the gael gallery: design, weddings, decor, & fashion through the eyes of an artist: 2011

worth a look: a curtain at the front door

26.12.11

yes, it looks grand & dramatic,

but it's also a very green & easy way to insulate your home.

source: via radish medley via apartment therapy on pinterest

read about this european tradition on apartment therapy.

red riding hood

20.12.11

inspired by

ruby on once upon a time

source: stacie gareau-vaughan via cutelikemeblog via on pinterest

vintage little red riding hood book from marciashouse via etsy

becky riding boot by coconuts by via dsw

linzor hood by augden via anthropologie

jungle red by nars

homemade strawberry champagne jam by freshbatchjams via etsy

cranberry orange scones by jewelofthelion via etsy

vintage knitting needles from sesameandsparrow via etsy

source: golddstwmn via flickr via on pinterest

source: ursula walter via awelltraveledwoman on pinterest

worth a look: wendy's lookbook

19.12.11

25 ways to wear a scarf in 4.5 minutes

by wendy's lookbook

even those of us living on the tropic of cancer are breaking out the scarves.

this is a rather handy video by a rather stylish blogger.

wendy's lookbook

i didn't sleep well last night. i actually woke myself up yelling, "just let me sleep!" needless to say, i felt really tired today. so, i aimlessly rode my bicycle around, exploring the city, stopping first to buy an espresso.

found these adorable rabbit earrings in a local korean dress shop. i love that from a distance they look simple & classic, but up close, so cute

... my new everyday pair.

letting go ... what it feels like to leave everything you own

6.12.11

my old place

i've never been one to amass collections of anything. so far in my life, i've moved ... allot ... allot allot ... over 30 times before moving out after high school allot. my first apartment things were clothes, a bed, 2 chairs, a kitty, my paintings, & a clunky desktop computer (no desk, mind you). in the next apartment, very little changed except that i bought a desk & had made a few more paintings. my places were empty to the point of, upon me opening my front door to accept some late night vegan pizza, people would ask if i was moving out. this was due to 3 factors: 1. i had no money; 2. i am quite picky & always hold out for what i want & will not waste what little money i have on settling; & 3. every-time i moved (almost once a year), i purged & simplified my belongings.

eventually, i was able to have a fairly well stocked home, a gorgeous steel dining table, a few mid century pieces, my giant easel ... then one morning, my droid buzzed new e-mails & there was a message alerting me that our 5 year goal of moving to thailand to volunteer was shortened to 3 months. moving our things was NOT an option, & i didn't want my most cherished belongings sitting in some dark storage bin, of no use to anyone. we had to sell & give everything away. we spent the next few months on craigslist, ebay, & hauling things to vintage shops.

everything we own & our kitties on the morning of our flight

when you actually begin to sort out, label, & sell every ... single ... thing, you own, you are overwhelmed with HOW MUCH you actually have. then, once things start to disappear, & shelves empty, you notice something ... your daily life is the same ... you don't miss it.

think about it. have you ever gone on vacation & completely enjoyed your life, even wishing you didn't have to go home? you probably only had a suitcase or two with you, & yet, you managed to function.

everything on one luggage trolly

now, i'm not telling you to sell everything you own & move to another country. i'm not saying owning things is bad. however, being able to let go of everything has taught me how little we all actually need.

source: national geographic via mymodernmet via wendy casey on pinterest more on the real up house

during my packing one day, i watched up & couldn't help but identify with the old man when he cut his home free. he had learned that although he had lovely memories attached to that home full of things, they weren't actually those memories. in his case, & mine, he had to let it go in order to let something amazing in.

f+f: post nap

30.11.11

took an amazingly long nap after a competition in surin, threw on a skirt, & went on a walk in search of a vegan restaurant, saw some elephants, came back to the hotel victorious, stuffed myself w/ veggies, & fell asleep by 8.

cardigan: target clearance

skirt: anthropologie hand me down

camisole: urban outfitters imperfection clearance

lip stain: revlon just bitten in gothic