The Good Stuff: The Dreamiest Island, Apple's New Emojis, and Sassy History

God dag alle sammen! 

Check out the newest addition to my literary wanderlust bucket list: the dreamiest island ever.

Well, I guess I'm going to need a bigger bucket....! (51 dream trips, daring quests, essential skills, and exalted states of body and mind)

Send SFMOMA a text and they'll respond with a piece of art! 

More proof that artists and architects brains work differently. 

This dude's quest to fix his toilet unearthed over 5,000 artifacts spanning more than 2,000 years of history. 

Apple just unveiled their newest emojis. Joy!

How a few 19th century Lithuanian book smugglers saved more than just a few stories.

This red pebble marks what many claim is the quietest spot in the United States. 

How to raise a reader. 

Are colors learned or innate? Science digs in to babies' perceptions.

I just started following this artist on Instagram. Mad props to painting curvy women. 

Prepare to add these destinations to your breakfast bucket list! 

New study investigates whether art makes society kinder. 

Beer made from prehistoric yeast, money, or elephant poop?! All real! Check out the world's weirdest beers and try if you dare. 

Next level latte art. Swoon.

If I had a million dollars I'd buy this blush sofa in a snap!

I've been on a bit of a self-esteem roller coaster as of late, so I'm making a point to channel these preserved examples of historical sass. 

Japanese philosophies to guide you to your best life. 

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The Good Stuff, Summer Vibes: Cephalopods Being Amazing, The Trance-like Way Some Whales Sleep, and A Sandwich to Beat All Sandwiches

Happy Monday, ya'll! It's feelin' like sum sum summah time and I'm excited to drop some news!  As a sweet treat to my valued readers, I decided to create a deal just for you (seriously, I'm only sharing the code here!).  New inventory launches this week, and if you use the code XMASINJULY you'll receive FREE shipping on any purchase of $20 or more.  This is a great time to stock up!  

Can you believe I'm already working on Holiday designs!? I hardly can. I've had "Mele Kalikimaka" playing on repeat to balance the warmth of summer with the task at hand (which of course inspired a tropical holiday line this time around)!  I'll have those available come late August, so all my wholesalers, keep a look out! I'll be messaging you soon! :D

But enough about the holidays...

Here's the usual round up of The Good Stuff, just in time to kick off your week:

Just another reason cephalopods are the coolest. 

Over 25 years ago, diver Hiroyuki Arakawa had built a shrine at the bottom of the ocean and when he went to check on it, he noticed a giant fish lurking around the gate who was injured. She wasn’t moving or eating, so the diver went down to check her out. He fed her crabs for ten days and since that very day, they’ve been underwater friends. And it's adorable. 

Even more cool ocean stuff: the way sperm whales sleep.

Disney's first African American artist was forced into retirement in 2001. At 81-years-strong, he's still creating.

A field of lavender nourished by Trump's tweets. 

The five types of rest every creative should adopt. 

This new pigment was accidentally discovered in a lab and IT. IS. STUNNING. 

Ten famous book hoarders. 

How do you define success? 

The murky, mutable science of color. 

Two words: Donut. Sandwiches. 

9 self-protection strategies for empaths. 

A very artistic stag beetle. (This bug for sure has more social media followers than I do!)

The power of small wins. 

Going camping? Here's a list of wild edible plants!

The power of bread. Seriously! 

The power and complexity of children's art. 

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The Good Stuff: What Makes Plants Happy, The Best 404 Error Pages, and Totally Appealing Vegetarian Camping Meals

Hey ya'll! It's been too long! Get ready for a ton of updates, new products, and of course links to all the latest Good Stuff! I'm baaack!

 

Dead in Chicago... morbid but cool.

If you'e in Denmark be sure to check out these giant trolls hidden throughout Copenhagen. 

Does this video totally make you want to go to Iceland or what?!

One thousand trees were planted in a Norwegian forest to be used to make paper for books set to be printed a hundred years from now. 

Shining a light on the positive impact immigrants have on the world.

The psychological importance of wasting time.

Reading Rainbow fans rejoice: LeVar Burton has a new podcast where he reads short stories to adults. 

Cool Insta to check out: Sofas Of L.A. 

How tea helped in the fight for women's rights. 

Must visit! This rainbow village in Indonesia. 

Understanding what makes plants happy. 

A marshmallow cafe is coming to Chicagooooo!

This kickass 100 year old woman is keeping a tattooing tradition alive in the Philippines.  

An ocean of 4.5 million blue flowers blooms across a Japanese park.

The best creative 404 error pages!

Why you should seek out strangers. 

Buy this coffee, support rescue dogs. 

The Harvard library that protects the world's rarest colors. 

Vegetarian camping meals. 

Jose Cuervo and Fender teamed up to create a Stratocaster out of agave and it is glorious. 

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The Good Stuff: Tea in a Time of War, About the Iraqi Greeting "Shaku Maku", and The Art of Enough

Hidey ho, neighbors! How is spring treating you so far?  It's rainy as all heck here...but I guess that's to be expected... le sigh...

Rainy days aside, life is damn good in my neck of the woods.  I'm starting to plan out my summer to-do list and looking forward to Chicago's Lit Fest (it's my birthday weekend!), time with friends, cocktails on the patio, planning my sister's baby shower (eek!) and even a little vaycay or two. Do you have anything planned for the summer (or to my Aussie readers, the winter!)? Send those ideas my way and maybe you'll be featured in a super summer extravaganza post!

Happy Humpday!  Here's hoping the rest of your week is spectacular!

Something about this picture really hit me hard.

'What Is Everything and Nothing?'
"Shaku maku" is the Iraqi equivalent to "What's up?" It roughly translates to the paradoxical question above. But it's so much more than a greeting. The riddle at the heart of shaku maku seems to sum up the contradictions of the modern Iraqi experience.

40 reasons why the future is definitely female. 

Prepare to be astounded: some of the world's best tea grows right on this mountainous peak. 

I love horoscope-y things, but I read them all with a healthy filter of reality. My horoscope here was weirdly on point, however.  (I'm a gemini, in case you're curious). 

43 self-care practices for the highly sensitive person. 

Squad Goals: these elderly nuns adopted a pit bull and it's adorable. 

Well, science proves it: cats are nice. 

A little incentive to take that nap. 

Swedish artist Maja Säfström has one of my favorite Instagram accounts, so of course I'm excited about her newly released (and hilarious) book!

Weather for the blind. Seriously SO. COOL. 

What is a seeker?

This is definitely one of the coolest barns in America. 

The arial view of this farm is a lovely lavender mandala! 

This Russian forest is full of dancing trees. 

Ethnomusicology and Disney movies. 

Would you try a black ice cream cone? (Count me in!)

A little belated for Earth Day, but still relevant! -- How our diets impact the earth. 

The art of enough. 

I'm adding this art-fueled road trip through Southern California to my bucket list!

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The Good Stuff: The Breakfast of Champions aka Deep Sea Cephalopods, The Intersection of Design and Disability, and A Treat for Whiskey Lovers

Hello! God dag! Bom dia! I hope this Friday finds you happy and well!

Any fun plans for this weekend? I'm crazy excited to be visiting my sister and her hubby.  I could barely get through the week because I could hardly wait! (But it was excellent incentive to get through it all the same!)

I've got the usual roundup of weird and fascinating and fun links for ya'll.  Send any goodies my way and maybe they'll show up on the blog! And of course, don't forget!-- Mother's Day will be here before you know it, so grab Mom a card from the Bert+Lou paper shop!

Hoping your weekend is splendid and sunny!

I NEED this. 

What does a deep sea octopus eat for breakfast? 

An NFL player and a puppy. 

A tad bit uncharacteristically dark for this blog's usual vibe, but I found this article about Nazi Germany's "super baby" breeding program really fascinating. 

The intersection of design and disability. 

I'm smitten with these floral wall murals. 

Your favorite children's books on learning how to be an independent woman.

7 extraordinary women scientists.  Let's get more of our girls in STEM!

Jameson distillers discovered a 230 year old barrel of whiskey while undergoing renovations. 

These succulent terrarium cakes are phenomenal.

The 1920's society of women geographers.  

This ice cream shop serves a squirrel his own ice cream cone every day. 

Is there such thing as being truly "offline"?

A beautiful story about sequoias. 

The busier you are, the more quiet time you need. DUH. I coulda told you that! This is my life in a nutshell.

Well, I just bookmarked each and every one of these sweet pads in Joshua Tree as Total Dream Homes.  Bonus points that you can rent them!

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