Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

Thirty-two years ago today, the Boy Who Lived was born.  A little while after that, he Lived.  Then he dealt with the Dursleys for some time, and then he went off to Hogwarts to have adventures with redheads and Hermione, and then he saved the world!

Now, it should be noted that yesterday was Neville Longbottom's birthday.  Neville, of course, is the Boy Who Voldemort Didn't ThinkWas Worth It.  And Cate didn't say a word.  For shame!

Now, uh, if we need something to covet so it doesn't look like I'm just celebrating a fictional character's birthday, you can buy this:

The Harry Potter boxed set in a charming trunk-shaped box!  How about it?  Also, look at how short Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is.  Goodness gracious.

Buy through Barnes & Noble for $114.07.

Maureen

You Fascinate Me

Things I'm not ready to let go: 1) the royal wedding. (HATERS GONNA HATE.) Hence the reason I chose to share this summertime-ready fascinator from Emma with you:

It's bright! It's slightly outrageous! It's totally useless in most contexts! But damn, it's wonderful. Wouldn't you just love to wear this to a late-summer wedding? I sure would, and I invite you to join me!

Buy through Samuel's Hats for $111.20.

Image via Samuel's Hats.

-Cate-

A Rosy Outlook

Few jewelry things fascinate me as much as rose gold. What is it? (Short answer: gold + copper + silver = rose gold.) Why is it so pretty? (Because, to me, yellow gold is not awesome, but white gold isn't enough sometimes.) Why don't more designers use it? (I HAVE NO IDEA.) Here's a nice example of how one jewelry company puts it to good use:

The irregularity of the bangles really allows the rose gold to shine (no pun intended). And because of the less-than-usual shade, these will add a punch to any outfit, particularly of the cocktail variety. If only I had some reason to wear them myself!

Buy a set of five through Gorjana for $132.00.

Image via Gorjana.

-Cate-

PS If you're looking for something extra-vibrant, check out Tiffany's Rubedo line, which is a proprietary alloy designed to, as they say on their website, reflect "the rose luminescence of a sunrise." It's really stunning, and I recommend at least glancing at it to see how rose gold appears at its finest.

BEARS. (But mostly music.)

Can I just talk about Brave for a minute?  I liked it.  I thought it was great.  It had magic and bagpipes and kilts and red hair and bears and wacky hi-jinx.  And music!  I loved the music.  But the music accompanied the beautiful animation!  And speaking of animation, Disney/Pixar you guys and hair.

I covet almost everything about this movie.  But I can't, like, scalp Merida.  That would be rude.  So I'll take the music.

Okay, I can't play the entire album for you.  But you can get it for yourself!

Buy through Best Buy for $11.99.

Maureen

Are We There Yet? Who Cares!

Today, we are participating in the ninth 20 Something Bloggers blog swap; the theme of this exercise is summer. Our blog swap partner is Stephanie of  Going with the Flo, and the topic is childhood summer vacations!

*** 

18 hour-rides squeezed into the middle seat. Not the most appealing view of a summer vacation.

But for me, the best part of my childhood vacations was the journey. As the baby of the family a number of the actual destinations are a bit hazy. Because I was so young when we first experienced places like Disney World I can recall Chip (of Chip & Dale fame) stealing my gum and family members sneaking away for Splash Mountain. (I was too young/short so I got to hang with Grams instead.)

On the other hand, I can remember waking up while it was still dark and jumping into a packed car. Hours into the drive we’d stop for a picnic breakfast at a rest stop park or a restaurant while my dad caught some Z’s in the car. We played car games, ate snacks and told stories.

At the time I’d rather be anywhere than that middle seat, but looking back I really did appreciate the closeness it brought to our family. Yes, it also brought fighting between siblings, but when I think of the trips I remember those drives.

Take time to enjoy the journey. It may be the strongest memories you create.

Stephanie Florence is a public relations girl exploring her first year in New York City. She can be found dancing, meeting new people and taking the approach of a student...always. 

Hardware Woes

Picture this: it's late May. I'm about to go to my friend's house. I haven't seen her in years, and I'm cranked up because the hardware on my shoes doesn't match the hardware on my handbag--I'm really that shallow, kids--when I realize there must be a blog post in this somewhere.

For the most part, I stick with silver or gunmetal hardware. From time to time, I go for brass or gold, though, if I really love the bag in question. But in this case, I wondered if the best solution might be a bag with the least hardware possible, so I don't have to worry about clashing with myself. Hence the Art Noir Small Karen from kate spade:

Of course, the pattern itself presents a problem--you'd likely need to carry this when wearing solid colors--but the lack of hardware is helpful if you have coordination problems like me. kate spade generally uses pale gold hardware, which, in certain lights, appears almost silver. And owning a similar bag from them myself (the Stevie, which is a less streamlined version of the Karen), I can tell you that this is a spacious model, great for days in the office or weekend trips. 

Buy through kate spade for $298.00.

Image via kate spade.

-Cate-

Can You Oxford to Be Unstylish?

Though it's still mid-July and the heat shows no signs of ebbing, it's not too early to survey your fall fashion options. In my case, I'm looking at shoes (what else?), and these wedges have caught my eye:

Yes, they are outrageously expensive, at nearly $1500. But! Look at the fantastic wood grain detail on the wedge, and how on-trend the oxford upper is. I can see myself--or, you know, people who can actually afford these--pairing them with a floaty knee-length skirt and a leather motorcycle jacket. 

How would you wear them?

Pre-order through Nordstrom for $1,480.00.

Image via Nordstrom.

-Cate-

"Oh God, Mother! Blood! Blood!"

Last night, my mother asked me if I will need a bath mat for the next big adventure in my life. I thought about it, and I said, I probably will. And then I pulled this up for her:

Cate is not a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, but I am, and I want the horror movie bath mat! The shower curtain might be a little bit much for me.  I am easily frightened.  I watched It the other day and expected to find Pennywise the dancing clown on the porch.

I have my limits.  What are yours?

Buy through ThinkGeek for $19.99.

Image via the same.

Maureen

Owl Be Right There

I'm a big fan of owls.  They're silent, deadly hunters, but they never show up to a party all covered in blood.  They're classy.  I like a classy critter.  Also, they hang around the goddess Athena a lot, so you know they have good judgement.

So of course I want to wear them on my ears!

These barn owl earrings are made by Jabebo, which is a word whose meaning I don't know, and they are made out of recycled cereal boxes.  So they're green!  And they're these itty-bitty little pictures with all those owly details you love.

Buy a pair through Jabebo Earrings for $15.00.  (It's not a very high-tech site, but you'll figure it out.)

Image via Jabebo.

Toodles!

Maureen

The Mitten

I have a confession to make: I'm always a little bit homesick. Even though I've been living in North Carolina at least 75 percent of the time for eight years now, Michigan is never far from my mind. That's why I'm so drawn to this wonderful Mitten Board from Pure Detroit:

Of course, it's missing an entire peninsula, but the spirit behind it is good. According to the website, you can use it as a cutting board, serving platter, or decoration. Personally, I think it would make a charming cheese plate, or perhaps a nice place to display some Michigan cherries.

Whatever the use, I quite enjoy the look of it and think any true Michigander would agree!

Buy through Pure Detroit for $48.00.

Image via Pure Detroit.

-Cate-

Volcanic Glass

A couple of months ago, a cousin of mine passed away after a battle with cancer. Her parents asked my mother to speak at the funeral, and in the days leading up to this, Mom searched high and low for a piece of obsidian to illustrate a story, but she couldn't find one, and she called me to complain about this. We agreed that we needed to be closer to a trashy tourist gift shop, because you can always find chunks of obsidian and other random gems at such venues.

Alas. 

I don't know if Mom ever found her obsidian, but I tracked a few pieces down on the Internet, including this nice cabochon:

Have I any use for it? No. Am I two months too late to help my mother? Yes. But it's here now for future reference, though I hope we have no use for funeral obsidian anytime soon. Perhaps one of you knows a jewelry designer who can put something like this to good use in a happy way?

Buy through Gem Select for $62.76.

Image via Gem Select.

-Cate-

"I'm the Doctor."

Well, presently, Matt Smith is the Doctor, but now you can be too, with the technological magic of the sonic screwdriver universal remote control!

Nice, huh?  It looks just like the one from the show.  I'm pretty sure it doesn't have any moving parts, but I'm not picky.

According to the video, this is a gesture-based remote, so you wave it around to do things, and the light comes on and it makes sonic screwdriver noises.  AWESOME.

Plus, you have to sonic screwdrive your current remote to get the codes or something on there.

It's not available yet, but it will be at the end of August, so get in line now, because they'll go fast!  (And if that wait is a bit much for you, just remember it isn't fourteen years.)

Buy through ThinkGeek for $99.95.

Image via the same.

Geronimo!

Maureen

Outside My Front Door

Summer is different here. The quad is always quiet. Geese stake their claim, wandering across the grassy expanse as we, the hapless few human inhabitants, struggle through the humidity. 

Six weeks from now, freshmen will replace the poultry. But the heat will hang in the air through October, at least. Meanwhile, I will enjoy the noiseless evenings.

-Cate

PS This post was written as part of an experiment conducted by a fellow alum of my graduate program. Although it's not our usual fare, I hope you enjoyed it!

There's a Pun about Faulkner and Falconry in Here Somewhere

The last time I talked about pens, I coveted Noodler's Ahab flex pen, an inexpensive one with a flexible nib.  I still want one of those, but every once in a while, I let myself drool over the more expensive pens.

I have no business using a flex pen anyway, but that didn't stop me from watching Brian Goulet's first impressions of a Namiki Falcon and longing for one:

Look at that line variation!  (He begins writing about 11:00.)  Oh my word.  Can you imagine writing a letter to the editor or fancy-pants postcard to a friend with this?

Of course, if I were at all good at penmanship, I would want a pen with even more flex, but this is what I'll dream of for now.  Stay tuned for a stub or italic nib--those add some fun to your writing without your having to do work.  I'll find one to covet.

Buy the Namiki Falcon for through the Goulet Pen Company for $144.00.

Best wishes!

Maureen

Pharaoh-ly Wonderful

Do you ever just feel like dressing up all Egyptian-like? It happens to me all the time, so it's natural that I'm drawn to this lovely necklace: 

Is it an accurate reproduction of an ancient Egyptian piece? I have no idea. But the turquoise and gold combination is so great that I can almost imagine myself on the banks of the Nile, watching the crocodiles and dreaming of pharaohs. 

Buy through the Detroit Institute of Arts museum shop for $155.00.

Image via the Detroit Institute of Arts.

-Cate-

The Triumphant (?) Return

Welcome back!

I know you missed us. (What's that? You didn't know we were gone? Well, whatever.) And we're glad to be back! Though our hiatus was much-needed, life wasn't quite the same without our daily dose of blogging. And what did we do with ourselves during our time off? So glad you asked!

1) What We Covet has been slightly redesigned, as you may have noticed. Mainly we just changed some colors and added/subtracted things where necessary. (We also updated the logo on our Facebook page.)

2) There is now an updated Websites We Covet list! Finally, a more comprehensive collection of our favorite news outlets and blogs is available for your viewing pleasure.

3) Our Facebook content will now be a little more specific. Cate still uploads content on the 5th of every month, but instead of picking different topics each time, she'll start documenting her feelings about her Top 100 Songs, something she used to do on this very blog. Maureen will continue to entertain us all with her artistic renderings of our official mascot, Herbert the Unicorn, on the 15th of every month. Additionally, we will now post all People We Covet entries on Facebook on the 25th of each month, alternating posts starting with Maureen in July.

4) Maureen and Cate each have their own biographical pages on the site! So if you're dying to know more about us, go ahead and dive in. Maybe you'll learn something interesting. Or maybe you'll realize that Cate is shallow and Maureen was dragged into this endeavor against her will (sort of). Either way.

5) We had many conversations about Maureen's title and never came to a conclusion about how we should word her business card, so if anyone has suggestions, please let us know.

6) This has nothing to do with the blog, but Cate may or may not have developed a slight preoccupation with Loki (of Thor and The Avengers), and then she may or may not have tweeted a semi-inappropriate thing to Tom Hiddleston. Shit happens.

Before we sign off for the day, we'd like to thank you for coming back to read about our covetousness after our too-long break. (If you're new to What We Covet, welcome! We're so glad you stumbled into our neck of the woods.) Without our readers, this endeavor of ours would mean little, and we appreciate what you do for us!

Incense and peppermints,

-Cate and Maureen-

PS For those of you who are familiar with Jessica Hansen's awesome blog Lovely Undergrad, it might interest you to know that she has started an online mag called Girl Next Dorm. What's more, Jessica has agreed to take Cate on as a contributor to GND, so you should definitely cruise on by to see what kind of college-girl advice Cate is giving, and whether it's reasonable or not, and generally just support the project, because Jessica and her host of other contributors have been working very hard to bring the magazine to fruition!