beautiful.

petit bateau

Can Garance get any cuter? love this.

lately.

I haven't updated in a while, woops. i'm just enjoying being home, a lot a lot. the thought of heading back to Savannah in 2 and a half weeks makes me feel a mixture of many emotions. I sort of don't even want to go back, but obviously I need to. For thousands of reasons. However, it'll be the first step towards all of the 'last steps'. Ten weeks of school and then i'll be a college graduate and then millions of decisions are headed my way. So i'm going to take each day as it comes and try my best to just not overwhelm myself obsessing over every detail, not right now at least.

In the mean time, i'm going to start instagraming even more and updating pictures on this blog. I love looking back on everything and chronicling bits and pieces as they happen. Above are photos from the past two weeks. Visiting Mary, my great friend from my old college and her baby Cooper, a rural road in a small town I drove through in PA, new perfume in a beautiful bottle and a shelf in my mom's shop. So much more has been going on, and also a lot hasn't been going on. It's a perfect mixture and i'm soaking in every second.

Christmas is approaching and I've gotta admit, i'm feeling more holiday-ish than ever. I just feel so excited and can't wait to decorate (i even got to kick off the season by decorating my mom's shop's window! tons of silver and glitter, so festive!) and be cozy, etc. But let's be real..asking for presents and all of that just seems kind of awkward when you're over the age of 18. But hey, let's assume Santa is reading this and Santa baby, all I want is a little piece of Clare Vivier heaven. (And a gift certificate to ASOS or Anthropologie, bye! i didnt say it! and peace on earth!)

guy gift guide

ipod/iphone dock/alarm clock $40

i know thanksgiving is tomorrow, and i'm all in favor of soaking up every inch of this wonderful holiday & fall season. a post about that will come, but for now? let's get a head start on holiday gift guides because, obviously, there won't be enough of THEM floating around the internet right?

When it's time to wonder what to get the guy in your life, whether it's your brother, dad, boyfriend, best friend, uncle, crush, etc., there are a ton of options out there but a lot of it can be scattered. For consistent awesome-ness targeted directly at cool guys, go to Cool Material* and check out what's going on over there. Not only is the content fantastic, there's a shop that is packed with great items any guy would love. Here are a few of my favorite things..

Rhino shot glass $28

Beer Soap $19

WeWood Date Watch $98

Marshall Headphones - Major $115

Maxx & Unicorn Bi-Fold Wallet $90

"Shit I Gotta Fucking Get Done" Notebook - $9.95

*Cool Material is a brilliant website for guys that is run by one of my favorite guys in the world: my older brother Tim! Very proud of him and how great his site is doing. Oh and i'm clearly a girl, yet I want/love pretty much everything on the site. So girls, check it out for yourself as well.

fa la la la la

the holidays are coming, so why not get started a bit early with shopping. why don't you start with the tiniest people in your life? head over to my shop the lovely universe! i'm reducing the price of various items throughout the week AND if you use coupon code "HOLIDAY12" at checkout, you will receive 10% off. so go go go!

saturday til now.

-The brand new (and gorgeous) SCAD Museum of Art

-Beautiful garments by Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, Zac Posen, Vera Wang, Chanel, etc. donated to the Andre Leon Talley section.

-Homemade chilli with tons of fresh green herbs & veggies from last night

-A pretty doorfront I spotted on the way to the Soho South Cafe with my Dad this afternoon

-Crisp fall leaves finally hitting Savannah

-The secret ingredient in my chilli.

A Saturday night dessert/drink date with my pal Alan at LuLus & a chilly stroll down a very festive Broughton Street.

so, i'm in that transitional phase in between being done with an intense 10 weeks of school and a month long holiday break at home.

While i'm staying down south for thanksgiving to be with my dad and his side of the family (they migrated down here from the north just like me! i'm lucky to have them nearby while i'm here.), i'll be spending the rest of break in NJ. so that leaves me with this week of cozy time in Savannah and no projects/papers/group work/studying to do and frankly, a dull social life. cozy time rules..don't get me wrong. but it's time to get this show on the road. HOWEVER, ondemand is offering me tons of gems when I don't feel like venturing out of the apartment (how grey gardens of me.) A Diane Keaton section? Specifically dedicated to her movies alone? Why, that's just genius.

This is the first Sunday all quarter that I've been without anything to work on/to do/anyone I really want to spend time with. That sounds depressing but it's not. Because it's Father of the Bride day. Part one and two. Cooking chilli and drinking peppermint mocha coffee from the Keurig, cup by cup. Please.

This movie will always warm my heart, and that house will always be my dream house. Knew it when I was 5, know it when I'm 23. Timeless and beautiful. Also, Diane Keaton's character is my movie adult woman spirit person role model. Nancy Meyers' movies always have..well, pretty weak 'realistic' qualities. There's always some sort of wacky, eye-roll worthy moments but the aesthetics always deliver. Always. Let's give her that.

it's mortifying that I want these two books right? My instincts are telling me that I should feel embarrassed but my soul is telling me to just go for it. I am owning my cheesiness and the deepest, tackiest depth of my soul has a soft spot for aging crazy loons on reality TV. A book written by them? I mean, i'll atleast spent an hour or two flipping thru these books at Barnes & Noble while sipping on some Starbucks. OWN.ING.IT.

Even Kris Jenner is not banned as far as I'm concerned, the craziest, fame-hungriest loon of them all.

Come on. Humans are hilarious!

i want this!

halloween & 22

My last Halloween weekend as a college student was pretty great. Lots of time spent outside, enjoying the beautiful & crisp weather, a lot of sleeping in, wandering the cobble stone streets, a successful thrifting trip, homecooked meals, boozey night out with friends dressed as Wednesday Addams and getting the chance to listen to Alec Baldwin speak in Savannah's most beautiful theater. Not to mention i've dusted off my collection of boots, tights and jackets. Fall weather, I love you.

Now, this is my last week as a 22 year old and I've got a lot of work to do but it's alright. Because life is short and i've got a plane to catch on Friday to go to Chicago til Monday. Yes, finals week is approaching but this weekend it will have to wait. Work will get done and life moves on. That's where I'm at right now. Feeling calm.

For some reason, I always remember thinking "22 sounds like the coolest age ever" when I was younger and ya know what? My younger self must have been Miss Cleo because I was right. 22 was kind of the coolest age, but hopefully not ever. I want a lot more cool ones.

True Citrus Giveaway!

This week, I 'hosted' a giveaway over at Small Kitchen College for True Citrus products (think Crystal Light but without aspartame and all that other crap you don't need), which are 100% natural and 100% delicious. And no, i'm not just saying that. I've been addicted to this stuff since the moment I received the samples. Seriously. I've been carrying the to-go packets in my purse everyday in various flavors such as grapefruit, orange, raspberry lemonade and lime. If you know me, I love my drinks. I need to keep myself hydrated like woah, and i've been off soda for about 3 weeks now (with one slip up! not so bad if you ask me) so I need to give all the water i've been drinking a big kick in the ass and these packets do the trick.

I've even sprinkled some of the lime seasoning onto a cilantro chicken dish I cooked this week & used the lemon on a grilled cheese panini. These little gems are so versatile and tasty. Plus, it really tastes like the real deal...because it is the real deal.

The best part to all of this is that you can WIN free True Citrus products so head over to my article and follow the directions. Give your water & cooking/baking a refreshing kick without any guilt.

Good luck! xo

nicole cari

Band of Outsiders has become one of my favorite brands. The older I get and the more I experiment with what I love and what i'm drawn to style-wise, I realize that designers like Band really encompass everything that makes my heart pitter patter. Easy, comfortable, classic, a little preppy but always the perfect mix of tomboy and feminine.

After this summer, working with Band of Outsiders' clothing and learning a bit about what goes on behind the scenes, I came to realize just how much I loved their clothing. Every item that I touched was beautifully made, delicate but had a strong design. Each piece was completely timeless and dreamy. I can honestly say holding some of their blazers, dresses and tops, imagining what it would be like to actually own them myself, was one of the best parts of my internship.

Well, tonight I stumbled upon Nicole Cari's (Band's marketing & press director) feature on Closet Visit and felt immediately inspired by her effortless, comfortable and sophisticated style. So cozy & chic which is the best combination of cliche fashion words, if you ask me. Not to mention her hair rules. Is there anything better than simple oxford shirts, army jackets, dainty floral prints and flowy dresses?

PS: Have you been to Closet Visit yet? Um, check it out immediately. It's endless amounts of wonderful all compiled into one little section of the ol' world wide web.

stripes, polka dots, red lips & structured jackets.

my dream fall/winter style inspiration. SO GOOD.

lately.

1. rachael & i at local11ten 2. pulling holiday looks for a photoshoot 3. beautiful home at palmetto bluff ,sc when i was there with my mom 4. a holy moment

according to my iphone, this is what i've been up to lately. these photos sum up the last three weeks of my life pretty well aside from the fact that I haven't been instagram-ing the nonstop work i've been putting into all of my school projects. that's pretty boring stuff to take pictures of most of the time, ya know.

i am squeezing relaxation/some fun in when I can but it's senior year of college. this is no joke, y'all! it's crunch time since the end of the quarter is approaching and i'll be jettin' off to chicago for my birthday. work can take a back seat for three days because i got somewhere to be and someone to love. oh, and i've got to go ahead and turn 23 years old too while i'm at it.

hey, are you curious what the deal is with the fourth picture up there? that's just my pals chris & jessica, me & mike (ma boyfrand) and Chef Jerome. While I want to say that he's famous, i'm not quite sure he is in reality but in his own head...oh man. He's the KING! i wish i had enough hand muscles/strength to type out detail by detail how the experience of going to jerome's old school diner in ?, GA was like but you'll have to just go to the website & use your imagination. Keep in mind it was pouring raining with thunder/lightning, we were the only patrons in the restaurant and there was a ton of fried food and hugging involved. Only in Georgia.

5. an old building near my apartment & the year it was built 6. strawberry & mint lemonade 7. setting up the decor (aka: holidaying up my fireplace area) for a group magazine photoshoot. 8. one of my favorite buildings near SCAD's Arnold Hall

The past two weekends I've been lucky enough to have two of my favorite people visit me in Savannah. First, my boyfriend Mike last weekend and then my Mom this weekend. Both served as the perfect little time spent with the two people I miss the most when I'm down here. It's been nice to have a break from the normal school/everyday life routine i've got goin' here. I hate to see them go, but now it's time to just go go go and finish up the rest of this quarter (last week was midterms. wha?!)

oh, and above? while i was at class, my mom surprised me by sneaking to one of the shops on my block & getting me the Design*Sponge At Home Book! Not only have I been wanting this book since the moment I found out it was coming out, Grace Bonney is speaking at SCAD next week and I can get it autographed after I listen to her lecture! I've been an emotional crazy person lately and let's just say tears of joy were involved when I opened this.

I'm a very lucky girl to have such special people in my life.

I have a weird love/hate relationship with the Kardashians. It's so complex that I can't even figure it out in my own brain let alone create a blog post explaining it. Life is so difficult.

But one thing I know for sure is that I 100% enjoy Kourtney's (and ya know what, even Scott) style. That horse print dress? Her hair? Sunnies? Her make up? Keep It Komin Kourtney. I love your look.

For Me, For You

Over the past two years, I've been an avid reader of For Me, For You which is a blog written by freelance designer Kate Miss. Her simple and warm design aesthetic whether it be the entire look of her blog, use of colors, her cozy "Bits Of My Weekend" photo series every week, her talent with graphic design (She used to work for DwellStudio!) and her minimal yet chic jewelry designs has inspired me as I try to find my own style and design voice.

Unfortunately, her boyfriend Will has been diagnosed with cancer and as you can imagine, they're in a bit of a financial situation. They are both freelancers and Will is currently unemployed due to his health condition. Kate, still being as humble as possible, has asked her audience for their support during this rocky time. For more information, click here & see what you can do! Cancer is a scary thing and i'm sure everyone out there has been touched by it in some way or another. So with just one purchase of one of Kate's beautiful prints in her Etsy shop, you can help and also receive a truly one of a kind piece of art in return. The internet can be a really beautiful thing.

As some of you may know, i'm a huge Wilco fan so naturally i'm all about their latest album. It's so fantastic and I've been listening to it every morning when I'm getting ready for the day, during the afternoon when I'm putzing around my apartment or at night when I'm reading/doing homework. It's basically an all day, erry day thing. Listen if you haven't already!

On a sadder note, i'm sure all of you have heard about the passing of Steve Jobs. We've lost a master but with a brain like that, i'm sure he still has fantastic plans for Apple even though he's gone. Technology aside, he was an extraordinary human that will inspire society forever. That's pretty incredible.

this looks so cute

Zero 7 - Throw It All Away

How on Earth did I forget about this song? I think i listened to it everyday in 2006.

Candles, Candles, Candles.

One of the most cherished things in my life is scent. I've always had a really great sense of smell (sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes a bad thing) and as I get older & create my own little home, the importance of filling your space with a great smell is extremely clear to me. Since I've been back to Savannah, all I want to do is buy different candles with warm and cozy scents and light them every time I'm home.

While it's not exactly fall weather out right now (hi, 87 degrees?) I'm in absolute denial about it because today is the first day of Autumn. So that's that. See you later summer, even if it's hot & humid out for a little bit longer. So, the next best thing besides already transitioning into sweater weather attire (thank god for overly air conditioned classrooms) is lighting crisp and comfy fall scented candles.

Buying candles off Etsy might seem a little crazy at first because everyone wants to smell a candle before purchasing it, and with Etsy, you obviously can't do that. However, I was in the mood to shop for some truly original, homemade, good quality candles and decided to take a chance. I immediately found 4th Street Candle Co. and fell in love with all of the magically described mason jar filled candles. They are all hand poured, dye free soy candles. I ordered Basil Sage Mint & Autumn Magic, but was accidentally sent Apple Butter Caramel and Pumpkin Creme Brulee. As soon as I opened the package, my whole apartment smelled like I had been baking sweet Autumn pies all night long.

Andrea, the owner, even insisted on sending me the two original candles I ordered for free which was absolutely so kind and one of the reasons why Etsy rules. Everything is so personal and helpful when you find the right shop. So I'll own not two but four fantastic candles from 4th Street Candle Co and you should head on over as well! Lighting these just make your day ten times more comfy.

Recipe Round Ups

It's a lazy Friday afternoon (SCAD always has off on Fridays which usually make for busy work days or lazy cozy days...work can wait til Saturday & Sunday sometimes) and although I did wind up being pro-active by doing laundry and cleaning, I also perused the internet extensively. From next to my kitchen sink. Let's just say that the realtor that handle's my landlord's responsibilities when he's not here, SUCKS and is dishonest & unreliable. You'd think that since I pay more for this apartment than my last one, the management would be fantastic. Nope. In fact, just the opposite. So until Comcast installs my own connection on Tuesday, I will be stuck next to my tiny kitchen window & sink if I want to go online. #firstworldproblems, i know.

So since I was conveniently located in the kitchen, I decided I needed some culinary inspiration so of course I went straight to Small Kitchen College to really examine all of the great posts from the past two weeks. Here are some of the ones I really loved and know you will too:

1. The 7 Healthiest Cereals To Eat Before Your 9am Class

2. You're Invited: Oktoberfest!

3. 9 Cool Ways to Use Your Freezer

4. The Dorm Room Bar: Rosemary Sangria

5. Cooking 101: Grilled Cheese

Have a good weekend!

peppermint coffee date

Oh, hey. Getting pumped for the chilly season & the different ways to enjoy a nice cup of joe? Well, I'm over at Small Kitchen College this week talkin' about love and coffee and perhaps a little anti-Nickelback talk as well.

Come on ovah!

walking to the coffee shop

In March, I will be graduating SCAD and spreading my wings, giving someplace else a shot. So for the next couple of months I want to fully soak up every detail of this little city and cherish the time that I have spent here. Who knows what the future brings and how much of it will be memories that I, and only I, can call my own. This is the place that I moved to not knowing really anyone or truly anything about the area. Miles and miles from home.

My first apartment(s) are here, first with complete strangers and then alone where I created a tiny home for myself. It was the first time I couldn't just leap in a car when things were getting tough and be near my mom. I took a chance by declaring a major that I was kinda sure was for me but now as I'm on my way to graduation, can proudly say that it is very much for me. I learned a ton, from mistakes and successes. I've been criticized & praised, now understanding that the praise part rarely occurs without the criticism part first. I shed tears over projects (and people) because it was the first time I really gave a shit. I was working on things I loved, for people I admired, yet being here has made me feel calm about the future and my prospective career options. Most importantly, I figured out bits and pieces of who the hell I was, fell back in love with someone that I had been missing for years and gave somewhere besides the north-east a shot. It's a different culture here and being exposed to it has been interesting and frustrating.

Savannah is lovely and calm. It has shaped bits & pieces of my life, especially my personal taste and favored style. My time spent in Savannah will be a chapter in my book that's really just beginning. So, as hard as it will be to up & leave it after 3 years, it is totally necessary. I want to leave it while it remains this cherished time in my life and before it gets too routine and maybe tarnished. I don't want to ruin a good thing, you know? It's like The Sopranos finale and the fact that they aren't coming back with movies and spin-offs. It was great while it lasted so let's not push it. Yes, I'm comparing this to the Sopranos because I am a New Jersey girl after all, awlright?

So, tiny things like my five minute stroll to get coffee through my neighborhood that I will remember and be inspired by for the rest of my life, is something that I look forward to everyday. I want to notice small details and thankfully my IPhone helps me capture them so I can essentially remember them forever.

Oh, and Twitter can help me remember how many times I complain about how god-damn slow but extremely kind everyone is here or other tiny thoughts. Technology rules.

kate spade x current/elliott

I am so in love with Kate Spade & Current/Elliott's recent bag collaboration entitled "Westward". In case you haven't noticed, the days of Kate Spade's boxy & utterly boring bags are over and their rebranding it practically perfect.

Kindness Above Malice

Some of you might remember my post awhile back about my cousin Kameron. My Aunt & Uncle were on TV today spreading the message against bullying and I'd like to share their words & strength with you all.

look ma, no oven!

This week I'm over at BGSK College talking about cooking without an oven! The recipe is for a savory and melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato with parmesan and herb butter cooked to perfection in under 10 minutes using the microwave. Sounds Paula Deen-ish but in reality, this recipe is all about keeping it pretty simple and relatively nutritious.

Head on over here!

missoni for target

So, obviously, like any red blooded girl who loves fashion (AND Target) I was thrilled to head over to Target at 10am (ok 1030am) to shop the Missoni for Target collection. "How picked over could it be in Savannah, GA?", I thought. Well, the answer to that is very picked over. I forgot how much these girls love to shop down here plus, i'm sure my entire major was there pounding down the doors. That happened. A beardy man working there told me, with the most frightened eyes, that "girls were banging on the doors before we even opened and went crazy!". Oy. But also understandable..

Still, the aisles were filled with 'leftovers' that were presumably just as fantastic as the sold out items. I found almost everything that I had my eye on (except the blanket and bath towels :( wah.) and I kind of skipped over the clothing because that might be too much. Home items, fine. But you KNOW everyone and their dog will be sporting the clothes and that might be excessive. However, I did pick up a pair of colorful & perfect flats. The only pair that wasn't a size 3 or 1 and they were just my size so I took that as a sign and threw them in my big ol' red cart.

I wound up with just a few items and that is a-okay with me. Although my heart still aches for the candles & picture frames. My apartment is entirely too small to overload it with the Missoni stripes so a little here and there is just right. In fact, within two minutes of being home I was able to use the packaging from my shoe box to create two home items. I am very proud of myself! Utilizing what I've got, that's ma deal and you can do it too! You're welcome. ;)

When I asked the beardy Target man when he'd be re-stocking the items, he told me "never. this is it." My face must have looked like a child that had it's hot dog stolen by a seagull at the beach (Ahem. That happened to me once.) That's it, folks. So go get what you can because you know you want to.

And to Missoni? Congratulations. Not only a design inspiration but a total big whopping marketing inspiration. Causin' all this chaos based on a couple of stripes and a respectable sought after brand name. Hats off to you.