::sweet sweden::

Random, yes. But I thought I'd share my love for Sweden today. During my college soccer years, I found myself among a beautiful, kind and crazy group of girls from the Scandinavian country-- let's put it this way, they call vodka "Swedish water" :) and they tend to drink it like that.

I've always been fond of their Swedish style too. Linda (x2), Martina, Therese, Hanna, Helena, and Anna Sara (5 out of 7 are tan & blond) always had the best outfits-- stood out in the not-so-fashion-forward Lakeland, Florida. Two of these ladies were also roommates (that qualifies me as 1/6 Swedish). I ate, slept, and drank (literally) Sweden. Meatballs, Svedka (skol!), Midsummar, Daim, and of course IKEA.

These are more reasons I like Sweden:

photos courtesy of Linda Hoglund, karin's style blog, and emmas designblogg

P.S. This one goes out to all my Swedish fish. Jag alskar dig!

::vintage find of the day::

Check out this awesome mustard yellow suitcase I picked up on a recent thrifting adventure. It's the perfect size and just so darn cute. I'm in love.

::lobster::

Yeah! It's officially lobster season in the Florida Keys. To celebrate, last week I let my boss know I wouldn't be in on Friday because I had a family obligation. Camping in the Keys with J, my siblings, and nieces is an "obligation", right? We've been going down for the past few years, although this is the first time we all did the tents. Usually we opt for a hotel on the water, but this year we thought we'd experience all that the great outdoors had to offer. And boy did we experience it: mosquitoes, no-see-ums, flies, raccoons, and the lovely Florida sunshine-- and lots of it.

We ended up only catching 5 bugs (that's a nickname for this yummy crustacean) and my little brother was the grill master who cooked them to perfection. Add a little butter and Old Bay seasoning...mmmmm.

On Saturday after the first trip lobstering on the boat we left our campsite and headed to grab lunch on Marathon Key. At many of the local dive shops and marinas I noticed stacks of new and used lobster traps.

I thought about how cute it would be to use this as a storage unit, decorative piece or even coffee table. Apparently, I wasn't the only clever cat. Kitka interviewed Adam Pesce, who created his own coffee table from a lobster trap. I love his mix of old and new.

So, 604 mosquito bites and 6 cans of OFF later, I'm finally home in the air conditioning and my comfy bed- thank goodness. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE camping and manage to do it very often, but the Keys in August is a big no-no.

::let's give it up for boots::

Honestly, who doesn't love boots? Especially these, these, and these. There was a period of time when all I wore on my feet were my Frye harness boots -- to class, to the grocery store, to bed (only once). And, they get better with age. I think Christina at Second Skin would have to agree.

*wall art by Erin Smith

...with a few short stemmed daisies inside :)

::color, texture::

There's something special about aged natural materials -- wood, metal, cotton, flowers -- that's so imperfectly perfect (or is it perfectly imperfect?). It's been around long enough and probably has lots of interesting stories, too. What makes it even better are great bold colors that have faded and chipped away throughout the years. This is an old doorway in Greece, which tops my list of most desired destinations. One day I'll see it in person.

*image from fashion butter.

::anthro::

Hi friends!

For those of you that don't know, I really like {am slightly obsessed} with Anthropologie. If my day-job doesn't work out I'd be the happiest Anthro sales associate of all time! I'd even consider an unpaid internship in their Display Department. Their creativity never ceases to amaze me. Check 'em out:

strips of fabric/ribbon

color-stained tea bags

yep, that's sliced bread!

pink balloon dogs

This is my inspiration for 6petals. No, unfortunately I won't be using books, or plastic cups, or this (not really sure what "this" is) in my window displays.

Oh, and by the way... (inquire for shipping information. I'm a size 6, thanks!)

::score::

So, while doing some impromptu thrifting on my lunch break I stumbled upon a Tory Burch top for $5. That's right -- FIVE DOLLARS. I'm pumped.

Other items that cost $5: Subway $5 footlong (hopefully you don't get the jingle stuck in your head...oops!), an Argentina mini soccer ball, or this wonderful best friends elephant figurine (?).

Oh, and a big thank you to the lady who donated the Tory Burch top. Don't worry, I will take good care of it!

::website::

still working on the website. more to come soon!
i'm so excited to get this off the ground.