I Want You to Drown

in this deluge of images like I did. A flood of inspiration that evokes a vulnerable girl in a space of jeweltones, rich colors, noir lighting, the smell of exotic spices and incense, Casablanca vibe and intricate detail. I want to have a home that is in itself an escape.

















































A mix of Google and Sun in Scorpio.

This is what my townhouse in California will look like. An oasis of magic at the foot of the Boxspring Mountains.

Old World + Shearling

I'm moving in September and my future roommate and I found a most glorious little 3 story townhouse.

And in my dreams, I want to go all out old world with it.









images via Sun in Scorpio

But I think I will have to settle for just doing my room in this style. That's if I can ever break away from all white furniture, all white paint, all white sheets on a mattress on the floor. So I think this Old World obcession is officially relegated ENTIRELY to my dreams. But I can still imagine... a good oriental rug, a huge tapestry hung on one wall, ornate pillows, incense, a bowl full of small bones and a serious voodoo vibe. Alas.

About the shearling. I'm going to start hunting the thrift stores now. Even though we are months away from cold weather... And as though I needed anymore jackets... I shop like an ice age is going to hit Texas.







Strappy, military boots. Just as delicious. Fall 2010 Burberry.

Sticks and Stones

I'm not a Tom Binns fan, but I am a fan of this rose thorn silver cross. I am in love. I cannot find it online! And I can't afford $300 either, so I started hunting Etsy.



It's not exact. It lacks some of the smooth grace but for $30 bucks? And solid sterling? Yeah, I'm a sucker. It's by Stratus Silver and available here. Why? Because I'm obcessed with twig jewelry. Jewelry cast out of sticks, preferably embellished with stones. A Houston-based jewelry designer, Diane Falkenhagen, sells some of her stuff out of a small art gallery on the Strand in Galveston and that is how I found her. Since finding her amazing "Driftwood Rings", rings cast from found driftwood on the beach, resembling twigs, I have bought one for my sister and had one custom-made for Jack last Christmas. She's a pleasure to work with and I'm considering buying another one of her pieces at the end of the month when I visit Galveston again.



That's mine. Oxidized black silver with martini olive green peridots. The best part... is the private stone on the underside... Just for my eyes...



So carrying on with this twig jewelry obcession, here's some other Etsy finds...







And the ring to end all rings... It's all of my favorite things rolled into one. Twig-cast ring, pink sapphire, rose gold, rose-cut stone... Seriously, these are all of my favorites.



And it's so devastatingly out of my price range (at $2,140). But let's just say the next boy to show up on my doorstep with this ring will get a "yes".

Which loops into the other thing on my mind-- romance. It's all so intertwined-- sticks and stones, the horrible things we say to people we love, how much words can hurt, sticks and stones, twig cast rings and gemstones, sweet summer love, afternoon romance.















from Fashion Gone Rogue, featuring mostly Levis and Hannah McGibbon for Chloe, which honestly are my two favorite things in the whole wide world.

Goldschlager

This last weekend I was in SoCal apartment hunting. I found the perfect place. More importantly though, I got to visit Newport Beach! A stranger I met at the swing dance club the night before offered to take me the next day. It was a rocky nook of a beach called Corona del Mar and was white, white sand and clear, clear water. At first I thought the water was glittering in the sun, it was so clear and maybe full of microbubbles... But they never seemed to rise or pop.. So I scooped up a handful of the water and all the glitter settled into my palm.. I asked about it.. apparently the sand is full of gold and fool's gold (pyrite) flakes. It was like swimming in goldschlager. Or a shook up snow globe full of gold flakes. It was truly the most magical experience I've had in a long, long time.

Here is a revival of the surf-perfect tips. A.) my friend Chelsea said she might be getting them...B.) Ain't nothing like a little bit of the west coast to put the surf chick back in me.

Because you know what I overlooked when considering surf tips? The ability to have the perfect ombre braid.













California also got me in the mood for best friend bracelets + diamonds. Scosha NYC has instantly become one of my favorite jewelry designers.







And their rough-hewn rings...







That last one especially... That big silver nugget, flanked by two diamonds, that reads "Fly Fly Fly Said the Bird for She Knew She Was Free".



images via stop it right now/stop it right now/stop it right now/the dirty prettys/fashion gone rogue/sun in scorpio/product images off scosha's site/bloom