Me on my first birthday in 1983 B.P. (Before Pinterest)

As a kid, I remember loving my birthday parties. My mom baked a cake, often of the Duncan Hines variety, and my cousins came over bearing gifts. That’s it. Things were simple. There were no custom-made labels identifying anything served at the kitchen table. No goodie bags sent home with those who came. And the guest list? Family only, maybe a few friends once I reached grade school.

Growing up, this is what I knew a celebration to be. It’s why I now cringe when I see what the “modern” birthday party has become. Find them on Pinterest or find them on blogs, but suddenly we’re seeing birthday parties with an amount of excess that makes me think, “My God, not even my wedding was this elaborate.” It’s all a bit ridiculous isn’t it? So what I want to know is, how did we get here? How did we get to a point where “Pinterest stress” is seriously a THING?

Dean is only six months and already I feel some of this pressure. Pressure to throw a perfect birthday party for this precious little boy who won’t know or care if there’s a theme or a tablescape or a cake with fondant icing I paid a baker an exorbitant fee to create.

If and when I start to think this overabundance is necessary, I must remember to consciously check myself. Because I want to be a mother who takes a stand against the insanity that has encroached on our collective ability to entertain simply. Simply without guilt, I must add. (Let’s face it, dads aren’t behind this phenomenon are they? I’m confident men could care less if mason jars with expensive straws were waiting to be oohed and awed over by party guests.)

If you are someone whose idea of fun is staying up until 1 am affixing labels to guests’ water bottles, by all means continue being a slave to your glue gun. I have met a few of you over the years and I understand this is your creative outlet the same way photographing clients or writing a blog entry is mine.

It’s just I don’t have this “party maven” gene. (I don’t even OWN a glue gun, let alone any amount of colorful card stock that would necessitate its use.) And I’m pretty sure a lot of you lack this gene as well. But the Internet is fooling us into believing if our parties aren’t “Pinterest-worthy,” well, maybe we’re doing it wrong.

As a professional photographer, I feel an added responsibility to be real about this. Because I have a big, expensive camera and I know how to use it makes it that much easier for me to stress over putting together some lavish spread just so I can photograph it and submit it to one of the myriad party blogs fueling this trend.

Except, I have no plans of doing that. Not now. Not ever. Each year when October rolls around and we’re celebrating Dean’s birthday, it will be in the most low-key way possible. I’m talking paper plates (and yes, someday these might have Buzz Lightyear or dinosaurs on them), a cake I’ve made (likely from a box) and a small handful of people who mean the most to my son.

Who knows … maybe the money I save from years’ worth of birthdays celebrated sans favors and and all the other trappings can go toward a party when we we splurge on, say, a bouncy castle for Dean and his friends.

I hear that’s all the kids at the party are going to remember anyway.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt: Years ago, I read another book by Tartt and liked her voice. So I bought this title only to have it sit on my shelf for TEN years. It was my pick last month for my book club and was delighted to discover that all the ladies were as spell-bound by its story line as I was. The plot follows a handful of eccentric, intellectual undergrads at a small liberal arts college in New Hampshire who, under the influence of their classics professor, find themselves the perpetrators of a series of murders—first of an innocent bystander then against one of their own. It’s a totally chilling tale and Tartt weaves a narrative so compelling you can’t help but feel strong emotional ties to these characters.

Passages I Want to Remember: “We were all of us painfully aware of that metaphoric vial of nitroglycerine which Bunny carried around with him day and night, and which, from time to time, he allowed us a glimpse of, unless anyone forget it was always with him, and he had the power to dash it to the floor whenever he pleased.”

Would I Recommend? For fans of intellectual fiction (this isn’t exactly the lightest of reading material; Donna Tartt is smart and her prose reflects it). Also, this one is perfect for anyone who loves a good thriller. If your last read was Gone Girl, you’ll want to dive into this next!

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth: I admit I got sucked into tucking into these after several friends asked me “Why haven’t you read them yet?!” I’d heard they were sure to be the new YA craze in the same vein as the Hunger Game series and I can totally see how the comparisons got made. (Who knew dystopia would be the best thing to happen to young adult fiction since vampires?!) Yet, I didn’t feel the same pull to these as I did to Katniss and Peeta. The first novel held my attention quite a bit more than the second, but I absolutely loved the ending of the second book and now cannot wait for the third (and final) novel in the series to come out. Also? I’m totally curious about the movie, especially since I highly approve of its cast!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: It’s rare for me to re-read a book (there’s always too much else out there new to command my attention!) but in anticipation of the new movie, I had to pick my beloved Gatsby back up. It’s funny how different themes of a book resonate with you based on where you’re at in your life. Having just become a mother, this time I was particularly pained by how little love and affection Daisy displayed for her daughter with Tom. Given that Gatsby is one of my favorite reads of all time (I’m a big fan of Fitzgerald’s style), of course this one still holds a lot of appeal for me. And so many great passages to remember, far too many to list individually here.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio: Ohhhhh you guys! I don’t think I can fully express how much I enjoyed this novel. The story centers on August Pullman, a young boy with a face so deformed it’s prevented him from going to mainstream school. But Auggie relents to his parents’ pleas to attend middle school and what follows is a year-long journey through the school year—one full of trials and tribulations—as told by a cast of characters that includes Auggie along with his sister and classmates. The story will tug at your heart strings as it teaches you a powerful lesson about compassion and friendship.

Passages I Want to Remember: “I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives.” // “Do people look the same when they go to heaven, mommy?” “I don’t know. I don’t think so.” “Then how do people recognize each other?” “I don’t know, sweetie. They just feel it. You don’t need your eyes to love, right?”

Would I Recommend? It’s the first book I’ll tell people to read when they ask, “What should I read next?” As I was reading Wonder, I found myself thinking back to a Pulitzer Prize-winning feature story I read years ago about a REAL little boy with a facial deformity named Sam. If and when you read Wonder, do yourself a favor and read this article about this kid — he truly is a real-life Auggie.

VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6 To Help You Lose Weight & Restore Your Health for Good by Mark Bittman: I started reading the newest release from Mark Bittman (the legendary New York Times food writer I’ve admired for years) not because I was necessarily wanting to lose weight but because I felt pulled in by Bittman’s personal story about how this method of eating was so beneficial to his lifelong health. I have high cholesterol (darn genetics!) and I’ve been interested in how food can help me control my blood levels, so I’ve been fascinated by this book and find myself truly enjoying the recipes I’ve tried so far. (Mark’s homemade cereal is my new favorite start to the morning!) I’m not totally vegan before 6, but I’m making small strides toward adding more healthy food to my plate, including more vegetarian dishes come dinner time. Small steps go a long way in this area of life, so don’t forget that (words typed by a former Diet Coke junkie!)

Would I Recommend? It may not be for everyone, but for anyone making healthy changes in his or her life, who enjoys cooking and incorporating real food into their diet (news flash—a daily soda ain’t allowed with this way of eating) and is interested in reaping the benefits of feeling better and having more energy, then yeah, pick it up. It’s eye-opening (Bittman doesn’t skip on facts about this nation’s poor health habits) but encouraging at the same time. (Remember, this isn’t about a diet but instead a way to eat for life!)

I’ve written about Chanel before (here and here), but for those new(ish) to the blog, she has spent the past five years working for me at Ball State University, where I work in the marketing and communications office. (I do public relations for Ball State, help manage the university’s social media presences and maintain our internal communications system).

Chanel started in my office at 19, and, in a lot of ways, I’ve watched her grow up. She is finishg up her degree in speech pathology and is an incredible person—driven, passionate and oozing enthusiasm for the people and hobbies she loves. Somewhere in the time since I hired her and the time I had to say goodbye to her as my graduate assistant last month, she became the kid sister I never had.

Chanel and Kyle are high school sweethearts. Everybody in that church on Saturday who watched them wed knew they were watching a couple in it for the long haul, so in sync are they with one another. It was an honor for me to document this day they’d been looking forward to for so long.

While their wedding story is on its way, I couldn’t resist giving one of my favorite people in my life an extended sneak peek of what I’m sure (based on the giant dimpled smile that never left her face) was one of the happiest of her life. Chanel, I adore you (and that sweet fella of yours). Don’t be a stranger now, all right? :)

Chanel and Kyle got married in Kyle’s home church (Irvington Presbyterian) with a reception that followed at the Bona Thompson Memorial Building. The building was once Butler University’s library—which made it only fitting for these two to add a bit of romantic literary flair to their tablescapes. The couple furnished all of the florals and decorations themselves and Kyle did all the graphic design (for those who know how crafty these two are, that comes as no surprise!) Chanel’s FABULOUS shoes were from Anthropologie. As for the photo on the right and below, it was meant to be for us to take pictures in front of this green door. This building is Midland Arts and Antiques Market in Indianapolis, where Chanel and Kyle have a booth and sell furniture they refurbish. It was totally serendipitous that we ended up here during portrait hour, but I was so grateful we did! And finally, I have to end with my FAVORITE portrait from the day. Though they’ve all gone on and graduated on me, these four ladies are some of the greatest student workers I’ve ever had. That’s Samantha on my left, (me), Chanel, Kenzie and Aly. I love that my day job lets me mentor young college students, but I love even more that, along the way, so many of them have become close friends. Ending the night at the wedding out on the  dance floor with all of these girls will definitely be one of the highlights of my 2013! Love you girls SO much!

I won’t be making it to opening night (boo!) but have plans for a weekday girls’ get-together soon to take in the film in all its 3-D splendor. I don’t even care that the critics aren’t being kind in their reviews … this is one I have to see for myself. I’ve been enamored with the novel since high school, the Jazz Age (and all its excesses and failings) is my favorite time period in American history and I lurrrvvvve Baz Luhrmann. With this cast, too, I just have a hard time understanding how this can go wrong!

In the meantime, I’ll continue to soak up all the ways in which Gatsby (Gatsby? What Gatsby?) has become this nation’s latest pop culture craze.

A round-up for you, if you please …

• 10 Great Quotes from The Great Gatsby
• Vogue’s cover story with Carey Mulligan about playing the role of Daisy (a MUST READ)
• This soundtrack — OMG, how have I failed to talk about how fabulous it is? That Lana del Ray song really gets me.
• The Forgotten Childhood of Jay Gatsby
• Five reasons Gatsby is the great American novel
• Anyone care for some 1922 eyewear? Yes please!
• ’20s craze culminates with in release of ‘Gatsby’

And just curious, how many of you are re-reading the book? I picked it up this week for the first time in years and am struck at how much I still love the story. I am such a fan of the way F. Scott Fitzgerald crafts sentences— a true literary genius. I have my old copy with the iconic cover that I love so much, but I found this New York Times story on the controversy over the book with the film’s tie-in cover to be an especially interesting one.

In keeping up with my trend of making May the month of all things Fitzgerald, next up on my reading list is Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, a new release by author Therese Ann Fowler. I have an obsession with the creatives who made up the Lost Generation (their spouses as well) and I have a feeling this book will hold my attention every bit as much (possibly more) as The Paris Wife did a few years back!

Here’s the back story on my discovery of the Define Bottle….. A few months back, I started poking around on the Internet for recipes and ideas for fruit infused water. You know, the kind of “fancy” water you get at a spa or upscale restaurant with berries in it or cucumber and mint (or, if you like to keep things SUPER simple, drop a lemon wedge in H20 and bam, infused water!). I am a HUGE water drinker but sometimes it’s nice to try something new, right? In looking for recipes, I came across the Define Bottle’s website and thought its design was just gorgeous (and I loved the originality of the idea)! So I mentioned in a recent Odds & Ends post about how I’d put myself on a waiting list for the bottle and was excited for its product launch.

Fast forward a few days and I get an email out of the blue from the bottle’s creator, Carter. And you guys, get this: CARTER IS FOURTEEN YEARS OLD!!!! (I had NO idea, as I hadn’t gotten around to reading the About section of his website). Carter wanted to know if I’d like one of the bottles to review. I wrote him back an email filled with a lot of exclamation points, saying of course I would (!!!) and that I was in awe of his budding efforts as a entrepreneur.  I mean, when I was 14, I was spending my weekends watching Clueless marathons, you know? Here Carter is, the creator of this awesome bottle with incredible branding and a wonderful mission to make people healthier.

So, do I like the bottle? ABSOLUTELY! I’ve been using it the past week and while I’ve just been stocking its bottom with some wedges of lime and lemon I wanted to use up in our refrigerator, I look forward to trying out more of Carter’s recipes for fruit infused water. Peaches and cream water? YUM! The bottle is long and skinny, so it fits best in my over-sized totes and purses (or Dean’s diaper bag). It also fits perfectly in my car’s cup holder (which is nice because my Camelbak steel canteen doesn’t). The bottom has a freezing element to it, so it keeps the refills of water I add to it throughout the day nice and super cold!

And I have to add one last element to this story: In corresponding with Carter, I exchanged a few emails with his mother, Carla. (Carla, I hope you don’t mind me sharing!) Here’s what she had to say about her son: Carter is a fun kid.  He came to us with this idea and my husband and I looked at each other and said”hmmm this is a good idea”…..Carter actually started this project when he was only thirteen and has done a great job. For Carter, it is a mission to live a healthier life and to help fight childhood obesity by getting kids off juice and soda. He has had the opportunity to meet President Clinton and Michelle Obama for his efforts. 

About the Book:  I’d heard of Dinner: A Love Story before ordering a copy but admittedly had spent zero time on Jenny Rosenstrach’s blog nor was I aware that this was a cookbook that wasn’t just pictures of food with directions on how to cook it, but a true story woven within its pages. After reading Bread & Wine earlier this spring, I felt inspired to pick this cookbook up and I’m so glad I did! I found myself totally immersed in Jenny’s life story, like remembering the days her mom went back to school and how her dad made his “signature” dish—breaded chicken cutlets—every night for the next five years. Or how she and her husband started to explore cooking in their tiny New York City apartment in their early 20s. And, perhaps most of all (given the season of life I’m in), I enjoyed reading about how Jenny managed to keep dinner time sacred in her home after the addition of her two daughters, born barely a year apart.

As I read this book, I found myself exclaiming out loud several times, “Yes!” or nodding my head in agreement with something Jenny had written (like the passage I excerpted below). Because you see, somewhere between my late 20s and the age I am now (31), I’ve become obsessed with preserving the dinner hour in my own home. I’m grateful that I was raised in a house where my mother (who stayed at home with all four of her kids) had dinner on the table every night without fail. Sometimes I was a brat about what she served (I recall a year where I felt like we ate nothing but casseroles and as an 8-year-old, tuna noodle casserole instantly made me stick out my tongue). But for the most part, my mom has been and always will be the best cook I’ve ever met. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized food is my mother’s love language — she bakes the best pies, she volunteers with funeral dinners at our church and her potato salad is legendary. So I’m lucky that I had her in the kitchen as the foundation for my love of cooking.

So now, as a working mom, I subscribe to the work philosophy that Jenny wrote about here in DALS: I never want a job that keeps me from being able to put dinner on the table for my family. I’ve become a big believer in the philosophy that if more people could just return to cooking AT HOME, with REAL INGREDIENTS, our nation would go a long way to healing its health crisis. (Apparently the incredible Michael Pollan’s new book is all about this very subject — I shared this article of his on Facebook earlier this week). There is something beautiful in the routine of coming together as a family over food and I so look forward to having those moments with Dean and any future children Nick and I might have in the years to come.

Passage(s) I Want to Remember: I was starting to shape a theory about dinner. I found that if I was eating well, there was a good chance that I was living well, too. I found that when I prioritized dinner, a lot of other things seemed to fall into place: We worked more efficiently …, we had a dedicated time and place to unload whatever was annoying us about work and everything else, and we spent less money by cooking our own food, which meant we never felt guilty about treating ourselves to dinner out on the weekend. And perhaps most important, the simple act of carving out the ritual—a delicious homemade ritual—gave every day purpose and meaning, no matter what else was going on in our lives.

Recipes I Loved: What’s fun about cooking—really cooking—is exploring recipes and learning new techniques you’d never tried before. Which is how I came to discover the beauty of an egg wash on the dough of Jenny’s YUMMY chicken pot pie (who knew it took a bit of egg white to make a crust look SO golden-y delicious?!) and also how I decided to make Jenny’s recipe from the book for curried chicken with apples. I LOVE exploring ethnic cuisine (even though it totally intimidates me; I blogged about my first attempt at making Indian food a few years ago).

Please know that while I LOVE to make food I’m not one of those people who’s particularly great at photographing it (as evidence by these crappy snaps from my phone!)

Would I Recommend? Here’s who I think this book would be perfect for: New brides (this would make a WONDERFUL shower gift), families with little kids who enjoy cooking (because Jenny is a wonderful example of how you can still make dinner (with a variety of courses) a priority despite all the families out there who may insist you have to live off chicken nuggets until your kid is a teenager); foodies (duh!); and anyone curious about a cookbook that, while it IS a cookbook, reads just as much like a wonderful memoir as a collection of delicious dishes. You can do yourself a favor first and spend some time on Jenny’s blog if you want …I didn’t have to, but in the time since, I’ve become obsessed with it and find it to be one of my daily reads!

How Sleep — Dreaming of it, Losing it and Helping Your Child Find it — Can Consume Your Life as a New Mom

If there is ONE thing I underestimated about this life-changing ride called parenthood it’s how the idea of sleep — my own, Nick’s, Dean’s, our lack thereof — would come to dominate my life the way it has these past six months. When you have a baby, you know you’re in for sleepless nights. I wasn’t naive to this reality. I just couldn’t have imagined the way I would be OVERWHELMED with all the literature, attitudes and opinions out there on the topic of children and sleep. (This woman’s tongue-and-cheek essay on the subject sums it up pretty well.)

For us, the troubles started around the time Dean turned two months old. Nick and I were exhausted, my son was at the fussiest stage of infancy and I was convinced Dean was never going to sleep well. People were starting to ask us “Is he sleeping through the night yet?” Parental small talk that, to me, had become the most loaded of questions.

It’s SO ridiculous to admit now, but I began to feel like a failure as a parent because Dean had yet to be sleep trained. The one time I’d let him cry it out in his crib for 20 minutes (so I could make myself lunch), I felt as if I’d traumatized us both. I was deterred by books like Babywise (which, in my opinion, advocate sleep training your child too young with too little direction). I was obsessively reading the blogs of mothers whose infants slept like “dreams”. (Despite knowing better, I couldn’t stay away from them.) I’d even started rationalizing to friends and family that Dean was “a bad sleeper” to make myself feel better about things.

By three months, we’d entered a routine of my nursing Dean twice a night and occasionally popping out of bed to give him a pacifier, rock him or pat his bottom to get him back to sleep. Those once-a-night pop-ups started happening a lot more when he turned four months. Suddenly we were up five or six times a night. As he was starting to develop more mature, shorter sleep cycles, Dean couldn’t go back to sleep on his own. So it was up to us to finish the job for him every hour, on the hour.

After a particularly rough night two weeks ago, I told Nick enough was enough. It was time to try sleep training. He was far more reluctant to the concept but, with us both sleep-deprived zombies at work, it no longer felt optional. After reading this post from one of my favorite bloggers, I ordered the book The Sleepeasy Solution. I also had a long-distance friend of mine in New Hampshire (hi Kristen!) who sent me her copy of Richard Ferber’s book, promising me the method had worked for her kids, Dean was at a great age to try it and, oh yeah, wouldn’t it be nice to sleep again?

How it Works

Both books employ similar concepts: After establishing a bedtime routine, you put your child to bed awake. Once they start crying, you check on them at staged intervals (5, 10 then every 15 minutes). I’ve heard people “demonize” the crying out method as cruel and unusual punishment, but now I think those sentiments are coming from parents who’ve never actually read either of the books I’ve cited above. Because both texts do a wonderful job explaining how the process is parent-led (you don’t just leave your kid alone the entire night to cry) and, most importantly, describe in detail how crucial it is for children to learn to sleep on their own. Turns out, falling asleep is not a skill we’re born with but one that must be learned. Think of it this way, Ferber writes: You’re an adult who falls asleep with a pillow every night. But what happens when someone yanks the pillow out from under you? You wake up confused, unable to sleep without having your pillow back. This, essentially, is how babies feel when they wake up to find that the bottle, breast, pacifier or arms that rocked them to sleep are no longer there. (Makes sense, right? This concept really helped me to understand how important this process was as a milestone for my son.)

The first night we implemented the Sleepeasy method, Dean started crying the minute I tiptoed out of the nursery. It took him 35 minutes to stop. Was it hard? Absolutely. But with each night that passed, we started to see tremendous progress. And here we are, two weeks later, and Dean is now consistently sleeping STRAIGHT THROUGH THE NIGHT ON HIS OWN. It’s enough to make me want to run through hills and burst into song, Julie Andrews-Sound of Music-style.

While I know sleep training may not be for everyone—it’s obviously a very personal choice—in the end, for us, the experience was akin to pulling off a Band-Aid. We’d worried so much about it, putting up with the frustrations (sleep deprivation, crankiness, fear of bedtime) its delay brought us. Then, when we actually went through with it, it was FAR less painful than we thought it would be.

I only wish I could go back in time four months and calm the fears of the mother who worried incessantly that her infant son was never going to sleep through the night. This is the one issue as a parent I have regrets over, which is why I’ve felt so passionately about writing in such detail about it here.

What I Want Other New Moms to Know

If I could sit down with a new mom (hiring her a babysitter to give us the luxury of an hour together over cups of tea), sleep would be the No. 1 topic of discussion. I don’t want any new mom to unnecessarily go through the weeks of frustration (and tears!) that I did. Here’s what I would want her to walk away from the conversation remembering — and if you happen to be that young mom reading this right now (or the friend of one), here is what I’d tell you too:

• Don’t worry about sleep training until your baby is at least four months old: Most experts seem to agree that, before the four month mark, babies really do need the comfort of their parents when they’re crying (day or night). I know it’s the choice of parents on when to sleep train (if they choose to do it). Some will decide to do it before four months, but I’m positive their experience will be filled with a LOT more tears (from both them and the child) than if they’d waited a few more months. Babies won’t make any sleep associations (ie, needing to be rocked or given a bottle to fall asleep) before four to five months. So parents of newborns, you do whatever you need to do to get your baby to sleep. And enjoy that time together because it’s a stage that passes so quickly. I regret the time I wasted worrying about Dean’s sleep habits as an infant and wish I would have better enjoyed those hours we spent in the rocking chair together.

• If you do sleep train, be consistent: This is where sleep training can get you. You and your partner REALLY have to follow the method to a T. At one point after Dean had been crying for 20 minutes, Nick looked at me and said, “Can’t I just give him his pacifier?” My response? “N-O.” There’s no better way for you to fail at sleep training (and give the method a bad rap) than by being inconsistent. As the authors of both books write, if you give your kid inconsistent or mixed messages (sometimes helping him to sleep, sometimes not), he’s going to sleep less and cry MORE. Don’t do it!

• If it doesn’t work for your family this time, consider trying again in a few weeks: I’ve come to learn this way of thinking applies to most everything with parenting. Your child hates solids? Try again in a week. Your child isn’t loving to sleep unswaddled? Try again in a week. Can’t get him or her out of the bed you’re sharing? Try again in a week. It’s been amazing to me to see how many times I’ve wanted to scream in frustration over some parenting roadblock, only to let it go, give it a try a short time later, and then think, “Geesh, why did I get so worked up over this?” My guess is sleep training might fall under this sliding scale of developmental changes too.

If you’ve read through this entry in its entirety, bless your heart. If you want to tell me your own thoughts about sleep training (if it worked for you, if it didn’t work for you, whatever the case may be), I’d welcome the comments. And if you want to pass this essay along to a bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived new mother who might be just as confused and frustrated by her child’s inability to sleep as I was, even better. Tell her I said “Things will get better“. Because, truly, they will and do.

Already I’m finding I have far too few photos of the two of us to my satisfaction. Seeing this image is a powerful reminder of how I need to work on that in my personal life but also how important it is for us to get family pictures taken professionally every year.

The fact this image comes when it does feels like fate to me because this month is the month where I FINALLY feel like I’m getting the hang of this whole motherhood thing. Don’t get me wrong — I still question decisions I make and still worry if I’m worthy of the title of being this precious pumpkin’s parent—but six months is just SUCH an awesome age, both for him AND me. It’s been my favorite time with him yet.

This kid has fast become my pint-sized best friend and when I see this photo it reminds me I have everything I need in that sweet grin. Betsy, I cannot WAIT to see the rest of our session with you! Thank you for this incredible gift!

Until then, here’s a few Odds & Ends I found on the Internet as of late. Enjoy!

• How gorgeous are these neon waterfalls? What a cool idea!
• What world cities would look like at night without light pollution. FASCINATING.
• If you’re a (healthy) foodie who doesn’t mind a bit of potty mouth, Thug Kitchen will make you LOL.
• I know I don’t need to buy yet another water bottle, but this Define Infusion Bottle is so gorgeous I couldn’t help but put myself on the waiting list for it.
• A cat in a shark suit. Riding a Roomba. Chasing a duck. Oh Internet…..
• This dad who illustrates his son’s lunch bags gets MAD props for cuteness from me!
• Speaking of illustrations, I now have a nerd crush on children’s book writer-illustrator Jon Klassen. His books (including the award-winning This is Not My Hat) are SO charming–if you need a gift for a little one, I highly recommend!
• I have one of the Kate Spade Saturday iPhone cases but man oh man, how can I justify to myself purchasing these pants? I’M SO IN LOVE!
• 1993 versus 2013
• Can I be new best friends with this woman who Photoshops herself into famous photos? AWESOME.
• And finally, have you all seen this cover of the new issue of Boston magazine, out today? GIVES ME CHILLS. Read more about it — hats off to the designers and staff who came up with this concept on such a tight deadline. It’s beautiful on so many levels.

Photo credit: Boston cover photo by Mitch Feinberg