Loving Love

I love love. Ergo, I love days that celebrate love. Ergo, I love valentine's day. Ergo, I am dedicating this blog to all love and love-inspired things (and the occasional red side table or random thing that really doesn't outwardly have anything to do with love other than the fact that i love it). Celebrate love today! 

West Elm's Hearts for Haiti - 10% of the Proceeds go to the HAND/EYE fund

Sweetheart Bib Necklace, Anthropologie $398

Lucky Number Knob, Anthropologie, $8

J.Crew Merino Chiffon-Placket Cardigan, $78

AURÉLIE BIDERMANN Pop silver-gilded heart necklace, $885, net-a-porter

Bright Morning Teapot, Anthropologie, $128

Diane von Furstenberg Striped knitted sweater, $245, net-a-porter

Printable Anatomical Heart Card, $2.50, Etsy

Jimmy Choo Rosabel grained-leather tote, $1750, net-a-porter

Tall Order Giraffe, Anthropologie, $30

J.Crew Plaid Eliza Tee, $118

IKEA 'Lampan' Table Lamp, $6

Amazon, $13

On the Bookshelf

Yesterday I mentioned that one of my continued goals for 2011 is to read more.  My new favorite unemployed hobby is to gather up what little money I have and go to Half Price Books ("HBP") and scour the shelves for great books I've "always been meaning to read."  Lately I've run across some recent first editions that are quickly climbing the list of my favored possessions.  In the past few months, I've found read some fabulous books that I encourage my readers to read.  They include:

Middlesex is the Pulitzer Prize winning novel I never made it around to reading until recently.  All hype about this book is deserved and maybe even falls short of how glorious and new and fascinating this story is.  If you've never read this, read it immediately. (buy here)

I hadn't read a Franzen until I picked up his 2006 memoir a few weeks ago.  With all the attention and praise surrounding 'Freedom' this past summer and 'The Corrections'/Oprah Book Club situation, I wanted to get my hands on something by this author.  I liked this memoir, but its brevity left me with wanting to read more... a Franzen novel.  Because my HPB did not have 'The Corrections' on the day I chose to visit, I picked up 'The Twenty-Seventh City,' which is Franzen's first novel.  It's currently in my "to read queue."  But, for now, read this memoir- it's like a little and delicious snack. (buy here)

While shopping at Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and various little boutiques and antique stores, I kept running across 'The Selby is in Your Place.'  Without fail, I would always pick it up, thumb through it and be wowed by the uniqueness of each person's home profiled in the book.  This is my hands-down favorite Design Book/Look Book of Other's Homes.  I'm inspired every-time I open it. (daily.)  (buy here).

Currently Reading

I wrote a post earlier this summer about my then-current read.  A few weeks ago, I finished American Original, Justice Antonin Scalia's Biography.  It was a great read, and I can't wait to read Joan Biskupic's Sandra Day O'Connor Biography.  But, that will have to wait because I'm currently reading two other great books that are in my never-ending, ever-growing list of books to read.

First, I started Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie before last semester law school finals had started.  But it never got read because then came finals, and then came the bar exam, but once again I am reunited with this fantastic book.  I was introduced to it by a friend who only reads non-fiction books, but found it as interesting as a novel.  It's the real-life, no-frills, true-story of the last Russian Tsar and his family.  Apart from the 90's movie, Anastasia, I didn't know anything about the Romanovs... but this book lays out everything.  I get so lost in it sometimes, I forget that these are real people, real lives, and very real tragedies.

The second book on my nightstand and in my train-travel bag is The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  I was told about this book by a good friend who is a certifiable foodie and was introduced again to it by the AMAZING documentary Food, Inc. (which absolutely changed the way I eat and think about food - it's a must-watch for all).  I'm only a little ways in, but I think the message is already clear: do you know where your food comes from?  Sadly, I think most of us don't.  I'm definitely excited about this book and will update with thoughts of wisdom from it.

So, that's what I'm reading- what are you reading?

Summer Reading

As one who is new to the commuting life, I am slowly finding my daily travel routine.  Initially, I was going to include barbri practice questions during my to and fro, but quickly learned that I lack the requisite concentration.  Thankfully, I have a stack of books I've been meaning to read for quite some time and I have found that they fill the time quite efficiently and wonderfully.

Last week I started the recently-published Scalia biography by Joan Biskupic.  It is phenomenal and absolutely fabulous.  Whereas "celebrity" biographies can be either hit or miss (but rarely hits) this one is thoroughly entertaining.  I am slightly convinced that this has nothing to do with Ms. Biskupic's writing (although fine), but everything to do with the person that Associate Justice Antonin Scalia is.  I am only 100 pages in, but am already so enlightened as to why Scalia is such a larger-than life figure and why he has decided some cases the way he has decided them.
Bottom Line: it's a great read that I encourage you all to buy!

Happy Birthday 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Happy Happy 50th Birthday to one of my MOST Favorite novels of all time, To Kill A Mockingbird.  

Below is the original New York Times review of the 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.  More exciting 'Mockingbird' Tributes over the summer to come!

(I apologize for the tininess- If you download the image and zoom, it is actually readable :)