March dawns with hope but also with exhaustion in my little cocoon. This week marks a year from the last time we entertained with a dinner party. It seems foriegn to be able to do so and that merry little get together seems like a lifetime ago.
Still, the warmth in the breezes where I live brings the promise of longer and warmer days, which translates to more time outdoors. The vaccine news brings more optimism and I find myself actually making plans, as tentative as they may be. Inviting my fully vaccinated mother to celebrate my son’s 10th birthday with the four of us seems like a bold and exciting step.
Seventeen years ago I ran the Paris marathon on an early April Saturday morning. I couldn’t keep up with my initial pace so learned what worked for me and kept plugging away. At mile 17 I had to stop and have a doctor look at a pulled muscle in my leg. At mile 20 I despaired because I messed up the miles translation to kilometres and realized I had much further to go. The last stretch was through the beautiful Bois de Boulogne, which is a lush parkland in the city, and instead of water stations there were Beaujolais stations (!) for a little civility in that last and difficult stretch.
It is my belief that we’re rounding the corner on this very long marathon. I feel and hope we’re in the proverbial Bois d Boulogne as we enter what is hopefully the final phase of the pandemic during spring time. Just as I did as I huffed, hobbled and jogged in the last stretch of the marathon almost two decades ago in the middle of that beautiful park, I’ll distract myself with the budding flowers, admiring the trees and soaking up the sun.
Speaking from experience a little beaujolais can help, too. :)
Lots of great content this week. No plans for St. Paddy’s day? We’ve got you covered!
Have a great weekend,
Suzanne
**********
- Check out this TED Talk about design: “The First Secret of Design is… Noticing”
- More of the best looks from fall-winter 2021 collections, this time from the London, Milan, and Paris shows
- Check out the 2021 winners of the Sony World Photography Awards, a partnership between Sony and the World Photography Organization
-
The new book ‘How Design Makes Us Think’ looks at the sociological, psychological, and historical reasons that some visual cues resonate so powerfully.
- This feature on artist Mari Andrew’s pieces described as “infographics for your soul” is guaranteed to make you feel a little more inspired
- A new interior design startup aims to use virtual mood boards to “[empower] creativity and [empower] individuals to create digital and physical spaces”
Things to Do Around the World
- The Saint Louis Art Museums’ “Art in Bloom” exhibit goes virtual this year March 3-31, allowing for creative ways to expand the event digitally in ways that weren’t possible in-person
- The V&A Museum in London hosts an online talk about how Islamic architecture influenced Europe
- On March 5th, Vogue Business will host a panel on “the future of fashion shows” in light of the new opportunities for creativity available in a hybrid or digital format
- The Cooper Hewitt is hosting a Design Snack workshop on March 17th with fashion designer and educator Lesley Ware that explores sourcing materials and ideas for your own mood board
- Dublin’s St. PAtrick’s Day parade was canceled for a second year but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. There will be a five day virtual festival from March 12-17