More dresses...

Dear Old Navy,

Your commercials bug me. Cheerful talking mannequins are weird.

Your sizing is completely bizarre. Maybe you should work on that.

Your "sales" generally suck. Knocking a dollar off the regular price does not qualify as a sale, in my opinion.

Nevertheless, I do appreciate the fact that you have a lot of dresses with sleeves right now. Sleeves are good for people like me who do not spend all our spare time doing push ups. Neither of these are particularly groundbreaking, but they would look very good with my boots this fall.

{Old Navy plaid shirt dress}

{Old Navy v-neck jersey dress}

I might even buy one of them. IF I can convince myself to go to the store and IF I can actually find either one amongst your piles of stuff.

I also want to check out your $5 opaque tights. Because I have a hard time believing that there is much difference between your $5 tights and Gap's $10 tights and Urban Outfitters' $14 tights.

Maybe we'll meet have to meet up this weekend to discuss it.

Love,
Me

Mini diary from Marta

I love to jot notes. I used to keep a daily diary, in the throes of adolescence, and I would write pages and pages a day, mostly whining about having to wear a school uniform and being annoyed that I couldn't drive yet. Sadly (or maybe not?) I haven't kept a diary in years, being a little fearful of the time commitment.

And then sweet Marta sent me one of her mini diaries. So tiny! So perfect! So easy to fit into my day (and my bag)!

{mini diary - image from Marta's lovely shop}

A mini fill in the blank diary is a perfect first step and it will be so nice to flip through it later. The cover is gorgeous and the paper is perfect. D actually examined it with his keen graphic design eye and requested I find out what kind of paper Marta uses because it has such a wonderful weight and sheen.

Thank you, Marta!

For those of you who want your own, they are up in Marta's shop along with lots of other special things.

Hello Fall! (pumpkin waffles)

There is a chill in the air. It's almost time to trade my summer bedspread for my winter comforter. It is dusky by the time I get home in the evening and I like the coziness of our little apartment, lit up against the night. Mornings are crisp and bright, perfect for burrowing into covers and flannel sheets.

And perfect for pumpkin waffles. The recipe is straight from Deb, so I will send you over to her, rather than retype it all here. It needs no alteration. The waffles are just a bit spicy and pumpkin-y. They fill the house with the most delicious smell. They are a good enough reason to abandon my warm bed in the morning, especially if you add a dab of butter and just a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

I have heard that many people do not have a waffle iron, because they think they won't use it or some such nonsense. People, waffles are easy. They are delicious. They are less messy than pancakes, because you don't have any pans to scrub afterward. A good waffle iron will last forever. All of mine (yes, I have four, but they are all slightly different - please don't judge) are from the thrift store and they work perfectly despite being 40 years old.

And now back to the weather. I have always loved fall, but lately I've found that I love every season. I look forward to the slight changes in the air, I'm attuned to the shifting light. I mourn a little for whatever season is passing, but I'm eager to greet the new one. I don't want to rush through these transitions, or the seasons themselves. This is exactly how I want to be in all aspects of my life, relishing the moment, not looking too far forward or pining for the past. Starting with the weather is a step in the right direction, I think.

The weekend, briefly

A gallery opening for an exhibit D helped curate (I'm so very proud of him and all his hard work - the artist was thrilled with the results and the gallery was packed by the end of the night).

{exhibit, pre-crowd}

Pumpkin waffles for breakfast (details to follow).

{messy waffle iron}

A little tree of corsage pins.

{corsage pins, stored}

A very special girls only cookie and cupcake decorating party hosted by Em (thanks, dear!).

{sprinkles!}

Friday flowers + useless info

Ranunculus this week.

Such sweet, unassuming little flowers.

The lovely Emily of Wide Open Spaces tagged me earlier this week. Most of you have probably noticed that I almost never participate in these things, but I am doing a modified version of this one and listing 7 things about me you might not know. If you already know more about me than you ever wanted to know, feel free to take off and start your weekend. I totally understand.

1. I have made up schedules that I adhere to very strictly. I will not have the TV on before 11:30 am (exception allowed only during the Tour de France), I will not drink soda (if I drink it at all) before noon, I will not drink tea after 4:30 pm. I don't know why - I never even think about these things, they're just ingrained.

2. I read very, very quickly. I tried to learn how to read more slowly when I was little because I was always running out of books. I can read a few books a day if I'm not forced to do other things, like work.

3. I do not wear shoes in the house. Ever.

4. I mutter to myself if I don't think anyone is listening. Sometimes I forget and do it in public.

5. I take milk in both my coffee and tea. But never sugar.

6. I am addicted to the show Hoarders on A&E even though it gives me mild anxiety attacks to watch it.

7. I spent the first few years of my life abroad, first in Athens and then in Cairo. I don't remember any of it, sadly.

I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to participate and let me know if you do. I'll head over and check it out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Me, elsewhere

Psst....

Come over and visit me on The Lovely List.
And see my favorite parts about living in LA on Absolutely Not Martha. (Welcome to the city, Jackie!)

Etsy love - rennes le chateau

Anabela might turn out to be the downfall of my savings account. First it was the perfume. Now it's bags. She posted about rennes le chateau a few weeks ago and I had to head over to the shop and stare at all the lovely pictures.

{gretel leather tote - image from renneslechateau}

It was fate. I've been in the market for a simple weekend getaway bag / busy day tote (you know, the days where you need to carry a couple changes of clothes and some files and you have packages to mail). I'd much rather make a purchase like this on Etsy, where I feel like I know the person I'm buying from.

{the Annie bag - image from renneslechateau}

I brought the Annie bag in slate gray home to live with me. We're getting along very well already.