Gems

Amethyst

Azurite

Malachite

Chrysocolla

Fluorite-Orthoclase

Also, they are technically minerals, but when I hear "minerals" I think the stuff that fuels your body, not sparkling, colorful formations.

Trent laughed at me when he saw that a rules and regulations page for rock hunting in Utah was pulled up. I read that topaz can be commonly found, mostly just lying among rocks and dirt. That would make such a fun day trip adventure.

"So curious", he said.

Digital Age Art

More Digital Age Art inspired by Hayato Wakabayashi's work, done by myself in photoshop. I came across this free brush textures set while googling God knows what, and I was determined to make something of it.

This song is by an incredibly talented band called the Guards. I saw the Guards in Portland at the Mississippi venue-- they opened for the Cults, which was quite an experience. I actually cried I was so moved. Officially my new favorite band. I'm predicting Trophy Queen will be on repeat for a good, long while. Hope you enjoy it too.

Alison Yip

Love her work.

See more here.

Inspiration Roundup

I've been going through the hundreds of pictures in my pinterest to find the things I love most to apply to the apartment hunt. Apparently I love warm light, wood, comfortable, and practical.

Click photographs for sources. I've labeled everything in photobucket for convenience, but if anything seems unclear, email me for clarification.

New Beginnings

Photograph by Lillian Day

Photograph by Lillian Day

Photograph by Lillian Day

It's been officially decided that we're ready for a new space, and I'm ready to start documenting the whole process. Decorating and setting up house is a really magical process for me, and I'm really looking forward to the change.

We saw two apartments earlier today, neither of which were right for us, but did give us a taste of the possibility. I've started an inspiration folder for what I'm looking for in a new home, and also started to think really hard about what I love most about my space. In order of most important to least important:

-An office space for Trent.

We discussed it, and he'd really like a "man cave" that he can set up and decorate with his man-posters and action figures and such. I respect it.

-Hardwood floors.

-A LOT of natural light.

-Storage space.

-Counter space for cooking.

-Bathtub (I haven't had one for almost three years, and it's becoming more and more of a priority.)

-Porch, backyard, or garden.

The luxuries that would be the icing on the cake: Garage (we currently have one), A/C, washer & dryer.

So, that's it. I've been stalking Craigslist for three days now, which turned up said viewings this morning. From what I know of the process, it can take months to find the gem in a sea of camera phone pictures of dirty-carpeted holes in shady parts of town.

Patience and hard work is what delivers the thing you want the most.

I'm back!

I didn't have time to do my "All about packing" post before I left for Portland, as my to do list far exceeded my physical abilities sans boyfriend (who was living it up in San Diego for Comic Con), but I'd still like to do it so that I can remember the dos and don't dos for next year.

I got a ridiculous amount of great stuff, and I'm beyond convinced that I belong in that city now. It's a dream come true for someone like me-- I couldn't even handle how much great clothes were to be found at their thrift stores. Also, the amount of creative people who live there is mind-blowing. I took tons of pictures, which I haven't even gone through yet. I came home and slept for like 15 hours straight. Trips will do that to me.

Coming home to my own bed is nice, but I feel really sad about leaving that incredible city behind.

I'll be working extra hard on my "Honey, let's move to Portland" speech now.

Digital Age Art

Made by myself in photoshop.

Amity Jewelry Case

The Amity traveling jewelry holder, a find from this past weekend. I came this close to selling it to a gorgeous Garance-look-alike at a bar on Saturday night, but she didn't show up at our meet-up place on Sunday. Sob. I have no idea why I didn't get her number.

Note to self- do not make sales to people consuming cocktails.

It is so, so beautiful though, and would make a fantastic clutch. That last picture where I'm pulling it open-- it actually opens up all the way to the bottom. There is a lot of storage space in this thing.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about possibly opening up an online shop again to get rid of all the things I've thrifted, but I don't know if I'm up for the hard work of marketing and operating it, especially with the Fall semester looming in the very near future. I made a total of seven sales over the course of a summer, and it was very disheartening. I feel pretty confident that if I start posting on a more regular basis, I may have a shot at building up a more loyal following, which may in turn expose some products.

What do you think? Got any advice for a potential online vintage shop owner?

Inspiration Roundup

A collection of pins I've gathered for the past couple of months. Pinterest = obsession.

Silk-gauze T-shirt

July 15 Save the Date

Grapefruit sorbet

Le Beanock hammock

Scotch & Soda Leather tassel necklace

The Tote, Little Playmate, and Sprinkles On Top.

Best bag find ever. It's from the Gap, brand new, not a spot on it. The catch was a to-do list with household products written on it and some organic Amy's cheddar bunnies littering the bottom. Obviously belonging to a young-mother who thought it would make the perfect diaper bag, but ended up trading it out for something a little more shallow. It had no price tag yet, and I brought it up to the register where the woman asked for a whopping two dollars.

Spook took to it immediately.

Also found: The Little Playmate.

"Like the one's that construction worker's took to work in the 80's?"

Yes.

An ice cream cone keychain Trent brought home with him for our set of keys.

It was very much a good day.

Small, yet well arranged.

White linen? Check.

Neutral-colored cardigan? Check.

Light denim and leather belt? Check.

And to top it off, wooden pendants in snappy colors.

I'm totally inspired.

Snug online is a pretty awesome little shop. You should probably go check them out right now.

(Click logo for the link)

For Your Listening Pleasure

I'm headed to Portland, Oregon next week to visit my brother and his wife. This mix was made with them in mind, but mostly it's a compilation of the songs I've been listening to non-stop this summer. If you're so inclined to listen, you can search for these songs through Grooveshark, (Update: I just made the playlist for you. Click here and press play!) which is the most convenient of all free music players, in my opinion. I wish I could put a music player right here on the blog, but I haven't found anything worth investigating. If anyone has any tips, I'd be most grateful.

Enjoy.

Imke and Thorsten's Berlin Apartment

One of the best home tours I've seen in a long time. All those natural, light colors, the bright light, that farmhouse kitchen table... It's all perfect. It has officially been filed in the "For My Future Home Renovations" folder.

A Celebration of Independence

Our big plans fell through for the holiday-- Our favorite restaurant was closed, a party cancelled, but we made the best of it by grabbing a quick dinner and some ice cream near the park, just a couple miles from our house, where thousands of people were already starting to clog the streets trying to get good spots on the grassy hills.

We definitely should have ridden our bikes. An estimated 60,000 people came to the watch the infamous Sugarhouse Park fireworks show. We had excellent seats, but getting home in our car was a nightmare. Definitely an every-other-year activity for me, as large crowds of Utahns do not give me warm, friendly feelings. It made me very much aware of the mob-mentality of such a huge mass of people, and how helplessly outnumbered one can be. It also made me hyper aware of just how many children really are in this city. Utah has a crazy culture.

We did our best to make it a positive experience though, and I've already made a mental list of things we'll do differently next time to make it even better.

Sundays are for Lovers

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A day for relaxing with this little sweetheart. The short story I'm reading currently in my thrifted "Best American Short Stories 1987" book is called The Afterlife, by John Updike, and I'm really loving it.

Black Swan earlier today, dinner at my mom's house shortly, and hopefully a long night of doing absolutely nothing until tomorrow. I love holidays.