brothers that bloom together

there has been a lot of crazy things happening in the world of the great lakes, but i did take some time out the other day to see a movie that i had been really excited to see. the brothers bloom. the brothers bloom is a con man caper noir movie about two brothers who start life in a rather scrappy way and move on up one con at a time. its cast is quite charming- mark ruffalo, adrien brody, rachel weisz and rinko kikuchi- and the set ups and humor are spot on. it was written & directed by rian johnson who also wrote & directed a movie called brick. he's quite good at setting up a modern day noir film. lots of old timey sayings and stylings. i will say that the ending was a bit of a let down after such an elaborate tale was woven, but between the quirkiness and the styling of the cast it was totally enjoyable. one of rachel weisz's first outfits is a vera (the fabric designer not the wang) dress and adrien brody can really wear a suit! i find my thoughts drifting back towards it quite often & trying to scheme up my own cons.

to bring or not to bring a giant floppy hat

i have to go to the hamptons for a dear friends wedding this weekend. part of me wants to go all out and really dress the part as this may be my only chance. but i fear i would be overdone. plus no one will see me in black and white and i think it really adds to the drama of hamptons style.

hidden cigarettes and fur coats

i could watch the royal tenenbaums at any time of any given day. there's something about the family dynamic that feels a little close to home. i love the secrets kept, the knowing glances and all of the quirky personalities. i am the middle child in a brother sandwich so, maybe that's why i feel a kinship to the story. i also think the styling of the home and all the characters is pitch perfect! there's so many good things that to list them all would be too much, but when richie the tennis playing allstar loses it on the court and starts taking off his socks and shoes and sits down. and when margot loses her finger by axe blade. toooo good.

and another one

so, i guess once i start thinking about iconic ladies then i can't stop. shelley duvall. i can't really say anything more than that. there's something so precious and intense about her performances. she's just so darn cute too.

some little bits

so, my day job that fuels my creative fires is working at a boutique flower shop called asrai garden. we just launched our website (after 9 years of being open) and it's very, very exciting! we are a little behind the times in the technological sense! i helped design it by doing a lot of the drawings that are featured throughout the website. check it out and if you need flowers anywhere in the chicago area you now know who to call!

it's coming soon

image from design sponge
i got back from new york just about a week ago from the national stationery show where i shared a booth with pearl & marmalade. we always have a hilarious time together. i will be doing a post about it with some shots of out booth very very soon! here's a sneak peek at a new project i am making!

in awe of others

it's hard for me to put someone on icon status, but i will say that miss charlotte gainsbourg is a personal icon of mine. not only does she seem effortlessly cool and chic, but she has a pretty rad pedigree being the daughter of serge gainsbourg and jane birkin-2 artists known for pushing the envelope who produced a daughter who quietly seems to exude everything that they did. i also think she has an uncanny sense of style that is uniquely french and i often find myself trying to imitate it (secret's out). a lot of my time is spent dreaming of the time when i can become an ex-patriot to the land of france.