My Home Ideas

I've started to really dive in to redecorating our apartment. I'll be revealing more of my plan and photos soon. But in the mean time I'm getting inspiration from the My Home Ideas website. It's a compilation of info from several magazines, including Southern Living and Coastal Living (two of my faves). It's been a really helpful place to gather inspiration and I like that I can search by room, ie 'Bedroom'.

I love the green bedroom above. Check out the white bamboo chair!

Ork

Brinie via Katie turned me on to Ork Posters, an online print shop and I just purchased the Washington, DC print in 'Classic Black & White'. Yummmmy!

Society6 Print Shop

I'm loving this online print shop that has partnered with Urban Outfitters. It reminds me a lot of etsy but more defined and limited in scope. The style is very... Urban Outfitters. You can buy prints, laptop skins, iPhone and iPod skins and t-shirts too!

NYTimes

Remember that time that Finch scooped the New York Times by FIVE DAYS. Damn.

That's right, on June 15, Finch told you all about Lonny Mag... and a whole five days later, the New York Times decided to follow suit. Ha!

Thanks for the heads up KT!

Hema

Check out the website for this Dutch department store, Hema. Make sure the sound is on, click over the home page, sit back and watch. My favorite is the mixer and body board. Clever.

Retouching

I thought I had an idea how prolific and absurd airbrushing is, but I can't wrap my head around anyone feeling the need to airbrush THIS image! What??? Good for Debenhams!

From Huffington Post:

British department store Debenhams has been embracing female beauty in all of its forms as of late. Back in January, plus-sized mannequins were displayed in store windows. In February, the store hired a wheelchair-bound model for their advertising campaign, where she was photographed with plus-sized and petite models.


Now, the Daily Mail UK reports that Debenhams has banned airbrushing in its upcoming swimsuit campaign: A sign in the Debenhams window will read: 'We've not messed with natural beauty; this image is unairbrushed. What do you think?' It will also show customers an example of just how much the image could have been altered.

Catio

Katie sent me this article this morning and it turns out, I'm not an Cat Lady after all. No Catios in Atty's future.

Keep Calm

I just found this site from Cup of Jo (duh). And fell in love with this Seaside print. I've been toying with a 'sea' theme for our bedroom and think this might be perfect.

DC for Real

It's been a long time coming, but DC is finally making it big in the reality TV world.

Earlier this year we got to watch the escapades of MTV's Real World cast living and causing trouble in DC's Dupont Circle. I tried to watch it. Even recorded all the episodes on the DVR, but I couldn't get past two episodes. Too much whining. That's when I knew I was officially old.

Last night was the premiere of Top Chef - DC on Bravo.

And on August 5th we'll get to indulge in my personal fave... the Real Housewives franchise is coming to the District. The anticipation is almost too much. Here's a recent post by Bravo President Andy Cohen regarding the drama surrounding Real Housewives cast members Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the famous White House State Dinner crashers.

Lonny my Love

Lonny has been out for a while, so you may have already heard about it, but it's my new favorite and FINALLY an almost-replacement for Domino. Lonny was launched in October of 2009 by two Domino alums. It's basically Domino, but online. Don't worry, you can still flip the pages. It's pretty brilliant, really. I know some of you may be old-school like me and prefer to be able to touch a magazine and tear out things you like to file them away, but give it a shot! In the absence of Domino and Blueprint, I'll take the online version over nothing!

I'm currently coveting the bamboo chairs on page 38 of the current issue. In fact, I think my parents have something similar from my Grandmother in the basement. Those might be taking a road trip to DC soon.

Second Season Favorite

Embarrassing or not, my favorite show of the summer is Royal Pains on USA. It's light, it's silly and the views are nice. Plus, after the last season of Real Housewives New York, I need some fluff!

A Cup of Jo

Another new favorite blog is A Cup of Jo. It's written by Joanna Goddard and she's just lovely. Joanna is actually on maternity leave from her blog right now, but there are still daily posts from guest bloggers. When I first read Cup of Jo, I thought that I should give up Finch completely, because all I wanted to do was replicate her posts anyway. In fact, when I saw this post I forwarded it on to KT and she and Nicky ended up designing their wedding bands with the Blanca, the artist from the post!

Hope you like her as much as I do!

Madewell

Anthropologie is to Urban Outfitters as J.CREW is to.... Madewell. 

I was in NYC with KT the first time I went inside a Madewell and it was love at first sight. A comfy and more causal version of JCrew and just as yummy. Finally Madewell is online for those of us who don't have one nearby (or in my case, try to avoid Tyson's Corner).

Looks like Madewell has reduced their prices too per this New York Magazine article from last summer.

New Blogs

Over the last couple months I've picked up some new blogs that have quickly become favortes. One is Coco + Kelly a trendy design read. I'll be sure to add them to the 'FAVES' list to the right.

Hipstamatic

That's right. I'm back in action! First new blog post in six months. Finch fans how I've missed you!

Hopefully I haven't lost my edge, but hang in there with me while I find my grove again.

Here we go...

I had been seeing some images on blogs and facebook that looked oh so vintage. Turns out it's a simple iPhone application for only $1.99. I downloaded it today and it's pretty cool. I need to play with it a little more to figure out the different lenses. For more info, check out the site. Below is my first hipstamatic subject. Atticus of course.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

I just finished reading The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell as recommended to me by Dee. It takes a little while to get the hang of the narrative because the author jumps between narrators and times. But once you adjust, I think the style adds to the story. This is a compelling read with lots of surprises. Read it so we can discuss!

Penny

There are so many things I could say about this photo, mainly because I have a mega girl-crush on Blake Lively. But I'm posting this because I think that dog is the cutest damn thing. She almost doesn't look real! Her name is Penny and she is, I think, a Maltipoo. You can see more of her at where else... Celebrity Dog Watcher. Duh. Oh, and more here.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Go buy this book or borrow if from a friend immediately. I think Dee put it best when she described it as "enchanting". It's a novel, but is made up entirely of letters between characters. The setting is London and Guernsey (Channel Islands) and follows an author and the islanders she meets as they rebuild their lives after World War II. I finished it in less than a week, I was so enthralled. Let me know what you think!

Prodigal Summer

I just finished Prodigal Summer and thought it was delicious. You probably know Barbara Kingsolver's (a Kentucky native!) works of non-fiction like The Bean Trees and The Poisonwood Bible. If you liked those, you will most certainly like Prodigal Summer. The characters and setting feel so authentic and though I just put the book down a few hours ago, I miss them already! Now I want to go back and re-read some of her other books, too.

Here's the jest: 

Prodigal Summer weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia. From her outpost in an isolated mountain cabin, Deanna Wolfe, a reclusive wildlife biologist, watches a den of coyotes that have recently migrated into the region. She is caught off-guard by a young hunter who invades her most private spaces and confounds her self-assured, solitary life. On a farm several miles down the mountain, Lusa Maluf Landowski, a bookish city girl turned farmer's wife, finds herself unexpectedly marooned in a strange place where she must declare or lose her attachment to the land that has become her own. And a few more miles down the road, a pair of elderly, feuding neighbors tend their respective farms and wrangle about God, pesticides, and the possibilities of a future neither of them expected.

The Uniform Project

Pardon the cross posting, but I saw this on Project Beltway and thought it was really cool.  The creator of The Uniform Project has pledged to wear the same dress every day for one year in an exercise of sustainable fashion. The project is also a fundraiser for uniforms and education for children living in Indian slums. Read all about it and enjoy her creations!