I’m digging Mr. Connery’s swim trunks and according to Esquire, this is one of the two looks we women like to see our on our men- the other being Daniel Craig’s swimsuit from Casino Royale. But let’s be honest, we’re talking about the two greatest Bonds ever- what don’t they look good in. Still, they are some cute swim trunks.

I hope you all have fun weekend plans. I’m off to pick up one of my best friends who is in the States from Hong Kong. You all know her here as Amy Abroad. Can’t wait to see her and her little ones.

A little link love:

1. I can’t wait to read this book. Tales from the theater including verbatim notes from the rehearsal process of 1963′s The Cherry Orchard with Uta Hagen… this is bound to be fascinating.

2. And speaking of legends- I’m downloading this one too- My Lunches with Orson, can you even image the stories that are in this book.

3. There’s a new green Coke- green label, that is. But you can only get it in Argentina where Coke is doing a massive marketing blitz to test their new Stevia-based product.

4. I’m digging this video. It’s a graphic design wonderland. Watch it, your eyes will thank you if they’re not too tired.

5. These instagram and twitter highlights from journalist Miriam Elder who spent the past few years in Russia are eye-opening.

P.S.: For anyone with littles, this sanity saving list is pretty great. Thanks Natalia!

Cin Cin and Happy Weekend!

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Hanks takes on Disney in the untold tale of the story behind Mary Poppins. It seems that Ms. Mary came to the Banks household not for the children but for Mr. Banks. Now it gets interesting. This is the story of the story behind Mary Poppins as well as the story behind Walt Disney convincing P.L. Travers to sell him the rights to her beloved tale.

I know the Disney blogosphere is blowing up right now over this- everyone’s got a point of view about what really happened. Who knows if this is really the accurate story, but it sure looks interesting and the cast is great- anytime Paul Giamatti shows up, I’m in. We’ll have to wait for Christmas to see it but you can watch the trailer here:

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How fabulous are these bathers from LIFE magazine circa 1948. Tres gorge. I hope you’re off to a fun filled weekend. We’ll take in some fireworks here in Old Town Alexandria. Not about to be outdone by the nearby nation’s capital, this town celebrates its very own birthday on July 13th. This year Alexandria turns 264. Wow, that’s pretty old for America. What are you all up to?

Here are a few of my favorite things from this week and a little link love:

1. I love these illustrated posters for the kiddos- animals of the world by artist, Andy Ward.

2. Unplugging at Camp for Grown Ups. I always wanted to go to camp as a kid and now these grown-up camps are everywhere- although I don’t know if I can really classify the people in their Moonrise Kingdom‘d-out photo above, grown-ups. In any case, it’s never too late even if you do look a little ridiculous.

3. Looking to remodel, upgrade or update? Here’s a handy tool to price out costs in your area. Fun to look at- more fun if you live in Des Moines than if you live in Palo Alto.

4. The Newsroom is back baby. Yahoo. I love these characters, that Sorkin speak and the little lift you get from watching his shows- cue the anthemic West Wing-like theme- bring on season 2. P.S.: Jeff Daniels is totally a bad ass in this show. When have you ever seen Daniels as a bad ass. It’s kind of hot and a long way from Dumb and Dumber.

5. The Washington Monument lights it up yo.

6. Jay-Z raps for 6 hours at the Pace Gallery. How did I miss this! He’s got his performance art game on.

7. Kickstarter funds more art than the NEA. Wow.

8. I love this floor tile- a collaboration between Carocin and Petit Pan. Blue and pink heaven.

9. Imogen and Asher edge out Charlotte and Finn as this year’s most popular baby names (as in: most viewed on nameberry). Really? Imogen? The only Imogen I know is the divine Ms. Coca and she’s an Imogene. Ok, there’s also Imogen Heap- she’s got to be the draw. I can’t imagine many young parents naming their little ones after Aunt Edna- although she was pretty fantastic.

P.S.: Blurred Lines as The Cosby Show opener- it kind of works. And speaking of the Cos, he’s launched a Cosby Sweater Tournament- how could we possibly pick the best Cosby sweater.

P.P.S.: This is funny- 24 hunky actors that will make you wish time travel was for real.

P.P.P.S.: I know this has gone viral and everyone’s probably already seen it, but it’s interesting. Tootsie- one of the greatest movies ever made- and Dustin Hoffman’s reaction to playing a woman has got to be one of the reasons it is so good.

And- heads up New Yorkers, Manhattanhenge touches down on the grid tonight and tomorrow.

Ok, one more: this is pretty crazy town. An impala dives into a tourist’s SUV as he flees a chasing cheetah. Whoa. When’s the last time you’ve seen this happen? Never.

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Here’s a gal who is not afraid of color. I love that she makes such a bold statement with her palette- and in a rental, no less. You may have seen the Lonny spread back in April of interior designer Angie Hranowsky’s 1850s Charleston home. I drool over her personal design site and have not been able to get the images of her own home out of my brain, so I thought I would share.

Wow! That palette is so bold and pretty. A few details from her living room:

Those painterly Roman shades are killing it. They are pinned and ready to go for my next windows.

How cute is this eat-in kitchen? The purple in this room should really be a bit much, but somehow it’s not. I love it and I love how she uses her children’s art. This area is like a little nook of magic.

This bedroom is dreamy- feminine but her use of mixed metals in the room gives it an edge, and I love that bed!

How darling is this kids’ room- brass, wood, fur, bold color and there are those shades again.

Here are a few great tips from this talented designer on how to  spruce up your rental space.

I love her style.

{Images: Julia Lynn for Lonny}

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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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Photographer Jade Beall is celebrating the very part of our post-baby bodies that we are go out of our way to hide. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to be sporting a crop top anytime soon (or ever), but these photos do take the edge off a bit. Kudos to Ms. Beall, this is a worthy project. Apparently many others think so too as she’s already hit her goal on Kickstarter. I’m looking forward to seeing all of her photos.

A Beautiful Body Book Project on Kickstarter

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I forgot how much I love Montauk- it’s this magical beachy place that conjures up images of Robert Shaw-like fisherman, summertime regulars exchanging hellos at the local grocer, and lobster rolls at the local seafood stand just off Hwy. 27. It also stirs up a kind of quiet solitude. You feel like you’re standing at the edge of the world on the tip of that Island. It is markedly more chic than I remember as my last visit was back in ’06, but despite the house music at the latest 60s motel-turned-hipster haunt and the city’s latest eatery and shop offerings, Montauk manages to maintain its salt-of-the-earth sensibility and rustic charm.

Our friends graciously invited us (and 5 other couples with kiddos in tow) out to their sweet Montauk beach pad. We had a ball, there were 12 adults and 14 kiddos. We joked that it should have been a shit show but it was completely and totally awesome. These are my best girls from college and now that we’ve run out of weddings to attend (we’re all hitched), we have to come up with ways to get together. It happens about once every 2 years and it’s always amazingly memory filled. It was a weekend filled with rosé, lobster rolls (the mayo-less kind from Red Hook Lobster Co.- yum!), beach days, pool time, shingled homes, blooming flowers and the world famous Star Island Yacht Club Shark Tournament.

Ok, let’s talk about this shark tournament. I honestly could not believe I had never been to this before. I am such a Jaws fanatic, this tournament was surreal. Boats were lined up to come in to the harbor where the docked in front of the crowd while the fisherman hooked their catch to the pulley. The sharks were lifted up and weighed next to the fiberglass 3500 lb. Great White that was caught in ’86 while the crowd waited to hear what type of shark and how it weighed in. Most were Makos, Blues and Threshers and the winner this year was a 360 pound Thresher brought in just under the gun at exactly 5 o’clock, when the tournament ended. No doubt those proud fisherman were circling the harbor, waiting to come in at the last minute and make a splash with their Thresher. I was completely in my element, mouth open and wide eyed as the weighed the sharks, cut them open, gutted and filleted them inches from my flip flops. They severed their heads and nonchalantly threw the sharks’ parts in dumpsters that soon hauled them off. Seriously, the whole thing was so surreal. There was a marine biologist on hand to cut out important organs for science and research so that did put one’s mind at ease a bit that this was not entirely all for show. Every part of the shark’s meat is donated to local charities, churches and nursing homes, so that helps too. Honestly, it was pretty crazy town.

If you love sharks and are not offended by a fishing tournament or grossed out by a close up gut, you have to go.

Star Island Yacht Club Shark Tournament

{Image: Eileen Casey}

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Most people don’t equate the romantic City of Light with young children. But believe it or not, traveling with kids in Paris is actually a plus. Some say it even grants you a “VIP” pass through the city. Who knew? Actually, I had an inkling… the Frenchies love the littles. I spent my 9th birthday in Paris and am convinced it changed me for life. For better or worse, Paris inflicted me with my lifelong case of wanderlust and I have so many memories of lovely Parisians and that beautiful city circa the mid 80s. Thanks Paris- I’m grateful.

If you don’t mind foregoing the romantic late night dinners and midnight walks along the Seine (unless you have a babysitter or grandparents in tow), it can be a great place to spend time with your kiddos. Yolanda Edwards, executive editor of Martha Stewart Living, co-founder of the parenting blog, momfilter and self-proclaimed wanderluster, has written a great little guide to exploring Paris with kids. She is a seasoned traveller to Paris with her daughter Clara- their adventures can be followed here- and a champion of the notion that travel does not stop when you become a parent. Love her.

Back to the book at hand: Paris en Famille is a handy fold out guide complete with lists, maps and 40 spots that are uber family and kid friendly. Organized by arrondissement, (as you readers know- I not only love a good guide, but one that is also organized by neighborhood i.e.: The Analogue Guide), Paris en Famille makes it easy to navigate the city slowly and thoughtfully with bebes in tow, in turn giving back a more local experience. Love it. It’s also $6.25 so you kind of can’t lose. Plus, it’s so cute I kind of just want it sitting on my shelf so I can glance over at it and dream about that trip to en famille to Paris. Bon Voyage.

{Images: The Mandarin Hotel Paris, Herb Lester Associates}

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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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