Travel :: Summer Beach Reads

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald // Beautiful Ruins // Tender is the Night // The Vacationers // The Art of Hearing Heartbeats // Valley of the Dolls // Where We Belong // A Hundred Summers // The Sun Also Rises

In light of our upcoming trip to St. Maarten {only three more days!}, I have rounded up nine perfect beach reads.  Some I have already read {Valley of the Dolls, The Sun Also Rises, Beautiful Ruins, Z}  and would easily bring with me on vacation again to reread.  The rest I have waiting for me on my Kindle to dive into by the pool {no pun intended}.  I'll admit I tend to gravitate towards fluffier books in the summer and denser books in the winter, but to me there's nothing like getting completely swept up in a book on vacation.  Happy reading!

My Life :: The Liebster Award

I'm sure you all have been seeing The Liebster Award around for quite some time.  For those of you who are not familiar, it's a great way to get to know your favorite bloggers a little better and to be introduced to some lovely new blogs in the process.  I was recently tagged by Rebecca and Maru {thanks ladies!}, and because I had already been thinking about including a little more about myself here on the blog decided to give it a go.  So if you want to learn about the scary decision I made that led me to starting this blog, plus my questionable decision to get a Beatle cut in the fourth grade...read away :) I will be tagging Ana, Julie, Sarah, Kristina, and Brandyn {simply answer the questions above}, but anyone is welcome to join!

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My Life :: 2014 Reads

Where'd You Go Bernadette // The Interestings // The Fault in Our Stars // The Snow Child // Mrs. Dalloway, A Room of One's Own // The Aviator's Wife // All Decent Animals // A Constellation of Vital Phenomena // The Light Between Oceans // Eleanor & Park // Anna Karenina // The Beautiful and Damned

Well hello friends!  I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend.  I will be spending the morning working on one of my resolutions {this year, and every year} of reading more books.  In the past few years I have become more and more of a bookworm, but even though I think I did quite well last year I'm hoping to read even more in 2014.  My goal is one book a week {however, this may change depending on the book...ahem Anna Karenina}...including the above twelve books {see my 2013 list here}.  Have you read any of these books?  What were your thoughts?  I'd love to hear :)

Outfit :: A Cozy Christmas Inspired by Warby Parker

JCrew Skier Sweater {Save 30% on all JCrew with "GIFTNOW"} // Fleece Lined Tights // Crystal Feather Bib Necklace // JCrew Shirttail Mini // Anna Karenina Leatherbound // JCrew Boy Shirt in Grey Tartan // Warby Parker Durand Eyeglasses {Saddle Russet} // JCrew Women's Marled Camp Socks // Deborah Lippman Nail Lacquer {Red Silk Boxers - Crimson} // Sorel Caribou Boots

Warby Parker recently contacted me letting me know about their new Winter Collection, and I have to tell you that I am absolutely smitten with their 'Durand' eyeglasses.  I love the shape and think the pop of red against the tortoise is spot-on for the holiday season.  These glasses inspired me to create a cozy holiday look, perfect for a relaxing Christmas by the fire.  An adorable Skier Sweater is reminiscent of Christmas in snow country, Sorrel boots are necessary for an impromptu snow walk before dinner, a BaubleBar necklace adds just the right touch of sparkle, and the Russian classic "Anna Karenina" is the ideal book to curl up with under a furry blanket.  Cheers to a cozy holiday!

This post was in no way paid or sponsored by Warby Parker.  I simple love the brand and thought it sounded fun to design a look around a pair of their adorable glasses (:

More Holiday Outfit Inspiration: Ice Skating in Central Park // Thanksgiving Dinner // Gift Guide for Her

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Get Your Read On

Yesterday I posted about my love for books, and in particular the adorable literary-inspired clutches by p.s. Besilos, so today I thought why not continue down this path and talk about bookshelves?  This is one of my absolute favorite design elements in a home; it always adds so much character and personality to a space.  I love going to a persons house and seeing what books they read -- it is like taking a peek into their heart.  I understand why everyone likes their e-readers so much {it's much more convenient on vacation to just slip in your bag versus lugging around multiple hardbacks} but personally I will always buy books, in part because I love the feel of them in my hand as I read, but also so that one day I can hopefully have an entire library like the above!

More bookshelf goodness below!

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Literary Clutches

I love reading and adore old books, so obviously a literary clutch is a trend I can completely get behind.  I have loved book clutches ever since I stumbled upon one in a Kate Spade store a year and a half ago.  However, hers are a bit out of my price range {especially since I rarely carry a clutch}.  So imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon p.s. Besilos, an Etsy shop run by the uber-creative Jessica Bermudez Bautista.  She designs gorgeous clutches based on the covers of literary classics such as "Lolita," "The Great Gatsby," "Le Petit Prince," and "Pride and Prejudice."  Plus, how gorgeous are the lovely springy colors she uses in her designs?  I am really tempted to pick up one {or two} of these beauties for myself!

Images via p.s. Besilos

2013 Reads

Winter is my favorite time of the year to curl up under a blanket with a cup of tea and a good book.  Now that the holidays are behind us, I generally have a bit more free time, and when the weather is bad {and let's face it - it almost always is in the Midwest at this time} I don't feel guilty doing absolutely nothing for an afternoon.  A few of the books on my bookshelf that I am dying to dive into are:

1. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" - David Sedaris {Currently reading this right now and it's absolutely hilarious} 
2. "A Farewell to Arms" - Ernest Hemingway {Have read this before but I can never get enough of Hemingway's tight prose}
3. "Paris was Ours" - Penelope Rowlands
4. "The Beautiful and Damned" - F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. "Atonement" - Ian McEwan
6. "Breakfast at Tiffanys" - Truman Capote
7. "Lolita" - Vladimir Nabokav
8. "The Perfectly Imperfect Home" - Deborah Needleman
9. "Flight Behavior" - Barbara Kingsolver
10. "Smitten Kitchen" - Deb Perelman
11. "The French Dog" - Rachel Hale
12. "Leaves of Grass" - Walt Whitman {I found a beautiful old copy of this at a used book store - the front cover even had a love not enscribed on it from the previous owner}

What are you most looking forward to reading this year?

Paris: An Inspiring Tour of the Cities Creative Heart

Last week while doing a bit of last minute shopping at Anthropologie I stumbled upon Janelle McCulloch's new book titled "Paris: An Inspiring Tour of the City's Creative Heart" {you can buy it here}.  There have been countless books written about all things Paris, however this one has a completely different perspective -- it bypasses many of the major tourist attractions and instead features the city's most charming streets, secluded parks, sweet little cafes, and inspiring shops -- breaking it down by arrondissement.  It is exactly how I like to explore a city, spending a day getting lost in each neighborhood with my camera.  I am most certainly bringing it with my on my journey and hope to find plenty of creative inspiration in the City of Light.