oscars

to be honest, i was completely underwhelmed by this year's oscars fashion. but i did think the above three women presented themselves nicely in looks that were both beautiful and interesting. i think Cate Blanchett is brilliant in everything she does - including this stunning Givenchy Couture gown. i know it's being written up in some of the worst dressed lists, but i think that is so wrong. this dress works.

did you have any noteworthy oscar favorites?

happy weekend!

whew! we made it. friday, how i love you. i hope you find yourself drinking good wine and laughing often this weekend. i hope to do the same!

m & i are beginning the house hunt. my one requirement: a bathtub. this photo above is why.

have you been following jamie's journey through new york fashion week? love her take on grace kelly.

mmm. trying this recipe this weekend?

this photo. ah. missing summer like mad.

how awesome is this coat rack?

this wedding is ah-mazing. a picnic reception and a ceremony at sunset! tons of details and yet the whole event seems understated and relaxed.

adorable engagement

Lex & Loren - Engagement/Save the date! from Brinton Films on Vimeo.

this may be the cutest engagement video i've ever seen. i love their spunk!

hair change

i'm growing my hair out for the wedding but if i weren't, i would immediately proceed to the nearest salon, present this beautiful photo of rachel mcadams and ask for her haircut. i love having short hair. we'll see come july! are you currently trying to grow yours out or muster the courage to chop it all off?

Nana

i'm back! i'm so sorry i've been somewhat MIA this week. i normally try to keep things light and fresh on A Strong Aesthetic, but, to be honest, i couldn't do it these past couple of days. my family received some news that my Nana has breast cancer. needless to say, it's been an emotional, prayer-filled week for me. but yesterday we got some encouraging news, and i do believe it was due to all the prayers of so many friends and family. so for now, i am clinging to what i know to be God's truth and sending all my love down south to Nana.

the woman (pictured above in all her glamor- i mean, really) has fabulous style in all areas: she owned a clothing store, sewed a lot of my mother's clothes, has beautiful looping handwriting, ran her own interior design business, and was the winner of a beauty pageant to boot. she demonstrates more strength, both in her stubbornness and in the way she overwhelms you with love, than anyone i know. she is deeply devoted to my Gampy whom she has loved for over 50 years and who affectionately calls her, 'Shicky.' she's an avid reader and always recommends the best novels to me. she is every bit the part of a loving grandmother with all the wit and wisdom of a trusted friend. and she makes the best chocolate chip cookies i've. ever. had. i could go on and on. she is a beautiful woman whom i cherish so very much.

i know she's going to kick this cancer in the butt with more style and panache than most could muster on a healthy day. she's Nana, and nothing else would suit her.

no good, very bad day

it's been one of those days (er... several of those days). and i'm not quite sure how to blog about it yet. and just when i think i can't handle anything else, i get a terrible call demanding i pay almost $100 for a repair diagnosis on my car when i had already had the problem diagnosed elsewhere for free. i swear, sometimes i think car places take advantage of me just because i am a young woman without a wealth of obvious automobile knowledge. argh. i am still angry. praying i can muster the courage to refuse to pay and it work... you can do that, right?

did any of you read this book as a child? my mom used to read us books like this one every night before bed. how i wish the no good, very bad days of my childhood were as bad as they would ever get.

wanderlust

it's a gorgeous day again. i so want to be outdoors, sunning on some grassy knoll. these photos by jose villa have me falling for the italian countryside. aren't they gorgeous?