Simple Lovely

Blogger's Favorites -- Natalie of Nat the Fat Rat

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:23:00 +0000

My name is Joslyn, and I officially have a girl crush on Natalie.

I try to be careful when declaring a "girl crush", as the term has become so ubiquitous that I fear it's lost a bit of its impact. The girls that make the cut manage to be at once smart + funny + kind + cool + stylish without really realizing how awesome they are (the key ingredient being the "not realizing" part).

Natalie fits the bill. Big time.

Not only does she posses all the "girl crush" qualities, but she can rock glasses and red lipstick in ways I can only dream of. It's impressive stuff. When I met her at Alt. I was immediately smitten. Done and done.

So I'm excited to have her here sharing her favorites to take us into the weekend. Without further ado, Natalie's list. Enjoy!

(image via think silly)

"70s Singer-Songwriter Style" -- Well, that's what I'm calling it anyway, and I am on a life-long quest to master that perfect combination of mussed-up hair and poetic quirk. With a touch of Charlotte Gainsbourg Frenchiness on the side, of course. But do I need bangs for this, I always wonder? Because I am also obsessed with singer-songwriter bangs. Every year I come thiiiis close to just hacking them off and dealing with the consequences! I caught the tail end of American Idol the other night (a show I normally can't sit through) and I developed such a girl crush on Haley Smith in such a short amount of time that I might have to watch this season just to see how she does. (My husband will be so glad--he loves American Idol.)

(image via House & Home)

Hunting down the perfect rustic farm table -- We recently moved across the neighborhood and into a bigger apartment (nearly three times the size--but don't get excited! It's still well under 1000 square feet). We now have the most glorious dining space, which I can't seem to fill with a table no matter how hard I try. The minute I think I've found "the one"--the table with just enough heft, just enough rustic glamour, and just enough masculinity--I chicken out and go back to the drawing board. Either this all will lead to me finding THE rustic farm table of my dreams, or else we will just eat on the couch for the rest of our lives while I search for eternity. Hah! I'll have to keep you posted! ;)

Gwyneth Paltrow -- Gwyneth Paltrow is the great litmus test of my life. "How do you feel about Gwyneth Paltrow?" is like asking, "Who did you vote for in the last election?" Basically, if you love her too, you're all right by me. ;)

(image via 69 Vintage)

Stuff -- Oh but I have an affinity for "stuff." Right now it's Pendleton prints, sheepskins and arrows, cow-hide rugs, antlers and antique game trophy... and then also frilly tea cups, french industrial lights, doilies, antique cake plates and milk glass. I'm a mess. I like clean, modern lines, but then I also like a lot of lace. And I want to have it in my hands and look at it all day. Sometimes I think I am a walking contradiction, but somewhere between the modern and feminine and masculine extremes, there I am.

and

The thrill of a new project -- There's nothing better than that first spark of an idea and the resulting passion to get through it. Between projects I can sometimes feel like I'm in a terrible slump. I am the type to crave something new. I must have something to look forward to!

(image via Free People)

New York City -- My husband and I recently moved back to our favorite city after a four-year intermission in the wilds of Idaho (where my husband attended law school for his JD/MBA) and I just love it here. It is such a thrill just traipsing to the drug store when you live in a place like New York City. I thrive off this energy and hope we never have to leave.

(image via my quest for signature style)

And yet...I am still clinging desperately to my dream of someday owning a country house, complete with chickens and freshly baked bread and a very beat up old pick up truck parked out front.

(clogs via Rachel Comey)

Clogs -- I have a weakness for utilitarian shoes of all types, but right now Swedish clogs are taking the cake. The clunkier the better. I mean, I want you to hear me clomping in before you can even see me! ;)

Motherhood -- My greatest role to date. I struggled to get pregnant for a few years, and when my sweet baby was finally on this earth with me it was like all of the universe clicked into place for me. There is nothing more powerful than a mother's heart. I am filled with such immense gratitude for the last 15 months since Huck's been here, and I can't wait to add to our brood. (Girl this time, please!)

Anne of Green Gables and Meg Ryan Movies -- I am sure you know what I mean.

In Praise of (a little) Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:27:00 +0000

Cy Twombly, Untitled (Say Goodbye Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor), 1994. The Menil Collection.

Cy Twombly’s desk by David Seidner from Artists at Work (via Rue tumblr)

I've been thinking about the allure of mystery a lot lately. Ironic, I realize, given the fact that I pin and blog (and blog and blog) and tweet (although not my strong suit)... Let's just say I'm "out there". I share stuff. A lot.

And while I've certainly benefited from being a part of this ubiquitous online conversation (in cherished friendships and opportunities and even dream jobs), there's something to be said for cultivating a bit of mystery...

Case in point, Adam Robert's article in the January Food and Wine entitled "Real Heroes Don't Tweet". Robert's dismay at the embrace of social media by his culinary icons had me nodding in violent agreement. And then I immediately wanted to tweet about it. Sad. (As a side note, Food and Wine and Bon Appétit are really bringing it of late... The food mags are kinda kicking the shelter mag's butts, yes?)

I was also struck by this article in the Times about the late Cy Twombly, specifically the idea that Twombly's embrace of privacy and even (gasp) unpopularity afforded him an invaluable creative freedom.

"But Mr. Twombly, a tall, rangy Virginian who once practiced drawing in the dark to make his lines less purposeful, steadfastly followed his own program and looked to his own muses — often literary ones, like Catullus, Rumi, Pound and Rilke. He seemed to welcome the privacy that came with unpopularity.

“I had my freedom and that was nice,” he said in a rare interview..."

So the trick I suppose is being sufficiently "out there" while simultaneously guarding your privacy and cultivating just the right amount of mystery. No sweat.

I'll get right on that...

Sisters...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:40:00 +0000

photos of the girls by the amazing kelly christine

I want my girlies to be best friends...with every. fiber. of. my. being.

Based on my belief that the more you pressure a kid to do something you want them to do, the more they *don't* want to do it, I try to be somewhat low-key about this desire. But I usually fail miserably.

Usually I tell them (all passionately, with conviction) that sisters are one of the most special, most sacred relationships. I tell them that sisters should be soul mates, confidants, protectors, conspirators, and yes...best friends. I preach it.

I love my own two sisters immensely. They are amazing, inspiring women (not to mention fantastic mothers). They are also identical twins, so they posses a closeness that I can't even begin to emulate in my relationships with them individually. This might be why I'm so wholly and completely obsessed with the idea of Millie and Audrey forging that super sister bond. (Yes, I realize this is veering into therapy territory, and for that I thank you for saving me $125/hour ;-) I owe you guys.)

When I come across super-close sisters in real-life (like the lovely Molly and Sally) or on the interwebs (Heather and Megan are my gold standard for sister love), I am entranced. I ask endless questions, tucking their experiences away to use as future anecdotes for the girlies. And then I put a little wish out into the universe that my girls will end-up with some of that magic themselves one day.

So I'd love to know...do you have a sister, are you close?

Sisters as design partners -- Annette and Pheope creators of the jewelry line Anndra Neen (via Terms of Endearment)

Sisters as soul mates -- the beautiful + soulful Heather of L.A. in Bloom and her equally beautiful + soulful "sissy" Megan of Poem Sweet Poem

Sisters as style icons -- Lou Doillon and Charlotte Gainsbourg (via Vogue)

Loving...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Lieschen Mueller's creations...everything she makes is magic-- totally and completely unique and insanely beautiful.

The cover of the March/April Lonny. I love that entire room -- the fiddle leaf fig, the striped rug, the birch logs, the art (especially the art). Stunning. + how fantastic is Anna Burke in that red jacket?!

Dreamy, artful garland streamers by FLEURLUX as captured in Ashley Helvey's gorgeous photos...

Book goodness... Perfect typography + a perfect subject. (Merle Armitage + Martha Graham via Bird and Banner.)

Anthro's abstract impressionism inspired windows. Man, Anthro can knock out some windows, yes?

The subtle sexiness (the best possible kind of sexy) of Jesse Kamm's deep v-back blouse via Kick Pleat (which should be noted is a truly stellar Austin shop.)

Awesome handmade soaps spotted via my lovely, kind and immensely talented friend Camille.

Takuro Kuwata's mind-blowingly cool ceramics (via I'm Revolting)...

which have me inspired to try something similar using Kate's genius DIY...

Some Scenes From The Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:07:00 +0000

yes, that's Millie's foot hanging out in the photo...nice.

beautiful handmade package given to me by the amazingly creative Rachel while at Alt. It was so stunning, I waited until I got home to open it...

After four full days of conversation and inspiration and learning at Alt Summit (I loved being part of a panel presentation with the amazing Victoria, Bri and Danielle), I was missing Bryan and the girlies fiercely, so once I landed on Saturday afternoon, we pretty much spent the rest of the weekend hunkering down and hanging out...

Audrey surprised me Sunday morning with breakfast in bed and a "coupon" (or in her words, a "cupon") for a family trip to the museum, which I promptly took her up on. Emboldened by the major stylistas at Alt (it was a sea of sartorial awesomeness friends, punctuated with red lips, bangs, and killer specs), I decided to smack on some red lipstick before our outing only to have the girlies beg me to take. it. off. in the car, as it made me look "too fancy and weird". After smudging it off with an errant baby wipe, Bryan looked over with a sort of relieved look on his face and confirmed that it did indeed make me look "all fancy and weird".*

Ahh, it's good to be home.

(* Which made me instantly think of my Alt roomie and dear friend Caitlin's story about her husband's hilarious response when she came out wearing a huge camel "cocoon" sweater one evening...Let's just say girls get dressed for other girls and leave it at that.)

p.s. -- Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the amazingly kind and supportive comments on my last post. You guys are truly the best readers and friends ever. More job details coming soon!

Bold Acts Number Two and Three

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:13:00 +0000

Bold Act #1- At some point during Alt (which I leave for in a couple of hours), I will be wearing the above dress and shoes... Together.

Yes, I realize for some this is not bold in the least. I know that some consider leopard "a neutral" and wear it with with abandon -- with prints, with stripes, with prints and stripes.

I am not one of these people.

For me, leopard is a print, and (again, for me) prints are best teamed-up with with neutrals. So pairing the leopard shoes with a red and black print dress adorned with silver studs (the dress alone is waaay out of my wheelhouse) is a bold move on my part. Big time.

image via D Home

Bold Act #2 -- I resigned from my job of 13 years and accepted a position as an editor at D Home magazine (my dream job). So there's that too. Bold-o-rama!

I'll give you guys more details after Alt. Stay tuned...

Loving...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Fluorescent pink. Full stop. (via 3191)

Anthro's Sagittarius bracelet... After I originally professed my love for this bad boy, the lovely Karen Mordechai mentioned that she bought these as birthday gifts for all her favorite friends, which is just totally genius don't you think?

Ship and Shape's "be mine" collection...I really just love pretty much everything about Ship and Shape. They got it right. All of it.

Rue Blanche's beautiful styling. (+ how stunning is that model!)

Wes Anderson's new movie...who's excited? Raise your hand. (Picture me frantically waving my hand here...)

The Bodkin studio tour on Founders & Followers... There's really nothing I love more than a peek into a creative person's work space. Endlessly inspiring.

This super clever way to weed out what's worth keeping in your closet. (Via Raneytown.)

Katrine Hildebrandt's stunning paper cuts... (Via Pokate.)

Scenes From The Weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:52:00 +0000

It was a very Millie weekend...

Bryan and Audrey were off on a father/daughter adventure, which left the Millster and me to cavort at home. We went out to dinner with buddies, hit a couple of five year-old birthday soirees, cuddled, ate big stacks of pancakes, brushed each other's hair, had dance parties, and went to bed together at 8:30. Both nights.

We raged against the machine...partied like rock stars I tell ya.

Blogger's Favorites -- Jennifer Cooper of Ellie Bellie Kids and Classic Play

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:43:00 +0000

images of Jennifer and family via her immensely talented hubby David K. Cooper

After a bit of a hiatus, blogger's favorites is back, and I'm excited to kick-off this year with the hugely inspiring Jennifer Cooper.

I met Jennifer online last year and immediately connected with her steadfast commitment to fostering creativity in kiddos. Her own family acts as a sort of "creativity lab", inspiring the clever and thoughtful products she creates for Ellie Bellie Kids. She documents their adventures and projects on her excellent Classic Play blog (I was honored to contribute to her "Creative Family" series last year).

Suffice to say, Jennifer is a "kindred". I am so excited to finally meet her in person next week in Salt Lake City at Alt.

So without further ado, herewith Jennifer's favorites. Enjoy and have a fantastic (bold) weekend friends.

Sunday Mornings - On Sunday mornings I wake up, plug in the waffle iron and brew strong coffee. Then I send one of the kids out to get the paper (paper fetching is considered fair payment for a waffle breakfast). Post breakfast glow, I sit on the couch, open the paper and enter a whole new world. I don't change out of my pjs until I'm darn good and ready.

Adventuring - When we drop everything and do something unplanned and last minute, the kids like to call it an adventure. More often than not, our adventures lead to some of the most memorable things we do as a family.

Water - It's amazing the power water holds over me—it hydrates me both mentally and physically. The fact that I can get fresh clean drinking water from my tap? I am beyond grateful for it.

Laughing - There are few things as wonderful and liberating as a full-on fit of laughter.

Photographs - I often find it difficult to articulate my thoughts and feelings. And when I do, I tend to ramble. Photographs, on the other hand, convey ideas and emotions beautifully and concisely. No words needed.

Quirky Movie/TV Characters - I'm inexplicably drawn to unique, off-beat characters. Some of my favorites: Steve Zissou, any of the Royal Tenenbaums, the trio from Bored to Death.

Tall Tales and Embellished Stories - Once, I traveled half-way across the world, to a country where I couldn't speak the language, to meet a stranger for lunch. We ate mussels and fries dipped in mayo. True story.

image via www.pattismith.net

Rebelious Women - I find strong, brave (and unapologetically so) women inspirational—from artists like Patti Smith to social activists like Leymah Gbowee.

print via rob lowe

British Illustrators - Sometimes I like to pretend I can draw. But Mithila Shafiq, Emmeline Pidgen and Rob Lowe really, truly can.

(Semi) Bold Act Number One...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:25:00 +0000

A bob.

With no pre-planning, I chopped my hair. For the record, I was going for a sort of Alexa Chung vibe as opposed to a 30-something mom of two vibe... Not sure (given that I am a 30-something mom of two) it was a realistic goal, but it made me feel bold, so success.

Next thing you know, I'll be wearing orange pants. Watch out.

On Being Bold...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:01:00 +0000

film still from Beginners and Goethe quote both via Spartan Journal

Lourdes Sanchez watercolor print via Let it Be...

For all practical purposes January embodies mellow (as least for me). We cruise along, calendar largely open, days mostly quiet, diligently putting things back in order after the mass festivity that is December. I wholeheartedly embrace the mellow, wallow in it even.

But here's the thing, I've been feeling some restlessness brewing of late.

I woke up this morning itching to do something bold... I immediately pondered the feasibility of loading my family in the car and embarking on a random trip right that very second (for the record: not feasible at all).

I am itching to stay up late (I'm not a night person), I'm oddly drawn to hot pink (!), I want to splatter paint a wall à la Jackson Pollock...

I read this "resolution" by the ladies at Banquet:

"eat thick greek yoghurt and tagines and grilled fish and izakaya and oriechette and nice wine and lots of mint and paella cooked over hot coals in the backyard and pear gelato and thin green beans and home made granola and porchetta sandwiches and cavalo nero any which way."

and instantly thought, "I want to eat that too"... And I don't even know what the heck cavalo nero is.

Yesterday I pinned a photo of a chic girl wearing a black turtleneck and burnt orange pants. There are a slew of reasons why this was an odd move on my part including (but not limited to) a general disdain for turtlenecks (on me), a staunch opposition to colored pants (again, on me) and a steadfast refusal to ever wear black and orange together for fear of looking like a giant, walking Halloween decoration. And yet I can't get that outfit out of my head.

I'm craving some wacky, itching for a shake-up, dreaming of going big...

Does this ever happen to you?

Loving...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Lou Doillon and Selma Blair in this Miu Miu ad...just two seriously lovely ladies (both quite adept at rockin' the bangs). Speaking of which, I'm feeling the need for a little tweak to my bangs (or fringe)... I'm thinking of getting them a bit thicker and more bold like Lou and Selma's.

We'll see...

This Chad Randl A-frame via Old Chum... All that wood and glass and that giant Noguchi lantern. It's just an utterly perfect space.

Lara Melchior's über "stack" via Garance. Just so, so good.

Maybe the chicest pondering of all-time via Tales of Endearment.

Bracelet envy courtesy of Zoe Buckman on The Glow...That Chanel number is pretty stellar.

Francoise making tea... (Via the wool gatherer.)

The first birthday party that Karen threw for her sweet Sophia -- so simple and right-on in every way.

(As a side note, Karen was being shot for the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens on the same day I was being shot for December. Hanging out with her was, by far, a highlight of an already spectacular day, as she is immensely lovely and kind. Oh and she brought homemade scones for the crew, so there's that too...)

Some Scenes From The Weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:45:00 +0000

I woke up Saturday morning to a pretty awesome realization... There was nothing that I had to do all day. No commitments, no plans, nada, zilch, zero.

Of course there were things things floating around that fell into the "should do" category -- organizing the game closet, going to adult ballet (more ballet is, after all, one of my 2012 intentions), taking photos of my necklaces so I can finally launch our little online shop... But I was going to take full advantage of the situation (a free day does not materialize often around these parts) and choose to totally ignore the "shoulds".

Instead, I poured myself a cup of coffee and hung out solo in the breakfast room for a bit while the rest of the house slept. I read this article in the NYT about the joy of quiet (so, so good) and drank more coffee. I stared out the window.

Then I made a list... because all the freedom was freaking me out a bit. It was nothing formal, just a few things I might want to do on this, my free day: go to the museum, paint, go on a bike ride, buy a fiddle leaf fig tree for the living room (and plant it), go to the movies, bake a cake, etc... (clearly there were more items on the list than one could realistically do in a single day).

I ended up painting away the afternoon with the girlies, getting that fig, cooking a big family dinner, running a quick, painless errand and pretty much reveling in the possibilities.

It was a good day.

We capped off our super low-key weekend with our friend Miette's birthday party on Sunday at The Lab (such a totally genius place)...

some intentions...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:35:00 +0000

image via anthropologie

I know this will come as a huge shocker given my type-A, list loving, OCD tendencies, but I am a fan of New Year's resolutions. Big time. I've made them religiously ever since I was a kid, and I tend to put a lot of thought into crafting them. No willy nilly resolutions here.

Last year was no exception. I went all-in on my resolution creation, even launching a blog to support one of them. And I managed to actually make some good progress against them (after all, the whole point in making resolutions is attempting to keep them, right??).

But I'm struggling a bit this year. It's not that I don't have goals. I do. But after such an intense month and our recent reminders of the uncertainty and fragility of life, I'm feeling a bit more, well, for lack of a better word...fluid.

So I'm going for something lighter this time around (something a bit more unstructured, that allows room for embracing the unknown twists and turns), by focusing on the things I want to do more of and some that I want to curb a bit in 2012...

So with that in mind, I intended for this year to include:

MORE
Making, Attentiveness, Art, Champagne, Cooking, Gratitude, Green Vegetables, Green Tea, Unplugging, Ballet, Listening, Risk Taking, Reading, Playing Outside, Kindness, Editing

*and *

LESS
Buying, Sugar, Busyness, Stuff, Over-scheduling, Distractions, Waste, Over-thinking

What about you guys, what would be on your more/less lists?

Sorting Through The Muchness -- December

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

clementine via kate miss / emmanuelle via kate @ wit and delight / string art via the stranger

When I sat down to sort through December's muchness I was a bit daunted... December is, after all, abundance incarnate. There is muchness on top of muchness. Sussing out what made the cut seemed all but impossible.

But then, well...it wasn't. Amidst all of December's food and drink and sweets and stuff, the simple pleasures seemed to rise to the surface effortlessly. I love it when that happens.

Here's what made my December cut:

Citrus -- unoriginal I realize, but it would feel a sacrilege if citrus didn't make my December list. The amount of clementines and satsumas and grapefruits and lemons we ate (and thoroughly enjoyed) last month was almost criminal. Good stuff for sure.

Emmanuelle Alt -- The EIC of French Vogue is just endlessly chic. I came across several photos of her last month that stopped me in my tracks. She manages to be at once incredibly glamorous and timeless and simple. Her eye, her intelligence, her taste, her uniform...all hugely admirable.

Sibu Beauty -- I read about Sea Buckthorn last month and made a beeline to Whole Foods to give it a whirl. I've been taking the supplements and using the products for a few weeks now and am really digging what's happening with my skin. Big time.

String Art -- I'm obsessed (not with the owls and sailboats of the 70s but with spare, graphic shapes done up in white string and diminutive brass nails against pale wood). I have a major string art project brewing for a big wall in our living room. Have any of you done string art? Any tips?

Loving...(On a Wednesday)

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:37:00 +0000

Sous Style...pretty much the perfect marriage of fashion and food. I'm seriously addicted to this site. Oh, and it sports a weekly bake-off hosted by the genius Christina Tosi (I just plowed through her excellent Milk Bar cookbook), so there's that too.

This no-frills, but seemingly perfect work bag. I'm feeling a new work bag for 2012.

Elle Fanning...I just smile every. single. time. I get a glimpse of this cute girlie. I loved her in Somewhere, I loved her in We Bought a Zoo (such a sweet, sad, sweet movie)...just love her. (image by Terry Richardson via A Lovely Being.)

The Family Meal...the next cookbook I'm planning to plow through.

This gorgeous keyhole action (and the red nails) from Jeana's latest closet opus...

Treasure Frey's prisms, ribbons and shards.

Angela's hand thrown ceramic vessels and soy candles...and her handcrafted ceramic beads too. (+ she had the coolest wedding.)

The sleeveless version of Jennifer's stunning "After Party" dress.

Scenes from The Woodland Fairy Weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Millie's party with all its glitter and garland and sparkle and wee fairies running about was just the sort of joyous mayhem we needed to offset the intensity of the previous days...

The girlies had a blast making fairy huts, playing "pin the tail on the squirrel" and stuffing themselves with little chocolate stars and mini-cupcakes and rock candy and other assorted sugar-laden goodness. Suffice to say, it was a day filled with happy makers.

But the very best part came midway through the festivities when Millie looked up at me, grabbed my cheeks and breathlessly yelled "thank you for my beautiful party".

That was, for sure, the ultimate happy maker.

The five snaps above were taken by our friend Russ Aman to capture a little of the calm before the storm.

McQueen as Birthday Inspiration...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:51:00 +0000

image via the sweetest occasion

image via le dans la

Making things with your hands is essential to well-being... It feeds you, grounds you.

That's what I told Bryan this morning at 7:00 a.m. when he walked into the breakfast room and asked me why I was (in his words) "trying to re-create the set of The Lord of The Rings out of string and twigs". In his defense, he did find me sitting all crazy-eyed in the midst of a massive pile of brass wire and yarn and bells and gold spray painted twigs and other assorted ethereal detritus.

I was in the craft "bell jar". Just sayin'.

Yes, it's that time again friends. It's birthday madness, and in an attempt to get some of that aforementioned grounding and well-being, I've gone in, deep.

There are fairy crowns and wands to make, tiny plastic woodland animals to spray paint, a giant tree branch to decorate (it's GIANT), burlap to drape and moss to spread. I'm going for that crazy gorgeous Alexander McQueen creation above meets Pixie Hollow vibe. We'll see where I end up.

Have a fantastic, festive (and safe) New Years... I'll be back next week with tales of our woodland fairy adventure.

Scenes from A Holiday + Some Immense Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:22:00 +0000

It goes without saying that losing a loved one during the holidays makes every meal shared, every gift exchanged and cookie baked and candlelight church service attended feel more poignant and imbued with a sort of solemn specialness. I expected that. I was prepared for it.

What did throw me a bit was how completely bowled over I was by the huge outpouring of love and support from friends yesterday as we honored Bryan's father at his memorial service. I am in awe. We are just so lucky and blessed to have such amazing, thoughtful, loving people in our lives. It's all sorts of goodness.

Now we're regrouping a bit... and shifting gears so we can celebrate sweet Millie's fifth birthday (tomorrow!) Friends, truly I can't believe she's five. I know it's a massive cliché , but it really does just go so fast. We'll be marking the occasion with a little woodland fairy party in her honor this weekend... stay tuned.

Working on "The List"

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:03:00 +0000

my friend jessica's pretty blue velvet flats...I loved the way they looked with the rug ;-)

There is progress on the list...we've made snowflake garlands and fireplace s'mores and gingerbread houses and a nice sampling of baked goods (the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were the stand outs). We've seen The Muppets at the movies (so cute) and are in the midst of "game day".

Next up a viewing of Little Women and some drive-by Christmas light ogling.

Have a lovely and magical Christmas friends. Thank you for all your kindness and support. It means the world to us, truly. You guys are amazing.

Through Her Eyes...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:15:00 +0000

Audrey's been a little snap happy the past few days, so I thought I'd share a few "moments" from her perspective... It's always refreshing for me to get a glimpse of how she sees things.

Bob...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:08:00 +0000

Bryan's dad Bob passed away over the weekend...

Bob was a hugely brave, smart, fiercely loyal... oh and he 100%, unequivocally believed Bryan and the girlies hung the moon. He was for sure the guy you wanted in your corner, and he will be missed...greatly.

He was also my blog's #1 fan, which was incredibly sweet given the fact that "loving" lists and outfits and random musings were decidedly not his thing.

So Bob, this one's for you.

Forget Yourself...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

For any number of assorted reasons, I'm in the midst of some serious navel-gazing of late. There's analyzing and over thinking and all sorts of "getting in my head" action. It's a little mentally exhausting, I'm not going to lie.

It's also creatively draining, all this looking-inward. I'm a big believer that to be inspired you have to take-in everything (and everyone) happening around you. You have to really observe and process, which is hard to do when your busy not paying attention.

That quote above by Henry Miller is the perfect reminder. I'm going to recite it like my mantra and use it as my re-set as as I strive to take in all the rich treasures and beautiful souls and interesting people.

Have a lovely weekend friends...

An Outfit Deconstructed...Shoe Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:56:00 +0000

So in full disclosure, this entire outfit was about showing you "the shoes"...

Typically I don't get so swoony over a pair of shoes. Don't get me wrong, I like a good shoe, I do, but I usually reserve my sartorial fawning for a necklaces and bags. Necklaces and bags are, without a doubt, my thing.

But these particular shoes are serious happy-makers... Every time I open my closet door and see them perched there amidst a sea of black shoes I smile. (Yes I smile. At my shoes. Is that strange?)

When wearing shoes like this, I think everything else has to sort of fade into the background... They are major (major for me at least -- leopard print! and really high heels) and a little transformative, like the red lipstick of shoes. So to balance things out, I've been sporting them with simple jeans and sweaters or dark tights and conservative dresses...just letting the shoes do their thing.

The Details:

Shoes -- J.Crew
Sweater -- Anthropologie
Jeans -- Gap
Necklace -- Vintage

The List...

noreply@blogger.com (Joslyn) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:14:00 +0000

a few of the items on our "list": homemade grapefruit gumdrops, paint-dipped pine cones, paper snowflakes...

I am a planner to the core.

It's a blessing and a curse, as for all the times I've been perfectly prepared, there are an equal number of occasions when I've lamented my lack of inherent spontaneity. But it can't be helped (as a wildly successful female pop star once said); I was born this way. I've been tapping my inner girl scout since I was a kid.

I have gotten pretty adept over the years at tamping down my over-planning impulses in an effort to be perceived as more mellow (it's working I *think*), but all bets are off when I'm faced with even a modicum of stress or uncertainty (both of which have been floating around the Taylor household with unwelcome frequency of late).

Audrey is clearly a kindred, as last night, out of the blue, she announced that she wanted to make a comprehensive list of all the items she wanted to bake with me during the month of December. There are 19 items on the list. There are only 17 days left in the month... Wow. But I was so seduced by her planning that I decided to jump in and raise the stakes. After all, we have two full weeks of vacation from school and work to fill with festive goodness, why not go crazy and make a list of everything we want to do for the rest of the month??

The list ended up being a funny mishmash of items, and who knows if we'll actually do them all, but at least we have a plan.

You gotta have a plan.

Herewith a few things on our "December List"(just in case you were wondering):

make a gingerbread house/watch Little Women/make paint-dipped pine cones/bake something new every day (Audrey is focused on baked goods; I'd like to tackle toffee and grapefruit gumdrops)/watch It's a Wonderful Life/make a snowflake garland/go to the museums in Ft. Worth/drive around and look at Christmas lights/make flower crowns for Millie's birthday party/clean out the game closet (me)/play games for an entire day (audrey)/make fireplace s'mores/go to the movies

So...what's on your December list?