Dear Anthro....

I got to visit my local Anthropologie store today for the first time in a while, and holy mackerel. 

Lovely things do abound.

Like The Scalloped Stripes Dress.

(It reminds me so much of the movie Coco Before Chanel,  for no reason at all. It's so adorable though, especially in bright red.)

And The Rainy Day Pullover.

(This is absolutely my favorite. I may have to keep out a sharp eye for it in the sale section once some new lovelies take the spotlight.)

The Poulain Tape Dispenser

(How precious is that?)

and the Native Birds Dress.

(Be still, mine heart.)

It's all so perfect and so expensive!

Oh well. A girl can dream.

On the upside, I did get my bags for school, a pair of suspenders, and a sweater today from H&M. Building up my autumn wardrobe, and I'm so excited.

But more on that later. 

Happy Tuesday,

Riley

Breakfast For Dinner

Every so often, when everybody has had a big lunch or nobody really wants anything, the words "breakfast for dinner" come into play. Pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage. You name it, we might have it. There's always the possibility.

Today was one of those days. Half the family had Mexican food for lunch, the other half, sub sandwiches, and nobody was in the mood for anything, so huge glasses of milk, four-inch pancakes and turkey bacon it was.

I'll admit, I didn't used to be a fan of breakfast for dinner. It used to feel weird and like it was hardly enough food to be called dinner, especially since I wasn't fond of much back then. But that was some-odd years ago, and since then, I've developed a keen love for 

The good stuff.

I'm a pancake addict.

And that's alright with me.

DIY: Nearly-Vintage Prints

For a long time, I've been smitten with the antique/vintage biology prints I've found in bins at my local antique stores. The little birds or cross-sectioned flowers make me feel pretty giggly inside, and as a collector of old books and magazine pages, I felt that I just had to have a few someday to go on my wall. Unfortunately, a nicer one can cost upwards of $30. Boo.

 So, it was decided that I would simply make some of my own today, while the rest of the house was napping or holed up somewhere. It wasn't too hard, though it took a while, and I am super happy with the results.

Supplies- For this project, I used ink pens, watercolor pencils, a paint brush, watercolor paper, and a cup of water.  A pencil might also come in handy, but isn't necessary.

What I Ate: Vacation Edition

 Needless to say, salad will be a major staple til summer's end.

Nuts

Typically, I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle: I eat three squared a day with fruits and veggies and try to keep from eating junk foods except on special occasions. Getting a dozen doughnuts? I think that's a pretty good reason for a special occasion, don't you?

A Book By Its Cover: Gallery magazine

Last night, whilst traipsing through the magazine aisle at Barnes and Noble, I happened across the design magazines and this little gem: Gallery magazine.

The 15th volume of Gallery magazine.

Land-Logged

Ever since I was able to write, I've kept a journal of one kind or another. When I was six, it was the tiny blue one with the pink lips painted on the front. When I was eleven, it was the glittery one with a big "R" in rhinestones on the front. Since then, I've probably filled a half-dozen or more.

I love how it feels to crack the spine and open up 120 pages worth of possibilities. I like watching the pages fill until you can flip through them and watch all the ink fly by. And I like to know that things got better, or that things worked out, or even that they didn't, but life moved on at least.

Lately, journalling has become part of my daily routine, especially when it comes to staying inspired. Sometimes it's nice to jot down an idea and take a refreshed look at it later. 

Here's some of my journals and kinds of entries they see:

The Collected Journal

It's a book full of all the things I love. The expensive dress from a catalog I loved? It's in there. A poem I wrote when I should have been doing something else? It's there too. Pictures cut out of old National Geographics? Of course. It's a visual compendium of the inside of my brain, perfect inspiration for just about anything.

Once Upon A Time

Two things strike me when I think hard about people:

First, everyone is writing their own story. 

Second, even in someone else's story, we're part of the cast.

I'm Riley- forever dubbed "the creative one."

I'm a writer, a crafter, a doodler of nifty drawings. I'm an every-day-explorer, a reader, a student forever. I'm a skilled hot glue gun-wielder. I'm a recorder of things big and small. I'm an in-home taste-tester, and a firm believer that nothing is ever as it first seems.

I collect bugs and rocks and pretty church dresses. I sometimes judge books by their covers, and I love to read fairytales. My mom says I'm wanderlust, and my friends say I'm crazy, but in a good way.  My hair's curly, and that's the way I like it. Occasionally I'll take coffee with my creamer, but only on special occasions.

And my story started out like everybody else's, but I'm working my hardest to make it extraordinary in all the best ways. 

-Riley