• diamoderndesign /Etsy Don’t Rush Me Altered Art Digital File

  ($5.26)

Decorate with Humor

While definitely silly, these images have a certain charm and rationale that make them quite endearing. They come as digital files from Etsy artists, so you can choose the size poster you want to hang. But I actually think they’d be more fun to see in a small, nice frame, hiding amongst actual family portraits on a living room table, on a dressing table in a bathroom, or in a walk-in closet.

1. YesBabeStudio / Etsy Feminist Wall Art (NOT a digital file)

   ($19.99+)

2. LuxxPosters /Etsy Bruh Saint Rosalie Art Print Digital File

   ($7.27)

3. RebelQueen555 /Etsy No Drama Digital File

   ($12)

• LEILADIGITALPRINT /Etsy Altered Art Print Digital File

  ($6.93)

In my opinion, these all capture the essence of this issue’s theme, Pink & Bows, without being too pink or overly bow-filled. In fact there aren’t any bows in the one’s I chose which is kinda funny. It was hard to narrow down my choices on what to feature. There are a zillion of fun posters like these to choose from, and not just on Etsy. The statements on the ones I’ve included, though, made me smile and are just freaking great. I’ve even thought of having my local printer turn some into stationery since I like sending cards. ◡̈

1. LEILADIGITALPRINT /Etsy I Was Not Made To Be Subtle Art Print Digital File

   ($6.93)

2. LEILADIGITALPRINT /Etsy Fall Of The Patriarchy Print Digital File

   ($6.93)

3. LEILADIGITALPRINT /Etsy Not Fragile Like a Flower Art Quote Digital File

   ($6.93)

Hope you enjoyed the selection. Stay tuned for more Ideas!

• Moda Luxe Kaia Fuchsia Crossbody

  ($80)

Handbag time!

The above crossbody with a handle is a lovely option for a practical piece. The woven leather gives it just enough interest to not be boring, and the size and shoulder strap make it reasonable for everyday wear. Check out the Lemon Yellow and White color variations it comes in too— super cute.

1. JACQUEMUS The Small Valérie Pale Pink

   ($1,690)

2. Sachin & Babi Marigold Cupids Clutch

   ($295)

3. Muva Petite Pink Bag

   ($155)

4. Jimmy Choo Deep Merlot Satin Cardholder with Crystal Bow and Chain

   ($450)

5. Betsey Johnson Ivory Bow Flap Mini Bag

   ($98)

6. Brahmin Candy Pink Melbourne Mini Amelia

   ($265)

7. kate spade new york Grapefruit Soda Floral Small Slim Card Holder

   ($109)

8. Kurt Geiger Mini Kensington Flower Bag

   ($228)

I don’t normally suggest pieces from Kurt Geiger because of the big metal bird head on everything. I often find myself disappointed that it’s there, because many of their pieces are actually cool designs. Bag 8 (above) still has one of those bird emblems, but it’s a bit concealed by the flowers. And the flowers definitely make it cool enough to feature here. If you own any Kurt Geiger, let me know what you think of their bird logo on everything. Just because I don’t love it doesn’t mean you can’t! ◡̈

1. MME.MINK The GIGI Basket in Rose

   ($485)

2. Ölend Pink Micro ONA Soft Bag

   ($110)

3. Dior Rose Small Médaillon Flap Bag

   ($3,750)

4. Loeffler Randall Valerie Pink Moiré Bow Clutch

   ($295)

5. Lacoste Peony Medium Tennis Bliss Bag

   ($255)

6. Dolce & Gabbana Medium Vittoria Handbag with Embroidery

   ($8,995)

More of Issue No. 1 next time! ◡̈

Hmmm…

All that I know about Dr. Jill Biden is that she’s a teacher, the former First Lady, and that she kept her job while her husband was the President. Nothing negative at all. I never paid any attention to what she did, said, or wore while she lived in the White House. And the only reason I’m bringing her up today is that I watched a clip of her interview because the title caught my attention.

Her remarks, which you can watch below, took place on June 3rd in Washington, DC, and were covered by C-SPAN. She was interviewed as part of her press tour for her book, View from the East Wing. I would never have searched it out, but YouTube was right when it guessed I’d be interested in seeing something labeled “Jill Biden on Walking Out of Room when Kamala Harris Wanted Endorsement.” I was terribly frustrated with how that whole thing unfolded. He decided to run for a second term even though he promised he wouldn’t? Then he steps aside way too late, leaving no real opportunity for a primary for us citizens to choose to have Vice President Harris as our candidate? Finally, I’d have the chance to learn what was going through the President’s wife’s mind throughout that debacle.

You know why she was upset in that moment? Why she had to walk out of the room? Because her husband had served this country for 50 years and deserved better than to finally be asked to step aside. In essence, how dare we, the voting public, question his competence to serve as the President of the United States, leading him to drop out of the race? Oh boy. It was then that my opinion of her started to form.

If the reason her husband sought the highest office was that he felt he deserved it after years in government, then he went into it for the wrong reason.

Entitlement is bad anywhere, but especially in public service. Our system of government allows ordinary citizens to step out of their private lives and devote themselves to the well-being of their neighbors. No one is owed a position, another term, or a promotion to higher office simply because they’ve been around for a long time. Public office exists to serve the public, not the people who hold it. That’s why Dr. Biden’s position that decades of service somehow create a claim on the future isn’t acceptable.

The purpose of public service is not recognition or legacy. The reward should be knowing that families are doing better, schools are stronger, streets are safer, and opportunities are greater than they were before. If you want recognition for your accomplishments, then choose a different career.

So, what can and should we take away from this?

Well, if you’re currently an elected official, make sure you’re doing the job to serve. If you’re not, self-correct. For the rest of us, we can’t choose leaders because they believe they deserve power. We choose them because we trust them to use it wisely and for the common good. The moment a candidate starts acting entitled to hold an office, we MUST ask both them and ourselves whether they’ve forgotten who that office actually belongs to: the people.

President Biden was not ruining our country as his term came to an end. If he had been able to serve a second term the same way he served his first, I don’t think America would have crumbled. But that’s not inspiring. We deserve a champion, someone truly up to the task of using America’s strengths to address its weaknesses and help the country reach its full potential. As the Trump campaign ratcheted up, Dr. Biden simply needed to step outside herself and ask, “What is best for this country? My husband is getting older. The people are starting to see him as feeble. They do not believe he’s effectively countering Donald Trump and the misguided MAGA movement. So what do we honestly do to protect this country? Is Joe really the only person out of 340-plus million Americans capable of doing the job?”

What a lesson.

Respectfully,

Jewelry fascinates me.

Not all of it, but a LOT of it does. Especially the stuff that sparkles. I like it so much that you’ll never catch me wearing any because I find myself just a little too distracted by it. But boy do I like seeing it on others.

Timepieces on the other hand, are the opposite. I hardly like any, but once in a while I come across something exquisite. Like the masterpiece above/below by Van Cleef & Arpels. I saw it a couple of years ago and I’m still impressed.

It works like this: on the hour, the petals of one of the flowers will open to reveal a gemstone. When the hour is also most up, the petal closes and then two flowers now open. And so on and so on. In this way, you tell the time by counting the number of open flowers, and then the minutes are indicated in a neat little window on the side of the case (not pictured here). Genius! It’s just so cool that one, it looks more like jewelry than a watch, and two, that it gives you these amusing little shows throughout the day! Oh, how I’d love something like this. I’d play with it too much, though, and never get anything done. 😬 I’m not exaggerating, by the way.

If you have a minute, click here to watch Van Cleef’s own YouTube clip showing the piece in action.

• Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisier Watch

  ($228,000)

Pink & Bow Jewelry

1. Dior Deco Gold-Finish Metal, Mother-of-Pearl and Light Pink Resin Earrings ($2,250)

2. Loren Hope Susanna Bow Earrings

   ($228)

3. Pandora Gold Sparkling Pink Bow Ring

   ($115)

1. Anna Zuckerman Worth Avenue Necklace in Argyle Pink Crystalline

   ($2,165)

2. Dior Rose Pré Catelan Ring

   ($13,200)

3. Dior Médaillon Earrings

   ($720)

4. Pandora Sparkling Pink Bow Stud Earrings

   ($70)

5. Nadri Natural Beauty Pink Drop Earrings

   ($60)

6. Les Néréides Large Pink Clematis Flower Post Earrings

   ($250)

7. Shekhawatjewels / Etsy Pink Enamel Emerald Cut Ring

   ($199.90)

8. Annabella Chan Ruby and Pink Sapphire Nova Starburst Ombré Ring

   ($4,440)

9. HEFANG Fusilli Ring

   ($120)

10. Ross Simons Pink Topaz with Pink Sapphires Ring

    ($2,695)

11. Erimish Coco Ring

    ($16)

12. SANTINNI Princess Bow and Pink Crystal Heart Earrings

    ($264)

13. Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Grove Bangle Bracelet

    ($78)

14. QCustomJewelry / Etsy Emerald Cut Pink Tourmaline Ring

    ($49.93)

15. CHANEL Ruban Ring

    ($9,450)

16. Pandora Sparkling Sterling Silver Bow Ring

    ($90)

Some true beauties to dream over, right? Stay tuned for more!

It’s here—the first issue!

If you’ve read my first post or “about” page, you’ll know I’m moving to Substack because of the freedom it will provide for my creative endeavor. As with my print editions, there will be a theme for each issue. This helps me narrow down and organize the goodies I wish to share and establish an aesthetic for presenting those ideas.

So, pink and bows?

Well, why not? That’s an answer I give for a lot of the creative choices I make. In actuality, there’s almost always true deliberation behind my decisions. My last print issue was my very first foray into maximalism. I had never done anything (fashion-related or interior design-related) with that style. I really tried to get into it, and I had a lot of fun because it sparked many other ideas. Royalty and bows were among them, and after combining so many colors for the maximalism theme, I craved something more monochromatic. So, that’s how we’ve arrived at pink and bows. ◡̈

Before you continue to the products I’m including in this post, I just want to note that I cannot guarantee their availability. I’ve listed the full prices as advertised on each vendor’s site, even though some are on sale. I didn’t want to mislead you in case the sales end before you click the links.

1. Trudon 1643 Summer Haze Rose Cake Candle

   ($140)

2. TWOS COMPANY Pink Color Pop Taper Candlestick Candleholders, Set of 2

   ($63)

3. Mark and Graham Jasmine Vetiver Hand Painted Block Print Votive Candles, Set of 3

   ($39)

4. Trudon 1643 Pale Pink La Marquis Cameo Pillar Candle

   ($57+)

5. Anthropologie Pink Bow Shaped Wax Candle

   ($28)

1. Literie “On Wednesdays We Wear Pink” Candle

   ($50)

2. Michaels Light Pink 10” Flower Ball Taper Candle

   ($14.99)

3. ArchitectGiftsPlus Tuscan Pink Mosser Glass 7.5” Candlestick

   ($49)

4. AERIN Olivia Taper Candle Holder, Set Of 2

   ($126)

5. Meltdown Studio Pink Sappho’s Angels Refillable Candle Holder Gift Set

   ($271)

1. GINORI 1735 Pink Floral Dinner Plate

   ($160)

2. Noon & Moon Rosy Bloom 9” Dinner Plate

   ($46)

3. Noon & Moon Marilyn Monroe Hollywood Bloom™ 11” Plate

   ($78)

4. Noon & Moon Pink Stripe Garden Feast 11” Plate

   ($76)

5. GINORI 1735 Pink Oriente Italiano Flat Dinner Plate

   ($180)

6. Pottery Barn Cynthia Rowley Dinner Plates, Set of 4

   ($89.50)

7. Corolla Maiuri Berry Pink Dessert Plates, Set of 2

   ($410)

8. Chêne Blanc White/Red VILA 11” Dinner Plate

   ($39)

9. Pottery Barn Monique Lhuillier Garden Trellis Appetizer Plates, Set of 4

   ($79.50)

1. Pottery Barn Mason Oversized Linen Napkins, Set of 4

   ($48)

2. Healthier Homes Stemless Koda Pink Wine Glasses, Set of 4

   ($89)

3. Mark and Graham Dusty Pink Velvet Bow Napkin Ring

   ($25)

4. MAURE Large Petal Pink Hobnail Jug

   ($160)

5. Southern Living Holiday Beaded Bow Napkin Rings, Set of 4

   ($28)

6. Wayfair Colonnade 18/10 Stainless Steel Gold 20-Piece Set, Service for 4

   ($249.99)

7. JOANNA BUCHANAN Pink Enamel Flower Napkins, Set of 4

   ($198)

8. Williams Sonoma Blush Signature Linen Napkins, Set of 4

   ($67.80)

9. Dior Pink Striped Water Glass

   ($410)

10. TATTAHOME Bugatti Oxford Nacreous Pink & Gold Set 24 Pieces

    (€519.00)

11. Williams Sonoma AERIN Scalloped Placemats, Set of 4

    ($69.95)

12. TABLE TWO Studio Rouge Hibiscus Placemat (Set of 4)

    ($108)

13. Deborah Rhodes Pink 15” Round Placemats

    ($22)

I hope you enjoyed my introductory IDEAS post. Stay tuned for more! ◡̈

Hello there!

Today marks the decline of one thing, and the rise of another. In the coming weeks, I will stop printing my (still very young) creative project, The IDEAS Booklet. It’s been a blast to build, and I’m very pleased with the work I accomplished. Organizing content, choosing products to feature, drawing fashion designs, and sharing written ideas for various cultural issues, has been very rewarding. That’s why I’m not giving up on that achievement. It’s just moving to a different format with a few minor changes.

So what will this be?

This journal will be my personally curated and artistically presented mix of women’s fashion, accessories, home goods, and whatever else happens to catch my eye. I’ll also be sharing my own fashion sketches and illustrations since I’m still somewhat attached to my former career as a dressmaker.

Most of what you’ll see will be organized into issues, which will unfold over a series of posts rather than all at once. In between these posts, you’ll receive my opinion on random topics that I have something to say about. These short essays won’t belong to any particular issue, which is why I’ll send them out whenever inspiration strikes.

While the heart of each issue will stay the same, they’ll take on their own look, tone, and rhythm, offering a fresh experience every time.

My print editions have ranged from colorful maximalism to black-and-white minimalism. It’s so much more fun assembling an issue when there’s a theme. And it’s really fun to surprise readers with a new look each time, so I’ll definitely be maintaining this approach. You may not fall in love with each edition because of this, but you might get an unexpected idea, and that’s what this is all about.

All products I feature will be chosen simply because I like them. I don’t currently accept commissions, favors, or compensation in exchange for coverage (from individuals or companies). Not only is my independence paramount to me, but I also enjoy the process of searching for pretty things on my own. If any of that changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.

I’ve always been drawn to beautiful things. Not because I need to own them, but because I enjoy seeing what people can imagine and create. So, whether we can afford the things featured here or not, I think they’re still worth our time. Beauty, creativity, and good ideas have a way of making us dream, expanding our sense of what’s possible, and reminding us that there is always something new to discover. I hope you’ll enjoy looking at them as much as I do! ◡̈

One more thing: I’m so new here that I don’t have a publishing schedule yet. Please be patient with me until I find the pace that’s right for me (..for both of us).