sunday brunch

In case anyone out there was wondering what to make for sunday brunch, may I offer up a suggestion of blueberry pancakes?  I posted them this week on our food blog, but I thought it was worth mentioning here too.

I think most people don't realize how wonderfully quick and easy making pancakes from scratch can be.  This recipe is super simple, and I use whole wheat flour and agave syrup (instead of sugar), so they really are pretty healthy too.   So if you're thinking you might want a little something extra at breakfast tomorrow, give these a try.

madewell wishlist

Madewell has a similar effect on me as its sister store J. Crew - I want to be as easy-going and casually beautiful as the effortlessly styled women in the catalogues and lookbooks, but when I actually get into one of their stores I find myself sort of at a loss; nothing seems nearly as tempting.  At least, that's what happened to me last year in nyc when I hit Madewell for the first time.  Maybe this year will be different since I've developed more of a covetous relationship with their goods online.  Here's some of the items I am currently craving:

silk shutterbug top, and above, silk maxi dress

more after the jump...

mystifying magnum

Have you guys seen these Magnum ice cream ads directed by Karl Lagerfeld?   What the hell is going on here?  Is this for real?  Are these tongue-in-cheek?  After watching these I feel lost in an alternate reality, and can come up with no reasonable explanation for the existence of these strange commercials. 

there's two more surreal ads in the series...

make lemondae

One of my favorite quick fixes for the heat is this instant lemonade.  No, no powder mixes (please!), but I do use that plastic lemon-shaped bottle filled with lemon juice, you know the one I'm talking about.  I fill a glass high with ice, squirt almost an inch of lemon juice in it (I like it really sour!) and top off the rest with plain sparkling water.  Throw in a cherry or two for color and a sweet bite at the end, and I tell you, it is heaven in a glass, and it takes all of 30 seconds to make.  I probably drink 4 of these a day in the summer.  So if it's 100 degrees where you are, or 80 and humid, give it a try!

more photos after the jump because I can't stop playing with my husband's camera...

green sleeves

There is no beach or pool anywhere in my near future, but I bought myself this new bikini top to trick myself into feeling like the possibility existed. As if I could just pop over to the seaside at any given moment, cause you know, I am wearing a swimsuit after all.  In reality I just love the blue on blue ikat pattern, and I think it's a great alternative to a regular bra for the summer.  Paired here with my Zara T-shirt worn backwards, which seems to me to be the better direction for it.

T-shirt: Zara, bikini top: Oysho, pants: H&M, bracelets: DIY, Oliphant, and from a market in Santa Fe

blackbird

As part of my quest for a more balanced life, I've decided to construct the clothing for our latest project myself.  I'm thinking tail feathers, though I don't want it to read "bird" too literally.  I'd rather have the overall effect be powerful feminine post-apocalyptic futuristic gargoyle.  So I guess it's easy to see why I'd have trouble finding something ready-made. 

Oh and in case you're wondering, no, I have no idea what I'm doing.  I don't even own a sewing machine.  This is yet another blind journey into the complete unknown.  For now I'm just fraying fabrics and playing with draping shapes.  We'll see if in a week I have an actual skirt.  If it's a success I'll let you know, if not, we'll just pretend we never had this conversation, ok?

reinhard's hats

Last month I showed you his clogs. Now feast your eyes on these hats by Reinhard Plank. Why had I never heard of this guy before? These are some of the most beautiful hats I think I've ever seen.

friendship bracelets

I used to make these endlessly when I was 12, churning them out like I was running my own child-labor factory, and then, of course, I grew up.  But thanks to this reminder on Honestly WTF, I'm back in the saddle again!  I've just finished my first one and I can totally see this becoming addictive.  It's the perfect thing to do while you travel or commute or watch tv, mindless yet productive (if you stretch the meaning of the word a wee bit), and totally satisfying.  I'm combining this one with my Oliphant bracelet and my husband's turquoise cuff (pretty much mine now, thanks!), but it looks great in a summery sporty way on its own too.  And soon I think it will have many colorful little friends, I'm definitely hooked.

chie online

Chie Mihara now has online shopping through her website!  Danger!  Aside from being incredibly cute and spunky, Chie Mihara shoes are ridiculously comfortable.  You can even walk on cobblestones and survive!  (Always a major consideration in my life.)

doremi, tomei, cosmic, and buttoned booties (last pair from Saks)

weightless

Thinking a lot about videodance lately.  This piece by Erika Janunger is one of my absolute favorites.  For me it's the perfect marriage of dance and film, not simply filming a choreography, but actually creating a new language that is a hybrid of the two.

I have a project coming up that I'm very excited and nervous about.  The unknown-ness of it gives me a thrilling kind of vertigo, which I think in art is always a good sign.

busted jeans & lace

I'm having a sort of a crappy day, losing hours and hours of my life to searching for affordable tickets home for the summer.  The wonderful fares I'd found yesterday have disappeared.  Poof!, they're gone.  Why do they torture us like that?  Is it to teach us not to procrastinate?  And will I ever learn my lesson?  At least I have my new lace tank top paired with holey boyfriend jeans.  That must count for something, right?  Enough questions, I have to go back to Kayak now and see if they'll take souls or first-born children in exchange for an international ticket.

 

tank: Zara, camisole & jeans: H&M

four years

It seems like magic to me...

Four years ago today I married the most wonderful man in the world.   And every day I love him a little bit more. 

 

Happy anniversary my love!

all tied up

Debuting my new T by Alexander Wang tank top, and I thought I'd step out of my comfort zone a bit and tie a scarf around my head.  I actually loved it, but does anyone have a trick to keep it from sliding back periodically throughout the day?  Or is my hair just slipperier than everyone else's?

a surprise photo after the jump...

how would you do it?

Currently obsessing over this dress at Zara:

I tried it on and let me tell you, it is heavenly.  It's silk, but some odd stretchy slippery non-wrinkly weave of it that makes the dress feel and look totally every day wearable.  So what's stopping me?  Well, you can't tell from this photo, but it is very very sheer.  Like, seriously sheer.   And that sexy slit goes waaaay up the thigh.  So, I ask you dear readers, what would you do?  Let's say you're like me and have no intentions of baring it all.  Would you wear a cute little full slip under it and just let it show and embrace it?  Would you layer it over a tank and leggings?  Over slim cropped pants?  There's got to be a way to make this happen.

On a side note, some of you may be wondering, does this girl go to Zara every day?  The answer is a resounding and embarrassing "pretty much".  I live in the center of Madrid and there's one on my way to anywhere in any direction, so most days I just nip in to see what's new.  So yes, there you have it.  I'm a chronic shopper.  I'm also a chronic debater of purchases, and a chronic returner, which makes the chronic shopping much easier on my pockets.  But for now, just tell me how to wear this dress so I can justify another purchase please!

safety orange

Me and my neon orange nails.  Remember these neon polishes I got a while back?  While I'm not in love with the magenta, this safety orange color is really rocking my world right now.  It's also fun because it changes so much depending on the light I'm in, going from an almost tame coral to a practically blinding tangerine.

 American Apparel neon coral nail polish

what i'm wearing - pink happiness

You may remember these pants, and no, I still haven't had them hemmed, but am wearing them all the time anyway, rolled up like I'm on my way to dig for clams. The bright color makes me so happy!   I think between these and my fuchsia lipstick, I may be a bit obsessed with pink right now.  Or just with color in general.  Or maybe just with being happy.

pants - Zara, tank - H&M, camisole - Calida, bralette - Urban Outfitters

ethnicon

Since we just got back from Istanbul, my thoughts are on gorgeous rugs.  My mom has a thing for them, by which I mean she could probably open up her very own textile and kilim museum, and while I didn't quite inherit the level of obsession love she has for them, these modern takes on the traditional rugs really do make me giddy.

 

Ethnicon in the covered bazaar - photo from Design Jungle

The folks at Ethnicon take antique rugs, cut them apart, and piece them back together in these ingenius patchwork celebrations of color and texture.  Each one is unique, though they have color schemes that they use repeatedly.  We got an eggplant one as a wedding, and though it manages to collect dust like nobody's business (it's the dark color combined with an old apartment that generates dust continually - no fault of the rug itself I assure you), I absolutely love it.  My mom has an apricot sunset one herself, it is utterly happy-making.  The wonderful thing about these is that they work as well in a modern home as in one filled with ethnic textiles; these rugs are for everyone.  You can get them at the covered bazaar in Istanbul, or online through Unique Rugs.

more photos after the jump...

almost bought - zara

Almost bought but didn't...  may have to rectify that later.

A linen kimono, a fresh and airier alternative to a linen jacket or blazer for the summer.  I actually liked the natural beige color better in person, though in the photos the cantaloupe looks perfect.  The fact that we're steady in the upper 90s here, hitting 100 this weekend though, makes me think the days of putting on a jacket, albeit a breezy linen one, are long gone.  Still, I think it's a great piece.

This striped cotton/silk blend blouse.  Love the mix of the pink with the nude beige tone, and I love the way it's so much longer in the back.  Now this I could wear in this heat.

latest beauty buys

I got a coupon in the mail the other day for 10% off my next Sephora purchase. Let's be honest here, 10% is nothing. That's not a real discount. What it is is a trick to get suckers like me into the stores buying more stuff.  And it works.  Well done marketers! This is what I picked up the other day.

Yes, that's my fuchsia lipstick there, and in case anyone's curious, I'm wearing it much more than I'd ever imagined and am loving it more and more each day.  I also picked up one of the new Make Up Forever liquid liners, in this gorgeous sparkly eggplant.  I love the way it goes on and the color is amazing, but to be honest I'm not convinced this is the best liner out there.  I've worn it a few times and it seems to flake off towards the end of the day.  I'm still trying to work out if there's some way around that.  If anyone out there has any insight I'd love to hear it.

Checking online on the US site I see that they don't carry these little spray scents in their bath and body line, which is too bad for you guys over there because they really are wonderful.  They're super cheap and smell delicious and clean and light, and are the perfect thing to throw in my dance bag for a little freshening up throughout the day. 

Also missing online are perhaps the most exciting part of this sephora spree: the nail stickers.  They're similar to the Sally Hansen ones that people are going crazy over.  I cannot wait to try out my leopard nails!  Definitely had to wait until after I visited my grandmother though...

twisted

Back from Istanbul, rested, recharged, and ready to go.  Funny how even on a vacation where you compress so much stuff into just a few days, it somehow revives you and fills you with more energy to attack your normal life.  I didn't take a single photo while I was there, but sometimes that happens when you're busy actually living the experience, so you'll have to forgive the lack of exciting photographic documentation.  I saw all my family, everyone, aged 2 1/2 to 90, and they were all beyond beautiful.  I ate everything I could get my hands on: kebabs, stuffed zucchini, cheesy pides, manti (like ravioli in yogurt), tahini pastries and almond macaroons.  Also even managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the covered bazaar, which is one of my favorite things to do there.  I will have to show you what I bought there another day.  Meanwhile it's in the upper 90s here in Madrid, and it's time to get your hair out of your face.  Here's a quick way to toss it halfway up. 

I just took the top half of my hair and split it into two sections, parted down the middle. Twist each section a few times around your fingers (like you're twirling your hair) and then bring them together in the center.  Instead of just pinning it like that which I often do, I gave the whole thing one more flip up and then down again in the back and secured it with one small butterfly clip.  Does that make any sense?  Reading though this I think maybe not, but hopefully with the photos y'all can figure it out.  Have to devise a method to take pictures of the back of my head, don't I?   Just play around with it, the idea is to just split, twist, twirl, and clip, quick as can be.  I like that it's a little different, there's volume and movement but it's messy and definitely unstudied.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!