not your average ordinary

Jan 27

I like to think that I don’t need much — just a sweet cabin with a good fireplace and a proper size oven (those half ovens never cut it in my book).

I would spend weeks on end there writing, exploring, and watching the sun rise and set.

As much as I love living in a city, sometimes you need a scene like this.

Where would you most like a little cabin to call your own?

{photograph by Lou Murrey, hut by Jeff Shelton, photograph by Karissa Seltz — all images found on Cabin Porn, a delicious site that has so many proper credits it’s staggering. love that.}

9 CommentsCasa

Style: The Beginnings of an Adventure

Jan 26

I’ve been trying to spend some time outdoors whenever I can lately, even though I’m on the East Coast and it’s winter. A walk in the woods is the perfect excuse to leave all my electronics behind and just be alone to reflect for a short time. I’ve been searching for a backpack to take with me on these journeys, and while I was looking, I stumbled across Infusion.

I really was just looking for a backpack, but all of the bags in this little shop would be perfect for one event or another: an afternoon walk, a picnic, shopping in town, going to class… And everything is made from natural, sustainable, organic, and recycled materials.

Don’t you just love when something as simple as a backpack or bag inspires a whole adventure?

{all photographs from Infusion etsy shop}

9 CommentsStyle

Downton Abbey

Jan 25

I know I’m not the first to rave about Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey, but I have to rave. There’s nothing I love more than a good story (I love a good story even more than good chocolate), and this show is the best story I’ve discovered in some time.

Two weekends ago, I watched a marathon of the first season. This was promptly followed by a dream in which I had a British accent and was wandering around a grand English estate. Yes, it really is that easy to become obsessed.

Though it has been years since I’ve been on stage, I’m still an actress at heart. I still treat my closet like a costume shop and find that different pieces change my personality ever so slightly. Right now, I’m longing for some dresses like the ones these ladies get to wear.

And as if a brilliant story with amazing costuming and settings isn’t enough to want to lose yourself in, there are the men of Downton Abbey to fall in love with. I think that alone is ample temptation, don’t you?

Have you been watching? What’s been your favorite moment so far?

{first image from Vogue, other images from BBC}

20 CommentsStyle

Daydream: The Mountains

Jan 25

A heart was breaking. Somewhere it was lost, between the glasses of champagne (or wine or whiskey) at night and the waves of white snow that arrived with morning. You stood to leave. You waited. But the peaks of the mountains called you back. That feeling was more acute than ever before. You’d fallen in love more than once in the past few days, with people, with ideas, with white lights and accents and a stirred soul. You wanted more time, time late at night when all the secrets spill out, time in the middle of nowhere — because that time you felt like you were everywhere.

{photograph by me, taken in Salt Lake City; writing adapted from a piece I penned on the plane ride home}

10 CommentsDaydream

Quotable: Alt Summit Speakers

Jan 24

Four of my favorite quotes from Altitude Design Summit:

{image credits: Justin Hackworth, Brooke Ashley Dennis, Justin Hackworth, Brooke Ashley Dennis}

17 CommentsLuminosity

Charmed: Surround Yourself with Creatives

Jan 23

{pictured above (left to right): Katie of Salt & Pine, Estelle of Under a Pink Moon, Uncle Beefy of The Bedlam of Beefy,
Jeanne Oliver of Jeanne Oliver Designs, me, Melissa of Reverie Daydream, Kim of Kimberly Taylor Images, Melissa of Melissa Loves}

There’s just something about those wildly creative friends that you can laugh with for hours that make any trip worthwhile. Since moving to Washington, DC, I haven’t really had a group of talented artists, designers, writers, and photographers nearby to brainstorm with. But over the last few days at Altitude Design Summit, I realized precisely why that’s so important.

Creative friends encourage you. They push you to pursue your dreams. Sometimes they don’t even know they have that effect but they do.

Creative friends make you more creative. The constant exchange of ideas and inspiration changes the way you think. Suddenly, you’re dreaming bigger than you ever have before.

Creative friends remind you how awesome it is to be yourself. I can’t even tell you how many times during the conference I ended up in the hotel toy store dancing on the platform before the candy containers once I discovered it lit up where you placed your feet and played music. Or confessing my soul to a friend. It’s all you and it’s all incredible.

Do you have a group of creative friends you spend time with regularly?

(More photos and Alt recaps to come soon!)

31 CommentsCharmed

Giveaway: Blog Milk Design

Jan 20

The Blog Milk Shop is a unique collaboration of bloggers, designers, and artists to create affordable and sophisticated premium blogger templates. The templates are all limited editions — only 15 of each will be sold. Ana of Blog Milk, together with Danni of Oh Hello Friend and Jennifer of A Merry Mishap, have created some stunning designs.

For those of you longing for a new look, there is currently a sale in the shop. Even better — I’ve got a giveaway for you. The winner of this giveaway gets to pick one of the gorgeous themes and will also receive a custom header. Whether you’ve been considering starting a blog or have had one for some time and desire a new look, this is a fantastic opportunity.

What you need to do to win:

Visit the Blog Milk Shop and choose your favorite template.
Leave a comment on this post.

You have until 2pm EST on Friday, January 27th to enter. The winner will be announced later that day. Good luck!

47 CommentsGuest Posts

Off to Alt!

Jan 17

I had hoped that I would have more posts for you while I’m away this week , but there were a few unexpected twists and turns for me to deal with yesterday. All is (relatively) smoothed over now, but I definitely had a “now panic and freak out” moment or two. That said, I’ll be quiet on here until Friday, when I have something special planned for you, in the spirit of a new year and blog changes.

I’m heading to Salt Lake City for Altitude Design Summit today. For those of you who are going, please drop me a line so we might meet up.

For those of you who aren’t, consider me your personal investigative reporter. Leave me a comment and tell me what you want to know. Take a look at the schedule and let me know what your burning questions are. I’ll do my best to find the answers for you.

In the meantime, I’ll be on twitter, spreading all the words of wisdom and brilliant pieces of advice I hear. Watch for the #altsummit hashtag and follow along!

{photograph by Rylan Larsen}

20 CommentsTravels

Changes

Jan 16

This is the week of chaos. A week of brainstorming and changes. I’ve been working on some little projects, and I’m sure after Alt later this week, I’ll be working on even more. Here’s what you’ll find so far:

I’m now accepting sponsors! Interested? Do you own a store or make something gorgeous you sell online? This could be the thing for you. I’ll be doing things a little unconventionally and giving away spaces by barter only. Email me if you want to chat more about it. This is new for me and I can’t promise it will be a permanent part of {nyao}, so act fast.
Google Friend Connect is no more. Google has plans to discontinue the service for all non-blogger blogs, so I decided we might as well move on now.
You can now subscribe via newsletter as well as rss feed.
Even if you still want to stop by daily to read or subscribe via rss feed, you can also subscribe to my special newsletters. More about those soon.
In the coming weeks, you’ll probably see a new design as well, but I haven’t quite decided what that will look like yet. It may just be a new logo. We’ll see.