Swiftly Flow the Days

Dress: Industry, remixed * Sweater: thrifted * Tights: We Love Colors (Charcoal), remixed * Socks: Target, remixed * Boots: Ciao Bella, remixed * Belt: thrifted, remixed

Happy Monday! I hope all your weekends were wonderfully relaxing and fun. I'm still in Beantown, but I'll be on my way back this afternoon. It's been a stunningly wonderful weekend, and is exactly what I've been needing. K. and I have explored many fabulous corners of this ridiculously charming city, we've eaten extraordinarily well, and we've talked and reconnected as if no time has passed. I'll have plenty of posts up throughout this week to document our adventures, so keep your eyes peeled! (And for those of you doing the 30 for 30 challenge, I commend you! I'll be doing a slightly pared down version of it, since I didn't really get my act together before I left for Boston.) For today, I'm posting a set of pictures I took last week, before leaving for my east coast adventure.

These are some of my absolute favorite pictures. It's been progressively getting colder in the city, though it's still been the mildest fall, and I'm consistently up before the sun these days. I've been watching the gorgeous sunrise from my cozy chair in the living room every morning as I drink my coffee. One morning last week, I was just absolutely blown away by the gorgeousness of it, and quickly got my things together and dashed out the door. Of course, it took awhile to actually get to the lake where I knew the action was happening, so the colors were quite different, and much more subdued by the time I got there, but it was spectacular nonetheless.

It was really cold, too, which made the whole thing feel like a wonderful early morning adventure. I love that kind of cold anyway, the kind that wakes up all your senses. I love breathing in that first deep breath of really cold air, and feeling the cold slide through your body. It's such a rejuvenating cold, I think, and I felt totally charged and ready for the day by the time I was finished. I did have a guy on a bike slowly ride by me while I was taking my pictures, and slowly ride by again, before asking whether I needed someone to take pictures for me. I answered that I was working on a project. Awkward.

I loved the outfit, too, which just adds to my love of these pictures. I got and wore this dress for my 25th birthday, and I've been brainstorming how to wear it again, especially now that the weather has changed. Since I've been just loving the preppy sweater-vest look lately, I thought I should play with those layers and proportions to see what came of it. I love the result. It was comfy, everything stayed in place, and I feel like it totally brought a spring/summer dress firmly into fall and winter, which I just love.

...and the winner of the Sperry Top Sider Boots was comment #18, Erin, of Work with What You've Got (though she's taking a bit of a blogging break, she's still one of my absolute favorites)! I'll be sending you an email shortly, my dear. Congratulations!

Title song: Fiddler on the Roof/Bright Eyes, "Sunrise, Sunset"

Weekend Clothesline: Sun Comes Up and the Man Goes Down

Dress: UO * Cocktail: handmade * Class: all mine

So since there's been general clamoring for pictures of our classy cocktail party last weekend, I thought I'd post a few. Disclaimer: despite dressing classy, I am decidedly not a classy person by nature. Therefore, in most of these pictures I look like a goober. Enjoy.

Tasty treats (left to right, top to bottom): date nut bread, deviled eggs, bacon-wrapped dates, caprese salad, grapes with walnuts; tiramisu, blackberry chocolate tort, passion fruit tort, pistachio white chocolate tort




Hostesses with the mostesses; Sean and Clare looking like fools; me, Rob, and Joe enjoying cocktails, classiness, and cheese

Title song: David Bowie, "Black Tie, White Noise"

Would You Come Home to Me

Shirt: Anthropologie, harvested from Emily's donation bag, remixed * Jeans: Gap, remixed * Cardigan: harvested from Emily's donation bag, remixed * Boots: c/o Sperry Top Sider, remixed (win your own pair here!) * Scarf: UO, remixed * Bangle: H&M, remixed * Earrings: thrift store in Austin, remixed * Headband: UO*

Dudes, I'm actually wearing this. Like right. now. As I type this, I'm wearing this outfit. This doesn't happen often. But I really wanted to knock out a post before I take off for the airport this morning, and I figured I'd share my travelin' garb. For me, airports are all about comfort and ease, but also put-togetherness. The scarf, soft-as-can-be cardigan, and zip-off boots are all perfect for getting through security and handling the varying temperatures of the cabin (just FYI, I'll throw all the accessories into my bag before I go through security so that all I have to do is take off my boots when I get to the checkpoint).

But for me, airports are also about looking at least somewhat classy, or put-together. I'm always treated way better by airport staff if I don't look schlumpy (though my hippie headband may counteract that today), and I feel more ready for the trip if I'm not in my pajamas. I've never been a heels at the airport kind of gal, though, since there's always tons of walking on travel days. So my great boots come in handy once again!

What about you? What's your travel mantra? Function over fashion? Panache over pajamas (I don't think panache is the right word here, but I couldn't think of an equivalent alliterative term)? Are you a carry-on or checked baggage person? I'm flying Southwest today, so I could check my bag for free, but I've opted to carry on instead, just so I can get through everything more quickly. Wish me a happy flight!

*Sorry, I don't have time to add remix links today. I gots me a flight to catch!

Title song: Joan Baez, "Please Come to Boston"

Waterford Design Week 2010

It's officially Waterford Design Week Everyone! In a nutshell a week to showcase what our local designers have to offer as part of National Irish Design Week. 1st - 7th November.

www.designweekwaterford.com

( Many thanks to the Waterford City Enterprise Board and Waterford City Council for their support as well as the city library for housing the event)

Product Design Consultant Marcus Notley addressing the crowd at the official exhibit launch this evening at the Waterford City Library.

www.marcusnotley.com

( Just in the left corner of the picture our buddy, local film-maker John Loftus capturing the event on camera)

Watching a film presentation on designing the future! It was quite profound actually.

Our exhibit entry (top right hand corner)

Look who our neighbour was!!! None other than Shane O'Neill of Aspect Photography(www.aspectphotography.net) who regularly collaborates with us and who is responsible for some of the more stunning and provocative images in our portfolio. Shane also rocked out a bonzie photograph for his exhibit entry and just by pure chance and karma we ended up on the same exhibit board together! :)

Main Image: Photographer-Shane O'Neill

Model- My sis!

Top Right Image: Agatha Stoinska

Stylist: Roxanne Parker

Bottom Right Image: One of our faves to date! ( so much so it's on our business cards!)

picture of Heather Crank, a real life bride on her wedding day in the US who wore bonzie on her wedding day and kindly thought to send us her pictures afterwards to share her special day with us. Little did Heather realize that she would be so well received and is now featured on print all over the world!! :)

You know what I love about these kind of showcases.... I love how it brings all of the local talent under one roof, I love how you get a glimpse into the strength of individual designers in your own area with the possibility of collaborating, networking and joining resources. The board above with bonzie designs and Shane O'Neill photography is a perfect example of how two local entities collaborated together to enhance each others business. Showcases such as this one facilitate more of that kind of networking and support system for local designers and individuals trying to carve out their own foothold in the local community.

Guys...on another note. Ger and I have some very exciting news coming soon. We are really looking forward to sharing it with you all in the very near future. The project is currently in motion and gathering speed and we should be in a position to share the launch and details pretty soon!! xxx

Start to Fill the Frame

Dress: Tulle, remixed * Vest: UO, remixed * Boots: c/o Sperry Top Siders, remixed (chance to win a pair of your own here!) * Belt: thrifted, remixed

Before you even ask, yes, I am going to be wearing these boots every. damn. day. from now until forever. They are nothing short of the best boots ever. So great, in fact, that they are about to become my go-to travel boots. I'm going to Boston* on Thursday, for a long weekend with an old friend (squeeeee! I'm so excited!) and I've been pondering what to pack for awhile. We'll be walking a lot, very casual weekend wear, but K. is one of my madly stylish friends, and, as I've mentioned before, the one that awoke in me my desire to be stylish myself. I'm thinking lots of great scarves, fabulous necklaces, and fun tops to go with my weekend uniform of jeans (or skinny cargo pants!) and, to be sure, these boots. I may not even bring a second pair of shoes!

I'm actually ridiculously excited about my weekend. I always eat well with K. (she's always on board to appreciate a good cheese, dessert, or any of many other culinary delights), so I know my tummy will be happily sated all weekend. And I've only been to Boston once before, years ago. I loved it then, and I remember walking around the historic parts of the city, eating sushi and going to this crazy awesome candy store. K. has come to visit me and Joe in Chicago a handful of times since I moved here, but I have been delinquent in making the trip to see her, so I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend together, exploring, eating, talking and having an all around delightful time. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have a 5-day weekend!

*I'd love to plan a meetup with some of you fabulous Boston-area bloggers, but I'm not sure if I'll have much of a break in the festivities with K. If I do have a free afternoon or morning, I'll tweet at ya.

Title song: The William Beckett, "Barely There and Boston Bound"

Held by the Same Hand

Silk blouse: thrifted * Jeans: Gap, remixed * Boots: c/o Sperry Top Sider (want your own? click here!), remixed * Wool swing jacket: Gap, thrifted, remixed * Belt: thrifted, remixed

It's Election Day! I'm up a bit earlier than usual so that I can stop by my polling place on the way to work. I know it's getting easier and easier now to vote by absentee ballot, especially now that you can do so even if you're not "absent" from your voting district, but there's something so old-school and satisfying to me about voting in person. I love seeing other people who have also taken the time to get up and go vote, and I love the weird little cubicle booth things that don't seem to change no matter where you're voting. I love the energy and electricity that people have when they vote in person. I know this isn't the case everywhere, and it isn't the case in every election, but I've had the good fortune of voting in very exciting and important elections for most of my adult life so far, and there's always been the distinct feeling that what we're doing matters.

I don't talk about politics much here, and that probably won't change. And in fact, I probably won't really talk about politics today, either. But I hope that all of you understand how important it is to cast your vote. As imperfect as our system can be, right now it's the one we've got. And as it stands right now, the way to make change in this imperfect system is to vote. If you're unhappy with the way things are going, or, dammit, if you are happy with the way things are going, the only way to make sure that the choices that are made by the government reflect your own preferences is to vote for someone or something that you believe in. I really don't want to get all soap-boxy on you, and I'm sorry if this isn't the Tuesday morning reading you signed up for. I'm the first to admit that there are flaws in the system, and sometimes it seems like your one, single vote doesn't count. But it does. And it's your way of participating in our governmental system.

Anyway, that's not entirely the point. I don't want to spend this whole post ranting about how important I think it is for you to vote. That's your decision, and your participation. I wanted to talk about how excited I am to vote. The last time I voted was in the 2008 presidential election, and I had the good fortune of casting my ballot in a district only blocks away from Obama's home. When I said it was electric, I meant it. It felt like the whole city was coming together to do something good, and make a change (I know how overused the "change" rhetoric is, and I know it was a couple of years ago now, but that moment will always stick with me). This election is different, for obvious reasons, but I'm still excited to go in and cast my ballot and do my part to encourage the people and legislation I believe in.

Plus, I'll get a sticker. Update: I did not get a sticker. Please disregard this post. (Just kidding! I didn't get a sticker, but I bought myself a pastry to make up for it! Goooooo democracy!)

Are you voting? Have you already voted?

Title song: Van Halen, "Ballot or the Bullet"

Let the Sun and Light Come Streaming

Oxford shirt: thrifted, remixed * Corduroy skirt: Old Navy * Tights: We Love Colors (mocha), remixed * Boots: c/o Sperry Top Sider * Wool jacket: Gap, thrifted and remixed * Glass choker: shop in Murano, remixed * Braided necklace: Noble Town Vintage, remixed

We didn't get any trick-or-treaters last night. Not a one. I guess I'm not totally surprised, since we live in an apartment building in the city, but I kind of expected (and by expected I mean hoped) that some of the kids from the building would come by. We have a whole jar of KitKats and Reeses that we're just going to have to eat ourselves now. Bummer.

We had a lovely weekend, though. Joe came to Chicago this weekend so that I could take a week off from driving. He got in on Friday night and stayed until yesterday evening. It was so relaxing and wonderful to have him here, and he said it felt like a vacation for him, too, which was great. We had a big fancy black tie cocktail party at the apartment on Saturday night (pictures forthcoming, I promise!), and it was so much fun. We had a stellar drink menu (with Halloween/horror movie inspired names), a delicious table of tasty treats (bacon-wrapped dates, caprese salad, date nut bread, deviled eggs...), and very fancily-dressed guests. We were a classy bunch, to be sure, and had a hell of a time.

I'm normally not a fan of Sundays. I don't like that "Sunday feeling" that I seem to have all day. The feeling that something is going to happen tomorrow and this is the last day to enjoy anything, ever. But yesterday was wonderful. It was sunny, and the morning consisted of chatting with Joe and the roomies, eating scrambled eggs and date bread, and drinking coffee. Then Joe and I went for a long walk along the lakeshore, which was brisk and sunny and just perfect, followed by salted caramel hot chocolate at home. I decided to screw productivity this weekend, so I spent the rest of the evening playing cribbage with Joe, reading Ulysses, eating macaroni and cheese for dinner (the Kraft kind! It's orange like Halloween!), and watching Rocky Horror in bed.

Seriously, this was the kind of weekend that all weekends should strive to live up to. I feel rested, happy, still full from all the yummy food, and ready for the work week. How were your Halloween weekends? Did any of you get any trick-or-treaters? Horror movie marathons? Over-indulging on candy and sweets?

Oh, and a couple closing notes: if you looooove these boots as much as I do, make sure you enter the giveaway to win yourself a pair of Sperry boots from the Fall 2010 line! Also, a quick thanks to Sal at Already Pretty for featuring some of my flat-shoe-styles in her post today. If you haven't already, go check it out!

Ghostly floating...

Title song: Rocky Horror Picture Show, "There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)"