The Art of Anticipation

Weather report:

Song of the day: Whatever is playing right now on my all time favorite Pandora station, the Hans Zimmer station. I am obsessed.

Wearing: Rebelling against 90 degree weather and wearing an inappropriately Autumnal outfit. Tweed cropped pants (Loft circa 2004), 3/4 Navy Jersey cropped blazer with beautiful big brassy buttons and envelope pockets (Banana), Ivory chiffon box pleat shell (Banana circa shopping trip with Mel and the Grahamies 2009), pocket watch necklace (boutique), vintage silhouette brown croc pumps.

Half Marathon updates: Improved my pace by 13% in the last two weeks of training. It isn't great, but it is progress. Which leads me to...

So, we in the Buys family have this habit of getting really excited for vacations. Really excited. So much so that you can basically ask any of us on any given day how many days it is has been since our last vacation and how many days till we will start packing for the next one. More than that, we remember the dates of all of our favorite vacations long past. Most of the time at least one of us at the dinner table will say, "Guess where we were 2 years ago, right now!!?" or "Guess where we are going to be in 4 months?!" and we all know. It has become one of our most cherished idiosyncrasies. And right now I have lots to count down to, and I am so excited it is making it very difficult to work.

1. Newport: The Buys family annual trip to Newport. Seriously don't know how I am going to make it another 19 days.

2. Lake Tahoe this weekend: I have never been to Lake Tahoe before, and I am excited to go with my favorite 48-ers!

3. In some ways I want January to be here right now so I can jump on the plane to disneyworld, but most of the time I am glad it is awhile away because I have a lot of training left. But I am looking forward to loathing running less in the coming months. Did I mention this half marathon runs through the Magic Kingdom and Epcot?!!

* (the sound of blinking your eyes)

Quote of the day in PR Parkway: "Dude. I dream of Jeannie would have been a great publicist."

context: We keep laughing because clients keep giving us smaller and smaller windows of times some weeks, and you just have to laugh it off  because the other reaction options are profanity and tears. Today we got a request for something to pretty much be created and produced instantly, as in within 30 seconds. Haha. But seriously. Which got us to thinking, wouldn't it be great if we could just fold our arms and blink and everything would just happen? Jeannie style.

the next generation of publicists people. Jeannies and genies.

Say it ain't so Steve

Just got this news. I am mourning. I will be wearing a black turtleneck, 1990s jeans and sneakers tomorrow. I am also considering shaving my head and getting glasses. We love you Steve.

Besotted by me Book Book

Forecast:

Weather: Freakishly hot here in the Holla-hood

Song of the day: Artificial Flowers by Bobby Darrin. Really missing someone :(

Vacation front blowing in...slowly: counting down til the annual holiday in newport in about 27 days. Only thing keeping me alive. Southcoast Plaza, Fashion Island, surfing lessons, Salt Creek, Balboa, Ruby's on the the PCH, the Best Banana in the world next to Javier's, my two favorite pools, and the Marriott workout rooms. Trust me, they are THAT good.

Link love: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/08/22/montgomery-wedding-by-amy-majors-photography/

So, I am currently obsessed with my new Book Book for iPhone. I can't wait to get the matching case for JoJo MacBook Pro in November or December, but until then I am smitten with this beauty. Bought it as soon as it came out, and absolutely no regrets. Now lets hope it doesn't become too popular with many other people, because yeah, I am THAT person. I think I get definite celestial points for actually giving the real name of the company I got it from when people ask. I would take a picture of me with the book book, but then I would have to take iAutumn out of it, which kind of defeats the purpose:)

What a good day looks like

Forecast:
Song of the day: Father of the Bride instrumental soundtrack
Current food obsession: Cheese as always, currently the Laughing Cow Babybels in the red wax. I have fun eating them and then making the wax pieces look like Pacmans scurrying across my desk. Scurry is a good word.
Favorite word of the day: Scurry
Wearing: favorite Limited white wide leg cropped pants, BR gray striped boat neck t, Pearls, Red belt and shoes

Thursday has always been my favorite day of the week. I love Thursdays. They have all the wonderful potential and kinetic energy of the weekend without the inevitable disappointments. I love Thursdays. And today lived up to Thursday's good name, for the following reasons:

1. I got to work early. The day is always better when I get to work early, ahead of coworkers and feeling good.
2. skip the next 8 hours of boring professional existence:) But at least I got to write (good day when I get to write) and got tons crossed off my project list

3. Met up with the gorgeous and delightful Melanie for dinner at Biaggi's (amaaaazing). She was positively glowing, and it was a pleasure just to be in her realm of sunshine:) Holy cow she is going to be the most amazing teacher.
4. shopping (hallelujah chorus)Where I made the following purchase. It is from the Banana Republic MAD MEN collection, the collection I await eagerly each year. I love MAD MEN, I am completely obsessed with 60s style and we all know how I feel about the Banana, thus I didn't really have a choice.

I have already put together about 12 outfits in my head. Fancy version: gold valentinos, and gold and pearl strands. Radical more casual: true red opaque tights, cognac oxfords and cognac belt, high bun. So excited:) I also got a fantastic Ivory jersey blazer with military buttons, and FINALLY found a colorblock shell I liked!

5. Next came a lovely ride to the Graham girl neighborhood, in perfect summer air with a lovely playlist and all windows rolled down in the black pearl. We joined the Grahamys for an outdoor concert. It was balmy and beauteous.

6. the night concluded with a conversation with my enchanting sister (I don't think she realizes that this is always a favorite part of my day), some NIELSONS LEMON CUSTARD, one of the best treats in the entire universe, and You've Got Mail. This was a good day:)

Blame it on Austen and Gilmore

I think I have nonexistent expectations. I blame YOU Jane Austen: 

And YOU creators of Gilmore Girls: 

Twilight, you are just complete and utter emotional hyperbole to infinity which no one with an IQ beyond 10 could take seriously, so congrats, you get a pass on this one. But Austen and GG creators, I clearly do not have the emotional stability to withstand your happy endings and debonair male protagonists. Come back when you have someone less charming, well built, obviously golf player, brilliant, ambitious and charismatic, and then we will see if we can be friends again. 

Autumn has come early this year

Finally conquered the Shabby Blogs background that I could not get rid of for the life of me. Success! Now deciding whether or I am going to blog, tumbl or do it Stefi style and do both. Hmmm...tough call.

I've moved...

To tumblr. Come and sees the day here.

Oh Oscar

Bridal Fashion Week in NYC is happening right now (sighs abound), and there will be a full report on Wedding Wednesday, and a Monsieur Monday post to come later today, but I just had to post this. Hands down, the best thing to wake up to. 

Watch live streaming video from oscardelarenta at livestream.com

The Curse of the Black Pearl

The Day's Forecast:
Weather report: I don't want to talk about it
Songs of the day: Tangled, I See the Light + Marvin Gaye You're All I Need to Get By
On the horizon: Such fun date last night with a great guy who will henceforth be called Triathlad, details on Monsieur Monday.

A few months back I bought my first car (all by myself even! all growed up) after YEARS of studying different crossover models, learning what "trim" meant in car speak and enduring two breakdowns in hand me down cars (which for the record I am very grateful for, thank you family! I love Eleanor and Norman forever! :) I bought a beautiful Mazda CX-7 in black. And I mean beautiful. I love this car. How much? I have vacuumed it three times in five weeks. I have washed it four times in 2 months. And never the kind of wash where you just drive thru something, no, that isn't good enough for my girl. I do the fancy kind of wash where you get out and do it yourself, and you do like 8 different steps. I can recite them now by memory (pre soak, suds brush, tire wash, soak . . . )  Once I even did this in 15 degree cold in 4 inch heels. It is amazing what one does for love.

 Anyways, I have not been able to decide on a name for this car, which has been very disturbing to me. In the past, it wasn't long til I happened upon the perfect name for a vehicle, and as soon as that happens the warmth of sweet satisfaction surges through the veins like apple cider at just the right temperature. However, due to recent events, there is a possibility this car may be called "the Black Pearl," as it is most definitely cursed. In one month it has been in the worst snow storm of the year where it was hit, sustained a 1 foot scratch on the hood from what we are assuming was a windblown tree branch, dinged on the passenger side by a white car, huge rock chip in the wind shield that you can still see evidence from even though I got it fixed, a little plastic doohicky broke inside and yesterday morning, this was pulled out of my tire (vertically pulled out folks, vertically)... Yeah, it had deflated the whole tire in a few minutes.

Needless to say, this has been very upsetting. In addition to causing mental breakdowns on an already fragile psyche:) I know it is a car, and it happens, but I am not a fan of it happening and I really don't much like how much has happened to my brand new car in one month! I say no! Anyways, I was so depressed about all of this at work yesterday that I wasn't the most cheerful coworker. And of course, Ashley noticed. Ashley is the other resident of PR Parkway, and is the most thoughtful, caring, selfless person on the planet. I am in awe of her on a daily basis. Anyways, this morning she presented me with the following, my own personal Car Demon Defender! (notice he is accessorizing with...black pearls:)

So thank you Ashley, me and the Black Pearl feel safer already. :)

Wedding Wednesday {The First}

The Day's Forecast: 

temperature in the 'Holla: 54 degrees and cloudy, love the overcast though 

song of the day: Beach Boys, Don't Worry Baby. This isn't just a song, it is like a state of mind. And I dig it. 

accessory of the day: My favorite red/white vintage YSL scarf that I swiped from my mother's drawer when I was about 10

So, lots of changes going on at the place where it is Autumn all year long, and Autumn is always capitalized. The new design will go live (hopefully) next week and I have decided to add a few more weekly features. First, in response to  some requests I am officially launching today: WEDDING WEDNESDAY! For the first Wedding Wednesday I wanted to introduce you to the inspiration shoot that the Utah Bride Blog has been featuring this week. I had the enchanting honor of being able to help out with this shoot a bit (hinted at this a bit here), I got to pick a certain vendor's product, and then the gorgeous Megan let me tag along and help set stuff up and watch how these gorgeous inspiration shoots that you see on UBB, and Style Me Pretty and in magazines are created. Mikki is of course one of the states photographic treasures (she did my bestie Kate's wedding!), but the star of the day had to be Blossom Sweet's flowers, especially that bouquet. Oh wow, I yearn for that bouquet, I adore that bouquet. Mmmmm, just see for yourself. 

Credits: By Mikki Photography, from Utah Bride Blog; Floral: Blossom Sweet; Dress; Anne Barge from Alta Moda; Tabletop materials: Pottery Barn; Table: Alpine Event Rentals;  AMAZING rings and jewelry: Morgan Jewelers; Print materials: Pink Piggy; Hair/makeup: Enizio of course, shout out Cynthia; Mark's Face: God's gift to the world (just kidding)

Also besotted by: 

Napa Valley Wedding by Lisa Lefkowitz 

Gelato Themed Bridal Shower

7 day forecast: Next week, the inspiration board for the shower I am working on! Think limes, black licorice, cameos and stripes:)

 

 

 

Monsieur Monday {cellular science}

Never underestimate the power of a text.

 I had decided to give up on Makes Me McGiddy. I was exhausted after trying to compete with more than 100 girls (not actually an exaggeration folks. Not an exaggeration. LITERALLY competing with at least this many girls. Utah girls. Gorgeous, talented, and longer hair than mine. But this is a sensitive issue.), and I had decided that the getting over phase must commence. I was ready to buy clothes I didn't need, and eat a stadium's share of donuts. Towel being thrown in. And then...

I got a text (not the one pictured above, that is fictional) 

Not just a text, but a text that was NOT in response to a text I sent. An independent text, sent voluntarily and not under duress (as far as I know). It was only 6 lines or so. It did not proclaim undying devotion, or devotion of any kind. It was not an invitation to dinner or beauteous statement outlining his admiration for me in iambic pentameter or trochaic verse. But it was a text, and a text is something. At least enough to sustain my energy for another week. 

Conference and Carnations

Conference weekend! Yay! I like conference more each year, maybe just because I am getting older, maybe because my parents no longer force us to listen to it on all-day drives. Either way, I hope you all had a wonderful conference weekend! I think another reason why I loved it so much this year was because I got to spend a lot of time just me and Capital C (she prefers greater blog anonymity). We made all our favorite breakfast foods, stayed in pajamas, and had fun at Target and Borders. You know when you are like 5 and all you want to do is tag along with your older sister? Yeah, still waiting for that to go away, I love any chance I get to hang out with her.

The only downside to this weekend was waking up to LOTS of snow on Sunday morning. Boo. Despite this fact, my mind is on flowers. FLOWERS FLOWERS FLOWERS. I should warn you now, I am a major flower snob, I know exactly what flowers I like and what flowers I don't and I am not afraid to share these opinions. Shocker, I know.


With regards to flowers, I have a dream. A boy has never given me flowers, which is fine, but someday I want flowers from a real life boy (as opposed to the Pinocchio genre I suppose?) Let me clarify: I have been given flowers by boys for dances, but I have never been given flowers that weren't obligatory in nature. And while I would be elated with a bouquet of dandelions, while I am dreaming, this is what I would love so much with a sigh:


1. Coral/honeysuckle pink Peonies. I love white peonies, I love fuschia peonies, and the rarer yellow peony is exquisite, but I am obsessed with the corrally pink peonies.Aren't they beauteous!

2. I think it would be so cute to be given a little victorian nosegay with ranunculus. They are just the sweetest flower, beautiful but not terribly ostentatious

3. Peach garden roses. I think it is funny that these are called garden roses, because I have never seen these in someone's backyard garden, but aren't they amazing!!

4. And finally, carnations. I just love carnations, I think they are so exceptionally beautiful. Especially when they are all bunched together and it is just ruffle after ruffle of low maintenance goodness. As a publicist, I am determined to improve the reputation for this perdy plant.

So while I am waiting for some future monsieur to bring me my perfect bunch, I bought these for myself yesterday and arranged them. I saw them and it was just love at first sight, I knew these enchanting little pixie carnations needed to come home with me. The flowers are from Costco and the vase is from Ikea. And they look much better in person

And while I am not a big fan of orchids, any kind of daisy (except button mums, they are so funny) and most roses, I wouldn't say no to any of these wrapped in cellophane and delivered to my door:)

Now off to make some lemon buttercream cupcakes for tomorrows FHE! Woohoo!

Birds on a wire, slogans in the mind

So, yesterday I am driving home from work and I am passing So Cupcake and I look up and notice about 70ish gray pigeons perched jauntily on a telephone wire.

And then I noticed one white bird, amidst all of these pigeons that seemed to be the color of an old Nokia cell phone.

Two thoughts came into my head when I saw this


1. I am Autumn, so of course my initial reaction was AHHH! SO MANY BIRDS! SCARY! RUN, DRIVE, SKIP AWAY FROM THE DEATHLY MONSTERS! If you don't know me, suffice it to say I am scared of birds.

2. I thought, this image is a Mormon Ad, just waiting to happen.

I can see the slogan now...

    family, isn't it about...time?

Oh wait, that one has been used already. No, seriously, can't you just see that picture and this...

Let your purity stand out...

OR

stand out amidst the filth, let your purity shine

I love that a Mormon Ad slogan is what popped into my head. The Gospel is great.

Je voudrais voir une paire de chaussures

I FINALLY discovered a French podcast that doesn't drive me crazy, and after listening to it on two commutes I have memorized three phrases, the title being one of them. I miss being able to more proficiently parle le langage francaise, and I am determined to be somewhat fluent by the end of the year. In 2012 I am tackling Latin, and then 2013 Russian. French has my heart and passion (appropriate considering the connotation with the language), but I am completely fascinated with Latin and Russian is just enchanting. But, one step at a time. Or rather, one conjugation at a time. Anyways, after seeing this twice:

This once a week since the first time I saw it, July 4 2006 (clearly it changed my life. I was wearing a cute outfit that day too. Wide leg khaki cropped, starched and pleated, BR white vneck jersey, red art deco necklace red flats. I loved that outfit):

 And this every few weeks:

I am craving Paris DESPERATELY! I may or may not be in a constant state of planning my faux trip to la ville de lumieres (I get that from Jim), and what I am going to wear on said trip (I get that from Tracie). Naturally in this fantasy a monsieur is present, because that is Paris was meant to be imagined:)
First off, I will not go during summer. I will go in October, because I love that month. I want to stay in the Hotel de Crillon, which perfectly embodies what we love about Paris--Romance gilded.

I don't want to be the hectic tourist in Paris, I love being that but I have done that. I want to see Paris the way a Parisian does. I want to sit in cafes and lounge, while taking in the sites. And I want to do this every single night, a boat trip on the Seine after the sun is down and the lights twinkle

I want to spend half an entire day just trying on shoes here (because a whole day would just be silly):

I want to spend an entire day just going to all the great fountains and then picking a favorite. I want to sneak into a class here:

I want to attend Mass here,

And eat one of these with every single meal

Let's not lie, I will also go here as the only time I have gone to McDonalds in the last decade is when I have been overseas. Plus this McDonalds has marble floors. Only in Paris.

 There is something so wonderful about a McDonalds overseas, they are comforting. Like my greasy little american security blanket (because if you actually did pack a blanket for Europe to offer these things by the time you arrived it just smells like luggage)

And I want to read Henry James right here, or perhaps some George Sand:

And I am still me, so I probably will make a stop here:

Now, for the important question. What shall I wear? Let's start with. . .
I will wear these pajamas, sensible for the European excursion but still not a disappointment to Paris fashion:

 And definitely these, because Paris is the perfect place for elbow length suede gloves:

And of course this, for a Sunday stroll in the gardens of Versailles:

 For the mediterranean:

For the rainy days:

What will I wear as I visit every single boulangerie, palace and jardins? Stay tuned, that is its own post folks.

Not in the Parisian spirit yet? Here is my favorite French song, you won't last thirty seconds till you are searching for your passport:

Mark it

Yesterday was a baaaad day. BYU lost. Duke lost. I felt sicky. Bad day. But today I got to go to BYU (oh wow, I really do love you BYU, you crazy nugget of a school) to see Mark Zuckerberg in real life! I am a hard core nerd, and the older I get the more nerdy I get (I may or may not have spent two hours looking at tech blogs, OUTSIDE of work related tech blog research). So this was a big deal in my culture. And it was amazing. Mark Zuckerberg, the actual one. He was such a sweetie! I mean obviously freakishly brilliant and scary rich, but modest seeming, and polite and genuine (my all time #1 quality in a human being) and you could just tell he had this thirst to learn more and make everything he touched better. He kept wanting to ask Senator Hatch questions, he said "I mean, I just don't get the chance to talk to US senators everyday!" He was so excited about this, and you know every person in there was like, dude, your work had a major MAJOR effect on the last presidential election, you pick up the phone and you can talk to any senator you want, any time of day.
Yes, we have known for quite some time that I am a Mark Zuckerberg groupie. And he kept talking about his girlfriend, which I thought was so funny and, just real. I mean this guy who is worth 13.9 billion dollars (not awkward at all when Senator Hatch pointed that out to everyone, haha) is so insanely proud of his girlfriend in medical school who used to be a teacher.
In conclusion--couldn't actually believe I got the chance to hear Mark Zuckerberg speak in person. I was extremely impressed. And it was just good to be back on my favorite campus, which holds a very special place in my heart. Love you forever BYU. Even you testing center, even you:) 

And a note to Mark, I think you are great. True I love Aaron Sorkin and the Social Network, but I think you are a peach too. And if you ever decide to convert to the LDS faith (we have great food!), I would totally marry you. I would even sign a prenup, because I don't even want your 13.9 billion dollars, I just think you are swell.

Civic Duty

As if there was not enough to love, there is one more very important thing about March. Tax Refund!! Yay! Oh how I love America. Sadly, I am actually planning on attempting to save my refund (blah blah smart wise logical blah blah), but I really wish I was buying one of these outfits:

Plum Dandy:

Ahoy matey:

Lemon cupcake

Oscar de la Renta

Rhode Island roaming