the ghosthunt

Photos by Jason Mackey Photography | Crystals from Gather Jewelry

sadie in the sunset

Last week Sadie Rose (of SadieDeluxe) came over to model clothes for my upcoming etsy shop (!!!) and we ended up in the vineyard as the sun was setting. Let me tell you, the girl knows how to work it! It's incredibly easy taking gorgeous photos of her, minimal editing required for this doll face. What a dream. If you're looking for a model, I'm just saying... call Sadie.

{the tail end of a jumping picture. how cute is she?}

a winter picnic: behind the scenes

{Shannon Iris Photography}

Recently I teamed up with Sadie Rose of SadieDeluxe, Shannon Iris Photography and Erin Lizardo to create a winter picnic themed photo shoot. Sadie did an incredible job styling the shoot with perfectly selected props and wardrobe choices from her Etsy shop. Shannon Iris, being a photographer and a professional hair stylist, not only shot amazing photos but whipped our hair into shape in seconds flat. Erin helped with styling and gave us her fresh perspective, not to mention that gorgeous face of hers. These ladies were so fun to work with and the day was chock full of giggles and stealing bites of props. Above is the first preview of the shoot and below are some behind the scenes snapped with my phone. Full editorial coming soon!

how to make your house smell like a home

Here's something fun to try this weekend.

Grab a few lemons, a few handfuls of rosemary and 

some cinnamon sticks (or ground cinnamon.) 

Cut lemons in to quarters.

 Add to a large pot of boiling water.

Grab yourself some rosemary.

Add to the water + lemons.

 Throw in a cinnamon stick or two, or if you're like me and you ran out, 

just sprinkle in a few teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

There are countless occasions on which this recipe comes in handy.

When friends or family are coming over, after returning home from travelling 

and the house smells stale, after moving in to a new house, just throw 

a few things together and within minutes, it smells like a home again. 

This even works with apples, oranges, basil, cloves, vanilla, etc. 

Just use your imagination.

Combine everything in a pot of boiling water, then reduce the heat as much 

as possible and let it simmer for a few hours. Once in a while I add a few cups 

of water so it doesn't dry out. Let me know if you try this or if you have any

combinations of your own!


{all photos by Jason Mackey}

Countdown to 2012: Resolution #3

{Gatochy}

Resolution #3: Fix up my Beetle.

Have I ever mentioned that I'm restoring a 1970 VW Beetle?

It's been a project my dad and I have been working on for well over 

a year and it's been on the back burner for far too long. 

2012 is going to be the year my baby finally gets on 

the road. My goal is to not only get it pretty and running, but

to also document the progress on Milk. Fashion, design, photography,

and now automotive preservation. The randomness just doesn't stop on

this blog, folks.

P.S. My Beetle's name is Geronimo Jack.

Yes, I'm one of those people who name their cars.

happy 4th of july + congrats to kate + links

{Photo by Craig Dean, source}

I hope every one has a fun weekend and a safe 4th of July to those in the states.  

Congrats to Katie Moss who tied the knot today! I feel like I grew up with Kate, 
seeing her face in every magazine, secretly fawning over her amazing style and 
envying her for frolicking in her undies with Marky Mark.  I can't wait to see the inevitable
onslaught of photos from her wedding. I'm sure it was gorgeous.

Here's some internet goodness that caught my eye this week:
1.

Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket sold for nearly 2 million! 

The buyer is going to send the jacket on tour to raise money for children's charities. 

How great is that? {cocoperez}

2.

DIY glitter tape?! {pugly pixel}

3.

Confessions of a new dad from Joanna Goddard's uber cool husband {a cup of jo}

4.

Coury's blue midi skirt is too gorgeous. Must. Find. Replica. {Fancy Treehouse}

AND 
I'm so excited because my husband bought tickets to see Fleet Foxes 

in September at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA... one of my favorite venues.  

I can't wait!
♥

i miss summer

this summer we had a little yard sale...

this was my first customer. i couldn't get a clear shot, he was just moving way too fast...

Lola got some pretty sweet offers...


and milked the attention for all it was worth...

but in the end i decided she'd better stay with me :)

the end result? $500, baby!

check out tim denèe's photostream on flickr to see replicas of the new zealand tourism posters seen in murray's office on flight of the conchords. you can even download full sized versions and print your own. super fun!

don't hang on to your ego

{amayzing}

this weekend i was downtown shopping for my dad in a shop that has a plethora of amazing gifts, including a whole section dedicated to toy musical instruments. this middle-aged man started playing a toy accordion, which reminded me of my grandpa who played a real one his whole life. nostalgia took over and i found myself staring at him with adoration in my eyes. he then gives me the side-eye so i sheepishly smiled and gave him a wimpy thumbs-up. i started to walk away when he says, "hey! what did you just say?" and i said, "oh, nothing, i just really liked your playing." his response? "why don't you just mind your own (&@%!!) business?" my jaw just about hit the floor and i skulked off feeling silly and embarrassed.

when my initial embarrassment subsided i started thinking about egotism. if we think about the ego as an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others (Princeton def) it seems bewildering why some people tend to nurse their ego and can't seem to let it go. it's merely a projection of fear and distrust dressed up as a dirty look or a snide comment. by doing this we prevent honest connections with other people and why would we want that? what's wrong with smiling at strangers? what's the harm in appearing silly or vulnerable? some of the happiest people i know aren't afraid of looking foolish, putting their hearts out there and just being themselves.

my proposition is simple: let go of the ego. start smiling at everyone you pass on the street. if they have crazy eyes or look scary or are toting a weapon, then yeah, you might want to forgo the niceties. start paying more compliments, even when you're envious or maybe a bit jealous. talk to elderly people in the grocery store because you know they love the conversation. don't judge, accept the shortcomings of others as well as your own. here are some tips from wayne dyer on ditching the ego... which are worded much better than i could do.

i will do this to my refrigerator.
instructions on how to make this magic happen on apartment therapy.

i love this idea.
from desire to inspire.

random rambles

photo from {this is glamorous}

i love this picture of kate. it's elegant, offbeat and spontaneous. and i've been trying to figure out who made that dress with absolutely no luck.

who doesn't love a cup of jo? seriously, this girl cracks me up and keeps me motivated.

speaking of love, it's all about le love. just images of romance, that's all.
i only wish i'd thought of such a great idea for a blog first =)

this is the sweetest idea for valentines day. creature comforts has provided instructions for making this extremely thoughtful valentines day gift. i absolutely love it, which is the idea, right?

i will be making some of these nifty magazine organizers this weekend. however, making enough of these to house my magazines will take several weekends. instructions kindly provided by apartment therapy. originally found on How About Orange (who has some great project links).

well, it took me long enough but i finally discovered that Garance Doré is available in english.