desaparecida

Playa del Carmen

If it seems like I've been missing lately, it's cause I have.  I've been deep in preparations for our upcoming trip (tomorrow!) to Mexico.  Thought the least I could do was pop in for a minute and make all y'all jealous with some photos of the places we're headed.

Places like these...

alpargatas

Before leaving Spain I picked up a pair of espadrilles at my neighborhood alpargatería.  That's where they make espadrilles and other woven items like baskets for your donkey or fishing nets.  In downtown Madrid.  I love that this is still going on in the heart of the city.  And I love that folks will line up for hours (literally) when spring hits, waiting their turn to get their shoes for the summer.  And most of all, I love these alpargatas.

Details...

andrew bird

Have you heard the Bird?  Andrew Bird, that is.  Three White Horses was on repeat for me all through the winter, but now I'm branching out and getting hooked on a few other tunes of his as well.

More Andrew Bird...

everlane sweatshirts

I wrote about their silk shirts a few months ago, and now that I'm back in the states for a bit, I'm thinking I really need to place an order with Everlane and check out their goods in person.  I'm currently ogling the sweatshirts, though I'd be all over the t-shirts and tanks as well if they weren't currently sold out (!).  I've heard people raving about the cut and the supreme softness of these french terry crewnecks, and I'm so curious to try them myself.  If (and when) I do I will definitely let you know how they fare.  In the meantime, here's some more images to whet your appetite...

second nature

This lookbook from Elke Kramer's SS10/11 collection "Second Nature" is blowing my mind with its beauty.  If I'm being perfectly honest, I could care less about the jewelry, but the photography (Christopher Morris), the styling (Katrina Sheiles), the story, the overall aesthetic, it's breathtaking.

More from that lookbook...

on the road again

Our bags are packed and we're ready to hit the road again.  I think I'm traveling more this month that I ever have in such a short time span, but hey, gotta work hard to keep the title of Nomad, right?  Luckily we don't have to head to Wisconsin on camelback.  Or in a horse-drawn carriage.

See you on the other side of the globe!

images from welcome2mongolia and world artists' initiative

rashies

How cute is this?  No, not another bathing suit post, but close.  Today I'm talking about rash guards.  Otherwise known as rashies.  Otherwise known as shirts for cool surfer chicks.  Which I am totally not.  Though I would love to be.  One day.  Actually it's one of my top fantasy activities.  Just thinking about learning to surf gets my heart all aflutter.  But I digress...

For now, I can just pretend, and wear one of these super cute rashies to the beach.  And the bonus: they have a upf of 50+, which means they'd be the perfect thing if the sun's beating down a bit too hard while I'm lounging like a sloth.  Dreaming about doing this:

image from beach mentality

More surfer-chic fashion for us mortals to covet...

ultrathin

Do you have an ipad?  If so, do you actually use it for anything other than playing games (Crime City anyone? Moxie?  Words With Friends?) or surfing the internet while you're watching tv?  (Whoa, all my bad habits out in the open at once!)  I absolutely love my ipad and don't regret buying it one bit, but I will admit that, at least in my hands, it's hardly a font of productivity.  In Paris though, we met up with a friend of ours who was sitting at a fancy cafe, finishing up his screenplay on his ipad.  He said he actually gets more work done on the ipad because since editing is not as quick as on a computer, it helps you just move forward as you write, plus he gets much better battery time than on his laptop.  But of course, he had this nifty little keyboard.  And now, of course, I want another toy, to compliment my other toy, in order to pretend that the first toy was not just a toy at all, but rather a work necessity.  Ah yes, rationalization at its best.

 

So, do you have an ipad?  What do you do with it?  Have you checked out this amazing little keyboard?

light layers

It's officially spring here in Madrid.  We've done daylight savings time, there's little blossoms blooming everywhere, it's chaotically alternating rain and sun in a totally unpredictable way, and it is finally warm enough to go outside without a big coat on.  Rejoice!  Since it's been a while since my last outfit post, and nothing makes me happier than lots of layers (they call me an onion around here) and I thought I'd show you how I've been piling it on lately.  Nothing fancy, just simple, comfy, easy lightweight layers.

On the left: hat - Anne Demeulemeester // sunglasses- Paul Frank // necklace - mashallah pendant I've had (literally) since I was born // hoodie - American Apparel // parka - Filippa K // t-shirt - T by Alexander Wang // pants - Zara //  sneakers - Zara

On the right: hat - forte forte // jacket - the kooples // scarf - zara (ancient, but it's just a sheet of jersey fabric - DIY anyone?) // bag - cos (last season) // blouse - zara // jeans - fidelity // boots - moma

As you can see, a lot of these items have been in my closet for ever, so you might not be able to get the exact same pieces now, but here are some other options currently available...

eastpak

We all know Eastpak, right?  In my mind they're right up there with Jansport for your classic, solid, durable, no-nonsense backpacks.  But did you know they had a more whimsical side as well?  I saw someone on the metro the other day with this one and had to run home and google it instantly:

 So cute, right?  So refreshing and light-hearted.  And there's more...