Black & White.

Sometimes, I think that there really doesn't need to be words, or even color to express something, even on a deep level. Maybe it's the fact that it's a gloomy, rainy day - the type that makes the whole day seems a bit bleak, and gray out that is inspiring me to look for the beauty in the black, white, and gray that flickers through my window, or maybe it's the fact that I always have adored and been fascinated by minimal color in everything - fashion, photography, and decor.

I have such a love for black and white photography (and film, hellooo Alfred Hitchcock!), and photographers like Hedi Slimane who primarily photograph in the black and white style, and can still capture emotion so beautifully.

This post is going to be primarily image based - I hope that the black and white photography will inspire all of you as much as it does me. Because sometimes, a girl (or guy!) really doesn't have all that much to talk about, but can still be completely inspired.







I honestly don't get the big thing over Pattinson, but I have to admit, these pictures are pretty hot.












Remember this movie?






"You don't have bones of glass - you can take life's knocks."










Bambi?






Audrey with Bambi?


Favorites?
What is your take on black and white photography?

Currently listening to: Sea Wolf - You're a Wolf, while sipping a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. I'm trying (without success) to cut back on the Starbucks.

P.S. At 2:30 p.m., I start my new part-time job working in a school district's after-school program. It's veryyy low-paying, and only like, 15 hours a week, but I'm hoping for the best. Thinking of all of you in your search for jobs/dealing with crappy work situations/loving your work! Thanks for all the well wishes for moi - this isn't exactly what I had in mind, and not enough so that I'll be able to move out, but it's still something!

Summer Memories Part III.

It seems as if fall is finally here to stay - the leaves are slowly turning as the temperature drops slightly; it's dark now (at least here!) by 7:00; and the pool is closed up for the winter. As much as I love fall (and boots!), there is something so special and surreal to me about summer, especially this summer, as I was able to go on vacation to some of our family favorite spots with J for the first time.

It seems as though all the spots where my family enjoys vacationing hold some type of memory from childhood, or from the childhood of my parents.

My mom grew up in France, until she moved to the US, where her family settled on Boston, and joined the sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles that her mother had left behind years ago to move to France. My grandfather (mom's father) set aside enough money while they barely made ends meet so that they could move out of the busy city to a quiet little town in Massachusetts. As she grew older, with English that become so perfect she did not even have a hint of an accent, and my grandfather's business picked up a bit more, they were able to vacation to Maine, or to Cape Cod with other family members. To this day, her entire family lives in some part of New England, and I think they feel she's totally a traitor for moving to Jersey (and I swear my cousins think Pat and I are the second coming of The Situation and Snooki now that Jersey Shore has helped to give us a gorgeous reputation).

From the time I was probably a fetus, my mother and father took vacations to Massachusetts, visiting all her loved ones over the year before venturing back to our hotel room on the Cape. I have fond memories of always staying in the same hotel every time we went with a beautiful pool, and a really fun 50's theme diner that we always went to, and where Pat and I would request Elvis songs on the jukebox.

After spending years trekking up to the Cape and spending a lot of money on hotel rooms, my parents decided it would make sense to buy a house somewhere on the Cape, so we could continue visiting my mom's family whenever we wanted, and have access to a beach and a lot more space. So for like, an entire year, we bounced back from Jersey to the Cape, looking at houses of all shapes, sizes, and decorating styles. We saw tiny houses that hadn't been redecorated since 1972, houses that had basements that smelled like mold, houses with rotting wood, or houses on horribly unpaved dirt roads that made my father's Range Rover almost bite it (and those are SUV's basically made for ridiculous conditions!). It was awful, and I'm sure that 6th grade moi and 4th grade Patrick did not make it any easier.

But finally, we found a house - the perfect house for us, and we've filled that house with memories for the ten years we've owned it. The house has hosted Thanksgivings with cousins and uncles/aunts from Maine, seen a lot of blood as all four of us have had some type of accident, provided a hang out for Pat and my friends when we spent the whole summer up there... and this past summer, I once again was able to share memories and my childhood/somewhere special with J, as he joined moi and my parents up at the Cape.

We had an amazing time going to the beach daily, drinking lots of wine, watching old seasons of Survivor and Gilligan's Island on DVD on rainy days, going out to ice cream EVERY day, and enjoying dinners out at some of our family favorite places. My dad taught J how to go clamming, and then cook clams on the grill, we made pina coladas (which went perfectly with a little Gilligan's Island), and celebrated my dad's birthday (where I made the delicious fruit pizza!).

We kept making more, more, more pina coladas... and then clearly were transported back to the 70's.


My dad was thrilled we got to head to the beach (which we really have no excuse for not doing more often - it's right there) for the sunset.









Since things were more relaxed at the Cape, I had more time to play around and make a mess out of my hair with braids :)



For a fun night out, we headed to Dennis, MA (where Chris from the Bachelorette lives!), and went to our favorite, favorite restaurant, the Scargo Cafe, which is the perfect combo of seafood, and amazing wine/cocktails, and of course, dessert!









Chicken lettuce wraps and question mark bread? (Only my mom would have seen that and insisted upon a picture being taken of it!).







After a delicious seafood dinner, and copious amounts of wine for all but my mother, who graciously was our DD, we headed out for ice cream and sightseeing, since J hadn't been to the Cape since he was a kid. It was fun showing him all the sights - and taking our picture in the giant whale bones!

Raspberry truffle ice cream from Emack & Bolios (our family favorite), and purple cow ice cream from Nauset Ice Cream. Yumm, just a few reasons why I love summer at the Cape! Definitely two places to check out if you're summering at the Cape.





The rest of the long weekend brought lots of food, beach, and relaxing. We arrived back in Jersey tan and completely at ease. Between the vacations to Wildwood and the Cape, it was really nice to give J an insight into my life, and how I spent my childhood summers.

Clams & lobstah rolls - Cape Cod musts (except for moi, I don't eat either of them! Whoops!).


Even Coop had a pretty relaxing weekend - and got to go to the doggy beach!


Did any of you have fun summer memories, or places you went in your childhood that bring back memories?

I hope you're all doing well! xo

Currently listening to: Elliott Smith - Pretty (Ugly Before), and feeling very annoyed with Coop, who (for a little guy) spread out over my entire bed this morning, smushing me into a little corner.

Une Bottes Sont Faites Pour Marcher

Summer used to be my favorite season of the year - I love bikinis, my pool, spiked lemonade, and not having to put on a North Face every time I want to leave my house or apartment at school. However, there is something really magical about the return of fall, which myself and my dear friend over at New England Girl mark by the return of Starbucks Spiced Pumpkin lattes - because really, who cares what the date is - that is the true mark on cooler weather to come.

To me, fall is more about the spiced pumpkin lattes that cause my bank account to slowly deplete - it means that I can sleep with my windows open and more warm blankets, that I can start already dreaming about Thanksgiving (and the fact that we'll head to the Little Pie Company for a sour cream apple walnut pie - heaven!), that apple picking is right around the corner, and of course, that I can break out my boot collection.

I adore boots - it all started with Ugg boots, and judge all you want, but I still really like them and don't think that anything is more comfortable. Now, my closet is filled with boots - to the point where I'm seriously slightly in a Carrie Bradshaw predicament - when there is not enough room for the shoes I already have, but it seems like I keep finding more and more shoes that need a place in my closet.

If I had a ton of money at my disposal, I would definitely stock up on all types of boots - Wellies, riding boots, knee high boots... I die just thinking about it. Unfortunately, as an unemployed education major, I probably will not be buying any of these any time soon (except maybe a few pairs of Wellies), but I can still look, and fall more in love with fall as I do (while sipping a pumpkin spice latte, obviously!).

These Wellies would make me long for a rainy day! (Missoni, Valentino, Jimmy Choo).





Mulberry (I am obsessed with Mulberry anything lately!).



Chloé



Christian Louboutin



Burberry



Fendi



ModCloth



Marc by Marc Jacobs



Mou



Belstaff (I do not even know what I would do for these boots - they're absolute perfection).



Both pairs from Lulus.com - the first pair is $48.00 (!) and the second is $46.50 (!!).



Favorites?
Anyone else excited about the change of season coming up? (And does anyone else mark the seasons by what types of drinks Starbucks is selling?) ;)

Miss you all - lots going on, which is the reason for moi not posting on your fab posts - I have been reading and missing you all! :) xox

Currently watching: Hoarders. I can't help it - it just absolutely fascinates me (and horrifies me at the same time).