You're gonna make it after all

With my impending move to the Midwest I feel I must pay homage to one of my favorite classic shows. After all, I am following in Mary Tyler Moore's footsteps. Mary was single (check), 30 years old (a couple years to go, but check), and moved to Minneapolis (a large, snowy, midwest city, so check). Mary was the independent career woman...if not the first, then definitely the coolest.

Reading the Tea

I'm moving to Chicago in August which means it's time to start going through all my shit. Today I started combing through my books, deciding what to keep and what to toss, when I stumbled upon Tea Cup Reading: How to Tell Fortunes by Tea Leaves. A small, hardbound book published in the 1920s, it offers a description of the tea reading "principles" followed by several pages of "symbols and their significations." I love this book. It smells musty and ancient. The pages are brown and delicate. It's mysterious and other-worldly. But what I love most about it is that it belonged to my namesake: Auntie Maggie.

(Grandma Kathy and Maggie)
Margaret Horn was my grandmother's best friend and partner in crime. She was a free spirit, often silly, adventurous and bold. I never met Auntie Maggie, but I imagine her at the kitchen table, this book by her side, peering into her tea cup and divining her future.

Movie of the Month: Muriel's Wedding

I remember seeing this movie for the first time and thinking it was depressing. I've reevaluated this belief and have decided instead that Muriel's Wedding is both darkly funny and surprisingly hopeful. The stellar performance by Toni Collette as the ABBA and wedding obsessed Muriel makes it one of my all time faves.


"My life is as good as an ABBA song. It's as good as Dancing Queen."

Father's Day

Thinking of dad and dad's dad. The one and only Jack Bond.

Why....I love this blog!

awesome people hanging out together

(Great find Emma O!)

I love this...

...Chair. By Paige Vanderkemp.More pictures here!

Party Theme: Let Them Eat Cake

Feathers, cupcakes, fans, pastels, flowers, lace and champagne. Mix them together and what do you get? A Marie Antoinette themed birthday party.

Sofia Coppola's decadent film, Marie Antoinette, sparked this theme idea. More costume and decoration ideas can also be found here and here.

Scrappy's Bitters

My buddy Susannah (who I have known since the 4th grade!) lives in Seattle and runs a small company with her friend selling old fashion style bitters. Scrappy's Bitters, founded in 2008, specializes in handcrafted, natural herb bitters for home and the bar. It's seldom that I order a Manhattan, but seeing photos on Scrappy's Bitter's facebook page and reading about their current flavors (apricot? lavender? yum) makes me want to host a cocktail party immediately. Happily they're sold in Portland. Check out their website for more details.

Two Years this Month

Our 4th roommate is super cute. She has some issues with men, but in general has a very sweet disposition. Her name is Daisy and she's a Jack Russell terrier mix. My roommate (her owner) and I threw her a little anniversary party last weekend to celebrate her second year of living with us. The ladies came over and we made valentines, had cake and drank wine.

Movie of the Month: Amelie

In honor of Valentine's Day I had to pick something romantic. As it so happens, I love romantic movies, so picking one was unspeakably difficult. After weighing my many (many) choices, I eventually went with Amelie. First: It's set in Paris....the City of Love, so that was a natural fit. Second: It's about a lonely girl in search of her dream-man. Third: It is physically impossible to come away from Amelie feeling sad. It's so hopeful, so beautiful, so completely enchanting....

Why....I love this blog!

I love when people send me blogs they think I'd like. Shout out to Lisa Kay! So much inspiration to be found here:
tomboystyle

The Charm of Charm Bracelets

I'll say it once, I'll say it twice: I love charm bracelets. Strangely, these haven't come back in the way I thought they would. I'm not talking about the modern day "Italian" charm bracelets with square shaped beads that tourists buy. I mean vintage bracelets like this and this found on Etsy. I also appreciate this chunky 3-charm bracelet pictured above.

Home Sweet Home: Rachel's Ballard Loft

One of my dreams is to live within walking distance to a farmers market. My brother's lovely and talented girlfriend, Rachel Linkhart, recently moved into a studio apartment above the Ballard Farmer's Market in Seattle. For those who have never been to Old Town Ballard - it is the epitome of quaint city dwelling. Rachel, an apparel designer (and my own personal fashion guru), has decorated her new space beautifully. During my most recent trip to Seattle, I was able to sneak a few pictures...it's not completely unpacked, but I'm already blown away by it charm.

If I had apps...

I don't have an iPhone. But I have been slowly compiling a list of apps that I would have if I did have an iPhone. This app by Cartolina makes me drool a little.