an excerpt from my favorite book:

from extremely loud and incredibly close by jonathan safran foer.

what are some of your favorite books?  <3 melisa

do you trust me enough to tell me your dreams?

i'm starin' at you tryin'a figure how you got in them jeans.

yes, i am singing 50 Cent songs in my head today.

bear with me for a month while i attempt to kick my own butt into gear.

xo melisa

SMITTEN WITH SATURDAY.

1.  noelle peterfi!  it's her birfday today. <3

2. pretty movie posters.

(source)

(source)

(source)

3. organization!

(source)

(source)

(source)

4. this girl's outfit:

5. this embrodiery:

6. this house!

7. DIY haircuts.

(source)

8. anna karina in une femme est une femme.

9. ryan gosling FOREVER AND ALWAYS, but especially his new music project, dead man's bones!

10. so true...

(source)

have any movies or books or music to recommend?

<3 melisa

camera shy.

a couple of new prints from my light & shadow assignment.  i've been feeling kind of ho-hum about a lot of my photos lately, particularly after being told that the bottom image was "cliche," but i know i'm just being sensitive.  i've started shooting for my final (themed "head, shoulders, knees, and toes") but am realizing that unless i want this to be a bryce-expose, i'm going to have to ask a few people if i can take their picture.  if you're reading this, willing, and live in the area GET AT ME.

also, i realized i don't post pictures of myself very often so here are a couple taken by the beautiful miss melissa (yes, same name, but spelled differently) the second week of our photo class:

just me being my little introverted (&camera shy) self.  enjoy.

sincerely,

the little girl in the big city

smitten with...monday?

1. away we go.

bryce and i watched this recently and were reminded so much of ourselves.  her, the neurotic pessimist and him the easy optimist.  it had me LOLing AND crying.  such a good film, and what a great cast!

2. horses!  i don't know why, but lately i find them to be so ethereal and beautiful...

(source)

(source)

(source)

3. a pretty pink sewing machine.

(source)

4. this adorable wooden brooch:

5. DOG PORTRAITS.  so cute!

6. retro glasses cases!

(source)

7. wedding blogs.  not that i'm engaged or have any plans to be in the near future, i just love daydreaming about my wedding day and looking at how each couple makes "the big day" their own.
once wed:

green wedding shoes:

brooklyn bride:

8. this tutorial on how to get a dreamy look in your photos!

9. paris daydreams...

(source)

(source)

10. last but definitely not least (first in my book, in fact):

this handsome guy, for all the strings he pulled this week to make my birthday memorable and for being my best friend. <3

sorry again for the late post this week!  i hope you enjoyed it regardless.

melisa

19 Things To Do Before I Turn 20

(source)

i'm so sorry for being MIA this weekend but i turned 19 on friday and my boyfriend surprised me by bringing my mom and gram (+ their men) to town to celebrate with me!  we've been busy entertaining in our tiny apartment, eating out, and showing them around.

bryce made me an adorable card and, in a wine-induced coma, told me to "blog about it."  heheh, here it is:

also, we got a chance to make some much-needed additions to our kitchen including hanging the lanterns that we bought when we moved and putting up a gorgeous shelf that my mom's boyfriend made for my birthday.  our home is finally coming together, though slowly, and we couldn't be happier with it. <3

with the weekend coming to a close, i feel wonderfully spoiled.  bryce seen to it that i got most everything on my birthday wishlist including things that i've been lusting after since i was fifteen (polaroid film, anyone?).  i have a zillion new books to read, new headphones that make every song sound a thousand times more beautiful, a new coat that makes me feel like the prettiest girl on the block, mini cheese-cakes baked by my mother, qt pajamas from my gram, etc etc etc.  i feel so blessed to have the family that i do (bryce included).  they make life so much more amazing.

as a last fleeting birthday gesture, i've been working on a list of 19 things to do before i turn 20.  anyone who knows me knows of my love for lists (especially lists of goals/to do lists), so when elsie posted this as a journaling prompt for my red velvet craft class, i thought "PERFECT."

19 Things To Do Before I Turn 20:

1. visit a new city.  any suggestions?

2. get a more rewarding job.

3. crochet a granny square blanket (this one being my most-favorite source of inspiration).

4. assemble a small, professional portfolio of my work.

5. establish an etsy shop.

6. beautify my blog.

7. get new glasses.

8. redesign my business card and get some printed.

9. send more snail mail. <3

10. knit something from a pattern.

11. sketch more often.

12. utilize my time more efficiently—plan out every day, if necessary.

13. make another small zine.

14. shoot a roll of color film with my pentax k1000.

15. get out more (concerts, plays, gallery openings, etc.)

16. apply for internships at local businesses of interest.

17. be a better designer. (do tutorials, personal projects, read books on design theory and modern design, etc.)

18. attempt to bake something new once a month.

19. continue to transform our apartment into our own personal oasis.

what are some of your goals for the coming year?

melisa

mmm, pumpkin muffins.

baked last night. <3  welcome to november!
melisa