celebrate.

i don't know about you, but june is a crazy month for birthdays in my life.  both parents plus a whole mess of good friends turn another year older every june, which makes for a busy month of card-sending and celebrations. 

so, as we say goodbye to "birthday month" (how original), to all my june babies, have a metaphorical slice of the best-looking cake ever: 

and, for good measure, an awesome time-lapse video of the making of the cake:

happy birthday to you all!

xo. di.

*images and video via whisk kid

legends: june.

the book legends by john miller catalogs "women who have changed the world."  given to me as a gift 8 years ago, it inspired me to dedicate the last friday of every month's post to a different legend (in my humble opinion).

this month (and yes, i know i'm late this month!  the friday "it" list got me off schedule, sorry!): princess di.   

her life breaks my heart, but i've always been enamored of the stunning photographs taken by mario testino shortly before her death.  she just seemed so...happy.  for once in her too public and too short life.

the photographer, mario testino

"i knew what my job was: it was to go out and meet the people and love them."

-princess diana 

and she did it beautifully.

xo. di.


*image 1, image 2, image 3, image 4, image 5, image 6, image 7, image 8, image 9

grateful: week 10.

inspired by my reading of the happiness project by gretchen rubin, i am instituting monday "gratitude" posts (read here for more detail), where i will list "3 things i'm grateful for" from the previous week.

the 3 things i'm grateful for this week are:  

1) my 3 favorite 2010 world cup teams (USA, ENGLAND, DEUTSCHLAND) all made it out of the group phase.  although i obviously wish USA could have gotten that win against ghana to keep going...

2) one of my first and best childhood friends had her first child, a healthy baby girl (congrats to a and m!)

3) i discovered a new tv show that is so in my wheelhouse: party down.  i watched the entire first season this weekend.  it's a very arrested development awkward humor kind of comedy, and i ate it up.  season 2 is now airing on starz, but since i don't get that channel, i'll have to wait for the dvds to fully catch-up, but watch!  it's good, i promise!  (bonus: the always amazing jane lynch was in season 1, to be replaced by the just as awesome megan mullally in season 2!)

here's to another grateful week.

xo. di.  

the "it" list 4

week 4 is here!  (click to see week 1 and week 2 and week 3)

The weekend is finally upon us! Take some time to check out this amazing inspiration from around the web this week!

• style your life whips up a fabulous ensemble in grey and white... I just love the fresh and modern feel of this outfit!
• the pretty bee makes over her family room... she shows before and after shots (gotta love a "before and after!") that includes this sunny vignette.
• where is the me in mommy? reminds us of five simple things to add to our to-do list that is sure to brighten our day... my fave: more time for reading to our kids!
• do. think. wear. see. love. dream. takes on a safari wardrobe challenge and totally knocks it out of the ballpark, or more aptly the wildlife reserve.
• a spot of whimsy reorganizes her bookshelves... and rainbow-itizes them! (much more pretty than alphabetizing them)
• karina, ink reopens her shop and has a pretty awesome freebie for bloggers - you won't want to miss this!
• one hundred inspirations gets us this french-chic Leighton Meester look for less than $100 (well actually, less than $82 to be exact!!)
• good life for less takes us south of the border for some fun wardrobe inspiration that just screams summer!
• sweetie pie pumpkin noodle is coveting sand & sea... um, yes me too! Especially this blinged out swimsuit!
• merci blah blah gets disco fabulous and I couldn't love this belt/necklace combo more! Can you say "whoooo, whooo"?

Interested in finding out how you can be featured on the "it" list? Email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com!


 schones wochenende!

xo. di. 

hope.

"we are always, in one capacity or another, dreaming.  

that is the essence of hope: the desire for something 

wonderful that does not currently exist."

- ashley wheater, joffrey ballet artistic director

how about our boys in red, white, and blue yesterday?!  made me giddy.

xo. di.    

*image via warming glow 

book rainbow.

when i was unpacking post-move this weekend (which went very smoothly, by the way!), even though i was using almost all the same furniture, i thought i'd shake some things up.  you know, work on that whole change issue!  the bookcase in my bedroom had begun to overflow with pictures, trinkets, and a whole lot of books, and so i started there.  using an idea i found in my too-frequently overlooked "decorating ideas" folder, i arranged my books by color, and now i've got myself a little book rainbow:

 
blues and greens

 pinks and purples

whites

 blacks and reds (which quickly turned into a twilight shrine, whoops!)

and a little group shot

a little library, growing larger every year, is an honorable part of a man's history.  

it is a man's* duty to have books.  

a library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life.  

-henry ward beecher

*or a woman's  :)


xo. di.

bloom.

 for the past, oh, 6 months or so, i have been practically demanding my friends to check out emersonmade.  the blog.  and the online store.  and i think it's about time i share it with all you lovely readers, because i? am in love.  with every single one of her gorgeous fabric blooms.  and the fantastical ways in which she displays them on the blog. 

i'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

 maybe i'd be better at golf if i added an emersonmade bloom and a dirty martini?!

i want to have tea in the snow!!!

emerson and her husband ryan (such an adorable couple, by the way), live on a farm 

in new hampshire in a beautiful old farmhouse.  not only am i obsessed with her flowers, i am also in awe of her decorating, which i stumbled upon via design*sponge a few months back.   

again, let's just go to the pictures:

that's an emersonmade bloom you see on the leopard print coat!

so are you convinced of emersonmade's brilliance yet?  (this is where you find yourself convinced).  which one is my favorite, you're [clearly] wondering?  that would be the big poppy.

 

which i bought as a birthday present to myself in february!

OH guess what?  emersonmade is starting a clothing line this summer!

sigh.  emersonmade just makes me *happy!*

xo. di.

*for more pictures from the emerson farm design*sponge post, click here*
*all images of emersonmade's flowers from the blog.

grateful: week 9

inspired by my reading of the happiness project by gretchen rubin, i am instituting sunday* "gratitude" posts (read here for more detail), where i will list "3 things i'm grateful for" from the previous week.

*blog update: until further notice, i'm now going to be grateful on mondays instead.   trying to do too much over here!*   

the 3 things i'm grateful for this week are:  

1) the move is complete!

2) due to said move, i got to be with my dad on father's day this year!

3) today is the first official day of summer!

 which means i wish i was here.  petoskey, mi: one of my favorite summer spots.

here's to another grateful week.

xo. di.  

the "it" list 3

week 3 is here!  (click to see week 1 and week 2)

Hooray for Friday... that can only mean one thing: the "it" list is back! This week's list has a decidedly summery feel to it. Let's dig right in!

• do.think.wear.see.love.dream. tries to convince us to buy statement necklaces and shows us her favorites. I'm sold.
• merci blah blah mixes nautical stripes and some fabulous layers of accessories for a summer get-up that I am swooning over.
• karina, ink. makes a homemade brew of all-purpose cleaner that looks good enough to eat. (but don't! but you'll be tempted!)
• good life for less asks for you to chime in on tube tops... you know, giving you sumthin' to talk about. Where do you stand on the top?
• where is the me in mommy? challenges mothers (and parents in general) on letting our children live out their dreams. Very thought provoking.
• a spot of whimsy celebrates Flag Day and gets us in the mood for Fourth of July. FUN!
• sweetie pie pumpkin noodle whips up the fixins' for a super rad summer style patio. Um, yes, please!
• style your life incorporates this amazing jacket into an outfit in a way I never would have thought of and I am instantly in love!
• one hundred inspirations gets you a great french-chic look a la Alessandra Ambrosio on the cheap!
• the pretty bee has updated her etsy shop with fun summer necklaces... I'd take one of each! They are perfect for summer.
• i am loving the raygan clutch from elena's custom designs - I have one and love it! It's the perfect size for the essentials!
• if you have a special occasion in your future (wedding, shower, birth), check out the special occasion offerings from really cute stuff. the texas themed cards give me a hankering for a big steak!

There you have it folks... the best of the web this week! Take some time to check out each of these fun posts and amazing blogs!

~~~

If you are interested in being featured on the "it" list (bloggers and small business owners are welcome!) check out all of the details here... then email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com!

schones wochenende!

xo. di. 

change.

well, here we somehow already are: on the threshold of the weekend of the great move (hm, well that's probably a little dramatic!).  but guess what?  i don't like change very much.  little j and i have lived together, in the same place, for the last 4 years.  eeek.   

i've spent the last few weeks doing clean-out projects, putting my things in boxes, and dividing up stuff that neither of us can remember who owns anymore (whoops!).  

the upside?  i get to put my penelope organizational skills into operation.  there are lists.  there are labels.  correction: there are color-coded labels.  i feel like monica after chandler quits his job and needs to search for a whole new career: "i get to use my label-maker!"  

it will be a difficult weekend, that's for sure.  but there is plenty to look forward to as well.  new decorating, anyone (i'll share some of it with you soon)?! 

 so i'm going to take some of this advice:

"change isn't good or bad.  it just is."

-don draper, mad men

xo. di. 

patience.

is a virtue.  and sometimes i reallllly struggle with it.  the worst of all?  the slow walker issue.  i?  am a very fast walker.  and?  i tend to get a little frustrated on sidewalks in the city.   that's why the latest project?  from improv everywhere?  genius. 

they made a 2-lane sidewalk, people!

 i love that he's "enforcing" the system

 they understood their place

 lol apparently one of them lives out of town

feel free to come do this in all of chicago.  and, i know, i need to work on the patience thing.  and i'll try to slow down.  try. 

xo. di.

*images from color me katie and improv everywhere

p.s. color me katie?  SUCH a fun blog.  definitely take a peek

secret garden.

the children's book mandy by julie andrews edwards* left a lasting impression on me, just as kathleen kelly said it would.  i desperately wanted my own secret cottage, surrounded by a whimsical garden.  i even turned my mom's vegetable garden into a flower garden for a few summers in elementary/middle school (and managed to keep most of them alive, something i can't seem to do as a grown-up.  hm.).  it couldn't quite compare to these, however:

just how i always pictured mandy's seashell cottage.  suddenly i'm 10 years old again.  bliss.

"it's all imaginary anyway.  that's why it's important.

people only fight over imaginary things."

-neil gaiman 

xo. di.

  

*yes, julie andrews edwards is THAT julie andrews, a.k.a. mary poppins.  she also wrote the last of the really great whangdoodles, another of my absolute favorite children's books.  i've got a special place in my heart for that woman. 

**image  

patriot.

it's flag day!  i'm going to use it as a warm-up to 4th of july wonderfulness (it's almost here!).  

happy flag day!

xo. di.

*images via martha's patriotic crafts gallery