Did this summer fly by? I mean, seriously, I blinked once in June and here we are. Today is the first day of autumn, which, luckily, is an amazing season, too. Looking forward to crisp evenings, rosy cheeks, the smell of bonfires and turtleneck sweaters.
My sweets, what are you doing this weekend? New York finally feels like fall! There's the lovely crispness in the air that gives you rosy cheeks and makes you want to drink tea. Also, this coming Thursday, we'll be going to our good friend Samantha Hahn's gallery opening. If you're in New York, come by for a glass of wine! It would be fun to meet you. Hope you have a lovely weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...
How nerdy are you? Because I have to say, these charts by Ben Greenman made me laugh.
Do you ever use bookmarks? I end up using scraps of paper and receipts, but this book hook would be a real step up. It would transform your book into a piece of art on your nightstand.
(Illustration by Caitlin McGauley)
My lovelies, what are your plans for the weekend? Alex and I are going to the new restaurant Beagle, which sounds awesome, and to a friend's birthday party, and Toby will be practicing his standing! What are your plans? Is there a fall chill in the air? Have a wonderful weekend, and here are some great posts from around the web...
Have you guys ever read graphic novels? They're full-length comic strips for grown-ups that often tell hilarious and touching stories. They're entertaining and compelling--it's almost like reading a movie. And you'll notice clever little things in the pictures that add to the story (like a flirty sideways glance or a suspicious bead of sweat). Here are my five favorites...
2. French Milk is a funny memoir of a 22-year-old's six-week stay in Paris with her mother--complete with drawings of croissants, striped shirts, the Eiffel Towel and some crankiness (which just makes her more charming). Really sweet to see the mother-daughter relationship.
3. Persepolis tells the story of the author's childhood under the Islamic Revolution. Her neighbors' homes are bombed, and her once-wealthy parents now struggle to educate her. Her father considers fleeing to America, but then asks to his wife, "I can become a taxi driver and you a cleaning lady?" As she grows up, the girl's rebellious streak puts her in danger. Touching that the story is told through a child's eyes.
4. Shortcomings follows Ben, a cynical Japanese-American guy in his twenties, on his search for contentment--and the perfect girl. He's kind of a jerk but you grow to love him, or, at least, understand him. Fascinating insight into a certain type of male mind. (The genius author Adrian Tomine also illustrates for the New Yorker; I once spotted him in a record store! I creepily trailed him around but was too shy to say hello.)
5. Cancer Vixen has a scary cover, but I promise you, this book is a-maz-ing. (Even my manly brother-in-law was obsessed with it.) Written by a New Yorker and Glamour cartoonist, the novel tells Marisa's true story of finding a lump in her breast right after meeting the love of her life. This book made me laugh out loud and shed tears, and I couldn't put it town.
These days, I'm smitten with all the clever tattoos out there, but I'm too wussy to get a permanent one. So I was THRILLED to discover tatt.ly, a new online shop offering awesome, designy temporary tattoos.
In a seriously nerdy turn, I may or may not be newly obsessed with charts and comics.
I'm going on 20/20 today to talk about my elevator phobia. Funnily enough, I'm way more nervous about taking the elevator up to the studio than being on TV. Wish me luck!!! :)
1. Outdoor dining--a picnic in a park, BBQ on a beach or dinner on a roof. Everything just seems to taste better outside!
2. The short but sweet season of my favorite flower--the peony. 
3. My summer uniform (I live in the UK, so admittedly summer isn't always hot hot hot). My goal this summer is to break in my Swedish Hasbeens, because they're the perfect summer shoe, but my feet just haven't got the memo yet.
This cartoon made me laugh out loud. (Are you guilty?:) While we're on vacation in San Francisco this week, however, I've scheduled five fabulous guest posters, who will be sharing their favorite summer things. Looking forward to catching up next Monday, with a new Motherhood Monday post and photos from our trip.
If you're designing a website or invoice or business card, how awesome are these hand-drawn icons? You can buy the set of 300+ icons for $30. I love that they include glasses, skateboards and toast.
And I haven't posted about typography in a while, but how genius is this llama font? So random and hilarious. He's so flexible! :)
Happy Valentine's Day, my sweets! What are you doing tonight? On this day four years ago, I was feeling sad and lonely....and had no idea that I was only two weeks from meeting Alex. It goes to show that you never know what's right around the corner!
Berlin-based artist Christoph Niemann and his three sons started playing around with cookie dough. How genius are their creations? See more here.
Have you guys seen the amazing new site I Want to Be Her? Andrea Linett, the former creative director of Lucky, stops adorable women on the streets of New York and asks them about their style. Then she features an illustration or photo, along with the girls' fun styling tips, like where to find glow-in-the-dark spider earrings and the perfect black leggings. See her fabulous blog here.
At the Martha Stewart Craft Fair last weekend, I was lucky enough to buy this calendar from Erin Jang. Each month has an adorable graphic (and you can even write in your New Year's Resolutions!). They're actually 12 separate prints, so you can frame and hang them as wall art.
In my family, I'm kind of labeled as the wussy one. I'm scared of elevators, bears, and the dark, and when Alex and I went to Mexico, it took me an hour to get up the nerve to snorkel. I prefer things that aren't at all dangerous, like eating cheese or sitting still. So, needless to say, these hilarious posters were right up my alley.
