the new owl

well, i think it's official. the matryoshka doll is going to take over the owl's position -- SHOWING UP EVERYWHERE.

yup yup yup. everything is currently covered in a witty, wide-eyed, "whoo"-ing friend and i sure know that i am sick of seeing them. i was never really into them, so after what seems like a decade of owl-tasticness, i think there is a new star about to steal the scene: the russian nesting doll, technically referred to matryoshka dolls. from stationary to baby clothes, to tote bags, they are popping up all over.

i appreciate the colorful nature of them, much more appealing to the owl in my book.

take me out.

with baseball season coming to a close, my heart grows weary with how i'll be spending my evenings. i'm sure i'll spend quite a bit of time looking forward to next season, possibly planning a trip to spring training and getting my orange and black wardrobe ready for april. in the meantime, i've managed to find some cute finds that i'm pretty stoked about, and i'll find some sort of excuse to get these all in the future.

i think these are absolutely fantastic, and i really look forward to my future mister (in my hypothetical, fantasy world and imaginary wedding) sportin' (pardon the pun) these down the aisle.

found on etsy.

i also really like these pens. if i had any vested interest in any of these ballparks, (which include yankee stadium, fenway park, wrigley field, busch stadium, and dodger stadium ) i would make sure to snatch one up. they are made of repurposed old wooden seats that have since been retired from the stadiums. they would make a great father's day present for a true fan.

found on red envelope.

my third and final tidbit of baseballness is something for the truly dedicated. these awesome cuffs are made from genuine leather baseballs. i think that they'd be really cute as a coach's gift. a perfect fashion statement? possibly not -- but once again, i believe in brownie point to concepts.

also, a couple months ago i briefly mentioned that i was the lucky recipient of a wonderful baseball wardrobe item (code for badass, super warm jacket) this season. this three-year-anniversary gift from my dear CP had managed to keep me warm at the ballpark and at home. not only is it official, authorized MLB merchandise, but it's also what the PLAYERS wear in the dugout! so awesome. i'm such a gamer. loves it.

found on sfgiants.

and last but not least, i need to mention one last thing:

GO GIANTS!

WE'RE IN THIS!!!

plug.

loving this blog.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/

must. learn. basic. sewing. techniques.

some recent favorite projects:

found on feeling stitchy.

oh jonathan.

love, love, love.

found on jonathan adler.

i don't have much else to report. i feel like i've been super busy (at least for me) lately -- working, baseball games, school, the country home/my parents' house.

though i have started twittering! they're like mini blog updates for the girl-on-the-go!

(and don't worry, they'll be showing up on this page too. see left.)

bubble yum.

this makes me happy. 

found on penelope dullaghan.

penelope dullaghan does some really cute things. ("things" meaning illustrations and prints.) 

you just can't help but smile.

there are more to be found here as well.

backlog.

so, while i was slacking on my blogging, some fun things happened!

it was dear KM's birthday, and i slaved over some awesome baked goods, including these champagne glass-shaped sugar cookies, pink champagne flavored cookies and some killer vanilla cupcakes from scratch.

i also was in serious need of new black flats, so i swung by nordstrom and picked up a new set of black leather tory burch flats. they are my tried and true. though, the sales man most certainly nearly got me on these adorable prada flats. my new fashion ambition is appreciating the details, and these shoes would most certainly fit into this vision, but at a $500 price tag would really leave little room for more closet upgrades. 

(and the two much-needed jeans purchases. one. two.)

fantasy:

reality:

also, this has been my latest meal-o-plenty since the tomatoes are SOOOO good right now. seriously though, essentially every meal of the day can be some version of a caprese salad.

lastly, and sadly, my dear little sister has jetting back off to italy for another four months, and i already miss her very much. we got to have a lot of fun during the month she was home, and i'm very happy that she loves italy so much. she's the bestest.

love you mackey!

sundance.

today i met rabbi lee bycel, who is the new man-in-charge at the redford center. the center's mission is to use the arts to improve some of the world's greatest struggles -- including education, health care, social justice. 

rabbi bycel visited my social justice class today and i was so incredibly impressed by him. on saturday he leaves for chad to work with refugees for the fifth time in the past ten years. he is going with $100,000 that he has raised -- for the fifth time. amazing. 

he travels with the international medical corps, and though he has no medical experience, he helps in anyway necessary, his favorite being getting to play with children while their parents are visiting health clinics and receiving medical care. 

i am looking forward to participating in redford center programs in the future. within the next six months, there will be panels and programs in both berkeley and san francisco.

on a less world-changing note [that seems incredibly superficial at this point in a post]:

a result of my sundance website cruising is my new favorite fantasy vacation:

sundance resort.

with summer and winter activities, including night skiing and art classes, glorious views and amazing accommodations it seems like a great retreat. and a fantastic cause.

parcel.

i got a package today! 

it was from my dad and stepmom, you recently did a little california coast road trip, making a few stops along the way. when they were in santa barbara, they found this little journal for me that i have fallen in love with. the turquoise leather is so incredibly soft, and the stone closure is a gorgeous grayish-blue color.

found on white feather.

as stated in my last post, i'm making more journaling attempts, and i'm so so very excited to get writing and listing!

list it.

admittedly, i've been a HUGE blogging slacker recently. all apologies.

though, i have been keeping myself busy with this book every night, doing a bit of personal chronicling before turning off the lights. (thank you BM for such a fantastic gift!)

i love the topics they give you to "list," everything from "List Your Proud Accomplishment" (10-day backpacking trip to summit of Mount Whitney, California -- 14,496 feet) to "List Your Personal Fashion Trends Over the Years" (brightly colored men's polos from Abercrombie, circa 2003/2004). 

as someone who would love to be disciplined enough to journal on a regular basis (trust me, i've tried), these lists are much more my style, and so accessible. i find myself brainstorming throughout the day of items, events or people i may have left off the list and i can't wait to get home to write it down.

they also have done a Love Listography: Your Love Life in Lists and Music Listography Journal. i know that CP would most certainly enjoy the latter, and even the lovey-dovey one would be fun for us. 

(there's a kids' version and an engagement calendar for 2010 too!)

though it's not the same as the tried-and-true pencil and paper, there is also a website: http://listography.com/

in the same realm, i also really enjoy 43 Things: http://www.43things.com/

it is quite similar, though more of a "bucket list" mentality it would seem. but heck, we can all think of 43 things to do in our lives. a nice, non-threatening number in my opinion.

who knows, maybe a grand combination of lists, post-its, various journaling attempts, unsent postcards, quote books and ideas scribbled on the backs of receipts will one day lead to a riveting memoir!

up to no good.

i pretty much love these. i should totally get them, just for kicks. (who can resist at $10?!)

found on 80's purple.

well, on second thought, i better not -- i should really try and discourage CP's questionable accessorizing.