Friday, June 24, 2011

Words, Worth : Weekly Roundup


"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." - Henry James, 1934 
This was one of those weeks that I couldn't be happier to watch fade into the weekend. My big plans including comparing bedroom paint colors, attempting strawberry coulis and tucking into Gabrielle Hamilton's gorgeous memoir. Here's Words, worth's weekly roundup:
For particularly sentimental readers (like myself), finishing a great book is like losing a friend. Smart site What Should I Read Next? minimizes the panic.  
$65, Chance

Though we're still plagued by June gloom here in So Cal, this punchy statement towel sends the right message. 
$7, LetterBox Co.

These utilitarian cuties speak to my inner Harriet the Spy. And I could spend hours on LetterBox Co.'s par avion-inspired site!
$6.50, VintageGarden, Etsy

As an apartment dwelling gal, I sometimes fantasize about a space with gardens and greenery. A low-maintenance basil plant I.D.'d by one of these sweet plant markers  should work in the meantime! 
$38, Diptyque Baume Généreux, Barney's    

One of my favorite gifts from thoughtful girlfriends. In addition to having the sleekest packaging and a delightful Elizabethan-inspired monogram, Diptyque's luxe hand balm smoothes scaly hands and smells like heaven. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Road : Snapshots From


California Grapeskins by Ed Ruscha

There is something about taking an extended drive that clears mental cloudiness. This weekend we daytripped up the coast to central California wine country and in the span of hours, had one of those long, satisfying, warm-lolling afternoons. Something wonderful happens when you're whizzing by breathtaking country; it basks in a hazy, sunshiny glow, raked through by the pleasure of being a snapshot in your mind. With Mumford & Sons' clear-headed melodies scoring the journey, and essential stops here and here that were the antithesis of the M-F grind, we drank in the bigness of the ocean and the dusty beauty of yellow meadows dotted with aged olive trees and it was all a little bit magical, at 75 miles per hour. 
"The sun goes down long and red. All the magic names of the valley unrolled - Manteca, Madera, all the rest. Soon it got dusk, a grapy dusk, a purple dusk over tangerine groves and long melon fields; the sun the color of pressed grapes, slashed with burgundy red, the fields the color of love and Spanish mysteries. I stuck my head out the window and took deep breaths of the fragrant air. It was the most beautiful of all moments."
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac

P.S. Pay Ed Ruscha's exhibit at the Hammer Museum a visit this summer!