still life dog.
Candy, my parents’ rat terrier-chihuahua mix prefers to sleep in the middle of all the pillows when possible.
Galveston, Texas
I took these pictures last fall, on a hot October day right before I went swimming in the gulf and stayed in the water by myself for at least an hour. (A big deal, considering how terrified I am of lake water—for some reason the ocean does not inspire the same zombie nightmares…)
The drive into Galveston along Broadway is rather schizophrenic, I-45 turns into the Gulf Freeway, and you pass by houses on stilts that look like they belong in Cape Hattaras, North Carolina. And you blink and the landscape turns into Florida— with motorbikes zooming past, huge parking lots, and families crowding around rainbow umbrellas on the main strip of the beach. (But! Keep driving, there’s a secret, less crowded beach ahead.) And then you’re on Broadway Avenue, lined with skinny palm trees and Victorian mansions that have a definite New Orleans influence with their wrought iron fencing and skinny clapboard shutters. It’s this area of Galvestson I love the most because, um, do the above pictures look at all like they were taken at a Gulf Coast city in Texas?
twofer.
found just now in my Photo Booth archives—two manis i did and twitpic’d last summer that deserve blog recognition. both purple!
top: purple ombre.
bottom: pepto-purple chevrons.
summer! it’s time to do some new nail art…
annie, dreamboat annie.
this has been on repeat all week. in part because i misheard the lyrics as “Heading out this morning, in Tuscon….” and i’ve been dreaming of a L.A. to Houston road trip for a few months now. but also because at less than two minutes long, it’s a dreamy song that begs to be on repeat.
like fireworks for your nails.
sometimes you need an erratic glitter, one that doesn’t even begin to cover the nail after three coats (as seen above, on top of a two-week old Shellac gel mani in Cream Puff.) Lippmann’s Glitter In The Air is confetti. it’s birthday cake. it’s Katy Perry’s California Girls in a bottle. and i’m smitten with it.
JAUNES-ING FOR SPRING: swatches.
(This is a continuation from a post I wrote for Vitamin Daily Toronto!)
Truthfully, yellow is never my first choice when buying new polish. There are too many variables with an unknown yellow: it can wash you out, reflect a green-ish tinge, or, worst of all, make your hands look jaundiced. However, when I heard that both Chanel and Deborah Lippmann were launching bright yellow lacquers this spring, I started warming up to the trend. (After all: if you have a ridiculous polish collection it’s because you also subscribe to “It’s new? and likely to sell out quickly? I need it!” logic.)
Sally Hansen Yellow Kitty
More pastel than bright, Yellow Kitty is a great gateway shade between the easy-to-wear pale yellows and aggressive, almost-neon brights. I had to use three coats to get the coverage you see above, but frankly, that’s expected—and it’s fun to paint with the thick brush all Sally Hansen lacquers now use. I’d definitely wear this one again.
Chanel Mimosa
Um, I actually had low expectations for this colour. When it was first announced in the winter, I thought Chanel could have done something… better. The reviews were equally lackluster, but the polish itself? Ack! Mimosa just glows, it bubbles like champagne. The shimmer shows off best in the bottle, and then doesn’t overpower when on the nail—you can barely see it in the above images. (It was actually quite hard to capture when taking photos, the pointer finger on the right shows it best.)
Sally Hansen Lightening
I enjoyed applying this polish, probably because it’s so primary yellow—like painting your nails with acrylic paint. Okay, it also matched my bouquet of forsythia branches, hello spring! However, until I start wearing my nails a bit shorter, the very-bright Lightening will be a pedicure-only polish.
(Tragically, Lippmann’s Yellow Brick Road was not available for swatching–but it’s on its way, and I’ll likely tweet about it the moment it arrives.)
peaceful mountain.
if it wasn’t already apparent, you should know i have a thing for the desert—the American desert that is, the landscape of dusty plains and rolling mountains dotted with sagebrush and cactus that runs from Texas to California. so, please: let’s hold our breath until we can all afford to spend a week at the Amangiri resort, situated in Utah on border with Arizona.
“Architecturally, the resort has been designed to blend into the landscape with natural hues, materials and textures a feature of the design. The structures are commanding and in proportion with the scale of the natural surroundings, yet provide an intimate setting from which to view and appreciate the landscape.”
(thank you, NotCot and Lancia Trendvisions for introducing me to this!)
Elizabeth Taylor in Marfa, Texas, on the set of Giant in 1956. i wish i could wear pants like that in the desert.
(image by Frank Worth/Emage International/Getty Images via Vanity Fair.)
Stamp.
a superfan who’s so perfectly Freaks and Geeks, one very adorable groupie, and captions detailing their every thought at a very private Rural Alberta Advantage show. watch and enjoy and share, please!
director – José Lourenço
cinematographer – James Lourenço
producer – Luke Bryant
production company – Adams Corbet
HBD!
it was my 27th birthday earlier this month, and darling James of Mister Pictures took photos at my Elvis and croquembouche-themed party.
bougy//bisous 