Five fun things

Did you have a good week?

Here are five fun links from the around the web to help get your weekend started.

Have a fabulous one.

love, -j.

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Korean longboarding babe Ko Hyojoo shows us how its done -- with ease and grace.

The earth breathes. She is alive.

"It takes someone strong to make someone strong." This commercial made me cry.

Check out the world's largest indoor vertical farm.

How to lose weight... Get your heart broken.


Photo via Instagram.

This week's obsession: almond soap

What kind of scents are your favorite?

I love the aromas of orange blossom, lavender, coconut and baby powder. And most recently -- almond. I've been using Dr. Bronner's lavender soap for a while now and stumbled upon this magical-smelling almond variety.

Delicious.


What to do with perfume samples inside your fashion magazines.

This is Saturday night

Coke bottle glasses.
Tired eyes.
Disheveled hair.
Zitty chin.

This is the epitome of sexiness, folks.


How to keep your eyes healthy. (WedMD)

Twenty dollar Tubman

Couldn't have said it better than Bee.


Change for a $20. (NYT)

Three glasses of wine later...

The first glass of wine is all about the food. The second is about love. The third is about mayhem. So says Brazilian photographer Marcos Alberti about the inspiration behind his tipsy new Wine Project.

Alberti took portraits of dozens of subjects, many of whom were coming to his studio after a long day and stressful day at work. What does it look like when you get progressively buzzed? 

It looks pretty awesome.   

See Alberti's entire collection of photos here.

This week's obsession: pom pom sneakers

Have you ever experienced love at first sight? 

When it comes to fashion, sometimes I can't help myself. Something beautiful and unexpected and whimsical will capture my imagination, like these Here Now pompom sneakers. I saw them on Eva Chen's Instagram and now I can't get them out of my mind. Pompoms are enjoying a moment. I'm seeing them everywhere -- on heels, on purses, on beanies, on keychains. 

I love girly things with a bit of badassery. These kicks are on point!!
    

Photo via Here Now.

Quote for Monday

Image via Pinterest.

Guns and playdates

Would you let your child play at their friend's home if you knew there was a gun in the house?

It's every parent's worst nightmare. At least it's mine. Your child is over at her friend's place. The friend asks an intriguing question, implying the forbidden. "Hey, have you ever seen a real gun? I know where my parents' hide theirs. You wanna see it?" The children find the gun. They touch it. They hold it. And then the unthinkable.

Somehow I never thought to ask other parents if they kept any guns in the house. But after my daughter's recent playdate with a friend from school, I'm thinking I need to be more upfront with fellow parents about the issue.

Consider the conversation I had with my daughter yesterday.

Me: How was your playdate? Did you have a good time?
Izzy: Yeah! We played with our American Girl dolls.
Me: Oh that sounds like fun! Did you play in her room? I remember how fun it was to see another friend's room for the first time.
Izzy: No, we weren't allowed to go upstairs because her dad has private things up there, like a gun.

I was utterly astonished.

But I shouldn't have been so shocked. Experts say that 1 in 3 families with children have at least one gun in the house. In fact, more American homes have guns than dogs. And 8 in 10 first graders know where their parents' guns are hidden. The numbers are startling. But it never occurred to me that these statistics would include the households at my children's progressive elementary school.

"Is there a gun in your house?"

It's perhaps the most awkward and divisive of questions to ask of other parents. I mean, how do you pose the question without fear of offending someone? "Hi, I hear Susie wants to have my daughter over at your house for a play date... By the way, do you keep any firearms in your home?" It's a question that could end potential friendships before they even begin.

But when it comes to my own child, I can't afford to assume anything. I can't and shouldn't leave anything to chance. So I'm gonna ask the question that I hate to ask. 

Do you have a gun in your house?


"It was a horrible, horrible accident." (NYT)

Denim on denim

Are you into denim on denim?

I'm really digging this look (which is exactly how I would wear it; paired with simple pointy-toed pumps). Up until today I had trouble finding the perfect chambray shirt. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs I need no longer search.

Hooray!


How to pull off a Canadian tuxedo. (Elle)

Dope

Three 90s hip hop obsessed high school geeks going about their business in inner-city Los Angeles. This movie (now streaming on Netflix) is so fresh. Two thumbs way up. 


Revisiting the 'hood with joy and wit. (NYT)