baggu bags

Medium mint pouch

I've been eyeing these Baggu bags for a while. So sweet, so summery, and so reasonable. (The main Baggu site links to all the products.)

Electric coral iPad case

Animals zipper bag set

Platinum leather bag

I can vouch for this blue striped bag;
it's little, so it's great to keep in your purse for kid snacks,
art supplies, and impulse purchases

tom binns

Aqua neon necklace

Tom Binns's neon jewelry is absolutely fabulous. I'm sure Forever 21 has ripped it off for about ten bucks, but the real thing is so much better. It's 1980s redux in the best possible way.

Love it in "pastelle"

Over the top, in a good way

Like the best friendship bracelet ever

Short techno rogue necklace
(the asymmetry makes it)

Neon yellow paint-spattered necklace

last weekend

On Saturday we drove out (through Virgina's ugly strip-mall country, then graceful horse country) to Ayrshire Farm, where the cofounder of Cisco Systems has put her many millions to good use. Sandy Lerner raises heritage-breed animals humanely on a gorgeous piece of land, complete with rolling hills, tree-lined entry drive, English gardens, a gray stone mansion, and a stable that's nicer (not to mention cleaner) than most people's houses. Twice a year it's open to the public as part of a county-wide farm tour; I've already got this fall's date in my calendar.

 

great san francisco apartment

Ideal combination: a modern but warm kitchen

The ever stylish Design Sponge featured this apartment this week. The residents, a creative Mission-neighborhood couple, have a knack for combining the sleek and the fancy, and for adding just enough personal touches without cluttering up their space.

With the relatively plain desk (and the MacBook),
the mirror is just ornate enough

Serene photo, tougher console

They even pull off a fig tree

meg a. myers on etsy

Small dodecahedron hanging terrarium

Meg A. Myers' terrariums have a lot going on: geometry, industrial design, a 1970s vibe. Made with recycled glass, they're sort of harshly beautiful, especially with something delicate and green inside. Plus she gets to use the word (and shape, duh) "dodecahedron."

Large dodecahedron tabletop terrarium

Obelisk terrarium

last week

Max Records in the movie "Where the Wild Things Are"

Last week all five of my kids' grandparents visited (fortunately not at the same time). The visits were great—and now I have to admit I'm enjoying the lack of company. The silence in my house. The nobody trying to "help" in the kitchen. And I'll try to make up for the fact that I didn't get to write about two amazing people from Brooklyn we all were thinking of last week:

MCA, looking so happy, right?

In Adam Yauch's memory, Terry Gross re-broadcast some of a great interview she did with all three Beastie Boys. Surprising that she could talk to them and not sound ridiculous, right? Gross also played a condensation of her truly amazing interviews with Maurice Sendak: yet another example of what a brilliant, gracious, curmudgeonly old man he was. Listen to his stories about not wanting to scare children at book signings; about being "in love with the world"; about his missing partner of 50 years; about his personal gods, Mozart, Dickenson, and Keats. And—so sweet—his fondness for Terry Gross herself: "There is something so special in you," he says—and rather than just a fawning fake interview friendship, you can hear their true affection for each other. "Live your life, live your life, live your life," he tells her. Good advice. That, and re-read this.

molly m designs

Bubbles 1

These prints—laser cut by a San Francisco artist who also makes jewelry—are both simple and delicate. They'd look great combined with more flowery, ornate, colorful pieces.

Mesh 3

Petiole 3

Array 1

pinterest

I realize I've started a lot of recent posts by stating what I'm not—a wearer of bangles, a girl in stiletto heels, a reader of teen novels. I'm also not big on social media (no Facebook—sorry). But I did just start a Pinterest account, and I'm hooked. (In case you're not familiar with the site, it's like an online, shareable bulletin board.) You can see my pins by clicking the big P on the upper right. I haven't pinned much yet, but I promise more is coming.

voz on etsy

Seafoam bangle

I don't wear big chunky bangle bracelets, but these wooden ones are very pretty.

Set of bangles
(looks like a stack of washi tape rolls)

Teal bangle

when you reach me

Buy it on amazon

I don't usually read young-adult novels, but When You Reach Me is the second great one I've come across recently. Rebecca Stead perfectly captures the Upper West Side of 1978 and 79: gritty, a little dangerous, and full of mystery. Her narrator, Miranda, perfectly conveys a 12-year-old's sweetness, confusion and sass. As Stead has explained, she chose the setting (the time and place of her own childhood) so she could depict kids with more freedom than today—and more access to adventure. Then Stead threw in some mysterious notes, a suddenly remote best friend, and the possibility of time travel...and remember the game show "The $20,000 Pyramid"? Quaint, right? I won't give away the plot; I'm re-reading it with Charlie now, and he's equally fascinated (and much better at reading clues than I was). Just trust me that it's compelling and incredibly moving.

rachel zoe madison dress

Colorblock dress

The best detail about this dress, in addition to the little draped collar and the perfect navy-and-white stripes and the short short length? The pockets. (Spotted on this very stylish blog.)