gone walkin

I'm leaving today for the mountains. I'll be gone for a week, backpacking the spectacular New Mexican wilderness. Mountains, valleys, more stars than you ever imagined, quiet, solitude, challenges, and adventure. No iPhone, no computer, zero contact with the outside world, and very little contact with other people outside of those in my group. It's a chance to take stock of yourself, regroup, time to talk and walk with God, and enjoy the basic pleasures of life. This will be my first backpacking trip without my dad and he will be missed.

Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:29-30

rue sparks

An easy Saturday morning spent on Rue Sparks allows for quiet people watching while cafe owners set out their chairs for the day's business. There's a post office that is reminiscent of Gringotts Bank complete with menacing lions protecting its doors and time to browse at sweet little bookshops tucked away on either side of the rue. Because there's no hurry this morning, examining the sculptures (including a sic'em bears one) that are sprinkled up and down the street is mandatory. Flower baskets and lamp posts that are reminiscent of my old, Victorian dollhouse line each side of Sparks and I feel like this quiet street in the middle of a nation's capital is somehow, for this morning sealed off from the noise and craze of the rest of the world.

i've died and gone to library heaven

The Canadian Parliamentary Library quite literally took my breath away. It is the only part of the original parliament to have survived the 1916 fire. Because it is a working library, no pictures were allowed. Because I wouldn't risk being thrown out of one of the hands down, most enchanting and mesmerizing rooms I've ever been in, I found these photos via dear Google.

What you first notice when you walk through the door is the warm wood and intricate carvings. As you walk a little further, you're hit by the rotunda of bookshelves. Books everywhere, spines of every color- all of which are guarded by a statue of Queen Victoria. If you know the movie and scene, it reminded me of when in Beauty and the Beast (the Disney version) the Beast presents Belle with his library. As a little girl, it was the most incredible thing to me: shelves upon shelves of adventures, mysteries, friends, and foes. Thousands of books. all waiting to be discovered. Then you peer up into the dome and realize that you could stay here forever. What more could you ask for? I contemplated for a moment what my chances were of being noticed if I stealthy escaped from the tour group and found a deserted place on the second or third level...how long would it be before they found me and what kind of trouble would I be in? I've never considered a livelihood has a librarian, but if it meant working here, I'd be game.

Byward Market

Le Moulin de Provence, Obama cookies, eating bowlfuls of fresh fruit while perusing flower stands and watching Ottawa locals ease into their Sunday mornings- the Byward Market is a great mishmash of the city's young and old. Spending a few hours there made me want to live somewhere where this kind of thing is an every week habit and not just a tourist outing.

how to have a pretty fantastic day

Step 1. Learn a new trade


Step 2. Drive the Ontario and Quebec highways catching sun rays via the dropped top of a two-seater



Step 3. Lunch on the deck while enjoying 85 degree weather


Step 4. Seadoo at 71 mph up and down the Ottawa River followed by a Pontoon ride to catch your breath and the sights

Step 5. Dine on the deck of friends as the sun sets and the stars arrive while overlooking the Ottawa River

o canada

Today I'm off to Ottawa with my dad for an optimistic visit. I'm excited to see what the Canadian capital and metropolitan city is like...I'm expecting an old world meets new...with a little French flair thrown in as well.

P.S. Did I mention that the high for our entire stay is 85 degrees? It will be such a welcome change to the already 100+ degree weather here in Texas.

O Canada, here we come!

quotable

Today I watched Coco Before Chanel, a movie starring Audrey Tautou about the life of the woman, Gabrielle Chanel before she became the icon, Coco Chanel. Besides Gabrielle's complete determination to be herself and carve her place in the world, one line from the film stuck with me: When a woman cuts her hair, she's about to change her life.

I like it and wonder if it's true...

standing room only

{here}

Don't just do something- stand there.

I don't want a job just to have one. I don't want meaningless work.

I want purpose and passion. adventure and exclamations.


Don't get the wrong idea, I pretty much reached my max for America's Next Top Model marathons and all-around lazing around the house about a week into my post-grad life. And yes, I do want to do something with my life, but not just anything...so I'm standing still and trying to figure it out. Does that make sense?

Thankfully, my standing still is about to turn into something a little more active as my summer travels begin this week. They're going to take me literally across the country and even across the border to visit our fair neighbors to the north. I'm really excited because each trip will include a different group of people and a different set of circumstances. There's something about travel
that lets you see your own world and yourself from the outside in. By experiencing different countries, people, and circumstances, you see yourself all the more clear. I'm expecting at the end of these travels to know a little more about where I want to do something, so let the standing and traveling commence!

snip snip

When it comes to hair, I do a lot of thinking and talking about cutting, but rarely go for it and chop it all off. Girls know what I mean- it takes so long to grow hair out that when you do, you hate to snip it off. But yesterday, I did it!

Before:



After:

Okay, this picture is way too MySpacey, but here it is and I LOVE it! I realized the last time my hair was this short, I was a sophomore in high school...sheesh that was a while ago. In fact, I don't think my college friends have ever seen me with short hair....so glad I took the plunge and went short.

cdfa awards 2010

The CDFA Awards, held Monday night in New York City brought American fashion's greatest creators and followers together to honor among others, Iman and Michael Kors. Here are a few of my favorite looks from the glamorous evening.

Iman in Giambattista Valli

Let's get real, so few women could wear this dress.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen

She's my girl and can't really go wrong in my book. Beautiful, bold colors.

Whitney Port in David Meister

The color= glam. The flowing train= yes, I am a young designer and yes, you should notice me.

Honoree Tonne Goodman in Michael Kors

I love this unexpected combo of shirt and skirt...not everyone could carry this look, but it looks chic on her!

Gwyneth Paltrow and honoree Michael Kors, both in Michael Kors

One sleek and chic mama of two.

Ed Westwick

what i wish i was wearing right now

I can't quite explain it, but nothing says summer to me like tye-dye. Maybe it's the dreamy way the colors seem to float and flow across fabric or perhaps it's because tye dye is so not serious. Summer isn't meant to be serious- so why should the season's frocks be?


Gap

J Crew

J Crew

If there's a runner-up to Mr. Tye Dye, it's the stripe: crisp and neat, it brings an ordered grace to classic and chic summer style.

J Crew

Old Navy

sittin pretty

Waiting my turn to perform my civic responsibility in jury duty this afternoon, I couldn't help but wish that instead of sitting in the stuffy courtroom with several hundred other Fort Worthians, I was somewhere- anywhere else- in one of these coolio chairs I found at Anthropologie.





Yep, a cool breeze, a good book, and one of these chaises is just the equation I'd need to be sittin' pretty pretty.