Hair New Era

Photo via Mary Ruffle

This morning is sunny and beautiful. I'm wishing I were out on the water, sailing and enjoying that full-on summer is here. In the meantime, this photo will have to do. Isn't this snap of Jackie O and JFK watching the sailing boat races dreamy? They really were American royalty.

Be back soon for more, in the meantime, hope you're either outside or at least able to peek out the window and enjoy some of this sunshine!

With my return to work, I think my brain is already in vacation overdrive. I've been dreaming of exotic locales and awe-inspiring trips to take for days now. Luckily for me, the blogosphere provides plenty of inspiration. Here are three interesting idylls that have caught my eye lately:

1.

At the Utter Inn in Sweden, it's just you (and perhaps one other person, preferably someone you like a lot) in a typical Swedish red house. This red house floats one kilometre out on Lake Malaren (where you're brought by boat). You can have dinner delivered to you by boat, or use their inflatable canoe to visit a nearby uninhabited island. You can also swim and just relax in general. And oh yes, and the sleeping quarters are below the water level, so you fall asleep with fishes swimming around you and eying you suspiciously. Kinda weird, kinda cool.
Spotted on mix tape.

2.

Villa Else is not too far from Utter Inn - it's located in Denmark in the middle of Søllerød Nature Reserve and facing beautiful forests. This bungalow is so cozy and cute:



Photos by Stuart McIntyre. Spotted on Walking Around.

3.


Perhaps the swankiest of all. The entire page was in Spanish (or Portugese?) so I don't have too much info on this house, other than that it was photographed by Romulo Fialdini. Sorry. Pretty, though, no?
Spotted on Aubrey Road.

Ahh, to get away. A girl can dream... Until then, I'm excited for today - it's supposed to be 82 degrees! Hello, summer! (Wait, where did spring go?...)

P.s. If you think sleeping in a treehouse would be more your style, check this out! And don't forget about the possibility of swimming on the edge of a waterfall - yikes!

For those of us not getting real "rocks" for Valentine's Day, I thought these giant crystals might give us something to ooh and aah over instead. (I keed, I keed.) ;)

These photos are from crystal caves in Naica, Mexico called Cueva de los Cristales (or "Cave of Crystals" - brilliant name, by the way, right?).


Doesn't this guy look like Luigi (of Mario & Luigi) in his little navy plumber's outfit and green hat?

Photos from National Geographic

Discovered in 2000, the caves contain some of the world's largest known natural crystals, which are as long as 36 feet and weigh up to 55 tons; the largest crystal in the caves is 500,000 years old.

These aren't the kind of caves you can check out yourself, though: the main cavern can kill humans after just 15 minutes of exposure due to its 100% humidity and temperatures hovering around 136°F. Only select scientists have ever been down there, and they are required to wear protective suiting (basically filled with ice cubes and a dry air system).

Regardless of the danger, these caves yield huge amounts of silver, lead and water, which is handled by a Mexican mining company. The water has been used to create a lake in the desert, as well as water a nearby golf course. (Okay...An amazing natural treasure and that's how we use its resources...)

Either way, these caves are cool. Well, actually, they're hot, but you know what I mean...

Thank you, Alyson, for sharing these amazing crystal caves!

I remember when my brother and I were younger and spent our summers on Cape Cod, we would spend literally all day in the pool in our backyard, swimming and diving. We wouldn't get out until our mom dragged us out for dinnertime, and by then our fingers were prune-y and numb.

At summer camp on the Cape, we had morning swim lessons in the freezing cold pool or in the murky pond (depending on how old you were), and then I'd spend all afternoon sailing on little Sunfish boats or FJs and 420s as I got older.

To me, the water symbolizes everything fun and full of life I remember from those summers.

Now I live in Annapolis close to the water, and fill my house with things reminiscent of the sea and the color of pool blue. As I get older, I hope to one day have a real painting (or at least a high-quality print!) to put on my wall to remind me of the summer.

I spotted these Samantha French paintings on Mint a few weeks ago and fell in love. The colors, texture and movement of them feel so connected to me.




Do Samantha's gorgeous paintings and prints speak to you too?