what colored my week - black on black

B&W Stripes Art Print / Striped flats / B&W alarm clock

It's been a while, I know. I did not forget about you little blog and whomever may still be reading. I hope you haven't stopped checking in to see what's going on in my side of the world. Life has been amazingly busy and, as much I hate to admit this, my head has been 90% devoted to work and 10% to my little family of three. Even though I've become quite the juggler, work has given me so much and this past week I received an unexpected promotion! Who would have thought that LA would be so kind to me? After I complained about how dirty it was; how expensive and untrustworthy the city appeared to be. It wasn't warm and welcoming, and to be honest, I started doubting the whole California way of life. I apologize, Southern California. Even though I still stand my ground when it comes to certain opinions, I did underestimate you and I hope you will forgive me. 

But this is not about my love/hate relationship with la la land. This is about my color obsession this past week. Black, black, and black! Maybe it's the never ending sunshine that prevails in California that has me craving for some gloomy weather. Or maybe it's because when I was a teenager, my dream was to move to NYC and become one those New Yorkers that only wear black and are ever so chic! Either way, I might just have to try to pull it off in this sunny 75 degrees weather. 

How about you? What color has been on your mind lately? 

xoxo,

m        

food styling

I have to admit, I'm a total foodie. There is nothing that gets me going quite like a good tasting meal. And none of that no gluten, fat-free, vegan stuff. I like butter, olive oil, cheese and meat! I have been thinking about food a lot lately... Maybe it's because for the past month I have been on a Weigh Watchers plan and have been counting points on top of points, and have realized that there are not enough of those for me to be able to enjoy the guilty pleasures that I have. But on a happy note, I am now 7.8 ibs healthier and I couldn't be more excited about it.  

So to fulfill my food (and design) craving, I wanted to share my favorite food styling/illustrated photography by Dietlind Wolf! The styling is great, simple and creative. And the use of watercolor illustrations are a super clever way to substitute props, using the white background to make all the other colors pop out.

I'm in total awe with this amazing design and totally getting hungry right now.  All I want to do is throw my daily points out of the window and munch on some buttery piece of bread, dipped in a cheesy mix followed my a mouthwatering piece of red meat! ;) 

xoxo,

m 

what colored my weekend - pink people

Hello and welcome back! This post was originally scheduled to go live yesterday, but I had a pretty hectic day and it completely slipped my mind... So without further ado, this is what inspired me this weekend.

Maybe it's the fact that I have been craving a beach getaway in a while or maybe it's the end of summer in sight, but I am entirely captivated by the work of Monica Ramos.  Particularly this beach scene (called Summer Love) that run edge to edge in the most perfect pink pastel color palette that make you somehow feel the warmth of a sunny day. 

In order to cool down the temperature, I decide to pair the illustration with easy breezy pink perfections, such as the hand painted Mara Mi Kiefe stationery set with gold foil printed inside envelopes; the pop of color S.M.E.G refrigerator, that I know will probably never find it's way into my home due to it being, well PINK; and last but not least pink hunters for rainy season - that is everywhere else but Southern California ;)    

What inspired you this weekend? Please do share. 

xoxo,

m

hooray! it's the fourth

I love everything about 4th of July. The colors, the fireworks, family BBQ's and the good old American patriotism. Even though I was not born here in the States, and my immediate family lives far far away in Brazil, after being taken in by my lovely husband's family, I feel like this is my home. I am building my life here as an adult and I love everything about it.

With that said, having family in another country makes snail mailing not the best choice. Sure, I love writing letters and cards, but when the estimated arrival date is an average of a month at a time, I rely heavily on Paperless Post! They have great options with designs from Kate Spade, J. Crew, Johnathan Adler, and even Oscar de la Renta. Pretty fancy, hum?

It wasn't a surprise that the moment I received Paperless Post's email showcasing their Independence Day card collection, I flipped out! Even though I probably won't send anyone a "Happy Fourth of July" card, I fell in love with a few too many of their designs... If I had to choose, my favorite would definitely be the "Dinner and a keg" one. Common' a 4th of July celebration wouldn't be the same without a keg stand performance, am I right? Ok... I'm just kidding. I don't even remember the last time I did a keg stand.

Any-who, Chris and I (plus my lil' bro) are on our way to Vegas tomorrow!!! MY VERY FIRST TIME! To say I am excited is an understatement. This is will be a memorable Independence Day for sure!

Hope you have a fantastic holiday weekend, m'dears!

xoxo,

m

what colored my weekend: summer hues

hello sunshine flats / kate spade iphone case / anthopologie chair / coffee mug / print from tumblr no link 

And i'm back! Oh gosh, I am so so so devastated that I have left this blog behind this past few weeks but you know how it goes... Life happens and time is limited. Plus, I have turned into a full-time blogger at work and that has been where all my blogging attention has turned to. Regardless of the reasons, I am incredibly happy to be back and hope you all will forgive me for my absence :) 

To return on a very happy and colorful note, I put together my favorite mood boards: what colored my weekend! Usually I try to post this on a Monday using it kind of like a recap of my weekend, however we are breaking all kinds of rules today so why not do it on a Wednesday? After all, I am still daydreaming of my sun-filled weekend...

If you follow me on Instagram you are aware that my little bro flew all the way from Rio to spend a couple of months with Chris and I exploring Southern California, and we have been making the most out of it. On Memorial Day Weekend we camped in the Sequoia National Forest (jaw-dropping views) and this past weekend we decided to stay local and drive to Santa Monica beach and enjoy the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. While there, we took the tourist route and ventured out on the pier for some good old hot dogs and ice cream cones. The never ending blue California skies always seem to inspire me... and along with the very colorful accents near the pier, it seemed like a what colored your weekend mood board perfect moment! 

Hope you are having wonderful week so far and here is to me coming back to the blogging world!!! I am so happy to be here :) 

xoxo,

m   

chaos - friday thoughts

Hello hello! Friday is finally upon us and I wanted to share a little bit of what's been inspiring me this week. It has been crazy busy at work and I have yet to return to my yoga routine, so needless to say I am in quite a chaotic situation. Not bad chaotic... just messy and unorganized. This is the reason why this artist caught my attention this past week. This watercolor has been in my INSPIRATION folder on my computer for a while and it got lost in the midst of everything else... as did the artists name! I am so bummed out, if you know who it is please point me in the right direction! Anyway, this painting kind of represents what my life looks like right now... There is a lot going on and there might be things that are not so obvious to the wandering eye. However, even though there lacks an organized sense of things, it is so beautiful, colorful and inviting. I feel that life has the same feel to it, don't you think? 

Hope you have a wonderful and inspiring weekend, and until next time!

xoxo,

m

welcoming a new pup

Image via Water In My Print Esty shop

Happy Friday sweet friends! As I wrote on my previous post: WE ADOPTED A DOG! I can't even believe it. It still seems surreal that now this tiny furry little thing depends on me to eat, drink water and go for walks. I know this is far from actually being a mom and having a baby, however Chris and I feel like we just did! :) 

Anyway, her name is Lady. Full name Lady Georgia Hodges. I know, a very unusual name for a fluffy dog, but let's just say that when we decided on it we (might) have been sipping on champagne... I have been trying to take a picture of her in my Warby Parkers just to share it here on the blog, however she didn't seem very fond of the idea and didn't cooperate. So, I went to etsy to find the perfect picture and found this precious one. Lady is not brown and does not wear bow-ties, but I just could't resist with this dog's cuteness! 

She is a 8 month old Pappilon mix. Her favorite activities consist of carrying our shoes around the apartment, taking long naps on the couch, and hanging out on our lap! We are super happy to welcome this sweet little lady to our home. Common' isn't she the cutest?? For more adorable puppy pictures, visit me on Instagram. 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and until next time! 

xoxo,

m

currently obsessed: pineapple everything

Hello and welcome back! It's been a while.. how have you been? Life has been good and busy, very busy! Entertaining out of town friends, taking care of our new pup (more news on this later) and enjoying the amazing weather. Even though, winter wasn't as bad as I am used to on the east coast, it does feel good to welcome Spring! Whenever a new season begins I always get excited. Nature brings new colors, stores have pretty summery outfits displayed and people seem to feel renewed (or at least I do). With that said, Spring has inspired me to look for colorful and happy things and now I can say I am obsessed with the tasty and good looking pineapple. Something about it just screams SUMMER and POOL SIDE fun!!! So I gathered a few images that have been lingering on my online feed and making me feel all kinds of fancy.      

Image via Studio DIY

Okay, someone has to throw a costume party ASAP so I can dress as a pineapple. Common' this is the best DIY ever!  

If I had it my way, pineapples would be my bedroom decor theme for sure! Nothing makes me happier than pretty patterned pineapples hanging on my walls. 

Shoes, shoes, shoes - with pineapple print. Enough said! Does anyone know where I can buy these? 

Image via ebay

Image via Anthropologie

And to complete my Spring/Summer obsession, a super duper cute pair of shorts and paddleball set for warm beach days.  

Hope your week is off to a fantastic start! Check in later on this week. I will be talking PUPPY!! 

xoxo,

m

what inspired me this weekend

All images via Garance Dore website

This weekend was spent relaxing and taking a mental break from the computer. However, there was one site that I could not keep myself away from... Garance Dore's blog! She is a super talented french artist that illustrates for major magazines, such as Vogue and Marie Claire. Also Garance has partnered with labels such as Kate Spade New York, and created great illustrated prints for clothing and accessory lines. I have always adored her work, however it was only this weekend that I discovered her blog. And what a great discovery it was! She has a great sense of humor, and writes about all things french and how, after 4 years living in New York City, has embraced the new yorker lifestyle.  If I had to pick only two stories out of many great ones they would have to be Things Parisians Do and Things New Yorkers Do. READ THEM!   

Not only are you able to get lost in all her incredible stories, but you also can shop all her amazing prints! 

 

After spending roughly 3 hours on the site, I seem to be having an urge to hop on a non-stop plane to Paris, sit in a cafe with an expresso, croissant and a cigarette in hand! Oh, so very parisian. And of course make good use of words such as Merde - and as my very good friend would say... Putain! Pardon my french, but I just couldn't help myself.  

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

xoxo,

m

welcoming spring

Image via

Even though Southern California has been pretty warm and beautiful for the past month or so, I welcome spring! I love when a season ends and another one begins. I think its the excitement of it all... and not to mention the chance of change up your outfit combinations! Even though, I am no longer in DC where seasons are so incredibly different, I am sure California will give me plenty of beautiful days to look forward to.   

Do you have a favorite season? Mine is Fall for sure.  

xoxo,

m

what colored my weekend: marilyn pink

Hello and welcome back! Monday is upon us once again so let's take it in little by little. First let's pour a cup of freshly brewed coffee and go for a walk around the block. After stretching out our legs, another cup of coffee is in order while reading the daily paper. 

Oh, how I wish every Monday was like this, but truth be told, usually it is very hard to get out of bed and when I catch a glimpse of my clock, there is only one thing that comes to mind: LATE LATE LATE! :) 

However, to start the week on a good note, I am sharing my favorite recurring post: What colored my weekend! This time around, Marilyn Monroe and her pink bubble gum definitely inspired my not-so-glamourous-in-my-pjs weekend. Ok... let's get right to it.

1. When thinking pink, Shop Bando is a must! Common' we all know the girls there know how to use pink in a very glamourous/girly way better than any one else. 

2. Oh these earrings... Etsy definitely has the best shops and this is one of my favorites. I can see Marilyn sporting these on a Wednesday night.  

3. Mr. Tea is awesomesauce! I would love to have my afternoon tea in this cup, wouldn't you? 

4. I have been wanting a typewriter for the past few years, but with all the bills and furniture buying for our new place, it just didn't seem right to spend a couple hundred dollars on an item that I would probably never use. I am addicted to my MacBook and there is no other gadget that will cure my obsession.... However, after finding this pink and cream one on Esty..... I might have to give it a chance. Maybe add it to my birthday list?  Plus Marilyn would totally dig this, don't ya think? ;) 

Okay lovelies, hope your week is off to a fantastic start and here is to a wonderful Monday! 

xoxo,

m

{collections} matchbox pretty

Hello and Happy Monday! This weekend was a very lazy one for me... Perhaps because the week before was so busy, during the weekend I was in bed by 10:30 pm every single day! The good thing about not going to bed in the wee hours of the morning, is that by 9 am you are out of bed and ready to enjoy the day ahead of you. While sipping on a cup of coffee on Saturday morning and getting lost around the web, I came across this ever so cute little matchbox and I immediately wanted to order a set... What would be better than lighting a vanilla scented candle with one of these matchboxes, right? However, if I was ever to actually purchase one of these beauties, they would probably never be used and would just sit on my coffee table just being all kinds of pretty!! I found most of them through Pinterest, so not all links were available. However, here are links to number 4 and 5. If you are ever in the market for well designed matchboxes, these will come in handy! 

Hope your week is off to a fantastic start and here is to one more cup of coffee (we all need that extra one on Monday!) 

xoxo,

m 

{what colored my weekend} lipstick red

Man, this weekend went by fast! But then again they all do, right? To start this week on a good note, my very favorite blog selection (that I haven't done in a while)!! What colored my weekend today has a little hint Valentine's Day vibe to it. Even though I did not plan it out, this Vogue UK print just did it for me. And then every thing else just followed... Hope you had a fantastic weekend. Now on to the gorgeously red items...

1. Ashley Brooke gets me. Well, I think she gets all the girly girls out there... This print definitely deserves a place on my dresser. 

2. Lately I have been hooked on red lips, however it's not always that you can a get away with super bright lipstick. That is when this cute Bando brooch would come in handy.

3. As all of you are aware, I am a lover of all things Kate Spade. This past Saturday, I ended up at the TJ Maxx down the street from our apartment, and in the middle of a very chaotic pile of accessories, I found this amazing chevron scarf! When I saw the price tag on it, I just had to get it. It feels good to be a maxximista... ;) 

4. I may be the only person on earth that does not own a pair of Toms. However I think that might change real soon... (look at the price on this cute one!)

5. Red confetti. There are no practical or obvious reasons for this... Yet, I still want it! 

          

xoxo,

m

{colors} benjamin moore color of the year

This is one of my favorite times of the year. When people (I mean companies...hehe) like Pantone and Benjamin Moore pick THE color that will be granted the very special title of "Color of the Year"! As a lover of all things color, it is an extremely hard task not to feel completely overwhelmed by the excitement that entails this very special date. It's like New York Fashion Week for fashion lovers, and the Oscars for celebrity/movie freaks! :) So here it is folks: Breath of fresh air! Benjamin Moore's color of the year. 

With that being said, it was of utmost importance that I curated a few pretty colored objects that made my heart skip a beat... 

1. the door... can I please purchase a little cottage and paint my front door this color? enough said! 

2. since we moved into our new apartment, all our living room furniture purchases have been white. I think these comfy bar stools are just what our space needs. don't ya?

3. philosophy makes the most well designed and inspiring products, and of course the sunscreen wouldn't be the exception   

4. If you know me (online or in person) this is pretty obvious. I love books and these are certainly the best definition of perfection... books that talk about color? YES PLEASE! 

What are your thoughts on 2014's color of the year? Want to read more on this subject? Click here. Want to see my take on Pantone 2013 color of the year? Click here. 

Hope your week is off to a lovely start and here is to the weekend ahead!!! Ta-da sweet friends.

just because

Hello lovelies and happy new year! Its has been a couple of crazy days around the Hodges household. We finally moved to a better neighborhood/apartment and are trying to get settled in. All this after spending Christmas eve and day in San Francisco (more on this later), and NYE trying to sign our lease. Holy moly! 

Anyway... Because I am popped out from all the moving, today is just for images. Simple, yet meaningful images. For no reason... just because. These are the ones that have caused me to smile, giggle, feel a tad bit nostalgic, and want to close my eyes and image something great is about to happen. Maybe I'm feeling too much of the "new year new" fluke, nevertheless these pretty colored, perfectly imperfect, posed pictures just did it for me.  I hope you enjoy it as well ! Here is to a wonderful week ahead.

image via taryn st. michelle 

image via band.do 

image via dean st. society

image via tumblr

image via tumblr

xoxo,

m

{colors} in the beginning - print publication

All images via University of Washington's website

Brianna Ailie's work caught my attention while browsing senior projects on the UW Design 2013 webpage. I am in absolute awe with this print publication. There is nothing more appealing to me than good use of color, simple imagery and beautiful typeface. "In the beginning" tells the story of the Creation from Genesis 1. I am not a very active christian and not the bible reading type (no judgement here...) however, I love the way she utilizes splashes of watercolor to allude what happens in the story. For a lover of all things color, this definitely makes my favorite things list! 

Back when I was in college, I was an avid reader of books on design. Even though I was not an Art major (yet a communication one), there was something very appealing to me when it came to layout, color interactions and imagery. I often harassed my friends that were taking such classes for information and usually came out with a list of books to read. One that will forever hold a spot on my nightstand is "Interaction of Color" by Josef Albers. Oh my heaven... amazing! Anyways, going back to the subject... Yes, colors and alluding to the story. One thing I learned from reading Josef Albers is that when one person says RED to 50 different people, be sure that there will be 50 different kinds of red in their minds. This happens because we relate to color in such a unique way and also because color has such an influence in our emotions. When Brianna Ailie utilizes splashes of color on a very clean spread of paper, the reader has the opportunity to interact more to the story that is being told. It's like taping into their imagination and developing a story line based on a personal connection between the reader and what's laid out in front of them. Colors... and type, of course!  

"When color challenges the safe, enclosing geometrical properties of the pictorial surface, as it is meant to, it does so with a slowness and delicacy that are disarming and a beauty that is exhilarating" Mark Strand. 

Hope you had a lovely weekend and here is to a productive and colorful week ahead!

xoxo,

m

{collections} esteban vicente on artsy

Autumn by Esteban Vicente (via Artsy)

Hello and welcome back! It has been a while...but the long holiday weekend kept me busy and longing for no to-do lists (ever again!!) :)

Today I will be sharing with you a website that I so dearly love: Artsy. If you are a little bit like me and love some good artwork you will fall in love with this online gallery. At first it can seem quite overwhelming, however when you get the hang of it, it all makes sense - and works! I don't know about you, but I despise all newsletters/promotional emails sent to me (even though I always opt in...) but Artsy's newsletter is always an email I love receiving. 

While starting to bake some goods for our Thanksgiving gathering this past Thursday, I opened my email and there it was.... Esteban Vicente's works of art delivered right to my inbox. I am a lover of all abstract expressionist paintings and am always on the lookout for new and inspiring artists and Esteban Vicente fits right in. With his colorful color palette, geometric forms and a never ending pulsation of light... It's safe to say I fell in love! 

Untitled, Esteban Vicente (via Artsy)

Tercios, Esteban Vicente (via Artsy)

Horizontal, Esteban Vicente (via Artsy)

Composition Red & Blue, Esteban Vicente (via Artsy)

Pretty lovely, right? These are only a few of my favorite ones, there are plenty more to chose from - that is if you feeling pretty generous this holiday season. For now I will be day dreaming of a white living room, with huge glass windows, plenty of natural light, a comfy grey couch and some of these pretty paintings hanging on the walls (YES, this would be my dream home).

Off I go to tackle my extensive to-do list. Hope your week is off to a great start and until next time.

xoxo,

m

{featuring} book/shop

Ok, this might just be my favorite blog post ever! A few weekends ago, while doing my weekly online research, I stumbled upon this little gem of a shop (remember this?). Book/Shop, is little store located in San Francisco (Oakland, to be more precise) and I cannot wait to be able to go see what it is all about.

Like myself, they believe in the power of reading and the experience behind the simple act of turning a page. "The surprise of one page turning to the other. The little luxury of sitting in a great reading chair, inhaling the scent of a beautifully made book." (link) Oh my, I think I might have found my place in this world. People have always thought it was weird the way I have forever loved books and everything about them.. their smell, the perfectly formatted paragraphs, and of course the devastating feeling when a book ends and you're totally not prepared to let go of the characters just yet! After going through their website, blog and Facebook profile, I sure am reconsidering moving to San Francisco... ;) 

Not only do they sell beautiful vintage books, but they have pretty things that go oh so well with them. Here are a few of my favorite things.... 

London Magazine

The "Ballast" Bookbag

Bookmark notepad

My favorite piece in the store has to be this simple, yet amazing "Read instead" print! I'll take two please. 

Hop on over to their website and do a little exploring. If you are a book lover such as myself, I know that you too will fall in love with Book/Shop!

xoxo,

m.

p.s: like the post? please do share! that's what makes the internet oh so lovely :)