Little Girl, Shiny World

O.M.G. Love; Art

So I think I have a growing obsession with illustration. Anytime I see something that really calls to me it turns out its the work of an illustrator. You already read my complete meltdown where I heard from the awesome Sandra Suy. If you weren't following me then you should follow my linkie crumbs because she does great work. Anyways I have a few more illustrators I've seen here and there that I really wanted to post. So todays O.M.G. Love is dedicated to Christina Drejenstam. Possibly as great as Sandra Suy.

Her work reminds me of smokey-eye make up; just smudgy and sexy as can be.

Or how I feel mid-way through a Saturday night. I still look good, but things are coming slightly undone as those vodka tonics start kicking it.

A great feeling.

Ch-Che-Check her out.

Thanks to Simple Blueprint for the introduction

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Good Thursday Morning to You!

Well what a wonderful Thursday A.M. it is. The winds have subsided leaving nothing but sunny skies & 70 degree weather. But what really makes this Thursday so great is. . . .wait for it. . . . I got my first blog award!
Yes that's right ladies and gents I am a decorated blogger now. If this was a war I'd be a five star general after winning the battles of "Who Reads This Thing?" & "No Seriously, Who is Reading This?" Ok not really at all but still one can dream right?
Thank you to Ms. Taj Acosta from Gorgeous Glam for finding me worthy of the cute little button I will now proudly display.

I felt the need to celebrate last night so I stopped by the local grocer and bought some bubbly to share with you today. That's right folks, I forced myself to drink it in honor of this whole bloggy-thing. It was difficult but I persevered

And now for the moment I know you have all been waiting for, who pray tell am I passing this along to?

Jamie Jenson @ Daydream Believer who proves that you do not need to post gorgeous images to be fabulous

Escapade who posts beautiful images and is kind enough to respond to basically every comment you leave

Bardot in Blue whose adventures & style make me green with envy

My real world friend Bits & Baubles with her cute baby and crafty ways

Diamonds & Tulle whose opening image alone makes me feel glamorous

and finally

Ms. Makes Alot with her quirky style and insanely cute boston terriers

I think that was one too many but just like at the Oscars I'm entitled to run on a bit right?

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Wednesday Morning Inspiration; Lola Montez

So many projects that I want to share on here aren't ready yet. I know, I disappoint you, I disappoint myself. But the good news is I'm bringing you some awesome mid-week inspiration to compensate for my short-comings.

In my morning reading I discovered that the inspiration for Marchesa's gorgeous Fall 2010 looks is a woman named Lola Montez, a "19th century circus performer & seductress". Boy did my little ears perk up when I heard that. Nothing calls to me like good old fashioned circus seduction. lol

A little research shows that this woman was amazing. Or amazingly crazy, I don't know.

Born Eliza Rossana Gilbert in 1821 Lola was actually Irish (yes! shout out to my kinsman!)

Her fathers military travels had her grow up in India (I'm imagining "A Little Princess" here) until he died of cholera.

Her mother remarried and she was sent off to school in Britain to tame her wild "exotic" ways.

At sixteen she eloped with a Lieutenant and after five years they separated in Calcutta and she reemerged as a "Spanish Dancer" under the stage name Lola Montez.

Her various affairs brought her in contact with European nobility. This clever girl became mistress to Ludwig I of Bavaria who later named her Countess of Landsfield (so that's how you become a countess) He later abdicated and she was forced to flee.

She was mostly known for her scandalous affairs and suggestive "Spider Dance" (apparently a very sexual dance of some sort). It seems that time doesn't change things too much as we all still love a good scandal and sexy dancing i.e.Jersey Shore & fist pumping! I didn't want to bore you by dragging out every detail of her life here, but geez the woman was married and divorced like five times, apparently had a crazy temper she refused to suppress, and made a life and a name for herself in a time when women didn't do that. She was the 1800's version of a hot mess and I love it.

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My Brown Paper Package

came tied up with string today.

Inside was my Lorac make up.

$12 for two shadows & a lipstick.

**Be still my heart**

So the jury is in. Hautelook is officially safe to buy from (not that I had any doubts)

10-14 business days to wait had me chomping at the bit.

Well worth it. I encourage everyone to play!

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Finding Meaning in Words

This morning I was struck by the power of language.

Something we take for granted. We expect that the words we speak are real and exact representations of the tangible things we want to portray and that others automatically understand them.

When I say I'm grieving, people must understand the depths of my despair right?

Of course not. But I forget that.

When the bf says hes frustrated with, but not angry at me. Hard for me to differentiate. :)

I wasn't trying to wake up to some aha moment

I just wanted my iced sugar-free vanilla latte gosh darnitt.

I was talking to the coffee shop folks as I always do in Spanish.

And the girl told me she saw "Alicia en el pais de maravillas" this weekend.

and I said, dear God is that how you translate Alice in Wonderland?

It has so much more meaning that way.

Maybe because I've heard it in English so many times I don't even look for significance in it.

But in Spanish it's so new and fitting to the content of the story for me.

"Alice in the land of wonders"

and actually "pais" the way I'm used to using it means country.

I'm sure many of you who speak multiple languages are confronted by this regularly.

How what is considered an "exact" translation can completely change your outlook on the topic.

Like Eskimos and their words for snow.

Check out some gorgeous interpretations of text and meaning below.

Ah Tuesday mornings before the caffeine sets in. Always an adventure. Thanks for joining me.

Can I live here?

I love Owl's

Haha this one is so true

Rainy Day Print

Webster's Pictorial Dictionary

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3 Years of Mayhem

If you caught my T.G.I.F this Friday you know that the bf and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary this weekend. Woohoo! It was awesome. Somehow when we travel it's as through the stars align, the clouds part, and everything happens just as it should. We enjoyed sushi & wine tasting on Saturday afternoon and then an amazing Italian dinner and night at the great Sycamore Springs Hot Springs Resort.
I would suggest our itinerary to anyone. I got my "Pretty Woman" moment when the bf took me last minute to get a new dress since I didn't like the one I brought.
I got to use my gift (new camera, yay!) to take the pictures below.
It was great and I was so happy to celebrate three years with a guy who drives me crazy :)