back in a bit

sorry for disappearing this week! i'm taking a little time to enjoy the summer and will be back on august 23 with new posts and updates.

washboard + straight

robert kinmont’s 1969 photo series “my favorite dirt roads” consists of 17 square black and white format images that give us a glimpse into the reclusive artist’s life, who, after a 30-year break, has started to make art again. In his words, “the experience of standing and looking down a road . . . opens your mind in a way nothing else does.” after all of this time, i hope his roads are still untouched and unpaved.

vitamin c

is it weird that i love this bowl of fruit tee from built by wendy? originally, i just couldn't bring myself to justifying a $70 tee, but bbw is having a sale and i'm finding it hard to resist. there are so many great summer sales happening with fall clothes filtering in. i really don't want this season to be over!

antler-free

a good pair of jeans is hard to find. nashville store, imogene + willie, has tried to make the search for the perfect pair as painless as possible. the store’s stock is simple, with 2 classic styles – the straight-leg “willie” for men and the straight-led midrise “imogene” for women. owners carrie and matt eddmenson believe that the best jeans conform to the owner’s body, so tailoring is done on-site. they also suggest that all denim be washed very little and supply genius step-by-step washing tips on their web site for a creek cleanse, a tub soak, and a normal wash.

western shoreline

despite being surrounded by the great lakes, i’ve felt a little landlocked in our new city this past year and trips to the community pool haven’t help calm my cravings. we finally got to spend some time on the coast of lake michigan over the weekend. i can't think of anything i love more about summer than napping on a blanket while the sun dries your wet skin from an afternoon of swimming.

reflexology

ben and i are going to muskegon this weekend with some friends to escape the steamy city and jump in lake michigan. if you look at the map, it's about 175 miles northwest of ann arbor, just below the right-hand pinky.

(via travelwiki)

remote areas

canadian photographer eamon mac mahon travels all over the world, by foot or bush plane, to gather shots in isolated communities and wilderness areas, capturing beautiful moments in often overlooked locations.

in-between

the colorful line figures in artist victoria haven’s delicate ink-paper drawings remind me of a maze of string formations in a game of cat’s cradle, floating effortlessly without a bridge of thumbs and fingers to hold them up.

caravans

to me, summer vacation is about being outside on the beach or in the country. one weekend, i would love to pack a bag and drive, with no plans or hotel reservations, just a little house hitched to the back of the car. in australian photographer hilary walker’s series on caravans, she captures the soul and charm of these beautiful vintage trailers. each door is open—begging you for a quick getaway.

(via darling dexter)

a little magic

sweet/edgy summer 2010 collection with rose petals, skulls, and lace bustiers, by talula, an exclusive house label for canadian clothing company aritzia.

so much mint

it’s hot and humid outside, and to be honest, i want to skip lunch and dinner altogether and just eat ice cream all day. my friend aruna made the most delicious mint chocolate chip (aka, peppermint bon bon) for a sunday barbeque she had last weekend. lucky for me, she left me her cuisinart ice cream maker for 10 days while she is on vacation. it’s been getting a lot of use. on wednesday, i made key lime pie, last night tried a mint chocolate chip similar to aruna’s, and i’m currently looking for a mango coconut recipe to make tonight. i'm starting to realize that having a freezer full of homemade ice cream is dangerous.

mint chocolate chip (adapted from cooking light and andrea’s recipes)

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

1 cup half-and-half

2/3 cup fresh mint sprigs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate

dash of salt

2 large egg yolks

combine mint leaves and sugar into a food processor. process until the mint is finely ground. in a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth, then add the sugar and mint mixture and whisk until combined.

heat milk and half-and-half over medium-high heat in a saucepan. heat milk mixture until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the suacepan (do not boil).

gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. pour egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. cook over medium-low heat until a thermometer registers 160° (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly.

pour milk mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl, pressing slightly with a wooden spoon. discard solids.

chill in refrigerator. once cool, place in ice cream maker for 20-30 minutes, gradually adding the chocolate. return mixture to freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.

take flight

when i see a bird, it usually passes in a flash of light and color caught from the corner of my eye. small objects of streaky hues that are never quite clear. artist maurizio bongiovanni's series of oil paintings "bird rib" create the same sensation of movement and flight.

brighter and bolder

lore vigil-escalera (also known by her initials "lov-e") is an artist/illustrator from gijón, a port city on the atlantic coast of spain. on top of her design work, lore has started documenting and cross-processing photos with her collection of vintage cameras.

wound for distribution

inspired by the forms and structures of industrial yarn bobbins, latvian born designer, mara skujeniece, created these beautiful, porcelain, spool vases. mara currently lives and works in amsterdam, creating a growing collection of ceramics, furniture, and other interior products.

competitive clogging

just when i thought my mind was made up on my favorite clogs. anthropologie throws these sweet, hand-painted swedish taps into the mix for fall.

blueberries

i just got back from another trip to minnesota. when i was there, my mom, sister, dad, and i went to check out their secret blueberry patch. those little green berries will be blue and ready to pick in a few weeks. lucky for my parents, i will be in michigan when they are ready. i follow the “one for the bucket – one for me” picking philosophy. needless to say, less is collected when i am around.