full metal kimono

These stunning metal kimonos were made by a dear friend of mine, Polish artist, photographer & makeup artist Gabriela von Seltmann (née Maciejowska).

Gabi & her husband, Uwe von Seltmann, a writer & film maker, have embarked on a project that examines painful & hitherto unknown pieces of their families' pasts, when Uwe discovered that his Grandfather was an SS Officer in Kraków, & Gabi learned that her Grandfather had perished in Auschwitz. 

They spoke at a recent TED conference about how they met & were subsequently inspired to take on this difficult & illuminating piece of work.

see Gabriela's photos here

topmost photograph Andrzej Swietlik

happy weekend

Enjoy...

diy details

After of a sweet little flower shop renovation. Love the contrast of the wood & white laminate flooring, & the vein of mirrored tile that seams them together. The dark, rough-hewn molding juxtaposed against bright white & the pendant lights made from exhaust fans are simply wonderful.

from here

swoon

or as Greer so aptly & simply said:

oh

from here

summer feasting

Vanilla ice cream with local, organic blueberries & blackberries freshly picked from our secret berry patch along a favorite hiking trail, & simple salsa cruda from our own home-grown cilantro & local veggies, with the exception of the jalapeño, although we do anticipate Cory's delicious peppers to appear at the farmer's market any day now. We grilled our own zucchini last night, & it was incredible how sweet & buttery it tasted. Heaven.

happy weekend

A heat wave has crept into the Northeast, which has translated into chilled drinks of many stripes (coffee, sauvignon blanc, mineral water, lemonade), a menu that doesn't require much in the way of cooking (& verily, meant much in the way of take-out), & not much physical activity. I'm looking forward to when the heat breaks on Sunday & family comes over for a cook-out; perhaps we'll even get a hike in earlier in the day. We harvested our garlic on a relatively cool morning (21 this year), & are reveling in the fact that our basil is much happier in this weather (at least something is!). I see pesto in our near future... 

full rein

If I had a horse, one of these gorgeous hand-tooled halters would be the star of his wardrobe.

Linny Kenney, a professional vocalist & musician, learned the art of leather working from a master while living in California. She & her Arabian horse, Sojourner, & best friend, Walter, embarked on a road trip in 2010, riding the 3,700 miles across the United States from her current home in California, to her childhood home in New Hampshire. She & Walter fell in love during the journey & have since married, a fact I found even more poignant when I read that she had dedicated her travels to divorce-related depression.

Be sure to visit her etsy shop to see the beautiful pieces she crafts for humans, too. I am quite smitten with the winged cuff...

find Linny's blog here