Swing art installation

I'm a huge fan of interactive art exhibits (like the Grand Central secret and the New Museum playground), so my jaw dropped when I heard about the current Ann Hamilton show in Manhattan. Her installation features 42 swings, which, in turn, move an enormous billowy curtain. "When the swings are in action, the curtain, made of a lightweight silk twill, rises and dips, and the air is stirred, causing further billowing and fluttering," writes the New York Times, "Pigeons and an actress provide a soundtrack." Some people glide on the swings, some lie on the ground under the curtain and some sit on benches to take it all in. The show runs through January 6th at the Armory. I can't wait to take Toby!

(Photos by Philip Greenberg for the New York Times)

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Have you ever fallen for someone's...bookcase?

Years ago, my sister invited her friend Paul over to her apartment. While she was in the kitchen making some snacks, he took a look at her bookcase. At that moment, he says, he knew he would fall in love with her. Her bookcase revealed all her passions—from Roald Dahl short stories and funny plays to mountain biking guides and How We Die. She had even tucked The Baby-Sitters Club next to a book on Linear Algebra.

Three years later, they were married.

It's funny how much your bookshelf can reveal about you. So I was PSYCHED to hear about the new book My Ideal Bookshelf, in which one hundred creative thinkers share their absolute favorite books. The book interviews writers (Michael Chabon, Mary Karr, Jonathan Lethem) and chefs (Alice Waters, David Chang) and Hollywood personalities (Judd Apatow, James Franco) and big thinkers (Malcolm Gladwell, Atul Gawande) and musicians (Patti Smith, Thurston Moore) about the particular books that made them who they are. My only small quibble is that I wish the people explained why they chose each book, but overall the collection is fantastic and makes you want to curl up under a blanket and read all day.
So now, of course, the big question is: What's on YOUR ideal bookshelf? Mine would include: The History of Love, Epilogue, Ghost World, Peter Pan, Private Lives, Operating Instructions, Sense and Sensibility, The BFG, Middlesex, the list goes on...

(Top photo of my sister and her husband by Max Wanger)

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Danish bedding

Have you heard of the Copenhagen-based brand By Nord? Their bedding (for kids and adults), stockings and tea towels are seriously rad. Wouldn't the duvet be awesome for a guest room? I can imagine relatives calling quick dibs on who gets to sleep there.

You can find them here and here. (And here's the kids bedding in action!)

(Via Swissmiss)

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Foldable Hunter boots

Hunter boots are tomboyishly cool and make your legs look miles long, and royalty swears by them. The only catch? They're hard to pack! Well, Hunter just released their first foldable rain boot, which roll right up into a tiny package, so you can take them on vacations, store them in a drawer or even pop them into your bag on a rainy day. So far, they come in red and black, but green, navy and yellow are coming soon. Cool, right?
P.S. Five great shoes for traveling, and a sweet photo of Princess Diana.

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YES WE CAN.

Yes, Obama. What a thrill.

What was your voting experience like? Oh my goodness, I voted under the wire. Toby went to bed, Alex got home, and I literally ran to our polling site at 8:55pm. People on the streets were yelling, "You can make it!!!" Later, as we were following the election results on TV, we could see the Empire State Building from our window and watched as the blue line rose higher and higher.

Obama's speech was fantastic. More great photos here. And remember this shot?

How do you feel about his win?

(Top photo by Doug Mills for the New York Times)

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Better book titles

This hilarious website chooses more fitting titles for famous books. Made me laugh.

(Thanks, Colby)

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Cat Bounce

If you're feeling stressed, Cat Bounce is a good place to go. Seriously, try it out!

(Via Swiss)

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Funny app

You know when you have to pee at a movie theater, but you don't want to miss the movie? Well, RunPee tells you when to run to the bathroom without missing anything major and tells you what's happening in the movie while you're away.

My inner twelve-year-old boy can't stop laughing.

P.S. Do you pee in front of your significant other?

(Thanks, Dad!)

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What are you going to be for Halloween?

This "school photo" Halloween costume made me laugh out loud. Her awkward smile is perfect. What's your plan for next week?

P.S. More genius Halloween costumes...

(Photo by Jessica Hische)

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Motherhood Mondays: A brilliant way to help new parents

My friend just had a baby girl, and I discovered the greatest way to help new parents...Read More >

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Seinfeld posters

Rinee Shah created nine Seinfeld posters, featuring the food eaten on the show. Do you remember all the episodes these prints reference?

P.S. The ocean called. They're running out of shrimp.
P.P.S. The zoo called. You're due back at six.
P.P.P.S. Your cranium called. It's renting out space.
P.P.P.P.S. The jerk store called. They're running out of you!

(Via VSL)

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Motherhood Mondays: Bookcase dollhouse

Toby likes playing with wooden figures, so I know he'd love a dollhouse. The dollhouses on amazon are expensive, so I was PSYCHED to come across this tutorial for making a dollhouse out of any old bookcase. I love how they use wrapping paper for wallpaper. Thumbs up!

P.S. Make your own racetrack.

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Roald Dahl mugs

For all you superfans out there.

P.S. Stamps, and a letter from Roald Dahl.

(Thanks, Emily)

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The Royal Tenenbaums

Criterion recently put together a slideshow of all the books and magazines in The Royal Tenenbaums. Just wish they made prints of these!

(Via Miss Moss)

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Movie club idea

I love a good club (documentaries, articles, picnics), so I was psyched to get this email from a reader named Emily:

"My friends and I have started a Cinema Club where we're watching all our dads' favorite movies. It's been such fun already, and the dads (none of whom know each other) get such a kick out of being so important in their twentysomething daughters’ lives...especially since they all live in Australia while we live in London! We've watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Graduate, Casablanca—and Lexi's dad's choice was Van Wilder! Hilarious choice from a 60+ university professor..."

What a brilliant idea, right? Would you do it? What do you think your dad would pick?

P.S. The Shining as a romantic comedy.

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Spinlister = airbnb for bikes

Do you ever rent bikes on vacation? We're addicted. You can explore neighborhoods in a fun, breezy way, and you feel like a local. One of my all-time favorite memories is biking home from dinner in Paris, late at night, and passing Notre Dame, towering above us, all lit up. Magical.

But! The catch is that rental bikes can be surprisingly expensive. They can cost as much as $50/day, and for two people, that adds up very quickly.

So, I was thrilled to discover Spinlister. Basically, it's airbnb for bikes. You rent bikes from their owners for low rates, typically between $10 and $20 per day.
(For example, I put in our Manhattan zip code and found tons of options, including this cute orange vintage bike for $10/day or $50/week. Amazing!!! Way better than paying $350/week, which is what our neighborhood bike shop would charge.)

Yay, Spinlister! Will you use them?

P.S. Toby on a bike, and bike rush hour.

(Top photo by the Sartorialist)

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Humans of New York

The website Humans of New York has stolen my heart. Photographer Brandon Stanton takes portraits of people around the city, from firefighters to street musicians to goofy little kids. The photos are beautiful, but the captions really make them. Here are my 11 favorites, below...
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Real actors read Yelp reviews

Do you ever read Yelp restaurant reviews? They can be really over the top. So, this actor doing a dramatic reading of a bad review made me laugh out loud.

(Via Eater. Thanks, Megan!)

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