friday faves: 5.6.11

my weeks are always stressful, increasingly so. it's hard to keep my stress from seeping into this blog but i know it does - almost always on fridays as that's when i have to prepare for the true hurricane of stress: my store being open on the weekends (a.k.a. no sitting, no eating, no stop to the talking, no rest from the lecturing, virtually no sleep). this is a common fact amongst my friends. i've lost many of them due to my demanding work schedule and it has been difficult to justify this to myself. i just have to keep saying that while they are off having fun, they are likely racking up debt and struggling to stay afloat in this economy. i may not make a lot of money and i may not get a lot of sleep, but i am gaining incredible experience virtually unheard of from anyone my age (hellooo - CHINA?!). so it's worth it. it has to be worth it or else i'll lose my mind.

so what does this have anything to do with friday faves? it has to do with something that happened tuesday of this week. i spent my day off on monday in bed, flipping through bridal magazines (because really, i can't stop working even on days off) and feeling very lonely. i was also texting a long-time friend who is currently stationed in the army in north carolina. unlike my now-gone friends here, he has stayed there for me. he made me laugh, made me think, made me feel like things will get better. those were his words: things will get better. he promised that they would get better the very next day even! of course i laughed. but then i got to work on tuesday and an hour in, the ups guy arrived...

bright & happy tiger lillies in a lovely pink vase! they actually arrived still as buds - this picture was taken one day later when they really became to blossom and fill up the whole office with the most beautiful scent ever.

and he was right, it made my day better! it actually helped me through what ended up being a very difficult work day. funny how little things can make such a huge difference... but that's why i started this blog - to fill my daily life with the little pretty things we can too easily forget.

but without further ado, more images for this week's friday's faves . . .

{random note: i just NOW realized i forgot a friday faves last week! many, many apologies - i could've sworn i wrote one but somehow it disappeared! hopefully this post, full of pretty, pretty images & great giveaways, makes up for it! can you ever forgive me?}

design/decor

~ perfectly whimsical fairy lights ~

all pictures found on the great miss walker's blog [unfortunately, the original source for all images are unknown. please, please tell me if you know it!]. it was impossible to pick just one fave, so here are my top 4. want more? check out her original post!

~ perfectly "kait" vases ~

meet hoot vase, the most perfect hand-blown glass ever. absolutely adorable. but unfortunately only available for Canadians. so sad, eh? found on the one and only, design crush

fashion

~ more flowy dress + leather jacket lovin' ~

as much as i'm a sundress kind of gal, this leather jacket really adds that extra something-something to abigail spencer's look. [images via the vogue diaries]

~ dita's red hot dress ~

a woman who doesn't need a red carpet to look absolutely stunning, the epitome of the modern day pin up, miss dita von teese. goodness gracious is she hawt! [from red carpet fashion awards]

etc.

~ two of my faves... kissing ~

love them. love, love, love. love everything about this picture... well, except for the whole lakers thing [GO BULLS!!]
pictures from getty images; via best week ever

~ more from my favoritest ~

goodness gracious is he incredible. and completely dead-on. [via]

giveaways

~ a pretty clutch for a pretty girl ~

from emerson made, of course -- where all pretty little things are made! hosted by one of my favorite blogs/bloggers, lindsey over at lee la la. head on over to this post to enter for yourself - giveaway ends monday morning! and then thank me for introducing you (if you hadn't been already) to such a lovely blog :)

~ a 200 follower giveaway that will take your breath away ~

... because it's for an item from TIFANNY & CO.!! woah! super sweet blogger lindsey, who has a fab blog called my dolce vita filled with pretty pictures and exercise motivation and also spiritual motivation, is celebrating her 200+ followers by offering one of us our own choice of items from tiffany's! double woah! the choices are exceptional - everything from jewelry to perfume. my personal choice is the tiffany blue coin purse, pictured above. so go on over to this post, become a follower if you aren't already, and take your pick! you have another two full weeks to enter, too :)

~ fuji instant mini camera ~

a friend of mine from korea had a snazzy lil camera just like this and i completely fell in love! so when erin over at sunshine and carousals posted that she is giving away one of these mini instant cameras in honor of her birthday, i nearly squealed! if you think this camera is about as cool i do, then head on over to enter for yourself!

~ link love from around the blogosphere ~

- i usually save this for wednesdays, but you must check out this parisian masquerade wedding!
- a fellow polka dot lover's fabulous collection of PD finds
- a gorgeous tattoo, exactly the spot where i want mine!
- some crush-worthy twisty-buns
- keri russell's gorgeous home

~ in cased you missed it ~

some of my fave posts right here on pretty things from the past few weeks:

vera wang bridal 2012

vintage wedding dress,

"one fine day" editorial

atelier versace ss 2011 gowns

my dream apt kitchen

have a fabulous weekend and especially lovely mother's day!

xx,

kait