i heart hbo

i am absolutely in love with the new hbo show how to make it in america. i love everything from the theme song and the photos in the into to the beautiful cast (hello brian greenberg!).

sweet

this weekend b found a wonderful surprise - two rolls of film from a vacation we had taken to new zealand and australia a few years ago. we rarely take film photos anymore, but there is nothing better than finding a roll of film that you had otherwise forgotten about.

from the lovliest graveyard on waiheke island

bethell's beach

sheep farm

defenders on the sheep farm - oh to be a commonwealth country

lili

for the last two days i have been listening to lili's music nonstop thanks to this dace video. i am now obsessed with her song l'helicoptere and the video.

tolix

the one part of the dining room situation that i am not undecided about are the chairs. i have been drooling over tolix chairs for months and i need six white chairs immediately, if not sooner. they are so french and classic and perfect. swoon.

dace

god only knows how i stumbled upon dace, but i am sure glad i did! this video (much like this) makes me want to ride my bike, tease my hair and buy everything on this website.

must have these napkins for my new table

this dress for a future photo booth party

table dilemma

for months i have been talking about a new dining room table - i even sold our table and chairs on craigslist to force me to get something new. instead, i moved our outdoor dining table inside (cringe) while i decide exactly what i want.

my wonderful dad has agreed to make the table for me, but i can't seem to commit. the top is going to be reclaimed wood, but i just can't decide what the legs should look like.

spicy

i'm going to las vegas this weekend for a bachelorette party and because my wardrobe consists mostly of spandex and jeggings, i bought a darling (and not so vegas, ooops!) dress at anthropologie. i'm thinking a pair of booties might spice it up a little.

clockwise from top: Rick Owens, Elizabeth and James, Reiss, Loeffler Randall

crafty

last weekend i was in the mood to get crafty and my mind kept going to these pom poms. thankfully there wasn't any fabric lying around the house or i would have stayed inside all weekend and missed the beautiful weather.

directions here

directions here

i think this would be another amazing background for my photo booth!

american vintage

my obsession with all things french went to a new level when i found American Vintage. i need everything on their website, especially the music.

is that ivy from 90210 in the lookbook?

malibu thrift store

who knew?

a few weeks ago i had to park down the road from the malibu country mart and on my way to lunch i noticed the artifac tree - an open air menagerie of peoples' old things: a thrift store! filled with everything from furniture and clothes to the most sporting equipment i have ever seen at a thrift store...

a fabulous start to my globe collection at $2

antique golf clubs I'm obsessing over - of course, I have no where to put these...

photo booth

It is official - the next party I throw needs a photo booth.

In college I went to a ghetto gourmet dinner party at a apartment in Korea town and since then I have been dying for a photo booth similar to what they set up. Now that I have a decent camera, it shouldn't be too hard to put together.

my canon rebel xti, tripod, ir remote

a ruffle background

maybe a couple of props to play with

So all I need is a reason to have another party and an empty room to set this up in. Maybe this will be the motivation I need to move - a new house with no furniture and a housewarming party!

Chicken Curry Salad

While I usually protest to chicken and mayonnaise, I find the two combined with curry to be quite delicious. I made chicken salad and chicken curry salad for the pre-holi fight last Saturday, and to my surprise it was so popular that everyone was still digging in after some holi had landed in the bowl!

Chicken Curry Salad

2 3/4 cups diced poached chicken breasts

1 tbls cider vinegar

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

3 tbls heavy cream

1/4 cup mango chutney

2 tbls curry powder

3/4 cup raisins

salt & freshly ground white pepper

To prepare the salad, place the diced chicken in a mixing bowl, sprinkle with the cider vinegar, and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the celery, mayonnaise, and cream, and then fold in the chutney, curry powder, raisins, salt & pepper until the mixture is well combined. Transfer into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for several hours so that the mixture chills and the flavors can develop.

From the neiman marcus cookbook

Craigslist Love

I found this vintage mid-century rocker on craigslist late last night and I'm trying really hard to think of a place for it. I like the vintage look, but I also think it would look amazing with a fresh coat of white powder coating.

25

How do you celebrate a quarter century of being awesome? A reverse surprise party, of course. Everyone was left guessing as their invitations only told them when and where to show up. And to wear grubby clothes. The afternoon started with a scavenger hunt, first because they're fun, and second, to throw everyone off the trail of the real surprise: a Holi color fight. Words can't do justice to the colors, so here are some pictures instead.

{scavenger hunt directions, holi colors, colored grass, cupcakes}

{all of the photos here. warning - there are over 150}