Loving...On A Friday (Because Why Not?)

Jamie's roses.

Justine's weavings.

Le Zine © Allison V. Smith
Allison's Paris.

Julia's pouch...

and her tote too.

Rachel's red dress.

Jamie and Nienke's kitchen.

Lou's smile.

A Pity Party...And A Book

I've been feeling sorry for myself a lot of late... And I'm stuck in this one-person pity party despite the fact that I know I am luckier/more blessed/richer (that last one is figurative, for the record) than 99.9 percent of, well, everyone else on earth (i.e. abundant love, beloved family, dear friends, health, shelter, food, water, transportation, safety + way, way more...you get the idea). I feel shameful about my "woe is me" M.O., I do. And yet...I can't seem to shake my sort of perpetual state of Charlie Brown-ness.

The culprits are annoying enough -- a car that has died, wait for it, 3 times in the past week and a half, all at the absolute most inopportune times (on the way to the girl's music presentation, in route to a photo shot carrying every. single. thing. that needed to be shot), a house in shambles due to a big project we're doing, never-ending piles of laundry, a cat that believes with every fiber of his being that my dining room rug is his litter box (we've been down this road before, I realize)...

Here is what's saving me right now, what's pulling me out of this temporary state of myopic whining and into a more tough love, get over it already place.

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

My friend Kerry recommended this book to me several weeks ago based solely on the fact that she thought I'd dig the author's attempt at drastic simplification (Kerry knows me well). I've been reading a little before bed each night, and, friends, it is slaying me. Granted, it's got a (major) religious bent, however, it is humbling, applicable, beautiful, funny, and moving, regardless of your religious affiliation (or lack there of). Let's just say it has my wheels turning... Big time.

Thanks Jen Hatmaker. I owe you one.

Walking On The Moon

The bulk of my weekend was spent heads down, tapping away at my computer in an attempt to get the Fall D Moms ready to head off to the printer in the next few weeks (already!). Notable exceptions include an altogether fantastic dinner date with the hubs on Saturday and that action happening above...

Said action was our visit to Katharina Grosse's otherworldly, utterly gobsmacking exhibit at the Nasher with Lucia and her band of lovely littles. A technicolor moonscape meets a neon Mad Max, Grosse's installation was breathtaking, brilliant, totally unique, and perhaps a bit magical, as after walking through it Friday evening I was oddly rejuvenated. It was just what I needed.

Funny how good art can do that...

Some Scenes...From The Weekend

Our Austin adventure was quick, and there was lots of car time (holy cow could the traffic between Austin and Dallas be any worse? wait, don't answer that), but it was just what we needed. We spent the weekend with my soul sister/better half/college roommate/partner in all manner of crime Stacy and her beautiful family. We ate Amy's ice cream (twice in less than 24 hours) and tacos (of both the breakfast and dinner variety) and big stacks of gingerbread pancakes (there was a lot of eating). We swam at Deep Eddy pool and drank margaritas and ogled pretty things at Jardineros and Hijo and Spartan and JM Dry Goods. But mostly we just, well...were. No pretense, no overplanning, no agenda. Just letting the day unfold... We need more of that action.

A Few Random Bits

This is a long one friends...get ready.

First up in our list-o-randomness, there's a fun little project I wanted to share with you guys... Back in April, the lovely folks at Wisteria asked me and two of my D Home colleagues – associate creative director Jamie Laubhan-Oliver, and staff photographer Elizabeth Lavin – to design a space using their (rather awesome) furniture and accessories. The three of us brainstormed a bit and decided to conjure a fictional inhabitant for our space, ultimately deciding on designing a personal, cozy, slightly moody "loft" for a city-dwelling artist.

Then the real fun began... We pulled inspiration photos, worked out room dimensions, mulled over furniture placement, selected paint colors, and "shopped" Wisteria's awesomeness. The day of the shoot, we piled our cars with our own art, books, and accessories (all that action above) to prop our room, giving it a truly personal, lived-in feel.

The result is the room below... Most of which can be purchased here (those chairs, those bookshelves, those sconces, that killer little mirrored side table). Pretty fun,  yes?

But the best part of the experience, by far, was collaborating with Jamie and Elizabeth -- two amazing, über creative ladies. It was lots of back-and-forth, lots of compromise, (we are, after all, three highly opinionated gals), lots of schlepping, lots of eating (cookies), and an insane amount of fun...

Then there's the matter of the blueberries...Or more specifically the fact that the 6 pounds(!!) of blueberries that we (I) picked last Sunday are nearly gone, and it's possible that I might be the only person in the family that ate them (in my lunch, when I wake up, between meals, before bed). I'm not sure if this is a good thing, this consuming of 6 pounds of blueberries in four days by a single person, but I felt I needed to share it with someone in case all of the sudden I started looking all Violet Beauregarde.

(Millie partaking in a little behind-the-shoot fun while we were turning out the last issue of D Moms)

Moving on, I thought it prudent to mention that I'm firmly ensconced in the crazy, can't breathe, exhausting, but totally rewarding month leading up to the fall issue of D Moms going to press (already!). I tell you this because during this month or so of schlepping, hauling, writing, editing, arranging, cajoling, laughing, crying, etc, I suck at, well...pretty much everything else. In an effort to get the magazine done and be a (somewhat) good mother to my children, I'm a bad friend, daughter, sister, and (sadly) wife; I stink at any and all manner of personal communication, especially, but not limited to, engaging in coherent conversation and returning phone calls/texts/e-mails in a timely manner; I'm poorly groomed; Oh and I frequently swear.

I just thought you guys should know it's nothing personal...and if you happened to be one of the aforementioned people that I will inevitably neglect, please accept my profuse and heartfelt apologies in advance.

I'll make it up to you. I promise.

Ok, last but not least, we're off to Austin for a couple of days to partake in some icy cold spring-fed pool swimming, taco eating, and general loafing in our favorite city in celebration of Father's Day.

Have a splendid weekend friends!http://www.dmagazine.com/Issues/D_Home_MAY-JUN_2013.aspx

Loving...On A Thursday

The lovely, immensely talented, and completely groovy (I am so digging her "off the grid" weekend house situation) Lauren Manoogain via Backyard Bill.

Morgan Peck's mini fan sculpture at Totokaelo... In fact their entire art and object shop is rocking my world.

The loveliest birthday party treat bags of all time via Kate.

Madewell's simple white frock and the totally unadorned styling action. In a sea of the perpetually over-accessorized (the shoe, the bag, the necklace. oh my.), wearing no accessories at all just feels really modern and chic to me. (See the eternally chic Sophia Coppola.)

Linda Matalon's gorgeous work at Blackston Gallery...

Michelle!!! The new name for the shop (Mille...Love!), the gorgeous Kinfolk flower potluck at the studio, all of it. You are killing it my friend. I'm so, so proud of you.

Some Scenes...From The Weekend

Aarrgghh technology. I popped into blogger to edit my post only to totally delete it complete, losing all my original text in the process. Sadly, it wouldn't revert to the original draft either. So to avoid a total rewrite after 9 hours in the office and a traffic-riddled commute, I'm going with a sort of stream of consciousness approach. Cool?

Here goes:

Pickled radishes and tart bing cherries at Sam's annual Symphony Picnic in the park (preceded by a stellar champagne bar), dinner under the stars with Janet, David, Henry, lovely cousin Erin and husband Ben, lots of swimming, agrarian adventures at Tara winery and blueberry picking in Edom with Whitney, Steve, Davis, and Hudson, and a totally blissed out Monday (although I'm not quite sure how I feel about my obsessive blueberry picking spree) as a result of all the time spent en plein air.

Whew. Hope your weekend was splendid friends.