Something + Nothings: July 27, 2017

I've been swimming!  Well, I've been trying to be a swimmer - apparently I never really learned to swim properly and have had to receive both a personal lesson from friend Sarah and spend many hours practicing getting myself back and forth across a pool with much sputtering and panicking, but it's been about six weeks and I'm finally (sort of) getting the hang of it.  Much of this summer has flown past in a blur of injuries and deadlines and major expenses, but getting back in a pool on a regular basis for the first time since I was twelve years old has been a nice turn of events.  It certainly doesn't hurt during a month-long heat wave.  How's your summer been?

Erin Boyle on how to celebrate and take advantage of mid-summer, two ways

validation for every time I've paid someone to clean my house or bring me groceries

all pastries you can eat on two feet in Paris

our peach tree is overflowing, but I've got my eye on a fig tree next - you can have one too!

ten gorgeous public libraries sprinkled around LA, for escaping the heat and finding adventures

six tools to take to your vacation rental - we're advocates for remembering the corkscrew

these culinary bike tours are fun to fantasize about now that Andy's conned me into amateur cycling

"The Hollywood Model."  this is basically my entire professional life, but it looks like it's about to become yours as well.

minimalism as another form of ostentation - I couldn't agree more

we're going to Italy!  (have I mentioned this 100 times already?) going to eat all the balsamic vinegar in Modena, for sure