Backyard Beauty

Sometimes when you haven't been home in a while, you see it with new eyes when you return. Growing up, I always thought of our backyard as ordinary, but going back it seems like a wonderland of quintessential (if not necessarily native) Southern Californian plants and flowers —  palm trees, bougainvillea, cacti, aloe, the exotic dragon tree. When this cactus flower bloomed for just one day, I was inspired to snap the rest of the botanical world of the backyard I grew up in.

Old Book Smell: Book / Shop

Old book smell. It's like the opposite of new car smell. Both involve leather and are exciting enough to invoke any number of fantasies though. As soon as I finish reading Infinite Jest and am allowed to buy new (old) books again, I'm excited to check out new Temescal alley spot Book / Shop, where you can get your old book smell two ways:

1. Old-fashioned, literally — Book / Shop's eclectic yet minimalist rotating selection of vintage fiction and nonfiction books on subjects from art to poetry to typography.

2.

In the Library by CB I Hate Perfume. (According to Science old books smell like grass and vanilla, which sounds lovely.)

Book / Shop also carries interesting and useful reading accoutrements like the craftsman Slotted System Bookcase above, totes both luxe and simple, and book marks, lights, and ends.

If you can't get enough of books even when you're not reading, they have a similarly curated collection of literary inspired art, too.

And last but not least, they offer what is essentially a literary concierge service. Hit them up for help finding something rare or out of print, a customized bookshelf, even a bespoke reading list (they're right, that could be a totally great gift for someone). And in that vein, be sure to check out their blog to find summer reading lists put together by all kinds of interesting people, and to keep up with events and new arrivals!

Cocktail: Dimmi If You Like It

Dimmi (Italian for 'tell me') is a delicious liqueur from northern Italy that tastes like drinking a bouquet of lemons. It's a little bit floral and a little bit herbacious, and for this drink I decided to layer on the floral notes with elderflower liqueur. Add in tequila and a lemon peel garnish, and the result is refreshingly, nose-tinglingly citrusy, and not entirely unlike the concept of a Dimmi-rita that I was thinking about making. Recipe below — tell me if you like it!

Dimmi If You Like It:
    •     1 1/2 oz  Dimmi
    •    1 oz tequila
    •    1/2 oz St. Germain
    •    juice of half a lemon
    •    lemon peel garnish

Shake ingredients together in an ice-filled cocktail shaker until well-chilled, strain into a coupe glass, and give the lemon peel a squeeze to bring out the concentrated, aromatic oils before placing it in the drink (here's a handy guide to citrus garnishes).

I did a lot of taste-testing before coming up with this drink, and just Dimmi on ice is great — definitely worth picking up a bottle for summer drinks!

Chiyome

I'm pretty bummed I missed out on this Chiyome for Of a Kind bag.  I'm mostly a wear-one-bag-to-death kind of girl, and while I'm still completely into my beloved, monogrammed Cambridge satchel, it's been a while since I've rotated something new in. (Although sometimes I think my satchel is so perfect I should just get another one in a different size and color with a different style monogram - silver? gold?). I hadn't heard of Chiyome until I saw this edition, and when I put the bag in my cart I thought maybe I would check out the other designs on their site to see if there was anything else that jumped out at me.

I love the convertability of Chiyome's bags — many of them you can wear on your shoulder, across your body, as a backpack, or by the chicly minimal cut-out handles. Also they're ethically produced, and made of an interesting mix of materials like leather, canvas, acrylic, and rubber cord. When I realized that not only did I really like the Of a Kind version, but that it was a great deal, I clicked back over to pull the trigger only to find that all 60 were gone! Limited edition indeed. I think this was the second bag Chiyome has made for Of a Kind, so here's hoping for a third (they seem popular enough!). If it comes around, snap it up quick!

Black Crane

Black Crane long strap dress from Totokaelo

I can't get over the marbled print on this Black Crane dress. It’s dreamy, beachy, raw, and refined all wrapped into one. It looks stained and painted at the same time, and anything that perfectly contradictory has immediately got me on board. Not only can this dress house all these aspects, it could house a house with its billowing sack silhouette — though the minimal straps (which you can wear straight or criss-crossed) offset and punctuate the volume.

I'm drinking Dimmi on ice. It’s a deliciously floral, lemony, northern Italian liqueur that I learned of from a friend who’s always in the know about esoteric liquors and aperitifs. I spent the afternoon trying to perfect a Dimmi-rita until I came to the conclusion that a frosty marg just doesn’t do it justice. You may as well use triple sec. I do have an idea for a cocktail that will put the Dimmi front and center though, which I hope to bring you soon.

This was the perfect thing to wear to Camino for their raucously fun 5-year anniversary dinner/party, and when I came home hours later my hair and dress both were covered in confetti — it's been christened and is officially ready for more good times.

¡Hola, Verano!

Lover // Isabel Marant // Chromat

I love this shape — one piece, or two.

Tune In: Kurt Vile

Settle in, take your time, and let this Kurt Vile gem, the (almost) title track from his stellar new album Wakin On A Pretty Daze, unfurl. Forget you were listening and drift back in. Like the best songs, it's going to be A+ driving around material — at over 9 minutes long, imagine how many landscapes could roll by. It's a perfect intro to the rest of the album which is just as dreamy and addictive. Also, check out this really cool short documentary put out by Matador in which local graffiti artist Steve Powers talks about creating the mural and how it fits into Philadelphia's urban and artistic landscape.

I got to see Kurt Vile and the Violators this past week at the Independent, and it was a great show. There was a good mix of songs played by the whole band, with guitars on top of guitars on top of keyboards on top of synth tracks (and sometimes with a sax), and stripped down moments, just Vile and his guitar. I love that Vile's songs are suffused with diverse influences in a way that's evident and traceable, but totally his own. There's this sense of earnestness in his songs and his whole approach that's really appealing. Plus, you just cannot fuck with his hair. Tip for music journalists: instead of asking the same old questions about his influences and stint as a forklift driver, ask him what products he's using.

Pick up Wakin On A Pretty Daze here.