what happens when i have two days off? one
spent recovering from working the extra long
holiday weekend. and the other spent pursuing
productive creative endeavors. i went to the
farmers' market in the morning and found some
wonderful produce and fresh lavender. i made
a lunch of fresh figs topped with goat cheese and
walnuts, a little salad of sliced tomatoes and
zucchini with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette,
a fruit salad of sorts with blackberries, raspberries,
blueberries and cherry plums {plums the size of
cherries, not cherries shaped like plums as my sister
thought}. i also made an impromptu sangria by
muddling some raspberries, honey and lime slices
in some white wine. all appropriately enjoyed with
bare hands on a shady deck.



















i also got around to finally loading all my pictures from the past
few months on to my computer. some highlights:

lilacs in bloom {love the scent}:




















iris in bloom {i must have a thing for purple flowers lately}:

























i also finished sewing a skirt i started weeks ago
and did some prep work for some paintings i'd like to do.

overall, a lovely day.

i've been perusing johathan adler's website
and i adore his smart, fresh 'happy chic,' albeit
a little too expensive. i also love his fun manifesto.

{via thoughtful day. i wish her the best of luck.}

p.s. i apologize for the hiatus. it's summer and
the beach and pina coladas have been calling
my name more than the internet.

{via kottke.}

it's been five months since obama's upset in the
iowa caucus. it's been five months since i
reentered the country. five months of history
making as the first black american has clenched
the democratic nomination {i couldn't ask for a
better birthday present}, edging out the first
leading woman vying for president. after being
abroad and returning to the constant cluster
fuck that has been the 2008 primary season, i
can't say i'm particularly encouraged by the
state of this country. perhaps my faith can be
restored over the next five months. if only she
would concede. as jon stewart put it to terry
mcauliffe 'what the fuck!?!'

in the spirit of new starts on fresh spring
{almost summer} days, i've redesigned my little
corner of the internet here.

lots of new links to the right as well.

i hope you like it.

and to kick things off appropriately:

the big umbrella project: