Sonya Nimri

I can't lie.  What attracted me to this stand at the farmer's market at the Sunday Sevres-Babylone Organic Market was the sign.  The very detailed hand painted assortment of cheeses against the French blue background on the rustic boards held together by twine just drew me in.  Then the scent of cheese took over the senses.  Pungent, sweet, and nutty all at once, overwhelming really.  Of course, I had to buy some.  Intrigued by the black mold that made some of the cheese look like it had been extracted from an 18th century excavation, it was too offensive to pass up.  Turns out, the stench is much worse than the flavor, which is biting at first but then gives way to a much milder, creamier, nuttier taste.  Looking forward to another round next week.

I found this great yogurt jar at the Sunday Sevres-Babylone farmer's market that I thought would turn nicely into a terrarium because of it's dome-like shape.  The yogurt is great too!  A really easy project that can be done with any glass jar, some dirt and succulents cut off of another plant.  I added a little creature for a bit of a "rooster lost in the forest" look. What You Need: Jar Bit of dirt 7 little succulent flowerings Twisty-tie 3 inch x 1 inch piece of pulpy paper- like the stuff from an egg carton Little Creature Directions: Wrap about 2 tablespoons full of dirt in the paper.  Tie with the twisty-tie. Place on the inside of the lid. Stick the highest succulents in the mound so they look like little trees. Pile up dirt around the paper and stick little succulents in the mounds.  Place creature among the little succulents. Replace glass over the lid- this happens to be a plastic lid, but a screw-lid would work just as well.   Remove glass and spritz roots

   I saw a girl wearing one of these at a cafe the other day.  Right after, I happened to see an old knock off of a Chanel bag lying on the street in a pile of stuff someone had put out (I think- Chris thinks that they were moving but, honestly, it was all junk).  I took the chain off with my handy-dandy jewelry tools and voila, now I have one too!  Tres chic and tres simple! What You Need: 31 inches 1/4 inch curb chain for a double chain (or 16 inches for a single) The length of chain plus about 4 inches 1/2 inch satin ribbon Clear tape 8 inch elastic band or you can cut a ponytail holder open Directions: 1.  Make the ribbon into a shoelace by wrapping one end with tape as tightly as possible. 2.  Weave the ribbon in and out of the chain link causing the Chanel affect.  Leave a couple of inches of ribbon at the front end and also after you have woven it through the whole chain.  Tie knots at each end. 3.  Run the elastic cord through each end of the headband after finding the right te

Emily Loiseau's music video Sister inspired me with it's vintage imagery and scrapbook style .  It's crafty collage cg technique and it's make believe world is just so magical.

I just got my hands on the new  Reprodepot Pattern Books in Folk and Flora prints and I have to say that I am completely in love with the patterns and the projects in the back.  The patterns are charmingly subdued, kitchy, yet not at all tired or tacky.  I can't decide on a favorite.  The projects in the back of the book are also really cute.  I'm straightaway going to make the luggage tags for our trip to Paris on Tuesday.  There are also party decorations,  greeting cards, and  hand-bound book directions as well that I might want to try after I get back.

In exactly one week Chris, Gripps, and I will be landing in the city of lights, romance, baguettes, foie gras and the best crepes on the planet!  Traveling with a baby makes for a lot of extra luggage.  We have a travel booster seat for eating at restaurants, an Ergo for when he needs to be worn, a 10 year old McClaren stroller for when he just gets too heavy, and diapers and changing pads, etc...  My friend Gail gave me this stroller that she used for her two kids.  I love it to pieces even though we have an expensive, shiny new Bugaboo. I much prefer this stroller because it folds up so easily and is smaller for maneuvering around tight shops, which Paris is full of.   I am so looking forward to pushing a boat in the Jardin de Luxembourg's fountain, riding a Velib, eating lots of olives and cheese, and seeing all the fabulous crafts and artistic inspiration that Paris has to offer.  I am also thrilled about this new form of travel that we have found: house swapping.  Should be