Packing up

I am not a great packer.  I aspire to be one of those people who flits away for a weekend and can produce stunning outfits from a tiny piece of luggage.  I am not that girl.  I have read articles about how to pack, the types of luggage to buy and how to fold clothing correctly but to no avail.  Most of the time I end up with a too heavy bag and nothing to wear.  While this problem is a combination of luggage and clothing; I think having the right suitcase can help lead to accurate packing.  Over the past year and half in Romania, I've been traveling a far bit and I can admit I have become a bit better at packing.  However, I am still lacking the right luggage.

This summer I went to Germany.  I brought the one rolling suitcase that I own which in the States has always fit in the overhead bins, but I discovered in Europe the bins are smaller. Thus it rendered my carry-on not that.  I have now found myself in the market for a smaller suitcase that will actually fit in smaller overhead bins.  I also am the kind of girl that will fill space if I have it, so limiting the size is a must for my success. 

I was recently inspired but an advert for The Container Store and have been looking around to see what my options are.  Here is some luggage that is currently inspiring me: 

Sherpani Meridian LE Wheeled Luggage 22" from REI $175

Orla Kiely Travel Set from Garnet Hill $138 - $305

Rolling Tote from The Container Store - $169

A la Carte Bagg from The Container Store - $69 (this is made to stack on the Rolling Tote above)

All images from their respective owners.

Birthday Calendars

My grandmother had a birthday calendar in her hallway; with 11 children and an ever increasing number of grandchildren it was necessary. The concept of the birthday calendar is simple; it's a year-less calendar with days so you can just pen in the birthdays. My grandmother's calendar featured Monet's impressionist paintings that were perfect for a year-less calender, adding to its timeless, dreamy quality. 

I've been searching for one for a number of years and I finally feel like I am getting close to the right one.  The challenge is to find images that you will enjoy year after year.  Long live the birthday calendar!

 Birthday Calendar from Linda & Harriett

letterpress birthday calendar by larkpress on Etsy

Time Flies Birthday Calendar from ModCloth

images from their respective owners

Lovely things

Spring is in the air and I am inspired by bright colors and interesting designs. Below are a few things I am currently loving.

The ultimate cardigan
I may own this beauty in 2 colors already, but I can't help coveting even more! The sweater has some cashmere in it too, so it's warm and soft.
GAP ($49)

Chains Indoor-Outdoor Rug
Cost Plus World Market ($39 to $479 depending on size)

Vera Neumann Scenic Mugs
Anthropologie ($8 each)

Setting the Table

In a perfect world, I would have gigantic kitchen cupboards to fill with stacks of dishes for endless dinner parties. In reality I have a small kitchen with even smaller cupboards so I content myself with daydreaming of a pantry filled with items from Fishs Eddy like the below.

Light Bright

Last spring while shopping at a flea market I bought a giant glass lamp. I was attracted to the design in the glass and was sure it would look lovely when lit up. It was only $20 because the wiring was faulty, also because it weighed a lot and I am sure the seller just wanted to get rig of it. The lady who sold it to me urged me not to plug it in as it would cause the fuse to blow (I think she learned this the hard way). I heeded her advice and was sure my dad could teach me how to rewire it. It only took me about 6 months to buy all the supplies and get a lesson from my dad.

It costs an additional $15 to get the new wire, a more attractive chain, a new plug and a switch. I also had my dad help me hang the lamp to make sure the ceiling wouldn't fall down, but here are the results and I am quite pleased! Not too bad for a $35 investment and a little elbow grease!

Redesigned Designs

Astrid Chair, Naive Tropical from Anthropology $1298

Gerber Upholostered Chair from Target $299

Canary Print Armless Chair from Target $299

Random Pretties for 2009

Winter Fawn by Stephanie Congdon Barnes from her holiday shoppe (Sold Out)

Chasing Feathers Bangle from ModCloth.com ($14.99)



ilee's 2009 Letterpress and Silkscreen Calendar avaliable on etsy.com ($22.00)
I bought one for my mom and one for me!

This is what I want to wrap around me

SCARF MATRIX

I am a huge proponent of scarves. Both as a way to keep warm and to add additional color or texture to a bland outfit. It's one of the few reasons I sometimes look forward to fall. However, all scarves are not created equal. I believe that scarves should be judged on the following properties:

• Texture (there is nothing worse that have something itchy wrapped around your neck)
• Color (does it work with other things?)
• Price (the lower, the better)
• Size (if you can't wrap it around your neck a few times I don't think it's worth the effort)
• Weight (I once had a beautiful wool scarf from Banana Republic that won in the other categories, but was simply too heavy. It was only wearble on days when the temperature was below 0. I learned my lesson, if it's too heavy for normal wear I pass on it.)

I've scoured the fall lines and these are the winners:

Long washed-silk scarf $68.00 available at J. Crew


Dip-dye fringe scarf $19.50 available at Gap