Honey Do

This one time in college, I had a little too much to drink and decided that it would be a great idea to pour honey directly into my mouth from one of those bear-shaped bottles. Fact: it was not a great idea. I didn't eat honey for years after that. Moreover, my BFF Maria won't let me forget this. So when I found a phone case covered in tiny honey bears, I knew I was meant to blog about it:

Sadly, I found the case too late--I'd already bought a cute kate spade hard shell for my phone. However, rest assured that I would snap this one up in a heartbeat if I needed a new one. Perhaps one of you will use it so I can live vicariously through my readers?

Buy through Nordstrom for $38.00.

Image via Nordstrom.

-Cate-

Beneath Your Station-ery

I know, last week was paper and pens and wax week. But I just found out about this: The Hunger Games stationery!

With Katniss and Peeta on the envelopes and paper and district stickers! Is it totally goofy? Yes. Do I want it? Also yes.

I have no idea if the paper is of good quality. Signs point to maybe not, as it is consistently referred to as "stationary" by the sellers. But I'll write with a rollerball if I have to. And I would only be able to write letters to Cate and you guys. But I love you all.

Buy through Amazon for $10.99.

Image via the same.

Happy Hunger Games!

Maureen

Cuff 'Em

I may have mentioned this before, but I don't wear much jewelry. However, I love the IDEA of jewelry, especially simple, streamlined stuff. This cuff is a prime example of what I'd wear if I wasn't so bad at jewelry:

The fact that it's sterling just makes it even better. Imagine it: this cuff, a little black dress, and some red heels for a night on the town? Sounds like a great night to me.

Buy through Last Call for $266.00.

Image via Last Call.

-Cate-

People We Covet: Robert Louis Stevenson

Wait, you mean I can't just leave it at that?

Well, this is Robert Louis Stevenson, one of my favorite writers. One of everyone's favorite writers, I assume. I mean, this man single-handedly invented our current perception of pirates. Parrots and peg-legs and adventure!

He didn't just write Treasure Island, though. He has many other novels and things under his belt, as well as poetry. I'm not remotely familiar with all of Stevenson's work, but that is because of my short attention span, not his skill.

Also, as you can see, he is writing on paper with a pen. I swear I do some things because they make me feel like Robert Louis Stevenson. "Why are you reading by lamplight?" It makes me feel like Robert Louis Stevenson. "Why are using a messy pen?" It makes me feel like Robert Louis Stevenson. "Why are you giving the camera that look?"It makes me feel like Robert Louis Stevenson. And that is enough.

Picture via here.

Ever your covetous friend,

Maureen

Looks Good on Paper

In all honesty, because I have my twenty-cent Target notebooks, I don't need fancy stationery to write on. I write in my notebooks and send letters on printer paper. So far I haven't had an ink and nib combination that bleeds through even the cheap stuff. But that doesn't mean I can't long for the day when I get to shell out entire dollars for one notebook!

I have issue with the name "Black n' Red," but I don't make these sorts of decisions. Black n' Red notebooks are made with thick, heavy paper that I'm told is perfect for fountain pen ink. I'm sure I'd feel extra fancy busting out a notebook like this and taking notes. Wouldn't you?

Pick the notebook that suits you and buy through Staples for $5.99-$10.49.

Image via Wikipedia.

xoxo,

Maureen

Font of Wisdom

Look! Look what I found, you guys!

That looks like a pen, you say. It is a pen! A fountain pen, too. But not just a fountain pen. This is Noodler's Ahab, an affordable fountain pen with a flexible nib that has received great reviews.

I have never written with a flexible nib, and most others like me probably say the same. Flexible nibs aren't really a thing nowadays, but they allow for varied thickness in your writing, and that can probably impress some folks. The nib is steel, so not ideal for flexing, but it should be harder to bend out of shape. And even if you do, busting the nib on an inexpensive pen is not a great tragedy.

The only con, I'm told, is that the pen has a strong smell because of the material it's made with. It may or may not fade, and it may or may not smell like cinnamon. I think I could get used to it for an addition to my pen collection.

Buy for $20.00 through iSellPens.com.

Picture via the same.

Yours aye,

Maureen

Black Out

I've gotten ahead of myself. Sure, you need to be able to seal your letters, but you have to write them first, don't you? So you better pick out a good ink. One that can take anything the Postal Service may throw at it.

While no ink can survive inconsistently applied non-machinable charges, Noodler's Black can, I'm told, handle most anything else.

It's a dark, saturated black that bonds to the cellulose in paper (that's what they keep telling me, anyway) so it sticks for good. And for you patriotic types, it is all made in the USA--the glass, the cap, the ink, all of it.

Buy through iSellPens.com for $12.50 for a three-ounce bottle.

Image via the same.

I remain, as ever, your most humble servant,

Maureen

Proud as a Peacock

Now, if you're going to go to all the trouble of parting with a few lattes so you can buy and ship a fifteen-dollar stick of wax, you need something to make an impression in it, right?


Ignore the bee and the dragonfly. I want the peacock.

The beauty of this peacock seal is that it is not only a seal. It is a fob as well. Fobs can go on anything, I suppose, but I am thinking specifically of a fob for a watch. I'm silly and old-fashioned, I know, but I carry a pocket watch, and I think it deserves accessories. What could be better than a fob that serves a second purpose?

Cate loves birds. I don't have an inordinate fondness for them, but the peacock is really something. So pretty! All those feathers! And so dignified!



Well, anyway. I want a peacock seal so I can seal my letters with it. All I have now is an M, which is so very basic. I need a little excitement!

Buy through Nostalgic Impressions for $14.95.

Image via the same.

Yours truly,

Maureen

Of Ships and Sealing Wax

When I was much younger and only heard poetry and never read it, I didn't realize that the walrus was speaking of wax for sealing things. I thought that for some reason it was important to wax the ceiling regularly. Somehow I made it out of that stage without ever asking my parents why they never waxed the ceiling. Maybe I was perceptive enough to realize when "The Walrus and the Carpenter" was written and that ceiling technology had advanced to the point where waxing was unnecessary.

I understand now, though. And now I send people letters sealed with wax. I am delighted that they have invented flexible wax for mailing things, but I am also deeply interested in traditional brittle wax.
This is Abraxas sealing wax, the amber color. It's translucent and looks lovely in the light from what I've seen of pictures, and I'm told it smells nice while melting. I want it. I may not even be able to send it through the mail, but I want it. Maybe I could use it to seal packages or as part of wrapping presents or SOMETHING. I'd figure it out.

Buy through Castle in the Air for $15.00.

Picture via the same.

Yours, etc.,

Maureen

Hobo-wling Me Over

One of the things that's surprised me most in the last year or so is how much I'm kind of loving Ivanka Trump's shoes and handbags. They're affordable and cute, and many of her styles are classic. Right now, I really dig the Olivia bucket hobo:

It's faux-leather, which is good for you animal-friendly types, and it's huge (14x14), which is good for you traveling types, and it has inside and outside pockets, which is good for you organizational types. Basically, this bag will suit anyone! If I wasn't trying to downsize my bags (oh, hello, shoulder problems), I might snatch one up for myself!

Buy through Dillard's for $150.00.

Image via Dillard's.

-Cate-

A Real Nail-Biter

So, well, I have to be honest. I have a confession: I am a huge sucker for nail polish.

And China Glaze has a Hunger Games tie-in collection.

I especially love shiny, glittery things. I can tell you right now that I need Electrify. I need it. But this collection isn't out yet, and I honestly don't know what I'm going to do.

Which colors have you entranced or underwhelmed? And what will you be wearing to the premiere of the movie? (I won't wear anything to the premiere of the movie--but I will wear Electrify to a matinee!)

Image via here.

Maureen

Shoe-Be-Doo

Apparently yesterday was some kind of a holiday or something? Which is great for all you lovebirds out there, but I'm declaring today Shoe Lovers Day, since shoes are the only thing keeping my life together right now. (Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. But still.) For our first annual Shoe Lovers Day, I'd like to covet the L.A.M.B. Novice wedge. Observe:

Just look at the way the back curves, like a classic car, only prettier (and that's saying something, because I love me a classic car). And the deep red leather reminds me of my heart, which beats only for shoes. 

Which shoes do you covet on this, my invented holiday?

Buy through Last Call for $199.00.

Image via Last Call.

-Cate-

Sock It to Me

I feel like that title should already have been done. But hey, it's Valentine's Day, and that's been done before too, right?

Some of us will be going out today, and some will be staying in. Some of us will shuffle out the door to the mailbox and hurry back inside; others will forget that there is an outside and drink tea and read all day.

Whatever you do today, however, you should do it while wearing socks. If you're in the northern hemisphere, you should wear socks because it's cold outside; if you're in the southern hemisphere, you should wear socks because they're fun. Now, for Valentine's Day, I recommend these guys:

Pretty snazzy, right? They have hearts for the holiday, but they aren't sickening red and pink hearts. They're a fun geometric pattern in a nice burgundy color that is suitable for any day of the year. Socks you can wear whenever you want without getting funny looks are the best socks!

You can even wear them on a hot date tonight, though if you take Cate's shoe recommendations they won't be suitable at all.

Buy the Reina Ripple Heart Crews through Sock Dreams for $13.

Image via Sock Dreams.

Maureen

Shaken, not Stirred

Maybe this isn't the kind of thing you should tell people on the Internet, but I have an addiction. It's a long-standing one--started in high school--and it's even worse than my dependence upon matryoshka. Yes, gentle readers, I am hooked on birds. 

I'm not a birder by any means, partly because I'm not that motivated, and partly because the two main sources of avian pleasure for me are flamingos and penguins. Pretty much any item shaped like or branded with one of those two birds will catch my attention. (In fact, there are several flamingos lurking about my apartment as we speak. Plush, not real, which is kind of a shame.) So of course I'm lusting after this penguin cocktail shaker:

Seriously, guys, I'm dying here--it's too perfect, like half 1960s, half The Wrong Trousers, and 100 percent whimsy. If I had more parties (or, you know, ANY parties), I do believe I'd use this at all of them, if only as decoration. After all, if nothing else, it's a great conversation piece!

Buy through Barnes and Noble for $37.46.

Image via Barnes and Noble.

-Cate-

PS Speaking of penguins, how much do I want this to happen to me?

Foreign Sounds

Rare is the day when I don't listen to at least a few songs. And rare is the day when I won't jump at the chance to drool over some matryoshka-inspired item. Today, earbuds!

I can't speak to the quality of these headphones, but I can say that they're the cutest earbuds I've ever encountered. Pair these with the minaudiere from Monday, the ring from Wednesday, and maybe these for good measure (see what I did there?), and you're ready for a journey to Russia--at least in your head!

Buy through Amazon for $9.45.

Image via Amazon.

-Cate-

Opening Up

Sometimes the stuff I find in the course of my blog research is too good NOT to share with you. Here's one such item:

nOir is quickly becoming one of my favorite jewelry brands, because everything they make is colorful and fun. This piece is no exception. The enamel, the crystals, the fact that it actually opens up--everything about it is good! Wouldn't you love to sport this little lady on your hand?

Buy through nOir for $225.00.

Image via nOir.

-Cate-

PS As far as I'm concerned, Clint Eastwood won the Super Bowl. And also my heart.

Little Lady

GUYS. Guys, I love matryoshka so much, and I've found so many awesome matryoska items recently that I decided to dedicate this week to these wonderful nesting dolls, starting with today's totally blinged-out option: a minaudiere from (who else?) Judith Leiber:

Places you could carry this: 1) a retrospective show of some Russian artist's work, 2) the Russian Tea Room in New York City, 3) a Russian wedding; 4) or pretty much anywhere; at least, I would carry it anywhere, but maybe that's the difference between me and the rest of the world? And even if it's out of your price range--it's certainly out of mine--you can look at this lovely piece and admire the craftsmanship!

Buy through Judith Leiber for $4,995.00.

Image via Judith Leiber.

-Cate-

PS Charlotte Olympia also has a matryoshka handbag, this one slated for pre-fall 2012!

Tiptoeing into Spring

All of this back-and-forth weather recently has me dying for the more consistent air of springtime. And I think I might have found just the shoe to wear when that day comes:

The color and texture are just the thing to pair with a neutral work outfit to let everyone know how you feel about the return of sunshine and flowers, yet they're casual enough to pair with jeans for a jaunt in the park. And since they're from Pour la Victoire, the quality is good--and they're super-fashionable!

Buy through Last Call for $139.00.

Image via Last Call.

-Cate-

Super X-treme Mega History Heroes

Have you ever wanted something that you could never, ever have? Something that nothing short of a scientific miracle and controlled substances could hope to bring you?

Give me a moment while I heave a sigh.

We won't go into that today. But this, too is something I can never have:

Look at Anne Brontë's snarl! Boomerang book-throwing action! The Brontësaurus! The Brontësaurus.

And it is all a fake. These Brontë sisters will never be.

I suppose I will just have to settle for a Charles Dickens action figure for $8.95 through Archie McPhee. But how will that teach me to use my brain and make history?

Maureen

Thrown

I love throw blankets. They come in so many varieties, and they can instantly change the feeling of a bed or sofa. Tory Burch has a great one right now that strikes me as near-perfect:

Though this particular item is pricey, the pattern is classic, and the wool is almost certainly high-quality. Can't you just see yourself snuggling into it during these dying days of winter?

Buy through Tory Burch for $295.00.

Image via Tory Burch.

-Cate-

PS So, here's a thing that's happening this month: I'm giving a poetry reading with Ann Deagon in Greensboro! Info:

Tennebaum-Sternberger Room of the Central Library
219 North Church Street, Greensboro
7:00 PM
A short open mic will follow the reading. If you're in the area, by all means stop in to share your work or talk to me!