Vibram FiveFinger

As Mr. N asked me yesterday, shouldn't they call them "FiveToes"?

I've been thinking about trying Vibram FiveFinger shoes. Does anyone have any experience with them, or know someone who uses them? They look ridiculous, so the only way I'm wearing them is if they are totally out-of-this-world awesome.

Spoon Fork Bacon

Every once in a while I come across a blog that I just want to eat. Like in the way you just want to eat a really chubby, giggling baby--I never do that though, because it would be cannibalism. Not cool.

You sort of can eat the blog Spoon Fork Bacon though. Check out these babies (Ha Ha... sorry) :

There's more where these came from.

Never mind that those are technically balls of fried dough and your bum will get bigger the moment you pop one in your mouth. They are delicious. They are one of life's necessities.

Please excuse me while I spend the rest of my day chomping on hush puppies and staring at the delicious photos on Spoon Fork Bacon. Mmmm, bacon.

**You are very welcome, SFB, for the free publicity. Oh, no one reads my blog. Never mind then.

Introducing the handsome Mr. N

Mr. N is very proud of a vintage J. Crew leather jacket he scored over the weekend.

via The Man Manifesto

Ok fine, that's actually Steve McQueen. The resemblance is uncanny though.

Lonny, you slay me...

(click on images for full size--there's a nifty new slideshow function!)

Love menswear!

Hmm...guess I'll just have to have four living rooms.

Leaf lamp! Bamboo chairs! Velvet sofas! Symmetry! Dying here...

Would you put marbleized paper on your walls?
I would, if my house looked like this.

Open kitchens are so popular, but I love a galley kitchen.
The teeny green subway tiles are adorable!

That sexy bed is a Murphy bed! Who knew that was possible?
I love the tulip paper in the powder room--stunning.

This hallway is not a hallway. It's an event.

All photos via Lonny Mag.

Happy Birthday Lonny Mag!

Lonny Magazine launched its October 2011 issue--Happy 2nd Birthday Lonny!

Look for my highlights tomorrow...

The Best EVER.

I was talking to my mom last month, and I said "Did you see this month's House Beautiful? It's the BEST EVER!" Mr. N. started laughing, and said "Every time you get that magazine you say 'This is the BEST EVER!'" Well, it's true!

Here are some highlights from the October 2011 issue (Sorry about the photos. I promise I'll work on my editing skills!).

 

 

Notice a pattern here? I think I might be having an affair with purple! I love that dining room.

*All photos via House Beautiful.  Photos 1 -5: Interior design by Royce Pinkwater, Photographs by Thomas Loof.  Photos 6 - 7: Interior design by Susan Noble Jones, Photographs by James Merrell. Photos 8 - 10: Interior design by Pat Healing of HB Home, Photographs by Maura McEvoy.

Easy-Peasy manicure

Have you ever tried the new nail polish "strips"? They are like stickers for your nails, except they are really nail polish. I tried the Sally Hanson strips in "Raise A Glass" and they turned out surprisingly good! It took a while to get the hang of it (you really need to stretch the sticker once you have it on the nail so there aren't any bubbles or creases). The best part is no drying time!

Update: Two weeks later I tried a different shade (Red-y For Trouble) which was a lot more difficult, for some reason. I have a lot of chips, and it's only been a week. Maybe I was rushing. Also, the stickers do come off with nail polish but it takes forever, especially if you use the handy little remover pads.

Changing it up for Fall

I've been looking forward to getting my bangs cut when the weather turns (I can't stand to have bangs in the summer) but now I'm thinking maybe I'll be a little more daring. What do you think?

From Honestly WTF

Favorite shoe for fall

It's obvious why I love this shoe, right?

my weekend: happy birthday to me!

Sorry, I ate it before I thought to take a picture. Oops.

Hervé Léger

Mr. N is taking me to a fancy dinner tomorrow for my birthday. Wish I could wow him in Hervé!

Travel Thursdays: Santorini

Mr. N and I will be going on a family vacation next year to Greece and Turkey. We're taking a cruise so we can make the most of our time off, but if I were to pick just one place to stay it would be Ikies in Santorini. I love the feeling of being so connected to the sky and ocean. I wish I could spend all my Thursdays here...

 

 

 

Weekend

Some photos from my weekend...

Chatham, Cape Cod

Sorry, this post is a little late--I've been busy.


Last weekend, Mr. N. and I went down to the Cape to visit some friends. Despite having lived in Boston for 5 years, we've never been to the Cape. The legendary traffic just didn't appeal to me. But we left early enough on Saturday morning that we didn't hit any traffic at all, and Mr. N. drove so I just snoozed all the way there. What a nice guy, right?

Chatham is a place that you think only exists in stories your grandparents tell about "the good old days." Maybe it's just that I'm so ready to leave the city for more space & peace, but in Chatham you almost have to relax. And drink gin and tonics. And then take a nap in the sun.

We passed this home, designed by Polhemus Savery DaSilva, on the way to our friend's house. The hydrangeas in Chatham are huge and full of blooms--this picture does not do them justice.

Hydrangea Walk by Polhemus Savery DaSilva

Travel Thursdays: Cotton Tree Lodge

I'll admit that the first image that pops into my head when I think vacation isn't quite as, um, jungle-ly as this little resort in the rainforest of Belize. But sometimes it's the out-of-the-way places, the ones that are a little less spa and a little more community, that give you the vacation you really need. Then again, there's still room for lying on the beach!

Cotton Tree Lodge

The two-level Family Cabana

The "Jungle Cabana" is a 1/4 mile hike from the main resort!

You can chat up your fellow intrepid guests at meals.

You can get a tour of the resort's organic garden and learn about the local food.

There are tons of activities, like learning how to make authentic tortillas...

...exploring Mayan ruins...

...or going on a caving expedition!

And that's just a little taste of what Cotton Tree Lodge has to offer. There is also chocolate making, jungle tours to learn about medicinal plants, snorkeling and scuba diving, visits to nearby villages where you can learn about harp making or traditional art, boat trips up the river to neighboring Guatemala, and volunteer opportunities. And after all that, you can book a massage back at the resort and watch the sunset from your hammock.

The pricing is much more reasonable than a fancy-pants beach front resort, and you can book a room-only or an all-inclusive package depending on your plans. Awesome.



All photos from Cotton Tree Lodge.
No one paid me to write this post, I'd just really like to be on vacation right now!

Vera scarves

During WWII Vera Neumann went looking for alternative materials to use in her textile business, found some parachute silk in an army surplus store, and started making silk-screened scarves with her signature on it. Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and First Lady Truman later, and Vera was one famous lady.

Fortunately, many Vera scarves are easy to come by, and not very expensive. A set of three or four like-colored scarves would look fantastic framed and hung in a nursery, or you could sew two together and make pillows (probably low-use pillows though!). Of course, you could always skip the re-purposing and wear a Vera around your neck or tied to your handbag!


Not all Vera scarves are feminine--these red, white & blue scarves would be great in a boy's room.
Etsy Shop: Indulge Your Shelf 

The ladybug was only used between 1960 and 1976. Love the black & white graphic patterns!
Etsy Shop: MsRubysCloset  (A whole other post in itself--this is like the closet you wish your great-aunt had!)

Vera designed so many different scarves over her lifetime, and the breadth of her work is really amazing . Here are some floral patterns. I love the bright colors.

 ship + key

Marathon Sports 5 Miler

I'll tell you a secret--I really don't care for running. But for some reason, every summer and part of the other 11 months of the year in Boston, I enter 5K and 5-miler races with the expectation that I've improved and suddenly am good at running. And every year I'm wrong.

It's the competition of the race that I like, being part of a pack, the pressure of having people around to witness your failure if you give up and walk. But the running, itself, is miserable.
After a run, though? Awesome. On top of the world. So satisfying, really.
So I guess that's why I continue to run even though I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a runner.

Last week I ran the Marathon Sports 5-miler. The course is described as "moderately hilly", which I've come to discover is runner-speak for "hell". Boston was in the grips of a horrific heat wave, so that didn't help much. I was supposed to run with a friend, but that didn't work out. So the wonderful Mr. N very graciously agreed to meet me at the race after work to cheer me on. Thanks honey!

My pace for the first mile was under 10 minutes (that's good for me, in 100+ degree heat) but steadily declined from there. I wish I could say I ran the whole thing, but I can't. I do believe I did the best I could, under the circumstances, though. And that is the most important thing. Also, I didn't die. That's very important too.

love the team names!

Like summer camp...

I love bunk rooms. Wouldn't sleeping in one of these make you feel like a kid again?

source unknown

Fernau & Hartman via Remodelista

Miguel Flores-Vianna via Elle Decor

source unknown

via Remodelista

It's one of Mr. N and my greatest dreams to have a lake house/winter cabin up north somewhere. I can't wait to put a bunk room in the attic and fill it with happy kids over years of family reunions, school vacations, and summer holidays.



*Sorry, I don't know where some of these photos came from! They're from my personal inspiration stash, and I wasn't always so good about writing down credits. If anyone recognizes a photo, leave a comment!