endlessly elusive

Pique Your Pinterest

2012-01-23T22:41:00.003-05:00

If you would like a more reliable way of following my inspiration and interests (i.e. internet whims), please wander over to my Pinterest page. There you will find all of the pretty and captivating things I find on my trips through cyberspace.

Yours in pinning,

Emily

Trailer Time with Emily

2011-10-16T15:59:00.000-04:00

I'm home sick today, swaddled in a snuggie and patiently working on creating a butt-shaped groove on our new couch cushions. Just watched a bunch of movie trailers, want to know what I think about 'em? Read on. This is as creative and engaged as I'm going to get today, enjoy the delirium.

As a child of the 80s/90s, obviously Sesame Street lives in a very warm and fuzzy part of my heart. But I never really 'got' Elmo. Pretty high-pitched for my tastes. Oscar and the little worm guy are my favorites. Anyway, from the looks of it, the guy behind Elmo is wayyy cuter than the muppet ever was.

This looks like the type of movie that is totally manipulative in a really okay way. Here's a list of reasons why this appeals to me, even though I don't usually watch/care about/enjoy dramas about animals.

~~Jim Halpert~~ John Krasinski, Drew Barrymore sans Covergirl mask, Alaska is fascinating always (probably because I was a devout Northern Exposure fan as a kid), dreamy guy from My Best Friend's Wedding is in a uniform and now has perfect salt'n'pepper hair (dreamyx3), I like how whales are too big to even understand, I want to know how you cut through solid ocean ice, I laughed when they brought 'Soviets' into the story, I like crying about people coming together.

I'm intrigued by the little crazy boy who is narrating when the trailer opens. I enjoy glimpses into Other American Lifestyles. Also I love to see people dance, and it looks like there are lots of weirdos dancing in this movie.

I haven't been to the movies in awhile, and I don't have cable, and I live under a rock. I have heard people mention this movie though, and did find the trailer pretty entertaining. Obviously Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan are as gorgeous as ever. But I don't think I can watch anything involving Christina Hendricks wearing 21st-century clothing. It's just wrong.

This looks pretty good, if you feel like crying a lot, or being lost in time, or being scared of Willem Dafoe. Mostly though I'm just relieved that, once you hide his smarmy face behind a scruffy beard and some scholarly glasses, Ryan Reynolds finally looks as attractive as everyone claims he is.

I've saved the best for last (and listed alphabetically). This is so beautiful and strange and mesmerizing, obviously I will love it. In theatres November 11th -- if no one else steps up to the plate (aHEM) I'm gonna take myself for my birthday (NOVEMBER22ND). I've made my peace with Kirsten Dunst for the most part, and I think she is more than cancelled out by Charlotte Gainsbourg and a big mystical ice planet.

Thanks for tuning in, folks.

Emily

Color Play

2011-10-14T09:46:00.002-04:00

This time of year especially, my sartorial instinct is to mimic nature and dress myself in shades of ivory, brown, and gray. But this fall, more than ever before, I feel as though I need to be embracing color. If anyone else is in need of some motivation or inspiration, look no further than yesterday's Bhutanese royal wedding. I don't know about you, but never before have I even considered combining marigold, fuchsia and turquoise. But somehow it feels perfect for October.

Queen Jetsun

Wishing you a bright and inspired autumn,

Emily

Analog Internet: the world was a better place when people used encyclopedias

2011-10-07T22:36:00.007-04:00

When I want to learn something, or seek entertainment, or merely pass the time, I go to my desk. Simple, but made of solid wood, it sits in the corner of a room by a window. I sit and, in one motion, pull an enormous book to the center of the desk while bringing myself to the edge of my seat. With the cover resting in one hand, I walk my fingers down the edges of pages until they reach some letter or number or space in my mind and then I spread them open. Rarely, I'll get it just right, and there it is, the tidbit I was looking for. But, far more often, it's not there, and so I get sidetracked, letting my finger trace down the page, letting my mind flit from one thing to another, losing myself in the pages and columns and synonyms and related articles. And then the sun is different on the page, or there's a noise outside the window. Contrasted with the soft paper and orderly text and thoughtful absorption of the moment before, the outdoors seem so bright and chaotic and alluring with the promise of all I had learned and all that is still to be known. I leave the book open, letting the pages lift and fall in the breeze from the open window in the corner of the room that is empty, and I am seeing what all the noise is about.

The End of History

2010-10-07T15:45:00.003-04:00

Maybe Stargate SG-1 wasn't so far-fetched... or maybe it was just shot in Yugoslavia.

I am in love with Jan Kempenaers series, "Spomenik: The End of History", which captures the bleak present-day landscapes surrounding post-WWII Yugoslavian monuments. These monuments were erected both to honor those lost, and the beautiful utopia envisioned by these Communist artists.

One Man's Treasure...

2010-09-15T15:42:00.009-04:00

Working in an antique shop, I think the phrase I hear most often is a variation on 'We had these when I was a kid'. Or, 'My mom had this when I was growing up.' Always, 'my mom'.

At first my retail-tuned ears would perk up at this, thinking that now they would obviously have to buy it. With an emotional attachment to the object, how could they leave it behind? But leave it behind they did. In fact, they usually leave the store pretty soon after. I think today I finally realized why.

Seeing a memory from their childhood, an object tied to their past and their mother and their precious individual experience among the stacks and stacks of other peoples' crap, of course they leave. This commodifying of their personal history must at best jarring, at worst painful. It doesn't really matter how I arrange the objects, or the care I put into writing the tag. The bottom line is that I have placed a monetary value on a piece of their past and have lumped it in with what must suddenly seem an offensive conglomeration of stolen goods. Sitting innocently behind the counter marveling at all the history in these treasures and trinkets, it somehow escaped me that the objects themselves don't just have their own stories to tell; they also bear the heavy burden of others' stories.

$38

It certainly casts the two rings I bought earlier this week in a new light. I wonder what damned spots they bear.

Emily

Morbidity & Whimsy

2010-09-12T22:51:00.010-04:00

I have this quality that I have been trying to define forever. This is my latest definition.

I am morbid, very morbid, and it is at odds with the overwhelming wonder and delight I have in my surroundings. At night I watch the shadows on the walls and think about horrible deaths, and am paralyzed by fear. In the morning I am woken by a golden light that seems to beautiful to be true, and am overjoyed. These sinister thoughts (which I often feel incapable of reining in) and my more whimsical ponderings (which also roam free without my consent) are typically contradictory. Reading this I am sure you are hypothesizing that I am manic. But do not fret; sometimes there is a union of these two qualities and it may be when I feel most whole.

My February 22nd post included a photograph that entrances both sides of me, the morbidity and the whimsy.

On one hand, I am terrified. The deepest black is in that doorway. The white stairs, they lead to nothing. What is below? Is it glass, or the stillest water, the most sinister lake. Above the door, these angry angles, is the building folding in on us, are time and space at an end? Am I?

On the other, I am sinking into that lake. It seems it would be so lovely and cool. And when I reach the other side I will look up beyond the stairs, beyond the doorway, and I will know the depth of those perfect angles. Placing one foot at a time on each of those stairs I will feel the most incredible anticipation. Each concentric ring on every toe will forever remember this smooth white climb.

This union of morbidity and whimsy, this is when I feel most overwhelmed by beauty. I have been thinking a lot about this because of three things:

1) I live in Ohio, again. If this place were a color, it would be dusty goldenrod. This is one of my favorite colors. It is beautiful and sad beyond words.

2) It is the beginning of autumn (my favorite season). Everything seems to be dying very slowly, but I know that really it is just the start of a most beautiful slumber.

3) I am reading Miranda July's collection of short stories, No one belongs here more than you. I can only read one story at a time, sometimes it is a week or more before I can pick it up again. These stories absolutely bowl me over in their beauty and pain. The book is bright yellow. I treasure it.

Emily

BusyTown

2010-09-07T13:02:00.004-04:00

Do you remember BusyTown? Richard Scarry's overstimulating creation of a fantasy-land in which all creatures happily interacted throughout the day as they navigated the streets running errands. These errands were, it seemed, the bulk of their responsibilities in their chosen profession. Well, wait, not 'chosen'. No, because it seemed obvious from the clearly marked labels and their perma-grins that their profession was not chosen by them, but by a higher authority. If you were born a dachshund, then you were a painter. If you were born a beaver, then you were a book printer, of course.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Mr. Richard Scarry, I blame you. Your delightfully illustrated books entranced me and as a result I believed wholeheartedly that there was a profession out there that would just choose me. Eventually I would stumble across it and my mouth would stretch into a life-long expression of contentment and satisfaction; I would finally be found by my true calling.

But, it's not that easy. I'm on a strange and winding path and there are too many forks and bends ahead to know where I'll end up, or if I'll ever even 'end up' anywhere. I guess the thing to do is to recalibrate my expectations. I do not need to find 'my calling', but I do need to set some standards for myself, some basic requirements.

So, here's one:

Dignity.

And another, please?

Inspiration.

That'll do for now. Don't want to be greedy.

Emily

Settling In

2010-07-25T10:23:00.004-04:00

I've arrived.

My new life in Columbus has begun, a whirlwind of sticky hot days and surreal nights. It's strange, but good, to know that when I wake up in the morning this place is still 'my home'. I've been snapping a few pictures here and there (solely with my fancy new phone: I went from a three year old flip phone to a 3G Droid. That's the real life-changing moment of note in the past few weeks). Here's one from my vacation at Rehoboth Beach, DE.

This pooch is a total celebrity... in his own head.

You should've seen him posing.

Back to the business of settling in: our first guests arrive later this afternoon!

Wishing you a relaxing Sunday,

Emily

virtual treasure chest

2010-06-18T21:11:00.004-04:00

I just noticed (and corrected) a glaring omission from the list of "Emily's Favorite" blogs featured in the right-hand column: I'M REVOLTING. Have you seen this? It's the most incredible assortment of treasures. Go look; you'll be entranced.

You're welcome.

Emily

Junetime Daydreams

2010-06-07T20:45:00.004-04:00

What I really ought to be doing right now, instead of whiling away the hours at work, is sitting on a breezy porch, listening to She & Him (envious shout-out to my girls in Chicago), playing at being crafty and resourceful. Maybe doing something like this, but with more hot glue blobs.

via Design*Sponge

Alas, here I am, wrapping up a 15-hour work day... but I am listening to She & Him.

Wishing you a happier Tuesday,

Emily

May Edition

2010-05-23T14:29:00.003-04:00

Rather than making excuses, again, I'll just finally 'fess up:

I kind of suck at blogging.

I think I'm alright with the actual production of posts, but I just cannot seem to do it with any regularity. So, let's embrace the sporadic nature of inspiration and impulse, and move on.

A few things that have happened in the last month:

Six inches of snow on April 29th.

It was just as stupid and bizarre as it looks.

My Max got his B.A., finally.

My little sister (who happens to be taller than me)

(yeah, I finally admitted it, shut up, Olivia)

turned 16.

[And took advantage of the opportunity

by requesting a very strange combination of dishes.]

Some other stuff happened, but I don't have photos of those, and I'm tired of talking about myself.

Check out my new obsession, ColourLovers. I even made a thingie for my blog.

It's over here somewhere.

'til next time,

Emily

Circus

2010-04-26T15:35:00.005-04:00

Today is strange. Sometimes strange is beautiful, though.

e.g. Axel Erlandson's Tree Circus

via notcot

It's supposed to snow on Wednesday. I feel a soul-crushing sense of resignation. Did I mention this is my vacation week?

Emily

p.s. In the same vein:

Ettore Guatelli

via I'm Revolting

1492

2010-04-08T18:51:00.003-04:00

Oh, by the way, I'm moving to Columbus.

photography by yyellowbird

via daydream lily

Not for a while (about three months), but it's happening.

So if I seem absent, it's because all my internet time is being spent trying to get a feel for my future home. Of course this is impossible, but I will break Google trying.

Emily

The Song Remains the Same

2010-04-07T20:46:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you, but when I finally reach the end of a television series I love, it's really hard to part with the characters. I have to comfort myself with the strange and slightly delusional idea that their 'lives' go on after the final episode -- and that in a way, they are happier because everything isn't quite so simple or predictable.

Today during my morning commute I was listening to a new favorite song, Vaporize by Broken Bells (fortheloveofgod, check out the whole album), and I experienced that same bittersweet pain, but the musical kind. It fades out, leaving you so happy and so wistful, wishing that it could just go on and on. You know?

And then I had this really nice thought, it's been making me smile all day: What if the songs continue past the end of the track? What if there's this place, this dimension, where these perfect melodies go on and on, and every little space is filled with that buoyancy, forever?

I hope someone out there gets this.

Emily

Spring! Has! Sprung!

2010-04-02T18:48:00.001-04:00

Today it is eighty degrees out! I am incapable of saying anything intelligent or interesting! Take a look at these pretty pictures instead!

I love bud vases.

via: Design*Sponge

snowdrops are so perfect.

I don't think I've ever seen them in person, though.

via Peonies & Polaroids

so many types of daffodils!

via Design*Sponge

Every pothole should look like this.

via Oh Joy

My current desktop background.

Can anybody think of an endearing nickname for a guy named Vincent Van Gogh?

...explains a lot, don't you think?

via etc.

Go play outside! Now!

Emily

Victorian Pickles

2010-03-28T12:55:00.001-04:00

Things have been a little fractured around here lately. Not really an excuse, but maybe a little explanation for my absence. So, in the spirit of gathering the pieces and making something beautiful and successful, I want to share with you these beautiful Victorian collages. Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage, an exhibit at the MET through May 9th, features the 'whimsical and fantastical' of 'artistocratic Victorian women'. These images alone are spell-binding, but as a previous Samantha-doll (I can't believe they sent her to the archive!) enthusiast, I was nearly intoxicated by the potential backstories of these incredible pieces. Especially my favorite, below. I wish I could see these in person -- the tiny ancient globs of paste would inspire such lovely daydreams.

via Design*Sponge

Feels good to be back. More coming soon,

Emily

Escape

2010-02-22T20:23:00.002-05:00

Having a bit of a 'staycation', as my mom calls it. I call it 'making do'. Expect photos in about a week. Until then, a bit of an escape for the rest of you trapped at home. (February's hard.)

It just makes me so happy.

via Miss Dior Couture

This one's for my girls. Remember when?

via Design is Mine

It's all a matter of perspective.

yet again, via Design is Mine

This is as scary, and as beautiful, as it gets.

via I'm Revolting

Emily

P.S.

2010-02-14T16:53:00.002-05:00

Oh, right -- that's what the Postal Service is for. Thank you, Mr. Postman.

a perfect window display

via Design*Sponge

Emily

To Take Flight

2010-02-14T11:40:00.001-05:00

This holiday always affects me more than expected. Wings would be nice, today. But I'm earth-bound, with 570 miles between me and the one I love. Google tells me it would take almost 8 days to walk to him. I guess they probably aren't allowing for sleep or snack breaks, either. Still, some days I am tempted to make like Forrest Gump and just go.

What a strange little video.

via I'm Revolting

What a lovely little video.

What a sweet little shirt.

Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you have love and chocolate today.

Emily

Romance

2010-02-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

Tonight, a few things that get my heart beating a little faster, and might incite a little sigh.

the tenderness, concentration, and quietness

that this must have required... beautiful.

via design is mine

imagine sitting on a balcony or patio

with the one you love, drinking

twin cups of tea, silently reveling

in the new day.

via Sunday Suppers

there's something so beautiful about

antique blueprints... but of the

Eiffel Tower? Lethal dose of romance.

via design is mine

and, just in case you've been living under a rock the past week or so:

it's strange to think of all the things

we know and do and think in relation

to our Google habits...

this one is less romantic and more bizarre,

in my opinion.

Emily

Valentine's Day

2010-02-01T21:06:00.000-05:00

Now, I've never cared much one way or the other for Valentine's Day. For the third year in a row I'm going to be celebrating* an anniversary just three days after V-day, so the Hallmark-tainted holiday has even less bearing on me than in the past. However, I am ALL for romance, gifts, and not-so-subtle hints for boyfriends, so I will be doing a few themed posts in the next couple weeks. Today's theme is: gifts!

I know there's a lot of penny-pinching these days, so I thought I'd focus on what I consider to be the most fundamental of Valentine's Day gifts: the card. Just a reminder that you're a leading lady in someone's daydreams is often gift enough.

Classic Romance: calligraphy expressing your own

sweet sentiments, adorned with smooching swallows.

via design is mine

Semi-sweet: last one a little too saccharine for your taste?

This card's sure to inspire a smile.

Naughty&Nice: this card gracefully expresses how much you love

to hump your partner, through the ingenious use of

adorable bunnies as distraction from the lack of any real sentiment.

Natural Lovin': this delicate illustration doubles as Valentine and gift,

just put it in a frame and you're done!

via Daydream Lily

And in lieu of any of these, remember, just a page of college-ruled paper and some sincere sentiments scribbled down will do the trick. In my mind at least, Valentine's Day is one day when the adage 'It's the thought that counts' absolutely rings true.**

Emily

* sel-uh-breyt: to work a double-shift, read blogs all day, and eat obscene amounts of candy in an attempt to forget that your love is halfway across the country.

** That being said, I would cringe if anyone (other than my middle-school boyfriend) gave me a sandwich bag of flour ('heh, get it? flower?') and the smallest-ever Russell Stover box of chocolates. Poor guy.

new inspiration

2010-02-01T19:58:00.004-05:00

I discovered Design*Sponge just a week or so ago, and I can't decide which emotion is stronger, the frustration that I haven't been reading it forever, or the giddiness that such a blog exists.

I wish I knew how to manipulate and coordinate such bold colors as these:

I love the stools best.

Not that I would if I could. I think this is much more my speed:

The cabinets are perfect.

You should click through and take a look at the rest of the photos, both of these houses are impossibly beautiful.

Emily

Wish List

2010-01-31T17:22:00.012-05:00

Today I'll just be sharing some images of a few things I wish I possessed. This post started as a rather straightforward wish list, a few objects I would like to hunt down for myself someday. But then the list took on a new character, and now I'm left with a thoroughly disjointed, if beautiful, collection. I guess my New Years' mentality still hasn't worn off, or maybe it's just that the future is on my mind all the time now. Exciting things are happening, and I hope to share those with you soon. For now, a peek into my greedy little head:

a bookbook macbook cover. Brilliant, no?

via Oh Joy

a bold, colorful light fixture in the kitchen. This is totally trendy right now, I know...

but I think it's the type of trend that will be adored by the grandkids,

perceived as emblematic of the times. And shouldn't we embrace those trends?

via design is mine

a cheap, lovely trip abroad,

ala English Muse. Will definitely be taking her advice

and visiting VRBO when the time is right.

a chic home that flawlessly balances the sheen and glamour

of the modern, the nostalgia and whimsy of the past, and the raw beauty of nature.

via Design*Sponge

finally, the confidence and character displayed by this man.

via Charade

Emily

Lines & Shapes

2010-01-27T19:23:00.005-05:00

I am longing for these beautifully bound collections of loosely themed works from various artists. Launched in February of 2008, there are 10 volumes so far, each more stunning and fascinating than the last. I love seeing the widely varied interpretations of such common words as 'Break', 'Pair', or 'Blur'. I can't imagine the endless inspiration and wonder they'd inspire up close.

a preview of 'Blur', my personal favorite

Visit Oh Joy! to enter the drawing for the complete set! Or, better yet, don't, and cross your fingers for me.

Dreamily yours,

Emily

Co-ed vs. Chic?

2010-01-18T18:23:00.008-05:00

Since first stumbling upon the blogosphere my horizons have been broadened, my tastes expanded, and my brain is now full up to the brim with beautiful words and images... and now, suddenly, I'm experiencing my first negative side effect: TOO MUCH PRETTY.

the dream of a fragile dress on a creamy wall

via wishwishwish via sweethomestyle

Let me step back and explain.

a wall of old photos and pretty things in antique frames

via sweethomestyle

In six or seven months I will be making my first move out on my own, ish. My boyfriend will also be there, in my new as-yet-unknown accommodations, and this is where my problem lies. Well, wait, that came out wrong. I can't wait to be living with my boyfriend, and making a lovely home for the two of us... but where do I draw the line with all the lovely and the pretty? Where will his video games and gadgets and other boyish nonsense go? I somehow doubt that he'll want to stash his PS2 in a vintage suitcase.

mm, I've already started collecting these beauties -- just one so far, but it's burgundy!

via apartment therapy

Everywhere I look, there's tones of pink and beige and ivory, heaps of pearls and tapestries and gauze, and there is that part of me that refuses to believe I won't have my own oasis of femininity. This part of me even feels occasional resentment toward this wonderful boy, for depriving me of the romantic boudoir of my daydreams. Clearly, this is insanity, because without him there would be no romance.

this one's a little too girly even for me

via sweethomestyle

I have found a few images (see below) of co-ed but chic spaces to aspire to, but does anyone out there have any recommendations for inspiration? I'm floundering in a sea of lace and baubles, help!

the portrait's a little over the top, but I love the couch among all those neutrals

via sweethomestyle

it is one of my life goals to own a screen as perfect as this one

via Simple Lovely

Emily

Holiday Digest

2010-01-11T17:43:00.007-05:00

I'm happy to say that 2010 has started off beautifully, apart from my slacking blog-wise. No excuses, though -- only photographic evidence of a few joys that have prevented me from posting sooner.

Christmas morning

Christmas afternoon: my sister

Christmas night

playful skiing adventures

(Robert Frost's cabin! Just five minutes away)

a quieter moment

new snow

That's all for now, I think. It may be a few more days before I feel indoorsy enough to post anything substantial.

Until then,

Emily

Some Christmas Bling

2009-12-24T19:03:00.005-05:00

... if, like me, you can't get up the Christmas spirit on your own this year, these designer Christmas trees just might do the trick. This Hermes one is my favorite. Probably because it looks less like a tree and more like a dream fort, the perfect hideaway, the perfect Narnia-style portal. Especially with that ethereal (read: slightly frightening) glow emitting from within!

Soon this 9-hour Christmas Eve shift will be over and I can escape to my own little family bubble, where we will smoosh onto the couch and read the hilariously 80s edition of The Night Before Christmas, and stare at the colored lights until they blur and it's bedtime. And then in the morning there will be Vivaldi and coffee cake and stockings to exclaim over. It is gift enough* to have this one last childhood Christmas with my family, though none of us are children anymore.

What traditions do you look forward to most?

Generic seasonal tidings,

Emily

*just kidding, Santa

Continuity

2009-12-22T18:41:00.004-05:00

Just an old photo and someone else's words, today; not because I am sapped of creativity, but because it's not time yet (and I'm frightened) to see what would come forth.

To Papoo.

Love,

Emily

Photo taken at the cliffs of Kilkee, Ireland, in May 2006.

Dear Santa

2009-12-19T17:18:00.014-05:00

If I were cleverer, I would have revived this blog weeks ago, just to make known my dream wishlist. But, I'm not, so here we are, only five days left and no chance of it being at all useful for anyone. Oh well, a girl can dream, right?

Moleskine 12-month planner,

to help me track my progress through the coming year.

And look at those colors!

Anthropologie bottle opener

to help me feel like a classy lady,

despite my love of beer

Modcloth headphones,

because my years-old iPod earbuds

just aren't cutting it, anymore

a Free People cardigan,

because a girl can never have enough cardigans

a book of stitches, because embroidery is

really hard when you have no idea what you're doing

the perfect Frye boots,

because, well, they're perfect.

In fact, let's just go ahead and add 'procurement of the Melissa Riding Tall Frye boots' to my 2010 resolutions. It will be done.

Glad tidings,

Emily

Renewal

2009-12-18T18:07:00.004-05:00

Well, hello again. It's been awhile, to say the least. For months now I've been meaning to post again, maybe next time I've got wireless, but maybe after I grab some coffee, or when I find a killer photo to use as a metaphor... and then, just a minute ago, I read this astonishingly inspirational post by the lovely lady behind the blog Little Red Fox. Now, this blog is just incredible. For the most part I really only read fashion blogs, but one lucky day last spring I came across this one and I fell for it, like that. She's creative, enthusiastic, a great writer, and she sometimes shares stories about her experience working with David Hyde Pierce. How could I not love her?

Anyway, she revealed in this post that all of the beautiful things she creates and sells in her Etsy shop, all of the photos she takes, all of the posts she writes, et cetera, were all made possible by skills she has acquired in the past two years. Here I was, assuming she was this superhero, the next Martha, while slumped at my desk yearning for such natural prowess, when all along she was JUST LIKE ME a couple years ago.
Except for one (yes, just ONE) thing: she had the motivation and belief that she was capable of learning and doing and fucking up and then doing again and eventually getting exactly the results she had hoped for.

SO. This year has been a rather strange one. I graduated from college with a highly predictable B.A. in English -- I was always a bookworm, and writing was my only creative outlet -- but with no inspiration or energy for writing (even in my journal!), or interest in reading (I couldn't even finish my first attempt at Virginia Woolf!), or ambition in any career path. Then, I took a class in jewelry making and metal work and suddenly I was filled with inspiration and ambition and drive and... what have I done with it? Not much, at all.

Alright, you guessed it. This is a New Years' Resolution post. A little early, yes, but so very earnest. There will always be reasons not to do, not to try, not to fuck up and grow up. I will always have too little time, because life is short, but sweet for certain.* And it will be made all the sweeter if I finally grow the proverbial pair and just work hard. I don't know yet who I want to be or what I want to do or where I want to go, but I sure as hell won't find out without research, and work, and introspection, and the occasional failure.

In 2010, I will
- learn to sew (like, at all. Even just replacing a button would be a struggle for me, now.)
- continue to redefine my ideas about diaries, through my recently acquired and deeply beloved veryfirstever Moleskine sketchbook
- be a better pen pal
- begin dancing again
- actively research the artists and designs and methods and fields that interest me
- make a lovely home
- keep up with this blog; not for you, the anonymous, judgmental entity of my bad mood daydreams, but for myself, and the unknown others who may like me, and the things I like, and maybe this blog, too.

Emily

*Yes, I did just quote Dave Matthews Band, shutup.

hope

2009-08-13T17:31:00.009-04:00

At long last, I have photographs of the pieces of jewelry I made earlier this summer. Without further ado:

You can't tell from this photo, but the stone is
a deep green, with little orange-red flecks. Clearly, this one is Pond.

The concept behind this one was Fiddlehead, but I didn't really get the shape I liked, in the end.
Still, I'm proud of that tiny bezel, and the way the bracelet loops perfectly around my wrist.
Again, the stone is green, but you can't really tell.

This one you've seen before. This was my final piece, another pendant.

I still haven't found a chain for either of my pendants, but I'm optimistic. I've contemplated stringing the latter on to a piece of black velvet ribbon entwined with a gold filler chain, but I think I'll keep searching for the perfect chain before I give in to that easy fix.

For now I'm without a space to continue working, but I've taken to carrying a sketch book with me to work, and keeping it on my nightstand, so I'll become a little more accustomed to drawing out my ideas. Haven't seen much improvement yet, but hopefully I'll be able to express myself a little better as time passes.

And that's all for today. Off for a week-long jaunt to the Garden State, then back to reality -- just in time for my mom and sister to go back to school and leave me all by my lonesome.

It's going to be a long, lonely descent into the endless Vermont winter; any distractions welcome. More boldly put, have I got any readers yet??

love to the anonymous (imaginary) masses,

Emily

baby steps

2009-08-13T17:06:00.008-04:00

One of my coping mechanisms, when looking to the future and reminding myself that I will indeed be living with my parents for the next several months, is by renewing my promise to experiment in the kitchen and become a decent cook. I hope to be proficient and a little adventurous, even, by the time I'm ready to get my own pad.

The other day I started off slow, with this delicious 'Sunny Sunflower Spread' so generously shared by Little Red Fox. This woman is a domestic goddess, a real icon in my fantasies of becoming an accomplished homemaker (in my spare time, of course, when I'm not busy celebrating my wild success as a jeweler). Anyway, the spread is fantastic, especially as a condiment for sandwiches. I decided to indulge the strange form of narcissism that prompts girls like me to photograph every step of the food-prep process, so please, sit back and enjoy as I demonstrate how to make a simple sandwich:

Klinger's sourdough bread + sunflower spread

+ slices of orange bell pepper

+ thinly sliced cucumber

+ shredded crisp romaine

+ thinly sliced Hunter's Sharp Cabot cheddar
(made here in Vermont and always in our fridge)

+ voilà!

Well, it's not much, but it's a start! And man, was it good.

Go eat something delicious, I know you want to. I think I'm having corn on the cob tonight, my first this summer. :)

Emily

booties & beaches

2009-07-23T19:08:00.005-04:00

It's been a month since I last posted, so there are a few items of interest today. For my own peace of mind I'm going to dedicate a post to each train of thought. So, here's the first:

This post (at Charade) on individuality and self-expression through fashion is now the most long-winded mantra I've ever had.

Though the soggy state of Vermont has robbed me of a proper summer, I have to say, there are now fleeting moments when I become so excited about the prospect of autumn. I haven't been home for a good leaf-peeping season in four years, I can't wait. And of course I can't wait to don again my fall wardrobe staples, old and new. I got some great grey boots at H&M the other weekend that I can't wait to debut. Though last winter seemed to last forever, already this Glamourai post seems exciting and inspiring, again. (Also, part of the appeal of the aforementioned H&M booties was their vague resemblance to her favored footwear, the Patricia Field for Payless booties.)

But, enough of that! Because, at last, I'm going to the beach!! Tomorrow morning I hop a train to visit the boyfriend in sunny New Jersey for a week. And on our lovely To Do list, underlined, italicized, and dreamily doodled upon is 'go to the Jersey shore'. I can't really put into words just how strongly I long for the seashore. Expect pictures.

New addition to my all-important staff shelf

2009-07-12T16:51:00.004-04:00

The other night, finally, after over a year of forgetful anticipation, I pressed 'play' and sat back to enjoy The Fall. For those of you that have yet to see this film, do. It is visually breathtaking, and toys with your emotions in all the right ways. A peek at the delights available to you at your local video rental store:

Emily

givin' up on vegetarianism

2009-06-26T19:49:00.004-04:00

In the interest of continuing to provide my faithful readers with aesthetic delights, photographs of stunning objects that engage that part of you that is daily suppressed, but still knows how to fantasize, how to dream... I present you with this mesmerizing series of photos posted by Jak & Jil Blog.

Translation: Enjoy the beefcake, ladies!

Mmm,

Emily

lasers, bowlers, hostels, oh my!

2009-06-25T17:50:00.007-04:00

For awhile now I've been promising a post featuring photos of my jewelry pieces. Today was the day I would finally deliver... until I discovered that my camera not only had very low battery, but is also suddenly incapable of focusing on small objects. Cross your fingers that this was a momentary glitch, please. In the meantime I'll have to satisfy us all with this single photo, taken by my teacher, Laurie Peters. It's a bit washed-out, but it gets the message across. It's my third and final piece, a pendant.

The book cover is made of copper, the keyhole is cast silver, the bookmark is silver as well, and the pages (not featured here) are nugold. Hopefully I'll be able to get up some more pictures, both of this piece and the others, soon.
On a related note, I welded with a laser today! It was very, very cool. I have an acquaintance who is a local jeweler, and he was kind enough to show me around the studio, answer a few questions, and showed me how to use a laserwelder. It was a moment of intense heat, and then it was done, the two rings were fused together. I can't wait to tell my geek scientist boyfriend.

you may have the get-up, but I've got lasers

Hmm, I probably should've checked with him before I uploaded that gem... ah well. Haha!

Lastly, I'm wishing I had expendable income, because this piece by Danny Robert (the guy who does those great bloglovin' illustrations) has got me drooling:

Now that it's quite clear I'll be living with the folks for a good chunk of time, I'm wishing I had made more of an effort the past four years to make my room my own. The walls are bare (though a lovely rusty/eggplant shade, much nicer than it sounds), except for a nice photo I tore from a Nylon magazine yesterday and taped to the wall. Sigh, it's a start.

Back to hostels.com -- I'm trying to work out an affordable NYC weekend in late July for two MJSA shows and a brief reunion with Apron Boy (above). It'll coincide nicely with the Red Sox tickets my dad scored for the following Monday on the Budweiser Pavilion at Fenway. Amtrak and I have become best friends these past few years....

Until next time,

Emily

it's my half birthday, today

2009-05-22T14:05:00.005-04:00

So, it's been awhile. I'm back living at my parents', post-B.A, or rather, B.A.-impending. I was 3 credit hours short as of Commencement, so while I got to wear the cap and gown and pretend I was now a graduate, President Cornwell actually handed me a be-ribboned blank piece of paper. Sigh. It's not all bad, though; every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through mid-June I join my mom on her daily commute and take a Jewelry making course at UVM. It's just been a week and I can't believe how much I've learned and created. It's unbelievable, the class is from 9am to 1pm, and it doesn't even occur to me to look at the clock until about 11 -- there's just so much to do! Everyone keeps saying it's like summer camp; I never went, so I can't know for sure, but it is pretty damn fun. Once I've got my pendant finished I'll take a few photos of it and share my work.

That's pretty much it, for now. We still use dial-up at home, so I haven't really been able to follow all the fashion blogs (I've got a backlog of 359 posts on bloglovin'), and all my time is currently devoted to class/work/eating/sleeping, so there isn't much creative thought going on. However, I did renew my library membership, so hopefully soon I'll be crossing a few off my Books to Read After College list. First up: To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf. Somehow I've never read any Woolf, I can't wait.

Lastly, I did manage to get a job. I'm replacing a friend of mine at the indie/offbeat video rental in town, and while I'm just happy to have a steady income, I also get free rentals of anything non-new release. Yes! This is fantastic. I love films, but have never been able to watch very many. Living on a mountain in the middle of nowhere with parents who didn't allow me a driver's license until I was 19 kind of limited my options. Anyway, it's been great so far, I've now crossed Blue Velvet and Paris je t'aime off my list. Blue Velvet was... interesting. I feel like there's something I'm not getting. And I felt totally manipulated and violated by Lynch at some points, but I guess that's his M.O.

And then there's Paris je t'aime. A collection of short films by many different directors, all placed in Paris; I had seen a few of them before, when I took Francophone Film last spring, and have been meaning to check out the whole thing since then. There were a couple that I didn't like as much, but overall, they were beautiful vignettes that got my wanderlust at a dangerously high level and my emotions spiking in every direction. I highly recommend it.

Well, to quote our favorite Bunny, That's all, folks.

Emily

a moment of whimsy

2009-05-08T12:17:00.005-04:00

This, a link to which can be found over at The Enthusiast:

La Joie de Vivre

reminds me of this:

Paul Gauguin's Fatata Te Miti

Thanks Julia for sharing that gorgeous, strange little video!

Emily

I never knew Frye loved me back

2009-05-06T17:27:00.005-04:00

On this slow rainy day I don't think there's anything better than lying in bed, finding a new online tv obsession (check out Chuck for a thoroughly entertaining action show -- it's hilarious, the guy playing Chuck, Zachary Levi, has an adorable John Krasinski-esque smile), and browsing various shoe sites for the perfect high-heeled sandal. And what do you know, at both Piperlime and Urban, my favorites literally had my name on them. I'm a Frye girl (on an Old Navy budget), and I have fallen in love with these two lovelies:

the Frye Emily Slingback at Urban

the Frye Emily Ankle at Piperlime

It wasn't until relatively recently (the past two years or so) that I finally tapped into my womanly right: a deep love of shoes. And almost immediately following that magical, bittersweet day, was the day when I discovered the irresistability of a shapely platform. A month ago or so I fell for a Madden Girl gladiator platform on the DSW site, and then... it was gone. Just like that.

I hope some day I'll find her again. (Because she was a hell of a lot cheaper than these Frye beauties.)

Emily

distraction

2009-05-02T18:04:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe it is May already. Not only that, but there are only nine days between this lovely Saturday and that long awaited Monday: the day when I will graduate from college.

In the interim, I must write one last paper and take two last exams... and then, I'm done. Done? Done.

To quote OMC, how bizarre.

Are you, too, looking for distractions from the bittersweet beauty of this young green spring?

Head on over to Feed Your Soul: the Free Art Project, and download yourself some beautiful, unique, quirky pieces to decorate your dorm room or otherwise. Predictably, perhaps, the Tricia McHellar piece is my favorite, with the Elsita Mora and the Michele Maule as close runners-up.

If you're feeling the spring cleaning impulse, head on over to Charade (you can always find a link to this great blog under Emily's Favorites in the right sidebar) for another invaluable installation of The Dream Style Series, entitled Getting Organized. Lord knows I should (get organized, that is) -- but hey, I'll be packing up to go soon enough. Ugh, need more distractions, and fast....

Nope, can't do anything but succumb to this irritating wave of nostalgia. Well, I'll leave you with a shot of the brilliant fireworks witnessed a couple weekends ago in Louisville:

A lovely weekend to all,

Emily

in bloom

2009-04-16T20:41:00.005-04:00

Briefly, I love this post by Tina of The English Muse:

emily

antique delight

2009-04-14T17:27:00.006-04:00

Earlier today, when searching Etsy.com for trinkets, I stumbled across wildplum's page, which has several perfect antique-y items. Check it out if you like what you see here. I'm too poor right now to afford even these reasonably-priced treasures, so please, give them a nice home.

But! I am not as financially desperate as it may have seemed above. In fact, I am saving my $$ for the weekend, when I will finally be seeing Louisville, Kentucky with my girl friends. Thunder Over Louisville, they call it: the largest fireworks display in the country, a.k.a. the largest assemblage of rednecks in the country. I cannot wait. Hopefully I'll have some photos capturing the adventure for the next post.

Until then,

emily

small joys

2009-04-11T21:05:00.012-04:00

Earlier this week I stumbled across Polyvore.com and a new obsession was born. It took me awhile to assemble something I could be proud of, but here's my first dabbling in the creation of inspiration boards, let me know what you think!

details

There are a few other ideas I've been knocking around this week, but I have yet to realize them fully, so until then, I will remain mysterious.

emily

melovin'

2009-04-05T17:22:00.007-04:00

clck hr, plz

I've added the bloglovin' feature, just in case anyone stumbles across this small thing and finds it entertaining... I hope some day to have readers. Yes, that would be nice. Until then,

emily

What I'm excited about right now

2009-04-03T17:11:00.026-04:00

This month Charade, a blog that intends to help women like myself enjoy a "fabulous lifestyle on a student budget" (amen to that), will be posting a series of articles with advice on how to achieve your dream style. Yesterday the first of the series, entitled Dream Style Series: Why Bother?, was posted -- and it's brilliant. My favorite passage:

let’s look at it logically: what other elements of your life do you leave merely to chance, or ‘make up as you go along’? Your education? Hell no. Your career? Uh-uh. Your relationships? They take work. Well, isn’t your appearance, in many ways, central to all of these? Doesn’t your style deserve a bit of special attention all of its own, especially if you want it to work in your favour? Don’t simply shrug it off as vanity as, although it can lean that way, I’m not advocating excess, I just think your personality deserves a little artistic representation.

Yes, exactly. I go to a liberal arts college in Ohio, and most of my classmates tend toward sweatpants or jeans, the depressingly prolific and predictable Uggs and flip-flops, and there are Northfaces and pearls, and quilted Vera Wang, or more recently those (absurdly popular and shockingly bland) Longchamp bags, as far as the eye can see. When I walk into a classroom looking like this,

vest, Urban Outfitters; blouse, vintage; ribbon, presents; earrings, don't remember

or like this (though maybe not in that position, exactly... excuse my limited technologies, please),

gold bamboo hoops, goldmine vintage in boulder, CO; plaid blouse, Urban Outfitters; enormous teardrop pearl necklace, Second Time Around in burlington, VT; skinny jeans, Express; beloved cowboy boots, Oak Tree Farms, via teh internets

I tend to get some strange looks. For years this has inhibited my personal style, as conservative as it may be to some. But in the past year or so I have trained myself to either ignore these glances or consider them complimentary, and stride with confidence past their uncomprehending scorn. I see no reason why I should be made to feel a fool for putting effort into the way I look. There are scores of Facebook groups bashing people for 'dressing up' to go to lecture, as if it's rude or extravagant, but I wish these sartorially-impaired people would see the flip-side of this issue: imagine you are a professor, a highly intellectual professional with the life goal of imparting your knowledge on the younger generations and helping in the formation of creative, critical, productive minds, and your pupils show up to class in enormous sweatpants and Crocs and their hair all over the place with one of those elastic headbands.... How could you not feel that you had been disrespected? Especially in a small setting like ours: a total student body of under 2,000, the usual class size being well under 30 people. And how can these people carry themselves this way on a daily basis? How can you maintain a feeling of confidence and maturity when day-to-day they are essentially wearing pajamas and presenting to the world the sloppiest, most irreverent side of themselves? And how on earth will they transition into the 'real' world, the professional world, where the way you present yourself is imperative?

Well, there's my (admittedly elitist) rant for the day. Anyway, today is a lovely, sunny, Saturday (after a rainy, frenzied, Friday), hooray!

emily

[edit] p.s. Also very excited to read my first ever issue of paper (the March issue) right... now.

A fresh new start

2009-03-29T17:34:00.009-04:00

Today, the first of my blogging career, is a typical spring day in Ohio. I hear it was beautiful and sunny at about 9am, but when I had finally gotten myself out of bed and presentable enough to walk to the dining hall (shamefully, but typically, for a Sunday, it was now 1pm), the skies were a heavy gray, and with a mighty gust they opened and released an angry, soaking deluge. 15 minutes later the rain had let up and, with the exception of another shower about an hour ago, it's been a lovely, sunny, breezy, afternoon.

The grass is greener with every rain, and there are young shoots and red tree buds and some brave little flowers dotting our manicured grassy areas. Spring!

But. I have this problem every year, this sudden puritanical (which is definitely not a word I would normally use to describe myself) reaction to warm weather. Thrilled as I am to be releasing my warm-weather wardrobe from the dark depths of my closet, I find myself slightly horrified at the idea of showing so much bare leg. No tights? No leggings? No denim to shield me (not from the elements, but from the realization that I must take up the razor again)?
In a month, of course, I will be traipsing bare-legged about campus, not a care in the world, but right now the idea of showing so much skin is rather shocking. In the hopes of banishing these inhibitions, I went to the Anthropologie site to look at their inspirational dresses, as breezy as this lovely blue day.

The New Math Dress from Anthropologie has me fawning and frankly amazed to discover that dreams do come true

Mind you, as a poor college student with hardly enough $$ to excuse a trip to Goodwill or Friendtique (a charming thrift shop run by little old ladies, proceeds go to hospice), I couldn't even dream of shopping Anthropologie's sale rack, but a little virtual window shopping is something I indulge in frequently. I think of it not so much as an exercise in futility, but as an exercise in honing my personal style -- comparing and contrasting garments with my own ideas about what would suit my current wardrobe, physical dimensions, and sartorial whims....

Speaking of whims, yesterday I had a very impulsive moment of whimsy. After 21 years of shuddering at the thought of letting anyone but a professional stylist come near my hair with scissors, including (and especially) myself, I decided to cut myself some bangs. Mind you, I hadn't worn the style since I was a toddler, having told myself during the past few years (when quite literally surrounded by girls with bangs) that I 'couldn't pull off' the look. For some reason I believed yesterday that with a few snips I could transform my look and achieve that fringe-y, hair in the eyes, sultry look I so admire. Obviously, this would be impossible because not only do I have very coarse, ornery and whimsical hair to match my demeanor, I also apparently have a cowlick. How exactly does a person get to this point in their life without knowing that they have a cowlick right above their hairline? I don't know, it is a mystery that will never be solved. A few minor panic attacks later and with the amused but reassuring assistance of my girl Andrea, I am, I believe, quite bangin'. (I'm sorry, but it is for the best that you become accustomed immediately to my tendency to pun as often and as painfully as possible.)

not just bangin' but sleep-deprived, too

With this new hairstyle I am forced to take my wardrobe in a slightly new direction, but, happily enough, a direction I was already heading in anyway. I have been told by my boyfriend that I now have far more potential for cuteness now that I have such a 'sweet' hair cut. While I have learned that my personal style/what suits me best are femininely-detailed garments, such as my favorite lacy buttoned off-white Urban blouse, I think that I will have to learn to incorporate my more edgy pieces into my outfits to offset this new look. At 5'3" I'm rather sensitive about the word 'cute', and I hope that items like my oft-neglected, zipper-laden, black, cropped faux-leather jacket I got on sale at Urban a few years back will help me avoid the word as much as possible.

And so, I embark on a new virtual window shopping expedition. Edginess and color are my goals, in the hopes of expanding my beige/camel/gray/blue closet and bringing it into a new age of Emily. I hope you'll excuse my corniness, and come with me on this journey to redefine what it means to be this woman, in this small world I have created for myself.

With that, I'll leave you with this absolutely perfect photo taken by an absolutely lovely girl I wish I had gotten to know better before she left the country to go take this photo:

this photo has been a constant source of inspiration since I first laid eyes on it...
and rather reminiscent of another great dress over at Anthropologie, actually

and with that,
goodbye!

emily