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Coffee with Cream

I originally discovered moonflowers photography by Rachel Ballard through her blog, which is chock full of pretty photos, design ideas, and vintage finds. Her photos possess a vintage, nostalgic quality with soft colors and dreamy scenes. I think a moonflowers photo would be a lovely addition to anyone's apartment, so I'm giving one away! To enter, visit Rachel's etsy shop and leave a comment below telling me which photo you would like if you're chosen. (Be sure to include your email address!) A winner will be drawn at random one week from today.

Summer Bliss

In the meantime, I encourage you to follow Rachel's blog and twitter. For you aspiring photographers out there, she even offers e-courses. I will draw and announce the winner of the giveaway on Thursday the 29th.

AND THE WINNER IS...

I did this the old fashioned way-- drew a name out of a hat (okay, it wasn't a hat...) and Nicole from Busy Girl won! She chose the coffee with cream print, featured in the post (above). Thank you to the few people who entered! I would LOVE to do more giveaways, but need more people to enter. Next time I want everyone in, or no more giveaways, and what fun is that?

Last week I won a great set of moleskine journals from sfgirlbybay. She had a giveaway on her blog asking for people's favorite quotes, and awarded journals to her favorite three. Here's my quote: 

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

This quote was my mantra this spring as I went through a transitional phase and was dealing with a lot of changes and upset. Writing has always been my outlet of choice; I've been keeping a journal since I was in 5th grade. I keep favorite quotes, photos, letters, my day to day, and of course some secrets and stories about boys. I've got my most recent 7 journals here in NYC (3 years worth); the rest are in boxes at my mum's house.

I really enjoy going back and reading them, reliving old memories and moments in my life. Plus they're such a legacy to leave behind (assuming my children and grandchildren will be interested in reading them). I would be really amped to get a peek at my gram's diary from her youth! 

Here are some of my fave journals available on the web:

NYC Notebook - $12, Pink Paris Notebook - $10, Quotable Journal - $14.95 (these are the ones I use! I get a different quote each time), White Rabbit Journal - $19

I'm an 80s baby, and have a soft spot for anything representative of the decade. I remember sitting in front of my tape deck countless times with my finger on Record, waiting for a favorite song to come on the radio. Similarly, I made and received dozens of mixtapes over the years... love songs, dance tunes, messages to crushes and best friends scribbled on the paper insert with hearts and smiley faces. Mixtapes have made a fun resurgence as accessories of all kinds... here are a few of my favorites:

I would be pretty amped to get a mixtape these days! This USB drive comes in a mixtape case, complete with space for your track list. Maybe some Sia, Bjork and Arcade Fire? Just an idea...

This iPhone case is pretty rad... it even opens up like a real cassette tape case and doubles as an easel stand for your iPhone when you're watching videos!

I kinda need this watch... for one, it says New York on it, and two, it's AiW blue and white! Rock...

This cassette tape USB port will make your workspace a little more organized and a lot less stuffy.

When I was four years old I wanted to be a singer for Jem and the Holograms. A girl can dream, right? Have your own rockstar dreams with these mixtape and microphone pillowcases.

I still have a shoebox full of mixtapes. My favorites include a voice recording of my best friend talking me through getting my braces taken off and a compilation of mushy rock ballads from a boy who had asked me to the middle school dance. It's fun to go back through old stuff and listen to the music you rocked out to as a kid. What were some of your favorite songs back in the day?

Saturday night I walked from Spring St to Union Square via Broadway. I love all of the indie shops and designer kitsch on that leg of Broadway- but was drawn from the storefronts to the streets. Souped up ice cream trucks were slinging everything from 80s-inspired goodies to cupcakes to tees. Colorful, whimsical things are absolutely my cup of tea, and these trucks put a smile on my face. 

Passing the HeartsChallenger truck brought me back to my days of Jem and the Holograms, Rainbow Brite, and slap bracelets. Layers of shelves inside the truck stock a bit of everything: candies, glowsticks, toys, music, bracelets, tshirts and dart guns. Oh yeah, and they sell ice cream too. 

Johnny Cupcakes, Cookies N Cream... apparently I like my tshirts sweet! Being a huuuge Johnny Cupcakes fan (see the JC tat I got here) I was a little skeptical at first that this line wasn't treading on JC's creative turf. Checking them out further on their website, they do have original ideas and their own style, despite some glaring similarities (the "baked in ny" rolling pin on the cookie mob shirt in particular). That aside, I do like the playfulness and color-overload of their designs. Having such a huge entrepreneurial spirit myself, I really do appreciate when people take their passion to the next level and make things happen. (I actually have my own clothing line on hiatus in the wake of losing my graphic artist). CNC also makes designer toys, a la kid robot. Pretty fun stuff.

And lo and behold, some street vendors still sell food! Cupcakes are just about the best treat ever, so if you're lucky you'll run into the Cupcake Stop truck. They park their truck in various locations around the city- you can see their schedule here. Get a full-size cupcake in your fave flavor or get a bunch of minis to sample. With flavors like Nutella Crunch, Fluffernutter and Elvis, you'll have no trouble finding something new and interesting to try.

Futuristic Femme
Hunt down robots (or cute boys) in this navy and gold space-age getup:

sci-fi heroine dress from ModCloth $47.99, gold flats from Payless $22.99, broome street clutch from bungaloe $58, sleater-skinny bracelet from ModCloth $11.99

Saintly Sailor
Achors aweigh! Earn your stripes with this seaworthy outfit:

come sea about me top from ModCloth $37.99, chili cook-off skirt from ModCloth $44.99, rope sandals from Payless $24.99, sailor knot bracelet from thevamoose $18

Safari Sweetheart
Stir up some animal attraction with these exotic pieces:

animalia top from ModCloth $44.99, pierside shorts from ModCloth $34.99, anstin point flats from Payless $22.99, yellow bracelet from naturalbijoux $6 

Beach Babe
Hit the beach with this swimsuit and accessories and you may come home with more than a tan:

  
beach blanket bingo one piece from ModCloth $89.99, red carpet bag from peacelovenpolkadots $35, red buckle flip flops from Payless $7.99, ivy sunglasses from Payless $9.99