The Art of the Lurk

I'm a blog lurker. There. I said it. But honestly, can you blame me? From wood whittlers to photographers and DIYs to celebrity gossip (don't judge), there's always something fun to look at when I make the nightly rounds of my favorite sites. And also during the day. I'm not above lurking while I work.

Here's a little round-up of my favorites. You're welcome.

Dart Photographie

 I'm not sure how I stumbled upon the D'art Photographie blog but boy am I glad I did. Her photos are always so warm and inviting and I think she does a great job of capturing the beauty of simple living. Stop by for beautiful pictures of good clean food, interesting people and road trips. Lots of road trips.

Wiksten

 As someone who always has a thousand ideas swimming in her head at once, I tend to be a little scattered. Who has time to make one piece to perfection when all these other things need to be made, like, NOW. Wiksten is the opposite. It's all about the details for Wiksten designer Jenny Gordy...and it shows. Visit for cozy knits, well-made patterns and the occasional studio photo. My personal favorite.

Oh, and she's the cutest thing ever.

My Edit

 There are 10 million fashion bloggers living in Manhattan, buying designer shoes and posting pictures of themselves every day. And then there's Jentine of My Edit. She's a landscaper, living in Ontario, who spends her days covered in dirt and her evenings styling her thrift finds. She's a pretty great stylist and all that but who cares...I just think it's all very refreshing. Visit My Edit for thrift finds, cute kitties and a discussion or two on shopping addiction. Seriously.

This Isn't Happiness

 This Isn't Happiness is one of my absolute favorites. I'm not sure what else to say. Follow this Tumblr for daily eye candy, humor and snarkiness. Lots of snarkiness.

Oh, Pioneer!

 Another one of my favorite Tumblrs is Oh, Pioneer! This collection of photos makes me want to marry a mountain man, move to a cabin in the woods and spend the rest of my days curled up by a wood burning stove, wearing plaid and sipping tea. Ok, so that's what I always dream about...but even so, Oh, Pioneer! makes my vision that much stronger. And that's how The Secret works. So it's really a win-win.

I Like Your Style

Although the weather here is starting to become a little less painful (in fact, the morning after I wrote this post, I woke up to dry, breezy weather - thanks for listening, Universe!), I still miss having a true Fall like the ones when I lived in Boston. I'm craving the Autumn colors of the northeast, pumpkin patches, apple picking, fire pits and (of course) weather cool enough for me to wear all my stashed Fall clothes!

This Friday I'm leaving for a 10 day adventure through Boston and New York to get my Autumn fix. Once I pulled all my cute boots from the attic (and pondered how to get away with packing seven pairs), I decided maybe I should use my Pinterest "I Like Your Style" board as inspiration to narrow it down. Using Pinterest for what it's meant to be used for?! This is too much.

So looking at the pin samples above, I guess it's pretty clear I'll be bringing scarves, booties, a chambray shirt, my leather jacket and anything plaid. Simple!

I guess it's not too enlightening but, hey, thanks for reminding me that I like layers, Pinterest!

DIY: Bik Bok

Earlier this summer, on my trip to Norway, I fell in love with a certain pair of shorts at the Bik Bok shop in Bergen. They caught my eye right away (as does mostly anything with studs...or plaid) but I couldn't justify paying the price for a pair of black shorts. My rational thinking was seriously tested upon seeing a Bik Bok employee rocking said shorts with sheer black tights but I managed to make an escape with the thought we all have but rarely ever follow through on: "I can make these myself!"

But this time I DID! Here's a ghetto, not-so-instructional photo guide. There's really not much to it: Find a pair of shorts you like, mine are Guess (purchased at Marshall's for around $20). Purchase some studs (I used these), lay out the studs in a pattern you like and then grab some pliers and start studding.

Heads up: My fingers were numb for 2 days after finishing this little project. A small price to pay for a cheap and successful DIY, I'd say.

The inspiration:

My finger-numbing DIY:

 

Once Miami decides to start participating in Fall like the rest of the country, I'll style up these shorts and wear them. I just don't think I can get away with black tights in ninety degree weather.

Future stud DIYs that I currently have planned. Note: I make no promises.

 Via my Pinterest

A Message from Henry Rollins

"If you have an idea of what you want to do in your future, you must go at it with almost monastic obsession...you have to go at it single-mindedly and let nothing get in your way."

Late Night Ebay

Late night cruising ebay for vintage science equipment. Hey, you have your hobbies and I'll have mine!

I did manage to limit myself to one purchase, but only after a friend, who happens to teach science, informed me of an entire closet of vintage goodies that are up for grabs. 

Ain't it precious?

I saw those little mint numbers and had to have it.

Dreaming of the Perfect Studio

If you were to come to me and say "design your dream studio space," I'm pretty sure the studio of Ariele Alasko of Brooklyn To West would be exactly what I would describe. Even if I hadn't seen these beautiful photos. Those windows! That view! Look at all that space!