Gifts

Good Design: Tap Water

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designed by Racquel Youtzy via lovely package

I love this packaging for tap water. Unless we are camping (like right now) we rarely buy bottled water. And even though we like knowing it keeps plastic out of the landfills, the main reason we don’t buy bottled is that our filtered tap water* tastes just as good (if not better) than many of the brands on the market. Of course now with these bottles, we all can enjoy better tasting (inexpensive) water and still feel all special with our beautifully designed glass bottles. I can’t help but think about how hilarious it would be to put these out for a meeting or a dinner.You know, for everyone who insists on bottled water.

*speaking of bottled water- did you know most bottled water is actually just filtered tap water with or without added minerals? If it says it's from a "municipal water source" that's what it means.

wish list

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Christmas is just around the corner and I figured it’s about time for me to create my wish list. Well that and my mom keeps asking me to tell her what I’d like and since there’s no time like the present I decided to get to it. (Like that pun? Yep. Surprisingly unintentional.) The only problem was that as soon as I started trying to write out what I'd like, I drew a blank. There was nothing I could think of that I needed. (and trust me, if I need something I let everyone know. That's probably how I ended up with 3 different strainers last year.) Of course "nothing" doesn't go over well with a family of gift givers so I made myself sit down and think about what I'd love to find under the tree. (Well to be honest, I was stuck waiting in the doctor's office and prevention magazine just wasn't doing anything for me. Either way, I left with a list.)

So here it goes.

Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in Fabulous (33)

It’s the only lipstick that doesn’t upset my lips (my face is picky and Chanel has yet to fail me. I use their foundation too and it is a.mazing.) It's also the perfect color for my skin tone. I have tried hundreds of different colors and this is the only one that gives just the right amount of color to make me look put together without making me look like I tried too hard.

Hanky Panky low rise thongs

I’m not sure there is anyone who has ever mentioned underwear shopping in front of me that hasn’t heard of these. These are simply the best for everyday wearing, are one size fits all, and go under EVERYTHING without lines. (Because really, nothing ruins an outfit like v.p.l.) Oh! And they come in a rainbow of colors.

Pastry Blender

I really like making desserts and pastries and still don’t know how I’ve made it this long without one of these. This is actually one of the things I "need."

Cole Haan Air Bandon Ballet Flats in Metallic Silver (size 7.5)

Okay, so these aren't super cheap, but Cole Haan's with Nike Air are like pillows on the feet. I would LOVE to have these. (And will probably buy them myself if Santa doesn't bring them first.)

Harper's Bazaar Subscription

Not sure how I have gone so long without reading this one, but a few days ago I decided to pick it up and haven't been able to put it down. Just the right balance of articles, photos, and ads.

Le Pens in Black

I just really like these pens. And you can find them at Michael's.

Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint

I read this, and now I need this paint in my life. (I have two ceramic birds that would look awesome painted in this.)

So there it goes. That's my list. Of course if anyone is still drawing a blank, I also always love foodie items (olive oil, sauces, real maple syrup? yes please.)  interesting and/or antique jewelry, and flowers. (yes, flowers can definitely be a present. I would love that present. Especially if they aren't red roses because I really don't prefer red roses.)

Happy Wednesday!

west elm and why I'm afraid of fur

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West Elm has been hitting it out of the park lately. Here are some of my favorites:

this woodcut dinnerware is so beautiful. I love the gold and white as well as how they incorporated scientific illustration with a twist

The saturation of color on these pillows is beautiful. And I love seeing a pattern that isn't stripes, chevron stripes, or dots. (Not that I don't love those, you just see them everywhere.)

Normally, I'm not a big fan of fur. Sure it's soft and warm, but fur and me? Well we have a history. When I was about 6 or 7, I went to school wearing a brand new fur jacket. (Thank you 90's for such unique fashion choices.) It was right after Christmas (I probably got the jacket for Christmas actually) and we were all outside on the "blacktop" doing jumping jacks or something to wear us out before having to go back inside. Sometime between thinking about how much I really didn't like jumping jacks and trying to find a way to play four square instead, a dog from one of the neighboring houses appeared. (I think his name was Otis. He normally would come out during recess to play and we all loved him. Well we all loved him until this day.)

So I saw Otis coming down the hill and the moment he saw me a crazed look took over his face. Next thing I know, he is bounding towards me, mouth open, with his teeth gleaming in the sunlight. The next few seconds were kind of a blur, but I assume I was thinking Otis might be coming over to play, but as his mouth wrapped around my little arm I realized something was very wrong. The rest I remember vividly. I instinctively ripped off the jacket, sacrificed it to the dog, and then watched in horror as he covered it in drool and proceeded to "kill it." It felt like hours before my gym teacher ran to the jacket's "rescue." (He then gave the mauled thing back to me to "keep warm." Seriously? No, thank you. I may be 6 but I'm not stupid. I'd rather just freeze to death than relive that.)

Ever since that life threatening experience, I've been a little afraid to wear/own fur.  Maybe I'm just being over dramatic, but as a 6 year old, watching as a MASSIVE dog charges you, and then sinks his teeth into your arm thinking you were a rabbit or something, I am pretty sure you'd think twice too.

Either way. I would love still to snuggle up in the white one. That is, as long as Bella realizes it's a blanket and Otis is still 2.5 hours away in my hometown.

recipes from an italian summer

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via anthropologie

I used to hate tomatoes. Like cringe at the sight of them. Something about the texture just made my skin crawl.

Then I lived in Italy for 3 months and you cannot hate tomatoes in Italy. (esp. when you already don't drink coffee. I couldn't have 2 strikes against me. 3 if you include the fact my name doesn't end with an "a" sound so it's really hard from Italians to pronounce. Many times I contemplated temporarily changing my name to Isabella or something...)

So in an attempt to "immerse myself in culture" and allow myself to change*, I sucked it up and ate a tomato. Oh my God, it was heavenly. It was sweet, and juicy, and plump, and perfect. I started eating them ALL THE TIME. with salt. with basil. with balsamic vinegar. on sandwiches. in pasta. just about however I could. How did I ever neglect such an amazing fruit?! And how come I never believed my dad about how great they were as he popped fresh slices into his mouth all summer long?!

Needless to say, I apologized for being so naive and have since embraced the power of the tomato. So when I saw this, I just knew it needed to be in my cookbook collection. Christmas gift anyone?

*learning how amazing tomatoes were was just one of the many ways a summer in Italy changed my life for the better.

secret identity

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via matt singer

Ever wished you had a secret identity? Well now you can. For $40 you can follow in the footsteps of Clark Kent and buy these awesome plastic rimmed glasses.

Speaking of Clark Kent, my sister has a huge Superman collection in her guest room. All though high school she collected all things Superman. Stamps, ornaments, lunch boxes, posters, antique glasses...it's actually kind of impressive. (Not to mention how easy buying Christmas presents for her used to be!) We even used to watch the Real Adventures of Lois and Clark together too, but that stopped after an accidental recording over a not so blank tape. Whoops.

Despite that, once J. showed me these I knew I had to share.

Honestly, I never really understood how people couldn't tell that Superman was Clark Kent. I mean, when I put on my glasses, friends aren't like, "oh my gosh! Who are you?! AND WHERE DID COURTNEY GO?!"

Just saying. Lois couldn't have been that great of a reporter. I mean, she was practically dating them both and couldn't tell them apart. And it's not like Superman used that stupid scruffy Batman voice when he took off the glasses.*

Either way, I think these are super clever. Almost as clever as the tag line inside the case.

*yes, I realize being able to compare Superman and Batman makes me sound like a 7 year old boy. I don't care. And on that note, Superman is way better than Batman. No arguments here, people- Superman can fly. At two speeds even. (though THAT never made any sense either. Why would you ever fly slower? And how did he actually fly faster? All he did different was tense up! I digress though. The point is, Batman coasted around. He was just a millionaire with a lot of gadgets. Superman actually flew.

let's just not bring up the fact that he could be killed by a glowing green rock.

Oh I need this.

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via greencouchdesigns

Seriously? 1/2 pack rat, 1/2 organizational genius. I neeeed one of these. Actually I need two of these because J. and I must have the "have you seen my cell phone? what about my gum?" conversation at least 4 times a week.

Kind of reminds me of cubbies from kindergarten. Beautiful little cubbies, but cubbies none the less.

s'mores

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via oh happy day

I love s'mores. The gooey barely burned marshmallow (who am I kidding. I love catching them on fire and blowing them out. yes, I know this has to be bad for me...), the melted chocolate... all held together and balanced with the crunch of sweet graham crackers. Yum. (Just last week I went and stocked up on chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers "just in case." Looks like we need to plan a camping or lake trip asap.)

So on that note, I saw these over on Oh Happy Day! and had to share. What a wonderful idea for a party, wedding, whatever. If only we'd had a fire pit at the wedding...

Enjoy!

hey hey mr. post man

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via personal collection

look what showed up in the mail this weekend! The photos online didn't do these beauties justice- they are so beautiful in person! I've already rocked 3 of the 5 and love the edginess they bring to an outfit. Thanks again to both the BSP and Candace!

via Saks

Something else that showed up via my electronic postman today was this super cute bag. I'm a HUGE picnic person (J. planned one for our first date and recreated it when he proposed so I have a soft spot for them) so this bag is right up my alley. And even though the price tag is not "right up my alley," it did give me a great idea, so stay tuned for my take on this one. It'll fit right in with a project I'm working on!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday!

Beauty Essentials

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Okay, since it doesn't fall into the category of food, water, housing or clothing, it's probably not essential, but I would absolutely love to have these in my makeup arsenal.

Having green eyes myself (which sometimes decide they'd rather be blue) I love anything that makes them pop even more. Apparently this can make even the palest of blue eyes shine mermaid green. If you're not searching for green eyes, they have a ton of other kits such as Day to Play, Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes, and another favorite of mine- Smokey Eye cases.

Last: Lip Tar by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (really love the company name.)

This is my favorite (recent) find. Goes on easily as a gloss, but dries as an ultra saturated satin color. Perfect for this girl who loves the look of lipstick (but hates the cakey, heavy feel) but can't stand the stickiness and super high shine of gloss (but loves the light feeling and easy application.) Oh! And it's 100% Vegan and Cruelty-Free, and doesn't have parabens or other preservatives) so no worries of animal testing or strange chemical reactions.

If my chance the Easter Bunny is reading this, I'd be happy to find one in Grandma (perfect name for the perfect coral) or NSFW (the perfect, Parisian red) tucked away into my basket :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!