piling up on my nightstand...

It was 1999 and I was waiting for the L train to Brooklyn and the girl next to me was reading a book and laughing out loud and I immediately jotted down the authors name. It was David Sedaris. Nine books later and just as funny as the first, comes his newest book of essays - Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls.  I am seriously addicted to David's hysterical writings about life.

After my beloved Gourmet folded there was a foodie hole in my life until Adam Rapaport and Bon Appetit showed up in my mailbox. Love the recipes, love the articles. Foodie hole filled.

Tons of articles on subjects you never thought you cared about before - from politics to pop culture. EVERYONE should read The New Yorker.

channeling deadheads

Our winter seems to be lingering a bit so I am craving the warmth of the sun while dressed in long flowing hippie dresses inspired by carefree deadheads. Here are a few I have my eye on...

Melissande printed silk-crepe maxi dress - Isabel Marant
Tulum Wedding Dress - JM Drygoods
Lovers & Friends Silky Fly Maxi- Urban Outfitters
Striped Unearthen Dress - Free People

wish I were here...

We celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this September so I have been spending a lot of time looking at some great boutique hotels. Here are my top picks so far.

H2 Hotel - Healdsburg, CA

Casa Bianca - Montreal, Canada

The Graham and Co. - Phoenicia, NY

 Mojave Sands - Joshua Tree, CA

The Surf Lodge - Montauk, NY 

 Longman & Eagle - Chicago, IL

fashion clone #1

 

 image via

 

from left to right:

jackets: Rick Owens, Mango

tees: J.Crew, H&M

shorts: Mango, Isabel Marant

sandals: Madewell, Isabel Marant

totes: Mango, Maison Martin Margiela

Olympia Le-Tan

I was immediately obsessed the first time I saw Olympia Le-Tan's Book Clutches. It's so wonderful to see something in fashion that is original and clearly well constructed - truly worth every penny.
While trolling through Instagram last week I think I squealed with excitement with the news of her Punk Collection. As an ex Punk Rocker who played drums in an all girl band I instantly felt a connection to these wonderful objects. Available at Olympia Le-Tan 

crafty

Inspired by many dip dye flannels on Pinterest (of course!) we gave this DIY a go Saturday morning. We started with $2 flannels at the Thrift store and Clorox bleach. Just take two plastic bins side by side and fill one with bleach and a little water and the other with just water. Lay just the bottom half of the shirt in the bleach for about 20 mins. Then rinse (using gloves - I didn't and my hands resembled those of a 90 yr old afterwards) the bottom half with water, then repeat with the two sleeves making sure the dip dye on the sleeves is the same depth as the bottom half of the shirt. Then rinse the sleeves with the water and then lay out to dry. Then machine wash in cold water and then the dryer. I am planning on wearing mine, sleeves rolled and open over a romper like Leandra Medine, The Man Repeller.

photo via

inspirational vs. noise

photo via

 I recently read this interview with Mona Kowalska from A Détacher and got caught on this thought -
"I always think, you can’t run your business with your ego. There’s creative and there’s pragmatic, and you’ve got to make those two things work." Artists struggle with ego so completely and feel it gets in the way of your execution. It's impossible to create something that will be displayed to the world without thinking "What will people think of this?" There are so many creatives out there more than ever before on display because of the Internet and we now constantly see the process as well as the finished product. It's hard to put the blinders on and shut off all the noise so you can totally focus on your task.  Is it possible to create something solely on your satisfaction and not be influenced by all the information and images we read on blogs, tumblr, pinterest, instagram while we create?