THANK GOD IT'S SATURDAY

I am a little behind the times posting about this, but I had to share the gorgeous products on offer at Kate Spade's new line: Saturday. It features a fabulous combination of pattern and bold. bright color (you would expect nothing less from Kate Spade, right) and is meant to be a cool cousin to their main line.

Needless to say, I am in love. Seriously swooning. And much to my surprise (and delight) I am particularly enamored with their black, white and yellow combinations. They look fresh and fun and perfect for busting out on a weekend adventure.

Check out the full line here and their stylin' blog here.

REMEMBER ME?

I'm alive! I bet you were starting to worry there. Me too! There are a lot of changes brewing over here at O.I. headquarters. Besides finishing my orals last month, I have decided to leave my job at the Whitney Museum and return to my studies full time. That means a whole lot more time to work on my dissertation and, hopefully, a lot more energy left over to buff up the O.I. I already have a long "honey do" list going, including a new personal website, revamped portfolio and, of course, a facelift for this very blog.

But in the meantime, I haven't forgotten about you! I will try to post here and there for the rest of the month but can promise to be back in full action by June when I am a free agent again!

I WANT THIS.

I really don't have anything more to add. I LOVE this print by Pop Chart Lab. It's a graphic history of cameras; what's not to love for a photo geek like me? Oh, and it's only $22. Yes, please.

Check it out here.


(thanks to swiss-miss for the tip)

RETURN TO SENDER

I have written about return address stamps on this blog before but I couldn't resist sharing just a couple more. The lovely Etsy shop Nocciola Design features an array of simple, elegant designs all styled to perfection (look at those vintage stamps and that gold tape, swoon!).

Think of all the potential for gifts—mother's day, wedding shower, anniversary, new home! If you have got any of those coming up (or just want a treat for yourself) check out all the beautiful options at Nocciola here.

p.s. Want more stamp inspiration? I put my "stamp" on Pinterest with this board . . .

BOSTON MARATHON UPDATE

As the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings continue to unfold in terrifying fashion this morning, I thought you might need a little bit of positive energy. This wonderful clip from The Colbert Report on Tuesday strikes the perfect note, a combination of disgust for the perpetrators, admiration for the city of Boston and it's strong citizens and hope for a better humanity going forward.

Let us all hope that this manhunt for the remaining suspect is resolved quickly and safely. In the meantime, for all my friends, family and fellow readers in Boston please stay inside and be careful. Our thoughts are with you.

COFFEE TABLE HELP

I am in the market for a new coffee table. In our tiny apartment, we basically use our coffee table as decoration, storage, workstation and, of course, a coffee table. Our eight-year-old Ikea table has finally started to break down and we need something to replace it. Here's the problem: I can't seem to find any options that are either a) attractive or b) reasonably priced. If I like it, it costs $600. If I don't like it, it costs $150. What the heck, people!

So now I am thinking that DIY might be the way to go. Particularly after I saw these two beautiful projects featured on the Finnish blog Weekday Carnival (top: table with Ikea legs, bottom: concrete-topped table). Unfortunately the blog is mostly in Finnish but the general idea remains: take some pre-made table legs and slap on a cool table top.

What do you think? Do you have any suggestions of where to find a good coffee table? Or other DIY projects?

BOSTON MARATHON TRAGEDY

As a former Boston resident and a devoted marathon spectator, yesterday's events at the Boston Marathon have shaken me. I have never before seen a terrorist attack in a city I knew, let alone a place that I have walked 100 times. It was equally frightening and sad.

I come from a family of marathoners. Between my parents and my in-laws they have run over ten of them. I have long been an attendee of these epic races, often finding myself with tears in my eyes at the incredible outpouring of support for the runners among the thousands of spectators. Perfect strangers cheering each other on. Helping each other. Marathons—particularly the Boston Marathon, which falls on a state-wide holiday so that the whole city seems to turn out to watch the race—are uplifting, spirit-building events. Yesterday that was shattered along with the explosions.

As President Obama said, Boston is a strong city and will certainly come together in support and healing. To do that we must follow the wise words of Mr. Rogers: when you are scared, when something bad happens, just look for the helpers. I am proud to say that my father-in-law, a surgeon at a Boston-area hospital, was among those helpers yesterday, as were countless other brave people who raced towards the blast sites to tend to the injured and ailing. As we learn more about these inhumane events, we can at least rest easy knowing that many showed the greatest humanity and selflessness in the face of the horrible acts of a few.

I hope you take time to hug the ones you love—marathoners or not—today. Normal posts will resume tomorrow. Until then, please join me in praying for all those affected.