Recent Inspiration

Nail polish: My favorite newly acquired polishes are Baker Street by Nails Inc, Meet Me At Sunset by Essie, and Ratin Jot by Nars. My favorite old standby that I've been loving is Mademoiselle by Essie, because sometimes, you're just in the mood for a sheer pink. 

Technology: I've long been a fan of Instagram, but I've recently discovered Diptic, where you can make collages of your picture (I used it in my blog header). Also, TimerCam is a great app, a self-timer for your iPhone. Songza is my far my new favorite music app -- it has playlists based on genre or mood, and there are no audio commercials. My current go-to stations are "Today's Happy Pop Hits", "Melancholy Morning", "Songs From Apple Commercials", and "Dawson's Creek". 

Books: I have been a reading fiend lately. In January, I set a goal to read 25 books after only reading 16 last year, and I've already read 15 (!!). My recent favorites have been The Age of Miracles, the Steve Jobs biography, and The Fault in Our Stars. 

Music: Alongside regular favorites like Ingrid Michaelson, I've found myself in a very pop loving mood lately, even playing "Call Me Maybe" on repeat on occassion (I know, I know). But I've also been really loving Milo Greene, Of Monsters and Men, and The Lumineers. I really do have to thank the fabulous Ashley for music recommendations -- I love every thing she's ever suggested. 

Blog posts: I love the blogging community, and get such joy out of reading what everyone is posting. This month, the following posts really struck a chord with me. 
+ My friend Caiti wrote an amazing post on the power of language, and changing our "have to's" into "get to's. 
+ Elise is one of my favorite bloggers, and her series last week about all the wonderful art and photos around her home was incredibly inspiring.
+ Sarah wrote an honest portrait about worry in the face of a challenging medical appointment, which struck a chord with me.
+ My friend Emily has started a blog re-reading and writing hilarious commentary about the Baby-Sitters Club series. If you were a fan of the books, be sure to check it out.
+ Sarah's blog, Pink of Perfection, has long been one of my favorites. Her post last week on gratitude was enough to shift my perspective toward the beauty I can find in my own life.

Can you believe tomorrow is August? Goodness, the months fly by these days.

{image via Pinterest}