{via flickr}

perhaps to love is to learn
to walk through this world.
to learn to be silent
like the oak and linden of the fable.
to learn to see.
your glance scattered seeds.
it planted a tree.
i talk
because you shake its leaves.

–Octavio Paz

I just bought a bike! This one, to be exact:

I was looking for a bike with a “natural,” or upright, riding position (hunching over the handlebars in the normal position was always really uncomfortable for me). I also wanted to have at least a chance of keeping up with J and his road bike, so thin tires were a must. Trek describes this little number as a “true hybrid,” the “perfect marriage of toughness and efficiency.” I love it! It even has a bell! And it certainly has helped out with no. 13.

We’ve already taken short jaunts to the library and our local farmer’s market, as well as a longer, 12-mile ride on a nearby greenway. I bought a pair of these (the capri, not short, length, but the exact style doesn’t seem to be on the site) with biking in mind this weekend and love them. Now I’m dreaming of the perfect basket. Which is your favorite? Do you have any great online cycling sources I should know about?

1. Here
2. Here
3. Here
4. Here

I’m pretty sure you’re all thinking right about now that I should rename this blog Bunting & Bunting, and I have to say I don’t really blame you. BUT I do have two more uber-cute ideas to share with you, and they just happen to involve my favorite strings of triangulated fabric.

First, a bunting invitation. Bunting may play a role in the invites I’m busy mocking up for K + C’s ceremony and reception, so these, from Cakies, have found a soft spot in my heart. Let’s just say they involve Happy Tape and that you should head over to her blog post to have a look at the finished product. Brilliant!

Next, as promised, the bunting cake, from this adorable wedding (image by Colleen Sherman). We’ve pretty much decided that we’re going to be sprucing up simply-decorated cakes bought from a bakery, and though we’ve tossed out several decor ideas, right now I’m loving these mini strings of bunting. Dressing the cake couldn’t be easier, and when it’s time to eat, the (fabric? paper?) flags come right off. And affordable, to boot!

One of my favorite parts about our current apartment is the kitchen island, and the fact that the island faces and is completely open to the living and dining room areas. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to anything less. Here are a few of my favorite island looks…

P.S. We’re in the market for some stylish, not-terribly-expensive stools. Any great online sources you’d care to pass along?

{Shelter}

{Alice Lane Home via Black*Eiffel}

{Style at Home}

{Martha Stewart}

{Better Homes & Gardens}


{BHG}

{Southern Living}

Previously:
Deep window seats
Filled with light
Walls of books