effortless miranda

merit badges

i love the concept of these merit badges. lee meszaros came up with the idea when she came across an abandoned brownie sash complete with badges. someone had worked hard to obtain these badges, and at one point in his/her life, decided those accomplishments which one once held dear, are no longer significant. lee made these badges in hope that people would cherish them for life and not outgrow them. artsy genius. not to mention, these badges are both adorable and unique in their own special way. i especially love the little sayings that come with each badge. too cute.

"All the badges are inspired by the little sayings that manage to sneak their way into day-to-day conversations. It's funny once you're aware of them how often you'll hear them in passing conversation and in movies. Each badge starts with a drawing, which I make into a silkscreen and screen onto cream-coloured cotton. I hand print all the colours into each image and hand-embroider the little details. From there they are paired with a coloured border ring and sewn together with my sewing machine. After that I hand-sew a pin-back onto each and pin them to a display card that says what the badge is honouring." - lee meszaros in frankie magazine

1. dancing to the beat of your drum
2. being the best thing since sliced bread
3. being cute as a button
4. taking the cake
5. being just my type
6. wetting your whistle

purchase from: etsy

nutella frosted cupcakes

Ingredients

• 10 tbsp (140 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups (200 grams) sifted all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Nutella, approx. 1/3 cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (~165°C).
2. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.
3. Cream together butter and sugar until light, 2 minutes.
4. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don't worry if the batter doesn't look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin liner with batter.
6. They should be 3/4 full, if you're not using a scoop.
7. Top each cake with 1 1/2 tsp Nutella.
8. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12.

source: thebakerwhocooks

i want a rabbit

donnie: why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?

frank: why are you wearing that stupid man suit?

image source: click through links

letter to my 5th grade teacher

dear miss gauci,

i liked you, i really did. that was until you accused me of not returning that book. i understand, the class was required to return all their books to gain credit for being ... a quality class that didn't misplace books? regardless, it seemed to be something the class took pride in. being the reserved little asian girl with a sparse number of friends, i could not afford to be disliked for something as simple as not returning a book. i hold you responsible for the negativity placed towards me at the end of 1997 by my fellow classmates. i feel i was unfairly blamed for the class' lack of book-returning skills.

you accused me because, being the forgetful child i was, i didn't write the date i had borrowed the book in the log. however, i had written the date i had borrowed and returned other books before and after that book. forgetting to log the return of a book doesn't imply the book was never returned. how narrow minded you were. i suggest you delve into your research a little deeper before pointing fingers, perhaps then you would have realised another student, nicole, had borrowed the book after me. i married up the dates with my own student log. you know, the one that you write in to state which book you've deciphered and how many pages, followed by your guardian's signature. cleared up my name just fine, so i took the initiative to transfer the date to the log book. proud of my ingenious analytical and problem solving efforts, i approached you with my head held high, hoping to rid all allegations and perhaps deflect the negativity from my peers. needless to say, you were not very happy with my approach. had you given me a mere 5 seconds to explain the situation i would not have been publicly humiliated with your pointing finger and stern, somewhat constipated, facial expression. i shat myself. i'd given up on proving myself innocent at this point. fortunately, a classmate ended up finding the book in the crevice between the lockers and the wall. brilliant. i could progress to the 6th grade without being a complete loser.

then there was that time you suggested i read a picture book rather than a novel. your reasoning behind this was actually valid. according to my reading log, it took me 2 weeks to read 'dollhouse of the dead'. my log lied. i finished reading this book within a few days, i just couldn't be bothered borrowing another book and logging it. to avoid doing so, i mass logged each chapter of the book over a span of 2 weeks, then got my dad to sign it on a daily basis. success - portion of homework complete. then you shoved a picture book about a mouse and his cheese in my face. i was beyond this but i had to make a choice. keep quiet about my mass logging strategy or play dumb. i opted for the latter.

all in all, you were a nice teacher but a tad narrow minded and gullible. children can be smart, too. i hope you've worked that out by now.

regards, A

inspired by: daniel evans from frankie

angus & celeste

"Each little handmade tea-cup is delicately hand painted with the finest lustre. Dangling on a quality sterling silver chain they make a delicate sound when rubbed together. A tactile piece that is enjoyable to wear." - angus & celeste

asos neutrals

milk glass

i am in love with milk glass at the moment. there's just something about it. it's so soft and pure. i, for one, do not have the finances to indulge in the luxury of vintage milk glass pieces. i'll definitely be on the lookout for reproductions on my next thrift shop venture. e.t.a. apparently vintage fenton pieces aren't as expensive as i thought they'd be. win.

"First made in Venice in the 16th century, colors include blue, pink, yellow, brown, black, and white. 19th-century glass makers called milky white opaque glass "opal glass". The name milk glass is relatively recent. The white color is achieved through the addition of an opacifier, e.g. tin dioxide or bone ash.

Made into decorative dinnerware, lamps, vases, and costume jewelry, milk glass was highly popular during the fin de siecle. Pieces made for the wealthy of the Gilded Age are known for their delicacy and beauty in color and design, while Depression glass pieces of the 1930s and '40s are less so." - wikipedia

inspiration

k: hey, check this out. i look at the monitor more now when i type.
i can type faster now. i was inspired by you telling me how shit i was.

image source: peaceandposies

fock milk, got pot?

image source: fuckyeahfrejabeha

heavy petal

stolen girlfriends club summer 2010/11















image source: studdedhearts

coco rocha's wedding

baby girl

you will grow up to be a heartbreaker. those eyes are hypnotic.



source: ihavebonywrists; jambaylon

jgl eat your heart out

ring / pendant

"Three differently sized holes are cut through a sphere,
only the interior surfaces are allowed to remain." - silva/bradshaw

saccade calendar 2011

i'm flabbergasted by how fast 2010 has gone by. i'm not sure if i've achieved anything significant yet, which is a worry given we're just a couple weeks away from the '-embers'. we're officially in the 'towards the end of the year' fraction of 2010. a good time to start looking for a 2011 calendar methinks. loving russian firm saccade's unique take on the calendar. very simple, yet practical and visually appealing.

source: saccade