down the shore*

image courtesy J. Crew

image courtesy west elm

image courtesy call me jasper's etsy shop

image courtesy shiny chick's etsy shop

image courtesy jill bent

i hope you had a wonderful memorial day!  now that the summer has unofficially begun, i am beginning to think of all things beachy: the ocean, hot sand, salty breezes, sailboats, and the fragrance of coppertone.  in that spirit, i wouldn't mind if all of these seashore-inspired items made it into my summer wardrobe and decor.  sigh, if only i had a little beach cottage to escape to...

*how we say it in jersey.

memorial day

remember.

like a rainbow

the past week has been full of beautiful colors -- party goodies and gifts, a new orchid.  even reorganizing the kitchen cabinets yielded these long-ignored, rarely-used martini glasses, each one tinted a different color.  i intended to pack them up for goodwill, but now the question is, can i part with them?  summer will be here any day now and i might need to sip on a watermelon martini some lazy, hot afternoon.  in the meantime, i'm going to do this and look forward to the warm weather ahead.  i may be overcrowding the kitchen cabinet again, too.  just saying.

tgif: pink

early-morning sky from my hotel room. new orleans, april 2011.

oh, the practical applications of masking tape.  at work.

hello kitty, 4 euro.  lyon, april 2011.

hot pink vespa!  (note the pink piping on the seat.)  french chic at its finest, non?

my neglected garden

how is it that succulents that receive so little attention, sunlight, and water still look like this?  they're so strange and otherworldly.  i think they're magical.  or, maybe it's the work of that impish little guy up there.  either way, i've been on the lookout for a little magic this week and i'm happy to find it so close to home.

something new

this is the first photo i took with my new camera.  let's hope i'm a better photographer than gardener.  look at that basket!  they're pretty enough geraniums, i suppose, but that moss is looking sad.  the birds keep stealing it for their nests, so i fully expect to walk out the door one morning and find nothing but a heap of dirt and uprooted geraniums on the front stoop.

meanwhile, i'll enjoy the birdsong.

les lapins

I spent Easter in Switzerland this year.  Joyeuses Pâques!  There's no shortage of good chocolate there, but bring your own jellybeans.