weekend links

Hello friends!

Aren’t these little red-wax-capped pears adorable? Apparently the wax helps the pears to ripen properly instead of spraying wax directly on the skin the way we do in the U.S. I really enjoy shopping here in Spain because I’m always learning new things. Shopping at the butcher is still my biggest challenge because meat is cut very differently here than at home. But the butcher is patient with me, and if I tell him what I’m making he can usually help me find something that works.

Just before the holidays S’s sixth-grade class watched the film Fed Up for biology class and decided, as a group, that they would refrain from eating sugars and processed foods for ten days. (They wisely decided to wait until the holidays were over before beginning this endeavor!) It’s a fascinating film, and I’ve been trying to break the sugar (chocolate: my frenemy) habit for a while now so I told her I’d join in. We’re on Day 5 now. The first couple of days were tough, but it’s getting easier. It didn’t help that we made a gingerbread house during Christmas break that’s been taunting us. But we’re holding strong. Have you ever tried giving up sugar? I’d like to last longer than ten days to see how I feel after a couple of weeks, so I’ll let you know how it goes. So far I feel great.

Pinterest Picks

There’s a hat shop here in Madrid with the cutest mushroom hat on display. Now I know what to call it, at least! Also, how pretty is the contrast pleated black and white tulle in this vintage dress?

Carrot soup and grilled cheese with apple and sage? (Who needs sugar?)

A little January color inspiration, just in case your weather hasn’t been too bright and cheery lately.

This denim skirt reminded me of our Liesl + Co City Stroll Wrap Skirt. And as I type this I’m wearing a Gallery Tunic (which I thought of when I saw this navy tunic) with my faux leather leggings.

Weekend Reading

• Here’s a fascinating in-depth discussion of the business behind fashion and how much it actually costs to make clothing. (And also an interview with the author of the piece, Liz Pape, of Elizabeth Suzann.)
• This grandfather posts a daily drawing to Instagram to keep in touch with his grandkids who live far away from him.
• Did you know about the 90-minute rule for sleep? (See point 5.) I been counting backwards like this all week and it really seems to work.
• I don’t know about you but I felt a little dirty after reading this article about how celebrities choose what to wear on the red carpet. What ever happened to just wearing the dress, shoes, and jewelry you love?
• If you follow me on my personal Instagram account you know that S and I have a thing with doors and our frequent #doorphotobomb photos. Which makes me love this video of Wes Anderson’s windows even more.
• This is quite brilliant: how to put on a duvet cover (without crawling inside it the way it sometimes seems necessary).
• Also, isn’t this a great idea? A weekly marriage meeting and how to manage it.
• I’ve been meaning to direct you to this wonderful history of fashion silhouettes article by Natalie Chanin for a while now.
• We got Todd a simple, very cute robot for Christmas and have been having a blast with it. But here’s a much fancier robot that looks like it might actually be quite useful and really entertaining.
• And, for those of you who like online crafting courses, Crafty is running a big Buy One, Get One Free promotion this weekend. Not all of their courses are included, so click here to see what courses are. Then use coupon code BOGOJAN17 at checkout to get your free course.

OK, have a wonderful weekend and we’ll be back next week with a tutorial for combining a facing with a lining, like I did for S’s Building Block Dress jumper. We’ll also have several compendiums for you, including your 2016 photo mosaics. (Have you made one yet?) See you then!