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.
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.
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:
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.
Happy Weekend all! I have been a trifle bit absent this week as it is a wee bit crazy over here. It’s spring concert time for the dance program that I direct, so there is lots of drama swirling in the air. I may be a little spotty with my presence here until the end of the month, but I will try my best. We are house hunting (yay- a backyard may be in our near future) and I just have to say that we saw the craziest, scariest trinket-filled house yesterday. I kind of loved it but know in my heart that it’s bound to be a money pit. I had visions of Shelley Long and Tom Hanks dancing in my head as we walked through the house. Not the one for us. I love a project but this one would be a life’s work, not sure I’m up to that challenge with 1 year old twins. Oh well, the search continues.
What are you all up to this weekend? We’ll be watching the Tonys and rooting for my brother in law, Terrence Mann to bring home the prize for his amazing portrayal of Charlemagne in Pippin. Woot woot- go Terry. I can’t wait to see what Charlotte wears! We have a fun little dinner planned in Virginia wine country, so hopefully I’ll capture some nice moments to share. Have a beautiful summer weekend!
A little link love:
1. This is a little big genius- Brian Williams does Snoop. Jimmy Fallon, you rock.
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.”
I just love this. Not sure why- maybe it’s the whole idea of having limits in such vastness or maybe it’s just cool. In any case, happy weekend to you all! I hope you enjoy the first days of June. We’re throwing a tiny birthday party for the tiny bebes. They turned one this week so they’ll be smashing some cakes and opening some presents- yippee.
I’m making this Banana & Blueberry Cake and this Carrot Cake- I just can’t go the full monty yet with the sugar and the ice cream. If you’re rolling your eyes at me as you read this, I don’t blame you. But they’ll be on to sugar soon enough and besides I’m in full on preservation mode. I absolutely love watching them grow but will so miss the tiny babe stage.
Ikea makes a really cool pharmacy cabinet. I would love this for my bathroom.
For anyone that has the time, here are some super cute DIY cocktail sticks to make your party pinterest perfect. My parties these days are definitely not darlingly designed, it’s more of the throw it all together at the last minute or let’s just have an impromptu picnic but hey- whatever works.
And next time I’m in San Fran (please let it be soon), I’m hitting this place up for fantastic curios and oddities.
Haven’t we all danced around our bedroom in our underwear to the Dixie Chicks, “Landslide”? I know I have. Check out Tyler Marcum dancing alongside his 20 year-old self. This is awesome, he was pretty inspired in that dorm room.
Animals that you didn’t know existed- love that Irawaddy Dolphin!
Wow. There are so many things to say about this and I really can’t tell whether it’s for real or a spoof but after it’s all said and done, it’s really all about that camel toe and that gallup. Wow.
Mario Batali’s way of welcoming the weekend- Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!
I love this image from Audrey Simper’s “Wake Me In Another World” series.
Happy Weekend and Memorial Day to you all, dear readers. What’s on the list for your weekend? Do tell. We are staying put this weekend and laying low after enjoying some time at the beach.
A little link love:
Have you guys seen the 6 second recipe food app, Vine? I love it. Here are 10 of their most popular 6 second videos.
Speaking of apps, I’m loving my new A Beautiful Mess photo app! Great fonts and cool effects. Totally worth the dollar.
If you’re thinking about a kitchen reno, here is a step by step process with a budget breakdown. This homeowner lives in San Francisco, so her labor is on the high end but it lays it all. I love the finished product, especially that zinc countertop with those barstools and that vintage hutch- clean and modern with a vintage bent. Love it.
And while we’re talking reno (can you tell what’s on my mind- if only I had something to renovate- ha) Holy Smokes- this renovated convent is rocking my world. I love it! The cement floors might be a wee bit hard for the bebes but it’s stunning.
I’m currently attempting a pseudo detox/cleanse. I’m drinking green smoothies in the morning and evening. My version is pretty low maintenance. It’s basically just Greek yogurt, a few frozen berries, 1/2 of a banana, a spoonful of almond butter, some water, a splash of apple cider vinegar -because Dr. Oz said I should- sometimes an apple, a few Puffins and this green powder. This is probably a better and more delicious recipe but I can’t be bothered to mince. So far so good, except for the fact that I’m constantly hungry. I’m hoping to clean my system out a bit and maybe lose some water weight, we’ll see. I’m allowing myself a regular low carb lunch so I feel like a normal person for most of the day. No dark chocolate though at night- ay yi yi- that is tough. The kicker though is that I’m still having my glass of wine every night, I mean come on- I can’t give it all up. Nothing like a glass of bright, dry and slightly bitter in the best way Vernaccia with my detox smoothie. Hmmm, something’s not quite right there, but I like it.
What are you up to this weekend? We’re watching the Derby and then going bowling with some friends on Sunday. I’m so looking forward to bowling- it’s been a long time, too long. Bowling is one of those happy places for me. A beer and a bowl with good pals- now that’s good stuff. I love those bowling shoes too, I really do.
A little link love:
This is the coolest! A GREAT idea for a Mother’s Day gift- are you reading this, honey? I love the chalkboard box, perfect for writing down the delicious herbs growing in your window. I love how it doubles as a menu/centerpiece for dinner parties as well. Seriously inspired and perfect for city dwellers who long to garden and for the gift of a green thumb. This is black thumb proof. L.O.V.E.! You actually order through their kickstarter website here as they are using crowd funding to finance the product. If you back the company, Modern Sprout, you will receive 30% off retail. Pretty cool.
San Pellegrino lists the top 50 restaurants in the world. This is a drool worthy list.
Wow- a moment in true friendship. This conversation with Marc Maron and Louis CK on Maron’s WTF podcast via Fresh Air. Uncomfortable and kind of awesome. Start listening at 16:27.
A fresh take on the Mint Julep for this weekend’s Derby.
If you’re headed to the Derby this weekend, check out this art lover’s Louisville hotel.
A beautiful passage from Anne Lamott’s Operating Instructions on parenting.
A few things for mom that are all about her. I would love any of these things and wouldn’t allow myself to buy any one of them (except for the soap- which I LOVE- nothing like a coffee scrub first thing in the morning). Brunch is always nice too.
I’m also loving these cute custom cards from Scout and Whistle. I love the grandma personalization too.
A nice bouquet, a beautiful card and maybe breakfast in bed or brunch at her favorite place are always a winning combination. And if all else fails, get her a spa treatment. You really can’t go wrong with one of those.
Former showgirl, forever travel junkie, sometime sommelier, and mom to twin bebes. This little blog is a mixed bag of tasting notes, travels, tales of motherhood, and current musings. Thank you for stopping by. Cin Cin! (photo by Amy Dickerson for Anthology Magazine)
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