If this isn’t one of the greatest photos ever, I don’t know what is. It just doesn’t get better than these guys. Clooney and Pitt may be a close modern second to Redford and Newman but there’s just something about these two guys. I was so fortunate to meet Paul during the last year in his life, even in his old age he was as twinkly eyed as ever. He told me the story of how he met Joanne and how she taught him to dance backstage in the Broadway theater where they were doing Picnic. I wonder if he knew he made my year?

It’s been a big week over here. The bebes turned 13 months and my little man is waving and say night-night and bye-bye. He also loves to say Tiger. I love that so much. My little lassie is walking all over the joint- it’s amazing how so much can change in one week. I hope you’re off to an inspired weekend. No big plans for the 4th weekend over here, we’ll see what unfolds. It’s real hot, that’s for sure. I’m loving all this rain though- makes me nostalgic for my childhood summers in Florida.

A little link love and some things that inspire:

Parisians are given an etiquette manual to encourage friendliness. Interesting.

9 Walks in Europe with one near the Jura. Wine and walks- count me in. I would definitely want to make a pit stop at Jacques Puffeney‘s vineyard.

Fäviken: I gotta get here- somehow… someday. Apparently one of the best meals on the planet in the remote woods of Sweden. And- the chef’s name is Magnus, I mean come on.

A Rain Room- cool!

My newest obsession, I would wear these things out.

I just saw this documentary- so inspiring. It really made me see our public defenders in a completely new light. I have so much admiration for the people that do this important work.

Also: It was so fun to read about my fab in-laws’ long lasting Showmance in this NY Times article.

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Doesn’t this look just like summer! I’m not usually a spritzer kind of girl but this looks delicious. Thanks Joy the Baker!

It’s been a crazy week. DOMA is repealed- hooray (this is a kind of funny 2 -word response), Brazil’s in an uproar, Wow Wendy Davis, and George Zimmerman’s lawyer is telling knock knock jokes- what is happening. Stephen Colbert’s mother passed away and he gave a loving tribute to her on his show. This is a Colbert we have not seen, so sweet.

In light of a big week, I hope you are all off to a big and fun-filled weekend. My momma is coming into town- double hooray- so we’ll head out to North Beach with the kiddos and check out the so-called “Jewel of Chesapeake Bay”. It’s only 45 minutes from our place so I’m crossing my fingers that it’s awesome- there’s nothing like a nearby beach on a hot summer day.

I’ve also started reading again. I know, I know- alert the media, right. It is kind of a biggie for me as I have been a little sleep deprived with work, travel and the bebes and I haven’t really read anything in months. I’m listening to Andre Agassi’s Open on audiobook- so well written- I know I’m a little late to the game (no pun intended) on this one, but it’s awesome. I just downloaded  Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Mo Meta Blues - so looking forward to that. Google Books review says, “You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherfuckers on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless.” Nice. Anyone who references the episode of The Cosby Show where guest star Stevie Wonder samples the Cosby family’s voices in the recording studio as inspiration for 90s hip hop artists, is pretty much a must read for me. I’m also reading this book on parenting that my sister in law recently gave me (she’s an inspired preschool teacher so I basically read everything she tells me to). It’s great and really revealing. If you like a psych study, you’ll really enjoy this. And for all of us that believe constantly telling our kids that they’re smart is a good thing, this may change your mind.

A little link love:

1. Dora Maar’s house in Menerbes- Peter Mayle land. Love that town, love her and love this house. I would love this little setup in my backyard- throw up a sting of lights and voila- nirvana.

2. What to do with your bebes when you don’t have a backyard. This is so simple, it’s really a duh. I’m trying this today.

3. A girl after my own heart- just another reason to travel with your kiddos. How Anne Postic feels like a change of scenery improves her kids’ palates. Yes.

4. Add a little dash of Rome to your hot summer day. Espresso granitas with whipped cream- grazie mille Smitten Kitchen.

5. Another cool map- I do love a map. This one needs your help to get produced. Visit the Kickstarter campaign here if you feel we need this in the world.

6. That book I was talking about earlier.

7. This just looks wacky.

{Images: Joy Wilson, LePetitCoquin, Bob Cho, Anne Postic, Deb Perelman, Anne Stauche, Gabriel Aguirre}

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A few summertime things.
A few to covet and a couple must haves:

1. Some Honest stuff. Sunblock, bug spray (that actually smells good) & swim diapers for the kiddos. All fabulous, all non-toxic. Thank you Jessica Alba. I douse the bebes in bug spray every day as I do live in a swamp after all.

2. A 70s vintage caftan- seriously who doesn’t want this.

3. A large format beachy print- I imagine this in a white gallery frame hanging over my bed- ahhhh.

4. A lime watering can- just because it’s cute and $15.

5. A sensory overload of perfect summertime recipes- perfect pool time reading as prep for your dinner al fresco.

6. A sensible yellow slingback to go with everything.

7. A leather Acapulco chair- say WHAAAT? Love this. Bring the outdoors inside.

That’s all.

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You guys may have seen this book at your local Anthro- Paris Versus New York. I always thumb through it whenever I’m strolling through the store. This is my favorite illustration:

Here are a few others:

Fun, right. I love the illustrations. This would make a great little gift for any lover of the two cities.

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How great is this photo- I love it so much. Happy Weekend to all, I hope you have some fun stuff lined up for the weekend. We’re in NYC with family- fun times. Enjoy and Cin Cin.

A little link love:

Coasters and Keychains and Cacti Oh My!

1. How cute are these little butterflies via the sweet little French vintage shop, Trendy Little. Love. My Gigi would eat them at this point but maybe when she’s older.

2. Felt Confetti Coasters via one of my new favorite Etsy shops, Cotton and Flax- I love their graphic pillows too.

3. No Sleep Til Brooklyn- Mike D’s Brooklyn Brownstone that is. Pretty Phat. Everyone needs a swoonful ocean print above their bed- I’m in love with this one.

4. A sensible cacti garden- I love a succulent.  Those A Beautiful Mess girls are truly DIY Gods.

5. Old school keychains from another fun mom and pop shop find- Three Potato Four. These remind me of summer vacations and camp. I never went to camp, but I always wanted to.

6. I absolutely loved this Travel & Leisure article about a family’s trip to Italy’s Ligurian seashore- a tale full of missteps and mishaps with toddlers in tow, eventually leading to a memorable and killer vacay. That’s totally the way I roll, it made me laugh.

P.S.: Travel & Leisure’s twitter feed is totally rocking my world lately- great articles and tips, like this one for affordable Italian agriturismos and this one on how to get that last minute rezy in NYC.

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Photowall is kind of rocking my world lately. I came across these beautiful watercolor wall mural designs via Photowall and my wheels started turning. How great would these be on a playroom wall or in your art studio that doubles as a guest room. Can you tell what my dream home looks like?

I love a blue splotch:

These are pretty fun too. It’s hard to believe they’re just wall murals:

Aged brick walls and whitewashed wood planks:

What do you think? Would you use wall murals?

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Happy Weekend all. I hope you all have some fun summery plans. We are off to Montauk to join 6 of my best girls and their families for the weekend. Can not wait. There will be 15 kids there between all of us- should be super fun and crazy.

A little link love and a few things that really made me smile this week:

1. Audra McDonald drops the mike at the end of the always brilliant TONY award finale wrap up, with Neil Patrick Harris. Yes Audra McD!

2. An entire amusement park smushed up into a cube. This gives recycling a whole new meaning.

3. An inspired birth announcement.

4. Nice wine room.

5. Holy Spanish stone barn! This is ridonk.

6. I”m not really a puppies and ponies kind of girl, but these photos are pretty great.

7. Flight tags as art- love it.

Happy Weekend to all!

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I know, I know- it’s summertime and my pinterest page is blowing up with images of beachy inspiration, impossibly picturesque and twinkly outdoor dinner parties, and school’s out for the summer blah blah, but a few weekends ago we went back to school with my niece as she was finishing up her freshman year.

I’m a sucker for college, any college- ok, specifically Michigan (Go Blue!)- but truthfully any college campus makes me swoon for those days of idealism and debauchery. It’s a good mix.

We got the grand tour of this pretty Annapolis campus and as we strolled through the campus, I longed for the days of notebooks and chalk dust. St. John’s College is so interesting to me because its curriculum is based on study through the classics. The students read literature in its original text and study science as it was discovered and developed through time. For example, the students will study things that have since been proven wrong or irrelevant to give them a context for history and our advancement as a civilization. Fascinating. Heady. I’m into it.

Added bonus: one of my favorite winemakers hails from this campus as a former professor- it’s got to be interesting.

How great is all of that chalkboard wisdom. And Kilroy is still here. The classrooms were old school and inspiring, like something out of a photo shoot. I love the old fashioned student mailboxes and that mid century font on Mellon Hall.

Overheard as we walked through the campus, “The concept of infinity is inconceivable to the human mind.” Ahhh, College…

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A few weekends ago, the bebes and I went to the annual Spring Market at the Old Lucketts Store. I didn’t know quite what to expect but I kind of expected lots of goodness- that’s what I got. I was in design and vintage heaven- these guys know what they’re doing. It’s like a little mini Portobello Road or Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue on a Sunday. Around every corner was a perfectly styled shot of vintage wares. I love a good market.

Even the gravelly earth was reminiscent of a stroll through a French market. Beautiful but not so easy on the old travel stroller, you should have seen me heave-ho-ing those little guys around. It was pretty hilarious. Gravel- not exactly conducive to tiny plastic wheels.

A few objects I was really wishing I had the square footage for:

And just a few more things- I love this idea below: slate placemats for outdoor dining. Genius. At $3 a pop, that’s a whole lot of design for a whole lot of nothing. Pretty coral, vintage dress forms and those colorful fishing buoys from East Coast waters made my day.

A day at the Old Lucketts Store is worth the trip alone and the spring market bumps it up a notch, but the countryside is pretty ridiculously beautiful and alone merits a trip. A day in Leesburg with its quaint downtown surrounded by rolling hills is pretty good stuff. I loved this little produce market and their sign on the way out of town: “Your Wife Called. Bring Home Strawberries.”

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I recently came across Matthew Christopher’s website and project, AbandonedAmerica. Some call it “Ruin Porn” but Christopher and his cohorts despise the term. They prefer Urban Exploration, aka #urbanex. He photographs abandoned American spaces and is currently holding photography workshops aboard the SS United States to raise money and help save it from demolition. His work is thought provoking and really gets one thinking about the state of our past, present and future. It’s kind of unbelievable to think that these ruins are just siting there, all over the country. Some may not be worth saving but they are most interesting to look at, if not a bit upsetting. Take a look and tell me what you think. If you like his work, like his project on Facebook here and stay in the loop on our abandoned America and how you can play a part in conservation efforts.

He recently held one of his photography workshops onboard the SS United States. Laura Kicey’s photos below:

{Images: Matthew Christopher and Laura Kicey}

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