Sealed with a Fit of the Vapors

Every so often I like to pull out my fountain pen and write a letter. I write to my family, my friends, people who don't exist, and people who do exist who aren't my friends yet. My favorite part of sending letters is the smug feeling I get when I do it, but my second-favorite is sticking on the stamp.

The United States Postal Service offers a wide variety of stamps, and I want most of them. Today, however, I will discuss just the one that I mentioned briefly last week.

Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch is on a postage stamp.

Not only is Gregory Peck extremely attractive, but Atticus Finch is one of the greatest heroes of American film. I don't know if there are any lists of heroes of American literature, but if there are, he's probably on there, too. They just couldn't really put Atticus Finch on a postage stamp until Gregory Peck portrayed him.

Buy through the Postal Store for $0.44 apiece.

Image via the Postal Store.

Yours faithfully,

Maureen

Bootie Call

Last year, all I really wanted was a pair of gray booties. Because I couldn't afford these (which I still find to be incredibly beautiful and awesome) and couldn't seem to find a reasonably-priced alternative, I called off the search. But this year, I might have found a match for myself:

No, they are not gray. However, they do have a great shape, and the faux wood heel and platform contrast nicely with the material. And because they're available at a price point that doesn't scare me, I'm even considering picking up both colors. (Will I? It's unlikely. But a girl can dream.)

Buy through Alloy for $39.90.

Image via Alloy.

-Cate-

PS On Wednesday, Maureen and I will be participating in a blog swap facilitated by 20 Something Bloggers! Our blog swap partner is Katie of Struggling Single Twenty-Something. We hope you enjoy it!

Out of the Bottle

In the Venn diagram of my life, vases would fall in the shared area between Things I Like and Things I Don't Really Need. A girl can only use so many vases, after all, and so I have only one in the house. From time to time, however, I come across one I'm desperate to buy, such as this Transglass Long Stem Vase from Re:modern:

Made from recycled wine bottles, this vase has a certain comforting familiarity as well as an alien grace. And since they're made according to whatever bottles the manufacturer has on hand, the colors vary, allowing for a unique home item. Check it out today.

Buy through Re:modern for $66.00.

Image via Re:modern.

-Cate-

Awww, You Guys Made Me Ink!

I have found my new love, everyone. This weekend I went to Staples (oh, so low-class) because my fountain pen needed ink.

After discovering that the low-class Staples stocks low-class opened and Scotch taped packages of Parker black ink cartridges, I wrinkled my nose and looked a little harder.

I found a very fine bottle of Parker's Quink. I am not a great knowledgeable pen and ink connoisseur, but I do know that the bottled ink was closed and that in the long run it will be cheaper than the cartridges. I snapped it up and snooted my way out of that store.

Now I have gotten a little more ink than is necessary on my hands, but I feel fancy for using my pen's converter, and I'm getting back into the habit of writing letters. Next up: I need to get Gregory Peck stamps so I can send mail to Cate.

You can by your own bottle of Quink for the fountain pen that I'm sure you own for about ten dollars at Staples, or you can go to the Parker web site and find a boutique (it's the only way to buy pen supplies, really).

Then you can go to the Post Office and get Gregory Peck stamps.

Yours faithfully,

Maureen

P.S. It should be noted that fountain pen ink is not tax-free on tax-free weekend in North Carolina. And people wonder why kids vandalize bridges.

Belting It Out

I love a good studded belt. Maybe it's a holdover from my days hanging out with baby punks in high school, or maybe it's an aversion to plain belts; I can't be sure. But whenever I see a really spectacular one, I go a little nuts. So when I stumbled across the Vintage Skinny Perf and Stud Belt from Linea Pelle, I knew I was meant to write about it.

Just look at how fun that is. You could wrap it around a prairie dress for an old-timey look, add it to a suit for an unexpected edge, or match it with jeans for that punk rock vibe. And because it's from Linea Pelle, the leather is guaranteed to be high-quality stuff.

Buy through Linea Pelle for $105.00.

Image via Linea Pelle.

-Cate-

They See Me Bolin, They Hatin'

About a year ago, I told you about my love for a certain cartoon.

Now I must let you know about my premature love for its sequel.

The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra is about the next avatar in the avatar cycle. Earlier in its development it was Avatar: The Legend of Korra, but that changed. Most people think it is because of James Cameron, that guy who stole the word "avatar" from everyone.

Korra is a Southern Water Tribe kid who rides around on a polar bear dog--

POLAR BEAR DOG

--and has adventures with her friends Mako and Bolin. We don't know much about them yet, except that they are brothers. The adventures are sure to be sometimes wacky, often action-y, and mostly involving a faction normal people who are anti magic martial arts.

It comes out next year. I cannot wait.

Every so often I pick up a dog and spin around just from the excitement.

Image via the Avatar Wiki.

Maureen

Bang, Bang

There are two things I've learned about myself in recent months thanks to all this blogging I've been doing. The first is that I'm a total sucker for the things Patricia Field sells on her website. The second is that, apparently, I enjoy a touch of the morbid. Combine these two things, and you get this pair of earrings:

 

All right, well, maybe this isn't a touch of the morbid, exactly. Maybe this is actually the net result of a lifetime lived in close proximity to hunters and loving all sorts of violent movies (remember, I'm the girl who swears by Pulp Fiction). If I had a job that was more conducive to such fashion statements, I would snap these up immediately. As it is, I'll leave this particular statement for someone else, but there's no guarantee you won't see me walking around with them in the future.

Buy through Patricia Field for $14.00.

Image via Patricia Field.

-Cate-

How Much Is that Doggy in the Window?

As the proud owner of two dachshunds, it thrills me to no end to see them immortalized, such as in a Judith Leiber minaudiere:

Although my dogs are short-haired, and while they are somewhat less than poised most of the time, I think that this minaudiere captures the spirit of dachshunds: loyal and inquisitive. It's a nice touch for a fun night out at the opera (somewhere I never go, but if I did, believe me--this is the clutch I would choose), don't you agree?

Buy through Neiman Marcus for $5,795.00.

Image via Neiman Marcus.

-Cate-

Summer-Summer-Summertime

In these extremely hot days of summer, I am craving something summery that's not too complicated because, let's face it: the sun fries my brain to the point where I need the most streamlined items possible. So here we have the yellow Eva mule from Diane von Furstenburg:

This shoe calls to mind classic Candies, such as the ones seen here. And the color calls to mind the best thing about summer: fun! Can't you just see yourself wearing these to a pool party or family picnic?

Buy through Couture Candy for $152.00 (on sale!).

Image via Couture Candy.

-Cate-

Nesting in the Kitchen

Faithful readers will remember that I have a minor obsession with matryoshka, those awesome Russian nesting dolls. Now that's spilling over into my culinary life, as well, with my discovery of the Russian Doll Measuring Spoons available at Plasticland:

They're cute and functional, and because they're white, they'll coordinate with many different types of kitchen decor! It's a bit of culinary whimsy that brings a smile to my face.

Buy through Plasticland for $9.00.

Image via Plasticland.

-Cate-

PS Chris Crutcher blogged on HuffPo. And it was awesome.