Thursday, June 30, 2011

beach day









as part of our continuing vacation, bryan and i decided to head down to Rehoboth Beach, DE on wednesday to make sure we could get in a little beach time this summer. my aunt has always had a house there so i've grown up going to this beach and i still get so excited everytime i get to visit. it was a really beautiful (but HOT) day; those lovely chocolate dipped ice cream cones lasted just about long enough to photograph before they melted and got all over us. we were able to regroup and then i was able to kick bryan's ass at the horse race game, but sadly had no luck at frog bog this year...

we capped off the day trip with a visit to the Dogfishead brewpub (seriously we sound like alcoholics at this point...) to drink some delicious cold beers and pick up some seriously discounted packs for the road ;) all and all a perfect beach outing.

shop update!



new bracelets in the shop! more to come this week ;)

keeping it classy






i have been so enjoying my little vacation now that it has morphed into a bit of a "stay-cation" for the last few days (sigh back to work tomorrow, yes on a friday). on tuesday night I went and saw the Philadelphia Orchestra perform Carmina Burana with my friend Michelle and had such a wonderful time. They played at an outdoor amphitheater outside of Philadelphia. best part of the whole thing is that you can bring in whatever food and booze you want and have a nice little picnic during the performance ;)

clearly we had to keep it classy and bought some white wine, seriously yummy cheeses and all of the fixings. the performance was amazing and aside from the fact that it was still HOT HOT HOT even after the sunset, i can't wait to go to another show!

hopefully everyone else has been enjoying their summer so far and finding nice ways to beat the heat. yesterday, bryan and i took a little trip down to the beach and today we're going to the afternoon phillies game (we're kind of loving vacation life, so sad it must end...)

i've also got a stack of new knit bracelets in new colors ready to go, so hopefully i will get those listed ASAP.

Monday, June 27, 2011

home sweet home



bryan and i finally returned home last night after about 9 hours in the car (thank goodness for a back log of This American Life and RadioLab podcasts ;) and i couldn't have been happier to see our apartment. the trip was so much fun even though it managed to rain pretty much everyday. i'll have more to share in the days to come, but in summary we went to about 9 different wineries and 5 breweries (ha). it was just so nice to spend quality time together after such a crazy and stressful year of work (my cell phone was turned OFF for a whole week!)

we both have a few more days off work and i couldn't have more to do! time to finally tackle that checklist for the wedding and get a big shop update done.

ok, time for coffee and breakfast...

Friday, June 24, 2011

have an adventurous weekend ;)

source


hope everyone is enjoying summer so far and has big fun plans for the weekend! we'll be back late sunday at some point and i'll be back online on monday. i've got more days off of work so i'm looking forward to doing a massive shop update and maybe finally working on that website i've been planning... i'll also be sharing photos from our vacation in the week to come!

but it's summer! so i hope this weekend finds you heading to the closest body of water or gathering all of your favorite people for a barbecue ;)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

my name is jess and i'm a cat person


there seems to be such a sharp distinction between those who are dog people and those who are cat people. dog people seem to be thought of as normal even when their relationship with their pet is anything but. i feel like cat people on the other hand are quickly pigeon-holed into crazy lady town just for merely mentioning that they indeed own a cat. maybe i'm a little defensive, but i also have to admit to not really liking dogs that much (something i can hardly utter out loud without causing an uproar). clearly each pet species has its unique and wonderful qualities and these differences seem to be strong enough to segregate people into rival camps.

recently my friend forwarded me this hilarious article from the NY Times just about this exact issue. it's totally worth the read, so i recommend checking out the link below ;)

here's an excerpt:

Sloane Crosley - "Cat People are People Too"
"The upside to cat ownership is proximity to a sense of dignity, intelligence and lack of garish behavior. The downside is that a cat is something hidden, a secret that needs confessing as the doorknob turns. "By the way, I’ve been to the doctor and it turns out … I have a cat."

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

summer buys



so even though i try not to, i continue to impulsively buy lovely things i come across. above are some of my more recent acquisitions that i absolutely ADORE and have been getting a lot of mileage out of this summer. i was especially excited to find those sandals at target and snag that Baggu at 50% on a Lucky Mag daily deal ;) just goes to show what a dangerous place the internet is for my wallet...

p.s. didnt that girl in the cardigan win a season of Top Model?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

tuesday tunes - summer's here



have some summery tunes for y'all today ;)

1. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
2. The Reeling - Passion Pit
3. Young Blood - The Naked & Famous
4. In the Sun - She & Him
5. Like a Lady - Santigold

enjoy!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

current obsession: charmaine olivia




i just love love the artwork of San Fransisco based artist Charmaine Olivia. i've already amassed quite a substantial collection of her work and i'm always wanting to get just one more... she's completely self taught and quite prolific for being so young.

her work can be found on etsy, society 6, and her personal website.

ready to feel 8 years old ago


did you hear? the muppets are coming back!

as a kid i was pretty much obsessed with Muppets Take Manhattan and The Great Muppet Caper so i was kind of super excited to see that they are bringing them back in a new movie. even though the trailer sort of looks like a mess, i'm totally in.

i love any excuse to embrace my inner child ;)
what were your favorite childhood movies?

Friday, June 17, 2011

have a relaxing weekend



(aren't these sculptural knits by Nanna van Blaaderen to die for? i recently found them via pinterest)

this week felt very hectic and there was way too much going on most days, so i am most excited for the weekend to finally be here! tonight bryan and i get to celebrate the end of the medical year with a night out on the town with a cocktail party on the waterfront and then dancing! what to wear, what to wear...

then on saturday i'll be in hyper cleaning and packing mood - dear lord if anyone saw the state of our apartment! sunday we head out for a wonderful week away! don't worry though, i have actually prewritten and scheduled blog posts so there will be some rambles up on here to keep you all occupied ;)

what are you up to? hope everyone has a good one!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

yes, i miss mad men too

sigh, it just doesn't seem right to not have Don Draper in my life right now...

i think we all can agree that summer television is pretty dismal and there isn't much to spark my interest these days (although i totally admit to watching Pretty Little Liars (i know, i know) and White Collar). thank goodness for on demand Netflix. i've been finding some great stuff recently, so i have a few recommends for those looking to sit in the air conditioning and zone out in front of a tv/computer this summer.


Downton Abbey
this visually stunning British period drama centers around the goings-on of the Downton Abbey estate and follows the lives of the family that resides there and the diligent staff that runs the place. full confession, i watched the first series in one weekend. i'm a sucker for pretty much any costume drama, but this one really stands out for its complex characters and seriously gorgeous high end production value. oh and Maggie Smith is in it, do you need more convincing?


The IT Crowd
yes, another British offering but this time its a screwy comedy that is very very hilarious (and very very British). the IT Crowd pairs two computer nerds with their technically illiterate manager and is set at just about the strangest company ever. (you might recognize the one guy from the movie Bridesmaids where he won over the audience as the adorable irish cop ;) my sister and i have be compulsively watching this ever since we discovered it and both agree that it is just about the oddest and funniest thing ever. seriously just watch it for Richmond, hopefully you'll thank me.


The Station Agent
so bryan and i had been hoping to catch the movie Win Win in the theater after hearing such good reviews about it, but with busy schedules we just never made it. this film though is by Thomas McCarthy, the same guy who wrote and directed Win Win, and is about Peter Dinklage's character who loses his best friend and then moves to an abandoned train station. there's something about this film though that just hooked me right away. it is completely charming and understated and wonderfully acted. how did it take me so long to see this one?

our summer getaway


(source, source)


so as of THIS SUNDAY, Bryan is finally done with his intern year! (this is the first and hardest year of medical residency where bryan worked all of the time and i rarely saw him awake :( so to celebrate and enjoy his whole ten days off, we've planned a nice little road trip for us to getaway.

we're going to first go to the Finger Lakes region in New York state to tour some wineries and hang out with my awesome cousin and her fiance. then were spending some time in Cooperstown, NY to see the baseball hall of fame and also visit Ommemgang brewery (yummmmm). after that we're crossing the border into Canada to visit Niagara Falls (bryan's never been and i'm seriously sad i don't have the family photos of my awkward preteen self in front of the falls ;) we'll then end our trip with two nights in Toronto, a city neither of us have been too.

so if you have any recommends (or general road trip tips or advice) please send them our way! we've been collecting some Toronto must sees from our Canadian friends and i can't wait ;)

and are you planning any summer getaways? where are you headed?

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

six months later & SALE



6 months ago, i opened up my little shop over at etsy and little did i know how great an experience it all would be. not only have i been able to share my little creations with everyone, but i've also gotten to know this wonderful and supportive online community (i mean i'm even on twitter now, did not think that would ever happen...)

all of this also came at a time when i really needed it. i've mentioned before, but i've been going through a hard time with trying to finish graduate school. also i had recently moved to philadelphia to be with my wonderful fiance. while i love the city and living here, i now have a sizable commute and still have found it hard to make local friends. so etsy, this blog, twitter, and especially all of you have really helped me through and it's been a lot of fun ;)

so thanks everyone for making the last six months awesome and i pretty excited to see where things go in the future ;)

as a special thanks, i'm offering 20% OFF my whole shop (only until this sunday), just enter 20THANKS at checkout ;)

Monday, June 13, 2011

tuesday tunes - an eclectic mix




today's 5 tuesday tunes are an eclectic mix (to say the least) of songs i just happen to like a lot at the moment. i'm sure bryan would attest to the fact that i play them over and over again. so hopefully you will ENJOY! and i LOVE music recommends so drop me a note in the comments with your current faves ;)

1. Beat and the Pulse - Austra
2. Laredo - Band of Horse
3. Somebody to Love Me - Mark Ronson and the Business International
4. Sweet Disposition - Temper Trap
5. Nobody's Gonna Love You More - Cee-Lo

my weekend in photos







this weekend was pretty great and involved a lot of yummy food and relaxation. On saturday Bryan and I hunted down Jose Garces's taco truck - Guapos Tacos and then picked up a delicious arrangement of beers before heading back home. we watched the movie The Station Agent, which i highly recommend. its a nice simple movie about people and i couldn't have enjoyed it more. then we got a wonderful late dinner that involved beer cocktails (!) and very delicious cheese plate.

sunday was laid back too. we had brunch and then my sister and i were on bridesmaid duty, addressing 60 bridal shower invites for my cousin (our family is so big!). later Bryan and i went food shopping and then remembered we had tickets to see Kurt Vile in sauna (technically it was in a church basement, but it seriously felt like a sweat lodge).

hope everyone had an equally enjoyable weekend! i've got to get through this weekend before a week of glorious vacation ;)

Friday, June 10, 2011

have a wonderful weekend ;)


(isn't this photo by tamgutlich beautiful?)

after what seemed like the longest week ever, i am so happy that it is finally the weekend ;) saturday is going to be low key and i'm hoping to be super productive and get a bunch of work done. sunday, we have plans for brunch with my sister and her boyfriend at one of my most favorite philly restaurants and i cannot wait (brunch is by far my favorite meal).

i'm also vowing to start taking more photos. i used to spend way too much time in the darkroom during high school and college and it's so sad that i have hardly taken any photographs in recent years. (i used to love love taking double exposed photos like the one shown above) now that i have a nice camera that i use for product photos there really is no excuse. so starting this weekend i'm going to bring the camera with me and see what happens.

i hope everyone has lovely weekend plans!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

current obsession: dullDiamond


have you all seen these lovely beaded necklaces and bracelets made by dullDiamond? each piece is one of a kind and i just love the spontaneous nature of each one. i also love the fact that dullDiamond is actually a collaboration between two very talented friends.

i'm currently plotting out which ones need to be mine...
you can find their shop here ;)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

maxi dresses


so i have to admit that i was totally on the fence about maxi dresses before. it wasn't until I was digging through boxes to unpack my summer clothes this year that I decided to give my lone maxi another try - and oh boy they are comfy. now i'm in love.

so i couldn't resist picking up a couple new ones today at Forever 21 on my way home from work ;) i feel like a sandy beach, an icy cocktail, and a good book would help complete each look.

day dreaming...




it's going to be around 100 degrees here for the next few days and i'm sort of melting just thinking about it! so i'm dreaming about getting away and sitting on a lovely beach...

we're planning to honeymoon in southern Italy and just looking at photos of the area gets me so excited. our plan is to stay for a week in Sorrento (with day trips to the surrounding area) and then do a little island hopping at the end.

i've never been to Italy before! have you? any recommendations?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

tuesday tunes - girl power





some of my favorite musical females are featured today ;)

1. Lykke Li - I'm Good, I'm Gone
2. The Bird and the Bee - Again & Again
3. Florence and the Machine - Howl
4. Gold Motel - Safe in LA
5. Metric - Gold, Guns, Girls


hope everyone is having a good tuesday ;)
ENJOY!

Monday, June 6, 2011

behold: the snow egg


so i pretty much want to hop on a plane right now to Australia and enjoy this magical dessert ;)
guava granita! custard apple ice cream! man i am hungry....

source: wired.co.uk
via @laferrera

Sunday, June 5, 2011

sublime sunday


this morning, bryan and i got our tired and slightly hungover selves out of bed and drove back to philly (but not after trying to eat as much as possible at brunch to feel human again ;) it was a lovely weekend spent in the greenwich, CT area celebrating our friends wedding (bryan was a groomsman and was decked out in a sailboat print bowtie and cummerbund!) but it sure felt wonderful to get back home.

after lounging about for most of the afternoon, we rallied and went and saw the new Woody Allen film: Midnight in Paris. It was really charming and fun and I highly recommend. I also now need to get myself to Paris ASAP. then we headed to south philly for some supremely amazing mexican food. i think i smiled like a goon the entire evening. it was just one of those perfectly amazing nights where i just feel completely and utterly happy ;)

hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Friday, June 3, 2011

planning a summer road trip



so in a couple of weeks bryan and i are packing our bags and headed north for a short summer road trip to get away from it all and celebrate the end of his very long intern year (1st year of medical residency). we're going to visit some friends and family and even go see Niagara Falls! i also recently discovered the ease of using Polyvore so i thought i would share with you some items i've spotted for an ideal travel outfit during hot summer days. nothing beats a cute straw fedora, breathable cotton, comfortable sandals, and a bright floral weekend bag ;)

i hope everyone has a wonderful weekend too! we're headed up to Connecticut for a wedding today in the most stressful fashion - cut to us driving through NYC during rush hour on a friday. time for me to pack and head off to work! what are your weekend plans?

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