tag, you're it

What are the top three most engrossing books you last read?

My litmus test: I know a book is good--really good--when I barely notice the length of my subway commute, and suddenly I'm already at 23rd Street. And they are:

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner

Read them!

eye candy from bermuda

Gilmore Girls quote of the day

"Call me if you need anything. I mean it. I'm great at making up dirty cheers."

(Season One, "The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton")

Gilmore Girls quote of the day

"I guess this goes on the Boy-Was-I-Wrong List, right above gauchos, right below the Flashdance phase."

(Season One, "The Deerhunters")

tea break

Best tea flavor . . . ever?



Props to Sam for introducing me to the ways of Yogi Tea.

Gilmore Girls quote of the day

"People are particularly stupid today. I cannot talk to any more of them."

(From the pilot)

boat books

Reading list for the cruise next week, in no particular order:

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Apples and Oranges by Marie Brenner
The 158-Pound Marriage by John Irving
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

2 fiction, 2 nonfiction, and I'm good to go.

things that are smelly

I don't understand perfume. To me, it says "Hi, I am presumptuous enough to assume that anyone who gets within 25 feet of me today wants to and should experience this probably nasty old-lady smell. And it will linger 10 minutes after I leave. Oh, and if we're in an enclosed space like a train car? Even better. Enjoy your day!"

(come on pretty mama)

Oh hi, I'm going to this place next week! Pretty.



But today I was stupid and when someone offered me a freelance job, I said "Sure, I'll take it!" So this will be coming with me to Bermuda:



Can I just say...70s erotic romance. Is the genre of this book. Yeah.

Things that are good.

Lilacs are everywhere this past week, and I got a small bunch and split it up among a couple of vases around the apartment. Best smelling flower of them all, hands down. (Hot Anthropologie vase courtesy Kathryn.)


Summery open-faced sandwich: mozzarella, tomatoes, and apple on a slice of toast.

hello, gorgeous

Hello, beautiful new Birkenstocks.

This was an impulse buy requiring much justification by myself to myself . . . but they're so pretty. And part of the justification included the fact that they're Birkenstocks and will therefore comfily mold to my feet and last forever. Plus did I mention how pretty they are? Now if it would only stop raining for twelve consecutive hours, I could actually wear them.

First food

More on my mild obsession with the Obama family!

I was thinking of getting started with my fire escape garden planting this weekend, but it's supposed to be rainy and ick, so I may wait. But wait, here's some more green-things inspiration: the White House's kitchen garden, via thekitchn.com. Look how many things those Obamas are going to have! They must really like spinach. I love to look at garden plans like this too. Here is mine!

Okay, so maybe the White House has an entire acre to work with, and I have something more like 2 square feet, but mine will be cool too.

Also check out more from thekitchn.com on small container gardens for urban spaces.