a few introductions

my sister and brother-in-law have left the city for a few weeks' vacation in oregon. they've left me with a few charges who i thought you might like to meet.

in no particular order, here they are:

tommy.

basil.

mindy.

timmy.

brianna.

and reggie.

aren't they cute?

melting.

just for the record.

city girl, country girl.

week two.

a public service announcement.

for all you city dwellers {and specifically for you new york city dwellers},  you know that a night of parading around the city in anything resembling a cute summer sandal will leave you feeling as if you just walked through an inch of sludge. and if it's pouring rain like it was last night, chances are you have just walked through an inch of sludge. let me just say those sidewalks get slick.

enter boraxo: the best little secret you've never heard. just scrub a little bit of the white stuff into those grubby heels and black sludge be gone. it might not be the most glamorous little buddy, but it sure does the trick. that is all.

{if you'd rather a more sensible option, like, i don't know, sneakers, check out roberta jane's summer roundup}.

city girl, country girl.

this summer is going to be all about contrasts, so i'm starting a new little summer-only series to document the weekly dichotomies. this past week, the wedding of one of my very dearest friends {move over cinderella}. and brilliant orange buds at the farm. 

p.s. still trying to get back into the swing of things. this summer's gonna be a little bit crazy.

new {york} keys.

i landed in new york last night, home from my irish adventure. right now i'm gearing up for my summer of extremes: farmer girl by day, city girl by night. more soon!

it's not sunshine all the time.

sometimes it rains.

wildflowers: the irish edition.

even when i'm far from home, i can't resist the pull of a good field of wildflowers. just like back in rhode island, the fields across from where we're staying are filled with clover and buttercups and whispery grasses. luckily my classmates indulge my urges. they helped me pick enough to make this welcome sign for the rest of our crew. and they allowed me to decorate our dinner table with a few small bouquets. there's no reason a research team can't have a little fun, too. right?

hallo!

hallo, friends! writing now from belmont, county offaly, ireland, where we're staying in these cheery cottages. we're in the land of peat and bogs and a sky so big and blue it nearly takes your breath away. well, when it's sunny out anyway. all this open space makes for an internet connection that's a bit spotty, so i can't guarantee how much you'll be hearing from me over the next day or so, but i'm working on few posts now. xo.

photo of our home away from home by my dear friend, sara.

i'm off!

see you soon from across the pond! but in the meantime, my two favorite packing posts: here and here. and a little encouragement to pick roadside flowers and have a picnic with someone you love.  just because.

xo.

one woman's trash.

living near a college campus can have its downsides: late-night parties, slum-lords, terrible parking, but come may, most undergrads start to move out and in the piles that they leave behind on sidewalks you can sometimes find little treasures. james spotted this little beaut in a pile of castaways. it's the perfect staging area between our very tiny counter and our stove. and the perfect spot to prepare a summer morning breakfast.

croissants not made by yours truly. found here. best in city. platter by may luk.

ignore the heinous cabinets. someday my landlord will let me paint them.

fried.

this might be my first cruel post on this little blog. i'm not sure that i've mentioned this here before, but my james is allergic to potatoes. yes. you read that correctly. no hash browns. no french fries. no roasted reds with the skin still on. no gratin. and usually no fried food since those sneaky little fries end up in just about everything. but how on earth is a girl to get through the summer without a basket full of fried onion rings and a scallop roll with tartar sauce? james, if you are reading, and i know you are, i'm sorry that i ate these potato-laced rings in front of you. let's make emily's onion rings at home, and call it even, k?

what's your favorite fried little something?

lemonade.

nothing says summer like a lemonade stand. and i've never seen a cuter little shop than this one that we found on block island. the young proprietress even added fresh mint from her garden.

{side note: as tempting as it is for me to sit here dreaming up what my picture-perfect adult lemonade stand would look like (wooden cart, handkerchiefs, fresh flowers, berries, etc.), i'm resisting the urge. when i was little, my sisters and i had two businesses. well, two that were successful anyway. shockingly, no one bought into our "neighborhood newspaper" scheme, despite the fact that it was printed on legal sized paper on a real copy machine. One  of our businesses was selling cans of soda (and found golf balls) to golfers on the course, and the other was selling bouquets of cut flowers from my mom's garden to passersby on the street. things were really hopping for a little while, but in both cases adult neighbors joined in on the fun and began their own adult-sized stands that effectively shut down our shops. i swear i'm not still as bitter as i sound, but i do think some things should be left just for kids only...}

what about you? what were your first forays into the business world?

an island day.

summer this year is going to be a little strange for me. in just a few days i'm off for a 10 day residency in ireland, and when I return I'll be off for a summer spent at the farm. it will be the first summer in a long while that james and i won't be together every. single. day. so in anticipation, we've been trying to cram in as much summer fun into as few days as possible. luckily, the weather has been cooperating. on sunday we spent the day on block island tooling around on our bikes, eating fried food, dreaming up beach houses (like jill's), and generally hatching plans. more photos of summertime to come. xo.