get inspired: interview with Amy of Seafoam Eyes

graphic by Amy

I'm starting a new series of posts about my two favorite things:  creativity and inspiration.  As a "creative" person, I am constantly searching for inspiration to fuel my creativity, and I thought it would be interesting to ask others about what they are passionate about.  Here is the first of what I hope to be many interviews with some of my favorite bloggers about what inspires them.

Amy has a lovely blog at Seafoam Eyes.  We have been blogfriends for a few years, and last summer we met for the first time at a Harry & the Potters concert.

Where do you find the most inspiration?
I find a lot of inspiration in books, and films. Most of my inspiration in life is gathered from the pictures of the lives of characters and settings painted by authors and filmmakers. For instance, right now I'm completely enamored with Louisiana, and have been reading books set in the deep south and watching movies set there. For me, inspiration comes from immersing myself in another land. I suppose it's sort of like traveling, except I get to stay home.

How do your surroundings affect your creativity?
Greatly. I find that if I'm not in a place where I'm comfortable, or can make myself at home, inspiration and creativity come to me more difficultly. I'm most creative when I am at ease, and in an environment that is tidy and aesthetically pleasing.

How does pop culture/the internet influence you?
I couldn't say that it doesn't influence me, because of course it does, it influences everyone, but I'm definitely very selective in my tastes and what I become interested in through the internet and pop-culture. I've built a comfortable bubble that includes certain aesthetics, and I tend to let in only what I am genuinely interested in. That being said I think pop culture and the internet as a whole are brilliant tools for educating ones self, and for the act of discovery. I've discovered so many amazing things through the internet, and they've all affected my life, outlook, and personality in one way or another.

What made you start blogging and what has kept you going since?
I began blogging at sixteen. I had just had a minor foot surgery that was keeping me out of ballet for a good six months, and my mom suggested blogging as a creative outlet. All-in-all I'm quite surprised I've kept blogging all these years, and that it's progressed into something so much larger than my sixteen-year-old self could ever have imagined. I kept blogging, definitely for the amazing creative outlet, but also for the fantastic community of amazing, creative, and uniquely talented people I've met through it. Blogging just wouldn't have its appeal if I didn't have the opportunity to connect with so many other like-minded bloggers in the process.

I've been reading your blog for years. Every time I read it, I get this urge to grab a cup of tea or write a letter to a friend. Is this what you're going for?
I don't know that I'm exactly "going for" anything. My blog is like an extension of my personality, and drinking tea and writing letters is most definitely a part of who I am. If reading my blog gives people the urge to make themselves a good cup of tea and write letters then I'm very glad! Because writing letters and drinking tea is AWESOME, but I wouldn't say I'm aiming to make anyone do anything other than possibly look at life with a lovelier outlook.

What creative outlets do you most utilize & why?
Well, most definitely blogging. As I mentioned, blogging is a way for me to better express my personality, and share the things I love in a creative manner. I also greatly enjoy ballet and piano as creative outlets.

How would you describe your personal stye or aesthetic?
My personal aesthetic is really just a conglomerate of all of the things I love, and personally find aesthetically pleasing. Like English gardens, contemporary architecture, Michelle Dockery, lemon meringue pie, and mens leather shoes. Maybe none of those seem like elements of style, but they are to me. They kind of paint a larger picture. I like my personal style to reflect the larger picture of my personality and interests, without giving away too much so as to leave some interest intact.

Check out Seafoam Eyes for more of Amy!

sweet times & finds with friends

On Tuesday, some friends and I went to get shaved ice and do some thrifting.  I FOUND THE BEST NECKLACE EVER.  It was love at first sight.  I spotted it immediately in a sea of other necklaces and bracelets.  The rest is history.  Later I got to finally catch up with my friend who was in Europe for six weeks.  So happy to have her home!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting up with Amy to browse the mall and get Sprinkles cupcakes.  It was a lovely time!  I even found velvet magenta flats at Banana FOR UNDER $7.  I love finding bargains like that on nice brands.  Plus, they are super comfy.  I can't wait to wear them this fall with bright tights. 

When I got home, I found Izzy as seen above.  With blue in her hair.  This is not the first time this has happened, although the blue is new.  Apparently I can't leave my family alone for an afternoon without them causing mischief...

Happy Thursday!  Hope you have an exciting weekend ahead of you.  

thursday thrills

(picture)

New favorite blogger alert!  Delightfully Tacky is wonderfully awesome.  I haven't felt this way since I discovered A Beautiful Mess.

Speaking of A Beautiful Mess--there is a new blog layout!  It's much simpler to navigate and still completely adorable.  My favorite new features are the "Everyday Elsie" and "Everyday Emma" blogs.

Learn from the best--cute DIY nails.

Flipped through London Style Guide at Anthro today and fell in love.  I can't wait to explore London in Spring 2014!

And finally, a Moonrise Kingdom styled elopement photoshoot.

focus: moonrise kingdom

It doesn't take much for me to become instantly inspired and obsessed with a movie.  After seeing Moonrise Kingdom for the second time, I decided I needed to blog about how much I am in love with it.  Everyone keeps telling me, "It's such a Kaylie movie!"  To this, I say, "Thank you!!!!!" because it is really just the greatest compliment ever when something like a Wes Anderson film or macarons remind someone of me.

The thing I most admire about Wes Anderson is his attention to detail and color.  The props, costumes, landscape, music, and cinematography are all uniquely him.  It's undeniable when you're watching one of his films.

Costume-wise, I find his characters presented almost cartoon-like, as if each of his films is a live-action replication of a cherished storybook tale.  Most of the characters have one set "uniform" or color scheme that they stick to.  For instance, Suzy wears basically the same outfit the entire film, even when the color changes a couple of times. My favorite detail about Suzy's wardrobe was that she always wore a piece of ribbon around her waist.  In my mind, this means she wants to add a more grown-up shape to her "girl dress," much like she wears blue eyeshadow (which she totally rocked, by the way) and her mother's perfume.

The caricature-like aspect of the characters and their surroundings was even more evident in Moonrise since it was set in 1965.  We look at everything from the past as "precious" and Wes doesn't shy away from this--he encourages it and uses it to create a adventure dreamland that reminded me of a little kid version of a French New Wave film.  Also, I couldn't help but think of Anna Karina (in this scene in Pierrot le Fou) during the "fight" scene when Suzy uses her scissors to defend herself.

The plot itself is genius, in a simple, yet clever way.  I love action-packed craziness as much as the next person, but even more I appreciate the simplicity of a well-made feel-good movie like The Artist, When Harry Met Sally (RIP Nora Ephron), or THE MUPPETS, GOSH DARNIT!

Moral of Story:

• Wes Anderson makes dreamy color-coordinated wonderlands.
• Well-told love stories are timeless.
• Go see Moonrise Kingdom ASAP.

eat here: green + nami

Last Wednesday Erin and I had a best friend date and went out to dinner and saw Spring Awakening in downtown Phoenix.  Erin had heard about the vegan restaurant Green, so we tried it out and were not disappointed.  The atmosphere was laid-back and inviting, and the people there were very friendly.  I hadn't eaten vegan in a while (at school it's always an option, but my tendency to add cheese to everything kind of stunts this ability most of the time), so it felt good to!  We had the samosas and the greenza flatbread.  An intense lover of mozzarella, I was a little hesitant about having "mock" mozzarella, but combined with the pesto and seasonings, I couldn't tell too much of a difference.  Too bad my other (vegan) best friend Kate wasn't there to enjoy it too!

Next door was their ice cream and coffee shop, Nami.  We split (and it was plenty) the delicious Chai Tiramisu.  At the time I was under the impression it was also vegan, but it wasn't--although it was made with soy milk.  Either way, it was some of the best ice cream I've ever tried.

For a laid back night on the town, these two quaint places are great for casual dining.  It was the perfect choice before seeing Spring Awakening at Phoenix Theatre.  So happy I finally got to see it, because I have been obsessed with the music since last summer.  They did a great job, so if you're not easily offended, you should definitely try to catch it before it closes.

photo diary: newport beach - last one, i promise

Finally, the last of the CA posts.  Our last day we went to Fashion Island, and after the disappointment of no macarons at a bakery we stopped in first, we found a tiny macaron shop that opened only two weeks earlier.  I was thrilled.  We found a spot near the koi fish ponds, and shared each macaron we tried.  When we were sitting there, a kid with a dog came up to us and started talking, and a Chick-fil-A cow also came up to us.  We got pictures of both.  After browsing a few shops, we headed to Balboa Island to look at the adorable houses and get some dinner before Ted had to drop me off at the airport.  As you can see, Ted was sad about this...

It's been nice having the chance to relive my trip through these photos, especially since now that I'm done, I only have to wait less than two weeks to see Ted again!  Thank goodness.

Happy weekend!

Newport Beach on Dwellable

photo diary: picnic

To wrap up a lovely day, Ted and I made this incredible avocado mac n cheese (If you love avocados and yourself, you need to make this) and had a picnic on a hill overlooking the beach.  Hands down one of my favorite things we've done together.  His parents were very sweet and concerned about my warmth, so his dad gave me his windbreaker to wear on top of Ted's cardigan, and my cardigan.  :)

photo diary: san juan capistrano

Ted and I had such a great time in San Juan Capistrano.  He introduced me to The Tea House, which was an extremely lovely situation.  I am incredibly lucky to have Ted, who not just tolerates this kind of thing, but actually really enjoys and encourages it.  Like me, he loves an excuse to get dressed up snazzy, so we had fun being fancy.  After tea and lunch, we walked around the picturesque area, taking pictures (most of the pictures above were taken by him), peeking into a couple of shops and looking at the petting zoo animals.