Open letter to Zooey Deschanel

Dear Zooey Deschanel,
Why you gotta be like that? So quirky? So stylish? So adorbs? It's just not right. I spent the minutes between 7:22 and 8:06 attempting to curl my hair this morning because you and your fine locks have given me unreasonable hope that one's tresses can actually do what it is yours do on an average day. Well, I've got news for you, missy: they can NOT. But if you want to come over here and teach me how, that will be fine, cuz I think you're totes awesome and I'd love to meet you and be best friends, especially since you referenced both Prancer and Newsies in "The New Girl" last week. So. It's been real, girl.
Love,
Me

Ooh pretty lights!

I will not say I'm easily amused — these light designs by Bentley Meeker are just straight-up amusing, if not awe-inspiring. My jaw just hit the floor. My light dreams have reached a whole new level!

Tut-tut

"Christopher Robin! I think it would help with this deception if you would just kind of open your umbrella and say, 'Tut-tut, it looks like rain.'"
- - Winnie the Pooh

"Who's that girl? — it's Jess!"

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of eating Noodles and watching the iTunes preview of "The New Girl" with my brother — what fun! Zooey Deschanel is a serious combination of adorable and quirktastic that is majorly entertaining and endearing, at least in my eyes. She's someone all of us slightly weird girls can relate to (I'm often singing to myself and dancing like an idiot). The guys in the show? Equally great, though they'll need some character development. What I really appreciated was the douchebag jar: the guys have to put a dollar in the jar each time they're caught acting douchey (an attribute that is all-too-present in fellas today). Overall, the pilot of "The New Girl" was equal parts amusement, hearty chuckles, and just plain heart — something I could definitely get on board with this fall.

Just a thought

"I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental- -like on a breeze, but I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happening at the same time."
- - Forrest Gump

Marqueyssac gardens

These are the gardens of the Château de Marqueyssac, situated in
the Dordogne region of France. The aim of traditional French gardens,
as set forth by André Le Notre, was to impose order over nature.
Butthese gardens? I think they bring out nature's whimsy.
Needless to say... I want to go to there.

Right on, Target!

Today I had a physical stumbling that was all kinds of great — and who'd have thought? It all started at my friendly neighborhood Target. First of all, their Fresh Grocery. Holy mackerel! They've got meats, cheeses (Brie not excluded!), fruits, veggies... I could go on forever — A gold mine, right across the street from my daily grind. So of course I walked away with a giant family-size pack of string cheese. And to top it all off? "The NeverEnding Story" sitting on the $5 movie stand by the checkout line. Yeah, their last-minute sell worked on me, but are you kidding me? Pass up "The NeverEnding Story" for $5? I'd have to be insane. So thank you, Target, for making my lunch hour — and maybe even my day.

I want to go to there

I guess this is the week for starting new labels, but if my stumblings inspire new labels... So be it! These are the Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse in The Netherlands. Long story short: Europe's largest garden. The catch? It's only open from the end of March to the middle of May, and the best time to view the tulips is in mid-April. Looks like I have a birthday destination! But really. Heavy sigh. I want to go to there.

Painted Paris

"Quand il pleut sur Paris
C'est qu'il est malheureux
Quand il est trop jaloux
De ses millions d'amants
Hum Hum
Il fait gronder sur nous
Son tonnerr' éclatant
Mais le ciel de Paris
N'est pas longtemps cruel
Hum Hum
Pour se fair' pardonner
Il offre un arc en ciel"
-- Edith Piaf

Wanderfly

Awesome stumbling to cure your travel bug. You pick the budget, the travel season (early, mid, or late in whatever month), and the trip duration -- Wanderfly does the rest!

Now the problem is that their first suggestion for 3 days and $600 from Milwaukee in early November is... Cleveland. Heavy sigh. Lottery, anyone?

"Dreams are sweet, until they're not"

Something I've been meaning to write about is an album that a friend of mine, Rebecca, called to my attention. It's called "Hadestown" -- a folk opera by Anais Mitchell, released in 2010. It's the story of Orpheus and Eurydice -- a story I admittedly had to use Wikipedia to learn more about. Orpheus is a legendary poet, musician, and prophet of Greek mythology, whose lovely wife, Eurydice, died from the bite of a viper. Orpheus traveled to the underworld in an attempt to save his wife from death. Once there, Hades agreed that Orpheus could take Eurydice back to the land of the living, but only if he did not look back throughout their journey home (very Lot's wife, I must say!). Of course you can guess that Orpheus does look back, and Eurydice is lost forever. Tragic. And beautiful. Just like this folk opera. Listen here.


((I'm also starting an Eyes&Ears label for music and
videos that aren't quite Prettiful or a Stumbling -- Enjoy!))

Puppies, puddy tats, and... periods.

There are few things that improve upon a visit from Aunt Flo, but pictured you will find two of the few. That's right; they're as cliche as flowers and rainbows -- they're puppies and kittens. I don't even have much else to say about them. They are what they are, and what they are is all kinds of good and snuggly. And sometimes, when you can't have other things that make Aunt Flo feel not-so-bad (like snugs with the Boyfriend or a whole pan of brownies), puppies and kittens make your cramps hurt a little less... and your ovaries hurt a little more. Damn it, Mother Nature! You and Flo are totally in this together.

Wearable art

This isn't wearable art in the traditional sense, but you'll get the idea once you check out all of these great looks inspired by art. I did some shopping over the weekend, and while I came away with some great pieces (new black flats with pom poms on the toes and a grey raincoat belted with a ribbon), I wish I'd stumbled upon this fashion inspiration before my trip to the mall. Oh well — tomorrow's another (shopping) day!

Long weekend, ahoy!

And all I can say is: Thank goodness! I don't have many plans... Them's the breaks when friends are out of town and The Boyfriend works days and nights and weekends (I have to constantly remind myself that I should admire his work ethic, instead of secretly cursing his supplemental restaurant job). But even sans official plans, there are good things in the works — and on the horizon. On the near-horizon: Chinese food and a night at home with the fam — and I plan to do some baking (yum!). On the far-horizon: New York City in little more than a month! And that is a truly thrilling thing.

100 years of style

After my weekend jaunt with "Downton Abbey," I find myself wanting to add a dash of Edwardian style to my own wardrobe — whether or not that can be done in 2011 has yet to be determined. For now, let's just sit back and enjoy "100 Years of Style."