Biblio: Atheneums & Private Libraries

Take a moment to think about how crazy it is that we even have libraries. At no time in 2016 would the publishing industry let you introduce your awesome new idea to buy only one copy of a book, store it somewhere in a government funded building and then let an infinite number of other citizens access it for free.

Time for a teeny history lesson. In the good ole days books were uber expensive, so having a large private collection was cost prohibitive, so it made sense to have people buy in to the costs of running a library and purchasing books for the collection through become a fee-paying member. Ben Franklin, America's favorite grandpa, kicked things off in our country with his proposal for the Library Company of Philadelphia.  The terms subscription library, membership library and atheneum all essentially work to describe this non-profit model.

Nom-Noms: June

Source: My Domaine

My youngest nephew is a firm believer in good nom-noms at every.moment.of.every.day. But when you're almost 2 people love those extra fat rolls, so I'd say it's working out for him!

Pinterest is my number one source for recipes, but I feel like sometimes it's a bit of a coin flip whether something that's been pinned 2,000 times has actually been recreated by anyone or not. So, I figured it never hurts to get a recommendation from a friend.

What I'm Watching: June

I feel like I'm always hunting for recommendations for something new to watch, but when people ask me what I've been enjoying I just draw a total blank. I know that we're swimming in Peak TV, and that viewership has never been more fragmented. Everyones watching great stuff, but there's often little overlap. The up side is that there's always something to discover! Here's a little round up of my favorites:

Decorating the Nest: Dining by the Dozen

I have been utterly obsessed with the above photo of a massive raw edged dining room table since I first saw it. This is my Holy Grail of tables.

Biblio: Diversity in Children's Collections

Books are one of the first ways we teach children what is "normal" out there in the big wide world, and they're a huge opportunity to introduce ideas and concepts to children that they don't otherwise encounter in their little corner of the earth. 

A lot of children's books feature predominantly animal characters, but today I want to look at the ways that the human characters can influence our children's understanding of the people around them. 

Fashion Crush Friday: Alexis Chung

I hesitated to even profile Alexis Chung because surely at some point there can be too many tributes to one human being. Fortunately for you, my reader, I've decided that she's just too good to pass up. This gazelle has made a career out of getting dressed, and my father may think that's a damning indictment on modern society, but God does that girl look good.

Biblio: Ex Libris Stamps

Oh, home libraries. As they say in the dating world, if you want to figure out if someone is worth sleeping with just do a quick browse of their books. 

I have a million and one thoughts on home library collections, which we won't really be getting too deeply into today. It sometimes seems like home libraries are often about people hoarding every book they've ever touched (and dozens or hundreds they still haven't read!) to try to show off their intellect for visitors. 

Tribute Tuesday: International Dark-Sky Association

A true look at the Milk Way from the Dinosaur National Monument. Source: NPR

If the greatest light show in the universe is taking place every night above our heads, theoretically accessible to anyone who can step outdoors, why does an image like this one below, taken by Rick Parchen in Oregon, so thoroughly blow our minds?

Fashion Crush Friday: Tavi Gevinson

When it comes to Fashion Prodigies, no one has rocked the boat in the past decade quite like Tavi Gevinson. As a teensy middle schooler, she found online acclaim with her Style Rookie blog and then spent the following decade in the spotlight as a fashion darling.

Now as an outspoken feminist, Broadway star of "The Crucible", and editor of the Rookie Yearbook, Tavi's street style game is a magical thing to behold.

Taking a Second Look: Penny Loafers

Heels may be a girl's second best friend, but we're all in tune enough to know that they're a nightmare for your legs in the long term. So I say we save them for a good night out and for day dressing we start exploring the variety of options for sleek flat shoes that can keep you fashionably on point. Penny loafers reigned for years in the 50s and 60s, and your mom will likely tell you that they were part of her every day wardrobe. The "penny" part comes from storing a shiny bright penny from your birth year in that central gap, which later became a dime. The dime was for one phone call home from a payphone. Every part of this story sounds alien, most notably because we really need to phase out the penny, but it's adorable all the same. 

Taking a Second Look: Swedish Folk Embroidery

Let's talk Scandinavia. Those people are absurdly good at an absurd number of things. They're classy and happy and their modern style and muted color palette makes my heart sing. We're going to look at the Dala Horse, the Mora Clock, Rosemaling before we get to my current fashion crush, Swedish folk embroidery. 

I'm a big lover of the traditional Swedish Dala Horse, which were once children's toys and have now become a symbol of the province in which they originated and of Sweden itself.

The Sampler: 6.13.16

We haven't had a Sampler in a while, and I figured everyone starts off slowly on Monday anyway so we're going for it. Here's some reading for the curious amongst you. As always, feel free to send something back my way!  

Girl Power:
Girl Scouts Recruitment in a New American Landscape by The Atlantic 

The Girl Scouts have been teaching leadership to little ladies in those brown vests for over a century, and I'm really hoping that they survive changing demographics and learn how to add girls from non-traditional backgrounds to the Girl Scout family! I have fond memories of earning that ribbon dancing badge... 

Fashion Crush Friday: Samantha Cameron

At first glance, British Prime Minister David Cameron's wife Samantha might seem like an unusual choice for our Fashion Crush Friday. She isn't known for a particularly adventurous spirit or a tendency towards risk taking. Instead, Sam Cam is a classic case of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" When you've got a winning formula, it only takes slight tweaks to stay fresh. 

Women Crush Wednesday: June's Ladies

As a closet introvert, my version of FOMO isn't missing out on social events so much as someone finding a killer steal at Goodwill and using it to transform their living room into the midcentury modern paradise that I can only dream of. 

So don't worry, I do try to be aware of the ways that following along with our favorite bloggers can be more of a hinderance than an inspiration. When everyone's carefully curating their life, it can be easy to become convinced that we'll never measure up.

I'm actually embarrassed to admit that I left a girlfriend's place this year, and caught myself thinking about how much more curated her living room was and what a loser I felt like for not having our sprawling rental house (shared with 4 gents at the time!) better arranged. A few days later, I reflected on what an awesome time we had together and couldn't believe I'd sat there thinking there was no way I was gonna let Miss Martha see my place!

I've tried very carefully over the past few years to invite the right kind of zen and energy into my life and I've stumbled across some women that I am crazy about. Reading their posts or seeing their pictures always leaves me feeling positively inspired, and impressed by the traits that they have that I most want to emulate. Just o be clear- I don't know these people personally. Because, duh, it's The Internet. 

Fashion Crush Friday: 50s Throwback

Instead of looking at a specific character or celebrity today, we're looking at the 1950s style from Mona Lisa Smile and Call the Midwife. 

We're going to see some awesome consistencies. Accentuating the most narrow point of the waist, adding a collar to everything, and cardigans. Because apparently it was never muggy in the 50s?

There's a lot of soft pastels and tiny florals here. I don't see many other prints than florals honestly, and no major jewel tones or metallics. And the Victory Rolls and soft curls in everyone's hair? Just to die for.

If this was my midwife uniform, I would seriously possess zero complaints. The Peter Pan collar? The berry cardigan that pick up the berry in the upper pockets? The built in belting at the waist? This is workwear at it's finest. Just ignore the whole getting amniotic fluid on it part and you're good!

Food for Thought: Maine's Year Round Island Communities

Vinalhaven by Martha Baum

Isolation is interesting. At its best it inspires hardiness, and neighborliness, and a strong sense of ownership for ourselves and our fates. And its worst, it leads to a social breakdown with festering loneliness and the sense that the world is passing by without our involvement. 

We're constantly hearing that Millenials are obsessed with city living and urban centers, but I think that really disregards the reach that homesteading and tiny home movements have had on people from all walks of life in the past 10 years. There's an equally strong drive to slow down after the modern rat race of childhood and adolescence. 

Why do we assume that we have to hit middle age or later before we can take a step back and find balance between work, play and family? I'm not saying that we need to go all hardcore Golden Pond here, but all of these themes have led me to think that rural living certainly has it's temptations. 

Green Thumb: Statues

I don't know if it's because I grew up in a house with a moon garden, a black garden, an herb garden, and a giant unicorn statue in the middle of it all, but gardens just seem lazy and unfinished without the whimsy and personalization of ornaments.

So let's talk statues! People have been putting statues in their gardens for centuries. They do often lean towards the traditional and classical, but with a keen eye you can easily find a fresh and modern take.