Finer Things Club

In case you missed the title reference for this post, I'll wait while you watch season 4, episode 10 of The Office.  Done now?  Ok, I'll continue.

In this hilarious scene, Toby, Oscar and Pam join forces in the sad little break room of Dunder Mifflin to "meet once a month to discuss books and art and celebrate culture in a very civilized way. The debate can sometimes be heated but is always respectful. No plastic, no paper, and no work talk is allowed."

So very civilized

A rose by any other name

The other day, I woke up bleary-eyed and stumbled out into my yard sans-glasses to attend to my pup.  In my semi-blind state, I was startled to look into my yard and notice this:

I have never been so shocked to see one single, 5 foot tall, perfectly coiffed rose.   I had no idea there was even a rose bush planted in the bed.  It had literally sprung up overnight and was now screaming,  "Tah dah! Look at me!" (complete with jazz hands, tap shoes, the whole nine yards)

"Stop and smell the roses."  Such a cliche.  

But this time, I followed that instruction in the most literal sense.  

I stopped.  

And I smelled that rose.  

And it was delightful. 

Nature has a lovely way of surprising us when we least expect it.

Appreciation inspires awe and gratitude.  

"What a wildly wonderful world, God!

    You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,

 made earth overflow with your wonderful creations."

                                                                          Psalm 104:24

                                                                                             The Message (paraphrase)

  

The one where I accidentally crashed Justin Timberlake's party...

Last night, local Memphis boy Justin Timberlake performed at the 2013 VMA's.  While I didn't watch the entire craziness, of course I had to tune in to see the much anticipated NSYNC reunion and JT's epic "best of" medley.  I loved it, although, let's be honest...he doesn't have to try very hard to impress me!  *swoon*

That hair.  Giggles.

RAWMemphis Artist Showcase

Saturday night, I attended the RAW natural born artists showcase event held at Minglewood Hall.   RAW is an independent arts organization in over 81 cities and their mission is to provide artists with a platform to showcase their work as well as to provide tools and resources to emerging artists.  Described as a "circus of creativity," the event features art, fashion, music, film, hair, makeup, photography, and performances all in one venue and one one night.

I was excited for the to scope out local talent as well as mix and mingle with the creative community in Memphis.  Apparently many other Memphians had the same idea--the place was packed!  This was great for the event but not so great for my faraway-parking-in-heels situations--accepting future chauffeur applications!

The scene at Minglewood

Designer Spotlight: Clover Canyon

Don't you just hate it when you show up to an event and find yourself wearing the same dress as someone else?  

OK, so technically I wasn't at that InStyle event and there was a 5 month gap so I guess I'll let it slide this time, Ash (I can call you that, right?  I mean, having the same fashion brain basically makes us besties at this point).

So without further ado, I give you the obligatory "Who wore it better?"  

Ummm, on second thought, let's just make that a rhetorical question, k, thanks.

Jewelry Organization Part 2: Shhh...it's a secret (shadowbox)

Have you ever woken up one morning and wished that you were the love-child of James Bond and Elizabeth Taylor?  Oh, you too?  Then keep reading y'all because this storage solution will give you an uber top-secret hiding spot for your precious, sparkly baubles!

Since I had decided on concealed storage for my necklaces, it occurred to me to put on my handy(wo)man pants on to create a custom storage solution.  I had purchased a framed Italian map several years ago at a yard sale for a couple bucks (so there are perks to being a stage 1 hoarder!).  I have so many treasured memories from my time spent there and I love incorporating Italian art around my home.  So I decided it would be simple enough to repurpose this picture into a shadowbox, of sorts.

BEFORE:

I had temporarily hung necklaces on the back of door which created serious noise pollution when the door was used

AFTER

Is it a picture?

Jewelry Organization Part 1: Diamonds are a girl's best friend

I've finally completed one of the most tedious and yet rewarding organization projects--I tackled the ole jewelry box!  The first step was to sort through it and get rid of some items (well, technically the first step was actually to untangle the massive spiderwebby cluster of necklaces, but that might just be me).  Second step was to make a few repairs--thanks Dad!  Then, it was time to search for storage and display inspiration.