family photos

my cousin took these photos around our family cottage in maine.
he just turned seventeen. aren't these photos beautiful?

recently reading

in the offline world, i have been catching up on my reading.

+ cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things
a manifesto for a new [sustainable! creative!] industrial revolution

+ the namesake by jhumpa lhari
the journey of this indian family broke & mended my heart

+ interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lhari
i couldn't stop reading these short stories

+ the chosen by chaim potok
a great coming-of-age novel from the high school reading list


and what are you reading this fall?

links: in the kitchen

last night i made a simple whatever's-in-the-fridge salad that turned out to be surprisingly sweet & colorful--a mix of mango, red & green peppers, and cucumbers. and tortilla chips for scooping.

a few recipes that i've collected and hope to make soon...
+ honey ice cream from orangette
+ any-fruit cobbler from the kitchn
+ favorite vegetarian chili from make it
+ best ever yellow cake & frosting from bake/shake
+ easy cinnamon muffins from joy the baker

do you have any new recipe finds to share?

beyond my imagination

still, there are times i am bewildered
by each mile I have traveled,
each meal I have eaten,
each person I have known,
each room in which I have slept.
as ordinary as it all appears,
there are times when it is beyond my imagination.


-- interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri

apartment decor - on the cheap

two great articles in the nytimes this week talk about creative apartment solutions on a budget with a slideshow of new yorkers' ingenious home hacks and creations .

check out...
+ a wall of drawers and a bartered bed
+ on the cheap - design lessons from students

the drawers-turned-shelves [right] are such a fun idea, especially sweet with the plant spilling over the edge and the sunglasses hanging off the handle.

and i LOVE the turquoise & rose color palette [left]. it's the exact combo that i've had in mind for my room for the past few months. gotta make that happen.


:: images from nytimes

happy weekend

when i saw these photos from katy elliot, it made me miss fall weekends in new england. all those colorful leaves! thinking about yard sales and cinnamon donuts with coffee and all the apples crisps a girl could want!

but for now, there's still plenty of beauty on the west coast. super hot weather this week. like an eternal indian summer. and now it might rain this weekend. i'm up for anything!

happy friday to you!


:: images from katy elliot

art in odd places

in the month of october, art projects will be tucked around new york city for pedestrians to stumble upon. see art in odd places.

my favorite...

free books by erin doeinge

A box of books labeled "Free Books" is deposited at various 14th Street locations. A seeming act of generosity, the artist has removed the last few pages from each book. The alteration will only become apparent to the reader after he or she has nearly finished the book, converting the cast-off into a statement of art.

Time/Location: Ongoing throughout October. Four undisclosed locations on 14th Street.

[i once tore the last page out of a danielle steele book and put it back on a communal book shelf. now i feel all the prouder of that little act of rebellion.]


:: image from art in odd places

the ABC's of tote bags

a monogrammed tote for every boy & girl. i can hardly resist!
especially when the letter L is "Perfect for a Lillian, Lucas, Lucy or Leslie."

visit alphabet bags by keep calm gallery.


:: images from alphabet bags

park[ing] day

More than 70% of most cities’ outdoor space is dedicated to the private vehicle while only a fraction of that land is allocated to open space for people. (parkingingday.org)

today is international park[ing] day.

for one day, people are encouraged to transform parking spots into "pocket parks" to generate conversations about how more public park space would improve both the environment AND the civility of the city. the park[ers] bring chairs, tables, umbrellas, astroturf--and they feed the meters as they go.

and according to park[ing] day LA.:
...Populations whose income is over $40,000 have access to 102.9 acres per 1000 people within quarter mile buffer. (USC Sustainable Cities/GIS Study, 2002)
...Population whose income is under $20,000 have access to 1.6 acres per 1000 people within quarter mile buffer. (USC Sustainable Cities/GIS Study, 2002)
...[BUT] 33% of children in Los Angeles County live within one-quarter mile of a park. (Trust for Public Land Study, 2004)

for los angelenos, check the map and see if there is a park[ing] spot near you!!

and check out the how-to manual on the official website.


:: image from park[ing] day how-to manual

this week's clicks

some inspiration & ideas from the past week...

+ the selby. their house tours just keep getting better and better (image above)
+ candle displays á la anthropologie
+ lost & found - a book created of photobooth strips
+ the next little thing - nytimes on the small house movement. yay!
+ the art of display
+ shaker workshops - i love the simplicity
+ healthy eating while traveling - a collection of simply awesome suggestions

what's clicked with you?


:: image from theselby