Places To Go: Ace Hotel Swim Club

I haven't been yet, but will be going very soon! These images speak for themselves, but the Ace Hotel Swim Club in Palm Springs just seems amazing. I just need to tuck aside a long weekend (or week) to hang out in the desert, take pictures, swim and eat in old diners.

(Images via Commune Design, the company that designed the space)

My New Bike

Well, its not that new (I got it for my birthday in December).  But its finally nice enough to start riding it! It's made by Linus Bikes, which is a very cool company based in Venice, CA. Their designs are inspired by French bicycles of the 50's and 60's. They have a few different models and to be honest it was really hard to decide which one was best for me.  In the end I went with the Mixte 3 in black (the top image),which is sporty but still has a classic design.

Oh, and Jason bought my bike from this amazing bike store in Tribecca, Adeline Adeline. They sell a beautiful selection of well-designed bikes, saddles, helmets, baskets, anything you might need for biking!

Traveler's Notebook

I love these handmade leather notebooks from Chiang Mai, Thailand (where we happened to visit last month). It was designed for the traveler and can be refilled and rearranged at your liking. Its perfect for storing your passport, photos, notes, tickets....whatever you collect in your travels. And it might inspire us all to put down our phones, ipads, ipods, laptops...and to absorb/capture/reflect upon our surroundings. Read more and shop at Baum-Kuchen.

Bike rides

We have been busy, busy, busy filling orders. More posts to come but in the meantime, I am loving these bike riding pants by Outlier. These really solve a lot of city bike riding issues...and they look good enough to wear to out as well!

Human Planet

The BBC has a new series called Human Planet, and it looks incredible. The show will focus on human life and our relationship with nature, particularly in extreme (and stunning) environments. There are eight episodes total and each one highlights a different landscape: oceans, deserts, arctic, jungles, mountains, grasslands, rivers and cities. I have watched the trailer several times and can't get over some of the images...they are beautiful, scary and unbelievable at the same time!

Margaret Howell

The New York Times has a beautiful photo essay on designer Margaret Howell and her East Anglia home. I love the muted colors and quietness of the photographs...they seem to be from another era. Even more, I love Margaret's understated and thoughtful style. Her life seems simple and peaceful and lovely.

Old Faithful Shop

The Old Faithful Shop in Vancouver sells simple, honest goods....and our dreamcatchers! I hope we can make it up to BC soon to finally visit it. They also have an inspirational blog, Old Chum. Check it out.

A New Generation of Farmers

Speaking of farm-life, The New York Times just did an article on the growing trend of young farmers in the United States. It really does seem like everywhere you turn there are young couples buying land and having a go at it (we have seen a lot of them in Portland and even at the famer's markers in NYC over the past few years). Perhaps the overstimulation of our society is causing us to regress to simpler times? Regardless of why, it is always inspiring to me to see people who are not afraid to take a risk and do something special. Is this becoming the new norm?

Books To Read: The Dirty Life

I haven't read this book yet, but as soon as I tackle my current "to read" stack, I will. Writer Kristin Kimball tells the true story of her move from New York journalist to upstate farmer...with no real experience.  Of course it all sounds so romantic, but she says her new life can be pretty ugly at times (birthing animals, butchering...eek).

What IS romantic is the how when she was a travel writer living in Manhattan, she traveled to Pennsylvania to do a story about a young, sustainable farmer.  One thing lead to another and this man, Mark, became her husband and the man who inspired her to change everything.  Now they are raising their two children near Lake Champlain and living a pretty charmed life.

I dream about these type of things...leaving everything behind to farm beets/bake pies/sleep under the stars.  But to actually DO it....well, lets hope that this book will inspire me in some way.

Oh and NPR did a little segment on Krisin, listen to it here.