I've always had a habit of collecting bits of inspiration and have over time amassed quite a large collection of photos, magazine clippings, stickers, postcards, etc. I usually rotate what I keep on my walls to keep things fresh and new and thought that I'd share a brief glimpse into my inspiration board at the moment... The twilight poster is a bit embarrassing but who cares. I've got an Annie Leibovitz postcard from the Brooklyn museum up, a photobooth clipping from the state fair this year (which has turned into an annual tradition), various bits of art from friends, a... Continue reading

I recently discovered these gorgeous headbands from ban.do and have been salivating over them ever since. Most of them are too fancy to wear for everyday use but they have a relatively inexpensive line that could easily be incorporated into my wardrobe. Made from vintage materials and embellishments these pieces evoke, to me, a sense of class and polish. The difficult part is deciding on which one I'd like best.... This one is from their black label collection and called'just fantastic', it sort of screams special occasion to me. This bow tie one is from their main collection, isn't it... Continue reading

One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking (and consuming) dozens of holiday cookies. The ladies in my family, sexist I know, gather yearly to produce hundreds of different holiday favorites. And since moving out its now my responsibility to go and produce several variations of my own. Being me I have stressed and searched to find what I deem the perfect specimen to share. Here are a few of my ideas. Surprise Cookies from Martha Stewart. Recipe available here. Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps again from Martha Stewart. Recipe available here. Cinnamon Stars from the foodnetworks twelve days of cookies. Mmmm, I'm... Continue reading

I'm not really the biggest fan of winter (the cold, the slush, parking, etc.) but usually I end up getting into it around January or February. And this year I am determined to get out and make the most of it, since its my first winter actually in the city. A friend of mine introduced me to the city of lakes annual loppet and being the non-athlete that I am I opted (along with friends) to go for the luminary race at night. How much fun does this sound like! If you're going to be in the area and can... Continue reading

With christmas being right around the corner (and my bank account being close to empty) I've held off on buying anything for myself of late and chosen instead to ogle and dream about the things I'd like to receive come christmas morning. Here are just a few of them... Doesn't this Kate Spade bow ring just make you go awww. Available at Nordstroms. Really digging on this cage dress over atNeed Supply co. I love the hair accesories that Anthropologie is offering this winter, this one is surprisingly cheap and funky. Available here. This moustache pencils over at the curiosity... Continue reading

Lately I have been lusting over posters, what with all the blank wall space that we still have to cover in our apartment its no wonder I'm gravitating towards ways to use it up. There really is a crazy amount of some of the sweetest posters out there that look ultra cool with or without a frame. Here are some of my favorites thus far... Red Sky At Night.. print from Brainstorm Print and Design My roomate really likes this recycled WWII poster and I tend to agree with her. Available here. Am diggin on this Aesthetic Appartus poster for... Continue reading

I never really follow clothing trends throughout the seasons, preferring instead to stick to simply what I find to be pretty and/or flattering to my figure. But I was browsing through Target the other day and picked up a copy of Instyle just for the hell of it and found (to my surprise) that some of these predicted trends I can actually jump behind. Here are a few of the following trends and items that are on my wish list: Hardware - I'm loosely interpretting this to mean anything metal on, well, anything else? But whatevs it looks sweet. 1.... Continue reading

Since I am having what have to be the two most hellish days at work ever (my own fault too) I decided to gather things that simply make me smile and lift my mood, which is pretty low at the moment. I'm not usually the biggest of cat fans but you can't beat a cat montage. I had a roomate in college who would watch hours of these with me. Failblog.org Because someone else is always having a way worse day than I am. This ones just because. I can't remember where I got the picture its been on my... Continue reading

I stumbled across this design idea on, yes again, design sponge several months back, copied it and am now so proud with the end result I decided to share! I was flipping through posts and found this on a before and after pallet daybed post: Rather than the daybed I was drawn to the paper lantern and pom pom collage she created hanging from the ceiling. The pom poms were from the Martha Stewart line at Walmart (which I refuse to step foot in again, I'm a Target gal) and the paper lanterns can be found online for super cheap.... Continue reading

As already noted every few months I pick a new item to obsess over and this month I have taken it upon myself to find the perfect candle. Odd, you may say, but I disagree. A candle can add so much to a room; odor, ambience, etc. I have surpassed my aversion to candles (i usually associated them with incense and pot) and fully embraced them as a decorating tool. And when living in an old creaky building with drafty windows adding warmth and pleasant scents can turn into a must. And the nice thing about candles is that they... Continue reading

There is nothing my creative soul loves better than a blank wall; the possibilites really are endless. Which is why, when I stumbled across this idea a few months back, I hopped on the band wagon right away and created a mini wall mural of my own. The gist of the idea is to place a variety of different sized and decorated plates on the wall to create a mini work of art. I love this idea because its affordable and the end result looks both proffesional and creative, and because plates are so cheap you can change it up... Continue reading

I don't usually stay on top of runway trends mainly because I can't even afford to drool over $2,000 dresses but when I stumbled across the 2009 spring collection from designer Matthew Williamson on Gilt I immediately fell in love and had to share it. Just the fact that its last seasons spring collection should tell you something. If you havn't heard of Gilt its a website that does designer sales, if you want a membership just let me know and I'll invite you. I don't care what anyone says, these are works of art! Ugh, the colors, the patterns!... Continue reading

I don't usually stay on top of runway trends mainly because I can't even afford to drool over $2,000 dresses but when I stumbled across the 2009 spring collection from designer Matthew Williamson on Gilt I immediately fell in love and had to share it. Just the fact that its last seasons spring collection should tell you something. If you havn't heard of Gilt its a website that does designer sales, if you want a membership just let me know and I'll invite you. I don't care what anyone says, these are works of art! Ugh, the colors, the patterns!... Continue reading

With winter nearing in and sucking all of the moisture out of the air so comes the dry skin. It happens every year and I mostly spend seven months with ashy legs and arms but this year is different because this year I am ready. In the past I have tried out dozens of different moisturizing lotions, creams, and rubs in vain attempts to recapture the lush moist feel my skin has during the summer but most end up falling short of the task. Minnesota winters really can be brutal and tough. This year is different because I stumbled across... Continue reading

For some reason over the past month I have been obsessed with finding the perfect cocktail ring. Which is odd considering the fact that I really never wear more than one ring, and thats simply a plain silver band. But I've begun to drool over some gorgeous, bold, rings. The following are on my wish list. Love the neutral tones and simple pattern to this kendra scott ring. I'm really loving the edgy feel to this Skinny ring. This is about as edgy as I get, actually. AVailable here. I've had my eye on this ring from Kate Spade for... Continue reading

To prove that I am not completely shallow and one-dimensional I am branching out to topics beyond shopping and decorating and showing you one of my favorite daily check-in websites. Oddly enough it's NASA's website which posts a segment called daily images, which is pretty self explanatory. These images, thanks in large part to what I'm assuming is some pretty incredible technology, are incredibly gorgeous and detailed. It sometimes makes me wish I had the brains and the patience to go into a career dealing with astronomy. It also makes me miss school (who'da thought I'd be saying that) and... Continue reading

I never really plan out what I'm going to buy ahead of time, I'm an awful impulse buyer. But one thing I'm setting my sights on this fall is a cape or capelet and I don't care if it makes me look like Madeline or like I'm nine again. I think they look and feel so parisian and cute so here are the one's I've got my eye on this season. While it may seem rather plain and boring I love this modcloth.com version because it's simple and classy.Ps. If you havn't checked out modcloth yet you should tons of... Continue reading

So, even though spare time for me is rare, I have managed to pick up (and actually complete) an entire book. This one was recommended to me by a family friend who shares the same passion for one of my favorite painters; John Singer Sargent. Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X by Deborah Davis is a non-fiction (Woah me) piece centered around Sargent's famous portrait of Madame Gautreau which later became known as Madame X. Davis does a really nice job of piecing together historical information, which could tend to lean towards the dry side, and... Continue reading

Right about this point in the year I begin to moan, fret, and think that I have nothing to wear in my closet!! Any of you who have been anywhere near my closet know that this is not true. Sometimes it just feels like I have exhausted every outfit combo and thats when I need to turn to outside sources for inspiration. Enter TheSartorialist.com. This blog is from a former 'fashion insider' who takes to the streets and photographs everyday people (well almost) on the street in unique outfits that he finds inspirational and posts them. Here are some of... Continue reading

So, I've got this favorite pair of jeans (who doesn't) that are my go to outfit. I love them like nothing else in my wardrobe. They're comfortable, they're flattering, and I've worn them at least every other day for the past year (with liberal washings mixed in don't worry). But last week something awful happened: they busted a hole in the ass. Not a full fledged lady gaga flashing but enough to catch a little wink of cheek every time I move. I almost cried a bit over it, but not because they are just a pair of jeans after... Continue reading

As the weather starts to turn cooler the first thing I instinctively want to do is to get my hands on all the warm bulky sweaters I can. The tricky part is to actually find pieces that both warm you and don't make you look like a bulky blob of cloth. So here I have compiled the pieces that I long to cuddle up on the couch in with a warm cup of hot cocoa. While lacking sleeves this Gentle Current Cardigan from anthropologie doesn't lack in style. While at first glance this j. crew cardigan may seem a bit... Continue reading

So one of my extremely good friends from college, Liv, has started a blog centered around one of the things she enjoys the most: crafts! (Well, theres a lot of other fashion and design stuff thrown in there too) She has amazing style and always manages to be unique, creative, and yet still aesthetically pleasing at the same time. So check out The Liv Life. Browsing through her stuff makes me wish she was back in MN. - R. Continue reading

So I discovered one of my current favorite sites courtesy of Design Sponge(amazing if you havn't already seen it) and am obsessed with searching through the things that she manages to find on the net and post about. The creator of the site has her own design studio and posts on things from design to fashion to art. Check it out! Here are some of my favorite images from Oh Joy! She posted on these Rhodia and Paul Smith designed notebooks awhile ago. And thanks to her I found my dream bike, dorky I know but I fantasize about cruising... Continue reading

Despite the fact that I was born and raised in the twin cities it has only been in recent years that I have really begun to explore and love it. So, being the art major that I am, as follows are my favorite art stops throughout St. Paul and (mainly) Minneapolis. If you have the time I would highly recommend stopping at any one of them. Soo Visual Art Center This gallery is located on Lyndale and showcases a lot of local and emerging artists from the twincities. Most of the stuff is really neat modern and since they're emerging... Continue reading