legends: july.

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: julie andrews. i already expressed my love for her children's books, and now, let's celebrate her movie roles.

 ah.  my favoritest movie EVER

practically perfect in every way

as the iconic guinevere in camelot

these pictures are becoming a recurring theme around here: it always comes back to audrey!

at three years old i used to reenact the above scene from the sound of music over and over and over.  don't believe me?

yup, that's a reality



i have confidence in sunshine. 


xo. di.

*image 1, image 2, image 3, image 4, image 5, image 6, image 7, image 8, image 9 from my personal collection

the "it" list 9

*ok lovely readers, this is the last "it" list til the fall (i know, sad face!), so we all hope you enjoy!*

Hooray for Friday! The "it" list is back with a great round up of all sorts of goodies on the web... be sure to visit all these lovelies blogs for tons of inspiration this weekend!

• sweetie pie pumpkin noodle visits some of THE most fabulous boutiques and shops in Mill Valley and takes us along for the ride. She also hunts down amazing chandeliers along her way. Don't miss this goodness!
• merci blah blah rounds up tons of gorgeous drape-style dresses from all over the interwebs. And not just once... but twice. Um, I'll take one of each!
• good life for less gives us the highlights of her recent trip to Forever 21... these shoes were definitely a great find!
• a spot of whimsy forks over a delicious dose of Mad Men style and photos. I swoon, just swoon for that show!
• penguins gift is giving away a Stella & Dot bracelet for the little ladies in your life. So cute!
• style your life puts together a casual outfit featuring an unexpected item - a pencil skirt. I just love this look - so chic!
• spry on the wall gives us a practical and affordable version of this amazing outfit from Isaac Mizrahi's Spring 2010 line.
• the hillside home just bought a new house and is planning, planning, planning. SO FUN! Join her as they start picking out colors, finishes, etc. I just love the adventure of a new house!
• john's journal outlines a simple but fantastic looking diy roman shade project. You will absolutely want to try this. It turned out amazing!
• elena's custom designs makes a custom pillow out of a scarf/handkerchief. I just LOVE this idea!
• really cute stuff is featuring their "family style" notecards... a great gift for friends or teachers or just to have for yourself for thank you notes or notes to teachers. I love these ideas!
• good look for less is offering wardrobe consults at half price through the end of today... hurry and snag yours before they go back to full price for fall!

Have a great weekend... interested in learning more about the "it" list? Email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com !


schoenes wochenende!

xo. di. 

all aboard.

so i've been thinking about sharing with you all my love of train travel for some time now, and then when i accidentally turned this into "1960s week" around here, i realized: trains were all the rage in the 60s...

so what am i waiting for?! 

let me back up a second: i don't have a car here in chicago, so when i go home to visit the family in michigan, i usually end up on an amtrak train.  it takes longer than it should, but that's mainly because people don't use trains like they used to, so the money isn't there anymore.  sad face.  

on my way back from my most recent trip, i decided to take a few pictures of the ride.  and since we're going for that vintage-y vibe today, i used a new program to turn my pictures into polaroids!  totally take a look at poladroid project if you like what you see (it's free!)  i am in love. 

i just think traveling by train is one of the most amazing ways to see this wonderful country of ours.   

if you have the opportunity to train it instead of driving some time, i hope you take it.  just give it a try!  the federal government (and many states!) are really trying to improve rail travel right now, and it's not going to happen unless we get on one and give it a shot!  um, plus?  you can bring your own alcohol on board with you, as someone else takes you to your destination.  just sayin'!   

bottle of wine & cheese as i see new parts of pure michigan?  oh yea, i'm on board (yup.  pun intended.  hehe.).

xo. di. 

*image 1, all other images from my personal collection (transferred into polaroids of course

a chair is still a chair...

...even when there's no one sitting there. 

- a house is not a home, written by burt bacharach and hal david*

chair plate from raedunn's etsy shop

*and also a song in promises, promises!  this has rapidly turned into 60s week on a spot of whimsy!  you don't mind, do you?!

xo. di.

in honor

of the 4th season of mad men premiering this past sunday, today i want to celebrate 1960s fashion.   

OH am i in love.  the good news?  companies have realized that the popularity of mad men allows them to bring a little bit of it back, as witnessed by the promises, promises-inspired (you know, the kristin chenoweth/sean hayes musical i saw in april, which also happens to take place in the 60s?) windows at lord & taylor in nyc. 

of course i had to include a kchenoweth pic!

banana republic has gotten in on the action as well

how can i resist?!  the men are dashing.

if you ignore the constant smoking

and the women?  gender equality might have been an issue, but the fashion definitely was not.

even if you don't watch the show, isn't this picture of betty just haunting?!

oh how i love joanie!

 

the cast

i can't wait to see what they wear this season.  the fashion has to be in the top 5 reasons i watch this amazingly good show.  

and, i have to say, for me it will be hard to top betty's italy ensemble from season 3.  and what a scene it was:

simply stunning

so now try not to make fun of me too badly, but last halloween i tried my best to become betty, moodiness and all, which, no matter how you might feel about her on the show, is a very fun character to portray.  LOL.  

and for the record?  the cig is just a prop!

xo. di.

*image 1 & 10-14, images 2-5,  images 6-9, image 15,  image 16

grateful: week 14.

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) a shortened work week (always a welcome change!)

2) an email from a dear college friend with whom i have sadly mostly lost touch

3) long days at the beach with the bf and his family and college besties (at a more tame part of the jersey shore)

sunset on long beach island, new jersey
 

here's to another grateful week.

xo. di. 


*image from my personal collection

mad about ...

dear readers,

mad men returns tonight!!!!    that's all...

xo. di.

*image via warming glow

the "it" list 8

The "it" list blazes on... don't you love Fridays? Take some time today or this weekend to check out the best of the web here!

• merci blah blah is talking fall... her fall wish list to be exact. I love each and every one of her picks. I can feel the leaves crunching under feet already...
• the hillside home puts together a lovely summer/garden/cottage inspiration montage. It's just dreamy...
• style your life puts together a casual summer look for the guys. Ladies, raise your hand if shopping for your husband falls under your duties. It does in my household!
• spry on the wall puts together her take on Nina Ricci's Resort 2011 collection. This is pure genius!
• john's journal gathers beach chic inspiration from planet blue and then puts together outfits that are much more affordable. Love these!
• a spot of whimsy gives some food for thought for the women that want to do it all (this would be me...). I loved this quiet moment.
• penguin's gift has a great stationary giveaway. Check it out... you have a few days to enter still!
• elena's custom designs offers a great grab-and-go baby shower gift, check this out!
• one hundred inspirations lays out this Olivia Palermo outfit for less than $100. I love this!
• good life for less is participating in the 30/30 Challenge... that is 30 wardrobe pieces mixed and matched for 30 days. See how she does it!
• sweetie pie pumpkin noodle features her top 10 picks for earrings... it's impossible to choose a favorite, they are all so lovely!

Happy Weekend!

~~~

Interested in learning more about the "it" list? Email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com!

 
schoenes wochenende!


xo. di.

wanting.

"i can never read all the books i want.  i can never be all the people i want and live all the lives i want.  i can never train myself in all the skills i want.  and why do i want?  i want to live and feel all the shades, tones, and variations of mental and physical experience possible in life.  and i am horribly limited."

-sylvia plath

sometimes one does feel terribly limited.  so much i want to do.  so much i want to learn.  and never enough time.  

so, we make do.  and make the most of it.  just have to keep trying.  keep going.  and along the way?  celebrate all we have accomplished, i think.

xo. di.   

*image  

girls nights.

are sometimes a necessity.  this summer (and july in particular) has been way busier than i had anticipated, and so it had been far too long since i'd had some good girl time.  so, last week, i took a step toward remedying that.  i had a few michigan girls over for a wine and cheese night to welcome k to chicago after 4 years of living in california.

that's a michigan bottle of wine on the left.  also note the shape of michigan wine glasses, hehe i'm a nut

k brought dessert!

good times with some great girls.  perfection.

xo. di.

*all images from my personal collection

being british.

when i was home with my mom this past weekend, i decided to finally try a recipe for a Pimm's No. 1 Cup i found on poppytalk a few weeks ago.  Pimm's is an English gin-based liquor that you don't find in restaurants in the States all that often (but you can at most liquor stores).  Pimm's Cups, when made right, are an absolutely delicious summery drink.  here's how i made mine:

Pimm's Cup Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

4 slices of cucumber, cut in half

large handful of strawberries, roughly chopped

1 cup Pimm's No. 1

1 cup gin

ginger ale

lemonade

lots of ice

garnishes of strawberries, cucumber, and/or lemon/lime wheels

1) in a pitcher, muddle the mint leaves.

2) add in the Pimm's and gin

3) time for the strawberries

4) and the cucumbers

5) then let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes for the flavors to infuse.

6) after you're done patiently waiting, add 2 oz. of the mixture to each cup, as well as some strawberries, cucumbers, and mint

7) fill the rest of the cup with more ice, and equal parts ginger ale and lemonade

sidenote: being from detroit, i used Vernors ginger ale.  Vernors has a bit sweeter and stronger ginger taste than other ginger ales, which i thought enhanced the Pimm's Cup, but if you want less, go with something other than Vernors.  

8) enjoy your Pimm's Cup outdoors for a perfect summer evening

thoroughly enjoying my parents' back deck

happy sipping!

xo. di.

*all images from my personal collection