Ben's Reads

Locavesting by Amy Cortese

I've mentioned that Ben devours books.  He loves to read and usually has about 3 books going at once.  One is always our nighttime read.  The one that we (meaning he) reads at night before we go to sleep.  When we were dating we heard that this is a good habit for a long lasting relationship, and we have been reading books together ever since and still hanging in there almost 7 yrs later. :)  Kind of cheesy, yes.  But I have to admit it's one of my favorite parts of the day.  Ben's interests are wide-ranging, from his work in economic development to humorists, to historical biographies, to Buddhist philosophies, he covers alot of ground. Here is his current list of favorites.  I can only speak to Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs, and our new nighttime read that is blowing our minds, Stephen King's 11/22/63.  It is fantastic.  (BTW, I can also recommend Isaacson's Einstein as well - amazing).  Enjoy.  xx - m.m.

The 50 Funniest American Writers

The Company Town

Stephen King's 11/22/63

Steve Jobs

Blogger Profile: Rosa of Misadventures in Shopping

Happy Monday, y'all.  So excited to share this profile of Rosa from the inspiring, hilarious, stylish blog, Misadventures in Shopping. I met Rosa a few years ago when we worked at the same company, and even before we got to know each other a bit, I always thought we would get along famously. . . she is creative, confident, funny and owns a true sense of personal style.  She is also a dog owner and a mom.  Yep.  Doing it all and sharing the roller coaster of this life and all the little lovelies (thoughts and things) that keep her going.  You feel connected to her now, too, don't you?  That's Rosa.  You feel like you have known her for years even by just reading her blog.  Now sadly, we don't see each other much though we live in the same city, but we have had some wonderful accidental reunions every now again, typically via email or shopping (we often share obsessions, as you can read on her blog, thus end up in the same places searching for our favorite things).  Anyway, hope you enjoy this profile as much as I have and be sure to catch all Rosa's musing on MiS.  

smmidge: 1) Describe your blogging style.

Misadventures: Silly, serious and above all honest - even if means admitting to things like I secretly wish I could wear a caftan this Spring. (smmidge: see this hilarious caftan post here)

smmidge: 2) Your personal style? And one favorite piece (each) in your home and wardrobe that reflects your style.

Misadventures:A walking contradiction.  Modern and Classic.  Structured and Romance.  Hipster and Mainstream.  I feel like I can't say I'm one thing or another because I usually like it all with of course some exceptions.  So much of it is intuitive - I like it therefore I wear it.  I could say that about a vintage dress, a NorthFace fleece, a mustard wool jacket from Anthropologie, raccoon mukluks, maxi dresses or a favorite fitted white dress. Above all, I prize fit.  There is no style without fit for me.  If something doesn't fit me right no matter how much I love it, I will most likely suffer.  Also, I need and strive for effortless.  Not in the sense that you take one look at me and think wow, her look is so effortless.  More that it doesn't take changing into ten different outfits in the morning.  I have those mornings sometimes.  They are brutal.

The pic I took is in our grey living room.  I knew when we moved back into our house that I wanted the grey.  It seemed counterintuitive because when I think of grey, I think of cloudy days.  But I love the grey because it makes the room so much lighter.  It also feels so classic and yet so modern.  Walking contradiction.  I happened to be wearing my new favorite Warby Parker glasses.  I love these frames - what most would deem hipster.  I'd like to have some artsy higher meaning like I love the lines of the frame or the vintage feel and I do love those things, but I just loved them from the first moment I laid eyes on them.  Notice I'm balancing it all out with my mainstream Northface fleece.  I really wanted to dress up and look all cute, but my dress was still wet so I just went with the reality of my life.  Warby Parkers and a fleece.  Height of fashion and style :)   

smmidge: 3) What keeps you inspired both on the blog and in life?

Misadventures: My life inspires the blog - the desire to put myself out there, to be honest about my failings as a parent, wife, human being, my obsession with fashion, design, etc.  And somewhat full circle, the blog inspires my life.  I want to put myself out there at the risk of falling flat on my face because I love to write the blog.  And because I put myself out there more, because I'm actually committing my thoughts to "paper", I am more apt to be inspired by the daily activities of my 4 year old, or the hilarity that is probably only considered hilarious by my husband and me, or the musings of others.  It's so easy to get caught up in your mind, nuclear fall outs happen in my mind, but once on paper rationale, forward movement and inspiration from daily acitivities occur.  It's amazing.

(smmidge: I can't help but share another favorite post about Rosa's life, and her loves - her 4 yr old and her dogs.  This image is also another view into a room that I love.)

smmidge: 4) Your 3 favorite songs to listen to while blogging.  

Misadventures: I have a pretty varied playlist.  Low brow, high brow, children's music, my husband's recommendations, etc. so I usually don't have just 3 songs I listen to.  Right now I'm listening to Mean by Taylor Swift.  I hate myself for liking her music, but I can't help it. I balance it out by frequently listening to Eminem's 'Till I Collapse.  Sometimes you need catchy and sometimes you need some angry person telling you to never give up.

smmidge: 5) Last book you read and loved. 

Misadventures: As nerdy and weird as this might totally sound, I just finished Stephen King's book On Writing.  Which is, you guessed it, about writing.  I totally grew up reading his books and couldn't get enough of this nonfiction piece.  Completely different from anything else he's written, but absolutely spot on and hilarious.  To say that I was emotionally vested in this book is an understatement.  I told my husband that when I read how he and his wife were barely managing to get by when he was given a $400K contract for the paperback version of Carrie, I wished I could have given him a hug.  I was so happy for him.  Weird, I know.

I think some of my favorite books are the ones that surprise me.  The book that I didn't think could be good, but turned out to be brilliant.  I loved reading every moment of it and learned so much.

(smmidge: another odd connection with Rosa, we are currently reading Stephen King's 11/22/63 which is blowing us away and I'm can't say enough about his writing in this book in particular.)

smmidge: 6) Your top three favorite blogs.

Misadventures: This is so hard because there are so many!  And so many that I visit for various reasons.  It really blows my mind the amount of talent out there.  Most of which I haven't even heard of yet.  I feel like my favorites change from time to time.  Some of my current favorites - 1.  Design Mom(designmom.com) - there's a little bit of everything on her site.  Photography, crafting, fashion, parenting and of course I love her personal style and am generally jealous that she's currently living in France.  I'm inspired and live a bit vicariously through her postings.  2.  The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com) - Great recipes, more photography, homeschooling and general humor.  I love reading her blog.  I feel like I learned the importance of not taking yourself too seriously something I've been known to do on occasion.  3.   It's so hard to only pick 3.  I'm not sure if that means I need to pair down my blog list or if I just can't make up my mind.  But since I have to choose, I will choose Apartment Therapy (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/feedburnermain) - I'm always amazed at what people can do with interior spaces.  

Thanks again to Rosa of Misadventures in Shopping for sharing some inspiring pieces of her world with us here.  Hope you are all off to a wonderful week.  xx - m.m.

Prodigal Daughter- Design & Music Meet with Pearl and the Beard

I came across Pearl and the Beard on Cool Hunting and was so struck by the write up on their approach selling the music. . .by using posters and post cards as the only tangible take-away. A true merging of art, music and design.  And a savvy way of understanding how people consume their art, music and design today. Get it all here.   

And then there is the music.  And their style.  And I'm newly obsessed with all of it.  This video is mesmerizing, and the little star of this amazingly beautiful piece reminds me so much of my niece, Lola, whom I'm always inspired by, as well.  I can't resist sharing why she is so cool here, too.  Oh, and her chic momma just launched a new fashion blog , The Bolder The Better, where she shares the best info her groovy style and that of others. . . check it out!

Lola is an imagination machine.

She is quite stylish and loves her dolls, and braided hair.

And always has her cousins along on an adventure. 

 

Instagram-able 6

Thanks to Instagram-able yet again for making me take a beat and think about the last couple of weeks.  They say time flies, and I don't know about you, but I AGREE.  It's officially spring tomorrow.  Officially spring of 2012.  Can you believe it?  I've been going so fast and furious since late January that I can't wrap my head around a new season, but I'm feeling hopeful and excited for the change.  For now, here are the hits of the blurry last couple of weeks.  Starting with a quick trip to New Orleans, some vintage shopping, and pink socks. 

I was struck by this cool sign: yesterdays music today at tomorrows prices.  Say that three times fast.  My new black platforms.  Seriousness on the slide.  Beautiful doors going into one of my new favorite places, Cedars Social. 

Came across this citrus study I did in a college art class.  They aren't that great, but I still love them and the memories they bring back.  A colorful long dress, yellow pants and sequined stripes.  Love the colors! 

This funk band with the tuba rocked the night in NOLA.  Ben got a wagon just like he's always wanted.  I reunited with a dear friend after way too long. . . so wonderful to see her.  Turq and red.  My fave combo.  xx - m.m.

Calling Collect

image from Oh Dee Doh

Do you collect?  I'm an off and on collector.  It all started for me with a really amazing miniature collection started for me by my Mother and Grandmother when I was little.  I adored them.  Now, I am into other collections (though I still have my miniatures) like magazines (really), records, and quirky glassware.  I love to see what others decide to collect, too.  It definitely doesn't have to fit into a frame or a scrapbook for me.  Be creative.  If you love visual design of any kind, you know that almost anything en masse makes can be beautiful and make an impact.  

I think Doss already has a pretty rad matchbox car and train collection.  I love the rows of trains above for little boys.  

image via Pretty Stuff

And these amazing matchboxes would be kind of amazing with all of Doss's cars.  Minus the combustible material of course.

image & source

What a beautiful and unexpected collection of wooden utensils.  I love this.  I could see these hanging in an Anthropologie window too. . .can't you? Like on colorful yarns, from the ceiling.  Or in your kitchen in a colander.  Either way works!

image from PoppyTalk

Be still my heart.  Compartments of vintage drawers.  Love love love. 

image & source

This is a good room in general.  The colors and simplicity are nice.  And these shelves filled with colorful and patterned little bowls.  I want some run right past, grab a bowl for yogurt and head to the stool to have my coffee.  

image via The Constant Gatherer

I'm starting a pencil collection pronto.  When I was in college studying interior design, I loved my colored pencil and marker collection.  It was so wonderful to open tool box and smell that distinct scent of the sharpened pencils.  

image via Brocante Home

Vintage clocks, enough said. 

image via Habitually Chic

Sometimes I think of a collection only as like items. . . so I love this image of a collection of desk articles.  Things that belong on the surface together even though they all function differently.  Be open to it. . . collecting is a great way incorporate a focus outside of yourself or your typical day and you may have one started already if you take a look around.  xx - m.m.

Boy Toys

Hey!  Just sharing a few of Doss's fave things at 3 yrs old.  Why not?  These three year olds really know what they want, and uh, WHEN they want it.  Whew!  But it's ok.  He likes what he likes and knows what he wants, and I'm ok with that most of the time.  Car and truck toys and books are at the top of the list.  Wow, we can't get enough time with them.  The crane by Plan Toys is hours of fun, but matchbox cars are tough to beat.  The Truck Book is especially cool because it was published in the seventies and the retro drawings and style are amazing.  Owl Moon is a wonderfully written book that won the Caldecott.  It's mesmerized him for months. . . the language in it is lovely.  I'm mesmerized by it, too.  Finally the Schilling Harmonica is a big winner right now when Daddy is playing guitar.  And so affordable! Oh, and the Argentina belt brought home by Ben after his exchange there is used to tie up cars, strap on the guitar or walk Guthrie.  I'm definitely using it in on of my looks soon, too.   xx - m.m.

My Yellow Pants and Me.

Hey guys!!! I am so off my game with my posts lately. If you follow my twitter or Instagram feeds you know I'm all over the place....I am on my third trip in as many weeks and have to say I wake up and don't know where I am or, frankly, who I am on many mornings. Oy. But atleast when I put my trusty yellow pants I feel at home... Kinda sad that they are my home now but helpful in the moment when I'm away. Hope you are feeling at home, too, and off to a fabulous weekend. Oh! And a shout out to all my friends heading to Texas Style Council this weekend. SO bummed and jelly to miss it but will be excited to hear all the fun news! Xx-m.m.

Eleven Questions (with me!)

I'm not always one for games. . . as a kid, when a chain letter came, (yes, a real chain letter via the actual mail - it was the 80s/90s) I would never join in.  But a blogging friend, the fabulous Amy at Green Eggs & Hamm, tagged me in a game of 11 questions.  I fully admit smiling as I compiled my answers. . .it was so inspiring!   Here are my answers to her questions. . . and my questions to friends below.  xx - m.m.

1.)  If $10,000 fell from the sky and landed on your porch...what is the first thing you would do?

First I would buy my husband everything he needs for a wardrobe from Billy Reid.  The aesthetic is so him,  his favorite sport coat is from there and it is super looking and he would look so sharp everyday if he had more to go around.  Here is a sweet look from the Fall 2012 show.  

And then (assuming we have anything left), I would get my set of 8 of these babies.  The Charles and Ray Eames Molded Plastic Dowel Leg Chair in Lime Yellow.  

2.)  You could live anywhere in the world...where would it be?

I once had posed this same question to a friend I respected very much, and he gave me the most inspiring answer and I have never forgotten it.  He said, "I can live anywhere."  Live in the  moment, and for us right now that is Dallas and we are lucky to have some wonderful friends and hope for the future.  There is more than meets they eye to "Big D".  I recently snapped this pic of my city and I love it because, in a city made for cars, sometime you much exit and get out to find your way. . . .

3.)  You get to pick one skill you can suddenly be a master in...what would that skill be? 

Singing and playing guitar.  Like for real singing with a big voice.  I love big female voices, and girls out in front of a band.  I have always loved the spotlight from the time I was a little girl in jazz to acting in plays in high school to putting on shows for anyone in my dorm (often drunkenly but whatev).  Here is me as a talented singer, in my mind, in my dreams... as Jenny Lewis. more on her here. 

4.)  Dream job?  What is it?

See above (#3).

5.)  City or Country?  and why.

Country.  Mainly because I grew up in a small town, and I miss it and my family there.  When I'm there, or anywhere in the West where there is big sky, I feel less stressed and more myself.   And there is NOTHING like a sunset in West Texas.  

6.)  What is your perfect day?

Freedom from schedule, thus time with my husband and kid.  And afternoon cocktails.  This says it all. . . well almost.  

7.)  Favorite meal or snack.

Scallops and polenta, and Nutella. (straight, of course).

8.)  You have a chance to get together with your favorite blogger.  Who would it be, and what would you plan to do. 

Rebecca Woolf from Girls Gone Child.  I have loved her blog since finding it in 2007 and her blog and book, Rockabye, both inspired and got me through my pregnancy and Doss's infancy.  She also inspired me to start blogging.  I would totally want to eat a healthy meal with with her and talk shop.  She is just so cool, and still inspires me as an empowered woman, mother, wife, sister,  friend. . . and blogger.  

9.)  You can get any haircut/haircolor...no matter how drastic...and you can have your old hair back in a week.  What would you do? 

Long, straight, red hair with heavy blunt bangs.  

10.)  Where do live and what do you love about your city.

See #2

11.)  What are you obsessing over now?

See the second part of #1 plus getting to Palm Springs for a vacation we have postponed twice in the last 2 months for the d-a-y-j-o-b.  Seriously.  NEED to get away!  Which is why my perfect day starts with no schedule. . . but that's another convo. 

Thanks again to Amy from GEH for including me!  I am clearly currently obsessed with girls with bangs.  I didn't know until now but ah, well.  Here are 11 of my favorite questions.  Anyone can play along.  Link up your answers in comments if you want to share!  

1.) Tea or coffee?

2.)  Favorite treat, sweet or otherwise?

3.)  Favorite hour of the day - why?

4.)  Favorite song?

5.)  Last book you read?

6.)  Fave pet and name?

7.)  A current TV show you never miss?

8.)  Celebrity crush?

9.)  Must have home decor piece?

10.)  Where do live and what do you love about your city.

11.)  Current must have fashion piece?

One word: Gwyneth

I love her. That's it. I am not always so struck by sightings, but seeing her in person 2 ft away from me...I died. I can't even stand how much I adore her. When she won the Oscar in '99 for Shakespeare in Love and gave that amazing speech while wearing that angelic pink dress, I was changed forever. This night she came through in this black jumpsuit with shoulder pads and a dramatically low neckline and a long amazing necklace....she is like butter in person. She does not disappoint. I, ehem, was also in a black jumpsuit this evening. We are soooo on the same page (is this what a stalker feels?) even if not on the same luxurious level. :) Aw well, a girl can admire and always dream (of being her best friend). Happy Friday. Xx- m.m.