Arabesque

Is this not the most amazing arabesque you have ever seen? I'm not even sure who the dancer is, though it somewhat resembles Gillian Murphy. What incredible lines she creates! Just like anything else, I think dancers and non-dancers would look at this differently. Being a former dancer myself, the first thing I would think about is her right foot, and how much weight is sitting on the box of her pointe shoe. This picture actually looks kind of stressful to me, because I know what it takes to keep your back leg straight, your hips square, and your neck long all at the same time. Not to mention how strong this girl must be to keep her back leg at that height. But when I step back and try to view it from a non-dancer's perspective, she really looks weightless, doesn't she? It's so ironic, how much blood, sweat, and tears it takes to make something look so effortless. The product is well worth it, though, if it looks like this.

Dylan's Candy Bar

Whenever it is that I finally get to New York City, I want to go straight to Dylan's Candy Bar. It's owned by Dylan Lauren (daughter of His Highness, Ralph Lauren), and in an interview I read, she said she was inspired by the aesthetic appeal of candy. I know just what she means! I just love looking at candy for the bright colors and textures and shapes....if I could paint, I think I would paint a candy series. Dylan's shop and all of her packaging are designed with that same artistic approach, and it looks awesome to me. I would even take this paintcan without the sour patch kids!


(image from dylanscandybar.com)

Who's that stud with the cello?

Look at my adorable cousin, James! He goes to Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, CT and is an excellent cellist. (I hope you know you're playing at my wedding, James)

Hot Chicks

This blog will be picking up speed in a week when I leave for LONDON! (EEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!) But for now, here's a pic of my sisters and me at their joint graduation party in early June. Margaret (on the left) graduated from U of WI Steven's Point, and Meredith (middle) graduated from The School of Environmental Studies/Eagan High School (that's me on the right). Congrats, girls!!

Colette's Cakes

I don't bake, but Colette Peters' books on cake-making and decorating almost make me want to break out the rolling pin and almond paste! Almost. On second thought, I might just get the books for my coffee table. She is an amazing artist, and if your cakes still don't come out identical to hers after many attempts, you can order them from her website. I'm sure they're pricey, though, so I'm going to just stick to my plan and admire the pictures. Everything about these cakes is absolutely exquisite.......the colors, the sheen, the smooth texture, the tiny details. And how in the world does she come up with all of these great designs? I am truly in awe. (Yes, that Armani bag is a cake)


photo from colettescakes.com

Abaeté for less!

Word of warning: I tend to talk a lot about clothes I will never be able to afford, but love to look at. Like, say, Abaeté, whose spring/summer '06 collection was full of wispy, seafoamy, summery goodness. So when I heard that they were collaborating with Payless ShoeSource to design a line of decently-priced-but-runway-worthy shoes for the fall, I was quite pleased. Whoever started this designer/cheap retailer collaboration trend is genius! (Luella for Target, anyone?) Btw, this was one of my favorites from Abaeté spring/summer show; I love the blues and greens! Joy over at Oh, Joy! recently highlighted some of her favorites as well.






(image from abaete.com)

Is this thing on?

So, after much thought, inspiration, and hesitation, I finally decided that it was time to blog my own way into the in-crowd. No, this isn't going to be some wordy, profound, cathartic, self-indulgent record of emotions. As ridiculous as it sounds, I like pretty pictures, and this blog will be mostly about sharing my love of all things visually pleasing. More specifically, I might be talking about:

-my obsession with London and all things English
-my love of shopping (and all the cool things I find)
-my love of art in all its myriad of forms(fashion form, photography form, paper form, painting form, jewelry form, home decorating form, etc)
-my family (again, not too much wordiness)
-my kitties
-my boyfriend, Erik (see above comment)

So let's get the blog started...

(photo by getty images)