{Water & Dreams}

Sanibel Island is my family's long-time vacation spot. Was just dreaming about the sea today so I thought I'd pull some old (2012) photos from the last time I was there.   

My sister (a Pisces) makin a necklace outta seaweed. Typical Neptunian lady.

 Niece eva and my mom, the fly-est grammie of 'em all

 Included this one in the bunch because I love the colors that the editing brought out. This romper is still one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe. 

I'm also rocking out (very, very softly) to this tonight, which takes my mind to a dreamy waterworld:

{Spring Indulgences}

Here's my spring wish list. I've ordered Siken's book of poetry, which I'm very excited to receive in the mail any day now. The orange lipstick and perfume are part of my current collection. The other items are purely items to dream about. I can't fathom spending $70 on a pair of underwear, but GAWD THEY'RE CUTE.

Sexy, high-waisted brief, Free People, $70

Richard Siken's collection of poetry, "Crush," $15

for a beautiful saturation of love and obsession

"You are a fever I am learning to live with, and everything is happening at the wrong end of a very long tunnel."

Mac Amplified creme Lipstick in Molange, $16, for an easy beach look with a little edge

Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche, $90

Notes: Citrus, Water Hyacinth and Jasmine Absolute, Amber, Patchouli, and Fresh Vetiver. It's worth the price. It lasts a long time and is a versatile scent, transitioning easily from day to night.

  

Irregular Choice, $160

          

               

Anthropologie swim, $340

{Apartment Inspiration: Phantom Forest Eco Reserve}

One of my favorite places to stay in South Africa is Phantom Forest Eco Reserve, just outside of Knysna. Aside from the treehouse suites and amazing, remote location that overlooks a river and lagoon, the decor is really great, as is the incorporation of outdoor elements in indoor spaces: 

Here are some pieces that echo the decor of Phantom Forest:

jossandmain.com

Urban Outfitters          Anthropologie

                                  Anthropologie           Urban Outfitters

Dot & Bo

{UNIF: For When You're Feeling Undeniably Surly}

I was shopping for spring basics today at Cliche in Uptown and discovered UNIF. It's not my typical style, but I like the 90s influence and general edginess of it. 

I ended up getting this dress ...

...even though I fear that I'm going to be channeling oksana baiul.

{She Looked Like Art}

Inspiration for today: Frida.

“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it's true I'm here, and I'm just as strange as you.” 

― Frida Kahlo

{In a Sea of Mystery}

"No matter what you touch and you wish to know about, you end up in a sea of mystery. 

This is the greatest damn thing about the universe. That we can know so much, recognize so much, dissect, do everything, and we can’t grasp it. And it’s meant to be that way, do y’know. And there’s where our reverence should come in. Before everything, the littlest thing as well as the greatest. The tiniest, the horseshit, as well as the angels, do y’know what I mean. It’s all mystery. All impenetrable, as it were, right?" --Henry Miller

Creating My Happy Place by Renée Foster

The journey to creating my happy place was a long one, but not a complicated one. As far back as I can remember I have loved displaying my favorite people, things, and memories (photos) all over my walls.

This was my desk when I was 14. My love for Ricky Martin was real, and it was well-represented in my room (as you can see). You'll also see other gems such as Freddie Prinze Jr. and Chris Kirkpatrick (of *NSYNC).

Zoom out to see I also had an appreciation for Leonardo DiCaprio, X-Files, and Jesus. Anyway, a mere 5 years later, I got married at the ripe old age of 19. I quickly learned that the way my home looked was no longer solely up to me. I have one of those husbands who really cares what is on our walls and where furniture goes, etc. As a result, for the past 10 years I have been gathering a lot of decorative items that only I like into boxes--hoping that one day I would again have a space that is ONLY mine. Finally, we have a house where I have my own home office (a necessity, as I work from home and have two kids).

Along with the blessing of having a space that is 100% my own came the challenge of turning my childish collage-style tendencies into a space where adult-me could feel clean and organized, while still somehow displaying everything I love.

Here's what I came up with:

I have about 1 million pictures that I love that have been saved and viewed on my computer only, so I decided to have one gallery-style wall, and three large photo collages.

Almost all of the furniture and frames are from garage sales. The rest is from Ikea. That shelf is where I put all of my journals, yearbooks, trophies, and books that I love. I chose periwinkle as the color of the walls because it's feminine, but different, and it changes colors depending on the light (sometimes it's blue, sometimes it's purple). Then I added all of the twinkle lights last because the room needed a little more magic.

It's so delightful to see my little girls run and play around among the many pictures of my ancestors, my childhood, and my favorite things.