White House Flickr Stream

I've known about this for months, but I'm just now posting about the White House's official flickr stream. The photos are taken by the White House's official photographer, Pete Souza.The first couple enjoys the Fourth of July.
Robert Gibbs (White House press secretary) gets dunked.

*Obama: "This is what you get for making that comment about me last week, Gibbs."
Robert Gibbs: "Like that little kid can dump...." splash*

At the Vatican.
In Italy.
So this is what our tax dollars are spent on...
The place settings.
Heels hurt.
He writes back to ten randomly selected letters from the public each day.

So he's one of those people - people who eat food in the store before buying it.

I love that she's wearing his blazer.

KIOSK

Kiosk is an online retailer that sells unusual regional objects. At the moment, their Southern American collection is selling out quite quickly. These are a few of my favorite fun products from their current and past collections:Citrus Sizing Plate $28, Citra Sipper $5, Citra Fruit Spoon $12, Produce Sampling Knife $26

Meatball Patch $7, Wool Sponge $9, Bubble Bags $6, Travel Thread Kit $10

Hollow Half Dollar $36, Obama Stamp $26, Alma Hairpins $5, Can-Tainer $18

Rainbow Cake

I don't know for whom, but I am making this rainbow for SOMEONE this month. Maybe I'll just make it for no reason. It looks too fun not to try. From Omnomicon.

Pink Ruffles

I came across this photo of Drew Barrymore in this dazzling dress when I was doing a school project on Annie Leibovitz. Simply put, that Lacroix Haute Couture dress is amaaaazing.

What's Black and White?

Elephants painted to resemble pandas in Thailand. Learn more.

Help

These would be good to keep in my locker at school. I love the adorable packaging.

Broken Parasols

I love summer flowers. This reminded me of the summer that my family went to visit my aunt in Colorado. She lived in the middle of a grouping of hills that were full of beautiful summer wildflowers. Indian paintbrushes. Indigo. Snapdragons. If I ever go back to visit on my own, I want to go during late June again when they're most beautiful and there are thunderstorms in the early evening.

Ice Cream Flower

I'm going to try and teach myself how to do this tomorrow; it's so pretty.

Back to School

It has begun. Today I began ordering my back to school wardrobe for school. 8 days left....

Edit 9/18/09: Too bad I returned the pink and black dress and the black Chinese Laundry shoes. I didn't like the material of the pink dress, the black dress was too short for school, and the shoes were too narrow. I love the purple boots though, but they smell sort of bad, like moth balls. And the tights are a vision! I wore them last Sunday to see Wicked at the Paramount.

On Owl Bags

I like the Kate Spade owl tote launching this September, but not enough to fork out +$300 for it.

Instead, Topshop has a another version that is much cuter in my opinion. This one you can just drape over your body. At a mere $44 I'm much more inclined to get this; however, at only 15cm tall (6in...) I'm not so sure it's perfect. It's cute alright, but it couldn't really hold much.
I guess I conclude that it's not really for me. I'll have to get my funky purse kicks from my camera bag {a knockoff of this that I prefer to the original}

Dante Beatrix Backpacks

I wish I could have had a backpack as cool as one of these when I was a little kid. I remember I got my first backpack the morning of our first field trip in kindergarten. It was purple and it had Scoopy Doo all over it; I really didn't like it, but my mom didn't let me choose which one I wanted, it was grab and go.

{Dante Beatrix Backpacks, $42 each}

Why is She So Awesome?

Jewel-ey tones...:) :) :)Modish prints:)
Tights and cardigans:)
The hair :)

I rest my case.

{Photos from the Cotton, Fabric of Life campaign}

Hotel du Petit Moulin

Caldwell Home recently posted about the Hotel du Petit Moulin with some pictures. I love the way the books fit into this little cubby as though it were made just for them. The way the books are crooked, leaning on each other make you think that the shelves are too; it's sort of like Alice in Wonderland.

Little Bites

Although I'd planned to cut out little sandwiches with cookie cutters, this is a good idea if I get lazy on Saturday:)

Scallops

I feel like I've been seeing scallops everywhere lately...

On the Outnet, on Forever 21...

on Lookbook (1, 2)...

I love these bottom two. The berry colored dress is simply divine and the short skirt is positively darling. These don't look too complicated to make either. I know I'm always saying that I can make this or that, but these are so simple that I might actually follow through.

Stuff That Looks Like Other Stuff

Time for everyone's favorite game, Stuff That Looks Like Other Stuff! Let the repetitions commence:
What came first? Neiman Marcus' Tie Neck Silk Dress or Modcloth's Bow-jito Skirt? I like the skirt option better because it's simpler than the dress but it could be dressed up if need be with a simple twisted halter top.

Hervé Léger's Color-block Bandage Dress is reminiscent of Modcloth's Raspberritini Dress although they don't have the same shape. The similar color pattern is enough to do it.
The circle of fashion: 1. This black and white Alice + Olivia dress reminds me of 2.this middle Roksanda Ilincic dress which is 3. very similar to Modcloth's Chic Top that has pleating like on 1.the Alice + Olivia dress....

Anthropologie

1. Wholearth Perfume, Anthropologie
2. Gorgeous dress also from Anthropologie that I just love and felt like posting
3. Pumpkin skirt! (same) It would transition nicely into fall I think.

I'm intending on heading into the city on Friday so I can pick up some flowers from the market for Saturday so of course I have plans to make a detour at Anthropologie. Last time I was there I was fiddling around with their naturally designed perfumes and I discovered that I really liked the barely there type of perfume. I don't remember which one, but I really loved the fresh aroma to one of the Whoearth bottles. They are $50 after sale, so I'm not as much in love with it, but I've been looking for something a simpler alternative to the great selection of body sprays that I have. It was funny that for my birthday about half of my friends got me the perfume alternative. Do I smell or something? Although I'll spritz them on occasionally, I find them too heavy and floral. I love the smell of a nice bouquet, don't get me wrong, but after awhile the smell of a super floral body wash gets just as old to me as a dying bouquet. For almost two years now I've been using Vera Wang's Princess perfume, which is much more to my liking, but I can tell that after this year, I'll be going in a different direction. Maybe this direction.

Vintage Dress Hunting

This is sort of the perfect dress; for what I want to wear to my party of Saturday, that is. I'm still at a total loss for what I'm going to wear and I really don't want to give up and go for one of the boring dark dresses that I already have. The only problem with this dress is that 1. it's $300, and 2. it's sold out. My mom (who's post-designer sewing skills are far superior to mine) could probably make something sort of like this, but I feel that it's way too late to ask her to make me something this complicated, this late in the game. I'll have to go scour thrift shops tomorrow looking for something appropriate.

I also found a few options on ModCloth that I like, but yet, aren't perfect.

This little black one is totally adorable and ever so Deschanel, but it's too dark for a summer party. It will be great to wear during the fall at school if I choose to buy it though!

This is a bit more what I'm looking for. It's light, it's blue, it even has the vintage lace. What I'm a bit weary about is the neckline. As my mom pointed out to me, it would look a bit silly if I ever wanted to wear it to school; I'd have to pile on a few camisoles underneath it to have it pass my school's dress code.

Jewel Toned Bedroom

I'm in love with all the color I'm seeing in this photo. I think I recognize the sheets from a PBteen collection from a few years back.

Fin

I love the asymmetrical skirt of this Fin Dress. It reminds me a lot of this dress from Lulu's. I could almost buy the cheap one, cut the hem and wear it with tall straight boots....

Fall

Sure, the quote is important, but what really got my attention here was 1. the white collar contrasting with the red body of the cardigan, and 2. the leaf. I love fall/autumn for all the leaves turning different colors. I'm going to go on a bike ride tomorrow in the woods and collect a bunch of leaves I think.

Not Quite a Flying Car but Close

I often wonder about what inventions we might wonder what we ever lived with out. Maybe this will one day be one of them:

Scientists are closing in on a technology that would convert flowing blood into energy that could charge personal electronic devices.

Tiny zinc-oxide nanowires, some of which are only 1/5000 the diameter of a human hair, are able to produce an electrical current when subjected to low-frequency vibrations. These nanowires can be grown on most surfaces, including clothing, and the friction from pumping blood, body movements, or a gentle breeze would be enough to get them generating a significant amount of power.

Not only would this technology allow you to charge an iPod anywhere, but it is expected to enhance the capabilities of soldiers who are based away from traditional energy sources. As of yet, there is no timetable for its commercial production.

{source}

Itty Bitty Windmill

Add these to the tops of sandwiches and/or cupcakes?

A Better Idea

Today I went first to Plato's Closet to sell some of my old clothes to make some more room in my closet for my back to school shopping and then to Cost Plus World Market to look for some inspiration for my party on Friday. I'd never noticed their great selection of alternative and foreign foods. I'm defentley going to drag my mom there one of these nights so we can stock up to feed all the guests in a traditionally quaint tea-party manner. I bought a packet of Razzles because I'd heard them mentioned in one of the videos made by my British YouTube subscriptions, but to be frank, they were disgusting. I do like the wooden fans I bought for table decorations, though. I'd already had two, but one was broken and I don't want mine to get broken. I love the World Market for several reasons: 1. It always smells really good from the Indian and African spices, 2. AIR CONDITIONING! That puts even the sleaziest of places in my good books on days like today (88 degrees!), 3. It has lots of cheaply priced trinkets (that look like they are) from around the world in the form of jewelry, wooden boxes, candles, and paper supplies. I really wanted to buy a few string of colorful paper lanterns to hang through the aspens in the dropoff from our property, but they were either too big or too small and way too expensive for something I'd only be using once. Instead, I think I'll try to copy this look from the picture above. Not as exotic, but little balloons will add some color to the landscape just the same. While looking around the store I saw these beautiful lanterns, but who am I kidding? I really don't want to think about what it would cost me to get 50 or so of these.