Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Love, love, love this band! Andy and I accidentally bought each other this CD, Up From Below, for Christmas so it has literally been on repeat since then..and neither of us are sick of it. These guys look and sound like they stepped right out of the 60's. Such a great vibe and lots of funky beats. Just all around great laid back hippie music...makes me want to buy a VW bus immediately!
                                         

Fashion Shoots.

Here are some more amazing photos that I came across while browsing tonight. I am so excited about these last couple posts I can't sleep...haha I want to create faery costumes all night now! The photographers are Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mangiello. I came across this on Clever Nettle blog, an adorable vintage clothing blog. I found so many other inspiring images tonight but I'll save a few for another day ;) Good night!

Faery Wedding.

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Oh my goodess! Somebody please ask me to marry them right now so I can have this! This staged wedding is absolutely beautiful and the rest of this blog had me mesmerized for over an hour. Visit Kiss the Groom to see larger photos and for other amazing weddings. The photographer is Elizabeth Messina. Wedding design credit is given to Tricia Fountaine. So ethereal and stunning!

Gothic Rose.

I took this pic of one of the last roses in the yard today and loved how it came out against the backdrop of decaying foliage.

Lazy Summer Days.

I've been spending the last few days at my mom's house after her wedding (pictures to come) this past weekend to look after the puppy and just to enjoy some "me time". I found this old crazy quilt in the closet and it inspired a summer afternoon photo shoot (ok not exactly a photo shoot, more or less I ran around the yard with my boyfriend's little cool pix camera and snapped photos like a mad woman while the neighbors looked at me funny).  I have to ask my mom the full story behind the quilt. I know it used to be on her bed when I was little and I remember taking naps in her bed and falling asleep looking at all the different vintage patterned fabrics. I think a few of the fabrics were from my mom's old dresses when she was a girl. I love vintage treasures and heirlooms so now I am in love with it again and have it on my guest bed. I hope everyone is enjoying these last days of summer!

Book club.

I've joined a book club recently with my sister and some friends. So far the selections have been amazing. We started with a pretty heavy one, a non fiction book that is currently on the bestsellers list called Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl Wudunn. It's about the oppression of women and how to turn that into better opportunities for women and girls on a global level. It was absolutely amazing! Life changing! As some of you know I volunteer regularly at the Rape Crisis Center of Central Mass as a sexual assault counselor. I had stopped volunteering for awhile due to my crazy life situation, but after reading this book it made me realize how good I really have it. I just started volunteering again this week because of it and am trying to plan a volunteer abroad trip as we speak. The second book which was right along the same "life changing" lines was Eat Pray Love. I couldn't have read this at a more appropriate time in my life. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, relays her real life, year long trip to Italy, India and Indonesia on a quest to find herself. And of course now I'm trying to figure out how to finance a soul searching trip of my own. I also finally got around to reading The Alchemist. All of these soul-searching books are causing a mini-crisis of self but maybe that's exactly what I need right now! It's honestly been years since I've read this much. I used to be such a book worm and over the past years, since I've been out of school, I really haven't let myself just unwind with a good book. Now I can't get enough. I am waiting for the bookstore to order our next book club selection and in the meantime I've even picked up a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray from my mother's bookshelf just to pass the time. I'm reading about a book a week and loving it! I feel like my brain is working again! This weekend our book club plans on going to see the film version of Eat Pray Love and then discussing. Our next book is Honeymoon in Tehran in case anyone would like to read along with us. (Thanks for the amazing book choices Katie!) Check out the trailer for Eat Pray Love and then go see it!

Inspiration Art 1.

My friend Gina and I decided to take another stab at our "Inspiration Art" series. Every other week we will take turns emailing a photo, drawing or other piece of ephemera to one another. We each have 2 weeks to complete an art project based on this "inspiration". It could be a painting, mixed media or other and we can incorporate the actual image or just use it as a reference. We will each post our finished projects on our blogs. I just finished mine so have a look! I will link to Gina's blog as soon as she posts hers. Here is the image that I chose for week 1.

And here is what I came up with. I made a collage of vintage sewing patterns, buttons, lace and other vintage sewing items, and coffee as a "stain". I am going to mat and frame it but who knows how long it will take me to get to that so I figured I'd post it as is.

Forest Rogers.

I am amazed by this artist, Forest Rogers, whom I stumbled across on this fantasy art website (no nerd jokes here...I am well aware). These were a few of my favorite pieces. Her work is reminiscent of Brian and Wendy Froud who are most known for their collaborative work on Jim Henson projects. I can't believe that a lot of this is done in Fimo and Polymer clays! I swore they were real people at first glance. Now I'm going to embarrass myself trying to sculpt!

Swift Fox.

I have been seeing a little Red Fox on my boyfriend's road quite frequently and it's got me on a fox kick. I've been meaning to use him as inspiration for an art project for some time. I commissioned a painting from my friend Gina a few days ago - check out her wonderful work here. But I got impatient and did one myself. So here it is. Materials used: Vintage wallpaper, acrylic paint, ferns, and stain.

Gypsy Life.

I've been "homeless" for a few weeks now as we are trying to save up some more money for an apartment. Not the worst situation to be honest. It has made me reconsider what's actually important in life and it's refreshing not to have so much "stuff" around me all the time. Don't get me wrong....I can't wait to start decorating a new apartment and stocking up on spices in fancy jars and exorbitantly priced bath soaps but for the time being I'm enjoying the gypsy life.  I can't have everything with me so I've been forced to choose just a few vital things to lug around with me in the interim. I guess that says a lot about a person. If you had to fit your most important things in a backpack what would they be? Mine looks like this:
1. Kitty
2.Books  (Currently reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway Half the Sky by Nick Kristof and        Sheryl WuDunn)
3 Essential oils
4. Sundresses and bathing suit
5. Journal
6. Deck of yoga cards

I also somehow managed to fit the almost the entire contents of my craft room into the back of my car. Hey.... a girl's gotta  create!
So, although it hasn't been too bad not having a permanent address, I am thinking that one of these lovely wagons would make my plight that much more tolerable. I am planning on owning one of these at some point in my life. Can't you just picture this as a backyard retreat?