Today I love: green accessories

All accessories available on UrbanOutfitters.com. I love these simple shoes, elegant earrings, and most of all, this wonderful wallet.

Belated Friday Fashion: Even sick can be pretty

So guess who got all excited about having an Internet connection again last Friday and forgot to post her weekly fashion and design column?

*Shifty eyes*

I know the lack of Friday Fashion just plain ruined your entire weekend. For that I apologize. As a condolence, my weekend wasn't overly exciting either as I scampered around the house ferreting cups of ginger ale to my poor, coughing, feverish little Husband. He has bronchitis. I'm still waiting for my turn. In honor of being sick, here is a little belated Friday Fashion. Even sick can still look good.


These cashmere water bottle covers are from Restoration Hardware. No, I didn't stutter. You read that right. Cashmere. Unfortunately, they are currently out of stock. Perhaps you can knit your own. Don't forget to include the adorable little pockets!


One can't be without a soft, warm, comfortable blanket when feeling under the weather. Crocheted throws abound on sites like Etsy where mycraftycorner sells this beautiful teal blanket for $42. I've tried crocheting and soon discovered I am not a crocheter. In the least. But I am so glad that others are.


A hot cup of tea (or toddy) will warm up any chilled body. This skase teacup set from Steve Watson is so incredibly lovely and sweet. I want to go put on the kettle right now!

Go forth into the world with solid design principles and good health, my children.

Blogger, Interrupted

Greetings, my lovelies. My week-long silence has not been intentional, I assure you. Monday my office began moving from our home in the campus ghetto to a slightly more respectable building situated much more centrally. Although I now have to walk up 40 steps to reach my office, I'm hopeful the daily trek will greatly minimize the size of my hips. However, our move has also brought us far closer in proximity to the snack shop, so the effect of the newfound physical exertion (80 steps both ways, but to retrieve a Snickers bar) is still undetermined.

Meanwhile, in spite of my lack of connectivity, somehow life continued on.

I didn't post about it last week, but Dad had to be admitted to the hospital again for six blood clots in his legs that were causing his feet to swell and his right foot to feel cold. He was released last Saturday back to the nursing home and was allowed to begin physical therapy again yesterday, so another down once again turns back up. He has a CAT scan scheduled for Monday and a determination will be made about the removal of his pick line on his birthday, August 28. Hope swells cautiously.

Husband and I also purchased a new washer and dryer this week, ultimately choosing to forgo the creepy crawlies from washing our clothing with the former owners' pet hair, and who knows what else. We got the front loading washer and dryer at an exceptionally good deal and were able to rationalize the purchase a bit more easily because of the final price tag. Yesterday the beauties were delivered, and the movers also brought in our new refrigerator and stove that had been stored in the garage while the flooring and cabinets were installed. However, it was revealed that our fridge doesn't fit. It doesn't fit. It's been sitting in our garage for several months now, just waiting for installation, and it doesn't fit. The drywall in our house was apparently hung by retarded monkeys because the walls are not flat, therefore, the fridge doesn't fit.

Have I told you about this refrigerator? It's beautiful. It looks like a spaceship. I'm pretty sure I could comfortably stand inside, close the door, and fly to Mars in this fridge. I would arrive cool and crisp.

And it doesn't fit.

I don't know what we're going to do yet. Really, I can't talk about it. It's all too horrifying.

On a happier note, the outside of our home no longer looks like an unkempt forest. Husband's grandfather has spent the last few days removing the shrubbery, unwanted trees, and questionable, overgrown landscaping. Yes, you heard that right: we are forcing a man in his seventies to do our landscaping for us in the August heat. And did I mention he is legally blind? We are ruthless, I tell you.

Perhaps the too-large fridge is our karmic retribution. Food for thought.

A mid-Friday afternoon pick-me-up

This is an Emperor Tamarin. He can be found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, or in a zoo in Devon, England.

He makes me laugh.
Who do you think he's emulating?The monk from Kill Bill Vol. 2?Or Mr. Monopoly?

Friday Fashion: Vayse or Vahse?

"Vase" is one word I have never known how to pronounce correctly (like the word "applicable"...APP-licable or ap-LICK-able?!). According to the omnipotent Wikipedia, it is customary for Americans to pronounce it like "face" while the Brits prefer a stodgier sounding "vahse, dahling."

As a side note, I can't stand when people mispronounce "Realtor." Real. Tor. It is NOT REE-LA-TOR!

There, I feel better now.

Whether pronounced "vayse" or "vahse," I think these lovely vessels are a perfectly appropriate topic for this Friday Fashion. Especially since, for Husband's birthday this week, I got him this:

It's a Peace Lily. They are exceptionally good at purifying the air in one's home.
Husband named his Peace Lily "Butterman." Butterman is "For the greater good." Name that movie (one of our Top 10).

I realize Butterman won't actually need a vase himself, but perhaps a few of his blooms will find their way into one. If so, I'd better be ready with something fabulous. I can't let Butterman down.

So simple. So elegant. Bamboo Vase by Teori. *Dramatic sigh*

It's okay. It only looks like tanned cowhide. These Leather Vases are $299 each and are actually made out of porcelain, so you don't have to feel bad about murdering innocent cows in the name of good design. Although they are delicious. Cows, not design. Moo.
Metallic, shiny, and sleek? Be still, my heart. This Orbit Vase, Helix Vase, and Wing Vase from Azcast is suspiciously without a price tag, which is always frightening. However, made from 100% recycled aluminum, they are environmentally friendly and so luxurious-looking.
This one is my favorite, and particularly swoon-worthy, although the gorgeous calla lillies could be clouding my judgment.
Here is a Three Guns Table Vase costing $58.98. For the murderous designer in all of us. Who knew decor could be so manly and threatening?
Finally, for the green-living, earth-loving hippie in all of us, I bring you the Chesta Vase Made from Egg Cartons. Not only can one recycle a common product like egg cartons in a unique and exciting way, but it can be done in a beautiful, quietly industrial-looking manner!I wasn't able to include vases from this Web site because of the way they display their images (and make them impossible to steal, can you imagine?!), but I highly suggest you visit. It will do your soul good.

Have a wonderful, fashionable weekend my darlings! (Or should it be "dahlings"?)

Prelude to an early morning

We are at work extra early today so we will have plenty of time this evening to run our many errands. My eyes are heavy and I can't stop yawning, and this video definitely is counter-productive to my goal of just staying awake, but it is ever so peaceful.

Do enjoy.

Year 26

Today marks Husband's 26th year, 312th month, and 113,880th day (give or take a few). Today also marks my 200th blog post. Which is more important? I'm not sure, you decide.

Only kidding, of course. Blog trumps all.

No, no, not really. I love you more than you will ever know, My One and Only. Happy birthday!

Seriously?

"Alumna sues college because she hasn't found a job."

Seriously? I mean, seriously?

The best line in the whole article: "As Thompson sees it, any reasonable employer would pounce on an applicant with her academic credentials, which include a 2.7 grade-point average and a solid attendance record."

2.7? 2.7?!

Not to brag (but I'm going to anyway), I graduated on an accelerated schedule with only one A- to ruin my perfect 4.0 (curses class participation!) and started out, like everyone, working for beans. And I was lucky to work for those beans so soon, but three months is nothing in the fresh-faced college job hunt! I have no words for this woman. I am utterly speechless.

The start of something wonderful...

Saturday heralded the fourth wedding of the summer for Husband and me. Thankfully, it was held in the Biggest City Within 50 Miles, so we didn't have far to travel. This was another Catholic Lite wedding, which was most appreciated. I will allow one of the Apostles (Peter? Paul? Mary? Just kidding on that last one. I don't think Mary had male pattern baldness...) to illustrate my excitement over the ceremony length and the church's air conditioning:


"Raise da roof."


But, really, the church was just lovely. Who wouldn't want to get married under an azure sky?

And the marriage was sealed with fire, of course. Fire and cake.

I've got a thing for cake toppers. This one is especially lovely!


The groom's cake was simply fabulous. Not only did the day celebrate the love he has for his beautiful wife, it also exemplified the love he has for his electronic equipment. Eleanor is his computer. She was delicious in traditional red velvet.

I couldn't get away without the obligatory couple picture, proving our attendance. Now new and improved with aviators. Still no boat, though.


Congratulations, you two. You have the humor, the kindness, and the love to get you through a lifetime together.

Vestigial...what a great word

My Dinky College did have one thing going for it: a unique, comprehensive CORE program that aimed to foster critical thinking and create a well-rounded worldview. Each of the four years (or three years, in my case) was taken up by a series of CORE classes that every single student was required to take. I really did enjoy the CORE classes and credit the program with opening my mind to new areas of the world and interesting concepts that I would not have otherwise encountered during my incredibly taxing creative writing/journalism/French studies (sarcasm, I assure you).

One of the most interesting pieces of information I remember from my science-based CORE class was that, thanks to evolutionary offal, whales have hipbones. This struck me as terribly odd, since whales apparently have no reason to stand on their hind legs and walk out of the ocean and down the street to the 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp. However, this probably doesn't shock you, because I'm sure you already knew this fact, since I recognize the vast intelligence of my readers (you are at least partially literate, after all). I, however, was blissfully unaware of that fact about whales. These hipbones, like our own seemingly useless appendices, are called "vestigial," just hanging around and taking up space in our body cavities. Lazy vestigial organs...go get a job!

However, today I ran across a very interesting article chronicling the possible actual purpose that some vestigial organs serve. It's from NationalGeographic.com and is entitled "Vestigial Organs Not So Useless After All, Studies Find."

Perhaps I should have hung on to my wisdom teeth...