joie de vivre-- a cheerful enjoyment of life & an exultation of spirit.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

At Peace.

 

Nestled-- into the corner of my living room couch.
Enjoying-- bowlful upon bowlful of these plump, succulent berries.
Surrounded-- by the intoxicating smell of crisp, freshly laundered linen.
Listening-- to the sweet sound of silence for the first time all day.
Accepting-- that summer has surely arrived. 
Eager-- to tumble into bed and get lost in a good dream.
Feeling-- at peace.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

DIY: Colour Blocked Coasters.

After stumbling across this super simple DIY tutorial for colour blocked coasters over on Penelope and Pip last week, I knew my lazy weekend ahead was shaping up to be the perfect time to go ahead and give this project a whirl. And friends, trust me when I say DIY has never been so easy.


Materials Needed:
- Wooden coasters (Wishing you more luck in finding these than I had, by the way. After trips to three separate craft/art supply stores, I called it a day with these unfurnished pine squares.)
- Masking or packaging tape
- Acrylic paint (of any shade you like!)
- Paint brush (and paint tray, if you feel so inclined)
- Metallic spray paint
- Clear glaze spray (as you'll see above, I used the Triple Thick variety to ensure my paint had a thick protection from glass moisture/spills)

And with that-- off you go! All in all, the longest time spent on this project was waiting for the various coats to dry; so prepare to kick back with a good book and multitask your way through a lazy weekend afternoon. Enjoy!

p.s. my apologies for having to resort to Instagram for these photos-- that finicky Canon of mine has become increasingly more stubborn as of late so bear with me while I make due!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Weekend Snapshots.

Holy moly. What a beautiful weekend we had here in the city-- bright blue, cloudless skies and endless amounts of strong, warm light to bask in. It was was one of those incredible, sunshine-filled weekends that reminds you of all the many reasons you've anxiously awaited summer's arrival. And boy did it feel good to soak up every last drop.

While a good portion of Sunday was spent lounging on my patio-- fresh squeezed lemonade in hand and a book I've been itching to get into draped across my lap-- Saturday proved to be its own unexpected adventure. After finishing an errand all the way up on 96th St. circa 11am, I realized with a free afternoon ahead of me there was no reason not to enjoy the sunshine and take a long walk home. So, walk I did. Well, 11 1/2 miles, 3 local farmer's markets, 8 playlist shuffles on the iPod, a (not so) quick tour through Chelsea Market, and a highly unfortunate (but not so surprising) sunburn later, I crossed back into Brooklyn already craving another free afternoon to do it all over again. Well, perhaps minus the sunburn next time.

God, I love this city.



How about you, friends? Hoping you had just as much luck with the weather as we did over in these parts. Here's to a wonderful week ahead.
xo

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Dear Dad.


Daddio,

For the mornings spent hunting for hidden gold boxes and the nights spent being chased around the dining room table in peals of laughter. For the summer nights spent draped across your lap and your weekly ritual of tallying the new additions to my freckled face. For the enthusiastic sideline cheers from the bleachers and heartfelt standing ovations from the audience. For those precious times spent driving through town-- windows down, arms gesturing wildly-- while simultaneously belting the most recent Backstreet Boys track to passerby at the top of our lungs. And for keeping that incredible magic alive these past 23 years... thank you.

You've never stopped making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Today & every day.
I love you.

Your Lizzie xox

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Mixtape: No. 8

Last night was one of those nights. The skies were dark with thick grey clouds and the heavy cloak of humidity in the air was impossibly hard to ignore. As rain began to tumble yet again, there was nothing more I wanted to do than clamber inside and get away from it all. It was one of those nights where hunkering down and staying put sounded like the perfect solution. And by gosh, hunker down I did.

With a fellow Brooklynite and cooking aficionado graciously braving the weather to come join me,  the night quickly took a turn for the better as we dug into this week's CSA box and officially kicked off the season with a night spent busying ourselves in the kitchen. Two bottles of wine, an unnecessarily fancy (but oh-so-delicious) dinner, and four hours of good, wholesome conversation later we realized we had stumbled upon a tradition worth keeping.

Here's one of the many playlists that kept us company as the night lingered on. Happy listening, friends.
xo



Echoes -- Beatenberg
We Don't Eat -- Hullabahoos
Hollywood (featuring Penguin Prison) -- RAC
Our Window -- Noah & The Whale
Rome -- Phoenix
After the Storm -- Mumford and Sons
Dreamworld -- Rilo Kiley
Come On Home -- Honeyhoney
How Do I Know -- Here We Go Magic
Start a War -- The National

Monday, June 11, 2012

Weekend Snapshots.

Happy Monday, friends! Boy has it been a long and busy day around here; sorry for not being able to pop on by until so late. After a hectic day at work, I came home from the grocery store tonight feeling inspired to throw on the rubber gloves, put iTunes on shuffle in the corner, and just get life in order a bit. Two loads of laundry, a sink clear of dishes, a freshly bleached bathtub & an apartment of scrubbed floors later, the clock had gone on ahead and struck 11PM. Shew. Let's see how long I can make this productive streak last this week, shall we? :)

In any case, before today gets away from me, I wanted to quickly stop by and be sure to share a few quick snapshots from what was a truly wonderful weekend around these parts:


1&2 -- A Saturday spent taking in the sights and smells of my all-time favorite food market. While there wasn't a stitch of room in my belly for any of those delicious pies, I can certainly attest to every single bit of deliciousness cooked into that Mexican Cemita. (One of these days I swear I'll go to Smorgasburg and actually find it in me try something other than that delicious sandwich... well, maybe.)
3&4 -- A few shots from our stroll through the first series of Williamsburg Walks. Nothing like a giant, street-size scrabble board and a few patches of sod laid out before a bluegrass band to kick off the summer street fair season, eh?
5 -- The first of many summer "AK Cakes", as a dear friend family has dubbed this delicious dessert. (In short, a giant baked sugar cookie spread thin across a baking sheet and topped with some whipped cream & lots of fresh fruit.) It's a no fail, summer go-to that will leave you all nibbling 'till the very last crumbs are gone. But really.
6 -- A simple, yet fresh & totally scrumptious brunch from Goat Town, a fairly new discovery that is slowly, but surely making its way to the top of my list of regular stops.
7 -- My newest possession (read: obsession)! Oh summer sales, how I love you so. (But really, can you blame me?)
8 -- A peek at the reason my apartment was left smelling like a little slice of heaven on Sunday night. As my good friend kindly reminded me on Sunday, while poking around my freezer for some ice, "Umm, Liz? You are aware that you've got an absurdly large bunch of super over-ripe bananas just chillin' in here, right?" Yes. Yes, I was. And a big thank you to Pinch of Yum for helping me do something about that right quick. (Three bananas down, three to go. Who wants my next loaf?)

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!
xo

Friday, June 8, 2012

Happy Weekend.

I woke up this morning to find something deep down inside of me craving wide, open spaces to explore and tall, towering mountains to climb. As I cracked some eggs into the pan, it dawned on my just how long it's been since I last tugged on a pair of thick woolen socks and laced up those hiking boots of mine. I was yearning for the great outdoors. For adventure. 


I miss that feeling of crisp, fresh air filling my lungs while the rhythmic crunch of the dirt trail beneath my boots keeps me moving forward. I miss the satisfaction of escaping from civilization for a good long while and enjoying an unrefined piece of the earth in all of its wild and untamed beauty. And I miss the landscapes of Utah, of Alaska, and of Wyoming-- and all of the many ways in which they are special and unique.


Oh. Be still, my heart.

But it's Friday, and I've got a wonderful weekend to look forward to here in the city-- and what a treat that most certainly is. As for those mountains of mine, I suppose for now I'll have to vicariously live through the photos above and hope that somewhere down the road, there's soon to be a plane ticket & trail head with my name on it. Until then, fingers crossed for an urban adventure to be discovered here in my neck of the Brooklyn woods.

Till Monday, friends.
xo

(Above linked photos via The 10 Cent Designer)

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Industry Of One.


It really didn't take much effort on the part of Adam Patrick Jones & Rachel Brown to quickly make their way towards the top of my ever-expanding list of favorite blog couples. Not only do these two fellow Brooklynites possess enough spunk and spirit to boot-- really though, take a peek at their My Better Half feature over on Amanda Jane Jones' blog -- but they also happen to be the creative geniuses behind one of my newest obsessions, Industry of One. A "periodical on the wears of work" that both explores and celebrates the relationship between "one's line of work + walk of life", Industry of One is a collective documentation of some of the most interesting, creative types (and the unique quirks and stories that make them so) that I've ever had the pleasure of coming across.

From Nathan Linkous, a "thrift store maven and unfulfilled cowboy"... 

 


To Katie Hanson, a "pale wisp of a thing... who sports flaming red hair like a heroine you may have to read about"...

 

And Ryan Greer, who lives in a land of "weathered denim, scruffy beards, and earnest grasps at eternal youth"...

 


Industry of One is a destination you'll want to pull up to, linger around, and explore every nook and cranny of over a long, hot cup of morning coffee.

Enjoy!


(All photos above are credited to Adam Patrick Jones & Rachel Brown via Industry of One.)

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Garnett Jewelry: Blues Trio.

It's no secret that I've had an ongoing love affair with Of A Kind for a while now-- and if this initial post of mine didn't do it's job in convincing you to sign up for their weekly email alerts, here's a gentle reminder to do yourself a favor and do so. (Immediately.)

Now, I'd like to start off this post by saying that for the past few months, I have practiced an unusually impressive degree of self restraint when it comes to Of A Kind's incredible features. As someone who will be the first to admit that she's never been so good at adopting the "look, don't touch" (aka: immediately purchase) mentality when it comes to these sorts of things, I can attest to the fact that restraint is not always easy to come by. But when I opened my email on Sunday to find that the wonderful Aimee Munford and her trio cuffs were being featured once again, you better believe any form of hesitation, whatsoever, was swiftly kicked to the curb.


The verdict? I'm in love. Durable enough to hold their own, yet delicate enough to add the perfect amount of feminine flair to just about anything, I think it's safe to say that these cuffs are about to become a standard in my wardrobe. (Now, let's see how long I last before going out and splurging on one in every color I can find. Yikes.)

Unfortunately the Of A Kind Blues Trio has long since sold out (sorry for the teaser, friends!), but have no fear for I've got two easy ways for you to get your fix:

1. For my fellow Anthropologie lovers out there, swing on over to Anthro's online store to take a gander at their custom assortment of Pinta Cuffs (... Dare I even mention how perfect that Navy & Orange combo might be-- I see you UVa football season, I see you.)


2. And of course, there's always Garnett Jewelry's online store  which you should swing by, as is, since Aimee has a host of other tempting pieces as well! (You're welcome, in advance)

 

*A quick caveat: These cuffs run a bit small-- which is one of the main reasons why I personally love them; hooray for bracelets that fit small wrists and don't slip and slide all freaking day long (!!)-- but for those of you who like your bracelets loose, be forewarned! :)

Happy shopping. 
xo

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Back At It.


Well. So much for my jumping back on the blogging bandwagon two weeks ago, friends; I surely could not have been more false in that promise. Holy moly.

But really. Can we just step back a brief minute-- where the heck did these past two weeks three months go on and disappear to? I swear, just the other day it was March, wasn't it? And yet as I found myself touching wheels down in New York on Sunday night, the hard realization that somehow life had gone on and skipped ahead to June hit me hard. My goodness. Then again, I suppose that's what eleven straight weeks of travel will do to you.

Eleven weeks. Eleven weeks of 3oz liquids and carry-on luggage. Eleven weeks spent on 17 planes and 4 trains. Eleven weeks filled with five separate stops in Missouri, two quick reprieves at home in Virginia, a pit stop in DC, and a work weekend here and there in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Texas for good measure. Eleven weeks of inconsistency. To say that it has been a long, busy & hectic three months would be an understatement. Yes. But here we are. It's a new week-- a new month, I suppose, for that matter-- and I'm home. Home. Here's to getting back to that daily grind, back to the familiar.

More than anything though, I just have to say thank you. Thank you for sticking around and patiently waiting for me to get my life in order. And for putting up with my all too familiar excuse of life being busy as of late. I must admit a part of me was deathly afraid to log in to joie de vivre last night for fear that I'd find you all had up and left. Well, a sincere thank you for squashing that silly insecurity; shame on me. (Have I mentioned lately how much you readers totally rock my world?)

But seriously, I have truly missed swinging by to say hello every morning. Let's get back to that again, shall we? Enough of this travel nonsense.

I'll be seeing you again soon.
xo