Freeform Friday

I looooove three day weekends. We got our kayak on the river as soon as we could this afternoon, and I'm looking forward to getting to the pool and out on the lake as much as possible this holiday weekend. I always think I'll tackle big projects on long weekends, but the truth is I'd much rather read, relax, and recharge. I hope you have a restful weekend, and I hope you enjoy some of my favorite links from the past week.

I kind of love that Queen Elizabeth is bonding with Meghan Markle's beagle.

What stories that shaped the world do you most remember?

Love these birds and bees prints on one of my favorite dresses.

Spring is the perfect time to spot migrating birds. Listen to these local visitors.

Holy wanderlust. Look at these rooms with a view.

So excited to see free recipes and expert tips from Cooks Illustrated on Instagram.

Still thinking of the whipped feta a friend served with fresh peas and blanched asparagus at book club last weekend.

New Harry Potter shirts for your favorite muggle.

I read a great review for this multipurpose moisturizer, and I'm itching to try it.

Father's Day gift ideas for ya.


[Image from Traverse City Tourism.]

Eight Guy Gifts

With Father's Day coming up, it's handy to have a few good gifts in mind for all the handy dads in your life. Here are some things that have been a hit with guys I know and might just work for yours, too.

It doesn't matter if you're drinking Scotch on the rocks or a sparkling Pellegrino, it all tastes better in one of these beautiful glasses.

How about giant ice spheres for that drink?

A smart shirt to sport always works (and is sure to garner comments and compliments).

Classes to tickle his funny bone; my husband and his buddy took these last summer and had an amazing time attending classes by day and performances by night. 

A portable record player to play his vinyl collection out on the deck (or wherever else he feels like taking it!). 

If you've giving a gift to someone who likes tools for the yard, our metal utility cart gets a ton of usage at our house; it's great for toting firewood, recycling to the curb, or a host of other tasks. We got ours from our favorite local hardware store, but they have them at (often times family owned) Ace stores, too. 

My husband always gets loads of compliments (and free drinks from strangers!) when he wears this shirt and this shirt.

What other ideas have been hits with the guys in your life? Tickets to a sporting event or concert?

A T-shirt from his favorite local record store, movie theater, or band? A gift certificate to his favorite restaurant with a patio for warm summer nights?

All Abord the Quirk Express: A Wes Anderson Themed Party

Director Wes Anderson's distintive style makes for so many costume-worthy outfits, so when it was time to celebrate my milestone birthday, I knew his films would be the theme for a blowout costume party. Here are the elements I used to pull it all together for a fantastic birthday party. 

What to Eat and Drink
I used Anderson's films to inspire the menu items, and I paired the dishes with quotes from the films to help illustrate why the hell I was serving pb & j and tuna sandwiches at an evening party for adults. (Spoiler: they were gobbled up!).

From Rushmore we had two types of sandwiches offered by Max to Mrs. Blume, carrots from Rosemary and Herman's flirtatious stroll, and honey with a Rushmore beekeepers label I made.

The Royal Tenenbaums inspired butterscotch sundaes, Margot's grudging choice when at the ice cream parlor with Royal. The Darjeeling Limited was our source for savory snacks and sparkling limeade, or "sweet lime" that's offered to the brothers on the train.

Fantastic Mr. Fox was represented with Bean's Alcoholic Cider; I made beverage labels by using Anderson's favorite font, Futura.

A friend, and fellow Wes Anderson devote, was generous enough to bake and decorate miniature chocolate cream filled pastries just like the ones Agatha crafts in Grand Budapest Hotel. They were just divine, and everyone admitted to eating far more pastries than we should have.

Lastly, I hired a talented local baker to craft these beauties, all wrapped up so guests could nibble on them at the party or take them home for later.

Decorations 
I used some favorite iconic images from Anderson's work around the house to decorate for the party. I've always wanted a Tenenbaums flag like the one that flies atop their house, and this was my excuse to get one. Boy With Apple was easy to print on a color printer and pop in an existing frame.

I gave out small buttons with images and quotes from different films during the party, and they were a playful, small favor that people got to wear and take home. 

Costumes

I sent out invitations a month before the party so guests would have plenty of time to think about and assemble their costumes, and seeing my closest buddies come as some of my favorite movie characters was the best gift I could ask for. There were wigs and red knit hats galore, foxes, birds, dogs, and oodles of other characters who partied the night away to the soundtracks from Anderson's films.

Even our terrier got to participate thanks to a look-alike character in Isle of Dogs. Friends came in costumes from Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic (by far the biggest gang of party-goers!), Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, and his short film Hotel Chevalier (a fun and unexpected addition!).

I can't think a better way for a movie lover to celebrate a special occasion, and I'm grateful to have good friends who are happy to play dress up with me for my birthday. What a grand night it was.

Freeform Friday

After a busy week, I'm looking forward to loads of family time this weekend. We're lucky enough to see lots of extended family for a gathering honoring my late grandpa, and I'm looking forward to hearing favorite stories as we celebrate his long, colorful life.  If the weather cooperates, we'll finally get the kayaks in the water, and I get to cap the weekend with book club with my favorite group of ladies. I hope you have a lovely weekend, and I hope you enjoy my favorite links from the past week.

How to be mindful on vacation.

Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon’s “Cord and Tish” are ready for the royal wedding.

Ha! Women rejecting marriage proposals in western Art history.

If some of literature’s most complicated male characters were just reasonable people instead.

Can't wait to see this movie everyone is buzzing about opening night at Cinetopia. 

I've been thinking about this look at views on men and women with gray hair, especially as I'm teaching Big Fish in Film this week.

Why women are attracted to female-only co-working spaces.

A thoughtful collection of children's books that foster acceptance.

Loving this piece of flash fiction (that my student won a huge award for!).

How could  you only pick one of these fabulous desk signs?

I want to be a member of the Walkie Talkies when I retire.

I love this food writer's honesty about working with food and having food issues.

[Image from Our Moveable Feast on Instagram.]

Freeform Friday

I'm excited to celebrate my milestone birthday with close friends this weekend; they're skipping gifts and coming in costumes from the films of a favorite director, and I've been needing out on film-inspired food and decorations in preparation. All aboard the quirk express! I hope you have a fantastic weekend, and I hope you enjoy my favorite links from the past week.

How to be mindful in everyday situations.

Excited to explore the most European city in North America this summer.

I want about a dozen of these cookie cutters (especially this one).

How pretty is this summer top?

You love rosé. I love rosé. Let’s all make some rosé sangria.

Go watch RBG this weekend, and take your mother. Buy her something to go with it, too!

What's it like to raise a young daughter in the age of Trump.

This is one of my favorite lists when it comes to picking my next book.

Freeform Friday

Happy weekend! Today we're putzing around the yard in the sunshine and blustery winds; it rained heavily yesterday, so the creek behind our house is a perfect combination of clear but really full rushing water. The view from our back deck makes all ambition, for doing anything on a Friday afternoon, float downstream.  Tomorrow we're all headed to a Cinco de Mayo party that friends graciously host each year, and I'm excited to catch up with buddies we only get to see a few times a year. I hope you have a grand weekend, and I hope you enjoy my favorite links from the past week.

The kind of dignified language and humor considered appropriate for our current cultural discourse (that should have been used at the White House Correspondent's Dinner).

Fashion reminders now that it's getting hot outside.

In 1931, Zora Neale Hurston sought to publish the story of Cudjo Lewis, the final slave-ship survivor. Instead it languished in a vault. Until now.

Looking forward to catching this movie when it opens next week.

Four small businesses that have mastered customer service in a way big stores can't.

Thoughtful travel advice (including the genius of having downtime and thinking outside the box for souvenirs).

This may be the coolest teacher gift. Ever.

Have you tried a black peel off mask yet? This one leaves your skin super smooth.

The most exciting city in America?

Kanye's politics are what happens when you don't read books.

Stumbled upon this article about Hemingway's muse (with great connections to a recent book club favorite read).



[Image from Food52 on Instagram.]