Dream House

My Mr. & I are serious dreamers.  We talk all the time about our dreams for the future and at the risk of sounding disgustingly corny, we will go so far as to rip pages out of magazines and bookmark endless websites to plan for our dream home.  We talk about our dream garden and our dream solar panels, our dream cabinet pulls and our dream house numbers.  Seriously, no topic is too small for us to start planning.

Last month, I came home and pulled my newest Dwell edition out of the mailbox and quickly planted myself on the couch and started dreaming.  Now I will say, it's hard for me to flip through any design magazine and not find some sort of inspiration, however small it may be.  But this time was different.  This time they had our exact dream house featured in the magazine!  Like seriously.  To a tee.  This is THE ONE.

Open floor plan.  Wrap around porch.  Walls of windows.  Central courtyard with a fire pit.  Green construction.  All under a big sky.

I'm completely obsessed.

--MEL  

(All images from my imagination here.)

Paris

My best friend is flying to Paris today for her job.

She will be spending a week exploring the famous flea markets, scouting out beautiful textiles, prints, trends, and colors, discovering French design aesthetics to bring back to the US and produce en masse.

Yes, that's right.  That's her job.

Now would be the time to call her any mean and derogatory names you'd like.  I would, but I've already called them to her face and I can't print them here; it's a family friendly blog, after all.

Anyway, in honor of her gruesome work trip--full of stressful board meetings, stale coffee, and conference rooms with no windows (insert childish put-downs and jealousy-induced name calling here)--I decided to put together a little Parisian inspiration board to help get us all in the mood.

Bonne journée!

1.  A modern-day Versailles
2.  Parisian Icon
3.  Potato Salad a la France
4.  Lauren Moffatt does Parisian stripes
5.  Diane Kruger in Chanel = The Definition of French
6.  Paris street style
7.  The epitome of French food

Get Outside!

Well folks, I'm about to say something to you that I have not been able to say for the past 5 years.  This is a pretty momentous occasion so pay attention.

Ready?

Here goes:




IT'S FALL!!!!!!!

That's right, like actual, real, cool, leaves-changing, windy, rainy, crisp, fall!

See look, I have proof:

See all that yellow business?  No, those aren't rocks.  No, it's not gold.  No, they aren't layers upon layers of pollen from a giant bee.  They are trees!  And they are turning colors other than green!  And it is amazing!

I told you it was a momentous occasion.

So with all this glory happening outside, it's been really hard for me to think of much else.  Driving to work and actually ending up at work is a really difficult task--the mountains have been coaxing me off the interstate and into their arms in a serious way (DISCLAIMER:  I fear this could become a regular theme on the blog.  I apologize in advance.).

This list of the World's Best Hikes isn't making things much easier either.  I mean, can you really believe that places like this actually exist?  And better yet, you can WALK to them!  Here are some of the trails that are really calling my name:

Mount Kailash Pilgrimage, Tibet

Shipwreck Coast/Shi Shi Beach, Olympic Peninsula, Washtington

Santa Cruz Trek, Cordillera Blanca, Peru

I hope you all are enjoying the nature around you as much as I am.  And if you're not, you can always hope a plane to Iceland or Bhutan.
--MEL

(First three images of fall taken by yours truly.  Last three images of hikes from this awesome article.)

Emerson Fry

Holy Moly.  The fall line from Emerson Fry is completely perfect.  I want need everything.

I mean, there's just nothing more to say.  The clothes speak for themselves.

Oh one more thing--I'm a medium/size 8 in clothing, size 7 in shoes.

--MEL

(All images from here.)

Gap Fall 2012

Have you seen the new promos for Gap?  As if there weren't already enough reasons to love the more sophisticated big brother of Old Navy and hipper little sister of Banana Republic, Gap brings us the most rad promos I've ever seen.

Of course, I really should not be so surprised.  After all, they were responsible for this iconic ad.  And this unbelievably adorable one.  And let's not forget, my all time favorite.

Like I said, as if there weren't already enough reasons.

Check 'em out:




Okay, I'm going shopping now.XOXO--MEL

Big Easy Express

Lately, I've had a bit of wanderlust and I have no idea why.  When this happened in FL it was because I wanted so badly to get out of the choking swampy humidity that was suppressing my joy.  When I was in TX it was simply because I wanted to be anywhere but TX.  But now, I'm exactly where I want to be, and there's not a smidgen of humidity squashing anything, and yet I still have the urge for some wind in my hair.

I think it probably has something to do with the fact that the possibility of escape and exploration is way more tangible here than it's ever been anywhere else that I have lived.  Everyday, I see the great Rocky Mountains looming to my west and calling for me to get off of the freeway and go to them.  And so this wanderlust I feel has nothing to do with unhappiness or feeling stifled.  Instead, I think it's a direct effect of being inspired every single day that I wake up in this new majestic home of mine.  It's a wander that keeps me hopeful and joyous.


Big Easy Express Official Trailer from S2BN Films on Vimeo.Another thing that doesn't help with this urge to get out into the wilderness is watching the above trailer for the new documentary Big Easy Express.  Emmett Malloy's film follows Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes as they hop on a train in California and ride across the country toward New Orleans on a musical tour like no other.  Besides being full of amazing music, it looks like it was a tour full of magic and mystery and wonder.  Just the kind of trip that seems so close and so appealing to me.  If the trailer is enough to make me go nuts with the urge to fly, I can't imagine what watching the entire documentary will do to me. Tell me my dear internet cosmos, have any of you seen it? Hope you all have a dreamy Wednesday--MEL   

Catbird

So, I have found a new-to-me online shop called Catbird and I am completely obsessed.

Watch out bank account.

Here are my absolute favorites:

D.S. & Durga

The above scent from D.S. & Durga, all dirty and sexy and spicy with Indonesian patchouli, jasmine, and mace.  I think it may be intended for men.  And I completely do not care.

And just in case the overtly-masculine scent is making people question, I think it is necessary for me to be wearing the most precious gold and turquoise ring ever created:

Claire Kinder Pip Ring

Now that I live in CO, a place where everyone and their mom loves to camp and decides to do so in every state park within four hours of me every single weekend, therefore prohibiting me and my Mr. and our pups and our friends to enjoy the wonders of camping in this majestic wilderness...ahem...sorry...the ranting mechanism in my head sometimes goes a little berserk.

Anyway, here's my point:  for when there is not a real campfire to drink whiskey and roast marshmallows beside, there is this candle:

Catbird Campfire Candle

And when there are no stars to gaze at, there are these matches to light aforementioned campfire candle with:

Constellation Matches

So seriously, if any of you, my dear internet cosmos, wishes to help prevent my marriage from ending due to me sending us into an oblivion of debt from this store, please feel free to send me as many of these items as you see fit.

Thank you in advance--
MEL