Spotted!

I've always been an avid watcher of Project Runway, judging and critiquing the designs alongside Heidi, Michael, and Nina. One of my favorite designers of all the seasons was Leanne Marshall from Season 5 because of her unique perspective and originality. I came across this Anthropologie look-alike and was instantly transported back to Leanne's Spring 2009 collection! It's pretty dead-on, isn't it?


{Side Note} Leanne continues to grace the runway with her stunning designs post-Project, so I highly recommend checking out her blog!

Priorities

(via Deviant Art)

I still haven't figured out how to make blogging a priority... I'm more likely to read other people's blogs that to post to my own. The funny thing is, I'm constantly posting all sort of things in my head, I just never get around to doing it! This is definitely a work in progress...

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to Me!

The birthday wishes have flowed in since early morning, and for which I'm very thankful. Among the many celebratory comments were two birthday 'musts': buy myself a cupcake and some flowers. Now, since I was heading to Pike Place Market, I figured this couldn't be that difficult, right? As appealing as the idea sounded, buying myself flowers with no where to put them didn't really seem like the most rational idea, so I decided to focus my attention on the cupcake.

Two bus rides later and I found myself walking down the steep hill towards the red-lit "Public Market" sign, camera and shopping bag in hand.

(via Flickr)

I managed to spend 4 hours walking all around the market and 1st Avenue browsing clothing, furniture, office supplies, crafts, fish, produce, meat, and all bakeries. I picked up several gifts along the way for my family and for myself, but could not seem to find a bakery that sold cupcakes! I was getting tired and thought I might be pushing my luck with the weather, so I headed back to Ballard cupcake- and flowerless.

Aimlessly wandering through Ballard, I stumbled upon Cupcake Royale and the sign in the window tells me they have been voted "Best Cupcake in Seattle" -- how perfect! I ordered the "Classic" cupcake of vanilla cake, chocolate icing, and rainbow sprinkles... to die for.

(via Cupcake Royale)

I was feeling very pleased with myself for finding the perfect cupcake, but I really did want those flowers... so on my walk back from the bus station there happened to be a tiny wholesale flower market where I picked up a bunch of red tulips for $2. I subsequently cut them down and tossed them into a pale pink cup so that I could sit them next to my bed for one lovely day.

My night ended with a lot of conversation in the hostel which moved to downtown Ballard to my new favorite bar, Hazlewood. New friends, good conversation, and a cozy lounge was the perfect ending to a great day!

Oh, and I officially want/need to move to Seattle as soon as my bank account permits it.

All's well that ends well

Well, I've waited a year and traveled for something, like, 13 hours to get to Seattle, but I'm finally here!! I was an exhausted, head-aching, famished, wet mess when I got here and wanted nothing more than to curl up in my assigned bunk bed at the Seattle Hostel, but after settling in and making the "I'm here and alive" phone calls back to Tennessee, I ventured out to find food. The closest place that was still open at 5:45pm was Ray's Cafe and Boathouse across the street.

(via Flickr)

Ray's sits right on the bay shore and I was looking forward to eating my meal near a window. Now, it's a little daunting to eat meals in restaurants by yourself, but I knew going into this little vacation that I was going to get very comfortable with my own company. I popped a couple Excedrin, ordered the seared Ahi Tuna on Cucumber and ginger slaw, and finally felt able to relax and enjoy the view. The food was amazing and during the meal the clouds broke just in time to provide a gorgeous sunset for my viewing pleasure. It was in that moment that the long journey melted into the background and I realized that I was starting to experience the Seattle that I had imagined for so long.

Now as I sit here watching the sun go down, I'm planning my trip into the city tomorrow to experience the glory that is Pike Place Market! Markets are my favorite kinds of places to get lost, so I intend on clearing my schedule so that I can spend the day wandering stalls, shops, and walking under the flying fish.

Oh yeah, and since it is my birthday tomorrow, I'll be sure to stop by a cute little bakery to buy myself a celebratory cupcake :)

Tug-O-War

This week with my sister has been fun, busy, and tiring... being the parent on all of these college visits is time-consuming! It's stressful when student emails continue to pour in even though I'm out of the office this week, so my mind keeps wandering to work issues when I'd rather be focusing on C and spending time with her.. ugh.

We have our last visit today, so the word of the day is: Focus!

(via Margolove)

Sister Act

Great News: I've kidnapped my little sister for the week!

I'm so happy to have someone to come home and talk to other than my cat :)

A Streetcar Named Desire

It's my turn to run the Weekend Reel on campus and we're playing A Streetcar Named Desire, which I haven't seen. Marlon Brando is fabulous, by the way! All of the lovely vintage clothing and jewelry remind me of a pair of earrings my friend E found online at NEST.










How gorgeous are these?? I'm jealous of her find!









I would encourage all lovers of etsy to check out NEST because it's a nonprofit company that supports domestic artists and also serves as a micro-loan agency for female artisans abroad in the developing world. I had the opportunity to spend the evening with the founder, Rebecca Kousky, and was blown away by her ambition and accomplishment at such a young age -- I can only hope to make such a difference in our world!



I hope everyone's weekend is going well thus far and that your weather is better than the cold, rainy weather here! I'll leave you with this quote from the movie:


"A woman's charm is 50% illusion."
-- Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois

A Spring Lecture on Anthropologie...

I am SO loving the softer side of fashion this season! If I had to put together my most romantic ideal wardrobe, the spring collection from Anthropologie would definitely provide some pertinent pieces. Gray has become my new favorite neutral to highlight bold and pastel colors alike. Ruffles, soft billows, roses, capped sleeves, delicate colors... how sweet!


The silhouettes on these dresses are so sweet and lady-like; they look good on most body types! I think the navy and yellow polka-dotted dress would make the cutest spring date outfit, and you could definitely wear the black ruffled one out at night. Who doesn't love a good dress?


These tops couldn't get any sweeter! I imagine a young lady of the royal family prancing around town in these amazingly delicate pieces. My two favorite pieces are the 3/4 length gray jersey and the blue and white striped button-up (what a great romantic twist to the classic shirt!).

I am so in love with these jackets. Honestly, they're perfection. That scalloped neckline makes anyone look divine and that bow?! Something about it screams casual Valentino... which I could definitely get used to :)

I'd wear any of these pieces in a heartbeat, and a they're pretty enough to make your heart skip a beat!

That orange bag is the perfect burnt shade to compliment beige and gray neutrals while those teardrop earrings add a touch of elegance to any ensemble. I would be completely content with any or all of these pieces... oh, a girl can dream!

Here comes the sun

(photo credit: _LXH on flickr)

It's the perfect day for a little patch of grass and wireless connection!

It's sunny...
High of 75...
Steady Breeze...
Can it get more perfect?

Though my yard is minuscule, I've managed to find a semi-flat place to sit and read (Ok, after I write this I'll read). It's days like these that make me feel most nostalgic about my Alumni status on campus: seeing people sprawled out on blankets reading tomorrow's material, playing frisbee in front of Old Centre, or making a charcoal sketch of our picturesque campus in just the right light.

It's a been a trying year on my sanity and things are only getting more stressful as my job search moves slower than the academic year is ending, but somehow everything seems more manageable when the sun is shining.

My friends, The Beatles said it best:

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right"

Here's to welcoming Spring back with open arms!

Hi, my name is...

Jessie, and if I were to list the two places where I've spent most of my life, some might consider me a "small town girl." Growing up in Mount Juliet, TN and attending college in Danville, KY could have easily condemned me to a life of monotony and sheltered experiences. Luckily, I've always had a strong sense of independence and a desire to travel with parents who have indulged many of my whims. To skip the long (but interesting) story of my 22 years, it would be sufficient to say that my permanent locale has never inhibited my cultural or life experiences.

To bring you up to speed, here's my fact sheet:

• Recent graduate of Centre College
• Currently holding my first "real" job at said college helping to run a scholarship program focusing on sustained community service
• This position ends in May, so I'm currently doing the job search thing
• The job search thing is really hard in this economy in addition to only offering a limited amount of experience
• I'm ready to move out of the small towns of the world and the one place that is yelling my name above all of the rest is Seattle, WA

So that's my story. That's what my life is about these days: writing resumes and cover letters, praying for interviews, hoping someone in Seattle doesn't cross me off the long applicant list when they see I'd have so far to relocate, falling more in love with Seattle on a daily basis from 2,500 miles away, and finding ways to occupy my time in a town the size of my thumb...

So what have I found to do here in Danville?
I volunteer my time to help coach a club volleyball team for high school girls; I've acquired a slight obsession with creative outlets, most commonly in the form of DIY projects, design, decor and fashion; my bi-polar kitten is quite entertaining; I've recently discovered style and design blogs and resolve to only checking them 5 times a day; Danville has some killer antique and secondhand shopping; lastly, now that it's spring, I will definitely be enjoying the sun and green land that surrounds me on all sides.

Well, enough introductions! This blog is just a way for me to work through my ever-changing life, especially now that I'm at the brink of a huge life experience. The topic choice will be endless with my *exciting* life, so sit back and enjoy my ride... :)

(Credit: CCCvrcak on flickr)