from my camera / summer days

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because we spent last thanksgiving break at a beach house. because jarman talks about how much he misses the beach and surfing every day. because i miss my sisters. because the weather has taken a turn for the worse in dc. because the sun is my best friend. because i am getting whiter and whiter. because my family is probably going to the beach today. because we are moving to california permanently (knock on wood) in less than a month. because summer should be the only season. because these pictures make me happy.

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housekeeping

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i don't have a regular post today because i was too busy partying in philadelphia all weekend (pictures to come), but i just wanted to share a few things with you! 

first of all, i am so happy to share that i am now a contributor on striving onward! my first post went up last week. i will be writing about women artists, so if you want more art posts be sure to look there!

also, reality and retrospect now has an official facebook page! it's so exciting! go like it to get daily updates on posts and many other fun things!

oh, and you should probably download this screensaver from designlovefest for a good reminder about the important things in life! {pictured above}

entertaining / the boys' guide to buying flowers for your girl

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this is a guide for all of you boys who would like to buy flowers for your girlfriend / wife / secret crush / mistress, what have you. while you are already over 75% of the way to being awesome, why not add a little bit more oomph and give her flowers that she will actually love? don't feel bad if you have bought items from the don't list before, your girl is just happy you thought of her enough to buy her flowers in the first place. let's take that a step further and make you a romantic god in her eyes.

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this list was taken from flowers most likely to be found in grocery stores (these pictures were taken at trader joes). i know these are the places you will most likely be buying from, so we are going to keep it simple. 

 

the do's: 

1. hydrangeas- they are always gorgeous and are a different what girls normally receive. they generally come in blue or white, either color is lovely. these flowers are a little finicky, so take care. 

2. tulips- you can never go wrong with a good tulip. feel free to take some liberties and mix a couple of colors.  

3. roses- again, always a good idea. just please don't buy red roses, they are tacky. 

4. berries- or some other seasonal flower. this might be a little bit scary, but try it out. they are nice for fall or winter. 

also... 

5. do find out your girl's favorite flower, just ask her straight up, she will be more than delighted to inform you. 

6. do get peonies if you ever see them. rarely are they at grocery stores, but i have no doubt that they are every girls favorite flower. going out of your way to find them will be greatly appreciated.  

7. some other acceptable flowers include ranunculus, stock, and snapdragons. 

8. do get your girl flowers, even if you are unsure whether or not they are perfect she will still love you for it. i would say once every 1-2 months would make you a baller. 

 

the dont's:

1. carnations- this is the cardinal sin of flowers. enough said. 

2. mixed bouquets- most premade mixed bouquets are hideous. please stay away from them. i actually found one at trader joe's that i liked, but there is no specific reason why. so i won't confuse you. 

3. daisys- this is just my opinion. gerbera daisys are lots of girls' favorite flowers, so buy them if you know she loves them. if not, please stay away.

4. mums- these are just ugly. i'm also going to include in this category any artificially colored flowers. 

 

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this isn't supposed to scare you, but to give you confidence! the most important thing is to find out your girl's preferences, it will make all the difference. these are my preferences, and jarman was trained on them early in our relationship:)