Happy City

There has been a lot of buzz about this book. Now a city dweller myself, I find the premise quite intriguing: Award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery writes about the intersection between urban design and the ideal of happiness, while navigating through some of the world's most dynamic cities. I often think about how my life would be altered if I chose to live in a foreign country. It is remarkable to think about how where we live has such a profound affect on all of the other variables in our lives.

Purchase the book here.

Gracious Green

Regrettably, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary to celebrate Earth Day. In fact, I came down with a case of strep throat. Glorious. However, I did discover a new app called iRecycle which suggests locations near you where you can properly dispose of things such as old phones, batteries, metals, paint and plastic (the list goes on) you want to part with, in a respective, mindful way. Check it out, here. Above: Landscape architect Miranda Brooks and her children. Be sure to view her incredible portfolio of green landscapes.

Keep It Cool

I'm loving Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio's laid back look. Although I don't follow trends, it seems cricket sweaters are à la mode as of late and I'm a sucker for espadrilles...Her sweater you can find here, however I'm also loving the one below.

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Sweet Pea

A beautiful bunny made a surprise trip to my nest on Friday with the most delightful bounty. It was quite touching and the perfect send-off to a wonderful Easter holiday in the city. After marveling over the delicate floral scent from my bedside and attempting to preserve every jelly bean, I came to a conclusion: Sweet Peas, may just be, my new favorite Easter flower. The annual flower has been around for over 300 years, originating from Sicily. Characteristically, they are known for being tricky to grow as they are slow to germinate. If you so choose to grow the jasmine-honey scented species, be sure to pick them in the morning when they are fresh with morning dew - their scent is sweeter. Below, I leave you with a poem from one of my favorite pastoral poets about the flower:

Sweet Pea (Delicate Pleasures) "Here are sweet peas,on tip-toe for a flight With wings of gentle flusho'er delicate white, And taper fingers catchingat all things To bind them all aboutwith tiny rings." –John Keats (1795–1821)