In Suspense.

Charmed this morning by a lantern on a clothesline pulley, a curtain of paper cranes, a cluster of ice-blue balloons encased in mesh. Some people are just so creative.

Photos, clockwise from top left: Alexi Hobbs for Dwell Magazine (lamp created by Paul Bernier); Elemental Weddings (the curtain was a part of this beautiful soiree); XO in My Room via Remodelista.

Wishing you all a wonderful, restful, restorative holiday weekend! (Any plans? I'll be catching up with one of my oldest friends over cocktails and chicken biscuits. Can't wait.) See you back here Tuesday.

Thx.

Los Angeles-based writer Leah Dieterich pens a thank-you note every day - the archive on her website, thx thx thx, extends all the way back to 2009. As the site states, "There’s always something to be thankful for. From the important things like Songs You’re Embarrassed to Like, and Heavy Eyelids that Tell You When You Need to Sleep, to friends and family, love and loneliness, light and darkness, Leah... sets out to acknowledge them all."

I'm impressed. See more at thx thx thx, here. Happy Thursday!

The Ladder.

This week on the Equals Record, I'm sharing a few of the reasons I'm forsaking a more traditional road to success in favor of a (much) less stable career path.

An excerpt from the new post: "As a relative newcomer to the freelance world, I realize that while I’m extremely lucky, my career is far from what the average New Yorker would consider 'successful,' 'powerful,' or 'important.' It’s challenging, exciting, liberating, unconventional - but lucrative? Glamorous? Cosmopolitan? Not quite...There’s a reason I’ve chosen to sacrifice certain things, however - a steady paycheck, employer-provided healthcare, the comfort of a routine - in order to follow the path I’m on. It’s because in the past year, I’ve thought seriously about what I want to prioritize."

See the post in its entirety at the Equals Record, here, and find more from my column, Looking Forward, here. Thank you so much, as always, for reading!

Photo: "Up!" by Aleksandr Malin. (I've used it before - I love it.)

Harajuku Hip.

I may or may not have just spent a full hour, glassy-eyed, scrolling through the entire Harajuku archive of the Japanese fashion blog Style Arena. I'm transfixed.

I've seen countless photos of Japanese fashion trends that look like this, but I love how the girls pictured here are slightly less over-the-top (yet still completely offbeat).

I've been feeling homesick for Japan lately - it's been almost a year since I took this trip with my family - and I'd love to go back. Right now, though, that's only a dream. Do you have any travel plans for the rest of the year? (Go on, make me jealous.)

All images via Style Arena.

Corduroy Returns.

After a bit of a break, artist Jen Ray's Etsy shop, corduroy - one of my favorites - is back. I love this plucky tote,

this chilly ghost and that indeterminate "cat loaf" (complete with fur letters),

and, last but certainly not least, this Longleaf Pine "super fatty fat lighter." Jen Ray writes, "This big bundle will start LOTS of fires...I never go camping without it." Yours for $15.

Welcome back, corduroy. Happy Monday to all.

Striking a Chord.

A big thank you to my lovely friend, Hauna, for clueing me in to Music Philosophy, a site which features graphic interpretations of thought-provoking song lyrics. Below, a few of my favorites - of course, I'm partial to The Who (as I've mentioned before, I'm obsessed), but I have to admit, that last one really tugs at the heart strings. See more, here.

What are you all up to this weekend? I'll be celebrating my roommate Natalie's birthday tonight. She made gold paper crowns for everyone in attendance - can't wait to wear one!

Wishing you all a very happy weekend!

Dream Digs.

Every now and then, I'll come across a home tour on a blog or in a magazine that catches my eye, and I'll bookmark the link or pin one or two photos for future reference. Very rarely do I spot anything, however, that I love as much or as wholeheartedly as Anna Corinna's Williamsburg home, which was profiled recently on Refinery29.

Says Anna of her home design sensibility, "It's a combination of treasure hunter, vignette builder, and appreciative director of the mise-en-scène." 

The cherry on top: a grassy green backyard, complete with garden and whimsical wooden playhouse. Oh, and also? Anna and her husband have a son named Wolfie - I love that, too. See the tour in its entirety at Refinery29, here.

Photos by Rus Anson; Anna Corinna interview by Annie Georgia Greenberg.

Lately.

I'm taking a short break from my Equals Record column this week, but will be back with a regular post next Wednesday. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a little of what I've been up to this month. 

Some highlights, clockwise from top left: turning 27 (Max took this Polaroid of me at my birthday dinner); making friends with the adorable Chuba, who belongs to my pal, Daniella; catching up with Becca and Tamra at #blogbashNYC; and trying on everything in sight at ban.do's latest Black Label launch (photo via Rebecca's Instagram).

 

And I had so much fun in the Smilebooth with these beautiful ladies at The Cream last week. (Stylish accessories provided by ban.do. I loved my bright yellow headwrap.)

It's been a wonderful month! Looking forward to more adventures in September and beyond...

PS: You can follow me on Instagram at @my_shokoko.

Head in the Clouds.

This eye-catching tutorial on cloud-making has my imagination running wild. Homemade clouds? Can't think anything cooler. I'd hang one from a beam on my canopy bed-frame - that way, I could do this as often as I pleased.

See more at the Farm Chicks blog, here. Found via Jordan Ferney.

Three Quotes.

Wise words to start your week:

(Plus a fourth, just because. This one always makes me want to cry.) Have a wonderful Monday!

Images, from top to bottom, via Don't Touch My Moleskine, Cubicle Refugee, Matthew's Island of Misfit Toys.

Animals With Casts.

The Tumblr feed Animals with Casts absolutely rips my heart to shreds (click through for more, if you think you can handle it).

Any exciting plans this weekend? I'm venturing to Mission Chinese Food tonight with some girlfriends; whipping up a batch of blueberry pie cookies Saturday afternoon with my pal, Stephen; and meeting up with this lovely lady for a much-needed catch-up. Have a great one, whatever your plans!

Sarah & Lou.

My friends Sarah Yates and Lou Mora, both talented photographers, eloped recently on a forest-y stretch of hiking trail in LA's Coldwater Canyon Park. That light, that dress, those smiles: breathtaking, all around. Congratulations again, Sarah and Lou!

Fun, random fact: that's my dad in the fourth photo, officiating the ceremony.

See more on Sarah's blog, A House In the Hills, and on 100 Layer Cake, here (including an amazingly beautiful video by the amazingly talented Sharkpig). Photos by Max Wanger.

Be Nice to Yourself.

This week on the Equals Record: thoughts on being my own worst critic - and finally learning to cut myself some slack (it's harder than it sounds!).

An excerpt from the new post: "Just before my sixteenth birthday, my family packed up our little white clapboard house in Honolulu (where we'd lived for eight years) and moved back to Los Angeles (where I was born and had attended elementary school). My first year back on "the mainland" required me to adjust to life in a  big city after spending many years in the slow, simmering heat of a tiny tropical island. I also had to cope with the stress of starting over at a new school in the eleventh grade, on top of the normal, everyday highs and lows of teenage life. It was not easy... I was often very hard on myself when I made mistakes, or faltered, or did things that I thought were awkward or embarrassing (but, in hindsight, were totally normal). I was my own worst critic and toughest judge — I expected myself to handle everything perfectly."

See the rest on the Equals Record, here. Thank you so much for reading - I appreciate it!

Illustration by Emily McDowell. 

Toast, Lollies, and Australian Bird Eggs.

Three offbeat Etsy finds to start off your Tuesday: quirky cards by Nicola Rowlands (creator of pocket man friends),

a ceramic plate featuring a rosy-cheeked and very friendly-looking slice of toast, 

and Cake With Giant's illustrated guides to Australian bird eggs and "lollies" (what a great word).

Have a wonderful Tuesday! (I'm excited to see these lovely ladies today - what a treat.)

Man, Wife, Child, Dog.

These photos, taken by Tokyo-based photographer Akihiro Furuta, have apparently been circulating the blogosphere for a while. But seeing as I can never resist the opportunity to post quirky Japanese family portraits (remember Hideaki Hamada's beautiful boys, and Nagano Toyokazu's brilliant little firecracker?), I just had to share. I think they're amazing, with a capital A.

Visit Akihiro Furuta's website, here. All photos via the artist's Facebook page. 

Have a happy Monday!

Lip-Dub Love.

I just couldn't resist - this video is too good not to share. Writes Neetzan Zimmerman of Gawker, "YouTuber kkpalmer1000 is a big fan of Beyonce's music, so, naturally, he put on a blue Snuggie and recorded a shot-for-shot lip-dub remake of her music video for 'Countdown.'" Awesome.

Wishing you all a wonderful, wonderful weekend! What are your plans? (I'm excited to go to this concert tonight.)

Also, a note to my fellow New Yorkers: my friends Paige Appel and Kelly Harris of the event planning company Bash, Please are hosting a can't-miss wedding showcase this Tuesday in Chelsea called THE CREAM (formerly known as HITCHED). So many amazing companies and vendors will be there - if you're planning a wedding, you must check it out. Tickets are available for purchase here. I'll be there all night helping out - I'd love to see you! 

Joyful Little Things.

First, thank you all so much for your wonderful and very sweet birthday comments - they made my day so special. I'm so happy and grateful to know you all; as I've mentioned before, I'm often stunned by how many wonderful people have come into my life since starting Sho & Tell. I can't thank you enough for your friendship and support.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

---

This week on the Equals Record, a short list of "little things" that make down-time from work special...

...an excerpt from the new post: "I recently received an email from a friend who told me she’s making an effort to 'insert more joy' into her life, whether that means making phone calls to friends more regularly, or drinking less coffee during the week. It made me think: how can I add more joy to the cherished pockets of my life that aren’t filled with work? More often than not, I don’t have the time (or the energy) to do anything on a large scale. But what about little things? An amazing breakfast or an hour spent browsing in a bookstore generally makes me just as happy as a night out or a weekend away."

You can find the rest on the Equals Record, here. Thank you so much, as always, for reading!

Image via Bears of Artemis. (Know the artist? Please share - I'd love to give proper credit!)

27.

Today I turn twenty-seven! Please excuse the short post - I'm heading out to spend the day with my brother and sister-in-law, who are visiting from LA. 

I'll be back with a regular post tomorrow! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Photo by Katya Po.

Sad Girls.

Transfixed this morning by Yelena Bryksenkova's lovely, poignant illustrations - I came across these three via Sad Girls, a new drawing collective comprised of Brysenkova, Leah Goren, and Tuesday Bassen (they'll soon be publishing a zine under the same name).

There's something both cozy and lonely about these drawings, isn't there? (Looking at them reminds me of this post.) I feel like this last one could easily be of me, working away by myself most nights until the wee hours - minus the adorable sleeping baby elephant, of course.

Visit Yelena's blog, here, and Sad Girls, here. Found via Wolf Eyebrows.