Blog (and website) envy: MS. MISHIGAS

Jo is in the foreground.

 Meet my cousin Joanna, aka Jo, aka Ms. Mishigas, Queen of Chaos. She is beyond awesome.

Jo left her hot hot-dog biz in Philadelphia in August 2011, moved down to Miami with great husband and adorable kids, decorated her condo with super cool thrift store finds, and then went and got diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer in December. She hopped on a plane, gathered medical opinions, and sustained intense treatment in order to get the cancer the F out of her body. Jo blogged through treatment, unveiling an amusing, effortless funny, authentic, and free voice. From her blog, she (along with some friends) built a website -- Ms. Mishigas -- that educates, guides, and inspires people with and without cancer, and also aims to redistribute "good condition 'cancer stuff'" like hats, bandanas, etc." for those who need it.

To (nearly) quote McFadden & Whitehead: "Ain't no stopping her now!"

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And now a design bonus...  a few shots of Jo's total funhouse taken by me without any "I'm-gonna-come down-and-take-some-photos" warning.  In blogland, she may be Queen of Chaos. At home, comfort is king. No styling, just loose, comfortable, and affordable modern.

It took Jo just 2 days to find a vintage furniture dude who drove his van over and let her peek in the back and buy what she liked.

I love this little reading corner especially when the breeze blows the curtains.

Her master bedroom color scheme is a mix of clouds, sun, and Jo.

And for those of you still going, "Huh, WTF is Mishigas??" (also spelled "mishegas") here is a definition swiped from the internet:

Mishegas (n.)
Craziness: The fact that she refused to go to college is mishegas.

Here is how I would use the word:

 Jo's unpredictable, unfussy, generous, love-filled life is the most beautiful mishigas I have ever seen.

BLOG ENVY: THE LANE

does anyone know what play or sonnet this is from?

I'm not a big fan of mass-digested inspirational quotes, especially about love. It's not that I don't believe love can be as good, strong and as word-perfect as the quotes  suggest -- I'm just a bit of a disbeliever when it comes to the longevity of monogamous love relationships.

Yes, the relationship cynic speaks!

Image from A Vibrant Mexican Wedding via The Lane

Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered The Lane -- a beautiful site all about weddings and filled with potential vow nuggets --  and really liked it. The Lane doused my rogue cynicism... temporarily, providing plenty of nice sentiment and romantic eye candy.

 
If I had been hooked to a sensor while reviewing this site, I think the doctors would have found my brain waves to be mostly positive. Truth be told...a few photographs of older people (like over 35) feeling fancy free and falling in love too would have been nice. But O.K....maybe that's just another website.

All images are from The Lane. 

BLOG ENVY: Moon to Moon

Gawk. Pin, pin, pin. That's how it went the first time I visited Moon to Moon, a blog devoted to the colorful, layered, romantic and rustic boho vibe. The author lives in the UK, keeps her identity super low key,  and professes the motto "Live by the sun; love by the moon." She is a consistent curator of hippie chic and nearly every picture makes me want to dive right through the screen, and into...

 this nook

 these books

Plus she reposts The Selby which looks just as good the 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc. time around.

Bathroom via The Selby

 And you can find her on Tumblr too.

BLOG ENVY: PIEWACKET

When you see this header, you will have arrived at Piewacket.

Piewacket belongs to photographer Lara Rossignol. 

I discovered her blog by way of "Sweet Peach." Lara's compelling aesthetic comes across in each image and in the environments she creates. Plus she has a recipe for a banana bread that sounds absolute killer!

And I mean "envy" in the best possible way. 

AH, WISTERIA

photo: jane dagmi

I XOXO wisteria, lilacs and other droopy flowers 

that hang from vines. 

This shot is from 2009, taken in Prentiss Douthit's home in Birmingham, AL. Prentiss has a way with flowers, animals, and just about anything he gets his creative hands on. His home was featured in Country Living Magazine in 2011. I enjoyed my visit.