a detail... so, you know, it's a small detail, but everything we do is a detail." while i think you can see this in just about all their clothing, this season's floral trend has gone above and beyond. from the silk embroidery on this t-shirt to the lovely corsage detailing the shoulder of this tee... each piece has that extra something that really elevates your look.

and my lovely friend elicia was kind enough to email me this piece from the huffington post on creative director, jenna lyons. jenna's picks are something i look forward to each month. i enjoy seeing how she combines elements and appreciate her details on those certain items we all just must buy.

peaking behind the scenes of j.crew... what a great way to start the week.

too busy living life.

today i was too busy living life to blog. a random stop to check in with a friend turned into a night of celebrating. celebrating new beginnings with raspberry mojitos and martinis... gelato in the backyard... and of course a game of loaded questions.

i had great plans for today's post... but they will have to wait for another day.

a few links for the night-

demo from ingrid michaelson that i'm loving.

collection of great links from marta.

inspiration for bike riders everywhere.

a favorite peek into the daily lives of others.

habit is a simple collection of daily photos collected by various women to reflect the habits of their daily life. in their welcome the creators share that-

in some small way, we are hoping to capture the collective life of a community of women who are artists and writers, photographers and bloggers, mothers and sisters and daughters and granddaughters, and thinkers and seers and wonderers.

i definitely believe that they achieve this goal. i enjoy seeing the collection each morning pop up in my google reader. it inspires me to capture a bit more my own daily habits. as this quote suggests, there is certainly something to be celebrated in these moments that make up our life.

Anything one does every day is important and imposing and anywhere one lives is interesting and beautiful.

Gertrude Stein

have an hour? read a story.

apparently harper perennial has declared this the summer of the short story. i'm assuming this has something do with the fact that all year long they have been celebrating the short story on their site- fifty-two stories. the introduction reads:

This year we're celebrating the thriving art of the story by sharing a new one every week: most of them new, a few of them classics, from authors you know and some you don't, each of them treasurable in its language or wit or human insight. And we'd love to have you join us! Watch this space and enjoy.

as is mentioned by pop candy, short stories are perfect for summer reading. i love to take a nice collection to the beach. you feel like you're actually able to accomplish something between chattering with friends and pausing to dip your feet in the lake. i have fond memories of reading through this alice munro set a few summers ago in traverse city.

be sure to check out the stories they've added so far this year. and in case you aren't inspired yet, this quote by neil gaiman is sure to do the trick.

A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.

a picture is worth a 1000 words.

on the tenth day of each month, husband and wife team David and Hannah put into practice the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words. Hannah provides the picture and David provides the words. each piece is a lovely morsel of art that i devour and savor until the next month roles along. i am looking forward to checking out their latest creation on friday. until then, be sure to check out their archives.

style on a budget.

great quote found via isuwannee via jill's tumblr

like everyone else during these "difficult economic times," i'm always looking for the latest on how to have great style with a virtually non-existent clothing budget. one of the perks of the recession is the number of style-saavy, spend-thrifty blogs that have emerged. a recent discovery (thanks to jackie of sweetie pie pumpkin noodle) is the blog - the good life for less. jill's style minded blog has many great features, but my favorite is her good LOOK for less posts. like her recent set for jennifer from nashville, jill has a knack for finding clothes to fit your budget. but she takes it one step further by showing you multiple outfits that can be made from the pieces she selects. the real key to having great style on a budget is making use of what you already own. jill's blog is the perfect inspiration for those looking to mix up their wardrobe this summer. be sure to check out her side project - 100 inspirations for even more great fashion advice.

one final plus about the fabulous good life for less... jill's located in west michigan. always fun to find a local who's doing awesome stuff online.

happy fourth of july.

love this photo from randi brookman harris via frolic.

here's hoping you have a lovely holiday.

ode to the indie.

via a cup of jo via oh

truer words have never been sung. if you enjoy a good indie film, be sure to check this out.

away we go.

i pretty much love going to the movies. i'd probably go every weekend if i could. the more movies you see, and this feels especially probable in the summer, the less likely it seems that one will really stick with you. there is something about away we go that has stuck with me.

from the very first scene (a highly awkward sexual scene that ensures you will never watch this movie with your parents), i knew i would not forget this movie. but it was more than the experience of a few awkward moments when my own morals clashed with that of the characters... it was the story that struck a chord with me. it made me think about home, about change, about why we make the choices we make... i love walking out of a movie and having something to chew on with my viewing companion.

i also love a good laugh until you cry moment... and this movie was not without one of those. combine that with the super great soundtrack and i can't help but recommend this movie.* in fact, please won't you take me with you this weekend?

*however, if you have a sensitive conscience to things of a sexual nature or repeated usage of the f-word i'd avoid this film.

new favorite recipe.

nothing complements the abundance of greens available at the farmer's market like a nice simple vinaigrette dressing. this recipe from the barefoot contessa has quickly become a staple in my meal planning since i found it a few weeks ago online. as it would turn out it's actually in the barefoot contessa family style, which i've owned for quite a while... but i digress.

here is the recipe.
(note: champagne vinegar is out of my budget so i substitute it with a little balsamic.)

raising foodies.

While I may not be raising children, Joslyn's original blog Simple Lovely has been a favorite of mine for a long time. And cooking is pretty much my favorite pasttime, so the lack of a child to cook for was no reason not to check out her new venture "Raising Foodies." I love the concept of mindfully crafting the meal experience for your family. Apparently all parents must accept that their children are born with an intense love for chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese... but this doesn't mean you're forced to a life of hiding spinach in your child's brownies. Despite the fact that the failures seem to outweigh the successes, Joslyn tirelessly offers her children the opportunity to enjoy food of all kinds. I've certainly enjoyed following along with their journey.

The best part of the experience has been trying the teriffic recipes Joslyn shares on a near daily basis. I was instantly won over by the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Last weekend I baked my second batch of the cookies while also trying the cheese straws (I modified them a bit, omiting the red pepper and cutting them into squares instead of straws). No surprise, this recipe was just as delicious.

interior inspiration.

via bliss - may 13

via bliss - june 23

i tend to believe that our homes reflect who we are. i consider it the highest compliment that someone feels "at home" in my living space. i want my friends to know where the glasses are, to feel free to put their feet up on the couch, to enjoy their stay.

in attempting to create the kind of space that elicits these feelings, i have found inspiration in many places. one site that provides weekly inspiration (in many areas) is bliss. each tuesday mrs. french posts her happy place- the blissful inspiration of the week. i have found many of my favorite interior shots via these posts. hopefully you can find something of your own to delight in.